"Now beginning the Gym Trainer battle. The match will be one-on-one. The Gym Leader Lt. Surge will use Raichu. The challenger Red will use Beedrill. There is no time limit. The battle begins!" the referee announced, ringing the bell.
This time, Lt. Surge did not rashly command Raichu to attack. The faint aura emanating from Beedrill alone was enough to frighten Raichu into not daring to move recklessly. The crimson glow in Red's left eye also made Lt. Surge feel uneasy. He couldn't understand why the boy before him was so furious.
"Pokémon: Raichu
Attribute: Electric-type
Ability: Static
Moves: Thunderbolt, Body Slam, Mega Punch, Mega Kick…
Description: Forced to evolve by Lt. Surge back when it was still a Pikachu, resulting in extremely sluggish speed!"
"Since you won't take the initiative, then I won't hold back. Raichu, use Thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge shouted, trying to bolster his Pokémon's courage.
Although fearful of Beedrill, Raichu resolutely unleashed Thunderbolt upon hearing Lt. Surge's command. High-voltage electricity burst from its body like a lightning serpent, attempting to ensnare the flying Beedrill. The lightning serpent pierced straight through Beedrill's body.
Just as Lt. Surge excitedly thought he had defeated Red, he realized the Beedrill had turned into an afterimage. Only then did he understand that it was merely a remnant left behind by high-speed movement.
"X-Scissor!"
Beedrill suddenly appeared behind Raichu. Its twin stingers, glowing emerald, slammed fiercely into Raichu's back. The immense force left two visible gashes, and with just that single strike, Raichu was left gasping desperately, unable to muster even the strength to counterattack.
"Pin Missile!"
"What?!"
Lt. Surge hadn't expected Red to continue attacking. Raichu was already unable to battle, yet Red still ordered Beedrill to press the assault mercilessly. It was clearly revenge.
"Rai—!"
Struck repeatedly in vital spots by countless missiles, Raichu let out a miserable scream. Even Ash and the others couldn't bear to watch and turned their heads away. Only Red and Beedrill stared coldly as Lt. Surge rushed forward, cradling his battered Raichu in agony, repeatedly shouting,
"I surrender!"
"Only by experiencing it yourself can you understand the feelings of the trainers you struck down so mercilessly," Red said indifferently.
"Although being repeatedly provoked by those amateurs is frustrating, you shouldn't let your emotions bleed into Pokémon battles. If you're annoyed, have your two subordinates conduct a preliminary test before challengers face you. Those who pass can then battle you properly."
Red understood Lt. Surge's irritation at being constantly pestered by rookies, but that wasn't an excuse to abandon the responsibility of a Gym Leader.
Having learned his lesson, Lt. Surge restrained himself considerably. His attitude toward Red became noticeably humble. After all, the ten-year-old before him had defeated him with ease. Admiring strength was part of Pokémon Trainer culture.
"Ash, tomorrow I'll be waiting for your challenge at the Vermilion Gym!" Lt. Surge said. Only then did he notice that Ash and Red resembled each other by seven parts. It dawned on him that he had kicked a steel plate—no wonder Red had looked ready to kill him earlier.
(Sigh… standing up for his younger brother is an older brother's duty. Guess I was just unlucky!)
Lt. Surge shook his head helplessly and handed over the Orange Badge to Red. With this, Red had successfully obtained his fourth League Badge.
After receiving the Orange Badge, Red accompanied Ash and the others back to the Pokémon Center. Although Pikachu hadn't suffered severe injuries, it still needed treatment. Having been beaten by Raichu to the point of being unable to fight back, Pikachu lay on the hospital bed sulking.
While Ash was having a heart-to-heart talk with Pikachu, Nurse Joy approached and suggested a way to defeat Lt. Surge—using a Thunder Stone she had obtained by chance to evolve Pikachu into Raichu and defeat Lt. Surge's Raichu.
Red stood silently to the side. This was Ash and Pikachu's choice; he had no right to interfere. Team Rocket, hiding in the shadows, also waited for Pikachu's decision. Although Red had long noticed their presence, at this moment they seemed more like Pikachu's cheer squad, so he didn't interfere.
When Ash held the Thunder Stone and looked at Pikachu, Pikachu smacked his hand with its tail. The pain caused Ash to drop the stone onto the bed. The gesture made Pikachu's choice clear—it wanted to defeat its evolved form, Raichu, as a Pikachu.
"I understand! I'll defeat Lt. Surge and Raichu together with you!" Ash said earnestly, gripping Pikachu's paws.
"Pikachu says it wants to defeat Raichu with its own hands. Without effort, there's no victory!"
Meowth translated from the shadows, tears streaming down his face. At that moment, Team Rocket decided to become Pikachu's cheer squad and support Ash and Pikachu in defeating Lt. Surge and Raichu.
"In that case, Ash, once you and Pikachu have rested well, accept my special training."
Knowing Red's strength, both Ash and Pikachu were thrilled at the prospect of his special training. However, due to insufficient rest, the overexcited Pikachu fainted once more onto the hospital bed.
...
After some time, the recovered Pikachu quickly regained its spirits and followed Ash to the private battle arena in the backyard of the Pokémon Center. Red and Pidgeotto were already waiting.
"Shiny Pokémon really are special. Even after seeing Pidgeotto several times, I still get mesmerized by its golden feathers!" Brock exclaimed, indirectly praising Red's skill in raising Pokémon. With poor care, Pidgeotto could never possess golden light rivaling the sun.
"Lt. Surge's Raichu has an obvious weakness—speed! When it was still a Pikachu, Lt. Surge directly evolved it with a Thunder Stone, so it never learned speed-based moves like Quick Attack or Agility," Red explained. "Ash, your main task with Pikachu is speed training and fully mastering Thunderbolt!"
After Red explained the training plan, Pidgeotto and Pikachu began their special training. With a single Air Slash, Pidgeotto closed in on Pikachu. Pikachu barely dodged; the tree branch struck by the Air Slash split cleanly in two without the slightest rough edge.
Ash and Pikachu both gulped. They hadn't expected Air Slash to be so powerful. Before Pikachu could react, Pidgeotto spun around and used Aerial Ace, knocking Pikachu to the ground.
"Don't lose focus during training. Battles are often lost over small details!" Red scolded sternly, forcing Ash and Pikachu to stay sharp.
"That big demon sure hits hard! Not even sparing his own little brother!" Jessie complained.
"No wonder his Pokémon are all so strong!" James said enviously. Neither he nor Jessie dared even fantasize about stealing Red's Pokémon.
"Now's not the time for that, meow!" Meowth snapped. "Our main mission is to encourage Pikachu and restore its confidence!"
'What are you distracted by?' Pidgeotto struck Pikachu again with Wing Attack as it tried to dodge.
'With speed like a turtle's, you think you can evade me? Dream on!'
Pidgeotto spun rapidly, unleashing a fierce Twister. With its tremendous speed, the Twister sucked Pikachu in, immobilizing it completely.
Seeing Pikachu about to give in, Team Rocket suddenly appeared. This time, they weren't causing trouble. Dressed in strange black outfits, waving flags and fans, they shouted, "Pikachu, go! Go! Claim victory from the start!"
Perhaps hearing their encouragement, Pikachu surged with determination, breaking free from the Twister. It unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt. Pidgeotto swiftly dodged—it didn't want to embarrass itself in front of Red.
"We are the cheer squad that shouts words of love for those challenging the Gym!"
Seeing the bewildered expressions on Ash and the others' faces, Team Rocket hurriedly tried to cover up their origins, unaware that their poor disguise had already been seen through.
As Team Rocket prepared to leave, Misty waved and smiled.
"Team Rocket, thank you! Thanks for the cheering!"
Hearing this, Team Rocket nearly tripped as they fled, confused about how their 'flawless' disguise had been so easily exposed.
Still, their intentions were good. Encouraged, Pikachu fought more bravely. From being unable to avoid Pidgeotto's attacks, it gradually managed to hold its own.
"Speed training barely passes. Now we train electric output," Red said calmly. From the earlier performance, it was clear Pikachu could unleash its potential in crisis and better control Thunderbolt.
"Your next sparring partner is this one." Red tossed a Poké Ball. "Come out, Scyther."
Before Scyther's figure fully materialized, two flashes of blade-like light appeared before Pikachu's eyes—the gleam of Scyther's scythes reflecting sunlight.
"Gulp!"
Unlike Pidgeotto's relatively lenient training, Scyther's was exceptionally strict. Without giving Pikachu time to react, it rushed in with Fury Cutter. Pikachu scrambled to dodge, but Scyther's attack speed surpassed even Pidgeotto's.
Just as Pikachu was relieved to have evaded the strike, a chilling scythe blade had already closed in.