"Don't hurt my Pikachu!"
Seeing that Alakazam's attack was about to hit, Ash rushed forward and threw himself over Pikachu, turning his back to shield it from the damage.
This scene startled Misty and Brock, but Red and Lucci both revealed expressions that said "just as expected," nodding in approval.
"Ash, you've earned my recognition!" Lucci praised. His eyes glowed blue as he used psychic power to redirect the Psyblade elsewhere.
"Why? I haven't won yet, have I?"
Ash opened his eyes in confusion and realized the attack hadn't struck him.
"No. Earning a League Badge isn't solely about victory. What matters most is gaining the Gym Leader's recognition. The moment you protected Pikachu, you fully earned mine!"
Lucci took a golden badge from his pocket and placed it in Ash's hand.
"Alakazam's strength already exceeds the level of a standard Gym challenge. My purpose this time was simply to witness the determination between you and Pikachu!"
"Can I really have the Golden Badge?" Ash asked, still in disbelief.
"Relax. With Pikachu's strength, you already passed the test long ago. You were just stubbornly insisting on battling Alakazam," Red said as he stepped forward and patted Ash on the back, telling him not to look so lost. "Uncle Lucci is a veteran Gym Leader after all. If you and Pikachu had defeated him just like that, it would've been even stranger!"
"That makes sense!"
Ash struck his right fist into his left palm, suddenly enlightened.
"You're already amazing, Ash! Didn't you notice Alakazam was almost unable to withstand Pikachu's attack just now?"
Misty even gave Ash rare praise.
"Who are you?! The Misty I know isn't this gentle!"
Ash stared at the Misty before him in horror, wondering what creature dared to impersonate her with such cheap acting.
"Ash, take care." Red patted Ash's shoulder with a solemn expression and quietly stepped back.
"Ash! You idiot!"
The familiar Misty returned and punched Ash on the head, raising a huge bump!
"Waaaah, that's the Misty I know…"
Ash was about to complain when he suddenly shuddered. Seeing the terrifying killing intent in Misty's eyes, he quickly swallowed his words.
"Alright, alright. Let's end the farce here. Ash, you haven't struck your victory pose yet," Red said.
"In that case…"
Ash held up the Golden Badge, and he and Pikachu jumped excitedly at the same time, grinning brightly.
"The Golden Badge is mine!"
...
The next day
After bidding farewell to the Saffron Gym, Red had originally planned to travel alone. However, he happened to run into Ash while leaving and was forcibly dragged into the group. For the time being, he joined Ash's trio on their journey toward Celadon City.
While passing a roadside phone booth, Ash eagerly dialed Professor Oak's number, wanting to show off the four badges he had obtained.
"That's too few…" Professor Oak said helplessly. "Gary and Leaf have already obtained the Rainbow Badge. They just called me about it."
"How could this happen?!"
Ash collapsed onto the ground in despair.
"Hello? Hello? Ash, are you still alive?"
"Damn it, Gary! I'll definitely surpass him!"
The moment Gary's name was mentioned, Ash regained his energy. Shaking off his brief despair, he decided to head to Celadon City immediately to earn his fifth League Badge.
"Ash, is everything going smoothly? Let me remind you—capturing Pokémon is the foundation of a Trainer. If you want to become the world's number one Pokémon Master, you must build that foundation well!" Professor Oak advised. Beside him, Kingler that Ash had caught popped into view.
"Kingler, are you doing well?" Ash asked with concern. After all, it had been left at Professor Oak's Laboratory ever since he caught it.
"It's my friend now. We were just about to do our daily fun activity and recite a senryu together."
Professor Oak and Kingler struck a pose and recited in unison:
"[With Pokémon～ eating～ ahh so tasty～] How is it?"
"Professor Oak, maybe don't recite your senryu in front of us anymore. Gengar is still scared of your poetry!"
At that moment, Red walked over from afar, biting into a rice ball as he joined the call.
"Well…" Professor Oak blushed awkwardly and scratched his head.
"In any case, Ash, you need to catch more Pokémon. Up until now, you've only sent back Kingler," Professor Oak said. "Even Red, who's taking the elite route, has caught more than you. That's all for now—I'll wait for your next call."
Professor Oak hung up. A mocking cold wind blew past a clump of grass, as if hinting at something.
"Don't worry, Ash. There's definitely a Pokémon around here that you'll like," Red said, patting Ash on the shoulder to comfort him.
"Really, brother? You're not lying to me, right?" Ash asked excitedly, imagining some rare Pokémon waiting to be caught.
"Alright, Ash, stop being so down. Eat a rice ball and cheer up," Misty said while sitting on a rock. Pikachu sat beside her, holding a rice ball and nibbling slowly.
"Yeah, you're the only one who hasn't tried my cooking yet. The round ones are pickled plum flavor, and the triangle ones are kelp rice balls. I got some really good kelp this time!" Brock said happily, holding the rice balls in his hands.
"Don't rush. Just follow this road straight ahead for about a day, and we'll definitely reach Celadon City!" Red pointed to the wide road before them. "Even an idiot could get to Celadon City on this path!"
"Alright! I'm fired up now. The next thing I need to do is catch a new Pokémon as soon as possible!" Ash declared passionately.
As if fate had perfectly arranged it, a wild Mankey poked its head out from the grass, looking curiously at Red and the others.
"It's here! It's here!" Ash excitedly pulled out his Pokédex. "Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. A Fighting-type. It throws rapid punches and moves lightly on its feet. Mankey is usually gentle, but once angered, it becomes impossible to stop."
The Mankey wasn't shy at all. It hopped in front of Brock and sniffed the rice ball in his hand.
"Are you hungry?" Brock took out a fresh rice ball and handed it to Mankey. "This is really delicious, you know."
Mankey grabbed the rice ball and bounced up onto a stone pillar, savoring its taste.
"It seems to like it," Ash said.
"Of course it does. I made it with the finest ingredients," Brock said proudly.
"This is perfect! A Fighting-type would be rare new firepower!" Ash said excitedly, convinced that the Mankey before him was the Pokémon he was destined to catch.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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