The next day.
Morning.
The air in Pallet Town still carried a faint trace of coolness.
On the hillside at the eastern end of the town and atop the rooftops, groups of Dodrio lifted their three heads and let out piercing cries at the top of their lungs.
“Doo—doo—!”
The sharp calls cut through the quiet of the early morning and dragged a certain boy out of his beautiful dream.
Just a moment ago in that dream, Ash was standing inside Professor Oak’s laboratory, and in front of him were three Poké Balls.
Charmander.
Squirtle.
Bulbasaur.
Each one was a Pokémon he had long dreamed of obtaining.
Just as he was agonizing over which one he should choose, caught in the greatest dilemma of his life, the harsh cries of the Dodrio finally poured into his ears and tore him out of the dream.
Ash suddenly jolted awake, springing upright from his bed.
The fragments of the dream vanished instantly, replaced by the bright sunlight outside the window that was already dazzling to the eyes.
The sun was already that high in the sky?
Ash’s mind went blank for a moment as he mechanically lowered his head to look at the floor.
A broken Pidgey alarm clock lay quietly on the ground, its hands no longer pointing to any meaningful time.
A few seconds later, a miserable scream echoed throughout the entire two story house.
“I’m so done for!!!”
Ash scrambled off the bed in a panic, his pajamas wrinkled into a mess.
He did not even have time to look for his slippers and simply dashed downstairs barefoot, letting out incoherent cries as he ran.
“I’m going to be late! I’m going to be late! I’m going to be late!!!”
At this moment in the living room, Delia was holding a steaming cup of coffee, sitting leisurely at the dining table while reading a newspaper.
Sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon her, giving the entire scene a peaceful and tranquil feeling.
However, this calm atmosphere was quickly shattered by a figure in pajamas rushing wildly past.
“Ash, be careful not to fall.”
Without even lifting her head, Delia slowly turned a page of the newspaper and waved her hand with a gentle smile.
“Is this really the time to be saying that, Mom?!” Ash was frantic.
He skidded to a stop at the doorway, turned back, and shouted at her, “Why didn’t you wake me up this morning?!”
After saying that, he did not even wait for her explanation.
He hastily slipped on a pair of shoes in the living room and rushed straight out the door, leaving behind only his flustered figure in pajamas sprinting away.
Only after the hurried footsteps faded into the distance did Delia slowly lower the newspaper and take another sip of her coffee.
She covered her face with one hand, her shoulders trembling slightly, and the smile at the corner of her lips could no longer be suppressed.
“Hehe… as expected, when you already know everything, teasing your son is the most interesting thing of all.”
…
Mornings in Pallet Town were always so relaxed and pleasant.
A few Pidgey perched on telephone poles, preening their feathers and chirping brightly to one another, while small Rattata occasionally poked their heads out from the grass by the roadside, curiously looking around.
However, this peaceful scene was quickly thrown into chaos by a completely discordant note.
“Ahhhhhhh!!!”
As he ran, Ash prayed desperately in his heart.
“Squirtle! Charmander! Bulbasaur!!”
“I don’t care which one it is!!”
“Please wait for me!!!”
His voice echoed throughout the town, startling the Pidgey on the telephone poles into flapping their wings and flying away.
Under his full sprint, Professor Oak’s laboratory, situated on the hillside, soon came into view.
However, the sight at the entrance of the lab made Ash’s heart sink halfway.
It was already packed with people, a dense crowd gathered in a large circle.
After all, today was the day when the new trainers of Pallet Town would set off on their journeys, and many townspeople had come voluntarily to see them off, making the scene as lively as a festival.
Ash finally managed to rush to the outer edge of the crowd, only to be blocked by a solid wall of people.
Sweating anxiously, he was about to squeeze his way in when he overheard a conversation between several women beside him.
…
“Hey, did you hear? Professor Oak’s grandson, Gary, was the first one to pick a starter Pokémon,” one woman in an apron said mysteriously.
“Yeah, my son saw him earlier this morning when he passed by.”
“Then why is he still here and hasn’t left yet? Shouldn’t he have already set off? Is he waiting for someone?”
Another resident chimed in curiously, “Not sure, but I heard Gary even recruited a big cheering squad for today’s departure ceremony, and he even bought a brand new red sports car to leave Pallet Town in style.”
“A sports car? A cheering squad? Why haven’t we seen any of that? I’ve been here since early morning.”
“Who knows, maybe it’s just a rumor someone made up…”
…
Hearing the surrounding discussion, Ash paid no attention to any talk about sports cars or cheering squads.
Only one sentence echoed in his mind.
Gary has already chosen a starter Pokémon?!
The news struck him like a bolt from the blue.
Ash no longer cared about anything else as he shouted “Excuse me!” and began forcing his way into the crowd with both hands and feet.
Amid the lively chatter, Ash used every ounce of strength he had to finally squeeze his way through the packed crowd.
However, perhaps because he had pushed too hard, the moment he broke free, he stumbled.
Losing his balance instantly, he fell flat onto the ground in an extremely awkward position.
His vision went dark for a moment.
Just as Ash was about to get up quickly, a shadow suddenly fell over him, blocking out the glaring sunlight.
Then, a voice filled with unmistakable mockery, one he would never forget in his lifetime, sounded above his head.
“Oh my, I was wondering who was making such a commotion.”
The voice paused, deliberately dragging out the tone with clear mischief.
“So it’s Ash. Showing up in your pajamas, huh? That really suits your style. Don’t tell me… you overslept?”
That voice…
Ash froze.
Gritting his teeth, he slowly lifted his head.
A handsome face that practically had the words “asking for a punch” written all over it was looking down at him from above.
The boy crouched slightly, meeting Ash’s gaze as he lay on the ground, a mocking smile clearly displayed on his face.
“Gary…” Ash forced the name out through clenched teeth, glaring at him with hostility.
“Oh, you still recognize me. Looks like you didn’t knock yourself silly from that fall,” Gary said indifferently, completely unfazed by Ash’s reaction.
He straightened up leisurely and raised a finger.
At the tip of his finger, a red and white Poké Ball spun smoothly in place.
(End of Chapter)