“Looking at me like that won’t help you at all,” Gary let out a light chuckle as he steadily caught the spinning Poké Ball.
“Who told you to be late on such an important day? You’re really a hopeless idiot.”
He deliberately paused, taking his time to admire Ash’s increasingly unpleasant expression before leisurely continuing, “I’ll be generous and tell you, all the starter Pokémon have already been taken.”
“What!?”
Ash’s mind buzzed loudly, and he suddenly sprang up from the ground.
He did not even bother brushing the dust off his pajamas as he shouted at Gary, “Not even one left for me?!”
“Of course not,” Gary shrugged, looking completely unconcerned as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“It seems there was one more new trainer registered this year, so the number of starter Pokémon Grandpa prepared wasn’t enough.”
He spread his hands, putting on an expression of helplessness, but the gloating tone in his voice could not be concealed at all.
“But really, you can only blame yourself, right? Who told you to oversleep?”
Gary circled around Ash as if examining some rare exhibit.
“Well, since that’s the case, there’s nothing that can be done. You can just go on your journey empty handed. I’d really like to see what kind of Pokémon would be foolish enough to let you catch it without even having a Poké Ball, hahaha!”
Ash clenched his teeth in anger, his fists tightening until they made cracking sounds.
But when he looked at the brand new Poké Ball in Gary’s hand, all his anger eventually turned into an indescribable sense of envy.
He took a deep breath, but still could not hold back his question.
“Then… Gary, which starter Pokémon did you choose?”
“Oh?” Gary raised an eyebrow, deliberately leaning in closer and lowering his voice.
“You really want to know?”
Ash’s eyes lit up, and he nodded instinctively.
“Yeah!”
He looked at Gary expectantly, his face practically saying I really want to know.
Seeing that expression, Gary’s smile grew even wider.
He let out a mischievous laugh, then suddenly stepped back, creating distance, and loudly announced, “I’m not telling you!”
He made a face at Ash and burst into carefree laughter.
“Hahaha, I’m heading off now. I’m going to start my journey first and become the greatest Pokémon Trainer! You can just stand here in your pajamas and reflect on your mistakes!”
“Gary!!!”
Ash’s furious shout echoed at the entrance of the laboratory, but Gary paid him no attention at all.
He simply turned around, waved his hand coolly, and under the attention and escort of the surrounding townspeople, walked proudly toward the exit of Pallet Town.
The people who had been talking about him earlier now automatically stepped aside to make way for him.
Before leaving, Gary even turned back and, through the crowd, shot Ash, who was still standing there in a daze, a look full of superiority and mockery.
The satisfaction on his face could not have been more obvious.
Only after Gary’s figure completely disappeared at the end of the road and the surrounding crowd gradually dispersed did Ash remain standing there alone, like an abandoned statue.
The sunlight shone on him, yet he could not feel any warmth at all.
My life…
Has it already ended before it even began?
…
Just as Ash stood there in a daze, questioning his life, a figure walked down the long staircase of the laboratory.
It was Professor Oak.
Looking at the now empty entrance with only Ash left, he could not help but sigh and mutter to himself in a voice only he could hear.
“So it still turned out this way… but that just proves they really are a perfect match.”
Ash, lost in despair, noticed none of this.
He did not even realize that someone had grabbed him by the back of his collar and was dragging him forward, pulling him all the way toward the laboratory.
By the time Ash finally came back to his senses, he found himself already inside Professor Oak’s lab.
The place was filled with all kinds of strange instruments and piles of books stacked like mountains.
Meanwhile, Professor Oak was sitting on a chair beside a workbench, holding a steaming cup of instant noodles and slurping away at his breakfast, looking completely at ease.
“Professor Oak!”
Finally snapping back to reality, Ash cried out in complaint, his voice tinged with grievance.
“Gary said all the starter Pokémon are gone this year. Is that true?!”
“Cough! Cough, cough!”
Just as he was about to drink the last sip of soup, Professor Oak was startled by the sudden shout.
The broth went straight down the wrong pipe, and he began coughing violently, his face turning red.
He hurriedly put down the cup noodles and grabbed a tissue from the side to wipe his mouth.
“Yes, all the Pokémon this year have already been taken.”
After catching his breath, he answered calmly.
“After all, you woke up late.”
“Is that my fault?!”
Ash was utterly shocked, his voice rising an entire octave.
He stared at Professor Oak, then quickly reacted, his tone becoming slightly hesitant.
“Well… okay, oversleeping is my fault, but not preparing enough Pokémon should be your responsibility, Professor Oak!”
The more Ash spoke, the more convinced he became that he was right.
He placed his hands on his hips, adopting a posture of righteous accusation.
“Are you seriously expecting me to go out and catch Pokémon empty handed?”
‘Haven’t you done that before?’
Professor Oak muttered silently in his heart.
However, facing Ash’s completely justified expression, Professor Oak could only helplessly set down his cup of noodles.
Looking at Ash, who clearly would not give up without getting a Pokémon, he scratched his cheek with some difficulty.
“If we’re talking about Pokémon…”
Professor Oak pondered for a moment.
“I do still have one here. If you want—”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.
“I want it!”
Ash practically shouted, rushing forward, his eyes reigniting with hope.
“I don’t care what it is, I want it! Hurry up and give it to me! I want my starter Pokémon!!”
“Well, that’s true. A new trainer can’t exactly go out empty handed.”
As he spoke, Professor Oak prepared to press a button on the console in front of him to retrieve the Poké Ball he had prepared long ago.
But at that moment, a not so pleasant memory suddenly flashed through his mind.
So he turned to Ash and said, “Stay right here and don’t move. I’ll go get something and come back.”
Ash was left completely confused.
In less than a minute, Professor Oak returned.
He had not brought back anything particularly special.
It was just that in his hands, there was now…
“Rubber gloves?”
“Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it,” Professor Oak waved his hand dismissively as he spoke, then pressed a button on the white workbench in front of him.
Immediately afterward, a Poké Ball marked with a lightning symbol rose up quickly from among the other three Poké Balls.
(End of Chapter)