their pom-poms at the ready.
"Ha! That's the Squirtle you got?" Gary's smirk went from insufferable to mocking as he looked down at the tiny turtle Pokémon. "Look how small it is! It looks like a stuffed toy!"
"Small or not, it doesn't matter," Ash shrugged. "There's a world of difference between me and a scrub like you."
"Scrub?" Gary growled. "I'll show you!"
He tossed Charmander's Pokéball up in the air. It popped open midair, red energy swirling out in a rush. The energy molded itself into the iconic bipedal lizard with bright orange scales glistening in the light. Charmander stretched both arms overhead with a squeaky yawn, fire flaring from its flickering tail.
Ash wanted it so bad!
Charizard was his favorite Pokémon, after all. But he pushed the feeling aside. He had a plan. In a few weeks, he'd find Damian's abandoned Charmander in the rain, and unlike in the original timeline, he'd train it to be a powerhouse that actually listened to him.
"Use Scratch, Charmander!" Gary ordered, pointing dramatically at Squirtle.
Charmander charged forward, its tiny claws extended and ready to strike.
"Squirtle, withdraw into your shell!"
Instantly, Squirtle tucked its head, arms and legs into its shell, becoming a round, impenetrable fortress just as Charmander's claws came down. The fire lizard's attack scraped harmlessly against the hardened surface.
"Now counter with Water Gun!" Ash called out.
Squirtle's head and limbs shot back out and blasted a powerful jet of water straight into Charmander's face. The fire Pokémon squealed in pain and surprise as it was knocked backward, its tail flame noticeably dimmer from the soaking.
There was a collective gasp from Gary's cheerleaders. Even Gary looked shocked at the effectiveness of the attack.
"Get up, Charmander!" Gary's voice had lost some of its arrogance. "Don't let a little water stop you!"
Charmander struggled to its feet, shaking water from its scales and giving its tail a worried look. The flame was smaller but still burning.
"Use Ember!" Gary commanded.
"Dodge it and use Tackle!" Ash countered.
Charmander opened its mouth, spitting small fireballs that Squirtle ducked under and launched itself forward, slamming its entire body—shell first—into Charmander's soft belly.
The fire lizard gave a pained "Char!" as it was knocked off its feet again, landing with a thud on the ground.
"Follow up with Bite!" Ash shouted, not willing to give Gary's Pokémon a chance to recover.
Squirtle lunged forward with surprising speed and latched onto Charmander's face, its jaws clamping down hard on the fire lizard's cheek.
"Chaaaar!" Charmander screeched in pain, its high-pitched cry echoing across the lab grounds. The fire Pokémon began flailing wildly, tiny arms swinging uselessly as it tried to dislodge the determined turtle from its face.
"What the hell? Charmander get it off you!" Gary shouted, his cocky demeanor cracking as panic crept into his voice.
Squirtle only bit down harder, refusing to let go. A thin trickle of blood began to run down Charmander's orange scales, staining them crimson.
Holy shit, Ash thought, somewhat stunned by the
violence of it. This wasn't like the sanitized battles in the anime where Pokémon just fainted with swirly eyes. This was brutal, raw and real.
Charmander was thrashing desperately now, its tail flame flickering weakly as it tried to escape Squirtle's vise-like grip. The cheerleaders had gone from cheering to gasping in horror, several covering their eyes.
"Charmander, return!" Gary finally yelled, pointing the Poké Ball at his suffering Pokémon. The red beam shot out, engulfing Charmander and pulling it back into the safety of the ball—leaving Squirtle to snap at empty air where its opponent had been.
"Looks like size doesn't matter after all," Ash said, unable to keep the smugness from his voice as Squirtle trotted back to him, looking immensely pleased with itself.
"Beginner's luck," Gary muttered, recalling his defeated Charmander. His cheerleaders had gone silent, their pom-poms hanging limp at their sides. "This doesn't mean anything. I'll still be Pokémon League Champion before you!"
"Uh-huh, sure, you keep telling yourself that," Ash said, bending down to pick up Squirtle. He winked at the cheerleaders and walked away calling over shoulder, "let me know when you girls want to travel with a real trainer!"
Gary didn't follow or shout any more insults—too shocked by his defeat to bother. The silence was music to Ash's ears as he left his rival with an injured Charmander and six hot cheerleaders who just saw him get his ass kicked.
On his way home, he almost started skipping. I just won his first Pokémon battle! Ash grinned. He'd been in the world of Pokémon for a week, waiting for this moment and it didn't disappoint.
Sweet, sweet victory. His first Pokémon battle, and he'd stomped all over Gary Oak's oversized ego. It wasn't even a close fight—Squirtle had dominated from start to finish.
Obviously, Ash knew the battle probably looked quite boring from the outside. A battle between two beginner Pokémon wasn't going to be prime-time television material, but he didn't care!
Water Gun was awesome!
Tackle was awesome!
Hell, even Squirtle withdrawing into its shell was awesome!
Everything about the battle was amazing because it was real! The sounds, the smells, the feeling of commanding a real Pokémon and watching it execute his strategy perfectly. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was like nothing he'd ever experienced.
The games were fun, and the anime was flashy, but nothing—absolutely nothing—compared to the real deal.
Back at his house, Delia was waiting on the front step holding his backpack. Delia's eyes lit up with excitement as she spotted the small blue turtle in Ash's arms.
"Oh, it's just adorable!" she squealed, reaching out to gently stroke Squirtle's head. "Look at its shell! So smooth and well-maintained," she cooed, running her fingers over Squirtle's carapace. The water Pokémon preened under her attention.
While Squirtle basked in Delia's adoration, Ash unzipped his backpack and looked inside to double check his supplies.