"Um… excuse me, are you my brother?"
At this moment, a nervous Ash suddenly ran over, staring at Red with wide eyes. His face was filled with curiosity and confusion.
"Pika~!" Pikachu, who had been running alongside Ash, suddenly spotted Pichu sitting on Red's shoulder. Seeing another Pokémon of the same species, Pikachu's eyes lit up with excitement. It let out a happy cry and eagerly dashed toward Pichu.
"Pichlu~!" Pichu responded joyfully, noticing Pikachu. Although Pikachu was its evolved form, they were still of the same kind, and that was enough to make them feel connected. Pichu leaped off Red's shoulder, happily running around with Pikachu.
Seeing this, Pikachu completely ignored Ash and went off to play with Pichu, as if it had entirely forgotten about its trainer.
"Wow, your Pokémon should be the unevolved form of Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as he suddenly realized the presence of Pichu. He quickly pulled out his Pokédex, scanning the small electric-type Pokémon. After reading the information, he looked up at Red with excitement.
"Yeah," Red replied with a nod. He had answered Ash's second question, but as for the first one, he simply smirked and asked in return, "Do you really think we look alike?"
Ash hesitated for a moment before scratching his head. "Uh… not really. I mean, except for the clothes. But yours are red and white, while mine are blue and white."
"Exactly," Red said. "And I heard your companions call you Ash. So that means your name is Ash, right? My name is Red. I may not be your brother, but…"
"But…?" Ash leaned in curiously.
"But I come from the same place as you. I also live in Pallet Town. However, I don't live in the town itself. I live in a villa halfway up the mountain, not far from there."
Ash's eyes widened in shock. "What?! You're from Pallet Town too? How come I've never seen you before? I know almost everyone in Pallet Town!"
"Didn't I just say?" Red replied with a slight chuckle. "Even though I'm from Pallet Town, I rarely go into the village. I've lived halfway up the mountain for most of my life, so we probably never crossed paths."
"I see..." Ash nodded slowly, trying to process everything. But then, something else caught his attention. "Wait… you said you know me?"
"Of course," Red smirked. "Professor Oak told me about you. He said that, except for one trainer named Ash, all the trainers who left Pallet Town this year have been performing very well."
Ash's face instantly dropped. "Ah… Professor Oak said that?"
"Hey, Ash, you're so rude!" Misty suddenly ran up, grabbing Ash by the ear and pulling him aside. "Don't you realize they were in the middle of a Pokémon battle? How can you just interrupt like that?"
"Ow, ow! Okay, okay! I get it! I'm sorry!" Ash quickly apologized, rubbing his sore ear.
Red, on the other hand, wasn't too bothered. "It's fine. Shall we continue, Robert?"
Robert, who stood silently across the battlefield, didn't respond. Even though the battle had been interrupted by three unexpected visitors, he remained just as withdrawn and emotionless as before.
Seeing that Robert didn't reply, Red simply smirked. "Alright then, Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!"
"Ah~!"
Charmeleon patted its belly before taking a deep breath. A stream of fierce, orange-red flames shot forward, aiming straight at Robert's Pokémon—his Rhyhorn.
"Ironclad Rhino, dodge it!" Robert commanded.
"Moo!"
Although Rhyhorn wasn't the fastest Pokémon due to its heavy build, it managed to react just in time, sidestepping the flames.
Boom!
The flames struck the ground, causing a small explosion. Dust and embers scattered through the air, leaving a charred mark where Rhyhorn had stood moments ago.
"Whoa! That was intense!" Ash exclaimed. "That Charmeleon must be super strong!"
He couldn't help but be amazed. Not only had Red's Charmander already evolved into Charmeleon, but it had also become incredibly powerful. Just from the force of that Flamethrower, it was clear that this Charmeleon was in a league of its own.
"Yeah, and we're both from Pallet Town," Misty added with a smirk. "Look at him, then look at yourself."
"Hey, Misty! Why do you always have to put me down?!"
"I'm not putting you down, I'm just stating the truth," Misty teased.
"Not only that," Brock chimed in, observing the battle closely. "A normal Charmeleon is about 1.1 meters tall, but Red's Charmeleon looks close to 1.5 meters. That's almost the size of a Charizard! This guy must be an incredible Pokémon Breeder. I'd love to ask him about his training methods."
Ash clenched his fists. "Darn it… I need to train harder!"
Meanwhile, Robert focused on the battle. "Rhyhorn, use Horn Attack!"
The armored Pokémon let out a deep growl before lowering its head, aiming its sharp horn at Charmeleon. Then, with surprising speed, it charged forward, ready to strike.
"Charmeleon, don't dodge. Charge forward and use Iron Tail!"
A white glow surrounded Charmeleon's thick, flame-tipped tail. Without hesitation, it leaped forward, swinging its tail downward.
Robert's eyes widened. "Rhyhorn, dodge it—!"
But it was too late.
Boom!
Charmeleon's Iron Tail struck Rhyhorn with incredible force, sending the heavy Pokémon flying. It crashed onto the ground with a loud thud, kicking up dust as it groaned in pain.
Everyone watching was stunned.
"W-Wow… That was insane!" Ash gasped. "Rhyhorn got knocked out in one hit!"
"Yeah… I don't think I've ever seen an Iron Tail that strong," Misty muttered in disbelief.
"That's because Red trained Charmeleon exceptionally well," Brock said, eyes gleaming with admiration. "He must have raised it with expert techniques to develop such power."
Robert, meanwhile, clenched his fists. He already knew that he stood no chance against Red, but experiencing this overwhelming difference in strength firsthand was a bitter pill to swallow.
Charmeleon stood tall, letting out a confident growl. It barely looked tired.
Robert sighed and recalled Rhyhorn. "I… I give up."
Red raised an eyebrow. "You're forfeiting?"
Robert nodded reluctantly. "Yeah… I know when I'm outmatched. Even if I send out my strongest Pokémon, I already know the outcome."
A heavy silence followed. For Robert, this defeat wasn't just about losing a battle—it meant giving up something precious. He looked down at the Poké Ball in his hand, knowing that his Squirtle, who had been with him for years, would now belong to Red.
Ash, who had been watching, frowned. "Wait… What do you mean by giving up?"
Misty crossed her arms. "It sounds like there was a bet involved in this battle."
Brock nodded. "Yeah… And from the way Robert looks, it must've been a high-stakes one."
Robert gritted his teeth. He was the one who had made the bet, and now he had no choice but to follow through. He slowly stepped forward, holding out Squirtle's Poké Ball.
Red took it with a small smile. "Thanks. Don't worry… I'll take good care of it."
Robert looked away, unable to say anything.
As the battle ended, Ash, Misty, and Brock remained in awe—not only of Red's strength but also of the intense rivalry and high-stakes battles that trainers like him engaged in.
And for Ash, one thought lingered in his mind:
"I have to get stronger."
End of Chapter 48
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