"Go Gary! Gary, you're the best!" As he approached, Ash could hear the voices of girls cheering for someone, and that someone was Gary.

"That guy..." While Ash didn't remember every detail from the animated series, this scene was unforgettable—the flashy guy who appeared so arrogantly in the first episode, surrounded by cheering girls and blessed with good looks, not to mention being Professor Oak's grandson, a true winner in life.

Unfortunately... thinking about Gary's future developments made Ash sigh with regret. After the Silver Conference, Gary had given up being a trainer to become a researcher like Professor Oak.

"Well, if it isn't Ash?" Just as Ash reached the front of the crowd, right at the entrance of Professor Oak's lab, a young man came out and spotted him.

"Gary..." Seeing the young man in front of him, Ash couldn't help but smirk. Gary was as showy as ever—unsurprisingly, having never really faced defeat.

"I've taken the last Pokémon, you're too late, there's none left for you..." Gary, holding a Poké Ball and even spinning it on his finger, arrogantly looked down at Ash, reveling in his apparent victory.

"It's not up to you to decide whether there are any Pokémon left..." Ash glanced at Gary, then walked past him. Arguing with Gary was pointless; it was better to get Pikachu and start building their bond.

"That guy..." Gary caught the Poké Ball spinning on his finger, watching Ash's retreating figure as he climbed the steps, his brow furrowed, shouting, "I'll wait right here for you. If you get a Pokémon, then challenge me to a battle. This time, I won't lose to you!"

"Just wait then..." Ash didn't even look back as he waved dismissively at Gary, causing the latter's face to sour further below the stairs.

Over the years, the proud Gary had never beaten Ash, with the sole exception of a draw that Gary himself didn't acknowledge...

With that thought, Gary looked down slightly at the two necklaces hanging around his neck. One was purely for style, while the other, hidden under his shirt, held a broken half of a Poké Ball...

Reaching the slope leading to Professor Oak's lab, Ash rang the doorbell. Even though he was familiar with the place, he knew better than to dispense with proper manners.

"Ash? Why are you so late? Come on in..." The screen by the doorbell lit up, and Professor Oak appeared, seeing Ash through the doorbell camera and immediately ushering him inside without wasting words.

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"Sorry to disturb you, Professor Oak." Ash pulled open the door and entered the lab, just as Professor Oak came out to greet him, sighing with some difficulty.

"What's wrong, Professor Oak?" Ash knew the reason but had to pretend ignorance.

"Why are you so late? You've never been late in all these years." Professor Oak had no choice but to lead Ash toward the storage room while asking.

"There was an Elite Four challenge last night, I watched it too late, and I accidentally overslept..." Ash said with an embarrassed tone, knowing full well he was lying to Professor Oak.

Over the years, Professor Oak had treated Ash exceptionally well. Ash even felt that Professor Oak didn't favor him any less than Gary. Whenever Ash wanted to learn something, Professor Oak taught him without reservation.

"To be honest, you've arrived quite late..." Professor Oak sighed deeply after reaching the storage room, addressing Ash, "The League only sent three starter Pokémon, as Pallet Town is very small, and that should have been enough, but unexpectedly..."

"Unexpectedly what?" Although Ash already knew, he asked anyway because his knowledge was limited to what he'd seen in the animated series. He was unaware of who, besides Gary, had received the other two Pokémon.

From what Ash understood, apart from himself, only Gary and another rookie trainer were supposed to receive Pokémon today. Logically, there shouldn't have been a shortage.

"I didn't expect a kid from the neighboring town to come here to receive a Pokémon..." Professor Oak explained helplessly. It turned out someone from the next town was also becoming a new trainer today, but due to a registration error, they hadn't received a Pokémon, prompting their visit to Pallet Town.

That morning, the Pokémon Center from the other town had called to inquire, and although Professor Oak initially said no, the trainer had registered even before Ash and hadn't cut in line. It was a mistake by the League that prevented the trainer from receiving a Pokémon, so the spot had to be given to them.

"What about me? What do I do now?" Ash was stunned by the reason, momentarily at a loss. Was it up to the trainers to resolve a mistake made by the League?

"There is compensation available..." Professor Oak assured Ash, "If you're willing to wait another half year, new starter Pokémon will be available, and the League will also provide you with compensation."

"How can that be acceptable!" Ash was unwilling to wait another six months. Frowning and feeling anxious, he looked at Professor Oak. Hadn't Professor Oak managed to secure Pikachu?

"Let's do this..." Professor Oak was also reluctant to see Ash wait another half year. He had high hopes for Ash and was aware of his family's financial struggles. Waiting another half year would be too unfair for Ash.

"I have a recently captured Pokémon here..." Professor Oak hesitated slightly before producing a Poké Ball, "You should know, it's not one trained by the League but captured from the wild. It still retains its wild nature, and since you didn't capture it yourself, it might not listen to you very well."

"You can choose this one, and you'll still receive the League's compensation since this was their mistake." Professor Oak presented the Poké Ball to Ash.

"It's okay, I've decided on this one!" Looking at the Poké Ball, a jolt went through Ash's heart. This Pokémon was none other than the famous Pikachu.