Peter, with Delia clutching his hand and Abra perched nonchalantly on his shoulder, walked along the narrow, winding path behind the school.

The path was lined with tall hedges and the occasional blooming flower, creating a peaceful escape from the chaos of the school.

Suddenly, Gary blocked their way, his determined expression unwavering. Daisy, surprised, asked, "Gary, what are you doing?"

Delia's grip tightened on Peter's hand, a worried look crossing her face.

"You and me, 1 v 1, now," Gary demanded, brandishing his Pokéball.

Peter looked at Abra, "What do you think? Should we?"

Abra's telepathic voice said, "Oh, I love a good show. Let's beat his ass."

Peter couldn't help but smile. "You sure you're up for it?"

Abra retorted, "Please, I could do this with my eyes closed. Which, coincidentally, they usually are."

Gary was growing impatient. "What's it gonna be, Ketchum?"

Peter studied Gary, an idea forming in his mind. "Why should I battle you, Gary?" he asked nonchalantly.

Gary, clearly taken aback by the question, narrowed his eyes as he pulled out a device from his pocket.

"Gary, no!" Daisy yelled, recognizing her brother's impulsiveness.

Ignoring her, Gary held up the device - a Pokédex.

"You beat me, you get this Pokédex," he declared.

Peter couldn't help but smile at the unexpected turn of events. He had only wanted to see how Gary would react if he played hard to get.

"Let's do this then," he agreed, feeling the rush of competition.

Abra, sensing the change in atmosphere, spoke up telepathically, "Oh, now it's getting interesting. And here I thought we'd have a boring walk."

Delia, still worried, whispered, "Be careful, Ash."

"Don't worry," Peter reassured her. "Abra and I can handle this."

Gary smirked. "Finally, a chance to show you who's the real top trainer."

Peter focused on his strategy. "Abra, what moves do you know?"

"Thunder Punch and Teleport," Abra replied telepathically.

"Oh, this is going to be easy then," Peter thought confidently.

"Why?" Abra inquired, curious about Peter's plan.

"You'll see," Peter replied cryptically.

Gary, observing Peter's confidence, growled in annoyance. He released his Squirtle, a small, light-blue turtle-like Pokémon with a curled, squirrel-like tail and a sturdy shell.

"Ah, this is going to be easy," Abra commented, floating down to the ground with a sense of assurance.

Daisy, with a sigh, positioned herself in the middle of the impromptu arena. "Let the match begin," she announced, signaling the start of the battle.

Gary's strategy caught Peter off guard.

"Tail Whip," he commanded.

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Squirtle's tail, surrounded by water, swung towards Abra. "What do you want me to do?" Abra asked Peter telepathically.

"Take it," Peter instructed.

Abra retorted, "What do I look like, a masochist?"

"We need to lower his guard," Peter explained.

"My guard will be lower because of that move," Abra complained, but still braced for the impact of the Tail Whip.

"Don't be a whiny baby," Peter chided playfully.

Abra grumbled but took the hit. Gary, seeing an opening, shouted, "Tackle!"

Squirtle leaped towards Abra, who disappeared with a Teleport, causing Squirtle to miss. Reappearing behind the turtle Pokémon, Abra was ready.

"Jump back and Tackle!" Gary yelled.

Squirtle complied, but as it jumped back, Abra teleported again, reappearing in front of Squirtle. Its fist flashed with lightning, striking Squirtle with a powerful Thunder Punch.

When the dust cleared, Squirtle was knocked out, and Abra stood unscathed. Gary, frustrated, recalled Squirtle and tossed the Pokedex to Peter before starting to walk away.

"This guy," Daisy muttered, clearly annoyed.

Gary stopped and turned back, his expression defiant.

"The name's Gary. Gary Oak, remember that. Remember I didn't lose the match I just used it to make my Pokémon fight to toughen it up! Smell you later!"

"He is a bitch," Abra said.

Peter chuckled at Abra's comment. "Yeah, he's got quite the attitude. But we did it, we won."

Abra replied dryly, "Won is an understatement. We practically gave him a free lesson in humility."

Peter hesitated for a moment, a thought crossing his mind. In this world, his real name, Peter, couldn't be used. Reflecting on his childhood nickname, "Ash," which had always been a part of him, he felt a connection to it in this new reality.

"Hey, Gary," he called out, causing Gary to stop in his tracks and look back with a questioning glance.

Peter stood confidently.

"The name's Ash," he declared firmly.

Gary raised an eyebrow, a hint of respect flickering in his eyes before he turned and walked away without another word.

----------------------------------------

Outside the school, a frenzy of reporters and camera crews swarmed like a pack of wild Spearows, all vying for the first scoop on Ash Ketchum.

Professor Samuel Oak emerged to face the music.

Immediately, the air filled with a barrage of questions, each more invasive than the last:

"Professor Oak! What's Ash's strategy in battles? Does he favor a particular type of Pokémon?"

"Can you confirm if Ash has any romantic interests? The public's dying to know!"

"Is it true Ash discovered a new Pokémon species? What can you tell us about that?"

"Professor, how does Ash deal with the pressure of being so young and so famous? Any secret fears or weaknesses?"

"Has Ash ever failed a Pokémon battle? What's his win-loss record?"

"Does Ash plan to challenge the Elite Four or go straight for the Pokémon League?"

"Are there any endorsements in the works for Ash? Perhaps a signature line of trainer gear?"

"What does Ash eat before a big battle? Any special diet or superstitions?"

The questions flew fast and furiously, each one aiming for a juicy tidbit or scandalous detail to plaster across the headlines.

The reporters, relentless in their pursuit of sensationalism, seemed to forget the person at the heart of their queries was just a young trainer beginning his journey.

Professor Oak, unfazed by the cacophony, raised his hand for silence, offering a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for your interest in young Ash Ketchum, but I regret to inform you that he is already gone, and I don't know the boy enough to answer your deep, thought-provoking questions," he said, his tone dripping with a sarcasm so thick it could be cut with a knife.

Suddenly something had hit the ground with a thud.

"Oh, no! That's not supposed to be revealed to the public just yet," Professor Oak exclaimed, loud enough for every reporter and camera crew to snap their attention towards him.

Bending down, Professor Oak picked up the object that had caused the stir—a Pokédex.

Oak took a deep breath, realizing the moment had come to shift the focus from Ash.

"While young Ash is gone, I am sure the public would love to hear about something that could very much change the world of battling and training Pokémon as we know it," he began, holding up the Pokédex for all to see.

The reporters, initially disappointed at losing their story on Ash, were now visibly intrigued by this new revelation.

Professor Oak sighed inwardly.

He hadn't wanted to unveil his prototype Pokédex until it had undergone further testing, at least a year down the line.

But circumstances had forced his hand.

His own granddaughter had once been torn apart by the media because of her performance in the trainer license test, the unrealistic expectations crushing her spirit.

Oak was determined not to let history repeat itself, especially not with a young trainer who had made history at his school.

Perhaps it was guilt over what had happened before, or maybe it was a sense of duty to protect someone as promising as Ash, someone who had the potential to become a future champion.

Oak wasn't entirely sure himself.

What he did know was that he needed to do whatever it took to give Ash some peace.

"Well then, young Ash," he thought to himself, "I have diverted most of the major media's attention from you for a few days. While there will still be some who might try to find you, it's better than nothing. This should give you enough breathing room to start your journey without the constant bother of the media."