Chapter 239: It's Fine, I'll Only Tease You for a Few Years
Charizard's fall was exactly what Asahi had expected.
Though Charizard had endured Nidoking's Thunder Punch with sheer willpower and managed to counter with a powerful Flamethrower, Asahi knew that kind of resolve could only take it so far.
The last attack had drained Charizard of its remaining strength.
Even if it had forced itself to stand and claim victory, it couldn't hold out for long.
In the end, the effort of standing was too much — and it collapsed once again.
Even so, the commentator didn't hold back in praising Charizard.
At this moment, Gary also withdrew his gaze from Charizard.
Although he had only battled Ash's Charizard twice, both matches left a deep impression on him.
Surprisingly, this time, even after his victory, Gary didn't taunt Ash…
But expecting Gary to go easy was simply impossible.
After a brief moment of thought, Gary sent out his second Pokémon: "Go, Arcanine!"
A majestic Arcanine appeared on the battlefield.
Facing Arcanine's intense gaze, Ash felt immense pressure…
As for which Pokémon to send out next… Ash had already registered his team in advance, so he had no choice!
"Go, Pikachu!"
Pikachu leapt onto the battlefield, sparks crackling from the pouches on its cheeks. Its eyes were firm and unwavering, completely unaffected by Arcanine's Intimidate ability.
"The third battle has begun! Gary has sent out his Arcanine, a Pokémon that achieved three consecutive wins in the preliminary rounds within just twenty minutes!"
"Ash's Pikachu isn't weak either! Although it looks like an ordinary Electric Mouse, the Thunderbolt it showcased during the preliminaries was truly impressive!"
"What kind of battle will they bring us this time?"
…
Ten minutes later…
"Pika… pi…"
Pikachu lay flat on the ground, covered in soot, its belly up, mumbling incoherently.
Meanwhile, Arcanine, though its fur was slightly frizzled and singed from the electric attacks, remained energetic and fierce.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Arcanine wins… With all three of Ash's Pokémon unable to continue, the winner is Gary from Pallet Town!"
The match played out far differently than the commentators had anticipated. Instead of a nail-biting contest, it was a one-sided display of dominance — a total rout.
Arcanine expertly leveraged its speed advantage, toying with Pikachu throughout the match.
It first used Fire Spin repeatedly to restrict Pikachu's movements.
Then, with a final Extreme Speed, it decisively knocked Pikachu out!
This outcome was exactly what Asahi had expected.
At this stage, Pikachu was still too inexperienced.
And Gary — well, Gary was someone Asahi had personally mentored. If even after all that, Gary still lost to Ash, Asahi might as well retire to the Safari Zone and spend his days raising Slowpokes.
Shortly after the match ended, Gary headed straight for the VIP seating area.
The moment he saw Asahi, Gary couldn't hide his smug smile.
"Heh! How about that, Asahi? I've successfully made it into the top eight! Even the commentator said I'm the strongest contender for the championship!"
Thinking back to the commentator's glowing praise, Gary's face lit up with pride.
Before Asahi could respond, Sabrina, sitting to the side, couldn't help but show a subtle, bemused expression.
Even Cynthia gave Gary a quick glance.
Gary noticed their reactions and frowned slightly…
Did he say something wrong?
Turning back to Asahi, Gary's confusion deepened.
Asahi let out a long sigh. "Sabrina, you tell him."
Meeting Gary's gaze, Sabrina adjusted her expression and said flatly, "Actually… the commentator was arranged by Asahi."
"What?"
It took Gary a solid ten seconds to process the revelation.
The commentator… was arranged by Asahi?
Impossible!
Seeing Gary's disbelief, Sabrina repeated what Asahi had told her earlier.
Gary knew that Asahi was acquainted with Mr. Silph, the president of the Silph Company, which happened to be one of the major sponsors of the Indigo League tournament.
So… it was true?
And here he was, proudly bragging about this to Asahi…
Realizing this, Gary wished he could dig a hole right there and disappear — his toes metaphorically clawing at the floor in sheer embarrassment.
He felt like he was about to die of secondhand shame…
Seeing Gary's thoroughly awkward state, Asahi didn't push too hard. After all, Gary had just secured his place in the top eight.
Patting Gary on the shoulder, Asahi said with a comforting smile, "Don't sweat it. It's just a small thing. At most, people will only laugh at you for a few years… once that's over, they'll forget about it."
Gary: "…"
If you don't know how to comfort someone, just don't speak.
"Ahem… Alright, back to business." Asahi's expression turned serious. "Since you've advanced, we need to start implementing the next phase of the plan."
Gary quickly latched onto the change of topic, grateful for the escape. "What plan?"
"The Stardom Plan!"
"Star… dom?" Gary echoed, puzzled.
"That's right! The commentator's praise earlier? That was just the first step of the Stardom Plan," Asahi explained. "With your current strength, simply working as a Gym Trainer won't push you much further."
"So, I've decided to give you something else to do." Asahi grinned.
The moment Asahi smiled like that, Gary's gut told him something was very, very wrong.
Sure enough, Asahi continued, "I'm going to make you a celebrity Trainer — growing stronger under the weight of public attention!"
"You know what a celebrity Trainer is, right? People like Leon and Nessa — famous not just for their strength but for their massive followings and endless endorsement deals!"
"How about it? I'm really looking out for you here."
Gary's first reaction was excitement — it all sounded amazing — but then, reality hit him.
"Can I… not join this plan?" Gary asked cautiously.
It sounded great on the surface, but knowing Asahi, there were definitely hidden pitfalls waiting for him.
Every time he thought he was getting a sweet deal, Asahi would mercilessly "educate" him.
Honestly, Gary's cautious approach to battles nowadays was all thanks to how many times Asahi had "tricked" him.
"You really want to refuse?" Asahi asked, still smiling.
Though Asahi didn't explicitly say "no," the word was clearly written all over his face.
"…"
Swallowing his words, Gary wisely chose silence.
He had a feeling that if he refused, Asahi would just force him into the plan anyway — and probably in a much worse way.
Fine…
Celebrity Trainer it is.
Who knows? Maybe he really could become the next Leon.
A Champion — that would be something!
Asahi watched Gary suddenly start smiling to himself and couldn't help but wonder…
Uh… did I push him too hard? Did he break?
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