"Raichu, are you okay?" Lt. Surge asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Raichu!"
Upon hearing his trainer's voice, Raichu quickly put on a strong front, trying to show that it was fine despite the damage it had taken.
Lt. Surge let out a breath of relief. "That's good. In that case, Raichu, we'll use—"
Before he could finish, Charmeleon attacked again. Moving at an incredible speed, its sharp claws slashed directly across Raichu's body. The electric-type Pokémon had no time to react as it was sent flying into the air.
Robert seized the opportunity. "Charmeleon, finish this! Use Iron Tail!"
Charmeleon let out a roar, stomping its foot on the ground before swinging its thick tail fiercely. The attack landed squarely on Raichu's round face, sending it crashing into the floor with a heavy impact.
"Ra...Qiu..."
Raichu struggled to get up, its tiny arms trembling. It fought hard to stand, but its battered body refused to cooperate. With one final attempt, it wobbled before collapsing back down, swirls appearing in its eyes. It was clear—Raichu had fainted.
Lt. Surge stood frozen in shock. His hand instinctively went to his forehead. "How is that possible?" he muttered.
He had barely exchanged three moves with Robert, yet his Raichu was already out of commission. It was the first time he had suffered such a crushing defeat in years.
The referee stepped forward and raised his flag. "Raichu is unable to battle! The winner is the challenger, Robert!"
Hearing the announcement, Lt. Surge finally snapped out of his daze. Taking out Raichu's Poké Ball, he recalled his Pokémon. Then, with a nod, he stepped toward Robert.
"Kid—no, Robert," Surge corrected himself with a grin. "That was a good battle. You've trained your Charmeleon well. You earned this."
"Thank you. Your Raichu was amazing too," Robert replied respectfully as he accepted the Thunder Badge—a sunflower-shaped badge with a lightning emblem.
With his Charmeleon still basking in victory, Robert took a final glance at the orange-colored gym before heading toward the exit.
As soon as he stepped outside, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
Ding!
Congratulations, host, for defeating Raichu! You have gained 300 points.
Ding!
Congratulations, host, for obtaining the Thunder Badge! You have gained 1,000 points.
Excited, Robert immediately accessed his system panel.
[Trainer Panel]
Host: Robert
Age: 12
Special Ability: Evergreen Power Lv2 (50/200)
Pokémon Gold: 5,880
Pokémon:
Charmeleon (Elite Peak)
Pidgeot (Elite Peak)
Shiny Beedrill (Elite Peak)
Pichu (Normal Peak)
Squirtle (Normal Peak)
Missions:
Main Mission 1: Defeat all Gym Leaders and collect Badges (3/8).
Main Mission 2: Challenge the Indigo League Conference.
Trainer Rank: Elite Peak
System Inventory:
Keystone Bracelet
2 Deluxe Balls
6 Normal Poké Balls
Charizard Evolution Stone
Beedrill Evolution Stone
Pidgeot Evolution Stone
Fire Coal
Full set of Pokémon Evolution Stones
Energy Cubes (Fire, Flying, Normal, Rock, Ground, Poison, Water, Bug)
1 Tennis Ball
Mysterious Water Drop
Robert grinned as he reviewed the details.
"Yes! Another 1,300 points!" he exclaimed. "Charmeleon, Pidgeot, and Beedrill have reached their peak at the elite level. And Pichu and Squirtle might be behind, but I know they'll catch up soon."
Feeling accomplished, he decided to celebrate. "Tonight, we're going to enjoy ourselves," he told Charmeleon. "We've earned it!"
Charmeleon let out a victorious roar, seemingly agreeing with the idea.
A Reunion in Vermilion City
Just as Robert arrived at the Pokémon Center to heal Charmeleon, he overheard familiar voices.
"Hey, isn't that Robert?"
"Where? Where?"
"I didn't expect to see him again! Looks like he's been to the Vermilion Gym."
Turning toward the voices, Robert spotted three figures running toward him. He blinked in surprise. "Ash, Misty, Brock?"
The trio looked exhausted. Their clothes were covered in dirt, and they appeared to have been through quite a lot.
"Robert!" Ash waved enthusiastically.
Robert chuckled. "What are you guys doing here? I thought you'd be far behind."
Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, let's just say we had some... detours."
Misty huffed. "More like you got us lost again, Ash."
Brock nodded. "Yeah, we ended up in a few weird places. But at least we managed to catch some rare Pokémon along the way."
Robert smirked. He knew that, in the original story, Ash's group had a habit of getting lost—but their luck always worked in their favor. Despite all their struggles, they somehow managed to capture Pokémon like Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander.
Looking at their dirt-covered appearances, Robert had no doubt they had faced plenty of "hardships" on their journey.
"Well, looks like you guys have had an adventure," he said with amusement.
Misty sighed. "You have no idea…"
Brock smiled. "Anyway, Robert, did you win your Gym battle?"
Robert held up the Thunder Badge. "See for yourself."
Ash's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That's awesome! I'm planning to challenge Lt. Surge too. How was the battle?"
Robert crossed his arms. "Surge's Raichu is strong, but speed is key. If you don't let it overpower you, you've got a chance."
Ash clenched his fists. "Then Pikachu and I will have to train hard!"
Misty rolled her eyes. "That means you'll probably get lost again."
Everyone laughed as they headed inside the Pokémon Center together. Robert was glad to see his friends again, and he was looking forward to what came next in their adventure.
But for now, it was time to rest, recover, and celebrate another hard-earned victory.
End of Chapter 57
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