In a forest near Pallet Town, sunlight dappled through the leaves, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor, painting shifting patterns of light and shade that seemed to breathe with the gentle breeze.
The air was filled with the cheerful chirping of unseen bird Pokémon, their melodies weaving through the gentle rustling of the undergrowth as a light breeze stirred the leaves, carrying the scent of damp earth and blooming wildflowers.
Ash, his brow furrowed in concentration, was kneeling in front of his Charmander, Y.
Y, its tail flame flickering with focused energy, was intently watching Ash's demonstration, its head cocked slightly in curiosity, its bright eyes mirroring Ash's movements.
"Okay, Y, remember what I showed you," Ash said, his voice encouraging and patient, the words carrying clearly through the quiet forest. He made a digging motion with his hands, exaggerating the movements so Y could easily follow.
"You need to channel your energy and use your claws to burrow underground quickly. Like this!"
Ash then used his hands to swiftly dig a small hole in the soft earth, the soil yielding easily to his movements, showing Y the desired action. The fresh scent of upturned soil mingled with the other forest aromas.
Y tilted its head, its large, innocent eyes studying the newly formed hole with intense curiosity, as if trying to decipher the magic behind it.
"Char?" Y chirped, its voice a soft, questioning sound, as if asking for further clarification on the intricate technique.
"That's right!" Ash replied, nodding enthusiastically, a wide smile spreading across his face at Y's attentiveness. "Now you try. Remember, quick and deep! Imagine you're hiding from a scary Pokémon!"
On a moss-covered log near them, X was grumbling, its tiny brow furrowed in an annoyed expression.
It watched Y diligently attempting to dig, its small claws scratching at the earth, kicking up small clouds of dirt, and let out an angry shout, its voice surprisingly loud for its size.
"Char!" X flailed its small arms, clearly wanting to join in the training session and feeling left out of the fun. Why does Y get to do all the cool stuff? I wanna dig too! its little mind seemed to be thinking.
"X, you're still a newborn," Ash said gently, feeling a bit at a loss at the sight of the pouting Charmander.
He walked over to the log and knelt beside X, stroking its head with a gentle finger. "This move takes a lot of energy, little guy. You need to grow a bit more first."
But X just flailed around in annoyance, its little tail swishing back and forth, the small flame on the end flickering rapidly with its frustration.
"Cha! Char!" it insisted, its tiny voice filled with determination. I'm strong enough! Let me try!
Ash sighed, a small smile playing on his lips at X's persistence. "Okay, okay," he relented, picking up the tiny Charmander, its warmth comforting in his hands.
"You can also try. But be careful, alright? Just a little bit."
As soon as it got permission, the little X enthusiastically started digging at a rapid pace, its small claws working furiously, kicking up dirt with surprising strength and speed, not at all like a newborn Charmander.
It dug with an almost frantic energy, eager to prove itself and show Y that it wasn't just a baby.
"Ah, maybe he is a genius at digging," Ash mused aloud, watching the tiny creature burrow with unexpected efficiency. He chuckled, impressed by X's natural talent. Looks like I underestimated this little guy.
Seeing how X was digging faster than it was, Y puffed out its chest, a spark of rivalry igniting in its eyes, and started digging even faster, the two Charmanders now glaring at each other with competitive fire in their eyes, as if sparks were flying between them.
The friendly training had turned into a silent, intense competition, each Charmander determined to outdo the other.
Thus, the rivalry between the two soon-to-be great Charizard began, sparked by a simple digging lesson and fueled by their innate competitive spirits. Looks like I'm going to have my hands full with these two, Ash thought, a grin spreading across his face.
Seeing them having such a spirited rivalry match, Ash laughed, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Looks like I've got two very competitive little guys on my hands!" he exclaimed, thoroughly amused by their antics.
Seeing their cute rivalry, he mused how time flew.
It had been a week since Ash had received both X and Y, and since then, Gary had avoided him like the plague. Ash couldn't help but feel a little twinge of guilt, remembering the look of utter defeat on Gary's face.
Should have gone easy on him, he thought briefly, but the memory of Gary's smugness quickly overshadowed the guilt.
Every time Ash was out training in the fields or even just walking through Pallet Town, if Gary spotted him, he would abruptly change direction, his nose tilted in the air with feigned disinterest, or pretend he was engrossed in conversation with someone else, his back stiff with avoidance.
Ash couldn't help but chuckle every time it happened. Gary's bruised pride was apparently still quite tender, and the memory of being defeated by Ash, especially with such a decisive and perhaps slightly underhanded tactic, was clearly still stinging.
He'll get over it eventually, Ash thought, though a small part of him enjoyed the fact that he'd finally gotten under Gary's skin.
"Still, how deep are you two gonna dig now? Isn't it enough?" Ash sweatdropped as he peered into the hole, genuinely surprised by how far down the two little Charmanders had managed to burrow.
The hole seemed to descend into the very depths of the earth. Are they trying to reach the other side of the world?
But just as he was about to command them to stop their enthusiastic excavation, X's tiny claw hit something hard with a sharp thunk that resonated through the ground.
Suddenly, the ground around the hole erupted with violent force, and with a furious roar that echoed through the peaceful forest, an angry Sandslash burst from the earth, its sharp claws extended like deadly blades.
X, caught completely off guard by the sudden appearance of the Ground type Pokémon, was sent flying through the air by the Sandslash's powerful and unexpected assault, landing with a surprised yelp a few feet away, its small body tumbling through the air.
"Sand... Sandslash!" it shouted angrily, its voice a deep growl filled with rage due to being awakened from his rest, its sharp claws clicking menacingly as it glared at the intruders who had dared to disturb its rest. The Sandslash's eyes burned with fury.
"Ah, how about a sorry and you forgive this little Charmander?" Ash said with a nervous sweatdrop, holding up X, who was still slightly dazed from being thrown, its eyes wide with fear.
Ash tried to project an air of calm, but his own heart was pounding in his chest like a frantic drum.
But looking at the Pokémon's fiercely angry expression, its sharp claws digging into the earth, tearing up the grass in its fury, Ash gulped and realized, "Ah, you won't let us off easily, huh?" The Sandslash's eyes were narrowed slits of pure rage, and it looked ready to attack again.
"Y," Ash ordered gravely, his face serious as he saw the intense anger radiating from the Sandslash.
Y, though smaller, stood its ground, also getting ready, its small claws shining with a fierce determination to protect its trainer and its newfound rival, X.
"Nigerundayo!" Ash shouted suddenly, grabbing X tightly in his arms and running as quickly as his legs could carry him, adrenaline coursing through his veins. This is bad, really bad!
Y looked surprised for a split second, its head cocked to the side in confusion at Ash's sudden panic, but it quickly understood the urgency of the situation and followed suit, scrambling after Ash with surprising speed, its little legs a blur.
The Sandslash let out an enraged shout, its voice echoing through the trees like a thunderclap, as it began to pursue them with Dig, the ground in front of it tearing apart in a jagged line as it burrowed underground with terrifying speed, intent on catching the intruders.
You're not getting away that easily! the Sandslash seemed to roar.
"What? You don't expect a newbie and a newborn Charmander to fight with a Sandslash, do you?" Ash thought frantically as he ran, his lungs burning and his legs aching.
The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on him. This is way above our level!
He ran quickly, carrying X cradled protectively in his arms, while Y, nimble and fast, kept pace beside him, its eyes darting nervously around, its small body tense with fear and adrenaline.
But when he glanced back and saw the Sandslash rapidly gaining on them, the telltale signs of its digging approach – the shaking earth and the ripping of roots – growing closer with alarming speed, a large sweatdrop rolled down Ash's temple.
"Damn my rotten luck!" he cursed under his breath, his voice tight with fear. Of all the Pokémon to disturb!
And his cursing only increased in volume when he saw a big, imposing boulder lying directly in their path, its sheer size completely blocking their escape route. It was like running headfirst into a stone wall.
"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me!" Ash exclaimed, his voice filled with dismay as he realized with a sinking feeling that he was completely cornered. There was nowhere left to run. This is it! We're done for!
But then, just as the ground began to tremble violently beneath their feet, a powerful rumbling echoed through the forest, shaking the very ground beneath Ash's feet.
A massive Garchomp erupted from the trees with a deafening roar, its sharp fins slicing through the air as it positioned itself protectively between Ash and the enraged Sandslash, its powerful presence radiating an aura of immense strength.
"Are you alright?".
At the same moment, a sweet and familiar voice echoed from atop the large boulder, calm and reassuring amidst the chaos.
Ash glanced up, his eyes widening in utter surprise. There, perched gracefully on the boulder, was a beautiful woman with long, flowing blonde hair that shimmered in the sunlight, a warm and gentle smile gracing her lips.
Her serene expression was a stark contrast to the frantic energy of the chase.
"Cynthia..." Ash uttered in utter surprise, his voice barely a whisper, his eyes wide with disbelief and a hint of awe.
What was she doing here, in a forest near Pallet Town?
Wait, he thought suddenly, his eyes widening even further as recognition dawned. That's right! She is also my wife!!