Mason was in an excellent mood after successfully obtaining the Earth Badge. Although he had been unable to defeat Giovanni's Beedrill, the experience taught both him and his own Beedrill what true strength meant.
It was precisely because of the lessons learned from this failure that Mason and Beedrill were able to grow. After all, back in Pallet Town, Mason mostly trained alongside Mew and rarely encountered other powerful Trainers.
"It's just about Gyarados..."
Mason muttered to himself in a low voice.
This gym challenge had also revealed to Mason the connection between the blood-red Gyarados and Team Rocket. Giovanni's lack of surprise at Mason's appearance confirmed Mason's suspicions—he had likely been under Team Rocket's surveillance all along.
(I'll have to rely more on my waveguide powers to observe the surroundings...)
Mason thought, secretly raising his vigilance to prevent any more of his intelligence from falling into enemy hands.
After challenging the Viridian Gym, the sky over Viridian City grew darker. Not wanting to worry Ash, Mason quickly headed to the Pokémon Center to meet up with him.
---
A Short While Later
As soon as Mason walked into the Pokémon Center, he spotted Ash sitting alone on a chair, head lowered in despair. Ash was clearly blaming himself for his recent recklessness. Earlier, Nurse Joy had scolded him, making him doubt whether he was even qualified to be a Pokémon Trainer.
"The Ash I know would never look so defeated,"
Mason said as he approached.
Hearing the familiar voice, Ash looked up and saw his brother walking toward him, a disappointed look on Mason's face.
"Brother, I..." Ash began, trying to explain, but Mason cut him off.
"What you need to do now is to pray for Pikachu's safety—and call Mom."
Following Mason's gesture, Ash noticed the videophone on the other side of the center. Most phones in this world had built-in video functions, so users could see each other while talking.
Ash sat down and started dialing. Mason silently stood beside him.
Soon, the call connected. When Delia realized it was her sons calling, she excitedly pulled off the towel and facial mask she had been wearing.
"Hello! Mason? Ash? Where are you now?"
"We're at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City," Mason answered.
"You boys got to Viridian City so fast! Back when your father traveled, it took him four days to get there. You two made it in just one day—you're much better than your father!"
Delia's excitement made her forget momentarily that she should avoid mentioning their father in front of Mason.
Sure enough, Ash turned and noticed Mason's face grow gloomy. Delia realized her mistake and quickly tried to change the subject.
"I don't have any good feelings toward the father who disappeared before I could even remember him," Mason said coldly. He turned and walked away, leaving Ash to continue the call alone.
"Brother still can't forgive Dad..."
Ash murmured sadly. Though Ash was also hurt by their father's absence, he didn't resent him as deeply as Mason did.
---
"Xiao—no, Mason—you've worked so hard over the years..."
Delia whispered after Mason had walked away.
As the saying went, an older brother was like a father. Though Mason and Ash were twins, Mason was clearly much more mature. From a young age, he had worked to help support the family. It was one of the many reasons Delia felt she owed him so much.
"Mom, don't worry! My brother and I will take good care of ourselves!"
Ash said brightly before hanging up the call.
He then ran over to Mason, eager to know what his brother had done.
"I just challenged the Viridian Gym," Mason said simply, taking out the Earth Badge and holding it in front of Ash.
"Gym? What's that?" Ash asked, confused.
"To participate in the Pokémon League Regional Conference, you need to defeat the eight official gyms in the region and earn their badges. Only then can you qualify for the Conference," Mason patiently explained.
"Awesome! Once Pikachu recovers, I'll challenge the Viridian Gym too!"
Ash declared, his enthusiasm returning instantly.
Mason sighed, pouring a little cold water on Ash's excitement.
"Don't celebrate too soon. The Viridian Gym is the strongest gym in the Kanto Region. Very few can defeat Giovanni, the gym leader. I only got my Earth Badge because Giovanni recognized my strength. As for you...you and Pikachu are far too weak right now. You probably won't even be allowed through the gates, let alone challenge Giovanni."
Mason's words, though harsh, were honest. Recklessly rushing into battle without preparation would only end in disaster. Pikachu, who still struggled against groups of Spearow, was nowhere near ready.
Ash lowered his head, looking defeated again. Mason, noticing this, decided to encourage him a little.
"But don't be too discouraged, Ash," Mason said warmly. "Do you know what you have that I don't?"
"Uh...recklessness and ignorance?" Ash answered wryly, used to Mason's tough love.
Mason blinked, momentarily caught off guard. True, but not what he meant.
After clearing his throat, Mason continued, "It's your love for Pokémon. Although I care deeply for Pokémon too, you're different. You give your whole heart to them without hesitation. That's your strength."
Ash looked up, surprised. He thought back on his experiences, realizing that, indeed, he always prioritized his Pokémon's well-being, even if it meant putting himself in danger.
Among the many Trainers, Ash was unique in his willingness to risk his life for his Pokémon. It was something Mason admired deeply, even if Ash was still immature in other ways.
---
At that moment, the Pokémon Center's emergency line rang. Since Nurse Joy was busy treating Pikachu, Ash answered it.
The screen flickered, revealing an odd sight—the back of a man slurping instant noodles.
"Is that...instant noodles?" Ash asked, puzzled.
The man turned around—it was Professor Oak!
"Oops, the camera wasn't switched yet!"
Professor Oak said sheepishly, adjusting the camera to properly show his face.
"I just heard from your mother—you boys already made it to Viridian City! You're really fast!"
Oak said enthusiastically.
Mason shook his head with a small smile. Despite often inviting Professor Oak for family meals, the busy professor usually opted for simple instant noodles when immersed in his research.
"How's it going? How many Pokémon have you captured?"
Oak asked eagerly.
Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh...none so far..."
Professor Oak's face fell, and he sighed heavily.
"I'm not surprised...but still disappointed,"
he muttered.
"As your Pokédex distributor, I really hoped you'd follow Mason's example—just like Gary."
Ash nodded, not really taking the comment to heart.
Turning to Mason, Professor Oak asked,
"And you? How many have you caught?"
"I've captured three so far," Mason replied modestly. He didn't elaborate, not wanting Oak to get too curious and delay his training by insisting on research.
Changing the subject, Mason took out a vial of strange liquid he had collected from the blood-red Gyarados.
"Professor, do you recognize this experimental fluid?"
Oak squinted through the screen but shook his head.
"I can't tell much from a video, but it definitely looks dangerous. Ask Nurse Joy to send it to Pallet Town; I'll examine it here."
When Oak saw the vial, it seemed to trigger a distant memory, but he said nothing more.
---
"Oh! Professor Oak, I also saw the Pokémon from the mural!"
Ash said excitedly, pointing to a mural behind him—a depiction of Ho-Oh.
"It flew right across the rainbow!"
"Nonsense,"
Professor Oak chuckled, waving a hand.
"Ho-Oh is a legendary Pokémon that no one has ever actually seen. You probably mistook a Fearow for it."
"No, Ash and I really saw Ho-Oh!"
Mason chimed in. He pulled up a blurred photo on his Pokédex—taken hastily during the encounter.
Although the image quality was poor, it unmistakably resembled the mural behind them.
Professor Oak's eyes widened.
"This...this could be the real Ho-Oh!"
His excitement was palpable. He immediately asked Mason to send the picture over.
"Ahem—three Master Balls!"
Mason said suddenly, cutting off Oak's enthusiasm.
The line fell silent.
Half a minute later, Oak's face reappeared, filling the screen, making Ash jump in fright.
"Mason! Do you know what you're asking for? Three Master Balls is outrageous! That's like asking for my life!"
"One," Oak bargained.
"Two," Mason countered firmly. "You know I won't misuse them, Professor."
Oak knew Mason's character—righteous and responsible. Still, Master Balls were rare artifacts, their production methods long lost. Only a handful remained under the Alliance's strict supervision.
After three minutes of spirited haggling, Oak finally agreed to send two Master Balls—pending official approval from the Alliance.
Although Oak had a few Master Balls at his lab, he couldn't just hand them out without authorization.
---
Thus, the call ended with Mason smiling faintly. He looked toward Ash, who had been listening intently.
"Let's get stronger,"
Mason said simply.
Ash nodded vigorously, determination flaring in his heart once again.
Their journey was far from over.
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