c14: Meeting the Trio Again, The Battle at the Vermilion Gym
Seeing Riolu slowly recover from the poisoning, Alex let out a sigh of relief. He took a moment to rest, then recalled both Riolu and Charizard into their Poké Balls. The journey continued their destination: Vermilion City.
After walking for most of the following day, Alex finally reached Vermilion City, a coastal gem in the southeastern part of the Kanto region. The vibrant port city was alive with street performers, market vendors, and an endless assortment of food stalls. But what truly gave the city its iconic status was its link to the sea the luxury cruise liner, the S.S. Anne, which would soon host a highly anticipated international gala.
Alex, having read about the Kanto saga, knew the dark truth behind this voyage. While advertised as a glamorous cruise, the so-called tour was in fact a ploy by Team Rocket, designed to gather rare and powerful Pokémon from unsuspecting trainers. But that was still days away.
For now, Alex's first stop was the Pokémon Center. The long trek had worn him out. He handed his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for recovery. After receiving a clean bill of health for Riolu and Charizard, Alex checked into one of the guest rooms upstairs and collapsed into bed, letting exhaustion take over.
That night, under a star-speckled sky, a shadow moved.
A mechanical arm crept quietly through the slightly cracked window. Outside, hidden behind a rooftop vent, Meowth from Team Rocket cackled softly as he operated a joystick and stared through night-vision goggles.
The mechanical arm slithered silently toward Alex's backpack, which lay at the foot of the bed. Just as the gripper latched onto it, Alex's eyes shot open. He had been awake the entire time.
He'd sensed something was off the moment the window creaked open. Alex had developed the habit of storing his Pokémon in a digital system storage space, a function provided by his mysterious Trainer interface. It made physical theft nearly impossible.
Now, he played along—he wanted to see who had the nerve to target him.
Moving like a seasoned Ranger, Alex slipped out of bed, silently trailed the arm, and hopped over the balcony after it. His agility betrayed his training and discipline. It didn't take long to reach the alley where the robotic appendage retreated into a hidden compartment in the wall.
As Alex turned the corner, he came face-to-face with three familiar figures.
"Team Rocket… again." His voice was low and cold.
"Wobbuffet!" the blue Pokémon popped out behind them, completely ruining the stealth.
"Tch—busted again!" Meowth groaned, yanking the controller off his head.
Jessie flipped her hair. "I guess there's no fooling this twerp."
James grinned. "Well, now that you're here, might as well hand over your Pokémon peacefully!"
Alex narrowed his eyes. "You never learn. I'm not the same Trainer you harassed in Cerulean Forest."
"Then we'll just have to prove we're stronger, right?" Jessie hissed, anger flashing in her eyes.
"I'll show Giovanni I'm just as valuable as that smug admin with the Alakazam!" she snapped. "When I bring back all of Alex's Pokémon, I'll get my raise!"
"Go, Aggron!" Jessie tossed her Poké Ball.
"And I choose Charizard!" James bellowed.
Twin flashes lit up the alley as the two powerful Pokémon appeared—Aggron's metallic armor reflected the moonlight, and Charizard's wings fanned the dust around them. Alex raised a brow. These weren't their usual bumbling Pokémon. These were serious. Looks like Giovanni had armed them with stronger partners.
"Fine. Let's play rough," Alex said, eyes steely. "Go, Electivire!"
The towering Electric-type appeared in a burst of energy, fists crackling with voltage.
"And Gyarados, you're up!"
The sea serpent roared as it emerged in a flash of blue. Its scales shimmered with power.
"Electivire Thunder! Gyarados Hydro Pump!" Alex commanded.
He knew from experience that Electric-type attacks amplified by a soaking Hydro Pump created a devastating synergy. The electricity danced across the jet of high-pressure water, conducting raw voltage as it surged toward the opposing team.
Jessie's eyes widened. "Aggron, Block with Iron Defense now!"
James cried, "Charizard, Flamethrower, cut through it!"
But it was too late. The Thunder-infused Hydro Pump slammed into both Aggron and Charizard, knocking them backward through a vendor cart. Sparks flew, steam hissed, and both Pokémon groaned in defeat.
Jessie and James stood frozen, dust coating their uniforms.
"W-we'll be back!" Jessie shouted, fumbling for a smoke bomb.
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!!"
A distant twinkle lit up the night sky as they vanished in their usual fashion.
Alex sighed and shook his head. "You'd think they'd stop trying."
He turned to his Pokémon, both of whom were already recovering and stretching. "Well done. But we're not finished yet."
Vermilion Gym was just ahead and Lt. Surge wouldn't be nearly as easy.
Aggron and Charizard were scorched black by the Thunder-enhanced combination, but fortunately, their levels were high enough that they didn't faint outright. Aggron shook the soot off and slammed its armored foot down Earthquake! The ground split open violently, tremors cracking the alley floor. At the same time, Charizard rallied, wings flaring as it launched a Fire Blast in a blazing kanji-shaped flame toward Gyarados.
The Earthquake rocked the battlefield, causing serious damage to Electivire and Gyarados, both of whom struggled to stay upright under the shaking terrain. Just as the blazing Fire Blast closed in on Gyarados, the sea dragon retaliated instinctively Flamethrower! A stream of fire surged from Gyarados' mouth, clashing head-on with Charizard's blast. The two fire attacks collided in midair and triggered a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves throughout the alley.
Alex didn't hesitate. "Electivire, Thunderbolt on Charizard! Gyarados, use Flamethrower on Aggron now!"
Lightning cracked from Electivire's fists, slamming directly into Charizard, whose Fire-type resistance was still overcome by the sheer power. At the same time, Gyarados's flames engulfed Aggron's steel armor. The elemental advantages Electric over Flying, Fire over Steel proved too much.
Both Aggron and Charizard collapsed, knocked unconscious, fainted side-by-side on the scorched ground.
Realizing the tide had turned fatally, Jessie, James, and Meowth quickly recalled their Pokémon and bolted.
Seeing them fleeing again, Alex called out mockingly, "Running so soon? At least let me see you off properly." He smirked. "Electivire, Thunderbolt! Gyarados, Dragon Rage!"
A bolt of lightning and a searing blue energy wave collided with the fleeing trio. The alley lit up with color.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaaain—!"
Three streaks shot into the sky like warped comets, disappearing with a trademark twinkle.
Alex shook his head and retrieved his bag. He inspected it carefully. "Still intact. Guess Professor Oak wasn't kidding about quality. These Pallet Town-standard backpacks are no joke."
Back at the Pokémon Center, Alex finally got some proper sleep.
---
The next day…
Alex got up early, freshened up, and tightened his gloves. Today was the Vermilion Gym challenge.
He knew who awaited him: Lt. Surge—Ma Qishi in the local register—nicknamed the "Baby Trainer Slayer." Known for his cruelty in battle and thunderous personality, Surge once served as a high-ranking officer during the war and took pride in crushing rookie Trainers.
"Well, he's in for a surprise today," Alex muttered, walking toward the Gym.
Outside the entrance, a boy stumbled out, supported by a battered Marowak. Tears streamed down his face.
"Don't worry," Alex said, brushing past him. "I'll return the favor for you."
Inside the Vermilion Gym, the air felt charged—electricity literally hummed through the floor and ceiling. Massive electric coils crackled in the corners. Standing in the center was a hulking, muscle-bound man in a garishly open pink shirt, sleeves rolled up, chest hair on full display.
"Another baby?" Lt. Surge boomed, sunglasses glinting. "Come to get zapped? You'd better not cry when my Raichu slaps you back to Pallet!"
"Save the trash talk," Alex snapped. "Let's just get this over with."
Lt. Surge narrowed his eyes. There was something serious in this boy's voice. "Fine. Just remember—you only get one shot. This is a one-Pokémon, one-round Gym match. Hope you came prepared."
"Always."
"Then let's rock! Go, Raichu!" Surge roared.
The evolved form of Pikachu leapt from the Poké Ball, cheeks sparking. Unlike Ash's Pikachu, this Raichu had the brute strength typical of its species and had been further enhanced via military-grade training, as mentioned in the manga.
Alex didn't hesitate. "Let's go, Garchomp!"
The ground rumbled as Garchomp emerged with a roar, tail lashing. Surge raised an eyebrow. "You're using a Dragon/Ground-type? You cheeky kid…"
"X-Scissor!" Alex barked. He wasn't going to waste time.
Raichu didn't even get the chance to launch a move. Garchomp vanished and reappeared in a blur, its crossed claws slashing an X-shaped arc of light that struck Raichu clean across the chest. With a pained squeal, Raichu hit the wall and slumped unconscious.
The battle ended in seconds.
Surge's jaw dropped. "Wha—?!"
"Your Raichu's strong, but it's no match for Garchomp's speed and resistance to Electric attacks."
There was silence for a beat.
"Damn…" was all Surge managed to say as he handed Alex the Thunder Badge, the symbol of Vermilion Gym.
Alex didn't wait for the usual speech. He turned on his heel and walked out.
Surge watched him go, murmuring under his breath, "Guess it's time I reevaluated my battle strategy…"
He was reminded of what happened in the manga when Ash's Pikachu defeated Raichu, and Surge eventually learned humility, training to improve rather than relying only on brute force.
---
Back at the Pokémon Center…
Alex was just settling in when he heard familiar voices.
"Hey! Alex!"
He turned to see Ash, Misty, and Brock walking in.
"Oh, hey guys," Alex greeted. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"You just challenged the Gym, right?" Ash asked eagerly.
"Yeah. Want proof?" Alex reached into his jacket and pulled out the Thunder Badge, placing it in Ash's palm.
"Whoa… that's the real deal!" Ash's eyes sparkled. "Looks even cooler in person!"
Brock leaned in. "Ash, we need to get ready. Surge is no pushover."
Misty added, "He uses Raichu, and from what I've heard, it's pretty fierce. You need to prepare properly."
Ash nodded confidently. "Then we challenge him tomorrow! Let's get some training in!"
Alex smiled slightly. "Good luck. Just… don't rely on brute strength alone. Learn from your Pokémon too."
Ash grinned. "You got it."
—