First Rival?

The soft chime of the alarm around 6 in the morning served as a persistent reminder of the day ahead. As Ash stirred in the comfort of his bed, the cozy embrace threatened to pull him back into the realm of dreams. However, the insistence of the alarm remained unwavering.

Coming out of his room, he made his way to the kitchen where a bowl of fresh fruits awaited him. The crispness of the apples and the juiciness of the oranges provided a refreshing start to his morning. With newfound energy, he washed his face and nibbled on the fruits.

With the clock ticking, Ash embarked on a regimen of light stretches, gradually transitioning into a full-body workout. Mindful of his six-year-old body, he exerted just enough to invigorate himself without risking strain. The effort marked the initiation of his physical journey in this renewed life.

Completing his exercise routine, Ash treated himself to a nutritious breakfast, courtesy of his mother's expertise. In his past life, she had been a dietician – not a renowned one, but more than capable of attending to the dietary needs of her growing child. The familiar taste of a well-balanced meal resonated with the memories of his previous existence.

Wolfing down his breakfast in timely fashion, he heard Scott's familiar call from outside. Bidding farewell to his parents, Ash joined Scott as they made their way to the public ground. The arrangement, while practical, still elicited a touch of reluctance from his mother, who found it hard to part with her six-year-old in the bustling world beyond their cozy abode.

As they walked to the public ground, Ash struck up a conversation with Scott, "You seem pretty determined today, Scott. Ready to give it your all?"

Scott, a competitive glint in his eyes, responded, "Absolutely, Ash! I've been practicing, and today, I'm going to beat you for sure!"

Ash chuckled, "Well, let's see about that. We both will do our best, and may the best player win!"

Their banter continued as they approached the playground. The early morning sun painted the field with a warm glow, and the distant sounds of children playing echoed in the air.

Reaching the open space, Ash turned to Scott, "Hey, why don't you warm up a bit? I've already exercised, so I'll wait for you."

Scott nodded, taking a few moments to stretch , while Ash tries to juggle the ball , failing miserably. Scott after his warm up comes and sees this. He observes for a while and then shows off his skill by doing the same effortlessly. Showing off in front of Ash who defeated him yeaterday seem to invigorate him. But watching the fire in Ash's eyes,it seems that, the showing off backfired. 

Ash remained silent at the show off, but vowed to defeat scott flawlessly in 1 vs 1 that followed. And that's what happened , scott couldnt get past him , it seemed that ash always knew where he was going and would stop him from advancing. This continued for another hour after which they retired. Ash , panting, tired and drenched but full of enthusiasm came home.

Watching the look on his face brought a smile to Mrs. Rivera's face. Having the freshly prepared lunch, Ash came to the hall and started the TV. He started watching the highlights of the matches which happened in the last year city representative cup. Watching how New Era ruthlessly destroyed their opponents he was eager to play for the same school.

After some time, his mom asked him to study. Usually he would start finding excuses for it but this time to the surprise of his mother, he started them immediately. The study was usual kiddie stuff which he finished in record time, surpring his mother again. Checking them and seeing them to be correct she left him to do his stuff.

Time went by, and it was evening when scott called for him. They headed to the ground, and started the warmup. After 15 min, scott asked if they gonno do 1 v 1 again. But Ash had other plans.

Saying no to him, he said " We will practice shoots and passes now".

Scott groaned " Its better to play 1 vs 1. I still have to defeat you"

Ash , remainng firm "No, we should practice this too, and who says you can defeat me in shooting?"

Scott " Challenge accepted , kiddo"

Ash " Huh?"

Scott , laughing " You are a kid, act like one , kiddo"

Ash groaned " You wait" and headed to position himself to take the shot. He calms himdelf from the Scott's teasing, determined to defeat him, he shoots. But he forgot, his body is not ready yet. The shot lacking power bounced to the post. He could hear Scott's laughter in the background. Frustrated , he takes the ball and shoves it to Scott, " Do better than this, then laugh". Scott, just keeps the ball there, a lot further than from where Ash took the shot, and shoots. Just hearing the sound of the leg hitting the ball, Ash was convinced of the power of the kid 2 yearss older than him. But unfortunately for Scott, the ball goes over the goalpost. Scott turns to see Ash's smiling face.

Thus began the round two of their match for day one. Continuing for an hour, they stopped when Ash was tired. They then returned home. Ash, at home was greeted by dinner ready to eat and his dad who came back after finishing his job for the day. They had a nice dinner , where Ash talked about his day with his father and then they retired for the night.