Chapter 34: Fighting the Samurai Boy

"I am, but she's not..." Ash responded calmly, watching the boy's movements carefully. He recognized the samurai boy standing in front of them.

Ash also recalled that the samurai sword on the boy's waist wasn't real—just a plastic prop. It was all for show, with no actual danger behind it.

Ash remembered the boy from the anime, where he once had a bizarre battle involving two "Metapods" only using "Harden"—the kind of silly contest Ash himself could have been involved in.

Misty, however, didn't know that the sword wasn't real. Seeing the boy ready to draw his blade, she grew nervous and instinctively reached for her Poké Ball, moving closer to Ash to protect him.

The boy suddenly drew the plastic sword, pointing it directly at Ash, and his voice grew loud and dramatic. "That's great!" he shouted.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Misty exclaimed, her Poké Ball ready to be thrown to stop him.

But Ash gently grabbed her arm, and with a calm expression, he shook his head. Under Misty's confused gaze, Ash pinched the blade between his fingers, flicking it lightly.

"This isn't a real samurai sword," Ash explained with a smirk. "If you look closely, it's plastic." As if to prove his point, Ash flicked the sword, causing it to wobble comically in front of the samurai boy.

"F-fake?!" Misty stammered, staring at the toy sword in disbelief.

"Of course it's fake!" The boy sheathed the sword with a laugh. "I practice samurai training in the forest, but I don't use real blades. What if I accidentally hurt someone?"

"You..." Misty clenched her fists, feeling frustrated but unsure what to say.

Ash patted her hand gently to calm her, then turned his attention back to the boy. "Why are you looking for Trainers from Pallet Town?" Ash asked, already having an idea of what this was about.

The boy puffed out his chest and spoke with a hint of frustration. "A Trainer passed through the forest yesterday, and I battled him—but I lost! He told me he was from Pallet Town."

Misty glanced at Ash with a surprised expression, wondering if he knew who this Trainer was.

"Gary... you lost to him?" Ash nodded thoughtfully. It made sense.

The Trainer who had defeated the samurai boy was none other than his childhood rival, Gary Oak.

Ash hadn't expected Gary to be ahead of him already, but considering the time Ash lost during the Spearow incident, it wasn't surprising.

The boy's eyes lit up with excitement as Ash confirmed his suspicions. "So you *are* the Ash he mentioned!" His voice trembled with anticipation. "Fight me! If I beat you, it means I've avenged my loss to him!"

The boy was brimming with excitement. After losing to Gary, he couldn't forget the strength Gary displayed, nor the arrogance in his eyes.

Before Gary left, he had mentioned a Trainer named Ash who had become a Trainer at the same time. The samurai boy had made it his mission to defeat this Ash.

Now, unexpectedly, he had found him in the middle of Viridian Forest.

"Battle? Of course!" Ash agreed without hesitation.

Though it would delay their journey, the opportunity to gain more battle experience was invaluable, especially since he had yet to face many other Trainers.

"Let's do this!" The boy stepped back, creating some distance between them. They now stood about 50 meters apart, with the forest around them forming a natural battlefield.

"Misty, would you mind being the referee?" Ash asked.

"Leave it to me!" Misty agreed with a smile, stepping forward. Having refereed battles before, she quickly laid down the rules.

"The battle will be a 2v2 match. Each side can switch out their Pokémon during the battle. The first to lose two Pokémon will be declared the loser!"

Misty tossed a coin to decide who would make the first move. Heads for the samurai boy, tails for Ash. After spinning several times, Misty caught the coin and revealed the result: heads!

"I'll go first!" The boy said excitedly, tossing a Poké Ball. "Kai Ross, I choose you!"

A large "bug-type" Pokémon emerged in a flash of white light. It resembled a giant stag beetle, with two enormous horns on its head.

Its tough brown body looked powerful, though its legs were thin. A row of sharp teeth lined its mouth, giving it an intimidating appearance.

"Pinsir"

Type: Bug 

Category: Stag Beetle Pokémon

 Ability: Hyper Cutter or Mold Breaker 

(Hidden Ability: Moxie)

Strength: Ordinary Level

The "Pinsir" before Ash was ordinary in strength, but its size and power were notable. Ash's own Pokémon hadn't reached that level yet.

"Pidgey, this is your first real battle!" Ash called out, throwing his Poké Ball. Pidgey emerged in midair, letting out a sharp cry as it unfurled its wings, hovering gracefully in the air.

"Wha—?!" The samurai boy looked annoyed. "You're using a Flying-type against my Bug-type? That's totally unfair!" But he ignored the fact that his "Pinsir" had an advantage in raw power.

"Battle, start!" Misty shouted, signaling the match to begin.

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Adios