It’s All Yours Anyway!

Standing in the quicksand pit, Gary was silent. His legs were trapped in the sand, unable to move, and he was sinking slowly. He didn't dare struggle—any resistance would only make him sink faster.

"…I give up."

Gary slowly raised his hand in surrender. A few meters away, his Charmander also raised both little hands in the same gesture of defeat.

"Though you used a sneak attack, I didn't expect you to bypass my Pokémon and attack the trainer directly. From the very beginning, you separated Charmander from me. When a trainer is cut off from their Pokémon, defeat is inevitable. I won't make excuses. A loss is a loss." Gary spoke calmly with his eyes closed. There was no unwillingness on his face. Even though he remained proud despite losing, as he said—he wasn't the type to invent excuses.

"I wouldn't call it a sneak attack. That flame on Charmander's tail was visible from a mile away. It's practically yelling, 'I'm coming!' You can't call that a sneak attack. If anything, you failed to take proper precautions."

Ryuuske teased him, causing Gary's face to flush slightly. He looked frustrated and helpless. It wasn't like he wanted to walk around the depths of Viridian Forest so blatantly with a flaming lizard, but he had no choice. His only Pokémon was Charmander, and if he didn't bring it out, wandering alone through Viridian Forest was way too dangerous. Between two bad options, Gary had picked the lesser evil.

"If you'd had a second Pokémon, my direct attack on you would've failed. You could've released another Pokémon to block my Gible. But judging from your dusty appearance, you've clearly been in the forest for a while. Even if you found a Pokémon you liked, chances are it'd be too injured to fight. Looks like I was right."

Ryuuske explained coolly, making Gary take a deep breath. He hadn't expected the other party to think and plan so much in such a short time after spotting him. With that kind of preparation, it was no surprise he lost. Caught off guard, Gary didn't stand a chance.

"I see… I've learned a lot this time. I won't make the same mistake again. Good thing this wasn't a life-or-death battle—otherwise, I probably wouldn't have gotten a second chance."

Gary laughed at himself. He twisted his upper body and extended a hand toward Ryuuske. 

"I'm Gary. You must be the Ryuuske my grandfather mentioned. Didn't expect to run into you in this massive forest."

Seeing the pride and calm in Gary, Ryuuske couldn't help but admire him. As expected of Professor Oak's grandson—his composure far exceeded that of his peers.

"…Yeah, I'm Ryuuske. I thought you'd throw a tantrum after losing—shouting and refusing to admit it. Didn't think you'd be this calm. Honestly, kinda boring. If it were Ash, he'd be yelling about a rematch already."

"So, you've met Ash too? I saw him near the forest edge about a month ago. Just like you said—he never admits defeat."

The quicksand under Gary's feet began to harden. He knew Ryuuske had commanded Gible to stop the skill. He pulled his legs free and dusted off his pants. Charmander walked over, red body glowing, tail flame still burning brightly. It remained wary of Ryuuske and Gible, eyes full of defiance.

"It's okay, Charmander. He's not an enemy. We let our guard down this time. We'll do better next time."

Ryuuske had expected Gary to be the same stuck-up rich kid as in the anime, and hadn't planned on interacting much. But real-life Gary, while still proud, wasn't arrogant—he even possessed admirable composure. Ryuuske was starting to take a liking to him.

"I've seen your photo at the professor's lab. You've gotten a lot thinner—nothing like your photo. Must've had a rough time in the forest this past month."

Ryuuske said, teasing maliciously. Gary blushed again, clearly embarrassed. Even his usually proud tone faltered. "…Just like Grandpa said—your mouth can be really sharp!"

"Aw, thanks. I just enjoy pointing out other people's flaws."

Maybe it was because he was in another world, but Ryuuske felt like he'd loosened up. He wasn't living so uptight anymore—no more kissing up to bosses or playing by the rules.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation and the urge to punch Ryuuske in the face, Gary changed the subject. "…About that huge flash earlier—what was it?"

"Knew you were drawn by that light. Otherwise, how would we run into each other in a forest this big… That flash came from a legendary Pokémon. After the light, it vanished."

Ryuuske gave a rough explanation.

"A legendary Pokémon? Was it pinkish-white?"

"Oh? So you did see Mew, huh?"

"That Pokémon was called Mew… I saw it near the forest edge. Tried probing it with Charmander, but it was too strong—so I retreated. Ash, on the other hand, that idiot went all-in. If Mew hadn't gone easy on him, his Pokémon might've died."

Gary's tone showed disapproval. Despite the slight change in his personality, he and Ash were clearly natural rivals—polar opposites. One cool-headed, one hot-blooded… the perfect odd couple.

"Guuu~~"

Right then, Gary's stomach growled. The proud teenager immediately looked down in shame. If it weren't so dark, he'd probably dig a hole and bury himself. Ryuuske paused, then chuckled, 

"Haven't eaten dinner?"

"Chased that flash here with Charmander. Didn't have time."

Gary admitted, thick-skinned. Truth was, his so-called 'dinner' usually meant wild herbs boiled into soup—just enough to barely survive.

"Well, lucky you. I'm leaving the forest tomorrow and saved some good food as a reward for myself. I haven't eaten dinner either, so let's head to my camp and eat together."

Ryuuske shrugged. He was older than Gary by seven or eight years in spirit, so he let the kid slide and offered the invitation.

"Thanks a lot."

Gary didn't hold back. He was genuinely starving. After a month of barely surviving, if not for his strong willpower, he'd have already left the forest.

When they reached Ryuuske's campsite, Gary realized Ryuuske had already prepared for sleep—meaning he had eaten dinner earlier. The offer was just to spare Gary the embarrassment. That realization made him feel this guy—despite his foul mouth—wasn't so bad after all.

"Meeting me now really is your lucky break. I'd saved this meat to treat myself before leaving. Since you're here, we'll share it. Your Charmander's a fire-type, but I don't have its favorite food. It'll have to make do with Gible's rations. Probably not ideal, but better than wild berries or scavenged scraps."

The camp was small, but Ryuuske was a great host. Gary felt genuinely grateful. He remembered how highly his grandfather spoke of this peer—and now he could see why. Ryuuske wasn't just mature in appearance, but in how he dealt with people.

Having not tasted decent food in a month, Gary ate like a starving wolf. Though well-mannered, his speed betrayed his hunger. Ryuuske, by contrast, slowly enjoyed his seasoned, cooked meat. This was just a late-night snack for him.

Charmander also dug in like mad. Despite the food not being its favorite, it even dared to sneak bites from Gible's bowl.

"Your Charmander's eating like you've been starving it!"

"I was underprepared this time. Charmander suffered with me."

Gary swallowed a mouthful of meat and sipped some soup. For the first time in a month, he was full. With a sigh, he said, "…I don't like owing people. Once I leave this forest, I'll repay all this food double. I know how expensive Charmander's food is."

"No need for that, Gary. You and Charmander can eat all you want. Clean it all up if you like—it's all yours anyway."

Ryuuske gave him a huge grin, tone smug and teasing.

Because all this food… came from Professor Oak's lab.

Gary's stomach hurt, his teeth ached. So much for warming up to this guy—he's infuriating!

To be continued…