Chapter 8: Battle of Number Cards

Chengdu Region – Violet City

"Ash, how are the beef noodles? Delicious, right?"

In a quiet corner of a bustling beef noodle shop, Ash Ketchum leaned back in his seat with a satisfied grin, rubbing his full stomach. The bowl in front of him was completely empty, with only a few strands of noodle clinging to the bottom. Beside him, however, was a second bowl of beef noodles—half-eaten, but strangely, no one seemed to be eating it.

Yet, if one looked closely, they would notice that the contents of that bowl were slowly disappearing, bite by bite.

"Tasty!" chirped a cheerful voice inside Ash's mind.

It was Pikka—his loyal and invisible companion, Mew, who had long since grown close to Ash in this new world. Ever since they arrived in the Chengdu Region, the bond between them had deepened immensely. Though Mew, or "Pikka" as Ash now affectionately called him for convenience, could disguise itself in many ways, it remained invisible while eating to avoid drawing attention.

"If you like it, eat as much as you want. We've got money, and we'll be hitting the Gym for our first badge soon anyway," Ash said with a smile, reaching out and patting the air gently where Pikka hovered.

As part of their travel ritual, Ash always sought out the most popular restaurant in any city they arrived in. Good food was important for morale, after all. And for Pikka? Eating had become something of an obsession. While Mew could change forms freely, he insisted on reverting to his original form during meals. According to him, eating in his true body was the only way food felt real.

"I want another bowl of beef noodles... and a beef patty too!" Pikka's voice rang in Ash's head once again.

Ash laughed. "Alright, alright." He stood up and walked over to the counter. "Boss, another bowl of beef noodles and two beef patties, please."

A few minutes later, the waiter arrived at their table with the order. As expected, Pikka waited until the server had walked away before resuming his invisible feast. Ash simply watched as the noodles gradually vanished into thin air and shook his head in amusement. He had long gotten used to the bizarre but endearing habit.

Twenty minutes later, with both of them fully satisfied and their stomachs round with food, Ash and Pikka walked out of the restaurant with content smiles. The sun was shining, the city was lively, and they were about to take on their very first Gym challenge.

"We're finally going for our first badge, Pikka. You ready?"

"Of course!"

They strolled leisurely through Violet City's clean, cobblestone streets. It took them about half an hour to reach the entrance of the city's Flying-type Gym. Just as they were about to step inside, they were stopped by a young man with spiky blond hair standing at the door.

"Sorry," he said politely, holding out a hand, "there are still twenty trainers ahead of you waiting to challenge the Gym. You can either come back in a day or two, or take a number card and wait for your turn."

"Twenty people?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "That many?"

He hadn't expected such a crowd. Perhaps other trainers had the same idea—come to Violet City early and get their first badge. But if he waited a few days, the line might only get longer.

"What's with the number cards? How do they work?" he asked.

"It's simple," the blond guy explained. He pulled out a sleek, digital-looking card from his pocket, numbered '21'. "This is your spot in line. When the current twenty trainers ahead of you finish their battles, your card will start blinking. Once that happens, you have half an hour to return here and hand me the card. Then, you're free to challenge the Gym."

Ash considered it for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, I'll take the card. Thanks."

With number 21 in hand, Ash left the Gym entrance and decided to explore the city a bit while waiting. He wandered near the Pokémon Center and soon found himself at a nearby park. What caught his eye was a crowd gathered in a semi-circle, watching battles taking place between trainers.

In the middle of the park, two trainers were shaking hands and exchanging what looked like the same kind of digital number card Ash had just received. Curious, he approached and tapped a nearby bystander on the shoulder.

"What's going on here?"

"Oh, this?" the spectator replied with a grin. "It's a shortcut to the front of the Gym line. Those who are behind in the queue can challenge trainers ahead of them. If they win, they swap number cards."

Ash's interest immediately perked up. "How does that work?"

"Simple. If you're behind in line and want to battle someone ahead of you, you pay them 3,000 yen as a challenge fee. You both choose one Pokémon each. If you win, you get their number card and keep your money. If you lose, they keep the 3,000 yen and your number stays the same."

"Interesting…" Ash nodded slowly, already hatching a plan. "Let's do it, Pikka."

He whispered a few words and took out a Poké Ball. As always, Pikka, still invisible, drifted into it without being noticed. With his strategy ready, Ash scouted the crowd and quickly found his target—number card 18.

According to the rules, you could challenge up to three numbers ahead of you, so he could go after numbers 20, 19, or 18. Number 18 was currently held by a frustrated young man who had just lost his match against the trainer holding number 15.

The guy looked down at his card and sighed. Ash walked up with a grin.

"Hey, I'd like to challenge you for your number card."

The young man gave him a look filled with skepticism and annoyance. "Tch. Go ahead. I've already fallen from number 6 to 18. Might as well keep losing."

Ash stepped forward and pulled a Poké Ball from his belt. "Let's make it quick then. Come on out, Pikachu!"

A flash of red light later, a cheerful yellow Pokémon with red cheeks and sparking fur appeared on the field.

"Pika! Pikachu!"

Some of the spectators, especially the girls, squealed in delight. Wild Pikachu were a rare sight in the Chengdu region, so Ash's partner immediately drew attention.

The trainer groaned. "Seriously? An Electric-type?"

He reluctantly threw his own Poké Ball. "Go, Kiawe!"

A Totodile—known to the locals here as Kiawe—appeared with a joyful bounce, ready to battle.

"Totodile, rush in! Water Gun, then get close and Bite!" the young man commanded in a panic, clearly hoping to catch Ash off guard.

But Ash had already seen it coming.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack! Dodge and close the gap!"

A flash of lightning streaked across the field as Pikachu blurred out of view, narrowly avoiding the Water Gun and closing in on Kiawe.

"Now! Thunderbolt, then Iron Tail!"

At Ash's command, Pikachu lit up like a thunderstorm. Electricity exploded from its body, blasting into Kiawe at point-blank range. As the sparks flew, Pikachu launched into the air, flipped once, and brought down a glowing, steel-hard tail—Iron Tail—right onto Kiawe's stomach.

"Waaaalii!" Kiawe cried out as he was sent flying across the park and splashed into a large pond.

Gasps and cheers erupted from the onlookers. Everyone rushed to the water's edge as Kiawe weakly paddled to the surface, clearly unconscious.

"Totodile is unable to battle!" someone from the crowd declared.

The young man sighed heavily and handed over his number card.

"Lucky shot," he muttered, then recalled Kiawe and rushed toward the Pokémon Center.

Ash now held number card 18. Not bad for his first battle of the day.

"Well, Pikka, that was a good warm-up."

"Let's get number 15 next!"

Ash grinned. "You read my mind."