Pokemon: A different Ash

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The rain kept falling from the sky, and everyone quickly found shelter. The heavy downpour drenched the Celadon Gym as a fire truck arrived and began extinguishing the flames.

With the help of the heavy rain, the fire was quickly suppressed, and everyone in the gymnasium breathed a sigh of relief as the blaze was extinguished.

Not long after, the rain gradually eased, and the dark clouds began to disperse. Before anyone realized it, so much had happened, and it was already dusk.

"Great, the fire is finally out," one of the gym's trainers exclaimed in relief, echoed by the rest.

"Thank you, Ash!" Erika approached Ash, gratitude evident in her voice.

"It was nothing, just a small effort," Ash replied, shaking his head modestly.

"No!" Erika countered, shaking her head firmly. "I'm thanking you for saving Gloom!"

To Erika, the gym's restoration was secondary. What truly mattered was her Gloom's safety. Ash's actions during the crisis had protected it, and for that, she was deeply appreciative.

"No matter the situation, as long as a Pokémon needs help, I'll always do my best," Ash replied confidently.

"Anyway, you saved Gloom, me, and the gym. Even though the battle isn't finished, please take this!" Erika smiled warmly and held out a flower-shaped Badge with multicolored petals—the Rainbow Badge, symbolic of Celadon City.

"This match is yours. There's no doubt about it—please accept it!"

Although the battle wasn't officially concluded, Erika knew Gloom couldn't have gained the upper hand. Even if it had defeated Charmander, Ash had other strong Pokémon. And with Charmander's evolution into Charmeleon, the odds were insurmountable.

"Thank you!" Ash replied with confidence. Even if the match had continued, he felt certain of victory. If Charmander had faltered, Pidgeotto could have easily finished the battle with its powerful Gust. Against such a strategy, Gloom's defenses were no match.

"You've earned this Badge," Erika said with a smile.

"That's awesome, Ash!" Misty and Brock joined him, their faces lit with joy at his success.

Ash's gym challenges often encountered unexpected complications, yet no one doubted his right to earn this Badge.

"But that perfume was taken away by Team Rocket, is that okay?" Misty asked with concern, stepping forward. After all, the raw material for the special perfume was stolen, which might affect the perfume shop connected to the Celadon Gym.

Erika smiled softly, glancing at Gloom, who was sleeping soundly beside her. "It's fine. The raw material they took wasn't processed yet—it's Gloom's pollen essence," Erika explained with a smile.

Hearing this, Ash and his friends immediately understood. Without a doubt, Team Rocket had gotten themselves into trouble. The image of what might have happened when they opened the bottle was easy to imagine. Relieved by Erika's words, everyone shared a quiet laugh.

Soon after, Ash and his friends prepared to leave. "Well, we'll take our leave now," Ash said with a polite nod.

After receiving the Rainbow Badge, the trio said their goodbyes to Erika and the others, leaving the gym behind.

"He's so thoughtful and capable—it's really charming! Such a pity he already has a girlfriend," one of the young women in the gym remarked as she watched Ash walk away.

"That's right! He's still a little young, but I wouldn't mind waiting for him to grow up," another added dreamily, resting her chin on her hand.

"All right, that's enough daydreaming. The gym's a mess, and we've got a lot of work to do," Erika interjected with a warm smile. Still, she couldn't deny that Ash's personality was indeed very attractive. It wasn't surprising her gym mates felt that way.

"Yes!" they replied in unison and began cleaning up the aftermath of the fire.

"Achoo!" Ash suddenly sneezed as they walked away from the gym.

"Huh? Ash, do you have a cold?" Misty asked worriedly. Though they had found shelter, they still got slightly wet in the rain.

"I don't think so," Ash replied, rubbing his nose. "I've been through worse without getting sick. It's probably just a random sneeze."

Little did Ash know, the girls at the Rainbow Gym were still chatting about him.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash handed Charmeleon over to Nurse Joy for a checkup. The group then returned to their room to shower and rest after a long, eventful day. Despite the challenges, everything had ended well.

The next day, they stayed in Celadon City, visiting its famous department store to stock up on supplies. On the third day, they resumed their journey, heading toward Fuchsia City.

Fuchsia City, located in the southernmost part of the Kanto Region, sits by the sea. Nearby is Route 20, a waterway leading directly to Cinnabar Island. Along this route lies the famous Seafoam Islands. These twin islands are connected by underwater caves, which are frigid due to their year-round location below sea level.

Both Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island are home to Pokémon Gyms, making them important stops on a Trainer's journey. Ash, now with five Badges, needed only three more to qualify for the Pokémon League.

On the way to Fuchsia City, Ash took his time to train his Pokémon. The upcoming Gym challenges wouldn't be as easy as the earlier ones, and Ash knew he had to be fully prepared for the tough battles ahead.