" wow! Sounds like Gary's working hard too!"

Ash looked at the postcard and closed his eyes

When he opened them again, he was standing in a grey area with a boy wearing a lab coat and had spooky brown hair.

" Everything's cool. Just hang in there."

The figure turned, and Ash gasped

" Oh, Gary?"

" Hey, don't forget you managed to beat me." Gary looked away. " You're tellin me you're gonna hang it up over this?!"

When no one replied, Gary's eyes widened. " Wait, you're gonna hang it up over this?!"

He turned to Ash, who was sitting on the ground drawing in the dirt.

" Well I have no other-"

" YOU'RE GONNA HANG IT UP OVER THIS?!" Gary yelled.

Ash winced. " Easy Gary. No need to yell."

" Oh, there is a very good reason to yell, young man. And you had better start talking right. Now."

Gary took a deep breath, kneeling down to meet Ash at eye level. The tension in the air was palpable, but his voice softened—though still firm.

"Ash, listen to me. Losing isn't the end. It's part of the journey. You’ve been through worse and came out stronger every time. Remember when you lost to me? Did you give up then?"

Ash’s fingers paused mid-doodle in the dirt, but he didn’t answer.

Gary continued, his tone rising slightly. "No, you didn’t! You trained harder. You got better. And you beat me! That’s who you are, Ash! A fighter. Not some kid who quits when things get tough."

Ash looked down, his shoulders slumped. "But the Battle Pyramid… it’s different. Brandon's way too strong. I keep losing no matter what I do. Maybe I’m not cut out to be a Pokémon Master."

Gary’s eyes narrowed, and he grabbed Ash by the shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Oh, come on! Since when do you decide who you are based on one loss? You’ve faced legendaries, taken on the toughest trainers in the world, and inspired more people than you even realize! You’re Ash Ketchum! The kid who never gives up, remember?!"

Ash blinked, Gary’s words starting to sink in.

"Do you think Pikachu would give up on you because of a loss?" Gary asked pointedly. "Or Charizard? Or any of your Pokémon? They trust you because you never stop trying, no matter what. And you're just gonna quit? What are you gonna tell them?"

Ash’s lip quivered as he thought about Pikachu, who had given his all in the battle. He thought about his other Pokémon, who had fought by his side through thick and thin.

Gary stood up and crossed his arms. "If you’re really gonna quit, then fine. Go back to Pallet Town and tell Professor Oak, your mom, and everyone who believed in you that you’re done. But don’t expect me to sit here and feel sorry for you. You’re better than this, Ash."

He heard footsteps go away. When he turned to where Ash was sitting, he froze

Ash was gone.

He looked up to see a figure running.

Gary groaned. " Ash, get back here!"

But Ash didn't turn.

Gary sighed. Great. Now he had upset his poor Ashy Boy.

Amazing.

And WHERE was he supposed to find Ash?

By following the sniffs, of course.

Wait.... Sniffs??

Gary sighed as he trudged through the trees, his eyes scanning the horizon. The last thing he wanted to do was chase down Ash, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Ash wasn’t the type to give up, but the way he’d reacted, the way he’d just disappeared without a word—it had shaken Gary more than he cared to admit.

“Where are you, Ash?” Gary muttered to himself, frustration creeping into his voice.

The sound of soft sniffling reached his ears before he even saw him. Gary’s gaze snapped toward the sound, and there, sitting beneath a large oak tree, was Ash. His back was hunched, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs as he hugged his knees to his chest. The sight of his old rival, broken and vulnerable, made Gary's heart ache.

"Hey, Ash…" Gary said softly, walking closer, his steps careful, not wanting to startle him.

Ash didn’t look up. His face was buried in his arms, and the only sign that he had heard Gary was the way his body trembled.

Gary knelt beside him, the tension from their earlier confrontation still hanging in the air. He couldn’t just walk away now. He’d said too much, pushed too hard. He had to make this right.

"Ash, listen," Gary began again, his voice a little gentler this time. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you couldn’t fight anymore. That’s not what I want."

The words hung there for a moment, and Ash finally lifted his head. His eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks streaked with tears, but his gaze was steady. "I just don’t know anymore, Gary. I’ve been fighting for so long, and I’m not sure if I can do it anymore."

Gary's breath caught. He’d never seen Ash like this before. This wasn’t the confident, determined kid he had always known. This was someone who had been knocked down too many times and was struggling to stand back up.

“Why do you think I keep pushing you?” Gary asked, his voice a little rough. “Because I know what you're capable of. I know you’ve got it in you. But this…” He gestured to the space between them, the quiet forest, the uncertainty in Ash’s eyes. “This isn’t you. You’re stronger than this. You’re Ash Ketchum—the kid who doesn’t stop. The one who never backs down.”

Ash looked at him, still unsure, but his tears had stopped, if only for a moment. "But what if I’m not enough? What if I can’t do it anymore?"

Gary’s expression softened as he leaned forward, extending a hand. “You’ve always been enough, Ash. You’ve never needed to be perfect. You’ve just needed to be you.”

Ash’s lip trembled, and he glanced down at the ground, then back up at Gary. "I just... I don’t know how to keep going when I feel like I’m not enough."

Gary reached out, pulling Ash into a hug without warning. Ash stiffened for a moment but then broke down, his arms wrapping tightly around Gary as he cried into his shoulder. Gary didn’t mind. He let Ash cry, knowing that sometimes, it wasn’t about fighting—it was about letting go for a moment, feeling the weight of everything, and then finding the strength to rise again.

"It’s okay, Ash," Gary whispered, his hand gently rubbing his back. "We all have our moments. But you don’t have to face this alone. I’m here. We’re all here."

Ash pulled back slightly, wiping his eyes. "I didn’t want to let you down, Gary."

"You didn’t," Gary said firmly. "You never could. You're Ash Ketchum, and that’s all you need to be."

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ash smiled—just a small one, but it was enough.

Gary stood up, offering his hand to Ash. "Come on. We’ve still got a lot to do, and I’m not going to let you sit here feeling sorry for yourself. Let’s get back out there."

Ash hesitated for a moment but then took Gary’s hand, allowing him to pull him up. "Thanks, Gary."

"No problem, Ash. Now, let’s go show Brandon what we’re really made of."

And with that, the two friends—once rivals, now more than that—walked back into the world, side by side, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.