" 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."

Ash blinked at Gary, his heart still racing. The grey, dreamlike landscape around them felt surreal, and Gary's voice was cutting through the haze like a knife. The urgency in his tone made Ash feel small, almost like he was being scolded, even though they weren’t in the middle of a real fight.

"Come on, Ash," Gary continued, his voice now lower but still firm, "you're gonna quit over this? After everything you've been through? Everything you've overcome?"

Ash stared at the dirt beneath him, the lines of his doodles shifting as his fingers trembled. He hadn’t meant to come to this—this moment of doubt. The Battle Pyramid had shaken him more than he expected. Brandon was a beast. The loss felt heavier than any he’d ever experienced before.

“I don’t know if I can keep going," Ash said quietly, the weight of his words pressing on his chest. "I’ve been trying for so long, and it feels like I’m getting nowhere. Maybe it’s time I accepted I’m not cut out to be a Pokémon Master."

Gary’s eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. He grabbed Ash by the shoulders, pulling him up so they were face to face. "What’s this nonsense about not being cut out for it? Who told you that? Because it sure wasn’t me."

Ash flinched at Gary’s intensity, but he didn't pull away. “It’s just... no matter how hard I try, I can’t beat Brandon. Maybe I’m just not strong enough.”

Gary stared at him, disbelief written all over his face. “Ash Ketchum, the kid who never backs down? The one who took down legendaries and trainers way stronger than him? That Ash is gonna quit because of one loss?”

Ash’s eyes flickered, a flash of his past victories momentarily breaking through the clouds of doubt that had surrounded him. He thought of Pikachu, of Charizard, of all his Pokémon who had never given up on him. But the sting of his recent defeat made it hard to see clearly.

“I’ve lost before, Gary,” Ash whispered. “But this time... it feels different. Brandon’s on a whole other level. Maybe I’m not enough.”

Gary’s grip tightened, but instead of anger, there was something softer—something more understanding. “Listen, Ash. You’ve always been enough. The only reason you’re not feeling like you’re enough right now is because you’re too focused on one battle. You can’t define yourself by a single loss. Not after everything you’ve done.”

Ash opened his mouth to protest, but Gary raised a finger, cutting him off.

“You didn’t give up after losing to me all those years ago, did you?” Gary said, his voice low but steady. “You kept going. You fought harder, trained harder. And look where it got you. You think you’re just gonna throw all that away now?”

Ash’s chest tightened, his eyes beginning to burn with emotion. The words hit deeper than he expected. Gary was right. He’d faced challenges before that felt impossible, and yet, he always found a way to push through. He wasn’t the kind of person who just gave up.

“Pikachu’s always there for me,” Ash said slowly, his voice quiet but resolute. “Charizard too. They never give up on me. Maybe I shouldn’t give up on myself either.”

Gary’s expression softened, and he nodded. "Exactly. They believe in you, Ash. So why don’t you believe in yourself? You’ve got this. You just need to remember who you are. You’re Ash Ketchum, the guy who never backs down. And I’m not gonna let you forget that."

Ash blinked, the weight in his chest lifting slightly as Gary's words sank in. The doubt wasn’t gone, but the resolve was starting to return. Maybe he didn’t have to give up. Maybe he just needed a little time to figure things out.

Gary stepped back, crossing his arms with a satisfied smirk. "Now, you ready to stop moping and get back to work? You’ve got a lot of training to do if you’re gonna take down Brandon."

Ash smiled, feeling a flicker of his old determination return. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

Gary turned away, waving his hand dismissively over his shoulder. “Good. Because you’re not getting off that easy. I’m not letting you quit, Ash.”

As Ash stood up and dusted himself off, the grey landscape around them seemed a little less oppressive, a little brighter. He wasn’t done yet. Not by a long shot. And with Gary—his rival, his friend—by his side, maybe he never would be.