Battling differences

Nando bid the group farewell after his match with Ash and Pikachu, thanking the group for helping him with his dilemma.

As they continued their journey toward Jubilife through the woods of Route 202, multiple trainers approached them for battles. Ash, Dawn, and Shuichi engaged in multiple battles, with Ash and Shuichi emerging victorious each time. However, Dawn was struggling with her battles.

It made her realise that training was necessary, as she saw how Shuichi's Clamperl had been able to conjure the Whirlpool slightly faster.

Shuichi was able to win all of his battles with either Clamperl or Eevee. So far, Shuichi had a total of three battles against other trainers on the path.

The first one was a battle against a youngster and a Starly. Shuichi had bet ₽100, matched by the opposing trainer. Clamperl had won that matchup with Iron Defense into a well-timed Water Gun and finished it off with a Whirlpool.

For the second match, he faced a lass with a small brown, pudgy beaver-like Pokémon named Bidoof. Shuichi bet once again, this time ₽200, which was accepted. Clamperl won that match, but it was a lot closer due to Bidoof unexpectedly knowing Shock Wave.

Shock Wave was an electric-type move that was very effective against a water-type. Clamperl barely managed to squeak out a victory but needed a potion to help it recover after the battle.

The third battle involved another youngster, this time with a mostly blue and black furred cat-like Pokémon. It has a long black tail with a gold four-pointed star on the end, a Shinx which was an Electric-type. Shuichi initially wanted to bet ₽400, but they settled on ₽300.

Clamperl was in no condition to battle, so Eevee had to take over. With Eevee's use of Protect, Shuichi was able to win against the youngster, giving him a total of ₽720 after all three matches.

Money was registered to the trainer ID that worked similarly to a credit card from Shuichi's past life. Bets were honoured because it was all recorded.

In order to even be able to bet, one party had to record the match so that proof was there. Should a party try to avoid paying, then an Officer would be contacted, and both trainers would be summoned.

If one trainer is trying to avoid the police, then good luck to them. Trainers could be spotted in every town and city, and Growlithe and Arcanine could smell them from miles away.

While Shuichi bet for money, Ash, on the other hand, actually disagreed with Shuichi's style and didn't bet anything. In fact, Ash was actually a little peeved at Shuichi for betting at all.

"I'm saying that you know Eevee is a lot tougher than the other trainers and their Pokémon, so you're basically scamming them out of money," Ash argued.

Shuichi stood his ground. "They all agreed to willingly place a bet, and it's not like I used an Ursaring or anything like that."

"Or are you going to say that Clamperl, which I caught literally a day ago, is also a lot tougher than other Pokémon trainers?" Shuichi continued to mention Clamperl.

Ash shot back another argument "Clamperl is talented, and you know it. You just bet because you know you're going to win."

"I need the money, Ash. I'm not sponsored like you are," Shuichi knew of Ash's sponsorship deal with Professor Oak. Basically, Ash had unlimited money. It wasn't even a joke. 

All expenses were forwarded to Professor Oak, allowing Ash to go on his journey without a worry about expenses.

Shuichi needed money to be able to buy berries and vitamins for his Poffins, along with any other TM he could find that was on sale.

Dawn and Brock looked back and forth between the two arguing. It had begun ever since Shuichi decided to bet on his matches.

Brock had no financial issues due to his previous job as a gym leader, and he also had received multiple beneficiaries from Professor Oak for helping Ash.

Dawn also had no financial issues due to her mother winning the grand festival and hosting some events in her spare time. So she also didn't need to bet anything.

The only one who needed money was Shuichi, as he had only received a one-time allowance for the beginning of his trip, of which half was spent on the TM for Protect.

"You would've been fine if you hadn't blown your money on the Protect TM," Ash criticised Shuichi's need for the TM.

Shuichi didn't think Ash was this naïve. "Are you seriously suggesting that I shouldn't have bought the TM? I'm trying to reach the top!"

"I'm also reaching for the top, and you don't see me buying any TMs!" Ash countered with his own experience.

"You've got three years of experience! I've only just started yesterday!" Shuichi used Ash's point to argue his own point.

"You don't battle like you've only started yesterday," Ash suddenly accused Shuichi, accusing him of being secretly trained by either his parents or someone else.

There were unwritten rules of going out on a journey as a beginner, and not being vetted and trained before going out on a journey was one of them.

"Excuse me? Care to repeat that?" Shuichi was taken aback and took massive offence to Ash's accusation and started to emit an intimidating aura borne of his past life as a commander.

Pikachu's instincts warned it of the danger and jumped in between Shuichi and Ash with sparks already on its face, ready to battle.

Eevee, seeing Pikachu being aggressive towards its trainer, also jumped down to defend Shuichi and growled at Pikachu, also ready to battle.

"Both of you, stop it!" Brock and Dawn suddenly jumped in and prevented Ash and Shuichi from coming to blows.

Seeing Dawn's concerned face rationalised Shuichi's mind a little. Releasing a big sigh, Shuichi started to calm down a little.

Shuichi turned to Eevee. "Let's go, Eevee," he didn't know how long he would remain calm for. Eevee, though still on guard, jumped on Shuichi's shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Dawn asked Shuichi concernedly as she saw him walking away from the group.

"I need to be alone for a while," Shuichi replied; he needed a moment to himself, or he might do something he'd regret.

Shuichi had learned at Professor Rowan's lab that his emotions could get out of control, the last time resulting in a minor injury to himself. This time, he feared he might physically lash out at Ash. The last thing he wanted was to harm someone, especially Ash.

As Shuichi walked away, Ash also began to calm down, with Brock casting a stern look at him, knowing he had said something he shouldn't have.

Walking alone in the forest for a while, Shuichi slowly started to relax and began to reflect on his words. He remembered a small detail: Pokémon could learn TMs, and while it might take time and effort, they didn't necessarily need the TMs. So, the question remained: did Shuichi need the speed now?

However, Protect was one of those life-saving moves; using it at the right moment could turn the tide of an entire battle.

As Shuichi debated with himself about whether he'd made a mistake in purchasing the TM, he walked right past a trainer.

"Hold it right there," the trainer called out to Shuichi, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shuichi recognized the voice and turned to see who it was.

Standing before him was Paul. Shuichi was not in the mood to deal with him and asked, "What do you want?"

Paul frowned at Shuichi's dislike for him. "You seem to have some sort of problem with me. How about a 2-on-2 battle?"

Shuichi replied, "Sorry, I can only do a one-on-one. My other Pokémon is in no condition to fight, and I'm not as heartless as you."

Paul responded with a grunt, "Fine, one-on-one it is." It was clear that Shuichi wasn't in a good mood.

As Paul prepared to release his Pokémon, Shuichi stopped him and suggested, "Hold on. Want to make this a bit more interesting?" He grabbed his Pokédex and activated the recording function.

Paul grabbed his own Pokédex, which notified him of a nearby device activating its recording feature. Trainers would receive this message if someone was interested in a bet or simply wanted to record their match.

"What are you suggesting?" Paul inquired, showing interest in the idea of making some money.

Shuichi grinned and said, "₽700 for the winner, or are you too scared?" He was ready to bet it all and taunted Paul with his own words from their previous encounter at Rowan's lab.

"Fine, get ready to pay up. Chimchar, ready for battle!" Paul accepted the bet and released his Chimchar. Shuichi could still feel the same emotions as before from Chimchar.

"Eevee, get ready," Shuichi said as Eevee hopped off his shoulder and stood across from Chimchar.

"Since you seem to be in a bad mood, I'll let you have the first move," Paul 'gracefully' allowed Shuichi the first move.

('As expected, he wants to counter the first move'), thought Shuichi. However, Shuichi wasn't Ash, and he had something up his sleeve. He smiled at Paul and said, "Sure, Eevee, walk toward Chimchar."

Paul frowned, uncertain of what to expect. Eevee trusted Shuichi and calmly walked toward Chimchar. Chimchar was surprised, letting its guard down.

Once Eevee was halfway across the field, Shuichi shouted, "Now! Quick Attack!" Eevee, anticipating something was up, broke into a sprint, leaving a white streak.

Paul's eyes widened, but he was too late to react. Eevee was already there, slamming into Chimchar. 

Shuichi continued with his offence, commanding, "Sand Attack!" Eevee kicked some sand into Chimchar's face, blinding it.

"Flank and Tackle!" With a blinded Chimchar, Shuichi pressed his advantage. Eevee ran toward the right side of Chimchar and went for a tackle.

Paul fought back, shouting, "Chimchar, jump up straight!" Chimchar, despite its blindness, trusted Paul's words and leaped into the air dodging the tackle.

Shuichi wasn't done, though. He commanded, "Chase it with Quick Attack!" Eevee followed, catching up to Chimchar and slamming into it once more.

Eevee landed gracefully on its paws, while Chimchar landed on its back. Shuichi saw it wasn't over yet, and he could also see that Eevee was breathing a little hard.

('I need to stall for a second to let Eevee catch his breath.'), Shuichi thought as he glanced at Paul, who didn't look pleased.

"What's wrong, Paul? Going to blame it on your Pokémon again?" Shuichi taunted Paul, who was clearly getting frustrated.

"What is it to you?" Paul was taken aback by Shuichi's strong animosity.

Shuichi looked at Paul with contempt. "Because I despise the way you treat your Pokémon like tools," Shuichi stated passionately. 

"Pokémon have emotions just like people, they have needs just like people, and just like people, they have wants. A person or Pokémon without emotions is just plain wrong," Shuichi said, drawing from his own experiences.

"Humph, whatever, that little stalling tactic did Chimchar good; he's finally gotten the sand out of his eyes. I admit you're a good battler," Paul said as he looked at Chimchar, which was now ready once more.

Shuichi glanced at Eevee, who was ready again. "It's fine; Eevee has caught his breath from that series of attacks."

"Ember!" Paul realised he had been played by Shuichi's stalling tactic and went for a long-ranged attack. Chimchar complied and shot fiery bullets at Eevee.

"Dodge and run in!" Even though Eevee had recovered some stamina, Shuichi wanted to save some for Protect.

Eevee jumped to the side, avoiding the shots, and then ran in at normal speed. Paul took this as a sign of weakness and issued another command, "Flame Wheel!"

('Perfect') Paul fell for the bait as Chimchar rolled into a flaming wheel and charged at Eevee. "Protect!" Shuichi surprised Paul, who let out a bewildered "What!"

A green shield appeared around Eevee just in time, as Chimchar slammed into the protective barrier and rolled back. Shuichi noticed Chimchar was still conscious and wanted to finish it off. "Quick Attack!"

Eevee pushed the last of its energy through its legs as it charged at Chimchar, slamming into the fire monkey. Chimchar fell to the ground, circles in its eyes, and was knocked out.

Eevee was also barely standing, so Shuichi quickly recalled him. "Well done, Eevee; take a nice rest," Shuichi said to Eevee once it was in its Pokéball.

Paul also recalled his Chimchar but didn't say anything to the Pokéball, surprising Shuichi. "Not gonna say anything this time around?" he quipped to Paul.

Paul silently transferred ₽700 to Shuichi. Transferring funds worked effortlessly on a distance basis, allowing trainers to send money to one another with ease.

Shuichi received the message confirming the deposit, giving him a total of ₽1,420. He was surprised by Paul's silent treatment.

Paul didn't leave immediately but instead asked Shuichi, "Why are you in such a bad mood anyway?"

Shuichi was taken aback by the sudden interest in his mood. "What is it to you?" Shuichi replied with Paul's own words.

"Fine, then don't tell me," Paul scoffed a little. It was clear that he and Shuichi were never going to get along.

Just as Paul was leaving, Shuichi called out to him. "I got into a fight with Ash," making Paul turn around once more, interested in the story.

Shuichi explained the argument with Ash about his betting, his spendings, and him being a better beginner than expected.

Paul just scoffed when he heard the story. "He's even more of a child than I expected. Does he not realise that being a trainer costs money?"

"Ash is financially secure," Shuichi didn't like to expose his friend's secrets so he alluded to the fact that money was no problem for Ash.

"So he's basing his views on his own experience? That's just plainly ignorant," Paul stated, still not liking Ash's viewpoint.

Paul continued. "Some are more talented at battling, some at contests. You saw through my strategy even though you only saw it once, that's talent."

"As for the spending, I also bought that Protect TM back in Sandgem. Do you think you could have taught your Pokémon that move without a TM?" Paul moved on to the spending point.

Shuichi thought about this point and said "Probably, but that would've taken a long time and that would've been months down the line."

Paul nodded and posed another question to Shuichi "Then, do you think you could've won our battle without that move?" 

"Hard to say, Protect is an incredibly useful defensive move that can turn the battle around. Without it I can't predict the outcome." Shuichi concluded, without Protect it would've dragged on more.

"And I can tell you from my own experience that Protect has helped me in some battles with Elekid." Paul told Shuichi Protect had in fact saved him in some battles, Shuichi even saw it against Pikachu.

Before Shuichi could even think about that question, Paul continued. "If Ash is financially secure, then why isn't he buying TMs?"

Paul's question made Shuichi think, and he came to the answer that made sense knowing Ash. Ash wants to bond with his Pokémon, and teaching them moves is his way.

"Star!" Before they could continue their discussion, a Starly grabbed their attention. Shuichi could feel Starly's worry and relief upon seeing him, understanding these emotions made it clear that it was Ash's Starly.

Shuichi looked at Starly and said, "Seems like Ash wants to talk," causing Starly to nod.

"Then I guess I'm off. Thanks for the talk, Paul," Shuichi thanked Paul as he walked off. Shuichi thought of something else and called out to him again.

"Paul!" Shuichi yelled to grab his attention. "Don't close off your or your Pokémon's emotions; nothing good ever comes from that. Trust me."

Paul didn't say anything and kept looking at Shuichi. After a while, he only replied with a "Humph" and walked away.

('Now what to do with Ash') Shuichi thought about Ash. He didn't dislike Ash, and his company was nice.

The only difference he had with Ash was simply put, a difference in training styles. Shuichi wanted to use TMs and train rigorously, while Ash wanted to bond more with his Pokémon. 

It didn't mean that Shuichi didn't bond with his Pokémon; his special ability to sense the emotions of Pokémon just made that job a lot easier.

Shuichi followed Starly and quickly arrived at the same clearing where he had almost gotten into a fight with Ash. Ash looked a little guilty as he realised, in his anger, he had said some things he shouldn't have.

"Shuichi, there you are!" Dawn was relieved that Shuichi was fine but quickly realised someone was missing. "Wait, where's Eevee?"

Ash and Brock also realised Eevee was gone and thought something bad had happened to him. Shuichi quickly cleared up the bad news.

"We ran into Paul, and we had a battle. I won, but Eevee's exhausted, so he's resting in his Pokéball," Shuichi explained their meeting with Paul.

"You battled Paul? Is he here?" Ash suddenly became interested in Paul and the battle more than their previous argument.

Shuichi explained how he ran into Paul and the battle that followed. He also had the battle recorded, making it easier to follow along.

"Did you also bet with Paul?" Ash asked Shuichi, inquiring about the reason for recording the battle.

"I did, ₽700 to be exact," Shuichi didn't intend to hide his bet with Paul. Ash, however, was more surprised by the amount than the fact that Shuichi was betting.

Even Brock was a little surprised by the amount and asked, "Why that much? Were you that sure you were going to win?"

Shuichi looked at Brock and said, "Of course not, I'm not a psychic. However, I need to take some risks if I want to make it to the top."

After watching the battle, there seemed to be an awkward tension hanging in the air as Ash and Shuichi looked at each other.

Shuichi decided to be the one to break the silence as he said, "Ash, I apologise for my earlier words."

Ash was surprised and asked, "Why are you apologising?" Wasn't he the one who was supposed to apologise?

"I realised that even with Oak's support, you never buy TMs. You want to bond with your Pokémon through learning a new move instead of buying it, and I can understand that," Shuichi spoke his mind.

Ash was a little stunned by Shuichi's sudden apology. "I also want to apologise for my own words. Earlier, I insinuated that you weren't a beginner. But Dawn told me the amount of studying you did, and Brock also told me you were up early for training, so I'm sorry."

On Ash's shoulder, Pikachu was also feeling guilty and sorry for being aggressive. It didn't know why, but its instincts warned it about Shuichi.

"Look, we're both wrong. In the end, it comes down to a difference in how we train Pokémon, and that's perfectly fine. So, no hard feelings, okay?" Shuichi decided to share the blame between them.

Ash smiled at Shuichi's words and nodded. "Okay!" Pikachu on Ash's shoulder also felt more relieved that the argument was over and happily said, "Pika!"

"Alright! Now that that's over with, let's continue onward to Jubilife for my contest!" Dawn was happy now that the situation was resolved and wanted to continue forward.

However, Shuichi was about to throw another wrench into her plans. "Uh, Dawn, about that. I actually want to continue on my own," shocking everyone present.

"What! Why?" Dawn was understandably a little lost. Didn't Shuichi just make peace with Ash? Why did he have to leave?

Ash thought he was the reason Shuichi was leaving and was about to speak up when Brock stopped him.

"Is it about betting, correct?" Brock correctly guessed the reason Shuichi wanted to go solo for now.

Shuichi nodded and explained, "Correct. For one, I'll be getting more trainers to myself, so I'll be battling more. Secondly, if I do gain 'infamy' due to my betting, you guys won't be swept up."

"But, then…" Dawn was a little conflicted. On one hand, she wanted to travel with Shuichi, and on the other hand, she also wanted to stay with Ash and Brock.

Shuichi walked up to Dawn, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked into her eyes. "Dawn, as your friend, I would advise you to stay with Ash and Brock. You can learn a lot from their experiences, and let's be honest, would you really want my food over Brock's?"

Dawn remembered the last time Shuichi made food and cringed. Shuichi's homemade food wasn't exactly tasty, and she had grown too fond of Brock's cooking.

Dawn was a little sad about the decision but eventually agreed with Shuichi's words. "Fine, but you better watch my show in Jubilife!"

"Hah! If I missed that, you would never forgive me," Shuichi laughed and teased Dawn a little.

Shuichi looked at Brock next and said, "Looks like we can't exercise together anymore. Thank you for the advice on Pokémon food."

Brock smiled bitterly, remembering the exercises, and said, "My arms still hurt from those workouts."

Shuichi finally looked towards Ash and walked towards him, sticking his arm out for a handshake. "I still owe you a battle, so next time we meet, we'll battle."

Ash smiled at Shuichi's words, remembering that he had challenged Shuichi to a battle back at Rowan's lab. Accepting the handshake, Ash said, "That's a promise!"

And with that, Shuichi went on his own way. There were, of course, other reasons he didn't want to travel with Ash anymore, but those were not the main reasons.

One of those reasons was Team Rocket. After battling them once, he came to a simple conclusion. They were annoying.

Another one of those reasons was that Ash would get into constant trouble. This time, he got into trouble with Shuichi, and the last time it was trouble with Dawn.

"Shuichi! Wait up!" While Shuichi was walking, Brock suddenly called out to him. Once Brock had caught up with him, he handed Shuichi a bag.

Shuichi looked in the bag and noticed it contained Pokémon food. Before he could even ask, Brock had already explained. "I know food is a bit tight for you, so here, take this."

Shuichi sighed a little. Was this out of pity? Or was it just because Brock was a kind-hearted guy? Whatever the case was, he did need food. "Thanks, Brock. I'll remember the favour," Shuichi said.

Brock just nodded and didn't say anything. By now, he knew that Shuichi didn't like to be indebted to someone else.

With the Pokémon food in hand, Shuichi went his own way, and Ash's group went in another direction. They would meet again one day and battle.

Brock returned to the group after giving Shuichi the food. They had collectively agreed to give him the food.

Once Brock was back, he could see that Dawn was a little sad, which was understandable. She had just seen her good friend leave into the unknown.

Ash, on the other hand, looked at the hand he had shaken Shuichi with. Brock frowned a little and asked Ash what was wrong.

"I also battled Paul, but I tied. Shuichi, on the other hand, won without taking a single hit," Ash said absentmindedly. Brock could see that Ash was taking it heavily.

Ash continued with, "I have to get better. I've been travelling for over three years now, and Paul and Shuichi are already my equals."

Brock saw something in Ash's eyes that he hadn't seen in over two years, ever since he had beaten Gary Oak: determination to be better.

Shuichi walked through the forest of Route 202, looking for a spot to take a rest. Eevee and Clamperl both needed a break from their respective fights.

Hearing a river streaming up ahead, Shuichi decided to walk towards it and explore the area. Once he was at the river, he could see that it extended a bit further into an open area.

('This will do perfectly,') Shuichi realised and released both Eevee and Clamperl. Both Pokémon weren't looking their best, appearing slow and lethargic.

Shuichi took out some Pokémon food and gave it to both of them. "Alright, you two, here's some food to help you recover."

Both Pokémon eagerly dug into the food, which made Shuichi realise that he really needed to sort out his food situation.

Once both Pokémon were satisfied, they were still a little sleepy. Food only did so much; rest was another essential step.

"Both of you can rest. I've decided to go solo for a while, so there's no hurry to go to Jubilife," Shuichi said. However, he sensed Eevee's worry and Clamperl's confusion.

Realising that both were not caught up to speed about the situation, a round of communication ensued, bringing them fully aware of the circumstances. 

Once Eevee and Clamperl were up to speed regarding the circumstances, they were willing to rest. Shuichi realised he needed a third team member.

There was one problem: the team member he was hoping to obtain wasn't originally planned until after the first gym badge.

('Looks like I'll either skip the first gym and head straight to the second gym or make a quick detour.') Shuichi debated with himself over which way to go.

Shuichi sat alone there by themself while both his Pokémon rested, with nothing to do he decided on taking a small nap himself.

As Shuichi closed his eyes and relaxed he soon found himself drifting away, it had been a busy day and some rest for himself wouldn't be bad.

At first the darkness overtook him however he soon found himself waking up in a strange room, the room was bleak and only a bed was there.

Looking around the room Shuichi could spot a door, he slowly walked through the door, his heart going a little faster.

He didn't know where he was and he was all alone, he was afraid that someone had taken him somewhere. 

Through the door was a hallway that led to all sorts of doors, Shuichi tried opening them only to find them all locked.

Walking through the hallway gave Shuichi the creeps, it just kept going and going until finally at the end there was another door.

Trying to open this door revealed that it wasn't locked like the rest, Shuichi slowly turned the knob trying not to make too much noise.

His heartbeat was loud and just wouldn't shut up, Shuichi tried to calm himself down only to have the adverse effect.

Slowly opening the door and looking what was inside gave Shuichi the scare of his life, in the room was a corpse hanging from a noose.

The corpse however looked awfully familiar to Shuichi but he couldn't quite place it, suddenly the corpse's head turned to Shuichi.

"It's your fault I'm dead." The corpse spoke to Shuichi, Shuichi was confused and scared from the corpse.

"W-what did I do?" Shuichi didn't know why he was talking to a corpse, however he had to know what he did wrong.

"You emotionless beast, I couldn't stand it anymore." The corpse spoke and Shuichi remembered who it was, it was the caretaker that killed himself during his first life.

Shuichi was scared, he didn't know what was happening and the corpse suddenly became rowdy. "You emotionless beast! I will curse you for life!" It was mad and started shaking as if it was going to take Shuichi alive.

Shuichi ran out of the room back into the hallway, as he ran through the hallway the rest of the doors suddenly flung open.

"You killed us…" "Why can't you show empathy…" "Smile more beast…" All sorts of voices came from the doors as Shuichi sprinted down the hall.

He didn't want this anymore, he didn't want to feel this anymore, he wanted this all to end. He sprinted back to the room he woke up only to see someone standing there.

It was a boy that was standing there, he had short brown hair and was dressed in rags, however the most eye-catching to the boy was his eyes.

The boy's eyes were blank, as if he could feel nothing at all, Shuichi felt a strong familiarity in those eyes.

Suddenly the boy spoke, "You want to be me again? I thought you promised you didn't want to be me anymore?"

At these words Shuichi suddenly recalled why this boy was so familiar, he was himself, his old body Kristoph.

The door suddenly slammed open as the corpse had caught up to Shuichi, Shuichi looked back in horror as the corpse was there.

He then looked back at his old body, it didn't look like he cared that a corpse was chasing him and looked at peace.

'Kristoph' repeated himself "Are you going to break your promise?" Shuichi was stuck in a rock and a hard place.

The corpse slowly crawled towards him and his heartbeat sped up considerably, just as he was about to make a decision on what to do he suddenly opened his eyes again and was at a completely different place.

He was breathing rapidly and was sweating a ton, he looked around and saw he was at a clearing in the woods.

Shuichi was confused until he spotted two figures sleeping, it allowed him to recall everything.

"A nightmare…" Shuichi muttered to himself, he just had a nightmare that almost made him make the decision to be emotionless again.