Chapter 046

"I never could have figured that this was included in the job description of research fellow" thought Alex as he regarded the 6-year-old kid with brown spooky hair looking at him from his nostrils.

"So, Alex. How did you weasel your way into my grandfather's lab?" asked Gary Oak? Yes the Gary Oak. The dude who went around on a journey with a cheerleading squad as his entourage. He was now a 6-year-old brat, but all the arrogance one would expect was already present.

"By excelling in the PIT?" said Alex unsurely.

"You got 7th in the PIT. Anything below the first rank is for losers. 7th is nothing to about" said Gary.

"So you are going to get the first rank when you take the PIT then?" asked Alex, trying to keep him in a conversation to prevent him from trying to do some other shit.

"No way! I'm not taking the PIT. It's supposed to be a way for nobodies to become somebody. No one from a family which can be considered rich or well connected will ever participate. If they do, they will occupy most of the top spots and thus prevent anyone who actually needs the recognition from getting it, while they probably do not need the resources that can be attracted by excelling in the PIT anyway" said Gary.

"Wow! Colour me impressed. This pipsqueak knows his stuff" thought Alex.

"Then what are you going to do when you turn 10?" asked Alex curiously.

"I am obviously going to grab a talented Imperial Starter from Gramps. Then, I am going to destroy anyone in my path and become the champion. Then maybe call it a day" said Gary, showing Alex his nostrils again.

"Wow big dreams from a runt" rebutted Alex irritatedly.

"Oh yeah? This 'runt' can kick your ass!" challenged Gary.

"In what? And please don't say a fight, runt" said Alex.

"Fighting? Why would I fight? It's so barbaric" said Gary.

"Do you not know or did you forget the reason I am your babysitter? You tackled a boy, brawled with him, and pushed him into the river like a little savage. If that's not barbaric, what is?" shot back Alex.

"It was that twerp who provoked me. He took the Pokeball I fished up, claimed that it was his and that he would not return it. I just tried to take back the ball. That loser escalated it. And who would have expected him to fly into the river with a light push?" yelled Gary.

"Did you at least get the Pokebalk you fished up for your trouble?" asked Alex, expecting the answer, from one of the anime episodes

"No! I only got the upper half. He got the lower half. And he got off shot free and I am grounded" fumed Gary.

"Tell me about the boy" said Alex, interested in knowing about the protagonist of the anime.

"Ash Ketchum, a loser with no redeeming qualities and a stubborn bullheaded idiot. His father was a ranger chief that arranged for his wife and son to move to Pallet 10 years ago. He has been here ever since" grumbled Gary.

Pallet Town was a special place in the Alliance. The huge open land here belonged solely to Samuel Oak, who inherited it from his father, a former Champion of Kanto. After Samuel Oak retired from the post of active duty Champion 20 years ago, he opened his research laboratory in his hometown, the large amounts of land his father left him. At first, he did not permit any residents, but people recognised how safe living next to a former Champion would be, and hence they started to insert their families here by several means.

Eventually, the Alliance intervened. They decided to create an official Town in the Pallet forests, and made the permission to settle there highly exclusive. You could not get a residence permit without both the trust of the Alliance and the approval of Professor Oak. When 4 champions emerged one after another from Pallet Town, they left some of their Pokemon at the ranch. Hence the place became even safer, and even more sought after. Ash's father must have had some serious juice to be able to get a residence permit in Pallet Town.

"Why are we talking about that loser?" Gary asked.

"What else do you want to talk about?" asked Alex.

"Right! I was going to challenge you to a Pokemon quiz contest and kick your ass in it!" said Gary excitedly.

"Wanna bet?" asked Alex.

"Sure. What stakes?" asked Gary.

"Let's see. If you win, I will call you young master from now on. If I win, you will address me as big brother" said Alex.

"Alright! I am in" yelled Gary.