Pokemon: Ace's Adventures!

[Happy new year to my amazing readers!]

There was a brief silence in the gym, the tension from the explosive battle still lingering in the air. Slowly, a huge smile broke across Ace's face as he bolted into the massive crater in the middle of the battlefield. Scooping up his exhausted Smeargle, he lifted him high with a triumphant cheer.

"We did it, Smeargle! We won!" Ace shouted, his voice echoing through the gym.

Smeargle let out a soft, tired woof, its rainbow aura from Overdrive mode completely gone. It managed a happy, weary smile, nuzzling into Ace's chest. Ace held his partner tightly, his heart filled with pride and gratitude.

On the other side of the field, Surge chuckled deeply, patting his Raichu on the head. Raichu was nibbling on a Pecha Berry, its grin as tired as its trainer's expression. "You did great, buddy. Rest up," Surge said, his voice carrying a tone of respect.

The audience erupted into cheers, their applause thundering through the gym.

Cerise, who had been watching intently the entire time, leaned back in his seat with a satisfied chuckle. "Ace and Smeargle have come a long way," he muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips.

But any sense of peace Cerise might have felt was short-lived. Beside him, Talia was sobbing uncontrollably, her tears streaming as she clutched him in a bone-crushing hug. "My baby's grown so much!" she wailed, her voice cracking. "I'm so proud!"

Cerise gasped for air, his face red from the pressure. "Talia... air... I need air!"

Meanwhile, Chloe's gaze was locked on Ace, admiration shining in her eyes. A dreamy smile played on her lips as her heart swelled. 'Ace... you're amazing,' she thought to herself, her cheeks tinged pink.

However, her admiration turned sour as her gaze shifted to the three girls standing nearby—May, Dawn, and Serena. They were smiling brightly at Ace, their joy evident. Chloe's dreamy look hardened into a determined glare.

'Just wait a month,' she thought, her inner voice laced with steel. 'Once I start my journey, I'll show these bitches who Ace belongs to.'

Her eyes glinted with a dangerously obsessive gleam, and a disturbingly sweet smile crossed her face. 'My Ace! My Ace! My Ace! My Ace! My Ace! My Ace!' In her mind, she was already shouting Ace's name repeatedly, her thoughts spiraling into an endless loop.

Yamper, who was sitting beside her, visibly trembled. Its ears flattened as it cowered away, clearly terrified of its trainer's increasingly unsettling obsession.

Across the gym, Gary stood silently, clapping reluctantly as he watched Ace from the sidelines. Slowly, he turned to leave, his cheerleaders trailing after him. Cerise noticed his departure and called out, "Gary! Where are you going? The battle just ended!"

Gary didn't look back, his expression unreadable. "I'm not ready yet," he replied simply, his tone distant.

Cerise furrowed his brow in confusion. 'Not ready for Surge?' he wondered, thinking Gary was referring to challenging the Gym Leader.

But Gary's thoughts were far from Surge. As he exited the gym, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. 'Now I understand,' he thought bitterly. 'The gap between us... it's massive. So that's why Gramps gave Ace that Dratini.'

His jaw tightened as determination flickered in his eyes. 'I've got a lot of work to do.'

Surge clapped his hands, his booming voice echoing across the gym as he walked toward Ace. The seasoned Gym Leader wore a broad grin, his expression filled with genuine admiration.

"Well, kid, that was one hell of a battle," Surge said, stopping in front of Ace, who was still holding Smeargle in his arms. Smeargle was munching on a Cheri Berry, its energy slowly returning as the paralysis wore off. "Haven't had a fight like that in a long time. You pushed me to my limits!"

Ace looked up at Surge, his expression a mix of pride and exhaustion. "Thank you, Mr. Surge. That means a lot coming from you," he said earnestly.

Surge's grin widened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, shiny badge. The Thunder Badge glinted under the gym's lights, a symbol of Ace's hard-fought victory. Alongside the badge, Surge held out a Technical Machine (TM).

"This is for you, kid," Surge said, handing them over.

Ace took the items, but his eyes widened in shock as he looked at the TM. "Thunder?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "But... I thought you usually give out Thunderbolt or Shock Wave!"

Surge chuckled, clearly amused by Ace's dumbfounded expression. "Normally, yeah. But this is a little gift from me to you," he said, his tone carrying a hint of pride. "You've earned it, Ace. Consider it a reward for showing me one of the best battles I've had in years."

Ace blinked, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Thank you, Mr. Surge. I won't let it go to waste!" he said, carefully storing the TM in his bag before taking the Thunder Badge.

He turned to face the stands, raising the badge high in the air with a bright, happy smile. His friends cheered from the stands, their joy infectious. Smeargle barked happily, wagging its tail as if it, too, was celebrating the victory.

Ace opened his badge case and carefully placed the Thunder Badge inside, the gleaming symbol of his achievement fitting perfectly alongside the others he had collected.

As Ace secured his case, Surge crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly. "Hey, Ace," he began, his voice carrying a curious edge. "If you've got a moment, I'd like to show you something."

Ace glanced up, intrigued by the sudden request. "Something to show me?" he echoed, his curiosity piqued.

"Yeah," Surge confirmed, gesturing toward the back of the gym. "I think you'll find it interesting."

Ace exchanged a quick look with his friends, who had started descending from the stands. "Alright," he said, nodding. "Lead the way."

Surge motioned for Ace to follow, and the young trainer walked after him, Smeargle still in his arms. Behind them, the rest of the group followed, led by another man who worked at the gym.

(Pls give me some power stones!)

(Find out next time on Pokemon:Ace's Adventures!)