Pokemon Indigo League stories

Ash gets Bullied!

" So......" Gary said as he cut the silence. " What do you want to do?"

Ash didn't reply.

Gary turned to Ash. " Ash? Hey Ash!"

Ash still didn't reply. Furrowing his brow, Gary walked over to his best friend and shook his shoulder. " Ash?"

He crouched down in front of him, hand still on shoulder. " Ash, what's going on?*

Suddenly, Ash threw the letter and grabbed Gary's shoulders and pulled him in for a hug, sobbing into Gary's long sleeve purple shirt.

Gary's eyes widened slightly but didn't hesitate. He sat on his knees, noticing Ash's grip on his shoulders. " Easy, Ashy. I'm right here, Ash. I'm right here."

Ash didn't respond.

Gary sighed softly and sat on the ground. " Ash, please, what happened?*

Ash shook his head. " I... It's nothing."

Gary looked at him in the eye. " If it was, we wouldn't be doing this."

Ash bit his lip and buried  his face deeper into the Pokemon Researcher's shirt.

Then Gary noticed the letter Ash was reading. Furrowing his brows, he picked it up and scanned it.

Ash hiccuped slightly. " Gary?"

" Hmmm?"

" D.... Do you think I.... I'm a loser?"

Then he quickly added, " not because of your nickname for me. It just popped up."

Gary looked at the raven haired boy in his arms. " Hmmmm, let's see? No. I don't."

" Oh."

Gary sighed softly.  " Who is it, Ash?"

" Huh?"

" Who sent you this letter?"

" No one."

Gary tightened his grip on Ash's shoulders, trying to convey support even as his heart raced with concern. "Ash, you need to tell me who sent this letter. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on."

Ash slowly lifted his head, his eyes red and puffy. "It was just some random kid… a bully from the neighborhood." He paused, his voice trembling. "He said I’d never be a good Pokémon trainer, that I should just give up and stop embarrassing myself."

Gary's expression hardened, anger bubbling just beneath the surface. "That’s ridiculous, Ash! You’re one of the best trainers out there. Don’t let some loser’s words get to you. They don’t know what they’re talking about!"

"But it hurt," Ash admitted, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I try so hard, and it feels like nothing I do is good enough sometimes."

Gary shook his head, frustration mixed with sympathy. "Listen to me, Ash. Everyone has their bad days. Even the greatest trainers have moments of doubt. But you’re not a loser. You’re my best friend, and I believe in you. That’s what really matters."

Ash took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I just... I thought I was past this kind of stuff. It feels like it never ends."

"Well, you’re not alone in this," Gary said firmly. "We’ll handle this together. I won’t let some kid’s words affect you. I promise, they won’t get away with it." He stood up and helped Ash to his feet. “How about we go track him down and confront him together?”

Ash blinked, surprise momentarily taking over the sadness on his face. "You really want to confront him?"

"Of course! We’re going to show him that what he said doesn’t matter. Plus, I’m really good at making bullies regret picking on my friends," Gary added with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

Ash hesitated, glancing down at the ground. "I don’t want you to get into trouble because of me."

Gary rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I’m not worried about that. Besides, I’m sure I can think of a few choice words that will knock some sense into him. And if it comes to it, I can challenge him to a battle. That’ll teach him to mess with my best friend!"

Ash chuckled softly, feeling a little lighter. "Okay, let’s do it."

“Alright! But first, let’s get some supplies. You never know when you might need a few Poké Balls or a healing potion, right?”

Ash nodded, a spark of determination returning to his eyes. "Yeah, that sounds good."

As they made their way to the door, Gary looked back at Ash, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Just remember, Ashy: we’re a team. And nobody messes with us. Now let’s go find this bully and give him a little taste of what happens when you mess with a Pokémon trainer and his best friend!"

Ash nodded, feeling a rush of confidence. "Right! Let’s show him!"