After the vans arrived, they took everyone back to town, where they got Whitney to safety. And of course, the director couldn't help himself and pretty much interrogated them for all the details.
Ash left that for Ethan and Green, after all, they were the ones getting paid for participating in the radio show. That was the main reason Green had agreed to participate in the first place.
In the end, since Whitney was now unable to race, Ethan won by default.
"The race is canceled, but the winner is clear!" Ethan said, laughing into a mic. "Who moved the immovable tree and saved their opponent~"
"You got lucky," Whitney said, sticking her tongue out at him. She was sitting on a couch with her arm comfortably wrapped.
Ethan went over to the Sargle that had drawn on his face earlier and pulled its cheek. "I'll take my apology now, and show so respect too~"
Sargle looked unamused. It held its tail, jumped up at Ethan, and pushed him down before starting to paint on his face again. As Ethan struggled against it, he yelled, "Why, you cheesy little-"
anwhile, at a nearby table, Mary was signing autographs and lots of them. The table next to her already had about twenty, and she was still writing more. She sighed and looked over at Ethan.
"So... how many autographs did you say you wanted again?"
Yeah, after they got back and he had "won," he asked for his prize to be a stack of autographs from DJ Mary. She was still writing them. What was he planning on doing with them? No idea. But Green had asked for a few so she could sell them.
Speaking of money, after the success of the show, the director walked up to Ash and Green to give them their promised share. Since Gary wasn't there, he handed Gary's share to Ethan, who happily took it.
Whitney got up after a bit and pulled Sargle away from Ethan so he could look at her. "While I still don't really like you, technically, you did win, and I did promise sothing. I don't go back on my word, so take it."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a Plain Badge. "Here, the Plain Badge is yours. But I swear, next ti we et, I want a real battle, and I'll beat you up, you big anie."
Ethan blinked owlishly at the badge. "Wait... you're the Gym Leader?"
Whitney and Mary nearly fell over as soon as he said that. Whitney had to hold herself back from slapping Ethan across the face.
"Did you not listen to a word I said? Ugh, forget you! Just take the badge, I'm leaving!" she huffed, forcing the badge into Ethan's hand.
As she stomped away, she quickly switched back to her usual cheerful deanor and smiled at Ash and Green.
"Oh, by the way, thanks, guys! And Ash, see you tomorrow, I'll have so Moo Moo Milk ready!"
Ash and Green waved as Whitney walked off, while Ethan stared at the badge.
"How co she only seems angry at ?"
"Well, you did say so pretty insulting stuff you shouldn't say to girls," Green said, shrugging as she counted her money. "Not a bad amount..."
"What do you an? I'm great with the ladies," Ethan argued.
"Suuurrreeeeee," Ash and Green said at the sa ti.
Ethan visibly deflated at that—less because of Ash and more because of Green. Admittedly, Green was very pretty, so yeah, being called out by her was a hit to his ego.
But that hit imdiately disappeared when Mary finally took a breath and sighed, "Finally! Here are all the autographs you wanted." She patted a stack of photos, each signed with her autograph.
Ethan and Green both lit up, their eyes sparkling as they took their respective stacks.
Then Ash's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and saw it was from Brock. He put it up to his ear.
"Yo, wh-"
"WHAT DO YOU AN YOU KNOW D.J. MARY AND DIDN'T IN-" Brock's voice exploded through the speaker, but Ash hung up mid-sentence.
He turned to Mary. "Can I get one for a friend?"
"Just one?" Mary asked, almost pleadingly.
Ash nodded, so she happily handed him one more before finally leaving, her arm cramping from all the signing.
Once she left, Ash was about to follow Green to finally get to the hotel, but then he noticed the matching smirks on both Green and Ethan's faces.
"Now that we've got so money, there's only one thing to do," Green said, smirking.
"Go gambling!" Ethan finished, giving Green a thumbs-up.
"Are you two serious? Didn't we have plans?" Ash asked blankly, while Pikachu looked on, his ears drooping slightly in disappointnt.
"Yeah, but I have a reputation to uphold, to win so much money that I get put on a blacklist," Green said proudly.
Ethan smirked. "Hey, I have a neat trick. You get a Poké Ball, wrap it in so paper, and then you can cheat and win easily in pool."
"That's a great idea! Why have I never thought of it before?" Green said, knocking on her head. "I need to try that out right away!"
Ash rubbed his eyes. "You know what? I'm too tired for this. I'm going off to study."
With that, he left to go book a few rooms at the hotel Green had told him about—finally getting so rest.
—
{A few hours later}
Ash was relaxing on the shared couch in the hotel room. As usual, he had booked one with four rooms and a shared living space. He was flipping through his old notes, studying for the exam tomorrow.
His jacket and hat were off, his hair let down, and Pikachu was curled up, napping on his lap. He glanced out the window, it was starting to get dark. He had already sent the directions and room number to the others. With a sigh, he wondered if he should start making dinner or just order sothing.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the door burst open.
Brock stord in, followed by Misty and Yellow, who were both struggling to hold him back.
Pointing an accusatory finger, Brock shouted, "You! You traitor! We were friends—brothers even! But how could you betray like this?"
Ash calmly popped a chip into his mouth. "You never said you were a fan of DJ Mary."
"That doesn't matter! You should have known! How could you do this to ?!" Brock cried, still thrashing as Misty and Yellow held onto him.
"Brock, calm down!" Misty scolded, gripping one of his arms.
Yellow held on as tightly as she could, Chuchu on her shoulder trying to help. "Yeah, please! You're not thinking—Ash didn't know!"
Brock kept struggling, still ranting about Ash's supposed betrayal. Ash, unfazed, took another chip, then casually held up the autograph.
"So... you don't want this? I did get it for you."
Brock's anger instantly vanished. He effortlessly slipped out of Misty and Yellow's grip and lunged for the autograph like it was a priceless treasure.
"You really got it? I knew we were friends!" Brock bead, clutching it to his chest.
Ash shook his head before turning to Misty and Yellow, who were dusting themselves off. "So, why are you guys back so late?"
"Eh, well... we might've done a bit of shopping," Misty admitted sheepishly.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Hmm... it wouldn't have anything to do with that conveniently placed pile behind you, would it?"
Misty flinched as she glanced at the very obvious pile of bags and boxes behind her. "Well... maybeee..."
Ash sighed. "And how much of the money I gave you did you spend?"
Yellow fidgeted and poked her fingers together. "Well... I offered to pay for everything... but umm..."
"You used all the money I gave you?" Ash asked.
Yellow ekly nodded.
Ash sighed again. "Alright, just tell , did you all eat? And if so, did you bring anything, or do I have to go get sothing myself? Because I'm not in the mood to cook."
Silence.
They had eaten, but usually, Brock was the one who would think to bring sothing back for Ash. And since he had been too busy holding a grudge, well...
Their silence spoke louder than words.
Ash exhaled heavily and stood up. "Alright. I needed to stretch my legs anyway. Co on, Pikachu, let's go get so takeout."
Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder, and the two walked out.
After Ash left, Yellow looked around. "Do you think he's mad?"
"Probably not," Brock said, rubbing the back of his head. "He just looks tired." Then, his gaze drifted to the table covered in notes. "I guess he was stressed and studying for sothing... I wonder what."
—-
{The Next Day}
"What do you an you're going to get your dical license?!" Brock yelled in surprise.
They were sitting in the hotel restaurant, enjoying breakfast, when Ash casually ntioned he'd be busy taking tests all day.
"Yeah, it's exactly as I said—I'll be gone for the whole day," Ash replied, taking a sip of his drink.
"I'm just surprised," Misty said. "I knew you talked about wanting to be a doctor, but I didn't think you'd do it like this."
"Yep. Anyway, I gotta head out soon. Oh, and I can't take Pokémon with , so Yellow, do you mind taking care of Pikachu for ?"
Yellow jumped slightly. "U-uh, y-yeah, of course I can!"
Just then, a hand ca from behind and pushed Ash's hat down.
"Aww, why wouldn't you ask your good old childhood friend? I promise I can take good care of Pikachu for you~" Green teased as she sat down with them.
Ash rolled his eyes, adjusting his hat before handing it to Pikachu. "Hey, Green. What are you doing? I expected you to already be kicked out of town after scamming the casino."
"Ha! They tried, but when you have a Ditto, they never knew what hit them... can't say the sa for Ethan, though," Green smirked.
"Right... Anyway, I should head out now and get this over with early." Ash stretched his arms.
"By the way, what's with the new look? You're not wearing your hoodie," Green asked, referring to his outfit. Ash had on a long-sleeved black sweater with a white shirt underneath—without his usual hat.
"Oh, they told I couldn't wear a hat or my hoodie to prevent cheating. Speaking of which, hey Misty, can I borrow a hair tie?" Ash asked, brushing his long bangs from his eyes.
Misty blinked in surprise but nodded, reaching into her bag and handing him one. "Not sothing I ever expected to give you."
Ash held it between his teeth as he adjusted his hair. "Not sothing I expected to ask for either," he mumbled before tying his hair back.
Once it was done, he turned to them. "Well? How does it look~?"
Everyone stared. They were so used to Ash wearing a hat that seeing him like this was... different. But, honestly, he pulled it off.
"Not bad at all," Brock said with a thumbs-up.
"Y-yeah, it looks nice," Yellow murmured, staring a little longer than necessary.
Misty rolled her eyes, though she didn't look away. "Well, it's not the worst. At least it tas your crazy hair."
Green smirked. "Yeah, you pull it off. Gotta say—you look even better like that~"
Ash shook his head with a smile. "Alright, well, I'm off. Try not to miss too much."
At that mont, Abby teleported next to him and then whisked him away.
Now left alone, the group glanced at each other, wondering what to do.
Brock looked around. "Um... well, the breeding competition is tomorrow. I guess I can go get ready for that."
Other than that, no one had any solid plans. So, they decided to spend the rest of the day exploring the town.
—-
Ash arrived at the facility—a dical center that Oak's Alakazam had previously teleported Abby to so she could morize the location. Speaking of which, as soon as they arrived, Abby left, leaving Ash alone.
He didn't waste any ti and walked inside. Around him, dical students and doctors bustled about. So of them glanced at him strangely after all, he was an 11-year-old kid walking into a place ant for professionals. But he ignored them.
He made his way to the designated exam room, where several people were already taking their dical licensing tests. This particular room was specifically for Pokémon-human duo doctors, the very field Ash was pursuing.
As he entered, the instructors turned to look at him and squinted. They had heard about Ash from Professor Oak, but that didn't an they were happy about it—especially since, technically, he had arrived "late," despite not being given a specific ti.
The head instructor wordlessly held out his hand, demanding Ash's ID and phone. Ash handed them over without complaint. The instructor then gave him a test packet but didn't bother to wish him luck, not that Ash wanted it.
Taking the test, Ash walked over to the only empty seat, sat down, and got to work. He could feel the skeptical, even mocking, gazes of the other test-takers and instructors burning into him. But he didn't care.
anwhile, a few instructors whispered among themselves, likely mocking his overconfidence. They assud he thought this would be easy.
{Three Hours Later}
The tir beeped.
The head instructor called out, "Alright, everyone, it's ti for a break. You have one hour for lunch and bathroom use. Be back on ti."
The test-takers let out exhausted sighs, gathering their half-completed exams to turn them in before heading out.
Then, before anyone else, Ash stood up and walked straight to the front.
They assud he was just stretching his legs. But instead of holding a half-finished test like the others, he handed his packet directly to the instructor.
"I'm done."
Silence.
"Eh?" The instructor blinked, as did nearly everyone in the room.
The instructor looked at Ash seriously. "Kid, this isn't a ga. This test is ant to take six hours. I don't care how smart you think you are there's no way you're done."
"But I am."
The instructor's eyes narrowed. "Kid, if I take this from you now, there are no do-overs. You sure you wanna play with fire?"
Ash didn't flinch. "Yeah. I'm done."
The instructor huffed. "Fine, kid." He took the packet from Ash and smirked slightly. "Since you wanna play like this, we'll do it in front of everyone."
He walked over to the test scanner, inserted Ash's entire packet along with the answer sheet, and pressed the button.
Everyone watched, waiting for the inevitable failure ssage.
But then, the screen flashed: 99%.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Then, all at once, "EHHHHHH?!" Even the other test-takers couldn't hold back their shock.
Ash smirked. "So... do you believe now?"
"There's no way! You cheated! There's no way soone so young could get a score that high—it's the highest I've ever seen! You have to take it again!" the instructor snapped.
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say no do-overs?"
"That doesn't matter! You're retaking it—right here, right now, while we watch you!" the instructor ordered, dismissing the other students for their lunch break.
Ash looked amused but shrugged. "Fine. Let's do this."
[1 Hour 30 Minutes Later]
Under heavy scrutiny, Ash retook the test. Several instructors watched him like hawks, ensuring he had no way to cheat. Even as he casually ate a sandwich, their eyes never left him.
When the students returned from lunch, the instructors were still glued to Ash, ironically letting so of the actual cheaters slip by unnoticed. Not that it mattered to him.
This ti, he finished in half the ti he had before. He stood up, handed the test in, and watched as the instructor now using a different machine scanned it again.
The screen flashed: 100%.
A stunned silence filled the room.
Everyone exchanged looks. Ash had not only matched his previous performance he had exceeded it.
"H-How?" soone finally blurted out.
Ash smirked. "Yeah, thanks. I realized I mixed up X-linked and autosomal inheritance. Appreciate the second chance helped get a perfect score."
With that the instructors and other test takers couldn't deny it, Ash was serious, so begrudgingly they had to pass him with the highest grade they have ever given out.
So now Ash had his dical Degree, but that wasn't the end now he had to go to the practical section.
With a heavy sigh, the head instructor led Ash into another room. Inside were two lifelike dical models, one human, one Pokémon. Above them, an observation deck filled with other instructors, many of whom had rushed in out of sheer curiosity.
The head instructor crossed his arms. "Fine. You're smart. But book smarts are useless if you can't apply them. I'm the head doctor at this facility, as well as a close friend of Oak's. I'll personally be supervising this part."
"Alright," Ash said, slipping on a pair of gloves and a mask. "What's the task?"
"These models simulate real patients. Both have severed spinal cords and a tumor that needs removal. Your job is to reconstruct their spines and remove the tumors without causing any further damage. These models are state-of-the-art. We'll be able to monitor every move you make as if they were real, so if you ss up, we'll know."
Ash nodded as he put on so gloves, "Got it. Ti to get to work."
[5 Hours Later]
Ash finally leaned back, exhaling. Reassembling the spinal cord had been relatively straightforward. But removing the tumors? That was the real challenge.
He wiped his forehead and looked up.
The instructors were staring at him—wide-eyed, slack-jawed.
It was clear. He had passed.
Raising a hand, Ash smirked. "So then... where's my license and degree~?"
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