"The Pokémon League is the grand tournament of every region," Misty explained patiently. "It's held once a year, though the exact timing varies by region. For example, here in Kanto, the Indigo League starts in about six months. Meanwhile, Johto's Silver Conference is nearly ready to begin."
She leaned forward a little, emphasizing her next point. "The day before the League begins, every participant has to register. To qualify, you must have at least eight Gym Badges. More is fine, but fewer isn't allowed. If you show up without them, you'll have to wait until next year, and the badges you collected this year will expire. You'd need to start over completely."
Ash blinked in surprise. "So even if I get seven badges, I can't enter?"
"Exactly. Eight badges are the bare minimum. The League's rules are strict on purpose. And remember, not every Trainer has a full year to earn them. Most of us start our journeys at different times. If you happen to begin right after the last League ended, you're in luck. But if you started late, you might only have a few months to collect all eight."
Ash scratched his cheek, thinking hard. "So I only have six months to get them all…"
"Right," Misty nodded. "Otherwise, you'll miss this year's Indigo League."
Ash tilted his head. "Are Gyms really that tough?"
Misty smiled faintly. "It depends. Gyms are meant to be both a test and a training ground. Gym Leaders are way stronger than ordinary Trainers. If they battled every challenger with their full power, hardly anyone would ever win. That wouldn't be much of a test, it'd be impossible."
She went on, "That's why Gym Leaders usually scale their battles. They look at how many badges you already have and how long you've been on your journey, and then they decide how much of their strength to use. The further along you are, the stronger they'll battle."
Ash nodded slowly as it sank in.
"Think about it," Misty continued. "If a brand-new Trainer from Pallet Town, with only their starter and maybe a wild Pidgey or Rattata, went straight up against a Gym Leader's full power… they wouldn't stand a chance. Even if you had a Champion coaching you, the gap would be way too big."
Her tone grew more serious. "So Gym Leaders hold back, unless a challenger proves themselves worthy of their full strength. And if a Trainer can not only force out that full strength but actually win, that's proof they have the makings of a Champion."
Ash's eyes shone. "Champion?"
"Not the League Champion," Misty corrected quickly, shaking her head. "I mean the Champion of the League Conference itself, the one who wins the whole tournament.
Generally, the strength of a League Champion was around the level of a strong Professional Trainer or a Gym Leader. Only a very small handful of Conference Champions ever reached the power of the Elite Four.
"If you ever run into an Elite Four–level Trainer in the Conference, then you can only consider yourself unlucky," Misty explained, twirling a finger in the air for emphasis. "Trainers that strong don't compete for the Conference Champion title, they enter because they're aiming for an Elite Four seat. You see, the Conference Champion earns the right to challenge the Elite Four. If they manage to defeat even one member, they can take their place."
By now, Ash had learned most of the rules of the League Conference. For a beginner like him, who hadn't even earned his first badge yet, the Gym trials suddenly didn't feel quite as intimidating. He finally let out a small sigh of relief.
At the League's registration desk inside the Pokémon Center, Ash handed over his Pokédex and successfully registered as a participant. Nurse Joy, as thoughtful as ever, offered him a detailed map with all the regional Gyms marked.
Then she tilted her head, as if remembering something. "Oh, by the way, you're the second Trainer from Pallet Town to reach Viridian City with a Pokédex."
"Second?" Ash froze. "Who was the first?"
The only reason he and Misty had made it so quickly was because of the Spearow attack and their nonstop traveling through the night. He could hardly believe someone had beaten him here.
"The first was a young man named Gary," Nurse Joy said with a smile. "He arrived yesterday, in a bright red sports car, no less. The noise and the crowd it drew were hard to miss."
"A sports car…!" Ash grit his teeth, his expression darkening. "That Gary really knows how to live it up."
While Ash was trekking across muddy roads and sleeping rough, Gary was cruising from city to city in luxury. The gap felt like heaven and earth.
"The meaning of a journey lies in what you experience along the way," Misty said gently. "Even if Gary gets here faster, he misses the scenery and the challenges that help a Trainer grow. Speed isn't everything."
"Exactly! What good is being fast? My experience is way better than Gary's, I even met a Phoe...mmph!"
Before he could finish, a pair of small hands clamped tightly over his mouth. Misty's eyes widened in alarm as she quickly wrapped one arm around Ash's neck, dragging him away from the desk while bowing her head apologetically at Nurse Joy.
Only once they were safely down the hall did she finally release him. Ash sucked in deep breaths, scowling. "Misty, what was that for? Were you trying to choke me to death?!"
With Ash's strength, he could easily have broken free, but he held back. Deep down, he guessed Misty had a good reason, even if her grip had nearly crushed his throat.
Misty rolled her eyes, looking exasperated. "You idiot! Do you really want to blurt out in public that you met that Pokémon on your very first day? Do you have any idea how many people would chase you if they knew? You'd have bounty hunters, poachers, and ambitious Trainers on your back before you could take two steps!"
Ash froze, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "R-right… I didn't think of that. Sorry, Misty. You're really… cautious."