"Sorry, Pikachu, I just got this power not too long ago and couldn't control my strength. How are you feeling now?" Ash apologized to the newly awakened Pikachu, his words full of sincere regret.
He really didn't expect that he just used less than ten percent of his Aura Sphere, and it directly knocked Pikachu out!
Ash had all sorts of tactics in mind, but before they even started, it was already over!
He didn't know if Pikachu was too weak or if he was too strong.
"Pika Pika..." Are you really a human?
"What kind of talk is that! Of course, I'm human! A bona fide human, okay! Just a human with a little special ability." Ash rolled his eyes.
"Pika Pi!" Your special ability is way too outrageous!
"Hehe, it's just average, third best in the world~ Now, can you admit that I'm your Trainer?"
"Pika." A bet is a bet.
Though Pikachu was somewhat rebellious, he was indeed an honest and trustworthy good mouse. Since Ash defeated him fair and square, there was nothing more to say.
And so, Ash finally officially captured his first Pokemon.
Other people's Starter Pokemon are usable as soon as they get them, while Ash, on the other hand, needed to engage in a live-action PK with his Pokemon to gain its approval.
"Since you've become my Pokemon, you should return to the Pokeball. Other people's Pokemon always return to their Pokeballs." Ash took out Pikachu's Pokeball.
"Pika Pika!!" Pikachu shook his head like crazy. Even without using Aura Power, Ash could understand what Pikachu meant—he didn't want to go into the ball!
For other Trainers, this behavior was generally not allowed. Letting a Pokemon occasionally stay outside was fine, but having one outside all the time was quite troublesome.
But Ash was different. After hearing Pikachu's thoughts, he pondered for a while and nodded, "Alright then, if you don't like going into the Pokeball, that's okay. Let me spray some potion on you first, good thing mom packed some for me."
Upon hearing this, Pikachu's tense face relaxed slightly, and his gaze towards Ash became a bit softer.
Obviously, Ash's actions greatly increased Pikachu's favorability towards him. Having been in the human world for so long, Pikachu knew that not many Trainers were willing to let their Pokemon stay outside, and by a stroke of luck, he met one.
It seemed this Trainer wasn't so hard to accept, with power like a monster, kind to him, and respecting his wishes... Thinking about it, Pikachu wasn't so against following Ash's commands.
After Ash took out a potion and gently sprayed some on Pikachu, Pikachu's injuries improved quite a bit.
This was a special potion for Pokemon. Although it was a bit painful initially, it was very effective for recovery.
Once Pikachu had recovered quite a bit, Ash continued his journey to the next city.
On the road, Ash opened his chat group, asking for some advice on what to do next. Despite having set the goal of defeating Leon, he didn't know where to start.
[Champion Ash:... If I remember correctly, after Pallet Town, it should be Viridian City. You should register there and participate in the Pokemon League Conference. If you can win the Quartz Conference, then you have basic combat power.]
[Newbie Ash: Huh? Only by winning the championship do I have basic combat power? That's harsh.]
After learning how to change his name, Ash tweaked his name. In this group full of big shots, he decided to adopt a term he learned from them—Newbie!
It means a poor, weak, and helpless newcomer.
Although he gained the ability of Ash the Aura Guardian, when it came to being a Trainer, Ash was still in a complete mess and had a lot to learn from the group.
[Champion Ash: emmm, in my memory, the Quartz Conference is relatively weak because it only allows Trainers who have traveled for less than two years to participate. It's an exclusive conference for newcomers, I guess.]
[Champion Ash: But that's from my side of the rules; I don't know if the rules will change on your side, but the League Conference definitely exists. If you want a short-term goal, aim for the League Champion. After getting it, think about the next steps.]
[Breeder Ash: If you've got nothing else going on, you can also learn about breeding techniques! If you have questions, come to the group; I can teach you!]
[Contests Ash: You really are desperate to recruit newbies, huh...]
[Ash the Aura Guardian: Hehe, let him be. After all, not many in the group can discuss breeding knowledge with him, and they rarely show up. Now that he's finally caught a newcomer with no foundation, of course, he wants to recruit him to his side.]
[Tactical Master Ash: But speaking of which, his talk about breeding makes sense; if you want to reach the peak, breeding is an essential skill unless you have a dedicated Breeder assisting you. Otherwise, you should learn some breeding knowledge.]
[Newbie Ash: Got it! I'm heading to Viridian City first! See you all later!
[Champion Ash: Wait, if you encounter wild Pokemon on the way, even if you don't plan to capture them, you can have a quick battle. Aside from ordinary breeding, gaining experience through battles is crucial for a Pokemon's level to rise quickly.]
[Champion Ash: But battles aren't everything; they just occupy a portion. Daily feeding, breeding, companionship, guidance—these are all indispensable. You should join the group daily to learn a lot of things.]
[Newbie Ash: Got it!]
Ash silently committed everyone's words to heart before leaving the chat group.
Originally, Ash planned to catch another two Pokemon before heading to Viridian City with Pikachu, but now it seemed better to focus on training Pikachu first.
His current relationship with Pikachu was just so-so, and Pikachu's level didn't seem too high either. Training Pikachu first, then capturing a second or more Pokemon, seemed like a better option.
"Let's go, Pikachu, I'm taking you to level up!"
"Pika Pi?" Pikachu tilted his head, full of confusion.
To him, Ash had this glint in his eyes, closed them, opened them again, and suddenly was all fired up about taking him to level up. It seemed like split personality disorder, but considering Ash could understand him, Pikachu merely voiced his puzzled question.
"Level up, fight Gyms, and stand at the top of the world! Charge~!" Ash said, rushing ahead, leaving Pikachu behind with a baffled expression before it quickly followed.