[Flint (Sinnoh E4): Damn! White Ash's fourth badge was basically handed to him again! But that gym leader's difficulty rating keeps going up!]
[Caitlin: Gym Leader Sabrina's psychic power is really interesting. It's a completely different type from mine... but if I had to compare, hers is definitely stronger.]
[Lance: Stronger? It's downright terrifying! Teleportation, telekinesis—those are basic enough, but turning people into dolls? How does that even work?!]
[Bruno: For the first time, I realized that my powerful physique means nothing against psychic power! Shrinking people down, turning them into dolls… that's just horrifying.]
[Sabrina: Actually... it's not that exaggerated. The range of control for my psychic power scales with my target's physical strength. The stronger they are, the harder it is for me to control them.]
[Bruno: If I may ask, just how powerful an opponent can you currently control, Gym Leader Sabrina? How strong does someone have to be before you can't turn them into a doll?]
[Sabrina: Hmm… I suppose I can handle anyone below the Elite Four level. I mean Pokémon, of course.]
[Bruno: …] Come on! Be human, would you?! Below Elite Four level—and you even had to specify you were talking about Pokémon! What, were you afraid we'd think you meant Elite Trainers instead? Bruno knew his body was monstrously strong, but compared to a Pokémon at that level, he was probably still a bit short. Not to brag, but his physique was already among the strongest of all humans! If only a handful of people in the entire world could resist Sabrina's psychic power… Then isn't she basically invincible?!
The white screen gradually dimmed as Ash earned his fourth badge. Next up—it was Black Ash's turn. Ash watched the dark screen seriously, his heart full of anticipation. Black Ash's love for Pokémon was unquestionable. So… when faced with his Butterfree's love, what kind of choice would he make?
Inside the Black World—
Ash and his friends had left Vermilion City and were on their way to the next gym. Along the way, Ash's starter Pokémon had all been given weight training gear. He soon noticed that Charmander seemed off—its tail flame was flickering irregularly. After checking, he discovered that Charmander was about to evolve! That made Ash ecstatic. Finally, after Caterpie, another one of his Pokémon was ready to evolve! He hadn't forgotten his newly caught Krabby either. He told Professor Oak that once Butterfree got used to its training load, he'd send it back for a while and bring Krabby over to train. As the audience expected, Ash and his group didn't go to the Porta Vista resort—and thus never arrived at that harbor. But on the way to Saffron City, Misty still caught a Horsea. From Horsea, Ash learned that humans at the Porta Vista Harbor were invading the Tentacool and Tentacruel colony. So, without hesitation, he called Professor Oak from a nearby phone booth.
After hearing the news, Professor Oak immediately contacted Officer Jenny. With her intervention, the conflict between humans and Pokémon was peacefully resolved before it even began. The instigator, old Madam Nastina, couldn't even muster the courage to argue when confronted by Officer Jenny.
After all, Pokémon held a very high status in this world. Building an amusement park right over a Pokémon colony—causing a potential war between humans and Pokémon—if blame was to be assigned, it was entirely Nastina's fault. Ignoring Officer Jenny's warning to continue construction would mean only one thing—a prison sentence.
[Ash: Wait, what?! The power of Aura is way too convenient!]
Ash hadn't expected that, by sheer coincidence, his counterpart in another world still managed to save the Tentacool colony—and with far less chaos. No battles, no injuries—nothing! This just proved how important it was to learn another "language." Though more importantly… to use your brain. Ash admitted to himself—if he faced that situation, he'd probably rush right in without thinking. Sure, that showed how much he cared for Pokémon, but it definitely wouldn't have ended as peacefully as the other side's version did. So yes—brains really do matter.
[Misty: Yay! So my encounter with Horsea was destined after all!]
[Cynthia: Every life, upon meeting another, gives birth to something new… Heh, how fitting that old saying feels right now.]
Cynthia realized that though Black Ash's world diverged greatly from White Ash's, the people, events, and Pokémon they encountered were the same. It was only Ash himself who differed—and that small difference changed nearly every outcome that followed. That ancient inscription's words truly rang true here—"When two lives meet, something new is born."
Inside the Black World—
After resolving the harbor incident, Ash and his friends didn't travel through Maiden's Peak. After all, they hadn't come by boat. But just like in the other world, on their way to Saffron City they encountered a great swarm of Butterfree.
History, it seemed, had a habit of repeating itself. Black Ash's Butterfree also fell in love with a pink Butterfree. But this time, things went very differently. In the original story, White Ash's Butterfree had chased the pink one relentlessly, only winning its affection thanks to Team Rocket's "help." Yet in Black Ash's world… things took a completely different turn—
Author's Note:
There are a lot of important arcs in the Kanto region—many with deep meaning.
But later on, I won't go into such exhaustive side-by-side comparisons.
Unlike Naruto or One Piece, Pokémon is more episodic,
so focusing on Ash's main storyline keeps things manageable.
From here, I plan to compare the movies, major gym battles, key rival fights,
and of course—the League tournaments.
Black Ash will not only differ in strength from White Ash,
but will also catch additional Pokémon—including legendaries.
I'll make sure to list those differences clearly in each comparison.
We all have a lot of unresolved feelings about Ash—
his losses in tournaments, the "Legendary Hunter" fiasco, Alain's rigged battle,
and even the weird additions in Journeys.
In Black Ash's world—none of that exists!
As for White Ash's plotlines, I've already compressed them heavily—
they might look long, but together they barely total 5,000 words, about two chapters' worth.
I really dislike filler, so I keep things moving.
But I'll definitely revisit some of the iconic, unforgettable moments from the original—
like the Godslayer Pikachu, for instance.
Thanks to "Weather" for the reward!
And to "Dark Night Flow" for the monthly ticket!
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