[Ash: Alright, Miss Erika, you don't have to say it. I know, I was wrong. I should've learned from Black Ash's emotional intelligence and treated you politely.]
[Erika: Huh? How did you know what I was about to say, Ash?]
[Ash: That's the result of my recent studies…] Ash hadn't expected that the communication lessons he'd been practicing would come in handy in a situation like this.
[Lance: Erika's not exactly wrong though. Black Ash's way of speaking is really impressive.]
[Lance: Even when he wins, he remains humble and polite. You can tell from his expression that he's pleased with himself, but he suppresses that joy to avoid hurting Erika's feelings.]
[Flint (Sinnoh E4): I'm starting to suspect Black Ash went through some kind of detox program! He even suppresses the excitement of victory and the pride of an effortless win! Amazing.]
[Erika: Mm-hmm~ That's why Black Ash is so charming. I think the version of me in that world must've had an initial affection level of at least 70 toward him. Oh, by the way, my affection level for our Ash started at minus 50.]
[Ash: …] You didn't have to add that "by the way."
In the Black World—
After defeating Erika, Ash and his friends set off toward their next destination: Fuchsia Gym. But not long after leaving Celadon City, they got caught up in an incident—the Citywide Sleepwalking Case. With Ash and his friends' help, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved. Misty, however, ended up accidentally capturing a dopey Psyduck.f
She hadn't wanted to catch it at all—but the thing jumped right into her Poké Ball on its own. And since Misty wasn't the type to release a Pokémon, she just accepted her fate. Later, the group came across a Beauty Street, where they met Brock's idol—Suzy. When Ash learned that Suzy was skilled in Pokémon massage therapy, his eyes instantly lit up! He had always struggled with how to help his Pokémon recover quickly after tough training in the wild.
Without a Pokémon Center nearby, most fatigue had to be healed slowly. If he could pick up even a little of Suzy's massage technique, it would be a huge help for future training! So, Ash stayed on Beauty Street for a few days, working for Suzy while learning her massage methods. During that time, Team Rocket showed up again—or rather, Ash's group ran into them first. The trio tried to use the beauty salon as a front to capture Pokémon, but were quickly thwarted and sent blasting off again. They even attempted to kidnap Misty—but with Ash's Aura powers, they couldn't even touch a single strand of her hair. Afterward, Ash and Brock both learned the basics of Pokémon massage from Suzy and received her notes and insights for further study. Suzy herself decided it was time to see more of the world and entrusted her Vulpix to Brock before setting off. And so, the group's journey continued.
[Misty: I'm so jealous! The other me in that world gets protected so well! I could cry! 😭]
[Ash: Hey! I protected you too, remember? You were just too distracted by shiny things! And honestly—that makeup was awful…]
[Misty: Shut it! Look at Black Ash—first thing he does when meeting Suzy is to learn massage techniques to help his tired Pokémon. And you?]
[Bruno: Black Ash sure never stops grinding!]
[Ash: …] Fine! Just you wait! When I start grinding for real, I'll blow your minds!
In the Black World—
After bidding farewell to Suzy, Ash and his friends met a man named Anthony on the road ahead. He had a powerful Hitmonchan by his side. According to Anthony, a P1 Grand Prix martial arts tournament was coming up, and he was training hard to compete. At first, Ash admired him—it was rare in this era to see a Trainer train alongside his Pokémon. But then, Anthony's daughter, Rebecca, showed up. After an argument between the two, Ash and the others learned the truth— Anthony had abandoned his family to live alone in the mountains, obsessively training just to win the P1 Championship.
That revelation made both Ash and Brock frown deeply. Ash's own father was never home, and Brock's had left him to raise nine siblings and run a Gym alone. Both had little patience for men who fled responsibility. Chasing your dreams is fine—but why start a family if you won't take responsibility for them? You just wanted a woman to bear your child, and that's it? After Anthony stormed off, Brock had his usual "love-sickness episode," which Misty swiftly ended by dragging him away by the ear.
Ash stayed behind to talk with Rebecca, learning that her father had become completely obsessed—ignoring his family for the sake of that championship. Rebecca begged Ash to defeat her father, to knock some sense back into him. If things went on like this, even if Anthony did win the P1 Grand Prix, he'd probably chase after a P2, P3… maybe even a P100! Human ambition truly has no limit. Ash readily agreed. Time to give this irresponsible father a real Trainer's wake-up call!
[Bruno: Rebecca really saw it coming. She knew her dad wouldn't stop even if he won.]
[Korrina: But what she didn't know was that—even if Anthony didn't win, he still wouldn't stop. He even took Ash's Primeape away…]
[Cynthia: Anthony's completely lost himself. A simple defeat isn't enough to bring him back—it only drives him deeper into obsession.]
[Anthony: I deeply apologize… I've already returned Primeape.]
[Professor Oak: Yes, I've received Primeape here. Full of spirit, that one! Ash, come by later to make the trade—he seems eager to see you again.]
[Ash: Got it! I'll swap him for Totodile later. At the Silver Conference, I'll let Primeape shine on the big stage!]
Hearing that Primeape had returned, Ash was overjoyed. He really had the livestream to thank—without that godlike perspective, Anthony might never have snapped out of his madness. Now, with Primeape back and Anthony redeemed, everything had worked out for the best.
But still…
How would Black Ash handle Anthony's case, I wonder
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