Ash spread out the slightly rough paper map in his hands and tapped his finger on the dull gray circle labeled "Viridian City," then started talking to Pikachu.
Viridian City wasn't far from Pallet Town.
"Partner~
Our first Gym is the Viridian Gym. The second one will be Pewter Gym.
The Viridian Gym Leader, known as 'The Man of the Earth,' Giovanni, is one of the strongest Trainers in the world.
The Leader of Pewter Gym is Brock. He's a real expert too… and yeah, of course, we'll be relying on you when it comes to challenging a Rock-type Gym."
As a Gym Leader, Brock was no pushover.
It was just that, when Gym Leaders fought rookie Trainers, they didn't send out their true ace Pokémon.
For example:
If the challenge range for a first badge Gym match was around Level 10–20,
Then the eighth badge Gym challenge range would be around Level 30–40.
That was one of the ways the League filtered Trainers and nurtured elites.
Otherwise… how could a Gym Leader who gets beaten by rookies protect their city?
Especially in a world that actually has villain organizations.
"Pika!"Pikachu chirped happily. The electric pouches on its cheeks crackled with a few thin, intimate arcs of electricity that, unsurprisingly, jumped straight onto Ash's neck.
How was an Electric-type supposed to deal with Rock-types?
Who knew!
But Pikachu wasn't going to chicken out.
Paws on its hips, it was bursting with confidence right now~~
"Hsss…" Ash exaggeratedly hunched his shoulders and poked Pikachu's puffy cheek in helpless protest. "I know you like me, but can you dial it back just a bit?"
"You zapped me fifteen times yesterday!" he complained.
"Pika pi…"Pikachu ducked its head, a little embarrassed, scratching its ear with a tiny paw—but its dark eyes were still overflowing with affection.
Discharging little sparks like this, especially the kind mixed with excitement and clinginess, was its most direct way of saying "I really, really like you."
A lot of Electric-type Pokémon interacted this way with each other too.
A mild shock was… kind of pleasant.
"Alright, alright," Ash looked at its expression and his heart softened again. "I'm not mad."
"Besides… around the thirteenth zap…"
He paused, his face shifting into a strange smile, as if he really had sensed something.
"I think I could actually feel that whole 'pika pika' emotional vibe from you. It was really faint, but that's probably… the prelude to being able to connect hearts, right?"
Ash lifted his head and looked out at the forest clearing ahead.
Several Pidgey with gray-brown feathers were pecking at grass seeds, while a few others circled low in the air, cooing softly.
The air was thick with the damp scent of grass and soil.
His gaze sharpened. "There are a lot of Pidgey here. Let's knock a few out and see if any of them are a good fit."
He bent down and gently set Pikachu on the ground, pointing toward the nearest Pidgey that had strayed a little from the group.
"Let's battle, Pikachu!"
"This is the first step we have to take if we want to become stronger!"
"Let this be the start of our road to the Champion's throne!"
In Kanto, the Pidgey line's final evolution, Pidgeot, was one of the most suitable flying mounts.
"Pika—chuu!"Pikachu snapped into battle mode instantly. Its tiny body lowered, tail straight, and the electric pouches on its cheeks flared with golden light.
After adapting to the Light Ball, that power was no longer a burden—
it was the source of Pikachu's soaring confidence.
"Pikachu! Thunder Shock!"
Ash didn't choose the stronger Volt Tackle or the harder-to-control Quick Attack.
A golden bolt of electricity, much thicker and brighter than a typical Thunder Shock, burst from Pikachu's cheeks with a sharp crackle and shot straight toward the unsuspecting Pidgey.
"Coo?!" The Pidgey only had time for a startled cry before the raging current slammed into it. Its feathers exploded outward, blackened at the edges, and it fell to the grass, twitching a few times before going still.
Ash flicked his wrist.
A red-and-white Poké Ball was already flying, tracing a neat arc through the air.
With a crisp bonk, it struck the unconscious Pidgey.
Red light engulfed the bird and pulled it into the ball.
The Poké Ball rocked on the ground, its center light flashing red in quick pulses.
Ash held his breath.
As long as the Poké Ball wasn't physically destroyed (like being broken by a resisting Pokémon), it could theoretically be reused indefinitely. But every throw—the timing, the opponent's condition, and even the quality of the ball itself—would affect the success rate.
"Ding!"
With a clear chime, the ball stopped shaking and the light went dark.
Got it!
Ash strode forward and picked it up.
The instant his fingers touched the surface, a simple status window popped up:
[Pidgey]
[Level: 3]
[Nature: Hardworking]
[Ability: Big Pecks]
[Individual Values: Average]
[Moves: Tackle, Gust]
"…Low level I can live with, but only two basic moves…"
"Sorry. I'll give you your freedom."
Ash pressed the release button on the middle of the ball.
With a flash of red light, the dazed Pidgey reappeared on the grass, flapped its wings in a panic, and quickly flew off, still a bit confused and frightened.
People liked to say that in the later stages, what mattered most was the spiritual bond—
that through sheer will and connection, you could break past your limits.
But in the early game, raw ability decided who won and who lost.
It was like some big, muscular martial arts master telling you that "strength is nothing, intent is everything."
He already had strength—that's why he was able to chase after "intent."
If a rookie tried to copy that approach from day one, they'd only end up ruining themselves.
The right way was to build up your foundation first, steadily, honestly.
You only got to "shatter your limits with sheer will" if you had the stats to back it up in the first place.
It wasn't something just anyone could do.
"Good news~"
Ash saw a prompt pop up—his "First Capture" achievement was complete.
[Achievement: First Capture]
[Reward: Beautiful Scale]
[Effect: A scale that shines with rainbow light, capable of triggering evolution in certain Pokémon.]
…Now where was he supposed to find a Feebas to evolve into a Milotic?
"Forget it, I'll worry about that later."
"Next one!"
Ash led Pikachu onward. The Pidgey flock from just now had scattered in fright.
His gaze quickly locked onto another one, with fuller wings and a sharper gleam in its eye.
"Pikachu, Thunder Shock! Hold back your power!"
"Pika!" A bolt of electricity, intentionally weakened, shot from Pikachu and struck true, sending the Pidgey into paralysis and leaving it badly injured. It lost balance and crashed to the ground.
Uh… in the process of constantly electrocuting Ash, Pikachu's control over its power had improved a lot as well.
Another Poké Ball cut through the air…
Ash was like a hyper-efficient hunter on the outskirts of Viridian Forest, beginning his path of selection and conquest.
Every throw, every status check, every release brought him a little closer to finding the "right" partner.
"Pidgey No. 14, here—this is tasty."
This time Pikachu had misjudged its power and gone a bit too hard.
After letting the Pidgey back out, Ash treated it with some medicine, gave it something to eat, and then released it.
"Coo?"Pidgey No. 14 didn't understand what was happening, but decided to eat first and ask questions never.
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