Age 10, April 3 — "Viridian Forest: Team Rocket Returns"
I spent the rest of yesterday grinding for experience in Viridian Forest. I took a look at Pikachu's current move set using the Pokédex, and I was surprised to see how many he actually knows. Beyond just Thunder Shock, he seems to have mastered most of the moves he would naturally learn by this level.
I've decided on a core rotation of Thunder Shock, Nasty Plot, Double Team, and Quick Attack. He also knows Double Kick, which is a huge asset; I'll swap that in whenever the situation calls for it.
Pidgeotto has been busy too. Since evolving, he's picked up Quick Attack and Whirlwind. In the games, Whirlwind just ends wild encounters or forces a switch, but in this world, it's incredibly effective at breaking an opponent's stance. My current "bread and butter" combo for Pidgeotto is using Whirlwind to create an opening, following up with a Quick Attackor Gust for a hit-and-run strike, and then using Whirlwind again to reset the distance.
Caterpie was a bit discouraged because Misty kept screaming every time he got near her, but I told him to ignore it and focus on growing. I had him focus on a String Shot and Tackle combo to trap and finish opponents. He's got a lot of heart; by nightfall, he had already evolved into Metapod. So much for the original timeline—I'm moving way faster than the script.
As we were trekking through the forest, Team Rocket showed up again. They didn't mention Pikachu being "special" this time; instead, they declared they were after the strong Pokémon I'd trained. Honestly, it's almost nice to see them. It feels like things are finally getting started.
With three Pokémon on my side now, it turned into a pseudo-3v3 brawl. I was most worried about Metapod, but his Harden move makes him surprisingly tanky against physical hits. He played the support role, using String Shot to slow everyone down while Pidgeotto ran circles around them with hit-and-run tactics. Meanwhile, Pikachu used the other two as a distraction to stack Nasty Plot three times.
Once he was fully set up, he let out a boosted Thunder Shock that sent Team Rocket screaming their signature "We're blasting off again!" into the horizon. Very satisfying.
Age 10, April 4 — "Viridian Forest: The Samurai's Challenge"
After yesterday's haul of experience points, I thought Metapod might evolve into Butterfree, but he wasn't quite there yet. We spent the day clearing out more wild encounters.
As we were pushing through the thicket, a boy dressed in full samurai armor challenged me to a battle. This has to be the Samurai from the anime. Judging by his attitude, Gary and the others probably already wiped the floor with him.
He was fuming about "Pallet Town Trainers" and sent out a Pinsir. I sent out Pikachu. In the original story, Ash almost lost because he mismanaged Pidgeotto's stamina, but Pinsir isn't actually that scary if you fight smart.
Next, he sent out a Metapod, so I sent out mine for a mirror match. He tried the classic "Harden war," but I wasn't going to sit there all day. It took a while to chip away at a Pokémon that couldn't fight back, but we eventually got the win—and that final bit of experience was exactly what my partner needed.
Metapod evolved into Butterfree!
I checked his new moves in the Pokédex: Gust, Confusion, and Supersonic. In the games, he'd usually need a Move Reminder for Supersonic, but in this world, it seems he picked it up naturally upon evolving. That's a massive win for my utility game.
Because we didn't waste hours staring at each other like the original Ash and Samurai did, we didn't get ambushed by a swarm of Beedrill. I guess that "flag" only triggers if you're incompetent. Samurai admitted defeat and showed us the quickest way out of the forest. It's time to head for Pewter City. Misty is definitely over the whole forest-camping thing.
Age 10, April 5 — "From the Forest to Pewter City"
We finally made it out of the forest, but Pewter City is still a bit of a hike. The Pokémon are starting to show some fatigue from all the camping, so I've decided to pick up the pace and get us to a real bed.
Age 10, April 6 — "Pewter Gym: Vs. Brock (Part 1)"
We've arrived in Pewter City. On the way in, we were accosted by some deadbeat selling rocks named Flint. I happen to know he's Brock's father, but honestly, he's a total loser. Instead of peddling stones, he should go home to his kids. He laughed in my face when I said I was going to challenge the Gym; I almost had to restrain myself from showing him a "Pallet-Style" kick to the shins.
Even Misty was skeptical. "There's no way you can beat the Pewter Gym Leader, Brock," she told me. You guys are seriously underestimating New Ash.
Sure, the original Ash was a reckless kid, but I've got this handled. I've already planned my counter-measures. I'm just waiting for that Surf TR to arrive from the Professor!
I know I'm at a type disadvantage with Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree, but I'm not an idiot. I called the Professor earlier, and he said the Surf record just arrived. It should be in my hands in a few days. Once Pikachu learns Surf, this Gym will be a cakewalk.
That said, I went to the Gym anyway just to test the waters. There's no harm in seeing how I stack up, and who knows? I might get lucky.
When I entered the Pewter Gym, Brock appeared and asked how many badges I had. The Gym system here is a bit different from the anime; it's closer to the Origins style, where the Leader adjusts their team's level based on the challenger's experience. He asked for my Trainer Card, so I handed him my Pokédex.
It's been a week since I left home and I have zero badges, so he knew I was a total rookie. I don't mind being underestimated, though. It just makes the upset more satisfying.
The match was a 2v2. Brock's first Pokémon was Geodude. Since I have no badges, the level cap was set to 10. Apparently, they use some kind of specialized equipment to temporarily scale a Pokémon's stats down to the appropriate level.
Most of my team is over Level 15, so I figured I could just muscle through with superior stats. I led with Butterfree. Brock looked disappointed, clearly thinking I was a novice who didn't understand type matchups.
I immediately ordered Supersonic. Geodude was confused instantly. Brock's expression shifted to one of mild surprise as I followed up with Confusion. Even though it's not a STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) move for Butterfree, it did decent damage. Because Geodude was confused, it couldn't mount a counter-attack.
I knew that if it had the Sturdy ability, it would survive any one-hit KO, so I just kept up the pressure with Confusion. Before Geodude could snap out of it, it was down for the count. Brock finally realized I wasn't a standard rookie, but by then, his first Pokémon was already fainted.
"I see... I shouldn't have taken you so lightly," he said, sending out his second Pokémon: Onix.
I tried the same tactic, but Brock is a Gym Leader for a reason. He reacted instantly, ordering a Rock Throw to create a physical barrier and using the sound of the shattering stones to muffle the Supersonic waves.
He followed up with Bind, so I had Butterfree fly higher. Even an Onix has a limit to its reach, and for a moment, it couldn't get to us. Brock switched tactics to Rock Throw, forcing Butterfree to focus entirely on dodging. Eventually, the barrage was too much; Butterfree took a hit and went down.
That left me with Pikachu. Brock was practically radiating confidence now, but I wasn't done.
In the early anime, Pikachu was terrified of Onix. My Pikachu, however, saw how hard his "little brother" Butterfree had fought and hopped onto the field with a spark of determination. I hoped Brock would relax seeing an Electric-type, but he stayed on guard.
The only move Pikachu has that can actually hurt Onix is Double Kick, so I focused on a support strategy first. I used Double Team to make us a hard target and Tail Whip to shred Onix's defense. Brock tried to end it quickly with Bind, but I focused entirely on evasion.
The plan: lower Onix's defense six times, then strike.
I couldn't dodge everything perfectly, and we almost got caught a few times. Every time Onix got close, I had Pikachu use Double Kick to flinch it, creating just enough of a gap to escape. Brock realized what I was doing and ordered Harden to negate the debuffs, then switched back to Rock Throw for long-range pressure.
With Harden in play, I couldn't lower his defense any further. It was time to commit. Pikachu charged in for a Double Kick. Brock was waiting for it—he ordered a Tackle. Onix's massive body slammed into Pikachu as a counter-attack, sending him flying.
He was going to be an easy target when he landed, so I shouted for a Double Team in mid-air to confuse Onix's aim. It worked briefly, but Onix eventually found the real one and caught him in a Bind.
In the anime, Electric moves somehow worked on Onix, but I'm not counting on "anime logic" here—Ground-types are immune to electricity, period. As a last resort, I ordered a Sweet Kiss.
Pikachu blew a kiss at the giant rock snake, and Onix's grip loosened as it became confused. It was the opening I needed. I was about to order the finishing Double Kick—but suddenly, my body felt incredibly heavy. I couldn't even get the words out.
I looked down and saw a swarm of kids—all with faces exactly like Brock's—clinging to my arms and legs. No wonder I couldn't move!
Apparently, Brock's siblings couldn't stand to see their brother lose and decided to intervene. I get the sentiment, but that's a total foul. This happened in the anime too, didn't it?
Brock shouted at them to stop, but they just shook their heads and refused to let go. The atmosphere of the Gym match was completely dead. Since this was just a scouting mission anyway, I decided to call it a day. I'll come back once I have Surf.
"Return, Pikachu."
Pikachu looked at me, confused, as if to ask, Are we really quitting?
It's fine, pal. We basically had him. The real fight starts later. I've got the feel for how he plays now, so I'll let him off the hook for today.
Pikachu seemed to accept that and hopped back over to me. The kids finally let go. Brock looked like he wanted to say something, but I just waved him off. "I'll be back," I said, and walked out.
It's an unsatisfying end for Brock, I'm sure, but honestly, I only beat Geodude because I caught him off guard. Winning like this wouldn't have felt right anyway. This was for the best.
Current Party
| Pokémon | Level | Notes |
| ---------- | ----- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pikachu | 12 | Gained experience from the Gym match. Determined. |
| Pidgeotto | 18 | Current ace. High mobility. |
| Butterfree | 15 | Newly evolved! Great utility with Confusion and Supersonic. |
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