"I'll be waiting for you at the Indigo League~"
"That's a promise, then."
"This world holds an incredibly vast future. When the time comes, I'll take you to see even more spectacular scenery." Ash knew very well that fighting alone was unreliable.
So, he had to prepare his own core team in advance.
When that time came, whether forming an organization or establishing a company... having enough manpower would make everything easier.
This wasn't something that could be achieved solely by personal strength.
Even if one was strong, it was impossible to do everything personally.
And in Ash's eyes, the man before him—Beast Tamer A.J.—was exactly such talent.
Bidding farewell to Beast Tamer A.J. and his Sandshrew, Ash's party set foot once again on the road to Bill's Lighthouse.
One day.
Two days.
Day after day.
On this particular day.
The morning light was faint, the mist in the woods had not yet completely dispersed, and the air carried the fresh scent of grass and trees.
Pikachu poked his head out from Ash's shoulder to look around from time to time.
Recently, this fat mouse had become increasingly fond of lying on Ash's body rather than walking on his own.
His weight had indeed increased significantly.
Fortunately, Ash's physical fitness was increasing in sync, so he wasn't crushed by the exhaustion.
"Speaking of which..." Ash rubbed his chin as he walked.
His gaze swept over the quiet woods on both sides of the road, his tone holding a trace of imperceptible regret. "Along this whole journey, we don't seem to have encountered a Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander."
Ash sighed. "Even though they are all very good starter Pokémon."
He really wanted to complain about this issue.
But considering Misty and Brock were by his side, it wasn't appropriate to complain directly.
After all, his choices were different from the Ash in the original anime.
He didn't get lost.
So, naturally, fate had changed.
Ash could already see the tall tower in the distance... Considering the news he had read online and calculating the distance traveled.
They were almost at Vermilion City.
This should be Bill's Lighthouse.
If following the original plot, he would have successively encountered Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
He would have subdued these three Kanto League starter Pokémon.
But regrettably, given the current situation, he obviously wouldn't encounter them.
Who knew what kind of changes would occur in the future?
Or perhaps, from the very beginning when the Team Rocket trio didn't attack the Pewter Gym and Cerulean Gym, fate had already begun to undergo tremendous changes.
Of course, Brock and Misty were unaware of the melancholy in Ash's heart.
After all, things like 'anime plot' were impossible to speak aloud.
Hearing this, Misty walked beside him, flipped her orange ponytail, and retorted unceremoniously, "Hey, hey, do you think Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander are some kind of Caterpie you can just pick up on the roadside?"
She counted off on her fingers as she scolded him. "Although they aren't considered incredibly rare, they are still premium Pokémon carefully cultivated by research institutes and provided to rookie Trainers!"
"How could they be everywhere, like certain guys?"
As she spoke, she glanced pointedly at the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder.
Pikachu was actually considered a fairly abundant species of Pokémon.
You could even say they were everywhere in the Kanto region.
It was just that Ash's Pikachu was abnormally strong, and combined with her usual chats with Ash...
Misty felt that this Pikachu must be a special individual specifically cultivated by Professor Oak.
This reason actually made a lot of sense.
Powerful Trainers would all practice selective breeding to cultivate excellent Pokémon.
"Pika? (⊙ˍ⊙)?" Pikachu was tilting his small head, looking at the scenery.
Suddenly being singled out, his ears drooped instantly.
His small body also shrank back.
He tried hard to blink his eyes, squeezing out a tiny bit of tears.
His bright black eyes were instantly covered with a layer of aggrieved watery sheen, and a low whimper came from his throat.
—So... am I that ordinary?
—Will my partner despise me?
Was this real?
Of course it was fake.
It was simply because he had been with Ash for too long, so the drama king persona had taken over.
Ash immediately sensed his partner's low spirits.
He stopped walking, reached out a finger, and gently scratched Pikachu's chin, his voice rare in its gentleness and seriousness. "Idiot, don't listen to her nonsense."
Even knowing Pikachu was just being a drama king and pranking, he couldn't leave his companion unattended.
Was this... public display of affection?
Umm...
Ash gazed into Pikachu's eyes:
"My Pikachu~"
"You are a one-of-a-kind partner~"
"How could those starters possibly compare to you?"
After all, there were many Pikachus.
But there was only one Pika-God.
Looking at Pikachu's appearance, Ash didn't care too much about missing out on Bulbasaur and Squirtle anymore.
It was just a pity about Charizard.
But since he missed them, there was nothing to be done.
It wasn't like he could go out of his way to find them, right?
"Pika... (｡◕‿◕｡)" Pikachu rubbed his small head against Ash's finger.
His mood improved visibly, and his cheeks even emitted two small, happy sparks with a 'zzt'.
—We are the best partners~
Pikachu's favorability increased.
...So cheesy, these two... Brock and Misty, witnessing this scene, were rendered utterly speechless.
Brock looked up at this moment, pushed up his non-existent glasses, and decided to change the subject.
He pointed to a towering, uniquely styled building on the distant coast.
"Speaking of which... look over there."
That lighthouse stood tall on the cliffs of the coastline.
The white tower body loomed indistinctly in the morning light and sea fog, the massive lens structure at the top rotating slowly, appearing both lonely and imbued with a certain sense of technology.
"This is the White Strait."
"That is Bill's Lighthouse."
"Bill is a genius researcher who specializes in 'Pokémon and Human Relations' and also dabbles in Pokémon Transfer System technology."
"Everyone, please mind your language when we visit later," Brock emphasized.
Coming here was the result of a discussion among the three of them.
After all, they had already arrived at Vermilion City; it would feel like a pity not to visit the local Pokémon researcher.
If it were just Brock and Misty coming by themselves, perhaps they wouldn't have had this idea.
But Ash was here.
Given the relationship between Professor Oak and Bill, it would be weird not to visit.
Brock and Misty were purely hitching a ride on Ash's coattails.
After all, such famous Pokémon researchers weren't people you could just meet casually.
But Ash had Professor Oak's guarantee.
"I know that, no need to emphasize it~" Ash looked toward the distant lighthouse.
He wondered if he had missed the Giant Dragonite?
Compared to the Ash in the anime who often got lost and took the long way around.
The current Ash was walking almost in a straight line, and the path he took could be said to be the optimal route.
Uh... having Pidgeotto pointing the way from the sky.
...If he could still get lost with that, he would be too much of a 'talent'.
The advantage was—travel time was much faster than in the original work.
The disadvantage was—he had lost many of the original Ash's opportunities, such as Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu also perked up, pointing a small paw in the direction of the lighthouse to express agreement.
The group adjusted their direction and walked quickly toward the white lighthouse standing on the coastline.
The sea breeze gradually became distinct, bringing the salty, humid scent and the faint sound of waves.
But as the three approached, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive again.
There were powerful Pokémon protecting the surroundings of this lighthouse.
Bill should also possess decent strength as a Trainer.
Or rather, anyone who could make a name for themselves in this world wouldn't be weak.
After all... without enough strength, you couldn't guard your own possessions.
And many Pokémon researchers had transitioned from being Elite Trainers—similar to Professor Oak.
____
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