Elsa Image.
"Join us for the sweet. I'm almost done preparing it."
Yellow spoke while glancing toward Ash, who was chatting animatedly with the fat boy—Kalios—his laughter loud and carefree as he praised Pikachu's strength. Standing beside him was a lean, quiet kid named Alber, listening more than speaking. Despite his silence, his eyes were sharp and thoughtful.
The trio seemed to be getting along well.
Alber, unlike most trainers, lacked a strong fighting spirit.
He wasn't chasing gym badges or glory. Instead, he was aiming for the Pokémon Breeder Exam and had tagged along with Kalios mostly for experience and exposure.
He knew a lot—about care routines, Pokémon temperaments, and growth cycles—but when it came to battle, he lacked the hunger.
The girl with them was named Elsa, a town friend they'd met earlier in their journey. She was a trainer too, though she had lost to Kalios more times than she liked to admit.
Even so, she kept challenging him, stubbornly refusing to give up, though she still hadn't managed to beat him. "Hey," Misty said as she walked over, hands on her hips. "Why don't we travel together to Fallen Town? But before that—let's have something sweet." Alber glanced at Misty, then at Yellow, and finally at Ash.
He sighed inwardly.
'This guy is absurdly lucky.'
Not that Alber had the confidence—or the courage—to travel alone with two girls like Ash was doing so naturally.
"Oh—yeah!" Ash suddenly exclaimed, already crouching near the mat as his eyes landed on the food. "Pokémon Pancakes…" He stared at them for a moment longer than necessary, then let out a satisfied sigh.
'Why did I never realize this earlier…?'
"That smells really nice," Kalios said honestly, rubbing his belly.
They all sat down on the mat, legs crossed, plates passed around. As Ash began eating, his mood was excellent—until he noticed something.
Kalios and Alber were eating a lot. Specifically… a lot of his share.
And Yellow made it. Ash slowly lifted his head, fixing them both with a serious stare—one that very clearly said he wanted to beat them a little. Yellow leaned in closer and whispered into his ear, her voice soft.
"Now, Ash, I'll make more later. So let it be." Ash stiffened. Then he let out a wry chuckle. 'Am I really that obvious…?' Or was Yellow just frighteningly good at reading him? He decided to believe the latter.
But he did not know. That this kind of reaction from Ash really makes Yellow quite happy.
After the meal, they packed everything away. With the boys helping—clearly grateful for the treat—it only took a few minutes to clean up. Soon, they were back on the road, the group moving together at an easy pace.
Ash wasn't really planning to catch anything along the way. That was until his eyes caught sight of it. A single Caterpie. It rested quietly near the roadside grass, its small body half-hidden among leaves. Ash's expression changed instantly.
[Status.
Species: Caterpie.
Level: 12.
Type: Bug Type.
Talent: Shield Dust.
Attack: B [A+]
Agility: B+ [B+]
Defence: D [C]
Sp. Attack: A [S+]
Sp. Defence: B [A+]
Moves: String Shot [Lv. 2], Energy Ball [Lv. 1], Sticky Web [Lv. 2], Tackle [Lv. 2], etc. ]
Ash's gaze lingered—especially on one move.
Energy Ball. A move that shouldn't exist on a Caterpie.
Given the species' limited energy reserves, learning such a move was nearly impossible. Caterpie were small, fragile Bug-types with minimal internal energy storage. Even Metapod would struggle to properly use Energy Ball, let alone master it.
Butterfree, sure. But Caterpie?
'Is this Caterpie… mutated?' Ash mused silently. With a Special Attack potential reaching S+, this was no ordinary specimen. "Pikachu," Ash said firmly. "We'll catch it."
Pikachu perked up instantly, eyes locking onto the small green bug now staring back with guarded alertness. Yellow and Misty both turned in surprise. Kalios and the others also stopped, staring at the Caterpie in confusion.
'Why is he so interested in that little thing?'
"Pikawiga." Pikachu jumped down lightly, sparks faintly dancing around its cheeks. The Caterpie didn't retreat. Instead—a white string shot forward.
"Pika!" Pikachu dodged instinctively, landing to the side as the Caterpie's eyes flashed with intent. The air shifted. And the battle mood was set.
"Quick Attack." Ash's command echoed just as Pikachu launched forward in a yellow blur. The impact sent Caterpie flying—but midair, it reacted.
A shot of the [Sticky Web] move was sent toward them. The web shot out and wrapped around Pikachu's leg, pinning it momentarily.
Ash's eyes narrowed. Given that little body, the Caterpie attack was perfectly aimed. Which is rare, even in the battle.
"Use Thunder Wave."
Electricity surged across Pikachu's body. Though Thunder Wave was considered a status move, Pikachu had mastered it to Lv. 7. The controlled release of electricity heated Pikachu's fur, weakening the web's adhesive properties.
Pikachu shook free. But the Caterpie had already landed. Another Sticky Web shot forward—this time compressed. A condensed ball of webbing. As it came attacking at the Pikachu's feet again.
"Pikachu, jump!" Pikachu slammed its tail into the ground, using it like a spring to vault upward. "Thunderbolt!" A flash of yellow lightning struck the Caterpie head-on.
It froze mid-motion, completely stunned by the speed and coordination of Ash's commands and Pikachu's response. "Go." Before it could recover from the stun state, a Poké Ball struck its tiny body.
Red light enveloped the Caterpie. The ball shook once.
Twice.
Then clicked shut.
Ash exhaled slowly. 'I got you.'
As Ash looked down at the Poké Ball containing the newly captured Caterpie, a passing thought crossed his mind—it might actually come in handy someday. Especially considering Misty's… history with Bug-types. But when he turned his head, he paused.
Misty was standing right beside him.
Perfectly fine.
No flinching.
No stiff posture.
No sudden panic. "You caught it," Misty said calmly. "That's great. But Ash… Caterpie is easy to grow, yes. However, Butterfree's growth tends to plateau later on, especially in long-term development." It wasn't criticism.
Just an honest assessment.
Ash glanced at her, momentarily surprised by her composed tone. He could tell she was genuinely concerned about his choice rather than reacting emotionally.
"Uhh… It's alright," Ash replied, smiling lightly. "I'm not training Butterfree for head-on battles. But it's still an excellent Pokémon to raise."
He paused, then added, "Just remember how Giovanni trained his Beedrill." The confidence in his voice was quiet and steady. Still, Ash watched Misty's face carefully, wondering if she was merely acting calm for his sake.
Then she nodded.
"Then it's fine," she said simply. "Besides… that Caterpie looks really unique. And cute." Ash blinked.
For a moment, he was completely speechless.
'So my worry was pointless…'
"Yep! It is cute," Yellow chimed in happily, stepping closer to take another look. Kalios and the others exchanged glances, clearly confused. They didn't quite understand why Ash was so invested in a Caterpie—or why the girls were so unbothered.
Not that they cared deeply.
As the group continued walking, the conversation shifted naturally. Kalios explained that the three of them had originally planned to head straight to Viridian City, but after witnessing the earlier battle, they had second thoughts. Ash listened quietly.
Only he knew that the match from before hadn't just been local entertainment—it had been broadcast. The federation had been watching. That realization slowly settled in.
'So the world championship system really isn't like the anime anymore…' If things continued like this, attention would follow him whether he liked it or not. The thought gave him a strange, unsettled feeling. While a silent thrill was giving him a slight shiver, as he was also looking forward to it.
By the time the sun dipped lower and the sky began to glow orange, Fallen Town finally came into view. Compared to Viridian City, it was smaller—cosier—but still well-equipped, with a Pokémon Center and a Poké Mart standing at its heart.
Several open battlegrounds surrounded the area.
Trainers were already engaged in small-scale battles, shouts and commands echoing through the evening air. "Ash," Kalios said, eyes gleaming as he watched one of the fights. "Let's come back here later."
"Yeah," Ash replied, feeling a faint thrill rise in his chest. "After we get a room." To him, those battles looked like walking EXP tabs. With that thought, the group headed toward the Pokémon Center. Yellow looked visibly tired, while Misty—true to herself—was already talking about bathing.
After getting their Pokémon checked in, Ash stepped aside and made a call. "Hello—oh! Ash." Professor Oak appeared on the screen, looking just as dishevelled as ever.
"He's here," Oak said excitedly, lifting something small into view. "Look, little buddy—this is the one I told you about. Why not try tagging along? If you don't like it by the time you reach the next city, we'll call you back to Sycamore." A small Froakie perched on his shoulder, staring at the screen.
"Froak~" It seemed… agreeable.
As Oak returned it to its Poké Ball, the little Pokémon glanced once more at Ash—silent, evaluative. It missed its old environment. And somewhere deep inside, a quiet fire still burnt. A desire to grow stronger.
To find someone who cared. So far, it hadn't found that partner. Ash received the Poké Ball and weighed it lightly in his palm.
Smiling, he released it. "Froakie, come out." With a flash of light, Froakie appeared beside him.
"Froa~" Ash crouched down immediately, lowering himself to its eye level. "Welcome to the team, buddy." Something stirred within Froakie.
Something unfamiliar—but comforting.
And beneath it… excitement.
'This human feels different.' He might have thought. As two were staring at each other. A call from the side brought him to turn around. "Ash…" Yellow approached just then, stopping short when she noticed the unfamiliar Pokémon.
"This is Froakie," Ash explained. "A Kalos starter. I asked Old Oak for him." Yellow blinked. She remembered—Ash hadn't received a traditional starter at all.
"Oh!" She smiled warmly and bent down. "Hey there, little one."
"Froakie!" With a quick hop, Froakie jumped onto Yellow's shoulder and looked back at Ash. As if saying—'I'll test you first.'
Yellow blinked, confused. "Eh? What happened?" Ash chuckled softly. The little temper was obvious. But he didn't dislike it at all.
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