A five-year-old Ash could be seen riding atop his Rhyhorn, gripping firmly as the sturdy Pokémon moved at a steady pace. Sitting behind him was Bagon, its eyes bright with excitement as it looked around restlessly.
They were heading toward Professor Oak's laboratory. Today marked the start of a special training camp Oak was hosting for children.
It had been two months since Ash's fifth birthday, and during that time, he had bonded well with both of his Pokémon.
Bagon was simple-minded, energetic, and constantly itching for battle—battle-hungry in a way that reminded Ash of Goku from Dragon Ball Z. It loved charging headfirst into fights, growing stronger through sheer will and effort.
Rhyhorn, on the other hand, was calm and laid-back. It rarely showed excitement, but when it moved, it carried overwhelming strength—much like Saitama.
Ash had borrowed his brother's Pokédex. Red rarely used it these days, and Ash had taken the opportunity without hesitation.
Unlike the Pokédex from the anime or games, this one was far more detailed. It didn't just record species data—it displayed a Pokémon's talent, growth limits, and how far its stats could be pushed.
Ash pulled it out and scanned Rhyhorn first.
[Name: Rhyhorn
Species: Spikes Pokémon
Type: Rock / Ground
Ability: Rock Head (Protects the Pokémon from recoil damage.)
Height: 0.7 m
Weight: 97 kg
Gender: Male
Current Base Stats: 290
Max Base Stats: 345
Potential: Excellent!
Moves:
Dragon Rush (Egg Move)
Rock Polish (Egg Move)
Counter (Egg Move)
Smack Down
Bulldoze
Horn Attack]
Ash nodded slowly.
From what his father had taught him, Pokémon potential was ranked as—
Excellent > Very Good > Good > Average > Bad.
Excellent was the highest tier. Bad was the worst. Rhyhorn had hit the jackpot. Next, Ash scanned Bagon.
[Name: Bagon
Species: Rock Head Pokémon
Type: Dragon
Ability: Rock Head
Height: 0.4 m
Weight: 38 kg
Gender: Male
Current Base Stats: 250
Max Base Stats: 300
Potential: Excellent!
Moves:
Dragon Dance (Egg Move)
Dragon Rush (Egg Move)
Twister (Egg Move)
Bite
Take Down
Headbutt]
Both Pokémon possessed excellent potential.
And their move sets were already good.
From what Giovanni had explained, once a Pokémon reached its maximum stats, it would become eligible to evolve. However, maximizing stats was a long and demanding process.
Which meant—'It'll still be a while before either of them evolves.'
Ash placed the Pokédex back into his bag as they finally arrived at Professor Oak's lab.
The moment they stopped, Bagon jumped off Rhyhorn's back and immediately spotted a flock of Pidgey nearby.
Its eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, it rushed forward.
Ash sighed.
"Rhyhorn, look after him."
Rhyhorn let out a low grunt and followed after Bagon, clearly used to this behavior by now.
Watching the two leave, Ash shook his head before making his way into the laboratory.
As he walked, his thoughts drifted to the future.
'Building a Champion-level Pokémon takes time…'
And Ash didn't intend to stop at just Champion level.
He wanted the perfect team.
A team that covered all eighteen types.
Which meant—Nine Pokémon.
'This world is different,' Ash thought calmly. 'If I'm going to walk this path… I might as well walk it perfectly.'
With that resolve, Ash stepped into Professor Oak's lab, unaware that this training camp would soon change far more than just his team.