On the main road connecting Viridian Forest to Pewter City.
Team Rocket had dug a massive pitfall trap, nearly twenty-five feet deep, right in the center of the path. They'd covered it with branches, dirt, and leaves. It looked perfectly natural; not a single suspicious trace remained.
"A flawless trap!" "Indeed! Once that brat walks over it, he'll drop straight to the bottom!" "And then that freakish Pikachu will be ours, Meowth!"
The trio stood with hands on hips, laughing triumphantly, practically ready to start the victory party early. Suddenly, James blinked and looked around. "Uh... guys? Where exactly did we put the trap again?"
The other two frowned. Because the camouflage was so perfect, even they couldn't spot it. They began frantically scoured the ground.
"I think it was right around... here," Meowth, the most observant of the bunch, muttered as he paced toward the center of the road.
Snap! The sound of breaking branches echoed. The mouth of the pit opened beneath the dirt, sending Meowth sliding down.
"Jessie, save me!" In a panic, Meowth grabbed Jessie's thigh, the force dragging her down with him.
"James, help!" Jessie followed suit, snatching James's leg and pulling him into the abyss as well.
In an instant, all three vanished into the dark pit without a sound. Above ground, the road returned to its peaceful, undisturbed state.
Three minutes later, a "handsome young man" and a pretty girl strolled by.
"Huh? Why is there a huge hole in the middle of the road?" Ash stopped, scratching his head. "There aren't even any warning signs. That's super dangerous."
Misty looked down into the dark void and saw a faint, wriggling black mass at the bottom, looking like a cluster of bugs. She shivered and quickly suggested, "Maybe we should fill it in?"
"Great idea!" Ash nodded and tossed a Pokéball. "I choose you, Pidgeotto! Use Sand Attack!"
Appearing instantly, Pidgeotto turned its back to the hole and began a textbook "dirt-kicking" maneuver.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Its powerful talons kicked up massive amounts of sand and dust, burying the pit. In less than three minutes, the hole was sealed tight. The ground was flat once more. The warm light of justice shone upon their faces. Satisfied, the two continued on their way.
The Outskirts of Pewter City
As they walked, a sharp shout made Ash jump back a few paces.
"Hey! Watch it, kid! You're stepping on my pickle-pressing stones!"
A middle-aged man wearing a red beanie that obscured half his face stood nearby. His skin was tanned dark, and his biceps were corded with muscle. Ash looked down to see he was standing on a weirdly shaped rock with a price tag stuck to it. Looking around, he saw stones of all shapes and sizes laid out, each with its own tag.
"Pewter City is the city of stone, after all!" the man said leisurely, a hint of pride in his voice.
Ash couldn't help but ask, "Who are you, mister?"
Before the man could answer, Misty gasped. "I know! You must be the Hoenn Region Champion, Mr. Steven Stone!"
She'd heard Steven was a "stone maniac." While she didn't know much else, she assumed anyone obsessed with rocks must be a burly, tanned guy like this.
"League Champion?" Ash blinked. "What's that? Is it stronger than a Pokémon Master? And isn't Hoenn the place where Rayquazas are just running around everywhere?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "Little girl, I'm not Steven. My name is Flint..."
Beep-beep... User: Flint. Retrieving data...
A mechanical voice cut him off. The Pokédex was showing off again. After a moment, it continued:
Pokédex: "Beep... Data updated. Flint. Residence: Pewter City. Former Gym Leader of the Pewter Gym. Currently resigned to challenge the Pokémon League. Has been competing for twenty years without a single championship title. Career high: Runner-up at the Kalos League."
"TWENTY YEARS?!"
Both Ash and Misty stood there, jaws dropped. Ash, in particular, felt a sudden, inexplicable chill run down his spine at the phrase "Twenty years without a title." It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head. A sense of existential dread washed over him.
He was shaking with... rage? Even Red's soul, deep within, was startled by this sudden surge of resentment.
Is this... a grudge from another world? Red thought, horrified.
Flint scowled. What kind of devil-machine is this? It just stripped my entire life story bare in three seconds. Is the League's tech really this invasive now? Or have I entered so many tournaments I'm just on a permanent blacklist?
"Mister, what's a Gym Leader? And what's 'challenging the League' mean?" Ash asked, a total "fresh sheet" to the ways of the world.
"You're a rookie, aren't you? Let me explain—" Flint started, only to be interrupted by the Dex again.
Pokédex: "Beep... Key phrase detected. Commencing educational briefing. Each region has Gyms. Defeat the Gym Leader to earn a Badge. Collect eight Badges to enter that region's Pokémon League Conference." "The winner of the Conference earns the right to challenge the Elite Four. Defeat all four to challenge the ultimate power: The Champion!"
Ash scratched his head. The long explanation went in one ear and out the other. "Ugh, can you just summarize that in a few words?"
Pokédex: "Beep... Be a better person."
"..."
"Good grief," Misty sighed. "In simple terms: go fight the Gyms, get eight badges, and enter the world championships!"
Finally, it clicked. Ash slapped the device in his hand. "Oh! Well, if you put it like that, I get it. Hey, Dex-kun, you really need to work on your communication skills."
Pokédex: "..." Flint: "..."
This Trainer is even weirder than his machine, Flint thought.
"So, kid, are you planning to challenge our Pewter Gym?"
Ash puffed out his chest. "You bet! Becoming a Champion is the first step toward being a Pokémon Master!"
"Haha, well... looking at your lineup, winning against Gym Leader Brock is going to be a nightmare." Flint pointed at the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. A "common" electric mouse stood no chance of piercing through Rock-types.
"I also have Pidgeotto and Metapod!" Ash retorted.
Flint's frown deepened. Is this kid missing a nerve? Why did he only pick types that get hard-countered?
"Cough... look, to be blunt, you've already lost on type-advantages alone."
"Type-advantage? What's that?" Ash waved the concern away with a dismissive hand. "Pokémon fight with their Defiant spirit and resilience! Right, Pikachu?" "Pika!"
Flint & Misty: "..."
"Whatever! I'm definitely gonna beat this Brock guy. Mister, lead the way to the Gym. It's not like anyone's buying these rocks of yours anyway."
Though his pride took a hit, Flint led Ash to the front of the Pewter Gym. He wanted to be near the place, but felt he had no face left to enter, so he used the rookie-guide excuse.
Ash didn't hesitate. He marched up and shoved the doors open, letting out a spirited Snarl: "Hey! I'm Ash from Pallet Town! My dream is to be a Pokémon Master, and I'm here for a Gym challenge!"
Three minutes later.
Ash emerged from the Pewter Gym, cradling a half-conscious Pikachu in his arms, trudging miserably toward the Pokémon Center.