"Ash, that's enough training. Come over and eat!"
Deep within the forest, Brock called out after finishing lunch.
"Okay, I'm coming!" Ash replied.
By this point in his Johto journey, Ash had caught Heracross, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Slowpoke, Noctowl, Oddish, Houndour, Ponyta, Quilava, Beedrill, Ralts, Alakazam, Porygon, Yanma, and the thirty Unown, which counted as one group. In total, he had caught seventeen Pokémon.
There was also an Eevee Egg, but since it hadn't hatched yet, he wasn't counting it.
Meanwhile, the Pokémon he had caught during the latter half of his Kanto journey were occasionally sent over for training battles as well. After all, he'd be relying on all of them at the Silver Conference.
Among them, all three Johto starter Pokémon had completed their first evolution. Oddish had evolved into Gloom, Ralts had become Kirlia, and the leader Houndour was only a short step away from evolving.
The Pokémon currently traveling with Ash were Pikachu, Bayleef, Houndour, Noctowl, Kirlia, and Yanma. Since Kirlia had grown too large to ride on Ash's head, it now occupied one of his six party slots, so Ash had sent Quilava back to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
It worked out well, since Professor Oak still had four Houndour there, giving his own Houndour plenty of sparring partners.
After recalling his Pokémon, Ash sat down to enjoy the lunch Brock had prepared.
"Everything Brock cooks is delicious."
The group happily enjoyed the meal together.
After finishing her soup, Misty turned to Ash.
"By the way, Ash, how many Gym Badges do you have now?"
"Let's see."
Ash took out his Badge Case. So far, he had collected four Johto Badges. All that remained were the Storm Badge from Cianwood City, the Mineral Badge from Olivine Gym, the Glacier Badge from Mahogany Gym, and the Rising Badge from Blackthorn Gym.
"Only four more to go."
"Ash, you've really matured," Brock said. "You're not that reckless kid who charged in without thinking anymore."
Ash smiled faintly.
"People change. If I want to achieve my dream, I have to change too."
Just then, three birds flew overhead. Their feathers were pitch black, and they maintained an impressively disciplined flying formation.
"Huh? What are those?" Misty asked curiously.
Ash checked them with his Pokédex.
"Those are Murkrow."
Murkrow would make a solid reserve member for his Dark-type lineup. Its evolved form, Honchkrow, was especially powerful.
Just look at the Sinnoh League. Honchkrow, the rival of Ash's Torterra, was an incredibly formidable opponent.
Simply put, Honchkrow almost never lost a Pokémon battle.
Especially against Turtwig and even Grotle, it maintained a perfect win rate.
"Murkrow..."
Ash immediately felt the urge to catch them. They would make excellent additions to his Dark-type team.
"They don't look like the kind of Pokémon that pull pranks," Misty remarked. The moment the three Murkrow appeared, they performed a perfectly synchronized three-part chorus, moving in complete unison, completely fooling her.
"They're pretty talented too," Brock added.
Ash merely smiled and quietly watched their performance. Murkrow were highly intelligent Pokémon that excelled at exploiting openings, so he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"Murkrow~!"
The three Murkrow cried out together before suddenly making their move. One darted toward Brock's spoon, while another swooped at the Badge Case in Ash's hand.
However, the instant they got close, they froze in midair.
Looking around in confusion, they realized Ash had immobilized them with Aura.
"Disobedient kids need to be taught a lesson," Ash said with a smile.
Just then, the third Murkrow, the one that hadn't acted yet, charged straight at Ash.
"Pikachu!"
A single **Thunderbolt** struck it head-on. The Murkrow was instantly charred black and dropped to the ground.
"Twerps! So you're the ones who caught those Murkrow!"
Out of nowhere, Team Rocket burst onto the scene, forcing Brock and the others to become alert.
"Team Rocket? Do they have a grudge against you?" Misty asked.
After hearing their explanation, Ash learned that the Murkrow had stolen James's treasured limited-edition bottle cap. Team Rocket had chased after them all the way here but had failed to catch them.
"All right," Ash said. "I'll help you settle this. How about we call a truce for today?"
Team Rocket exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
Under the guidance of the two remaining Murkrow, Ash and the others arrived at the Murkrow flock's nest and successfully recovered James's bottle cap.
Unfortunately, Jessie and Meowth immediately broke their promise and tried to snatch Ash's Pokémon instead.
Pikachu answered with a single **Thunder**, blasting them off into the distance.
As for the Murkrow leader, Ash captured it with a Poké Ball. Through a combination of persuasion and a little pressure, he also managed to recruit the other two Murkrow.
*Before the Silver Conference, or perhaps during the tournament itself, I'll have to see if there's an opportunity for Honchkrow to make an appearance.* Ash silently considered the possibilities.
...