"So strong!"
"It's so big too… completely different from the Charmander I imagined…"
Ash stared at Yozora's Charmander in shock. "Yozora, is this Charmander the one you got from Professor Oak as your starter Pokémon?"
"Mm." Yozora nodded.
Ash's voice immediately turned a little sour. "Man, your luck is insane! To think you could just get such an awesome Charmander right from the start…"
Yozora could only sigh in exasperation.
Misty crossed her arms with a helpless look and scolded him. "Are you an idiot? Did you think this Charmander was born strong? No way! It's because Yozora trained it so well that it grew into this."
"Really…?"
Ash didn't sound convinced.
Impossible.It's only been a month since they set out. How could Yozora have raised a rookie Pokémon to this level in such a short time?
Then his eyes suddenly lit up. Realization struck him. "Ah, I get it now! Yozora, this whole month you must've spent all your time just training Charmander, right? Hey, hey, that's not the way to do it, you know…"
Ash launched into a lecture like an old veteran. "As Pokémon Trainers, we should capture more Pokémon and raise more of them. Look at me—counting Pikachu, I already have three Pokémon!"
"And you? If I'm not wrong, you still only have Charmander, don't you?"
His nose tilted higher with each word, a smug grin spreading across his face.
He was so proud of himself that Yozora almost didn't have the heart to burst his bubble. Still, he shook his head and replied honestly: "Sorry, but I already have six."
"What?! Six?!" Ash's eyes went wide in disbelief.
Misty covered her forehead, looking like she couldn't bear it anymore. "Ash, carrying six Pokémon is the most basic standard for a trainer. You've been traveling for a month and you only have three. And you still dare to brag?"
Her words hit Ash like a hammer.
He had worked so hard to catch just two more, and yet Yozora already had six.
They had all started their journeys on the same day.
Was the gap really this huge?
"Tch, I don't believe it. So what if you caught a few more than me? Big deal! What matters is quality!"
Ash quickly convinced himself again, straightening his back with fiery determination. "Let's battle, Yozora! I'll show you who's the real Pokémon Trainer here!"
"Fine by me," Yozora nodded. "But before that, let's stop by the Pokémon Center."
Ash agreed, and together with Misty, the group made their way to the Center.
Pewter City Pokémon Center
Yozora, Ash, and Misty each handed their Pokémon over to Nurse Joy.
"Alright, leave it to us." Nurse Joy gave her gentle smile and began her work.
Caring for Pokémon and easing their battle fatigue took some time, so Yozora and Ash used the opportunity to call Professor Oak.
Although the world was advancing rapidly, there were no mobile phones yet, only landlines—and the Pokémon Centers provided free public telephones.
"Ash, what on earth have you been doing?"
"My grandson Gary has already caught over thirty Pokémon. Yozora and Red may not have that many, but they each already have six."
"And you—only three so far…" Professor Oak sighed, his voice heavy with earnest concern. "You've got to work harder."
But Ash just brushed it off.
"Tch, so what? My Pokémon can fight two-on-one easily!"
"Professor Oak, just watch! One day, I'll become a Pokémon Master before any of them!"
Just after the call, Nurse Joy returned with their Poké Balls.
"Yozora, you've raised your Pokémon very well. I believe you'll make an excellent trainer." She gave him a particularly warm smile.
"Thank you," Yozora replied sincerely.
Ash, however, wasn't having it. "Hey, what about me? Nurse Joy, how are my Pokémon doing?"
Nurse Joy turned to him, her tone firm. "Your Pokémon are too thin. You haven't been caring for them properly, have you?"
"Wha—no way…"
Ash's face crumpled with despair, and his pitiful expression made everyone burst out laughing.
Most Pokémon Centers came with their own battle arenas, and before long, Yozora and Ash stood on the field in the back courtyard. Misty joined them to watch.
"Ash, since you only have three Pokémon, let's make it a three-on-three battle. Whoever loses all their Pokémon first is the loser." Yozora smiled.
"No problem! Go, Butterfree!"
Ash nodded confidently and tossed out a Poké Ball.
The moment Butterfree appeared, Misty's expression changed. "Ash, what are you doing? You know he has Charmander, and you're sending out Butterfree? Bug and Flying are both weak to Fire—this is a terrible matchup!"
Her warning went unheeded. Ash scoffed. "Hmph, attributes, attributes—that's all you ever talk about! My Butterfree won't be held back by something like that!"
Misty smacked her face with her palm. Great. Waste of breath…
For all his big words, Ash was still just a beginner who barely understood type advantages.
Pokémon: Butterfree
Type: Bug/Flying
Level: Junior
Potential: Senior
"Well said, Ash! If you're strong enough, you can overcome type disadvantages."
"But… has your Butterfree really reached that level yet?"
Yozora chuckled, then sent out Charmander.
"Rooaar!"
Charmander let out a fierce cry, its raw power sweeping across the arena. Butterfree instinctively flinched.
Of course, Ash didn't notice. To him, his Butterfree was the strongest Pokémon in the world—second only to Pikachu.
"Hmph! I raised Butterfree all the way from Caterpie, through two evolutions, to get this precious partner. A mere type disadvantage won't stop it!"
"Go, Butterfree! Show them your strength—use Tackle!" Ash shouted.
"Oh no…"
Misty immediately covered her eyes. She couldn't bear to watch.
Yes, Butterfree had gone through two evolutions, but that didn't mean every Butterfree was strong.
The truth was that Butterfree just evolved quickly—it had nothing to do with level or real strength.
After traveling with Ash for so long, Misty knew perfectly well: his Butterfree was only at the level of a Junior Pokémon.
But Yozora's Charmander…
She couldn't gauge it exactly, but one thing was certain—its power was far above Ash's Butterfree.
And on top of that, Butterfree was at a huge type disadvantage…
"And to make matters worse, that idiot Ash didn't even use Butterfree's advantage in flight—he actually ordered Tackle. Isn't that just asking to get crushed?"
End of Chapter