After capturing the overconfident Heracross, Ash and his friends decided to find a place for some serious training.
Soon, they arrived at a broad mountain valley.
"Perfect! We'll hold our training here!" Ash grinned, satisfied with the wide, open terrain—ideal for Pokémon to stretch their muscles.
But before they could step in, the ground rumbled violently beneath their feet.
"An earthquake?!" Misty instinctively grabbed Ash's arm.
"Doesn't feel like a real quake… more like a Ground-type Pokémon's move. Let's check it out!" Ash spread his Aura but sensed nothing unusual.
Not long after, they spotted a Donphan by the path.
"This one must have a trainer," Ash judged.
And right on cue, a young woman appeared beside the Donphan.
"Beautiful lady, if you don't mind, may I know your name?"
In an instant—even faster than Ash's Aura could track—Brock was already in front of her, holding her hand, speaking with heartfelt intensity.
The woman looked awkward, but still answered politely:
"Uh… my name is Itsuki. This Donphan is my Pokémon."
"I'm Brock. And may I say, that necklace looks stunning on you!"
Only then did Ash notice the agate pendant around her neck.
"Is that… a gemstone?" Misty's eyes sparkled. As a girl, she couldn't resist shiny treasures.
Brock explained, "Yes! In the old days, princesses and noblewomen often wore agate as jewelry."
Ash stepped forward. "Miss Itsuki, this must be Donphan Valley, right? On the way here, I heard this valley is rich in agate. The nearby village trains Donphan and crafts agate into ornaments, passing the tradition down for generations."
Itsuki nodded. "You're very well-informed."
"I'd like to ask if we could use the valley for some Pokémon training," Ash said respectfully. After all, this was their home—asking permission was only right.
The valley was spacious, perfect for drills, and since the local treasure was agate—not edible—they wouldn't have to worry about Snorlax devouring the village's livelihood.
"Of course," Itsuki replied warmly. "But be careful—every Donphan here belongs to someone."
She added, "And if you do happen to find some agate, feel free to bring it to me in the village—I'll polish it for you for free."
Though she didn't expect them to find any, Itsuki had a good impression of Ash.
"Thank you!" Ash bowed gratefully.
After saying their farewells, the group entered the valley.
"Come on out, everyone!"
He released his team: Charizard, Snorlax, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Heracross.
Snorlax, having eaten some system-provided food earlier, was fast asleep.
"Sunbathing will do him good anyway," Ash chuckled. "I'll wake him when he's hungry."
"It's rare to see you take the initiative for training, Ash. Looks like you're really growing up," Misty teased, settling into the shade.
Brock got to work preparing food—training would burn plenty of energy.
"Pikachu, this'll be tough, but I know you can handle it!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, ready for anything.
Ash tied a rock to Pikachu's lightning-bolt-shaped tail.
"Pika—?!"
Thud! The stone dragged Pikachu's tail to the ground.
"Pikachu, hang in there! Bulbasaur, give it a hand with your vines!"
Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to support the stone as Pikachu struggled.
Ash shook his head with a smile. Pikachu hadn't trained enough yet. In the original timeline, it didn't learn Iron Tail until after the Johto journey, well into Hoenn. But this Pikachu could get there sooner—Ash believed in it.
"Now, Charizard—it's your turn."
"Rooaar!"
Charizard unleashed a Flamethrower, aiming it directly at Ash as it often did.
But Ash's Aura flared blue, blocking the flames effortlessly.
"Good spirit—that's what I like to see!" Ash smiled.
Charizard's training, however, would be far more brutal.
"Rooaar!"
"Then wear this." Ash tossed over a strange device shaped like an hourglass.
With a clank, heavy restraints locked around Charizard's body, binding its movements.
"This is a Forced Training Harness," Ash explained with a sly grin. "You're my ace, so get ready for some pain."
The system-made device weighed Charizard down heavily. Yet after stretching its limbs, Charizard gave a determined nod.
"Good. I've been waiting for this."
Ash's smile vanished. His fist flared blue with Aura, and he drove it square into Charizard's gut.
BAM!
The Aura-enhanced punch hit like iron. Charizard staggered back, crashing against the cliff wall.
"Ash!" Misty and Brock gasped in alarm.
But Ash stood stern, eyes cold. "Charizard, our strength is still far from enough. You can't afford arrogance. Understand?"
"ROOOAR!"
Charizard roared, forcing itself upright. It didn't breathe fire, didn't try to take off—only clenched its fist and swung at Ash.
But with the training harness suppressing its speed, the punch was sluggish and weak.
Ash ducked low, then countered with another Aura-charged strike to Charizard's side, sending it reeling again.
This time, Charizard spun on its heel, whipping its massive tail wreathed in flame toward Ash.
"Good! That's it, partner!" Ash shouted.
He didn't dodge. His right fist glowed blue, and he punched straight into the fiery tail.
Charizard: 155 / 255
Charizard: 160 / 255
Charizard: 165 / 255