On the eighth day after Ash left the Cerulean Gym, he ran into a guy named Joe the Beast Tamer.
Joe had set up an arena on the main path to the next town, so anyone wanting to pass through the little forest on their way to the next city would encounter him. Some enthusiastic trainers, upon seeing the arena, couldn't resist the urge to challenge Joe.
The result? Joe had won ninety-eight consecutive victories, and according to his plan, once he reached a hundred wins, he would take down the arena and start challenging Gyms, aiming for the Quartz League.
Of course, Ash, passing by, was excited by the challenge and went up against Joe, resulting in Joe's winning streak being broken.
Joe, fighting in this small out-of-the-way spot, had never encountered tactics like confusion from Sleep Powder followed by paralysis and endless kiting.
Joe was more aware than the average trainer, and he was very strict with his ace Pokemon, Sandshrew, even trying to overcome its Water Type weakness. While not completely successful, he did reduce the damage Sandshrew received from Water Type moves to some extent.
However, for Ash, who didn't use type advantages, that had no effect at all.
After being defeated by Ash, Joe openly admitted he still had much to learn. With the arena now meaningless after his defeat, he decided to continue traveling, see more of the world, and then go challenge the Gyms.
To Ash, defeating Joe was just another normal episode. Although Joe was tougher than the typical wild trainer, he still lagged behind Gym Trainers.
Neither Joe's Pokemon nor his own skills could compare.
But it had to be said, without the guidance from the gurus in the group, Ash might not be much better off than Joe.
Later, Ash ran smack into the Team Rocket trio once more!
They appeared unexpectedly as usual, declaring their intention to snatch Ash's Pikachu. This time, they'd come prepared with a claw that could defend against Thunder Shock and a cage specifically designed to hold Pikachu.
Initially, Ash didn't expect this turn of events and sent Pikachu to battle directly. As a result, Pikachu was caught by their machine that was immune to Electric Type moves and locked in their electricity-proof cage.
But just as the Team Rocket trio were about to make their getaway in a hot air balloon, Ash leaped ten meters high onto the balloon, and stunned by their slack-jawed gazes, he smashed the cage holding Pikachu with a punch.
Finally, with a Thunderbolt from Pikachu, they were sent soaring into the sky!
As they floated away, Team Rocket mumbled about the 'annoying feeling' they had, simultaneously wondering if they should change their target. Instead of capturing Pikachu, perhaps they should aim for Ash instead!
Isn't that guy more unique than any Pokemon?
Pokemon are common, but a human-like Pokemon like Ash is one of a kind!
What in the world, jumping ten meters high—is that even humanly possible? And that cage that held Pikachu was not only electricity-proof but also made of special metal, guaranteed to be tough.
Yet Ash punched it to pieces… How do humans even eat that?
On the other hand, Ash, having defeated Team Rocket, didn't look too happy, because what the gurus in the group said truly came to pass—he really was being pestered by these three troublesome characters!
Even though it had been so long, those three could still find him; it was simply outrageous! Could it be that those three had some special way of sensing him?
...
Another week passed, and Ash and his friends arrived at a fog-filled forest. Even with the map's guidance, they got lost. After wandering around the forest all day, they only found a building inside the next morning when the fog cleared.
Yes, a building inside the forest!
And this building turned out to be a school, quite a large one.
Upon seeing the school, Ash couldn't help but complain: "Who on earth thought of building a school in a place like this? Does anyone really study here?"
They got lost in this forest even with a map, so which genius thought of establishing a school deep in the woods?
Complaints aside, they were eager to find a place in the forest that had people, so they could ask for directions.
So, the three of them walked into the school.
Initially, Ash thought that the school, although large, wouldn't have many students. But to his surprise, the entire school was packed!
This place seemed to be called some kind of higher education school, where graduates could enter the Quartz Conference directly without the need for badges!
Upon hearing this, Ash exclaimed incredulously: "...Graduates here can directly enter the Quartz Conference? What a joke! Others have to painstakingly travel across half of Kanto, defeating one strong opponent after another to qualify, and yet here, learning a bit of theory lets you join the conference?"
He used to think back before his travels that battling Pokemon was all about charging in blindly; in the heat of battle, a breakthrough would reveal itself. But after traveling, Ash grew more aware of the significance of theoretical knowledge.
This is why he diligently studied theoretical knowledge from the group's gurus. Without their teachings, he probably wouldn't even know what various abilities did or fully understand type advantages.
But that doesn't mean just relying on theory can qualify someone for the Quartz Conference, right?
Pokemon battles require real fighting experiences to determine the stronger side!
If it were only about theory, then Tactical Master Ash in the group would undoubtedly be the strongest trainer, without question—even Champion Ash couldn't beat Tactical Ash in a theoretical battle.
"But that's the slogan of this Pokemon School… regardless of how many badges you have, your age, or how long you've been traveling, graduating from this school allows you one unrestricted entry to the Quartz Conference," said Joe, a student they met at the school.
Joe was one of the first people Ash and his friends encountered, and according to him, he was almost at the bottom of the school's hierarchy, yet he was still stronger than a trainer with two badges.
Joe's words gave the three of them a new perspective on the school's privileges—this advanced school was full of special privileges!
Once graduated, they could even bypass the Quartz Conference's two-year newcomer restriction to participate in the competition.
Although, anyone who still couldn't graduate in two years probably wouldn't be anyone remarkable…