Seeing Professor Oak entrust a Champion-class Pokémon like Charizard to him as a personal bodyguard, Ash felt deeply moved.
But the truth was—
this time, when Ash revealed that he could help Magikarp learn Tackle, his intentions were far more complex than the explanation he had given Professor Oak.
Just as Oak had said, as long as Ash stayed in Pallet Town, with the Pokémon League's protection in place, his personal safety wasn't something he needed to worry about too much.
Moreover, the business of his Move Mastery Room was already booming.
The original concern—not having enough money to properly train his Pokémon—had completely disappeared.
In other words, there was no real need for him to take such a massive risk merely to expand his shop's influence or boost its popularity.
And yet…
he still chose to do it.
Back during the Pokémon Summer Camp, Ash had deliberately restrained himself.
He knew that exposing too much of his potential would attract more attention from the League—but it would also make him a target for those with ulterior motives.
Especially after Goh was hospitalized following an attack by Gyarados, when Saffron TV entered the Summer Camp.
What was once a closed, isolated environment suddenly became fully transparent, broadcast live around the clock.
At that time, Ash judged that the opportunities outweighed the risks.
As long as he earned enough attention from the League,
as long as he stayed within Pallet Town,
he believed he would be safe—even if certain forces took an interest in him.
But then came the final day of the Summer Camp.
Team Rocket stormed in, stole the students' Pokémon, and escaped without a trace.
To this day, some of those Pokémon had still not been recovered.
That was when Ash truly began to realize—
He had underestimated Team Rocket.
They weren't the three bumbling clowns from the anime who followed his former self around, cracking jokes and delivering accidental assists.
They were ruthless, organized criminals.
A dark organization capable of suppressing the development of both the Kanto and Johto Leagues for years—
An organization that, using nothing but human intellect, had created the artificial god Pokémon: Mewtwo.
At the same time, Ash began to understand another harsh truth:
The Pokémon League was not all-powerful.
Its strength wasn't nearly as absolute as he had imagined.
He had underestimated Team Rocket—
and overestimated the League.
Later, after the Summer Camp ended, Ash went to Viridian City to purchase Pokémon food.
He believed that Team Rocket, at that point, should still be under intense League suppression, too busy to spare attention for a mere six-year-old child.
After all, through Professor Oak, he had already informed the League that Team Rocket was watching him.
But what actually happened?
Team Rocket—supposedly under heavy pressure—still dispatched an elite strike team: Jessie, James, and Meowth, specifically to hunt him down.
And the League?
Despite receiving his warning, they failed to secretly protect him.
When he was being chased and nearly captured, no one came.
That incident shattered Ash's illusions completely.
Team Rocket was more vicious, more aggressive, and far more powerful than he had imagined.
And the League?
Weaker. Slower. More ineffective than he wanted to admit.
Or perhaps…
the League simply didn't value him as highly as he thought.
Either way, recent events had driven one brutal truth into Ash's mind:
This was not a world where justice inevitably triumphed over evil at all times.
Yes—evil might eventually be defeated.
But during the long period when evil ran rampant,
Ash didn't want himself, his family, or his friends to become innocent casualties.
Others couldn't be relied upon.
The League couldn't be relied upon.
If he wanted safety—
he would have to protect himself.
Especially now.
His mother, Delia, had recently mentioned that after some time, she planned to go to Viridian City with Gary's mother and Auntie Mihoko to open a shop.
Having inherited the memories of his previous self, Ash knew exactly how much hardship Delia had endured raising him alone.
He had seen how, now that she no longer had to worry constantly about her child, she was finally rediscovering her passions—living for herself.
The ease.
The genuine happiness on her face.
Ash had no right to stop her,
no right to force her to remain in Pallet Town as a farmer just because of him.
But the problem was—
Viridian City was practically Team Rocket's home turf.
The Viridian Gym Leader was none other than Giovanni, Team Rocket's Boss.
Viridian City was dangerous.
Team Rocket had already targeted Ash once.
How could he possibly say those words out loud?
Mom, don't go. It's too dangerous because of me.
No.
He couldn't.
He didn't want his mother worrying about him.
And he didn't want her worrying about her own safety either.
Yet the League couldn't guarantee his safety—
let alone hers.
Even if Ash himself grew stronger, he still wasn't confident he could protect her.
After all—
A thief can strike for a thousand days.
But no one can guard perfectly for a thousand days.
If someone is truly determined, defenses will eventually fail.
Because of all this, Ash had been re-evaluating his relationship with Team Rocket.
At first, simply because they were an evil organization, he instinctively hated and opposed them.
Coupled with the discovery of fate and luck on Pichu's and Frogadier's system panels, Ash became convinced that he himself was favored by the world's fortune—a destined protagonist.
Someone like him could never side with Team Rocket.
That belief only deepened his hostility toward them, treating them like filth that needed to be erased.
Especially after the assassination attempt—
His hatred had evolved into a firm resolve:
to destroy Team Rocket completely.
But now?
Now that he understood the League couldn't protect him or his family,
that Team Rocket was far stronger and more dangerous than expected—
Ash began to reassess.
If even an organization as massive as the League couldn't deal with Team Rocket,
what right did a powerless child have to play the hero?
He had sided with the League partly because he feared being abandoned by fate,
and partly because he genuinely despised Team Rocket's crimes.
But compared to the safety of himself and those he loved—
Fate.
Preferences.
Hatred.
None of it mattered anymore.
So Ash's attitude toward Team Rocket slowly shifted—
From absolute hostility…
to neutrality.
Originally, he planned to stay far away from them, wait until he was strong enough, then seek revenge and wipe them out completely.
But now—
He wanted to make contact.
He wanted to understand Team Rocket's true goals.
And more importantly—
why they wanted him.
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T/N:
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