In the Cerulean Gym, the orange-haired girl with a lively side ponytail sat in front of her sticker-covered laptop—decorated with Psyduck, Staryu, and other Water-type Pokémon—watching the livestream.
She spoke to herself softly, yet with unwavering determination:
"I can't stop other girls from liking Ash…"
"The only thing I can do is become better—so that he likes me more… and so I can always stay by his side."
"And besides liking Ash…"
"I also have my own dream."
"To become the world's greatest Water-type Pokémon Master."
"And to restore the glory of the Cerulean Gym."
"So for Ash… for the Gym… and for my own dream…"
"I have to work even harder."
"Marrill… let's do our best together."
She gently stroked the blue Pokémon in her arms—Marill—her voice firm yet warm.
"Ma-ru~!"
Marill nodded enthusiastically, eyes full of fighting spirit.
Ash, of course, had no idea—
That far away in Kalos, Serena was watching.
Or that in Cerulean City, Misty was doing the same.
…
In truth—
Far more people were paying attention to him than he realized.
In Kalos:
At the Lumiose Gym, Clemont, who had recently bonded with Ash over the move Parabolic Charge, was watching.
Back in Vaniville Town, Serena's friends—Miette, Trevor, Tierno, Shauna—along with other summer camp participants from Kalos…
In Kanto:
At Professor Oak's lab, Professor Oak was watching.
In Pallet Town, villagers paused their afternoon routines.
At the flower shop on Lilac Street, Ash's mother Delia and Gary's mother Mihoko stood side by side, watching proudly.
Gary and Green had already rushed to the Pokémon Center.
And all the fellow trainees from the summer camp—
To them—
Ash wasn't just an idol.
He was a goal.
A benchmark.
His brilliance and achievements pushed them forward—
Made them realize they couldn't afford to stay stagnant.
"Bzzz—!"
With coordination complete between Rotom and Pokémon Centers across Kanto—
Ash's online clinic officially began.
Inside the treatment room, under the gaze of cameras beyond the glass—
The portable transfer machine activated.
The first Poké Ball arrived.
"Go!"
Clarissa released it onto the examination table.
With a flash of light—
A large, brown-furred rodent appeared.
Sharp incisors, restless energy—
A Raticate.
"System, scan this Raticate."
At the same time, Ash activated Natural Affinity from his Viridian Power—
Calming the Pokémon's anxiety in this unfamiliar environment.
The system responded instantly:
[Pokémon: Raticate]
Level: 27
Type: Normal
Nature: Hasty
Ability: Run Away
Potential: Green
Moves (Copyable):
Proficient (1/1000):
Swords Dance, Tackle, Quick Attack, Take Down, Assurance, Sucker Punch, Crunch, Super Fang
Skilled (1/500):
Focus Energy, Bite, Work Up
Novice (1/100):
Scary Face, Tail Whip
Ash barely spared it a glance before issuing the next command:
"System—copy its moves."
[Skill Copying…]
10%… 50%… 100%.
In less than a second—
The entire move pool was copied.
One of the clinic's hidden rewards—
Secured.
To the outside world—
Ash's clinic was completely free.
A pure act of kindness.
A charitable endeavor.
But in reality—
He had already received two forms of compensation.
The first—
Skill Copying.
The second—
The growth of his Viridian Power through healing.
As for fame and reputation?
Those were bonuses he barely even counted anymore.
"Light of Kanto."
"Future Champion of the Indigo League."
His name already carried weight.
And with the clinic—
His influence would only grow further.
As long as the clinic remained open—
His popularity would never fade.
Something countless celebrities and elites chased desperately—
Was now simply… a byproduct for him.
And yet—
Ash didn't care about that.
What mattered more—
Was power.
Growth.
Because soon—
When he turned ten—
He would leave Pallet Town.
And when that day came—
The two local clinics outside town—
At Stone Bridge and Dashiwan Valley—
Would no longer exist.
Without a steady source of patients—
His Viridian Power would stagnate.
That—
Was the real crisis.
And so—
The online clinic was born.
But there was another problem.
His skill shop.
At first, his model seemed perfect—
Copy moves from customer Pokémon.
Sell them as learning options.
An endless cycle.
A perpetual engine.
But reality proved otherwise.
Demand—
Was too high.
Common moves flooded his inventory.
But what customers wanted—
Were rare moves.
And those—
Were running out.
Stock was shrinking.
So Ash needed a new source.
A new pipeline.
And the answer—
Was right here.
The clinic.
Every Pokémon that came in—
Wasn't just a patient.
It was—
A new opportunity.
A new supply.
A new step forward—
In building something far greater.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals