Pokémon Center.
"Fetch'd!" Dapple suddenly gripped her leek tightly, an uncharacteristically grave expression on her duck face.
A dangerous presence had entered the vicinity.
The Charmander these people were talking about had to be the very same one they'd encountered earlier. No, there was no doubt about it—when they'd first seen Charmander on the outskirts of Cerulean City, it had seemed to be desperately searching for something. Now it was clear that it had been searching for the very Trainer who had abandoned it.
As a knightly Farfetch'd of honor, Dapple couldn't tolerate such callous betrayal—especially since Charmander's injuries and its obsessive desire for strength all stemmed from its irresponsible former Trainer.
To give Pokémon hope and then casually discard those who cherished that hope—someone like this didn't deserve the title of Pokémon Trainer.
Dapple's sudden cry drew the attention of Daisuke and his cronies. The blue-haired youth's eyes lit up greedily upon seeing the striking Farfetch'd.
"Oh ho, a rare Shiny Farfetch'd! Now this suits my future status as League Champion!"
Swaggering up to the trio, he ignored Ray Chu and Lala—too "ordinary" to earn a glance—and held out a Poké Ball toward Dapple.
"How about it? Want to join my team? I'm really strong, you know!"
Dapple glanced at Ray Chu. Seeing him nod slightly, she lifted her head with utmost seriousness.
"Fetch'd!"
Daisuke paused briefly before laughing loudly. "Oh, you want to test my strength first? Haha, good! I like your spirit. Alright, I'll grant you this chance. To the battle area!"
Surrounded by noisy followers, Daisuke proudly led Dapple into the Pokémon Center's battle arena. Several bored Trainers were already dueling there, and this lively group quickly drew a curious crowd.
"Ah, this is it—the admiration and attention of everyone watching! Come out, Poliwhirl! Time to put on a great show!" Clearly enjoying the spotlight, Daisuke theatrically sent out his Pokémon.
"This Poliwhirl cost me a fortune! Its special attack moves are incredibly strong—it's helped me catch plenty of Pokémon."
His casual boasting drew quiet frowns from seasoned Trainers watching nearby. Every serious Trainer knew that a Pokémon's special moves were carefully guarded secrets, crucial to victory. Nobody shared such vital intel so carelessly.
Yet, oblivious to this, Daisuke continued bragging loudly about his Poliwhirl's strength, soaking in cheers from his cronies below.
The bell signaling the start of the match rang clearly.
Dapple settled into a serious combat stance, leek poised and ready.
Daisuke stared blankly for a moment, but quickly shrugged it off. Accustomed to easily beating weaker opponents, he waved dismissively. "Whatever! Poliwhirl, let's finish this quickly—use [ICE BEAM]!"
Poliwhirl croaked in acknowledgment, and the spiral on its chest rapidly emitted a vivid blue light. An icy beam shot forward toward Dapple.
At the same instant, Dapple rushed forward, gripping her leek firmly. She swung it decisively, cutting straight into the incoming Ice Beam, scattering icy particles in a swirling cloud.
"Did we win already?" Daisuke said smugly. Usually, his opponents collapsed after a single Ice Beam—this fight seemed no different.
Whoosh!
From the scattering mist, Dapple burst through completely unscathed, swiftly closing in on Poliwhirl.
"Wait! Poliwhirl, use [DOUBLE TEAM], quickly!" Daisuke panicked.
Poliwhirl hastily split into several illusory copies, scattering around the battlefield and hiding the real body among them.
[AERIAL ACE]
Two crisp sword-strokes flashed across the field. Dapple stood gracefully behind Poliwhirl, smoothly sheathing her leek as the illusionary clones instantly vanished.
A heartbeat later, the true Poliwhirl stood motionless—then collapsed face-first onto the ground.
"Poliwhirl!" Daisuke was stunned. His powerful Poliwhirl had been defeated in just one move.
"What the hell? Get up, Poliwhirl!" No matter how loudly he yelled, the unconscious Pokémon remained still.
"Fetch'd." Without even sparing him another glance, Dapple calmly stepped down from the battle stage.
"That Farfetch'd is incredible!" The onlookers murmured in amazement, deeply impressed by Dapple's elegant swordplay and perfect timing—skills no ordinary Pokémon could match.
"Wait!" Daisuke suddenly called out, chasing after Dapple. "Farfetch'd, join my team! With your skill and my training, we'll definitely become League Champions!"
"Fetch'd!" Dapple looked meaningfully toward Poliwhirl, but Daisuke completely misunderstood her intent. "Once you join, you'll be my ace Pokémon!"
Dapple's expression hardened as she regarded Daisuke coldly for a moment before silently walking away.
Even someone as oblivious as Daisuke could sense the disdain. His face turned ugly, shouting angrily, "Damnit!"
Returning to the group, Dapple's mood didn't lift much. Ray Chu gently patted her shoulder, informing her that Charmander had finally woken up.
The feathers atop Dapple's head perked up immediately. Together, they went to Charmander's room, where the previously weakened Pokémon was now quietly gazing out the window.
"He's been like this ever since he woke up," Nurse Joy explained softly, leading them into the room. "Maybe due to his injuries, he doesn't seem to like interacting much with others."
"Pika-chu!" Ray Chu thanked Nurse Joy sincerely, handing over the medical fee. After all, asking someone to work overtime into the night deserved proper gratitude.
"Fetch'd!" Dapple greeted the Charmander warmly. Charmander turned around, briefly startled, but then nodded faintly.
"You two, come out as well!" Ray Chu released Ivysaur and Wartortle. The duo eagerly welcomed their new companion.
The boss always said: "Treat teammates like a warm spring breeze, but face enemies with the harshness of winter." It was solid advice.
"Jiggly!" Lala happily clapped her tiny hands together, her large blue eyes narrowing into cheerful crescents at this heartwarming scene. If the timing were better, she'd have eagerly burst into song right then and there.
Seeing the three starter Pokémon gathered for the first time, Ray Chu nodded in deep satisfaction. He finally had his trio complete—now it was all up to him as their Trainer!
A team strong on land, sea, and sky.
In the original timeline, Ash never evolved any of his starter Pokémon—a decision Ray Chu found utterly unacceptable. To him, only powerful and impressive final evolutions mattered.
And perhaps… even evolving beyond their known limits might not be impossible!
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T/N: HUH???? BEYOND THEIR FINAL EVOLUTIONS