"Oh!! It's Squirtle! He didn't get any of the starter Pokémon when he began his journey, but now Ash has gathered all of them."
When Professor Oak saw Squirtle, he was still very surprised. When Ash first started his journey, because there weren't enough starter Pokémon, he chose Pikachu. And now, although he didn't get the starter Pokémon from Professor Oak,
Ash managed to gather all three starters himself, and consecutively at that. This doesn't just require strength; it's a rare and hard-to-come-by stroke of luck.
Gary, who hadn't hung up the phone, frowned slightly upon hearing this. He had heard Professor Oak's words and, as Professor Oak's grandson, knew the significance of the starter Pokémon. Ash didn't get them from his grandpa, but he managed to gather them himself. Although he hadn't caught as many Pokémon as Gary, the quality was better.
"Is that a Pokémon Ash sent?" Gary also spoke up at this moment.
"Yes! It's Squirtle. Ash has gathered all three starters. It seems Ash has good luck." Professor Oak's face clearly showed admiration.
"..." Gary remained silent, not speaking.
"Gary! Although it's your own life, I still have to say, traveling by car like you do, you'll miss a lot of Pokémon!" Looking at his grandson, Professor Oak was actually quite satisfied. Even though Ash was excellent from a young age, Professor Oak never made comparisons between Ash and Gary,
but his grandson did have a bit of a pampered attitude. However, Professor Oak, who himself had traveled when he was young, knew that Gary's way of traveling was wrong. Experiencing setbacks during travel was a mandatory course for a trainer. But he didn't stop him. The current Gary couldn't understand it, so Professor Oak just let it be, believing that Gary would realize it himself eventually.
"Understood, Grandpa. Ash should contact you soon. That's all for now!" Gary responded to Professor Oak's words as usual. As for whether he would actually listen, that was unknown.
"Alright, you be careful out there." Professor Oak also instructed, then hung up the phone.
"Huh?? Where'd it go? Ah!! Squirtle, what are you doing? That's my breakfast!!" After hanging up the phone, he looked around and didn't see Squirtle. When he turned his head, he found that Squirtle had already climbed onto the table itself, holding a bitten sandwich in one hand.
...
"And I had to go to the Pokémon Center again!"
On the other side, Ash and his two companions continued their journey. However, they were originally supposed to leave, but because they caught Squirtle, they had to run back to the Pokémon Center.
"What's the big deal? It's not like we're short on time." Ash shrunk the Poké Ball in his hand and placed it on his waist. It was Squirtle's Poké Ball. After catching Squirtle, Ash went to the Pokémon Center again, but he was a bit troubled.
Although he had caught many Pokémon since starting his journey, the most vexing thing for Ash was deciding which ones to carry with him. After all, the carrying limit was only six. He could still swap them out now.
However, as the number of Pokémon caught increased, he couldn't swap them out immediately every time he caught one. He was running out of space. Ash naturally had to keep the Pokémon he was training in crucial stages. He pondered for a long time on the way,
and finally decided to send Bulbasaur over first. Bulbasaur had just finished evolving, and its general condition had stabilized. Moreover, Bulbasaur had originally been a bodyguard in the Pokémon Village, and also possessed a strong sense of responsibility and a broader perspective.
To explain it simply, from a human perspective, it was more sensible. So Ash sent Bulbasaur to Professor Oak, swapping it for Squirtle. And unlike Squirtle and Charizard who later stayed in other places, Bulbasaur always stayed with Professor Oak, and always served as an administrator in Ash's team.
Although they were all Ash's Pokémon, sometimes at Professor Oak's lab, they would occasionally get into arguments with each other or with other trainers' fostered Pokémon. So, to avoid causing trouble for Ash, Bulbasaur always adhered to its habits from the Pokémon Village, helping Ash manage the Pokémon at the Professor's lab.
However, because Squirtle ate Professor Oak's breakfast, Professor Oak complained a lot when he called, which made Ash a bit awkward. But he also knew Professor Oak wouldn't get angry over such a thing. When Professor Oak received Ivysaur, he was even more surprised.
He had received it as Bulbasaur before, and he didn't expect it to evolve into Ivysaur in just a few days. This growth speed was also something Professor Oak hadn't anticipated. Gary had already hung up the phone. You should know that so far, Gary had caught so many Pokémon, yet his Squirtle had only evolved into Wartortle.
So, in terms of growth speed, it was indeed a bit slower. It's just that Professor Oak didn't know what Bulbasaur had experienced before. In fact, due to deliberate suppression, Bulbasaur actually went through its evolution period longer than Gary's Wartortle.
White Strait
Unaware of Professor Oak's surprise, Ash and his companions continued their journey after leaving the White Strait, arriving at a sea area not far from the town, called the White Strait. Seeing this strait meant they were not far from Vermilion City.
"Phew!! Finally, we're not in the forest anymore. Kaede! Kasumi! It's so beautiful." Emerging from the dense jungle, they finally saw a different scenery. The air was filled with the scent of the sea. Before them was the endless ocean. It was already dusk, and soon it would be dark, casting a hazy yellow over the sea.
"Aren't you not afraid of bugs anymore? Why do you dislike forests so much?" Ash asked, walking behind.
"Although I'm not afraid anymore, I'm from Cerulean City Gym after all, so of course I love the sea. The most important thing is, by the sea, there's hope of encountering Water-type Pokémon." Misty also said excitedly.
"At this time, there shouldn't be many Pokémon by the coast." Brock also spoke at the same time. Pokémon are similar to humans; even aquatic Pokémon mostly return to the sea at night.
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