"We can look for Pokémon to catch along the way, but Serena, I want to tell you something."
"That is, when you're uncertain, act first. Even if you fail, you'll gain something from it. Nothing you do will ever be wasted!"
"If you had challenged the gym before, Serena, even if you lost, I believe you still would've gained valuable experience."
"This is what matters most for a Rookie Trainer."
"The gym badge itself is just a symbol. The real reward is right here, in your heart!"
Ash said, tapping his chest.
This was the principle he believed in. Even if it wasn't entirely correct, taking action was always the right choice.
Serena and Misty both nodded thoughtfully.
They learned something new every day while traveling with Ash.
...
Seven days passed quickly.
In those seven days, the trio only passed through one small town.
After restocking on supplies, they continued their journey.
When Misty joined the group, Ash had already bought an extra tent back in Viridian City.
Now, during camping, Misty and Serena shared one tent, while Ash slept alone in another.
After spending so much time together, the two girls had grown as close as sisters.
Ash's order for Frogadier's new weights had already been sent directly to the Pokémon Center in Vermilion City.
The load should have arrived by now, though they hadn't yet.
But that was part of traveling—the destination mattered,
Yet the scenery and people along the way were what made the journey meaningful.
It's worth mentioning that, under Ash's guidance, Serena finally caught her second Pokémon—an Oddish!
Oddish's evolutions, Vileplume and Bellossom, are both beautiful and capable Pokémon.
That was one reason Ash suggested she catch it.
Another reason was that this particular Oddish had gym-level potential!
Pokémon with Elite or Champion-level potential are extremely rare.
Even among tens of thousands of Pokémon, finding one with Elite qualifications is like finding a needle in a haystack.
So for an average Trainer, a gym-level Pokémon is already considered top-tier.
All of Ash's Pokémon reaching Elite potential could only be called unbelievable luck.
Of course, he had the entry system—so even a weak Pokémon could become a dragon under his training!
The Oddish Serena captured had only two purple entries.
But for Trainers without an entry system, entries weren't really essential.
Unless an entry was gold-grade,
Then even without a system, some of its effects could still be felt.
Aside from Serena's Oddish capture,
Over the past week, everyone's Pokémon had improved in strength to varying degrees.
Pidgeotto broke through its bottleneck and reached the advanced beginner level.
More importantly, it learned a series of new skills!
To achieve that, Ash spent a fortune buying skill discs in both Pewter City and Viridian City.
Skill discs weren't learned instantly like in the games.
However, when integrated into a Poké Ball, they allowed a Pokémon to repeatedly watch and practice the move.
Each disc had a time limit—roughly one hour of learning time.
If the Pokémon couldn't master it, Ash had to buy another.
Even so, learning through discs was ten times more efficient than natural training.
Technology truly was advanced—but it was painfully expensive!
A single weather-related move cost at least 300,000.
Honestly, if he hadn't worked under Professor Oak and earned extra money,
He would've gone broke supporting Pidgeotto's learning costs!
If he ever ran out of funds, Pidgeotto would have to rely on its own comprehension to learn new skills.
Pikachu's level hadn't increased much, but its overall strength had grown steadily.
Ash estimated that it wouldn't be long before Pikachu reached the Elite threshold.
Butterfree had also advanced to the upper beginner level,
And Frogadier was closing in on the Elite stage.
Misty's and Serena's Pokémon had also grown stronger,
Though their levels hadn't changed significantly yet.
Serena was quite envious of Froakie evolving into Frogadier.
After all, aside from Pikachu, Froakie and her Fennekin had joined Ash around the same time.
But now Froakie had evolved, while Fennekin's evolution was still a long way off.
Still, this was the result of Frogadier's hard work and exceptional growth rate.
Fennekin couldn't possibly match that.
...
Naturally, while traveling, they encountered other Trainers along the road.
After walking for a day, Ash and his companions met a man named AJ, a so-called beast master.
He claimed to have won ninety-eight battles in a row.
At first, Ash thought the guy must be strong.
But when they battled, AJ's team was instantly defeated by Frogadier's single strike.
It turned out a ninety-eight-win streak in such a small area meant nothing.
Still, Ash gained something valuable—his opponent dropped a purple entry.
Adding that to the ones Ash had collected recently,
He finally gathered ten orange entries and upgraded Pikachu's 'Best Actor' entry!
[Emperor (Red): When battling against a higher-level Pokémon, your level will gradually increase to match the opponent's level over time.]
The red version of the 'Best Actor' entry removed randomness completely.
It became a stable, time-based enhancement.
Both upper and lower limits were guaranteed!
Since Pikachu had never battled anyone stronger than itself before,
Ash wasn't sure how long the level adjustment would take.
But regardless, it was far superior to the old orange version.
Entries based on chance were meaningless if they never triggered.
After defeating beast master AJ and upgrading Pikachu's entry,
Ash and the others continued on to their next stop—a Pokémon Academy.
When Ash saw the enormous school hidden deep within Misty Forest,
He couldn't help but mutter, wondering who would ever build a school in the middle of the woods.
(End of the chapter)