Ash originally thought that no one would come to this school built in such a terrible place.
He didn't expect there to be quite a few people here.
And surprisingly, this place was an actual higher education academy.
Those who graduated here could directly participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference!
Not only Ash, but even Serena and Misty found it unbelievable!
Could someone really enter the Indigo Plateau Conference just by studying theory?
Then how would those Trainers who worked so hard to earn eight badges feel?
Although not every Gym Leader revealed their full strength,
Even the Pokémon they used to test ordinary Trainers were far from weak.
Except for the Cerulean Gym, which had lost most of its heritage,
Every other gym had its own lineup of powerful Pokémon.
Most of them were at least professional level or higher.
Only top-level Gym Leaders could own Pokémon beyond the gym rank!
Otherwise, why would they even call that level "Gym" in the first place?
Gym, Elite, Champion—these weren't just titles, but stages of strength.
It was easy to imagine what kind of Pokémon those people commanded.
The Pokémon Brock used to test novice Trainers had already reached the advanced level.
Meanwhile, the so-called Trainers here who had the strength of "two gyms" could only use ordinary-level Pokémon at best.
Even if they graduated from this academy, were they really qualified to participate in the Indigo Plateau Conference?
Ash challenged one of the academy's Trainers who was said to hold two badges.
That opponent then called upon the academy's strongest student.
She was a girl named Sundae, rumored to possess the strength equivalent to six badges!
Ash sent out Butterfree to face her Marowak.
With a simple combination of Sleep Powder, Gust, and Bug Bite, Butterfree defeated it instantly.
Hehe…
So this was the academy's trump card with six-badge strength?
They should apologize to real Trainers who actually earned six badges!
After defeating Sundae, Ash and his friends stayed at the academy for one night before continuing their journey to Vermilion City.
It had to be said that the distance between Cerulean City and Vermilion City was extremely long.
The total distance from Pallet Town to Viridian, Pewter, and Cerulean combined
Was still shorter than the stretch between Cerulean and Vermilion.
Of course, there was another possibility…
"Are we lost?"
On the third day after leaving the Pokémon Academy, Misty asked weakly.
Ash and Serena froze in place.
They might actually be lost!
Surrounded by dense forest on all sides, they had no idea where the path led.
Ash took out his map and tried to compare it,
Then used his waveguide ability to sense their surroundings.
But everything looked the same—trees, vines, and uneven ground.
Without finding someone familiar with the area, they might wander for days before escaping.
"Ahem, don't worry. We'll find the way eventually. Anyway, we brought enough food and supplies, so it's not a big deal."
Ash coughed lightly to reassure the two girls.
Serena and Misty glanced at each other and started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Hehe, we thought you were good at everything, but even you get lost sometimes~"
"Haha, Ash has no sense of direction~~"
Ash: …
He frowned, looking at the two of them. "Are you two really that happy about being lost?"
"It's fine~"
"Other than not having a soft bed, there's really no difference from staying in a city."
Both Misty and Serena were not the type to be easily shaken.
Misty had been trained as a Gym Leader since childhood,
And Serena, once pampered, had toughened up a lot under Ash's influence.
Most importantly, Ash worked far harder than either of them.
He was the one who cooked their meals and led the way.
Whenever they were attacked by wild Pokémon, he stood in front to protect them.
And even after all that, he still trained his Pokémon and practiced his own skills every night.
Ash barely had time to rest, yet he never forgot to boil water for them to bathe in.
He even built a simple bath area using cloth for privacy.
He was the very image of a dependable and caring man.
Because of that, the two girls never complained about the hardships of traveling.
When Ash was resting, they would often come over to massage his shoulders and legs, bringing him tea and water.
Both women did it willingly and without complaint.
Ash refused at first, but they firmly insisted.
In Misty's words: "If we can't even make tea, then what's the point of traveling with you?"
They weren't the kind of girls who just sat back and enjoyed others' kindness.
So now, even knowing Ash had gotten them lost,
They didn't feel annoyed at all.
In fact, they were smiling happily.
At this point, it almost looked like two women sharing one man.
Although, considering how much Ash had done for them,
It was more accurate to say one man serving two wives, ahem…
Seeing the two women's relaxed smiles, Ash couldn't help but laugh himself.
"Alright, since we're lost, we might as well enjoy the fresh air and nature around us."
The three of them decided to set up a fire and make lunch right there.
With the help of the two girls, Ash prepared food in no time.
Within twenty minutes, a full meal was ready—
Complete with dishes for them and Pokémon food for their partners.
Just as Serena's Oddish was happily eating,
A green vine suddenly brushed against its back.
Oddish turned around curiously, then screamed in fright!
"What's wrong?!"
The sudden cry startled the three who were eating.
Ash rushed to Oddish's side and quickly spotted the cause.
It was a Pokémon that looked like a small toad with a large green bulb on its back.
From under the bulb, a vine extended outward and slowly retracted.
"This is… Bulbasaur?!"
Misty and Serena hurried over as well.
When she saw the toad-like Pokémon, Misty immediately recognized it.
Bulbasaur—one of the Pokémon that new Trainers in the Kanto Region could choose!
And it was a rare sight to encounter one in the wild.
What kind of incredible luck was this?!
Ash's eyes lit up. He instantly activated his system to inspect it.
This Bulbasaur… actually had golden attributes!
(End of the chapter)