By evening, the temple fair was in full swing. Paper lanterns lined the streets of Gorge, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of takoyaki and fried mochi. Following the local customs, Ash changed into a simple blue kimono. After all, if you were going to a temple fair, you had to wear one!
Brock, however, waved it off immediately. "Nah, I'm too old for that kind of thing," he said, sticking to his usual hiking gear.
But Misty had other plans.
When she stepped out of her room, dressed in a delicate pastel kimono, Ash's jaw nearly dropped.
Her kimono was a soft blend of pink and white, adorned with patterns of falling cherry blossoms that shimmered faintly under the lantern light. The wide sleeves swayed lightly with each step, graceful as butterfly wings, and her loose orange hair framed her face perfectly, adding a touch of warmth and elegance.
The faint sound of her wooden clogs echoed against the stone pavement as she walked toward him, the hem of her kimono gently swaying with each step.
For a moment, Ash forgot how to breathe.
"Hey! What are you staring at, Ash?"
Her voice snapped him back to reality. Misty, clearly noticing his dazed look, waved her hand in front of his face.
"No, it's just…" Ash scratched his cheek awkwardly. "It's my first time seeing you dressed like that. You look… really pretty. Honestly, if you didn't talk, you'd totally have the aura of a Yamato Nadeshiko."
Misty's expression froze. Then her eyebrow twitched. "I'll give you one chance to rephrase that! You were doing great until that last part!"
Ash immediately waved his hands. "I meant it as a compliment! You really look amazing!"
"Hmph. Nice recovery," she said with a small smirk, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her mood.
"Come on," Misty said, grabbing his hand. "Let's dance!"
"Dance?!" Ash blinked. "I...I don't know how!"
"You'll be fine," she said with a grin. "You've got great reflexes. I'll teach you!"
Before Ash could protest, Misty pulled him toward the crowded square.
Behind them, Pikachu watched from Brock's shoulder, tail swaying lazily.
Brock folded his arms and smiled faintly. "This is youth, Pikachu."
"Pika~ pika!" Pikachu chirped in agreement.
In the plaza, under the glow of hundreds of paper lanterns, Ash and Misty joined the crowd of dancing townsfolk. The music was lively, yet soft, and Ash's movements were, well, clumsy, to put it kindly.
Misty giggled as he tripped over his own feet. "Relax! Follow my lead!"
Ash blushed, focusing hard to match her rhythm. Slowly, awkwardly, he began to move in sync with her steps.
Just then, the night sky burst into color.
Fireworks exploded overhead, painting the darkness in brilliant streaks of gold, blue, and crimson. The shimmering light reflected in Misty's eyes as she looked up, and Ash, caught in that moment, found himself looking at her instead.
For a heartbeat, neither spoke. Their surroundings faded, the noise, the crowd, everything. Only the two of them remained, illuminated by cascading light.
Their hearts skipped a beat.
And just like that, the night ended in gentle laughter.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. After the temple fair concluded, Ash and his friends set out once more, destination: Saffron City.
With the Millennial Gastly in his team, Ash finally had the confidence to challenge one of the most formidable Gyms in Kanto.
Meanwhile, back at Professor Oak's Laboratory, Gastly had been undergoing "special training" to reawaken his fighting instincts.
The "training," however, was brutal.
Gastly, who had once believed himself nearly invincible, found himself battered and humiliated by Oak's Pokémon day after day.
The Dragonite that sparred with him didn't just defeat him, it crushed him.
'That thing was definitely Champion-level!' he thought despairingly one night, floating face-first into a pond.
'What kind of old man keeps monsters like that in his backyard?!'
In all his two thousand years of life, Gastly had never felt so thoroughly beaten. But under that crushing pressure, something inside him reignited. His battle instincts sharpened, and after just a week, his fighting sense was keener and stronger than ever.
Back on the road, Ash's own Pokémon were improving rapidly as well.
Pidgeotto had reached the peak of its current stage, though it still had a long way to go before evolving into Pidgeot, the day Ash could finally have a true flying mount.
Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander were all progressing impressively too.
Bulbasaur had reached the intermediate advanced stage. Squirtle, who had joined the team later, was now at the peak of the ordinary stage, a remarkable feat considering his starting level.
Ash's progress was boosted by the training and guidance from the many experienced Trainers in his group chat. While he wasn't as wealthy as that spiky-haired rival of his, the insights he gained were like a cheat code for growth.
Charmander, in particular, had grown rapidly.
He had evolved into Charmeleon, his strength soaring past Bulbasaur's.
This was the third evolution in Ash's team, after Caterpie and Ralts.
Evolution brought a surge of life energy, improving every aspect of a Pokémon's abilities, and Charmeleon's fiery temper and combat sense had both reached new heights.
Bulbasaur, however, remained unchanged.
Despite reaching the level required for evolution, he showed no signs of wanting to evolve.
Curious, Ash consulted the experts in his group chat, and the grass-type specialist explained:
"Your Bulbasaur doesn't lack the strength to evolve, he simply doesn't want to."
It wasn't uncommon, they explained. Some Pokémon preferred to stay in their base form, either because they disliked their evolved appearance, or because they wanted to prove their strength without evolving.
Pikachu was a perfect example of this, a Pokémon who chose not to evolve, believing he could become stronger as he was.
Ash smiled faintly at that. "So Bulbasaur's the same, huh… Just like Pikachu."
But Pikachu had something Bulbasaur didn't, his Partner Form, a state that could multiply his combat power several times over. Bulbasaur, however, had no such form or transformation. If he refused to evolve, it would inevitably limit his potential in future battles.
Still, Ash wasn't the kind of Trainer to force evolution. He respected every Pokémon's will and believed that strength wasn't determined by form alone.
"If Bulbasaur doesn't want to evolve, that's fine," Ash thought, looking at the Poké Ball hanging from his belt. "Not evolving doesn't mean he can't become strong, or even stand at the top."
After the them, the next to review was Kirlia.
Having recently evolved from Ralts, Kirlia had spent the week stabilizing her new form. Her level had already risen, and she was on the verge of another breakthrough.
Her growth rate was still unmatched, the undisputed leader of Ash's team.
Pikachu's progress wasn't lightning-fast, but it was terrifyingly steady. Over the past month, Pikachu had never once hit a bottleneck. His growth was like flowing water, calm, constant, unstoppable.
Each level-up perfectly increased his ability stats, so even if he wasn't skyrocketing in power, he was building a foundation that was nearly unshakable.
Ash sometimes wondered if Pikachu could actually stand toe-to-toe with an Elite-level Pokémon by the time of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
But that was still a distant dream. For now, Pikachu could perhaps challenge a Gym, but an Elite? That was still reaching too far.
Then there was Riolu.
After a full week of care, Riolu's condition had greatly improved. His aptitudes had fully recovered to B-rank, meaning he could start light training again.
However, since his body was still mending from internal damage, Ash didn't push him too hard. For now, Riolu was still at the beginner novice level. But once he fully recovered, his growth would likely explode, just like Ralts's had.
Outside of Ash's team, Misty and Brock's Pokémon were also progressing steadily. Their improvement wasn't as dramatic, since their training intensity was milder, but they were moving forward all the same.
Then, during their journey toward Saffron City, they stumbled upon something beautiful, a Butterfree migration.
Hundreds of Butterfree filled the sky, fluttering southward in glittering swarms. It was a spectacular sight, one that made even Ash pause to admire it.
Still, he wasn't especially interested. Migrations usually marked the season for mating and reproduction, and he knew well that not every Butterfree needed to migrate south to breed, the forests around Viridian were filled with Weedle and Caterpie, proof that plenty stayed behind.
Besides, his Butterfree was safe and comfortable at Oak's Lab, well-fed, well-rested, and spoiled. Why would he make it leave paradise just to suffer under the blazing southern sun?
No way.
But then Brock mentioned, "It's the season for Butterfree to find partners."
That gave Ash an idea.
He stopped at the nearest Pokémon Center and had Professor Oak teleport Butterfree over. "Let's see if he finds someone he likes," Ash said with a grin.
And he did.
Among the migrating Butterfree was one with pink wings, rare and dazzlingly beautiful. Naturally, every male Butterfree around tried to court her.
But they were no match for Ash's Butterfree.
After all, this was a Pokémon trained under Ash himself, disciplined, resilient, and confident. With a mix of graceful flight and courage, Ash's Butterfree triumphed, winning the heart of the pink Butterfree.
But migrate south together? No chance.
Ash simply caught the pink Butterfree too, securing their romance permanently. He then sent the pair back to Professor Oak's Lab, where they could live comfortably and raise their little Butterfree family in peace.
Oak's Lab had everything, fresh flowers, open meadows, and a safe environment, a far cry from the dangers of migration.
As Ash watched the two disappear into the Poké Ball's beam, he couldn't help but smile softly.
From a tiny Caterpie trembling on his shoulder… to now having a partner and home of its own.
Time really did fly.
"Some Pokémon find love in a month," Ash said wryly, glancing at Brock, "and some people stay single for many years…"
Brock froze, a twitch forming at the corner of his mouth.
"You're talking about me again, aren't you?"
Ash laughed. "If the shoe fits!"
Brock groaned dramatically. "Even Butterfree's got a girlfriend now... what's wrong with the world?"
"Pika pika~" Pikachu chirped sympathetically, patting Brock's shoulder.
That was how their lighthearted days passed, until, finally, on the eighth day, they reached their destination.
Saffron City.
One of Kanto's greatest metropolitan centers, bustling with energy and light.
If Celadon City was known as the heart of commerce, with its grand department stores and endless trade, then Saffron was the brain of Kanto: the headquarters of science, technology, and industry.
Towering skyscrapers lined the horizon, and in the center of it all stood the gleaming building of Silph Co., the company behind countless innovations, from Poké Balls to high-end Trainer gear.
And of course, there was the legendary Saffron Gym.
One of the most powerful Gyms in all of Kanto.
Its leader, Sabrina, wasn't just a Gym Leader, she was a Psychic prodigy.
Sabrina had only become a Gym Leader in the past two years, yet her reputation had already spread across Kanto like wildfire.
She was said to be just sixteen years old, but already wielded the power of an Elite-class Trainer.
And that "Elite-class" label didn't just apply to her Pokémon.
It applied to her.
Sabrina herself possessed terrifying Psychic powers, so strong that she could control minds, bend perceptions, and even manipulate matter with ease. Some whispered that her mental strength rivaled her own Pokémon's.
"To be honest," Nurse Joy said softly, lowering her voice as she placed Pikachu's Poké Ball on the recovery tray, "I don't recommend you challenge Sabrina."
She looked from Ash to Misty and Brock, her expression unusually grave.
"People who lose against her… don't just lose their battles. They experience things, horrible things. Many challengers come out of that Gym mentally scarred. Some develop lifelong phobias."
Ash blinked, startled. Misty and Brock exchanged uneasy glances.
When the trio had first arrived in Saffron City earlier that afternoon, their first stop was, as always, the Pokémon Center. After weeks of travel and near-constant training, their Pokémon were in desperate need of rest and care.
While their Pokémon were being treated, they'd asked Nurse Joy for information about the city's Gym. The more Joy spoke, the darker her expression became.
She explained that while most Gyms were known for testing a Trainer's skill or teamwork, Sabrina's Gym tested something else entirely, the mind.
Losing a battle there didn't just bruise your pride. It could break your spirit.
According to rumors, some Trainers had fainted mid-battle from overwhelming psychic pressure. Others claimed they'd seen visions, twisted illusions conjured by Sabrina's powers. A few even swore that Sabrina could trap challengers in dollhouses or turn them into dolls themselves.
The Pokémon League had received complaints, of course. They'd sent investigators. But no one knew what happened after that meeting with Sabrina.
The Saffron Gym remained standing. The League quietly marked it as "hazardous", advising Trainers to challenge at their own risk.
No further action was taken.
After hearing all that, Misty's face had gone pale.
"This Gym… it's way worse than I thought," she muttered, gripping the edge of her seat.
As a Gym Leader herself, she'd heard stories about Saffron Gym's power, but she'd never imagined it was this extreme.
Even Brock, who usually prided himself on knowing Gym information, looked unsettled. "I knew she was strong, but this… this is something else."
Meanwhile, Ash sat quietly, hands clasped, eyes thoughtful.
He remembered Professor Oak's warnings vividly. Oak had tried to talk him out of this challenge several times, saying Sabrina's Gym wasn't worth the risk.
But Ash had insisted.
It wasn't just about badges anymore, it was about testing himself. About seeing how far he'd come.
Eventually, Oak had stopped arguing and simply told him, "If you insist on going, at least gather information first when you get there."
And that's exactly what Ash had done.
Still, there was one thing that finally convinced Oak to stop worrying so much—Gastly's story.
When Oak had asked how Ash managed to catch a two-thousand-year-old Elite-level Ghost Pokémon, he'd half-expected some ridiculous luck or trickery.
But when Gastly himself explained what happened, Oak had been left speechless.
Because Ash hadn't caught Gastly with Poké Balls or other Pokémon.
He'd done it with his own two hands.
A battle of man versus Pokémon.
It was something out of legend.
Before Poké Balls existed, Trainers, if they could even be called that, had subdued Pokémon through sheer strength and willpower.
Ash had, unknowingly, replicated that ancient tradition.
And he'd won.
From that moment, Oak stopped questioning Ash's abilities. He still didn't know where Ash's almost superhuman power came from, but the boy was still the same Ash he'd always known, reckless, determined, endlessly optimistic.
And more importantly, capable of taking care of himself.
So, Oak let him go.
Even if Ash couldn't win against Sabrina, Oak was certain of one thing:
He would definitely survive.
...
Bonus @100 PS
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