Pokémon items—rare and highly valuable resources—weren't something just anyone could obtain.
To even qualify for purchasing them through official channels, a trainer needed to reach Professional Rank Three-Star in ranked battles. And even then… purchases were limited.
Previously, when Ash had been competing, he had deliberately suppressed his rank—staying in lower-tier divisions to farm prize money. After more than two months of grinding, he had finally saved up a considerable sum.
But all of it…
Had been spent in one go.
Using the "New Trainer First Purchase 50% Discount," he bought an Light Ball for Pikachu—completely draining his earnings.
Now, if he wanted to purchase Pokémon items again from the Battle Shop, not only would the prices return to normal, but he would also need to meet the qualification requirements.
If he only needed a few items, and with three to four years still remaining before his official journey began, Ash could have simply continued battling at the Viridian City Arena, slowly accumulating wealth.
But the problem was—
Fearow required too many items.
Because of that, Ash had no choice but to look beyond official channels and purchase them from the open market… at a much higher price.
Fortunately, his online Skill Disc shop was generating massive daily profits. Money wasn't an issue.
Otherwise…
He wouldn't even have the confidence to say all this.
—
"You're buying items for your Fearow? Got it," Clarissa replied. "I'll contact my family shortly and see what they can do."
"Thanks," Ash said.
After discussing the details with her and making sure everything was clear, Ash glanced at the time.
It was already getting late.
Tomorrow morning, he still had to train with his Pokémon.
So he didn't linger on his phone any longer. After tidying up, he called his Pokémon back and went to sleep.
—
The night passed quietly.
Until the first light of dawn broke across the horizon.
—
Through long-term discipline, Ash had already completely rid himself of the habit of sleeping in.
There would be no more situations like before—no more oversleeping and arriving late, like when he had once missed the welcome gathering for the Kalos students during the summer camp.
And certainly…
There would be no repeat of the original storyline—where he overslept on the day he turned ten and had to rush off on his journey in a panic.
The moment his alarm rang, Ash got up immediately, got dressed, washed up, and headed out with his Pokémon for morning training.
—
After a steady run, he arrived at the riverside outside town.
Right on time, Gary Oak came cycling over.
Training together had become part of their daily routine.
And unlike in the original story, Gary no longer had that arrogant, impulsive edge.
After participating in the Pokémon Summer Camp and obtaining his starter early—just like Ash—his strength had grown significantly compared to his original counterpart.
His team's progress was impressive:
Wartortle — LV.25 (Intermediate Tier)
Umbreon — LV.23 (Intermediate Tier)
Even his recently caught Magikarp had been developing steadily.
Unlike Ash's Magikarp, which was trained across multiple skills, Gary kept things simple:
Splash
Tackle
Half of its daily training focused on fundamentals, while the other half was dedicated purely to leveling.
Now, Gary's Magikarp had also reached:
LV.15 — Beginner Tier (peak)
It stood on equal footing with Ash's own Magikarp—Valor—and his Feebas—Lumina.
Evolution into Gyarados was just around the corner.
—
"Morning, Ash!"
"Morning, Gary!"
They exchanged casual greetings—no unnecessary politeness between them.
Then, each moved to their own side of the riverbank and began assigning training tasks to their Pokémon.
—
"Pikachu," Ash said, glancing at the little electric mouse, "I won't go over your training again."
"I've already taught you:"
Thunderbolt
Thunder Wave
Volt Tackle
Quick Attack
Electroweb
"What I need now… is for you to master them."
"Push all of them to Mastered proficiency."
—
Pikachu had already reached a highly polished level in all aspects. Its combat strength was mature and stable.
At this stage, Ash didn't need to micromanage it.
All Pikachu needed was:
Consistent daily training
Increasing move proficiency
Real battle experience to level up
And more importantly—
Pikachu was diligent by nature.
With Greninja, Pidgeot, and Fearow constantly chasing from behind, the competitive pressure within the team ensured that Pikachu would never slack off.
—
After assigning Pikachu's training, Ash moved on to the rest of his team.
Truthfully, calling it "assigning new tasks" was a bit misleading.
It was more like…
Reinforcing existing ones.
Even with their exceptional talent and the assistance of the Ascension Trainer System, progress didn't happen overnight.
Each training goal still required two to three days to complete.
And even when new tasks were introduced, they were simply extensions of the same core focus:
Improving move mastery
Enhancing physical and battle capabilities
The structure didn't change much.
But Ash still made it a habit to go over everything daily.
Because for his Pokémon—
Clear direction mattered.
Without it, they might feel lost.
After all, they were still young, pure-hearted creatures.
Their reliance on Ash wasn't a weakness—
It was trust.
—
"Pika!"
"Croak!"
"Pidgeot!"
"Kyaa!"
After receiving their instructions, all six Pokémon responded energetically before dispersing to begin their morning training.
—
Meanwhile, Ash headed toward Stone Bridge and Dashiwan Valley.
During the night, many injured or sick wild Pokémon had gathered at the two makeshift clinics.
Now, it was time to treat them.
Stone Bridge — 12 Pokémon
Dashiwan Valley — 14 Pokémon
—
With his Viridian Power now at LV.55, Ash's efficiency had increased dramatically.
On average, treating around 70 Pokémon granted him enough experience to level up once.
Of course, as his level rose, the required experience would only increase.
The number "70" would continue to climb.
But Ash wasn't bothered.
He had already expected this.
In fact…
He was more than satisfied.
After all, his Aura training—despite requiring two hours of meditation every night—had only reached LV.23 so far.
Compared to that…
Viridian Power's growth was incredibly efficient.
—
Once he finished treating all the Pokémon, they gradually dispersed.
Some left behind berries—like Oran Berries or Pecha Berries—as tokens of gratitude.
Others simply expressed their thanks before leaving.
Ash didn't mind either way.
To wild Pokémon, food was precious—especially berries with special effects.
He never treated them differently because of it.
—
After they left, Ash returned to the riverside training ground.
He checked on his Pokémon.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
—
Satisfied, he began his own training.
Because as a trainer—
Without a strong body, how could he carry Pikachu on his shoulder?
And in the future…
How would he handle a Pokémon like Larvitar?
Moreover, once his Pokémon became more independent and his Aura grew stronger, he planned to begin advanced Aura development training.
For that…
A solid physical foundation was essential.
—
Running.
Weighted squats.
Frog jumps.
Push-ups.
Sit-ups…
—
An hour passed quickly.
After finishing his morning workout, Ash hurried back home with his Pokémon—
Just in time for breakfast.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals