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The Jubilife Ribbon shimmered in Ash's case, a trophy of his first major victory in Sinnoh, but he didn't let the glamor slow his pace. The group had departed early, aiming for the coal-dusted streets of Oreburgh City. Maps suggested a single day of travel—a routine trek across the developed mountain passes.
Fate, however, had a different script.
Somewhere between the paved roads and the rising slopes, the trio found themselves swallowed by an unfamiliar, dense forest. The trail had vanished under a carpet of ferns, and the sun was already beginning its descent.
"How... how are we lost?" Dawn asked, her voice echoing with disbelief. She looked at her pink boots, now dusted with forest soil. "I was supposed to be sleeping in a real bed tonight! Soft pillows! Warm showers! Now we're in the middle of nowhere!"
"I... I'm truly sorry," Brock sighed, the map in his hands looking increasingly like an abstract painting. "I must have misread the elevation markers. This detour is entirely on me."
"It's okay, Brock," Ash said, his tone surprisingly upbeat. He looked at the thick canopy above. While the others saw a setback, Ash saw opportunity. A forest this deep was teeming with wild Pokémon that hadn't been thinned out by city travelers. "Getting lost just means we're exploring a route no one else has. Besides, Scizor is already out there making the most of it."
Ash glanced at his Pokétch. The "Gold Coin" ticker on his internal display was rapidly approaching the 5,000 mark. While the group had been walking, his crimson assassin had been systematically dismantling wild encounters in the shadows, padding the team's war chest.
Dawn, seeing Ash's calm and realizing her venting had only made Brock feel worse, quickly adjusted her scarf. "No problem! Really! Getting lost is just... an adventure, right? Sorry, Brock, I didn't mean to snap."
"I've found it!" Brock shouted suddenly, his finger stabbing a point on the map. "If we skirt the base of this mountain tomorrow morning, we'll hit the main road into Oreburgh. But we can't move in this light. We're camping here."
As the tents went up, Ash's mind was already at the Oreburgh Gym. Roark was a Rock-type specialist, a man who valued the unshakeable endurance of stone. To win, Ash needed to be either faster or more durable.
He gathered his team in a small clearing. Pidgeot, Starly, Turtwig, and Aipom lined up, with Pikachu hopping down to join the assembly.
"The first Gym battle is tomorrow," Ash began, his gaze moving between them. "I want the Sinnoh recruits to lead the charge. Starly, you're nearly at the threshold; I can feel it. Turtwig, your Grass-typing gives us the defensive edge we need against Roark's Cranidos."
He paused, looking at Pikachu. The mouse stood tall, sparks dancing on his cheeks, ready to prove his worth. But then Ash thought of the promise he'd made to the crimson warrior currently lurking in the woods.
"Pikachu, I'm sorry buddy, but I'm giving the third slot to Scizor."
Pikachu's ears flickered with a brief moment of disappointment, but he quickly nodded, acknowledging the logic. Scizor had been the backbone of their recent resource gathering, and its Steel-type armor would be a nightmare for Rock-type opponents.
"Alright, everyone! Let's sharpen the edges!"
"Pidgeot!" The raptor ascended instantly, the wind from its wings scattering the leaves. It led Starly into the darkening sky, beginning the grueling process of teaching the fledgling the refined mechanics of Aerial Ace. Starly was reaching its peak; it needed the evolution to unlock its true speed.
Pikachu, seeing he wasn't on the roster for tomorrow, didn't pout. Instead, he took the initiative, vanishing into the deep forest to find high-level wild opponents. If he wasn't battling Roark, he'd spend the night ensuring his own power remained absolute.
Finally, Ash turned to the "Peacekeeper" and the "Performer."
"Aipom, Turtwig—same routine, but higher intensity. Aipom, I want those stones moving faster. Use your tail to add a curve to the throw. Turtwig, the subtle step. If you can dodge a stone in this half-light, you can dodge a Headbutt from a Cranidos."
The forest rang with the sound of snapping branches and the rhythmic thud of stones hitting the earth. As Ash watched them, he felt the gears of the Sinnoh League clicking into place. He wasn't just a trainer; he was a craftsman, and tomorrow, Oreburgh City would see the results of his labor.
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