"Are they going to be okay?"
As Ash carried Misty out of Viridian Forest, she looked back toward the dense trees with a look of concern. The screams of Team Rocket and the Samurai boy were still echoing in her ears.
Setting his Pokémon down to rest, Ash replied, "They'll be fine. That Samurai is a Bug-type trainer, so he definitely has a plan for dealing with wild swarms. As for Team Rocket... they seem unusually durable. How about it, Meowth? Did you pin our location?"
Meowth checked his handheld device. "We're out of the woods, Boss! Pewter City is just ahead."
"Pewter means gray—the color of stone. Pewter City has been famous for its rocks since ancient times. Now, listen, I know young people enjoy public displays of affection, but please don't stand on my merchandise to do it."
An older man sat nearby, watching the two of them. He looked quite unimpressed as Ash stood there still holding Misty in a bridal carry.
Misty finally snapped out of it, realizing she was still in Ash's arms. She scrambled down, her face turning beet red. "No, it's not like that! We were escaping Beedrill! Anyway... Ash, thank you."
"It's nothing. Girls generally have less stamina than guys, so it's only right to look out for you," Ash said casually. He then looked at the man's wares. "But mister, you said these rocks are your merchandise? Looking at them, most of these look normal."
The man looked surprised. "You know your stones, kid. I'm Flint, a stone salesman. But looking at you, I take it you aren't interested in buying rocks to weigh down your pickles?"
Ash shook his head as he inspected a stone. "I don't like store-bought pickles. I make my own salted vegetables."
Ash reached into his bag, pulled out a small jar, and handed a piece of salted vegetable to Flint. "Want a taste?"
"Oh? Don't mind if I do... Hmm! This is actually good! Better than the stuff at the local Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant in town."
Ash smiled but didn't say a word. There was no need to tell Flint that the "Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant" chain was his own property. "Since you're a local, could you lead us into the city? I'll pay for your time. Also, if you could take us to that restaurant, I think everyone's getting hungry."
Seeing as business was slow anyway, Flint nodded. "Sure, follow me."
Ash recalled Charmander and Kakuna into their Luxury Balls, and the group followed Flint into Pewter City. Along the way, Misty remained silent and blushing. Meowth glanced between the two of them but kept his mouth shut. Pikachu was busy tugging at Ash's sleeve for ketchup, Ralts held Ash's left hand obediently, and Chansey took the right.
*
"We're here."
Flint led them to a large, luxurious building. Misty stared at the grand facade of the Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant. "Wow... is every Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant in every city this big and fancy?"
Flint shook his head. "I wouldn't know. The one in Pewter City has always been like this."
"The scale is standardized," Ash noted matter-of-factly. "But let's eat first. Talking can wait."
As they walked in, the staff immediately lined up.
"Welcome! Oh... Boss?!"
The two hostesses at the door froze. Every employee of the Continental Hotel and the Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant chain knew Ash's face. Ash wasn't worried about being exploited; the Pokémon League was a massive shield, not to mention his ties to the Joy and Jenny families.
"Yeah." Ash said. "Get us a Deluxe Suite."
"Right away, sir!"
Misty whispered to Ash, "What did they mean by 'Boss'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I own the place."
"You're kidding, right?!" Misty gaped. Flint was even more shocked. He knew the Los Pollos Hermanos Restaurant was a subsidiary of the Continental Hotel. If Ash was the owner, this kid starting his journey was actually a multi-billionaire who could buy an entire city.
Ash turned to Flint with a smile. "Since it's lunchtime, why don't you join us? My treat."
"Uh... alright. Much appreciated."
They were led to a massive private suite. Misty and Flint were floored—the room even had a built-in pool for Water-type Pokémon! Ash naturally released his team.
"Rest up, everyone. Charmander, Growlithe—no breathing fire in the room, got it?"
"Char!" "Woof!"
"I'll have them bring up the Fire-type meal sets. Meowth, what do you want?"
Meowth scanned the menu. "I want the fried chicken, Boss!"
"Got it. One fried chicken. Pikachu, for you?" Pikachu pointed at a picture of an apple pie.
While Flint watched in awe, Ash ordered specialized sets for all his Pokémon. He then turned to Misty. "Misty, let your Pokémon out to rest too. The pool water is treated and safe. Get them a Water-type set. And you, mister? What about your Pokémon?"
"Is it really okay to treat my Pokémon too?"
"Of course."
"Alright. They're Rock-types. Come out, Geodude, Graveler, and Golem!"
Ash looked at Flint's Pokémon with a hint of surprise. He could tell immediately that Flint's team was at the Advanced Level.
Power Level Classification
In this world, power levels were categorized as follows:
Novice: Beginners just starting out.Standard: Trainers with a few badges or experience.Advanced: Capable of being Gym Leaders or high-level specialists.Elite: Top-tier tournament contenders.Pseudo-Elite Four: Those on the cusp of greatness.Elite Four: Regional powerhouses.Champion: The pinnacle of human trainers.Legendary: Pokémon that transcend human classification.
"Mister, are you a Gym Leader?" Misty asked, noticing the strength of his Pokémon.
Flint shook his head. "No. The Gym Leader here is a kid named Brock. His Pokémon are also at the Advanced level."
"Advanced, huh? I figured," Ash mused. "Normal trainers aren't usually like that Samurai kid—he was strictly Novice level. Someone like Misty is a much better example of an Advanced trainer."
Misty didn't know how to respond. She was a Gym Leader, and she felt the Samurai was actually a normal level trainer. To her, Ash was the one who was terrifyingly overpowered, able to crush opponents even with a newly evolved Kakuna.
What Misty didn't realize was that Ash had a skewed perception of average. Because he grew up surrounded by the best—Elesa (Gym Leader), Diantha (Champion), and Professor Oak (Champion-tier)—he considered their level to be the baseline.
Furthermore, his own Pokémon like Pikachu had been with him for years, fed on high-end nutritional meals and trained against the Alphas or Boss Pokémon that lived in the woods behind his house. These Alphas were wild Pokémon that sat somewhere between Pseudo-Elite Four and Champion levels.
To Ash, everyone he knew was a monster, so he naturally assumed the rest of the world was just as strong.