"Boss, so this is a Gym Badge?"
Meowth stared at Ash's badge with pure curiosity.
"Yeah. Collect eight of these and we qualify for the League. I wonder what kind of opponents we'll face then."
"Who cares We're gonna win for sure"
"Confidence is good, but never underestimate your opponent. And Pikachu, don't you think you should cut back on the ketchup?" Ash looked at Pikachu, who was currently chugging straight from a bottle, and sighed.
"Ralts!"
"Alright, alright, I'm holding your hand, Ralts. But when you grow up, you can't be this clingy, okay? A lady needs her independence."
Watching the interaction between Ash and his Pokémon, Brock couldn't help but comment, "Ash, your Pokémon really do adore you."
Misty nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they're practically glued to him."
As for why Brock had joined the group, it was simple: the man named Flint was actually Brock's father. After witnessing the battle between Ash and his son, Flint realized he needed to man up and return to his responsibilities, allowing Brock to pursue his own dream of becoming a top Pokémon Breeder. After entrusting his father with a list of his siblings' favorite foods, Brock had sprinted to catch up with Ash and Misty.
Ash and Misty welcomed him gladly—after all, a journey is better with friends. Along the way, Brock had been observing Ash's team, particularly his Miltank.
"Ash, your Miltank is exceptionally well-raised. Her milk quality is top-tier."
"She's a handful to care for, though. Requires a massage every single day. Alright, up you go!" Ash patted the Miltank, who was so relaxed she was about to doze off. But the moment he finished, he looked at the line of his other Pokémon waiting their turn and felt that perhaps practicing martial arts was a good choice—if only to build the stamina for all these massages.
*
"Mt. Moon, huh? They say it's famous for falling meteors," Brock remarked as they stood before the mountain.
To save time, the trio took a shortcut through Mt. Moon. Ash mused, "Meteors? I recall those are actually Moon Stones. They help specific Pokémon evolve..."
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"
A piercing scream cut Ash off. They couldn't just ignore someone in trouble, so the three of them dashed toward the source of the cry. When they arrived, they saw a researcher being swarmed by a colony of Zubat. To end it quickly, Ash pulled out Growlithe's Luxury Ball.
"Growlithe, use Fire Spin! Save him!"
"Woof! Woof!"
However, Ash had forgotten one small detail. His Growlithe hadn't seen much official combat, but that wasn't because he was weak—it was because he had been trained by the Alpha Pokémon back home. He was a powerhouse.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
The researcher's scream intensified as a massive vortex of flames swallowed both him and the Zubat. Ash pulled his hat lower, his voice calm. "Everything is going according to plan. Chansey, go heal the victim."
"..." Misty and Brock stared. They were 100% certain this was not according to plan. After Chansey treated the singed researcher (who was still unconscious), the group moved deeper into the cave.
As they entered the inner caverns, Ash's expression darkened. The way the cave was being excavated was reckless.
"The League allows mining here, but not like this. This is illegal. It's destroying the ecosystem," Ash said. He immediately pulled out his gear to contact Professor Oak.
"Professor, it's Ash. There's a major issue at Mt. Moon. The mining here is illegal and highly destructive to the Pokémon habitats. You should send someone to investigate... Understood, I'll handle things on this end for now."
Hanging up, Ash turned to the others. "The League will have people here soon. But before that..."
He watched a Clefairy hop past them. Ash took out a Poké Ball. "I need to catch a Clefairy for a friend. She mentioned she needed one to help her with some... acting roles." Ash was thinking of Diantha, who had mentioned needing a Clefairy as a co-star.
But just as he was about to throw the ball, a man rushed out to block him.
"Ambush" Meowth didn't hesitate. He lunged forward with a flying kick, sending the man tumbling. Before the intruder could recover, Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and delivered a Thunderbolt.
"ZZZZ-AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
The man lay on the ground, smoking.
"You got some nerve tryin' to sneak up on the Boss!"
Misty looked at the charred man. "Ash... is he okay?"
"Relax, he'll just be down for a little while. I still have a Clefairy to catch."
"Stop right there!" The man struggled to his feet, looking at Ash with tearful, sincere eyes. "How can you be so cruel? Why can't you just let the Clefairy live in peace? Don't you know catching them makes their lives miserable? Just let them live here freely!"
Ash stared at the man's sincere expression for a second. Then, his face went cold.
"Beat him up."
"Get 'em"
"Pika-pi!"
"Ralts!"
"Lucky!"
"Woof!"
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
As the Pokémon swarmed the man in a coordinated beatdown, Brock shook his head. "Honestly... how can someone be so stupid as to seek death like this?"
Misty looked confused. "What do you mean? Why did Ash get so mad?"
Brock sighed and explained, "Misty, you know my dream is to be the world's best Pokémon Breeder, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Ash is effectively a Master Breeder himself. Look at the way he massages his team—it's a high-level specialized technique. A Breeder's entire philosophy is centered on making Pokémon happy. You can see how much his Pokémon love him; that's proof of his skill and care. But that man just implied that Ash—someone who literally dedicates his life to his Pokémon's happiness—was a cruel trainer who makes them miserable."
"Oh... I get it now," Misty muttered. "He basically insulted Ash's life's work and his relationship with his family. Yeah... he totally had it coming."
By insulting the bond between Ash and his Pokémon, the man had stepped directly onto a Breeder's greatest taboo.