After Red departed, Ash and Brock took a brief moment to rest before heading back up the mountain to regroup with Serena.
"You guys are back!"
Seeing Ash and Brock approaching, Serena happily walked over to meet them. She was cradling a small, chubby pink Pokémon in her arms. At first glance, it looked like it could be a Clefairy...
"Why does this Clefairy look so weird?"
Ash stared at the Pokémon in Serena's arms, a massive question mark practically floating above his head. He looked up at her.
"Serena, did you tie a Clefairy's hair into a ponytail?"
"...No." Serena was genuinely shocked by Ash's observational skills. No matter how you looked at it, the Pokémon in her arms looked nothing like a Clefairy. "This is a Happiny."
"A Happiny?"
"Piny!"
Hearing its name called, Happiny threw its tiny arms into the air and chirped energetically.
Realizing it was a Pokémon he didn't recognize, Ash immediately pulled out his Pokédex to scan it.
"Beep. Happiny, the Playhouse Pokémon. It loves round, white things. It carries a round, egg-shaped rock in its belly pouch, and sometimes gives this rock to people it likes. It is the pre-evolved form of Chansey."
"Piny!"
"Oh! It's Chansey's pre-evolved form!" Ash nodded in sudden realization. "So you actually managed to find a Chansey, Serena?"
"Not quite." Serena shook her head and explained what happened after the boys left.
She had originally planned to catch a Clefairy, but there were so many of them bouncing around the summit that she had no idea which one to pick. After thinking about it, she simply set out a massive picnic of Pokémon food, letting the wild fairies eat to their heart's content. Her plan was to just pick the one with the biggest appetite.
While a big appetite didn't automatically equate to combat strength, a strong Pokémon definitely needed to eat well. Besides, Serena had no intention of using her Pokémon for standard battles anyway. If she was going to participate in Pokémon Showcases, a Pokémon with a healthier appetite would naturally have a shinier coat and a cuter, rounder appearance, giving her a massive advantage.
So she put her plan into motion. And almost immediately, her eyes were drawn to a tiny Happiny that was absolutely devouring everything in sight.
The little pink baby's appetite was absolutely bottomless. Furthermore, Serena thought the little creature was incredibly adorable. After a bit of basic interaction, Serena used her delicious cooking to successfully capture the Happiny.
"And that's basically the whole story." Serena happily rubbed her cheek against Happiny's head. "She's just so cute."
"Piny!"
"That's awesome! Congratulations, Serena!" Ash was genuinely thrilled for her.
"Thank you! Did you manage to catch that Kangaskhan, Ash? Speaking of which, where is Red?"
"Red already left to continue his journey." Ash rubbed the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed. "And I didn't catch the Kangaskhan. I caught a Weedle."
"Huh? What happened?" The power gap between a Weedle and a Kangaskhan was astronomically huge. Serena looked at Ash in surprise. "Did something go wrong?"
"I guess I just had a deeper bond with Weedle than with Kangaskhan," Ash laughed, scratching his head. He then gave Serena a completely unfiltered, play-by-play recount of the utterly bizarre capture attempt.
"Wow..." Hearing the full story, Serena honestly had no idea what to say. She could only offer some words of comfort. "Don't be too discouraged, Ash. Weedle's final evolution, Beedrill, is incredibly strong. Plus, I've heard that Shiny Pokémon sometimes possess unique abilities compared to normal ones."
Ash just looked at her weirdly.
"I'm not discouraged at all?"
"Uh..."
Serena instantly found herself at a loss for words.
Thankfully, Brock stepped in to smooth things over.
"Alright, well, everyone managed to catch a partner they're happy with. Ash, what are you planning to do next?"
"I'm going to head back to Pewter City first to get my Gym Badge. After that, I'll make my way to Cerulean City," Ash explained his itinerary. He then looked at Serena and Brock. "You guys are heading to Cerulean City, right? I guess this is where we split up."
But before Serena could even open her mouth to protest, Brock spoke up.
"About the Pewter Gym... hold on a second, Ash."
Brock reached into his backpack and rummaged around for a moment. He pulled out a sleek, gray, octagonal badge and handed it directly to Ash.
"Here."
"Is this... the Pewter City Gym Badge?" Ash stared at the object in shock. His head snapped up to look at Brock. "Brock, don't tell me you..."
Brock nodded calmly. "Exactly. I am the—"
"Are you giving me a fake badge?!" Ash leaped backward like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "No way! I can't accept this! I have to earn my badges with my own strength! Plus, Brock, do you know forging League Badges is highly illegal?!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Serena nervously looked around the clearing. "There's no one around right now! Brock, put that away quickly! Don't worry, we won't report you to Officer Jenny!"
"...Where exactly did your imaginations take you?" Brock didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I haven't broken any laws, and this isn't a fake badge. Actually, it really is my badge."
"Look, I'll just be honest with you two." Seeing their completely bewildered expressions, Brock chuckled and confessed. "I am actually the Pewter City Gym Leader. I'm currently traveling to find my lost companions, so my father is temporarily acting as the substitute Leader in my place."
"Oh, that makes sense." Ash finally understood. However, looking at the Boulder Badge in Brock's hand, he still hesitated to take it. "But... is this really okay? We haven't even battled yet."
"At the end of the day, Gym Battles are just a system to test if a Trainer possesses the necessary skills to wield a badge. It doesn't strictly mean a battle must happen," Brock explained, shaking his head. "Watching your match against Red just now proved your strength to me completely. Without a doubt, you are entirely qualified to possess this badge."
"Take it."
"Uh..." Hearing Brock's reasoning, Ash's rigid stance softened slightly. He thought about it for a moment before looking Brock in the eye.
"I'll take the badge. But Brock, you have to promise to have an official Pokémon battle with me!"
"Huh?"
"Holding this badge without actually battling the Gym Leader just feels weird," Ash admitted.
"I see." A warm smile spread across Brock's face. "Of course. I accept your challenge anytime."
"Alright! Then let's—"
"But definitely not right now," Brock quickly interrupted, seeing Ash's hand reaching for a Poké Ball. "Your Pokémon are exhausted from that intense battle with Red. What they need right now is proper rest. You don't want them battling until they collapse from fatigue, do you?"
"Hmm..." Ash slowly lowered his hand. "You're right. Froakie and the others need a good break."
"Once your team is fully recovered, we'll have our match," Brock promised, firmly placing the badge in Ash's hand. "In that case, your next destination is Cerulean City too, right?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah. Time to head to the second Gym."
"That's great, Ash! We get to keep traveling together!"
Serena beamed at him, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower.
Ash looked at Serena's joyful expression. He froze for a second before quickly averting his gaze, a slight nod escaping him.
"Yeah. It's pretty great."
"Then let's take a proper break here."
Brock rolled up his sleeves.
"Perfect timing, actually. Let me show you guys my cooking skills."
...
After a thoroughly relaxing break at the summit of Mt. Moon, the trio finally began the trek toward Cerulean City.
Along the way, Ash absolutely refused to halt his training regime. He worked out right alongside Froakie, Mimikyu, and Weedle. Following its defeat against Red, Froakie had escalated its training to an insanely brutal level.
It did squats and push-ups with massive boulders strapped to its back. It hauled heavy tree trunks to build arm strength. It stood under roaring waterfalls and viciously chopped at the water with its bare hands until the flow literally severed... If Froakie didn't possess such distinct Water-type features, Brock and Serena would have genuinely assumed it was a Fighting-type Pokémon.
But the most shocking part wasn't the Pokémon's training... it was Ash's.
He practiced strength training alongside Froakie. He practiced high-speed sprinting alongside Mimikyu. And he practiced String Shot and Poison Sting alongside Weedle...
Okay, the first two made some sense, but how exactly do you practice Bug-type moves alongside a bug?! Even more absurd, how the heck was Ash genuinely acting as an instructor for the Poison Sting move?!
Serena watched as Ash held a sharpened wooden stick, earnestly explaining the mechanics to the Weedle sitting attentively on a rock. Serena couldn't help but speak up.
"Ash, how are you teaching Weedle how to use Poison Sting? You can't shoot needles out of your head..."
"Hmm? Well, the way I see it, Poison Sting is basically just a test of accuracy and throwing force, right?" Ash scratched his head, looking at the wooden stick in his hand. "So as long as Weedle trains its accuracy and precision to the absolute limit, the proficiency of its Poison Sting should naturally improve by a massive margin, right?"
"That logic isn't entirely flawed," Brock nodded. But looking at the wooden needle in Ash's hand, he had to ask. "But Ash, have you ever actually learned throwing techniques?"
"Nope." Ash replied. Without warning, he casually flicked his wrist and threw the wooden stick.
Thwack!
Brock and Serena watched in stunned silence as the wooden needle sailed through the air, pierced perfectly through the dead center of a tiny leaf in the distance, and buried itself deeply into the tree trunk behind it.
"But I don't feel like it's that hard."
Serena and Brock exchanged a deeply disturbed look.
Why do I get the feeling... if Ash just jumped into the arena and physically fought Red's Pokémon himself, his win rate would actually be higher?
Ahem. Although Ash's training methods ran entirely on a bizarre brand of cartoon logic where "if he believed it worked, it worked," it was impossible to deny its effectiveness. After all, if your physically frail human Trainer was completing the exact same hellish workout beside you, what excuse did you have not to train to the brink of death?
Though applying the word "frail" to Ash was highly debatable at this point.
Under this bizarre, fanatical training atmosphere, the group made steady progress. During the journey, Ash and Brock finally had their long-awaited Gym Battle.
The final result? Froakie entirely soloed Brock's entire three-Pokémon team.
This was completely expected. Not only was Froakie already horrifyingly strong for a starter Pokémon, but Brock's team consisted entirely of Rock and Ground-types. They were fundamentally countered by Water-types. Froakie essentially one-punched its way through the entire roster with absolute ease.
Having successfully farmed his Gym Battle experience, a highly satisfied Ash continued his bizarrely effective physical training. A few days later, the trio successfully arrived in Cerulean City.
Thanks to the journey, the combat strength of Ash and his team had ascended to an entirely new level.
"So this is Cerulean City?" Feeling that his martial arts had reached a new plateau, Ash was in incredibly high spirits. His eyes fiercely scanned the urban landscape. "Where's the Cerulean Gym?! Let's crash through it in one breath, Froakie!"
"Fro."
Froakie responded lazily. This wasn't a sign of apathy; rather, Froakie had entered a state of 'Hidden Spirit'—a state of profound, internalized focus. It was acting like a cannon violently compressing energy, storing its power to unleash it all in a single, devastating blast when the moment required it.
This was a brand-new technique Ash and Froakie had specifically developed to counter Red. As for whether or not it actually worked...
Well, they were about to test it out.
"Hold on a second, Ash. You haven't contacted Professor Oak in a really long time, right?"
Serena quickly stopped Ash before he could sprint away. She pointed to the nearby Pokémon Center.
"Shouldn't you at least give the Professor an update before doing anything else?"
"Huh?"
Ash paused.
"Oh, yeah. I guess I really should talk to Professor Oak. Alright, let's head to the Pokémon Center and make a call first."
The trio walked into the Center together. Ash found an open public video phone and dialed the Oak Laboratory. After a short wait, Professor Oak appeared on the screen, happily slurping down a cup of instant ramen.
"Oh, if it isn't Ash!" Professor Oak smiled at the screen. "What took you so long to call me?"
"Uh... I just finally found a city." Ash scratched his head. "I've been in the forest this whole time, so I didn't have a chance to call."
"What? Are you telling me you've been wandering around the forest for almost two full months?!" Professor Oak stared at Ash in disbelief. "You really know how to take your time. Where are you right now?"
"I'm in Cerulean City."
"Cerulean City? Not Pewter City?" Professor Oak blinked. "Well, whatever. How many Pokémon have you caught so far?"
"I caught two new partners!" Ash unclipped his Poké Balls, letting Mimikyu and Weedle pop out into the camera's view. "These two!"
"A Mimikyu? And a Shiny Weedle?!" Professor Oak leaned closer to the screen in surprise. "It looks like you've had quite the successful harvest. But to think that Mimikyu inhabit the Viridian Forest... that is a fascinating research topic..."
"...Professor?"
"Hm? Oh, sorry. I got distracted." Professor Oak coughed into his hand. "Well, while your progress is certainly beyond what I imagined, you still need to work a bit harder, Ash! The other Trainers who left on the same day as you are already tackling their sixth Gym, and they've caught between thirty and forty different species of Pokémon!"
"Not to mention, Goh actually encountered the Legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh!" Professor Oak took another loud slurp of ramen. "You need to learn from them, Ash!"
"Ho-Oh, huh..." Ash muttered to himself. "I kinda want to battle it."
"What kind of nonsense is that child spouting? Do you think just anyone can meet Ho-Oh?"
"You can't say that, Professor!" Ash puffed his cheeks out in dissatisfaction. "Just because I haven't met Ho-Oh yet doesn't mean I won't meet it later! Besides, it's not like I haven't met a Mythical Pokémon either!"
"I actually met Mew!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Professor Oak violently slammed his head toward the screen, practically jumping through the monitor and scaring Ash half to death. "You met Mew?! Where?! When?! Did you record the Pokédex data?!"
"Uh." Caught entirely off guard by the Professor's sudden, rabid enthusiasm, Ash took a step back. "I met Mew in the forest. As for when... I kinda don't remember."
"Serena, do you remember what day that was?"
Hearing Ash call her name, Serena stepped into the camera's frame. She smiled and offered a polite greeting.
"It's been a long time, Professor Oak."
"You are..."
"I'm Serena. I participated in the Pokémon Summer Camp you organized when I was a little girl."
"Oh, oh! I remember now!" Professor Oak realized. "You were the child who got lost in the woods! Oh my, that was an incredibly stressful situation. I was just about to organize a massive search party."
Hearing the Professor bring it up himself, Serena's smile faded slightly. She took a deep breath and asked the burning question.
"Actually, Professor Oak... do you happen to remember... who exactly brought me back to the camp that day?"
"Hmm? Let me think..." Professor Oak rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I believe... it was Goh who brought you back."
Hearing the answer, all the air left Serena's lungs. She shot a quiet, conflicted look at Ash, who was standing beside her entirely oblivious. Biting her lip, she pressed further.
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"Pretty sure, yes." Professor Oak nodded. "Why do you ask? Did something happen?"
"It's nothing. Just thinking about childhood memories." Serena forced a strained smile and stepped back out of the camera's view.
Was my guess really wrong...?
Serena thought to herself, a profound sense of disappointment settling heavily in her chest.
Ash didn't notice Serena's distress at all. He was currently fully occupied dealing with Professor Oak's frantic demands.
"Hey! Ash! Hurry up and upload your Pokédex data! With that data, I'll finally have a basic foundational understanding of Mew!"
"I know, I know! Give me a second... let's see, I just press this to upload, right...?"