Totodile — the Big Jaw Pokémon.
Its body was aqua blue, with bright yellow markings and four small red spikes along its back. Its jaws were well-developed and powerful, and it had an instinctive tendency to bite anything that caught its interest. Its reflexes were sharp—sometimes overly so.
"Totodile!"
Angered by Treecko's earlier strike, it fired another Water Gun, the stream blasting toward Ash and Treecko.
"Treecko, Quick Attack!"
Treecko blurred into motion, dashing across the river stones in a zigzag pattern. Afterimages flickered behind it. This speed had not come naturally—it was the result of Ash's deliberate high-intensity agility training after capturing Treecko.
Speed and jumping power were Treecko's greatest talents.
Now was the time to display the results.
In a blink, Treecko appeared directly in front of Totodile and slammed forward with a full-body Quick Attack.
"Boom!"
"Totodile!"
Totodile was knocked backward, flipping through the air—yet it adjusted its posture mid-flight and landed firmly on the grass.
Ash's eyes sharpened.
"Impressive. Strong defensive structure and excellent balance control."
Even after taking a super-effective hit earlier, it wasn't seriously injured. That physical durability was rare among Totodile.
"This one's worth training," Ash murmured.
Suddenly—
Totodile's eyes turned fierce.
Before Treecko could react, Totodile lunged forward, claws glowing white.
"Slash."
The sharp strike came down from above, hitting Treecko squarely on the head.
"Treee!"
Treecko staggered back, feeling as if struck by a heavy stone. The power behind the move was far beyond what one would expect from an ordinary Elite-level Pokémon.
Ash immediately understood.
This Totodile likely came from strong lineage—its parents were at least quasi-Champion level, possibly even Champion-tier.
But Treecko did not fall.
Under Ash's brutal training methods, endurance was practically a passive ability for his Pokémon. Daily high-intensity combat drills had forged iron resilience into them.
Treecko gritted its teeth.
"Treecko, Iron Tail!"
Treecko leapt upward, spinning midair. Its tail flashed black with metallic sheen and came crashing down toward Totodile's head.
"Totodile!"
Totodile opened its mouth and released a harsh, grating cry—Scary Face.
Treecko instinctively flinched, its momentum slowing for a split second.
"Don't stop!" Ash commanded calmly. "Seed Bomb!"
Treecko endured the mental pressure and fired orange-red seeds at close range.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Totodile cried out in pain as the Grass-type attack struck directly. Grass strongly countered Water—dealing double damage.
Now visibly wounded, Totodile dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
Ash didn't hesitate.
A golden Poké Ball appeared in his hand.
He threw it smoothly.
The ball struck Totodile and opened in a flash of red light, drawing it inside.
Shake.
Shake.
Shake.
Click.
Capture confirmed.
This golden Master Ball was one Ash had personally crafted. Through a rare lottery reward, he had obtained advanced spatial compression technology—allowing him to manufacture enhanced Poké Balls with vastly expanded internal space.
All of his main Pokémon now resided in custom golden Master Balls.
The interior space allowed free movement and comfortable rest—far superior to standard Poké Balls sold on the market. Most people had no idea what kind of device Ash was truly using.
Only one limitation frustrated him slightly:
The spatial compression technology seemed optimized strictly for Poké Ball structures. Even if he modified it, it wouldn't expand his storage ring further.
Ash picked up the golden Master Ball and pressed the release button.
Totodile reappeared, slightly dazed but no longer hostile.
Ash smiled faintly.
"Very good. Another partner."
Totodile blinked up at him.
Then—
"Totodile!"
It grinned widely.
Ash chuckled.
"And you're one of my favorites."
"Totodile!"
The newly captured Totodile puffed out its chest proudly, as if already considering itself a veteran member of the team.
At that moment—
"Ash, what are you doing? It's so noisy."
Sabrina walked over from the cabin, fully dressed after washing up. The rest of Ash's Pokémon trailed behind her. Her tone carried mild dissatisfaction—clearly, the earlier battle had disturbed her rest.
Ash coughed lightly.
"Sorry. I just caught a Totodile. Things got a bit… energetic."
Sabrina narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew that expression on his face.
"Energetic?"
There was the faintest hint of amusement behind her calm exterior.
Ash scratched the back of his head. He had indeed been thinking that since they were awake now, they might as well depart earlier than planned.
"Humph."
Sabrina turned and walked back toward the cabin.
Ash sighed softly and followed her inside.
After a brief but effective "sweet appeasement," Sabrina's mood visibly improved. Her expression softened, and the earlier chill disappeared.
Once everything was packed, Ash formed hand seals.
"Mokuton."
The wooden cabin trembled slightly. Then the structure disassembled into wooden fragments, dissolving into lifeless timber before scattering and fading into the surrounding forest as if it had never existed.
Treecko watched with shining eyes.
Even now, the concept of Mokuton—true Wood Release—remained something it could not fully grasp. But someday, it would.
"Pika~"
Pikachu sat comfortably on Ash's shoulder, holding a bright red apple with both paws and nibbling happily. Sweet-and-sour fruit was Pikachu's daily necessity. Without it, Pikachu's mood would plummet dramatically.
Ash never understood why.
But fruit was hardly an expense worth mentioning for him.
Totodile walked alongside them, occasionally hopping excitedly, still brimming with energy despite the recent battle.
Several hours later, Ash and Sabrina finally arrived at Goldenrod City in the Johto region.
Goldenrod was vastly different from the smaller towns they had passed through. Bustling shopping districts, department stores, wide streets, and constant pedestrian flow—it was one of Johto's most prosperous cities.
Ahead stood their destination.
The Goldenrod Gym.
Ash adjusted his cap slightly and stepped forward.
"The third Gym."
His eyes held a faint glimmer of anticipation.
"I just hope it's not too boring."
Beside him, Sabrina said nothing—but her gaze suggested she was curious to see whether this Gym Leader could meet Ash's expectations.