Saffron City, Pokémon Center.
"Strange… why isn't there a single person on the streets?" Ash sat at the dining table, arms crossed, feeling a chill.
"Maybe because it's nighttime?" Misty glanced outside.
"Even so, it shouldn't be this deserted," Brock added.
"Everyone." Nurse Joy carried a tray and placed it before the group.
She hesitated, but still asked:
"Are you here to challenge the Saffron City Gym?"
"Any requests, Nurse Joy? I'll gladly help!" Brock immediately leaned in.
"Ahaha… it's like this." Nurse Joy looked serious as she warned them:
"No matter who it is, if you're going to challenge the Saffron Gym, my advice is to skip it and head to another city."
"Huh? But if we use Ghost-type Pokémon, won't that work?" Ash mumbled through his dinner, pointing to Gastly beside him.
"Even with that child, it wouldn't be enough." Joy shook her head pessimistically.
"Besides, if you go up against the Gym Leader Sabrina, even you could be in danger."
*Gengaaa~!* Natsume released a round, plump purple figure.
**Gengar, Lv.86**
Joy: "…"
She fell silent, then quietly picked up the tray and retreated to the back.
Looks like the one in danger might be Sabrina.
Maybe letting this group teach her a lesson wouldn't be so bad—at least then Joy wouldn't always have to rush to the Gym to drag people out.
*Chansey~* Chansey followed behind curiously, wondering why her trainer, who usually tried to dissuade challengers, suddenly gave up halfway today.
"Why did Nurse Joy say we'd be in danger?" Misty asked.
"Who cares about danger? We'll just battle!" Ash brushed it off.
"Because the Saffron Gym not only specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon—the Gym Leader herself is also a psychic," Brock explained.
As a former Gym Leader of two years, he knew a fair bit about other Gyms.
"Psychic…" Ash repeated the word.
"Natsume, does being a psychic give them an advantage in battles?"
Natsume raised his head.
"Psychics can communicate with their Pokémon through the mind. Even without commands, their coordination is flawless—it's hard to defend against."
"Natsume's right. And besides…" Brock paused, keeping them in suspense.
"It's said psychics have telekinesis, stronger than some Psychic-type Pokémon—they can even turn people into dolls!"
"Wha—?!" Ash jumped in shock, worried.
"If I win and she can't handle the loss, what if she turns me into a doll?"
"Oh, honestly. You're already fantasizing about victory before the battle even begins." Misty facepalmed.
"Relax, Ash." Natsume patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.
"She's got psychic power, but you've got super strength."
Natsume wasn't joking. Thanks to that SSS-grade Pallet Town Project, he could see all of Ash's *stats* at will.
Since the start of their journey, Ash's attributes had increased fivefold.
Not even three months had passed—fivefold! Even Mewtwo, still pushing itself to the limit, would cry if it saw this growth.
Natsume once thought he could one day catch up. What a naïve thought.
Ash's stats were growing at a terrifying natural rate.
Fortunately, the system based its tasks on the *baseline* stats Ash had when Natsume first met him.
So, there was no *impossible-to-complete* bug of a mission.
"Uh, Natsume… what's super strength?" Ash looked confused.
"Go arm-wrestle Dragonite." Natsume waved Dragonite over.
"Really? I won't lose!" Ash's eyes lit up with excitement at the challenge.
"He's messing with you again—don't actually do it!" Misty tugged Ash's ear.
But Dragonite extended her arm, gripping Ash's hand.
"Hey, hey, hey—are you serious? You're really going through with this?!" Misty was shocked. She had thought Natsume was only joking.
"Natsume, won't Ash get hurt?" Misty looked at Ash with concern.
But to her surprise, Ash and Dragonite were actually evenly matched.
"Ahhhh!" Ash's face turned red, almost purple.
*Grrrrr!* Dragonite's expression twisted, her bulging eyes showing how much effort she was exerting.
*Crash!*
Under their struggle, the table gave way and shattered. Natsume earned himself a new bill.
"Haaah…" Ash panted heavily.
How strange—Dragonite's strength was fluctuating.
*Grrr…* Dragonite panted heavily too.
How strange—this human's strength kept surging.
Ash and Dragonite sat back-to-back, drinking water as they rested.
"Excellent, Ash!" Natsume picked up Ash's fallen cap and set it back on his head.
"If Sabrina dares use psychic powers on you, then you hit her with your super strength."
Compared to how things played out originally, Ash's physical condition had clearly improved.
Natsume figured it was because back in Pallet Town, he had dragged Ash all over the place every day.
After years of such training, Ash had grown stronger ahead of schedule.
"This is amazing, Natsume! I never thought I had this kind of ability!" Ash stared at his hands in disbelief.
"Huh? This can't be real, right?" Misty was stunned.
"Incredible…" Brock's gaze toward Ash changed.
From now on, he figured Ash's meals should be prepared at the same level as Dragonite's.
The next day.
Misty was still in shock. On the way to the Gym, she circled Ash, inspecting him up and down.
"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you staring at me like that?" Ash squirmed uncomfortably.
After thinking a moment, Misty carefully pulled out a Pokéball and tossed it at Ash's head.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not a Pokémon! Don't start doing the same weird stuff Natsume does!"
The Pokéball flashed red, enveloping Ash, but nothing happened. It simply fell to the ground.
"Oh… so he's not." Misty lowered her head, disappointed.
"What, you were hoping I was?!" Ash snapped.
"By the way, Ash, who's your father?" Brock walked over.
"My dad? He left a long time ago. Why are you asking?" Ash tilted his head.
"Haha, I was just wondering if it's a genetic thing."
Brock's words sparked a thought in Natsume. His gaze darkened slightly.
*Wait… has Giovanni's Mewtwo project been completed yet?*
*What if they used Ash's cells instead?*
*After all, Mewtwo was created by combining Mew's and human genes.*
*If Ash's genes were used… maybe Mewtwo would really surpass expectations.*
As these thoughts lingered, the group arrived at the Saffron Gym.
"Come on, let's go in!" Ash was thrilled, his fighting spirit blazing.
"Wait!"
A deep, weary male voice called from behind.
They turned to see a man in work clothes and a cap pulled low, showing only his bearded chin.
"Mister, what is it?" Ash asked.
"You're here to challenge the Saffron Gym, aren't you? I came to persuade you to give up," the man said with a slow shake of his head.
"Someone already tried to talk us out of it yesterday. We're not giving up!" Ash crossed his arms and raised them proudly.
*Pika!* Pikachu understood, slapping him a high-five.
*Piii…* Midchu's bubble popped on his nose, his dream shattered. Angrily, it bit Ash's finger.
"Ow!"
Seeing that none of them took his warning seriously, the man sighed and shook his head in disappointment.
"Fine, you won't give up until you hit the wall. Go on then." His gaze was heavy as he turned and walked away.
In a little while, he'd have to put in the effort to rescue this unlucky bunch again.
You can read more (around 80+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https ://ravenarchives .com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.