When Gary had battled him, his ace Pokémon, Wartortle, was already at the peak level. Now that more than half a month had passed since then, it wasn't unreasonable to think Wartortle had evolved into Blastoise.
In the early stages of training, Pokémon with multiple evolutionary forms naturally had a greater advantage. As long as they were well-trained, they could almost always break through a level immediately upon evolving.
Some Trainers even exploited this as a training method, using an Everstone to suppress a Pokémon's evolution until it reached a plateau, then removing it at the right moment to trigger evolution and break through the bottleneck.
Even Sabrina had used this kind of method, deliberately suppressing her Pokémon's form to strengthen its control and focus through rigorous training.
Of course, such an extreme method could only be pulled off by someone like Sabrina, someone who had mastered her psychic powers to an extraordinary degree.
If Gary's Wartortle had indeed evolved into Blastoise, then its current level should be comparable to Ash's Charizard and Gardevoir.But Ash's ace, Pikachu, was still the trump card that could stand above them all!
Thinking about that, Ash felt a faint sense of relief. After all, if he couldn't stay ahead of Gary even with his cheat, that would be embarrassing.
He had the combined knowledge of countless high-tier training and breeding strategies stored in his head. If not for his limited funds, he could probably make his Pokémon grow even faster.
"By the way, Professor Oak," Ash asked curiously, "how are Primeape and the others doing?"
"They're doing great!" Oak's face lit up with genuine admiration. "That Gastly, well, Gengar now, turns out to be quite the trainer itself! Butterfree and Primeape have been improving rapidly under its guidance. Honestly, if that Gengar started its own training school, it could probably pass for a Pokémon Breeder among Pokémon! You really caught a treasure, Ash."
Hearing that, even Ash had to smile. Coming from Professor Oak, who had seen just about everything in the Pokémon world, that was high praise.
Ever since returning from the Saffron Gym, Gastly had stayed in its evolved form. "Too lazy to keep changing back and forth," it had said. Having hands and feet was convenient, and the Gengar form just felt right.
It had even taken up residence in the Oak Laboratory's backyard, enthusiastically teaching Ash's two Butterfree, the original and the pink one, like some kind of instructor.
Under Gengar's tutelage, the two Butterfree had reached Advanced Level and Low Elite Level, respectively.
For a Bug-type Pokémon like Butterfree, growth had slowed after its earlier rapid evolution, a natural "payback" period for its early progress. So while Pidgeotto had already reached Advance Peak, Butterfree had only been at Advance Intermediate until recently.
But after just a few weeks under Gengar's training, Butterfree had already climbed another tier.
As for Primeape, its level was still hovering around Elite Peak, but under Gengar's guidance, it was gradually awakening a new kind of power…
"Speaking of which, Ash," Oak said, a glint in his eye, "you might not believe this, but Primeape's body actually contains traces of another..."
"Ghost-type energy, right?" Ash interrupted casually.
Oak nearly fell off his chair. "How did you know?!"
"Why else do you think I sent Primeape to Gengar for training?" Ash said with a smirk, rolling his eyes. Then, his tone softened. "But I didn't expect Gengar to not only bring out Primeape's hidden Ghost-type power but also teach Butterfree so well… Oh, by the way, Professor Oak, Gengar really likes noodles. Could you ask Mom to make him some pasta sometime?"
Oak blinked. "What's wrong with my instant noodles?"
Ash sighed dramatically. "Professor, even Gengar said they're just for filling the stomach. Compared to Mom's cooking, your noodles are…"
"Alright, alright, I get it," Oak muttered with mock offense. "I'll ask Delia to make some for me too. I'm getting tired of instant noodles anyway."
"If Mom agrees, that's fine," Ash said, grinning. "Anyway, I'll leave Gengar and the others in your care, Professor Oak."
Oak gave a playful salute. "Leave it to me. You just focus on your journey."
The call ended, and the group lounged around the Pokémon Center for a while longer.
Their Pokémon were still recovering, this time, it was taking longer than usual, a sign that both Charizard and Gardevoir had truly reached their limits in the last battle.
The other reason for staying put was to plan their next move.
Ash already had five badges. Three more, and he could enter the Indigo Plateau Conference. But which Gyms to challenge next, that was the question.
With his current strength, ordinary Gyms no longer posed a challenge. He could already fight at the Professional Level, and in a three-on-three battle against most Professional-tier opponents, he'd have at least a 50% chance of victory.
After all, most Gyms capped at the Professional Level anyway.
And given that he'd only been traveling for two months, his standard Gym challenges were usually assigned at Tier 1 or Tier 2 difficulty.
At that level, Ash was practically invincible.
So he was thinking about raising the stakes for himself.
"Are you really planning to challenge that Gym next?" Brock asked with wide eyes as Ash finalized his choice. "That's one of the Four Major Gyms of Kanto, you know. Are you planning to use Gengar again for that battle, Ash?"
"We're going there," Ash said firmly. "Not just the next Gym, the next two will be here and here."
His finger tapped the holographic map on the Pokémon Center's table.
The moment the names appeared, both Misty and Brock's faces froze in disbelief.
"Fuchsia… Crimson… Viridian…" Misty's voice cracked. "Ash, are you serious? You're aiming for the major Gyms of Kanto?!"
That's right.
The three Gyms Ash had marked as his next targets were none other than three of the Four Great Gyms of Kanto.
He had already conquered Saffron Gym, one of the four, and the difficulty of that challenge had nearly pushed him and Gengar to their limits. Even with a thousand-year-old Gengar at his side, they had barely scraped through.
While the remaining three Gyms might not have Sabrina's terrifying unpredictability, their strength was in no way inferior.
Each of the Four Major Gyms offered multiple tiers of challenge, but even their lowest difficulty started at Elite Level.
Above that was Professional, then Gym Leader Level, and finally, the ultimate tier, Champion Level, representing the Gym Leader's full strength.
And while the Pokémon used in each tier might change, the Trainer's skill did not.
Unlike Sabrina's battles, which had relied on mysterious psychic powers, these Gym Leaders would display raw, tactical mastery, the kind of strategic command that could turn the tide of any match.
So when Brock looked at Ash and said he was being overconfident, he wasn't exaggerating. Challenging the remaining three of Kanto's strongest Gyms back-to-back was not just bold, it bordered on reckless.
"Without pressure, where's the motivation?" Ash said calmly, yet his eyes burned with conviction. "Haven't I walked this road from the beginning? Every time I've faced opponents stronger than me, I've come out stronger myself. So why stop now? Let's see it through to the end!"
His words carried a fierce determination that left no room for argument.
Fuchsia. Crimson. Viridian.
Those would be the final three Gyms before the Indigo Plateau.
If he could earn those badges, then at the Conference, he wouldn't just participate.
He'd have a real shot at the Champion's title.
Winning the League in his first run... Just imagining it sent a thrill through his chest.
"So your next Gym is definitely Fuchsia?" Brock asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah." Ash nodded without hesitation.
The Fuchsia Gym, located deep in Fuchsia City, its Gym Leader, Koga, was a master of Poison-type Pokémon, and his strength was said to rival even the Champions.
"I don't know much about him," Brock admitted. "Back when I was still Gym Leader, news didn't travel as easily as it does now. All I know is the basics about Koga."
Naturally, Brock had more inside knowledge about Gyms than anyone else in the group. His years as Pewter City's Gym Leader had given him access to information that ordinary Trainers could never see.
Still, even he didn't know much about Koga, and for good reason.
Fuchsia was remote, and back then, communication across regions wasn't what it was now. The Pokémon League was reportedly working on something called "portable phones" to improve that soon, but in Brock's era, you had to rely on the League's courier channels for any Gym intel.
There was another reason, too.
Koga wasn't just any Gym Leader, he was a Provisional Elite in the Johto region.
A Provisional Elite wasn't yet a full member of the Elite Four, but reaching that rank meant something terrifying: having at least three or more Pokémon at Champion Level. That was the minimum requirement.
There were only two paths to becoming a true Elite.
One, wait for a current member to retire or step down, and inherit their title. Or two, challenge them directly in battle.
If the challenger won, they would take the Elite's place.
Becoming a Provisional Elite wasn't something that happened by chance.
Standing at that level meant being one step away from joining the official Elites, a position where one could challenge an Elite Four member anytime. Without making major contributions to the League, or without overwhelming strength and talent, no one could even dream of holding that title.
As a Provisional Elite, Koga was extremely secretive about information concerning his main Pokémon.
That was why he guarded his Pokémon's data like a state secret. If his strategies leaked before the battle, it could jeopardize his entire chance.
"So," Brock concluded, "whether it's Koga's main team or his reserve lineup, almost nothing is known. The only certainty is that he specializes in Poison-type Pokémon, and even his lowest-tier matches start at Elite Level."
He gave Ash a pointed look. "Among Trainers entering the Indigo Plateau Conference, very few are crazy enough to challenge the Professional tier of a Major Gym."
The way Brock's gaze lingered made it obvious who he was talking about.
Wasn't one sitting right in front of him?
Most Conference participants had less than two years of Trainer experience. Within that short time, how many could raise three or more Professional-level Pokémon? Practically none.
"Hey, hey! What do you mean crazy?" Ash slammed the table, his voice echoing through the Pokémon Center. "I'm challenging myself! That's called ambition!"
Misty tugged at his sleeve immediately. "Ash, not so loud! People are staring."
Realizing the room's eyes were on him, Ash awkwardly scratched his head and sat back down.
Brock chuckled, the corners of his mouth curling into a knowing grin. "Fine, fine. If you want to go to Fuchsia Gym, then go. I'm actually curious to see how far you can push yourself, Ash. But before we head there, come with me to Beauty Street first."
"Beauty Street?" Ash and Misty echoed in unison.
"Yeah. It's a famous street here in Celadon City," Brock explained. "There's a Breeder there, someone I really admire. She's actually the reason I decided to become a Breeder in the first place."
That revelation caught both Ash and Misty off guard.
They exchanged glances, curiosity flickering in their eyes. Who could possibly inspire Brock that much?
Before they could ask further, the Pokémon Center's intercom chimed:
"Ash's Pokémon have recovered. Please come to the front desk to collect them."
The timing couldn't have been better. The three of them went to retrieve Ash's Poké Balls.
Ash glanced at the wall clock. It was already quite late. Although Beauty Street was still within Celadon City, it was located across town, nearly a few hours' walk away. By the time they got there, it would be close to midnight, and who knew if there was even a Pokémon Center nearby.
So he suggested, "Let's rest here tonight, then visit Beauty Street early tomorrow morning."
Brock nodded. "Agreed. No point rushing. We're already in Celadon anyway."
After checking in with Nurse Joy, they were led to a guest room. Once they'd stored their belongings, the three decided to take a nighttime stroll around the heart of Celadon City.
The city's skyline shimmered with towering buildings and glittering signs. Unlike Pewter or Pallet, there wasn't a mountain or river in sight, only streets stretching endlessly under the neon glow.
It felt a little suffocating to Ash and Misty, both of whom were used to open skies and flowing water. But it was a short stay; soon, they'd be gone again.
While wandering through the busy streets, they came across the largest perfume shop in Celadon City.
Ash wasn't remotely interested. Brock and Misty, however, were already walking toward it, Misty for obvious reasons (what girl could resist checking out perfume?), and Brock because, well… perfume shops tended to have a lot of beautiful women.
Under their combined persuasion, Ash could only sigh in defeat and follow them inside.
But the moment he stepped through the door, he froze.
The elegant figure behind the counter turned toward them, smiling warmly.
"Erika?!" Ash blurted out before he could stop himself.
Indeed, standing before him was none other than Erika, the graceful Gym Leader of Celadon City.