Misty: Ash, you're a monster!
Brock: Yeah, seriously—Ash, you're a monster!
Ash: I'm not a monster! That guy in the video isn't even me! But… honestly, I'm starting to wonder—was the me from that other world actually a monster?
Ash: Pikachu only weighs a dozen pounds or so, and he's carrying weights that are five or six times his own body weight… No wonder he's so strong! I finally get it now!
So Black World Ash had already started Pikachu's weighted training before he even began his journey!
No wonder Pikachu's speed and strength were both so overwhelming.
Turns out, those first few days of travel were actually the easiest days Pikachu ever had!
Lance: According to Black World Ash, Pikachu's previous weights weren't enough anymore, so he upgraded to eighty pounds—and even got Pidgeotto and Butterfree their own sets!
Cynthia: I bet Black World Ash had already planned out training regimens for Pidgeotto and Caterpie the moment he caught them.
Caitlin: And he even thought through how to help them recover afterward… It's hard to believe he's only ten years old!
Ash: Stop! Please stop! I'm about to pass out here!
They were both Ash Ketchum—same age, same talent.
The only difference lay in how they thought.
But that difference alone was enough to create two entirely different destinies.
In the Black World—
After equipping the weights, Ash had Butterfree and Pidgeotto join Pikachu in his outdoor training routines.
He also used the money from selling the Moon Stones to buy plenty of nutritional supplements for his team.
He wasn't really a "monster."
He didn't just push his Pokémon to train endlessly.
In fact, before buying the weights, he had asked Pidgeotto and Butterfree if they wanted to train that way.
When they learned that Pikachu had already been doing weighted training for years, both agreed on the spot.
So all of Ash's so-called "involution" was built on his Pokémon's consent.
If his Pokémon ever refused such harsh training, he would never force them.
Even in this darker world, he was still gentle at heart.
With his three Pokémon by his side, Ash and his friends set off toward the third Gym.
Along the way, they challenged a young trainer with ninety-nine consecutive wins and broke his streak,
then passed through a forest and visited a Pokémon Academy, where Ash defeated a proud girl known as the academy's top student.
That battle opened her eyes to just how vast the world really was,
and she resolved to one day travel the world—just like Ash.
After leaving the academy, they finally arrived at the same forest where White World Ash had once encountered Bulbasaur.
But unlike White World Ash, who let the Bulbasaur run away the first time they met,
Black World Ash wasted no time—he immediately sent out Pikachu and captured it on the spot.
Over the course of his journey, Ash had met plenty of wild Pokémon,
but very few that truly caught his attention.
This Bulbasaur, though—he liked it instantly.
And when Ash liked something, he acted decisively.
Even burdened with heavy weights, Pikachu was far too strong for a wild Bulbasaur to resist.
Afterward, Ash released Bulbasaur to tend to its wounds—
but the stubborn Pokémon turned its head away, refusing his help.
That reaction made Ash pause.
A wild Bulbasaur appearing here… maybe there was more to it than met the eye.
Soon enough, Bulbasaur led Ash and his friends to a small wooden cabin.
There they met a young girl named Melanie.
It turned out she had built this makeshift Pokémon Sanctuary out of compassion for injured and abandoned Pokémon—
and Bulbasaur served as the protector of the place.
When she learned that Ash had caught Bulbasaur, Melanie wasn't angry.
Instead, she sighed with relief.
"Honestly, I've been hoping someone would take Bulbasaur away," she said.
"He's been protecting this place, yes—but that life isn't good for him.
If he stays here forever, he'll just become a frog in a well.
Ash, please—take Bulbasaur with you. Let him see how wide the world truly is."
Even his "employer" said so—how could Bulbasaur refuse to leave now?
Before departing, though, Team Rocket showed up once more—helpfully serving as their final test.
Bulbasaur stood guard one last time, defending the sanctuary,
and then joined Ash's team for good.
Continuing down the road, they soon came across a small, weakened Charmander lying on a rock.
The instant Ash met its gaze, something inside his chest trembled.
He had felt this same inner resonance before—
when he met Pidgeotto, Caterpie, and Bulbasaur.
But this time… the feeling was far stronger.
Second only to what he'd felt the day he met Pikachu.
This Charmander… might be destined to become one of his most important partners.
Lance: So, Black World Ash actually feels something when he meets a Pokémon that's meant for him? I don't think White World Ash ever experiences anything like that.
Brock: Yeah, regular Ash used to want to catch every Pokémon he saw—but most of those attempts failed. The ones he did catch were mostly by chance.
Cynthia: I think it's because Black World Ash is too disciplined. He has such high standards for his team that he rarely captures new Pokémon—but when he does, he treats them as family.
Cynthia: Maybe this resonance is the world's gift to him—a way for fate itself to guide him toward the partners meant for him.
Cynthia: Whether he catches them or not is his own choice—but clearly, he trusts that feeling deeply. Every time he senses it, he acts on it.
Misty: So… does that mean our world's Ash is too flirty with every Pokémon he meets, and that's why the world doesn't give him any "fate gift"?
Ash: Hey, hey—who are you calling flirty?!
Misty: Who else? You fall for every Pokémon you see!
And if you'd just notice the person beside you instead of only your Pokémon… maybe you'd notice me too.
Misty sighed inwardly, glancing at the sulking Ash beside her.
Compared to him, Black World Ash's emotional intelligence seemed way higher.
If only her Ash could grow up a little…
If you Enjoyed Reading
Visit my patreon for more chapters
Advance 30+ Chapters Available
https://www.patreon.com/c/sagamaster789
Thanks for your support!
Sincere thanks to everyone—