[Blaine: In fact, many Gym Leaders tend to hold back a little when facing rookie Trainers.]
[Brock: Yeah, that's true. My Geodude and Onix were actually newly raised Pokémon. My dad was the original Gym Leader—he left to chase his dreams, but he did leave me a couple of his old Pokémon to watch over the Gym.]
[Misty: Speaking of which, isn't the next Gym Saffron Gym? Ugh… just thinking about it gives me chills!]
[Sabrina: I'm sorry about what happened before. I didn't mean to—it's just that my psychic powers affected my emotions and judgment back then…]
[Caitlin: Huh? Sabrina, you're a Psychic too? Same here! Is your power so overwhelming that you lose control when you get emotional?]
[Sabrina: Not exactly. I've actually mastered my psychic powers quite well. But… those same powers suppressed my emotions, made me cold and heartless. I did a lot of terrible things because of it.]
[Professor Oak: Great power always comes with great risk. Psychics might have enviable abilities, but they're also prone to mental instability, breakdowns, or even losing their sense of self. It's a trade-off, really.]
[Caitlin: True. So, everyone, don't envy us Psychics too much. If anything, I envy ordinary people instead… By the way, does Ash's Aura Power have any side effects?]
[Riley: Side effects? Not really. Maybe it's because Aura is much rarer and harder to awaken than psychic power. As far as I know, I'm the only one currently capable of fully wielding it. Ash, though… he has the potential to awaken it.]
Aura—A power no less formidable than psychic energy. But since the conditions for awakening it are so harsh and mysterious, those who do manage to awaken it rarely suffer side effects.
[Caitlin: Aura power, huh… sounds wonderful.] The world envied her for being born a Psychic, but deep down, Caitlin only longed for an ordinary life. Aside from Cynthia, few knew how much pain her "gift" had caused her.
In the Black World—
After defeating Lt. Surge, Ash stayed in Vermilion City for a few more days. He'd heard about a luxury yacht party that would soon be held there—aboard a grand vessel called the S.S. Anne. Misty wanted to experience high society for once, and Ash thought it'd be a good opportunity to learn from other Trainers. So they temporarily stayed at the Pokémon Center. During those days, Misty and Brock tried to find tickets to the cruise, while Ash learned from Nurse Joy how to properly relax a Pokémon's body. When it came to recovery and care, no one understood Pokémon better than Nurse Joy. Her massage techniques might not have been the most comfortable, but they were incredibly effective at releasing a Pokémon's fatigue. Ever since Ash started his journey, he'd never once stopped improving himself—raising his Pokémon, restoring their strength, studying their behavior… All of it, in his eyes, was part of being a true Trainer. Misty once asked him why he worked so hard—did he really have to do everything perfectly? Ash replied: "It's not about perfection. These are the things a Trainer should know. A Trainer doesn't just stand behind their Pokémon giving orders. When a Pokémon chooses you, it's because it trusts you—to take care of it, to make it stronger. And because of that trust, I can't ever let them down." "Becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master isn't just a dream you shout out loud—it's something you earn, through hard work and effort!"
[Ash: Okay okay, stop roasting me already! I'm about to faint over here!]
[Ash: Can someone tell that other me to chill out? Seriously, can I call him through this livestream?]
[Ash: Competing with others is one thing—but competing with yourself? How does that even work?!] To Black World Ash, those words were nothing more than common sense—a simple answer to Misty's question. But to this Ash, the one watching from the real world… every word felt like a personal attack. If someone handed him a mirror right now, he'd see a clown staring back. Because the clown… was him. The one shouting slogans but never acting on them—wasn't that exactly who he'd been all along?
[Delia: Oh my, my son in another world is that disciplined? But… if he can do it, that means you can too, right?]
[Delia: There's no real difference between you and him. You just haven't had the same awakening yet. You're still young—you have time to change.]
[Delia: Of course, please stop getting yourself into so many dangerous situations, okay? You scared me half to death last time! Learn from Black World Ash—be cautious, not reckless. I know you can do it, sweetheart!]
When it came to gentle "mom talk," Delia Ketchum was unbeatable. Just a few sentences, and she'd completely soothed her son's restless heart. Ash sighed, a little emotional. "I didn't expect Mom to notice so many details. She always seemed so carefree…" Misty rolled her eyes. "Come on, Ash. Carefree or not, she's still your mom—of course she pays attention to you." Brock nodded in agreement. "She's right, Ash. Instead of saying Black World Ash is too intense, why not think of this as your chance?" "You used to wander around not knowing which direction to take, but now—Black World Ash has shown you the way." "You're both Ash Ketchum. If he can do it, there's no reason you can't. This is your opportunity—your chance to reach the top of the world!" Ash froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. Yeah! Why should he complain that Black World Ash was too hardworking?Everything Black World Ash did, he could just learn! And from his third-person perspective, he could study every detail clearly— Black World Ash… was the perfect teacher! "I get it now, Brock! Pikachu, we're going to study every move he makes! We'll learn everything from Black World Ash!" "Pika pi! Pikachu!!" Pikachu's eyes gleamed with determination too.
There was no way he'd lose to another world's Pikachu!
Author's Note:
This isn't meant to mock the original Ash.
Even by the Silver Conference, he still had plenty of room to grow—
especially in how he trained his Pokémon.
Most of the time, we just saw him shouting commands, eating, or traveling.
Training scenes were rare; evolutions often happened during Gym battles or random encounters.
But by the time of Journeys, that changed dramatically.
He trained with Riolu, with Farfetch'd—
and in a very short time, he raised five rookie Pokémon to near-champion level.
Sure, Pikachu carried some weight in the finals,
but a single champion-level Pokémon couldn't have done it alone.
So really, when Ash trains seriously—
the result can be summed up in just two words: Unstoppable.
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