"Then it's time to start training!"
Stella completely dropped her earlier gentle image and turned into a devilish drill instructor. She took out a whip and lashed it hard against the floor by Ash's feet, scolding him to hurry up and train.
"This is the Whip of Love~"
For a moment, Brock couldn't help but feel jealous of Ash being trained by Stella.
(I really want Miss Stella to whip me too…)
"Stella suddenly feels like a completely different person…" Misty complained.
"That look in Brock's eyes… something's a bit off, isn't it?" Red said in surprise. He had thought Brock would look relieved, but instead he seemed envious of Ash, even sneaking glances at Stella as she swung the whip.
(Brock is definitely a bit weird…)
"Alright, first—mime performance!" Stella shouted.
"Mime?"
Ash was instantly confused. What kind of training was that?
"Stop talking nonsense and get started, now!" Stella scolded, not giving Ash even a moment to hesitate.
"Snap!"
The whip cracked by Ash's feet, scaring him into immediately imitating Mr. Mime, constantly feeling the air in front of him as if there were an invisible wall.
"How is this supposed to be gentle and attentive teaching?!" Ash complained.
"No, not right at all!" Stella rebuked.
"No wonder Mr. Mime chose to avoid training… she's way too fierce. What should I do…" Ash muttered.
"No! No! Start over again!"
Stella didn't allow Ash to overthink, continuing to swing the whip. Brock, watching from the side, showed an aggrieved yet envious expression.
"Click!"
Seeing that everything was in order, Red quietly took out his Pokédex and snapped a picture of Ash's "miserable" training, then silently turned and left.
"Come out, Pidgeot!"
Red threw his Poké Ball. As the white light faded, he immediately jumped onto Pidgeot's back.
"Pi—!"
With a sharp cry, Pidgeot turned into a streak of golden lightning and left the circus, flying toward Professor Oak's Laboratory under Red's command.
...
At that moment, Professor Oak was leisurely eating instant noodles at the lab, occasionally tapping on the keyboard as he analyzed data on the Pokémon Red had captured.
"As expected, none of the Pokémon Red chooses are simple," Professor Oak said happily, sipping the soup with a satisfied smile.
Just then, he suddenly felt the ground tremble. Noticing the disturbance in the backyard, he quickly put down his noodles and ran toward the courtyard where many Pokémon lived.
But after only a few steps, he paused.
Who lived in that courtyard? They were all Red's Pokémon—any intruder would have already been driven off.
With that thought, Professor Oak calmly turned back, picked up his noodles again, and slowly walked toward the courtyard while sipping the broth.
...
Moments later, Red arrived above the courtyard on Pidgeot. Sensing their trainer's return, most of the Pokémon rushed over excitedly, their powerful auras scaring away any wild Pokémon lingering nearby.
As Pidgeot's cry echoed through the sky, all of Red's Pokémon quickly gathered.
Suddenly, dark thunderclouds formed ahead, blocking out the sunlight. Amid continuous thunder, the legendary "God of Thunder," Zapdos, made a grand entrance.
'This guy's entrance is as showy as ever…' Pidgeot thought speechlessly, though its tone carried a hint of jealousy.
Next, Aerodactyl—the ancient king of the skies—arrived, instantly flying to Pidgeot's side and affectionately moving closer to Red.
Pidgeot subtly moved away, unwilling to risk its wings being cut by Aerodactyl's sharp fangs.
Hearing two jealous cries, Red looked down to see Milotic and Sylveon gazing at him excitedly, glaring enviously at Aerodactyl as Red patted its head.
(This old guy—how can he still act like this at his age!) ×2
Patting Pidgeot's head, Red signaled it to land.
As soon as he touched the ground, Red was tackled by Milotic and Sylveon. Both Pokémon nuzzled his chest affectionately, enjoying the warmth in his embrace.
"Wow~ the boss is really popular~"
At that moment, Red's shadow suddenly formed a strange grin. Then, the Thousand-Year Gengar emerged from the darkness, floating in front of Red and greeting him.
Before Red could catch up with it, a sudden thud drew his attention. Turning his head, he saw Kadabra sitting on Hitmonchan while suppressing laughter, even carrying Hitmonchan's championship belt on its shoulder.
Based on Red's guess, Kadabra had used Teleport to bring Hitmonchan here, but deliberately manipulated things so Hitmonchan fell first from midair—landing squarely on its backside.
Kadabra then arrived safely and sat on Hitmonchan, using it as a cushion.
Furious, Hitmonchan shoved Kadabra off, itching to fight it immediately. But because Red had returned, its joy overpowered its anger, and it gave up the idea of battling.
"Moo—"
With a loud call, Tauros arrived leading its herd. The thirty Tauros behind it had all been "accidentally" caught by Ash with Safari Balls. Tauros had initially been surprised to reunite with its companions at Professor Oak's Laboratory.
"Gala!"
Before Tauros could approach Red, a cry caught his attention. Marowak came rushing over with Pikachu sitting on its head and Dratini under its feet—a comical dragon-rider scene that made Red smile.
Venusaur, Blastoise, and Snorlax arrived last due to their slower speed.
Looking at the gathered Pokémon, Red noticed Kabutops and Omastar were missing, causing him concern.
Seeing this, Aerodactyl instantly understood. As the leader among the ancient Pokémon, it quickly brought Kabutops and Omastar over.
Both Pokémon lowered their heads, not daring to look at Red. Since they had never traveled with him, they had assumed he disliked them, leaving them dejected and silent.
"I'm sorry. I didn't consider your feelings properly. I've always liked you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Red pulled Kabutops and Omastar into his arms, gently stroking them apologetically.
Realizing they weren't disliked, both Pokémon immediately smiled with joy and, like the others, nuzzled against Red's chest.
However, due to their sharp bodies, they restrained themselves, afraid of accidentally injuring him.
If that happened, they would surely be severely scolded by Aerodactyl.
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