Ash hadn't thought about what he would do for a pokedex when he had stolen the Pokeball from Professor Oak's lab. He could go back and steal a Pokedex, but knew that besides being wrong, he didn't want to chance running into the Professor. He hadn't really meant to steal the Pokeball, he just wanted to be a trainer so bad that he had done something desperate. As he saw it, he had two options. Option one was trying to make his way to Johto through the old magnet train that had been broken down forever in Saffron City. Or two, he could try to disguise himself as someone else from far away and try to get Oak to give the disguised him a Pokedex.
Now Ash liked the first idea for the fact that he'd only have to get to Saffron, but that was a problem in itself. Saffron was three towns over and beyond Mt. Moon. It would be suicide trying the journey with only his rattata. While the second option sounded good too, he knew that while Oak was practically blind, he wasn't deaf or stupid. Neither were the Pokemon he kept for security in the lab. If Ash tried a disguise he'd either be found out because he couldn't change his voice, or the security Pokemon would recognize him. After all, they had all played with him when he was young. They all knew how he looked and smelled due to all of the time that he spent there as a small child. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice as he walked past the well worn path through Veridian forest that all the other trainers had taken since before anyone could remember because it was the quickest and easiest path through said forest. Instead, he found himself off the trail, voices breaking him out of his thoughts.
"I tell you Jessie, this plan is fool-proof. All we have to do is walk in without our Rocket uniforms on, ask for koffing to be healed, secretly relesase him before the nurse takes him, and the poison gas will take care of the rest."
"And i'm telling you that it won't work. In case you forgot, Officer Jenny has pictures of the both of us, as well as descriptions from our prior run-ins with her cousins. She'll know it's us the minute we walk into town."
"But we have to do this Jessie, the boss ordered the attack on the center himself. You know what will happen if we disobey."
Ash walked boldy into the firelight, "Then don't walk into town."
"How long were you listening you little twerp!"
"Long enough to know that you two are most likely Team Rocket grunts, very low on the totem pole if your boss has you attacking a pokemon center. I mean, the only resistance would be Chansey and the only profit, the sick pokemon she keeps there. It has to be a test. But if you don't want to pass i'll just be on my way right to Officer Jenny."
Jessie fingered her pokeball, "But we outnumber you. We could just have our Pokemon attack yours!"
"Sure, you could do that, but if you choose to attack the Pokemon Center like you planned, the most likely scenario will be that there will be trainers there, trainers that are staying for the night. Trainers that will fight back. Then you will be outnumbered"
"He's got a point Jessie."
Ash couldn't help staring as a meowth that he hadn't noticed was talking but quickly masked his surprise.
"All right kid, what would you do?"
And so Ash spent the night with the two Rocket grunts, going over the plans. In return, all he asked was to be introduced to the duo's boss. It wasn't how he wanted to get a pokedex, but it seemed like it was going to be the only way...
End Chapter