Author Notes at end of chapter:
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Chapter 2: Ash vs Gary
"Wow, he's so cute!" Delia Ketchum praised Charmander, petting the top of the Pokemon's head. Charmander closed his eyes and sighed softly, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Yeah, Charmander is pretty cool, right buddy?" Ash replied, finally finishing putting the rest of his belongings and necessities into his backpack. Ash had arrived in his house just a few minutes ago. His mom, Delia, was already there having come back from her shopping trip.
"Though, he does look a bit different from other Charmander's." Delia stated aloud, finally noticing the starter's different shade.
"Charmander is actually a shiny Pokemon. That's why he has a more golden tone." Ash answered, not surprised that it had taken his mother so long to realize. She owned Mr. Mime, but that was about the only Pokemon Delia Ketchum had ever owned. She had never aspired to be a Pokemon trainer, despite her love for Pokemon. Pokemon Contests were also fairly new, having become popular just a decade ago. If they were around by the time the young woman was legally allowed to receive her first Pokemon at the age of thirteen, it would have been likely for her to be a Pokemon Coordinator.
"Mime Mime!" Mr. Mime exclaimed as the Psychic type entered the living room, holding a broom in one hand. Charmander visibly flinched, avoiding eye contact with his mother's Pokemon. Before Delia could question Ash regarding Charmander's visible anxiety, a knock sounded.
"Oh, I'll get it." Delia stated, walking to the front door while Ash picked up Charmander. Charmander seemed much more at ease in Ash's hands, nodding in response when asked if he was alright.
"Hi, Leaf! What a surprise! Please, come in dear." Delia's excited voice rang out, with Ash turning around to see his mom embracing Leaf tightly. Leaf's face was slowly becoming red, understandably so with the death grip she was currently captured in. Ash laughed loudly, enjoying the karma his friend was receiving after he was a victim of Leaf's own earlier that day.
"I thought we were meeting at the start of Route 1?" Ash questioned the grinning brunette.
"Well, I only spoke with my parents for a few minutes so I thought I would just meet you here. It's great to see you, Ms. Ketchum."
"Oh for the last time dear, Delia is more than alright. Makes me feel like a grandmother." Delia joked, kissing the smaller girl on the side of her head. Leaf and his mom had always been close. With Leaf constantly being at his house, the two had interacted just as much as Leaf and her own mother. The two got on so well, that there were days that Ash felt like his mom preferred Leaf more due to their daughter and mother-like bond. This didn't bother him, however, wanting nothing more than his best friend and mom to like each other.
The trio sat down in the kitchen, with Ash and Leaf both explaining their travel plans in the next few days. It would only take a day or two if they were unlucky to reach Viridian City. Route 1 was a simple and extremely safe trek. The most danger they would receive would be the low level Pokemon who lived there.
"So, you think you will get to Viridian City by evening?"
"We think so Ms. Ketchum. Actually, we should probably get a move on."
"Alright dear, make sure you two look after each other." Delia hugged Leaf while the smaller girl agreed. After a few moments, Delia broke the hug and hugged Ash tightly, ruffling his hair as the two broke apart.
"And remember! Fresh pair of under-"
"MOM! We're done here! I'll call you when we're there!" Ash shouted behind him while dragging Leaf out of his house as the girl giggled, taking enjoyment from her friend's embarrassment.
Just as the two exited the house, Professor Oak greeted them from the porch.
"Hello you two! Before you left, I wanted to have a quick word with you Ash." Ash raised his eyebrow in confusion, his smile dropping slightly.
"I'll meet you there, okay?" Leaf stated, walking off after Ash had agreed with a nod. Professor Oak adjusted his white coat, before standing in front of the much smaller boy.
"I only spoke briefly of it, but didn't want you to leave before knowing more about Charmander."
"Right, I was meaning to ask you about that before I left too." Ash replied, thankful that the Professor Oak went out of his way to talk about his starter.
"Well, I mentioned that Charmander was in bad condition when one of my assistants stumbled upon him. He had quite a few injuries, with none being lethal of course. It is my belief that other Pokemon attacked Charmander, which is why he is very hesitant around other Pokemon."
"But… Why would other Pokemon attack Charmander if he wasn't a threat to him? I mean, it's not like he's a Dragonite." Ash asked, confused at the older man's words.
"It is common for shiny Pokemon to not be accepted among others, specifically when first born. Charmander was most bullied by other Pokemon since birth due to his noticeable different appearance." Professor Oak answered sadly while Ash started at the ground, solemnly taking the words in.
"That's horrible Professor. Do you have any advice? I'm assuming the best choice of action would be to slowly have him interact with other Pokemon. Even if it means not battling."
"Well, that's exactly what I would recommend. However, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't have Charmander battle at all. It is the only way you can see how bad the issue is, so long as Charmander is initially willing to try."
"I see, thank you Professor Oak. I really appreciate it."
Professor Oak showed off his white teeth at this, patting Ash's shoulder in a caring gesture. "Of course, my boy. Your father would be proud of the young man you're becoming. I know these past years of you working hard and studying will pay off. If anyone can become successful as a trainer, it will be you. Though, you will have to watch out for Leaf as well, seeing how capable she has shown herself to be this year."
"You two take care of each other, alright?" Professor Oak finished, with Ash nodding in response and thanking his role model once again. Ash made his way to the entrance of Route 1, which only took five minutes before seeing Leaf. Similar to this morning, though, she was not alone as Gary spoke with her.
"Everything okay?"
"All good, Leaf." Ash grinned happily, finally able to embark on their journey. Before being able to explain what was spoken about, Gary interrupted him.
"Hey loser, how about a battle to see whose starter is stronger?"
"Don't call him that, Gary. You don't have to be so mean all the time." Leaf scolded Gary, who paid no mind to the brunette. Ash grit his teeth, considering the proposal. While hesitant to battle with Charmander, Professor Oak did say it was alright as long as the Pokemon agreed. After a few more seconds, Ash spoke.
"So long as Charmander is alright with it, you're on!"
Gary laughed cockily, before the two took their places. Both sent out their respective Pokemon, with Gary's Squirtle immediately taking a fighting pose.
"Charmander, would you be okay battling Squirtle?" Ash spoke, crouched down directly in front of the golden Charmander. Charmander trembled slightly, hesitantly looking over at the water type. Gary yawned in the background, checking his watch while impatiently waiting.
"Hey, buddy, it's alright if your not up to it. You don't have to battle if you don't feel like it. I think your awesome no matter what."
Charmander's eyes brightened at this and his tail rose higher. Before Ash could continue, Charmander nodded confidently before taking a few steps away from Ash, now facing the Squirtle.
"Leaf, could you be the referee for the battle?" Ash asked Leaf, who agreed quickly. Yet, before she could take her place in the middle, Gary shouted.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
Squirtle obeyed instantly, shooting an extremely small stream of water from its mouth. It wasn't unexpected for the move to look so weak, considering the Pokemon were new and very low leveled. Ash grit his teeth, seeing his rival play dirty.
"Dodge, Charmander! Get out of the way!" Ash yelled, hoping that his starter would react quickly enough. Charmander was frozen, staring at the water attack with wide eyes as it slammed into him. Charmander rolled backwards crying in pain, being watched by Leaf and Ash with worried eyes.
"Haha, alright! Hit him now with Scratch."
"Counter with Ember!"
Squirtle sprinted towards Charmander, who was still slowly getting up from the previous attack. Despite Squirtle only being a few more few from Ash's Pokemon, he was sent reeling from the fire attack from Charmander.
"Damn!" Gary complained, seeing Squirtle be forced to stop his approach and put his arms up to defend the Ember.
"You alright Charmander?" Ash asked in a concerned voice. Charmander was clearly battered, due to the super effective Water Gun. Though, his concern was partially resolved after seeing Charmander nod in response.
"Alright, keep using Ember into a Scratch of your own." Ash ordered Charmander, who fired another Ember and sprinted at Gary's Squirtle.
"Get out of there Squirtle!" Gary panicked, seeing Charmander's claws glow white.
Squirtle cried out in confusion, having been stunned temporarily from the small embers. Finally regaining his vision, his alarmed eyes met Charmander, who stood directly in front of him.
"Squirtle!" Gary cried out, mimicking Squirtle's own as his Pokemon was hit point black by Charmander's scratch.
"Keep up the offense Charmander!" Ash ordered, hoping to not give Squirtle any breathing room and finish the battle.
"Counter it with your own Scratch."
Just as Charmander was about to strike Squirtle once again, he suddenly froze once again. Squirtle stood confidently, staring down Charmander with his own hand glowing white and claws extended.
"You have to move, Charmander!" Ash screamed out, watching helplessly as Charmander remained glued to the ground. It was only when he was struck that Charmander moved, having been sent to the ground from Squirtle's scratch.
"Finish it with Water Gun!" Gary laughed, taking enjoyment from his soon to be victory. Seeing Charmander not moving at all, Ash pulled out his Pokeball.
"Return, Charmander." Charmander was absorbed into his Pokeball quickly, right before the water stream crashed into the ground. "You did amazing buddy, take a long rest." Ash praised him, speaking softly into the Pokeball.
"Well, looks like I'm the winner. Of course a novice trainer like you would forfeit his first battle. Haha, pathetic." Gary laughed, bumping shoulders with Ash as he passed him. Gary continued to walk, throwing a hand backwards at Leaf similar to a wave. Leaf frowned, scoffing at his antics before standing next to Ash.
"What an asshole. Are you alright?" Leaf asked, concerned for her best friend. Ash sighed, nodding his head.
"Yeah, I'm just worried about Charmander. It's obvious he hesitated in the battle more than once due to his fear of other Pokemon." Leaf raised an eyebrow at his words. Ash went on to then explain his conversation with Professor Oak, detailing Charmander's fear of other Pokemon.
The battle had proved that although Charmander was capable of battling, the Kanto starter showed certain signs of hesitation and fear when battling other Pokemon. It was an issue that certainly needed to be addressed.
"Poor thing." Leaf stated softly. "Are you sure you're okay?" Leaf asked once again, with Ash nodding and forcing a smile.
"Let me just heal Charmander with a potion, and we can be on our way. Sound good?" Leaf smiled, jumping up and down slightly while giggling in excitement. After all, their Pokemon journey had been years in the making.
Ash pressed the white button of his Pokeball, with his wounded Charmander emerging from it.
"Char.." Charmander appeared downcast, avoiding eye contact in embarrassment. The Pokemon was not badly wounded at all, with only a few bruises covering its body.
"Charmander, I'm going to spray you with this potion. It's going to sting a little, but it will help you feel better. I promise. Is that okay?" Charmander nodded slightly, before making small cries from the spray making contact with his body. After only a few seconds, Ash finished.
"All done, buddy. You did amazing, Charmander. I couldn't be prouder." Ash proudly praised, making Charmander grin while scratching the back of his head.
"You did great, Charmander!" Leaf joined in, making sure Ash's Pokemon felt better about the battle than he initially appeared.
"I'm going to put you back in your Pokeball for a little, Charmander, since Leaf and I are going to be on the move. Is that alright?" Charmander agreed eagerly, waving as he was recalled inside the Pokeball. With that, the two began walking past the rusty fence that was planted at the side entrance of Pallet Town.
As the two walked down the dirt path while conversing, they also took in their surroundings. Route 1 wasn't anything special by any means, mostly consisting of a straight dirt pathway with a few turns. It was a very primitive route, having no man made structures besides signs to guide trainers. It was also completely empty, with Ash and Leaf having not seen a single trainer or Pokemon.
"I just don't get it. Why does he hate me so much?" Ash said bitterly, staring straight ahead while the two continued to walk. Leaf turned her head to her right to look at the boy, tightening her lips at his statement.
"It's nothing to do with you, Ash. You've done nothing to him." Leaf attempted to reassure the spiky haired teen, who shrugged in response.
"Has he told you anything recently? I know every time you've asked him, he just deflects."
"Nothing. I fought with him again a week ago, asking him what his issue was. He just…" Leaf trailed off, with Ash finally looking at the brown eyed girl as they walked. "I don't think it's anything you've done. Maybe something is going on with him we don't know about." Leaf commented. Her words didn't do much to reassure Ash, though, as he attempted to switch the conversation to a much more lighthearted one.
"So, what's your plan for the first Gym battle? Any Pokemon you hope to see on the way there?" Leaf's face visible brightened at the question. Her eyes sparkled slightly, with the sun highlighting a lighter shade of her brown eyes.
"Well, we still have to get to Viridian City and past Viridian Forest. I don't think I have to catch anything specific for Pewter Gym, since it's a rock type gym. Who's the Gym Leader again?"
"Brock Harrison. I think you're right. Bulbasaur should be enough since he's super effective against rock types. Though, you should be on the lookout in case we see anything." Ash advised the girl, who rolled her eyes.
"You're such a nerd." Leaf commented, bumping shoulders playfully with Ash.
"What, just because I knew who the name of the Gym Leader?" Ash joked, entertaining the conversation. Before Leaf could respond, both stopped after hearing a branch snap.
The two looked to the left, attempting to locate what was submerged in the tall grass. After a few seconds, they finally got the view of a small green Pokemon.
"Cool, it's a Caterpie." Ash stated, admiring the small Bug type.
"You're mine, Caterpie!" Leaf shouted, drawing the attention from the wild Pokemon as her Bulbasaur emerged from her Pokemon.
"Bulb Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur cried, clearly readying itself to battle while Leaf smirked confidently. "You're gonna catch it?" Ash asked, making the brunette deadpan at the question.
"No, I was planning on inviting it to a playdate with Bulbasaur…" Ash rose an eyebrow at her, once again irritating Leaf who sighed in annoyance. "Yes, I'm going to catch it, Ash! Bulbasaur, use Tackle!"
Bulbasaur complied, sprinting towards the Bug type who widened its eyes. However, it didn't take long for Caterpie to react, as a white substance shot out of the Pokemon's mouth. Seeing this, Leaf spoke once again.
"Jump over it and don't get hit by Caterpie's String Shot!" Bulbasaur impressively dodged the projectiles, getting extremely close before narrowly dodging the last one. Caterpie groaned in pain, having been sent backwards from Bulbasaur connecting with its Tackle. Caterpie crashed into the tree behind it, slowly sliding down.
Still, Caterpie rose back up in just a moment. Leaf's face clearly conveyed her concentration, with Bulbasaur standing in a crouched position and ready to obey its trainers orders. Caterpie hopped over to Bulbasaur, slightly glowing white as it most likely was planning on using Tackle.
"When it gets close enough, use Vine Whip to grab Caterpie." Leaf told her starter, who nodded as it waited patiently. Just as Caterpie was a few feet away and jumped towards Bulbasaur, it was caught within the grip of Bulbasaur's vines.
"Now, throw it to the ground!"
Bulbasaur shouted confidently, his vines extending outwards and flicking downwards to crash Caterpie onto the hard dirt floor. Dust flew into the air, though Caterpie was clearly visible and not moving. Seeing this, Leaf grabbed a Pokeball from her belt and pressed the button to expand it.
"You're mine, Caterpie!" Leaf threw the Pokeball, hitting Caterpie's head as a red light emerged. The Pokeball fell back onto the floor, shaking once, shaking twice, before finally clicking.
"Great job, Leaf. That was incredible!" Ash complimented Leaf, who squealed and jumped up and down excitedly.
"Saur!" Bulbasaur jumped into Leaf, forcing her to catch her as they both shouted and laughed happily.
"Thanks, Ash! Great job, Bulbasaur, you were fantastic. Take a long nice rest, okay?" Leaf remarked, recalling the grass type into his Pokeball. Crouching down, the brunette also picked up Caterpie's Pokeball.
"I should wait until we reach Viridian City to let Caterpie out, since Caterpie should probably see the Pokemon Center first."
"That's a good idea. Congrats." Ash replied, making Leaf smile widen from the thrill of catching her first Pokemon.
It had been a couple of hours since Leaf had caught Caterpie. Neither Leaf or Ash had a watch, but judging by the sun coming down, it had to be almost evening at about five or six in the afternoon.
"Ah, my feet are killing me." Leaf complained, small beads of sweat forming on the girl's forehead.
Ash laughed, unaware of his friend half glaring at him.
"It's literally the first day, Leaf. Besides, I think I see Viridian City." Ash said, making Leaf raise her head to confirm.
"I think you're right!"
Sure enough, the outline of several buildings was much more noticeable. As the duo got closer, they were able to make out clear discrepancies between their hometown and the popular Viridian City. Viridian City was a densely populated city, having one of the largest populations in the Kanto region. You wouldn't even have to compare it to a small area such as Pallet Town to realize just how massive the city was. It had a much more modern look that the two were used to.
The two entered the city, briefly looking at Leaf's handheld map before heading towards the Pokemon Center located in the middle of the city. Unlike Pallet Town, the city was bustling with pedestrians, as well as trainer's Pokemon walking alongside them. Both Ash and Leaf stayed on the sidewalk, making sure not to stay too close to the streets which held several cars and vehicles such as motorcycles.
"It's a pretty city. Though, a little too busy for my liking." Leaf stated, making Ash hum in agreement. After just a few minutes, they arrived at the city's Pokemon Center. The center was fairly big, with glass panels fitted around the walls, allowing trainers to have a view of the inside. The entrance also held two large glass doors. The large Pokeball at the top of the doors confirmed the hunch that it was a Pokemon center.
"Finally!" Leaf exclaimed, walking inside as Ash held the door open for her before following the brunette. Immediately, the two were in awe at the lavish interior. There were several machines standing next to the main counter. If the boy had to take a guess, they appeared to be calling devices. The Pokemon Center was also relatively empty, having just three people sitting in the main lobby.
"Welcome, I'm Nurse Joy. How can I help you two?" Nurse Joy asked kindly, standing next to a Chansey wearing a similar white outfit. The woman appeared to be a young adult, with pink hair that formed a shape akin to a ribbon at the back of her head.
"Hey, Nurse Joy. Do you think you could take some of our Pokemon and heal them?" Ash asked, knowing Leaf's Caterpie and his Charmander could use a checkup.
"Of course! Just hand them over to me and I'll notify you two when your Pokemon are in good health." Nurse Joy stated, holding a small metal tray out for the two. Leaf and Ash each put a Pokeball on the tray.
"I'll be right back if you need anything else." Nurse Joy told the two, before her and Chansey exited into the back and out of view.
"Ash, do you think you could get the room for tonight? I'm going to call my parents really quickly." Leaf said, confirming Ash's previous assumption about the machines.
"Yeah of course. I'll meet you there in a second." Leaf smiled, thanking the boy before heading to one of the blue video call machines. Just then, Nurse Joy arrived to the front of the desk.
"Anything else?" Nurse Joy asked the Kanto native.
"We just arrived in Viridian City and are looking for somewhere to stay. Do you have any rooms still available? Ash asked hopefully.
"We do! Would you like one or two?"
"Do you have any rooms with more than one bed?"
Nurse Joy nodded firmly, grinning as she spoke. "Of course! All our rooms are fitted with two queen size beds."
"One room would be perfect then. Thank you, Nurse Joy." Ash said. Despite being relatively cheap, he thought it best to save money by only asking for one room. He wasn't broke by any means, but Ash certainly thought it to be advantageous to budget the little money he received from his mom to begin his journey. He also didn't think Leaf would mind, considering it was something they had agreed on days prior when conversing about staying at towns overnight.
While he didn't have a lot of money currently, hopefully this would change in the near future. For trainers, defeating Gym Leaders, local tournaments, and other competitions almost always guaranteed a small cash prize to winners. It was a way to incentivize more trainers to journey across the region. As far as Ash knew, it had always been like this since Charles Goodshow became the President of the Pokemon League. It made all the sense in the world, due to Pokemon Leagues in every religion being a major cash grab, drawing viewership and revenue around the world.
"It's my pleasure." Nurse Joy replied, stepping aside to reach her computer. "I just need your name and trainer ID. After that, you're all set!"
Ash raised an eyebrow at Nurse Joy requesting his trainer ID, before realizing that this detail was necessary for payment of the room. Most trainer transactions without cash being exchanged would simply be charged through their trainer ID. After Ash gave out these details, he was handed the key to the room.
"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash thanked the nurse, grabbing the key from her outstretched arm and wishing her a good evening.
Seeing Leaf still on call, Ash approached the girl. Unaware of the approaching boy, Leaf continued her conversation with two recognizable faces on the screen.
"Is that, Ash? Hey kiddo, how was the trek there?" Clark Green asked, making Leaf turn around in confusion before smiling at her friend's arrival.
Despite being in his forties, Leaf's father still held a young appearance. The man had short black hair that was neatly combed forward. His blue eyes revealed a very open and welcoming nature. When first meeting the man, Ash could remember being slightly intimidated due to his height, with Clark standing at about 6'4. Yet, it only took a few days for Ash to realize that his intimidating appearance couldn't be further away from the older man's personality. Leaf's father always cracked jokes, never taking anything too seriously. It was a large reason that Ash had taken a liking to the man, as he was extremely easy to converse with.
"It was good, Mr. Green. Leaf actually caught her first Pokemon on the way here. She was incredible!" Ash replied, forcing Leaf to grin at her achievement.
"Way to go, dear! How about you show us what you caught?" Sidney Green said excitedly, no doubt proud of her daughter. Although Leaf and her father didn't have a lot of similarities in their appearance, this wasn't the case with her mother. As Leaf grew older, both she and her mother would always receive comments regarding how alike they both looked. Like Leaf, Sidney Green had long brown hair and light brown eyes. Their similarities in facial structures were also similar, despite the clear gap in age. Sidney Green was in her late thirties, standing three inches taller than Leaf at 5'8.
Like her husband, Mrs. Green was also fairly lighthearted. While she didn't have the same comedic effect, her kindness and loving nature made it just as easy for people to chat with her. Despite not having a father figure in his life, the impact of Mr. and Mrs. Green made it just a little easier to replace this hole in his childhood.
"Sorry, but Caterpie is actually being healed by Nurse Joy right now. I'll show you guys whenever I get the chance." Leaf responded.
"That's alright, Leaf. Your mother and I are so proud of you. You too, Ash." Leaf blushed at her father's praise, with Ash smiling and nodding in thanks.
"It's already late, so you two should get some rest. I'll see you soon, Leaf?" Mrs. Green asked hopefully, with Leaf agreeing confidently, Ash and Leaf both exchanged goodbyes, before Leaf ended the call button.
"Got the room." Ash smirked, holding up the key. Leaf sighed, thanking Arceus that they still had rooms in the evening.
"Perfect. What's that over there?" Leaf pointed, making the black haired teen look in that direction. Before he knew it, the key was stripped from his hands while Leaf laughed, running away.
"Hey! You don't even know what room we are in!" Ash shouted, sprinting after the girl while oblivious to the stares of others as the two sprinted up the stairs.
Leaf finally stopped in front of a door on the second floor, gasping heavily due to being out of breath. Ash stopped a second after her, an eyebrow raised at the girl being slightly out of shape.
"It… says it… on the… key." Leaf huffed out, inserting the key and pushing through into the room. Although it was fairly small, the room was more than decent. It had more than enough lighting, as well as a mini fridge, counter, and two desks standing beside each bed. The bed's were also extremely soft, judging by the groan Leaf made as she fell face first onto hers.
Since it was already 9 PM, the two took turns using the small bathroom to shower and brush their teeth before hitting the hay. While Leaf was using the bathroom first to change, Ash went back downstairs to pick up their Pokemon. Just as Ash returned and was prepared to turn off the light, Leaf spoke from her bed.
"Hy, Infad hgve an idr."
Ash laughed, shaking his head. "Leaf, you're going to have to take your head out from under the covers for me to hear you." Leaf grumbled, reluctantly sticking out only her head before speaking once again.
"Since Charmander is scared of other Pokemon, what if we slowly expose him to my Pokemon? That way, he can build himself up slowly and safely."
"Really? That would actually be great. Could we do that tomorrow morning?" Ash asked hopefully.
"Of course, Ash. Besides, I owe you for letting me have Bulbasaur." Ash rolled his eyes, making Leaf narrow her eyes at the boy.
"Leaf, you don't owe me anything. I'd be a bad best friend if I chose the Pokemon I knew you wanted since you were eight years old." Ash replied, his words making Leaf's expression soften noticeably.
"Well, thank you anyways."
Ash hummed in response before wishing the girl good night, finally turning off the lights. Sleep came easily even though it felt like adrenaline was still coursing heavily through his veins. Tomorrow, the two would see more of Viridian City, as well as travel through Viridian Forest to win their very first Gym battle.
Hope you all enjoyed the second chapter. In the future chapters, there will be a lot more pauses and breaks, rather than this consecutive travel through their journey (I hope that makes sense). I plan to cover Ash's journey across Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn at the very least. Therefore, each region should cover easily more than 300k words. It seems like a lot, but its definitely necessary for all the content. This story will also definitely not be one where Ash is already at the Pokemon League in just 30k words haha. I also have plenty of ideas for the overall plot, such as the involvement in Team Rocket, as well as other storylines and characters that aren't in the anime. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed and leave a review as it motivates me to update quicker!