75. Cerulean City

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"I captured the Axew!!"

Ash excitedly stepped forward to pick up the Poké Ball, a wide grin on his face. After capturing Axew, his team was finally complete. This progress was much faster than in the anime, and there had been many unexpected gains along the way.

"Is this really considered captured?" Brock asked, a bit surprised by what he had just witnessed.

This was the first time he had seen a Pokémon willingly enter a Poké Ball. Normally, even though Pokémon understand the rules of humans, they often resist during the capture process.

As a breeder, Brock felt like a new door had opened. Unlike Trainers, breeders need to understand the hearts of Pokémon to better care for them. Before he left home, his father had told him to learn from Ash, but he hadn't expected that on the first day of traveling together, he would realize that capturing a Pokémon doesn't always require battling.

"Hehe! You'll get used to it," Misty chuckled beside him.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, she had already seen this happen before, like when Ash captured an Eevee last time, so she was already accustomed to it.

"But did this Axew really follow you on its own? I wonder what's going on with Officer Jenny and the others," Brock mused. Being older than Ash and Misty, he quickly adapted, assuming that the Axew must have followed Ash of its own accord.

"It's okay, once we get to Cerulean City, we'll contact Pewter City and explain everything!"

Normally, Pokémon can't be captured if they already have a Trainer. Only criminal organizations like Team Rocket can forcibly unbind a Pokémon from its Poké Ball. Other Trainers can do this as well, but it's illegal. However, it had already been confirmed that this Axew didn't have a Trainer, so Ash was in the clear.

"Right!!"

At that moment, Misty, who had been listening to Ash's words, stiffened and looked a bit embarrassed.

"Then let's go!" Brock nodded slightly. That works out well. Officer Jenny probably wouldn't have any objections since, in the end, the choice of Trainer is up to the Pokémon itself.

"Wait a minute! Why... do we have to go to Cerulean City?" Misty quickly asked as she saw the two of them about to leave.

"Because the nearest gym is in Cerulean City!" Ash replied, fully aware of why Misty reacted the way she did. But to him, it wasn't a big deal.

In Ash's opinion, Misty was actually stronger than her sisters. While her sisters weren't exactly useless, it was surprising that they managed to keep the Cerulean Gym running. However, they had mostly turned the gym into a water performance hall over time.

"Can we not go? By the way, Ash, why don't we head to Vermilion City first! Vermilion City also has a gym! And I heard that the Gym Leader there is really strong. Don't you love battling powerful Trainers?"

"And Vermilion City has lots of Water-type Pokémon, cruise ships, and beautiful scenery. It's a great place for a vacation!"

Misty's voice sounded a little desperate, but she still didn't want to go to Cerulean City. Every part of her seemed to resist the idea.

"Of course, we'll visit the gym! But... even if we go to Vermilion City, Cerulean City is closer! If you want to take a detour, we'll have to go a long way," Ash replied, listening to Misty's words.

Ash squeezed his chin thoughtfully.

The first half of his sentence gave Misty a glimmer of hope, but the second half quickly dashed it, leaving her feeling like she had turned to stone.

Inwardly cursing, Misty thought, "Did this guy do his homework too well? He knows the route by heart without even checking the map. I used to think it was great that he knew his way around, but now I'm starting to think it's not so great after all."

"Challenging strong opponents is definitely my thing," Ash continued, "but if we spend too much time on the road, it won't be worth it. Wouldn't it be better to collect all the Badges quickly, and then use the extra time to relax and train our Pokémon for the Alliance Conference?"

As he spoke, Ash gestured to Brock and Pikachu, explaining his plan as they walked along.

Brock nodded in agreement. Ash's plan made sense—collect the Badges as soon as possible, and then use the remaining time for leisure and extra training. After all, the Alliance Conference was on a completely different level than regular competitions, with many strong competitors, so using the extra time for practice would be very beneficial.

"Really, you're not listening to me at all!" Misty huffed, annoyed as she watched Ash and Brock walk off without her. With no other choice, she followed, but the closer they got to Cerulean City, the more uneasy she felt.

After about half a day's journey, the group finally left the vicinity of Mt. Moon and caught sight of the city ahead.

Cerulean City was a unique place, deeply connected to water. Although it wasn't a coastal city, it was famous for its Water-type Pokémon Gym. As Ash and the others entered the city, they noticed it was quite lively. Compared to Pewter City, which was dominated by deep gray tones, Cerulean City had a fresh and pleasant architectural style.

"Finally, Cerulean City!" Ash exclaimed.

"Uh, Ash… Misty seems to be gone," Brock said suddenly. He hadn't noticed it at first, but when Ash mentioned the city, he realized Misty was no longer with them.

"I know. She ran off as soon as we reached Cerulean City." In fact, Ash had noticed this a while ago but chose not to mention it. He knew Misty would be too embarrassed to come back right away, so he didn't call her out on it.

"Then why aren't you worried at all? We may not have known each other for long, but we're still partners!" Brock frowned slightly, surprised by Ash's indifference.

"Don't worry, she didn't go far!" Ash replied calmly, stopping and glancing at a shop's billboard not far away.

"Huh…" Brock followed his gaze and spotted a pair of red sneakers just visible beneath the billboard.

"So that's it!" Brock finally understood. Ash wasn't indifferent at all—he was just more observant than anyone else.

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