Chapter 180: Departure to Fuchsia City
On their way back to the Pokémon Center, Misty suddenly turned to Ash with a seemingly casual question.
"So, what do you think of Erika?"
Ash, not catching the underlying meaning, answered honestly.
"She's great! Beautiful, talented, and strong."
"Yeah… she's pretty great…"
Misty's face froze for a second, and her fists clenched slightly.
She already felt inferior compared to Erika. But hearing Ash praise her so openly? That stung.
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A Pikachu Intervention
"Pika… Pikachu?"
Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, immediately sensed the shift in Misty's mood.
Without hesitation, it tugged on Ash's hair, signaling him to pay attention to Misty.
Ash finally noticed her expression—and instantly realized he'd said the wrong thing.
"B-But of course, Erika isn't as good as Misty!" he blurted out. "Misty is the most beautiful girl in the world!"
Misty's eyes widened for a second, but then she quickly shook her head.
"Forget it, Ash," she sighed. "I know my place. But just so you know—I won't always be behind Erika. One day, I'll surpass her!"
Her voice was filled with determination, though a small smile tugged at her lips at Ash's sudden flustered response.
Seeing that the "crisis" had been averted, Ash let out a deep breath of relief.
Then, when he turned his head, he noticed Brock staring at him—not saying a word, just grinning knowingly.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Ash scratched his head awkwardly and shot Brock a small smile.
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A Day in Celadon City
After returning to the Pokémon Center, the group rested for a short while before heading out to explore Celadon's Shopping District again.
During their walk, Brock suddenly broke off from the group, heading straight toward Beauty Street.
His goal? To find Vivi.
However, when he arrived at her shop, he was greeted with a disappointment—
The store was closed.
A handwritten sign was posted on the front door:
"Gone for training. Will not return for a while."
Brock stood there staring at the note for a long moment.
"Ah… so she's gone…"
He let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly.
Then, with a dramatic sigh, he muttered—
"Another love story that ends before it even begins…"
Misty, who had followed him, rolled her eyes.
"You say that every time, Brock."
"One of these days, it's going to be true!" Brock argued.
Misty just shook her head, chuckling as they returned to Ash and the others.
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Nighttime Training
Later that night, Ash headed out to the battlefield alone, releasing his newly evolved Pidgeot.
The moment it spread its magnificent wings, the other Pokémon gathered around, congratulating it on its evolution.
Some even looked at it with envy.
One Pokémon in particular? Haunter.
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Haunter's Determination
Haunter had been the last Pokémon to join Ash's team, which had unfortunately pushed Beedrill out of the main lineup.
Ever since joining, Haunter had been training hard, determined to catch up to its teammates.
The past ten days of training had given it a chance to witness how strong and dedicated the team was.
It wasn't just Ash pushing them—every Pokémon worked tirelessly to become stronger.
Even so, the gap between them and Haunter still felt too large.
Originally, Haunter and Pidgeotto were at a similar power level.
But now?
Not only had Pidgeotto evolved into Pidgeot, but it had also mastered new moves.
Seeing this, Haunter clenched its fists, feeling a deep sense of determination.
Without hesitation, it floated over to Pidgeot, gesturing excitedly.
Ash watched with interest.
"Does it want to learn Aerial Ace and the Ignorant Three-Stage Thrust?"
Pidgeot looked at Haunter for a moment, then let out a small chirp of acknowledgment.
It wasn't against the idea—if Haunter was serious, Pidgeot was willing to teach it.
Ash didn't stop them.
If Pokémon could learn techniques through training rather than inheritance, it would be a huge advantage.
After all, relying on lottery draws for rare skills was unpredictable—and he had very few chances to draw anyway.
If Haunter could truly master these techniques on its own, then this discovery would be a major breakthrough for Ash's training methods.
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Unwanted Attention
Ash's Pokémon trained late into the night, drawing the attention of several other Trainers at the Pokémon Center.
Some of them approached Ash, eager to trade Pokémon with him.
"Hey, I'll trade you a rare Pokémon for your Haunter."
"How about an offer for that Beedrill?"
Ash refused them all.
He wasn't interested in trades—his Pokémon were his partners, not bargaining chips.
Instead, he decided to battle some of them instead.
Winning five consecutive matches, Ash finally called it a night and headed back to rest.
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A New Journey Begins
The next morning, as per their usual routine, the group woke up early for training.
Once finished, they packed their belongings and prepared to depart from Celadon City.
Their next destination? Fuchsia City.
But the road there wasn't simple.
There were two possible routes:
1. The Shorter Route
Depart from Celadon City's west exit.
Follow Routes 16, 17, and 18 to reach Fuchsia City.
2. The Longer Route
Return to Vermilion City.
Take the east exit from Vermilion.
Follow Routes 11 and 12.
Pass through Route 15 before arriving in Fuchsia City.
Ash and the others stood at a crossroads, deciding which path to take.
"The first route is shorter, but it passes through Cycling Road," Brock noted. "We'll need bicycles to cross it."
Misty frowned.
"And the second route is longer, meaning more potential battles."
Ash grinned.
"Either way, we're bound to get stronger!"
With that, the group set off once more, ready for the next leg of their adventure.
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To Be Continued…