Chapter 40: Pokémon School

After saying that, Ash recalled Suicune and added with quiet humility, "If it weren't for Suicune, I would've lost this battle. The terrain gave me a huge advantage. On a standard battlefield, Pokémon like Tyranitar or Steelix could've fought properly—but in a pool arena like this, most of my team couldn't show their full strength."

"If you lost, then you lost. Still, a win is a win," Mizuharu replied with a smile. "This is the Gem Edition of the Cascade Badge. I hope you go on to win the Indigo Plateau Conference and make Kanto proud!"

She handed Ash a beautifully crafted droplet-shaped gemstone badge.

These Gem Edition badges were made from rare materials. Regular badges had to be returned when participating in the League Conference, but the gem versions could be kept by the trainer as lasting mementos.

"Your name is Ash, right? Are you planning to train your Pokémon here?" one of the Cerulean Sisters—Sakura—suddenly chimed in, trying to curry favor. "Can we maybe borrow your Suicune for a bit?"

Suicune's elegant and noble demeanor had clearly enchanted the three sisters. As a Legendary Pokémon—and a Water-type—it matched the Water-specialist nature of the Cerulean Gym perfectly. To them, Suicune wasn't just powerful—it was practically divine.

"Idiots."

Ash scoffed coldly. "That's a Legendary Pokémon. You think it's something you can just trade for? Don't be ridiculous."

Mizuharu's expression darkened. "Enough nonsense. A Legendary isn't something that can be casually exchanged. The three of you—go dismantle all that junk you've cluttered the gym with. From today onward, I'll be personally training you until Misty returns. The Cerulean Gym must be restored to what it used to be!"

Ash's bluntness left the sisters red-faced with embarrassment. Mizuharu, meanwhile, was already fuming. Any true trainer knew a Pokémon couldn't simply be taken or traded unless it willingly chose to follow another. And a Legendary like Suicune? The very idea was absurd.

After bidding farewell to Mizuharu, Ash and Brock set off toward their next destination. Not long after their departure, influential families from every region received a formal letter from the Oak family.

As Ash had anticipated, the letter's contents centered on his newly developed Full Restore Capsule. The moment news broke, major families erupted into a frenzy. This was a miracle elixir—capable of instantly restoring a Champion-level Pokémon to peak condition without any side effects.

The Joy family did possess something similar, but theirs was never sold publicly and was only distributed as an occasional favor. Even then, the manufacturing process was extremely difficult.

Ash's Full Restore Capsule was also rare, but it had one crucial advantage: it could be produced consistently as long as the right ingredients were available.

After obtaining the formula, Professor Masaki Oak began collecting rare herbs and cultivating them in the Oak estate's greenhouse to ensure long-term production and avoid future shortages.

Ding~!

"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining two Gem Badges and 15 Attribute Points!"

As they walked through a forest path, Ash suddenly heard the mechanical chime of the system in his head. A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth—fifteen more attribute points, bringing his current total to sixteen.

"Huh. I didn't get any attribute points when I caught Tyranitar or Suicune, but I get them for a badge? Not complaining—guess today's my lucky day."

Ash glanced at his stats and watched the number update.

Just then, fog began to roll in around the forest, thickening quickly.

"What's going on with this forest? The mist is getting really dense," Ash muttered. Activating his Three Tomoe Sharingan, he scanned the foggy trail ahead. The ability didn't reduce his vision, so he used it freely—unlike the Mangekyō Sharingan, which caused intense cellular strain he had no desire to experience again.

"Our next destination is Vermilion City," Brock said, pulling out the map and checking their route. "This is the path we need to take to get there. I heard the Pokémon School is nearby too."

"Pokémon School?" Ash thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! Gary used to study there. But the curriculum was so poor that Professor Oak eventually pulled him out and took over his education personally."

"Tch. So this is that school," Ash thought with a sneer. "I heard it's the go-to academy for noble families… but according to Professor Oak, ever since they shifted their focus to data-based learning, their students have been embarrassingly weak. They haven't even made it into the top 32 of the Indigo League in recent years!"

He recalled what Professor Oak had told him. Those students might be loaded with theoretical knowledge, but when it came to actual battles, they were practically useless.

Just then—

"Joe, I think it's time you went home."

"You commoners just can't keep up with the pace here."

"Yeah! You can't even recite the basics of Pokémon Evolution!"

"Don't waste our time—scram!"

Ash and Brock had stumbled onto a group of five older boys in crisp blue school uniforms. They were clearly ganging up on a younger student—someone even smaller than Ash himself.

"Hey!" Brock stepped forward, his tone sharp. "You guys seriously bullying a kid in broad daylight? That's low, even for punks like you."

"Who the hell are you two?" one of the boys said with a scoff. "We're just helping the kid review his lessons. Don't get in the way."

"Watch your mouth," Ash said coldly.

Before the boy could speak again, Ash's eyes flashed crimson as his Sharingan activated. The familiar tomoe pattern spun into place, locking onto the boy who'd just mouthed off.

In an instant, all five boys froze in place. A chill ran down their spines. It felt as if some infernal gaze had pierced straight through them—like hell itself was watching their every move.

"Y-You guys... w-we better be careful…"

"Don't be stupid! That's the young heir of the Oak family! My dad told me never to mess with him!"

"Same! My grandpa warned me too!"

"Just walk away—now!"

One of the teens had been about to shout back defiantly, but his friends grabbed him before he could finish. The moment they recognized Ash, fear set in. Their families had made it crystal clear: do not provoke Ash Ketchum under any circumstances.

After all, the Oak family was one of the top three noble families in all of Kanto. In a feudal sense, Ash was practically royalty—like the heir to the throne in ancient times.

…

TN:

Support me on P-com/LordMerlin!

⚡ Limited-time 30% discount!

Get 10 advance chaps for $3.50, 20 for $7, and more — ending soon!