Pokemon: Trait Master

Time flew by— 

in the blink of an eye, three days had passed. 

Ash and his group finally emerged from Viridian Forest. 

In just three days— 

Froakie had ascended from Beginner-tier to Normal High-tier! 

While it was true that lower-level Pokémon could level up quickly, 

gaining an entire tier plus an extra sub-level in just three days 

was something that would shock even Elite Four Champions! 

No one could level up that fast! 

At this rate— 

if Froakie didn't hit any bottlenecks, 

he could reach Elite Four-level within a year! 

This level of growth was thanks to: 

1. Froakie's rigorous training 

2. Constant battles against wild Pokémon 

3. Ash's nutritious meals 

4. The [Trained to Perfection] trait 

Honestly— 

even if Froakie had mediocre talent, 

under Ash's layers of buffs, 

even a literal pig would experience explosive growth! 

---

Pidgeotto and Metapod (formerly Caterpie) 

had also fallen in love with Ash's cooking. 

Winning over a Pokémon's stomach is the first step to winning its loyalty! 

Ash's carefully prepared Pokémon meals 

had both of them completely hooked. 

By the time they left Viridian Forest, 

Caterpie had evolved into Metapod, 

reaching Normal Low-tier. 

This boost came purely from evolution. 

Even with three days of training, 

Caterpie wouldn't have been able to break into the Normal-tier otherwise. 

After all— 

- It didn't use weighted training 

- It didn't have as many battles 

- Its Talent wasn't as high as Froakie's 

So there was no way it could match Froakie's rapid progress. 

But evolution was a different story. 

Pidgeotto had also grown stronger, 

though it didn't level up yet. 

Meanwhile, Pikachu had advanced one small sub-level, 

reaching Gym High-tier! 

This was the result of long-term training— 

it wasn't like Pikachu could just level up in three days 

as if he had some crazy cheat ability. 

Even Ash wasn't that overpowered. 

If he could do something like that— 

Pikachu would have reached Elite Four-level long ago! 

---

It wasn't just Ash— 

Serena and Misty's Pokémon had also improved. 

Hard work was contagious, after all. 

Serena, especially, had become deeply interested 

in Pokémon training and battles under Ash's influence. 

Finally— 

the group arrived in Pewter City. 

Technically, this was where Misty 

should have parted ways with them. 

But— 

she never brought it up. 

And Ash? 

He pretended to forget about it entirely. 

As for Serena— 

after spending three days together, 

she had grown fond of Misty. 

Sure, Misty was a potential love rival, 

but having another girl in the group made things livelier 

and gave her someone to talk to. 

So— 

no one said anything about Misty leaving. 

---

After healing up at the Pokémon Center, 

the group headed straight to the Pewter Gym! 

On the way, Misty warned Ash— 

"Ash, I heard that the Pewter Gym Leader, Brock, 

is a rock-type expert with incredible skill!" 

"Pikachu and Pidgeotto are both at a disadvantage, 

and Metapod can't fight at all." 

"You're basically left with only Froakie. 

Do you want to borrow one of my Water-types?" 

Pikachu immediately scoffed. 

"Pika! Pika-Pi! Pikachu-Pi!!" 

Misty: "...What did he just say?" 

Ash smirked. 

"He said, 'Type disadvantages don't mean anything to me.'" 

"Honestly? He's right." 

"A Pokémon battle isn't just about type matchups." 

"If you give up just because your opponent has a type advantage, 

then why even battle at all? Just look at the type chart and declare the winner." 

"If a Pokémon's type determines everything, 

wouldn't that mean you should surrender every time you're at a disadvantage?" 

"Today, I'm gonna teach you an important lesson." 

With that, the trio arrived at the Pewter Gym. 

It was afternoon, 

and the Gym's doors were wide open. 

As they stepped inside, 

one by one, the lights switched on— 

Until finally— 

a single spotlight shone on the battle stage. 

Standing there, arms crossed, 

was Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader. 

His serious expression carried a hint of pressure, 

his gaze sweeping across the newcomers— 

Although, with his permanently squinted eyes, 

it was hard to tell if he was actually intimidating or not. 

"You… Who among you is the challenger?" 

For a brief moment, Ash was silent. 

Then he asked— 

"Why are you already standing on the battle stage the moment we walked in?" 

"Were you just standing there the whole time?" 

Brock: "..." 

Bro, this is a Gym Battle! Be serious! 

How am I supposed to respond to that?! 

I can't exactly say— 

"I saw you coming through the security cameras, 

turned off all the lights, rushed to the stage, 

and waited dramatically for you to walk in." 

That would ruin my whole image! 

Usually, challengers are supposed to: 

- See the Gym Leader on the battlefield 

- Exchange a few cocky words 

- Receive some battle wisdom from the Gym Leader 

- Then start the battle 

But you— 

you're completely off-script! 

---

After about ten seconds of awkward silence, 

Brock gave up and ignored Ash's weird question. 

"...So you're the challenger?" 

Ash grinned. 

"Yep, I'm Ash from Pallet Town." 

Brock narrowed his eyes. 

"You just started your journey. 

And yet, you're challenging my Rock-type Gym… 

Are you planning to use that Pikachu?" 

Ash raised an eyebrow. 

"…Are you interrogating me?" 

Brock: "…" 

This challenger is so damn unpredictable! 

He's not acting like a rookie Trainer at all! 

Serena and Misty both covered their mouths, 

barely holding back their laughter. 

They had never seen Ash roast someone like this before!