Pokémon: The Strongest Trainer (Ash SI)

"Just listening to you is giving me a headache. I really don't have a good solution for this. Clearing up that mess with the Dragon Clan's affairs sounds incredibly difficult. Honestly, I think you're overthinking it," Brock frowned as he listened to Ash's concerns.

Ash let out a sigh. "Forget it. Let's just focus on the Indigo League for now. We can deal with the Dragon Clan after the tournament's over."

As the two continued walking, Ash suddenly looked around. "Wait... where are we?"

Brock blinked and looked up. "Huh? I didn't pay attention to the path after we left town!"

They glanced around and realized they had veered off the main road, ending up in a dense, unmarked part of the forest.

"Sorry, I got too caught up talking and forgot to check our direction," Brock said, scratching his head awkwardly. He quickly pulled a map from his backpack and scanned it, trying to get his bearings.

Just then, the sharp sounds of a Pokémon battle echoed from deeper in the forest.

"Sounds intense!" Ash muttered.

They hurried toward the noise. As they reached a clearing, Brock spotted the source. "It's a group of Scyther!"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "System, identify the strongest one among them."

Scyther was a Pokémon with strong evolutionary potential. Despite being limited to carrying six Pokémon at a time—thanks to the League's monitoring system embedded in every Poké Ball—Ash still paid close attention to wild encounters like this. Any extra Pokémon a trainer caught would automatically be transported to a location of their choice—usually Professor Oak's lab, the local Pokémon Center, or a specialized feeding facility.

A soft chime echoed in Ash's mind as the system responded.

Species: Scyther

Level: Early Quasi-Elite

Ability: Swarm, Technician

Type: Bug/Flying

Potential: 100% (42% currently developed)

"That one... the Scyther with the X-shaped scar on its face. It's impressive," Ash muttered, eyes narrowing.

Despite Ash and Brock's presence, the five Scyther continued fighting fiercely, seemingly oblivious to their audience. Their blows were fast and brutal—this wasn't training; it was a full-on turf war.

"What the heck are they doing? Why fight like this?" Brock asked, frowning. Judging from their aggression, some of these Scyther could be left severely injured and might take days to recover.

"They're fighting for dominance," Ash explained calmly. "Scyther are Bug-types, and Bug-types often live in hierarchical groups. These five are likely battling for leadership of their swarm."

Ash was right. Scyther were known for their pride and ferocity. Once a fight began, it rarely ended until one side was utterly defeated.

"The one with the scar is the strongest," Ash continued, watching the battle intently. "Its strength explains why the other four are ganging up on it."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with practiced ease.

Ash had taken up smoking a while ago, though not the usual brands sold in this world. Most cigarettes here were harsh and unpleasant, filled with choking additives. After trying them once, Ash swore never to touch them again—at least not those kinds.

With his pharmaceutical knowledge from studying medicine, Ash had taken to crafting his own blend. He soon discovered why cigarettes here were so bad—people didn't know how to extract pure nicotine, so they mixed in other harmful substances. His homemade ones were far smoother.

"That Scyther's at such a high level?" Brock asked in surprise. "That's rare for a wild Pokémon. Usually, their development lags due to the harsh environment."

As the two spoke, the battle came to its climax. Despite its skill and strength, the scarred Scyther finally succumbed under the coordinated assault. The four other Scyther struck in tandem, overwhelming it. Wounded and exhausted, it collapsed to the ground.

The remaining Scyther glanced at the fallen one—the strongest among them—and, seeing it defeated, silently dispersed into the trees. It seemed like they had agreed in advance to eliminate the most powerful first. Don't think Pokémon can't strategize. In truth, their intelligence is surprisingly high—often not much less than a human's. They just can't speak. Just look at Meowth in the anime for proof.

"Let's go check on it. I'm really interested in that Scyther," Ash said, stepping forward after the other four disappeared into the forest.

"Right," Brock nodded.

As Ash and Brock approached, the injured Scyther raised its scythes in warning. Even heavily wounded, a wild Pokémon remained highly vigilant—especially in the wilderness, where the smallest mistake could mean death.

"Easy," Ash said calmly. "I want to make you my partner, but I won't take advantage of your injuries. You can trust me."

Perhaps it was Ash's calm aura, or perhaps the Scyther sensed the strength of Ash's aura through his Aura connection, but it lowered its guard slightly. It allowed Brock to begin applying medicine and healing sprays to its wounds. Ash couldn't help but smirk—when it came to getting wild Pokémon to lower their guard, Brock's gentle care always worked wonders.

"Doesn't it frustrate you?" Ash continued, sitting nearby as Brock treated the Scyther. "You're clearly stronger than them in terms of rank, but you still lost because they ganged up on you. Doesn't that sting a little?"

"Scy!" the injured Pokémon growled in response. It remembered vividly how the other four had struck it down. Its narrowed eyes and clenched scythes said everything—it was far from willing to accept defeat.

Ash smirked. That unwillingness, that burning frustration, was exactly what he liked to see. That kind of spirit was what forged powerful bonds and stronger partners.

Good. A real fighter.

Only those who endure setbacks and rise stronger can reach new heights. If a single defeat could crush you, then your future potential would always be limited.

What Ash didn't know was that, while he was bonding with the Scyther, someone else was fuming elsewhere.

Back at Pokémon School, Giselle Yoto was pacing furiously.

After Ash and Brock left the area, Giselle—thinking about her father and trying to mend their strained relationship—had decided to travel with Ash for a while, at least until her sister Cynthia arrived.

But just as she finished packing and chased after them, she found that Ash and Brock had gotten themselves lost in the forest.

Now, Giselle was running all over the place trying to find Ash… and she was not happy about it.

...

TN:

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