Reality wasn't a game.
In games, once a Pokémon's friendship or affection reached maximum value, there was nowhere higher to go.
Reality was different.
The bond and understanding between a Trainer and their Pokémon had no upper limit.
It could continue growing forever.
And as partners in both battle and life, the stronger that bond became, the better.
That was why Ash kept the vast majority of his Pokémon outside their Poké Balls whenever possible.
Only Pokémon like Gyarados and Milotic—whose size had exploded after evolution and made them difficult to keep at his side constantly—were regularly returned to their Poké Balls.
Even then, Ash always left the Poké Balls' freedom settings enabled.
Gyarados and Milotic could come and go whenever they wished, and they could observe the outside world through the Poké Balls' sensory functions.
As much as possible, Ash wanted his Pokémon to experience life alongside him.
To share the same journey.
To always feel each other's presence.
...
Bulbasaur wasn't large.
At least not yet.
Before it eventually evolved into Venusaur, Ash had no intention of keeping it confined inside a Poké Ball.
But Bulbasaur was special.
Not because it was destined to become a powerful magic tank.
Not because Ash had already designated it as the team's future Grass-type ace and one of his eventual core Pokémon.
No.
The real reason was Bulbasaur's upbringing.
Its past.
Its life experiences.
Although it was technically a wild Pokémon, Bulbasaur had spent much of its life living in Melanie's Pokémon Sanctuary.
Every day, it had been surrounded by Pokémon abandoned by their Trainers.
Pokémon that had been hurt.
Rejected.
Cast aside.
While Bulbasaur itself had never suffered that kind of betrayal, constantly hearing those stories and living among those Pokémon had inevitably influenced it.
It had learned caution.
Distrust.
Wariness toward humans.
In some ways, its situation reminded Ash of someone else.
N.
Natural Harmonia Gropius.
The legendary King of Team Plasma.
Ash wasn't interested in debating the various rumors surrounding N's birth.
Whether he was the child of Ghetsis and a Pokémon-like being, or the product of some unusual genetic experiment, wasn't important.
What mattered was his upbringing.
N possessed the natural ability to communicate with Pokémon.
Ghetsis had deliberately raised him among Pokémon that had been abandoned and abused by humans.
Day after day.
Year after year.
The stories he heard shaped his worldview.
By the time he grew up, N no longer trusted humans.
Despite being human himself, he didn't even truly identify as one.
Instead, he viewed himself as a Pokémon wearing human skin.
Bulbasaur's situation wasn't nearly that extreme.
Unlike N, it hadn't been deliberately manipulated or brainwashed by a villain like Ghetsis.
And unlike N, it had grown up alongside Melanie.
A kind human who had devoted her life to helping injured Pokémon.
Because of Melanie, Bulbasaur understood that good humans existed.
Then there was Ash.
When the Beedrill swarm attacked, Ash had stepped forward without hesitation.
He had protected the sanctuary.
Protected Melanie.
Protected the Pokémon.
On top of that, Ash possessed Natural Affinity.
Whether through the powers of Aura or the Viridian Blessing, he could communicate with Pokémon naturally and sincerely.
As a result, Bulbasaur's distrust of humans wasn't particularly strong.
But it still existed.
Deep down, the little Pokémon remained cautious.
Still carried a small amount of wariness.
And because Ash understood that, he treated Bulbasaur with exceptional care.
He didn't need Bulbasaur to trust all humans.
That wasn't realistic.
Nor was it necessary.
What mattered was that Bulbasaur learned to trust him.
Its Trainer.
One hundred percent.
...
"Good night, Bulbasaur."
Ash smiled from his bed.
"Bulba~"
(Good night.)
Bathed in the calming aura of Ash's Natural Affinity, Bulbasaur gradually relaxed.
The tension in its body disappeared.
Its breathing slowed.
Before long, it drifted peacefully into sleep.
...
...
The night passed quietly.
The next morning arrived.
Ever since breaking his habit of sleeping in, Ash no longer needed Pikachu to wake him up with an Electric-type alarm clock.
As soon as the alarm on his phone rang, he sat upright.
Got dressed.
Washed up.
And started his day.
After helping his Pokémon with a bit of basic grooming and cleaning, Ash led them out for their morning training session.
"Pikachu."
As they jogged through the streets of Pallet Town, Ash began assigning training tasks.
"Today's morning training, your regular daytime training, and your next training phase will all focus on improving your Stamina stat."
"As for move training, we'll focus on sustained output."
"When we reach the river outside town, you'll run through the shallow water along the riverbank."
"The water resistance will increase the effectiveness of the exercise."
"While running, you'll continuously use Electric-type moves."
"We'll go from easy to difficult."
"Thunder Wave."
"Thunder Shock."
"Parabolic Charge."
"Thunderbolt."
"And so on."
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded immediately.
As they left the yard and headed toward the broad dirt road outside town, Ash continued assigning training tasks while jogging alongside his Pokémon.
The First-Tier Pokémon were fairly straightforward.
Pikachu would continue improving its six core attributes while refining control over its moves.
Greninja would continue learning off-type moves.
Pidgeot would continue improving its speed, attack speed, and evasion while practicing the Substitute move it had recently learned in Cerulean City.
Then Ash turned his attention toward the Second Tier.
"Gyarados."
"According to the battle framework I've designed for you, you're currently lacking two things."
"Defensive moves."
"And area-of-effect attacks."
"For your area attack, I'm teaching you the Water-type move Whirlpool."
"As for defense, you'll learn Facade."
"Your next objective is simple."
"Master both moves as quickly as possible."
"Raise their proficiency to the Mastered level."
As he spoke, Ash activated the System's Skill Copy function.
A moment later, streams of information flowed directly into Gyarados's mind.
The newly acquired move data instantly integrated into its memory.
Ash temporarily ignored the large number of moves Gyarados had naturally learned upon evolution.
Instead, he focused only on the skills most urgently needed according to the planned battle framework.
"ROOOAAAR!"
(Understood!)
Gyarados let out an excited roar.
"Milotic."
Ash shifted his gaze.
"You've already mastered Aqua Ring, Recover, and Life Dew."
"So survivability isn't your concern right now."
"What you're lacking are high-powered Special Attacks and better control options."
"As for control, the move Attract that you learned after evolving is already sufficient for now."
"Combined with your Cute Charm Ability, the control effect should be excellent."
"However, in terms of offensive power..."
"You've already completely mastered Water Gun and Water Pulse."
"Your Water-type foundation is solid."
"So your next step is learning a true powerhouse move."
Ash smiled.
"I'm teaching you Hydro Pump."
The System activated once more.
Hydro Pump.
A move with a base power of 110.
One of the strongest Water-type attacks available.
A technique whose destructive force rivaled even some legendary Pokémon signature moves.
A flood of new knowledge appeared within Milotic's mind.
"Miiiii~"
The beautiful Pokémon raised its head and released a long, melodious cry.
(Understood.)
Finally, Ash looked toward the newest member of the team.
Bulbasaur.
Unlike the others, Bulbasaur's task was much simpler.
"Bulbasaur."
"Your current priority is building a strong foundation."
"We'll train all six core attributes."
"HP."
"Attack."
"Defense."
"Special Attack."
"Special Defense."
"Speed."
"As for moves..."
"For now, focus on just two."
"Tackle."
"And Vine Whip."
"Master the basics first."
"Everything else can come later."
"Bulba!"
Bulbasaur immediately straightened its posture.
Its eyes shone brightly.
There wasn't the slightest hint of reluctance.
Instead—
The little Pokémon looked unusually motivated.
Almost eager.
As if it had been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time.
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