At this moment, Raj and his companions had finished the Gym battle in Saffron City and were preparing to head toward Celadon City.
While taking a short break along the road, Ash suddenly decided to call Professor Oak to report his progress.
Meanwhile, Raj quietly calculated his system points. He had received quite a large number of points for helping Sabrina resolve her inner turmoil and recover her humanity. The rewards from this hidden task were extremely generous.
From the system shop, he exchanged a device he had wanted for a long time. It allowed Haunter to evolve into Gengar without needing to be traded.
To avoid attracting attention, the device looked like a decorative ornament. Haunter actually looked quite stylish wearing it.
"Hello Professor Oak, how are you?"
"Ah it's Ash. I was just thinking you might call with good news. How are things going?" Professor Oak asked with a smile.
"So much has happened. Look," Ash said as he showed his four badges.
"See? I already earned four badges," Ash said proudly.
Professor Oak took a sip of tea.
"That's still too few."
Ash nearly collapsed out of the phone booth.
"Hey Ash, are you still alive? Gary and your other rivals already earned five badges and passed Celadon City. They just called me earlier. Not only that, even Raj already has five badges."
"That Gary," Ash muttered through clenched teeth.
"I might as well tell you. Gary's performance is excellent, second only to Raj. The number of Pokémon he has caught has already reached thirty. If Raj didn't have his own plans, he would have caught even more. Instead, he's helping me collect Pokémon research data."
"Ash, how are things going for you? My Pokémon storage system here is still waiting for the next Pokémon you send."
At that moment, Ash's Krabby appeared on the screen.
"Huh? Is that Krabby? It looks pretty cute," Raj said as he pointed at the screen.
"Krabby, are you doing well?" Ash asked with concern.
"He's my good friend now. From now on I'm planning some fun activities with Krabby. Eating yokan together with Pokémon would be wonderful. What do you think?" Professor Oak said happily.
"I don't understand your sense of art anymore, Professor," Ash said helplessly.
"Professor, I think that's great. You could even start a new series where you use Krabby's claws to help prepare food and then eat together. That would be even more artistic," Raj said with a smile.
"Hmm Raj is very thoughtful. For a young Trainer, whether it's literature or Pokémon research, the most important thing is building a strong foundation. And for a Pokémon Trainer, that foundation starts with catching Pokémon."
"If you want to become the world's number one Pokémon Trainer, you must first build that foundation properly."
"When you have time, you should learn more from Raj. Alright then, I'll wait for your next call," Professor Oak said before ending the call.
After that, Ash walked back toward Brock and Misty looking discouraged.
At that moment, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Haunter were eating rice balls together.
"Ash don't be so sad. Come eat the rice balls Brock made and cheer up. They're really delicious. Raj you should try them too," Misty said.
"The round ones are pickled plum rice balls, and the triangular ones are seaweed rice balls. We found some very high-quality seaweed this time," Brock said as he presented the tray.
Raj took a bite.
"Wow these are really delicious. Brock your cooking skills are amazing."
He honestly did not expect Brock to be such a skilled cook. Traveling with them really meant good food and fewer expenses, Raj thought happily.
"I heard Gary already has five badges," Ash said quietly.
"So that's why you're upset. Gary passed you again," Misty said after finishing her pickled plum rice ball.
"Raj you said this road leads to Celadon City right?"
"That's right. Just keep following this road straight ahead and you'll reach Celadon City," Raj replied with a nod.
"I think it will still take about a day to get there," Brock said as he pointed ahead.
Ash suddenly turned his hat backward.
"I won't lose to them."
"Don't rush. Don't you remember what you once told me? You said you have your own way of doing things," Misty said with a smile.
"Exactly. Just like when you convinced Haunter earlier. Catching different types of Pokémon will definitely be helpful later," Brock added.
"Yes Ash you can't be impatient. Nothing happens overnight. Just take things step by step," Raj said as he picked up another rice ball.
"I'll also tell you something important. If a Pokémon's strength increases too quickly, they might lose control because your own strength isn't keeping up yet."
"I experienced something like that before. That's why I'm working hard to strengthen the bond between me and my Pokémon while improving myself."
"Oh there's something like that? Then I really need to work harder," Ash said as his fighting spirit returned.
Suddenly, the grass ahead began rustling.
A white monkey-like Pokémon with a pig-like snout jumped out.
Raj immediately took out his Pokédex.
"Mankey. The Pig Monkey Pokémon. A Fighting-type Pokémon. It punches with incredible speed and moves very lightly. Mankey has an extremely short temper and becomes angry very easily. Sometimes its anger has no clear reason. Once angered, it will chase its opponent relentlessly."
...
📢 Author's Note
Part 1 of Pokémon: Rise of the Dark Trainer! is now completed and available on Patreon!
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✅ Part 1 Complete — 100+ Chapters
Join Raj on his journey through the Pokémon world as he gains the mysterious Strongest Villain System, captures terrifying Pokémon, and walks the path toward becoming the most feared villain in history.
🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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Thank you all for your continued support and happy reading! 💙