Chapter 14: 14. Three Years Later
After that, Ash tried to control this power but gradually found that it seemed to only work in conjunction with Pokémon.
He also attempted to sneak out of town to find wild Pokémon, but discovering Pokémon that had no connection with him didn't seem to activate his power.
Ash slowly realized that this power needed to be practiced with Pokémon. He couldn't use it without some form of interaction with them.
In this case, it was indeed challenging, but Ash wasn't sure if his ability was not strong enough or if he just hadn't figured out how to use it. He no longer saw the red light connecting him with Pokémon like he did before.
He tried many times, and once he was caught by people in town. After telling about it to Delia, his mother, she stopped him at the town gate, scolded him, and then dragged him home by his ear.
She sternly warned Ash not to leave town without permission to go into the wild. Although he was scolded, Ash didn't mind.
At home, Delia was a single mother. Although she was strict while raising Ash alone, she was also afraid of accidents.
Therefore, she ensured that he wouldn't go into the wild without permission, even though adults in this world could safely let 10-year-old children travel outside.
But in her eyes, someone under 10 years old was still a child.
There was no other way. Since going out into the field didn't work, Ash had to think of other methods.
During this time, Ash would get up early every day for morning exercises and run to build up his body as much as possible.
In addition to wanting a good physique to become a trainer in the future, he also wanted to try to hone his body to see if he could use or strengthen his power.
According to the conditions of many special abilities, if you want to use them well, you must hone yourself.
Ash didn't know if his ability had become stronger, but his constitution was improving. At the same time, he often went to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
He tried to build relationships with the Pokémon there and use his power.
Surprisingly, as he got familiar with these Pokémon, they didn't resist. It was almost like developing intimacy like in the Pokémon games.
Ash frequently visited the Professor's Laboratory, and Gary started going there more often after learning Ash's frequent visits. Although Gary was Professor Oak's grandson, he didn't live at the Laboratory.
He would occasionally visit, but not very often. After learning that Ash often went there, Gary became more diligent and frequently accompanied him.
In the anime, Ash was always unwilling to admit losing to Gary, and Gary was dismissive. But now, it seemed reversed, with Gary wanting to compete with Ash instead.
Of course, Ash didn't care. Gary's behavior wasn't malicious. Although they always argued, they knew each other best.
Three years later...
Unknowingly, it has been three years since he came to this world. During this time, Ash has also grown up slowly. With daily exercise over these three years, his ability has improved significantly.
It turns out that this power is also related to the strength of the user, much like in a game where if the Pokémon level is too high, it becomes disobedient.
As his own ability has improved and he has become stronger, this power has also grown stronger. When Ash tries to use his power now, as long as he doesn't engage in high-intensity battles for too long, he doesn't get as tired as he did three years ago.
However, he has also realized that the more he uses this power, the closer his connection with Pokémon becomes, leading to more synchronized cooperation. Naturally, this also means increased energy consumption.
Not long after his 10th birthday, Professor Oak began preparations for the Rookie Trainers.
There is only one week left before Rookie Trainers receive their first Pokémon and start their journeys. During this time, Ash has already signed up. This year, four people from Pallet Town have signed up, including Ash and Gary.
So during this period, Ash has already started preparing. After getting ready for the day, he often goes to the river in town to fish when he has free time.
Maybe they really are natural enemies and friends together because they both thought of fishing at the same time. When Ash arrived at the river with his fishing tools, he found Gary already there.
"Didn't you go to see Grandpa today?" Gary asked as they stood on opposite sides of the riverbank. When he saw Ash approaching, a competitive spirit flashed in his eyes again.
"Who said I always go to the Professor's place? Didn't you come here too? Trying to avoid me?" Even though he's not the original Ash, after three years of getting along, he's used to bickering with Gary.
"Are you kidding me? How could I be afraid of you?! Let's compete and see who catches a Pokémon first." Gary was a little annoyed at that. Over the past three years in the Laboratory, they had gone from learning to simulated pokemon battles several times.
But Gary often lost more than he won, so he reacted strongly to Ash's words.
"Okay!" Ash smiled and opened his box to bait his fishing rod.
Seeing Ash's quick response, Gary also started to act immediately. Soon, they cast their fishing rods almost simultaneously. Ash sat directly on the grass and waited quietly, while Gary stood without saying a word.
If this were the Ash from the original series, he would definitely be restless. But the current Ash is different, sitting in place and seeming to be in a trance.
Although Gary has often been annoyed by Ash over the past three years, it has to be said that Ash is much calmer now than the original Ash.
The river flowed gently, and the surroundings were peaceful. The two gradually calmed down. When they weren't arguing, they felt that they had a good relationship.
"I'm leaving in a week. Did you decided which Pokémon to choose?" Perhaps influenced by the peaceful atmosphere, Gary asked without any sarcasm in his tone.
"I haven't thought about it!" Ash paused slightly, was silent for a moment, and then responded.
"Hmph! You're so old-fashioned. You're about to set off, but you haven't thought it through yet. It seems you don't take it seriously!" Gary snorted in response.
Though he felt that Ash had won many times over the years, his character seemed the same as before. He felt a mix of frustration and admiration. He felt Ash should use his talent to its fullest.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone