Ash pushed open the glass door of the Pokémon shop, making the bell ring.

That's new, he thought as he stepped over the threshold with his Pokédex floating beside him.

As soon as he entered, he headed straight for the counter with determined steps. There was a young man there who smiled at him. He had long hair and wore glasses that slipped down his nose.

"Welcome to the Poké store..." the young employee behind the counter began to say when Ash interrupted him sharply.

"(skip)...Listen, I'm really not in the mood for this, and... I'm in a bit of a hurry," Ash said, frowning, with a look of displeasure in his eyes. His face was sweating with frustration from his recent defeat.

"I see that Sir not only lacks time but also manners," the young employee retorted sarcastically, squinting.

Ash rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue in response.

"Do you have any Poké Balls in your store?" he asked, annoyed.

"Indeed, Sir, we have all kinds: large, small, regular, super... what will be your choice?"

"The regular ones will do just fine."

"Ah yes, and how many do you want, Sir?"

"I'll take ten, yes ten, that’s perfect... to start."

"Very well, so at 350 Pokédollars per Poké Ball, that will be 3500 Pokédollars for 10. I hope Sir has enough to cover the bill," the vendor said, casting a haughty glance at Ash.

Ash met his gaze. 3500 Pokédollars was a hefty price, especially since the young boy from earlier had taken half of his money.

He searched through his wallet and pulled out the necessary amount. Due to his encounter with the young boy, he only had 4000 Pokédollars left. Subtracting the 3500 for the Poké Balls, he would be left with only 500 Pokédollars.

What a little brat, next time I'll make sure he won't feel like laughing, that arrogant little punk, Ash thought furiously.

"Thank you for shopping with us, Sir. Goodbye and happy hunting," the long-haired young employee said with a smile as Ash left with his purchases.

"Wait, I have a question for you if possible," Ash said, turning back to the vendor.

"Hmm, what is it?"

"The vendor, the one at the intersection on the Viridian road, did he leave?"

The young employee remained silent for a moment, hand under his chin, eyes squinted, lost in thought.

"Hmm... Ah!" he exclaimed. "I remember you, you're the kid with the collector's potion."

Ash didn't respond.

"As for Ralph, he got fired. His business tactic turned out to be a complete failure. Pokémon trainers know the dangers of that road and prepare accordingly, so one more potion wouldn’t make a difference. Moreover, the boss received several complaints about him. Let's just say a man in a large coat approaching young boys on a deserted road isn't the image the boss wants for his store."

"I see," Ash finally said, then left the store.

"Do you know this Mr. Ralph? A friend of yours?" the Pokédex asked when they were both outside.

"No, I didn't know him, and he was even less of a friend. I was more... like a customer, though it was brief," Ash said, looking straight ahead.

The Pokédex floated silently beside Ash. Ash seemed worried. Though he appeared calm, his eyes betrayed a great frustration. He still had that bitter taste of defeat in him.

Ash and the Pokédex eventually arrived at the Pokémon Center. It was a large, imposing building. Several trainers were entering the door, either to have their companions healed or to pick them up.

Ash entered the building with his Pokédex. The room was vast and crowded with trainers who had come to have their Pokémon treated. There were as many trainers as there were Pokémon, and the benches where some trainers waited were full.

Ash approached the counter where a crowd of people, most of whom seemed displeased, was gathered. One trainer in particular caught his eye. He seemed very angry. He had a green bandana on his head, a black shirt, and red shorts. He appeared to be about two years older than Ash.

"But I'm telling you, you made a mistake, this Pokémon is not mine. This Eevee isn't mine, you've made an error," the young trainer with the bandana exclaimed.

"Okay, very well sir, but do you have your ticket with your Pokémon's number on it?" the young nurse asked calmly.

"No... I don't have it anymore," he replied, embarrassed. "But even without it, I can assure you this Eevee isn't mine," he said, pointing to the Pokémon placed on the counter.

It was an Eevee, staring at Nurse Joy with big, round, innocent, and curious eyes.

"Look more closely at the tuft around its neck, it's white. My Eevee had a brown tuft."

The young nurse looked at the Pokémon, a bit perplexed and embarrassed. Sure, it had a white tuft around its neck, but she couldn't judge based on that criterion alone whether or not the Pokémon was his. And even if that were the case, without a ticket, she couldn't do anything.

The young nurse looked at the boy with the bandana with an embarrassed look, shrugging, as if to say, "Well, sorry, I don't see how I could help you here."

Ash was absorbed by the scene unfolding a few meters from him. He waited in a long line of trainers moving slowly.

He continued to observe the scene out of the corner of his eye when suddenly a soft voice pulled him out of his contemplation.

"Hello sir, did you come to have your Pokémon healed?" she asked with a friendly smile.

Ash jumped slightly, surprised to find himself in front of her. He hadn't thought the line would move so quickly. He blinked rapidly, trying to come back to reality.

"Uh... yes, sorry... yes, I would like..." he stammered slightly embarrassed, then froze for a moment, confused.

In front of him was an exact copy of the nurse next door, right there in front of him. He began to stare at her, intrigued, his mouth slightly open.

"Young man? Sir?" the young nurse said, worried about his lack of reaction.

"Uh... uh... excuse me, I was... I was out of it... yes, I want you to heal my Charmander," he stammered, handing her his Poké Ball, trembling slightly.

"Of course! Right away," the nurse said with a smile.

Ash continued to stare at her. She looked so much like her, they seemed like exact copies, or were they simply twins?

"There you go! It's done, your Charmander is healed," the young nurse said, handing him back the Poké Ball.

"Thank you," Ash said, taking his Poké Ball.

"Ma'am... are you two twins?" he asked, pointing to the other nurse.

"Hmm? Who? Joy? No, no, we're not twins, though people often tell me we look a lot alike," she said, laughing.

"Ah, I see. And your name is also Joy," he said, pointing to the name on her shirt.

"Oh yes, that's true, that too," she remarked, looking at the tag on her shirt over her left breast.

"In fact, now that you mention it, I find it very strange too. All the Pokémon Centers in the country have pretty much the same nurses, and strangely, they all look a lot like me. It's a weird coincidence, isn't it? Don't you think?" she added, still smiling.

"Yes... indeed, a strange coincidence," Ash replied with an awkward smile.

He finally took his PokéBall and left the store.

"Tell me, Pokédex, you who know a lot about Pokémon, what would be, in your opinion, the next Pokémon I should add to the team?"

The Pokédex froze in the air for a moment, thinking.

"If you want to know everything, xxPokemonSlayerxx, according to my analyses and since Pewter City will be your next destination, it would be wise for you to have a Pidgey with you. It will be very useful, especially against the Pewter Gym Leader."

"The Gym Leader?" Ash said, puzzled.

"I don't think I'll be facing him. I'm far from being ready... At least for now."

He left his sentence hanging, staring ahead with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"... but your advice is sound," he resumed in a more cheerful tone. "A Pidgey, huh? That's a good choice."

Ash began to scan the tall grass around him. He knew it was teeming with wild Pokémon and that the next one to join the team would be one of them.

"Let's go!" Ash said, cracking his knuckles and taking a deep breath.

Ash moved cautiously through the tall grass, using his arms to clear the thick grass blocking his path. After several minutes of effort, Ash felt the ground change under his feet. The thick grass began to thin out, and he spotted a slight opening ahead.

With a final push, he shoved aside a large tuft of grass and emerged into a small sunny clearing. As he scanned this oasis of tranquility, Ash noticed a Pidgey standing there in the center of the clearing, ready to fight.

"Ah! Perfect timing," exclaimed Ash, throwing his Poké Ball. It opened in a flash of light, releasing Charmander.

Pidgey was the first to attack. It started flapping its wings. It flapped so hard and so fast that it began to create whirlwinds which it sent in a flash at Charmander.

Charmander took the full brunt of Pidgey's attack but suffered only minor damage. This Pidgey was only level 4, while Charmander was level 7. He had nothing to fear.

"Charmander, it's our turn. Now, use SCRATCH!"

Charmander launched its sharp claws at Pidgey, which collapsed under the impact of the attack. Fortunately, it wasn't KO'd, it still had a few hit points left.

"Well done, Charmander. Now, it's my turn," Ash said, pulling an empty Poké Ball from his bag.

He threw it at Pidgey. The Pokémon struggled for a few moments inside the Poké Ball before stopping. Pidgey had just been caught.

Ash exclaimed with joy as the Pokédex began giving him information about the captured Pokémon.

"Pidgey has an extremely keen sense of direction, especially for returning home. It can locate its nest even if it has been moved. It is a docile Pokémon and prefers to fly away from its enemies rather than fight them. By quickly flapping its wings, it can create clouds of dust and whirlwinds to protect itself and scare off potential enemies. Pidgey is a very common Pokémon and can be found in meadows and forests."

Ash held his Poké Ball in his hands with a sense of accomplishment. He had just gained a new companion for his adventure and was determined to help both of them evolve.

In the following days, they faced wild Pokémon of all kinds. Each battle was a test of strength and strategy. Ash pushed Charmander and Pidgey to their limits, and each responded with unwavering determination.

One morning, they encountered a level 4 Spearow. Ash ordered Pidgey to use Gust. The attack hit the bird Pokémon squarely, knocking it out. But that was just the beginning. In the afternoon, they stumbled upon a Nidoran. This time, it was Charmander's turn. He managed to defeat it with a well-placed Scratch attack.

As night fell, Ash camped under the stars with his companions. Ash tended to his two Pokémon with his potions.

Charmander, exhausted, dozed off in his arms, and Pidgey, drowsy, perched on his shoulder. Both fell into a restorative sleep after the tough day.

The next day, they encountered an aggressive Rattata. Pidgey, being quicker, used its wings to kick up huge jets of sand into the Pokémon's eyes to obscure its vision, and Charmander, stronger, took it out with Ember, the new move he had learned.

Each victory brought experience to both Pokémon, and Ash saw his companions grow in strength and confidence.

Days turned into weeks. Ash, Charmander, and Pidgey faced increasingly powerful Pokémon. Once, a formidable Pidgey stood in their way, but Pidgey, with fierce determination, used Gust to take it down. Ash smiled proudly at his friend's progress.

Two weeks had now passed. Charmander and Pidgey had gained a lot of experience, and each was at a remarkable level. Charmander was now level 9, and Pidgey was level 8. Ash was very proud of himself and his companions and the progress they had made. Now, they were ready for their revenge.