Pokémon: Simultaneous time travel, this Ash is too versatile!

Chapter 20: A trainer can have many Pokémon, but a Pokémon can only have one trainer.

Just as Xiaoxia said, if others knew that he had encountered the Phoenix King, who had not appeared before the world for hundreds of years, his journey would definitely not be peaceful.

Ho-Oh is a creature coveted by both the righteous and the wicked. Compared to other legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh is far more eye-catching, simply because legend has it that those who encounter Ho-Oh will have a lifetime of good fortune, and... if one gains Ho-Oh's approval or captures it, it is very likely that one's lifespan can be extended!
For humans, immortality is something that more than 90% of people pursue and desire.

Therefore, the fewer people who know about meeting Ho-Oh, the better, just like Ash having a chat group.

Seeing Ash's reasonable apology, Misty breathed a sigh of relief. On the one hand, Ash didn't hold her rude behavior against her earlier, and on the other hand, Ash understood why Ho-Oh's story couldn't be spread, which saved Misty a lot of effort in explaining.

"Oh right, I need to call my mom to let her know I'm safe. Xiaoxia, don't you need to call your family?" Xiaozhi suddenly remembered something, clapped his hands, turned around to go to the public video phone at the Pokémon Center, and asked Xiaoxia if she wanted to make a call.

Xiaoxia shook her head and said calmly, "I don't need to. My family is too busy to answer my calls."

"Hey, what does your family do?"

"They're just a bunch of women who do performances and don't take their jobs seriously. Don't ask so many questions."

"Oh."

Ash dialed home to let Hanako know he was safe, and then called Professor Oak to let her know he had arrived in Viridian City.

Professor Oak said that Ash hasn't caught a single Pokémon yet, while Gary has already caught more than a dozen.

In response, Ash quoted Champion Ash: "Pokémon are partners. When you catch them, you have to be prepared to treat them with care. A trainer can have many Pokémon, but a Pokémon usually only has one trainer. So I don't plan to catch Pokémon casually if I can't take good care of them."

Professor Oak was stunned by these profound words, and to be honest, they made a lot of sense.

Although Gary has caught quite a few Pokémon, most of them are common Pokémon like Rattata, Pidgey, Spearow, and Sandshrew. He mainly catches those Pokémon for collection purposes, and as for training them... given Gary's personality, he probably won't spend time on these common Pokémon.

After capturing them, Professor Oak took care of everything. Compared to the wild, the Pokémon's food, clothing, shelter, and transportation were relatively guaranteed, but they were not as free as they were in the wild. Most importantly, their trainers didn't know how often they would be traded to him.

This seems a little too pitiful for the elves.

"I never expected Ash to say something so philosophical. It's like you're a completely different person from how you are in class," Professor Oak said with a sigh.

During academic classes, Ash was far behind Gary, but after only one day of traveling, Ash was able to think of such insightful questions, completely different from before the trip.

This is something that even many experienced trainers wouldn't have considered, let alone a young boy who's just started traveling. "What are you saying? What are you saying! Can't I think of this? Professor Oak, you're being too prejudiced!" Ash complained with a dissatisfaction, but in reality, he was a little scared.

If it weren't for what Ash said, he might have already caught several Pokémon, such as Spearow and Pidgey, which he certainly wouldn't have let go of.

But Ash's words made Ash understand what a true trainer is.

A true trainer doesn't judge a trainer by strength or tactics, but by whether they have a heart that truly cares for the Pokémon they've captured.

Collecting a large number of Pokémon solely for battles and tactical purposes is actually a completely irresponsible approach.

"Alright, now that you've arrived in Viridian City, I'm relieved. By the way, it seems Gary has already signed up for the League Conference. Ash, do you want to join? Oh, by the way, do you know what the League Conference is?"

"Of course I know! I've already signed up, okay? If Gary calls you again, please tell him to wash his neck and wait for me at the Indigo League!" Ash waved his fist, full of fighting spirit!
"Um... okay, I'll pass on the message. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now... Wait, there's one more thing. You can choose any gym for the first one, but don't choose Viridian Gym or Goldenrod Gym, okay?" Professor Oak was about to hang up when he suddenly remembered something and quickly stopped Ash from hanging up as well, speaking hurriedly.

"Huh? Why?" It's the Viridian Gym again... The experts in the group also said not to choose the Viridian Gym as the first gym. Is this gym really that strong?

"The Viridian Gym is the strongest gym in the Kanto League, without exception. Its leader, Giovanni, is known as a man comparable to the Elite Four, and is also called the Earth Giovanni."

"Sakaki of the Earth..."

"Yes, Giovanni mainly uses Ground-type Pokémon. Even his weakest Pokémon is not something a beginner can easily defeat. Not to mention, Ash, your starter Pokémon is Pikachu, which is extremely disadvantageous against Ground-type Pokémon. In short, just don't go to the Viridian Gym," Professor Oak repeatedly warned Ash.

He was terrified that Ash would go to the Viridian Gym and be completely defeated by Giovanni, losing all his confidence and fighting spirit as a trainer.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened in history. After all, Pallet Town is right next to Viridian City, which happens to have a Gym. Many beginners, unaware of the situation, go and challenge it, and the result is, of course, self-evident...

"I understand. What about the Goldenrod Gym?" Ash nodded to show he understood. But what about the other gym that Professor Oak told him not to challenge, besides the Viridian Gym? Is that gym also very strong?
"The Saffron Gym recently changed its leader, and the new leader is ruthless. According to the information I've received, all the trainers who challenge the Saffron Gym seem to be shrouded in an indescribable shadow. Trainers who have challenged it have only one piece of advice for those who come after: unless there are no other gyms to challenge, never come to the Saffron Gym!"

Professor Oak's face was close to the camera, and his magnified old face looked like a ghost. Combined with what he said, it was enough to scare a three-year-old to tears.

Ash and Misty, who were standing next to him, were also intimidated by Professor Oak's words. Ash readily agreed, saying that he would not go to the two gyms for the time being.

(End of this chapter)