The night was dark as ink.
In the woods, there was only the soft crackle of the campfire and the occasional cooing from the distance.
It was still a long walk to Cerulean City.
But this... this was the journey.
Misty was wrapped in her sleeping bag, strands of orange hair scattered across her forehead, breathing evenly.
Brock leaned against the rocky wall, sleeping soundly.
As for the two from Team Rocket, Jessie and James, they were simply placed under a tree a bit further away, still unconscious, the bandages wrapped around them glowing white in the moonlight.
Their Pokémon had already been recalled into their Poké Balls.
Uh... these two Pokémon were actually quite loyal; they tried to resist when they were captured.
But how could they possibly be a match for the Ash trio?
Ash nodded slightly to Onix, who was dutifully coiled around the perimeter of the camp.
Onix's rock-formed head bobbed up and down ever so slightly in response.
Its stony eyes looked like two quiet lanterns in the night, guarding this temporary peace.
Rock-type and Steel-type Pokémon were not only longer-lived than tortoises but were similar in their daily routines.
In a non-combat state, these types of Pokémon could sleep for a long time in one go, or go without rest for a very long period.
Ash, accompanied by Pikachu, stepped silently into the deeper shadows of the forest.
The moonlight was sliced into fragments by the layers of branches and leaves, casting dappled spots of light on the ground.
He found a slightly open clearing in the woods, looked around, and confirmed no one was there.
Ash took out the Poké Ball containing Meowth and weighed it in his hand.
He was considering what to do next.
Was this Meowth important?
For him, still in the starting phase, it was somewhat important.
Meowth could speak human language, so it could help Trainers and Pokémon communicate more seamlessly.
But its utility ended there.
Even without Meowth, Ash could actually understand the thoughts of his Pokémon to a certain extent—this was a basic qualification for a Trainer.
Especially with his Partner Pikachu.
Although they hadn't reached the point of complete telepathic connection or unity of mind.
But they could be called old friends with tacit cooperation—'the moment you stick your butt out, I know what you're about to shit.jpg'.
"Pika?" Pikachu squatted at his feet, looking up with a hint of confusion in its bright black eyes.
"We have to talk, partner," Ash whispered, pressing the button on the Poké Ball.
A red light flashed, and Meowth's figure appeared on the ground covered in fallen leaves.
It seemed to be still unconscious, its wet fur sticking with grass blades, looking bedraggled and pitiful, completely unlike the teeth-baring, claw-waving figure from the day.
Ash took a Potion and a small piece of clean soft cloth from his backpack, signaling Pikachu to help hold Meowth down—he felt there was a high probability this guy was faking it.
Pikachu understood, reaching out a small paw to gently press down on Meowth's shoulder. Tiny electric sparks danced at its claw tips, carrying a tone of warning.
Meowth: ...
As a Pokémon, his physical constitution was much better than Jessie's and James's.
He was indeed faking it.
Zzzzt...
Pikachu, who had learned some bad habits from Ash, wasn't gentle at all; his movements were even a bit rough.
Pikachu: You dare fake sleep in front of me?
Pikachu: I'll zap you~~
"Meeeow!" Meowth jerked up instantly, green eyes wide and round, staring in terror at the human and mouse before him.
He instinctively wanted to unsheathe his claws, but the soreness and paralysis from his body made him go limp again. "W-what do you want to do, meow?!"
Was Meowth scared?
Of course Meowth was scared.
He now realized that the opponent he encountered this time seemed a bit off.
The human before him didn't seem afraid of Team Rocket.
"Pika!" Seeing Meowth unsheathe his claws, Pikachu immediately turned serious.
He couldn't let this stray cat hurt his partner.
Pikachu and Ash, affection level up.
"Treating your wounds," Ash's voice was calm.
He squatted down and used the soft cloth soaked in Potion to wipe the small cuts from rocks and scorch marks from electricity on Meowth's body. His movements weren't particularly gentle, but they were careful. "And chatting, while we're at it."
How exactly to deal with this Meowth depended on Meowth's attitude.
As for catching him... this Meowth had too many thoughts, and his relationship with Jessie and James was too good; gaining his loyalty would be difficult.
Besides, Ash didn't really lack this Meowth's combat power... Pokémon like Meowth really weren't in Ash's future plans.
"Chat... chat about what, meow?!" Meowth shrank back nervously, his eyes darting around. "I won't say anything, meow! Don't think you can get any Team Rocket secrets out of me!"
Meowth was indeed very loyal to Team Rocket.
Ash ignored his bluster, just focusing on his hands, his tone as if discussing the weather: "A Meowth that can speak human language is indeed rare. You must have suffered a lot for this, right?"
Meowth froze, seemingly not expecting the other party to ask this.
His eyes flickered with complexity, a mix of pride and unspeakable bitterness. "Hmph! That's for sure, meow!"
"I learned to walk upright and speak human language all by myself!"
"I'm much stronger than those of my kind who only know how to say 'Meow', meow!"
He instinctively puffed out his chest, but it pulled at his wounds, causing him to wince and shrink back.
In fact, that was true.
If a Meowth that could speak human language were auctioned off... it would likely sell for an astronomical price.
That he could be this free and not targeted by hunter organizations or the like was really thanks to Team Rocket's name.
This was also where Ash was conflicted.
This Meowth's commercial value was even higher than the Golden Gyarados.
The Golden Gyarados's appearance was merely changed using a system item; essentially, it was no different from a Red Gyarados or a Blue Gyarados... it was simply better looking.
And was the Team Rocket trio poor?
These three idiots weren't poor at all.
They were truly the 'connected ones' in Team Rocket!
How could ordinary Team Rocket members cause trouble for Giovanni like the three of them and get away with it completely?
Fines?
Did fines even count as punishment?
The house James's dog lived in could cover how much of Team Rocket's budget?
"Hmm, very impressive." Ash nodded, his tone revealing neither praise nor anything else.
"You paid a huge price, developing the language centers of your brain, even changing parts of your vocal structure... but correspondingly, the development of your combat instincts and physical potential has been severely lagged."
"Typical unbalanced development, or perhaps... a wrong turn in an evolutionary sense?" Ash wasn't speaking without reason.
The skeletal structure of felines was not inherently suitable for walking upright.
Or rather, not suitable for walking upright for long periods.
And Meowth had already adapted to this upright state... but this rapid, drastic change meant his body structure was no longer as adapted to the natural feline form.
Simply put.
Meowth practically had a 'combat power halved' debuff hanging over him.
His combat power at the same level might be only half that of other Meowths.
Especially in melee capability.
The shift from crawling on all fours to standing on two legs had too great an impact on the joints.
Meowth's pupils constricted sharply, as if he had been stabbed in his deepest sore spot, and he shrieked, "What do you know, meow?! Do you think I wanted this?! If it weren't for her... if it weren't..."
His voice stopped abruptly; he clamped his mouth shut and glared warily at Ash.
This would require talking about a certain past experience of Meowth's.
____
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