139. Route 24

"Oh!! It's Squirtle! he didn't get one of the Kanto starters when he began his journey, but now Ash has all of them."

When Professor Oak saw Squirtle, he was still surprised. When Ash first started his journey, he chose Pikachu because the Kanto starters weren't available.

But now, even though he didn't start with a Kanto starter, Ash managed to catch all of them on his own.

Gary, who was still on the phone, frowned slightly when he overheard Professor Oak's comment. As the grandson of Professor Oak, Gary understood what the Professor meant.

Ash didn't get his Pokémon from his grandfather—he caught them all by himself. Although he may not have as many Pokémon as Gary, the quality of Ash's team was superior.

"Did Ash send this one over?" Gary asked.

"That's right! It's Squirtle. Ash has now collected all the Kanto starters. He's certainly been lucky." Professor Oak couldn't hide the admiration in his voice.

Gary stayed silent.

"Gary! I know it's your choice, but I have to say, traveling by car like you do, you're missing out on encountering so many Pokémon!" Professor Oak said, looking at his grandson.

In fact, Professor Oak was still quite satisfied. Even though Ash had always excelled, he didn't compare Gary to Ash in front of him. However, Gary was still young.

Professor Oak, who had traveled when he was young, knew that Gary's way of journeying was flawed. Facing challenges during travel is a necessary experience for any Trainer.

But he didn't stop him. Gary wouldn't understand now, but Oak believed that in time, Gary would figure it out on his own.

"Understood, Grandpa. Ash should be contacting you soon, so I'll leave it at that for now!" Gary responded, as usual, though it wasn't clear if he'd take the advice to heart.

"Alright, be careful out there," Professor Oak said, then hung up the phone.

"Hmm?? Where did it go? Ah!! What are you doing, Squirtle? That's my breakfast!!"

After hanging up, Oak looked around but couldn't find Squirtle. Turning his head, he spotted Squirtle on the table, holding a half-eaten sandwich in its hand.

"Looks like we're heading to the Pokémon Center again!"

Meanwhile, Ash and his friends continued their journey, but they turned back to the Pokémon Center after capturing Squirtle.

"What's the rush? We're not too late anyway," Ash said, shrinking the Poké Ball and attaching it to his belt. It was Squirtle's Poké Ball.

Even though Ash had caught Squirtle, he felt a bit conflicted.

He had captured many Pokémon on his journey, but his biggest worry was how to decide which ones to bring with him. Trainers can only carry six Pokémon at a time, so he needed to make choices.

As the number of his Pokémon grew, it wasn't always possible to swap them out every time he caught a new one. Some Pokémon, particularly those at a critical stage in their training, needed to stay with him.

After thinking it over for a while, Ash decided to send Ivysaur to Professor Oak and bring Squirtle with him. Ivysaur had just evolved, and its training had stabilized.

Besides, Ivysaur had acted as a protector in its previous environment and had a strong sense of responsibility. 

From a human perspective, Ivysaur was more mature, so Ash sent it to Professor Oak in exchange for Squirtle.

And unlike Squirtle and Charizard, who were often elsewhere, Bulbasaur remained with Professor Oak, serving as a constant overseer in Ash's roster.

Though they were all Ash's Pokémon, occasional disputes arose at Professor Oak's lab, either among Ash's Pokémon or with other Pokémon being cared for by other Trainers.

To avoid causing trouble for Ash, Bulbasaur maintained its role from its time in the Pokémon sanctuary, helping to manage the Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab.(T/N: is about the ash in anime)

Because Squirtle had eaten Professor Oak's breakfast, which Oak had mentioned during their call, Ash felt a bit embarrassed. However, he knew that Professor Oak wouldn't be upset over something so small.

When Professor Oak received Ivysaur, he was even more surprised. The last time he'd seen it, it was still a Bulbasaur. In just a few days, it had evolved into Ivysaur, a growth rate that even Professor Oak hadn't expected. 

Gary, who had already hung up the phone, knew that despite having captured many Pokémon, his Squirtle had only evolved into Wartortle. In terms of growth rate, Ash's Ivysaur seemed faster, though Professor Oak didn't know what Bulbasaur had gone through. In fact, Bulbasaur had deliberately resisted evolving, which meant it had a longer evolutionary period than Gary's Wartortle.

**Route 24**

Unaware of Professor Oak's astonishment, Ash and his friends continued on their journey. After leaving Route 24, they approached a sea near a town.

Seeing the sea meant they were nearing Vermilion City.

"Phew! Finally, a place that isn't a forest. The sea breeze! The sunset! It's beautiful." Walking out of the dense jungle, they were greeted by a change in scenery, the air now filled with the scent of saltwater.

Before them was the vast sea, its waters stretching into the distance. It was already dusk, and the fading light cast a warm, hazy glow over the scene.

"Aren't you scared of bugs? Why do you hate the woods so much?" Ash asked from behind.

"It's not that I'm scared. But I'm from Cerulean City Gym, after all. Of course, I love the sea! And there's always the chance to meet water Pokémon along the coast," Misty responded excitedly.

"At this time of day, there probably won't be many Pokémon on the shore," Brock added. Pokémon, much like people, tend to settle down for the night, and even the water-dwelling ones often return to the deeper sea after dark.