17. Professor Oak's Dilemma

Ash doesn't know much about her, and she doesn't appear in the games at all, but she has a high rate of appearances in special chapters, extra chapters, and some extra comics.

Her life experience is not simple. In the special chapter, she is not a rookie trainer. Since childhood, she and Silver, one of the protagonists of the second-generation Gold and Silver versions, were kidnapped by a mysterious masked man.

After escaping from the mysterious man , she stole Professor Oak's Squirtle. The story in the special chapter is different from the anime. In the special chapter, Ash didn't meet Pikachu at first.

Instead, he chose Bulbasaur, and Gary, a strong rival, chose Charmander, who has a type advantage over Bulbasaur according to the game mechanics. Then, Squirtle was stolen by Blue.

In the special episode, Blue was clever, cunning, mischievous, and cheerful, but that was because she was kidnapped and received special training. Later, she took Squirtle and gradually became friends with Ash and Gary.

She started as a Trainer from Pallet Town and resolved many crises with Ash and Gary.

So her origin is actually very unclear, but here, Ash has learned that she is a native of Pallet Town.

She has a cheerful personality but is not cunning. This time, she officially came here as a Rookie Trainer to collect Pokémon instead of stealing them.

Ash also understands that this world is different from the anime, but it cannot be said to be entirely different, as there are not many other characters mentioned in the anime, and no one stipulates that Blue cannot exist.

There is also an interesting strange story about her. Many people say that Blue is actually Tangela.

The reason why Blue appeared on the promotional screen but not in the game is because she died of drowning at the beginning, tangled in seaweed, and her soul turned into Tangela.

But these are just weird stories, not related to the main plot, not even the special episode. Since Ash is the main character, the world view should align with the anime.

The main line of the anime is closer to the bright side of reality, while the special chapter reflects the dark side, where not only organizations that try to rule the world but also some Gym Leaders and Elite Four members cannot be trusted.

Ash greeted them respectively, and both of them also greeted Ash enthusiastically. They were chatting when Professor Oak came out after a while.

"You guys are so early!" Walking down the stairs and opening the iron door, Professor Oak looked at the four people in front of him and smiled kindly.

"Morning, Professor!" Several people greeted at the same time.

" It seems that you are all ready."

"Yes, Grandpa, let's choose our Pokémon!" Gary's relationship with Professor Oak didn't need to be explained, so he was naturally more informal.

"Okay, come with me!" Professor Oak didn't waste any time. It was obvious that these kids were eager, and he led them into the laboratory, while the others stayed outside.

Soon, they entered the lab. In the room, three Poké Balls were placed on a cylindrical table.

The three Poké Balls were displayed on the table, with the names of the Pokémon engraved on them. Looking at the three Poké Balls, Professor Oak turned around with a slight frown.

"There is one thing I forgot to tell you. 

About the starter Pokémon this time, I didn't anticipate so many people signing up. So, there are only three starter Pokémon prepared in the lab."

Professor Oak looked at the four people in front of him, a little embarrassed.

Not just in Pallet Town, but in many places, it's similar. Normally, not many people sign up at once, so preparing three starter Pokémon is usually enough. However, this time, more people signed up than expected.

"Ah! Then...doesn't that mean someone won't get a Pokémon?" Blue asked in surprise upon hearing Professor Oak's words.

"Well, I'm already dealing with it. You can take these three Pokémon today, but one of you may have to wait a few days."

Seeing their urgency, Professor Oak felt sorry for them, but there was little he could do. The lab will acquire another starter Pokémon, but it will take a few days. The four trainers were ready to go today, and it was unfortunate to tell them they had to wait.

Gary and the other boy frowned, but Ash remained calm.

"Then... I'll wait a few more days!" Blue, the only girl, offered, not having a strong desire to set off immediately.

"Grandpa, don't you have any other Pokémon here?" Gary asked, not wanting to let Blue wait on their behalf.

"In the lab, most of the Pokémon are fostered by others. The rest are not suitable for rookie trainers. There is one Pokémon, but it doesn't even listen to me. If you take it out, there may be problems."

Professor Oak's lab mostly housed Pokémon that trainers left in his care. There weren't many that actually belonged to the lab.

"I want that pokemon! Can I have it, Professor?" Ash spoke up immediately after hearing about the problematic Pokémon.

"Huh? It's okay, but you need to think carefully. If you can't tame it, it will be very dangerous!" Professor Oak's eyes lit up when he heard Ash's enthusiasm.

Ash had often visited him in the past three years, observing how he interacted with Pokémon. If any rookie trainer could tame the unruly Pokémon, it was Ash. But he still needed to warn him.

"It's okay, please give it to me!"

"Alright!" Seeing Ash's determination, Professor Oak didn't say more. He took out another Poké Ball, with a lightning pattern on it.

Holding the Poké Ball in his hand, Ash felt a restlessness. The Pokémon inside seemed to dislike being confined. Feeling a strong energy, as if it resonated with his soul, Ash instinctively threw the Poké Ball.