After leaving Cerulean City, Misty and Brock found themselves peppering Ash with even more questions than before. Though Ash had always shared his training insights—and had even helped Misty's Goldeen evolve into a powerful Seaking—they now truly understood the reality: Ash was a monster disguised as a rookie. Behind the adorable faces of Meowth and Chansey lay the power to trade blows with the Elite Four.
As they traveled, the trio engaged in constant dialogue about Pokémon care, interspersed with the occasional roadside battle.
"Kakuna, use String Shot to tether that Raticate, then use the recoil to launch yourself! Harden and Tackle simultaneously!"
"Kaku!"
With a dull thud, Kakuna's diamond-hard body slammed into the Raticate, sending the wild Pokémon tumbling.
"Growlithe, Flamethrower on the Oddish! Charmander, Bite that Staryu! Ralts, Confusion!"
Within seconds, three more battles were concluded. Misty and Brock watched as Ash systematically dismantled every challenger with surgical precision.
"Hey, Ash..." Misty started, looking a bit sheepish as more trainers lined up to challenge him. "Don't you think you're... well, smurfing a bit too hard? You literally just beat an Elite Four member. Isn't this just bullying?"
Meowth shook his head, looking wise beyond his years. "Not at all. The Boss is training the little ones like Ralts and Growlithe. These fights might be easy for us, but they're essential for building their combat instincts and confidence."
"Lucky!" Chansey chirped in agreement.
Just as they were speaking, Ash's Pidgeotto finished off the last challenger.
"Finish it with Gust!"
"Pidgeot!" With a powerful flap of its wings, a mini-cyclone sent a wild Rattata spinning away.
"So strong..." A bystander whispered in awe. "Maybe you're the one who can finally beat A.J., the Beast Master."
Ash's interest was piqued. "Beast Master? That's a bold title. Where is he?"
"Just up the road. He's running an unofficial gym and is currently on a 98-match winning streak."
"98 wins, huh? Let's go see if he lives up to the hype," Ash said, turning to his friends. "It's perfect timing; Kakuna is right on the edge of an evolution."
The group soon arrived at a makeshift training camp. A large sign proudly displayed the "98-0" record.
"An unofficial gym... pretty cocky," Ash remarked. "Is anyone home? I'm here for a challenge!"
A young man with a spiked, visual kei hairstyle stepped out. "Are you here to challenge me? I'm A.J., the master of this gym!"
"Show me what you've got. Go, Kakuna!"
Ash tossed a Luxury Ball, and the metallic-gold Kakuna appeared. A.J. looked at the Pokémon with a hint of disappointment. "A Kakuna? You're serious?"
Ash's eyes narrowed. He could handle arrogance, but he hated people who looked down on a Pokémon's potential. "The Kakuna isn't your opponent. This is."
As Ash spoke, a blinding white light enveloped the Pokémon. The shell cracked and fell away, replaced by a sleek, powerful form with translucent wings and sharp stingers.
"Beedrill."
A.J. was momentarily surprised by the evolution, but he quickly recovered. To him, Beedrill were common fodder. "Fine. Go, Sandshrew! Let's get win number 99!"
Seeing A.J. send out a Sandshrew that was, at best, at the peak of standard rank, Ash's expression darkened. "A.J., tell me... what do you think of official Gym Leaders?"
A.J. shrugged. "The ones I fought? They weren't much. It felt like they were holding back."
Ash pulled the brim of his hat down low. He whispered to Misty and Brock, "I'm going to educate him a bit. Don't mind me."
He turned back to the battlefield. "Let's start."
"Go! Sandshrew, use Rollout! Knock that bug out of the sky!"
"Beedrill," Ash said calmly. "Focus Energy and Twineedle. End this."
Beedrill's eyes glowed with a predatory red light. In a flash, he vanished, reappearing directly in the path of the rolling Sandshrew.
STAB! STAB!
A scream of pain echoed as Sandshrew was intercepted mid-roll and slammed into the ground, unconscious instantly.
"Sandshrew! How is that possible?!" A.J. gasped.
"Listen, A.J.," Ash said, his voice cold. "You'll never grow if you just hide in a corner bullying weak trainers. And if you want to know how strong a Gym Leader really is? Ask them to fight for real. You'll find out very quickly that you've been playing in a sandbox."
Ash didn't wait for a reply. He sensed a familiar presence in the bushes nearby.
"Beedrill, Pin Missile on those bushes over there."
"Bee!"
"Wait, did the twerp just say 'bushes'?" Meowth's voice whispered from the leaves.
"I think he—"
"NO WAY!"
POW! POW! POW!
The trio was peppered with stinging needles and forced out of hiding, looking like pincushions.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! That hurts!" Jessie wailed.
Ash didn't even give them a chance to breathe. He released his Charmander. "Use Flamethrower and send them on their way."
"Char!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion sent Team Rocket soaring into the clouds before they could even finish their first line.
"No fair! Why didn't he let us finish our motto?!" Jessie's voice faded into the distance.
"The twerp is a man of action!" James cried.
"We're blasting off again—!"