After leaving Lavender Town, Ash and his friends chose a scenic riverside clearing to rest and have lunch on their way to Celadon City.
Brock skillfully set up the cooking equipment and began preparing a delicious meal, the tempting aroma drifting through the air.
"Wow, Brock's cooking is amazing no matter where we are!" Misty said eagerly, watching the food simmer in the pot.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu chirped happily, running circles around Brock.
Just as everyone was about to dig in, a swift brown figure suddenly leapt out from the nearby bushes. Its target was Ash. More precisely, the iconic hat on his head.
"Whoa!" Ash felt a sudden lightness on his head. In the blink of an eye, his hat had been snatched away by a wild Mankey. The Mankey examined the hat curiously, even trying to put it on its own head while chattering excitedly.
"Hey! My hat!" Ash jumped to his feet. "Give it back! That hat's important to me!"
But Mankey treated it like a brand new toy, hopping around the clearing with no intention of returning it.
Ash immediately realized this was the very same Mankey from the original story, the one obsessed with his hat and destined to evolve into Primeape after being stirred into a rage by Team Rocket.
Sometimes, life really did have a sense of humor.
Just as Ash was about to send out a Pokémon to retrieve his hat peacefully, a familiar obnoxious voice rang out once more.
"Since you asked so earnestly!"
"We'll graciously answer you!"
Team Rocket burst out from behind a tree, striking their ridiculous poses.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
…
"That's right, meowth!"
Jessie planted her hands on her hips and pointed at Mankey. "That Mankey and that hat, Team Rocket is taking both!"
James threw a Poké Ball. "Go, Ekans!"
"Go, Koffing!" they shouted together.
Mankey was startled by Team Rocket's sudden appearance. When it saw Ekans and Koffing approaching menacingly, it was instantly enraged. It hated bullies like this more than anything.
Its eyes began to glow red. Its breathing grew heavy and wild. Beating its chest furiously, Mankey was engulfed in a brilliant white light of evolution.
"T That's not good! It's evolving!" James cried in panic.
The white light faded, revealing a taller, more muscular, and far angrier Primeape.
The first thing Primeape did after evolving was unleash all of its fury on Team Rocket.
"RAAAGH!" Primeape delivered a powerful Karate Chop that sent Ekans flying. It followed up with a Low Kick that left Koffing spinning in dizziness.
"Waaah! Run for it!"
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"
The trio tumbled away once more, disappearing into the sky as a distant twinkle.
With Team Rocket gone, Primeape's anger had yet to subside.
It slowly turned its head, its crimson eyes locking onto Ash. Clearly, it now saw him as an enemy too, someone trying to take back what it considered its toy.
Clutching the slightly misshapen hat tightly, Primeape let out a threatening growl.
"This is bad. It's completely furious!" Misty said anxiously.
"Once Primeape loses its temper, it's hard to calm down. Ash, be careful!" Brock warned, tension in his voice.
Ash looked at his beloved hat clenched tightly in Primeape's fist, then at the Pokémon completely consumed by rage. He took a deep breath and made a decision.
Instead of reaching for a Poké Ball, he took off his jacket and tossed it aside. Then he began seriously loosening his wrists and ankles, going through proper warm up exercises.
"Ash?! W-What are you doing?" Misty cried out in shock.
"Don't tell me you're planning to fight Primeape yourself?!" Brock stared in disbelief.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu called anxiously.
After finishing his warm up, Ash fixed Primeape with a steady gaze. "Primeape! I know you're angry because of Team Rocket! But that hat is mine, and I have to take it back! And I can tell, deep down, what you really want is a true fight! Come on! Let me be your opponent!"
Primeape seemed to understand the challenge, or perhaps it was drawn to the sudden surge of fighting spirit rising from Ash.
With a roar, it tossed the hat aside and charged straight at him, bringing down a fierce Karate Chop.
Ash's eyes sharpened. His body slid sideways like a swimming fish. Instead of blocking head on, his right hand flashed out, deftly guiding and redirecting the force with precise control. It was the soft power technique from his past life's martial arts memory.
Primeape missed and grew even more furious. It spun around and launched a flurry of Fury Swipes.
Ash's footwork was agile, weaving through the clawing attacks. Every dodge was perfectly timed, revealing astonishing prediction and bodily coordination.
"Oh my gosh… Ash…" Misty covered her mouth in shock.
"T-That's not ordinary dodging. That's… martial arts?!" Brock rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Unable to land a hit, Primeape leapt high into the air in frustration and unleashed a powerful Low Kick. Ash seized the moment, ducking low and dashing forward. His shoulder drove precisely into Primeape's unstable center of gravity as he shouted sharply.
"Bang!"
Using its own strength against it, Primeape's large body was skillfully flipped onto the ground.
Primeape lay there, the red in its eyes gradually fading. It panted heavily, staring blankly at Ash, who stood before it, breathing slightly but with bright, unwavering eyes.
It had never met a human like this. A human who did not rely on Pokémon, but faced it head on with pure technique and strength, neutralizing every attack and even knocking it down.
Ash stepped forward. Instead of immediately picking up his hat, he extended his hand to Primeape. His voice was sincere, carrying the recognition of one fighter to another.
"You're strong, Primeape. But anger clouded your vision and your technique. Come with me. I can show you stronger opponents and more battles like this. Let's become stronger together. What do you say?"
Primeape looked at the hand held out to it, then into Ash's clear, determined eyes. It could sense that this human was different from other Trainers. He understood its fighting spirit.
It let out a low growl, no longer filled with rage but with acceptance. It raised its fist and bumped it against Ash's hand.
Only then did Ash pick up his hat, brush off the dust, and place it back on his head. Smiling, he took out a Poké Ball.
Primeape willingly touched the Poké Ball. There was no struggle, not even a shake. Capture successful.
[Ding! The host has subdued Primeape through personal combat skill and understanding. Capture successful. Reward: 200 World Points.]
[Ding! The host has demonstrated extraordinary martial talent and willpower. Affinity with Fighting type Pokémon has greatly increased.]
[Current World Points: 11850.]
"Alright! I caught Primeape!" Ash raised the Poké Ball happily.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu bounced with excitement.
Misty and Brock hurried over, still looking stunned.
"Ash, those moves just now… That was incredible! When did you secretly learn such amazing martial arts?" Misty demanded curiously.
Ash lowered the brim of his hat and grinned. "Well… that's a secret! Anyway, I'm counting on you from now on, Primeape!"
With this new partner, bonded through a hat and earned through pure combat, Ash and his friends continued their journey toward the vibrant Celadon City.
This time, having the protagonist personally step in to capture Primeape truly cemented his image as a super rookie from Pallet Town.
And don't worry, he's definitely not sending Primeape away.