Pokemon: A different Ash

"Ash, I asked Professor Oak to help me develop it!" Ash said to Professor Bill, holding the photo.

The photo had been taken back when Ash was still at the beach, the night the huge Pokémon appeared. He had almost forgotten about the events that followed.

Later, he used his Pokédex to send the photo back to Professor Oak, asking for help in developing it. Professor Oak was equally surprised when he saw it and immediately began developing the image.

Then came the call from Professor Bill, and soon after, they were about to part ways. This had all been to repay Professor Bill for letting them borrow his equipment.

"Thank you so much, Ash! I really appreciate it."

A few days earlier, Bill had guessed that the Pokémon might not appear again, leaving him with a feeling of disappointment. Although he'd gradually recovered from it, there was still a hint of regret.

But Ash had taken a photo, giving him an unexpected surprise. It was the first time Bill had seen that Pokémon up close, and he had been so shocked that he could barely react, let alone take pictures.

"It's nothing. We should be thanking you, Professor, for all your help. We'll take our leave now."

Ash replied, and Misty and Brock each said their goodbyes to Professor Bill. Ash picked up Pikachu and turned to walk down the cliff near the lighthouse. Brock and Misty quickly followed.

Professor Bill waved after them as they left, watching Ash and the others disappear. He then looked down at the photo in his hand again.

As he flipped through the photos, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face. Even though he might never see the Pokémon again, these photos, even if not incredibly useful, still held great meaning for him.

"Wait...?"

When Bill reached the last photo, he paused and his eyes widened. "This... this is! Could it be?!"

The last photo was different from the others. Rather than the indistinct black shadows, this one featured ten clear images of Pokémon.

At first, Bill thought Ash had accidentally included an irrelevant photo. But as he studied it, something felt very familiar. 

He took this particular picture out and placed it next to one of the previous ones. Comparing the outline of the huge shadow in the earlier photo with the last image, the resemblance was undeniable.

"So, the true form of that Pokémon is... Dragonite!"

In the picture, there was a large, orange-yellow Pokémon with a smooth snout and small nostrils. Two long, thin antennae and a small horn adorned its head, and it had a pair of bat-like wings and a long, sharp tail.

It was Dragonite, a rare Pokémon that wasn't often seen, though some Trainers had one. Dragonite was usually large, but not this enormous.

Judging by the silhouette, this Dragonite was unlike the typical one. Somehow, it had grown to an extraordinary size.

At last, Bill knew the truth, fulfilling a long-held wish.

"This boy... he has an incredible future ahead of him!"

Bill carefully put the photo away, looking once more in the direction Ash and his friends had gone, filled with admiration.

He was a genius researcher, even praised by Professor Oak, but after all these years and so many sightings, Bill never realized that the true identity of the figure was Dragonite.

Yet Ash, after seeing it just once, knew immediately. Ash didn't say anything directly, but left the photo of Dragonite, giving Bill the chance to figure it out for himself.

As Ash continued his journey, he was unaware of Bill's thoughts. While he left the photo for Bill to draw his own conclusions, Ash already knew it was Dragonite because he understood the plot of events.

In the early days of the Pokémon anime, Dragonite was positioned as a Legendary-level Pokémon. Due to its extremely high base stats, the concept of "pseudo-Legendary" Pokémon was born, and in each new generation, a Pokémon with similar strength to Dragonite emerged.

Ash felt that Bill, having waited so many years and having been so generous in lending them his resources, deserved to know the truth. That's why he left the photo of Dragonite for him.

The Route 24 and Bill's lighthouse weren't far from Vermilion City. After setting off again, Ash, Misty, and Brock followed the path along the strait.

Before long, they found the road leading to the city, which was the shortest route to Vermilion City.

By evening, they finally reached their destination. The bustling city was filled with people coming and going, especially near the Vermilion City Pokémon Gym.

Vermilion City was also a major harbor, with a thriving trade and tourism industry. As a result, the streets were always filled with traffic.

"Finally, we're here—Vermilion City!" Misty cheered, raising her arms in excitement. Having walked all the way from Cerulean City, and aside from their time with Professor Bill, she had spent most of the journey camping outdoors.

Even though they had stayed with Professor Bill for a while, it had been a long time since they had seen a city. With smiles on their faces, the three entered Vermilion City, happy to have arrived.

The sun was setting, but the streets were still alive with people from all walks of life, many of whom were tourists from different countries. The diversity of faces they saw confirmed the city's reputation as a global tourist destination. Among the crowd, they also spotted plenty of Pokémon Trainers.

However, for Ash and his friends, the priority was to rest. After a long day of traveling, Ash wasn't in a rush to challenge the gym right away like he often did in the anime. 

Their first goal was to restore their Pokémon's energy. Brock, checking the map, led them to the Pokémon Center.

"Miss Joy, please!" Ash called as they arrived. He placed his Poké Balls and Pikachu on the front desk, and Misty and Brock followed suit, handing over their Poké Balls for healing as well.