Pokémon: A New Ash, Starting from Hoenn

Deep in a quiet forest clearing, Ash and his friends had just finished lunch when Ash called for a special training session.

"Alright, time for everyone to get stronger!" Ash said, rallying his team.

"Taillow, your task is to master both Steel Wing and Aerial Ace—use what you learned from Pidgeot!""Taii~!"

"Eevee, keep working with Pikachu to learn Iron Tail and Crystallize Outbreak. Pikachu, you focus on gathering electric energy into a sphere—time to learn Electro Ball!""Eevee~!""Pikachu~!"

Phanpy was equipped with a weighted training harness to build strength. Tyranitar, meanwhile, was practicing Fire Punch with a training machine Ash had swapped in for the move.

Ash turned to Treecko, who was quietly chewing on a twig.

"Treecko, your goal is to learn Absorb. As a Grass-type, you'll need more than just Leaf Blade.""Treecko!"

Unlike Bulbasaur or Chikorita, who were born knowing Vine Whip, Treecko had a very different growth path. Since its evolution line focuses on speed, Ash figured that Absorb—which could evolve into Mega Drain and Giga Drain—was the most practical next step.

"May, look at Ash's training plan… and then look at Torchic," Max teased with a smug grin. "Your Torchic hasn't learned any new moves."

WHACK!"Mind your own business! I just haven't decided which path to train her in yet!" May snapped, cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Come on, be nice," Brock chuckled. "Still, Ash really has matured. He's organizing proper training now. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins the Hoenn League this time."

"You guys are giving me too much credit," Ash said modestly. "May, if you haven't decided on Torchic's path yet, here." He handed her a weighted harness like Phanpy's. "This'll boost her physical strength and help her pick up new moves faster."

"Thank you, Ash!" May said, eyes sparkling as she happily equipped it on Torchic.

The training session went on until—

"Treecko!" Treecko suddenly let out a sharp cry.

A Seviper had appeared, hissing menacingly at Treecko, while Torchic trembled behind it.

"Torchic!" May cried out.

"Chamo~!" Torchic ran teary-eyed back into May's arms.

[Seviper – Wild]

Type: PoisonAbility: Shed Skin (30% chance to heal a status condition after each turn)Strength: Advanced – Late StageMoves: Poison Tail, Haze, Wrap, Take Down

"Treecko, go! Use Quick Attack!""Chama!"

Treecko struck fast, but Seviper tanked the hit and countered with Wrap, then slammed Treecko away with a brutal Poison Tail.

"Treecko, are you alright?" Ash called."Treecko!" It pushed itself up, thankfully not poisoned.

"Use Leaf Blade!"

Treecko darted and slashed, but Seviper withstood the attacks and charged in, dominating close-quarters combat.

Ash frowned. Treecko's only ranged move is Leaf Blade, and it's not doing much. At this rate, it'll lose a war of attrition.

"Alright then—we're going for it! Absorb!"

"Treecko!" Closing its eyes and recalling its training, Treecko concentrated—finally, it managed to trigger Absorb, stealing energy from Seviper.

With each successful drain, Seviper grew weaker until finally, it collapsed!

"Treecko!" Treecko leveled up—now Mid-Stage Elite!

Seviper groaned and slithered off into the forest.

"Don't let it get away!" Max and May yelled.

"No need," Ash said, watching it disappear. "We'll see that Seviper again."

Max and May shared a puzzled look. "Huh?"

Later That Day...

After a full training session:

Pikachu had mastered Electro Ball

Eevee had evolved its Crystallize Outbreak1 move and reached the Advanced Early Stage

Taillow and Tyranitar had both refined their techniques

Even Torchic had advanced to Ordinary Late Stage and learned Quick Attack

Satisfied, the group packed up and resumed their journey.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest…

The wild Seviper, fleeing from its defeat, stumbled across Team Rocket—only to snatch their lunch and accidentally bite off a chunk of Jessie's long hair.

"MY HAIR!" Jessie snapped, eyes glowing red.

Suddenly, something awoke inside her—a hidden aura. In a surge of power, she overwhelmed Seviper with a Fury Swipes followed by a devastating Million Ton Kick, knocking it out cold.

The poor snake never understood what hit it.

Thus, Seviper was captured by Jessie and added to Team Rocket's roster.

Later, feeling cocky with their new Pokémon, Team Rocket decided to challenge Ash again.

"Prepare for trouble—"

"And make it double—!"

"Oh great. It's you guys again," Ash sighed.

"You really don't know when to quit," Brock added.

"Heh! This time we're different. Behold our new partner—Seviper!"

"Seviperrr~" it hissed.

Everyone stared.

"No way... it's that Seviper!" May gasped.

Seviper's eyes twitched. Why these people again?! Did I escape one nightmare just to land in another?!

As expected, they were swiftly blasted off again.

"What a nasty feeling~!""Wobbuffet~!"

Even Ash had to admit that Team Rocket, as annoying as they were, made great experience fodder for him and his Pokémon.

Feeling slightly guilty, he redeemed points from the system and received a Keystone and a Tyranitarite for Mega Evolution. The system even upgraded his Dynamax Band into a universal Pokémon ring that could switch between battle systems.

Ash slid the sleek new ring onto his wrist with a grin.

Later...

After what felt like hours trekking through the forest, the group finally emerged into civilization.

"Ahhh! It smells so good!" May said, spinning joyfully.

Ash and the others sniffed the air, confused."Uh… you smell food?" Max asked.

"No! I smell… the city!" May announced dramatically. She had been forest-bound for days and was overjoyed to be back near buildings, people, and shops.

Everyone else: (⇀‸↼‶)

"It's okay," Ash chuckled. "This was your first time roughing it for this long. Totally understandable."

Still, Ash felt satisfied with the trip. Not only had he caught Treecko, but all of his Pokémon had grown stronger.

They soon entered Linxin Town—despite being called a "town," it was bustling, filled with high-rises and modern shops.

"Ahhh, this is the life," May said, already daydreaming about her next meal.

The group agreed to split up:Ash and Max went exploring for Pokémon, while May and Brock headed off to the shopping mall.

To be continued...