Robert turned to see Ash and his friends standing nearby, looking worn out. Although he already knew what had happened to them, he decided to play along.
"It's you, Ash! But what happened to you guys?" Robert asked, feigning ignorance and surprise.
Ash chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Hehe, it's nothing. We just... got lost. It took us forever to find the right route to Vermilion City."
Misty, however, was far from amused. She glared at Ash, her frustration boiling over. "Hmph! You're still laughing? This is all your fault! Thanks to you, the most beautiful girl in the world looks like a mess! I told you not to take that path, but noooo, you insisted we go that way!"
Ash frowned. "What? How is this my fault? If anything, it's Brock's fault! He's the one who read the map wrong. If he hadn't messed up, we wouldn't have taken the wrong path."
"Oh, so now you're blaming me?" Brock said, crossing his arms. "It's not my fault—the map was incorrect! Who knew there'd be errors in the route it showed?"
Misty and Ash both turned on Brock instantly.
"You were the one who bought the map!" Misty shot back. "If it weren't for—"
"Ahem!" Robert cleared his throat loudly, cutting into their argument. "Uh… aren't you guys hungry? Or tired? You actually have enough energy to argue?"
The trio froze for a second. Just as they were about to respond, their stomachs growled loudly. At the same time, they caught a whiff of themselves—and recoiled in disgust.
Robert smirked. "Seems like your stomachs are more honest than your words. You guys should go freshen up and grab a meal."
Ash hesitated before asking, "Wait, you're not leaving yet, are you?"
"Nah, I'm not in a rush. I just finished my Gym battle and was planning to take a break before heading out," Robert explained.
Hearing that, Ash's eyes lit up. "How was it? Is Lt. Surge strong? Did you get the Thunder Badge?"
Robert pulled out the orange, lightning-emblazoned badge from his pocket and held it up.
Ash's eyes sparkled. "That's the Thunder Badge? Wow! I can't wait to win mine!" He was already picturing himself holding his own badge in victory.
Robert chuckled. "Yeah, it looks great, huh? But let me give you some advice. Lt. Surge specializes in Electric-type Pokémon, so if you want to beat him, you'll need a good strategy—or Pokémon that can counter his."
He paused, remembering how Ash had struggled in his first battle against Surge in the original story. If Ash went in overconfident, he was in for a rough lesson.
"If you don't prepare properly, it's gonna be a tough battle for you," Robert added.
Ash puffed out his chest. "Hey! Didn't you just say Surge was 'okay' in strength? So why wouldn't I be able to beat him? Don't underestimate me!"
Robert smirked. "I'm not underestimating you—I'm just giving you a heads-up. Whether you listen or not is up to you. Anyway, go get washed up first."
Patting Ash's shoulder, Robert turned and walked toward the rest area.
Ash looked frustrated, feeling like Robert had brushed him off. But since Pikachu and the others hadn't recovered yet, he couldn't challenge the Gym right away anyway.
Grumbling, Ash, Misty, and Brock finally headed to the Pokémon Center's dormitory area to clean up before eating.
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Time to Move On
After resting at the Pokémon Center for half an hour, Robert packed up his backpack and left without saying goodbye to Ash's group. He had a feeling Ash's challenge would play out just like it had in the original timeline.
"Hmm… the next Gym is…"
Robert opened his system's virtual map, scanning his next destination.
"The closest Gyms are Rainbow Gym in Celadon City and Saffron Gym in Saffron City. Saffron is a little closer, while Celadon is a bit farther."
He thought for a moment. "Looks like I'll head to Saffron City first, then go to Celadon after."
However, Robert frowned as he remembered something. "Saffron Gym… That's where she is."
Sabrina, the leader of Saffron Gym, was infamous for her terrifying psychic powers. Robert had no doubts that he could defeat her with his current team, but her mind games and Psychic abilities made her battles incredibly tricky.
"Yeah, I'll need a Ghost-type Pokémon to counter her," he muttered.
Checking his map again, he located the perfect place—Lavender Town.
"If I catch a Gastly in Lavender Town, I'll have a solid counter against her Psychic Pokémon. That'll make things a lot easier."
Having made his decision, Robert set his next destination: Lavender Town, then Saffron City.
As for the events that had happened in the original story on the S.S. Anne, he wasn't interested in getting involved. That kind of trouble was better left to Ash and his group.
With a plan in mind, Robert reached for a Poké Ball at his waist and tossed it forward.
With a flash of red light, Pidgeot emerged, spreading its majestic wings wide.
Robert smiled. "I'm counting on you for this journey, Pidgeot."
Pidgeot chirped proudly and bent down slightly, signaling for Robert to climb on.
Without hesitation, Robert hopped onto Pidgeot's back, securing Pichu in his arms.
"Alright, let's go! Fly in that direction," Robert said, pointing toward Lavender Town.
"Bi~!"
With a powerful flap of its wings, Pidgeot took off, soaring high into the sky. The wind rushed past Robert as they flew toward their next adventure.
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End of Chapter 58
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