Just like Misty said, if people found out he'd encountered Ho-Oh—a Pokémon that hadn't appeared before humans in centuries—his journey would be anything but peaceful.
Ho-Oh was coveted by both the underworld and the upright alike. Compared to other Legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh drew even more attention simply because legend said that anyone who met it would enjoy a lifetime of good fortune. And… if you earned Ho-Oh's recognition, or even captured it, you might very well extend your lifespan!
For humans, immortality—or anything close to it—is something more than ninety percent of people yearn for.
So the fewer who knew about Ho-Oh, the better—just like with Ash's Chat Group.
Seeing Ash's sensible apology, Misty let out a breath of relief. On the one hand, Ash wasn't upset about how rough she'd just been; on the other, he understood why the Ho-Oh matter couldn't be spread around, saving her a lot of explaining.
"Right, I should call my mom to let her know I'm safe. Misty, aren't you going to call your family?" Ash suddenly remembered, clapped his hands, and turned toward the public videophones in the Pokémon Center, asking if Misty wanted to make a call too.
Misty shook her head, perfectly composed. "Not me. My family's super busy. They don't have time to pick up."
"Eh? What does your family do?"
"Performing. A bunch of no-good older sisters. Don't ask."
"Oh."
Ash dialed home and told Delia Ketchum he was safe, then called Professor Oak to report he'd reached Viridian City.
Professor Oak remarked that Ash hadn't captured a single Pokémon yet—Gary Oak had already caught over a dozen.
In response, Ash quoted something Champion Ash had said: "Pokémon are partners. When you capture them, you have to be ready to treat them with your whole heart. A Trainer can have many Pokémon, but a Pokémon often has only one Trainer. If I can't take proper responsibility for them, I'm not going to capture them lightly."
The profundity of that line left Professor Oak stunned for a moment. And to be fair, it did make a lot of sense.
Gary might have caught quite a few, but most were ordinary Pokémon like Rattata, Pidgey, Spearow, and Sandshrew. Catching them was mainly for the collection; as for raising them… with Gary's personality, he probably wouldn't spend time on these ordinary Pokémon.
After he captured them, their care fell entirely to Professor Oak. Compared to living in the wild, their food, clothing, and shelter were relatively secure—but they weren't as free as they were outside. Most importantly, who knew how long it would be before their Trainer swapped them back even once?
From a Pokémon's perspective, that felt more than a little pitiful.
"Didn't think you had such philosophical things to say, Ash. This is completely different from how you are in class," Professor Oak said, a bit moved.
In academic subjects, Ash had always been left in the dust by Gary. Yet after just one day of travel, Ash was already thinking so deeply. He was a different person than before he set out.
It wasn't something you'd expect from a rookie traveler; not even many veteran Trainers had considered it this way.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean! I'm not allowed to think like this? Professor, you're way too prejudiced about me!" Ash protested, though he was a little rattled inside.
If not for Champion Ash's words, he might've caught several by now. Pokémon like Spearow and Pidgey—he definitely wouldn't have let them slip by.
But Champion Ash's line had taught him what a true Trainer really was.
A true Trainer isn't measured by raw strength, nor by superior tactics, but by whether you have the heart to take your Pokémon seriously.
If you capture a pile of Pokémon just to serve battles and strategies, that's actually being completely irresponsible.
"Alright then, since you've reached Viridian City, I can relax. Speaking of which, Gary seems to have already signed up for the League Conference. Are you entering, Ash? Oh, right—do you even know what the League Conference is?"
"Of course I do! I've already registered! If Gary calls you again, pass on a message for me—tell him to wash his neck and wait for me at the Indigo Plateau Conference!" Ash pumped his fist, brimming with fighting spirit!
"Er… alright, I'll pass it along. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up… Wait, one more thing. You can pick any Gym for your first challenge, but don't choose the Viridian Gym or the Saffron Gym, got it?" Professor Oak was about to end the call when something occurred to him. He quickly stopped Ash from hanging up too and spoke in a hurry.
"Hm? Why?" The Viridian Gym again… The veterans in the group had also said not to pick the Viridian Gym as the first one. Was that Gym really so formidable?
"The Viridian Gym is the strongest Gym in the Kanto League—no contest. Its Gym Leader, Giovanni, is called a man on par with the Elite Four."
"Elite Four…"
"Right. Giovanni basically uses Ground-type Pokémon. Even his weakest aren't something beginners can mess with—let alone the fact that your starter is Pikachu, which is at a massive disadvantage against Ground types. In short, just don't go to the Viridian Gym." Professor Oak reiterated the warning, over and over.
He was afraid Ash would go to the Viridian Gym and get crushed by Giovanni, losing his confidence and his will to be a Trainer altogether.
It wouldn't be the first time in history. Pallet Town's first stop was Viridian City, and Viridian just happened to have a Gym. Plenty of beginners challenged it without knowing better—and the results were, needless to say…
"Got it. Then what's the deal with the Saffron Gym?" Ash nodded to show he understood. But besides Viridian, there was another Gym Professor Oak had told him not to challenge. What was going on with that one—was it that strong too?
"The Saffron Gym recently swapped Gym Leaders. The new one doesn't pull their punches. From the intel I've received, every Trainer who's gone to challenge Saffron seems to leave with an indescribable shadow hanging over them. The only advice from those who've tried is this: unless you've run out of every other Gym to fight, do not come to Saffron Gym!"
Professor Oak leaned close to the camera. His enlarged, elderly face looked like a ghost, and paired with his words, he could've scared a three-year-old to tears.
Ash—and Misty beside him—both felt a chill. He agreed repeatedly, promising he wouldn't go to those two Gyms for now.