Ash was pondering a crucial question that he really needed answered: What is the value of a Pokédollar?
With Professor Oak's sponsorship and a deal involving the unknown language that promised quite a lot of money, Ash felt embarrassed by his ignorance about the currency's value.
Suddenly, he heard a squeak.
"Rattata!"
Ash pulled the Pokéball from his pocket. Unlike the ones in the anime, the top part of this Pokéball was made of see-through glass, and through it, he could see a miniature Rattata inside.
"Looks like Pokéballs are like how they were in the Pokémon manga as opposed to the anime, but I still wonder how that works," Ash thought, mentally adding to his list to pick up a book on Pokéballs and learn more about their mechanics.
With this thought in mind, he pressed the button on the Pokéball, releasing Rattata onto the street.
"Excited?" Ash asked, watching the purple rat nod in response.
"Training is going to have to wait until I start a proper program, and battles will also wait until we start our journey on the road, okay?" Ash explained, kneeling down to be at eye level with Rattata.
The little Pokémon looked visibly saddened, but Ash quickly reassured it.
"The good news is that I can probably make a training program tonight, either on my own or with the help of Professor Oak. So we can start training either tomorrow or the day after," Ash said, watching Rattata’s excitement reignite.
Ash was reminded of how much he needed to learn—from how Pokéballs worked, to how to train Pokémon, and books on Pokémon trainers and rules.
Rattata jumped onto Ash’s outstretched hand, and he smiled.
"Let's go get something to eat," Ash suggested, trying to place Rattata on his shoulder like Ash Ketchum with his Pikachu.
However, Rattata had other plans and jumped onto his head instead.
"Don’t tell me you’re going to puppeteer me into making a Ratatouille," Ash joked.
Rattata popped her head out of his spiky hair, looking at him in confusion.
Ash chuckled, "Haha."
Then, he asked a passerby where the nearest store was.
This was his strategy to understand the value of a Pokédollar.
He would buy something familiar like chips or soda and compare the price with what he knew from an American dollar.
With some simple math, he could figure out the value of a Pokédollar.
"Still no use for the Pythagorean theorem," Ash joked as he felt Rattata scratching his scalp.
"Hey, careful up there," Ash cautioned gently as Rattata pointed her paw forward.
"Onwards!" Ash mumbled, chuckling as he walked along. This world seemed much nicer than Earth, Ash observed, as he saw kids smiling at him—or more importantly, at Rattata perched amusingly on his head.
_______________________________________
The store Ash entered had that distinct 90s flair. The shelves were stocked with familiar products, yet the design elements from the neon signs to the patterned floor tiles. Normal as it seemed, the store hosted an unusual assistant—a Butterfree. This Pokémon resembled a vaguely anthropomorphic butterfly, with a purple body and only two body segments, unlike true insects. It had four light blue legs, the upper pair resembling small hands and the lower pair long feet. Two black antennae, a light blue snout with two fangs, and large, red compound eyes added to its striking appearance. Its wings were white with black venation.
"Oh!" Ash thought, pausing to admire one of his favorite Pokémon, reminded of the emotional episode in the anime where Ash Ketchum released his own Butterfree.
"What can I do for you, kid?"
A voice snapped Ash out of his reverie.
He turned to see the shopkeeper smiling at him.
"Ah, I want to buy some soda," Ash said, trying to divert his gaze from the Butterfree.
"This is my partner, you can pet her; she is very friendly," the shopkeeper offered as Ash tentatively reached out to touch the beautiful creature.
"Free!" Butterfree cooed as Ash gently rubbed its head, noting how fuzzy it felt. Suddenly, he felt a little dizzy as Raticate jumped down from his shoulder and nudged her head against his leg, seemingly jealous.
"Looks like Raticate gets jealous easily," Ash thought, hearing the shopkeeper chuckle.
"Ladies, am I right?" the shopkeeper joked, to which both Raticate and Butterfree glared at him.
"What kind of soda do you want?" the shopkeeper then asked.
"Are there different prices?" Ash inquired.
"Not really, most of the brands are around 1 Pokédollar."
"Sure, can you get me two of the most popular sodas and a bag?"
"Rat!" Rattata squeaked.
"Two bags of chips," Ash added.
"Brand?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Doesn't matter," Ash replied, watching as Butterfree gracefully flew behind the counter and returned with two bags of chips branded with a Flareon and the tagline 'Taste the Heat.' The sodas featured a Lapras mascot.
Ash handed over the money he had received from Professor Oak, paying for his items. He thought to himself, Of course the brands are different. Looks like I can't just do a one-to-one comparison, but at least I have a better idea of the value now.
"You aren't from around here," the shopkeeper remarked, observing Ash as he made the transaction.
"Yeah," Ash replied, feeling a bit out of place. Back on Earth, he would simply pay for his stuff and leave without much interaction.
"Let me guess, you came to get your trainer license and tier 2," the shopkeeper said, giving Rattata a knowing glance.
"Sure," Ash said, playing along. He was curious to see where this conversation would lead.
"Look, it's not my place to intervene or say much, but I think you shouldn't go into the Pokémon league," the shopkeeper advised in a tone that was neither arrogant nor hostile, just offering some friendly advice from someone who seemed to have seen it all.
"You have these two years of free time; go get the necessary experience needed to get a stable job."
At that moment, Ash turned to see Rattata’s reaction. Her ears and whiskers spiked up in anger, clearly not pleased with the shopkeeper's suggestion.
Butterfree landed deftly between Rattata and the shopkeeper, as if trying to defuse the tension.
Ash could see things were escalating too quickly.
"Rattata," he called calmly, extending his hand towards the small Pokémon. He just wanted to leave at this point; the situation was becoming too intense for his comfort.
"I used to be like you, young man," the shopkeeper began, his tone reflective. "Thinking with hard work and determination I could conquer it all, but I failed and I guess I wasted too much time."
"Thanks man, but I think I'll try. There's nothing wrong with trying to be better, trying to be stronger," Ash responded, his words seeming to soothe Rattata's anger.
The shopkeeper shrugged. "Your choice. I said what I could because I saw that deep look when you looked at your money. People who are worried about the future only look at money like that, and seeing your starter, I couldn't help but share some words of wisdom."
"Thanks," Ash replied as he finally understood why the shopkeeper was suddenly yapping away his backstory.
Okay, next time, just get the stuff and leave. You can think about it at home.
"Young man, what's your name?" the shopkeeper then asked.
"Why?" Ash responded cautiously.
"I'll pray for you and your little lady's success. Maybe you can succeed where many have failed. As you said, there's nothing wrong with trying to be better, trying to be stronger," the shopkeeper explained, his expression sincere.
Ash smiled, warming to the man's kindness. "Ash..." he paused, then decided to embrace his role fully.
"Ash Ketchum."
The shopkeeper's jaw dropped in surprise, but Ash simply ignored the reaction as he walked out of the shop. For a few minutes, he and Rattata walked in silence until they stopped at a bench and sat down. Ash opened the bag of chips, took a handful, and placed it in front of Rattata, who seemed disinterested in eating.
"Don’t let that man’s words get to you. He was just... trying to give some advice," Ash reassured her gently.
"Rat!" Rattata squeaked softly, her voice low.
Ash sighed, putting the chips back into the bag and picking up Rattata. "You know, I was very hesitant when choosing you. To me, you were nothing more than a weak Pokémon," he began, noticing a few tears forming in Rattata’s eyes. "Yet, do you know why I chose you?" he asked, waiting for her reaction.
Rattata stayed quiet, listening intently.
"I chose you because I saw something in you that resonated with me—the willingness to change, to be better. To me, that was more important than anything," Ash explained, his voice firm yet comforting.
"Rattata, I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make you strong, so let's just kick away these negative thoughts and eat some chips," he encouraged her with a smile.
Rattata jumped from his hand to his shoulder and nuzzled his neck.
"That's my girl," Ash whispered softly as he offered her a chip, which she happily ate.
"Let’s just eat quickly and go to the bookstore. I need to make our training programs," Ash said, his voice filled with determination.
Rattata gave a small, affectionate peck on Ash's cheek, making him smile despite the few crumbs that stuck to his skin.
He didn't mind the slight mess; the warmth of the gesture far outweighed any minor inconvenience.
Gently, he rubbed Rattata's head, his fingers stroking her soft fur.
The little Pokémon chirped contentedly, enjoying the attention and the shared moment of quiet companionship.
Ash's eyes twinkled with amusement and love, his heart swelling with pride for his little friend.
"Let's be the best; like no one ever was."
Change the team rocket to Ash