Pokémon: The Path of Ascension

Toshi said, "Dad, you don't need to worry about Ponyta; I will still put my heart into cultivating it."

"But our family…"

"Dad, you don't need to say anything," Toshi interrupted Hideo and continued, "You give me the money, and I will use it all on cultivating Ponyta. You can rest assured about that. As for Butterfree's cultivation expenses, I will find another way to manage."

Hideo's expression tightened: "Toshi, are you really…?"

Toshi nodded firmly: "Yes, Dad, I will use my academy points to cultivate Butterfree."

At this point, Emiko couldn't hold back anymore and said, "Toshi, those points are the resources you'll need to cultivate an excellent quality Pokémon in the future! Are you really going to use them now?"

"And you only have one year left. Just hold on for one more year, and you'll have that Pokémon. If you spend your academy points now, what will you use to cultivate that Pokémon in the future?" Hideo asked anxiously.

Toshi appeared quite relaxed: "Dad, you don't need to worry about that. Using these resources early won't necessarily impact my future development. Think about it: if Butterfree's strength increases, then I can gain more resources by completing the league's tasks and the academy's missions. By the time I get that Pokémon a year later, I might have even more resources than I do now."

Hideo was still a bit concerned: "These are all uncertain things, and the league missions are inherently dangerous. What if—just what if—something unexpected happens? Then Toshi, you could…"

"Dad, what hasn't happened yet? Who can say for sure?" Toshi pointed at Butterfree and smiled: "And I believe Butterfree will always be with me, right, Butterfree?"

"Butterfree!" Butterfree nodded vigorously.

After talking for a while, Hideo realized he couldn't change his son's mind and finally decided not to insist: "Alright, Toshi, your dad is willing to trust you."

He then turned his gaze to Butterfree: "I also believe in the bond between you and Butterfree."

Toshi understood that his dad's feelings for his own Pokémon were no less than his feelings for Butterfree. His dad still hadn't given up on the many average-quality Pokémon that had accompanied him all along, so how could he really stop Toshi?

Ultimately, his dad just wanted to ensure that Toshi wouldn't have to face the hardships he once endured.

...

"Mom, then Dad and I will be on our way!"

Toshi, sitting on Rapidash's back, said goodbye to Emiko alongside Hideo.

"Be careful on the road."

"Got it, dear. Don't worry, I'll be here," Hideo patted his sturdy chest.

"Butterfree!" Butterfree also said goodbye to Emiko from Toshi's shoulder.

Emiko smiled at the scene; she sincerely hoped that Toshi's choice would be the right one.

"Let's go, Rapidash, we're off," Hideo shouted.

As soon as he finished speaking, an orange flame erupted fiercely from Rapidash's back and hooves.

But Toshi, sitting on its back, only felt a wave of warmth spread throughout his body.

...

Toshi's family lived on the outskirts of the Gray Feather Mountain Range, with no other houses nearby, only endless forests and grasslands.

The closest small town to their home was quite far away, named Amberleaf Town, and that was also the place they were heading to next.

However, due to the distance, even with Rapidash's speed, it would take two hours for a round trip, so Toshi's dad usually went there from time to time to buy their household necessities.

Of course, sometimes Hideo would bring Toshi along to play, so Toshi was fairly familiar with this town.

Amberleaf Town had a railway, and whenever Toshi went to school, he would take the train from there.

After passing through five stops, the train would arrive at Petalburg City, where the Ranger Academy he attended was located.

In Petalburg City, any youth aspiring to become rangers would go there to enroll, but whether they could become rangers after graduation depended on their own efforts.

Because Toshi had a dad who was a ranger, he could attend the Ranger Academy tuition-free.

The Pokémon League stated that this was a privilege for family members. However, Toshi viewed this as just a little bit of charity from the league.

Yes, a little bit of charity.

Because the annual tuition for the Ranger Academy was only one thousand yen.

This amount of money was something that the vast majority of families could afford.

Moreover, those who chose to attend the Ranger Academy were mostly ordinary people.

Wealthy individuals usually opted to attend Trainer Academy instead and wouldn't choose to come here.

Rangers were inherently involved in high-risk occupations, and the league lost a large number of rangers every year. Wealthy people certainly wouldn't want to take on such dangerous and low-prestige work.

Naturally, the league wanted to recruit more individuals, so they kept the tuition fees relatively low.

...

"Toshi!"

Just as Toshi arrived at the station and finished buying his ticket while waiting for the train, a voice reached his ears.

Toshi turned around and couldn't help but smile: "Shoji!"

The newcomer was his classmate and friend, Shoji Kawamoto. Of course, beside him was his dad, Takeshi Kawamoto.

Shoji's dad, like Toshi's dad, was also a ranger and worked in the Gray Feather Mountain Range. However, because the mountain range was so large and the areas they were responsible for were quite distant, they hardly ever saw each other.

But Hideo was different; he often worked with Takeshi in the Gray Feather Mountain Range, so the two were much more familiar with each other.

Hideo then said to Toshi, "Toshi, you stay here with Shoji. I need to have a few words with Uncle Takeshi."

"Alright, Dad. You go ahead; Shoji and I will just wait for the train, and then we can go together. There's no need to worry about us," Toshi replied.

...

"Toshi, Toshi, what Pokémon did your dad prepare for you? Is it this Butterfree?"

As soon as their dads walked away, Shoji eagerly pulled Toshi for the answer.

"No, my dad prepared a Ponyta for me, but it hasn't hatched yet," Toshi said, pointing to the backpack behind him.

"And you know that the academy has requirements for our Pokémon; they must still be in their starter forms. You didn't forget that, did you?"

Shoji scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Yeah, I just got so excited to see you that I didn't think about it, haha."

"Don't talk about me; tell me about you. What Pokémon did your dad prepare for you?" Toshi asked.

Hearing this, Shoji became excited again: "Hehe, Toshi, why don't you take a guess?"