c12: Objection?
Of course, if Ash actually went ahead with his plan to secretly tame Pokémon before the legal age, the metaphorical halo of the protagonist glowing above his head would probably crack right in half.
After all, even Ho-Oh—l the legendary Rainbow Pokémon that had favored him in the Pokémon Adventures manga and briefly appeared to him on his first journey out of Pallet Town didn't show up until Ash was ten. In that original canon encounter along Route 1 toward Viridian City, Ho-Oh's descent and the shimmering Sacred Fire it left behind had been seen as a divine omen. Some even believed it had chosen Ash for purification both of spirit and fate.
So if his very eligibility to become a Trainer was at risk, and Delia continued to oppose him as she had in the past, then his plans to start taming Pokémon early could collapse completely. His own mother might end up being the greatest obstacle in his path.
Luckily, everything had changed after the drowning incident.
After being hospitalized, Delia had begun to re-evaluate her stance, especially after many conversations with Mieko Gary Oak's mother, and Professor Oak's daughter-in-law. Delia had finally started to understand what it meant for a child to follow their dream, and the consequences of holding them back.
"Ash," she said quietly, brushing his hair from his forehead, "even though I've stopped opposing your dream of becoming a Trainer… there's something I need to confess. Last year, the Pokémon League sent out a notice asking families to pay the reservation tax for the Starter Pokémon. I… didn't pay it."
Ash blinked.
"And now, even if you try to pay it retroactively," Delia continued, her voice filled with regret, "because the reservation for Starter Pokémon is on a first-come, first-served basis, you probably won't be able to get your preferred Bulbasaur."
"I… I…" she faltered. The very mention of the Starter Pokémon tax brought her guilt crashing back down.
Despite loving Ash with all her heart, it felt like every decision she'd made had only created more obstacles in his life. She hated that her fears and choices were becoming the chains that held her child back.
For any child in Kanto who dreams of becoming a Trainer, the Earl Dervish Pokémon more commonly known as the Starter Pokémon is the holy grail. And the best of these are the Yusanjia the Big Three of Kanto: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.
These Pokémon aren't just randomly distributed by lottery. They're raised and carefully bred under the Pokémon League's centralized Breeding Program, overseen by accredited breeders like Professor Oak himself. They are evolution-capable, well-balanced, and carry high compatibility ratings for novice Trainers. More than that, they're custom-prepared with pre-evaluated natures, decent levels, and even basic move sets tailored for beginners.
But only a limited number of Yusanjia are made available each year in every region, and Kanto was no exception. Due to this scarcity, the Pokémon League instituted a formal reservation and tax system when children are five years old.
That's right five.
Families were expected to pay a fee, often called the "Earl Dervish Pokémon tax," which allowed the League to prioritize allocations based on who paid first. The earlier the payment, the higher the child's placement in the allocation queue for Starter Pokémon when they turned ten.
Even if a parent paid the tax later within the same year, it might already be too late. If your child wasn't high enough in the queue, they wouldn't qualify for one of the Yusanjia. At that point, they'd be given a secondary starter like Geodude, Oddish, or Poliwag Pokémon who were safe but lacked the same long-term potential or symbolic prestige.
From the moment you decide to become a Trainer in the Pokémon world, the competition begins. And the reservation for your Starter Pokémon is the first battlefield.
Wealthier families, with more resources and foreknowledge, usually reserve the top slots. Middle- and working-class parents like Delia often scramble to keep up, doing everything they can to help their children stay competitive in the race for a better starting point.
"It's okay, Mom," Ash said, patting Delia gently on the back. "Even if my Starter isn't from the Yusanjia trio, I know I can still surpass others and become a great Pokémon Trainer."
He meant every word. For Ash, who retained the memories of his past life and more importantly, knew the events of the original storyline there could be no better partner than Pikachu. Who needed Bulbasaur when destiny had already chosen Pikachu as his truest companion?
And besides, he'd get his hands on a Yusanjia Pokémon eventually. His journey hadn't even begun yet.
"Really?" Delia looked up at him with tears trembling at the corners of her eyes.
"Of course," Ash said, flashing a confident smile. "Don't you trust me, Mom?"
"How could I not?" she replied, finally returning his smile. "My son is the brightest, most wonderful boy in the world. I know you'll become an even greater Trainer than your father… or even your grandfather."
Delia's eyes sparkled with rare certainty. "But… Ash, about your idea to start caring for a Pokémon before you turn ten what if we ask someone to catch one for you? Just a low-level Pokémon, something manageable for a child. We can register it under my name. You'd just be the one feeding it, bonding with it, playing…"
"Eh? Mom?!" Ash nearly dropped his jaw in surprise.
Just a few days ago, she had been strictly against him even thinking about Pokémon. Now she was suggesting they find a workaround to League law?
That was parental love for you. She would break the rules just to see her child smile.
"I heard from Mieko that a lot of elite families do it this way," Delia said with a knowing look. "They use loopholes. They raise Pokémon under a parent or sponsor's name, but the child actually trains them. If the rich can do it to give their kids a head start… why can't we?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't tell me League rules matter more than my son's safety and future?"
Ash didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Your father once gave me a Pokémon Egg," Delia added suddenly, voice softening. "It was a Smoochum Egg. I… I left it in the wild after he disappeared. I was scared back then. I didn't think I could raise it alone."
"Smoochum?" Ash blinked. That meant it would've evolved into a Jynx a Psychic and Ice-type Pokémon. A rare combination, especially valuable in early-stage training.
"Yeah," Delia sighed. "It was part Psychic, part Ice… Fairy wasn't officially classified back then, but now it's even more valuable. It would've been perfect for you."
"Psychic and Fairy?" Ash nodded slowly. "That would've been an incredible Earl Dervish Pokémon. Definitely better than most of the Yusanjia."
Psychic-types in the early game were famously overpowered, and Fairy-types countered Dragon-types later on. A well-raised Jynx could become a powerhouse in all stages of Ash's journey.
"Exactly," Delia said, her expression filled with regret. "But I lost it. I threw away something precious."
"It's okay, Mom," Ash said with a maturity beyond his years. "I'll figure out my starter situation. Leave that part to me."
Delia smiled again this time, warmly.
"After this whole drowning thing… you've really grown up, haven't you?" she said with a soft chuckle. "Now you even know how to comfort your poor old mom. I'm so proud of you, Ash."
Then she paused.
"Wait… should I go to the League Office tomorrow and pay the reservation tax anyway?" she asked, glancing up at him with a twinkle in her eye. "Just in case there's a cancellation or an extra Bulbasaur?"
Ash couldn't help but laugh.
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