I'm back.
Sorry for not uploading new chapters sooner, there were some problems and I couldn't do it.
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[One week later]
The morning began like many others — with the soft hum of the coffee machine, the clinking of dishes, and the light patter of small feet on kitchen tiles.
"Ash, wake up! It's your first day of school — don't oversleep!" Delia called from downstairs.
"I'm already up, Mom! Do you really think I'd sleep in today?" Ash shouted back as he sprinted down the stairs.
He reached the kitchen to find Delia pouring warm milk into his favorite orange cup — the one with the Charizard decal. He sat down and immediately began eating.
"Did I really have to wait this long for school to start?" he asked, not lifting his eyes from his plate.
Delia smiled gently. "You've asked that every morning since Professor Oak told you Green would be in your class."
"And you say the same thing every time," he muttered.
She laughed, ruffling his hair as she set the cup beside him. "Because everything happens when it's supposed to, Ash."
Ash sighed — a heavy, dramatic sigh that didn't belong on a four-year-old. "Yeah, yeah. But can we leave already?"
"Finish your breakfast first."
The walk to school was short, wrapped in warm sweaters and the scent of fresh laundry. Ash pointed out everything: a ladybug on the sidewalk, a cloud shaped like a Wailord, a man walking two completely mismatched dogs.
When they reached the school gate, the rhythm of their walk faltered. The soundscape changed. Children squealed. Cars idled. A bell rang in the distance. Ash felt Delia's hand tighten in his.
She knelt, adjusting the strap of his backpack and brushing a crumb off his chin. "Remember, have fun, make new friends, and learn as much as you can."
Ash looked at the gate, then back at her. His eyes were filled with determination, with hope. "Yes Mom, I will."
Delia didn't let go yet. Her eyes searched his face, like she was trying to memorize it, just in case. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.
"I love you, Ash," she said.
"I love you too, Mom," he answered her.
He pulled away slowly, turned, and began walking through the gate. Halfway across the yard, he paused and turned to look back. Delia smiled and waved. He waved back — small, unsure.
Then he disappeared into the sea of little backpacks and bobbing heads.
Delia remained where she was. She always gave herself a minute after he left, not to worry, not to cry, but to feel it— the bittersweet stretch of motherhood, where every day, your child becomes a little more themselves and a little less yours.
She watched until the last echo of the bell faded into the morning air, then turned slowly toward home, Ash's last hug still warm against her neck.
"He is growing up so fast..."
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[Ash's POV]
As he was walking toward his new school, and Ash gave himself a moment to admire the building.
'It's huge… way bigger than I thought.'
He had to admit, it was huge. The school was approximately 500 m², it had four floors, tons of classrooms, a huge playground, a couple of trees, some bushes, and Ash could even see some Pokemon like Pidgey and Rattata playing with older kids.
"Admiring the view, I see."
The voice of someone he knew brought him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, hi professor!" said Ash.
"Hi Ash, how are you?" Professor Oak asked.
"I am doing fine, thank you! What are you doing here?"
"Just making sure all my students arrived safely. Then I spotted you, staring at the school," Oak answered.
""Well, can you blame me? The place is incredible — kids running around, Pokémon playing, and the school looks amazing!" Ash said.
"Yes, I am very proud of it. I always wanted kids to enjoy life, to follow their dreams. This school was made just for that. That's what I hoped for. A place where children could learn and dream."
As Oak spoke, a memory stirred — a boy in red, a cap too big for his head, standing beside a small, strange green-psychic Pokémon. That moment had changed everything for Samuel Oak.
"I think you've done a great job, Professor," Ash said.
Oak smiled. "Thank you, Ash."
Suddenly, a bell rang.
"I'd better hurry," Ash said.
"Yes — wouldn't want to be late on your first day."
As Ash ran off, Oak couldn't help but think:
'He really is just like his father…'
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[Inside the Classroom]
After some running, Ash finally reached his classroom. He carefully opened the door, fully expecting some hyperactive children playing and talking loudly. However, that was not what was inside the classroom. Instead of children playing and shouting, there was just one quiet girl sitting in the back, silently drawing.
'Wow, that's weird. Did I go to the wrong class or something?'
Just to be sure, he checked the number on the door — 1B.
'Nope, this is class 1B, so I am in the correct class. But why is there no one here?'
He slowly entered the classroom, a bit confused about why there was no one there.
'Okay, I'm in the right class. Weird.'
He entered and placed his backpack near the back, then sat down.
'Why is it just me and her…?'
He was confused, so he decided to ask the girl about it.
"Um, excuse me?" he asked. "Do you know why no one else is here?"
"Uh, hey, I-I don't know, so-sorry," she blurted, visibly nervous.
"Oh, okay, thank you anyway, I am Ash," he said kindly.
"I-I am Y-Yellow," she responded.
'Wait… Yellow?! As in that Yellow?! Oh crap. If she's here, that means the manga plot might exist too! Which means... Green and Silver… kidnapped? Evil Pryce?! A rogue Elite Four?! Ugh, no thank you!'
"U-uh, are you okay?" Yellow asked, blinking.
Ash snapped out of it. "Yeah! Sorry, just… thinking."
'But maybe I can change things. I met Green, so I could do something to prevent her from being kidnapped. As for Silver... I can only pray that in this timeline, Giovanni can protect him.'
He tried to shift the topic.
"What are you drawing?"
"P-Pokémon," she replied shyly.
"Can I see?"
"U-um, s-sure." Yellow hesitated, then slowly handed over her drawings.
They were good — really good. Doduo, Butterfree, and Nidoran — all Pokémon common to the Viridian Forest, but drawn with care and charm. Just by looking at them, Ash knew that they were all Wilton's Pokémon.
"Wow, your drawings are pretty good! Ash complimented her.
"T-thanks," Yellow shyly said.
"Want to see mine?" he offered.
"Y-you draw?" she asked.
"Yep! I like it a lot. I think I'm pretty good, actually."
"O-okay… if you don't mind…"
Ash opened his backpack and pulled out a few pages. One of them showed a Charizard launching flames, with a Pikachu perched on its shoulder. The detailing was so realistic it looked like a photo.
Yellow's eyes widened. "T-these are amazing! They're the best drawings I've ever seen!"
Ash smiled. "Thanks! I always imagine I'm standing in front of the Pokémon — like I'm about to battle. Then I just draw what I see in my head."
"M-me too!" she said softly.
He grinned. "Sounds like we've got something in common."
"Y-yeah…"
"Say, Yellow. Want to be friends?"
Yellow blinked. "F-friends?"
"Yeah! You like Pokémon, I like Pokémon. You draw, I draw. Seems like a good start to me."
Yellow looked down, nervously twisting her fingers.
"I-I've never really had any friends... just the Pokémon in the forest…"
"Well then," Ash said, smiling, "I'd be honored to be your first human friend."
She looked up at him. "I-I'd really like that…"