"Bang, bang, bang..." Ash slammed his fists against a tree trunk that was as thick as a man's embrace. Wood chips flew as the trunk began to ooze sap.
After his soul was partially repaired, he could feel his strength and speed increasing. Maybe he could even learn new moves.
He thought he might be able to develop moves like Brick Break or Fire Punch in the future. Even learning Take Down or Giga Impact would be a good start.
While fantasizing, he put away his swollen fists and began practicing tackles with his legs, back, shoulders, and head. This was the result of mastering the technique; he could now use various parts of his body to make contact.
Pikachu watched him, greatly moved. What do you do when your trainer is even tougher than you are?
Could I just yell, "Go, Ash, use Thunderbolt!" during a battle?
Of course, this motivated Pikachu's own training, making it more efficient.
Ash finally stopped his training when his skin was red and swollen, on the verge of breaking.
"Whew... Good thing it didn't break," Ash said, blowing on his slightly bruised elbow. If it broke, Delia would be sad.
"Whew..." Having finished his full-body workout, Ash lay on the grass, drenched in sweat.
Pikachu, also tired, flopped onto him, shaking its tail. In addition to Thunderbolt, Ash also made it practice Iron Tail.
"Come on, Pikachu~" Ash took out a bottle of MooMoo Milk and handed it to him.
"Pika~" Pikachu's spirits immediately lifted. He hugged the bottle and started chugging it.
But when he saw that Ash was only eating an Oran Berry, the little guy stopped and put the half-full bottle back.
"Pika, Pika~"
Ash was slightly stunned. He hadn't expected Pikachu to give him the food.
This kind of human-like emotion is very rare in Pokémon.
After all, most wild Pokémon still retain the habits of animals from Ash's previous world. They rarely share food, even with their own species, except for a mother Pokémon giving food to her child.
That's why Pikachu's action was so special.
His eyes glistened. Ash ruffled Pikachu's head: "You drink it. I'll just eat the berries~"
"Pika—chu..." The little mouse adamantly shook its head.
"You're impossible..." Ash picked up the bottle and took a sip.
It was the same delicious flavor, but he felt completely different.
The setting sun in the sky was now only a tiny speck of red, and he could faintly see the stars appearing.
On the grass, Ash and Pikachu leaned against each other: "Hey, Pikachu, did you know..."
"Pika?"
"My biggest dream was to become your partner..." Ash's eyes glistened. This world had always been his dream, and so had Pikachu.
"In this world, there are so many Pokémon I love, girls I admire, and friends I long for..."
Ash's voice was a little distant. He had been holding these words in for ten years, and this was the first time he had spoken them.
"Pika! Pika chu!"
Ash turned his head. Pikachu's face was full of encouragement and fighting spirit.
"Is that so?" He smiled brightly: "Then let's go together and see the scenery of this world, create every moment of happiness, and defeat every powerful enemy... okay?"
Ash held out his right hand, clenched into a fist.
"Pika~!"
Under the starry sky, the small paw and his fist touched. This promise, made in that moment, sowed the seeds of a legend.
That night, Ash and Delia were having dinner at the table.
Ash made dinner tonight. With his newfound cooking talent, he needed to practice more.
The dishes were still simple and inexpensive seasonal ones, but the taste was much better than usual.
Ash had made significant improvements in everything from preparing ingredients and knife skills to seasoning, heat control, and tossing food, which resulted in this outcome.
"Mmm... so delicious." Delia swallowed the food in her mouth and held out her bowl: "Ash, Mom wants more!"
"Uh..." Ash glanced at Delia's face. If it weren't for the lack of a blush and heart-shaped eyes, he would have thought it was a completely different scene.
"Okay..."
Who could refuse a beautiful, mature mother asking for more?
After filling her bowl, Ash organized his thoughts and slowly began to speak: "Mom, I want to..."
Seeing Delia's curious gaze, Ash gritted his teeth: "I want to start my journey."
"..." Contrary to his imagination of a sharp refusal, Delia's face showed no obvious emotional changes. She pouted: "I thought you would tell me at the very last moment before you left..."
A touch of reluctance was reflected on her beautiful face in the light. Even though Delia didn't do anything, Ash's heart ached.
"That..." He wanted to say something, but Delia cut him off.
"It's okay. I've always known... Ash's dream~" A faint smile appeared on her face: "It's to become a Pokémon Master, right?"
She made a gesture with her hand: "I got a Pokémon! Pokémon Getto Da ze!"
Ash was stunned. The scene in front of him became slightly hazy. He remembered a certain afternoon many years ago.
"Ash, come on, let's play together, okay?" Delia held a ball, looking at Ash, who was just three years old.
Ash said in a childish voice: "Mom, you're so immature! I'm a boy with a dream!"
"Oh? Then tell Mom about your dream." Delia laughed brightly and hugged Ash.
Ash struggled, striking the same pose Delia had just done: "Pokémon Getto Da ze!"
Delia thought he was just babbling and burst into laughter: "Hahaha, you silly boy~ Where did you make that up?"
"I'm not babbling! It means 'I got a Pokémon!' My dream is to become the strongest Pokémon Master in the world!"
"Okay, okay, my little Ash is a future Master~!" Ash pouted, dissatisfied. Anyone could hear the perfunctoriness in Delia's tone.
"What about you, Mom? What's your dream?"
"Mom's dream... is for Ash to be happy, joyful, and successful..."
"Then my dream is for Mom to be happy, too!"
"No, I want to give Mom the happiness she wants!"
The mother and son looked into each other's eyes, seeing the promise they had made long ago.
Delia walked to Ash's side and ruffled his hair: "Go on, Ash. Mom will support you."
Ash suddenly grabbed her hand: "Mom, are you happy?"
"Hmm?" Delia was slightly startled. Ash's head was down, so she couldn't see his expression: "If Ash is happy, Mom is happy~"
"Then, Mom, do you think it would make me happy to see you sacrificing yourself like this?"
"..." Delia fell silent.
Although her tone was calm and she even had a faint smile, both Ash and she knew very well that she couldn't bear the thought of him leaving on his journey.