Ash found a place to sit in the Pokémon Center and released Pikachu and Pidgeotto, gently stroking them.
He was contemplating his development plan.
Or rather, his collection plan.
He loved this world, its environment, all the Pokémon, and all the beautiful, cute, charming, sexy, and enchanting girls.
He also longed to have a big harem and put them all in it.
But all of this required immense strength.
After all, the people he liked were Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions, as well as protagonists with special abilities. Many of them even had official partners.
In other words, he had to be better than their original partners, right? That's how it works.
Ahem... Ash also had a special interest—married women.
Before he obtained the Joyful Meditation technique, all of this was just a fantasy. Now, it had risen to the level of a goal.
This technique could almost guarantee that a woman would never forget him after being with him once. After all, having every "hole" "filled" for an entire day was an experience that could change anyone from the inside out.
"In Kanto... the Gym Leaders are Erika, Sabrina, and Janine. The Elite Four is Lorelei... hmm... a police officer and a nurse also sound good?"
Ash thought of Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy.
"Phew... but I'll take it slow... The fusion of mind and body is better~" Ash thought of Delia. He enjoyed the experience of two people who loved each other indulging freely.
"As for my strength, I can't neglect my cooking and training."
After his "double cultivation" with Delia, Ash's level was gradually increasing. The complete conversion of the energy in his body into True Energy made him unsure of how to learn new skills. He still only had Tackle and Harden.
He could also use his "Tackle" with his "little brother." Thinking of how Delia was left a wet mess after he "tackled" her, Ash's "little brother" couldn't help but stand up. The proficiency of his Harden skill was increasing.
On the other hand, there was his mental space.
After he got the Soul Crystal Core, he opened up this small space. When Ash closed his eyes and focused, his consciousness would appear in that chaotic void.
He could feel that the liquid in the lake was a special kind of soul power, which Ash called Mind Power.
As more and more water overflowed from the spring, the soul power of Arceus within Ash's body was also constantly reviving. The most obvious change was the steady increase in his talent value.
The reason he called it "soul power" instead of "soul" was that Ash had completely assimilated the fragmented soul he had obtained.
So he didn't have to worry about a soul in his body taking over his own.
And then there were Pikachu and Pidgeotto.
Now that he had 500,000 yen as a starting fund, he could improve the food for his two Pokémon. Gaining significant fighting power was an urgent matter.
He also couldn't slack on learning new skills and training. One was Pikachu, who had grown up with him and with whom he had a promise to stand on top of the world. The other was Pidgeotto, who dreamed of becoming a majestic eagle soaring through the sky. He had to work hard and fight to not let down their talent and dreams.
"Ash-!" Just as he was thinking, Ayumi's and Misty's voices came from a distance.
"Where did you go? I woke up and couldn't find you. You had me worried!" Ayumi said with her hands on her hips.
Misty rolled her eyes and couldn't help but expose her: "Ahem, what she means is, she was in a hurry to eat breakfast..."
Sensing Ash's scrutinizing gaze, Ayumi gave an awkward yet polite smile, then immediately became defiant: "I paid for the food!"
"Slap!" A big hand rested on her head: "Let's go. Daddy's going to take you to the sausage and milk set meal."
Ash put on a brilliant smile. After becoming more certain of his path, he had fewer worries.
"Like hell!" Ayumi was about to agree, but then she saw Ash's mischievous smile and reacted: "Ptooey, ptooey, you're always thinking about that stuff!"
For some reason, she thought of the taste of that lollipop that day... and her face turned red.
"Huh? Is there something wrong with sausage and milk?" The innocent Misty asked, confused.
"Let me tell you..." Ayumi was about to pull Misty aside to whisper, but Ash pulled her away: "That's my signature dish. I'll make it for you sometime..."
Then he whispered to Ayumi: "Give me some face..."
Ayumi gave him a threatening look.
Ash immediately understood: "Alright, alright, I'll go make some food right now!"
"That's more like it" Ayumi gave a sweet smile: "Food's ready!"
The three of them walked into the Pokémon Center. From behind a tree, Green slowly walked out.
She had been following Ash and the others all along.
She was taken away by a big bird with a rainbow on its back when she was little. Five other children were also taken. The six of them were enslaved by a masked man who forced them to wear masks and undergo various experiments.
So she called that person the Masked Man.
By chance, she and her partner Silver escaped and started to investigate the Masked Man's true identity.
One thing she was sure of was that the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh had captured her.
But at that time, it was acting very strange and was especially violent, which was completely different from the one she saw after the rain a few days ago.
Because she had some knowledge of the legend of Ho-Oh, which said that Ho-Oh never appeared unless it met a human it had chosen.
That's why Green became interested in Ash and started following him.
But now, she had an additional goal.
It was Ayumi.
Or rather, this was her subconscious goal.
For some reason, she paid extra attention to this quirky girl and was even amused by her playful remarks.
Sometimes, she saw a reflection of her little sister in Ayumi.
But because her memories before the age of two were very blurry, she only remembered that her home was in Pallet Town. She didn't remember anything else and had to search for and verify it herself.
That's why she had snuck into Professor Oak's lab, hoping to find some information about the incident eight years ago.
And she just happened to encounter a Bulbasaur that had just been sent in, which was the one Professor Oak had reserved for Gary...
Because of her childhood experiences, Green had very high skills in disguise, thievery, and mechanical modification. So after she used her charms to get the Pokémon's favor, she mercilessly "scammed" Gary.
Of course, given her identity as a native of Pallet Town, it was understandable for her to get a starter Pokémon.
Ash prepared a delicious breakfast for the two girls. Nurse Joy also came without an invitation. Ash didn't say anything, after all, a nurse with pink hair and white stockings was very pleasing to the eye... Mmm, the best way to prevent nearsightedness~
While making breakfast, Ash also conducted some experiments.
Now that he had money, he had the capital to research and create special food for Pikachu and Pidgeotto.
For this, Ash even went and bought some rare berries from Nurse Joy, namely the Liechi Berry to increase Attack, the Petaya Berry to increase Special Attack, and the Salac Berry to increase Speed. In the games, these berries are eaten in times of crisis to raise the corresponding stat by one stage.
Based on the experience with the "Fresh Berry Milk," Pikachu's stamina had already improved.
Both Pidgeotto and Pikachu were fast and agile attackers. So Ash wanted to try if he could make food that would increase both their attack stats and their speed.
The only downside was that these berries were extremely expensive... An Oran Berry was only 100 yen, but a rare berry like the Salac Berry was 1,000 yen each.
"If I add three berries to one meal..." Ash counted on his fingers and then shook his head. The look in his eyes changed as he looked at Pikachu and Pidgeotto.
These two gluttons would eat almost 20,000 yen's worth of food in three days?
That's enough for a whole year for him!
"Pika?" Pikachu felt his gaze and rubbed against his pants leg.
Ash pursed his lips. What could he do? Since he had chosen the most expensive profession, he could only try his best to make them fat and strong.
"Let's go!"
With a low growl, the priceless berries were cut into various exquisite shapes.
A moment later, with a faint glow, a steaming dish was fresh out of the kitchen.
To cater to the two Pokémon's tastes, Ash made two different styles:
Fish Dragon Seafood Stew, and Buttered Cornbread:
Description: A special food made by pairing rare berries with corresponding ingredients. Long-term use can slightly increase Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. The low quality of the food results in a discounted effect, and there is still room for improvement.
When Ash first saw the effect, he was very happy, but when he saw the words "low quality," the curve of his mouth stopped and quickly dropped.
Didn't that mean his cooking skills were bad...? The food he made didn't even glow?
But his disappointment only lasted for half a minute before Ash recovered. It was already very good for his first time.
Then, he watched with a pained expression as his two Pokémon devoured the 6,000 yen breakfast.
"Ash, let's go shopping~" Ayumi walked over, holding her tummy. Ever since she ate Ash's food, she couldn't stop herself from eating until she was full every meal.
"Huh? What do we need to buy?" Ash was a little sensitive to the word "money." It gave him a feeling of heartache.
Misty also walked over: "Of course, we need to buy some survival items, especially bug spray. Viridian Forest has a lot of bugs..." She shivered, looking disgusted and scared.
Ash understood. In the anime, Misty had a fear of bugs, and it stayed with her for twenty-five years.
"Oh, is that so... but are you coming with us, Misty? I don't remember when I said you could come on my journey."
"I don't need you to take me! We're just going the same way! And you haven't paid for my bike yet! What if you run away?!"
"Could it be that someone is afraid to go on their own?"
"N-no, I'm not!"
And so, with Ash's constant teasing, Misty's playful complaints, and Ayumi's giggling, the three of them arrived at the Poké Mart.
After some shopping, they had basically bought all the items they needed.
Seeing another 20,000 yen gone from his account, Ash felt more and more that 500,000 yen wasn't much money.
"Huh? Don't we need to buy a tent?" Misty asked, confused.
"Sleeping bags are enough, right?" Ash said with a mischievous smile: "Maybe when you wake up, you'll have a cute bug Pokémon in front of you~"
"Eww~" Misty shivered all over: "I don't want that!"
Ayumi also joined in: "I heard that bugs love soft and tender skin like Misty's... They might even crawl into your clothes~"
"Ahhh-!" Misty hugged Ash with a look of utter despair.
Feeling the soft touch of her on his arm, Ash chuckled inwardly. He ruffled her hair: "Alright, I'm just teasing you... don't worry. If there are any bugs, I'll take care of them."
Misty was stunned. Her heartstrings were plucked: "Okay..."
Ayumi was a little envious. Ash had never been that gentle with her before.
So she hugged his other arm: "Big Brother Ash, I'm also scared of bugs... you have to protect me~"
Ash grinned: "Is it the big, thick one with the golden ring?"
Ayumi's face immediately turned red: "Y-yes, so what...?"
"Actually, it's very well-behaved. It just likes to stay in soft, moist, and warm places~"
"Ah, you shameless pervert!" Ayumi was so embarrassed that she ran off.
Ash shook his head with a smile. Ayumi was still too innocent. If it was Daisy, she would have already taken out the bug and turned it into a giant dragon for a big battle.