On screen—
After Koharu left, Professor Oak finally strolled in at a leisurely pace.
When he spotted the charred-black Ash lying on the ground, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Ash, if you don't get up now, you'll miss the opening ceremony."
That one sentence worked like instant medicine.
Whoosh! In a flash, Ash sprang back to full energy.
He shook off the soot a couple times, and just like that, his body looked good as new.
You'd never believe this was the same lump of charcoal from a moment ago!
The chat exploded—
[Mustard: This kid has real talent. Come study martial arts with me! To recover so quickly from damage like that… he reminds me of someone I once knew.]
[Leon: Master, don't tell me that "someone" you mean is Professor Oak!]
[Lt. Surge: Hisss… Now that you say it, I remember something! There's always been a legend here about a "Super Pallet Town Boy."]
[Volkner: Tell us more! I'd love to have that kind of Electric resistance.]
[Cynthia: Go on, I'm curious too.]
[Professor Oak: Cough cough…]
[Lt. Surge: Haha, I was joking. It's just… Ash is too special. Maybe he has powers we don't understand.]
[Aaron: That's it? I thought you were going to give us some grand theory. You might as well say Ash is Raikou reincarnated—that'd sound more convincing!]
Everyone paused.
Actually… that did make a lot of sense.
How else could a human take Electric attacks without a scratch?
Eliminate the impossible, and no matter how ridiculous the answer sounds, it must be true.
Ash… is a Pokémon!
On screen—
"Wait up! I'm coming too!"
And just like that, the two entered Professor Sakuragi's research lab.
By the time Ash squeezed his way through the crowd, the opening ceremony was already in progress.
He finally made it to the front, where Professor Sakuragi was speaking passionately.
Ash looked left and right.
His gaze locked with Koharu's. He gave a shy smile.
Koharu, flustered, quickly looked away.
For some reason, the boy felt strangely familiar—like she'd seen him somewhere before.
Ash didn't linger on her. Instead, all his focus went to Sakuragi.
The man's words were simply too inspiring.
But just as Sakuragi was about to showcase one of his research results—
a giant exclamation mark filled the screen behind him!
Ash blinked in confusion.
He had been waiting to see something interesting.
The crowd stirred, their eyes turning to Sakuragi, demanding an explanation.
Sakuragi frowned, quickly working to find the source of the problem.
Soon, he had his answer.
Licking his lips, he spoke in a voice tinged with excitement:
"A mysterious Pokémon has appeared in Vermilion City! Right now, it's near the harbor. Of course… I can't yet confirm what it is!"
He hadn't even finished speaking when whoosh!—Ash bolted out the door.
Reckless was written into his very bones.
Ash knew the value of seizing the initiative!
Seeing him run, the others quickly reacted and rushed toward the exit as well.
"Professor Oak, I'll go check out the harbor!" Ash's voice echoed back.
Watching this, Koharu felt uneasy.
"This guy… he's just like that person! So reckless—it's really annoying!"
Ash's impulsiveness brought back bad memories.
The nightmare of her childhood still lingered, reminding her to always be cautious.
If she ever met someone else who abandoned others to danger, she couldn't take it.
But… as Ash's figure disappeared, another thought crept into her heart.
Would this boy abandon her too in a crisis?
Or… would he make a different choice?
A seed was planted. And once planted, it would grow.
Driven by curiosity—by a fragile sense of trust—
Koharu made her decision without hesitation.
"Dad, I'm going out for a bit."
Without waiting for a reply, she rushed after Ash.
"…Since when did she start showing interest in Pokémon?" Sakuragi muttered in confusion.
"She used to be so terrified of them…"
Professor Oak walked up beside him with a heavy sigh.
"I'm sorry, Sakuragi. Back then, it was my fault for not keeping a closer eye on her. That's how… that incident happened."
Regret filled Oak's expression.
In all the years he had run summer camps, only Koharu had ever suffered such an accident.
And because of it, she refused to get close to Pokémon again.
She wouldn't even become a trainer.
At fourteen, she still hadn't gone on a journey like most kids did at ten.
She even struggled with school, unable to accept Pokémon in her life.
Sakuragi had worried endlessly about her.
But now… maybe things were changing.
He wasn't blind. He'd noticed the way his daughter looked at the boy Oak had brought.
The wounds of childhood could only be healed by peers.
Perhaps… this boy could help Koharu move past her pain.
"Professor Oak, what's that child's name?" Sakuragi asked.
"That one?" Oak's eyes softened. "His name is Ash. He's an extraordinary kid."
[Serena: Ash! He's the kindest person I've ever met. Back when we both joined Professor Oak's summer camp, I got hurt in the forest. Ash carried me back!]
[Misty: Tsk, tsk, tsk. Who knew? You, a clueless boy, actually cared about a girl?]
[Ash: Huh? Did that happen? I don't remember at all!]
[Serena: Dummy! I still have the gift you gave me. When you come to Kalos, I'll give it back to you in person!]
[Delia: Oh ho ho~! I didn't expect my Ash to already have a girl who likes him. How exciting!]
[Serena: Auntie Delia, my name is Serena, I'm…]
[Gary: Hold it right there! I'm Ash's true rival!]
In White Silver Town, Gary stared at the rolling chat, fury rising in his chest.
Ash—having a girl who liked him?!
Impossible!
"Master Gary, don't be upset. Here, have some grapes~" his butler coaxed.
Not far away, Misty suddenly felt an ache in her chest.
It was as if something that belonged to her was being stolen.
She thought she was the first to know Ash.
But it turned out, he'd already gotten close to another girl when he was just a kid!
Unforgivable!
WHACK!
"OW! Misty, why'd you hit me?!"
Ash rubbed his head, completely bewildered.
He had just about remembered who Serena was!
But then—
The screen froze.
A string of words appeared across the light curtain:
[Surging forth! The god who rules the storm! The beginning of the Legendary Path! The start of it all!]
[Battle! Lugia VS Pikachu!]
???
What the heck?!
How could Pikachu even dare to fight that?!