[Mustard: Now I finally got it. No wonder my master told me never to compare martial arts with Kanto's fighters. With physical ability like this, who needs martial arts at all?!]
[Leon: Wait—Master's master said that? I didn't even know our school had such a rule.]
[Mustard: Little Leon, you're just an outer disciple. Of course you wouldn't know.]
[Kalos Champion Diantha: Could this be what Lt. Surge once called the "Super True Novice"?]
[Professor Oak: Rubbish! There's no such thing in Pallet Town!]
The more Professor Oak tried to cover it up, the more suspicious everyone became.
Why hide it unless it was true?
Could this be the real reason why Kanto's strength far outstripped other regions?
Audience:Did they just stumble onto something huge?!
On screen—
Ash threw out a casual punch at a chunk of concrete hurtling toward him.
At the moment of impact—
Instead of his fist breaking open, the boulder itself exploded into powder.
Koharu, struggling just to keep her footing in the storm winds, stared in shock.
Is that… something a human can do?!
She even forgot she was caught in the raging gale.
The instant she let go, the wind swept her into the sky.
Her feet left the ground. Her brain kicked back in.
"Help meee!"
There was no way she could save herself.
Her only hope was to call for help.
That much, at least, she did right.
Her cry pierced the storm. Both Ash and Lugia turned their eyes to the girl caught in the whirlwind.
By now, Koharu was already high in the air.
Ash judged the distance.
Even with his jumping power, there was no way he could reach her.
There was only one option.
"Lugia, help me out here—save her!"
Anyone else barking orders at a god would've been crushed instantly.
To command a god, you needed the strength to stand with one.
But Ash was Ash.
This wasn't their first time working together. Lugia naturally nodded in agreement.
The winds shifted.
Beating its wings, Lugia soared gracefully toward Koharu.
Though its body was immense, it moved like a Swablu, light and elegant.
The gale softened under its control. Lugia caught Koharu securely in midair before gently placing her back on the ground.
Feet on solid earth again, her panicked heart finally calmed.
When she looked up, Ash was only an arm's length away.
And for reasons she couldn't explain, tears spilled from her eyes.
But Ash wasn't distracted.
The battle with Lugia wasn't over.
He readied Pikachu for another strike.
Lugia, however, flapped its wings—and the sea surged.
A massive wave slammed toward Ash's dock.
Ash: ???
Oi! That revenge is way too obvious!
All I did was give you one command!
The tsunami-like wave was unavoidable.
Unless Ash had a force field, there was no escape.
But the soaking he imagined never came.
Because Koharu, without hesitation, stepped in front of him.
She threw her arms around Ash—shielding him with her own body as the wave crashed down.
The comment barrage erupted instantly:
[Serena: Ash! You're flirting again! Didn't you say you'd marry me when we grew up?!]
[Dawn: This is strange… Why does it hurt? I feel like I can't breathe… like something's slipping away.]
[Misty: Ash, you dog! Flirting with other girls again!]
[Delia: Hehe, looks like my boy's pretty popular after all. Girls, come visit Pallet Town sometime, I'll cook for you!]
[Ash: Wait! I didn't do anything! That was future-me, not current-me!]
[Misty: And future-you aren't still you?! Just because you haven't done it yet doesn't mean you won't!]
[Ash: Misty… you actually make sense. I've got nothing to say.]
[Cynthia: I love this. More chapters, please.]
[Koharu: No, that wasn't like that at all! I only did it to repay him!]
[Professor Cerise: Oh no… my daughter… my little cabbage hasn't even grown, and it's already been stolen!]
[Koharu: Dad! Stop it! Everyone's watching!]
Meanwhile, in her room, Koharu's face was crimson.
She buried herself under the blankets, but the memory wouldn't leave.
She'd actually thrown herself into his arms.
Just thinking about it made her cheeks burn hotter.
On screen—
Ash hadn't expected things to turn out like this either.
Koharu, drenched by the icy seawater, was trembling uncontrollably.
She was freezing.
Ash looked up—
and saw Lugia, flying slowly away.
Its leisurely pace was downright taunting.
"Pika!"
Pikachu glanced at Lugia in the sky, then at Ash, who was holding Koharu in a princess carry.
It thought for a second.
Then hopped onto Ash's shoulder, extended a tiny paw, and pointed at Lugia.
"Pika!"
Chase it!
At Pikachu's command, Ash shot forward like an arrow loose from a bow.
His speed only increased, until even the light curtain showed afterimages trailing behind him.
Was this even human?!
The audience grew more and more convinced of Lt. Surge's "Super True Novice" theory.
Kanto, Pallet Town.
A breeding ground for monsters!
[Serena: I'm so jealous… Back then, Ash only carried me on his back. Now he's princess-carrying another girl right in front of me! Ash, you big dummy!]
[Bea: You're all too young. What's so great about romance? Nothing beats martial arts! Fist-to-fist combat—that's a woman's true passion!]
[Korrina: Bea~ that's not a passion for martial arts. That's just because no one wants you.]
[Bruno: Ash's speed is unreal! To move fast enough to leave afterimages, purely on foot… his body is a weapon!]
[Bea: Exactly. It's a crime he's not training in martial arts!]
On screen—
Even while carrying two burdens, Ash didn't slow down.
He raced after Lugia with blistering speed.
Meanwhile, a dark-skinned boy was also running toward Lugia from the opposite slope.
But while Ash was sprinting uphill, the boy was running downhill.
It should've been easier for him.
Yet after a single minute, he was gasping, collapsing into the grass.
Ash, on the other hand—
with Koharu in his arms and Pikachu on his shoulder—
ran as if the weight didn't exist.
Even uphill, his pace didn't falter.
Judging the distance, Ash bent his knees—
and with a leap, soared onto Lugia's back in front of the entire world.
The god… had been ridden!