Ash's physical fitness was already extraordinary. With the S-rank Aura flowing through him, even Trainers who specialized in body conditioning were left behind. Compared to Bruno, the man hailed as the world's strongest in raw strength, Ash might not lose in a pure contest of endurance, and that was without any special training.
So carrying Misty's weight, less than ninety pounds, felt no different from carrying a backpack.
Because Ash's hands were occupied, his real backpack was strapped onto Pikachu. The little mouse tottering along with a pack almost taller than himself looked comical, but no one could laugh for long , a single Thunderbolt from Pikachu could drop a tree. Size didn't decide strength.
Still, Pikachu carrying Misty would've been a bit too much to imagine, so that job fell to Ash.
Misty lay against his back, her arms lightly looped around his shoulders. Ash's palm supported her thigh to steady her, and if he had turned his head just then, he would have seen her cheeks as red as a ripe tomato.
Her parents had passed away when she was young, and she had almost no memory of her father. This was the first time she had ever been so close to a boy. Ash's earlier "provocation" had tricked her onto his back before she could think, but now that she was there, her mind had gone completely blank.
So this is what it feels like… To her surprise, it actually felt… good.
Ash carried her the whole afternoon without slowing. Misty asked several times if he was tired, but Ash only grinned and said carrying her was like carrying a ball of cotton. He wasn't exaggerating. The only inconvenience was not being able to free his hands; otherwise, he could still battle comfortably, calling commands for Pikachu and Caterpie as if nothing had changed.
Caterpie had finally evolved into Metapod that morning, his strength advancing from Novice to Normal rank. One step away from Butterfree, Ash was certain evolution would come before they left Viridian Forest.
Misty's heart fluttered at Ash's "cotton" remark. At her age, girls were painfully self-conscious about their weight, and being called light was as good as being called beautiful.
And now that Caterpie was a Metapod, Misty no longer recoiled in fear. She could even stand near him without flinching, it wasn't Bug-types she hated, after all, only bug-shaped ones.
"Look, Misty, we covered a lot of ground today. At this pace, we'll leave Viridian Forest in three more days. How are your feet?"
Misty rubbed her toes, then smiled. "Much better. I can walk on my own this afternoon."
"You sure? If you push too hard and injure them, it'll only slow us down later," Ash said, frowning in concern.
Ash's biggest worry wasn't just Misty's sore feet. If she really injured herself, their journey would be delayed, and he was itching to test what he had learned against Pewter Gym.
These last few nights, Misty had gone to bed early, while Ash stayed awake, soaking up lessons from the experts in the group chat. Battle tactics, capture strategies, breeding methods, theory on types and abilities, each came from someone at the peak of their field.
Professor Oak was a great scholar, but whenever he lectured Ash, sleepiness always crept up on him. Strangely, that problem never happened in the group. For the first time, Ash was wide awake, absorbing knowledge faster than ever. In just three days, he had learned more than in the past ten years.
That was why he couldn't wait to put theory into practice. Bug Catchers and Youngsters were too weak; what he needed now was the test of a real Gym battle.
Misty, however, thought his concern was purely for her. "Thanks for worrying about me. I'm fine," she said with a bright smile. "It's past one o'clock already. If we rest now and head out after two, we'll only be walking until evening. I can manage that."
If she knew what was really on Ash's mind, she might have smacked him with her mallet.
"Alright, let's eat first. Come out, Metapod." Ash released his new partner and took out universal Pokémon food.
Breeder Ash in the group had explained: generic kibble could fill a Pokémon's stomach, but nothing compared to specialized food. High-quality meals, made with care, didn't just nourish, over time, they boosted growth, and preparing it yourself deepened the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.
At first, Ash thought Breeder Ash was exaggerating, trying to lure him into becoming a breeder. But then Champion Ash and the others backed him up. If not for their own established styles, they admitted, they might have studied with Breeder Ash themselves. He wasn't just good; he was the world's top expert in raising Pokémon.
That left Ash, still a blank canvas, open to paint in any color. The older Ashes had already discussed it among themselves: this new Ash could become what none of them ever had been, a true all-rounder.
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