Anyone who gets a card that allows them to travel between worlds at will—no matter how patient they are—would never be able to resist their curiosity. Absolutely impossible!
"I understand what you're saying," Ash replied honestly, "but I still have my own shop to manage. And from what I can tell, you're not lacking in breeders, are you?"
Ash's words made Suzie fall silent for a moment before she tactfully turned down his offer.
In Suzie's view, someone with Ash's background wasn't someone a normal girl like her could get involved with. Even if the idea was exciting, it also brought worry. Being suddenly invited by someone powerful and wealthy might stir curiosity and nerves—but also fear.
"Haha, looks like someone's about to get rejected!" Giselle teased with rare amusement after Suzie refused.
"Still, I hope you'll reconsider. I want to invite you to be my dedicated Pokémon caretaker. You'd also get access to full pharmaceutical facilities to study medicine. All expenses covered. I just want someone to take care of my partners properly," Ash said, looking away from Giselle and back at Suzie with sincerity.
Her reaction was understandable. They had only just met a few hours ago. Their conversation so far had been casual at best, and trust didn't build overnight—especially not for a cautious girl.
"But just like that?" The conditions Ash offered were hard to refuse. For any breeder, learning pharmacology was essential—but with Suzie's current financial situation, it was out of reach.
"Well, yes. You're beautiful, and I'll admit I'm being a bit selfish. But look—just take a look at the two ladies traveling with me. Neither of them are exactly easygoing, especially the one floating midair!" Ash joked, seeing Suzie's doubtful expression.
"Pfft!" Cynthia chuckled at Ash's honesty, but quickly covered her mouth when he glanced her way.
Even Giselle, who tried to keep her composure, couldn't hold back a smile. Her shoulders trembled from the effort.
"If it's just taking care of Pokémon… then alright," Suzie finally agreed. The offer was simply too good to ignore. Without financial backing, studying to be a pharmacist was impossible. Even with talent, theory without practice was meaningless.
"I know I shouldn't say this, but Ash… you were really funny just now!" Cynthia added once Suzie accepted and Ash collapsed onto the sofa in relief.
Truthfully, traveling without a dedicated breeder was tough. As the number of Pokémon increased, so did the workload. Meals alone were a chore. Money wasn't the problem—Ash had plenty—but out in the wild, far from towns, convenience was a luxury.
"I didn't think someone like you could get rejected. How's it feel, huh?" Giselle poked fun, pouring fuel on the fire.
"My actions weren't funny!" Ash replied indignantly. "And I know you're going to pay for that later, Cynthia. As for you, Giselle, your words sting. Don't bend my arms like that!"
Clearly offended, Ash puffed up with pride—only to be immediately restrained by Giselle's psychic powers. His arms twisted behind his back in a flash.
"Hmph," she huffed, releasing her grip casually. Unlike Ash, Giselle could use her psychic powers effortlessly, anytime. His were more battle-oriented and required focus, so he couldn't defend with something like Suzunogi here—it would've been overkill anyway.
"You really do act differently when you're using your psychic powers," Giselle observed, watching Ash rub his sore arms.
"Yeah… you could say it's like having two personalities. Not split, though. It's more like two parts of one whole. Ever since I awakened my Sharingan, I've felt this way. But overall, I don't think it's a bad thing."
Ash clarified: a split personality was when one body had two separate identities, like two souls in one vessel. A dual personality, on the other hand, simply meant extreme emotional shifts within the same mind—like yin and yang.
"Still, is that really okay?" Cynthia asked, concerned. "Didn't you say your personality becomes unstable when using psychic powers?"
"It's fine now. Since I've upgraded my abilities, the instability's lessened a lot," Ash said with a grin, trying to reassure her.
Three hours later
In the middle of a vast forest, the group walked at a leisurely pace. Since Suzie had officially joined their journey, her beauty salon was closed—after all, without her, it couldn't operate.
Suzie's salon was more than just a business. Her massage techniques and dietary planning were top-notch. But the real reason behind it? To fund her pharmacist training.
"Ash, how much longer do we have to walk?" Cynthia asked tiredly. As the heiress of the Yoto family, she had always traveled comfortably before. This… was exhausting.
"It's hot," Giselle added, wiping sweat from her forehead. The summer sun was like a blazing oven.
"You're hot? I'm carrying you!" Ash grumbled. He was drenched in sweat. Giselle rarely walked and relied on psychic movement for everything. But now that her powers were temporarily drained, Ash was stuck carrying her.
"I don't know what you're talking about. The weather's nice," Suzie joked from behind, amused by Ash's misery. "Wait until next month—then it'll be hot."
Their journey so far had already broken the ice between them. Casual teasing, friendly banter—it was a lot more lighthearted than Suzie expected.
As Ash grumbled, Giselle clung happily to his neck. Cynthia watched with envy but kept her dignity. She was already 28—carrying her like that would be way too embarrassing.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed through the forest, startling everyone.
Without a word, Ash sprang into action. Carrying Giselle, he ran toward the source of the sound, followed closely by Cynthia and Suzie.
"Again!? Dammit!" an older man in a construction foreman's outfit cried, pounding the ground in frustration beside a toppled truck.
"Are you alright? What happened here?" Ash asked quickly.
"It's the Digletts… It's a Diglett plague!" the foreman wailed, tears in his eyes.
"A Diglett plague?" Ash frowned. He knew Diglett, of course—but never heard of them causing a plague.
According to the foreman's explanation, there was a small town nearby with over 100,000 people and still growing. The town faced a water shortage, so the local government decided to build a reservoir near the mountain to solve it.
But just halfway through construction, a large number of Diglett began appearing. They dug tunnels everywhere, ruining equipment and making it impossible to get machinery to the site.
To solve the issue, townspeople even hired local Pokémon trainers. But strangely, the moment these trainers summoned their Pokémon, they refused to fight and returned to their Poké Balls without explanation.
Construction had been halted for three months.
After hearing this, Ash looked troubled. Pokémon refusing to battle at all? That wasn't normal.
"Diglett!" Just then, a little Diglett popped out of the ground, then burrowed back down and reappeared a few meters away.
"Aww, it's kinda cute," Cynthia remarked, fascinated. While basic species might be similar across regions, their behavior and appearances often differed wildly.
As the Sinnoh Champion, getting data on Kanto Pokémon wasn't hard for her. But seeing them up close, in person? That was rare.
After all, Sinnoh was a long way from Kanto.
Ding~!
[Strange energy detected 300 meters beneath the surface, host. Unable to analyze further—distance insufficient for detailed scan.]
Just as Cynthia was commenting on how cute the Diglett were, Ash's system activated out of nowhere, causing his eyes to narrow sharply.
"This thing doesn't usually react to random readings… If it triggered on its own, the energy down there must be special." Ash kept a calm expression, but inwardly he became more alert.
"We'll camp here tonight," he declared after a moment. "I want to find out exactly what's going on with these Diglett."
"Alright, I'll set up the tent," Suzie replied with a shrug, casually pulling a compact camping kit from her backpack.
Just as they were settling in, a sudden voice called out.
"Ash! What are you doing here? I've been stuck here for three days already!"
A sleek red roadster pulled up in front of them. From it stepped out none other than… Gary.
"Gary, huh? I didn't expect you to be here," Ash grinned as he recognized his childhood rival and longtime friend. They had grown up together—no need for formalities between them.
"I heard everything. Thanks, man," Gary said after stepping out of the car and throwing a friendly punch at Ash's shoulder.
It turned out that Professor Masaki Oak had told Gary about how Ash had restored his mental energy and then handed over all his shares of the pharmaceutical company to him. It was a calculated move—ensuring Gary's position as heir to the Oak family remained unshakable, while sending a clear message of deterrence to any meddling affiliate families.
Ash chuckled and returned the punch with a brotherly hug. "You're being too formal. So? Found anything useful here?"
"Not much. The Digletts don't stir much during the day," Gary explained while fixing his hair with a smirk. "But at night? It's a mess. Practically felt like an earthquake the other night."
Then his gaze drifted to the three women standing nearby. His eyes sparkled with that all-too-familiar mischievous gleam. "You're not going to introduce me to these stunning ladies?"
Ash rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm not you, alright?"
He gestured to Cynthia. "This is Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region—and my fiancée. I'm pretty sure my grandpa already mentioned her. She's traveling with me now."
He pointed to Suzie. "She joined us this morning. A renowned breeder. Honestly, probably the only one whose skills rival Brock's."
As Ash introduced them, he noticed Gary's gaze wandering—particularly toward Sabrina. Luckily, Ash stepped in just in time, because if Sabrina had sensed that look, she might've retaliated with psychic force.
Gary whistled. "Wow, you're still the same as ever. I've dated more girls than I can count, but you're the one getting married first. I'm still out here wondering where my future wife even is."
Though Gary was constantly surrounded by attractive women, it was more for status and mutual benefit than genuine connection. Deep down, he was still searching.
"You want a wife?" Ash lit a cigarette and gave him a teasing smile. "Easy. I'll talk to Grandpa and your parents. I'm sure they'd be happy to find someone decent for you."
It had been a while since the two cousins got to relax and chat. With all the stress of their individual journeys, this brief reunion felt like a breath of fresh air. Just two guys catching up. When men have common ground, they can talk about anything—and bragging's always part of the deal.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin