Chapter 13 Compatriots Would Never Lie!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
The small shop was sparsely furnished, with only a few shelves. Apart from the densely packed Clefairy Dolls, there was nothing else.
It had a very desolate look.
"Hey, hey, hey."
Seeing that the hat-wearing girl looked like she was about to fall fast asleep, Ash reached out and tapped on her hat.
"Whoa!"
The girl's body jolted. She shot up, finally realizing a customer had arrived.
A wave of emotion instantly washed over her, nearly turning into tears and streaming from her eyes.
When she took another look and recognized the youth in the red and white cap before her, she couldn't help but cover her cheeks, her mouth forming a large "O".
"Aiya, isn't it my compatriot!?"
Ash was startled by her sudden outburst. When he looked closely, he saw that it was indeed a familiar face.
She had long brown hair with bangs curled to the sides of her forehead, and a pretty, cute, round, bun-like face.
Her lively eyes flashed with two big words: "Utterly Baffled."
She wore a light blue tank top and a red pleated skirt, looking youthful and vibrant. She looked like she was about to pounce on Ash.
She hadn't seen another living person in almost a week.
She would have hugged even a Dog if one came by.
Ash quickly extended a palm, pressing it against her head and holding her back on the other side of the counter.
"Are you… Little Red?"
He still remembered that when he and Gary were playing together happily as kids, a girl from the village was always trying to butt in and ruin their manly friendship.
Indeed, women are so much trouble.
"Hey, hey, hey, Ash! My name is Blue!?"
Blue, her head held in place, couldn't help but flail her arms. With a Wild Punch, she successfully struck Ash on the nose. He quickly crouched down, clutching his nose. It stung sharply; he had clearly suffered a minor but heavy blow.
The meeting of compatriots in a foreign land is always so enthusiastic and warm...
After the cordial meeting, Blue took off her Sun Hat and began introducing herself to the other two.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Blue, and I'm Ash's cutest compatriot!"
"Oh, oh, I'm Misty, and I'm also the cutest beautiful girl."
"Oh, oh, I'm Brock, and I'm also the strongest man. By the way, why are you running a shop here?"
Hearing this, Blue frowned, rubbing her temples with a twisted expression.
This experience had clearly been very frustrating for her.
"The story begins with a swarm of Zubat…"
It turned out that six days ago, she was passing through Mt. Moon. Having heard that the magical and cute Pokémon creature Clefairy lived here, she wanted to catch one, but she couldn't find any after searching for a long time.
"That's when I ran into another compatriot who was passing by, Gary."
Hearing this, Ash instantly lost his composure. He shot to his feet with a "swoosh," looking full of Fighting Spirit, just short of tearing off his clothes.
"Ah, that bastard Gary is in Mt. Moon too? Where is he? I'm going to challenge him to a duel!"
"Hey, hey, calm down. Gary has already run off…"
Blue pushed Ash back down. Then, it was her turn to stand up, full of Fighting Spirit, clenching her small fists.
"Next time I see him, I'm going to duel him first!"
Ash: "?"
Blue explained indignantly:
"He said that Clefairy are kind Pokemon, and that if I sincerely fasted and prayed in Mt. Moon for seven days, it would answer heaven's call and come out to see me."
"And I believed him."
"He also told me to stay put while he went to the neighboring Pewter City to buy me a sack of Oranges."
"And I believed him again."
"..."
Brock and Misty looked at Ash speechlessly.
This compatriot of yours… doesn't seem too bright.
She could give you a run for your money.
Just then, Blue suddenly grabbed Ash's hand and said with righteous fury:
"Ash, next time let's go Sucker Punch Gary. Forget all that dueling nonsense. You put a Sack over his head, and I'll smash his head with a rock. The kind where we yell 'Ooh-ooh-ooh!' and run away after!"
"Is that really the best idea you women can come up with? How utterly laughable."
Ash, however, swatted her hand away and barked:
"Of course, you'll be the one with the Sack, and I'll be the one doing the smashing!"
The order is very important!
Misty, Brock: "..."
The mood, for some reason, became strangely harmonious...?
After that, Blue temporarily stayed at this Clefairy Shop, sincerely fasting and praying for a Clefairy to quickly appear.
The owner of the Clefairy Shop was a Hiker from out of town.
Taking advantage of the peak tourist season, he had invested his entire fortune to buy a truckload of Clefairy Dolls, planning to make a huge profit.
He happened to be short a salesperson, so he agreed to let Blue stay here to fast and pray.
But then, the Zubat swarm riot occurred.
The number wasn't just a dozen or so like before; you had to add another zero.
The situation changed in an instant. The peak tourist season turned into a major Crisis. Not a single tourist dared to come up to Mt. Moon.
The owner's investment was a total loss; he had already sold his Underpants.
"So the owner said he was going into the mountains to dig up some Fossils to pay off his debts and asked me to watch the shop for a few days."
"And I believed him again."
The three of them: "..."
This girl would probably still be grinning while helping someone count the money she was sold for, wouldn't she?
What an Unlucky Person.
Ash was still hesitating about whether to just leave. He'd heard that the vibes of an Unlucky Person could radiate outwards.
He was still the Chosen One right now; he didn't want to be turned into an Unlucky Person too.
"So, what are you still doing here?" Brock couldn't help but ask.
If debt collectors came, they might mistake her for the Hiker's daughter and take her away to settle the debt.
"Because tomorrow is the seventh day!"
Blue shot up again, clenching her small fists. Her delicate and cute face held an unyielding expression of defiance against her tragic fate, and the corners of her eyes faintly glistened with tears.
"I've already fasted for six days! I refuse to leave without waiting until the seventh day!"
The three of them: "..."
Is this the Artisan Spirit?
"However, what Gary said might actually be true…"
At this moment, Brock suddenly opened his eyes and spoke:
"Tomorrow is Monday, right? When I was little, I heard that every Monday night, a strange Light would shine on Mt. Moon. It might be Clefairy appearing."
He had battled Gary once. His opponent was quite mature in both his training of Pokémon and his Battle Style, a stark contrast to Ash, who relied on wild, unrestrained battling.
As the grandson of the most famous Professor Oak in the Kanto Region.
With his family's deep-rooted knowledge, he probably wouldn't make things up for no reason, would he?
"So, Blue, you must have just arrived on a Tuesday, missing Monday night. That's why Gary told you to wait for seven days," Misty deduced.
Hearing this, Blue nodded frantically, her eyes instantly welling with tears.
As it turns out, compatriots would never lie!
Oh, Gary, your life has been spared…
***
Cerulean City, in a certain high-end Cafe.
A Spiky-Haired Youth was leisurely sipping Coffee and reading a Newspaper.
Defeating the Cerulean Gym without breaking a sweat had put him in a good mood.
Suddenly, Gary sneezed.
"Tsk, tsk, can the great me catch a cold?"
He shook his head. For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of the events from a few days ago and couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh.
"I wonder when that stupid girl Blue will realize I was tricking her. Haha, that's a woman's intelligence for you!"
They thought he was on The Fifth Layer.
In reality, he was just on the Surface Level!
Hahaha!!
Just then, a word suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Idiot."
"Hey, hey, hey, Big Brother Green, did you sweet-talk someone today?"
Gary quickly sat up straight and retorted.
The smooth dialogue between them clearly indicated this was not their first communication.
"I'm just reminding you, if you're going to mess with someone in the future, mess with that youth named Ash. As for Blue, hmm, don't interact with that girl anymore."
Green's voice sounded again, a slight ripple in its usual calm and steady tone.
"Blue? That stupid girl?"
Gary was stunned. In his eyes, Green was Invincible, but from his tone…
He sounded a little afraid of Blue?
"I'm really not scared, but from our contact that day, I could feel it. That woman, Blue (manga character), has probably come to this World as well. That woman is not someone you can afford to provoke."
"Hmm, although I'm not afraid of that woman either."
Green repeated himself.