The girl in front of them, who looks like a little imp, is named Ayumi.
She's not the little girl from a certain detective world, but the female protagonist from the games Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
Unlike the others, Ayumi moved to Pallet Town just two years ago, accompanied by her mature and beautiful mother, Tsukiko.
Perhaps because their houses are close, Delia and Tsukiko are good friends. As a result, Ayumi's relationship with Ash is better than with the other three. As they walk, her eyes occasionally dart toward him.
"Hey, Ash, why do I feel like you've gotten more handsome?"
Ash turns around, and a pair of large eyes are right in front of him. The girl's vibrant energy washes over him.
He stiffens for a moment and then pushes her face away with his hand: "That's just your imagination..." Inwardly, he can't help but marvel at the soft, smooth, collagen-rich feel.
Ayumi pouts: "Tch... You're so stingy. Did you secretly start using Auntie Delia's facial cleanser?"
"..." At her words, Ash's face inexplicably flushes.
He remembers being held by her… the scene of being almost suffocated by a pair of hemispheres yesterday… Maybe calling it facial cleanser isn't wrong after all?
"Hmm? You're acting weird~" Ayumi leans in again, her expression full of suspicion.
"N-no, I'm not..."
Ash wants to explain, but Gary interrupts them: "Here they come, the starter Pokémon!"
The three of them turn down the corridor. Two boys are already waiting there, and Professor Oak pushes a small cart toward them.
There's Red, with his confident look, red tracksuit, messy black hair, and fair skin.
And then there's Green, who looks 80% similar to Gary, but with a cool and handsome, slightly aloof demeanor.
"Yo! Red, and my cousin Green!" Gary greets them first.
Green is Gary's cousin. As the "nurturer" from the special manga series, his specialty is raising Pokémon, a skill he learned directly from Professor Oak.
Red is the genius of Pallet Town. As the "battler," his specialty is combat. He caught his first Pokémon, a Poliwag, in the pond when he was a child and has never lost a battle in town, big or small.
Seeing Ash and the others arrive, the two nod in greeting but quickly turn their expectant gazes back to Professor Oak's cart.
However, Professor Oak speaks with an apologetic expression: "I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm afraid I won't be able to give out any Pokémon today."
"Huh? Why not?"
Everyone except Ash, who remains calm due to his ineligibility, exclaims in surprise.
"Because the Poké Ball for the Squirtle has been stolen... I've searched everywhere, but I couldn't find it..." Professor Oak says, helpless: "If I can't find it, I'll have to apply to the League for a suitable replacement."
Ash remembers a powerful hurricane that swept through Pallet Town two years ago, and a child from one of the families went missing. Connecting that with the stolen Squirtle... his heart gives a slight jump. Is that you, Blue?
"Whaaat?! Why... of all things to steal, why did it have to be Squirtle..." Gary is on the verge of going crazy. He had already decided to choose Squirtle.
There are five other people present besides him, so which one of the "old sixes" stole his Squirtle?
"Because we need to cooperate with Officer Jenny's investigation, the other Pokémon I prepared can't be given out just yet either."
Professor Oak takes a few small red devices from the cart: "These are the newly developed Pokédex. By scanning, you can read information about wild Pokémon. They also serve as proof of your trainer status."
He hands out the Pokédex to the group.
When he gets to Ash, Professor Oak smiles and hands him one as well.
"Professor Oak, but..." Ash is a bit confused. He shouldn't be eligible for this.
"Just take it. I made it myself, anyway. But this is all I can do for you. The rest is up to you~" The old man whispers, winking at Ash.
"Okay..." Ash doesn't refuse, because the Pokédex itself is much more valuable than a Pokémon or an item.
With it, he can enjoy the benefits of a registered League trainer and avoid a lot of unfair treatment.
After scheduling a new date for the starter Pokémon three days from now, the group leaves.
As Ash is about to go, Professor Oak calls him back.
"Professor, you needed me?"
"Come, help me distribute these berries to the Pokémon in the manor, and also these few cans of MooMoo Milk..."
"Okay."
Over the past few years, Professor Oak has often asked Ash to do work in the manor.
But it's not really "work"; it's mostly easy chores. Afterward, he would give Ash some berries, milk, and other things, a kind of indirect help.
For this sensible boy, the professor always gives extra care, just like with the unauthorized Pokédex.
As for his reason, only he knows for sure.
"So, do you need my help with your starter Pokémon?"
As the old man and the young boy work, Professor Oak asks casually.
"No, I might even get my first partner before Gary does~" Ash gives him a bright smile.
Oak looks at his confident expression and nods slightly: "Is that so? Good..."
After politely declining Professor Oak's invitation to have instant noodles for lunch, Ash leaves the lab with a container of fresh milk.
Delia doesn't come home for lunch. Normally, Ash just eats whatever he can find, but today he plans to go and complete his main quest.
He puts the fresh milk into his system inventory and heads toward the back hills.
After he's gone, Ayumi, who has been hiding behind a tree, emerges, stroking her chin: "Hmm... Auntie Delia was right after all... Hehe, I caught you~"
She then tiptoes and follows him.
As he walks through the mountainside in the afternoon, the sound of the stream and the fragrance of the flowers and birdsong relax Ash's mind. Before he came to this world, he was content with mediocrity, but here, everything is his pursuit.
"I wonder how she's doing..."
This is a place Ash often visits. He is currently touching the texture of a tree trunk, where a few childishly carved words are still faintly visible: "Satoshi, Daisuki dayo~ I really like Ash..."
The time returns to an afternoon four years ago.
Professor Oak holds his usual Pokémon summer camp.
And it's there that Ash meets his fated partner, Serena, a girl with sapphire eyes and long, soft, light-brown hair.
Since Serena was forced to attend, she felt out of place.
It wasn't long before she got lost in the woods.
The timid Serena was startled by a Poliwag that suddenly appeared. She fell, scraping her knee.
Ash, who had been keeping an eye on her, naturally didn't miss this opportunity to play the hero.
"Are you... alright? My name is Ash, what's yours?"
A tearful voice answered: "I, I'm Serena... my leg is hurt..." Even now, Ash remembers her timid expression, her face a storm of tears.
"It's okay... come on, let me see~"
Giving her a bright, reassuring smile, Ash takes out a handkerchief and slowly wraps it around her pearly white knee: "Don't worry, it'll be better soon~"
"Okay!" As if infected by his optimism, Serena's mood calms down.
Ash is very careful, but he seems too nervous, and his hands tremble slightly.
Inevitably, his fingers touch her fair, tender thigh. The subtle and soft sensation makes his heart beat a little faster.
His gaze unconsciously falls on the pure white "triangle" under the hem of her skirt.
Sunlight filters through the trees, casting dappled light. A quiet and amorous atmosphere gradually envelops the two. Without realizing it, a blush creeps up the girl's face.
"Huff... All done~"
"Th-thank you, Ash~"
"Try to stand up," Ash says, smiling and reaching out his hand: "Come on~"
Hesitantly, Serena places her small hand in his. A tug comes from him, and she stands up again.
But due to inertia, Serena's forward motion doesn't stop, and she falls directly into Ash's arms...
"Mmph..." The soft sound makes Ash instinctively wrap his arms around her back and waist.
Their faces are close. Her sapphire-like eyes flicker, full of emotion. Then she realizes this might not be a good idea and takes a step back. Her face slightly flushed, she stares at Ash.
"See~ It's okay. You have to be strong~" Ash smiles radiantly, but he doesn't let go of her tender little hand.
"Let's go, everyone must be getting worried~" He says, pulling her along toward the campsite.
"Okay..." She follows his every step. It seems that a certain mark has been left on Serena's heart.
After that, Serena became familiar with Ash. The two of them did all the summer camp activities together—setting up a tent, cooking, picking berries, and playing an orienteering game. They even slept in the same tent because there weren't enough.
Thinking about this, Ash awkwardly rubs his nose. Some things were just too early. The image of Serena's face, flushed a deep red, comes to his mind.
But goodbyes are always hard. The day before she left, Serena took Ash back to the tree where they met and carved that line of words.
"Ash, why did you have me write that?"
"Oh, in my hometown, that 'Daisuki dayo' means 'take care'."
"Okay, then I'll write it!" The girl gives a charming smile and then carves the words with all her focus.
After she finishes the last stroke, covered in sweat, Ash grins: "Actually, that means 'I really like you'~"
"What?!" Serena's face changes, instantly turning a bright red.
"Well, then, it's too late to change it now," she says, her tone suggesting a kind of "what's done is done" attitude, but also a hint of shy relief: "I'll just leave it~"
Afterward, Serena gets on the bus to the airport. Ash asks Gary's sister, Daisy, for a beginner's Pokémon Coordinator book and gives it to her as a gift.
Serena doesn't return the handkerchief he used to bandage her knee.
From then on, they both left a mark on each other.