"Aura? I've never heard of that power. I've only heard of Psychic."
After confirming that Ash was a normal human with a special ability, Misty finally calmed down and started conversing normally with Ash.
Aura is an extremely rare ability, not just in Kanto, but worldwide.
There are very few Pokémon that can use Aura, and almost no humans.
On the other hand, there are quite a few humans with Psychic abilities.
In Kanto, the Gym Leader of Saffron Gym is a Psychic, and there seem to be Psychics in other regions as well.
Although Aura and Psychic are different in nature, they are both essentially special abilities.
Misty had heard of Psychic, which is why she accepted the fact that Ash possessed a special ability so quickly.
"Even with a special ability, one person fighting a flock of Spearow is a bit too outrageous, isn't it?"
"Hehe, pretty cool, right!"
"I wasn't complimenting you... Oh well, it's kind of like a compliment, I guess."
Looking at Ash's smug expression, Misty hesitated, then finally agreed with Ash's statement.
After talking with Ash, Misty realized that while Ash's strength was terrifying, his mindset was still like a child's.
He was easily pleased, proud, and also very approachable.
What made Misty even more exasperated was that the reason he called her out from behind the tree was because she hadn't come out to praise him or express a desire to get to know him after witnessing his heroic performance.
Isn't that just a child's desire to show off?
This was very much in line with the youthful exuberance of a fifteen-year-old boy.
"Are you a Rookie Trainer?"
"Yep, I just got my first Pokémon and Pokédex today. I just left Pallet Town, and this is my partner, Pikachu."
"Pika Pika~" Hello there!
Pikachu waved its hand from Ash's shoulder, greeting Misty.
"Your starter Pokémon is Pikachu... You said you have a Pokédex? Who is the League envoy on your side?" Misty asked, a little curious.
Generally, every city has a League envoy who distributes starter Pokémon to boys and girls who reach the eligible age.
However, envoys also vary in quality. Only high-ranking envoys can provide a Pokédex along with a starter Pokémon to Trainers just starting their journey.
But normally, envoys of that caliber would distribute Pokémon with strong potential, like Charmander, which has three evolutionary stages and a relatively gentle initial form.
How could an envoy who gives a common starter like Pikachu, which is also relatively difficult for Rookie Trainers to control, afford to give out a Pokédex?
"The envoy in Pallet Town is Professor Oak. He seems pretty famous."
"Professor Oak!"
"Misty, you know Professor Oak too?"
"Of course! How many people in Kanto don't know Professor Oak? Besides being a world-renowned top Pokémon Professor, he was also the Kanto League's first Champion Trainer. After he retired, Kanto hasn't had a Champion until now!"
Ash & Pikachu: !!!
That kind and somewhat absent-minded Professor Oak was actually the Kanto League's first Champion?
This news deeply shocked both Ash and Pikachu.
The boy and the mouse both gulped, and the former asked with some difficulty, "Are you sure you're not mistaken? It's one thing for Professor Oak to be a famous Professor, but the Kanto League's first Champion... How is that possible?"
Misty rolled her eyes and said, "How could I get such an important thing wrong? I'm from... Oh, anyway, there's no mistake. Although not many people know about Professor Oak's heroic deeds from back then, if you ask the Gym Leaders, you'll know that Professor Oak was extremely famous back in the day!"
"Tell me about Professor Oak's past."
"Well, alright. Where are you headed next?"
"Viridian City."
"Then let's talk as we walk."
The two chatted back and forth as they began their journey to Viridian City together.
Misty actually had a bicycle, which was also left behind the tree.
Normally, riding a bicycle would take less than half a day to reach Viridian City, but considering Ash, Misty chose to walk beside him, pushing her bicycle.
Along the way, Misty recounted some of Professor Oak's past secrets to Ash.
Decades ago, the Kanto Region had never produced a Champion-level Trainer and was the weakest of the seven major regions.
At this time, Professor Oak emerged, not only winning the Indigo League but also soaring through his subsequent Trainer journey, eventually becoming the strongest existence in Kanto and the Champion of the Kanto League.
Back then, Professor Oak defeated all the famous Trainers, and his strength could be said to rival that of the current Leon.
However, the internet was not well-developed at the time, and neither was transportation, which meant Professor Oak's reputation was mainly confined to the Kanto Region.
As time passed, with Professor Oak's retirement and his rise to prominence in academia, his past deeds as a Champion who fought across the world gradually faded into obscurity.
"...To this day, the Kanto Region still hasn't produced a new Champion Trainer. Even Lance, known as the invincible Dragon Master, couldn't overcome the other Elite Four to become the Kanto Champion," Misty said with a sigh, pushing her bicycle, seemingly regretting not having witnessed Professor Oak's mighty display in person.
"Is Kanto that weak now? It doesn't even have a Champion?" Ash asked, somewhat curious.
"Kanto is weak? Haha, you can say that Kanto's League tournament is a cradle for rookies, but if you're talking about top-tier strength, you can ask other regions whether Kanto is weak or not."
Misty laughed sarcastically.
If someone said Kanto's middle and lower tiers were weak, few would argue, but if someone questioned Kanto's top-tier strength... that would simply show a lack of common sense.
"Then why doesn't Kanto even have a Champion?"
"Do you know how the Champion of each region is selected?"
Ash shook his head.
"To become a Champion, you must defeat four Elite Four members consecutively within four days! Fun fact: Kanto's four Elite Four members, if placed in other regions, would each be a Champion. Now do you understand why Kanto doesn't have a Champion?"
Ash & Pikachu: !!!
Goodness, it turns out Kanto isn't too weak, but too strong!
The four Elite Four are four Champions?
How can there be such an outrageous setup!
"Drizzle~" As the two were chatting animatedly, the clear blue sky, which had been cloudless, was suddenly covered by dark clouds, and then a light rain began to fall from the sky.
The beautiful sunny day suddenly turned into a gloomy rainy day, and Misty and Ash quickly found a place to take shelter from the rain.