"This weather is absolutely insane. It was bright and sunny just a moment ago, and now it's suddenly pouring rain. Did some Pokemon use Rain Dance or something?" Under a massive boulder, Misty brushed raindrops from her orange hair and grumbled in frustration.
"What's Rain Dance?" As a newbie, Ash asked humbly.
Ash felt that this girl he'd met on the road really knew a lot about Pokemon.
Although the experienced trainers in the chat group were incredibly knowledgeable about Pokemon - perhaps even stronger than many Champion-level trainers - they definitely knew nothing about the history and daily experiences of his world.
Ash couldn't just pop into the group chat to ask about every little thing he didn't understand. If Misty hadn't brought up Rain Dance, Ash wouldn't have even known to ask about moves and techniques he'd never heard of before.
"Are you serious? Did you even attend Pokemon theory classes? How do you not know what Rain Dance is?" Misty's emerald green eyes stared directly at Ash, filled with complete disbelief.
Besides being somewhat strong and decent-looking, this guy seemed totally clueless about everything - like a complete child who knew absolutely nothing.
"Uh... well... I was kind of distracted during those classes and didn't really pay attention, so there's a lot of stuff I'm not clear on," Ash scratched the back of his head, responding awkwardly.
His theoretical knowledge was indeed a complete disaster. If there were rules requiring students to pass theory courses before being allowed to travel, he figured he wouldn't be able to start his journey until he was twenty years old.
"I'm seriously fed up with you. If you didn't have that Aura ability, you'd probably crash and burn within days of leaving home."
In reality, Misty was absolutely right. If Ash hadn't obtained Aura powers from the very beginning, forget about surviving the Spearow flock attack - he probably wouldn't have even successfully caught Pikachu by now.
He could only be grateful that he had the chat group, and grateful that he'd drawn Aura powers from it. This had transformed his potentially disastrous starting situation into a perfect one.
"It was totally my fault for not paying attention in class... Hey, how about you come with us!" Ash widened his bright eyes and looked at Misty with hopeful anticipation.
"Come with you?"
"Yeah, I mean traveling together with us. Misty, do you have any dreams or goals you want to achieve?"
Misty paused for a moment, then spoke with a look of genuine longing in her eyes, "I want to become a Water-type Pokemon Master! To become the strongest Water-type specialist in the world - preferably like Elite Four member Lorelei, or maybe even stronger than Lorelei!"
Lorelei, one of the Kanto Elite Four, specialized in Ice-type Pokemon. Since Ice and Water types were closely related, and Lorelei also possessed deep knowledge about Water-type Pokemon, she had become Misty's ultimate role model.
"A Water-type Pokemon Master, huh? I don't focus on any specific type. My goal is to become a Pokemon Master. First, though, I want to defeat Champion Leon and become the strongest trainer in the world!" Ash clenched his fists tightly, speaking with burning determination.
"Champion Leon? He's literally the strongest trainer in the entire world, and you want to defeat him first! What are you planning to do after beating Leon - fly up to the sky and challenge the sun itself?" Misty shot back, completely speechless.
This guy didn't have much basic knowledge, but his dreams were absolutely massive. Defeat Leon first? Honestly, even if Ash trained for ten whole years, he might not be able to beat the undefeated Champion.
Well, if it came down to a real battle outside of official League rules, then maybe he'd have some kind of chance against Leon.
"Haha, anyway, I'm definitely going to defeat Champion Leon! So what do you say, Misty? Want to travel with me?" Ash formally extended his invitation.
Misty hesitated for a long moment, then finally nodded, "Alright, I don't really have anywhere else I need to be right now, so I might as well travel with you."
"Yes! Pikachu, we've got a new traveling companion!"
"Pika pika!" That's great! Pikachu smiled happily as well. Ever since accepting Ash as his trainer, he'd become much less resistant to human contact. More importantly, after spending time interacting with Misty, he felt completely comfortable around her.
Just like that, Ash's team successfully gained its first new member. Ash had never expected that his first addition wouldn't be a Pokemon, but rather another human trainer. This was what people meant when they talked about life's unpredictability.
Misty's addition to the team was incredibly important for Ash. Regardless of her actual battling strength, in terms of Pokemon knowledge, Misty definitely surpassed him by miles. He could ask her about any everyday Pokemon-related things he didn't understand. If Misty didn't know something, then he could ask the experienced trainers in the chat group. He was determined to make up for all the knowledge he'd missed during those boring theory classes!
The rain continued falling steadily, and the gloomy gray sky combined with the rhythmic sound of raindrops made them both feel drowsy.
However, even though they had decent shelter from the rain, the ground beneath the boulder was still completely soaked, making it impossible to sit down comfortably. Misty was currently leaning against her yellow bicycle for support, while Ash casually rested his back against the rocky wall with his eyes slightly closed, appearing to take a quick nap. In reality, he had already opened up the chat group interface.
[Newbie Ash: Hey everyone! I've got a new team member!]
[Breeder Ash: Oh really? Did you manage to catch a new Pokemon?]
[Newbie Ash: No, it's actually a person! Her name is Misty, and she knows so much about Pokemon. I won't have to keep bothering you guys in the group chat about basic daily questions anymore - I can just ask her from now on.]
[Champion Ash: Interesting! Is this Misty the Gym Leader of Cerulean City Gym by any chance?]
[Newbie Ash: Cerulean Gym? I have no idea, she didn't mention anything about that. But she really does know a ton about Pokemon, so she might actually be a Gym Leader.]
[Harem King Ash: Misty is excellent, absolutely excellent. Newbie, you need to seize this golden opportunity while you can.]
[Newbie Ash: Opportunity? What kind of opportunity are you talking about?]
[Aura Ash: Just ignore that guy completely - he's the only member in our entire group who thinks about nothing but romance and relationships.]
[Harem King Ash: Hey, that's not fair! How can you put it like that! Don't you want to get married someday? Don't you want to have kids eventually? What do you mean by calling me romance-obsessed!]
[Aura Ash: Heh, most normal people only marry one person, but how many wives do you have exactly? Newbie, remember this - you can learn from anyone in this group, but definitely don't learn from him. Following that guy's example will absolutely lead you down the wrong path.]
[Harem King Ash: Come on, don't be like that! I finally found someone with a completely blank slate, and you two might not be interested in dating, but you can't influence other young people like this!]
[Champion Ash: Actually, what Harem King said does have some merit to it. It's not a bad idea to find a romantic partner using his relationship knowledge, but remember - don't try to handle more than you can manage, and definitely don't become as much of a player as he is... Also, since Misty agreed to your invitation and joined your traveling team, you should have new lottery drawing opportunities available. Go check your notification panel right away.]
[Newbie Ash: Got it!]
Ash admitted he didn't understand most of what the other experienced trainers had been discussing, but he definitely understood the instruction about checking for new drawing opportunities.
Ash shifted his attention to the upper right corner of the group chat interface. There was a small flashing light indicator at the top, showing that he had new notifications waiting. Ash opened up the notification panel, and sure enough, several fresh messages were displayed there waiting for his attention.