"This weather's crazy. Sunny one second, pouring rain the next. Did some wild Pokémon just use Rain Dance or something?" Misty muttered, brushing damp strands of hair out of her face as the two huddled under a giant rock.
"Rain Dance? What's that?" Ash asked with wide-eyed curiosity.
Misty turned to him slowly, her emerald eyes narrowing. "You're kidding. You seriously don't know what Rain Dance is?"
Ash laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Uh… well… I might've been a little distracted in class. So, y'know, I don't remember a lot of that stuff."
Misty groaned, clutching her forehead. "Unbelievable. Aside from being ridiculously strong, you're basically a kid who doesn't know anything. If you didn't have that weird Aura Power thing, you'd already be face-down in a ditch."
The jab wasn't far from the truth. Without his lucky draw of Aura Power from the chat group, Ash probably wouldn't have even convinced Pikachu to stay with him, let alone survived the Spearow flock.
Ash tried to laugh it off. "Yeah, yeah, my bad for spacing out in class. Anyway, how about you join us!"
"Join you?" Misty blinked.
"Yeah! Travel together. Don't you have some kind of goal you're working toward?"
Misty's eyes softened for a moment, her voice carrying a hint of longing. "I want to become a Water-type Pokémon Master. The best Water-type Trainer in the world. Someday,I'll be known like Lorelei, she may be an Ice-type Elite Four, but her mastery of Water-types is legendary. I want to surpass even that."
Lorelei, the Ice-type specialist of the Kanto Elite Four, was famed for her mastery of both Ice- and Water-type Pokémon. To Misty, she was the ultimate role model.
Ash clenched his fists, fire in his eyes. "A Water-type Master, huh? Sounds cool. As for me, I don't care about specializing in types. My dream is to become a Pokémon Master! First stop, beating Leon and proving I'm the strongest Trainer!"
"Leon? He's the strongest Trainer in the world, and you're saying you'll beat him first? What are you going to do after that, fly up and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun?" Misty shot back, exasperated.
This boy didn't know much, but his dreams were bigger than anyone's. Beat Leon, just like that? Even with ten years of training, she doubted Ash could topple Galar's unbeatable Champion.
Of course, if it were a real fight, human versus human, then maybe Ash's ridiculous new power might give him a chance.
"Hehe, either way, I'm going to defeat Leon! So, Misty, want to travel with me?" Ash said brightly, making his first official invitation.
Misty hesitated, but finally nodded. "Alright. I don't really have anywhere to go, so I might as well."
"Yeah! Pikachu, we've got a new companion!"
"Pika Pika~!" Pikachu chirped happily. Since opening up to Ash, he was no longer so resistant to humans. And after spending some time with Misty, he didn't mind her either.
Just like that, Ash's journey gained a new member. He hadn't expected his first addition wouldn't be a Pokémon, but a human! Truly, life was full of surprises.
Misty's presence was important. No matter how strong she was in battle, her knowledge far outstripped Ash's. He could finally ask someone about all the basics he'd missed in class. If she didn't know, he still had the big shots in the chat group. Either way, he'd patch up his weak spots somehow!
Outside, rain continued to drizzle. The gloomy sky and steady patter made the air heavy and drowsy. Though sheltered, the ground was too damp to sit. Misty leaned against her bicycle, while Ash rested against the tree, eyes closed, though in truth, his consciousness had already slipped into the chat group.
[Newbie Ash: Seniors, I've got a new companion!]
[Breeder Ash: Oh? You caught a new Pokémon?]
[Newbie Ash: Nope, a person! Her name's Misty, and she knows a ton. I don't have to bug you guys with every daily question anymore, I can just ask her now!]
[Champion Ash: Oh? Misty… as in the Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym?]
[Newbie Ash: Cerulean Gym? Uh, I don't know. She didn't say. But she's really knowledgeable, so maybe she is a Gym Leader.]
[Harem King Ash: Misty, huh? She's a good one. Newbie, you'd better not miss this chance.]
[Newbie Ash: Chance? What chance?]
[Aura Ash: Don't mind him. He's the only one in the group who's completely obsessed with romance.]
[Harem King Ash: Hey! How can you put it like that? Don't people get married? Don't people have kids? What's so wrong with me knowing a thing or two about love?]
[Aura Ash: Heh, sure, but most people only marry one partner. How many are you juggling again? Newbie, listen, learn from anyone here, but don't learn from him. Follow his advice and you'll end up on the wrong path.]
[Harem King Ash: Aw, come on! I finally found a fresh-faced rookie. You two aren't even dating, so don't ruin a teenager's chances before he's had any!]
[Champion Ash: Heh, well… the Harem King does have a point. It's not bad to pick up a few tips from him about finding a partner. Just don't go overboard like he does, balance is important. Anyway, since Misty agreed to travel with you, you should have some new draw chances. Check your notification bar.]
[Newbie Ash: Okay!]
Ash had no idea what the rest of their bickering meant, but he did understand the part about checking his draws.
He glanced up at the top right corner of the group chat. A glowing icon flashed, new notifications!
Ash tapped it open, and sure enough, several fresh messages popped up before his eyes.