Serena looked utterly mortified.
She had wanted to show off a little in front of the boy she liked—
but her mother had mercilessly exposed her in front of the entire world.
Serena was a bit younger than Ash, though she was already ten.
However, due to certain circumstances, she hadn't started her journey yet.
Instead, she stayed home helping her mother care for the family's Rhyhorn.
In terms of understanding Pokémon, she really did count as an elite-level Trainer—
at least when it came to handling domestic Pokémon.
[Ash: Huh? You can get chosen even if you don't have a Pokémon?]
[Gary: You idiot, Ash! Don't forget—it said only elite Trainers or people with the world's destiny could be selected.]
[Ash: …What does that mean?]
[Gary: It means the main characters, you moron! Or at least supporting ones!]
[Ash: Oh, I get it! But hey, Smug Gary—stop calling me an idiot! Actually, maybe I should call you Weak-Kneed Gary instead! The second you heard Raihan's a Champion-level Trainer, you went soft!]
[Gary: Wh—what do you know! That was a strategic retreat!]
The scrolling chat was growing more and more chaotic.
Now, the entire world was watching two ten-year-olds bicker in real time.
And plenty of Trainers were getting annoyed—
they considered themselves strong too, so why couldn't they send messages?
Unfortunately for them, the livestream didn't come with a complaint button.
The white curtain's broadcast slowly faded out.
Then the black curtain began to glow—
signaling the start of the next world's feed.
Everyone knew what that meant.
They were about to see the "other" Ash—the Ash of the Black World.
To be honest, while the earlier broadcast had been interesting,
the white-world Ash hadn't seemed that special.
Sure, he was a bright, brave kid… but that was it.
Would the black-world version really be that different?
The black light curtain brightened, and the new scene came into view.
Once again, there was the tanned boy.
Once again, the lush forest of the summer camp.
Once again, Professor Oak and the other children.
At first glance, it looked identical to the previous footage.
But there was a difference.
Unlike the white-world Ash, who was happily playing with the other kids and Pokémon—
the Black World Ash didn't join in.
When Professor Oak dismissed the group, he stayed behind—
and dropped to the ground to start doing push-ups.
[Misty: Huh? What's he… doing? Training his body?]
[Ash: Eh?! Why isn't that version of me playing with everyone? Summer camp's supposed to be fun! Why would I train now?]
[Professor Oak: Hm… it does seem that this Ash's mindset is completely different from the one we know.]
——
In the video, Black-Ash finished a few sets of push-ups and squats, his eyes gleaming.
"Good! Warm-up complete! Next, five laps around the forest—then time for practice battles with the Pokémon!"
"If I want to become a Pokémon Master, I need to build a strong body first! Before I even begin my journey, I have to hone my physique to perfection!"
"That way, I'll have the strength to face the world!"
Muttering to himself, he started running.
Professor Oak, watching from nearby, didn't stop him.
He simply sighed in amazement.
"This kid… even at summer camp, he's grinding?! If Gary ever finds out, he won't be able to sleep at night! How can someone be this competitive?"
From his tone, it was clear—
this wasn't the first time.
Ash had been training like this back in Pallet Town too.
[Bruno: Excellent! The Black World Ash clearly has his priorities straight! Only by forging a strong body can a Trainer overcome any challenge on their journey!]
[Brock: Ah! Master Bruno!]
[Bruno: Hey there, Brock, it's been a while! I was going to stay silent and just watch, but seeing how hard this young Ash works—I couldn't help speaking up.]
[Ash: Master Bruno! Do you think I could become as strong and fit as you someday?]
[Bruno: Haha, you're still young, Ash. If you train as hard as your Black World counterpart, then yes—you could someday build muscles like mine!]
[Lance: Don't listen to him, Ash. You'll never find a girlfriend that way. That guy traded half his brainpower for biceps. Train like him and you'll end up with missing neurons.]
[Bruno: Hey! What's that supposed to mean, Lance?! You picking a fight?!]
[Lance: Just stating the facts. Nothing personal.]
[Bruno: …]
"Just stating facts"? How is that not personal?!
——
In the footage—
while the other kids laughed and played, Ash stood apart, focused on his training.
He used every spare moment to push himself harder.
Good thing that in this world, kids didn't yet understand the term "grind culture."
Otherwise, they'd have puked just watching this level of dedication.
It was like everyone else was gaming—
and he was under the blanket studying calculus.
Insane!
No wonder Professor Oak had joked that Gary wouldn't be able to sleep.
He saw Ash as a rival, a competitor.
If your rival's training even during summer camp,
how could you possibly rest easy?
Time skipped ahead to noon.
When everyone else finally tired themselves out, Ash stopped training.
During the break, he greeted the other kids warmly,
chatting about Pokémon and exchanging ideas.
And just like that, the seemingly aloof Ash blended in effortlessly.
The audience watching couldn't help but be impressed.
This kid wasn't just hardworking—he had emotional intelligence, too.
He managed to train relentlessly and maintain good relationships with his peers.
Was this really… a six-year-old child?!
[Lance: Impressive. Black World Ash clearly isn't like Bruno here. That guy only knows how to train. But this Ash? He knows how to connect with others too—he won't be isolated.]
[Bruno: ?]
First of all, I didn't provoke you. Second, I DIDN'T provoke you!
Why do you keep targeting me?!
[Misty: Honestly, I think Black World Ash's social skills are way better than our Ash's.]
[Ash: Hey! It's only just started! How can you say he's better already?!]
Sure, they were both Ash.
But the White World one—the real him—still had his pride.
No way he'd admit the other version was superior!
Just you wait… this story's only getting started!