Within the world behind the black curtain—
The instant Ash gave the order, Pikachu, who had long been gathering power, sprang high into the air!
At some point, the clear sky had turned dark, clouds swelling thick above them.
As Pikachu leapt, golden lightning flickered restlessly among the clouds.
With a sharp cry, the thunder gathered at Pikachu's command—
—and then came crashing down as a blinding golden bolt as thick as a tree trunk!
"KRA-BOOM!!"
The lightning tore through the heavens, as though splitting space itself apart.
The onrushing Spearow never even reached the hem of Ash's jacket before being reduced to smoking cinders.
"I told you not to mess with me. I was just passing through. Did you really have to take it this far?"
Ash brushed imaginary dust from his sleeve, then slung his pack over his shoulder.
"Come on, Pikachu. Let's get moving."
[Ash: W-wow… that's insane! How am I that strong right after leaving home?! Even my Pikachu right now probably isn't that powerful!]
[Gary: Heh. Black World Ash started training his body and studying Pokémon years before you even left Pallet Town. He met his Pikachu early, too, and trained it from day one. And you? What have you been doing?]
[Ash: …]
[Gary: Instead of gawking at another version of yourself, maybe think about how to improve this one. At the Silver Conference, I'll make sure you see the difference between us with your own eyes.]
Gary's tone was sharp, but underneath it was frustration.
He'd heard from his grandfather how Ash's journey was going—
a journey for its own sake, with little actual training, rarely swapping out Pokémon, barely drilling his team.
And even so, Ash had still grown stronger.
That alone showed how much raw talent he and his Pokémon possessed.
But to waste that potential like this?
Gary clenched his fist. He'd decided—at the Silver Conference, he would wake Ash up, no matter how hard the lesson had to be.
It would be his final performance before changing his own path.
[Ash: You just wait, Gary! We'll see who's stronger when that time comes!]
In the Black world—
Even after the Spearow flock was wiped out, the storm clouds above didn't fade. Instead, they grew darker still.
Moments later, heavy rain began to pour down in sheets.
Ash and Pikachu found a place to shelter from the rain—
—and there, they encountered a girl doing the same.
She wore a fiery outfit: a cropped orange tank top and denim overalls cut short.
Sadly, her figure didn't quite live up to the heat of her clothes.
"Hey there, I'm Ash from Pallet Town. Just started my journey today. You hiding from the rain too?"
This version of Ash was no introvert—he greeted her with easy confidence. Pikachu on his shoulder squeaked a cheerful hello as well.
The girl smiled back politely.
Of course, that girl was Misty.
In the black-curtain world, their meeting lacked the dramatic chaos of the original timeline—
No bike chase, no lightning strikes, no drenched shouting.
But in its calm simplicity, there was a feeling of fate.
Even without the Spearow attack, even without the fall into the river—Ash and Misty still met.
Watching the scene unfold on the monitor in the Pokémon Center, Misty clenched a tiny fist and silently cheered.
They still met!
That meant something—
Fate. Destiny itself!
Even if their meeting was quieter, the bond still formed!
Beside her, Ash muttered enviously,
"Man, must be nice not having to pedal through a thunderstorm…"
"Heehee, I wonder who turned my bike into scrap metal, hmm~?"
Ash: "…"
He didn't dare respond.
Truth be told, traveling and raising Pokémon cost far more than he'd imagined.
If not for the occasional gym and league stipends, he'd probably have to work part-time just to afford food—let alone replace a bicycle.
Within the black-curtain world—
As the rain gradually eased, Ash and Misty decided to head toward Viridian City together.
Not that they had formally agreed to travel as partners—
—it was simply that their destinations aligned.
Ash walked with Pikachu on his shoulder, while Misty pushed her bicycle beside him.
The world smelled of rain and wet soil.
Then, a strange, melodic cry echoed through the sky.
Both turned instinctively toward the sound—
and Misty froze at the sight.
A massive bird wreathed in seven-colored light glided across the sunset-stained clouds.
Brilliant motes of radiance trailed behind it like scattered jewels.
The creature's aura, its sheer presence, was divine.
Ash's eyes lit up briefly, then grew solemn.
"Pikachu… you can't beat that one."
"Pika?? Pika-chu!!"
Well, no kidding! Who could?!
Ash smirked.
"It's fine. You can't win now—but someday, we'll bring it down. And then we'll ride it. That kind of majestic Pokémon is exactly what a future Pokémon Master deserves!"
Misty stared, dumbfounded.
"You… you know who that is?"
"Of course. Ho-Oh—the Sacred Rainbow Pokémon said not to have appeared before humans in a thousand years. There's also a legend: whoever sees it is chosen as the Rainbow Hero."
"Someday, that hero will battle Ho-Oh—and when they win, Ho-Oh will become their partner. You didn't know that one, Misty?"
Misty: "…"
So the clown… was me all along.
She'd thought this boy was just another overconfident rookie.
But he not only recognized Ho-Oh—he knew the legend too!
At that moment, as though responding to his words, Ho-Oh tilted its proud head downward, its regal gaze sweeping briefly over Ash—
—and then its figure vanished into the rainbow beyond the clouds.
A moment later, a single feather drifted down from the heavens, shimmering with seven radiant hues.
It floated gently through the air—
—and came to rest in Ash's open palm.