The quiz officially began.
This time, everyone wisely decided to wait the full three seconds before answering.
After all, the punishment for a wrong answer within three seconds — being suspended for five rounds — was far too severe for anyone to risk.
The countdown ticked away quickly.
Once the three seconds passed, the chat room instantly burst back into life.
[Lance: B. Those who know, know. It has to be Mew who saved it!]
[Alder: No, it can't be B. If it's Mew, then the development paths of both worlds would be nearly identical. The system isn't that unoriginal. I say it's C — Professor Oak intervened.]
[Gary: Sharp thinking, Mr. Alder! I agree. Don't underestimate my grandpa — even without Dragonite, he still has Charizard! C for sure.]
[Bruno: Great! Then I'll go with C too.]
[Lorelei: I'm choosing A. Wasn't it Kangaskhan's mother who saved Pichu when it fell off a cliff? This time she'll save the Kangaskhan baby.]
[Chairman Goodshow: Save it? Kangaskhan's mother is way too far from the edge! She'd need Teleport to get there in time. The answer's clearly C.]
[Misty: Why isn't anyone picking D?]
A, B, and C all had their supporters — but not a single person was discussing option D.
[Gary: How could you even pick that? Ash was ten meters away from the Kangaskhan baby! No way he could reach it in time.]
[Koga: Humans have physical limits. Ten meters takes at least one second to cross, while the Kangaskhan will fall in less than a tenth of that. It's impossible. I'm a ninja — trust my calculation. Only Mew can save it. I'm going with B!]
[Misty: Hmph! I insist on D!]
[Brock: D? I'll… still pick C.]
[Misty: You pick D too!!!]
[Quiz countdown…]
[10]
[9]
[8]
...
Time was running out fast. If they didn't choose soon, they'd have to wait for the next quiz round.
Kalos Region — Vaniville Town
"D? You chose D? Are you crazy?"
Grace stared at her daughter, Serena, in disbelief. No matter how she looked at it, there was no way D could be correct. She simply couldn't understand.
Serena, however, remained calm.
After all, she couldn't exactly tell her mother that her answering strategy was simple — if the answer included Ash, she'd always choose Ash. And if it didn't… well, then she'd think about it.
The countdown ended. The black-bordered screen flickered — and the video began playing again.
[On the cliff edge, Ash noticed the rock giving way. Without a second's hesitation, he pushed off the ground with all his strength.]
[The results of daily training instantly showed. Though only five years old, Ash's body erupted with astonishing energy.]
[Just before the Kangaskhan baby plummeted, Ash reached out and caught it in midair.]
[Everyone: ?????]
[Bruno: Koga, didn't you say no human could move that fast? Pay up!!!]
[Koga: Idiot! You'd already locked in your answer before I gave my advice!]
[Bruno: I don't care — pay up!!!]
[Cynthia: Ash in the black world moves unbelievably fast.]
[Diantha: So fast he leaves afterimages. Is that even humanly possible?]
[Leon: He's only five years old… that's insane.]
[Misty: It's D! It's D! Great, it's D!!!]
[Brock: Huh? It really is D?!]
At first, Brock had only picked D because Misty had bullied him into it — he was already mentally prepared to lose points. But he didn't expect such a pleasant surprise.
Now, he was grinning from ear to ear.
[Professor Oak: Don't celebrate too soon. Ash and the Kangaskhan baby aren't safe yet.]
The professor's tone turned serious. In the video, Black Ash had caught the baby Kangaskhan just before it fell — but they were still hanging precariously in midair.
Ash had to act again — or both would be in danger.
Slap!
Just as they began to fall, a small hand clamped onto the cliff's edge — one arm clutching the Kangaskhan baby, the other gripping the rock tightly.
Catching the baby required speed.
Grabbing the cliff required judgment and power.
Within a single second, Ash displayed three extraordinary traits — instinct, strength, and precision — far beyond ordinary humans.
And he was still only five years old.
At that moment, a single word echoed in the hearts of everyone watching — limitless.
"Hold on, Ash! I'll have Pidgeot save you two right now!" Professor Oak shouted, summoning Pidgeot without hesitation.
Below the cliff, seeing Ash save the baby, Pichu and Kangaskhan's mother finally relaxed.
"Mew?"
Hidden among the clouds, Mew quietly reappeared, watching everything with a mischievous smile.
"An interesting young man," it murmured.
Satisfied that the two were safe, Mew vanished once more.
With Pidgeot's help, Ash and the Kangaskhan baby were safely rescued. The first thing Ash did after landing was gently pat the baby in his arms.
"Don't worry. It's alright now."
Riding on Pidgeot, Ash approached Kangaskhan's mother and carefully returned her baby. After handing it over, he turned and quietly left.
Perhaps, to Ash, this rescue was nothing more than an ordinary event. But to others — especially one small Pichu — it was unforgettable.
Ash.
Pichu carved the young boy's face and name deep into its heart.
It would remember this kindness… and one day, it would repay him.