While chatting with Gary, Ash simultaneously unleashed his Aura to probe the river near where Goh was fishing.
What he sensed sent a jolt through his heart.
"HISSS!! There's actually a leaked dragon in this river?!"
Ash's eyes widened in shock as he saw the Pokémon Goh had hooked—its presence rippling through the water like a submerged titan.
It was over six meters long, with a serpentine body covered in shimmering water-blue scales. Its snarling face looked ferocious, and three trident-like horns jutted from its head, stabbing toward the sky.
There was no mistaking it.
The Water-type Pokémon Ash had just been dreaming about.
The biggest, heaviest aquatic beast in all of Kanto—if caught and registered, it was guaranteed to net a near-perfect score in the fishing competition.
A Gyarados.
Through the lens of Aura, Ash could see it thrashing beneath the river's surface, its monstrous form coiling and uncoiling with power.
His face darkened slightly.
He had chosen a deeper section of the river precisely to hook something massive. While the others fished blindly, Ash had used bait infused with his [Source Resonance], a lure practically irresistible to Water-types. He had even pre-seeded the water earlier to draw Pokémon toward his zone.
Logically, if there were any "escaped dragons" in the river, they should've been drawn to his hook.
Yet somehow, Goh had been the one to land a bite.
And not just any bite—the Gyarados Ash had set his hopes on.
Was this just a coincidence? Or… does Goh have a protagonist's aura too?
Ash frowned. Doubts were creeping in.
He thought back—after transmigrating into this world, he'd been granted the [Ascension Trainer System], gifted with the powers of Aura and Viridian. He had close friends like Gary and Green. Professor Oak himself was secretly mentoring him. Even Pokémon like Pichu and Froakie, both exceptionally talented, had practically delivered themselves to his doorstep.
Ash had been convinced: he was the Chosen One, the main character of this world.
But then he looked at Goh…
Even before the camp started, Goh had been bullied on the bus by his seatmates, Gabriel and Henri. He was treated like an outcast by Ash's whole group.
When the campers were handed out temporary Pokémon, Goh had somehow been given a sickly, powerless Magikarp—a reject shoved in to meet quota by a lazy researcher named Thorne.
Even during the walk through the forest earlier that day, Gary had insulted Goh to his face.
Ash had dismissed Goh as a background character—an unlucky foil to his own shining narrative.
But now?
Goh had a beautiful, sweet childhood friend in Chloe.
He was the first to catch a Water-type in the competition.
And it wasn't just any Water-type—it was the very Gyarados Ash had been gunning for.
Suddenly, Ash felt a chill run down his spine.
"Wait a second… maybe he's the real protagonist…"
"And I'm just the stepping stone. The rival. The 'XP-granting side character' the hero beats on his way to greatness…"
His heart sank.
Ash turned his eyes toward Goh, who was currently locked in a fierce struggle with the Gyarados, and a dangerous glint flickered in his gaze.
"No. I won't allow it. I won't let him hijack my fate."
"Goh… if you want to become the main character, you'll have to do it over my dead body."
His resolve hardened.
"Hey! Ash!! Say something already!!" Gary's voice snapped him out of his trance.
He sounded panicked.
"We're really just gonna stand here and let Goh reel that thing in? If he pulls that Gyarados out, we're done for—we'll be eating dust behind him!"
"Didn't you say earlier that Froakie could dive in and cut his line? Honestly, I think that was a great idea. Get Froakie moving already!"
Gary was getting flustered now, practically shaking Ash by the shoulders.
But Ash only shook his head slowly.
"Gary, my guy… if you really want a high score, focus on your own fishing. Let's not make ourselves look like a pair of villains, yeah? I'm a good guy."
He shot Gary a side-eye, smirking.
"You—ugh!!" Gary stomped his foot in frustration but gave up trying to convince him. Instead, he flopped back onto his folding stool and pretended to concentrate on fishing—though his sulking was obvious.
Ash said nothing more.
He watched his friend's annoyed pout with silent guilt.
Sorry, Gary… The protagonist can't act like a villain—not openly, anyway.
Then, Ash shut his eyes, projecting calm on the outside—but in truth, he was already communicating with the Gyarados beneath the river via Aura and telepathy.
"Gyarados, I need a favor… if you help me with this…"
Before the conversation finished, a sudden scream exploded across the riverbank.
"WAHHH!! I GOT IT!! I HOOKED A GYARADOS!!!"
"Unbelievable! Goh actually reeled it in!!"
The campers nearby broke into a chorus of shocked cries.
Ash opened his eyes.
Standing by the riverside, surrounded by stunned onlookers, was Goh—holding a rod that had somehow pulled a full-grown Gyarados out of the water.
An average six-year-old shouldn't have had the strength to lift a 235 kg Gyarados using just a regular rod.
But Goh had done it.
Maybe it was the protagonist halo. Maybe it was divine luck.
Or maybe… Ash had helped more than he was letting on.
Either way, the impossible had become real.
Ash's gaze settled on the river again, his voice low.
"The curtain rises. Let's see… is he the real main character?"
"Or just a clown in the background?"
"Froakie?" the Pokémon beside him croaked in confusion, tilting its head.
Ash gave no answer.
He just smiled. Quiet. Unreadable.
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T/N:
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