"…Huff… Huff…"
Riding atop Pidgeot, Ash was overwhelmed with awe and exhilaration. The vast blue sky stretched endlessly before him, white clouds rolling gently past, and the rushing wind tangled playfully through his dark, tousled hair.
Flying—it had always been mankind's eternal dream. Ash had flown in airplanes in his past life, of course, but the feeling of soaring through the skies on a plane couldn't hold a candle to this.
The airplane always felt… separate from the sky. A capsule. A shell.
But on Pidgeot's back, it was as if he was the sky. As if he and the clouds were one.
It was exhilarating. Liberating. So exhilarating that Ash couldn't help himself—he stretched his arms out wide and let out a wild, heartfelt roar of joy, the wind whipping against his face.
Just earlier that day, he'd been chased through the forest by Team Rocket. Tension and fear had built up inside him like a storm cloud. And now—finally—he could let it all out.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
In the original timeline, Ash had captured a Pidgey early on his journey, and it later evolved into this very Pidgeot. And now, with this ride through the sky, the urge welled up again in his heart—a desire to raise a Flying-type Pokémon of his own. One that could carry him through the skies with pride and freedom.
A reliable mount. A guardian of the skies.
And Pidgey—the common bird of the Kanto region—was the perfect fit.
Besides, from the beginning, his plan had been to catch either a Psychic-type or a Flying-type Pokémon. Both were excellent options for escapes and emergencies, especially now that Team Rocket was on his tail.
"Pidgeot—hey kid, hold on tight! You might fall off if you're not careful," Pidgeot warned with concern, noticing Ash flinging his arms out like a madman.
"Got it!" Ash laughed brightly, tightening his legs around the majestic bird's back.
Pidgeot flew fast—very fast.
Before long, they had left the sprawling Viridian Forest far behind and crossed into the outskirts of Pallet Town.
Worried that Team Rocket might be lying in ambush somewhere near the town's edge, Ash asked Pidgeot to drop him off directly inside the town instead.
"Thank you for everything today, Pidgeot." Ash wrapped his arms around the bird's neck gently, his voice full of heartfelt gratitude.
"Pidgeot…"
As he watched the bird spread its wings and disappear into the distance, Ash whispered one last silent thank-you—to Pidgeot, and to the Beedrill swarm that had risked their lives to help him escape.
Without them… I might've been caught by Team Rocket.
After returning the bicycle he had borrowed from Gary, Ash headed home.
A cold shower. Fresh clothes. A clean bed.
Exhausted beyond belief, he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
So much had happened that day:
In the morning, Froakie had evolved into Frogadier during training, and even unlocked a new powerful move.
By noon, Ash's Move Mastery Room had officially opened for business. Demand exploded far beyond expectations. He raised the order limit from 5 to 20, and even then, they sold out in under ten minutes.
Unable to handle all the inquiries pouring in, Ash had visited Professor Oak's lab to apply for a Rotom to help manage tasks.
As luck would have it, there happened to be a spare Rotom at the lab, and Professor Oak handed it over without hesitation.
In the afternoon, Ash set off to Viridian City to purchase supplies—Pokémon food, a new smartphone, and a few essentials. Feeling relaxed, he even took Frogadier and Pichu on a detour through the local food street, sampling various snacks and goodies.
He was completely unaware that his every move had been exposed… and that Team Rocket had already begun their pursuit.
If it hadn't been for Beedrill and Pidgeot, he might not have made it back at all.
Now, lying safely in bed in Pallet Town, Ash finally allowed himself to rest. The tension drained away, and sleep claimed him.
By the time he woke up, the sky outside had already darkened.
His mother, Delia, who had returned from working the fields, had finished making dinner. Seeing that he was sleeping so peacefully, she hadn't disturbed him until she heard his footsteps creaking down the stairs.
"Ash, dinner's ready! You must be starving," Delia called warmly.
Sitting at the table, she glanced at her son with concern. "So, how was the trip to Viridian City? You looked completely wiped out when you came home. Your clothes were torn too—it looked like you got snagged by some tree branches. You didn't go running into the forest, did you?"
As she ladled food into his bowl, Delia's voice was full of concern.
"It went great!" Ash replied cheerfully between bites. "Since we rarely get the chance to visit Viridian, I decided to walk around with Pichu and Frogadier for a while. Bought them all sorts of yummy snacks—and I got some yokan and tamagoyaki for you too, Mom!"
"As for the torn clothes… that's because I saw a Sitrus Berry tree by the roadside. A lot of them were ripe already, so I went to pick some. Guess my clothes got snagged on a few branches while I was at it."
He explained everything in the most natural way he could. Ash didn't want his mother to worry, so he kept quiet about the whole Team Rocket incident.
"I see…" Delia nodded, satisfied for now. But as a mother, she couldn't help but give him a reminder:
"Ash, you may be talented as a Trainer, but you're still just starting out. You have to be careful, okay?"
"I will." Ash smiled gently. He didn't think his mother was being naggy at all. In fact, having lived as an orphan in his previous life, this kind of care and concern only warmed his heart.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll always put my safety first."
Later that night, after dinner, Ash went back to his room and picked up his new phone.
He called Professor Oak.
And this time, he told him everything.
The chase. The ambush. The fear.
Ash didn't tell his mother because he didn't want her to panic. But when it came to the Pokémon League, he wanted them to worry. In fact, he hoped they'd panic so hard they'd send a whole squad to protect him.
If the League had sent people to protect him during his trip to Viridian, he wouldn't have spent the day running for his life.
"…Unbelievable."
"Those Team Rocket scoundrels… They've gone too far!"
Professor Oak was furious.
"That they would target you, Ash? Outrageous. Don't worry—I'll report this directly to the Kanto League. They'll definitely send security personnel to guard you from now on."
Team Rocket had tried to eliminate many talented young Trainers over the years.
And though Professor Oak had heard of such incidents before, he had always been helpless to stop them.
After all, he was no longer the hot-blooded Trainer of his youth. He was just a scholar now—over fifty years old, and devoted to research.
When Ash first mentioned that he might be targeted, Professor Oak had submitted a warning to the League. But since it was only speculation, they hadn't taken it seriously.
Now, barely a day later, Team Rocket had made their move.
And Oak was stunned.
Ash wasn't just any kid to him. He was family. A prodigy. And Oak would do everything in his power to protect him.
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