Several hours remained before nightfall. The four of them lounged in the small wooden shack, killing time with idle chatter. Seeing the Pokémon next to Azure, Ash couldn't resist pulling out his Pokédex.
Deep down, he had always yearned for a standard starter Pokémon. Only due to some "uncontrollable circumstances" did he end up with this chubby Pikachu.
Pokédex: "Beep-beep. Bulbasaur, the Garlic Pokémon. Half-carnivore, half-vegetarian. Comes pre-seasoned for a BBQ."
Azure: "?"
Seeing the other three react with complete nonchalance, she felt even more dazed.
"Hey Ash, is your Pokédex infected with a virus?"
"No, isn't this just a normal Pokédex?" Ash countered. Since the others were looking at her like she was the crazy one, Azure began to doubt her own sanity. Finally, she pulled out her own device to scan.
Pokédex: "Beep. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. One of the three starter Pokémon. Loves sunlight; the seed on its back grows along with its body."
Ash's group: "?" This time, it was their turn to freeze.
To test it, Ash pointed at his Pikachu, and Azure scanned it.
Pokédex: "Beep. Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. Uses its tail to sense its surroundings; cheek pouches release electricity in emergencies."
Ash frowned and brought his own device closer.
Pokédex: "Beep-beep. Pikachu, a common-as-dirt electric rat. Utterly mediocre and not worth mentioning."
Everyone: "???"
So it wasn't a hallucination after all—this Pokédex was definitely broken! Furthermore, while everyone else's device just emitted a single "Beep," Ash's always gave a double "Beep-beep." It felt like the machine was calling him "junior" before he even opened his mouth, radiating pure condescension.
"I knew it! Professor Oak gave me a refurbished lemon!" Ash grumbled under his breath.
During their chat, Azure suddenly remembered something. She hesitated for a long time before asking, "Um... speaking of weird stuff, do you guys ever have random, inexplicable voices pop into your heads lately?"
Ash raised an eyebrow, sensing something fishy. Indeed, he'd been hearing "hallucinations" recently, but he'd figured it was just "divine guidance" for a Chosen One like himself.
"I ran into Gary recently, and he said he's hearing weird dialogues too. He said it's a nightmare every night; he has to take three or four sleeping pills just to crash. Even then, he wakes up in cold sweats, hands freezing, plagued by nightmares... though he looked healthy enough to me." Azure's face looked a bit pale.
Ash shuddered. That sounded pretty grim.
"Gary said Pallet Town has terrible Feng Shui, and that every Trainer who leaves ends up with some terrifying, contagious mental illness," Azure whispered.
"Well, I sleep like a baby," Ash remarked casually. "Gary's probably just in the terminal stage. No cure for that guy."
Azure sighed in relief. "Oh, good." Gary, rest in peace!
Night fell, and the four gathered at the meadow next to the shop. The area was fenced off, with a raised platform in the center. They waited until dawn.
Result: Gary had pranked her again.
"Dammit! Next time I see Gary, I'm hanging him from a tree and whipping him ten thousand times!!" Azure clutched her round face, screaming at the sky.
"So... are we staying? I'm about to collapse," Misty yawned.
"You guys go sleep. I'm pulling an all-nighter!" Azure downed a cup of strong tea. Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared intensely at the platform. She had been a vegetarian for six days; she wasn't quitting now!
Ash figured if he left her alone, she'd probably drop dead of a heart attack by midnight. Being fellow villagers, he'd have to haul her corpse back home, which would totally ruin his schedule.
"Fine, I'll stay and watch. You two go get some rest."
Brock and Misty headed back to the shack. Only Ash and Azure remained in the meadow. The wind rustled through the grass as the boy and girl sat side-by-side. With the "Garlic Turtle" and the electric rat sleeping nearby, it was almost cozy.
"Hey Azure, what do you want to be in the future?" Ash suddenly asked a philosophical question.
"Me? I haven't thought about it. I just want to travel for now," Azure shook her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
The two sat there, bonding over their mutual hatred for Gary while waiting for a Clefairy until the dead of night.
Thump.
Ash felt a weight on his shoulder. Azure had finally succumbed to exhaustion, her head dropping onto his shoulder.
"Tch, women. Can't handle the pressure," Ash sneered, inwardly proud of his superior willpower. "I'm the true Night Watch Champion!"
Under the moonlight, Azure's profile looked remarkably pretty. It was the first time Ash had seen her this close. I bet if I punched a girl this cute in the gut, she'd cry for a really long time, he thought, shadow-boxing the air.
Two hours later, even the "Iron Man" Ash gave out. His eyes slipped shut, and the two leaned against each other, fast asleep.
Minutes later, "Ash" suddenly opened his eyes. His expression was cold, his voice deep, and his gaze profound. Red had taken over.
He pushed Azure's head away and said coldly, "You can get up now."
Azure shivered and opened her eyes. The face was the same, but the vibe was entirely different. Her eyes were sharp, glinting with a cunning that seemed to Detect everything. This was the soul of Blue.
"Hehe, giving you a chance to be my pillow and you don't even appreciate it? You're going to be single forever, you know," Blue stood up and stretched. A powerful aura of dominance radiated from her, making Red's brow twitch.
"I knew you'd be here, Blue," Red said slowly.
In Red's digital world, he and Blue had been traveling companions. He'd known the moment he saw Azure that the soul of Blue must have realized her nature as a game character and crossed over as well.
Blue blinked her pretty eyes, then suddenly locked her arm around Red's neck, pulling him into a headlock against her chest. "Still playing the broody prince in front of me?" She ruffled his hair vigorously. "A hot-blooded boy spends two years on Mt. Silver and turns into a shut-in? Such a waste..."
Red scrambled to break free, keeping his distance. Women were as scary as Incineroars, and Blue was the apex predator of the species.
After talking, they realized they'd arrived on the same day. Red possessed Ash but was mostly ignored. Blue was worse off; she kept sending "divine hints" to Azure, but the girl was so devout she treated them like holy decrees and was too scared to interact with the "voice in her head."
"Gary's here too, possessed by Green. Those two have very similar, punchable personalities. I'm thinking of bagging him and giving him a proper thrashing soon." Blue clenched her fist.
Red wasn't surprised. If he and Blue made it, his rival Green surely had too. In their old world, they had hit the level cap, but here, the ceiling didn't exist.
"I look forward to our next battle, Green." A fire ignited in Red's dull eyes.