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[Start of the chapter]
"Ash—! Ash—! Wake up already! You're going to be late! Professor Oak's summer camp is gathering today!"
Summer camp? Professor Oak? At this point in time…
He tried hard to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead. His body was unbearably exhausted too, as if he were pinned down and unable to move. Memories crashed together like shattered fragments—Rai's memories, and the memories of a much younger boy named Ash, intertwining in a frantic storm.
"Ash!" The door was pushed open. A middle-aged woman in an apron stepped in with a gentle smile that carried a hint of helplessness. "Honestly… I heard this camp will have lots of kids from other towns too. You can't be late when you're meeting everyone for the first time! I think there are even kids coming from the Johto region and the Kalos region."
The instant he saw her face, the merging memories delivered the answer—
Delia!
He jolted fully awake, springing upright in bed and gulping in air. His heart pounded wildly.
He looked down at his body—clearly a child's hands and feet, childish pajamas…
This wasn't his body!
"M-Mom…?" he croaked. The voice that came out was a clear, unfamiliar child's voice, filled with disbelief and shock.
"Hurry up, wash your face and eat!" Delia didn't notice the earthshaking change in her son's soul. She urged him on with a smile. "Mom already packed your bag. Don't forget your water bottle and snacks, okay?"
Rai—no, the one now inhabiting the body of a seven- or eight-year-old Ash—forced down the tidal wave in his chest, nodded mechanically, and got out of bed to wash up.
When he looked into the mirror at that young face—still childish, yet with eyes full of an adult soul's panic and confusion—he finally confirmed it completely.
He hadn't just transmigrated. The timing was earlier. Not the day he turned ten and received his first Pokémon, but even earlier—Professor Oak's Pokémon summer camp for kids!
As a veteran Pokémon fan, he knew exactly what this moment meant: the beginning of Ash's first meeting with the "official heroine"—
Serena.
In the original story, that pairing—Ash and Serena—was filled with regrets. And not only that…
After the huge sense of absurdity, an indescribable surge of joy and weight rose in his chest at the same time.
Joy, because he had more time to prepare—to change things.
Weight, because he knew that from this moment on, every step he took would rewrite history.
———
The camp was held in a patch of woodland behind Pallet Town's hills, and in the backyard of Professor Oak's lab. The children chattered noisily, excited as they gathered around Professor Oak.
Professor Oak smiled as he explained, "All right, kids—welcome to Pokémon summer camp! Over the next few days, we'll learn basic Pokémon knowledge, observe nearby wild Pokémon, and most importantly, learn how to get along with Pokémon in a friendly way…"
Rai (he decided to temporarily call himself by this name) took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.
Then he saw her.
A girl wearing a pale-blue sunhat, with smooth, golden-brown long hair, looking shy and introverted, standing quietly on the edge of the group.
Serena.
She was still tiny, but already had the makings of a beauty—especially those eyes, already showing their warmth.
As if sensing his gaze, Serena lifted her head. Their eyes met by chance. Rai instinctively (or perhaps by the original Ash's reflex) broke into a bright, friendly grin.
Serena froze for a moment. A faint blush surfaced on her cheeks. She immediately lowered her head and fussed with her backpack strap.
"Good. First-contact first impression achieved," Rai noted silently.
His eyes continued moving and landed on another girl.
She wore a clean dress. Her hair was a pretty chestnut color with a slight curl. She looked even quieter than Serena—almost stiff with restraint—seeming uneasy in the unfamiliar environment. The name tag on her chest read:
Vermilion City — Chloe.
"Chloe?" Rai's heart stirred. Wasn't this the girl who later traveled with Goh? So the timeline really is starting to change because of me? She's actually here at this camp too.
"Hmph. Pokémon are simple—just catch the strongest!" A slightly arrogant voice cut through Rai's thoughts. "Someday I'm going to catch tons and tons of awesome Pokémon!"
Rai frowned and looked over.
A boy wearing a white knit cap was bragging loudly, his expression haughty.
This was the one countless Pokémon fans in Rai's previous life had endlessly criticized—
Goh.
"N-That's… not right." A thin but clear voice suddenly spoke up, timid yet unexpectedly firm.
Everyone looked over. The one speaking was Chloe, the girl who looked the most quiet and gentle. She seemed to muster a huge amount of courage—both hands clutching the hem of her dress, her face flushed bright red—yet she still looked straight at Goh and said:
"Pokémon are friends… You shouldn't only think about catching them… You—You should try to understand each other!"
After she finished, it was like she'd used up all her strength. She lowered her head slightly again.
Goh was stunned by the sudden rebuttal, then scoffed. "Hah? Understand each other? What's that good for?"
Seeing Chloe choked into silence, her eyes turning slightly red, Rai knew it was time to step in.
He walked forward. He didn't address Goh right away. Instead, he first gave Chloe a look of pure praise and encouragement, smiling warmly.
"You're absolutely right, Chloe. Understanding each other is the first step to becoming friends with Pokémon. That kind of heart matters."
Chloe lifted her head in surprise. When she saw Rai's sincere smile and affirmation, the embarrassment and hurt on her face eased immediately, replaced by a small spark of happiness and shyness. She nodded gently.
Only then did Rai turn to Goh. His voice was calm, but carried an unmistakable force.
"Strong Pokémon are great, sure. But if you don't understand them or respect them, then even if you catch them, you won't earn their true response—let alone bring out their real strength. Pokémon are our partners."
Goh was speechless again. He huffed and turned his head away.
Professor Oak nodded approvingly. "Oh? Ash from Pallet Town, and Chloe from Vermilion City—both of you said that very well!"
Over the next few days of camp, Rai—thanks to "knowledge" and "affinity" far beyond his age—became one of the kids everyone gathered around.
And he deliberately, subtly took extra care of Serena… while also paying special attention to the quiet, kind Chloe.
He helped the two girls identify plants in Kanto that they weren't familiar with. When they tripped on branches, he caught them in time. He shared the special sandwiches his mom made.
He discovered that Chloe, while introverted, had an extremely delicate eye for observing Pokémon and a gentle love for them. They often quietly watched Caterpie spin silk and form cocoons together, or discussed how adorable Eevee was.
And with Rai's attentive care, Serena never went through the incident from the original story. She no longer had any lingering discomfort toward Pokémon at all.
And she began to feel more and more fondness for this boy her age—perhaps even something deeper.
Chloe also gradually opened up. She started sharing things she'd seen in Vermilion City with this boy from Pallet Town who was knowledgeable and so gentle. Her smiles became more frequent.
Of course, Rai didn't forget one important thing—
Teaching Goh a lesson.
Under Rai's careful "arrangements," Goh casually kicked a rock at one point, which "just happened" to hit a Weedle, which "just happened" to stir up a swarm of Beedrill. The final result was that Goh got stung badly and had to withdraw from camp due to injury.
Camp passed quickly, brief and beautiful.
At the end, Serena gathered her courage and ran up to Rai, speaking softly.
"Um… Ash, thank you! I was really happy at camp!"
After saying that, she blushed and ran back to her mother, who had come to pick her up.
Chloe looked reluctant to part. She walked up to Rai, carefully pulled a handwoven Eevee keychain—clumsy and childish, but sincere—from her pocket, and pressed it into his hand. Her voice was gentle.
"Ash-kun… this… is for you. Thank you for taking care of me these days. Goodbye."
"Thanks. It's really cute—just like you, Chloe," Rai said as he accepted the gift and thanked her sincerely.
Chloe's face instantly turned bright red. She whispered "Goodbye," then hurried toward the car that came to pick her up.
As for Goh—after being stung and injured, he withdrew from camp immediately. He was probably still lying in a hospital bed.
———
Time flew. A few years passed in a blink as Rai studied and trained with intent. He never forgot his greatest advantage, and he prepared far beyond what anyone normal would.
After transmigrating, Rai could feel that his Aura had signs of awakening.
So he treated the backyard of Professor Oak's lab and the forests around Pallet Town as his best training ground.
Day after day: meditation, attempts to communicate with Pokémon, guiding energy to strengthen his body.
The process was dull and brutal. Then one day, he successfully used a faint, pale-blue glow to soothe a frightened Sentret, finally stepping into the threshold of "interfering with reality."
At the same time, his "abnormality" drew Professor Oak's attention next door.
This child's understanding of Pokémon ecology, type matchups, evolution conditions—even differences between regional forms—often produced startling, even groundbreaking viewpoints (he "recalled" setting details he'd seen in his previous life at just the right moments).
Over several years, with "outstanding insights" in hypotheses about branching evolutions and models of type interactions, Rai became a "junior consultant" at Professor Oak's side, even earning the title of "Pallet Town Laboratory Special Research Assistant." His name appeared in the acknowledgements of a few heavyweight papers, leaving a mysterious impression in a small corner of the academic world.
Finally, the morning arrived—his tenth birthday, the day he would set out.
The familiar room. The familiar urging voice.
"Ash—! Ash—! Wake up already! You're going to be late! Professor Oak is waiting for you to come get your first Pokémon!"
Rai snapped his eyes open. There was no longer the panic of the beginning—only years of accumulated anticipation and sharp focus. He carefully tucked the Eevee keychain into his pocket.
He got up quickly, washed up, and put on the clothes he'd prepared long ago.
Delia looked at her son—somehow steadier than she was—and felt a little surprised, but still smiled as she handed him his bag.
"Here. This is your backpack and your things. Do your best, Ash!"
"Yeah. I've been ready for a long time, Mom." Rai took the backpack, his voice calm but full of strength. "This isn't just a journey. It's an extension of my research—and its practical test."
He ran toward Professor Oak's lab at a brisk pace, with no hesitation left in his heart. (To explain: since he arrived late, he didn't see Gary's grand entrance, and I can't be bothered to write it.)
He knew that because of his involvement, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur might already have found other destinies. And his starting point was destined to be different from everyone else's.
He pushed open the lab door.
"Oh, Ash, you're here! Honestly, we've been waiting for you—" Professor Oak didn't finish.
On the table, the three Poké Balls were already empty.
"Oh no! This is bad! Because you came late, all the starter Pokémon were taken by other new Trainers!" Professor Oak smacked his forehead in frustration.
Rai showed no surprise or disappointment. He simply asked calmly, "Professor, is there any other Pokémon left?"
Professor Oak rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Well… there is one…" He pointed to a nearby table fitted with multiple isolation devices. A Poké Ball sat there quietly.
"But there's a problem with this Pokémon. It doesn't listen at all. It even attacks Trainers…"
Rai's gaze fell on that unusual Poké Ball, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a faint arc. He knew what was inside. This would be the truly unique partner at the real beginning of his legend.
Everything had finally returned to the "proper track"—and yet everything had already become completely different.
"It's fine, Professor." He stepped forward and picked up the Poké Ball without hesitation. "I choose it."
He threw the Poké Ball with force.
A flash of white light—then a yellow figure appeared in the lab amid violently scattering sparks!
"Pika—CHU!"
A crisp cry rang out, full of warning and displeasure. Its cheek pouches crackled with dangerous golden electricity. Its tail stood high. Its gaze was fierce and unyielding as it stared down the human boy in front of it. The air reeked of ozone, and the lights flickered unstably!
Ash met that challenging stare without fear. His eyes were filled with confidence, understanding—and the intense curiosity and desire to overcome a challenge that a researcher might feel when facing a precious specimen.
Aura flowed faintly within his body. He was ready to endure any shock.
His journey—his story with it—was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
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