After leaving Mandarin Island, a faint, subtle atmosphere still seemed to linger in the sea breeze.
Riding on Lapras, Ash and his group arrived at a large island famous for producing high quality berries. The island was lush and verdant, and the air was filled with the mixed fragrance of all kinds of fruit.
The moment they stepped onto the sandy shore, Ash's Aura ability sharply detected several unnatural energy fluctuations in the forest ahead, along with three all too familiar and irritating presences.
"Wait a second." Ash raised a hand to stop Misty and Tracey, who were about to move forward. His sharp gaze swept across the ground and the bushes ahead. "There are traps."
"Traps?" Misty and Tracey immediately halted and looked carefully. Sure enough, they spotted disguised tripwires and nets hidden beneath fallen leaves.
"Team Rocket, right?" Tracey sighed. "They really never give up."
Ash said nothing, his eyes turning slightly cold.
He stepped forward, precisely avoiding every trigger point. Then he raised both hands, a faint blue glow forming in his palms. His Aura manifested into invisible blades, cleanly cutting through the tripwire mechanisms and severing the support points of the nets. The entire process was smooth and efficient, without triggering a single alarm.
"Alright, the traps are cleared. Let's go." Ash dusted off his hands and spoke calmly as he took the lead.
Misty and Tracey exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of surprise and concern in each other's eyes.
Ash did deal with Team Rocket often, but rarely like this, with such impatient coldness. And the way he had dismantled the traps just now clearly involved his special ability, something he seldom used before.
Sure enough, before long, three figures leapt out from behind the trees, accompanied by that painfully familiar opening speech:
"""Prepare for trouble!
And make it double!
To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie!
James!
Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Meowth! That's right!"""
"Twerp! Didn't expect you to avoid our traps! But it doesn't matter!" Jessie planted her hands on her hips. "Hand over Pikachu nice and easy!"
Normally, Ash might have just let Pikachu deal with them using Thunderbolt.
But today, perhaps because the emotions he had bottled up back on Mandarin Island had not fully settled, hearing Team Rocket's noisy voices, especially seeing that they still stubbornly targeted Pikachu, caused a nameless anger to flare up inside him. His expression instantly darkened.
He stepped forward, shielding Pikachu behind him, his gaze icy as he stared at the trio. His voice carried a chilling coldness unlike ever before.
"You three… are really annoying."
Before his words even fully settled, a faint blue aura shimmered around his body, his Aura surging restlessly.
He swung his right hand forward sharply, releasing an invisible wave of Aura energy that crashed out like a heavy hammer.
"Waaah!"
"What the heck?!"
"What's going on, meow?!"
The Team Rocket trio felt a massive force slam into them head on. They had no time to react before being blasted straight into the air, tracing three graceful arcs as their screams faded into the distance:
"Why didn't he even use a Pokémon this time?!"
"What a horrible feeling!!!"
At last, the world fell quiet.
Ash slowly lowered his hand. The blue glow around him faded, but the furrow in his brow remained. His chest rose and fell slightly, his emotions clearly not yet fully settled.
Misty and Tracey stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
They knew Ash had special abilities, but seeing him use them so directly and aggressively against people…
"Ash… are you okay?" Misty stepped forward, her voice soft with concern.
Tracey also looked at him with worry.
Ash took a deep breath, as if only now realizing what he had just done. He shook his head, his tone softening slightly.
"I'm fine… It was just a bit noisy."
For the rest of the day, Ash still talked with Pikachu and guided it through their usual training, but compared to before, he was noticeably quieter. A faint shadow seemed to linger between his brows.
Even while tasting the Island's famous berries, he appeared distracted.
That evening, the three of them stayed at a Pokémon Center. In the dining area, Misty and Tracey watched Ash sitting alone by the window, staring absentmindedly into the night. They finally could not hold back any longer and began to talk.
"Ash hasn't seemed right since we left the Mandarin Island," Tracey said in a low voice.
"Yeah…" Misty nodded, her face full of concern. "Especially today. His reaction to Team Rocket was too intense. Before, he would at most just have Pikachu blast them away…"
"Do you think it has something to do with that guy, Rudy, from the Trovita Gym?" Tracey speculated. "Back then, Ash's behavior was pretty aggressive."
Misty's face flushed slightly as she recalled how Ash had interrupted Rudy's invitation, his unusually fierce offense during the battle, and the way he had firmly taken the bouquet from her at the end. A vague thought formed in her mind, one that made her heart beat faster.
"I… I'll go talk to him." Misty stood up, took a deep breath, and walked over to Ash.
She sat down across from him. Ash came back to his senses and glanced at her, but said nothing.
"Ash," Misty began softly, her fingers nervously twisting together, "have you… had something on your mind lately? Ever since we came back from Mandarin Island, you haven't seemed in a good mood."
Ash froze for a moment, clearly not expecting her to ask so directly.
He looked away awkwardly and replied stubbornly, "No, I'm fine. I've just been thinking about the next Gym battle."
"Really?" Misty looked at his evasive gaze, growing more certain of her suspicion.
Gathering her courage, she carefully asked, "Is it… because of Rudy?"
Ash's body stiffened noticeably, and the tips of his ears turned red at a visible speed. Still, he forced himself to stay composed and retorted with a hint of embarrassment and irritation, "Huh? Because of him? No way! That self important guy, I beat him because he just wasn't strong enough! Why would I feel bad because of him!"
Seeing his obvious denial and flustered reaction, Misty suddenly could not help but laugh.
So… he really was jealous.
This boy who was calm and composed in battle, who never backed down against strong opponents, was actually so clumsy… and kind of cute when it came to feelings.
Ash grew even more embarrassed at her laughter, his face heating up. "W-what are you laughing at!"
Misty held back her laughter, though a gentle smile still lingered in her eyes.
She looked at Ash, her gaze turning serious yet soft. "Ash, thank you."
"Thank me for what?" Ash was caught off guard by her sudden gratitude.
"Thank you… for what happened at the Trovita Gym." Misty lowered her head slightly, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. Her voice was soft but clear. "Thank you for stepping in and interrupting Rudy's invitation. Thank you for trying so hard in the battle… and thank you for taking that bouquet for me at the end."
She raised her head and looked straight into Ash's slightly panicked eyes. "Actually… I was really troubled at the time. I didn't know how to refuse him. You helped me out of that situation. And…"
She paused, her voice becoming softer, carrying a hint of sweetness, "seeing you like that… I was actually a little happy."
Ash was completely stunned. Looking at Misty's slightly flushed face and her bright eyes reflecting the lights, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
So… she did not like that Rudy? So… she had noticed his feelings? And… she did not seem to dislike them?
A warm, indescribable feeling washed through him, instantly sweeping away the gloom that had been weighing on his heart.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his throat felt dry.
In the end, he could only give a slightly silly smile and scratch his nose. "I see… that's good."
Seeing him like this, Misty could not help but smile as well. The earlier tension and awkwardness completely disappeared.
The atmosphere between them became subtle yet harmonious, an unspoken understanding quietly taking shape.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, gently enveloping the two of them.
From a distance, Tracey watched as the tension between them clearly eased, even carrying a faint hint of something more. He smiled in relief, silently picked up his juice, and walked away, leaving the space to them.
That night, the starry sky over Island seemed especially bright.
The haze in Ash's heart had cleared, and a tender, budding emotion quietly began to take root.
...
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