Cicadas called back and forth from the treetops as Ash walked along the damp soil of the riverbank.
The familiar scene from his memories gradually overlapped with what lay before him.
This was the exact place where, in the original story, Misty had fished Ash and Pikachu out of the river.
Just then, the sound of splashing water came from up ahead.
Ash followed the sound, and his gaze was instantly drawn to a flash of bright orange.
A young woman sat by the shore, her side ponytail swaying lightly with her movements.
The yellow sleeveless top she wore billowed slightly in the river breeze, revealing her slender waistline.
Her blue denim shorts hugged her long legs, and the red suspenders at her waist swung in a lively arc.
Ash looked at the girl’s vivid, energetic figure, and his throat tightened unconsciously.
The hot-tempered yet kindhearted Water-type Pokémon Master from the original story was now standing right in front of him, alive and real.
Maybe he should give her a gift.
So Ash opened the system’s cheat interface.
He directly entered an encounter code and typed in Feebas’s number.
“I got a bite!”
Misty’s bell-like cry broke the stillness over the river.
The fishing rod in her hands bent into a perfect crescent.
Water splashed like shattered jade, and a rainbow faintly appeared in the mist.
But when she saw that what hung from the line was a Feebas with dull gray fins and dark yellow scales, her smile instantly collapsed.
“It’s so ugly!”
As she spoke, she was about to remove the hook and release it.
“Wait!”
Ash reached the rock in a few quick steps.
He held her wrist and said, “After Feebas evolves, it becomes Milotic, the most beautiful Pokémon.
Are you sure you want to release it?”
Only then did Misty realize that a boy had appeared beside her.
She looked him up and down warily, but her gaze was quickly drawn to the Pokédex Ash handed over.
On the screen, Milotic’s elegant figure and moonlight-like scales shimmered through the virtual waves, a world apart from the wrinkled Feebas in front of her.
“Really?!”
Her voice suddenly rose, and her fingertips trembled as they brushed across the Pokédex screen.
When Ash nodded in confirmation, Misty immediately took a Poké Ball from her waist.
A flash of red light shone, and Feebas turned into a beam of light that sank into the ball.
After shaking three times, it locked with a ding.
“Awesome!”
Misty raised the Poké Ball high and cheered, her ponytail brushing past the tip of Ash’s nose.
Then she suddenly remembered something.
When she turned around, the scent of orange shampoo from her hair rushed toward him. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Thanks!
I’m Misty.
What’s your name?”
There were still droplets of water on her upturned face, but her eyes were brighter than the shimmering river.
Ash straightened his chest.
With the confidence and energy unique to a young man, he smiled and said, “My name is Ash.
I’m a new Trainer from Pallet Town, and I’ve just started my journey with the goal of becoming a Pokémon Master.”
“My goal is to become a Water-type Pokémon Master.
Thanks for what you did just now, Ash,” Misty said with a smile.
“It’s nothing.” Ash smiled and waved it off, his gaze gentle.
“Where are you heading next?”
“Viridian City, I guess,” Misty said, tilting her head.
“Perfect.
Let’s go together,” Ash invited without hesitation, his face filled with a sincere smile.
“Sure.” Misty readily agreed, putting away the Poké Ball containing Feebas as she spoke.
Eevee poked its head out from behind Ash, its round eyes curiously looking at Misty.
“Eevee, Eevee~”
It greeted Misty.
Misty’s attention was instantly caught.
She could not help reaching out and gently stroking Eevee’s head.
“It’s an Eevee.
So cute!”
Eevee narrowed its eyes comfortably, enjoying Misty’s touch while letting out a satisfied purr.
Pikachu also came over, crying “Pika, Pika,” as if protesting that Misty was only paying attention to Eevee.
Seeing this, Misty laughed and stroked Pikachu’s head as well.
“Pikachu is cute too!”
Watching this scene, Ash felt that this new journey would definitely be even happier.
And so, they packed up their things and set off along the riverbank toward Viridian City.
Along the way, the cheerful cries of Pokémon and the laughter and conversation of Ash and Misty rang out from time to time.
Sunlight scattered across the winding path as Ash and Misty walked side by side, while the Pokémon played happily beside them.
Misty pushed a fairly ordinary but carefully polished bicycle.
Its wheels rolled over the gravel road with a creak, creak sound.
Ash looked at the bicycle, and for some reason, a strange unease rose in his heart.
He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the bicycle again and again.
He kept feeling like something was going to happen.
Images suddenly flashed through his mind, as if the bicycle were being…
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this bicycle could only be ridden at noon—because sooner or later, something was bound to happen to it. This story is hosted at g.com.
“Misty, that bicycle looks pretty new,” Ash said, trying to make his tone sound light and casual.
He did not want Misty to notice anything strange about him.
Misty’s face was full of smiles.
“Of course.
I chose it very carefully.
I really like it.”
Ash opened his mouth, originally wanting to warn her, but the words reached his lips and were swallowed back down.
Maybe he was overthinking it.
After all, things were already very different from the original story now.
Maybe this bicycle could escape its fate.
They continued walking forward.
Misty pushed the bike while speaking enthusiastically about her love for Water-type Pokémon and her dream of becoming a Water-type Pokémon Master.
Ash listened and nodded from time to time, but his gaze could not help drifting back to the bicycle.
In his heart, he silently prayed that his bad feeling was wrong…
At this point, Ash was completely different from the slightly inexperienced boy in the original story.
His once-ordinary features had become sharper and more handsome.
Beneath his tall nose, his thin lips curved slightly, carrying a faintly confident smile.
His neat short hair moved gently in the breeze, giving him a youthful vitality.
Thanks to his identity as a transmigrator and the system’s help, Ash’s aura had become increasingly unique.
He had both a young man’s energy and a faint sense of steadiness.
The changes in his height and build were also obvious.
In the original story, Ash had been a little shorter than Misty.
Now, he was half a head taller than her.
Broad shoulders, a straight posture, well-fitting clothes, and his iconic cap made him look especially upright and handsome.
Walking beside him while pushing her bicycle, Misty’s gaze would drift toward Ash without her realizing it.
She secretly glanced at his side profile.
His focused expression, tall nose, and the slight curve of his lips all sent faint ripples through her heart.
Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she quickly looked away.
But before long, her gaze uncontrollably returned to him again.
Meanwhile, Ash was also watching her bicycle from the corner of his eye.
“Pikachu, please be a little more careful,” Ash silently prayed in his heart.
[Pikachu: Relax, bro.
I’ve got this.
Definitely being careful.]