Misty did not care in the slightest what Ash was thinking at the moment.
She applied a bit more force with her hand, lifting Ash’s head up and bringing his face right in front of hers so that their eyes met.
Then, with a fierce expression, she asked word by word, “Do you remember who exactly borrowed my bicycle!?”
Faced with her question, Ash’s mind went blank for a moment.
Who borrowed your bicycle?
If you are asking me, who am I supposed to ask?
Ash had almost assumed that the girl in front of him had come here just to pick a fight.
But just as he was about to argue back with complete confidence, a vague memory suddenly surfaced in his mind without warning.
…
A rushing river, cold rain, and the relentless flock of Spearow chasing behind him.
He had been fished out of the river by a girl using a fishing rod, and then…
Then he seemed to have seen a bicycle on the slope.
“Let me borrow your bicycle! Thanks!”
“My name is Ash, I will wait for you in Viridian City! The bicycle… um, I will return it… definitely… probably…”
…
The memory abruptly cut off.
A layer of cold sweat instantly soaked Ash’s back, and his entire demeanor weakened at once.
It really seemed like he was the one who borrowed the bicycle.
When he looked at Misty again, his expression was already filled with obvious guilt and avoidance.
He no longer dared to meet her gaze, his eyes drifting aimlessly between the ceiling and the floor of the Pokémon Center dining hall.
Misty took in the drastic change in Ash’s attitude from beginning to end and naturally understood that this idiot had finally remembered.
What she had not expected, however, was that just a few hours ago this guy had said… well, maybe not exactly sworn, but at least said he would wait for her in Viridian City.
And what happened then?
It had not even been that long, and this guy had already completely forgotten about her?
Then he had just casually thrown her poor bicycle aside and was now leisurely enjoying dinner in the Pokémon Center.
What made it even more infuriating was that he had actually used a tone of sympathy earlier to say she was pitiful.
Thinking of this, Misty tightened her grip on Ash’s head a little more.
However, just as she was about to continue pressing him, her attention was drawn to something else.
She looked at Pikachu, who was hiding in the corner pretending not to notice what was happening, and could not help but think to herself.
This time…
Pikachu does not seem to be injured much at all?
And Ash did not look like he did in her memory, sitting outside the operating room alone after bringing Pikachu to the Pokémon Center, looking lost and worried as he waited for the results of Pikachu’s treatment.
Everything in front of her did not match the scenes in her memory.
A thought uncontrollably surfaced in Misty’s mind.
Could it be that… Ash or Pikachu is also like me…
But the moment that thought appeared, she immediately dismissed it herself.
She lowered her head and looked at Ash, who was firmly restrained in her grasp, his face clearly saying I know I was wrong but I do not dare to admit it.
And the Pikachu hiding in the corner did not look like it recognized her either.
Forget it.
Thinking this, the anger in Misty’s heart gradually subsided.
She was a mentally mature adult now, so why bother getting angry at this brat?
At the very least, this time Pikachu was safe and sound, and this idiot was not as dejected as he had been in her memory.
Instead, he looked quite energetic.
Thinking about it this way, the sacrifice of her bicycle somehow felt worth it.
Moreover, this also gave her a simpler excuse.
Misty slowly loosened her grip on Ash’s head, but her expression still did not soften.
She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowed her eyes, and looked down at Ash.
“So, what are you going to do about my bicycle?” she asked coldly.
Ash rubbed his head, which was still aching from being squeezed.
Although his memory of riding the bicycle was still somewhat vague, the facts were right in front of him.
That lump of scrap metal on the ground was the best evidence, so there was no way he could deny it now.
He lowered his head dejectedly, his voice much quieter.
“I will compensate you…”
“Compensate me?” Misty’s tone rose instantly.
“My bicycle was very expensive! Do you even have the money to pay for it right now?”
Hearing this, Ash froze again.
Money?
He subconsciously reached into his pocket.
The money he had on hand was probably just enough for daily expenses, maybe with a little extra to buy things he liked.
But to pay for a bicycle…
In his mind, he recalled passing by a bicycle shop before, seeing a cool bike displayed in the window, along with the long string of zeros on its price tag that made people hesitate.
Even if Misty’s bicycle was not a limited edition and was just an ordinary one, with his current financial situation, he simply could not afford it.
If he paid for it, he would be left with nothing.
The idea of asking his mother for money flashed through Ash’s mind for a moment, but he immediately rejected it.
He did not want to call home on the very first day of his journey and ask his mom to help him pay off a debt.
That would make him seem completely unreliable.
If it were Gary, he would definitely have that kind of money.
But asking Gary for a loan… Ash would rather jump off a cliff again.
He still clearly remembered the smug expression Gary had when leaving the lab.
He did not want to give Gary any more reason to laugh at him.
In the end, he could only lift his head and say in a tone that was almost pleading, “Um… I cannot pay you right now, so could I… put it on credit first?”
“On credit, huh?”
Misty deliberately dragged out her words as she repeated them.
Although her expression looked reluctant, inwardly she was smiling with satisfaction.
Her goal had already been achieved.
However, on the surface, she deliberately put on a troubled expression, looking Ash up and down with suspicion.
“How do I know you will not run away? What if you refuse to admit it later?”
Ash completely deflated, asking weakly, “Then what should I do…”
Seeing that the timing was right, Misty cleared her throat.
Crossing her arms, she pretended to think seriously for a moment before slowly speaking.
“You look like a trainer who just started traveling this year, right? In that case, how about this. To make sure you do not run away, we will travel together. That way, you will not be able to escape, right?”
“Huh—?”
Hearing this proposal, Ash’s face instantly filled with reluctance.
Travel together with someone who looked like she could crush his head with one hand?
Just imagining it made his future journey seem bleak.
Seeing the undisguised resistance on Ash’s face, Misty’s expression immediately darkened again.
“Do you have a problem with that?” she asked, her voice carrying a dangerous tone.
“If you are unwilling, then pay me back right now.”
Under her glare, Ash’s survival instincts immediately took over.
“No problem at all! I have absolutely no objections! Please allow me to travel with you!”
Seeing that Ash had finally agreed, the gloom on Misty’s face faded, and she smiled once more.
She nodded in satisfaction and said, “Then it is settled. Let me introduce myself first. I am—”
Just as Misty was about to formally introduce herself to Ash—
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion suddenly erupted from the ceiling of the Pokémon Center without any warning.
The sturdy ceiling was instantly blasted open, leaving a massive hole as debris and dust rained down.
“Ah!”
“What is happening?!”
The dining area immediately fell into chaos, with trainers screaming and scattering in all directions.
At the same moment the explosion sounded, both Ash and Misty instinctively crouched down.
Misty raised one hand to shield herself from the incoming dust and looked up toward the hole above.
There, a giant Meowth-shaped hot air balloon hovered in the sky above the city.
Three familiar figures stood at the edge of the opening, striking exaggerated poses as they looked down at the chaotic crowd below.
The moment Misty saw those three figures clearly, her face instantly showed undisguised annoyance.
She had almost forgotten.
There were still those three troublesome people.
(End of Chapter)