“Aaron, is there any girl you like here?”
Ash was surfing in the sea, while Aaron and Delia Ketchum were chatting as mother and son.
Somehow, their conversation gradually drifted toward something much more serious—life-long relationships.
Aaron felt helpless listening to it.
He really wanted to tell his mother that he was only ten years old—what kind of romance was she talking about?
But he also knew it would be meaningless to say that.
This was the Pokémon world, a place where things were absurd in its own way.
The legal age of marriage was thirteen.
Yes, thirteen.
After all, children were considered adults at ten here.
At that age, they could travel the world and even possess inhuman strength.
Otherwise, Brock, who was only fifteen in the original story, wouldn’t be constantly chasing girls while openly talking about marriage.
“Mom, I want to focus on my research and work.
I don’t have time for that kind of thing.
I plan to become a Professor in the future,” Aaron replied, trying to deflect the topic.
“You can do research and look for a girlfriend at the same time.
There are plenty of girls here,” Delia Ketchum said.
“That would be distracting.
Besides, Mom, you’re so beautiful.
If I were to find a girlfriend, she couldn’t be too far off from you.
Otherwise you’d feel uncomfortable, and she’d feel inferior,” Aaron said smoothly.
“Always with the sweet talk to make me happy,” Delia Ketchum said with a playful eye roll.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Who says there aren’t beautiful girls here?
Look to the right.”
“Huh?”
Aaron turned his head curiously—and froze.
There, standing nearby, was a woman in a light blue swimsuit.
Her long red hair flowed down beside her delicate face, slightly curled at the ends.
Her skin was fair and flawless, her features exquisitely refined—no less beautiful than Delia Ketchum herself.
And her figure was even more astonishing.
A slender waist, perfectly balanced curves—she was easily a perfect score.
A true beauty.
For a brief moment, Aaron felt his heart stir.
In his past life, he had been well into his twenties and still single.
Now, in this life, he was only ten.
Seeing such a stunning woman up close, he couldn’t help but stare a little longer than he should have.
The woman seemed to notice his gaze and turned toward him curiously.
Aaron quickly looked away, a faint blush rising on his face as he pretended to be calm.
The woman’s lips curled slightly in amusement.
She had seen it—he had looked at her.
But she didn’t mind.
In fact, the sight of a ten-year-old boy blushing felt rather cute.
Still, she didn’t approach him.
After a brief smile, she turned and walked away.
Only then did Aaron let out a breath of relief, leaning back into his chair.
Yet the image of the woman lingered in his mind.
For some reason, she felt strangely familiar.
After that, he didn’t see her again for the rest of the day.
Still, the family spent a peaceful and enjoyable vacation.
After dinner, Ash was coaxed into staying with Delia Ketchum, while Aaron went out for a walk alone.
Under the golden glow of the sunset, he strolled along the beach, the soft sand beneath his feet.
He watched Water-type Pokémon leaping from the sea—especially the elegant Milotic, often called the most beautiful Pokémon.
Its long, graceful body rose above the waves, scattering shimmering droplets that sparkled in the golden light.
Aaron couldn’t help but admire it.
This was truly a world of harmony between humans and nature.
Unknowingly, he wandered into a nearby forest to enjoy the tranquility.
But in the next instant—
A white blur suddenly lunged at him.
Caught completely off guard, Aaron was knocked backward onto the ground.
When he looked up, he saw a pair of panicked blue eyes staring at him.
Only then did he realize that what was in his arms was a small fox-like Pokémon covered in snowy fur.
An Alolan Vulpix?
With his knowledge of Pokémon, Aaron immediately recognized it.
Alolan Vulpix, also known as Ice Vulpix, a Pokémon introduced in the seventh generation.
Unlike the Fire-type Kanto Vulpix, this one was Ice-type—and even more adorable.
The moment he confirmed its identity, excitement surged through him.
Because Alolan Ninetales, its evolution, was an Ice and Fairy-type Pokémon.
And Fairy-type Pokémon had not yet been officially discovered.
This was exactly the research direction he had been preparing for.
If he could obtain this Ice Vulpix and evolve it, he would have undeniable proof.
Just thinking about it filled him with excitement.
But before his joy could settle, the Vulpix suddenly stepped on his face and bolted forward.
Aaron sat there in stunned silence, feeling both confused and wronged.
And then—
A furious roar echoed through the forest.
A golden energy beam erupted in the distance.
Aaron’s expression instantly changed.
“Hyper Beam!”
The strongest Normal-type move.
A technique so powerful it could serve as a benchmark for judging a Pokémon’s strength.
A Pokémon capable of using Hyper Beam was never weak.
“ROOOAR!”
The roar grew louder.
Aaron turned his head in panic—and saw a massive brown bear-like Pokémon charging toward them, at least 1.8 meters tall, a circular pattern on its chest.
Ursaring!
His mind nearly broke down on the spot.
Why of all things did it have to be this monster?!
But there was no time to think.
The Ursaring was closing in, relentless and furious.
Judging by its expression, it had no intention of letting them go.
And worse—he didn’t want to abandon the rare Ice Vulpix either.
So he ran.
Thankfully, humans in this world had enhanced physical abilities.
Aaron managed to keep pace with the Vulpix, barely avoiding instant death.
Behind them, Ursaring roared again and again, firing Hyper Beam without hesitation.
Aaron internally screamed in disbelief.
Isn’t there supposed to be a cooldown after Hyper Beam?!
No one answered him.
Only the sound of desperate escape filled the forest.
A blast of Hyper Beam struck between him and Vulpix, tearing the ground apart and forming a deep ravine.
The Vulpix was blown upward, letting out a pitiful cry midair.
Aaron quickly caught it and rolled down a slope, using his body to shield it.
“Vulpix…”
The little Pokémon let out a soft cry, blinking in confusion, as if it couldn’t understand why a human would protect it.
“It’s fine.
We’ll get out of this,” Aaron said, patting its head.
Despite his earlier thoughts about Fairy-type research, his feelings for Pokémon were genuine.
After two years as Professor Oak’s assistant, he truly loved them.
Another roar echoed behind them.
Aaron shivered and forced himself to stand.
They weren’t safe yet.
He ran again.
He didn’t know how long he ran—rolling, stumbling, covered in wounds—until eventually, the Ursaring caught up.
Looking at the towering, ferocious Pokémon, Aaron collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.
As the massive paw came crashing down, despair filled his mind.
Just don’t kill me outright… at least leave me crippled…
At that moment—
A cold voice rang out.
“Mega Punch.”
A pink Pokémon resembling a slow-moving hippo appeared in front of him.
Its fist glowed faintly white as it slammed into Ursaring’s paw with a thunderous impact.
Ursaring was forced back.
The Pokémon didn’t budge at all.
“Slowbro, Disable.”
The same cold voice sounded again.
Ursaring’s expression shifted to panic as its body froze in place.
“Psychic.”
Slowbro’s eyes lit up with strange light, and the once-dominant Ursaring was lifted into the air and hurled away like a meteor.
Aaron, clutching the Vulpix, finally let out a breath of relief.
Being alive… felt really good.
“Are you okay, little one?”
The woman he had seen earlier on the beach walked over, bending slightly with a gentle smile.
“Slowbro… glasses… beauty… you’re Lorelei?”
Aaron suddenly realized.
No wonder she had felt familiar earlier.