The video continued.
Brock stood up.
“Alright.
All of your Pokémon need some proper rest.
Stay at my place tonight.
You can call your parents to let them know you’re safe, then head out tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
Holding Eevee in her arms, Aoi couldn’t hide her excitement.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: Waaaaah, Brock is the best.
[Professor Oak]: This is the inheritance passed down between Trainers…
seniors guiding juniors, who then grow up and guide the next generation.
[Lance]: Professor Oak is right.
This is one of the most precious things in the Pokémon world.
[Cynthia]: Well then, the Pewter Gym battle is over.
Aoi has earned her first Badge.
[Diantha]: Where will she go next?
[Iris]: Cerulean City, maybe?
Wait, no, that’s her home…
Then Vermilion City?
[Dawn]: Not necessarily.
Kanto has plenty of Gyms.
She can choose her own route.
[Max]: Ahhh, Sis, do you think she’ll come to Hoenn?
[May]: How would I know?
The scene changed.
Inside Brock’s living room.
Aoi had a cookie hanging from her mouth as she hurried toward the house’s video communicator.
“Almost forgot…
Mom told me to contact her as soon as I reached Pewter City.”
The call connected in less than two seconds.
Misty’s face appeared on the screen, with the familiar interior of home behind her.
“Aoi!
Did you make it to Pewter City?
Did anything dangerous happen on the road?
Have you eaten yet?”
Aoi counted on her fingers as she answered.
“Mom, I got to Pewter City.
Nothing dangerous happened.
I was just about to eat.
Uncle Brock is making curry.”
The tension visibly drained from Misty’s face.
Then she immediately switched into inspection mode.
“Brock’s curry is fine, but don’t eat too much spicy food.”
“Misty, I can hear you.”
Brock stuck his head out from the kitchen.
“I know.
I said it for your benefit.”
Carrying two mugs of hot cocoa, Brock walked over and set one in front of Aoi.
“Don’t worry.
Aoi will be perfectly safe here.”
“Mm.
Thanks for taking care of her.”
After exchanging a few words with Brock, Misty turned her attention back to Aoi.
“Mom, look!
I won the Pewter Gym’s Boulder Badge!”
She pushed the Badge close to the camera, her face full of anticipation, clearly hoping for her parents’ approval.
A gentle smile appeared on Misty’s face.
“Mm.
You won beautifully.”
“Just as expected of my daughter.”
“Mom, where’s Dad?”
The camera swept across the living room.
Asher Winter was reclining on the sofa, a wine glass in one hand and an open book resting across his knees.
He lifted the glass slightly toward the camera and smiled.
“Nicely battled.”
Aoi blinked. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Dad, guess who I beat?”
“Brock’s younger brother.”
“Oh?
How are you so sure?”
“A guess.”
Asher took a sip of tea.
“That guy wouldn’t go all out against a little girl.”
Brock’s mouth twitched.
“…I was the one battling.
And that Gyarados and Blastoise weren’t exactly at the level of a little girl’s Pokémon.”
“Really?”
A faint trace of amusement entered Asher’s voice.
“Then you have my sympathies.”
Brock rubbed his forehead.
“Talking to you is just as exhausting as ever.”
The scene shifted to the next morning.
Aoi stood at the doorway with an overstuffed backpack.
Before she left, Brock had crammed another large bag of homemade travel rations inside.
“For the road,” Brock said.
“Your mother specifically reminded me last night.
She said you’re a picky eater.”
Aoi’s face turned red.
“I’m not picky…”
“Oh really?
Then why did your mother tell me that when you were little, you hid bell peppers inside Wartortle’s shell so you wouldn’t have to eat them?”
Aoi’s face became even redder.
“I did not!
I love bell peppers!”
Brock couldn’t help laughing.
“Alright, alright.
I’m just teasing you.
Stay safe out there.”
“Mm!”
Aoi nodded energetically.
“Thank you, Uncle Brock!
Next time I come back, I’ll be even stronger!”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Leaning against the doorframe, Brock smiled with narrowed eyes.
“But next time, remember to give me advance notice so I can prepare plenty of your favorite bell peppers.”
Aoi’s smile froze instantly.
“…”
Brock burst out laughing.
“Just kidding.
Off you go.”
Puffing out her cheeks, Aoi turned around and marched away.
After a few steps, she stopped.
Turning back, she waved vigorously.
“Goodbye, Uncle Brock!”
Then she turned once more and ran toward her next destination, with Eevee happily trotting beside her.
[Public Chat Group]
“Hahahahaha!
Brock’s bell pepper finisher nearly killed me!”
“Even after winning a Gym battle, she’s still being hunted by bell peppers.
Is this what parental love looks like?”
“Brock really treats Aoi like his own niece.
Stuffing her backpack with food, teasing her…”
“So in the parallel world, Brock may not have a girlfriend, but he does have a whole bunch of younger kids to take care of.”
“That hit way too accurately.”
“Stop!
Every time I see Brock posting marriage ads now, I start laughing.”
[VIP Chat Group]
[Brock]: What’s wrong with bell peppers?
They’re healthy.
[Ash]: Brock, that’s not the point.
[Brock]: Then what is?
[Brock]: That’s not a threat.
Being a picky eater is bad.
[Gary]: Aoi isn’t picky.
She just doesn’t like them.
Everyone has foods they dislike.
[Brock]: That’s fair, actually.
The scene shifted again.
A forest path stretched ahead.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering patches of light and shadow across the ground.
Aoi walked through the forest while studying a map in her hands.
Eevee wasn’t walking beside her this time.
Instead, it sat atop her head like a fluffy hat.
“Eevee, walking around like this is tiring, you know.”
“Eevee.”
Eevee patted her bangs with a paw as if expressing sympathy.
Aoi sighed but didn’t take it down.
“Our next stop is Vermilion City.”
She counted on her fingers.
“The Vermilion Gym uses Electric-types…
I need to figure out who to use first.”
“Eevee, Eevee.”
“Mm, you’re right.
Electric-types are bad news for our team.
We need a good strategy.”
“Eevee.”
“You think Blastoise should lead?”
“But Blastoise is Water-type.
Electric attacks will hurt it even more.”
“Eevee, Eevee, Eevee.”
“Eevee, that’s way too cruel!
Blastoise would be heartbroken!”
“Eevee~”
“Even if it forgives me afterward, I still don’t want to do that.”
“Eevee, Eevee, Eevee.”
“You think it fought so hard at the Gym that it deserves a good rest first?”
“That actually makes sense…”
“Eevee!”
One girl and one Eevee continued chatting as they walked.
Their voices echoed down the forest path.
After a while, Eevee hopped down from Aoi’s head and landed on her shoulder, brushing her cheek gently with its tail.
Aoi turned her head and rubbed against Eevee affectionately.
Then she continued toward the next city.
[Public Chat Group]
“She’s actually having a conversation with Eevee?!”
“I can’t understand what Eevee is saying, but somehow Aoi understands everything.”
“Is this what a future Water-type Master looks like as a kid…?
When I was ten, I was still fighting a neighbor’s Rattata over Berries.”
“Buddy, if a Rattata steals your Berries, it means it likes you.”
“No.
It just wanted my Berries.”
“Hahahahaha!”
[VIP Chat Group]
[Dawn]: The way Aoi interacts with Eevee is just like how I interact with Piplup!
I can’t understand every word Piplup says either, but I always know what it means!
[Ash]: Same with me and Pikachu!
[Wallace]: Communication between Trainers and Pokémon has never been limited to language alone.
Even when she was very young, Aoi could naturally attract Pokémon and earn their trust.
That’s an exceptionally rare talent.
[Cynthia]: Indeed.
That kind of communication is extremely uncommon in a ten-year-old Trainer.
Most Trainers still haven’t learned it by the time they’re twenty.
[Lance]: At this point, I believe it completely.
Her ability to befriend Lugia and Suicune was never simply a matter of luck.
[Bruno]: You only believe it now?
I’ve believed it for ages.