“N-no looking! Turn away quickly!” Ayumi’s voice carried a hint of embarrassment.
“Alright, alright~”
Ash immediately turned around and gave her some privacy.
He pushed the campfire closer to her and began drying the clothes that had become soaked from the rain.
The crackling of burning branches occasionally echoed through the tree hollow.
After eating the warmed Oran Berry and wrapping herself in the dry covering Ash had prepared, Ayumi gradually began to relax.
The warmth of the fire made her increasingly sleepy, and before long, she had fallen asleep on the dry grass.
Looking at the girl’s slightly furrowed brows, Ash thought for a moment before taking off his outer shirt.
He quietly walked over and placed it over Ayumi as an additional layer.
Then he returned to the bonfire and sat down.
There was nothing more to do for the moment, so Ash finally had time to check his system.
Opening his Arceus phone, several notifications rang in his mind.
“Ding… Main Quest: First Partner has been completed! You have received the Travel Essential Gift Pack! A new main quest has been issued; please check it…”
“Ding… Mythical Pokémon Mew has been registered in the Pokédex! Quest: The Wanderer has been completed! You have received item: One-Time Anywhere Door! The Legendary Pokémon Pokédex Collection Quest has been added to your list…”
“Ding… Lifetime Achievement: Path of the Grandmaster Stage One has been achieved! You have received Grandmaster Gift Pack 1!…”
“Huh?”
Ash was stunned.
He hadn’t expected to complete two additional quests besides the main one.
Opening the quest log, he saw that the content had been updated.
Main Quest: Gym Challenger Squad
Requirement: Catch 3 Pokémon.
Reward: Mysterious Gift Pack 1.
Legendary Pokémon Pokédex Collection
To become a true Grandmaster, you first need to become acquainted with the Legendary Pokémon.
Requirement: Register any Legendary Pokémon, Mythical Pokémon, Ultra Beast, or Paradox Pokémon in the Pokédex.
Reward: A random item matching the characteristics of the Pokémon.
Lifetime Path of the Grandmaster — Stage Two 2/10
Requirement: It’s impossible to just pad the word count, Ji Yin guarantees it.
Reward: Grandmaster Gift Pack 1.
One-Time Anywhere Door
A one-time item summoned by Mew’s wandering nature.
It is said to have once been stored in a certain cat’s belly pocket, severely damaged, and can only be used once.
Effect: Passing through this door allows instant travel to any desired location.
Ash’s mouth twitched.
This item really did suit Mew.
Tossing the Anywhere Door into his backpack, Ash opened the two gift packs.
“Ding… Opening Travel Essential Gift Pack. You have received: Universal Bracelet, Faith Baseball Cap 1, Lightning Speed Boots 2, Indestructible Battle Suit 2, and All-Encompassing Grand Tent!”
Universal Bracelet: A bracelet that integrates various functions such as weather forecast, disaster warning, phone, video, and a morally questionable map.
It is recommended to explore its functions on your own.
Faith Baseball Cap: A cool baseball cap that can block the sun.
Legend has it that when a partner Pokémon wears it, it can unleash powerful strength.
Note: Most legends are unreliable.
Lightning Speed Boots: Lightweight and non-slip running shoes suitable for various terrains that never wear out.
Note: You’re thinking too much.
They don’t increase speed.
Two pairs are available for rotation~.
Note: Don’t misunderstand.
They’re simply clothes that won’t tear.
Two sets are available for rotation~.
All-Encompassing Grand Tent: A sufficiently tough tent that automatically blocks sound and psychic detection, allowing you to safely rest inside.
Note: Its size can be freely adjusted.
When rolled up, it can even wrap around a Snorlax two hundred times!
No more worrying about not having enough space for a large traveling party~.
“…”
Ash’s forehead was covered in black lines.
The names sounded incredible, but most of them turned out to be far more ordinary than their descriptions suggested.
Still, they were practical.
And the large tent in particular would be extremely useful during his travels.
“Ding… Opening Grandmaster Gift Pack. You have received: Soul Core!”
Soul Core: A crystal condensed with vast soul power.
After use, it can open a Psychic Space in the spiritual sea and gradually nourish damaged souls.
“Hmm?”
Ash’s eyes lit up.
“If it can repair souls, perhaps it can restore Arceus’s talent!”
Ash took out the Soul Core.
It looked like a crystal formed from a shard of ice.
It slowly shimmered and rotated in the air before transforming into a stream of light and rushing into Ash’s forehead.
“Ugh…”
Ash suddenly felt as if he had been struck by a Slaking’s Arm Hammer.
His consciousness went blank.
His body slumped beside the bonfire, and he fainted inside the tree hollow.
His consciousness appeared in a chaotic space.
At the center was a small spring.
The spring constantly spread outward, and by now, it had accumulated an area roughly the size of a bowl.
Ash could sense that its growth was incredibly slow.
If things continued at this rate, it might take hundreds or even thousands of years for the water to completely fill this space.
The next moment, the stream of light appeared above the spring.
As it shimmered, the entire world seemed to begin raining sweet dew.
The falling droplets quickly gathered into the original clear spring.
During the process, Ash felt his spiritual perception constantly growing stronger.
The rain seemed endless.
The tiny spring gradually became a small lake.
But Ash could sense that this was not the limit of the space.
As the water accumulated, the surrounding space seemed to expand as well, becoming increasingly vast.
Finally, the rain stopped.
The crystal floating above the lake slowly transformed into a clear stone before sinking into the water.
Meanwhile, Ash remained completely immersed in his spiritual world.
After some time, Ayumi slowly woke up.
“This is…?”
She looked around in confusion.
The first thing she noticed was Ash sitting beside the bonfire, seemingly unconscious.
His outer shirt had been placed over her earlier to help keep her warm. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Beside her was a bottle of warm Moomoo Milk that Ash had prepared before entering his spiritual state.
“Gulp…”
After finishing the milk, Ayumi let out a satisfied sigh.
She then looked toward Ash.
“Stupid Ash…”
She remembered how worried he had been when she became sick, and her expression softened.
Since Ash was still unconscious, Ayumi decided to check whether he was alright.
She carefully moved closer and watched him for a moment.
“Ash?”
No response.
“Pikachu?”
“Pika…”
Pikachu also seemed unsure what was happening.
Ayumi noticed the strange bracelet on Ash’s wrist.
It was the Thousand Universe Bracelet.
She had seen him use it several times before, but she had never gotten a good look at it.
“Hmm… What’s this thing?”
She carefully examined it without disturbing Ash.
The bracelet reflected the light of the campfire, its strange markings faintly glowing.
Ayumi reached out and touched one of the symbols.
“Is it some kind of special Pokémon device?”
She tried to figure out how it worked, but nothing happened.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, she gave up.
“Well, I’ll ask him later.”
She carefully moved back toward the fire.
Just then—
“Ugh…”
Ash suddenly hummed.
His eyes slowly opened.
Ayumi immediately jumped back.
“A-Ash! You’re awake!”
Ash blinked several times.
“Where… am I?”
“You fainted!”
Ayumi pointed at him.
“I thought something had happened to you!”
Ash looked around the tree hollow before remembering the Soul Core.
Then his expression became serious.
“So it worked…”
He immediately focused his attention inward.
The chaotic space in his consciousness had completely changed.
A small lake now occupied its center, and his spiritual perception had become much clearer than before.
Ash’s eyes gradually lit up.
“The Psychic Space has been formed…”