The system's entry drops were said to be random, but in truth, the lower the Pokémon's level, the lower the rarity of the item it dropped.
And the weaker the Pokémon, the worse the Attribute would be.
Ash didn't even need to scan Team Rocket's Meowth with his system.
Just by sensing through his Aura, he could tell that Meowth was, at best, an Elite-level Pokémon.
To be honest, that was already impressive for a Pokémon like Meowth.
It wasn't that Ash looked down on it — it's just that for an ordinary Meowth to drop a golden-tier item with an absurd ability like [Evergreen Force]...
That was something straight out of a fairy tale.
The odds of that happening were probably lower than winning the lottery — a hundred times over!
Was it because this Meowth was part of the "plot"?
Or maybe the system judged it to be a unique Meowth since it could talk, making it count as a rare Pokémon?
Whatever the reason, this was like a pie falling straight from the sky — and Ash wasn't about to let it go to waste.
He accepted the reward without hesitation.
The Evergreen Force entry seemed perfect for personal use, but his entry slots were already full.
He'd have to decide later which one to replace...
While Ash was still thinking, he reached out and took Serena's soft hand in the dark.
Together, they walked up to Nurse Joy.
"I can use my Pikachu to restore the power for the Pokémon Center," Ash said.
Most Pokémon Centers kept injured Pokémon in recovery machines that required constant electricity to operate.
But thanks to Team Rocket's earlier attack, the main power generator had been destroyed.
So Ash came up with a simple solution — Pikachu as a living power source.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" Nurse Joy bowed deeply, tears of gratitude in her eyes. "I'll tell all my sisters. From now on, if you ever need treatment at any Pokémon Center in Kanto, it'll be completely free!"
Ash quickly waved his hand.
"There's no need for that. We're just glad to help."
With Pikachu's help, the generator roared back to life, and the building filled with light once again.
Ash stayed behind to help the staff tidy up and check the machines.
He had always respected Pokémon Centers.
After all, outside treatment shops charged an outrageous amount for even basic Potions.
But in a Pokémon Center, normal treatment was free.
Only major surgeries or advanced recovery procedures cost anything.
That alone made Nurse Joys and their Centers some of the most selfless people in the world and Ash wanted to repay that kindness.
Serena watched quietly from the side.
She remembered how Ash had instinctively stood in front of her when danger struck,
how he had held her hand in the dark, and now how he was helping the Pokémon Center without asking for anything in return.
Her heart beat faster.
Her cheeks burned pink.
She finally had to admit it — she was falling for him, more and more.
Meanwhile, someone else was watching all of this.
That night, the Pokémon Center was fully restored.
With advanced Pokémon tech, repairs were fast — by dawn, everything looked brand new again.
The next morning, Ash and Serena waved goodbye to Nurse Joy and prepared to set off for their next destination — Pewter City.
To reach Pewter City, they had to pass through Viridian Forest.
After stocking up on Repel sprays and enough food for the journey, they were ready to go.
But just as they reached the forest's entrance, Ash suddenly stopped and turned around.
Serena blinked.
"What's wrong, Ash? Did you forget something?"
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Well… you, hiding behind the trash can. Come out. I can see you."
The person behind the trash can froze.
She was small — almost completely hidden from normal sight.
But Ash wasn't relying on sight. His Aura sense had picked her up easily.
Whoever it was had been following them since last night.
From the Pokémon Center to the marketplace, and now all the way to the edge of the forest.
After being called out, the figure hesitated, then slowly peeked her head out.
When Serena saw who it was, her eyes widened in surprise.
She had expected some creepy old man — not a pretty orange-haired girl.
It was the same girl Ash had glanced at in the Pokémon Center — Misty!
Ash wasn't surprised.
He had memorized Misty's Aura the moment he'd seen her.
But he still didn't understand why she was following them.
Misty stepped out, rubbing her arm awkwardly.
"Um… hi~ Nice to meet you. I'm Misty! I was at the Pokémon Center yesterday!"
She smiled nervously, clasping her hands together.
"I'm heading to Pewter City too, but... I'm really afraid of the bugs in Viridian Forest. Could you please let me come along?"
Ash raised an eyebrow.
"You followed us all the way here... just for that?"
"Y-Yeah! That's the only reason!" Misty insisted, laughing nervously.
Ash didn't buy it.
There were plenty of routes to Pewter City.
Viridian Forest was the shortest but also the most dangerous for someone afraid of Bug-types.
And last night, Misty had a bicycle with her.
Now, it was mysteriously gone.
Something didn't add up.
Was this the wind of fate blowing back again?
Was Misty destined to travel with him no matter what?
Ash sighed.
He didn't refuse, but before deciding, he turned to Serena.
"What do you think?"
Serena hesitated for a moment.
Though she felt a small pang of jealousy, she eventually smiled.
"It's fine. Let's all go together."
Ash nodded."Alright then. Welcome to the team, Misty."
And just like that, the trio's new adventure began the start of a journey where fate, friendship, and destiny would begin to intertwine once more.
(End of the chapter)