Meowth thought that by imitating humans, he could win the favor of the white moonlight in his heart.
However, after he learned to mimic humans, he only made his own kind feel he was an oddity, and was rejected instead.
Ash finished treating the last wound, put away the Potion, clapped his hands, stood up, and looked down at him from above.
The shadow of his hat brim obscured most of his face.
Only the faint, enigmatic curve of his lips appeared somewhat unfathomable under the moonlight.
Even posturing requires environmental contrast.
With the setting and atmosphere paving the way, that is what you call a proper flex.
It has to be natural~
"I don't care about your past, Meowth."
Ash's voice dropped low.
"I only care about the present."
"You are my Pokémon now."
"According to the laws of the Poké Ball, that is."
Ash stated a fact that was a severe blow to Meowth.
This fact is useless to the vast majority of wild Pokémon.
Because wild Pokémon have no concept of such things.
But Meowth is different.
Meowth has mixed with humans for too long.
He knows exactly what it implies to be captured by a Poké Ball in the human world.
And this was obviously hard for him to accept.
"You're talking nonsense, Meow! I am not!" Meowth retorted excitedly, but his confidence was clearly lacking.
The rules of the Poké Ball... he understood them too well.
"Whether I am or not, you know in your heart." Ash was unhurried. "I will give you two choices now."
He held up two fingers.
"One."
"I hand you, James, and Jessie over to Officer Jenny together. If no one notifies Team Rocket, who knows when Jessie and James will be bailed out."
Ash's voice was flat, yet it made Meowth shudder.
He didn't know James and Jessie's past; if he did, he wouldn't be worried.
"Two."
Ash lowered the first finger.
"I release you back to Team Rocket to figure out a way to bail Jessie and James out."
"But we must make a bet."
"No matter how you attack me in the future, I will let you go."
"But you must be honest with yourself, until the day you are willing to be my Pokémon."
Ash thought of Zhuge Liang's Seven Captures of Meng Huo.
He didn't know when he would be able to truly tame Meowth.
However, this was just an idle move; whether it worked or not didn't really matter.
Meowth looked up sharply, eyes full of disbelief. "Follow you?! Follow you, this stinkin' brat, Meow?!"
Meowth found it hard to understand why Ash felt he would willingly submit in the future.
Is he that confident?
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out in dissatisfaction, electric arcs flickering on his cheeks.
Ash raised a hand to signal Pikachu to stay calm, and continued: "I have great confidence in my future."
"The pinnacle of the sky throne, that is the position of a king."
"And finally, one day, I shall stand above everything."
"I will be the Champion of Champions."
"I will be the unprecedented, strongest Pokémon Trainer." Ash said this with full momentum.
As if he were not speaking of a future possibility.
But of a fact that had already occurred.
"..." Meowth subconsciously turned his head, not daring to look at Ash.
Such intense desire and will.
In this boy before him... Meowth seemed to see the likeness of Giovanni.
"What the hell, why do I feel like I'm seeing Boss Giovanni, Meow?" Meowth muttered subconsciously.
Then he quickly covered his mouth.
Giovanni's identity could be considered a secret, as not many people know it.
But if one says it isn't a secret... those with high status actually do know.
Giovanni doesn't hide it too much.
His status comes from his power, not because he hides unknown.
Great power belongs to oneself; he is just that confident.
If no one defeats Giovanni, knowing his secrets is useless.
Often, victory and defeat determine right and wrong.
Only when a person loses can you say they were wrong.
Not that they lost because they were wrong.
"Of course... that is just the future, so I won't make you come with me now," Ash said.
"For now, I need you to cooperate a bit. 'Persuade' your two not-so-bright companions... on the way to the station, don't cause me any trouble."
Ash glanced meaningfully toward the camp.
Jessie and James were quite tough.
Once they woke up, they would probably start shouting blindly.
"In return." Ash crouched down, looking Meowth in the eye.
"I can help you see how far you've gone down this 'wrong path,' and if it's possible... to make up for the combat lessons you missed, even a little."
"After all, just being able to talk achieves nothing, and you can't complete your Boss Giovanni's 'glorious' missions, right?"
Ash wanted to test the System's influence on Pokémon growth.
Theoretically, Meowth is level-capped now and can't level up.
But since he is captured by Ash, can his strength growth restart?
System!
Let me see your limits!
"!!!" Meowth was completely stunned, mouth open, looking at this human boy.
How does he know Boss Giovanni?
What does he mean?
Make up for combat lessons?
Is it possible?
Due to the massive shock, Meowth didn't notice he had just spoken Giovanni's existence aloud.
The huge amount of information and the temptation contained within it that he could not resist—the possibility of becoming stronger.
"By the way, Giovanni is the Gym Leader of Viridian City, right?" Ash suddenly spoke. "You just accidentally let it slip."
Ash mimicked Meowth's tone: "What the hell, why do I feel like I'm seeing Boss Giovanni, Meow?"
"Ahhhhh!!!" Meowth's eyes widened, feeling he was done for.
"Hahahaha, rest assured, I won't say anything." Ash patted Meowth's head; honestly, the fur felt nice.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, quietly falling on this person, mouse, and cat.
From deep in the forest came a distant Hoothoot cry.
Meowth's claws unconsciously scratched the fallen leaves on the ground, his inner struggle obvious.
Ash didn't rush him, just watched quietly, full of patience.
A long time passed.
Meowth finally spoke with extreme difficulty, his voice dry: "...You... is what you say true, Meow?"
"I said it," Ash interrupted him.
The curve of his lips finally became more distinct, carrying a confidence that made Meowth's heart palpitate, as if he could see through everything.
"No one understands Pokémon better than me." Ash stood up, dusting grass off his pant legs. "Choose, Meowth."
Meowth looked at Ash's extended hand, then at the Pikachu eyeing him covetously nearby, and finally returned his gaze to Ash's eyes, which seemed to glow in the night.
He swallowed, a gulping sound coming from his throat.
"...F-Fine... Meow... I choose 2." He said it extremely reluctantly, in a thin voice, his tail tip carefully, tentatively curling around Ash's finger.
"B-But if you're lying to me... I will absolutely scratch your face up, Meow!" Meowth offered a small bit of stubbornness at the end.
"Pikachu~" Pikachu nodded satisfactorily, putting away the electricity.
Ash smiled and withdrew his hand. "Very good. Then, welcome to the temporary team, Meowth."
He took out the Poké Ball, and red light once again enveloped the complex-looking Meowth.
The forest returned to silence, as if that fate-deciding conversation had never happened.
Only the moonlight remained, watching everything coldly.
____
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