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The morning light pierced through the thin mist, gently outlining the contours of Nuvema Town.
Inside Professor Juniper's lab, Ash and Pikachu, having rested for a night, had already regained their spirits, as if yesterday's earth-shattering encounter with Zekrom had transformed into an even more intense flame in their eyes.
"I want to travel here!"
Ash's voice was firm. He looked at the boundless Unova sky outside the window, his fists unconsciously clenching.
"I want to get to know all the Pokémon in this place, and then make many, many new companions."
"Pika!"
Pikachu stood on his shoulder, the electric sacs on his cheeks sparking with tiny flashes, his tail held high, echoing his Trainer's resolve.
Delia, standing nearby, chuckled, covering her mouth. There was relief in her eyes, and also a hint of worry that was hard to Detect.
"I knew you'd say that, because you're Ash."
"So, challenging Gyms and participating in the League Conference, that's also part of your plan, isn't it?"
Professor Oak's tone was full of certainty, though he was asking a question. He knew his disciple too well.
"Of course!"
Ash suddenly turned around, his eyes shining with a familiar light. He raised his right arm, as if he had already grasped victory.
"I'm going to defeat all the Gym Leaders, collect eight badges, and then go to the Unova League. The final victory will definitely be mine!"
"Very spirited."
Professor Juniper walked forward with a smile, handing him the brand-new Pokédex and six empty Poké Balls she had already prepared.
"If you encounter rare Pokémon during your journey, remember to record their data with the Pokédex and send me reports anytime."
Professor Oak reminded Ash.
Ash's spirits immediately dropped a notch. He really didn't want to write analysis reports on Pokémon.
Professor Juniper paused, then added,
"The closest Gym to here is the Striaton Gym in Striaton City. It's perfect as the starting point of your Unova journey.
If you move quickly, you might even meet Trip, who left a few days before you."
Upon hearing the name "Trip," the excitement on Ash's face slightly receded, his gaze instantly sharpened a few degrees, and his tone became calm yet full of power.
"Last time, Pikachu wasn't in top form.
Next time we meet, I won't hold back."
His expression was by no means a bluff, but rather had a chilling intensity.
The next morning, Ash bid farewell to his mother, Delia, Professor Oak, and Professor Juniper. His figure merged into the brilliant morning sun, heading towards an unknown path.
After running for a while, the scenery was no longer that of Pallet Town. Instead, it was replaced by the dense forests and fresh air unique to the Unova region.
Ash ran freely, enjoying the feeling of the wind sweeping past his ears.
Suddenly, there was a rapid rustling sound from the dense bushes beside the road.
Ash abruptly stopped, his instincts instantly putting him on alert.
He hooked his finger at his waist, and the brand-new Unova Pokédex popped open, its screen lighting up, aimed at the most violently shaking clump—a "purple" bush.
"Axew—"
The Pokédex's electronic voice sounded at the opportune moment.
"Dragon type?"
Ash's eyes instantly lit up, his body almost reflexively twisted, and with a flick of his wrist, an empty Poké Ball shot out with a whooshing sound.
"Pika—"
Pikachu, on his shoulder, covered his head helplessly, as if saying,
"Here we go again, Ash. When are you going to stop throwing Poké Balls directly!"
However, the expected sound of a successful capture did not come. Instead, there was a dull "thud," which sounded nothing like hitting a Pokémon's soft fur, but rather like hitting something hard.
The bushes parted, and a cascade of purple hair first came into view, followed by a girl's face, round-eyed and showing annoyance.
Wasn't Ash's recently thrown Poké Ball stuck right in her hair?
She maintained her pose of pushing aside the branches and spoke in an exasperated tone,
"Hey, what are you doing?"
The Poké Ball rolled from her hair. She bent down to pick it up, weighed it in her hand, then suddenly grinned mischievously, leaning close to Ash, her nose almost touching his chin, her eyes sparkling with a playful glint.
"Are you saying your Pokédex can't even tell the difference between a Trainer and a Pokémon? Or are you saying—"
She deliberately drew out her words, playfully poking her cheek with her fingertip, "—you think I'm cuter than Axew?"
Ash immediately blushed deeply, fumbling to shove the Pokédex back into his pocket, his mouth opening and closing, but he couldn't stammer out a complete explanation for a long time.
"I, uh, no, it's the Pokédex, it—"
The girl was amused by his embarrassed expression and raised her hand to brush away the leaves tangled in her hair.
Just then, from a strand of purple hair, a small, cute head poked out, blinking its big, dark eyes, curiously surveying the outside world—it was indeed the Axew displayed on the Pokédex.
Ash stared, dumbfounded. So there really were humans whose hair could hide a Pokémon.
"Oh, it's Pikachu!"
The girl's attention was instantly drawn to the electric mouse on Ash's shoulder, and she cried out in surprise.
She immediately let go of Ash and darted forward, unceremoniously scooping Pikachu into her arms, rubbing her face vigorously against Pikachu's soft cheeks, while simultaneously extending a finger to tease its iconic electric sacs.
"So cute! It's a real Pikachu!"
Seeing this, Ash silently and skillfully retreated a few steps, and based on countless painful past experiences, began to silently count down in his mind.
Sure enough, under the girl's enthusiastic "torment," Pikachu's patience quickly ran out. The electric sparks on his cheeks began to crackle uncontrollably, and finally, a weakened version of the "baptism of love" arrived as expected.
"Waaah!"
After a brief surge of electricity, the girl, with her hair slightly frizzled, still wore a cheerful smile. She extended her hand towards Ash.
"Hello, my name is Iris."
Ash looked at her outstretched hand, then at her still-smoking hair tips. He hesitated for a moment, but still shook her hand.
"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town. This is Pikachu."
"Pika!" Pikachu also waved his small paw as a greeting.
"By the way, Ash,"
Iris suddenly remembered something and asked curiously,
"The super big lightning bolt that appeared in the sky above Nuvema Town a few days ago, do you know what happened? It was super scary!"
Ash's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly muttered to himself: You're asking me? Not only do I know, but I also had a direct confrontation with the instigator, Zekrom!
But on the surface, he merely scratched his cheek and passed the buck to the professionals: "Oh, that? Professor Juniper said it seemed to be caused by the legendary Pokémon, Zekrom."
Meanwhile, in a cave halfway up a mountain, Team Rockets had converted it into a basic foothold and base.
"Your subordinate will execute the mission immediately, and will beautifully take control of this place, Meowth."
Meowth bowed, speaking very solemnly to the figure on the screen.
"And, we will also catch that Pikachu from before, as well as the Pokémon known as a legend in the Unova region."
"I have high hopes for you all."
Giovanni, at one end of the screen, stroked Meowth's head with his large hand, encouraging the Team Rockets trio.
The screen went dark.
"Boss, do you really have high hopes for those three?"
The secretary couldn't help but ask.
"Hmph, there's no trace of Team Rockets in the Unova region. Sending them there prevents these three fools from damaging the Team Rockets organization in the Johto and Kanto regions.
If they manage to accomplish something, it would be a pleasant surprise.
If not, I'm still satisfied; at least there will be no losses. Besides, Kanto and Johto recently have several emerging organizations trying to usurp our Team Rockets' authority.
I always feel that they are not of the same nature as us, but rather like an underground dark force created by some prominent families within the League.
Leaving those three here would only increase the danger; they don't have the brains for it.
After all, they are their children.
Going to the Unova region to take action will also stimulate the local organizations there.
Alright, you can go prepare."
Giovanni's eyes were sharp. He remembered that Jessie's parents were semi-high-ranking members and strong supporters during Giovanni's startup period. They died while carrying out Team Rockets' missions.
This was why he repeatedly gave them a pass.
Perhaps these three indeed lacked the potential to become excellent Team Rockets members, but I also couldn't let them easily lose their lives.
Giovanni actually started sighing over the Team Rockets trio.
"Sigh!"
It wasn't just Giovanni who sighed, but also Ash, far away in the Unova region.
He and Iris were traveling together, and they hadn't gone far when they encountered Unova's "traditional welcoming gift" for new Trainers—a large flock of Pidove with ruffled feathers.
"Darn it, why is it like this again?"
Ash shouted in frustration, dodging the aerial dive attacks while in a sorry state.
This scene felt familiar in every new region.
Just then, the corner of his eye caught a Pidove that seemed to have strayed from the group, perched on a nearby branch, preening its feathers.
"Good chance, Pikachu, aim for that Pidove, use Thunderbolt!"
Ash gave the order without hesitation.
Pikachu nimbly leaped from Ash's shoulder, brilliant electric sparks bursting from the tip of his tail. A slender but bright current, like a swift electric snake, accurately shot towards that Pidove.
"Chuu!" The Pidove, struck by the electric current, trembled violently, shook its small head, and surprisingly, only had its feathers slightly charred. It flapped its wings and flew a bit higher, seemingly thoroughly enraged.
"Hey, hey, hey, Pikachu, be serious!"
Ash scratched his hair in exasperation. He had personally seen Pikachu use this move to Slash huge rocks blocking their path, but now its power was like tickling the opponent.
Soon, he realized and looked helplessly at his partner on his shoulder: "You held back again, didn't you?"
"Pika..."
Pikachu awkwardly wagged his tail, his small eyes drifting, as if saying,
"It was too tough to beat, it's not my fault."
But seeing Ash put his hands on his hips, striking a "I've seen through you" pose, Pikachu knew he couldn't fool him.
He took a deep breath, and his eyes instantly became focused!
"Pika!"
Accompanied by a loud cry, Pikachu's body erupted with intense electrical energy.
The dazzling golden current, like a suddenly unfurling curtain of thunder, or a breaking flood, poured down with a roar, completely engulfing the Pidove.
Violent electric flashes erupted, and a faint smell of scorching filled the air.
The Pidove let out a short, shrill cry of distress, its body enveloped by the powerful electric current, plummeting straight down from the sky. A few wisps of white smoke even faintly rose from the edges of its wings.
"Now! Go!"
Ash seized the opportunity and threw the already prepared Poké Ball with all his might.
The Poké Ball arced gracefully through the air, accurately hitting the Pidove.
A red light flashed, drawing the Pidove inside. The Poké Ball landed on the ground, shook three times, and successfully captured it.
"Alright! I caught a Pidove!"
Ash excitedly ran over and picked up the Poké Ball, but immediately pressed the switch again. A red light flashed, and the Pidove reappeared, but it was slumped weakly on the ground, the burns on its wing edges clearly visible, looking utterly pitiful.
Ash didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately put down his backpack and rummaged inside for the Potion Professor Oak had specially prepared for him.
"It's okay, it's okay, it won't hurt anymore soon."
He crouched down, his voice becoming unusually gentle.
He carefully dipped a cotton swab into the medicine, his movements as gentle as if touching a precious, fragile item, and meticulously applied it to the Pidove's injuries.
The Pidove blinked its dark eyes, seemingly sensing Ash's kindness, and gently rubbed its small head against Ash's finger.
Iris, holding Axew, looked at Ash's focused and gentle profile and softly said, "Ash is quite gentle with his Pokémon, isn't he?"
"Huh? Well, uh, I guess so."
Ash looked up, his earlobes slightly red. "When they're injured, you have to treat them promptly. That's the most basic thing."
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling on his earnest and gentle face. Iris suddenly felt that this guy, who had seemed a bit reckless at first, was actually quite reliable.