In the Black World —
Ash ran toward the girl in the green dress. Seeing this, the girl panicked and ran away.
Watching Ash's retreating back, the expressions on Misty and Sabrina's faces were not exactly blank, but they certainly didn't look happy.
Seeing this, Brock shrank his shoulders fearfully, a wry smile on his face. You really are a role model for our kind. While accompanied by two girls, you can so openly chase after another… Ah! When will I be like Ash, surrounded by beauty?
Of course, it wasn't that the two girls held no resentment toward Ash's behavior. Even though they had accepted each other and the existence of a third party, that didn't mean they wanted Ash's… circle to grow any larger! Three people meant dividing love three ways. If more were added… then everyone's share would shrink even further!
Right now, Misty and Sabrina were sisters and allies! The purpose of this alliance was naturally to… protect Ash! That is, to try their best to prevent Ash from adding any more women.
Before today, things were actually fine. But earlier, Ash suddenly showed off, attracting screams and cheers from many girls and even women around him. Some even wanted to exchange contact info. They had managed to persuade them all to back off. They knew Ash's final performance was actually for them to see, but… attracting attention was still attracting attention!
With his good looks and strength as a trainer, it was natural for him to be popular in this world. But… that was no reason for Ash to actively seek out other girls!
"That girl… is really quite cute."
"Ah… her panicked expression was also rather pitiful."
"Why would Ash chase after her?"
"Don't know. We'll have to wait for Ash to come back and ask."
The two girls conversed with each other, causing Brock to curl up on the ground, trembling. As the saying goes, a woman's jealousy… is the most terrifying thing in the world. Although Ash wasn't exactly being caught in the act, it was close enough.
On the other side —
Ash chased the girl all the way into the densely populated center of Alto Mare. This area had not only many tall buildings but also a crisscrossing network of streets, small canals, and little bridges. The girl clearly knew her way around here. After twisting and turning left and right, she successfully shook Ash off.
Ash looked at the multiple identical-looking paths ahead and felt momentarily speechless.
What kind of place is this…? Why do all the roads look the same?
I should have just used my Aura to lock onto her… Well, it's too late now. Lost her.
"Oh, forget it. Next time I see her, I'll just use my Aura to lock on and ask her clearly."
"That kid… doesn't seem like a bad person."
"Pika Pika~" Pikachu, sitting on Ash's shoulder, nodded in agreement.
Ash glanced at Pikachu on his shoulder and said lightly, "Pikachu, have you gained weight recently? I think it's because I was carrying you that I didn't catch up with that girl."
"Pika-chu? Pikapi!! Pikachu Pika!!" (Who?! Me?! No way!)
"I'm not slandering you! I think you should start wearing the weights again. Even if the training benefit is small, without them you… are getting chubbier! You'll turn into a total butterball."
"Pikachu!! Pika pika!" (No way! Absolutely not!)
Pikachu shook its head like a rattle. It wasn't that the weights were heavy; they were just troublesome. Every movement required precise control of its strength. After all, it couldn't just let all 200+ kilograms of weight sink down. Otherwise, just taking a single step would probably shake the ground. But controlling the weights to prevent that from happening was exhausting! Sometimes it wasn't the weight that was tiring, but the constant control. Otherwise, one careless move while eating could smash the rice bowl! That's why Pikachu didn't want to wear the weights—too tiring! But being tired had its benefits; at least now Pikachu's control over its strength was more refined. But… for the time being, Mr. Pikachu didn't want to wear weights. Relaxation, you know what that means?
Therefore, when Ash suggested putting the weights back on, Pikachu's head shook like a rattle.
"Tsk tsk, you'll turn into a big fat mouse sooner or later."
"Pika Pika~" (We'll talk about that later.)
Hearing this, Ash shook his head and stopped arguing with Pikachu. Since he'd lost the girl, he could only head back now. If she kept peeking at him, he wouldn't miss her next time. If she never came near him again, then so be it.
Thinking this, Ash took Pikachu and started walking back through the maze of buildings.
After walking for ten minutes, Ash stood at a crossroads, utterly lost.
Good grief, this place is a maze!
Might as well use Aura to find the way.
"Pikapi! Pikachu!" At that moment, Pikachu called out. Ash looked where Pikachu was pointing and saw the girl who had just run away now running toward him.
For a moment, even Ash's IQ couldn't help but be filled with questions.
Wasn't this girl hiding from me just now? Why is she coming back?
Seeing Ash, the panic on the girl's face turned to joy. She then threw herself into Ash's arms!
Suddenly embraced by a girl, Ash's first reaction was confusion, and then…
Huh? This doesn't feel right… Why does it feel so… smooth?
Ash's hands were now on the girl's waist, but it felt different from the slender waist he'd seen. The waist he was holding was thicker, very soft, and quite smooth. This wasn't the texture of clothing fabric at all.
Ash instinctively used his Aura. The somewhat embarrassed and confused expression on his face instantly changed to one of shock and disbelief. He looked at the girl before him, his entire gaze transforming.
This Aura signature… Could it be that this child is…?
"Mmm-mmm-mmm~~" The girl looked up, her beautiful smiling face showing a pleading expression to Ash. She first shook her head at Ash, then waved behind her, and made some inexplicable gestures.
Ash: ? ? ? ?
What in the world are you trying to say?!
Yeah, yeah, yeah! It's not human language or Pokémon speech, who can understand this!
Seeing Ash's "I-have-no-idea-what-you're-saying" expression, the girl simply hid behind Ash. Then… two older sisters in sexy outfits walked over. One had blonde hair and wore a corset top and a long leather skirt. The other had silver hair and wore a red top and leather pants.
The two women saw Ash, or more precisely, they saw the girl behind him, and gave him a seductive smile.
"Little boy, could you hand over the little girl behind you? We have some questions for her."
"If you're a good boy, big sister might reward you with a passionate kiss~" The blonde older sister gently stroked her sexy lips as she spoke to Ash.
The expression on Ash's face turned blank. He showed no interest in the other party's attempted seduction. He stretched out a hand to shield the girl behind him, and Pikachu also jumped off his shoulder, its red cheeks faintly crackling with golden electricity.
At that moment, words were unnecessary.
The smiling expressions on the two older sisters' faces darkened instantly.
This kid… It seems this won't be resolved easily today!
...
Just as the two sides faced off, the Black World screen suddenly paused, and lines of text appeared.
[Question: What will be the final fate of Zanna and Lisa?]
[A: They were directly arrested on the spot by Black Ash and taken to the police station.]
[B: In this encounter, the two women used smoke bombs to escape. They eventually replicated the White World's events, contaminating the Heart Droplet, causing a tsunami. Latios sacrificed itself. In his anger, Black Ash had Pikachu electrocute them into charred husks.]
[C: The two women escaped using smoke bombs. When they attempted to steal the Heart Droplet, they were discovered by Black Ash. This time, Black Ash directly used his Aura power to apprehend the two women and ultimately sent them to prison.]
[D: The two women escaped using smoke bombs, succeeded in capturing the Heart Droplet and Latios. Black Ash later rescued them, but the Heart Droplet was contaminated, triggering a tsunami. Black Ash managed to control it. Then, Sabrina permanently turned the two women into dolls, deprived them of food and water, and condemned them to spend their entire lives in filthy sewers.]
[There is no limit to the number of participants for this question, but only the first three to answer correctly will receive rewards. Answer time: five minutes. The countdown begins now.]
The quiz question appeared again, and the entire live chat fell into a brief silence.
Everyone had been discussing earlier, and it had been too long since the last quiz. Even Kanon had been imagining how great it would be to get Latios back if she could answer correctly. She just didn't know when a quiz would appear. Even if one did, she might not answer correctly. And even if she answered correctly, the reward might not be resurrecting Latios. So, she had naturally buried that hope in her heart.
Now, the quiz appeared at the perfect time, causing the hope buried in Kanon's heart to resurface.
What if… what if she really answered correctly and got to resurrect Latios?
Looking at the hopeful gaze in Latias's eyes beside her, Kanon felt… this might be her only chance in this lifetime!
Resurrecting Latios is our duty!
PS :
Zanna and Lisa: The Phantom Thief sisters, antagonists from the Pokémon Heroes movie. Their localized names vary (Annie & Oakley in the dub). They are after the "Heart Droplet" to control Latios/Latias.
Heart Droplet: The key artifact in Alto Mare's legend, a crystal containing immense psychic power used to control the tidal mechanism protecting the city. Its contamination triggers the crisis.
Aura Lock: Ash's ability to use his Aura sense to track and remember a specific individual's unique energy signature, allowing him to locate them even in a crowd or after losing visual contact.
Training Weights: Equipment used by Ash's Pikachu for strength and control training. Mentioned as being over 200 kilograms, requiring immense precision to wear without causing damage.
Maze-like City Center: A description of Alto Mare's layout, emphasizing its complex network of canals, bridges, and similar-looking streets, which plays a role in the chase scene.
Human Form (Latias): The revelation that the mysterious girl is Latias using its psychic abilities to assume a human form, a key plot point from the movie. Her Aura signature gives her away to Ash.
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