"After I confessed, I was actually extremely nervous. I kept wondering whether I had been too sudden and reckless. What if Ash didn't like me? What if my confession meant that we couldn't even remain friends afterward?"
"But what I never expected was that Ash already had a good impression of me too. After being stunned for a moment, he happily accepted my confession and agreed to become my boyfriend."
As she reached this point, Misty, who had been lost in her memories, let out a long sigh of relief, as though a weight had finally been lifted from her heart.
Unlike Ash and Serena, who had spent their days together at Professor Oak's Summer Camp, and unlike Ash and Clarissa, who had trained together at the Pokémon Center, worked side by side during their internship, and developed the bond of classmates and colleagues, Misty's relationship with Ash had begun in an entirely different way.
Ash had met Serena and Clarissa in real life, spent considerable time with them, developed feelings through those interactions, and only then entered into a relationship with them.
But she and Ash were completely different. Their relationship had started from her one-sided crush. They began by chatting online like ordinary internet friends, talking about Pokémon, dreams, and everything else under the sun. Before either of them realized it, their feelings had gradually deepened, and their online friendship had quietly transformed into a long-distance romance.
Because Ash had officially entered relationships with Serena and Clarissa before her, Misty had always felt somewhat anxious and inferior inside. She couldn't help wondering whether Ash's feelings for her were truly as deep as the feelings he had for the other two girls.
Her three older sisters often noticed her worries and tried to comfort her, though their method of reassurance was usually mixed with plenty of teasing.
"Serena was the first to meet Ash at Professor Oak's Summer Camp, so she's basically Ash's 'first wife who shared his hardships.' And Clarissa was the one who met him afterward and nearly became engaged to him, so she's Ash's 'heiress fiancée.' Neither of those things necessarily means they're his true love."
"You're a professional Pokémon Trainer, just like Ash, and you share his ambition of becoming number one in the world. You're walking the same path as him. Serena and Clarissa needed to spend time with Ash in real life before their feelings gradually developed."
"But you only needed to chat with Ash online before the two of you became lovers. That means you and Ash are the ones who truly love each other. You share the same ambitions, understand each other, and are each other's confidants and 'soulmates.'"
Although her three sisters' teasing, competitive-style consolation really had made Misty feel somewhat better, hearing Serena and Clarissa recount their own stories today still left her feeling deeply envious.
It wasn't until half a year ago, when she organized the Water-type Pokémon Beauty Contest in Cerulean City in her capacity as the Cerulean Gym Leader, that things finally changed.
Ash had brought Clarissa and a group of their friends to Cerulean City for the event. When Misty finally met Ash face-to-face after all that time, the anxiety and insecurity she had carried in her heart gradually began to disappear.
And now, after listening to Serena and Clarissa personally recount how they had met Ash, grown close to him, and fallen in love with him, Misty's heart finally became completely calm.
Serena wasn't Ash's "first wife who shared his hardships."
Clarissa wasn't Ash's "heiress fiancée."
And she wasn't Ash's "soulmate."
They were all simply Ash's beloved confidantes. Each of them was one of the special girls who held a place in his heart.
Ash was so outstanding that there was no telling how many more girls might be attracted to him in the future—and perhaps even manage to attract Ash's attention in return.
None of them was nobler than the others.
None of them held a higher position than the others.
And because of that, there was no need for them to compete with or compare themselves against one another.
They all loved Ash deeply, and Ash loved each of them deeply in return. Each of them occupied a unique and irreplaceable place in his heart. At the same time, Ash would always have a special place in his heart belonging to each of them—one that no one else could take away or replace.
Knowing that and understanding that was enough.
That alone was enough!!
"Who would've thought that all three of us would meet Ash because of Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp half a year ago? It seems Professor Oak really is our benefactor," Serena said with a bright smile.
"Yeah~"
Clarissa nodded as well, her eyes narrowing into adorable crescent moons as her entire expression became exceptionally cute.
"It's amazing that Ash even gave each of us a Pokémon. Serena got Cleffa, I got Oddish, and Misty got Marill."
Thinking about this shared connection, the smile on Clarissa's face became even brighter.
"^_^ But the biggest thing we have in common is that all three of us were drawn toward Ash by the light he carries within him. Before we knew it, we had fallen hopelessly and irreversibly in love with him."
Misty nodded in agreement.
"That's true. But Ash really is such a womanizer. Without even realizing it, he somehow gave me two wonderful sisters. I wonder whether there'll be even more sisters in the future. Sigh~"
Serena let out a small sigh as she spoke, her tone containing a hint of helplessness and playful complaint.
"There's nothing we can do about it. Who can blame Ash for being so outstanding? Naturally, an excellent guy is going to be popular with girls. Didn't we all get attracted to his charm and fall in love with him for exactly the same reason?"
"In fact, we don't even have to wait for the future. Even right now, there are already plenty of girls secretly crushing on Ash just like we once did."
"Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp television broadcast wasn't watched only by us. There were countless girls who watched that broadcast, and that wasn't the only time they saw him."
"Ash is now a famous Trainer throughout Kanto. He's constantly appearing on television and in various forms of media. Who knows how many girls have seen him?"
"Now Ash's fame isn't merely spread throughout Kanto. His charm has spread throughout the entire region as well. There must be countless young women secretly crushing on Ash and imagining him as their very own Prince Charming!"
"There are simply too many girls who like Ash. There are so many that I can't even count them. As for how many more sisters we'll have in the future, that depends on how many girls manage to attract Ash's attention and win a place in his heart."
Clarissa could only let out another helpless sigh.
Although she had anticipated this situation long ago, the thought of countless young and beautiful girls secretly admiring her Ash still made her feel irritated.
Yet she couldn't blame those girls.
Who could blame them when her Ash was so outstanding and charming?
But she couldn't blame Ash either. Being excellent wasn't a crime.
After all, the three of them had also been attracted to Ash precisely because of his excellence and irresistible charm. Compared with all the other girls secretly crushing on him, the only difference was that they had been fortunate enough to encounter him first and seize their opportunities.
"That's right. Ash is so outstanding. Who wouldn't like him?"
"Even during Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp, I could already tell that Shauna—and that Jeanette Fisher girl from Crimson City who later joined our little circle—had feelings for Ash too."
Serena leaned toward the other two girls, who had already accepted one another and formed their own little alliance, and revealed this piece of gossip with a mysterious, knowing expression.
"Shauna secretly likes Ash too?"
Hearing Serena's revelation, Clarissa and Misty both covered their mouths in surprise.
"..."
The two exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere suddenly became even more intriguing.
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T/N:
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