Chatroom.
[Jessie: This is too simple, just ask directly.]
[James: Yeah, yeah, Mew can't talk anyway.]
[Meowth: Sigh, I thought the kid's IQ in the parallel world had gone up. Guess I overestimated him, meow.]
[Misty: Do you think Mew is as dumb as you three? Would it leave such a huge flaw?]
[Brock: If she could talk, Serena would've spoken already. She's probably half-fainted from fright.]
[Ash: My heart aches for Serena for a second.]
My heart aches for Serena?
What the hell is that supposed to mean!?
She was here first!
Misty screamed internally.
On Black Screen:
Details determine success or failure. The Serena created by Mew was almost identical to the real one, but Mew overlooked one key point — the injury on her ankle.
The real Serena had an abrasion on her ankle. Mew only mimicked Serena's pained expression but forgot to add the injury.
"Mew."
Having been exposed, Mew pouted dejectedly. Losing the game didn't make it happy.
Ash walked toward the real Serena, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"
"No, it hurts so much!" Tears streamed down Serena's face.
She had tried to call for help earlier, but Mew's power had sealed her voice. Now that the restriction was gone, she finally released all her fear and frustration.
Ash crouched down and stared at Serena's ankle for a long while, until her cheeks turned red. Then he slowly stood up.
Serena thought Ash was going to help her up — but instead, he turned around and started walking away.
Serena ???
Her last hope was leaving her! Serena couldn't hold back anymore. "Where are you going?"
Her voice trembled, tears threatening to spill. She truly felt so wronged.
"To find medicine." Ash replied, leaving behind two simple words.
He wasn't abandoning her? Ash's words reignited Serena's spirit. She bit her lip, wiped her tears, and waited in place.
Serena believed that boy wouldn't lie to her.
With hope in her heart, her fear slowly faded. She began to observe her surroundings.
That pink kitten had perked up again. Could it be a Ditto? Serena knew of Pokémon that could transform — but only Ditto came to mind.
Next to it was a tiny Pichu. Serena instantly recognized the species; they were also native to Kalos.
"What a cute little guy," she murmured.
Serena didn't have to wait long. Ten minutes later, Ash returned with fresh herbs.
He found a flat stone, ground the herbs into a paste, and gently applied them to Serena's wound.
"So cool…"
Not just the herbs — Ash's hand was cool too. It was the first time a boy had ever touched her ankle. Her face turned bright red.
After resting for another half-hour, Ash helped Serena back to camp.
"Thank you, Ash."
Seeing Serena safe, Professor Oak sighed in relief. He had been ready to mobilize the entire village to search for her.
"You're welcome, Professor Oak. Then Pichu and I will be going."
"My name is Serena. Thank you, Ash!"
If she didn't introduce herself now, she might never get another chance. Serena seized the moment.
"Serena? That's a beautiful name." Ash smiled and waved goodbye.
Kalos Region, Vaniville Town.
"Eh?!"
"Ah!"
"Why did I forget to introduce myself back then?!"
Serena clutched her head in regret.
Why couldn't she have been as clever as her parallel self?
If she'd just told Ash her name earlier, she could've claimed a small place in his heart!
What a miscalculation. Serena was full of regret.
Kanto Region.
"Touching girls — how shameless!" Misty snapped.
"It was just for healing. Nothing else happened," Ash said, confused.
"You wanted something else to happen?!"
It would've been better if Ash hadn't explained. His clueless honesty only made Misty angrier.
Ash ???
Women are truly impossible to understand.
Pikachu "Pika pika."
Pikachu exchanged a glance with Brock. One Trainer, one Pokémon — both sighed helplessly.
Sigh… when will this bickering couple finally grow up?
Chatroom.
[Lance: I'm clearly more handsome than Ash. So why didn't any girls like me when I was six?]
[Lorelei: Maybe that's just what you think.]
[Lance: Impossible! I'm confident in my looks.]
[Steven: Lance, aren't you a bit old for this? When it comes to looks, you can't even compare to one of my toes.]
[Wallace: Heh, handsome? The ace of Pokémon Contests hasn't even spoken yet. Do you guys have the right to talk?]
[Bruno: Effeminate handsome? Nah. Real men like me are the type women actually like.]
[Diantha: Please, you bachelors — stop bragging. If you're so capable, go get a girlfriend.]
[Lance, Steven, Wallace, Bruno: We're men aiming to be the strongest Trainers in the world. Women would only hold us back!]