"Whoa, Ash! You almost scared me to death just now! What were you thinking walking straight up to that Nidoking? What if it had attacked you?"
Gary grabbed Ash by the shoulders the moment he returned, shaking him so hard his hair practically flew. His voice trembled between panic and scolding—though anyone could tell it was more out of worry than anger.
Ash just laughed. "Relax, Gary. Nidoking's gentle. If it could understand what you just said, its feelings would be hurt, you know?"
Gary huffed, his face darkening slightly. "Still… don't do that again, alright? If something happened to you—if you ended up like your dad—"
He froze midsentence, biting back the words. His mother had told him not to mention that in front of Ash. Supposedly, Ash didn't know about his father's death.
Of course, what Gary didn't know… was that Ash already did.
He'd been through two lives now, after all. He understood more than anyone gave him credit for. But seeing Gary's uneasy look, Ash only smiled faintly and didn't press the matter.
"You're amazing, Ash," Tierno chimed in, his voice full of awe. "I can't believe you actually touched a Nidoking and didn't get blasted across the field!"
"Yeah," Trevor added, his quiet voice trembling with excitement. "And the way it looked at you—it seemed so… friendly. How did you do that?"
Ash's eyes curved slightly in a knowing smile. There was no way he was going to tell them about Aura or his Viridian Power. Not yet. Even Gary, his best friend, wasn't ready to know that secret.
"Pokémon in Professor Oak's backyard aren't wild," he explained lightly. "They all belong to Trainers and are used to people. They won't attack unless provoked."
He crossed his arms, looking calm and confident. "And besides—if we want to be real Pokémon Trainers someday, we can't be afraid to get close to them. How else will we ever understand them?"
That silenced all three boys.
Ash's words carried a strange weight—something far more mature than a six-year-old should have been capable of.
After a moment, Gary grinned. "Well, when you put it that way…"
Ash chuckled. "Why don't you guys go say hi too? You saw for yourselves—Nidoking's gentle. It won't hurt you."
His suggestion came suddenly, but it was genuine. He wanted them to feel what he had felt—to touch that living power, to connect with it.
After all, every great Trainer needed courage—the willingness to take that first step toward a Pokémon.
"Really? We can?" Trevor asked, his eyes wide.
"Of course," Ash said, nodding confidently. "Trust me."
A hesitant silence hung in the air for a moment… then, one by one, Gary, Tierno, and Trevor nodded.
With nervous smiles and pounding hearts, they stepped forward.
And Nidoking—gentle as ever—let out a soft rumble of greeting. It lowered its massive head slightly, as if welcoming them.
Soon, laughter filled the field. Trevor reached out and touched Nidoking's rock-solid chest plate, marveling at the warmth beneath it. Tierno tried copying Nidoking's flexing poses, puffing out his chest and pretending to be tough.
Gary? He wrapped both arms around Nidoking's thick arm and tried to lift it like a weight, laughing so hard he almost fell over.
Compared to the other students still wandering around the town—warned by their parents not to stray too far—the four of them had already taken their first true step as future Trainers.
They weren't just looking at Pokémon anymore. They were connecting with them.
…
…
Ash, meanwhile, continued his own quiet work.
His Aura allowed him to sense every Pokémon's emotions—their moods, their thoughts, their hidden gentleness or aggression. His Viridian Power, the gift of nature itself, made even wary Pokémon feel safe in his presence.
So as he moved through Professor Oak's vast backyard, he did more than just help his friends grow bolder. He used the system's "Skill Copy" function, lightly brushing against different Pokémon one by one.
Every touch brought a flash of data—a new move added to his growing library.
And behind him, Gary, Tierno, and Trevor followed eagerly, meeting and playing with the Pokémon Ash had already approached.
With each encounter, their fear faded a little more.
Even when they came across a few short-tempered Pokémon—a furious Primeape that shouted them away, a snappy Arbok that hissed menacingly—they didn't give up.
Sure, they'd flinch for a second… but then they'd just laugh and run off to find another.
They were learning something vital: Pokémon, like people, had different personalities. Some were kind and calm; others were hotheaded or shy. Understanding those differences was part of the journey.
Ash watched them quietly, smiling to himself.
Bit by bit, their courage was growing.
Unknowingly, the four of them had wandered deeper into the research area—past the grassy plains and into the shade of the forest zone.
Before long, they reached the far edge of the fenced perimeter.
"Hey! Ash, look!" Tierno suddenly pointed ahead, eyes wide. "The fence over there—it's broken!"
Ash blinked. Sure enough, the tall wooden fence that separated the research grounds from the wild forest beyond had a massive gap, big enough for a grown man to slip through.
They hurried closer.
"Looks like we've reached the outer boundary," Ash murmured, narrowing his eyes. "But… how did this happen? The lab's fences are always well maintained."
He frowned, tightening his grip on the stick in his hand. "If that hole's been there a while, maybe a wild Pokémon broke in…"
His eyes scanned the tall grass, the shadows between the trees, the rustling undergrowth. A faint tension filled the air.
"Stay alert," he whispered. "This area connects directly to the forest. There could be Beedrill nests… or even an Arbok."
"R-R-Right…" Trevor stammered, clutching his own stick like a sword.
Just then—
"Shhh…"
A faint rustling came from the bushes near the gap in the fence.
Swish… swish…
Everyone froze.
"W-Who's there?!" Tierno shouted, his voice cracking slightly as he pointed toward the sound. "Show yourself!"
The bushes trembled again.
Then—
"Pi… chu…"
A small, timid cry broke the silence.
Four pairs of eyes widened at once.
Ash's heart skipped a beat.
That sound—he would know it anywhere.
Hidden in the tall grass, illuminated by slivers of sunlight through the leaves, a pair of bright amber eyes blinked back at them.
It was a Pichu—small, alert, and slightly dirty, as if it had wandered in from the wild.
Ash stared, his breath caught somewhere between disbelief and destiny.
Was this… the very first meeting that would change everything?
…
…
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals