"Gomen gomen"
"My bad, I promise I won't mention your hair again in front of people, Chloe!"
Goh's apology was half-hearted, but he quickly realized that this was his best friend's biggest secret—one she really didn't like anyone knowing—so he gave a sheepish bow of his head.
Meanwhile, at the front of the crowd waiting by the roadside, Ash stood surrounded by Gary, Tierno, Trevor, and several other kids. His sharp eyes swept toward the newly arrived group of campers stepping off the bus from other Kanto cities.
But what really caught his attention wasn't the whole group—it was a single boy with a red hair clip and sharp, city-boy energy… and the quiet, well-mannered girl with braided hair standing beside him.
He looked at them closely, and through his Aura Power, Ash could faintly sense their emotional fluctuations—the excitement, curiosity, and confidence swirling within the two.
Aura, after all, was the power of the heart. It could sense feelings, read emotional waves, and in advanced stages, even hear thoughts or peek into memories.
But Ash's aura had only recently awakened. Right now, he could only feel emotions—no telepathy, no mind reading.
He hadn't paid much attention at first, but when that vulcan-haired boy loudly declared, "I'm taking first place in this camp!" the pulse of his confidence practically echoed through the air—and into Ash's aura.
That single arrogant statement drew Ash's focus.
And when he extended his aura just a little further, listening quietly to their conversation, recognition hit him like a thunderbolt.
"Goh… and Chloe Cerise," Ash murmured under his breath. "From the Generation VIII series—Pokémon Journeys."
…
…
In the original timeline, Ash—the original "hero chosen by fate"—had been the undisputed protagonist blessed by the world's will itself.
But after years of traveling across multiple regions without winning a single League Championship, it was as if destiny itself had finally lost patience with him.
Only after finally winning the Alola League—the first ever in that region—did the world seem to decide to give his story a neat, conclusive ending.
Then came the next era—Generation VIII.
In Pokémon Journeys, the "double protagonist" storyline was introduced. But anyone with eyes could see who the real star was.
The boy who wore the crown of the "main character's luck" was no longer Ash Ketchum. It was this vulcan-haired, sharp-tongued, "super genius" named Goh.
…
…
So while Ash had been friendly and open toward characters like Green from Pokémon Adventures or the cheerful Tierno and Trevor from Kalos, the moment he recognized this boy… his aura rippled faintly with something new.
Dislike.
Instinctive, inexplicable hostility.
The kind of primal rivalry that no words could soothe.
In his heart, Ash knew why.
This boy—Goh—was destined to one day steal his spotlight. To take his narrative, his fame, his destiny as the chosen one.
And though Ash wasn't a villain, though he wasn't someone who went around picking fights, even he could feel that deep, primal tension within him.
And faintly—just faintly—he thought he heard a whisper in his mind.
A low, mocking voice that said:
"Don't hold back… make sure this kid never takes your place."
Ash exhaled slowly and forced his expression to stay calm.
He wouldn't act on blind aggression. The boy had done nothing wrong—yet.
But that didn't mean Ash would stay idle.
No, if there was one thing he'd learned—whether in the human world or among Pokémon—it was this: those who don't fight for their place… will be forgotten.
He had been given a second life. A second chance.
And there was no way he was going to let his main-character destiny slip away again.
After all—"main character luck" wasn't just some abstract blessing.
It was power.
It meant that no matter what you did, things would go your way. You'd survive the impossible, meet rare Pokémon by sheer coincidence, and have destiny itself bend in your favor.
In Pokémon Journeys, Goh had embodied that power to an absurd degree.
Wild Pokémon simply walked up to him. He threw a Poké Ball once—and captured them instantly.
Fans from Ash's old world had even given him a nickname: "One Ball Man."
While Ash had spent years catching Pokémon the hard way—earning their trust, training with them, and releasing some to live happily at Oak's lab—Goh had simply caught them all like collectibles, storing hundreds away at Professor Cerise's facility without real training or battles.
Ash's Pokémon were his partners. Goh's… were entries in a database.
So as Ash watched the Vulcan color-haired boy standing in the sunlight, full of naive pride and ambition, something in his chest hardened.
He wasn't going to "take him out." That wasn't who Ash was.
But this time—this life—he wasn't going to let fate or anyone else write him out of his own story.
"This time," Ash thought, his gaze firm, "that Summer Camp championship is mine. You can forget about first place, Goh. If you want your starter Pokémon, you'll be waiting another four years."
He turned his attention back to his own group—Gary, Tierno, and Trevor—his expression serious but calm.
"Gary, Tierno, Trevor," he said, his tone low but resolute. "This time, we're taking the top three spots in this Summer Camp. No exceptions."
"The top three get to own their Pokémon early and even receive a free starter from the League. We can't let anyone else take that from us."
Gary smirked. "Don't worry. Not only will I make top three—I'll be first place."
Tierno grinned. "We'll try our best too!" Trevor added, nodding eagerly.
Ash looked ahead, his hand brushing against Pichu's tiny head on his shoulder. His eyes gleamed with unshakable resolve.
Because this time, he wouldn't just be another traveler in someone else's story.
He'd be the one standing at the center of it.
The true protagonist.
…
…
[Author's Note: "Goh, you better be ready… because this time, I'm the one writing the story."]
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T/N:
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