A full week of intense special training yielded absolutely fantastic results.
Ash could now barely keep up with Froakie's speed!
Ahem. It wasn't that Mimikyu hadn't improved. Mimikyu had actually made significant progress over the week. But compared to Ash's massive leaps in physical capability, the Ghost-type's growth seemed utterly ordinary.
Froakie was seriously beginning to suspect that Ash was some kind of perfect-IV human-shaped Pokémon. The boy's physical constitution was completely absurd.
More importantly, hitting him felt way too good!
It felt so satisfying that Froakie was genuinely hesitating. Should it formally accept Ash as its Trainer, or just keep him around as a highly durable human punching bag?
Ahem. Of course, Froakie was only joking. Yes, just a joke.
Jokes aside, after a week of grueling training, Mimikyu had undeniably grown stronger. But the one who changed the most was Ash himself. Through the constant grinding and sparring, he felt a deepening synergy with both Mimikyu and Froakie. He could better understand their feelings and instincts. In the heat of battle, their minds were finally starting to sync.
The most direct proof of this was playing out right now.
"Mimikyu, use Double Team!"
"Froakie, use Growl!"
"Endure it, Mimikyu! We are using Shadow Sneak!"
"Froakie, use Bounce to dodge!"
That was right. Ash was currently commanding both Mimikyu and Froakie in a mock battle!
The biggest achievement was Froakie. After a week of trading blows, the water frog had finally offered Ash its initial acknowledgment. Ash could officially command Froakie in battle.
There were still moments where Froakie would ignore his orders to act on its own instincts, but compared to being completely ignored, this was a monumental breakthrough from zero to one.
The next step was simply grinding away to improve his own skills as a commander. Ash genuinely felt that his progress over the past week had been massive. At the very least, he finally felt comfortable managing the flow of a real battle.
"Fro!"
The battle in the clearing was incredibly intense. The area was filled entirely with the sound of Froakie's voice, but the frog itself moved so fast it was practically invisible.
Faced with this terrifying speed, Mimikyu chose to counter chaos with stillness. It used Double Team to increase its margin of error. Its beady black eyes focused intensely on the battlefield. If Mimikyu had learned one crucial thing this week, it was how to track high-speed targets. Its dynamic vision had vastly improved.
And if it could see the target, it had a chance to flip the tables.
Finally, in a split-second window, Mimikyu caught sight of Froakie decelerating to change direction.
Now was the chance!
A sharp glint flashed in Mimikyu's eyes. It unleashed Shadow Sneak without a shred of hesitation. The shadow behind Froakie instantly warped and violently lunged toward the frog's back.
Froakie merely glanced back at the attacking shadow. Its eyes were filled with absolute disdain.
Shadow Sneak was branded as a priority attack, but "priority" was only necessary for those who lacked natural speed. As long as you were fast enough, priority moves meant absolutely nothing!
In the realm of combat, absolute speed conquered all!
Whoosh!
Displaying astonishing flexibility, Froakie contorted its body and evaded the shadowy strike completely unharmed. In the midst of the dodge, Froakie executed a lightning-fast iaijutsu slash. The glowing blade diced its own shadow into fine ribbons.
"Now! Mimikyu, use Wood Hammer!"
"Mimi!"
Right at that moment, Mimikyu's voice echoed from above. Froakie tilted its head up just in time to see Mimikyu's wooden tail morph into a massive mallet, plummeting down to crush it.
The Shadow Sneak was just bait to slow Froakie down. The true killing blow was the Wood Hammer follow-up!
"Fro, fro."
Looking at the descending hammer, a brief flash of surprise crossed Froakie's eyes. But it instantly returned to calm apathy.
Not a bad combination. But it is far too early for you to defeat me.
"Froakie, use Quick Attack!"
"Fro!"
Following Ash's shout, a brilliant layer of white light enveloped Froakie's body. Its already terrifying speed escalated to an absolutely absurd level. Mimikyu couldn't even process how the frog vanished.
In the very next second, a glowing white blade was resting gently against Mimikyu's neck.
"Fro, fro."
Standing right behind Mimikyu, Froakie let out a soft, calm cry.
The match is decided.
As soon as the words left its mouth, the freezing, lethal aura radiating from Froakie vanished. It dispersed its glowing blade and reverted entirely back to its usual lazy, aloof posture.
"Mimikyu, are you okay?"
Ash jogged over to the two of them. He checked on Mimikyu first. Hearing the Ghost-type reply with a cheerful, energetic squeak, he immediately turned to Froakie. Ash didn't hold back his praise.
"You are seriously amazing, Froakie."
"Fro, fro."
Froakie was completely unmoved by the flattery. It stood with its hands clasped behind its back, perfectly maintaining the aura of a peerless master.
Is that not obvious?
"Gurgle."
A moment later, Ash's stomach let out a loud, echoing rumble. Right on cue, both Froakie and Mimikyu's stomachs rumbled in harmony.
"We've been training for so long, I guess we're starving," Ash laughed, rubbing his belly. He looked at his partners. "Come on, guys. Let's go find some berries to eat."
"Mimi."
"Fro."
Rustle.
Before they could take a step, the sound of shaking leaves came from the nearby bushes. All three of them turned their heads in perfect unison.
A girl with short brown hair and a red sun hat pushed her way out of the dense foliage.
"Um, I heard a battle happening over here, so I came to check it out." Seeing Ash, the girl immediately offered an explanation. "I've been lost in this forest for a whole week..."
"Oh! You're lost in the forest too!" Hearing her plight, Ash enthusiastically pointed down a nearby path. "If you just keep walking straight that way, you should eventually hit the main road."
"Gurgle, gurgle."
The moment he finished speaking, Ash's stomach staged another violent rebellion. He clutched his midsection tightly.
"I'm so hungry..."
"Have you not eaten anything yet?" The girl looked surprised. "But it's so late in the day."
"We've been busy training." Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
Just as he was about to say goodbye and hunt for berries, the girl offered a kind invitation.
"If you don't mind, would you like to have lunch together?"
"Huh? You haven't eaten either?"
"I was just about to. I was so focused on trying to find my way out that I totally forgot to eat." The girl sighed, looking deeply troubled. "This forest is just way too big. By the time I realized what was happening, I was completely lost."
"Are you from around here?" Ash asked curiously. Viridian Forest was famous throughout the Kanto region. A local wouldn't just refer to it vaguely as "this forest."
"Oh! I completely forgot to introduce myself." The girl offered Ash a bright smile. "My name is Serena. I'm from the Kalos region. I traveled to Kanto to compete in the Pokémon Contests here."
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town. My goal is to become a Pokémon Master!" Ash replied with equal enthusiasm. Then, his face scrunched up in deep thought. "The Kalos region? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere recently."
"Fro, fro."
Froakie stared at Ash in total disbelief. It launched itself into the air and delivered a swift, spinning kick right to the side of Ash's head.
Smack!
It was super effective. Ash instantly remembered.
"Ah! I remember now!" Ash clapped his hands together, his cheek slightly swollen from the kick. "Froakie is a starter Pokémon from the Kalos region!"
"Um. Ash, are you okay?"
"What? Oh, this?" Ash waved it off casually. "It's nothing. I'll be totally healed in a few minutes."
"Healed in a few minutes..." Serena sweatdropped. She had the distinct feeling she had just met someone very abnormal.
"Gurgle, gurgle."
Ash's stomach demanded attention once again. This time, the sound was deafening. Ash could literally feel his limbs going weak. If he didn't get calories into his system soon, he was going to pass out.
"I can't take it anymore. I need food right now or I'm going to collapse!"
"Are you really that hungry? Hold on a second." Serena slipped her backpack off and rummaged inside. A moment later, she pulled out a decorative tin. "Here. These are Poké Puffs I baked myself. Give them a try."
"Whoa! Thank you so much!"
Ash gratefully accepted the tin. He popped it open to reveal eight beautifully decorated Poké Puffs. Ash grabbed two for himself and divided the rest between his partners.
"Here, Froakie, Mimikyu. Split these evenly."
"Thanks for the food!"
Ash shoved more than half of a Poké Puff into his mouth in a single bite. He chewed twice, and his eyes instantly lit up like stars.
"Whoa! This is incredible!"
"Mimi!"
"Fro, fro."
Sharing their portions, Mimikyu squeaked in pure delight, while Froakie gave a refined, approving nod to agree with Ash's assessment.
Before long, the boy and his two Pokémon had completely demolished the entire box of treats.
"That was so good. I haven't eaten anything that delicious in over a week."
Ash nodded in absolute satisfaction. But just as he was about to thank Serena and say goodbye, his stomach betrayed him again.
"GURGLE."
It was even louder than before.
A heavy silence descended over the clearing.
"Well. I suppose a few Poké Puffs aren't quite enough to fill you up." Serena finally covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Shall we make lunch together?"
"Uh..." Ash scratched his head in total embarrassment. He really couldn't say no at this point.
"I'm in your care."
...
The two of them began preparing lunch.
In reality, Serena did all of the cooking while Ash stood on the sidelines handing her spoons. It wasn't that Ash didn't want to help. But the moment Serena realized he literally couldn't tell the difference between sugar and flour, she finally understood why he and his Pokémon were surviving entirely on wild berries.
In certain aspects, Ash lived a more feral lifestyle than actual wild Pokémon.
After some coordinated effort, a rich, hearty lunch was ready. The two sat across from each other to eat. As they chatted over the meal, they naturally grew more comfortable with one another.
"So you actually visited Pallet Town when you were little, Serena." Ash swallowed a mouthful of stew, nodding in understanding. "Is that why you decided to come all the way to Kanto for the Pokémon Contests?"
Pokémon Contests had only recently gained traction in the Kanto region, so they weren't particularly famous yet. Ash didn't follow them closely, but his mother loved watching the broadcasts, so he picked up some basic knowledge by proxy.
When Serena mentioned competing, Ash naturally assumed nostalgia was her driving factor.
"That's only part of the reason," Serena admitted openly. "Actually, I also came to the Kanto region to meet an old friend of mine."
"A friend?"
"Yeah. His name is Goh. He also lives in Pallet Town," Serena nodded. "We actually met at a Pokémon Summer Camp."
"A Pokémon Summer Camp?" Ash thought about it for a second. "I feel like I remember something about that."
"It was the Pokémon Summer Camp hosted by Professor Oak." Serena looked a bit surprised. "I thought every kid in Pallet Town attended that year."
"...Oh! Right, I remember now." Ash shook his head. "I didn't go. I was out camping in Viridian Forest by myself when that happened."
Ash really hadn't attended that camp. He distinctly recalled seeing a very rare, mysterious Pokémon around that time. Determined to find it again, he spent several nights camping out in the woods, entirely missing Professor Oak's event.
Speaking of which, what kind of Pokémon was it again?
Ash froze, his mind plunging deep into his childhood memories.
Unaware of Ash's sudden internal deep dive, Serena smiled wistfully.
"That's such a shame. The summer camp was incredibly fun. It left a really deep impression on me."
"I actually got separated from the main group back then, just like I did today. I was completely lost in the woods." Serena's eyes softened with nostalgia. "I was so scared. But eventually, Goh found me and led me out of the forest."
"That was how we became friends."
"Is that so..." Ash replied absentmindedly. Hearing Serena's story, a faint memory stirred in his mind. He vaguely remembered helping a lost little girl in the woods around that exact same time. But he quickly brushed the thought aside. His brain was entirely preoccupied with trying to remember the name of that rare Pokémon.
Snapping out of her memories, Serena noticed Ash aggressively scratching his head with a deeply frustrated expression. She blinked in confusion. "Ash, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm trying to remember a super rare Pokémon I saw when I was a kid. I know I should remember it clearly, but my mind is totally drawing a blank."
"A rare Pokémon?" Hearing this, Serena's interest was instantly piqued. "What kind of Pokémon was it? Did you actually see it?"
"I definitely saw it! I even asked what its name was..."
Ash racked his brain, but the answer danced just out of reach.
"What in the world was it..."
BOOM!
Just as Ash was on the verge of giving up, a massive explosion shook the ground beneath them. A thick plume of scorching black smoke billowed into the sky from a riverbank downstream.
Immediately after, they heard a furious, panicked voice screaming at the top of their lungs.
"Who are you people?! Mew belongs to Team Rocket! Get the hell out of here!"
"Mew... Mew..." Ash muttered the word under his breath. A second later, he slammed his hands on the folding table and shot to his feet.
"That's it! It was Mew!"
"The Pokémon I saw when I was a kid was Mew!" Ash yelled excitedly to Serena.
But a split second later, both of them blinked.
They violently snapped their heads toward the smoking river.
"MEW?!"