Having gathered all eight badges, Ash and his companions finally set off on the journey back to Pallet Town. Sunlight poured onto the winding road, and Pikachu lay lazily on Ash's shoulder, occasionally letting out a satisfied "Pika."
Misty and Brock were also unusually relaxed, chatting and laughing along the way while discussing the upcoming Indigo League.
"Finally we can go home and get some proper rest!" Misty stretched lazily. "Speaking of which, Ash, your mom will definitely be proud when she finds out you collected all eight badges."
Ash nodded with a smile, but his attention was suddenly drawn to a figure in an open field not far away.
A strangely comical Mr. Mime was "painting" in the air, as if creating an invisible work of art.
It jumped, spun, and surrounded itself with invisible walls, forming a maze around its body as it played happily.
"A wild Mr. Mime!" Misty exclaimed in surprise.
In that instant, memories from Ash's previous life flashed through his mind. This was the very Mr. Mime that would later become a member of his household, mischievous but kind, always using its psychic abilities to add fun to everyday life.
He smiled slightly and reached for the Poké Ball at his waist, preparing to catch this future companion.
However, just as he was about to throw the Poké Ball, a young blue-haired woman dressed in a gorgeous performance outfit hurried toward them. Her face was full of worry, and beads of sweat covered her forehead.
"Please wait!" she called out breathlessly, stopping in front of Ash. "I'm the leader of a Pokémon circus, and that Mr. Mime is very important to us!"
The circus director wiped the sweat from her brow and began explaining her predicament.
It turned out that the circus also had a Mr. Mime of its own, once the star performer of the troupe, famous for using invisible walls to complete extremely difficult tricks.
But during an important performance recently, it made a mistake. Since then, it had lost all confidence, hiding in corners all day and refusing even the simplest performances.
"We've tried many methods, but it just can't regain its spirit," the director sighed, worry visible in her eyes. "I heard there's a wild Mr. Mime nearby, so I hoped to invite it to encourage ours. Maybe the presence of another Mr. Mime will help it regain confidence."
As Ash listened, an embarrassing scene from the original story surfaced in his mind. He had once been forced to dress up as Mr. Mime himself, wearing a ridiculous mascot costume on stage and awkwardly imitating Mr. Mime's movements, only for the audience to think he was a "special guest."
He shuddered slightly. That black history was something he definitely did not want to repeat.
If he was going to perform, then he had to perform properly and make it completely convincing.
"Miss Director," Ash said after a moment of thought, proposing an entirely new plan. "Perhaps I can help your Mr. Mime regain its confidence without capturing this wild one."
The director, along with Misty and Brock, all looked puzzled.
Ash didn't explain further. Instead, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began focusing his Aura Power.
A faint blue energy slowly flowed around his body like a gentle veil.
Gradually, his form began to change. His limbs became longer, his body outline blurred, and in the end, he perfectly transformed into the appearance of a Mr. Mime.
"Th... this is..." The circus director was too shocked to speak, while Misty and Brock stared with wide eyes.
When the time for the performance came, the Mr. Mime that Ash had transformed into stepped onto the stage.
Ash, in his Mr. Mime form, began a dazzling performance. He first recreated the circus's classic balance ball act, using invisible walls to support several colorful balls, letting them spin and bounce gracefully in the air as though guided by unseen hands.
Next came a midair walking act. He walked and flipped across transparent walls, as if strolling through clouds, every step as light as a feather.
Most astonishing of all, Ash used his Aura Power to draw brilliant patterns of light in the air. The once-invisible walls became visible works of art under his control. Colorful lights flowed through the sky, sometimes forming fluttering Butterfree, sometimes shaping into a running herd of Tauros. In the end, they formed a rainbow bridge stretching across the sky, turning the entire field into a dreamlike scene.
It had to be said, the performance was truly captivating.
The wild Mr. Mime watched with complete fascination, dancing excitedly. It couldn't resist running over to Ash and began copying his movements. The two of them, for lack of a better word, worked together with increasing harmony, putting on an extraordinary duet performance.
The invisible walls became jumping platforms, spinning stages, and even a miniature amusement park in their hands.
The audience didn't find it strange at all. They simply assumed this was an additional act by the circus, so the applause grew louder and louder, wave after wave of cheers filling the air.
At that moment, the circus's own Mr. Mime was also drawn by the excitement and quietly peeked out from backstage.
At first it was hesitant, but inspired by the enthusiasm of Ash and the wild Mr. Mime, it slowly joined the performance.
The trio of "Mr. Mimes" pushed the atmosphere to its peak. They built a castle with invisible walls, painted shining stars across the sky, and even simulated a small fireworks show at the end, earning thunderous applause from every audience member present.
Many of them exclaimed that the ticket price had been absolutely worth it.
After the performance ended, the circus's Mr. Mime regained the fire of determination in its eyes. It jumped in front of the director, bowed deeply in apology, and then gestured that it wanted to return to the stage.
The director was so moved that tears streamed down her face. She tightly held Ash's hand.
"Thank you so much! My Mr. Mime has recovered! You didn't just save its career as a performer, you saved its heart!"
Ash dispelled the transformation and returned to his normal form, wiping the sweat from his forehead. The Aura transformation had consumed quite a bit of his stamina, but seeing Mr. Mime smile again made it all worthwhile.
At that moment, the wild Mr. Mime walked up to Ash happily, gesturing that it wanted to follow him.
Ash smiled and took out a Poké Ball. "Welcome to our family!"
Mr. Mime willingly touched the Poké Ball and was successfully captured.
[Ding! The host has captured Mr. Mime. Reward: 200 World Points.]
[Current World Points: 24,700.]
That evening, the circus director came to see Ash alone to express her gratitude... (You know what that means.)
After returning to Pallet Town, Ash left Mr. Mime at home.
At first, Delia was a little surprised, but she was quickly won over by the mischievous and adorable Pokémon.
Mr. Mime not only helped with household chores, using psychic power to clean windows and invisible walls to block splashing oil while cooking, but also used its abilities to perform amusing tricks that made Delia laugh endlessly. It even learned to use invisible barriers to protect the vegetable garden from wild Pokémon.
Soon, the neighbors of Pallet Town all said that Ash's family had gained an "all-purpose housekeeper."
A/N: In the next chapter, Ash will first return to Professor Oak's Laboratory to report in. After that, the story will enter the Mewtwo Strikes Back storyline.
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