"I got the Pink Badge!"
Ash Ketchum excitedly raised the Pink Badge high into the air.
"Hehehe! I knew it—I'm a genius!"
"With just two more badges left, I'll have all eight Gym Badges!"
For a boy who had only just left Pallet Town and had been traveling for less than a few months, this achievement was more than enough to make him proud.
Grinning from ear to ear, Ash carefully pinned the Pink Badge to the inside of his jacket, then placed his hands on his hips.
He proudly showed off his accomplishment to his companions.
Misty couldn't hold back anymore and immediately unleashed her trademark sharp tongue.
"Hmph! What are you so proud of? More than half of those badges were basically given to you!"
"It's not because you're actually that strong!"
Misty was either silent—or devastating. And once she spoke, she hit hard.
Ash was instantly rendered speechless.
In that moment, all the memories of how he had obtained those badges came rushing back.
At the Pewter City Gym, he had been a complete beginner, not even understanding type matchups or battle rules. In the end, Brock had simply given him the Boulder Badge.
At the Cerulean City Gym, the three sisters had no interest in battling. Ash and Misty ended in a draw, and because Ash had driven off Team Rocket, he was given the Cascade Badge.
At the Saffron City Gym, the leader Sabrina was a powerful Psychic user. Ash stood no chance against her. It was only with the help of Haunter that he managed to receive the Marsh Badge.
At the Celadon City Gym… well, in order to get that badge, Ash had even disguised himself as a girl to sneak in. He still lost the battle, but because he helped put out a fire, Erika awarded him the Rainbow Badge.
Out of his six badges, four had been obtained through various "special circumstances."
Only the Orange Badge and this Pink Badge could truly be considered victories earned through his own strength.
"W-Well… I still put in effort to get those badges too…"
Just moments ago, Ash had been overflowing with pride. Now, he lowered his arms, his eyes turning watery—like an innocent, pitiful puppy.
Misty froze.
Normally, she was the one who roasted Ash the hardest.
But seeing him suddenly look so dejected, she was the first to feel conflicted.
"I… I didn't mean you're not strong… just maybe you could… tone it down a little…"
Before Misty could even finish her sentence, Ash had already bounced back.
"I knew it! Misty was just joking! I really am amazing, right?!"
Watching Ash puff himself up again, Misty was left completely speechless.
Seriously?!
All that sympathy she just felt—wasted!
Brock's eyes curved into crescents as he chuckled, patting Misty on the shoulder.
"Pfft… alright, alright. You know what Ash is like. Hasn't he always been this way?"
"Sigh… I wonder if he'll ever grow out of it."
"Maybe when he matures, he'll improve a little."
As Brock spoke, he shook his head helplessly.
Misty puffed up her cheeks, turned her head away, and shot Ash an annoyed glare.
"No way. Absolutely no way!"
"With that reckless personality of his, Ash will never change—not in this lifetime!"
She said it with absolute certainty.
Brock only smiled without replying.
Yeah…
Trying to imagine Ash as mature and composed…
Ugh!
Impossible!
As the very embodiment of recklessness, passion, and impulsiveness, Ash Ketchum and "maturity" simply did not belong in the same sentence.
Without realizing it, Misty and Brock had reached complete agreement.
And as if to prove them wrong—
Something unexpected quietly arrived.
A white light screen suddenly descended in front of the three as they walked.
Pikachu stopped in its tracks, tilting its head as it looked at the translucent white screen.
"Pika… pi?"
Its long ears twitched, eyes filled with confusion.
What they didn't know was—
The same scene was unfolding all over the world.
Kanto, Johto, the Orange Islands, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar… not a single place was left untouched.
Professor Oak, playing with Pokémon in the backyard of his research lab…
Chairman Damaranchi, leisurely sipping tea under the sun…
Lance, flying across the skies with his Dragonite…
Bruno, training bare-chested in the mountains alongside his Onix…
Leon, attending events in his sponsor-covered cape…
Before each and every one of them, the same white light screen appeared.
Everyone, without exception, paused what they were doing and looked up.
Before they could even speak, images began to appear on the screen.
A platinum-gold creature, resembling both a horse and a qilin, leapt forward. Countless rays of light tore through the darkness, giving birth to the very outline of the world.
Then came three indescribable beings. With the naked eye, one could see time and space begin to flow.
A green, serpentine dragon shot into the sky.
A massive blue whale spread its fins, and wherever it passed, oceans were formed.
A colossal red creature advanced slowly, lava flowing, volcanoes erupting—wherever it went, land was created.
Scene after scene of awe-inspiring imagery unfolded, leaving everyone utterly speechless.
"W-What… what is this?!"
Ash's jaw dropped in shock, nearly dislocating.
Overwhelmed by the terrifying aura emanating from the images, Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder, trembling—but still couldn't resist peeking out.
Misty staggered back several steps before barely managing to steady herself.
Brock was even more stunned—his usually narrow eyes were wide open like bells.
More unfamiliar, legendary Pokémon flashed across the screen.
Even if they only appeared for a second or two, it was enough for those who knew of them to recognize them.
"Groudon! That's Groudon—the ruler said to have created the land!" Maxie, dressed in a red suit, stared at the screen with blazing eyes.
"Kyogre! That's Kyogre—the ruler of the seas!" Archie, clad in blue, gazed at the screen with ambition and desire.
"Mew! That pink figure must be Mew! It really exists! I'm going to catch it for sure!" a certain overconfident Trainer declared.
Unlike the excitement of the ambitious, the shock of ordinary people, or the curiosity of Trainers—
Chairman Damaranchi, as the head of the Pokémon League, wore an extremely serious expression.
"Could this be the work of some organization again…?"
His first suspicion fell on those troublesome evil groups.
But before he could contact the Elite Four or Champions, the screen gave its answer.
[The Pokémon World Live Broadcast has begun!]
[This broadcast will showcase events from the past, the future, and parallel worlds!]
[Rankings, Q&A sessions, and special segments will appear from time to time. Participants may receive generous rewards!]
[Ding—A special chatroom has been synchronized and opened!]