"Being a plastic surgeon isn't my thing," Ash shook his head. "My dream is to become the strongest Pokémon Trainer in the world, and that will never change."
"Ehh?! That's such a shame…" Yoko replied, her voice filled with regret.
And she wasn't the only one. Countless female viewers watching the live broadcast sighed in disappointment.
After all, the desire to be beautiful is timeless—there are no age limits.
Boys might care more about getting stronger, but girls? They'll do anything for beauty. The less beautiful want to become beautiful. The beautiful want to become even more beautiful. And this... this "illness" has no cure.
Ash had no idea just how irresistible his scarless healing ability was to women.
Of course, not all boys were clueless.
Over in Pewter City's Rock Gym, a tan-skinned boy with narrow eyes, wearing an orange shirt under a green utility vest, and a bright pink apron covered in strawberries, was busy mopping the floor while watching the Summer Camp livestream.
He let out a long, dramatic sigh.
"Man… I'm so jealous of that guy Ash."
"He's got this amazing superpower and he's not even using it properly!"
"If I had that kind of ability, I'd become a plastic surgeon, make friends with every girl out there, maybe even work alongside Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center."
"That'd be the dream…"
"Ugh… why don't I have powers like that?"
But the boy mopping floors wasn't the only one watching.
In the neighboring Viridian City Gym, inside a grand, temple-like office, a middle-aged man in a sleek black suit was seated on a leather sofa. His hair was immaculately slicked back, his features sharp and imposing. With one hand, he gently stroked a purring Persian resting on his lap. With the other, he tapped his fingers rhythmically on the sofa's armrest.
This was Giovanni—the boss of Team Rocket.
He was watching the same live broadcast relayed to him by his subordinates.
His face was unreadable as he stared at the screen, showing Ash using the Viridian Power's healing technique on Yoko's wrist.
But then—
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The tapping stopped.
He lifted his hand and activated the energy within his body.
BZZZZMMM—
A vivid green glow shone from his palm—nearly identical to the light Ash had just displayed on screen.
"…The Viridian Power. And not just any kind—he has the healing type, the rarest kind of all."
He spoke aloud, thinking to himself.
"That stalled project with Dr. Fuji… the one that keeps hitting a wall because of gene collapse issues."
"With this kid's healing ability… maybe there's a way to push it forward."
"Matori!"
"Yes, BOSS!" A woman entered briskly. Black bobbed hair, round glasses, and a baby-faced appearance—she wore a sleek professional outfit and exuded the aura of a perfect secretary.
Giovanni's voice turned commanding.
"Matori, if I remember correctly, Jessie, James, and Meowth have already infiltrated the Pokémon Summer Camp, yes?"
"Yes, BOSS. They infiltrated the camp two days ago and sent a report back to HQ. Their plan was to steal the Pokémon temporarily assigned to the campers, and possibly recruit some promising talents into Team Rocket."
"Hmph."
"Contact them immediately. Tell them to put the Pokémon snatching and recruiting on hold. I want that boy. Tell Jessie, James, and Meowth to bring him to me—alive!"
"Yes, BOSS. I'll deliver your instructions right away." Jatori bowed and exited swiftly.
Giovanni simply nodded. "Go."
Ash had thought his little display of healing power was no big deal—just a small ability, nothing worth worrying about.
What he didn't know… was that his power had already attracted the attention of the last person he wanted watching him.
—
Pokémon Summer Camp – Forest Campgrounds
"Ash-kun, I heard what you did for Goh yesterday," Yoko said warmly. "After he was attacked by that Gyarados, you rushed to help him right away—even pushed yourself to the point of exhaustion."
"You and Goh must be close, right?"
Ash shook his head.
"Actually, before the Summer Camp started, we didn't know each other at all. Even after it began, we weren't roommates and hadn't really talked much yet."
"When Goh got attacked and hurt… I stepped in because I had to. I have the power to heal injuries—how could I just stand by and do nothing?"
"My powers only awakened last week."
"I was out fishing with friends at the river outside Pallet Town and fell into the water. I ended up staying in Viridian City's hospital for two days."
"When I woke up… my powers had awakened. I think it was a gift from above. I nearly drowned, but instead of dying, I came out of it stronger."
"Even though I want to become a top Pokémon Trainer, not a Pokémon Doctor like Nurse Joy, I do have healing powers now. So if someone's hurt… I'll always step in."
"That said, my powers are still new. I can only heal minor injuries."
"Yesterday, Goh was hurt so badly… I gave it everything I had, drained all my energy, and still couldn't fully heal him."
Ash sighed, looking genuinely frustrated.
Though in truth, he wasn't upset about failing to heal Goh—he was upset that both his Aura and Viridian Powers were still so weak.
But Yoko—and the entire audience—only saw a six-year-old boy who tried his best.
And in their eyes, how could a child like him possibly have any bad intentions?
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T/N:
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