"Elena, do you still oppose my decision now?"
"Hehe, Mother, when have I ever opposed one of your decisions? I've always trusted your judgment the most. Besides, I decided long ago—this boy is my son-in-law."
"You brat… aren't you even a little worried that Clarissa might not agree?"
"How could she not? My son-in-law is talented, kind-hearted, and so handsome! Clarissa wouldn't find a better man even if she searched the whole world with a lantern. And I'm her mother—if I'm satisfied, she doesn't get to say no."
Meanwhile, back in Pallet Town, Ash had no idea that despite gently explaining to the Joy family that his supernatural powers couldn't be passed on genetically, they had absolutely no intention of giving up on making him their future son-in-law.
While they no longer offered the extravagant proposal they first put forward—funding Ash's entire Trainer journey in exchange for marriage—they were now planning to send their beloved heiress, Joy Clarissa, to travel alongside Ash when she turned ten.
If Ash knew about this plan, he'd probably be grinning from ear to ear in secret. After all, who wouldn't want a traveling companion like her?
To any fan of the Pokémon world, especially a former one like Ash, there were two things everyone adored—Pikachu… and Nurse Joy.
A sweet-faced, soft-spoken angel in a white uniform—having a girlfriend or even a wife like that? S-tier life unlocked!
That evening, Daisy Oak was home for a rare visit, but she'd be leaving again the next day. So after wrapping up his tasks in the afternoon, Ash stayed at the Aura Research Lab until dusk before heading home.
After dinner, he snuggled up with Pichu and Froakie to watch TV and chat with his mom for a bit. Then he washed up and headed upstairs to his room.
"Pichu, Froakie, you two play on the top bunk for a while, okay? I'm going to do some psychic meditation. Don't disturb me!"
He placed the two Pokémon on the upper bed while he sat cross-legged on the lower bunk.
Ash's room had a wooden bunk bed. The top bunk had originally been used for out-of-season clothes and bedding. But when Tierno and Trevor temporarily moved in during the camp, Delia had cleaned it up again for them.
Delia had thought Tierno and Trevor might stay one more night after the camp ended this morning, so she tidied the room just in case. She didn't know they'd left for the station and boarded their bus the moment the ceremony was over.
According to Professor Oak, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor—all students from Kalos—left Pallet Town by bus at 9:30 AM and arrived in Saffron City around 4:00 PM.
After resting and having dinner, they would board a flight back to Kalos at 6:20 PM. The flight to Lumiose City took about 13 hours, so by the time Ash finished his morning training and came home for breakfast, they'd just be arriving.
The moonlight bathed Pallet Town in silver, and the gentle night breeze rustled the cornfields and mountaintops with shimmering waves of green.
In the red-roofed, white-painted house with its little garden, Ash sat cross-legged on his wooden bed. After calming his breath and clearing his mind, he began meditating with the Aura technique known as [All Things Listening].
Whether training Pokémon or mastering supernatural powers, results came only through consistency and persistence. Even during the summer camp, Ash never skipped his daily meditation alongside training his Pokémon.
He was already quite skilled with the All Things Listening method.
He adjusted his breathing to relax his body and spirit. Soon, his consciousness drifted inward, entering his internal psychic space—a gray, misty dimension where he cultured his powers.
The space was thick with drifting fog, hiding everything from view.
On the ground lay a small glowing pool, like a puddle of liquid blue light. This was the Aura energy Ash had accumulated through daily practice.
Through the [All Things Listening] method, all of Ash's senses heightened. His ears picked up every tiny sound, and these inputs were sent to his meditating consciousness inside the psychic space.
Ash began analyzing the sound data flowing into him.
In the misty dimension, the gray fog started swirling together, forming a blank canvas—like paper waiting for ink.
And then… like a painter recreating reality, Ash used his mental awareness to transcribe the sounds he heard into visual impressions.
The sky shimmered with stars. The moonlight was gentle and silver. Scattered lights from the peaceful little town flickered below.
Outside Pallet Town, a winding river flowed from the northern hills down toward the southern ocean.
Bathed in the moon's glow, the river appeared broader than it did during the day, carrying the reflection of the stars toward the southern shore.
Immersed in meditation, Ash "painted" every sound his enhanced hearing captured, transforming the whisper of water, the rustle of trees, and the songs of the wind into vivid spiritual impressions.
Inside his gray psychic dimension, the mist gradually thinned as it was consumed to form the canvas.
Then, suddenly—
The entire space shook violently.
The canvas and the sound-image it held—like a masterpiece made of ice under the sun—began melting.
The gray canvas and the colorful sound-paintings fused together, transforming into pale blue Aura energy, which dripped into the puddle below like raindrops from a roof.
When the meditation ended, the Aura pool had grown significantly.
"Usually after one session, I only gain a few spoonfuls of Aura. But this time… there's ten times that much?!"
"Could this be the effect of the Mew's Dream Law Imprint?" Ash glanced at his hand in wonder. "But I thought Mew said the boost was only 5–10x… this feels way beyond that."
As if in response, the entire dimension trembled again.
Startled, Ash quickly exited his meditation and opened his eyes.
Just in time to see the glowing pink symbol—the Dream Law—fade slowly from the back of his right hand.
Pichu and Froakie, who had been placed on the upper bunk earlier, had now snuck down to sit side by side on the edge of his lower bed, curiously watching their Trainer.
"Pichu, Froakie—did anything strange happen while I was meditating?" Ash asked softly.
"Pii-pichu! Pii-pichu!"
"Froa~ froakie!"
"You saw strange glowing letters on the back of my hand? And my whole body was giving off a faint pink light?"
"So it really was the Dream Law Imprint boosting my meditation…"
Ash smiled to himself as he looked at his hand, now returned to normal—but glowing with quiet power within.
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