Like that, living a fulfilling life, Ash and the group finally began leaving Fallen Town.
With Elsa having wrapped up everything she wanted to do there, she decided to join them for the journey ahead. The moment they stepped out together, the group naturally drew attention. It was honestly unavoidable.
Yellow, with her bright smile and open, gentle personality, easily became the focus of many lingering gazes. Misty, energetic and sharp-tongued yet undeniably beautiful, walked with her usual confidence. And now there was Elsa—different from both of them.
If Misty was fiery and striking, Elsa was calm and elegant, the type whose beauty lingered quietly. Her soft smile, paired with a faint shyness, made her stand out in her own way.
And right in the middle of all that… was Ash.
The only guy in the group.
It was hard not to stand out in a town like that.
Fortunately, once they left the stone roads behind and entered the forest paths, things became far more comfortable. The air grew fresher, filled with the scent of grass and damp soil.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves in scattered beams, and the constant background noise of Pokémon cries replaced the chatter of townsfolk.
This was Ash's preferred environment.
Bug-type Pokémon crawled through the undergrowth, and small rodent types darted between bushes. Rattata appeared now and then, along with the occasional Nidoran, though those were rarer.
Ash observed them out of habit, his gaze sharp and practiced, but none showed anything special. No outstanding talent, no unusual aura.
So he didn't bother.
At noon, they stopped to rest, and Ash took charge of cooking once again. Elsa watched from the side, genuinely surprised.
She had expected him to be strong, sure—every trainer had to be—but seeing him prepare food so naturally, coordinating ingredients and Pokémon help without fuss, changed her impression of him yet again.
He was… surprisingly capable.
More than that, he was thoughtful. Before deciding on routes or stopping points, he always checked with Misty and Yellow first, asking their opinions rather than imposing his own. It was a small thing, but Elsa noticed it.
'He's the caring type,' she thought.
The journey wasn't completely uneventful. Along the way, Ash ran into two challenger trainers. Nothing particularly notable, but battles were battles. This time, Froakie and Riolu took the front line.
Pikachu didn't complain in the slightest. In fact, he looked more amused than anything, watching from Ash's shoulder as his teammates handled things. Froakie moved with increasing sharpness, while Riolu's strikes carried growing confidence.
Both battles ended cleanly.
By evening, the group reached the middle region of the forest. Nestled between towering trees was a small Pokémon Center, clearly designated by the Alliance for travelling trainers. It was functional but modest—and unfortunately, full.
With no rooms available, they decided to camp outside.
The night settled in quietly.
A bonfire crackled at the centre of their campsite, its warm light pushing back the darkness. Ash sat near it, poking at the flames with a stick now and then, his gaze drifting upward. Above him, the sky was clear, stars scattered like spilt dust across a vast canvas.
But his thoughts weren't on the stars.
In his mind, he was replaying a discussion he'd had earlier within the guild—an expert explaining details about a rare electric-type Pokémon. Zeraora. The Thunderclap Pokémon. Fast, ferocious, and incredibly rare.
Just listening to discussions like that taught him a lot. He was still a rookie in the guild, but not the only one. Still, he was easily the youngest trainer there, and that alone pushed him to absorb everything he could.
"Huh. So you're up." Ash blinked and turned his head. Elsa had quietly stepped out of her tent. She paused when she noticed him looking at her, then gave a small, shy smile.
"Yep! Just thinking about something," Ash replied with a grin. Beside him, Pikachu perked up immediately, hopping once and waving enthusiastically.
"So you were up too, little buddy." Elsa walked over and sat down near Pikachu, gently scratching the fur around his neck. Pikachu melted instantly, eyes half-closed in pure contentment.
"Pi~."
Ash watched the scene with a mix of fondness and helpless amusement. 'This little guy…' He had shocked more than a few trainers with his strength, but when it came to girls, he was endlessly patient and gentle.
They talked quietly for a while.
Elsa mentioned how she liked looking at constellations—a habit she'd developed with her father. He had passed away long ago. She was adopted, and by the time that happened, her father had already been quite old. Still, those quiet nights under the stars had stayed with her.
"Hm. That's a nice habit, I guess," Ash said, steering the conversation gently away before it grew too heavy.
That led naturally into Pokémon talk.
He brought up Eevee and its evolutions, especially Umbreon and Espeon. Elsa had seen Umbreon during that match, after all. Ash explained the theory behind their evolution and how environment and bond played a role.
What he didn't mention was that this wasn't just theory anymore.
Using his knowledge from his previous life and the anime, Ash had worked together with Professor Oak to formally submit the concept. The federation had approved it as an official research theme. If the data proved solid, Oak had promised to promote Ash to an official researcher rank.
Half a trainer. Half a researcher.
It was something Ash was genuinely grateful for. And under the quiet forest sky, with the fire crackling and Pikachu softly chirping beside them, it felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.
"Isn't that amazing?" Ash said with a light laugh, his tone clearly joking.
But Elsa didn't laugh.
Instead, she looked straight at him, her eyes steady and sincere, as if every word he had spoken carried weight. In her mind, there was no doubt at all. Why wouldn't it be true? Why wouldn't Ash be that amazing, even at the same age as them?
"Hm. You really are amazing, Ash," she said softly. There was no teasing in her voice. No hesitation either. The way she said it—so straightforward, so earnest—made even Ash feel a little flustered. He wasn't used to that kind of praise being delivered so directly.
"Haha… I was just joking a bit," he replied, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "It's not that amazing."
Elsa stared at him for another second, as if weighing something in her heart. Then, suddenly, she leaned forward. With a small push of courage, she planted a light kiss on his cheek.
Ash froze.
"Then… I'll be leaving. Good night, Ash."
Her face turned a faint shade of red as she stood up, her movements slightly stiff. Without daring to look back, she walked toward her tent, disappearing inside it after a few awkward steps.
Ash remained sitting there, completely stunned.
This wasn't his first life—but in this world, this was definitely his first time experiencing something like this. A kiss on the cheek. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, the quiet sound oddly loud in the still night.
"Pika~?"
Pikachu tilted his head, confused by why his trainer was suddenly acting strange. After a moment, he lost interest and turned his attention back to the bonfire, watching the sparks drift upward.
Ash didn't notice the eyes watching him from the shadows. Yellow had seen everything. A silent blush spread across her face, warmth rushing to her cheeks. But that warmth quickly turned into something else—a small, unmistakable pout.
Before Ash could gather his thoughts, she stepped out from the shade and stomped straight toward him. "Eh—Yellow?" Ash barely had time to react. She grabbed his collar without hesitation, pulling him down toward her. His eyes widened—and before he could say a word, her lips pressed firmly against his.
It wasn't hesitant.
It wasn't gentle.
It was fast and decisive and left absolutely no room for misunderstanding. "Stupid Ash."
She let go just as quickly, turning away with her face burning red. Without looking back, she stormed off toward her tent. Ash sat there, completely speechless.
His mind was blank.
After a moment, he rubbed his face and glanced around instinctively, his heart still beating far too fast. With a careful sweep of his aura sense, he checked the nearby tents. Misty was asleep.
Soundly.
"…Thank goodness," Ash muttered under his breath.
Calling it a night, he finally retreated into his own tent, lying down and staring at the fabric ceiling for a long time before sleep eventually claimed him. The next morning, everything looked… normal.
At least on the surface.
Yellow stuck closer than usual, her movements slightly hesitant, her cheeks faintly pink. She treated Ash more sweetly, occasionally glancing at him before quickly looking away. Elsa wasn't much different—standing closer, meeting his gaze more often, her eyes far more open and straightforward than before.
Misty, on the other hand, didn't notice anything at all.
"So, you're cooking again?" Elsa asked, stepping closer as Ash prepared breakfast. "Let me help. I'll cut the ingredients." Yellow was busy grooming Bulbasaur nearby, while Elsa joined Ash by the cooking setup.
By this point, even Misty could sense that something had changed. Elsa's behaviour was subtly different—nothing obvious, but unmistakably closer. Still, to Misty, they just looked like good friends. Ash didn't resist this sudden closeness.
He already had a pretty good idea why this was happening.
[Emotion ripple.]
This skill caused girls who already held a positive image of the host to slowly develop romantic feelings. Depending on emotional value and interaction, mutual favorability would continue to rise naturally. Plus, it also makes the target of this skill stay in harmonious relation if the feeling rating is higher. So, the higher their interest toward Ash, the closer they will become with each other.
It was the same skill that had made that scumbag trainer proudly declare Ash his number-one disciple—and joke that Ash might end up with a massive harem if he played his cards right.
Ash sighed inwardly.
'At least for now… I'm not that interested.'
Still, he couldn't deny it. Sharing these small, sweet moments during his journey didn't feel bad at all. In fact… it felt surprisingly good and wholesome. Leaving a thrilling taste of various emotions entangling this journey.