It had been a month since Ash had transmigrated into this world.
In that time, he had slowly come to terms with just how broken his family truly was. If nothing else, at least he had accepted it.
Right now, Ash could be seen sprinting through a forest clearing, his small body pushing itself to its limits. His breathing was steady but strained, his legs burning as he ducked, leapt, and rolled across uneven terrain.
Behind him—Crack!
A bolt of electricity tore through the air.
Ash twisted his body at the last second, barely dodging as the Thunder Shock blasted into the ground beside him.
'Too slow.'
Another bolt came flying toward him.
Ash clenched his teeth and dove forward, rolling across the dirt before springing back to his feet. Mud splattered across his clothes as he continued running.
Watching calmly from the side was Red.
From Ash's observations, his big brother was antisocial. Red spoke little, preferred silence, and rarely showed emotion. But beneath that quiet exterior was something else entirely.
Red was a complete brocon. The kind that reminded Ash of Itachi Uchiha—minus the whole clan extermination mindset.
Red had been training Ash relentlessly. Not Pokémon battles, but survival.
How to dodge Pokémon moves.
How to run efficiently.
How to climb, hide, ambush, and retreat.
How to use terrain and environment to his advantage.
This world wasn't like the anime. It was brutal, closer to the Pokémon Special manga—where Pokémon and humans could die in real battles fought in the open.
And Red was preparing him for exactly that.
Ash continued running until— Pikachu suddenly stopped as it sensed that Ash was at his limit.
Ash collapsed onto the ground, as he tried to catch his breath.
Red walked over calmly, pulling his cap down slightly before placing it gently on Ash's head.
"You have improved."
Ash smiled. He understood his brother's lack of communication. For Red, those three words were the highest praise possible.
Without another word, Red bent down and lifted Ash onto his back. Ash relaxed instantly, resting against him as Pikachu hopped onto Red's shoulder.
The three of them made their way back home in comfortable silence.
When they stepped inside— Both brothers froze.
A terrifying presence filled the room.
Delia emerged from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist and a spatula gripped firmly in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she looked them over from head to toe.
Mud-covered clothes.
Scratches.
Sweat.
Both Ash and Red shivered.
"Tone down the training," Delia said sharply. "Just look at the state of you two."
She crossed her arms, tapping the spatula against her palm.
"Go take a bath. No dinner until you're clean."
Both boys nodded frantically.
Behind Delia, their mother's Kangaskhan flashed them a peace sign. The baby Pokémon in its pouch happily handed each of them a towel.
Ash and Red immediately bolted toward the bathroom.
Delia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What am I supposed to do with those two…?"
A soft chuckle came from the sofa.
Giovanni sat there, casually reading the newspaper. His Persian lay lazily on a mattress in the hall, eyes half-closed.
"You should remember our younger days," Giovanni said with a faint smile. "Didn't we travel and train all the time too?"
He laughed quietly as a memory surfaced.
"I still remember your mother scolding you for hours when you came back from our training while completely covered in mud."
Delia huffed. "Honey," she said, turning to him, "don't forget who was trembling when he had to ask my father for my hand in marriage."
She pointed her spatula at him.
"My father and his Hydreigon were glaring daggers at you the entire time."
Giovanni coughed into his hand. "I don't recall ever being scared of anyone."
Delia raised a single eyebrow. Her spatula pointed straight at him.
Giovanni immediately folded the newspaper and sprang to his feet.
"My fault! Completely my fault!" he said quickly. "And by the way, you look especially beautiful today. Makes me want to have another kid."
Delia froze. Her face flushed red. "Oh, you tease!" she exclaimed, smacking him on the head with the spatula.
Giovanni collapsed onto the floor, unconscious and twitching slightly.
Delia walked back into the kitchen with Kangaskhan, leaving him behind.
Persian opened one eye, stared at its trainer lying on the floor, and sighed. As if this had happened far too many times before.