It had been a full year since Ash had transmigrated into this world.
Today, he was five years old.
And today was also the day he again received the biggest shock of his new life.
Ash wore a bright smile as he sat on a small stool, carefully cutting into the cake placed in front of him. Cheers and laughter filled the room, yet inside his head, chaos reigned.
'Why are there so many people…?'
No—people wasn't the right word.
Family.
It was already outrageous enough that his father was Giovanni, a Champion-level Gym Leader and the secret boss of Team Rocket. His mother was Delia Ketchum, the retired Champion of the Johto Region. His big brother was Red, the undefeated Champion of Kanto. And his uncle was Lance, the current Champion of Johto and a member of the Kanto Elite Four.
But today, Ash was finally meeting the rest of his family.
And it was ridiculous.
Agatha—his grandmother on Delia's side and one of Kanto's Elite Four—sat calmly nearby, sipping tea with a knowing smile. Beside her was Bruno, Lance's longtime male best friend and another member of the Kanto Elite Four, laughing loudly as he spoke.
Not far away stood Lorelei, Lance's female best friend and the final member of Kanto's Elite Four, quietly observing the room with composed elegance.
Koga was present as well—a former Gym Leader and now a member of the Johto Elite Four. Standing near him was Sabrina, the youngest Gym Leader of Kanto and its third strongest, her unreadable eyes scanning the gathering.
Lieutenant Surge, Vermilion City's Gym Leader and a former soldier, stood with his arms crossed, chatting casually.
All three of them worked under his father's so-called company.
'Yeah… sure. A company,' Ash thought dryly. 'Team Rocket.'
Then came the other Johto Elite Four.
Gold and Silver.
Ash nearly choked on air when he recognized them.
They were rivals. Protagonists from the Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver games he had played in his previous life. In this world, they had become members of Johto's Elite Four and had even been trained by Red as his juniors.
Thankfully, Silver was not Giovanni's son in this world.
That was one relief.
The final member of Johto's Elite Four was Claire—his aunt and the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City. In this world, she had risen to the Elite Four as well.
Ash felt his head spin.
And it still wasn't over.
Professor Oak stood near the center of the room, laughing warmly as he spoke with Delia and Giovanni. Ash soon learned that Oak had been the first Champion of Kanto—and the teacher of both Delia and Giovanni during their teenage years.
Standing beside him was a five-year-old boy with sharp eyes and an arrogant expression.
Gary Oak.
Then there were Yellow, Blue, and Leaf.
Blue was Red's best friend and rival. He had once held the Champion title for exactly one month—before Red took it from him. Now, Blue was training under Giovanni, who believed he had great potential with Ground-type Pokémon.
Leaf stood beside him, Blue's girlfriend and Red's female best friend. She was Champion-tier herself and had assisted Professor Oak extensively in completing difficult Pokédex research. On top of that, she was training under the Viridian City police for spy missions, having helped crack down on illegal Pokémon drugs and poaching operations.
And then there was Yellow.
To Ash's absolute shock, she was Red's girlfriend.
His quiet, antisocial, communication-impaired brother's girlfriend.
From what Ash had learned, Yellow had once shouted directly into Red's ears just to make him realize she liked him.
'How does a girl that sweet even shout like that…?' Ash wondered.
Apparently, she was now working as a trainee and assistant in Professor Oak's lab.
When Giovanni casually remarked that it was a pity many others couldn't make it, Ash felt a chill crawl down his spine.
'Just how terrifying are the connections of this body…?'
Still, despite everything, his fifth birthday went well.
What excited him most were the two gifts placed in front of him.
Two Poké Balls.
One from his father.
The other from his uncle Lance.
Ash took the Poké Balls and quietly moved away to a more open area, his heart pounding in anticipation.
Behind him, Giovanni and Lance exchanged eye-smiles.
The temperature dropped instantly.
"It seems you're still trying to turn my son into a bird keeper," Giovanni said calmly. "Expected from a Flying-type Champion."
Lance's eyebrow twitched.
"Teaching him about Dragon-type Pokémon is my duty," Lance replied sharply. "Especially since I don't want my nephew growing up like my sister's good-for-nothing husband who only thinks about his rocket work."
He emphasized the last word.
Giovanni's forehead twitched.
The two men glared daggers at each other until—
Bonk!
Bonk!
Both were struck on the head simultaneously.
Delia stood between them, spatula raised.
Moments later, Giovanni and Lance were kneeling on the floor, bumps on their heads, listening to Delia's furious lecture with expressions of absolute defeat and fear.
Meanwhile— Ash threw both Poké Balls into the air excitedly.
One was a Cherish Ball.
The other was a Heavy Ball.
The Cherish Ball opened first, releasing a small Dragon-type Pokémon.
Bagon.
The Heavy Ball burst open next, and a Rock/Ground-type Pokémon emerged.
Rhyhorn.
Ash's eyes lit up as he rushed forward, hugging both Pokémon tightly, laughing as he played with them.
Behind him, Giovanni and Lance continued suffering under Delia's wrath, while the rest of the family partied casually.
After all— Scenes like this were nothing new to them.