Ash and Gary

Aoki took Slowking for a stroll in Pallet Town.

Although the purpose was to find traces of Ash and Gary, Aoki wasn't necessarily in a hurry to locate them. More than anything, it was a chance to take a walk and relax.

Aoki released Torchic.

This little one had been through some trauma. Although Aron's companionship had helped, Aoki still wanted to take him out whenever possible to help him adjust and heal.

Recently, Torchic's physical condition had stabilized. The next few days would determine if it would maintain its deep blue potential.

"Torchic, the air here is really nice. You can come out and play~~" Aoki knelt down and gently patted Torchic's soft head.

Torchic squinted happily and nuzzled into Aoki's palm.

His bond with Aoki was growing stronger and stronger.

Torchic's quick recovery was largely due to his naturally lively personality as a Fire-type Pokémon.

After getting used to the environment, Torchic started running around excitedly.

Pallet Town's surroundings were well-maintained. While there were wild Pokémon in the nearby forests, most were low-leveled and mild-mannered. Even if someone wandered in, as long as they didn't go too deep, they wouldn't be in danger.

Meeting the people responsible for Pallet Town's development was always heartwarming.

"Chamo~~" Torchic chirped, tugging at Aoki's pants.

"What's wrong, Torchic?" Aoki asked.

Torchic narrowed his eyes and sprinted into the grassy fields of Pallet Town, like a bird finally released from its cage.

When he was in an especially good mood, he would spit a few embers into the sky.

He knew not to damage the environment, but he couldn't help his joy. It felt like a weight had lifted from his heart.

Aoki's eyes glimmered. Under the system's scan, Torchic's data fluctuated.

The unstable stats had finally begun to settle.

"A positive mood really does help Torchic stabilize his potential," Aoki thought to himself.

Watching the little Fire-type disappear into the distance, Aoki chuckled. "Slowking, let's go after him. We can't let this happy little guy run off too far."

Torchic's speed was increasing, nearly slipping from Aoki's sight.

"Slow~~" Ludicolo nodded.

Using Teleport, Slowking appeared right beside the sprinting Torchic.

Aoki then stopped Slowking from using its psychic powers to retrieve Torchic.

"His Speed Boost ability is in full effect now," Aoki observed, watching Torchic revel in his joy.

Just as Torchic was running happily, two children approached from the opposite direction.

One wore a red cap and black short-sleeved shirt, while the other had a green outfit and blonde hair.

The two seemed to be in the middle of an argument as they walked toward Aoki, not noticing the small Fire-type running toward them.

Torchic, too caught up in his excitement, didn't see them either.

Boom!

"Ah! That hurt!" The black-haired boy, Ash, fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain.

Beside him, the other boy—Professor Oak's grandson, Gary—looked surprised.

As one of Ash's rivals, Gary had been lucky to avoid the collision, but Ash had taken the full impact.

Aoki quickly approached, glancing between Ash and the dazed Torchic before shaking his head helplessly.

Typical of someone who could be electrocuted by Pikachu daily—Ash had taken a full-speed hit from Torchic and was still fine.

"You okay, kid?" Aoki helped Ash up, then turned to Torchic. "Torchic, were you too excited? You ran into someone—come and apologize."

Torchic, still dazed, perked up at Aoki's words.

As a Pokémon, he was unharmed. He was just startled from having his fun interrupted so suddenly.

He ran up to Ash, bowing repeatedly in apology and chirping anxiously.

Ash wasn't injured. In fact, his eyes lit up when he saw Torchic. Instead of being upset, he excitedly ran up and hugged the little Pokémon, petting him as if he'd found a new favorite toy.

"Whoa! A real Pokémon! I've never seen this one before! It's so warm and soft!" Ash muttered excitedly.

"Uh…"

Aoki was speechless.

Gary, standing next to Ash, looked even more exasperated but wasn't surprised. As Ash's childhood friend, he knew him too well.

Sighing, Gary stepped forward and yanked Ash's shirt, pulling him away.

Torchic, wide-eyed, hid behind Aoki and peeked out at Ash, clearly wary of the overly enthusiastic trainer.

Gary turned to Aoki. "Sorry about that, bro. This guy's fine—he's just an airhead sometimes. Looks like he scared your Pokémon."

Aoki patted Torchic's head and smiled. "It's fine. What's your name?"

"My name's Gary Oak. My grandfather is Professor Oak."

"Me! Me! I'm Ash Ketchum! I'm going to be a Pokémon Master one day!" Ash shouted, raising a fist in the air.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aoki. I guess you could say I'm a guest of Professor Oak's."

His mentor was a good friend of Professor Oak, so it wasn't inaccurate to say he was a guest.

Hearing this, Ash and Gary's eyes lit up. To them, a guest of Professor Oak was practically family.

"Aoki, is this Pokémon a Torchic from the Hoenn region?" Gary asked, looking at the still-shy Fire-type behind Aoki.

"That's right. As expected of Professor Oak's grandson—you recognized a Torchic at such a young age. You've got a solid knowledge base."

"Heh." Despite his cool demeanor, Gary was still a kid, and he couldn't help feeling proud when praised. Plus, Aoki wasn't a total stranger.

"What's the Hoenn region? What kind of Pokémon is Torchic? What are you guys talking about?" Ash interrupted, looking confused.

His Pokémon knowledge was limited to Caterpie, Pidgey, and a handful of others he'd seen at the forest's edge.

Gary rolled his eyes and ignored him, then turned his attention to the two-meter-tall Slowking standing beside Aoki.

"But I don't recognize this Pokémon," Gary said with curiosity.