Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

Phoenix King's feathers are indeed wondrous.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu took a half step back in surprise.

It could sense the vast and warm life force contained within the feathers, a force far beyond its comprehension.

"This is the Rainbow Feather, the feather of Ho-Oh, the god of Kanto," Ash explained in a low voice, looking at the sacred object with a complex expression.

“Sakaki said it once belonged to him, but then it lost its luster… Now, it has chosen me.”

To be honest... Xiao Zhi finds it quite confusing.

According to the original anime movie, Ash must have found this feather when he first met Ho-Oh.

However, not only did he not find it... he even got the feather from Itagi's hands.

If this is also God's "chosen one".

What does this "selection" mean?

Xiao Zhi didn't know.

But that heavy feeling had already quietly settled on his shoulders.

After all, there really are gods in this world.

Gods, standing at a higher level in the world, can see further and will also have their own thoughts.

Giovanni was rejected by the feather and eventually chose to give it up... From this perspective, Ho-Oh is actually quite easy to talk to.

At least no one was angry about the choice of wood, right?

He's a benevolent deity.

laugh.

what?

You're saying it might be because they can't beat them?

This possibility certainly exists, but let's give the Shiny Diable Finch some face.

Ho-Oh is indeed not a battle-type god like Giratina or Zygarde.

Even though they are both regional gods, their combat power is different.

After the narration was finished, silence fell over the room once again.

Pikachu was processing this amazing information.

Its little paws clenched involuntarily.

Pikachu: Throw-a-Wait!

Pikachu: I need to throw tiles!

Meanwhile, the other protagonist of the incident finally broke out of his "sleep" and made a sound.

"Mah~~~~"

The dream demon struggled to turn over in bed, its belly still round and plump.

It looked at Ash with its big, watery eyes, and then let out a small burp.

Although the meal was enjoyable, the heavy burden afterwards made the dream demon feel terrible.

Xiao Zhi sighed helplessly and amusedly, and began to gently rub its swollen little belly.

"Serves you right for being greedy. Now you know how bad it feels, don't you?"

Dream Fairy is so cute~~

"Mmm..." The dream demon let out a comfortable, slightly coquettish hum.

She felt the warmth and moderate pressure coming from her stomach, and her body slowly relaxed.

As she massaged him, the dream demon seemed to remember something, and her mood suddenly became somewhat depressed.

It used telepathy to intermittently supplement its experience in the underground room, especially the trembling when facing the terrifying Beedrill, and the embarrassment of being fed to the point of being unable to move.

[Ash...]

The voice of the Misdreavus echoed in Ash's mind, tinged with a hint of hesitation.

[That huge, terrifying creature...it's so powerful...if I were that strong, would I not be so scared?]

[besides……]

Its gaze swept toward the corner of the room, to the backpack that Ash had placed there for easy access, containing the Dark Stone that had been given as part of his "dowry".

[The stone the boss gave me... If I use it, I can evolve into a Misdreavus.]

Ash paused slightly while rubbing his stomach: "Wouldn't it be better to evolve into Mismagius? It'll become even stronger!"

Judging from its behavior over the years, Misdreavus doesn't seem to want to evolve, and Ash has tacitly refrained from mentioning it.

[But……]

The dream demon's voice lowered, carrying a childlike sense of conflict.

[As Gastly once said, evolving means becoming an adult... You can no longer be as willful as a child, you can no longer play pranks, you have to become more reliable and stable...]

It looked up at Ash and Pikachu: [I don't want to become an adult so soon... I still want to play with Ash, I want to play pranks with Pikachu, I want to continue like this...]

Hmm... Actually, it was always Misdreavus who played pranks on Pikachu.

Pikachu: Don't spread rumors about me without my knowledge!

The Dream Demon worries that once it evolves, its innocence, mischief, and carefree nature will disappear.

This concern is not unreasonable.

The evolution of Pokémon may be accompanied by dramatic physical and mental changes.

While there are a few cases where Magikarp evolves into Gyarados with such a huge difference, there are others.

The dream demon relished the feeling of being carefully cared for and being able to act spoiled at will.

The choice between increasing power and losing innocence became a dilemma for it.

Dream Fairy: Conflicted (。o︿o。)

She lived in Girls' Gorge for a long time, taking care of other young Ghost-type Pokémon.

She really enjoys the feeling of being taken care of right now.

Ash understood Misdreavus's troubles.

He slowed his rubbing of her stomach and gently stroked the dream demon's cool, smooth head.

"Mew, evolution doesn't mean losing yourself," Ash said gently.

"Look at Pikachu, it evolved from Pichu."

"Evolution is a way of growing, it gives you the ability to protect what you don't want to lose, including your 'innocence' and 'happiness'."

"True strength is the ability to both shoulder responsibility and maintain one's integrity."

"Whether you choose when to evolve or choose not to evolve, you will always be my Mengmeng."

Ash won't pressure Misdreavus to make a choice.

One must treat everyone equally.

If we can tolerate Pikachu making such a choice, then we should be able to tolerate other Pokémon making the same choice.

Whether someone is strong or not is a matter of ability.

Whether or not to do it is a matter of attitude.

A firm mind is the very reason for strength.

[Really?] The dream demon's eyes brightened.

“Of course.” Ash smiled. “So, no need to rush. Just follow your heart.”

These words were not only spoken to the dream demon.

Pikachu, standing nearby, had overheard and witnessed Ash's conversation with Misdreavus and all of his experiences that night.

It silently jumped onto the windowsill, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the sky outside the window.

Pikachu may not want to evolve, but it does want to become stronger.

Especially the [Electric Bead] that Ash initially gave to Pikachu... essentially, Pikachu still didn't know what this thing was.

Pikachu only knew that this power was given to it by Ash.

This symbolizes the bond of friendship between the two parties.

Therefore, Pikachu believes that it can become stronger and does not need to rely on evolution.

Although it led astray, it wasn't entirely wrong.

laugh.

Ash's description of Giovanni's power, Beedrill's terrifying aura, Ho-Oh's sacred feathers, Misdreavus's confusion about evolution and its thirst for power... all of these things, like undercurrents, are impacting Pikachu's heart.

It recalled Raichu's encounter with Lt. Surge.

Although they won through tactics, it was essentially a matter of taking shortcuts.

If Raichu's trainer had been someone like Giovanni, would his tactics have been effective?

If they encounter an even more terrifying opponent than that Beedrill in the future, will they be able to protect Ash, and also this little guy who just joined and is still struggling with growing up?

An unprecedented, urgent desire for power burned fiercely in Pikachu's heart.

It cannot be content with the status quo, nor can it rely solely on tactics and clever tricks.

It needs to be faster, stronger, and more resilient!

It must become able to stand up to those giants in the shadows and protect the dream and bond that it and Ash pursued together!

Its tail straightened slightly, and the electric sac flickered with tiny arcs of electricity once again.

But this time, it wasn't out of worry, but out of determination.

Pikachu's resolve is now even stronger!

Ash soothed the Misdreavus, which was gradually becoming sleepy from the comfort, and gently placed it beside his pillow, covering it with a small blanket.

In short—since it's fallen into my hands, everyone has to cover their stomach when they sleep!!!

Then he walked to the window and stood side by side with Pikachu, both gazing at the bright moon.

Ash saw the resolute light flashing in Pikachu's eyes and felt the restrained yet vigorous fighting spirit within it.

He understood what his partner was thinking.

A warm hand gently placed on Pikachu's head and stroked it tenderly.

Pikachu didn't turn around, but relaxed slightly and leaned towards Ash's palm.

"Partner..." Ash's voice rang out.

"There will be many competitors in the future."

"There will be more crises in the future."

"The future is completely uncertain."

Xiao Zhi's voice gradually rose in pitch:

"The journey we have embarked on is one filled with both thorns and glory!"

"But I know this is the path to a powerful victory."

Ash leaned down to be at eye level with Pikachu.

His eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.

Having come into this world, how can we not do something?

Backing off?

nonexistent!

He was also a bit agitated today, which was triggered by Sakaki.