Chapter 122

Clemont: "But I think Serena is very reserved. As for me, I'll choose A: Sabrina."

Viola: "Reserved? What nonsense are you talking about? Did you forget Serena's farewell kiss? I think Ms. Malva is right; it's F."

Koji: "I think it's E."

Luana: "Hey, Koji, what are you talking about?!"

Lance: "My sixth sense tells me the correct answer is D: Flora."

Bruno: "Flora? Are you kidding me! A: Sabrina, charge with me!"

Wallace: "Why is no one choosing Erika?"

Cynthia: "Erika just met Ash two days ago!"

Diantha: "So it absolutely cannot be Erika!"

Wallace: "Makes sense. In that case, I'll choose A: Sabrina too."

Kanto Ash.

"Ah, this question is so hard, I have no idea what to choose. Pikachu, what do you think I should choose?"

Ash had no clue and finally chose to ask Pikachu for help.

"Pika—chu?"

Asking it? It's just a small Pikachu; what could it possibly know?

After confirming that Ash was serious, Pikachu randomly pointed to an option for Ash.

B: Erika.

"Erika?"

After seeing the answer Pikachu chose, Ash's eyes widened. He never expected Pikachu to choose Erika.

Isn't this obviously the wrong answer?

"Pika."

Pikachu looked at Ash with a look of disdain, as if to say, if you don't dare to choose, don't ask me.

"Hiss."

Ash gritted his teeth. Getting the answer wrong was a small matter, but being looked down upon by Pikachu was a big one. Thinking of this, Ash didn't hesitate and pressed B directly.

"You really chose B? Ash, you're a bold one."

Brock didn't expect Ash to really listen to Pikachu and choose B.

"I believe in myself. I choose A: Sabrina."

"I choose A too!"

Misty also felt that Sabrina was the correct answer.

After Misty finished answering, the countdown appeared.

【3】

【2】

Mallow: "Ahhh, it's too late, I'll just pick one randomly. I choose B."

【1】

【Countdown ended.】

Back to the video.

"Erika, why are you here?"

Ash said in surprise.

Chat room.

Lance: "Erika?!"

Lance rubbed his eyes and looked at the big screen again.

Damn, it really is Erika.

Diantha: "Are you playing with us? You are definitely playing with us! @Erika."

Wallace: "No way, it really is Erika?"

Wallace was going crazy. He originally wanted to choose Erika, but after listening to Cynthia and Diantha's analysis, he changed his choice to Sabrina.

Cynthia: "I'm really vomiting blood. I never expected it to actually be Erika."

Koji: "It's not Mom, damn it!!!"

Luana: "..."

【Ding! The top three correct answers for this prize quiz are Ash, Mallow, and Vacant.】

【Congratulations to the two respondents for winning the rewards!!!】

【Respondent Ash, reward: Sword of Ruin.】

【Respondent Mallow, reward: Magical Cooking Handbook. (PS: Magical dishes that can improve Pokémon's strength.)】

Wallace: "Someone actually got such an outrageous answer right? And it's Ash again. I now seriously suspect the viewing system is secretly leaking the answers to Ash."

Gary: "Impossible. Based on my understanding of Ash, if the system really leaked the answers, Ash would have been promoting it all over the streets. 'Making a fortune in silence' has never been in Ash's dictionary."

Professor Oak: "Hmm, Gary is right."

Ash: "..."

Flint: "Sword of Ruin? What kind of thing is that? Never heard of it."

Bruno: "The reward this time isn't a Pokémon, but a sword. Could it be that the system also thinks Ash shouldn't continue developing as a Pokémon trainer?"

Lorelei: "Now the real trainer is warming up off-field. With Ash's physique combined with an indestructible sword, who else is Ash's opponent?"

Cynthia: "I seem to have seen the Sword of Ruin in ancient books. If I remember correctly, it's from the Paldea Chronicles..."

Iono: "The Sword of Ruin isn't an ordinary sword. There's a legend in the Paldea region. During the Paldea Empire era, a merchant sold four treasures brought from the East—a vessel, a sword, a tablet, and beads—to the king. That very night, the four treasures turned into Pokémon and went on a rampage, destroying the royal city. It is said that the true forms of the four treasures are Pokémon that had been absorbing desires and curses for a long time. When they fell into the king's hands, the king's desires caused them to become active. The king eventually invited a Pokémon tamer to suppress the four Pokémon and sealed them into four shrines using eight stakes each. Only those with no distracting thoughts can break the seal."

Gary: "Someone with no distracting thoughts? Isn't that Ash?"

The only person designated by Ho-Oh to have no distracting thoughts.

Lance: "Don't all of you just stare at Ash's reward. Mallow's reward is also heaven-defying."

Bruno: "Dishes that can improve Pokémon's strength? Hiss, that... Mallow, once you can successfully make the dishes, you must let me try one."

Lorelei: "Dishes that improve Pokémon's strength—are you a Pokémon?!"

Bruno: "How would I know if I don't try?"

Others:...

Back to the video.

"You, you, why did you come to Johto too?" Misty was going crazy.

She had finally managed to leave Erika behind in Celadon City; who would have thought she would follow them again.

"Because I closed the gym for a vacation," Erika looked at Misty with a half-smile. "Surprised?"

"Heh." Misty gave a cold laugh.

Surprised? No surprise, it was all a shock!

Erika reached out her hand and said with a smile: "Then please take care of me for the next two months, Misty."

"Take care, take care." Hating her guts inside, but having to pretend to be generous on the outside, Misty felt that she was having a really hard time.

Just like that, Erika joined the team.

"Then I want to travel with everyone too!" Nana raised her hand, indicating that she still had a lot to learn from Ash, so she also wanted to travel with everyone for a while.

"Fine, fine, fine," Misty said powerlessly.

The more lice you have, the less they itch. Come on, come on, all of you come.

The travel team suddenly expanded to five people, and just like that, the large group set off toward Violet City.

"Huh, what's going on with this forest?"

Looking at the suddenly bare trees, countless question marks appeared over Nana's head.

All the trees along the way had been growing well, but only the trees here were wrong.

"According to my observation, only the trees in this vicinity are withered," Brock said, rubbing his chin.

"They were eaten by bugs," Erika concluded after careful observation.

"B-bugs?" Upon hearing the word 'bug,' Misty felt terrible. She leaned toward Ash involuntarily; only by Ash's side could she feel a sense of security.

Erika also noticed Misty's abnormality and said in surprise: "No way, Misty, you aren't afraid of Bug-type Pokémon, are you?"

"N-no, I just dislike bugs a little," Misty replied with a pale face.