Chapter 5

【Professor Damu: That's the legendary Pokémon... Ho-Oh?!】

【Brock: Ash saw Ho-Oh at the start of his journey but didn't tell us; as soon as he set out on his trip, he encountered the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh—looks like your journey has been blessed by Ho-Oh!】

【Ash: I told Professor Damu, but he said I was mistaken, so that's why I didn't tell you guys.】

Cough cough...

Professor Damu choked on his alcohol lamp instant noodles; he initially thought this Ho-Oh was the legendary Pokémon that nobody had ever seen, but who knew Ash would see it so easily? He originally thought Ash had just mistaken it when he first set out on his journey, possibly confusing a Fearow for Ho-Oh.

【Professor Damu: "Uh uh, after all, Ho-Oh is a legendary Pokémon that hardly anyone has seen; you've just started your journey and you claim to have seen Ho-Oh—no one would believe that."】

【Daiwu: "I understand; if I hadn't seen the Light Screen playback myself, and if someone told me, I wouldn't believe a rookie Trainer could encounter a legendary Pokémon!"】

It is said that Ho-Oh is extremely rare and its combat power is immensely strong; there are even rumors that anyone who has seen Ho-Oh can obtain happiness.

If they hadn't personally seen the Light Screen footage, they wouldn't believe that a rookie Trainer, having just set out and not even left the beginner village, had encountered a legendary Pokémon.

【Dan Emperor: "Seeing Ash's self-sacrificing act to protect Pikachu, Ho-Oh's appearance must be an acknowledgment of him, right?"】

【Professor Damu: "I think so!!!"】

As they watched the Light Screen, Ash and Pikachu exchanged a glance full of mutual understanding; Ash seemed to see his earlier self, constantly clashing at the start, but their friendship continued to warm up.

"Ash and Pikachu's friendship originally began like this."

Youlija hugged the Doduo; compared to that, her bond with Doduo seemed rather plain, but she believes that during her journey they will surely become stronger.

Serena gazed at Ash, who was locking eyes lovingly with Pikachu; she was extremely curious about his travels in other regions, and now she can learn more about what Ash experienced before meeting her through this Light Screen.

Cerulean City, Cerulean Gym.

At this moment, Xiaoxia's complexion looked a bit off.

Because she had just received mockery from her three older sisters.

"Xiaoxia, aren't you fishing? How did you hook a person?"

"Xiaoxia, how did your bike turn into burnt charcoal? But no matter how I look left and right, it feels like someone ate a fish bone!!!"

"Haha, even Xiaoxia's bike saw Ho-Oh, too bad Xiaoxia never got the chance to see it—what a pity!!!"

Xiaoxia's three sisters, Sakura, Iris, and Peony, all mocked Xiaoxia.

"You three are really annoying...... Xiaoxia glowered, finding it hard to imagine how much damage her bike suffered back then."

But thinking that thanks to this bike she traveled alongside Ash, she suddenly felt the bike's sacrifice was still worthwhile, and she ought to thank it.

The White Light Screen faded, and now it was the Black Light Screen's turn to play.

The scene was still at Ash's home; Ash had packed his travel essentials, lay calmly in bed, quite different from the Ash in the White Light Screen, and he soon fell asleep.

The next morning, the alarm rang early; Ash didn't linger in bed, got up right away to exercise, then after exercising went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

When Ash sat down to eat breakfast, the wall clock only showed six-thirty.

"Mom, I've made breakfast; when you get up later you can eat it—I'm first heading to Professor Damu's lab to get my Pokémon."

Hanako came out of the room, tidied Ash's attire, and gently smiled: "Go on, may your journey be smooth sailing!"

Ash put on his classic postcard cap, slung on his backpack, and set off for the Professor's lab.

【Hanako: "What a turnaround! Usually I'm the one looking after Ash, but in the Black World it's reversed—Ash there is so sensible, seeing he has a maturity beyond his peers; how was he taught like that?"】

【Xiaomao: "It's only six-thirty; what does Black World Ash want to do? Is he trying to outdo me to death?"】

【Professor Damu: "At this time... I've just gotten up; Black World Ash is overdoing the diligence."】

【Xiaomao: "Ash, look—see Black World Ash? When he hears the alarm, he jumps up right away, unlike you who sleeps like a log."】

【Ash: "It's not that I broke the alarm in my sleep; otherwise I definitely wouldn't be late!"】

【Dan Emperor: "Haha, being late is fine too—precisely because of that you met Pikachu; I just want to see if Ash, who wasn't late or even arrived early, would still get Pikachu from Black World Professor Damu?"】

Everyone was also curious about this; the boy in the White Light Screen is just childlike, careless and inattentive, while the boy in the Black Light Screen gives the impression of being very steady, thoughtful, and considerate.

Ash in the White Light Screen got Pikachu because he was late; so Ash in the Black Light Screen, who wasn't late, what Pokémon would he receive?

Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander!

Surely it wouldn't still be Pikachu, right?

"Ding!"

"Entering the rewarded quiz segment!"

"Question: Will the not-late Ash still receive Pikachu like the White Light Screen Ash did?"

"A: Yes"

"B: No"

【The respondents of this round: Professor Oak, Xiaomao, Yulongdu, Ai Lan】

The four mentioned people each chose their own answer.

Professor Oak chose A, while Xiaomao, Yulongdu, and Ai Lan chose B.

Only Professor Oak thought that Ash would still choose Pikachu; everyone else thought Ash overslept, all the Poké Balls Professor Oak had prepared were taken, leaving only Pikachu, so he had no choice but to choose it.

But Ash in the Black World is different; he arrived at Professor Oak's lab the earliest, and he had at least three choices. Since the starter Pokémon were available up front, Pikachu couldn't be chosen.

The four people, regarding Professor Oak's selection of Ash in the Black World, would still choose Pikachu for the journey.

【Juzi: Old man Oak really is old, confused to this extent.】

【Professor Oak: You're the confused one, you'll know after you see!】