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The prestige of the Indigo Plateau Conference might not mean much to other regions, but in Kanto, it's one of the biggest events. Because of this, the vendors setting up stalls at the Indigo Plateau are making a fortune.
If a Champion of the Indigo Plateau Conference came to help promote a stall, it would be an epic boost to its popularity, which is why the owner was so eager when he saw Ash approaching.
As the stall owner intentionally shouted loudly, the surrounding people were drawn over one after another.
"Ash? Is that Ash?!"
"It really looks like him! I didn't dare believe it at first. Isn't he supposed to be at Dragon Island now?"
"I was wondering how someone could Mimic Ash so perfectly! Not only does he look like him, even the Pikachu looks exactly the same!"
"Stop exaggerating, don't all Pikachu look the same?"
"Ash's Pikachu is special!!"
The surrounding people began to gossip because of Ash's appearance. Ash finally understood why many people had been looking at him strangely along the way without anyone coming up to ask for an autograph.
He hadn't even asked Mewtwo to use a disguise.
It turned out everyone thought he was already at Dragon Island, so it was impossible for him to be here. They assumed the person here was just a very good lookalike, which is why no one had approached him.
As for why the stall owner recognized him instantly—he didn't care if it was the real Ash or a fake one. Since he appeared at his stall, even a fake had to be the real deal!
That way, his stall's popularity would explode!
In the end, even he didn't expect that the Ash before him was indeed the real thing!
Seeing the crowd gathering, Ash sighed and rubbed his forehead. It seemed he'd have to ask Mewtwo to help hide them after they finished here, or they wouldn't be able to go anywhere else.
"Give us twenty shots first!" Misty noticed the crowd as well and quickly spoke to the stall owner.
She had to get that Starmie plushie first!
"Alright, here." The owner handed the long gun filled with rubber bullets to Ash. Ash saw the longing in Misty's beautiful eyes and said, "Misty, you go first. Give Togepi to me."
"? Me first?"
"Yeah, you take ten shots first. Just leave half for me." One shot would actually be enough, but leaving ten meant he could help Misty get other plushies besides the Starmie.
Hearing this, Misty handed Togepi to Ash and took the toy gun from him.
Hiss—hoo— Misty took a deep breath, looking nervous as she propped up the gun and aimed carefully at the Starmie plushie. Honestly, even a Gym battle didn't feel this nerve-wracking.
Bang!! After aiming for several seconds, Misty fired her first shot. Unsurprisingly, it missed.
For someone touching a firearm for the first time, even a toy gun, it's hard to hit the target accurately, even if the Starmie plushie wasn't small.
Misty was disappointed by the miss, but she quickly pulled herself together and fired the second, then the third... It wasn't until the seventh shot that her bullet finally hit the Starmie!
Before Misty could cheer, the rubber bullet hit the Starmie and fell weakly to the ground.
"Ho—how?! It didn't fall?!" Misty cried out in disbelief. She was certain the bullet had hit the Starmie dead-on. Why didn't it fall?!
"Please, young lady. If you could knock a doll down in one shot, how would I stay in business? The dolls are so big, hitting them isn't hard at all," the owner said bluntly, throwing up his hands.
Some unscrupulous owners would place fixed cans behind the dolls so they wouldn't fall even if hit. He hadn't cheated like that; he just simply weakened the power of the guns.
One hit would move the doll a little. It was common knowledge here that you needed multiple hits to make a doll fall.
It wasn't a scam. If it fell in one shot, even an amateur would hit one or two out of ten. If you could get a plushie for 200 yen, how could he make a profit?
Aside from his little trick with Ash's name, the owner was actually quite honest. Buying those plushies elsewhere would definitely cost more than 200 yen each!
So, no matter what, it was impossible to knock one down in a single shot unless someone was skilled enough to hit the doll's center of gravity. Normally, it took at least five hits to make a doll fall.
Hearing the owner, Misty felt it made sense. With such a large target, even a beginner like her could hit it easily. If it fell in one shot, the owner would lose a fortune.
Misty fired three more shots, but unfortunately, none hit. She dejectedly handed the toy gun back to Ash, took Togepi, and encouraged him: "Good luck, Ash!"
"Don't worry, I'll definitely get you what you want!" Ash promised with a bright smile.
After speaking, he didn't notice Misty's blushing cheeks and instead gestured toward the dolls with the gun.
The owner leisurely smoked a cigarette, unbothered by Ash stepping up. Ash might be the Champion, but Pokémon battles and shooting were two different things. Without professional training, he'd still make a profit.
Usually, getting one plushie in three or four tries meant you were quite skilled. Some people couldn't get one in ten tries, and he'd even give them one out of pity.
So the owner was completely at ease, not worried about losing money. This was the result of long-term market experience!
Bang! Without warning, Ash fired. He didn't even aim; he just raised the gun with one hand and shot. This startled the owner. Did this kid actually know what he was doing?!
However, Ash's first shot missed. The bullet was some distance from the Starmie, not even grazing it. The owner breathed a sigh of relief, but a second later, the gun sounded again!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Ash pulled the trigger three times in rapid succession. Three bullets flew out one after another, hitting the three top points of the Starmie. The Starmie lost its balance and fell.
"Alright, that's one!" Ash pumped his fist excitedly, then aimed at the next doll. It was a Goldeen, another one of Misty's Pokémon. She would surely like it.
Again, a three-shot burst. Every shot hit the doll's weakest balance point. In the blink of an eye, the Goldeen was also won by Ash.
Having gotten used to the toy gun's recoil and bullet trajectory, Ash used his final three bullets to take down a Tentacool. Except for the first miss, every bullet hit its mark!
It all happened in a flash. By the time the owner reacted, he had lost four plushies!
"So—so amazing! Ash, how are you so good?! Ahhh! They're all my favorites! You're the best, Ash!" A stunned Misty reacted seconds after the last bullet hit. She excitedly hugged Ash, squishing the Togepi in her arms.
But this level of squeezing was nothing to Togepi. Despite her small appearance, her strength was already at the Advanced Level; even a stronger squeeze wouldn't bother her.
Ash felt fair, jade-like arms wrap around his neck. A sweet fragrance drifted from Misty, and her soft body pressed against him, leaving him flustered. This was the first time a girl had done this to him.
While Misty and Ash were in their warm embrace, the stall owner was stunned. He wanted to use Ash as clickbait to attract people, but he didn't expect Ash to be such a sharpshooter!
It was one thing to be good at Pokémon battles, but why was he so good at shooting? Ten bullets for three dolls, even with one miss. This was too much!
If everyone was a marksman like Ash, he'd have to pack up and go home!
The owner looked at Ash in fear, terrified that Ash would ask for two more rounds.
After her excited hug, Misty realized what she had done and quickly let go. She clutched Togepi tightly, her face as red as an apple, unable to say a word.
Nearby, Pikachu covered his mouth and suppressed a laugh, looking like a mouse that had just stolen some food.
After a brief daze, Ash said to the owner, "Um, could you please wrap up the dolls I won?"
"O—okay, I'll pack them right away!" Hearing this, the owner was relieved that Ash didn't plan to keep playing. He quickly packed the three dolls into separate bags and handed them to Ash.
Ash saw that Misty seemed to have her hands full, so he carried them himself and led her to the next spot.
After Ash left, some people followed him, while others started playing at the shooting stall. Since Ash had demonstrated how to do it, everyone knew how to knock the dolls down.
But knowing the method was one thing; doing it was another. In the end, even the best players needed about three rounds—600 yen—to get one doll. Those with poor skills needed seven or eight rounds.
For the owner, although he lost one batch, he gained much more. The influence Ash left behind caused his sales to exceed several days' worth of revenue. He hadn't expected Ash's name to be so useful; had he known, he would have given Ash two dolls for free as a thank you.
After leaving the stall, Ash led Misty through various turns, shaking off the followers with Mewtwo's help. Then, using Mewtwo's Psychic powers to blur their presence, they were finally left alone.
The two spent the rest of the day playing around the Indigo Plateau, only returning in the evening. Misty felt she had gained a lot from this date—not only several plushies but also a bucket full of goldfish from Goldfish scooping. They ate, drank, and Ash even gave her a piggyback ride when her legs got tired.
For Misty, today was simply too wonderful.
For Ash, today was also a special day. Even though he had been traveling with Misty all this time, she felt completely different today.
Before, they were just ordinary companions, but today Misty was special. From the moment she mentioned the word "date," they had perhaps begun to move beyond being just companions.
They walked all the way back to their temporary home. After today, they would return to Pallet Town, and in five days, Ash would head to Dragon Island. They stood at the door for a long while before speaking at the same time.
"Um—"
"Ash—"
Both were startled. Ash scratched his head and said, "You go first."
"Mm~ I wanted to say—I had a great time today, Ash!"
"Me too."
"I like you."
"Me to—huh?" Ash was about to give the same reply but quickly realized what Misty had said.
Ash looked at Misty blankly. Although her face was flushed red under the sunset, her emerald eyes met his without flinching. She wouldn't run away.
From their time together today, Misty could tell Ash didn't have zero feelings for her. But if she waited for this blockhead to confess, who knew how long it would take.
While it might seem too forward for a girl to confess, you have to take the initiative for the things you want!
She was the Gym Leader of Cerulean Gym. Even if she could travel with Ash for a short while now, she eventually had to return to manage the Gym. She couldn't travel with him forever.
Ash's journey was just beginning. How long could she stay by his side? Maybe a month, maybe two, before she had to go back to Cerulean Gym. That's why Misty didn't want to leave any regrets.
Whether it was the date she blurted out that day or this sudden confession, she had prepared for it. No matter how shy she was or how hard it was to say, she had to speak her heart.
Whether a girl confessing was too forward or if she might be rejected didn't matter. What mattered was—no regrets!