"Exactly~"
Misty nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
"Hehe, really?"
Seeing that neither girl blamed him, Ash finally let out a small sigh of relief.
"Since we're finally at the beach, let's make sure we enjoy ourselves."
"A little later, let's all go swimming together."
Turning toward Clarissa, Ash asked,
"By the way, Clarissa, you grew up in an inland city. Can you swim?"
"A little bit."
Clarissa smiled sweetly.
"Ash, will you teach me?"
Immediately, Misty raised her hand.
"Ash, I only know a tiny bit too."
"You have to teach me as well!"
"Alright."
Ash agreed without hesitation.
After helping both girls apply sunscreen—and after they insisted on helping him apply some as well—the three of them quickly headed into the shallow waters near the shore.
Splash!
Crash!
"Hahaha!"
"Ash, I'm a little scared. Hold onto me for a second."
"Ash, let's race! Let's see who swims faster!"
"Hey! No cheating!"
The laughter never stopped.
With no competitions to worry about.
No publishing deadlines.
No training schedules.
No distractions.
For once, Ash could devote all his attention to the two girls beside him.
And all three of them were genuinely happy.
Meanwhile, on the beach, Misty's three sisters lounged beneath a large umbrella.
Wearing sunglasses and relaxing in deck chairs, they crossed their legs and sipped cold drinks while enjoying the sea breeze and warm sunshine.
Gary had gone in a completely different direction.
Equipped with diving gear, he was currently exploring the ocean alongside Magikarp and Wartortle.
His Umbreon lay comfortably beneath the shade of a coconut tree, taking a leisurely nap.
Meanwhile, his Fletchling had joined Pidgeot and Fearow on a sightseeing flight over the sea.
The beach itself was packed with people.
Not only were there local residents of Cerulean City, but there were also countless tourists.
The recent Water Pokémon Beauty Contest had dramatically increased the city's visitor population.
Although the contest had already ended, many of the more than six hundred contestants were still staying in the city.
Combined with ordinary vacationers, the beautiful coastal resort remained as lively as ever.
The weather was perfect.
The beach was bustling.
And in such a cheerful atmosphere, Ash found himself having more fun than he had expected.
Swimming.
Splashing each other.
Diving.
Surfing.
Playing games.
The laughter between him, Misty, and Clarissa never seemed to end.
And every now and then, an accidental touch.
A hand brushing against another.
A shoulder bumping into a shoulder.
A shared smile.
All of it caused the feelings between the three young people to grow stronger and stronger.
Then, during one playful dive beneath the surface—
Both girls surprised him.
Pulling him underwater.
And before Ash could fully react—
Each girl gave him a kiss.
It wasn't a dramatic movie-style kiss beneath moonlight.
Nor was it some passionate embrace.
But it was still their first kiss.
And they had chosen to give it to him.
As Ash surfaced from the water, his heart felt as though it were floating.
Sweet.
Warm.
And indescribably happy.
After more than an hour of swimming, diving, and surfing, Ash finally spoke up.
"We've been in the water for quite a while."
"Let's head back to shore for a bit."
"We can dry off in the sun and grab some juice."
"Okay."
Clarissa nodded obediently.
Then Misty's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Oh!"
"Afterward, let's play beach volleyball!"
"Sounds good."
Ash smiled.
Today, he wasn't thinking about work.
Or training.
Or publishing.
He simply wanted to spend time with the two girls.
...
However, the beach was crowded.
While they had remained unnoticed out in the ocean, the moment Ash, Misty, and Clarissa emerged from the water hand in hand—
Their identities were immediately exposed.
"Wow! That's Ash!"
"And Clarissa Joy too!"
"I can't believe they're here at the beach!"
"Huh?"
"It's normal for Ash and Clarissa to be holding hands since they're dating."
"But why is Ash holding Misty's hand too?"
"What kind of relationship do they have?"
"Wait a second..."
"Could Misty be his girlfriend too?"
"Now that you mention it, I think that's actually possible!"
"Remember the Water Pokémon Beauty Contest?"
"Ash personally helped promote Misty's campaign."
"And he even brought his own Pokémon to support the event."
"Exactly!"
"And if you count that girl from Kalos, Serena, whom he met at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp…"
"Doesn't that mean Ash has three girlfriends now?"
"Wow."
"That's impressive."
"Well, it's Ash."
"With how talented and amazing he is, it would be strange if lots of girls didn't like him."
"Honestly, if I were a girl, I'd probably fall for him too."
The crowd's discussion quickly grew louder and louder.
Naturally, Ash heard portions of it.
But after experiencing similar situations countless times, he had long since learned to ignore them.
Just then—
A young man dressed in beachwear walked toward him.
His expression was excited.
Almost nervous.
"Ash!"
"I'm a huge fan!"
"It's such a rare opportunity to meet you here."
"Would you be willing to have a friendly Pokémon battle with me?"
"A battle?"
Ash blinked.
As usual, he quietly used his Aura abilities to assess the young man's emotions.
No hostility.
No ulterior motives.
No desire to use him as a stepping stone.
The young man really was just a fan.
Ash turned toward the two girls beside him.
"Misty. Clarissa..."
After all, he had promised to spend the day with them.
If they didn't want him accepting challenges, he was prepared to refuse.
Clarissa immediately smiled.
"We've been in the water for a long time anyway."
"Going ashore for a while sounds nice."
"If you want to battle, go ahead."
"Misty and I will go buy drinks."
Misty grinned mischievously.
"Ash."
"A real Trainer can't refuse a challenge from another Trainer."
Seeing the eager look on his face, she waved her hand dramatically.
"Go have fun."
Ash laughed.
"Alright then."
Turning back toward the young man, he nodded.
"I accept."
"But only a one-on-one battle."
The young man's eyes immediately lit up.
"No problem!"
"The fact that you're willing to battle me at all already makes me incredibly happy!"
"Thank you, Ash!"
Then he quickly asked,
"My Pokémon is a Water-type."
"Would it be alright if we battled in the shallow water over there?"
"Sure."
Ash nodded.
The two of them walked toward a nearby stretch of shallow sea water.
The surrounding tourists immediately began gathering to watch.
"Come out, Goldeen!"
"This is your chance to battle Ash!"
The young man threw his Poké Ball.
A flash of red light appeared.
A beautiful Goldeen splashed into the shallow water.
Ash glanced at it and immediately checked its information through the system.
Level: LV.24
After confirming its strength, he smiled.
Then he turned toward the ocean and shouted loudly.
"Valor!"
"Get over here!"
"We've got a battle!"
Using Aura to amplify his voice, Ash's call echoed across the sea.
Somewhere far offshore—
A certain Magikarp that had been happily swimming around immediately heard its trainer's summons.
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T/N:
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