[Diantha: Lugia didn't leave with Ash… It was actually testing Ash's physical strength???]
[Wallace: I'm getting more and more curious about what happened between Lugia and Ash!]
[Lance: In other words, this Sea God is quite whimsical! Just now it was still fighting, and now it casually says it'll carry someone and leave.]
[Cynthia: Huh, the temperament of gods is truly unpredictable]
[Alder: That dark-skinned boy looks like he wants to chase Lugia too!]
[Steven Stone: Hey, why even care about him? The kind of person who abandons his companions isn't worth paying attention to. Chasing for three minutes downhill and thinking he can catch Lugia? As if!]
Many Champions were completely speechless at Lugia's inexplicable decision. Its sudden whim was impossible to grasp! On top of that, they had all witnessed Goh chasing after Lugia.
Other than Ash, was there really anyone foolish enough to try catching up to a Legendary Pokémon on foot? Did he seriously not know his own limits?
In the Footage—
Lugia carried Ash and Chloe high into the sky, soaring through the clouds. Then, with a powerful motion, it split the sea apart and dove straight into the water with the two on its back.
In less than half a day, they had crossed an unknown number of regions.
On Lugia's back, Ash and Chloe officially got acquainted. When Ash learned that Chloe was afraid of Pokémon, he looked genuinely surprised.
"How can you be afraid of Pokémon? They're obviously super cute! Just look at today! How many Pokémon did we see? Wasn't it fun?"
"…It was fun… But… when I was little, I was attacked by a Pokémon… And… My partner abandoned me."
Chloe slowly told Ash something she had never even shared with her parents. Strangely, speaking to the boy beside her didn't feel burdensome at all.
After hearing her story, Ash said angrily:
"That guy named Goh is terrible! How can you leave your partner behind and run away?!"
"But as for Nidoking… It usually doesn't attack humans without reason. Unless it had just given birth to a baby. In that case, when humans step into its territory, it might try to intimidate them to scare them away!"
Ash was no longer the rookie trainer who had just left Pallet Town. After traveling through seven regions, he had accumulated vast knowledge about Pokémon.
Sure, he still occasionally mixed up Poison and Steel types in embarrassing moments… but compared to his early days, the difference was like night and day.
If you asked the ten-year-old As,h who had just started his journey, to explain all this? Even prying open his head wouldn't produce this level of understanding.
"Is that so… It does seem like… Nidoking didn't really intend to attack me. It didn't even use any moves…"
With Ash's explanation, Chloe began recalling the details she had overlooked due to fear.
When facing Mew, Nidoking had used the terrifying move Earth Power without hesitation. But when confronting her, it had only made threatening gestures and never actually touched her.
If Goh hadn't run away… perhaps she wouldn't have felt so terrified and desperate.
"By the way, Chloe, aren't you Professor Cerise's daughter? Don't you already know this kind of stuff?"
The moment those words left Ash's mouth, Chloe's cheeks puffed up in anger.
"W-What? Did I say something wrong?"
Ash might not have the highest emotional intelligence, but he could definitely recognize when someone was upset.
"One of the reasons I hate Pokémon is that everyone at school said I was the professor's daughter! They all assumed I must know everything about Pokémon! Does being a doctor's child automatically mean I have to understand Pokémon?!"
If Goh abandoning her accounted for half her resentment, then her classmates' constant stereotyping made up the other half.
She hated the labels they forced onto her. During her rebellious phase, combined with her fear of Pokémon, those remarks only intensified her disgust.
Vermilion City, Kanto Region—
Professor Cerise stared at the screen, finally understanding why Chloe disliked Pokémon so much. She didn't even want to talk about them.
If Yamper hadn't been raised from a puppy and never treated as "just a Pokémon" in Chloe's eyes, she might have rejected it, too.
This realization made him resent Goh even more. He had once believed Goh's cheerful personality could help Chloe open up again. Who would have thought… he was the root of the problem?
From now on, he absolutely would not allow Goh to interact with Chloe freely.
In the Footage—
After Chloe finished, Ash fell silent for a moment before breaking into a bright smile.
"I've been a Pokémon Trainer since I was ten. Along the way, I've made tons of friends—Pokémon and even Legendary Pokémon!"
"It wasn't until recently that I finally won my first League title…"
"But I've never been discouraged by losing to Pokémon."
"Because I love them. And because… my goal has never changed."
"I'm going to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master!!"
"Pikapi!!"
The gentle sea breeze brushed across Ash's face, making his smile even more radiant.
Chloe stared at him in a daze. What kind of experiences had shaped this boy into someone so unwavering?
Lugia, flying steadily beneath them, glanced back. Years had passed since it first met this boy… yet his heart and dream remained unchanged.
This was the brave one chosen by the Sea.
[Lance: I'm tearing up! No matter how much time passes, Ash is still Ash!]
[Wallace: That line was a little bittersweet… He started traveling at ten and only recently won a championship. What a long road…]
[Caitlin: Hmph. If Ash had used his older Pokémon properly, he would've won long before Alola.]
[Flint: Rotations are normal… but raising brand-new Pokémon for every League? That's something only Ash would do.]
[Ash: But there's no point if I don't use the Pokémon I met in that region…]
[Gary: Humph! Typical of you, Ash. If it were me, I'd have won ages ago~]
[Ash: What did you say, you show-off?!]
[Professor Oak: Enough, you two! You live next door to each other—argue offline! Stop flooding the chat!]
In the Footage—
"Huh? Already there? I wanted to fly a little longer!"
"Well… guess we'll meet again next time!"
Anyone else would have tried everything to subdue Lugia. But Ash was clearly not anyone else.
He had encountered more Legendary Pokémon than most people could even name. As he said, this was only a temporary goodbye. If he wanted to see Lugia again, there would always be another chance.
Soon, Lugia returned them to the port of Vermilion City. In full view of the crowd, Ash and Chloe jumped down. Lugia spread its wings and dove back into the sea.
"Take care, Lugia!!"
The turbulent waves gradually settled.
"That boy just got off Lugia's back, right?"
"He waved goodbye to it…"
"Does he know Lugia?"
The crowd began stirring with excitement. Seeing this, Ash grabbed Chloe's hand and ran.
"Today was awesome! But now's not the time to space out—we've got to run, Chloe!"
Snapping back to reality, Chloe hurried after him.
They returned to the Cerise Research Institute. Professor Cerise and Professor Oak were still there, along with several researchers.
And there was one more person—
Goh.
He was loudly bragging about seeing Lugia and almost catching it. Professor Cerise treated it as a joke. Catch Lugia? Sure. In dreams.
Just as Goh was mid-boast, Ash and Chloe arrived. Ash glanced at him curiously—he had no idea who this person was.
Chloe completely ignored Goh and handed her phone to her father.
"Dad! We rode Lugia! I took lots of photos—they might help your research!"
Though she didn't love Pokémon, she respected her father's work. And after talking with Ash, her feelings had softened considerably.
"Chloe, you rode Lugia? Don't joke around! I couldn't even catch up—how could you? Just taking random photos doesn't mean anything!"
[Lance: This guy… why is he so unlikeable?]
[Steven Stone: So arrogant. If he can't do something, nobody else can?]
[Wallace: Maybe I'm biased… but I really can't stand him.]
[Caitlin: Biased? We all are. Does anyone actually like this guy?]
Chloe calmly placed the phone in front of Professor Cerise. Though surprised, he trusted his daughter.
"It's true, Professor Cerise," Ash added. "Lugia remembers me."
"Ah! The Sea God Lugia!" Professor Oak recalled immediately. While multiple Lugia existed, the one known as the Sea God… was unique. It had once helped prevent a world-ending disaster.
Goh scoffed.
"Who are you? Same age as me, but you sure brag big. Lugia remembers you? What, is this your first time seeing it?"
Ash blinked. Since earlier, this guy had been oddly hostile.
"Goh, don't be rude," Professor Cerise said. "This is Ash from Pallet Town—the inaugural Champion of the Alola League."
"Oh, Alola? That remote place, right? I heard they only just established a League. No Elite Four either, right? What's that kind of Champion worth? Probably comparable to a Kanto quarterfinalist at best."
Professor Oak and Professor Cerise's faces darkened.
Ash's expression grew cold.
Alola Region—
Professor Kukui clenched his fists for the first time in his life.
He could tolerate many things.
But insulting Alola? Never.
"Professor Kukui, calm down," Lillie said softly, though anger flickered in her eyes as well. "Ash won't let it slide."
In the Footage—
Ash spoke slowly, his tone firm.
"Please… take those words back. Alola is not a backcountry, and its people aren't weak. It is… my other home!"
PS1: Please do not directly equate this version of Chloe with her anime counterpart. In this story, her childhood experience has been deliberately adjusted. The combination of being attacked by a Pokémon and her naturally timid personality intensified her aversion toward Pokémon.
As for Goh, his personality has been intentionally amplified. Compared to his anime portrayal, this version leans more toward arrogance and immaturity in order to create sharper character contrast and narrative tension.
PS2: In the anime, there are multiple Lugia. However, the Lugia from Pokémon the Movie 2000 (commonly referred to as the "guardian of the sea") is portrayed as significantly more powerful and symbolic.
For the purposes of this story, the author interprets this Lugia as that higher-status "Sea Guardian" version. Accordingly, Ash's prior connection with Lugia is written with that continuity in mind.
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