Once Ash officially started his journey, he released all his Pokémon from their balls. His goal was simple: he wanted them to walk and experience the world alongside him. Growlithe was energetic and playful, getting along famously with Charmander; Miltank was busy producing fresh milk; Chansey was preparing today's nutritional eggs for everyone; Meowth was tinkering with a machine; Ralts held Ash's hand tightly; and Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder, expertly opening a bottle of ketchup for himself.
Some might wonder how he was carrying more than the six-Pokémon limit. Thanks to Professor Oak's assistance and the fact that Meowth, Pikachu, and Chansey almost never stayed in their Poké Balls—plus Miltank, who followed solely as a mobile dairy—Ash's official party count was technically only three.
"Growlithe, Charmander, don't just go spraying embers everywhere."
"Woof!"
"Char!"
Seeing that the two little ones were being reasonably obedient, Ash didn't stop them. He turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, we're eating soon. Are you really having ketchup now?"
"Pika-pika!"
"I know you have the appetite for it, but aren't you afraid of getting fat?"
"Pika!" Pikachu struck a bodybuilding pose, flexing his tiny arms. Ash laughed and patted him.
"Alright, I get it. Meowth, how much longer until we're out of these woods?"
"As long as the weather holds, we'll be out today, meow. But looking at those clouds, we should be arriving somewhere soon, meow."
"Okay, let's pick up the pace then. Everyone, keep up!"
Despite their desire for speed, the weather turned on a dime. A torrential downpour began, forcing Ash and his Pokémon to huddle inside a large tent.
"See, Meowth? I told you bringing the extra-large tent was a good idea."
"Indeed, meow. Everyone fits, meow. But this rain looks like it'll last a while."
"Then we wait. Might as well start cooking dinner."
"Yay!"
Just as Ash started preparing the meal, a figure came sprinting toward the tent.
"Waaah! Why am I so unlucky?! Oh! Excuse me, could I please take shelter from the rain... Eek!!! Why aren't you wearing clothes!"
Accompanied by a piercing scream, Ash—who had taken his shirt off to dry—turned his head toward the intruder.
"That's a bit rude. I can do whatever I want inside my own tent, right?"
The girl realized she was the one intruding and quickly apologized. "Sorry, I just got a shock. My name is Misty. Um, can I stay here until the rain stops?"
Seeing the drenched Misty, Ash pulled out a blanket and tossed it to her. "Change your clothes first, or you'll catch a cold. I'll put up a curtain in the middle."
Catching the blanket, Misty wrapped herself up. "Thank you. And you are...?"
"Me? I'm Ash. But let's save the introductions for later. Go on, change out of those wet clothes."
"Oh, thanks."
After Ash set up a makeshift divider, Misty quickly changed into dry clothes and bundled herself in the blanket. Once settled, they properly introduced themselves. Misty was stunned to see a Chansey and a talking Meowth traveling with a rookie.
"Dinner's ready! Pikachu, here's your omurice—add your own ketchup. Meowth, your fish. Growlithe and Charmander, chicken breast for you two. Ralts, mixed berries. Miltank, specialty fodder. Chansey, some cake. Misty, you don't mind eating egg fried rice like me, do you?"
Misty, who had been watching the organized chaos in a daze, snapped out of it. "No! Not at all! Thank you!"
She was becoming increasingly curious about Ash. The speed and skill with which he had prepared those specialized meals were terrifying.
"Here, this is milk freshly squeezed from Miltank today. It tastes great." Handing a glass to Misty, Ash noticed Charmander had milk all over its face. He sighed and wiped the lizard's mouth with a tissue. "Hold still."
"Char!"
Watching Ash meticulously care for his Pokémon, Misty smiled. "Ash is really gentle, isn't he?"
Misty then released her own Pokémon to feed them. Once everyone was full, Ash called his mother to let her know he was safe, only to immediately receive a video call from Elesa.
"Hey, Ash. Have you reached Viridian City yet?"
"Met some bad weather. Not yet."
"Is that so? Be careful not to get sick. And also—even though you're technically an adult now, you aren't allowed to go to those kinds of places, okay?~"
Ash knew exactly what she was implying. His face darkened. "I'm not that..."
"You never know. In some families, people your age are already married with kids. I'm just reminding you not to let the flashy outside world dazzle your eyes."
Ash nearly coughed up blood. While it was true that 15 was considered legal adulthood in this world, he wasn't that lacking in self-control.
"Please, do you really think I'm that kind of person...?"
"I know you aren't, but I'm afraid someone out there might charm you away. You better watch out, or Daisy, Joy, and Jenny will come looking for you. Or... do you have a girl with you right now?" Elesa was smiling on screen, but the dark aura she was radiating terrified her manager standing off-camera.
"You're getting a bit scary..." Ash glanced at Misty and wondered if Elesa had installed a hidden camera on him. He asked randomly, "Meowth, we don't have any surveillance bugs on us, do we?"
Meowth gave him a weird look and shook his head. "No, meow."
However, Elesa's voice came through the speaker again. "Oh? It looks like I hit the nail on the head. I knew you were a magnet for people, Ash, but isn't this a bit fast?"
"Stop it. I prefer the slow-burn type of romance."
"Ara? Then why hasn't any romance burned between us?" As Elesa's voice grew noticeably more dangerous, Ash checked the time. Why hasn't that thing arrived yet?
"Miss Elesa, your delivery is here!"
Hearing the delivery man in the background, Ash breathed a sigh of relief. It finally arrived. Considering it was an inter-regional shipment, the timing made sense. Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal of delight erupted from the communicator as Elesa opened the package.