By the time Ash returned to the tent, Misty had already finished cleaning up the dishes.
"Oh? You're all done? Thanks."
"It's the least I could do. Anyway, are you finished with your... business?"
"Yeah. The proposal was successful."
"Honestly, stop making jokes like that."
Misty didn't believe a word of his proposal talk. After all, she didn't know Ash well yet and had no idea what he was actually up to. Once everything was packed away, they settled down to sleep. Since Charmander's tail was constantly on fire, Ash had to return him to his Luxury Ball for the night. Ralts, being quite clingy, needed to be held by Ash to fall asleep. The other Pokémon found their own comfortable spots, Meowth even had his own little sleeping bag, and Pikachu curled up right next to Ash.
Being a girl sharing a space with a handsome guy like Ash, Misty found it a bit hard to fall asleep at first. However, after seeing the peaceful way Ash looked while holding Ralts and Pikachu, she let out a small smile and soon drifted into a deep sleep herself.
*
The next morning, when Misty woke up, Ash was already training his Pokémon. Meowth was sharpening his claws, and Chansey was practicing her arm strength by throwing rocks (Ash was babysitting the egg in her pouch for her). Growlithe and Charmander were dodging those very rocks while spitting embers, their target being Pikachu. Ralts, meanwhile, was focused on practicing her Confusion.
"Oh? You're awake? Just wait a bit and I'll have breakfast ready."
"Sure." Seeing that Ash was already prepping the meal, Misty began helping him set out the utensils.
After training ended and breakfast was finished, the two set off once again. As Ash looked up at the rainbow forming after the rain, he spotted a multicolored Pokémon flying across the sky. His expression changed instantly.
"Wait—what?! Holy crap! Meowth! Everyone! Quick! Get a photo with that thing! Hurry! Misty, you too! Get over here for a picture!"
In a total blur of motion, while Misty stood there completely bewildered, Ash released all his Pokémon. He dragged Misty into the frame while Meowth set up a camera for remote-controlled shots.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Meowth, start burst-fire mode! Make sure the focus is sharp!"
"On it, meow!"
Ash, Misty, and the entire gang of Pokémon struck multiple poses with the legendary bird flying toward the rainbow in the background.
Watching the Pokémon begin to fade into the distance, Misty finally asked, "Um, Ash? What Pokémon even is that?"
"That's Ho-Oh, the Guardian of the Skies from the Johto region! Some people go their whole lives without seeing it once! Keep posing!"
Hearing it was Ho-Oh, Misty panicked. It really did look like the legends. "Ho-Oh?! Oh no, I'm not wearing any makeup!"
"No time for makeup! Just take the shot or it'll be gone!"
"Alright, I get it!"
Finally, under Meowth's remote control, Ash, Misty, and all their Pokémon successfully captured a grand group photo.
Looking through the stack of photos, Ash said with total satisfaction, "Perfect! Seeing a Legendary right at the start of the journey—it doesn't get better than this! I bet Professor Oak is going to be dying of envy. This is a photo with a Legend!"
"I'm lookin' pretty good in these, meow!"
"Pika-pika!"
"Lucky!"
Misty looked at Ash and couldn't help but ask, "I thought you were the type who'd say you're going to take your Pokémon and fight Ho-Oh or something."
Ash looked at her, slightly speechless. "Am I that childish? No thanks. This is plenty for us. I'm not some hot-headed idiot. Instead of making big speeches, it's much more practical to get a group photo. These are the things that are truly precious—these beautiful memories."
Saying this, Ash transferred Misty's copies to her. "Keep these safe. I'm going to get these printed. My journey is off to a perfect start!"
Looking at Ash, a thought suddenly occurred to Misty. Maybe traveling with him would be a pretty great adventure after all? She turned to him and asked tentatively, "Um, Ash... can I travel with you?"
Ash looked at her, saw her nervous expression, and gave a bright smile. "Of course. No problem at all."