At the festival in Palmpona Town, Ash truly became the center of attention.
Not only had he tamed the lead Tauros during the thrilling Tauros Chase Festival, but he had also won ten consecutive battles in the Tauros Tournament afterward through his outstanding command skills, ultimately claiming the championship.
"Congratulations to this young Trainer from Pallet Town!" the host announced as he handed Ash an exquisite trophy.
Although the trophy was nowhere near as heavy as a League championship trophy, the engraved Tauros on its surface looked incredibly lifelike, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.
"Not bad as a souvenir." Ash happily admired the trophy before shifting his gaze toward the bustling Pokémon Swap Meet nearby.
Honestly, he was rather curious about his own luck.
As a transmigrator, he couldn't help recalling the fanfictions he had read in his previous life. In those stories, protagonists always managed to obtain rare Pokémon at exchange conventions.
That thought quietly took root in his mind.
"Maybe I should try too and see just how good a transmigrator's luck really is."
However, after walking around the venue for a while, Ash realized that most of the Pokémon available for trade were fairly ordinary.
Instead, his exceptional performance in the Tauros Tournament had attracted the attention of many Trainers, and before long, he found himself surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd.
"Your Tauros is amazing! Want to trade it for my Onix?"
"My Rhydon is really strong too! Think about it!"
"What about my Nidoking...?"
Faced with all these eager trade offers, Ash politely declined them one by one.
He understood very well that this Tauros, once the leader of its herd, absolutely could not be traded so casually.
Moreover, after a quick observation, he realized that most of the Trainers' Pokémon possessed rather average potential without anything particularly outstanding.
"Sorry, I'm not planning to trade my Tauros for now," Ash declined courteously.
The Trainers dispersed disappointedly, while Benny, who had been watching from nearby, sighed quietly.
Ash noticed the disappointed look on Benny's face and walked over proactively.
"Still haven't found a suitable trade partner?"
"Yeah..." Benny lowered his head gloomily. "Wobbuffet doesn't seem very popular..."
Ash smiled slightly. Inwardly, he had already made plans.
He remembered that in the original story, Benny's Wobbuffet had been traded with Team Rocket's Lickitung, and afterward, that Wobbuffet became one of Team Rocket's indispensable companions.
He brought Benny over to one of the exchange machines and instructed him to place Wobbuffet's Poké Ball inside.
At that moment, Ash noticed three familiar figures walking toward their direction.
Jessie, James, and Meowth.
The opportunity had arrived.
Without drawing attention, Ash casually kicked a tiny pebble with his foot, sending it precisely into Jessie's path.
The instant Jessie stumbled, Ash quietly used his Aura powers to remove Lickitung's Poké Ball from her belt and swiftly placed it into the other side of the exchange machine.
"Exchange complete!" the machine announced with a beep.
Ash smoothly slipped the empty Poké Ball back onto Jessie's belt before she could even react. The entire process was seamless and attracted no attention at all.
"Here." Ash handed the newly traded Poké Ball to Ady. "Take a look at your new partner."
"That fast?" Benny accepted the Poké Ball in surprise and gently pressed the button.
A flash of red light appeared, and a pink Lickitung materialized before him.
"It's Lickitung!" Benny happily hugged the gentle Pokémon. "Ash, please make sure to thank its original Trainer for me! I'll definitely take good care of it!"
"Don't worry, I'll pass the message along," Ash replied while desperately holding back his laughter.
At the same time, he silently thought to himself, Jessie... I hope you all like this gift.
After bidding farewell to the overjoyed Benny, Ash continued searching around the swap meet.
Just as he was about to give up, a uniquely colored figure caught his attention.
A little girl stood nearby with a very unusual Ponyta beside her.
This Ponyta looked completely different from ordinary ones. The flames on its mane and tail shimmered with intertwined shades of red, purple, and teal, creating a fantastical appearance.
Ash immediately recognized the traits of Galarian bloodline heritage, and a strong desire to obtain it instantly surged within him.
"Hello, little miss," he said gently while crouching down before the girl, "I want to trade for your Ponyta. What kind of Pokémon would you like?"
"I... I want a Water-type Pokémon..." the little girl answered timidly.
"A Water type, huh?" Ash thought briefly before whispering a few words to Pikachu on his shoulder.
Pikachu knowingly nodded and disappeared into the crowd as a streak of golden light.
Not long afterward, Pikachu returned carrying a Poliwag that had been lightly stunned by electricity.
Ash caught the Poliwag using an empty Poké Ball before handing it to the little girl.
"How about trading your Ponyta for this Poliwag?"
"Really?" The little girl's eyes sparkled as she happily accepted the Poké Ball. "Thank you, big brother!"
Ash had no intention of investigating where the Ponyta originally came from. The important thing was that it had now become his partner.
And his good luck did not stop there.
Not long afterward, Ash encountered another boy who wanted to trade his Cyndaquil for a Grass-type Pokémon.
Ash remembered that he had caught an extra Weepinbell back in the Kanto Safari Zone, so he proactively offered the trade.
The two quickly reached an agreement, and another Cyndaquil was added to Ash's growing team.
This swap meet had truly brought Ash an abundant harvest.
He carefully avoided telling Misty and Brock about these two trades. After saying goodbye to Benny, the trio continued onward toward Goldenrod City.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Team Rocket's trio stared at the newly acquired Wobbuffet in confusion.
"When did I get this Pokémon?" Jessie scratched her head, looking completely bewildered.
"It probably got traded accidentally through the exchange machine, meow," Meowth guessed.
"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet gave an honest-looking bow, as though greeting them.
James helplessly shrugged.
"Well, I guess it's becoming our newest member."
And just like that, the gears of fate quietly began to turn. Everyone ended up gaining unexpected new partners, while brand-new adventures awaited them ahead.
...
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