After a full week of special training, the results were truly gratifying.
Now, Ash could barely keep up with the speed of his Froakie!
Not that Mimikyu hadn't made progress—in fact, Mimikyu had improved significantly. But compared to Ash's rapid advancement, Mimikyu seemed... rather mediocre.
The other Froakies even joked whether Ash was some kind of 6IV humanoid Pokémon. His physical fitness was simply outrageous.
It felt great to train like this!
Froakie was now a little conflicted—should he accept Ash as his trainer, or just treat him as a human punching bag?
Of course, Froakie was just teasing... or so he thought.
Back at base, after a week of intense training, Mimikyu had definitely grown stronger, but the one who changed the most was Ash himself. After the special training, he felt a deep bond and tacit understanding with both Mimikyu and Froakie. He'd learned a lot, becoming much better at sensing their emotions and intentions. Now, he could even give them commands in battle and trust they'd respond in kind. The clearest sign of this was during their simulated fights:
"Mimikyu, use Double Team!"
"Froakie, use Growl!"
"Hold steady, Mimikyu—Shadow Sneak now!"
"Froakie, use Bounce to dodge!"
Yes, Ash was now directing Mimikyu and Froakie in coordinated simulation training.
The most important breakthrough was with Froakie. After a week of running in, Froakie finally accepted Ash and started responding reliably to his commands.
There were still moments when Froakie ignored Ash's orders, but compared to before—when Ash couldn't command him at all—this was a huge leap forward.
Next, Ash planned to keep building on this progress with more hard work. He already felt much more comfortable and confident in battle.
"Quack!"
At that moment, the battlefield was intense. Froakie's rapid movements made him almost invisible, with only the sound of his croaks audible. Mimikyu held steady, responding calmly to the chaotic scene by multiplying through Double Teams. Its sharp eyes scanned the field attentively; after this week's training, its vision had improved dramatically.
Seeing meant hope—a chance for a comeback.
Then, at a crucial moment, Mimikyu noticed Froakie slow down and glance back.
Good chance!
With a flash in its eyes, Mimikyu immediately launched Shadow Sneak. Shadows squirmed behind Froakie, aiming to strike. Froakie glanced at his own shadow with a mix of curiosity and disdain.
Though Shadow Sneak is billed as a first attack, that only applies if the attacker is faster. Speed wins every time.
Whoosh!
With incredible agility, Froakie dodged the shadow attack unscathed. At the same moment, he struck with an Iai cut, slicing through his own Double Team.
"Now, Mimikyu, use Wood Hammer!"
"Mimikyu!"
Suddenly, Mimikyu's voice seemed to come from above. Froakie looked up just in time to see Mimikyu's tail transform into a sledgehammer and smash down.
The Shadow Sneak was just a setup— the real killer was the mallet attack.
"Quack."
Surprised, Froakie's eyes flickered, but he quickly recovered.
Not bad—but it's too early to win.
"Quak quack, Froakie, use Quick Attack!"
"Quack!"
At Ash's shout, a flash of light enveloped Froakie, boosting his already impressive speed to an incredible level. Mimikyu barely saw him vanish before a sharp light blade appeared right in front of him.
"Quack."
Softly, Froakie's voice came from behind Mimikyu.
The outcome was decided.
With the cold, sharp aura fading, Froakie withdrew his blade and returned to his usual lazy stance.
"Mimikyu, you okay?"
Ash hurried over to both Pokémon, checking Mimikyu first. Seeing it lively and unharmed, he looked at Froakie and didn't hesitate to praise him.
"You're really awesome, Froakie."
"Quack."
Froakie remained indifferent, standing with arms behind his back like a proud master.
Isn't this just what I'm supposed to do?
"Gu gu."
Soon, Ash's stomach growled loudly, echoed by the growls of Froakie and Mimikyu.
"I'm hungry after all that training."
Ash rubbed his belly and looked at his Pokémon. "Alright, Froakie and Mimikyu, let's go find some tree fruits."
"Mimikyu." "Quack."
Rustling in the grass caught their attention. The three turned their heads and saw a girl with short brown hair and a red sunhat step out of the bushes.
"Well, I saw a battle going on and came to check it out," the girl explained. "I've been lost in the forest for a week..."
"Oh, you're lost too?" Ash pointed eagerly toward a path. "If you keep walking that way, you should reach the road soon."
"Gu gu gu~"
At that moment, Ash's stomach growled again, louder than before. He covered his belly.
"So hungry..."
"You haven't eaten yet?" The girl looked surprised. "It's already this late."
"We've been training," Ash said, scratching his head awkwardly. As he was about to leave and find some fruit, the girl stopped him.
"If you don't mind, would you like to have lunch together?"
"You haven't eaten either?"
"I was about to eat," the girl said with a sigh. "I was in a hurry and didn't plan to stop. This forest is huge—I got lost before I knew it."
"Are you from around here?" Ash asked curiously. Viridian Forest was well known in Kanto. Locals wouldn't just call it 'the forest.'
"Huh? Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," she smiled. "My name's Serena. I'm from the Kalos region. I came to Kanto to enter the Pokemon Contest here."
"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town. My goal is to become a Pokémon Master," Ash replied, then frowned thoughtfully. "Kalos... I feel like I've heard that name somewhere..."
"Quack."
Froakie looked at Ash as if to say, Really? Then jumped up and delivered a roundhouse kick to Ash's cheek.
Snap!
"Ow! That's right!" Ash clapped his hand on his swollen cheek. "Froakie is a starter Pokémon from Kalos!"
"Uh... Ash, are you okay?"
"What? Oh, this?" Ash shook his head. "It's nothing—a minor injury. It'll be fine in a few minutes."
"It'll be fine..." Serena looked nervous, like she'd just met someone special.
"Gu gu gu~"
Ash's stomach growled again, this time even louder. He felt weak in his limbs. If he didn't eat soon, he'd probably faint.
"No, I have to eat now! I can't hold it!"
"You're that hungry? Wait here." Serena took off her backpack, rummaged inside, and pulled out a box of puffs. "Here, try these—they're the ones I made."
"Wow, thank you!" Ash gratefully took the box, opened it, and found eight puffs inside. He took two, then divided the rest equally between Froakie and Mimikyu.
"Froakie, Mimikyu, share these equally."
"I'm starting now!"
Ash bit into a puff, chewing twice before his eyes lit up.
"Oh, these are delicious!"
"Mimikyu!" "Quack."
Both Pokémon, happily sharing the treat, nodded or jumped in agreement.
Soon, all the puffs were gone.
"So good. I haven't eaten anything this tasty all week."
Ash smiled with satisfaction, but just as he was about to say goodbye, his stomach growled again—louder than ever.
"Gu gu gu gu~"
Silence fell.
"Well... a few puffs weren't enough," Serena said, covering her mouth with a shy smile. "How about lunch together?"
"Uh..." Ash scratched his head, embarrassed. He had no choice but to agree.
"Sorry to bother you..."
...
They began preparing lunch together. Serena took charge of cooking while Ash handed her a spoon. It wasn't that he didn't want to help—when Serena saw him mix up sugar and flour, she understood why Ash usually just fed his Pokémon tree fruits.
In a short time, a sumptuous meal was ready. They sat opposite each other, enjoying the food and chatting, naturally growing more familiar.
"So, Serena, you came to Pallet Town as a child?" Ash asked after swallowing a bite of stew. "Is that why you're entering the Contests here?"
The Pokemon Contest was new to Kanto and not very famous yet. Ash didn't pay much attention to it, but his mother recently started watching it on TV, so he knew a little.
"That's only part of the reason," Serena admitted. "Actually, I came to Kanto to meet a friend."
"A friend?"
"Yes. His name's Goh, and he lives in Pallet Town too. We met at Pokémon Summer Camp."
"Pokémon Summer Camp?" Ash thought for a moment. "I think I've heard of it..."
"It's a camp organized by Professor Oak," Serena said, surprised. "All the kids from Pallet Town took part, right?"
"I didn't," Ash said, shaking his head. "I was camping in Viridian Forest then."
Ash had missed the camp because he stayed in the forest trying to find a rare Pokémon he'd spotted.
"What kind of Pokémon was it?" Serena asked curiously.
Ash fell silent, lost in thought.
Serena didn't notice his distant look. She sighed.
"That camp was really fun. I still remember it well. I got lost too, but Goh found me and led me out. That's how we became friends."
"I see..." Ash replied casually. Listening to Serena's story, he suddenly recalled helping a lost little girl then—but quickly pushed the thought aside. His mind was filled with memories of that rare Pokémon.
Serena saw Ash's troubled expression and asked, "Ash, what are you thinking about?"
"I'm trying to remember a rare Pokémon I saw as a kid. I should remember it well, but I can't."
"A rare Pokémon?" Serena's interest piqued. "What kind? Have you seen it before?"
"I think so. I even asked its name..."
Ash frowned, struggling to recall.
"What was it..."
Boom!
Suddenly, they heard a loud explosion, followed by thick black smoke rising from a river downstream. Then, a harsh voice shouted,
"Who are you? Mew belongs to Team Rocket! Get out of here!"
"Mew…Mew..." Ash muttered to himself.
Then he slammed his hand on the table, standing up.
"That's it! The Pokémon I saw was Mew!"
Ash said excitedly to Serena.
But then, both of them blinked and turned toward the riverbank.
"Mew!?"