Although we are teacher and student now, both of us know this relationship cannot last forever.
Our paths are different.
Eventually, we will stand on opposite sides.
But when that day comes, I hope our conflict never extends to our families.
After all, Teacher, I know you have a son named Silver, and that he's still wandering somewhere out there.
So I hope Team Rocket never targets my mother.
Because if that line is crossed...
I can't guarantee what I might do concerning your son, Silver.
Ash's message had been delivered in an extremely subtle way.
Yet Giovanni understood it perfectly.
He knew Ash had only learned about Silver through his psychic abilities after glimpsing fragments of his thoughts.
At Ash's age, he had barely traveled beyond Pallet Town, and this trip to Cerulean City was practically his first real journey.
There was no way Ash actually knew where Silver was.
After all, Giovanni had mobilized Team Rocket's resources for years and still failed to find him.
But Giovanni also knew Ash.
His young disciple possessed a frighteningly mature mind.
Decisive.
Ruthless when necessary.
Unbound by convention.
In many ways, Ash resembled Giovanni himself.
Perhaps, one day, he would become even more formidable.
So even though Ash currently didn't know Silver's location, who could say what the future held?
Because of that, Giovanni silently accepted the warning hidden within the gift.
Without another word, teacher and student reached an understanding.
No matter what happened in the future...
Neither would target the other's family.
...
...
After leaving Viridian Gym and delivering Giovanni's gift, Ash rented a shared bicycle and headed toward Viridian City's Pokémon Center district.
"Kinsey!"
Ash called out with a smile when he spotted the familiar nurse working at the front desk.
"Ash! You're back!"
"Congratulations on winning first place at the Cerulean Water Pokémon Beauty Contest."
"But after spending several days in Cerulean City, you seem a little tanner than before."
Kinsey Joy laughed.
"Haha, maybe a little."
"But you're still just as beautiful as ever, Kinsey."
"I brought gifts back from Cerulean City for everyone."
"This one is yours."
Ash handed over a small box.
"You're too sweet."
"Anything my little brother Ash gives me, I'll love."
Curious, Kinsey opened the box.
The moment she saw the contents, her eyes lit up.
"Wow!"
"What a beautiful Corsola-branch bracelet!"
Because Ash had so many friends and relatives, not every gift could be as extravagant as those he had prepared for Serena, Misty, and Clarissa.
Nor were they all luxurious jewelry like the gifts he had given Delia, Mihoko, Grace, or Misty's sisters.
For friends like Tierno, Trevor, Clemont, Gary, and Green, Ash chose gifts based on personal interests.
Something meaningful.
Something fun.
As for colleagues from his internship at the Pokémon Center and researchers at Oak Laboratory, their gifts were simpler.
Pens.
Shell specimens.
Shell wind chimes.
Coral bracelets.
Thoughtful keepsakes rather than expensive treasures.
"By the way, Kinsey."
"Where's Clarissa?"
Ash asked.
"In the training classroom."
Kinsey answered while happily putting on the bracelet.
"Got it."
Ash nodded and headed toward the classroom.
Inside, besides Clarissa, he also found her aunt, Amelie Joy.
As one of Clarissa's family members, Amelie had naturally received a gift as well.
A pair of pearl earrings.
Clarissa's mother, Elena, had also received pearl earrings.
As for Joy Rong, the family matriarch, Ash had chosen a pearl necklace of the same quality as the one he gave Delia.
The Joy family certainly wasn't lacking in money.
The gifts weren't about value.
They were about sincerity.
After all, he had bought presents for Misty's family and Serena's family.
He couldn't show favoritism.
Of course, only Clarissa's closest relatives received more personal gifts.
The rest of the Joys working at Viridian City's Pokémon Center received smaller souvenirs as a gesture of appreciation.
"Clarissa."
"Let's go."
"We're heading into Viridian Forest."
Ash smiled.
Because they had spent the entire morning traveling back from Cerulean City, he wasn't particularly interested in training Pokémon today.
Nor did he feel like spending the afternoon running the online clinic.
During the train ride back, he and Clarissa had already discussed their next objective.
Finding her second Pokémon.
Ideally, either a Paras or an Oddish.
"Mm!"
"I'm counting on you today, Ash."
Clarissa replied sweetly.
Ash nodded.
Without wasting any time, he took a bicycle from his system storage and set off with the girl seated behind him.
Soon, they left Viridian City and entered the countryside.
As the cityscape gradually gave way to forests and shrublands, wild Pokémon began appearing along the roadside.
At that point, Ash tossed several Poké Balls into the air.
"Greninja!"
"Pidgeot!"
"Spearow!"
"Come on out!"
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Milotic and Valor had both evolved and could now move freely on land.
However, they were still relatively slow compared to Ash's other Pokémon.
And Valor's massive size posed an even bigger problem.
If Gyarados appeared, most wild Oddish and Paras would probably flee before Ash even got close.
As for Pikachu—
Ash didn't bother recalling it.
Pikachu hated staying inside Poké Balls.
Besides, Ash always preferred keeping one reliable bodyguard by his side.
Unless special circumstances required otherwise, Pikachu was almost always traveling outside its Poké Ball.
With his Pokémon assembled and Clarissa by his side—
The search for her next partner officially began.
And the vast, mysterious Viridian Forest awaited them.
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