After crossing a vast and somewhat desolate plain, the scorching sunlight was gradually replaced by a dazzling glow of artificial lights in the distance.
A city resembling a mirage in the desert appeared before Ash and his companions.
Neon Town.
This sleepless city standing at the edge of the desert was famous for its rows of casinos, all-night entertainment venues, and neon lights that seemed to never go out.
As they stepped into the town, a complicated atmosphere mixed with noise, restlessness, and a hint of exhaustion rushed toward them.
The streets were crowded with people. Even though night had already fallen, everyone still moved hurriedly, their faces carrying a strange excitement, while their eyes hid obvious bloodshot veins and fatigue.
The shouts of vendors, the hum of machines, and the cheers and complaints of people intertwined into a background noise that made one feel uneasy.
"This place… feels so noisy and chaotic," Misty said, slightly frowning as she covered her ears uncomfortably. "And everyone looks like they haven't slept in ages."
Brock carefully observed the surroundings. As a Pokémon Breeder, he was more sensitive to the state of living beings.
"Long-term sleep deprivation can cause endocrine disorders and unstable emotions. The atmosphere here is like a volcano that could erupt at any moment, filled with unhealthy energy."
Even Pikachu looked unusually restless, shifting uneasily on Ash's shoulder.
Ash silently sensed everything around him. His Aura power now felt as though it had been thrown into a chaotic vortex.
Countless fragments of emotions such as anxiety, greed, disappointment, and forced excitement struck his perception like sharp grains of sand.
It even felt as if the slightest spark could ignite the entire town.
If that happened, Neon Town would erupt completely.
This town was slowly having its vitality squeezed out by an invisible pressure.
Ash understood that according to a certain destined trajectory, a unique "savior" might soon make an appearance.
As they walked through the neon-lit streets searching for a Pokémon Center to stay for the night, Ash's Aura suddenly caught a familiar and tiny life signal quietly following behind them.
He slowed his pace without drawing attention and glanced from the corner of his eye.
A round, pink figure was sneaking along behind them.
It was holding a thick ordinary marker that looked far too large for its small body, clumsily but persistently using the shadows of pedestrians and buildings to follow them.
Jigglypuff.
A knowing smile appeared at the corner of Ash's mouth.
He knew exactly what kind of Pokémon this Jigglypuff was.
Its seemingly innocent singing voice carried an incredible hypnotic power. However, precisely because that hypnotic ability was so effective, its audience always fell asleep before it could finish singing.
This constantly left Jigglypuff feeling disappointed and angry, since it longed to show off its singing and receive applause.
As a result, it had developed a "bad habit" of scribbling on the faces of sleeping listeners.
Ash looked at the crude marker in Jigglypuff's arms, then at the sleepless town cursed with insomnia and irritability before him.
A plan quietly formed in his mind.
"System," he silently said in his mind. "Exchange for a high-end custom microphone perfectly suited to Jigglypuff's voice, one that can maximize the charm of its singing while also being durable. Also include a specially designed marker whose ink is easy to wash off and harmless to the skin."
[Command Confirmed. 800 World Points consumed. Exchange successful: "Custom High-End Microphone for Jigglypuff" (includes special marker set).]
[Current World Points: 18,200.]
A faint flash of light appeared.
A delicate and adorable miniature microphone with smooth lines and a soft pearl-pink glow materialized in Ash's hand.
Alongside it appeared a matching specially designed marker with refined strokes.
This microphone was not only visually appealing but also equipped with top-tier acoustic technology that could intelligently optimize and amplify Jigglypuff's unique soundwave frequency.
Ash deliberately slowed down a few steps, turned at a street corner, and crouched down.
He looked warmly at the startled Jigglypuff, who nearly tripped in surprise.
"You've been following us for quite a while, haven't you?" he said with a gentle smile, showing no trace of blame.
Instead, he extended the microphone and marker toward it.
"Your singing voice is very special. It has the power to soothe people's hearts. It's just that ordinary methods might not let the whole world hear how beautiful it truly is. Try using this."
He pointed to the marker as well.
"And this pen should draw more smoothly. The ink is also very easy to wipe off."
Jigglypuff blinked its large round eyes.
It looked at Ash in confusion, then at the irresistibly charming pink microphone and beautiful marker in his hands.
After hesitating for a moment, it set down its old, worn marker and carefully accepted the new gifts.
It tried bringing its little mouth close to the microphone and softly hummed a single note.
"Jiggly~"
In that instant, the sound, enhanced and optimized by the microphone, became clearer and rounder than ever before, carrying a faint, ethereal echo. It was like a drop of spring water falling into the heart. Even Jigglypuff itself was stunned by the beauty of the sound.
It hugged the microphone tightly, its round eyes shining with excitement and disbelief. It happily called out "Jiggly-puff!" toward Ash, expressing its joy and gratitude.
That night, the largest plaza in the center of Neon Town was still packed with crowds of people who had nothing to do and were on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Gamblers with bloodshot eyes argued loudly, drunkards staggered around shouting, and exhausted office workers slumped on benches yet remained unable to sleep. The entire space was filled with suffocating restlessness.
Holding its precious new microphone, Jigglypuff walked with determined steps and hopped onto the dried fountain platform in the center of the plaza.
It took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale the entire city's exhaustion.
Then it placed its mouth close to the pink microphone.
🎵 "Jiggaly... puff... jiggaly... puff..." 🎵
An ethereal and melodious song filled with magical charm spread out through the advanced microphone's amplification and optimization. Like a pebble dropped into a still lake, ripples of invisible sound waves spread outward from the plaza, gently yet firmly expanding across the entire Neon Town.
The song was no longer merely hypnotic.
It felt more like a cleansing and purification of the soul.
And then, a miracle happened.
In the plaza, two gamblers who had been arguing fiercely suddenly froze mid-gesture. Their raised arms stopped in the air, their eyes gradually becoming unfocused, before they both let out enormous yawns.
By the roadside, a middle-aged man pacing anxiously and constantly checking his watch slowed his steps more and more until he finally leaned against a streetlamp and began snoring softly.
Inside the bars, the noisy music and shouting seemed to be suppressed by an invisible force, replaced by waves of yawns and the clinking sound of glasses being set down.
Even Officer Jenny, who had been chasing a thief, gradually slowed while running and eventually leaned against her motorcycle, falling into deep sleep.
Wherever the song reached, chaos was replaced by tranquility, and agitation melted into peace.
In just over ten minutes, Neon Town, which had once resembled a boiling pot, fell into a calm and profound silence.
Across the plaza, along the streets, on benches, steps, and even beside shop windows, people and their Pokémon had fallen into the deepest sleep they had experienced in years.
Every face carried the pure and peaceful expression of a sleeping infant, as though every burden had been lifted.
Jigglypuff gazed at the scene before it, as if the entire world had been enchanted by magic. Everyone was immersed in the dream created by its singing.
This time, it did not feel angry about being "ignored" by its sleeping audience.
Instead, its heart filled with an unprecedented sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Picking up the special marker, it happily began drawing its unique "artwork" on the faces of the sleeping people, a joyful smile curling at the corners of its mouth.
It knew that this time, its song had truly been heard and had brought something wonderful to the world.
Ash, Misty, and Brock had long been prepared. Using the high-efficiency soundproof earplugs Ash had exchanged earlier, they successfully resisted the indiscriminate hypnotic sound waves.
They watched everything from a well-hidden corner with a clear view, witnessing the scene with quiet satisfaction.
"This is incredible…" Misty murmured, looking at the peaceful town before her with tears of emotion in her eyes. "Jigglypuff… it really did it."
"This is the true power its song should have," Brock said with emotion. "Healing and peace. Ash, you made the right choice again."
Ash's gaze followed the busy pink figure the entire time, and he nodded.
"What it needed wasn't restraint. It needed a stage where its talent could truly shine, and someone who understood it."
The next morning, when the rising sun illuminated Neon Town, people awakened from their deep sleep and were surprised to find cute doodles on their faces and arms.
But their reactions were completely different from before.
Instead of flying into a rage, they felt a refreshing clarity they had not experienced in years, their minds clear and their hearts calm.
When they recalled the heavenly song that had soothed their souls the night before, they felt sincere gratitude toward the mysterious pink Pokémon.
It was as if the entire town had undergone a thorough purification. Much of the violent irritability had disappeared, replaced by gentleness and composure.
And the performer of that "lullaby," Jigglypuff, after finishing its grand mural of drawings, hugged its treasured microphone and marker with satisfaction.
It looked once more at the renewed town before quietly disappearing into the morning mist.
Ash and his companions also packed up in the morning light, preparing to continue their journey.
As they walked out of the Pokémon Center and stepped onto the road leaving Neon Town, Ash suddenly felt something and glanced back toward the town's entrance.
At the corner of the street, a round pink head cautiously peeked out.
It was Jigglypuff.
Watching the backs of Ash and his companions as they left, its large eyes were filled with complicated emotions: gratitude, attachment, and a hint of curiosity.
After hesitating for a moment, it finally hugged its microphone, took a few short steps forward, and quietly yet firmly followed Ash and his companions again.
It slipped back into the roadside grass, deciding to continue this unexpected pursuit.
"Aren't you going to catch it, Ash?" Misty asked softly. She had noticed the direction of his gaze and seemed to sense something.
Ash turned around with a gentle yet confident smile and shook his head.
"It's found its own path and purpose. Forcing it to be caught would only limit it. I believe fate works in wonderful ways. In the future, in a wider world, we'll definitely meet again. For now, let it follow us in its own way."
Having resolved the deep crisis of Neon Town and unexpectedly gained Jigglypuff's special "companionship," Ash and his friends set off once more on their long journey of challenging Gyms and pursuing their dreams, carrying a sense of inner peace and hope for the future.
And behind their group, there was now a silent pink little tail softly humming a tune.
...
A/N: After thinking it over, it's better to let Jigglypuff train along the way. It can be caught before the Hoenn arc.
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