There were still a few hours until nightfall, and the four of them, with nothing to do, huddled in the small wooden cabin, chatting idly.

Ash saw a Pokémon next to him that he had caught at the beginning, and couldn't help but pull out his Pokédex. He had originally wanted to receive a normal starter Pokémon, but due to certain irresistible forces, he ended up with this chubby Pikachu.

“Beep beep. Bulbasaur, the Garlic Pokémon. Half-meat, half-vegetable. Comes with its own seasoning for grilling.”

The Pokédex reported.

Blue: “???”

Seeing that the other three all had a matter-of-fact expression, she became even more bewildered.

“Ash, is your Pokédex infected with a virus?”

“No, isn’t this a normal Pokédex?” Ash couldn’t help but retort.

Seeing the other two also looking at her in confusion, Blue silently pulled out her Pokédex.

“Beep. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. One of the starter Pokémon. Likes sunlight. Its seed grows with its body.”

Ash and the other two: “???”

This time, it was their turn to be bewildered.

Then Ash pointed to his Pikachu in disbelief, and Blue, understanding, moved the Pokédex over.

“Beep. Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. Uses its tail to sense its surroundings. Its cheeks release electricity when in danger.”

Ash frowned and moved his own Pokédex over.

“Beep beep. Pikachu, a common Electric Mouse. Ordinary, not worth mentioning.”

Ash and the other two: “???”

So it wasn't their imagination all along; this Pokédex really did have a problem! And everyone else’s Pokédex only made one “beep,” but his always made two “beeps,” as if it was calling someone “brother” before even speaking, and its opening line was full of weirdness.

“Sure enough, Professor Oak gave me a defective version…” Ash said resentfully.

...

At this moment, Blue suddenly thought of something, hesitated for a long time, and then asked:

“Hey, speaking of strange occurrences, do you keep having inexplicable thoughts pop up in your head lately?”

Ash raised an eyebrow. Indeed, recently, he had been hearing a few auditory hallucinations in his mind. He even thought it was a hint from heaven, as he was the chosen one.

“Last time I met Gary, he also said he had strange conversations appearing in his mind. He’s suffering every night when he sleeps now. He can’t fall asleep without taking 3 or 4 sleeping pills, he’s constantly sweating cold, his hands are cold, and he has nightmares as soon as he sleeps…”

“Although he looks pretty good…”

Hearing this, Ash’s body trembled. This didn’t sound too good.

“Gary said that Pallet Town’s feng shui has always been bad, and Trainers who come out of here all get a terrible mental infectious disease…” she said mysteriously.

Mental… infectious disease?

Brock and Misty next to them frowned. This was indeed a bit understandable.

“I sleep quite soundly, so maybe Gary is in the late stages and beyond saving.” Ash said indifferently.

Blue: “Then it’s fine.”

Anyway, she slept quite sweetly too.

...

At night, the four of them came to a grassland next to the Clefairy shop. It was enclosed by a few scattered fences, with a high platform in the middle, as if something was to be placed there. So the four of them waited outside the fence, eagerly anticipating the appearance of Clefairy.

...

Then they waited until dawn.

Undoubtedly, Gary had tricked her again.

“Damn it, next time I’m definitely going to hang Gary on a tree and beat him ten thousand times!!” Blue roared.

“So, should we continue? I can’t take it anymore…” Misty asked weakly.

“You guys go to sleep, I’m planning to stay up all night guarding!”

Blue suddenly chugged an entire cup of strong tea. Her bright eyes were already bloodshot, and she stared intently at the high platform. She had been fasting for almost 7 days; a few more hours wouldn’t make a difference!

Ash: “…”

Although he also really wanted to sleep, looking at her posture, wouldn’t she suddenly die in the middle of the night? After all, as a fellow resident of Pallet Town, if she really died suddenly, he would have to carry her back, which would disrupt his plan to become a Pokémon Master. He simply frowned and said:

“Well, I’ll stay and watch. You guys go to sleep.”

Hearing this, Brock and Misty also yawned and went back to the nearby Clefairy hut to sleep. Suddenly, only two people remained on the square grassland. With the wind rustling the grass, the boy and girl, and a sleeping Bulbasaur and Pikachu beside them, it was actually quite pleasant.

...

“By the way, Blue, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?”

For some reason, Ash suddenly posed a philosophical question.

“Me? I haven’t thought about it yet. For now, I just plan to see this world properly.”

She shook her head, her eyes showing a hint of confusion. This expression on her naturally innocent face was somewhat unusual. Her first meeting with Brock meant that Blue had not embarked on the path of challenging Gyms. However, she did feel a bit envious of Ash. Although he seemed a bit silly, he had already decided on his dream since childhood. Although she also didn’t know what a Pokémon Master actually was.

Silently, the two simply stared at the high platform, cursing Gary while waiting for Clefairy to appear…

...

“Thud.”

Ash suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned his head and found that Blue had fallen asleep at some point and was leaning on his shoulder.

“Tsk, women, how ridiculous.”

Ash secretly gloated. He was the one who persevered to the end, his willpower was indeed the strongest!

In the darkness, moonlight spilled onto the square grassland, and a faint white glow illuminated Blue’s face, making her look as playful and charming as a fairy. This was the first time Ash had seen her so close.

“A girl like this, if I punched her in the stomach, she’d probably cry for a long time, right…?”

...

After another two hours, even the iron-willed Ash finally couldn’t withstand the immense drowsiness. His vision blurred, and he began to feel sleepy. The two of them leaned against each other, sitting on the grassland, sleeping very soundly…

Suddenly, Ash opened his eyes. His expression became incredibly cold, as if he was looking at everything like wood, and his voice deepened.

Red had taken over Ash’s body.

He pushed Blue’s head away and said coldly:

“You can get up now, can’t you?”

Blue shivered and slowly opened her eyes. Although it was the same face, the aura she exuded was completely different from her previous cute, innocent self. Her bright eyes held a cunningness that seemed to see through everything.

“Hehe, you don’t even cherish the chance to lean on me, Miss. You’ll be single forever~”

Blue stood up and stretched her arms, which hadn’t moved for several hours. A powerful aura, as if she commanded the entire scene, made Red frown slightly.

“You’ve come too, Blue…” Red said slowly.

In Red’s game world, he and Blue were traveling companions. The moment he first saw Blue, he guessed that this woman had probably also realized she was just a game character and her soul had transcended and traveled with him.

Blue blinked her beautiful eyes, then actually raised her hand and locked Red’s neck, twisting him over until he bent at the waist.

“Still acting melancholic in front of me?”

With her other hand, she vigorously ruffled Red’s hair, looking at him as if seeing a jade transformed into a salted fish.

“Oh dear~ Such a good-natured hot-blooded youth, how did he become so withdrawn after two years on Mt. Silver, tsk tsk tsk…”

Red: “…”

Did I eat your rice when I became withdrawn?

He quickly dodged away, maintaining distance from Blue. Women are like a force of nature, and Blue is the universe’s number one female powerhouse, so it’s better to stay away…

...

After an exchange, the two finally understood each other’s situations. They had both transmigrated on roughly the same day. Red, possessing Ash’s body, occasionally hinted at his existence, but the oblivious latter always ignored him.

Blue’s situation was even worse. She constantly hinted at her existence every day, but each time, the other Blue misinterpreted it as a sacred divine revelation from heaven, becoming devout and not daring to show any disrespect or engage in communication. She was almost holding incense and praying.

Red: “…”

“By the way, that guy Green also came over. He’s possessing that boy named Gary. I think their personalities are quite similar, both asking for a beating. One day, I’m really going to put a sack over him and give him a good beating.” “And you help me cover his mouth then!”

Saying that, Blue clenched her fist.

The other Blue only said she’d put a sack over him, but she wasn’t just talking. If she didn’t feel satisfied after beating him, she would definitely tie rocks to him and throw him into the sea to feed the Sharpedo.

Hearing this, Red was not surprised. Since he himself could realize that he was just a game character, then Green naturally could too. In that world, he and Green had both reached the maximum level for their characters, existing at the pinnacle with no room for further growth. They had stopped fighting, considering it a mutual acknowledgment of their limits.

But now that they had both arrived in this new world, Red immediately sensed the difference. Neither Trainers nor Pokémon had a maximum level or reached their ultimate potential. A realm beyond the ultimate existed. He could still grow!

“I can fight you again, Green…”

An unprecedented fighting spirit ignited in Red’s dead fish eyes.