Inside the room, Officer Jenny sat upright on a wide leather sofa.
Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, sharpened by years of solving cases and reading people's hearts, now carried just the right amount of warmth as she looked at the boy across from her.
"Ash~"
When she saw that Ash hadn't responded, Jenny leaned forward slightly and continued.
"Don't you… want to see a real Legendary Pokémon?"
Her voice was gentle, almost coaxing, as if it carried a kind of magic.
It was the kind of question that could set any Trainer's blood boiling—a dream that few could resist.
However—
"Legendary Pokémon?"
Ash's expression didn't show even the slightest ripple of excitement.
Under Jenny's confident gaze, he silently reached into the pocket on his chest… and took out a radiant, rainbow-colored feather that shimmered with dazzling light.
"I've already met one," Ash said casually.
"And it even gave me one of its feathers."
Jenny's eyes widened, the shock in them almost palpable.
That feather was no ordinary object—it was a Pokémon item that radiated an aura of mystery and power.
"This…" she breathed.
The glow, the life force emanating from it—vast as the ocean, yet warm as spring sunlight—could never belong to any ordinary bird Pokémon.
Jenny's pupils trembled.
"Is this… the blessing of a Legendary Pokémon?!"
Her body shivered uncontrollably, the expensive sofa beneath her giving a faint creak.
"Blessing might be an exaggeration…" Ash twirled the feather between his fingers, giving it a lazy shake in front of her stunned eyes.
"But yeah—it was polite enough to give me a welcome gift."
The way he said it was as casual as talking about what he'd had for breakfast.
That made Jenny's heart pound even harder.
All her confidence, her carefully planned approach, her step-by-step persuasion—shattered instantly before this sacred feather and the boy's offhand words.
"Ash, please… you must join our team!"
Her eyes now held more than curiosity and expectation—there was respect in them too.
"For this, aside from Champion Cynthia's promised reward… I'm willing to grant you one extra request."
"Anything, as long as it's within my power."
Jenny had thought that a Trainer his age, upon hearing about a Legendary Pokémon and receiving an invitation from a Champion, would be thrilled and immediately agree.
But when Ash revealed that he'd already met one—and received its blessing—she realized she had been very wrong.
Judging by the feather, that Pokémon had to be a Tier-One Legendary.
This meant Ash's value to their expedition team far surpassed simple combat ability or knowledge.
She had to secure him at all costs.
"…If it doesn't conflict with my journey, I'll think about it," Ash said calmly.
He neither agreed nor refused—leaving her with an ambiguous answer.
If they needed him this badly, then he could probably get far more than just the offered reward.
No need to rush into any promises.
"I'll be waiting for your good news~" Jenny replied without a hint of frustration, still smiling.
"Cynthia plans to explore the ruins after the Indigo League, so there's still time to decide."
She rose gracefully, her usual professional air returning—though her eyes still burned with excitement.
"As long as you haven't refused, there's hope," she thought.
She'd have to report this to Cynthia immediately.
If it meant bringing him along, no reward was too high.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head out now—my friends are waiting," Ash said politely, pushing open the door.
The room fell silent again, save for the lingering rainbow glow and the faint echo of that vast life force.
Jenny almost leapt to the table, cheeks flushed from excitement, and quickly dialed a number.
"Cynthia! I've made a major discovery!!""This Ash… might be far more than we imagined…"
….
Downstairs in the Pokémon Center's lounge, the warm evening lights felt relaxing.
"Ash, what did Officer Jenny want with you? So mysterious!" Leaf blurted out the moment he returned to his seat, her big eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Yumi leaned in, clearly listening too.
"Oh, nothing much," Ash said casually, taking a sip of water as if he'd only gone for a chat.
"Just talked about the follow-up on Team Rocket's attack, and… well, asked me for some suggestions about security in Viridian City."
Since he'd signed a confidentiality agreement, he obviously couldn't tell them the truth.
So he made something up.
"Huh?" Leaf and Yumi looked skeptical.
For something like that, the corner of the lobby would've been enough.
Did it really require such a fancy private room?
[End of Chapter]