"Gah!"
'Senior, you know about Sirfetch'd! Then you must know how I can evolve into Sirfetch'd, right?!'
Recently, evolution had become the nightmare hanging over Farfetch'd's heart.
So when someone suddenly mentioned Sirfetch'd, Farfetch'd's reaction was naturally intense!
'I do know—but with your current state, you can't evolve into Sirfetch'd yet.'
As he spoke, Suicune explained the conditions required to evolve into Sirfetch'd.
Calmness and composure.
And the spirit of a knight!
In an instant, Farfetch'd froze on the spot.
No one had ever told Duckduck that evolving into Sirfetch'd required conditions like that!
Duckduck had never even seen a knight before—how could it possibly understand something like knightly spirit?!
Is this for real?!
Life is hard… Duckduck sighed.
At that very moment, it felt as though Farfetch'd's soul had been completely drained.
"Eh? Farfetch'd, what's wrong with you~?"
Just then, Ash—who had just finished swimming joyfully in the pond with Dracovish—walked over to Farfetch'd.
He was puzzled.
Normally full of energy, why did Farfetch'd look so dispirited today?
"Gah~ waah!" T_T
Ash was still wiping the water off himself when he lowered his head—and immediately met Farfetch'd's teary face.
The once resolute expression on Farfetch'd's face was now covered in tiny "pearls" of tears.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying? Did your leek go bad? I'll buy you a new one—don't cry!"
In Ash's mind, the only thing that could make Farfetch'd cry was its leek breaking.
However—
Farfetch'd shook its head sadly. It pointed at itself, then toward Cinderace and Lucario in the distance, who were practicing combination techniques.
Its crying only grew louder.
Seeing this, Ash became even more confused.
For a moment, the entire backyard was thrown into an uproar by the crying.
Almost all the Pokémon gathered around Farfetch'd to watch.
As more and more Pokémon crowded in, Suicune stood up and shook the fallen leaves from its body.
After a low, resonant call, the surrounding Pokémon finally dispersed.
With a light leap, Suicune landed beside Ash.
'Farfetch'd wants to evolve.'
Although Ash possessed Aura Power and could communicate with Pokémon,
under normal circumstances, he rarely used it to directly connect with them.
Because under the influence of Aura, a Pokémon's innermost thoughts would be laid bare before him.
Ash felt that doing so was somewhat disrespectful.
Now, with Suicune relaying the message, Ash finally understood.
But he was also a little surprised.
"Suicune… Farfetch'd can actually evolve?"
In Ash's memory, he had never seen Farfetch'd's evolution.
Nor had he ever heard anyone mention it.
'Yes. Galarian Farfetch'd can evolve into Sirfetch'd. In my era, it was even revered as the living embodiment of the Sword and Shield Hero.'
[Sonia: Huh?! Is that really a thing? Even I, a scholar of Galarian mythology, didn't know that!]
[Professor Magnolia: I told you long ago to read more books. The earliest portraits of the Sword and Shield heroes were modeled after Sirfetch'd.]
[Ash: Scallion pancake? Where can I get scallion pancakes?! I love scallion pancakes!]
[Lillie: Wuwu, Farfetch'd is so pitiful, don't eat Duckduck…]
[Flint: This is making me hungry! I wonder if Paldea sells scallion pancakes!]
[Leon: Sirfetch'd is a very strong Pokémon. One of my opponents once used it—the Meteor Assault left a deep impression on me.]
[Karuna: If it left an impression on Leon, then Galarian Farfetch'd's evolution really must be strong~]
[Cynthia: Evolving into Sirfetch'd isn't easy. Every knight has their own faith. Farfetch'd must find its own belief to evolve—and that's very difficult. Some people spend their entire lives without ever knowing what they truly seek.]
…
—On screen—
Hearing Suicune's explanation, a spark flashed in Ash's eyes!
"So that's it! Farfetch'd, you want to evolve! Then we just go and evolve, that's all!"
Ash said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
To him, as long as there was the desire to evolve, evolution itself was never a problem!
"Gah!"
Duckduck wants to too! But Duckduck doesn't know how!
A knight! It had never seen a knight in its entire life!
How could it possibly have any knightly spirit?!
Left with no choice, Suicune once again explained the conditions for Farfetch'd's evolution in detail.
"A knight, huh?"
A thought formed in Ash's mind, but it was like it was covered by a thin sheet of paper.
In his memories… there was someone like that.
That person was—
"Oh! That's it! Uncle Wikstrom! Uncle Wikstrom is a knight! Farfetch'd, we can ask him for help!"
In an instant, everything clicked.
Ash grabbed Farfetch'd and hugged it tightly against his chest!
Beside them, Suicune watched with a gratified expression as Farfetch'd struggled desperately in Ash's arms—its leek even falling to the ground.
This child truly lived up to being the hero chosen by Ho-Oh.
Amazing indeed!
"Gah!!"
Let go! I can't breathe!
Fortunately, before Farfetch'd lost its last breath, Ash finally released it.
Escaping Ash's death hug, Farfetch'd collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.
My Trainer is terrifying…!
I—I almost met my great-grandmother just now!
At that moment, Ash had already taken out his Rotom Phone to contact Wikstrom.
Wikstrom was one of the Kalos Elite Four, a Steel-type specialist who embodied knightly spirit, reveling in honorable, straightforward Pokémon battles.
Challenging battles with fairness and integrity—and finding joy within them—he was a Trainer filled with the spirit of a knight!
However, during Ash's journey in Kalos, he had never battled this uncle.
They had only met briefly at the Lumiose Conference.
After rummaging around for a long time, Ash finally realized—
He didn't have Wikstrom's contact information.
"Oh right! Miss Karuna will definitely know!"
Without hesitation, Ash immediately called Karuna.
After two beeps—
The call connected.
On the Rotom Phone's screen appeared a short-haired beauty with an elegant aura—
wearing a cool, revealing bikini.
And the angle… was a downward angle.
That fair, dazzling view was practically shoved right into Ash's face.
Whoosh!
Ash's face instantly turned red like a Krabby.
All the words he had prepared got stuck in his chest—he stammered for ages without saying anything.
Then, a gentle female voice came from the phone.
"Hello? Is that Ash? Did you miss your big sister~?"
Her voice carried a playful lilt at the end.
Even through the screen, everyone watching the stream could feel the overwhelming sensuality and charm.
[Lusamine: So this is the power of the world's number-one superstar, Miss Karuna? Truly terrifying… If not for my own mountains being more magnificent, I might have felt inferior at just one glance~]
[Misty: Wuwu~ We're both women! Why is she like that?! And I'm just an airport runway!]
[Brock: Now you understand why I love older sisters! This is the charm of mature women! I've lived my life on thin ice—only an older sister's bosom can melt the ice in my heart!]
[Karuna: I didn't expect to improve even more after five years. Not bad, not bad~]
[Caitlin: P–Pikachu! How can someone wear a Pikachu bikini and still make Pikachu smile like that?!]
[Cynthia: I… I can do that too.]
[Flint: Is the boss lady jealous? The atmosphere feels kinda dangerous…]
[Volkner: Say less. You'll get punished again.]
[Flint: I'm already in Paldea—what am I afraid of? No way Boss Lady comes all the way here just to beat me up, right?]
[Cynthia: Perfect timing. I happen to have business in Paldea.]
[Flint: ...]
Is it too late to beg for mercy now?!
Under the influence of Pikachu's beaming smile,
all the women watching the stream subconsciously looked down at themselves.
They couldn't make Pikachu smile… truly sorry!
Little did they know—Squirtle was still coming up next!
…
—On screen—
Not hearing any response,
Karuna leaned closer to her phone in confusion—
and just happened to see Ash's bright red face.
She let out a soft laugh.
The sound was like silver bells, echoing through the Rotom Phone.
"I never thought little Ash would still get shy. Looks like you've really grown up~"
Thinking back to that determined-eyed boy from the past, and then looking at the shy Ash now,
Karuna laughed even more happily.
"Miss Karuna!"
Ash panicked—Ash really panicked!
Being teased like this made him unbearably embarrassed!
"All right, all right~ So why did you suddenly have time to call me? Let me say this first—I don't have time to battle you. I still haven't finished shooting this year's photoshoot."
After teasing Ash enough, Karuna finally asked about the real reason.
Ash wouldn't call her without a reason—unless he simply couldn't find an opponent to battle!
At least, she had set up a preemptive defense.
Thinking back to how her ace Pokémon, Gardevoir, had almost been defeated by Ash's Greninja—
her heart still skipped a beat.
She felt like she had nearly been nailed to the pillar of shame back then.
Thankfully, Team Rocket had appeared at just the right time.
That incident spared her from humiliation—but it was also what drove Karuna to train relentlessly, eventually becoming a Champion on par with Cynthia.
Yet for some reason, she often dreamed of that battle with Ash.
The dazzling bond.
The breathtaking execution.
And herself—on the brink of defeat.
Ash really was an unforgettable boy.
Back to the present.
After hearing Karuna's words,
Ash explained Farfetch'd's evolution conditions and his hope that Karuna could help contact Wikstrom.
After listening,
Karuna lifted her phone—
and Pikachu's astonishing elasticity bounced up and down.
Waves surged.
"So that's how it is."
After thinking for a moment, her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Ash, why don't you come to see me? I'll take you to Uncle Wikstrom. You know how he is—a knight who rarely interacts with others. If I go, he'll definitely agree to help train Farfetch'd."
Karuna blinked her innocent eyes at Ash.
…
Ash, you can't hold out! Let me deal with this enchantress!
Watching the stream, Brock felt like ants were crawling all over his body!
I'm the one who likes older sisters!
So why are the older sisters all doting on Ash?!
Wuwuwu—
The crying was heartbreaking!
Even the others at the Pewter Gym silently moved away from Brock…
…
Facing Karuna's direct temptation, Ash really couldn't resist.
He didn't hesitate for even a second.
He agreed!
And to prevent Karuna from changing her mind, Ash immediately had Rotom Phone book a flight to Kalos!
As everyone knew, Karuna wasn't just the Champion of Kalos—
she was also the world's most famous actress and model!
If someone as beautiful and kind as Karuna was personally helping him, how could Ash keep her waiting?
He didn't even have time to say goodbye to Professor Cerise.
Ash rushed straight onto the plane.
So much so that when Chloe returned from jogging with Eevee and saw the empty backyard, she froze in confusion.
Huh?!
How did the house disappear after just going for a run?!
At this moment, Ash was already asleep on the plane, hugging Pikachu tightly.
From time to time, his hand even pinched Pikachu's cheek—
as if kneading something incredibly soft!
[Brock: I finally understand! Why Ash is still single after so many journeys—it's because Ash and I are both on the "older sister" route! Only big sisters can soothe Ash's heart!]
[Misty: Jerk! Don't lump Ash together with you! Ash likes me!]
[Bonnie: Oh~ Misty, you just said the quiet part out loud~]
[Delia: Oh~]
[Caitlin: I agree with Brock. So far, the only one who's really made Ash's heart flutter is my dear sister Cynthia~ But now she's met a rival! From the looks of it, Miss Karuna can also make Ash's heart race~]
[Caitlin: I really want to see what it'll be like when you meet again five years from now—it'll definitely be interesting~]
You call that "interesting"?!
You just want to watch the drama!
Two of the strongest women in the world fighting over one man—
what could be more entertaining than that?!
After all, the famous master strategist Lü Bu once said:
"I love watching women fight!"
[Cynthia: After I deal with Flint, I'll deal with you next.]
[Caitlin: I'm not afraid! Worst case, I'll just get beaten up—just go easy on me then!]
Afraid of pain, but still stubborn!
…
—On screen—
The plane cut across the skies above Lumiose City!
"Thanks for the invite—currently in Kalos, just got off the plane!"
"Kalos! I'm back!"
"Pikachu!"
Ash and Pikachu struck the classic "The universe has arrived!" pose together!
Their shout drew the attention of nearby travelers.
Ash looked like he was proclaiming the return of the former King of Kalos!
Just then, a person wearing white casual clothes, a black hat, and black-framed sunglasses tapped Ash on the shoulder.
Ash turned around, momentarily stunned by the strange outfit.
Who's this? Do I know them?
But when the other person removed their sunglasses—
Ash cried out in shock.
"Miss Karuna!"
However, Karuna raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.
"Shh~ Keep it down. I don't want my crazy fans surrounding us in a moment."
She blinked playfully at Ash.
Usually, when out in public, Karuna maintained her cool, aloof Champion persona.
But in truth, she was quite girlish at heart.
Hearing her request, Ash and Pikachu quickly covered their mouths and nodded frantically.
Ash lowered one hand slightly, leaving a small gap, and whispered nervously:
"Champion Karuna, how did you know I was landing here?"
"That's a secret~"
Karuna wagged a finger.
This only stirred Ash's curiosity further.
Was there an insider around him?!
But he hadn't told anyone about this trip!
Seeing Ash still deep in thought, Karuna narrowed her beautiful eyes.
"Dummy. You forgot to turn off location sharing on your social media."
She reached out and gently knocked Ash on the head.
"How could that happen?!"
In this cheerful atmosphere,
Karuna brought Ash and Pikachu to her luxurious Kalos residence.
After a brief rest,
Ash couldn't wait any longer—he wanted to find Wikstrom as soon as possible.
After all, this was crucial to whether Farfetch'd could evolve.
However—
Karuna didn't bring it up at all.
She looked straight into Ash's eyes, then slowly asked:
"Ash, can you still get in touch with Greninja?"
At the mention of that topic,
Ash's expression immediately fell.
"I don't know either. Last time I asked Bonnie's Zygarde Core to help look for Greninja, but there's been no news."
"I see… If you do manage to contact Greninja, remember to tell me. Big sister here really wants to repay that 'arrow' from back then~"
…
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