"They are Misty and Brock, the Gym Leaders of Cerulean City and Pewter City respectively, and my companions on my journey. Ever since I started traveling, they've been a great help!" Ash introduced Misty and Brock.
Chloe bowed slightly to the two and then did a self-introduction, establishing an initial acquaintance with them.
Afterward, Chloe invited Ash and the others to her home for a meal, saying it was just a matter of adding three more pairs of chopsticks, and she wanted to catch up with Ash about how he had been over the past few years.
So the group made their way back to Professor Cerise's home from the research lab.
At Professor Cerise's house, the group met Professor Cerise's wife, Talia.
Chloe and Talia looked about eighty percent alike, with both having emerald green eyes. Talia wore glasses and had long reddish-brown hair tied into a braid, giving off an air of a quintessential homemaker.
Besides Talia, Chloe's younger brother Parker was also there. Parker was now ten years old, not yet old enough to travel, but under Professor Cerise's influence, he already knew quite a lot about Pokemon.
After Ash and the others arrived, Parker quickly joined in and chatted with everyone.
The meal was filled with laughter and joy, with Professor Cerise's family and Ash's group interacting like relatives who had known each other for years, without the slightest unfamiliarity.
Ash recounted his journey over the past month, filled with experiences more exciting than what others might encounter in a year.
Apart from the matters involving Ho-Oh and the chat group, Ash didn't hide anything and shared everything openly.
This left Professor Cerise and the others astonished. Ash's travels seemed unusually exciting compared to others' journeys.
First, encountering a Shiny Ralts, then meeting the Three Starter Pokemon, with two even being ones discarded by others.
Professor Cerise couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly lucky Ash was.
As a professor, he understood how rare it was for a Shiny Ralts to appear. It was nearly impossible to find even a few in the hands of Trainers or the league worldwide.
Not to mention, Ash's Ralts hatched from a Poke Egg that literally descended from the sky. This was beyond anything that could simply be described as luck; it was like they were destined to meet.
Furthermore, from what Ash said about the current level of Ralts, its potential was certainly not low.
This luck was truly unbelievable!
After eating and drinking to their fill, everyone moved to the sofa in the living room. Talia cleared the table, with Brock assisting her. Ash and Misty initially intended to help as well, but Chloe sent them to the living room, saying the kitchen was too crowded.
"...Professor Cerise, what's the story with Riolu? Why did the Poke Egg end up looking like that?" Sitting on the sofa, Ash finally had the chance to bring up the question that had been bothering him.
Typically, Poke Eggs, whether with humans or with Pokemon, are carefully protected, and unlike regular eggs, they have a certain hardness.
Ordinary falls, like rolling off a table, shouldn't break them.
Ash was absolutely certain that the crack in Riolu's Poke Egg was due to a significant impact.
If the Poke Egg had been with Professor Cerise, he wouldn't have made such a basic mistake.
Speaking about the Poke Egg, both Professor Cerise and Chloe's expressions instantly darkened, seemingly triggered by Ash's words touching on some unpleasant memories.
Seeing this, Misty subtly poked Ash's side. Having gone through quite a few experiences, Ash now possessed some emotional intelligence. Noticing their expressions and Misty's reminder, he promptly shut his mouth, deciding not to pursue the matter any further.
However, Professor Cerise spoke up at this moment: "To be honest, it's my fault for trusting the wrong person, which led to the Poke Egg ending up like that."
"Uh... it's okay. If it's something you'd rather forget, then perhaps it's best not to talk about it."
"No, Ash, since you are now considered Riolu's Trainer, you have the right to know." Professor Cerise shook his head, then began to recount the events leading to the Poke Egg's fracture.
Five years ago, he organized a summer camp activity, which typically involved organizing kids aged 8-12 for outings to deepen their understanding of Pokemon.
Ash knew about that summer camp, but he had coincidentally attended another camp, so he wasn't there.
And it was during that summer camp that an unexpected incident occurred.
Chloe attended the camp that year, along with their neighbor, who was on friendly terms with Chloe—a person named Goh.
Goh was quite overconfident, often believing his intelligence and behavior surpassed those of his peers, and loved showing off.
He would showcase the Pokemon knowledge he learned from Professor Cerise to other kids, eliciting cheers from the boys and girls.
In reality, as the daughter of Professor Cerise, Chloe knew much more than Goh. However, Goh's behavior seemed childish to Chloe, though at ten years old, he was indeed in the phase of being childish.