Pewter City hasn’t changed.

  But Mina smelled blood beneath the laughter.

  She glanced back at the townsfolk. Their innocent joy grated against her instincts. It felt… fake. Like air freshener in a slaughterhouse.

  "This is Pewter City!" Ash beamed. "It was where everything started for him."

  At his loud announcement, people quickly recognized him and began to gather.

  Pikachu and Ash looked flustered and called for Mina, but she was already gone, slipping into the shadows.

  As fans closed in, asking for autographs, Ash spotted Mina in the dark. She drew a finger across her lips—a silent signal to stay quiet. Ash understood.

  "Haha! Actually, I have a student! She wanted to travel with me in Kanto, so we're journeying together to recover my memories," he said, smoothly covering up.

  Among the crowd, a hidden reporter snapped a photo. Mina let her go.

  "Normally I wouldn't leave witnesses, but slowly revealing my presence gives me legitimacy as a champion. Wouldn't you agree?" Mina muttered to Ditto.

  "Right, boss. Using powerful Pokémon without growth stirs backlash. Slowly revealing yourself may win them over."

  Mina recalled data about Ash—and someone named Goh.

  "Maybe some clueless poacher will learn that catching strong Pokémon comes after earning respect as a trainer."

  Ash, meanwhile, began to speak more openly to the fans.

  "She's talented and kind, but something's missing."

  Kids around him perked up. "What is she missing? Tell us, please!"

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  Ash smiled awkwardly. "Well, trainers must earn their Pokémons' trust—but also trust people."

  "Trust people?" a boy echoed.

  Ash knelt to meet his eyes. "Even strangers might become friends. Even enemies, if you keep trying."

  The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving behind only excited children.

  "Remember: a Pokémon trainer doesn’t just love Pokémon. They believe in the bonds of people too. That’s what I’ll show her on this journey."

  People cheered. Mina, from afar, scoffed.

  "Does he think life’s that simple? Trust people? That’s why I invented the Human Capture System. Because people tried to kill me—from drugged-up old men to clients who smiled while planning my death. Humans can't be trusted."

  Ditto added, "But boss, didn’t you create something that shouldn’t exist in this world?"

  "Shut up, tool. Anyway, my distrust began with the Gym Leader here."

  Despite her resentment, Mina returned to Ash's side. He flinched at her glare, but she acted normal.

  "As your disciple, I leave it to you. You know the gym leader here? Let’s go. I have something to say."

  "Brock?"

  "Hurry. And shut up."

  Her tone was flat, but the anger beneath it was cold and deep.

  They arrived at the gym. Two guards bowed deeply upon seeing Ash.

  "Welcome, World Champion! The Leader will be with you shortly. Please wait inside."

  To Mina, it felt like dragging a cheat code around.

  But time passed.

  The sun began to set.

  "We apologize, Champion. The Leader is late. He can see you tomorrow, if that’s alright?"

  Mina’s glare nearly made one guard faint. Ash stepped in.

  "Where is Brock now?"

  "At the Pokémon Center, I think."

  Mina left without another word. The guards sighed in relief.

  "So rigid. It’s exhausting," she muttered.

  Ash tried to ease her tension. "Traveling's about going slow. Enjoying the world."

  Her voice trembled. "Glad you feel that way. I just wasted a whole damn day."

  —

  At the Pokémon Center, Brock had just finished surgery. "I’ll close tonight, Nurse Joy."

  "Oh! Thank you. You’re supposed to be at the gym, but thanks!"

  "Dinner someday!" he said with a wink, walking off to tend to more patients.

  Later, after helping a young girl with a poisoned Pokémon, Brock prepared to go home.

  "Time to head in. The kids are waiting."

  He had once led the gym to support his siblings. But it had been a dirty job.

  He'd tricked trainers, all for survival. That guilt had led him to become a doctor.

  "Maybe I can atone..."

  Suddenly, the lights went out. Brock grabbed his flashlight and went to the breaker.

  A strange scent hung in the air.

  He turned—and froze. A girl stood there, smiling.

  "Hi. Been a while."

  Her voice held both warmth and rage. Her arms morphed into Conkeldurr’s, dragging a pillar.

  "Glad you became a doctor. Isn’t that sweet?"

  Brock ran. The pillar scraped behind him.

  "Do you feel fear? That’s nothing compared to five years of mine."

  He reached the breaker room, slammed the door and stacked furniture.

  The lights came back on—just as the door exploded.

  "You started this. Now you pay!"

  The pillar came down—

  "Mina, stop!" Ash cried, shielding Brock. "I don’t know what happened, but he’s my friend!"

  "Piss off! He ruined my life! He deserves it!"

  Ash gasped. She activated his choker, forcing him down. Brock trembled.

  "Pika...CHUUUUUU!"

  Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt. It wasn’t champion-level, but nearly a Z-move.

  Mina collapsed. Her arms returned to normal.

  She breathed heavily—not from pain, but from something else.

  Her memories had overtaken her body. Again.

  The rage wasn’t gone, just… interrupted.

  Brock, shaken: "I guess... karma hasn’t let go."

  The guards arrived and offered their home for rest. Brock agreed.