1. Ash's Story (Part 0: Prologue)

Chapter 4

In the Sevestar Region, Professor Cerise is a fresh face in the world of Pokémon research, having recently obtained his license. He often brings his daughter Chloe Cerise along with him to the lab, where she quickly forms a bond with Ash and the others. However, Chloe tends to gravitate towards Trenor, as Ash spends most of his time with Alice and her sisters while the rest focus on their training.

During one memorable summer, Ash, Chloe, and Alice find themselves attending the same Summer Camp organized by Professor Oak. As they gather at the campsite, Chloe teasingly remarks to Ash, "Ash? I'm surprised you're not still asleep. I thought you'd oversleep, as usual."

Chuckling, Ash replies, "I was too excited to sleep last night."

Alice shoots him a pointed look, her expression serious. "Really? You stayed up all night just for this camp? Only you, Ash."

Their banter is interrupted by the arrival of Gary Oak, another familiar face from Ash's childhood. Gary's smug attitude often irks Ash, and the tension between them is palpable. "Ashy Boy is always like that," Gary quips, earning a glare from Ash.

Before their disagreement can escalate, Professor Oak intervenes, his voice firm. "That's enough, you two. No fighting allowed. Let's focus on starting the camp."

With Professor Oak's admonishment, Ash and Gary begrudgingly set aside their differences, knowing that their bickering could disrupt the camp's proceedings. Chloe, growing increasingly impatient, directs her question to Professor Oak. "Professor Oak, are we ready to go yet?"

With a weary sigh, Professor Oak responds, "Well, you see... there's supposed to be one more camper joining us."

"But the meetup time's already passed," Chloe remarks, her confusion evident in her voice.

Ash, ever curious, chimes in, "Who's the one that hasn't shown up?"

Professor Oak's expression turns thoughtful as he explains, "She's a girl from the Kalos Region. Her mother is a famous Rhyhorn Racer, and there's actually a race happening in Kanto. So she brought her daughter along, but I wonder where she is..."

Before anyone can speculate further, a newcomer makes his presence known. A boy with brown hair and an air of confidence speaks up, his tone somewhat brash. "Probably went 'I'm going on a trip tomorrow, so I'm too excited to sleep!' I bet she's careless and simple-minded."

Ash bristles at the boy's presumptuous comment. "Hey, who are you to say something like that?"

The boy introduces himself as Goh, claiming to be a friend of the missing girl. Professor Oak, intrigued by this revelation, inquires, "Oh, you're Chloe's friend?"

Chloe nods, confirming Goh's assertion. "My Dad also has a lab in Vermillion City, and Goh would come to play when we were there."

Professor Oak listens to Goh's description with a thoughtful expression. "I see. However, the girl that I know is not careless and simple-minded. She's rather shy and timid, from what I observed when I saw her yesterday."

Turning to Chloe, Professor Oak inquires, "By the way, Chloe, is Professor Cerise doing alright?"

Chloe nods in affirmation. "Yes, he's doing fine."

"Chloe's father is a Pokémon researcher as well," Professor Oak adds, addressing the group. "He shows great promise, too; he's been deemed a genius since he was young."

Gary, impatient as ever, interjects, "So, how long are we gonna wait for that shy and timid girl?"

"We don't want to be late returning, either," Professor Oak muses with a sigh. "Oh well, I suppose we're setting off."