007: Heroine: Serena!!
"By the way, Ash, when you debut as a Pokémon Trainer in the future, which of the three starters are you going to choose?"
Gary glanced around the room, and when his eyes landed on the poster of the Kanto starter Pokémon on the wall Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur he suddenly asked with curiosity.
"Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur... I like all three, but if I have to choose, I think I'll go with Charmander," Ash answered after some thought.
Fire-types are known for their strong offensive capabilities. Plus, Charizard Charmander's final evolution is not only powerful but incredibly cool-looking, which was part of Ash's reasoning.
"Charmander, huh? Then when I debut, I'll go with Squirtle~" Gary smirked, his confidence slowly returning after their earlier heart-to-heart.
"Choosing the water-type to counter my fire-type?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "But a real Trainer doesn't lose just because of a type disadvantage."
And deep inside, Ash smiled knowingly. While Gary was deciding his starter based on type matchups, Ash, being a transmigrator familiar with the original plot, already knew his first partner wouldn't be any of the three Kanto starters it would be the Electric-type, Pikachu.
"Who'll beat whom, I wonder?" The corner of Ash's lips curled upward in amusement.
"Hey, Ash, my grandpa's organizing the annual Pokémon Summer Camp this weekend. You coming?"
The topic shifted naturally. The two childhood friends turned to the much-anticipated Pokémon summer camp that Professor Oak held each year.
"Of course I'm going! How could I miss a chance to get close to Pokémon?"
"Two days ago, I promised my mom I'd rest at Viridian City Hospital. She already signed me up."
This was the same summer camp from the anime continuity where Serena would appear. Just thinking of her made Ash's heart flutter a little.
In the anime and manga, Ash had many female companions during his travels Misty, May, Dawn, Iris, Serena, Lana, Mallow, Chloe, and Lillie among them.
But despite the many companions, only two had relationships that hinted at something deeper than friendship: Misty, the first-generation female companion, and Serena, whose bond with Ash was established during this very summer camp.
Misty's connection with Ash in the manga and anime was subtle, developed through years of traveling together from childhood to adolescence. But their bond remained ambiguous, especially after Misty left to manage the Cerulean Gym following their Johto adventures. Over time, that early affection mellowed into a warm friendship.
Serena, on the other hand, was different.
Introduced in Pokémon XY, Serena and Ash shared a fateful encounter at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp when they were kids. That spark remained dormant for years, only to reignite during their Kalos journey. Serena was the only heroine who confessed her feelings to Ash and even kissed him before departing a moment unique in the entire franchise.
Sure, Latias kissed Ash in Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias, and the priestess Melody (not Flora) kissed him in The Power of One, but those were either playful or ceremonial. Serena's kiss was emotional and deeply personal.
"Original Ash may have been slow to understand feelings, but now that I'm here... I won't let someone like Serena slip away," Ash thought resolutely.
"..."
"..."
After discussing their plans for the summer camp, Gary eventually took his leave, promising to ask Professor Oak if there was a legal way for someone under ten to own a Pokémon.
Ash, of course, made sure to remind him before he left. After all, having access to a Pokémon earlier than most was vital for someone like him, especially now that he had the Mega Trainer System.
Not being able to own a Pokémon while having such a powerful system felt like having a blade but no hilt it was unbearable.
"System, open my personal panel," Ash whispered in his mind after returning to his room.
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Mega Trainer System (Status: Heavily Damaged)
Host: Ash (Satoshi)
Sex: Male
Age: 6
Strength: 03 (Average adult = 10)
Stamina: 04 (Average adult = 10)
Intelligence: 16 (Average adult = 10)
Charisma: 25 (Average adult = 10)
Talents: Power of Pallet (Dormant), Aura Ability (Dormant)
Pokémon: None
Item: Premier Ball
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The familiar transparent panel appeared before Ash's eyes. He had already explored most of it during his hospital stay in Viridian City.
Because Trainers fight with Pokémon rather than with physical strength, the system only tracked four core stats: Strength, Stamina, Intelligence, and Charisma.
His strength and stamina were expectedly low he was only six, after all. But the Intelligence and Charisma values stood out.
The intelligence stat was likely boosted by the fact that Ash was now a reincarnated soul, someone who had lived through another life with all its experiences and knowledge.
But Charisma 25 points! That clearly belonged to the original Ash.
In his past life, Ash was an orphan brilliant but withdrawn. He had no illusions about being naturally charming.
But this Ash, the original Ash from Pallet Town, had a cheerful, honest, and resilient spirit. Pokémon and people alike gravitated toward him. It made sense now why so many companions and even Pokémon deeply bonded with him.
If the average person had a charisma of 10, then Ash having 25 made him a born protagonist.
And of course—what's a protagonist without some serious charm?
...
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