"Mew?!"
Ash's eyes widened as the small, pink feline floated effortlessly in mid-air, radiating an aura of serene curiosity.
It blinked at him, then raised a tiny paw to its mouth, head tilting in that unmistakable Mew-like way. It circled him once, twice, slowly descending until it hovered just a few feet in front of him.
Then, a soft voice echoed directly in his mind.
"You are... different. I sense something in you. Something familiar. Have we met before?"
Ash blinked, heart pounding a little from the surreal encounter.
"Uh, I mean, kind of? I've read about you in books and research logs," he said quickly, then added with a grin, "Name's Ash. I'm from Pallet Town, just over that way."
Mew hovered for a moment longer before nodding slowly.
"Your Aura… it feels like the Wave Guide Warriors of long ago. Would you like to become one in this age?"
Ash's breath caught.
"A Wave Guide Warrior…?"
He opened his palm. A glowing Aura Sphere shimmered into existence with ease, pulsing gently in his hand.
"Are you talking about… this power?"
"Yes," Mew replied, eyes twinkling. "Exactly that."
Ash scratched his cheek, putting on a troubled expression. "Well, I'd love to become a Wave Guide Warrior, really… but, see… I'm still underage. I haven't even officially received my first Pokémon yet. So…"
He trailed off, glancing at Mew with a very subtle twinkle in his eye.
Mew blinked again.
Ash held his pose for half a beat longer innocent on the surface, but inwardly screaming: Come on, throw me a bone here! You're recruiting a kid for legendary duties where's the signing bonus?
Child labor laws may not exist in the Pokémon world… but dignity sure does.
If Mew wanted cooperation, Ash thought, then he needed a little extra motivation.
Maybe a special Pokémon. Maybe a mythical blessing. Maybe even just a shiny snack bag of loot.
Something.
Anything.
Mew tilted its head, listening intently. Then it gently shook its head and smiled.
"It's alright. As long as you're willing to be my messenger, Ash, I can wait for you~"
Ash blinked, a little stunned.
Mew had wandered the world for who knows how long, and this was the first time it had met a child so young who could already wield Aura Power with such control. It wasn't about rushing Mew had already made up its mind. It wasn't going to let a talent like this slip away.
Ash quickly realized something important.
If he kept playing coy, he probably wasn't going to get anything extra.
So he cleared his throat and said, "Mew, I'm happy to be your messenger. Really. But… since this is sort of like an employment relationship… shouldn't there be some kind of welcoming gesture?"
Mew blinked. "Employment… gesture?"
Ash nodded seriously. "Think of it as a small token of goodwill. A welcome gift."
The mythical Pokémon thought for a moment. Then its face lit up.
"Alright then! I'll give you a little gift~"
Mew floated closer and placed its paw gently against Ash's forehead. Its crystal-like eyes shimmered as a seven-colored glow began to radiate from its body.
In an instant, Ash's mind was pulled into a dreamlike space a swirling sea of color and light. He felt a warm current of energy surge through him, like stars gently aligning inside his chest.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have received Mew's blessing and awakened Psychic Power.
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
As the light faded, Mew giggled and floated in a circle around him, its tail swishing.
"From today on, you're officially my messenger! And if you ever find yourself in a crisis you can't handle, just silently chant:'Mew Super Cute Cute Cute' and I'll come fight by your side!"
Ash raised an eyebrow at the chant but didn't argue. A powerful mythical guardian with a ridiculous activation phrase? Fair trade.
He was already feeling satisfied with the blessing… but he wasn't about to let this be one-sided.
He reached into his system space and pulled out a small pouch filled with top-grade universal energy cubes bright, fragrant, and packed with nutritional energy.
He handed the bag to Mew with a smile. "Thank you for the gift, Mew. This is my return gift. They're not custom-made yet, but I think you'll like them. Once you finish them, come find me again I can whip up more, and even adjust the flavor to your liking."
It was something Ash had learned early on at Professor Oak's lab:
To win a Pokémon's heart, you must first conquer its stomach.
(Not that he'd tell Mew he technically "borrowed" those cubes from the lab fridge. Ahem. For science.)
Mew's eyes sparkled as it opened the bag. The rich berry aroma filled the air, and it immediately popped one into its mouth.
One chew. One blink.
Its tail twitched.
"Delicious!" Mew squealed. "Ash, these are even better than the ones I've tried before!"
As a seasoned traveler and let's be honest, a legendary freeloader Mew had mooched plenty of meals across the regions. It had tried all kinds of energy cubes in its time.
But this?
This was next-level.
Ash grinned. "I'm glad you like it."
"By the way, Mew," Ash asked as the legendary Pokémon happily munched on another energy cube, "you're not planning to leave the forest anytime soon, right?"
Mew floated up slightly, tail curling.
"That's right, Ash. Why? Do you want to explore the deeper parts of the forest with me?"
Ash chuckled. "Tempting. Really tempting. But it's getting late, and if I don't get back soon, Professor Oak will probably assume I've been eaten by a Beedrill."
He paused, then leaned in slightly.
"Also… there's something important I should tell you."
Mew tilted its head, still chewing.
"That charcoal-colored guy from earlier the one who got pooped on and slapped a Magikarp? His name's Goh," Ash said, voice lowering conspiratorially. "He treats Pokémon like tools. His attitude is the worst, and he even has the nerve to think he can catch Mythical and Legendary Pokémon like you."
Mew stopped chewing.
"I'm serious," Ash continued. "If you see him around, please make sure he doesn't get the chance to throw a Poké Ball. And if you could also… let your friends know? You know, the other Mythical types? I just don't want someone like him getting lucky."
Ash said it all with such innocence so calm and respectful but inside, he was grinning.
He knew Mew could read people better than any psychic. It had surely sensed the shade he was throwing. But it also likely saw through Goh's attitude long before Ash said anything.
And sure enough, Mew's cheerful glow vanished. Its expression turned serious.
"So that child… really thinks that way?"
It floated downward, eyes narrowing slightly.
"No wonder the forest Pokémon are after him. Such arrogance… it's insulting. Don't worry, Ash. If I see him, I'll handle it. And I'll make sure my friends do the same."
Ash bowed his head slightly. "Thanks, Mew. That means a lot."
Mew nodded firmly, then zipped upward with a soft chirp, vanishing into the trees.
Meanwhile…
Deep in another part of the forest.
Chloe was still wiping her eyes when she crashed into something hard.
"Oof!"
Gary, crouched low while sketching a wild Nidoran♀, yelped as the impact knocked him flat on his face.
"OW! What the ?!"
He rolled over, rubbing the spot on his ribs where he'd taken the hit.
"H-Hisss… that hurts!"
Chloe stared down at him in horror. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking!"
Gary groaned. "Do I look like a tree to you?!"
Chloe clutched her head, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Ow… my head hurts so much… it feels like I ran straight into a boulder…"
From the ground, Gary snapped, "A boulder? I'm a person! A living, breathing person! Do I look like a tree to you?! What are you even doing, Chloe?!"
Chloe blinked, stunned, then hiccupped.
The two of them were the same age children of researchers, raised in similar circles under the watchful eyes of the local academic legend, Professor Sakuragi.
They'd known each other for years.
But at that moment, all Chloe could do was burst into tears.
"Wuwu "
It had been a long, overwhelming day. Getting betrayed by Goh, running through the woods alone, and now slamming into Gary at full speed it was just too much.
Gary panicked.
"Hey hey, don't cry! I didn't mean it like that! What happened?! Are you hurt? Wait, are you crying because I hurt you?! Oh man, this is bad…"
He flailed uselessly for a moment, then awkwardly patted her shoulder.
Elsewhere...
After bidding Mew farewell, Ash once again activated his Wave Guide Power.
He closed his eyes, letting the world fade into a glow of Auras and energy.
His job here was done he'd already filmed most of Goh's greatest humiliations from the past few hours. The dark history compilation was more than complete.
There's no point babysitting that guy anymore, Ash thought smugly. Time to move on to something more important... like cultivating bonds.
Specifically with Serena.
He swept the surrounding area and quickly locked onto two distinct Auras.
One belonged to a Pokémon. The other warm, bright, and unmistakably human was Serena.
Ash's lips curled into a grin.
I knew I memorized that Aura for a reason.
As for the Pokémon Aura, he couldn't quite place what it was… but it felt strangely familiar. It wasn't aggressive, but it had presence.
Even better both Auras were aligned in a straight path ahead.
"No detours?" Ash stretched his arms. "Perfect. Everything's going my way today."
He took a step forward, confident and humming to himself.