After returning home, Ash was still in a state of abnormally intense excitement.
He tossed his backpack onto the sofa, then pulled Misty and Brock into the living room to start testing his Aura in practice.
"Stand back, you two! I'm starting!"
Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Then he took his first step.
"The sofa's on my left, the coffee table's on my right, and the wall is three steps ahead."
Ash walked forward one step at a time. He was slow, but he accurately avoided every obstacle without even brushing the hem of his clothes against anything.
"Made it!"
Ash opened his eyes and found himself standing at the kitchen doorway, exactly where he had intended to be.
"Whoa!" Ash jumped up and down in excitement.
"This is amazing! It's like having X-ray vision!"
Misty looked stunned. "So this is the power of Aura?"
"I don't know! I can just feel it! It's like there's something invisible around my body helping me feel out the way!"
The more Ash played around with it, the more hooked he became, dragging Misty back and forth around the room.
He had Misty stand three meters away and throw balls at him while he caught them with his eyes closed.
He fumbled and dropped the first two, but from the third attempt onward, his catches became steadier and steadier, until he caught almost every throw.
"This feels so awesome!"
Ash caught the last ball, looking so pleased with himself that his nose was practically in the air.
He stood in the middle of the living room with his hands on his hips and surveyed his surroundings, feeling as though he was already invincible.
"Pikachu!" Ash suddenly remembered that Lu Chen had said Aura could also improve physical fitness!
So Ash turned and beckoned to Pikachu.
"Come on, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on me!"
"Pika?"
Pikachu tilted his head, his two long ears twitching back and forth, his face full of confusion.
In all the time he had been with Ash, this was the first time he had heard a request like that.
"Don't just stand there! Come on! I've got Aura now. I can definitely take it!"
"Pika pi..."
Pikachu hesitated for a long time, but Ash's orders were orders. He took two steps back, and golden sparks began crackling from the electric sacs on his cheeks.
"Pika-chu!"
A golden bolt of electricity struck Ash squarely.
"Aaaah!"
Ash convulsed, every strand of his hair standing on end. His face instantly turned charred black, and his whole body froze in place as he breathed out a puff of white smoke.
Then, with a thud, he toppled stiffly to the floor.
Misty: "..."
Brock: "..."
Pikachu rushed over in a panic, pawing at Ash's face with his little paws.
"Pika pika!"
"Ash, you idiot!"
Misty rushed over. After confirming that Ash was still breathing, she stamped her feet in fury.
"Aura isn't an insulator! What were you thinking?"
Beside her, Brock silently withdrew the hand he had reached out to pull Ash away and sighed. "Sigh... I actually thought he knew what he was doing."
Five minutes later, Ash finally recovered.
His face still bore smudges of soot that had not been wiped clean, and his hair was still curled as he sat on the sofa, trailing black smoke.
Unlike the single-minded Ash, who was immersed in the joy of his newly acquired Aura, the Gym Leaders Misty and Brock, who were staying there, were clearly more perceptive.
Misty and Brock sat opposite him and began discussing the story Lu Chen had told them that day.
"Did either of you notice..." Misty propped her chin on her hand.
"When Lu Chen told that story, the first half sounded like an ancient legend, but the further he went, the more it sounded like he was talking about himself?"
"Especially when he talked about that warrior leaving Cameran Palace. His expression, his tone... it just didn't feel like he was retelling someone else's story."
Brock nodded in agreement.
"The longer I listened, the more it sounded like he was reminiscing."
"But Pokémon being called magical beasts-that was a really, really long time ago, wasn't it?" Misty frowned.
"Lu Chen doesn't look much older than us."
At that moment, Ash, whose body was still charred black and had yet to fully recover, suddenly sat up straight and said with a serious expression:
"Then do you think Lu Chen could be an ancient person who's lived all the way from back then until now? Just like in the movies!"
Misty fell silent for a second.
"How is that possible?" she retorted mercilessly.
"Did that shock fry your brain? Or have you been reading too many novels?"
"But his Pokémon are all so strange! That Aerodactyl looks completely different from a normal Aerodactyl, and so does that Lapras! Plus, he seems to know everything about the ultra-ancient era!"
"That still doesn't prove he's someone who's lived from ancient times until now!"
While the two argued endlessly, Delia came out of the kitchen carrying food.
She set the steaming dishes on the table one after another, listening to Ash and Misty's argument with only a smile and no comment.
Professor Oak had told her not to tell anyone that Lu Chen was a time traveler from the ultra-ancient era.
Delia set down the final dish and wiped her hands on her apron.
"All right, all right, let's eat first. Ash, you must be hungry after getting shocked like that."
"Yeah!"
Ash instantly forgot their previous topic and rushed to sit at the table.
Misty and Brock came over and sat down as well. Delia watched the three children wolf down their food, her gaze gentle.
"Misty, Brock," Delia suddenly said.
"Hm?"
"Thank you for being willing to travel with Ash. This boy has been a handful ever since he was little. With you two by his side, I feel so much more at ease."
Misty and Brock paused, then smiled in unison.
"Please don't say that, Mrs. Ketchum. We chose to go with him."
"That's right, although Ash really can be pretty worrying sometimes."
His mouth stuffed with food, Ash protested indistinctly, "When have I ever made anyone worry?"
Delia smiled and placed another helping of food on Ash's plate with her chopsticks.
Before long, the next day arrived.
Yet early the very next morning, Lu Chen's peaceful life was disrupted again.
Lu Chen had been sitting in the yard drinking tea when he spotted Ash in the distance, pulling Delia along as he jogged toward the farm.
"Lu Chen!"
Ash was panting from running, with a helpless-looking Delia following behind him.
"Mom insisted on coming along. She said she couldn't let me bother you on my own."
Delia gave Lu Chen an apologetic smile. "Mr. Lu Chen, I'm sorry. This child has been clamoring to come see you since first thing this morning."
Lu Chen waved a hand to show he did not mind. Then, looking at Ash's eager expression, he roughly guessed what Ash wanted to do.
"Lu Chen, I want to battle you!"
Ash's eyes were full of anticipation, his fists clenched tightly.
Lu Chen set down his teacup, glanced at Ash, then smiled and stretched as he spoke.
"Then let's do it. I really haven't had much to do lately."
"Really? Awesome!"
Ash jumped up in excitement and immediately began taking out his Poké Balls.