The sun had barely begun to rise over Viridian City, casting soft golden light across the streets. Inside the Pokémon Center, most trainers were still asleep, recovering from battles or preparing for the journey ahead.
But in a quiet corner of the dining area, Aaron, Ash, Lyra, and a new addition to the group—Misty—sat discussing their next steps.
Aaron stirred his tea, his mind still processing the events of the previous night. Shinx had chosen him. That fact still felt surreal. He glanced down at his feet, where Shinx was curled up, tail flicking lazily as it listened to the conversation.
Rufflet perched on the back of Aaron's chair, ever-watchful.
Shroomish sat beside him, eating its breakfast slowly, looking as neutral as ever.
On the other side of the table, Ash was grinning, completely oblivious to the tension in Misty's glare.
"So, Misty," Lyra said, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you suddenly tagging along with Ash?"
Misty folded her arms. "Because this idiot destroyed my bike."
Ash winced. "It was an accident."
Misty wasn't buying it. "You had Pikachu fry it to a crisp!"
Ash scratched the back of his head. "Yeah… that happened."
Misty sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, until he pays me back, I'm sticking around."
Aaron smirked slightly. "Sounds fair."
Ash groaned. "Not you too."
Lyra chuckled. "Well, looks like you're stuck with her."
Ash crossed his arms. "Fine. But if Misty's coming with us, what about you two?"
Aaron leaned back. "I'm not traveling with you."
Ash blinked. "Wait, what?"
Aaron exhaled. "Ash, I don't even know if I want to be a trainer. My goal is research—I need to take my own route, document things, and go at my own pace."
Lyra nodded. "Same here. My plan is to study wild Pokémon behaviors, so I'll be taking different paths too."
Ash frowned. "But we're all going to Pewter City, right?"
Aaron shrugged. "For now, yeah. But once we get there, we'll probably split up again."
Misty sighed in relief. "At least I don't have to deal with three of you at once."
Ash pouted. "You're acting like I'm a problem."
Misty gave him a look.
Lyra smirked. "She's not wrong."
Aaron sipped his tea, letting them argue. This was going to be an interesting day.
After finishing breakfast, the group stepped outside, ready to head toward Route 2.
The air was cool, the streets calm. Trainers were already moving about, either preparing for battle or heading toward the next town.
As they walked through the city, a voice called out.
"Hey, you!"
Aaron turned to see a young trainer standing near a designated battle area, pointing directly at him.
"You're the guy with the Shinx, right?" the trainer asked.
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
The trainer grinned. "That was awesome last night. I want to battle you before you leave!"
Aaron hesitated.
He wasn't against battling, but… he had never planned to focus on it.
Ash clapped his shoulder. "Come on! This is perfect. You just got Shinx—you should see what it can do."
Aaron glanced down at Shinx, who had perked up at the mention of a battle. Its golden eyes gleamed with anticipation.
There was no hesitation. It was ready.
Aaron exhaled. "Alright. Let's do it."
The trainers stepped onto the battlefield, grabbing his Pokéball. "I'm Ricky! Let's have a good match!"
Aaron nodded, stepping forward. "Aaron. Let's see what you've got."
Ricky tossed his Pokéball into the air. "Go, Growlithe!"
With a flash of light, a Growlithe materialized onto the field, its orange fur gleaming in the sunlight. It let out a confident bark, flames flickering at its mouth.
Aaron exhaled. Fire-type. Fast and strong.
But speed?
That was Shinx's specialty.
Aaron nodded toward his partner. "Shinx, you're up."
Shinx stepped forward, tail flicking, muscles coiled.
Lyra leaned forward. "This is going to be good."
Misty crossed her arms. "I've never seen a battle where the Pokémon picked the trainer first."
Ash grinned. "Well, we're about to see what Aaron's made of."
Ricky pointed at Shinx. "Growlithe, start with Ember!"
Growlithe barked before launching a barrage of small fireballs.
Aaron reacted instantly. "Dodge and counter."
Shinx was already moving before the command fully left Aaron's mouth.
It sidestepped with ease, avoiding the attack entirely.
Then—It lunged forward before Growlithe could react, tackling it square in the chest.
Ricky's eyes widened. "Fast…!"
Aaron studied the battlefield. Shinx was quick, but Growlithe had better stamina. If this dragged out, it could become a problem.
He needed to finish this fast.
Ricky grinned. "Growlithe—Bite!"
Growlithe dashed forward, jaws glowing.
Aaron's mind worked instantly. He had seen how Shinx fought against Spearow.
It didn't overpower. It outmaneuvered.
"Shinx, sidestep and use Spark."
Shinx dodged at the last second, causing Growlithe to lunge past it.
And in that moment— Its fur sparked.
Electricity surged around Shinx's body before it slammed into Growlithe with a powerful Spark attack.
The impact sent Growlithe tumbling backward.
It landed hard. Then—it didn't get up.
A few seconds passed before Ricky sighed. "Alright. I give up"
Aaron blinked. "I won? "
Lyra smirked. "Yes, genius, you won."
Ash grinned. "That was awesome! You battled like a pro."
Misty tilted her head. "You're sure you don't want to be a trainer?"
Aaron exhaled, looking at Shinx, who stood proudly beside him.
"…I don't know," he admitted. "But I think Shinx does."
Shinx flicked its tail, giving him a knowing look.
Aaron smiled slightly. "Guess I don't have a choice."
Ricky grinned. "That was a great battle. Good luck out there."
Aaron nodded. "Thanks."
As Ricky left, Aaron turned to the others. "Alright. Now we can go."
Ash pumped his fist. "Next stop—Pewter City!"
Misty rolled her eyes. "You're just excited to battle the gym leader , aren't you?"
Lyra chuckled. "And you're just excited to see what he'll do to pay for your bike."
Aaron smirked. "Either way, let's move."
And with that—they left Viridian City behind, stepping onto Route 2.
Their journey had truly begun.
And for the first time—Aaron wasn't just traveling.
He was leading.