Pokemon: Trait Master

Three Gold, Two Red, One Orange. 

This wasn't just a luxurious trait lineup— 

This was borderline divine! 

If Pikachu didn't have the Rainbow-tier [Infinite Reincarnation], 

Even he wouldn't be able to keep up with Ash! 

When Ash first obtained the Trait System, 

He had instinctively scanned himself, 

And what he discovered almost made him think he was hallucinating— 

He already had three Gold-tier and one Red-tier traits from the start! 

Even most Legendary Pokémon wouldn't have traits this strong! 

No—even for a typical Legendary, having three Gold-tier traits at the start was practically impossible! 

But he? 

He was just a human! 

This made Ash remember something from his previous life— 

People used to call him a "Humanoid Legendary Pokémon"! 

Good grief, if he didn't become a Legendary Pokémon himself, it would be a crime against nature! 

He might not have a Rainbow-tier trait, 

But every single Gold-tier trait he had was practical and powerful! 

And combined with his Red-tier training trait, 

His potential was off the charts! 

However, in the original timeline, without the Trait System, 

Even though he possessed these traits, 

He never managed to fully unlock their potential. 

Maybe this was why, despite traveling across multiple regions, he never won a championship. 

But now, with his past-life memories and the Trait System, 

If he didn't win the Indigo League, 

He might as well just eat Pikachu on the spot! 

(Pikachu: ???) 

Later on, after defeating various Pokémon, 

Ash once received an unexpected trait drop— 

A Blue-tier trait called [Beginner Chef]. 

He had never expected to get a cooking-related trait from battling Pokémon. 

Surprisingly, this cooking trait covered both human and Pokémon food, 

And meals cooked with this trait had certain buff effects, although with some side effects. 

Over time, he upgraded it step by step until it reached Red-tier. 

And that was the key to his and Pikachu's insane growth rate. 

---

Pikachu reaching near-Elite Four level in just a few years? 

That was because of the reset from [Infinite Reincarnation]. 

Had Pikachu not been retraining from scratch, 

He would have already reached Elite Four status! 

But right now… 

No one knew the truth— 

That the strongest member of Ash's team… 

Wasn't Pikachu. 

It was Ash himself. 

Pikachu could battle above his level. 

But so could Ash. 

His Gold-tier traits, [Indestructible Body] and [Unmatched Strength], 

Were what made it possible for him to fight beyond his rank. 

Sure, he was only at the lower Elite Four level right now, 

But in an actual fight? 

Anyone below Champion-tier was fair game! 

---

With Serena's help, dinner was prepared in no time. 

It was just a simple beef curry dish, 

But the moment Serena took her first bite— 

She nearly swallowed her own tongue! 

And as soon as she finished eating, 

An overwhelming sense of relaxation and euphoria spread throughout her body! 

Her fatigue from walking all day completely vanished, 

And she felt like she was floating in heaven! 

Serena, now flushed red, leaned back weakly against the chair. 

Ash glanced at the food in his hands, then at Serena… 

Wait, I didn't put anything weird in here, did I?! 

Why did she look like she was high on something?! 

---

In reality, Ash had never tested his cooking on others before. 

At home, Delia Ketchum was always the one who cooked, 

And Ash only cooked when he was training in the wild. 

Even his own mother didn't know that he could cook. 

And Serena was the first person—aside from Pikachu—to ever taste Ash's food. 

Which meant… 

Ash had no idea that his food would cause this kind of reaction! 

Meanwhile, Froakie, who had just finished eating his specially prepared Pokémon food, 

Also felt completely rejuvenated. 

For Pokémon meals, Ash used specialized ingredients tailored for each species. 

Pikachu's food had Electric-type supplements, 

But because Froakie had just joined the team, 

Ash had only given him general Pokémon nutrition. 

Even so, Froakie had never eaten anything this delicious in his entire life! 

Compared to Ash's cooking, 

The food back at Professor Oak's Lab might as well have been garbage! 

---

After dinner, Serena took the initiative to wash the dishes. 

She barely helped with cooking, and that made her feel a little guilty. 

With Froakie's assistance, she cleaned up everything in no time. 

That night, the two of them sat by the campfire, 

Sharing stories of their lives since they last saw each other. 

For Ash, it was mostly about how he had spent years training Pikachu and battling wild Pokémon around Pallet Town. 

However, every time he defeated a Pokémon, 

He would always heal them afterward. 

This was why the wild Pokémon around Pallet Town didn't hate him— 

Some of them even admired him! 

Some Pokémon were so impressed that they voluntarily helped Pikachu train. 

If Ash had Poké Balls back then, 

His team would probably be full by now. 

After all, plenty of Trainers battled wild Pokémon, 

But how many actually healed them afterward? 

Almost none. 

---

"…You're still as kind as ever, Ash." 

Hearing Ash's story, Serena couldn't help but smile warmly. 

Back then, she had been saved by Ash's kindness. 

But now she understood—Ash's kindness wasn't just for her. 

It extended to every living creature. 

Most people wouldn't go out of their way to help a Pokémon unless they planned to capture it. 

But Ash? 

He fought Pokémon, trained against them— 

And still took the time to heal them. 

Ash gently stroked Pikachu's fur and spoke seriously. 

"I don't think of myself as kind." 

"The wild Pokémon never did anything to me, yet I go and beat them up for experience." 

"That's pretty messed up, isn't it?" 

"If I just left them injured like that, and they ended up getting killed by another Pokémon…" 

"I'd probably regret it for the rest of my life." 

"So, whenever I battle Pokémon in the wild, I always make sure to heal them afterward." 

Repay kindness with kindness. Avenge wrongs with vengeance. 

That was Ash's personal philosophy. 

He wouldn't forgive his enemies, 

Nor would he betray his friends. 

If he used wild Pokémon to level up and farm traits, 

Then he owed them something in return. 

It was time-consuming. 

It was expensive. 

It was a hassle. 

But Ash believed it was the right thing to do.