The sun shone brightly over Beacon Academy as Ash and Pikachu wandered through the grounds, marveling at the incredible sights and the bustling activity of students. Pikachu perched on Ash's shoulder, its ears twitching as it listened to the chatter around them.
As they turned a corner, a cheerful voice called out, "Hi there!"
Ash turned to see a girl with short orange hair, wide green eyes, and a beaming smile walking toward them. She waved enthusiastically as she approached.
"Hello! My name is Penny Polendina. I'm Ruby's friend!" she said, her tone almost overly formal, as if rehearsed.
Ash tilted his head slightly at her odd phrasing. "Uh, hey, Penny. I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu," he replied, gesturing to his partner.
"Pika!" Pikachu greeted, raising a paw with a friendly chirp.
Penny's emerald eyes widened with delight as she leaned in closer to Pikachu, staring at it with intense curiosity. "Fascinating! I've never seen anything like this creature before!"
Ash chuckled, a little flattered by her enthusiasm. "Yeah, Pikachu's pretty unique. It's a Pokémon—a type of creature from where I'm from."
Penny blinked. "Pokémon? How intriguing! May I?" She pointed toward Pikachu, clearly eager to take a closer look.
"Sure," Ash said with a grin. "Pikachu doesn't mind."
Penny reached out carefully, placing her hands on either side of Pikachu, examining its features closely. Pikachu tilted its head, looking equally curious about Penny.
"Hmm," Penny muttered softly. "There is no data in my system about… Pokémon." She looked up at Ash, tilting her head. "Where exactly did you say you were from?"
Ash blinked, confused. "Wait, system? What do you mean by that?"
Pikachu gave Penny a suspicious look, its cheeks sparking slightly. "Pika…"
Penny's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly stepped back, waving her hands dismissively. "Oh! Nothing! I mean—uh—it's just a figure of speech! I just mean I've never seen or heard of Pokémon before. That's all!" She forced a laugh, her voice slightly strained.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a glance, equally puzzled by her odd behavior. "Uh… okay," Ash said slowly, deciding not to press the issue. "Well, yeah, Pokémon are from my world, so it makes sense you wouldn't have heard of them."
Penny nodded rapidly, her smile returning. "Yes, of course! That explains it. Thank you for clarifying!"
"So," Ash began, trying to shift the conversation. "Are you training to be a Huntress like Ruby?"
Penny's smile faltered briefly, but she quickly recovered. "Something like that! I'm here to protect people and help my friends—that's what really matters."
"That's awesome!" Ash said with genuine enthusiasm. "Ruby's lucky to have a friend like you."
Penny's cheeks seemed to flush faintly at his words, though she maintained her cheerful demeanor. "Thank you, Ash! And you're lucky to have Pikachu—it's clear you two share a special bond."
"We really do," Ash said, smiling at his partner. "Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu responded, rubbing its cheek against Ash's affectionately.
Penny watched the interaction with a soft, almost wistful expression. "It's… nice. The connection you share. I hope to understand that feeling someday."
Ash tilted his head again, sensing there was something more to her words, but before he could ask, Penny straightened up and gave a quick wave. "I should go now! It was lovely meeting you and Pikachu. I hope we can talk again soon!"
"Sure thing!" Ash said, waving back as she walked away. "See you around, Penny!"
As Penny disappeared around the corner, Pikachu crossed its arms and gave Ash a questioning look. "Pika pika?"
Ash scratched his head. "Yeah, I know. She's kinda… different. But she seems nice."
"Pika," Pikachu said, though it still looked a little skeptical.
The next day...
The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Beacon Academy as Ash and Pikachu walked through the courtyard, enjoying the refreshing breeze. Students bustled around, chatting and sparring in the distance. Ash stretched his arms lazily, glancing around.
"Man, it's a great day, huh, Pikachu?" Ash said with a grin.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu agreed, hopping onto Ash's shoulder with its usual enthusiasm.
As they turned a corner, a familiar voice rang out, cheerful and unmistakable. "Hello there!"
Ash paused mid-step. He turned to see Penny Polendina approaching them with the same big smile she had worn yesterday.
"Uh, hey, Penny," Ash greeted, scratching the back of his head. "Funny seeing you again."
Penny stopped a few feet away and placed her hands on her hips, smiling brightly. "Hello! My name is Penny Polendina. I'm Ruby's friend!"
Ash blinked in confusion. "...Yeah, we met yesterday. Remember?"
Penny tilted her head slightly, her expression remaining cheerful but a little puzzled. "Yesterday? Oh! That's strange. I don't recall meeting you before today."
"Pika?" Pikachu's ears twitched as it looked at Penny suspiciously.
Ash furrowed his brow, trying to process what she was saying. "You don't remember? We talked yesterday about Pokémon. You said Pikachu wasn't in your, uh… system."
Penny's green eyes widened briefly, but her smile never faltered. "Oh, my! I'm sorry if I've caused any confusion. I must have been... mistaken!"
Ash raised an eyebrow, now thoroughly baffled. "Mistaken about what? We literally talked for, like, ten minutes."
"Pika-chu!" Pikachu chimed in, crossing its little arms.
Penny's cheerful demeanor faltered for just a moment before she quickly waved her hands in an exaggerated motion. "Oh, I mean, maybe we did meet, and I just had a little, uh, memory hiccup! Yes, that must be it!"
Ash exchanged a glance with Pikachu, who shrugged. "Oookay," Ash said slowly. "So... what brings you here?"
Penny perked up at the question. "I was just wandering the academy grounds when I noticed you and Pikachu! You're both so unique—I simply had to say hello!" She clasped her hands together with childlike enthusiasm. "It's not every day you meet someone with such an extraordinary companion."
Ash chuckled awkwardly. "Thanks, I guess. But, uh, are you sure you're okay? You seemed pretty normal yesterday, and now…" He trailed off, trying to find a polite way to express his confusion.
Penny blinked a few times, tilting her head again. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you! Why do you ask?"
Ash gave a nervous laugh. "No reason. Anyway, do you wanna hang out for a bit? I mean, since we apparently didn't meet yesterday."
Penny's face lit up with excitement. "I would love that! Thank you for the invitation, Ash!"
