Ash and Pikachu were with Ocarrot through Grand Jipang. "It's going to be amazing seeing all sort of Minks," Ash believed. "But, Ocarrot… Why are you holding my hand?" Ocarrot smiled to holding Ash's hand while Pikachu was on her head.

"I don't want youteia to go wondering all over when we arrive at the Minks' District," Ocarrot replied. "Besides, you've been my first crush since I decided to go for a job to earn a living."

"I don't mind that you have a crush on me… It's just pretty embarrassing having my hand held by a girl." The confession made Ocarrot giggle, thus Ash blushed.

"Youteia never had that happen before?" All Ash did was shake his head. "It's okay. Just focus on what we're going to see." They journeyed further in to where they reached a new district.

The Fur-bidden District & the Dark Past

They reached a new district where they saw anthropomorphic animals from dogs to wolves to cats and everything in between. "No… way!" awed Ash. "These are all Minks?"

"That's right," Ocarrot confirmed. "Minks like myself have unique traits that Lesser Minks like yourself only wish." A litter of kitty and puppy minks came to Ash, Ocarrot and Pikachu.

"Is that the Summoner?" a female puppy wearing a blue robe asked.

"I think it is!" a male puppy in a green robe believed. The litter dashed to the trio wearing different colored robes. They all greeted Ash and Pikachu.

"Kids!" a young female dog Mink called out. The puppy and kitty Minks returned to the older Mink. Ash seemed perplexed to the sight of the dog Mink with kitty and puppy Minks.

"Is it just me, or…" he started.

"There's a little-known secret among us Minks," Ocarrot voiced. "When two Minks of different breeds have babies, they can come out as both breeds. She must have fallen in love with a cat Mink and had those children."

"Oh…" awed Ash as Pikachu seemed a little confused. "So, if we do fall in love and have babies, we could have human and Mink kind?"

"That's right!" confirmed Ocarrot. Someone else joined the discussion.

"Ocarrot, is that youteia?" a young woman asked. Ocarrot, Ash and Pikachu turned to see a light brown furred canine Mink wearing a blue robe with green linens.

"Owanda!" cheered Ocarrot. The larger Mink reached the three.

"Did youteia get fired from the Pinwheel?"

"No, I'm still working."

"Yes, it's too soon for any terminations." That's when Owanda saw Ash. "And youteia must be the Summoner. I am Owanda. I help keep this district organized."

"I am Ash, and this is Pikachu-" started Ash before Pikachu surprised him by jumping onto Owanda's shoulder. Owanda giggled to the gesture.

"Youteia are not a Mink, but youteia are rather cuddly." Pikachu enjoyed the compliment as he and Owanda nuzzled. She returned with a little lick.

"Youteia said Pikachu can make fast friends," Ocarrot brought up.

"That, I did," Ash confirmed. Owanda gave Ash a few licks, tickling him. They moved on to explore the district more.

"Minks have been on better terms than fishmen, but not by much choice," Owanda began. "We do appear much friendlier, even if they don't look that way."

"Ocarrot did say that Minks in love tend to have children of both breeds," Ash brought up. "Has that been an issue with you?"

"Not really. We Minks haven't had problems with crossbreeding."

"I've been joking with Ash about that with bunny Minks and humans," Ocarrot pointed out.

"Those I can see interestingly enough!" giggled Owanda. Suddenly, Pikachu eyed a tall squirrel-like humanoid Mink wearing a white robe with pink linens and having long and curly sky-blue hair. He leaped out of Owanda's arms when she held him and ran to the new Mink.

"Oh, what's this?" she awed as she picked up the mouse. "You're awfully cute. You're no Mink, but you're definitely someone's cuddly pet. Let me get a closer look at youteia." She observed Pikachu closely as a Billy Goat Mink emerged. He had white fur with gray horns while wearing a white robe and black trousers.

"What did yougara pick up, Otristan?" he asked. Otristan peered to the goat Mink.

"Oh, Miyagi," she noticed. "This mouse came to see me. I think he likes what I look like." Pikachu itched his head, guilty of the occasion. "Yes, but don't feel bad. A lot of male Minks have adored me as well." Pikachu smiled to the news.

"He understands..." After a minute of petting and peering, she smiled as she saw nothing.

"You're okay…" Pikachu squeaked embarrassingly.

"Otristan, could youteia give Pikachu back to us?" asked Owanda.

"Sure thing!" agreed the Otristan. Pikachu leaped down and returned to Ash. After the moment, they arrived at a new district where there were two giant Minks. One was an orange greyhound wearing sunglasses as he wore a red robe over a blue robe and trousers. The other was a giant rotund yellow feline Mink with a lion's mane. He wore a red robe over a white one with trousers. Ash and Pikachu became unnerved at the sight of the two, especially with their sharp teeth. The two giant Minks saw the female Minks, Ash and Pikachu.

"Whoa, Owanda!" the canine Mink called out. "Did yougara bring a lesser Mink over here!?"

"I kinda did, Dogstorm," Owanda gulped. "He's the Summoner that came to Grand Jipang."

"Oh, the Summoner!" the feline Mink awed. "Allow me to greet yougara, Summoner. I am Cat Viper. He is Dogstorm. We help the district of the Mink Tribe."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ash greeted.

"No… the pleasure's ours," Cat Viper returned. "By the way, the mouse… is he a summoned?"

("I am,") Pikachu confirmed. Cat Viper offered an arm before Pikachu. He seemed reluctant to approach.

"I don't blame Pikachu," Owanda gulped. "He's a small mouse compared to Cat Viper's size." Cautious, Pikachu approached Cat Viper before sniffing his paw. Accepting, Pikachu crawled up Cat Viper's arm and petted his mane.

"See?" smiled Cat Viper. "I may be a feline Mink, but I hold my stomach in check."

("I can understand,") Pikachu squeaked.

"By the way, Summoner," Dogstorm spoke up. "What brought yougara here to Grand Jipang in the first place? Were yougara just passing by and stopped or were yougara told to come here?"

"I was told to seek Rayleigh and deliver a letter to him," Ash briefed. Dogstorm and Cat Viper seemed surprised to hear about Ash seeing Rayleigh.

"The commissioner," Cat Viper realized. "That must have meant that yougara are an officer along with that stretching detective and his friends. I can see how yougara two can get along."

"Oh, you have no idea how well along we are," Ash grinned.

"I can also imagine that yougara are also friends with Mr. Bones," Dogstorm pointed out. "Just the sight of him is enough to water my tongue." Owanda also watered her snout by licking it. That's when a shriek occurred back at the Pinwheel. Brook looked like he wigged out, startling Usopp, Blue-Nose Sensei, Luffy and the women.

"Whoa, Brook!" yelped Usopp. "Don't startle us like that!" Brook soon settled down.

"What was that all about?" wondered Luffy. Blue-Nose Sensei came to Brook.

"Is something wrong?" the reindeer questioned. Brook slumped onto a chair.

"I'm sorry, my friends," he apologized. "It's just that… well… for some reason, I felt as if somebody was just talking about me." Luffy didn't think something like that made sense.

"Doesn't that usually come with a sneeze?" he pointed out.

"Not this way," Brook corrected. "Because whoever's talking about me…" There was a shiver. "It's making me very uncomfortable. In fact, I literally feel a chill in all of my bones." The rest sighed nervously. Back with Ash, he had a scroll on hand. Lycanroc was also out where Dogstorm awed the wolf.

"I got one for you, Cat Viper," he offered. "Are you ready?" Cat Viper nodded. "Okay…" He unrolled the scroll as it began to glow. "His passion for popularity burns as bright as the fire within! COME FORTH, INCINEROAR!" The scroll flashed and what emerged was a red anthropomorphic cat that was a little short to reach Dogstorm's height There were black stripes over the shins and arms with black fur on the ears, under the nose and on the sides of the head. There was also a black stripe that ran vertically down the gray fur abdomen with two horizontal stripes intersecting the first. Lastly was a flame that shaped like a wrestling belt around the waist. Cat Viper seemed impressed by the sight of the new summoned.

"Now this is worthy of a Mink," Cat Viper awed. Incineroar seemed at ease as the two shook hands. After that, days passed as Ash returned to the home district and enjoyed more patrolling with Luffy and Usopp. Grand Jipang began to feel at ease with Ash, Luffy, Usopp and the summons. Thieves, muggers, even scammers were arrested. Buggy attacked Grand Jipang again, but Ash and Pikachu helped subdue the villainous Kabuki and his cohorts. At the Pinwheel, Ash demonstrated methods to dry meat as he used the flat side of the knife to push red juices out of some meat and into a mug.

"I see," Sanji observed. "Let me praise you that you're saving the juices from the meat. They can be used in other items and give unique flavoring. However, you put a lot of strain on yourself dehydrating the meat." He brought out a mallet.

"Don't you think it would create a huge mess?" pointed Ash.

"Only if you use full power. Instead, you want to roll it like you did before." Demonstrating, Sanji rocked the mallet back to front in a rolling measure. The juices still came out as steady, but there was less effort put in.

"Well, it won't work the same way with fruits and vegetables."

"Franky thought of that as well." The reply made Ash blink. Sanji brought out a bowl with a cover and a crank handle on top. "He made this strainer to help dehydrate other foods that need water." Ash nodded, realizing Sanji's preparations.

"Franky certainly came prepared."

"He sure does," Onami agreed. She had Pikachu in her arms. "Pikachu was going off about falling for someone in the Mink District."

"Yeah, Otristan and Miyagi have been taking care of Minks for a while," Ocarrot briefed. After helping make food, Ash and Sanji helped feed some of the customers, including Luffy.

"One of these days, no one will feed you," Usopp warned.

"I'll think about it when it happens," Luffy dismissed. Ash soon joined the rest out by the tables as Robin cleaned her hands.

"You know, Ash," Omao voiced. "The fact that you've been this helpful with everyone, those at the temple where you trained also offered you some exceptional advice when you came here." Ash scoffed to the claim.

"I learned to listen to people," he explained. "Helping just came with the territory."

"That, I find a little hard to believe," Onami smiled as she shook her head softly. "I was thinking that your parents had to have helped in some sort of way." Ash gawked and froze. He lowered his head and walked over to a vacant table, sat down and slumped. A tear fell from his face. Those in the Pinwheel watched in shock. Pikachu palmed his face.

("I knew this would come up,") he muttered.

"Ash?" called out Luffy. Onami realized that something happened to Ash.

"My mom and dad didn't send me to the temple to train," he started. "I was brought to the temple while I didn't know how to move my body." Even Sanji and Blue-Nose Sensei watched in surprise.

"Ash, what are you saying?" the reindeer wondered.

"Well, the truth is…" trembled Ash. "The truth is… I'm an orphan. My parents were killed when I was a baby." Loud gasps of shock echoed through the Pinwheel to the information that Ash was an orphan. What occurred that Ash lost his parents?

TO BE CONTINUED...