Tai stretched his arms and sighed until he noticed something.

Ash was munching on a bucket of popcorn.

Tai blinked. "Wait, where did you get that?"

Ash shrugged, tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "No clue. One second, I was empty-handed, and the next, boom—popcorn!"

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Okay, that's just weird."

"You want some?" Ash offered the bucket.

Tai hesitated, then grabbed a handful. "Well, if it magically appeared, I'm not gonna waste it."

Before Ash could respond, the screen flickered to life once more.

Episode 2: The Shining Beacon

The episode opened with Ruby on the airship, gazing out the window at Beacon Academy's vast, towering structures. She seemed excited but nervous, fidgeting in place.

Ash grinned. "I get it. First-day jitters. Kinda like when I started my first Pokémon journey."

Tai nodded. "Yeah, reminds me of when I first got sent to the Digital World. I had no idea what to expect."

Yang, Ruby's older sister, playfully nudged her, telling her to be more open to making friends.

"She's got a lot of energy," Ash noted, smirking. "I like her already."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I had a feeling you'd say that. She's totally your type—loud, energetic, and loves a good fight."

Ash coughed, nearly choking on his popcorn. "W-what? I didn't say that!"

Tai smirked. "You didn't have to."

Before Ash could protest, the scene shifted to Ruby colliding—literally—into a girl with long white hair and a sophisticated air. Weiss Schnee.

Tai chuckled. "Oh boy, we've got our classic snobby rich girl."

Ash tilted his head. "She reminds me of some trainers I've met. Super strong but way too full of themselves."

Weiss immediately started scolding Ruby for spilling her Dust vials, which led to an explosion when Ruby sneezed.

Tai laughed. "Okay, that was hilarious."

Ash winced. "Yeesh, Weiss is tough, but she's kinda mean."

Just then, a new girl appeared—Blake Belladonna, a quiet girl with a book in hand, exuding a mysterious aura. She calmly diffused the situation, returning Weiss's Dust before walking away.

Tai leaned forward. "Alright, now she's interesting. Cool, quiet, and doesn't waste time on drama."

Ash smirked. "I see what's happening here."

Tai blinked. "Huh?"

Ash elbowed him playfully. "I called it—Weiss and Blake are totally your type."

Tai scoffed. "What? No way!"

"Come on," Ash teased. "Weiss is all bossy and tough—like a certain redhead Digimon Queen I bet you know. And Blake? She's got that whole 'lone wolf' thing going on. Sounds like your style to me."

Tai turned away, trying to hide a faint blush. "Whatever. Focus on the episode, dude."

The screen then cut to Ruby wandering the halls, where she bumped into Jaune Arc—a clumsy but well-meaning guy in knight armor.

"That guy looks like he's way out of his league," Ash noted.

Tai laughed. "Reminds me of when I first started leading the DigiDestined. Guy's got zero clue what he's doing, but he'll probably figure it out."

Ruby and Jaune hit it off quickly, sharing some awkward but friendly banter before realizing… they were completely lost.

Ash grinned. "Yeah, that's relatable. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten lost in new cities. If Pikachu wasn't around, I'd probably still be wandering around Cerulean City."

Tai smirked. "Try getting lost in the Digital World with giant monsters chasing you. That's a real problem."

The two teens chuckled as the episode continued, trading quips as they watched the students of Beacon find their footing.

As the screen darkened once more, the voice returned. "The next episode will begin shortly."

Tai leaned back with a grin. "Okay, I'm officially hooked. Let's see where this goes."

Ash popped another handful of popcorn in his mouth. "Same here. And I gotta admit… this is pretty fun."