Ash adjusted his hat as he walked through the bustling streets of Vale with Pikachu perched comfortably on his shoulder. The city was lively, a stark contrast to the more controlled environment of Beacon. But what really caught his attention was a peculiar woman standing near a shop window, twirling a parasol in her gloved hand.
Her half-pink, half-brown hair shimmered under the streetlights, and her mismatched eyes—one pink, one brown—gave her an almost hypnotic presence. She wore a stylish white cropped jacket with broad tails, tight brown leather-latex pants, and an assortment of beaded necklaces that clinked softly as she shifted her stance.
Pikachu's ears perked up. "Pika?"
Ash glanced at the Pokémon before looking back at the woman, who now had a playful smirk on her face. Something about her felt… off. Not in a bad way, but like she was enjoying some joke he wasn't in on.
"Uh, hey there!" Ash greeted, raising a hand in a friendly wave. "You look like you're waiting for someone. Need help?"
The woman tilted her head, her smirk widening.
She didn't say a word.
Ash blinked. "Uh… are you okay?"
Still no response. Instead, she stepped closer, twirling her parasol once more before stopping right in front of him. She studied him intently with her expression amused yet unreadable.
Then, right before Ash's eyes, her entire form shimmered.
With a silent flicker, she transformed—now standing before him was himself. Except… this version of him had pink and brown eyes.
"W-What the—?!" Ash staggered back, Pikachu jumped down into a defensive stance. "Pika!?"
The fake Ash gave him a cheeky wink before seamlessly reverting to her original form. Neo grinned, tapping a finger to her lips as if telling him to keep quiet about it.
Ash exhaled sharply, trying to process what just happened. "Okay… that was kinda cool. But also really freaky."
Neo simply smirked again, twirling her parasol and curtsying slightly before walking off into the crowd, leaving Ash utterly bewildered.
"…What just happened?" Ash muttered.
Pikachu scratched its head. "Pika-pi?"
One thing was certain—he had just met someone very, very interesting.
As Ash and Pikachu continued exploring Vale, the city's bright lights and bustling streets held plenty of distractions. But just as Ash turned a corner, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
There she was again.
The mysterious woman with half-pink, half-brown hair stood ahead of him, twirling her parasol with an all-too-amused smirk.
"Oh, come on," Ash groaned. "You again?"
Pikachu tilted its head. "Pika?"
Neo grinned mischievously and took a step closer, swaying her hips slightly as she wordlessly challenged him. Then, in a blur of movement, she was behind him, tapping his shoulder before vanishing again.
"What the—?!" Ash spun around, but she was gone.
"Pi?" Pikachu's ears twitched.
Then, just as suddenly, she appeared at his other side, leaning in close with an impish smile before darting away again.
Ash huffed, crossing his arms. "Alright, what's your deal? Why are you messing with me?"
Neo raised an eyebrow and gave him a mockingly exaggerated shrug before gesturing toward him, silently urging him to guess.
Ash frowned, rubbing his chin. "Uh… are you a fan of mine?"
Neo shook her head, her smirk widening.
"Did I do something to offend you?"
Another shake of the head.
"…Are you just bored?"
Neo gave a playful twirl, then nodded, as if to say Bingo!
Ash sighed. "Figures."
Before he could say anything else, Neo suddenly puckered her lips and blew him a teasing kiss.
"Wha—?!"
Ash's face instantly turned red. He flinched back, waving his hands frantically. "H-Hey, what was that for?!"
Neo just grinned, clearly pleased with his reaction.
Pikachu snickered. "Pika pika~!"
Ash groaned, covering his face. "Great… now Pikachu's laughing at me too."
Neo chuckled—though silently—and twirled her parasol again before giving him one last wink and disappearing into the crowd.
Ash stood there, stunned. "…What just happened?"
Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder. "Pika pi." (I think you just got played.)
Ash let out a deep sigh.
At Roman Torchwick's hideout, the self-proclaimed gentleman thief lounged in his chair, idly twirling his cane as he went over the details of his next scheme. The dimly lit room smelled faintly of cigar smoke, and the distant hum of the city filtered through the cracked windows.
However, what caught his attention wasn't the plans scattered on the table—but the smug, unusually pleased expression on his silent assistant's face.
Roman arched an eyebrow. "Well, aren't you in a chipper mood?" He leaned forward, resting his elbow on the armrest. "Dare I ask what's got you looking like the cat that ate the canary?"
Neo, still grinning, simply tilted her head and gave him a playful shrug before gesturing for him to take a guess.
Roman scoffed. "Oh, we're playing this game? Alright, fine." He tapped his chin in mock thought. "Let's see… did you rob some poor sap blind without me knowing?"
Neo smirked but shook her head.
Roman snapped his fingers. "Did you wreck some poor Huntsman's day?"
Another shake.
He narrowed his eyes. "Please tell me you didn't kill someone important again—we've talked about keeping a low profile."
Neo rolled her eyes, crossing her arms before pointing at him in an exaggerated you're an idiot gesture.
Roman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, okay. I give up. What's got you in such a good mood?"
Neo's smirk widened as she suddenly leaned in close, fluttered her eyelashes, and puckered her lips in an exaggerated air kiss—just like she had done to Ash earlier.
Roman blinked. "…You're messing with some poor sap, aren't you?"
Neo gave him a slow, dramatic nod.
Roman exhaled, shaking his head with an amused chuckle. "Let me guess—some poor fool who has no idea what he's gotten himself into?"
Neo winked, twirling her parasol.
Roman smirked, taking a cigar from his pocket. "Oh, this I gotta see."