Wu Neng appeared in the distance at some point, and despite Ash's confusion, he took off his beard and hat, revealing a face 99% similar to Brock's.
“It’s Dad!”
“Ah! So that good-for-nothing dad who left home and never came back is… ”
Brock looked shocked; he had actually seen his long-absent dad here!
Ash, prompted by Brock, also realized that what Wu Neng had said that night was about himself!
“That’s right, that was me, a Pokémon Trainer who left home wanting to become the world’s best.”
“But I didn’t fulfill my dream and had no face to return home to my family.”
Wu Neng calmly explained the situation to them, as if he wasn't talking about himself.
“Then you helped me because…”
Ash started to get confused. Why would Wu Neng help him?
Ash just felt his head itching a bit; he couldn't clear things up.
“Because you were too much like me back then, without a shred of hope.”
“Am I that bad?”
Hearing Wu Neng’s explanation, Ash was immediately disheartened. He hadn’t expected to be so bad in Wu Neng’s eyes.
“You don’t have to worry about your younger siblings anymore. Go and fulfill the dream I had for you.”
“Dad, I have something to tell you.”
“I abandoned you all for so many years; you have every right to scold me.”
Wu Neng was prepared for Brock’s harsh reprimand. He closed his eyes, ready to accept Brock’s blame, though it seemed his eyes hadn't been open to begin with.
Brock didn’t say anything reproachful. He simply took out a needle and thread from his pocket and handed it to the astonished Wu Neng, then began giving instructions to his irresponsible father: “Also, Jiro likes red miso, Saburo likes white miso, Lao Mei likes mixed miso, and also…”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute! Let me take notes!”
Wu Neng started fumbling for paper and a pen on himself. Brock was saying so much at once; he couldn’t remember it all!
“Goro doesn’t like miso soup, he likes red bean soup. And Mimi likes creamed corn, canned, remember that.”
Brock, unlike Wu Neng, was not flustered. He rattled on about what his younger siblings liked to eat… “So that’s how it is, Ash and Yu Feng. From now on, I’m joining your journey.”
Having explained everything, Brock, feeling refreshed, walked beside Ash and Yu Feng, informing them that he would be joining their journey from now on.
“Alright, I’m fine with it. It doesn’t matter to me if one or two more people join. What about you, Yu Feng?”
Ash didn’t care whether anyone joined or not, but Yu Feng was also traveling with him, so he still needed his consent.
“Don’t look at me, I have no opinion. I’m just walking with you to Saffron City; after that, you’re on your own.”
Yu Feng shook his head, indicating he had no objection. After all, he was only accompanying Ash to Saffron City; he didn’t care who Ash’s travel companions were.
Xiao Xia, on the other hand, was purely following Ash because he hadn’t compensated her for her bicycle yet.
Ash was a bit annoyed that Xiao Xia kept bringing it up. He called Pikachu and Yu Feng and quickly ran forward.
“With more companions, will Ash’s journey continue? I say it will continue, it definitely will!”
Yu Feng ran alongside Ash, resuming his narration work. Brock looked at Yu Feng’s behavior, finding it a bit strange, but because they were running, he didn't have time to ask.
But they both felt like they had stepped on something soft. Yu Feng casually threw a Shadow Ball behind him, filling the sudden large hole.
They only vaguely heard someone saying, “What exactly are they?”… “In Pewter City, Ash gained his first experience challenging a Gym Leader. His battle performance was recognized, and he received the Gray badge, one of the qualifications to participate in the Pokémon League tournament.”
“Joined by Brock, who aspires to be the world’s best Pokémon Breeder, the group continued their journey. I say it will continue, it definitely will!”
“Now they have arrived at Mt. Moon. This path is the fastest shortcut to reach Cerulean City.”
Ash and his group were walking along the mountain path of Mt. Moon, while Yu Feng was speaking his narration with a sacred expression.
“Actually, I wanted to ask that night, what is Yu Feng doing?”
Brock was puzzled by Yu Feng’s behavior. Why was he saying things similar to a recap in a TV series?
“Don’t mind him; he often does this. We’re already used to it.”
Xiao Xia spread her hands helplessly, indicating they were used to it. They didn’t know why Yu Feng would suddenly say such strange things at certain times.
“Ahem, legend has it that a meteorite once fell on this mountain.”
Brock thought he should break the stalemate, so he first recounted the legend of Mt. Moon that he knew.
“What’s the use of a meteorite?”
Ash was a bit confused. It was just a meteorite; did the entire mountain range have to be renamed because of it?
“That meteorite was called the Moon Stone by people.”
Brock explained to Ash why the mountain was called Mt. Moon.
Suddenly, a scream echoed, startling Shiny Kirlia out of her Poké Ball. She looked around, wondering who could make such a scream.
You know, when Lao Mei was cornered and beaten by Vespiquen, she didn’t make a sound.
“Kirlia! (Over there!)”
After a careful Perception, Shiny Kirlia pointed them in a direction, indicating that Lao Mei’s voice came from there.
“Let’s go.”
Yu Feng called Ash and the others to head in the direction Lao Mei pointed.
Before long, they saw a Scientist being attacked by a swarm of Zubat.
The poor Scientist held his hands over his head, trying to resist the Zubat’s attacks.
“So many Zubat? What did he do to deserve this?”
Brock was a bit confused. Don’t Zubat usually stay inside their caves?
“Who knows? Let’s save him first. Lao Mei, Thunderbolt!”
“Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!”
Yu Feng couldn’t recall what exactly happened here, only vaguely remembering it had something to do with Clefairy, but the immediate problem was saving the person.
“Kirlia!!”
“Pika!”
Golden electrical light shot out from Kirlia, and Pikachu’s cheeks also emitted a golden glow. The Scientist, perhaps sensing his fate, looked despairingly at Ash and Yu Feng.
“Screech!! (Help! The blue old aunt, the bat-slaying maniac, is here!)”
Shiny Kirlia had initially instinctively held back her power, but hearing these Zubat shout that, a reddish glow appeared in her eyes. What was originally a slight electric shock turned into Shiny Kirlia directly using heavy force. Considering there was still a person there, she kept the power at a level that the human body could withstand.
The two electric attacks merged into one, illuminating the area near the cave entrance with a golden light.
Most of the Zubat immediately fell to the ground, losing their ability to battle. A small number of Zubat grabbed their companions and quickly fled into the cave.
“Screech, screech! (Quickly, tell everyone a blue-haired old aunt is here to hunt us!)”
Even in defeat, these Zubat were still shouting things they shouldn't have, oblivious to the danger.