Pokémon: Ash's Sinnoh Reset

How should I put it? Ash, who was originally a little interested in the raffle, now regretted it. These prizes didn't seem to be of any use to him...

Poké Ball stickers, he didn't participate in Pokémon Contests; ketchup and banana fruit, they would only bring him trouble.

The rest were still a little useful. Among them, the best for Ash would be the restaurant invitation ticket, right? Although Pokémon trainers could enjoy discounts at various restaurants, it was still not as affordable as the Pokémon Center. If he could win an invitation ticket, Ash would definitely feast there.

But....

"Aipom! Aipom!"

"Pika~pi!!"

Because the prizes included Pikachu and Aipom's favorite things, they both volunteered to enter the raffle. But was it really that easy...?

Looking at the hand-cranked raffle machine on the table, Ash stepped forward and weighed it slightly. There were at least 50 or 60 balls inside, right? To draw those few colored balls representing the winning prize from so many small balls...

Oh well, you always have to try everything.

"Since you both want to enter the raffle so much, I'll leave it to you. You two draw twice each, and I'll draw the last time. Is that okay?"

"Pika!"

"Aipom!"

Pikachu and Aipom replied happily, it seemed they really wanted those two prizes.

Ash shook his head, first picked up Pikachu, so that its hand could grab the raffle machine's crank, then Pikachu began to frantically turn the raffle machine in front of it.

"Click, click, click~~"

Countless small balls collided in the raffle machine, making a clattering sound. Pikachu confidently stopped, and a small ball fell out of the machine with inertia, landing on the prize plate below.

"White!"

The man clapped his hands, and in Pikachu's surprised gaze, handed them...

"Congratulations, a pack of tissues."

"Pika?!"

Is that it?

Pikachu couldn't help but think.

It had tried so hard to draw, and it had been praying in its heart, even if it didn't get ketchup, at least it should get some other prize, right?

"...Um, there's still one more chance. Don't give up so early, maybe you'll get it next time?"

"Pi!"

Hearing Ash's comfort, Pikachu cheered up again. Indeed, just as Ash said, even if it didn't get it the first time, there was still a next chance! As long as there was still a chance and it hadn't given up, the goddess of luck would definitely favor it!

Pikachu took a deep breath, and in front of everyone's eyes, shook the raffle machine again.

....

"A pack of tissues! Thank you for your patronage!"

"Pika..."

Encountering the same result again, Pikachu had curled up into a ball and collapsed into the shadows. There was nothing more painful than having a year's worth of ketchup placed in front of you, but you couldn't get it no matter what.

Would it have been better not to enter the raffle in the first place...?

Looking at Pikachu's dejected appearance, Ash began to regret letting Pikachu enter the raffle. Its mood had originally been boosted a lot because it bought two more bottles of ketchup, but now it seemed... the less said the better.

"Aipom~pom~!"

Although Aipom was Pikachu's companion, it laughed the happiest after seeing Pikachu's bad luck. The character of not being afraid of watching the fun was really perfect for it.

After "disregarding" Pikachu's luck in its heart, Aipom jumped directly onto the raffle platform without Ash's help. It wanted to rely on its own strength to get what it wanted.

The goal was the blue bead! One month's worth of banana fruit!

"Aipom!" (Charge!)

....

"Thank you for your patronage, two packs of napkins!"

Ash: "..."

Looking at the figures curled up in the corner, now there were two, he didn't know what to say for a moment. It was okay for Pikachu to say it was unlucky, but Aipom's situation could only be said to be deserved, right? Who told it to be so arrogant before? It was good to learn a lesson through this opportunity.

"Forget it, let's see if I can draw something..."

No matter how strict he was, Pikachu and Aipom were still his companions. Although he couldn't draw two prizes with one ticket, at least if he could draw something they wanted, it should make the atmosphere a little more lively, right?

I should have gone to eat first.

Ash sighed inwardly. After fooling around here with them for a while, his stomach was really hungry. It was better to finish earlier and go home earlier.

Thinking of this, Ash reached out and began to gently shake the raffle machine. The sound of the pillars colliding rose and fell, echoing in the supermarket.

The residents who had seen Ash and Pikachu arguing before were still watching Ash silently. They were also curious whether Ash could draw what Pikachu and Aipom wanted, or win other prizes.

Time passed slowly, roughly about ten seconds, Ash finally took his hand off the crank. As a golden light flashed, a golden bead appeared on the plate under the raffle machine.

"This, this is!!!"

"Oh!"

"It's actually really..."

"Congratulations!!!"

The man took the bell on the table and began to frantically shake it, announcing in this lively way that the grand prize had been drawn.

"Congratulations, you won the first prize! This is this time's prize! A full set of Poké Ball stickers that are currently on sale! Congratulations!"

As the man handed the prize to Ash, a round of celebratory applause broke out in the scene.

How should I put it, I don't feel happy at all...

Ash felt the resentful gazes that Pikachu and Aipom cast towards him from the corner, and for a moment, he felt that this first prize he won was a hot potato.

He understood that Aipom and Pikachu weren't complaining that he didn't help them draw what they wanted, but were complaining about why his luck was so good.

Seeing him win made me even more uncomfortable than if I didn't win!

Perhaps this was the mentality that a non-European person inevitably produces when facing a European emperor?

Just as Ash was about to put away the prize and leave the scene, a familiar voice from his memory suddenly came from behind him.

"Eh - am I one step late? The prize has already been drawn?"

Dawn...

Ash's pupils flickered, and the person bending over and gasping for breath in front of him, looking regretful, was Dawn, the companion who traveled with him in the Sinnoh region in his memory.

Ash stared at her, and she was staring at the prize in Ash's hand.

Blue hair fell from her ear, and sweat was faintly seeping from her forehead. One of the straps of the yellow backpack she was carrying on her shoulder had slipped to her elbow. Although Dawn's appearance couldn't be described as disheveled, it wasn't very presentable either. It was obvious that she was in a hurry on her way here.

Could it really be for... this...?

Now Ash's gaze also began to fall on the prize in his hand. After roughly guessing the ins and outs of the matter, he suddenly felt a little troubled.

...