Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

At that moment, the video suddenly froze.

[Ding! It is now time for a question!]

[Generating a random quiz question...]

[Question: Which of the following best describes the Nature of Raina’s starter Pokémon, Squirtle?]

[A. Timid]

[B. Modest]

[C. Bold]

[D. Jolly]

[The race to answer will begin in thirty seconds!]

...

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: Huh? Why is it suddenly asking a question? Squirtle’s Nature... We’re supposed to judge it based on what it did in the video, right?

[Gary]: Obviously. What else would we use?

[Ash]: Uh... It lifted Raina onto its back and swam really steadily. That means it’s gentle, right? Which option counts as gentle?

[Lorelei]: Pokémon Natures follow a fixed classification system. Gentle is its own Nature and is not one of the available choices.

[Ash]: Agh... I don’t know! What kind of ridiculous classification system is that? Who invented it?

[Professor Oak]: Ahem... Well... I initially organized the system while researching Pokémon behavior. The Pokémon League later standardized it.

[Ash]: ...

[Ash]: Professor Oak, I didn’t mean it like that!

[Professor Oak]: It’s perfectly fine. I understand. Still, judging from Squirtle’s behavior, the answer to this question should not be especially difficult.

[Cynthia]: It voluntarily approached its Trainer and calmly protected the child riding on its back in the pool. That Squirtle clearly isn’t Timid.

[Lance]: It certainly isn’t lacking in courage. Its decision to lift Raina onto its back also suggests a fairly proactive personality.

[Clemont]: According to the Pokémon Nature comparison chart, Timid Pokémon tend to avoid direct contact, Bold Pokémon display greater courage, while Jolly Pokémon are usually energetic and proactive...

[Bonnie]: Stop reading the instruction manual, Clemont! Just tell us which answer it is!

[Clemont]: Wait! I’m still analyzing it!

[Leon]: My vote is for Jolly. The way it interacted with Raina reminds me of Charizard when he was younger—proactive, enthusiastic, and playful.

[Raihan]: Oh? Are you finally admitting that Charizard was incredibly clingy when he was young?

[Leon]: Raihan, if you say another word, I’m blocking you.

[Raihan]: Can this thing even block people? Go ahead and try.

[Leon]: ...

[Iris]: I think it’s Jolly too! The way it approached and rubbed against her looked exactly like Axew!

[Ash]: I agree! Squirtle looked so happy playing with Raina!

[Gary]: Could the two of you use your brains? You can’t determine its entire Nature just because it looked happy while playing.

[Ash]: Then what do you think the answer is?

[Gary]: ...I’m still considering it.

[Ash]: Ha! So you don’t know either!

[Gary]: At least I don’t shout out an answer without thinking like a certain someone.

[Ash]: Of course I know! It’s just... Uh... that one...

[Ash]: Scratches his head.

[Brock]: Stop arguing, you two... Still, this Squirtle’s behavior is rather interesting. Its swimming was extremely steady, and it deliberately took care of Raina while she was on its back. Those actions point rather clearly toward a certain Nature.

[Lorelei]: Hmm... Since it voluntarily approached its Trainer, it cannot be Timid. We can eliminate option A.

[Bruno]: Exactly! Taking the initiative is a warrior’s instinct! Any Pokémon that acts first must possess a natural thirst for battle!

[Lance]: ...Bruno, we aren’t choosing the Nature of a Fighting-type Pokémon.

[Bruno]: All Pokémon are the same in that regard!

[Phoebe]: So is it Bold or Jolly? I’m betting on Jolly!

[Glacia]: I also think it’s Jolly. A Bold Pokémon probably wouldn’t listen so easily to a four-year-old child.

[Clemont]: Wait. Has anyone noticed an important problem?

[Viola]: What problem?

[Clemont]: Correct answers earn rewards, while incorrect answers result in punishment. But what exactly is the punishment? The livestream never explained it.

[Leon]: ...

[Steven]: ...

[Gary]: ...

[Clemont]: So all of you were discussing which answer to choose without wondering what would happen if you were wrong?

[Clemont]: This is an extremely important safety concern! If the punishment causes physical harm or psychological trauma, then participating would involve an unacceptable level of risk! We must first evaluate—

[Bonnie]: Clemont, calm down!

[Clemont]: I am calm! I’m merely conducting a risk assessment!

[Cynthia]: The livestream has not mentioned any consequences for refusing to answer. Judging from the rules, only incorrect answers should be punished. Those who do not participate should remain unaffected.

[Lance]: So it is forcing us to gamble?

[Lorelei]: Not necessarily. The video has already provided a considerable amount of information.

[Leon]: Exactly! A Trainer’s instincts are important! I trust my judgment!

[Raihan]: Oh? Then what answer are you choosing?

[Leon]: ...You answer first.

[Raihan]: Why should I go first? Are you afraid?

[Leon]: Me, afraid? I only want to see how terrible your judgment is.

[Piers]: How old are the two of you?

[Leon]: ...

[Raihan]: ...

[Marnie]: Childish.

[Ash]: Um... Isn’t the countdown about to end?

[System Notification: The race to answer has begun! Press the button in the center of the screen to participate!]

A gigantic red button appeared in the center of the livestream, with numbers flashing above it.

Five, four, three...

The entire chat group fell silent.

The next second—

[Ding! An answerer has been selected!]

[Congratulations to Team Rocket’s Meowth for pressing the button first!]

The chat instantly erupted.

[Ash]: What?! Meowth got it? How are his paws that fast?!

[Brock]: Damn it! I never expected Meowth to be so quick. He must practice often.

[Jessie]: Great job, Meowth! If you answer correctly, we’ll receive a reward and be one step closer to capturing Pikachu!

[Meowth]: Hmph! Don’t underestimate me! These paws were trained by secretly snatching food, meowth!

At that moment, the Team Rocket trio was standing in the middle of a forest.

Jessie stared excitedly at Meowth.

”Quick, quick! Which one should we choose? This is the first question! If we answer correctly, we might receive something amazing!”

James continued staring at the screen.

”D! Choose D! Jolly! We can’t go wrong if we follow what everyone in the chat was saying!”

[Contestant Meowth, please answer: Which option best describes the Nature of Raina’s starter Pokémon, Squirtle?]

Seeing that the answering countdown was almost over, Meowth hurriedly shouted:

”I choose D! That Squirtle has a Jolly Nature, meowth!”

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: So the answer really is D?

[Brock]: Most likely.

[Alder]: The younger generation certainly is having a lively discussion. Personally, however, I believe the answer may be simpler than you think.

Suddenly, a bright-red notification appeared on the screen.

[Incorrect answer!]

[Punishment: You will be forced to forget all human language you have learned, along with all related memories, and will revert to an ordinary Meowth for twenty-four hours!]

In the real world, Meowth cried out in disbelief.

”What?! Impossible! How could I have answered incorrectly, meowth?!”

Before he could finish speaking, an invisible force surrounded his body.

The human words in Meowth’s mouth abruptly became stuck. He could only produce ordinary cries of ”Meowth, meowth.”

The intelligence in his eyes became dull, and he completely reverted to the behavior of an ordinary Pokémon.

Jessie and James froze before hurriedly crowding around him.

”Meowth? What happened to you? Say something!”

No matter how much they called out to him, Meowth could only meow.

Even his former intelligence seemed to have vanished. He circled around the two of them and occasionally rubbed against their trouser legs.

The scene was also displayed through the screen.

The livestream instantly fell silent before erupting into an even greater commotion.

[Ash]: What the heck?! That punishment is way too harsh! It directly took away his ability to speak!

[Brock]: He was forcibly turned into an ordinary Meowth and even lost all the related memories. That’s terrifying.

[Professor Oak]: It can directly alter the state of a living creature. This power appears to extend far beyond the known limits of Pokémon abilities.

[May]: That’s terrifying. I’m glad I didn’t press the button.

[System Notification: Incorrect answer! The correct answer was B. Modest.]

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: What?! Modest? But wasn’t it pretty energetic?

[Gary]: This is why you shouldn’t judge only by appearances. That Squirtle never jumped around recklessly. It approached Raina slowly rather than immediately throwing itself at her.

[Brock]: Gary is right. Jolly Pokémon tend to express themselves more openly. Take Ash’s Pikachu, for example—it jumps around when it’s happy and shocks people when it’s angry. But that Squirtle’s movements in the water were consistently steady rather than quick.

[Professor Oak]: Precisely. Pokémon with Modest Natures are often less outwardly expressive, but they can possess remarkable loyalty. After lifting Raina onto its back, Squirtle did not begin swimming around excitedly. It paddled slowly and steadily, only moving after ensuring that the child on its back was safe. That behavior strongly reflects its restrained and thoughtful temperament.

[Cynthia]: Professor Oak’s analysis is certainly thorough. However, I am more curious about whether this livestream can accurately determine a Pokémon’s Nature directly.

[Lance]: If it can, that would mean it is capable of reading a Pokémon’s deepest underlying data.

[Clemont]: This level of technology... It may be at least an entire era ahead of us.

[Gary]: ...Forget analyzing the technology for a moment. Is Team Rocket’s Meowth going to be all right?