From this moment on, they were partners—like Ash Ketchum and Pikachu.
The soul contract now tightly bound them, an unbreakable link destined to last until one of them perished.
Ash glanced at her right hand.
On the back of it, near the vein closest to her ring finger—the vein said to have a direct connection to the heart—was the faintly glowing blue mark of the contract.
A soft smile spread across her lips.
"So this is what a contract truly means…"
Ash shifted her gaze back to Larvanine, who was quietly staring at her.
She crouched down, extending her hand to show the glowing mark on its back.
"From today onward, I am your Beast Master, Larvanine."
Her voice was soft, but an unshakable determination resonated in her tone.
"Although we both come from humble beginnings and have been looked down upon by others, it doesn't matter! I'll make sure you become the greatest Spirit Beast in this entire world!"
In the Pokémon games, Bug Catchers were often portrayed as NPCs wandering the forests with nets, training weak Bug-type Pokémon.
Because of their initial weak Pokémon, they were often jokingly seen as symbols of mediocrity by players.
In the anime, Bug Catchers represented ordinary trainers from less privileged backgrounds who couldn't afford strong Pokémon.
Now, Ash was the equivalent of a "Bug Catcher" among Beast Master.
She knew her choice would invite criticism and disdain from others in the future, but it didn't matter.
As the old man had once told her, "True strength in a Beast Master isn't proven by contracting with powerful Spirit Beasts but by raising the weak into something extraordinary."
Before she came to this world, Ash had failed to lead her favorite Pokémon—one that had long fallen out of the competitive meta—to the prestigious Master Ball tier, the pinnacle of Pokémon battles in the game.
But now, in this real world, she was determined to step onto the stage representing the pinnacle of achievement alongside with her Larvanine.
She would show the world— what's wrong with being a Bug Catcher?
They were no worse than anyone else!
"From now on, let's work hard together, Larvanine."
"Larvanine~!"
"But calling you Larvanine all the time feels a little bit awkward… How about I give you a proper name?"
As she carried Larvanine to the front hall of the Beast Master Association,
Ash suddenly remembered this long-forgotten detail.
In the past, while spending time with Larvanine out of gratitude, calling it by its species name felt fine.
But now, things were different.
Now that they were bound to spend their lives together as inseparable companions, Ash felt awkward continuing to call Larvanine simply by its species name.
She thought for a moment and decided it was time to give Larvanine a proper name.
But what name should she choose?
Frowning, Ash fell into deep thought.
Sensing her frustration through their soul contract, Larvanine suddenly raised its antennae and gently touched Ash's furrowed brow, as if trying to smooth out the creases there.
"Larvanine~"
For Larvanine, it didn't matter what Ash called it.
As long as the name came from Ash, it would like it.
After all, it adored her more than anything!
With its antennae, Larvanine lightly brushed back and forth across Ash's forehead.
Its affection flowed through the soul contract, directly reaching Ash's heart.
Feeling the warmth and tenderness transmitted by Larvanine's antennae, Ash couldn't help but smile.
It had been a long time since she'd felt this kind of complete reliance from another being.
And then, all of a sudden, a name emerged in her mind, as though it had traveled through time and space to find her.
It was strange and unexpected, yet Ash couldn't resist saying it aloud.
"How about I call you Sunny?"
The moment she uttered the name, Ash froze, startled by her own words.
She had no idea why she had chosen such an odd name for Larvanine.
But… the moment the name left her lips, it seemed imbued with a kind of magic, captivating her entirely and leaving no room for doubt.
Sunny…
Repeating the name in her mind, Ash's eyes began to shine with excitement.
She had a strong feeling that this name was perfect for Larvanine.
And sure enough, the moment Larvanine heard the name "Sunny," its body quivered involuntarily.
Then, an indescribably intense wave of emotion coursed through their soul contract and reached Ash.
Larvanine was thrilled.
Its reaction confirmed Ash's intuition—it loved the name.
"Sunny."
Ash called Larvanine's new name with a smile that lit up her entire face.
"Larvanine~!"
Larvanine chirped joyfully in response, wriggling out of Ash's hands and throwing its entire body onto her face in a full embrace.
"Hahaha, you like the name that much?"
Larvanine didn't know how to respond.
It didn't even understand why it liked the name so much—it just kept rubbing its face against Ash's cheek.
Ash quickly repositioned Larvanine in her arms.
At nearly fifteen pounds, the large bug clinging to her face was more than she could handle.
"Okay, okay, stop clinging to my face like that! My neck is about to break from your weight!"
As she spoke, Ash gently patted Larvanine's back.
The Larvanine reluctantly released its hold on her face, climbing down her arm and settling back onto her shoulder.
With Larvanine on her shoulder, Ash headed to the front hall of the Beast Master Association, where she collected a guidebook specifically for novice Beast Master from a staff member.
Before leaving, the staff member subtly reminded Ash that once a soul contract was formed, a Beast Master couldn't abandon their Spirit Beast on a whim.
No matter how unsatisfactory the Spirit Beast might seem, discarding it was not only immoral but also illegal.
Ash couldn't help but laugh awkwardly at the warning, assuring the staff member multiple times that she was a law-abiding citizen who would never do such a thing.
"Alright, let's go home."
Leaving the Beast Master Association, Ash stood on a snow-covered street.
She tilted her head to look at Larvanine on her shoulder with a gentle smile tugging at her lips.
The sunlight poured down on them, gilding them in a radiant golden hue.
At that moment, it felt as though their lives would shine just as brightly as the sunlight.