"Ash, what you just gave Lapras... it wasn't actually a—?" Lorelei stared at him, her voice trailing off in disbelief.
Ash didn't see the point in hiding it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of shimmering sweets. "Yeah, it's a Rare Candy. Strictly non-sale, though. They're a pain to make and impossible to mass-produce, but the effects are top-tier, and they taste pretty good too."
Then, while five people and a Meowth watched in absolute horror, Ash unwrapped one and popped it into his own mouth.
"I mean, you can't let Pokémon eat too many or it messes with their natural growth curve," Ash explained around the candy, looking entirely too casual. "So I mostly just eat them as snacks. The flavor is great, honestly. It's a shame I can't put them on the market."
"DON'T JUST EAT SOMETHING THAT PRICELESS LIKE IT'S NORMAL!" The collective roar of four humans and one cat practically shook the room. Ash shrugged, looking helpless. "Priceless? I mean, sure, you can't buy them in stores, but since I'm the one making them, I've got plenty."
"Do you have any idea how many people would hunt you down just for a single one of those?!" Giselle felt like she was going to have a stroke. "And you're just... chewing on it?!"
Ash looked at her blankly. "Please. It's not like you haven't eaten them before."
"Wait... what?" Giselle's face suddenly went pale. A memory flickered in her mind. "You mean back then... those candies you gave me were...?"
Ash gave her a nod. "Yeah. You said you were hungry, didn't you?"
Giselle's expression darkened to a terrifying degree. Without a word, she pulled out her phone and hit a speed-dial contact.
"Hello, Cynthia? Yeah, it's me. Ash is out on his journey now, and he's currently at the institute..."
"YOU TRAITOR!!" Ash screamed, lunging for the phone.
"This is what you get for telling me something that heart-stoppingly expensive was just candy!!"
A voice drifted from the speaker—cool, elegant, and dangerously melodic: "Ash? Are you there? I'm suddenly in the mood for a Strawberry Sundae..."
"HANG UP! HANG UP RIGHT NOW!!"
*
After the chaos subsided and Ash had successfully avoided a remote-controlled scolding from the Sinnoh Champion, he handed out a Rare Candy to everyone present.
"Seriously, I have a whole jar of these. Why is everyone so obsessed?"
"Ash," Lorelei said, looking at her fiancé with a mix of awe and concern. "You realize that these candies alone are enough to start a war? You need to be careful."
Ash's eyes sharpened, and a cold smirk played on his lips. "Careful? Do people really think Pallet Town is just Professor Oak's retirement home? If someone wants to play dirty for a few candies, they're welcome to try. I'll pay for their funeral with Rare Candies—I'm sure plenty of people would jump at the chance to handle my problems for that kind of reward."
Misty looked at her candy, her hand trembling slightly. "Ash... have you given these to many people?"
"Not really. Just people I know. Honestly, I always thought giving out candy was a bit 'low-effort' for a gift."
No! It is absolutely NOT low-effort! Everyone thought simultaneously.
*
While Ash was flexing without even trying, the ripple effect of his low-effort gifts was felt across the world:
At the Oak Laboratory: Gary was currently nursing a fresh bump on his head. "Grandpa! Why is Ash's candy in a display case? Just let my Pokémon eat it!"
WHAM! "Idiot!" Professor Oak barked. "You don't use these for 'snacks'! You save them for evolution or stabilizing a new rank! Also, go thank Ash properly next time you see him. Having him as a brother is the best luck you'll ever have."
At Team Rocket HQ: Giovanni sat in his darkened office, staring at a jar of candies on his desk. His secretary, Matori, cleared her throat. "Sir, the R&D department is begging to study the chemical composition—"
"Tell them to forget it," Giovanni interrupted. "Some things are sacred. This is a gift from a son to a father."
Once Matori left, Giovanni looked at a faded photograph of a young woman and a little girl. "Blue... wherever you are, stay safe. Ash has already made the medicine to wake your mother up. We're just waiting for you to come home."
In the Unova Region: Elesa was currently having a standoff with her family elders.
"I will not ask him for more," She said firmly. "Ash gives me what he wants to give. I am not his business partner; I am his friend. If the family tries to use me to get more of his research, I'll walk away from the family entirely."
She looked at her Boltund, which had reached the Champion rank thanks to Ash's candies. "I'm going to Kanto to find him. I need to make sure those greedy old men don't try to get in his way."
Ash, blissfully unaware of the minor geopolitical shifts his snacks were causing, was simply happy to be out of the mist.
"Alright! Next stop is... wait, where are we going again?"