"Ah, my memory… I almost forgot the most important thing."
In front of the Pokémon Day Care, grandpa Yanagi walked up to Ash, who was just about to leave, wearing a faint, mysterious smile.
He took the small wooden box from his assistant's hands and passed it to him.
"This is also something that Diantha insisted on—she told me a thousand times that it must be handed to the egg's new owner personally once it was found."
"It's said that when the bond between you and Gardevoir becomes deep enough in the future, this stone will have an unexpected effect."
Ash took it and carefully opened the box.
Resting on the deep red velvet lining was a smooth, flawless stone.
Its entire surface shimmered with a dreamlike rainbow of colors.
Within the stone, it was as if a galaxy was slowly turning, radiating an ancient, mysterious, and boundless energy.
Ding! System prompt: Detected Gardevoirite!!
Description: When the Trainer and Gardevoir are completely in sync, this stone will trigger the ultimate ascension in life's form—achieving Mega Evolution.
Almost the instant Ash recognized it, the system notification rang out one after another.
Good grief!! It was actually Gardevoir's Mega Stone!!
Today's gains… were simply too much.
Ash quietly made up his mind.
Diantha—One day, he was definitely going to "thank" her properly.
He carefully closed the lid of the box, hiding away that dreamlike, starlit glow.
Lifting his head, he met Grandpa Yanagi's meaningful, expectant gaze.
"Of course, kid. This egg is definitely a Ralts egg, but we still don't know the gender."
"If it turns out to be male, you could evolve it into Gallade in the future."
"If that's the case… this stone might not be much use~"
Grandpa Yanagi's smile was as kind as ever.
Ash didn't reveal that he already knew it was a female Ralts—He simply bowed deeply.
"I'll remember this well. When I get the chance to visit the Kalos region, I'll be sure to thank Diantha in person."
Seeing Ash's polite and humble demeanor, Grandpa Yanagi nodded in satisfaction.
"All right, that's all from me."
"Go on, kid~ The bright future of the Pokémon world is waiting for you."
After bidding farewell to Grandpa Yanagi, the last rays of the setting sun had already faded.
Ash returned to the Pokémon Center.
The Viridian City Pokémon Center was brightly lit, like a warm harbor for travelers.
In the rest area, Leaf and Yumi were waiting for him—And so was another mature, graceful figure…
Officer Jenny, dressed in uniform.
"Well, well~ I've finally caught you." "Our young hero, Mr. Ash~"
The moment Officer Jenny spotted him from afar, she gave him a sweet smile.
Today, every Trainer in Viridian City—From Gym-level veterans to fresh beginners—Had already heard of Ash through the buzz on social media.
This rising star from Pallet Town…Had taken over the trending topics.
Posts read things like:
[Breaking] Beat a Sinnoh Elite-level Trainer on the very first day of his journey? Future Champion material!!
[Hot] Took down the trio of Pokémon thieves from Team Rocket! A young hero emerges!!
[New] Once dominated an entire year at Pokémon School? Here's what his classmates have to say—
"Hello, Officer Jenny."Ash greeted her with a polite smile.
'Officer Jenny' was a title—Across the nation, in every region and city, female police officers were known by this name.
Just as every Pokémon Center nurse was called 'Nurse Joy.'
However, unlike in the anime, they didn't all look identical here—Each had her own unique beauty and charm.
The Officer Jenny before him, the one from Viridian City, was known as the "Flower of Kanto's Police Force," voted by Trainers on the forums.
Her tailored deep-blue uniform perfectly outlined her tall, graceful figure.
Her eyes that held both determination and feminine allure and her smile bloomed like a night flower—reassuring yet spirited.
"This afternoon, I heard you defeated the Team Rocket trio who's been stealing Pokémon lately."
"And then, at Grandpa Yanagi's Day Care, you shone even brighter."
"With that in mind, this High-rank Trainer certificate almost feels… not enough~"
Her voice was crisp and pleasant, carrying just the right touch of playfulness.
She took out a document from her small bag and motioned for Ash to hand over his Trainer ID so she could upgrade it.
This was an official promotion decided after Ash's victory over Team Rocket.
In just a few moments, the chip inside his ID card had been updated—The rank beside his level changed from "Novice" to "High-rank."
"Congratulations, Mr. Ash, you're now officially a High-Rank Trainer!"
She handed the card back with a smile.
"Once you successfully challenge an official Gym and earn a badge, you can raise your rank to 'Elite Trainer' at any Pokémon Center."
She gave him a playful wink, as if to say, That won't be hard for you.
Then she produced another document. Her tone softened.
"All right, the other reason I came to see you today—besides congratulating you and upgrading your license—concerns the Sinnoh Champion… Cynthia~"
[End of Chapter]