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The gap between Ash and Gary was absolutely enormous. Before battling the Fuchsia Gym, Ash met Gary and roughly understood the strength of some of the Pokémon Gary had.
Among new Trainers, he was indeed considered good, but compared to Ash, there was quite a difference.
However, Ash still considered Gary his biggest rival. This was because they had been rivals since childhood, and even if the gap between them gradually widened after they set out, Ash never underestimated Gary.
If he met Gary at the Indigo Plateau Conference, Ash would absolutely not be careless and would go all out to battle him.
And for Ash, besides the Champion title, the thing he wanted most from participating in the Indigo Plateau Conference was to defeat Gary in a six-on-six battle!
As for whether Gary could make it into a six-on-six battle... that would depend on Gary's own ability.
Gary smiled noncommittally at Ash's declaration of war, then turned elegantly, waved his hand, and said, "I'll be waiting for you at the Indigo Plateau Conference. Also, if you find Blaine, let me know. I want to challenge him too, after all, I can't stay in my comfort zone forever."
Ash watched Gary's receding figure, and after a moment of silence, he shouted, "How am I supposed to tell you?! Leave me your phone number!"
As soon as these words came out, the somewhat graceful scene instantly became awkward, and Gary stumbled, almost falling flat on the deck.
"Can't you ask me when we get off the ship? You're ruining the atmosphere, don't you understand!" Gary turned his head and said, annoyed.
Then he gave Ash a string of numbers, saying it was his new mobile phone number. Ash silently wrote it down.
It must be said that the Alliance's newly invented mobile phone, that thing called a cell phone, was indeed very convenient.
Although it couldn't make video calls, being able to carry it around was already very convenient.
It was said that the Alliance was still conducting more in-depth research on cell phones, with the future goal of one day being able to make video calls and also transmit Poké Balls using them.
That way, they wouldn't have to bother finding Poké Ball transfer points.
But that was for the future; at least for now, let alone Poké Ball transmission, even video calls hadn't been invented yet.
After Ash and Gary exchanged numbers, the three of them stood on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze for a while, and the cruise ship was already close to Cinnabar Island.
Ten minutes later, the cruise ship docked, and after Ash and the others disembarked, they were stunned by the scene before them.
On this scorching hot island, it was simply packed with people!
Most of the people here were wearing casual clothes; it was clear at a glance that they were here for vacation.
Cinnabar Island was no longer the Cinnabar Island it once was; this place had become a full-fledged resort.
When Ash saw these people, he seemed to understand why Blaine had closed his Gym.
The old Cinnabar Island was a scorching volcanic island, and besides those who came to challenge the Gym, hardly anyone else would visit this island.
But in recent months, this place has become a very popular tourist area because hot springs have been developed here that could make people feel refreshed and invigorated.
Even with the hot weather, many people came to Cinnabar Island for the hot springs.
It's worth noting that it was already September, the hottest time of year. If there were so many people on Cinnabar Island now, it would be hard to imagine if the island overflowing in winter!
After getting off the ship, Gary, with his girlfriends, walked up to Ash and said arrogantly, "You probably can't get a place to stay here, can you? Do you want me, your big brother, to find you a hotel? But there's only one small room; at most, it can only accommodate two people."
Gary's words seemed a bit inconsistent with his arrogant demeanor. He made such a big boast, but in the end, he only offered Ash and his friends a small room.
Actually, no. Cinnabar Island, as a tourist hotspot now, made finding accommodation very difficult, and renting a room on the spot was practically impossible.
If one wanted to rent a room on Cinnabar Island, it would take at least a week.
For Gary to say such a thing meant he could secure a room for Ash on the spot, which was already a considerable feat.
To Gary's surprise, Ash smiled and said, "No need to trouble yourself, I've already booked a room. When I heard Cinnabar Island had become a tourist hotspot, I anticipated this and booked a room in advance, and it's the best hotel on Cinnabar Island."
Hearing this, Gary's expression froze. The best hotel on Cinnabar Island was the kind that couldn't be booked even with money now; even he, a well-connected rich young master, couldn't reserve it. Where did Ash get his connections? Did he ask his grandpa for help?
In fact, Ash didn't ask Professor Oak for help, but Erika... A few days ago, Ash called Erika to inquire about the perfume sales and exchanged mobile numbers. Erika also learned that Ash and the others were about to arrive at Cinnabar Island, so she asked if they had booked a room.
At that time, Ash hadn't booked a room; he actually hadn't anticipated how popular Cinnabar Island would be now.
Erika told Ash and his friends about the situation on Cinnabar Island and said that she could handle the room booking. With her current influence, she could get things done anywhere in Kanto.
Even the Kanto Elite Four had to give her some face; this was the influence of having a monopoly on enhancement items.
Even the Elite Four now eagerly sought the kind of perfume she sold; that was truly something money couldn't buy.
So, with Erika's help, they were able to stay in the most luxurious hotel on Cinnabar Island, and Ash bragged to Gary without any politeness.
Who told Gary to be so arrogant, speaking as if he were bestowing a favor?
However, although Gary's words weren't very pleasant, he was actually trying to help them. Therefore, Ash wasn't too excessive; if Gary had been purely mocking, Ash would have directly pushed Gary into the ground!
The two parted after exchanging a few casual words. Gary was here to vacation with his girlfriends, and after the vacation, he still had to continue training, so naturally, he couldn't waste his hard-earned rest time.
Ash and his friends, on the other hand, wandered around Cinnabar Island, gathering information about Blaine.
Cinnabar Island in the morning was scorching hot; basically, everyone wore short-sleeved shirts and shorts in the morning, carrying small fans as they walked down the street.
Ash's attire, however, was still a pair of jeans with a short-sleeved shirt and a jacket, making him look quite unusual. Brock was much the same, only Misty was relatively normal.
Moreover, all three wore masks on their faces. Ash's influence hadn't completely faded, so naturally, they still needed to cover up, but this only made them seem stranger.
After all, wearing masks on Cinnabar Island, which was so hot, made anyone passing by take a second look. However, due to Ash's decreasing popularity, those people couldn't recognize Ash through the masks.
Wearing masks, Ash and his friends spent the day enjoying various activities while inquiring about Blaine's whereabouts.
But the locals here all said that Blaine had already left Cinnabar Island, and as for the Cinnabar Gym, it was now a ruin.
The strange thing was that the Alliance hadn't even sent anyone to revoke the Cinnabar Gym's Gym Leader qualification, nor had they rebuilt the Cinnabar Gym. It seemed as if they had completely forgotten about Blaine.
After a morning of searching, the only conclusion Ash and his friends reached was that Blaine was no longer on Cinnabar Island.
However, they received information at the Pokémon Center on Cinnabar Island that Blaine's reason for not being on Cinnabar Island seemed to be not just because of the widespread rumor of challengers being too childish.
At noon, Ash and his friends sat in the Pokémon Center, drinking cold drinks and enjoying the air conditioning, relieving their bodies' heat.
"...Joy said that Blaine used to be a researcher, and the reason he's not on Cinnabar Island is because of his research. This is quite different from what's rumored outside, isn't it?" Ash muttered, sipping his watermelon juice.
"We can ask Professor Oak about the researcher part, maybe he knows something?" Brock suggested.
Hearing this, Ash snapped his fingers in realization: "That's right! I can ask Professor Oak, Why didn't I think of that!"
With that, Ash immediately ran to the Pokémon Center's phone with Pikachu.
Misty and Brock exchanged glances at Ash's sudden behavior, then helplessly followed him.
"Hello, Professor Oak!"
"Yes, I'm here, I'm here. What's so exciting? Did you capture another rare Pokémon?" Professor Oak replied to Ash from the other end of the phone, calmly mixing some unknown experimental materials.
"I've arrived at Cinnabar Island, but I haven't seen Blaine."
"Didn't I tell you already that the Cinnabar Gym is closed?"
"I know, but I still wanted to try my luck. But when I came, I found something very strange. The Cinnabar Gym here isn't just closed; it's even become a ruin! The Alliance hasn't issued a statement saying that Blaine's Gym Leader qualification has been revoked either."
"And the Joy here also said that Blaine is a researcher, and he seems to have left the Cinnabar Gym because of research matters. So I wanted to ask, Professor Oak, if you have any information or data about Blaine."
Hearing this, Professor Oak's movements paused, and a hesitant expression appeared on his slightly wrinkled face.
Finally, under Ash's eager gaze, Professor Oak sighed and said, "That Joy really shouldn't be telling you everything; this is Alliance classified information."
"Being a researcher is classified? It can't be that serious! Joy actually initially said the same thing as the rumors outside, that Blaine left the Gym because of the challengers, but after I took off my mask, Joy told me the truth. My face is quite useful, isn't it!" Ash replied with a triumphant expression.
He took off his mask in front of Joy, not because he thought Joy would tell him Blaine's whereabouts because of his fame, but because he wondered if Blaine really wasn't coming out because of those casual challengers. With his current reputation, it was enough to prove that he wasn't a casual challenger, so Joy might tell him Blaine's whereabouts.
Although the process was a bit different from what he expected, the result was that Joy did release true information. However, the information stopped there. Fortunately, Professor Oak seemed to have more information.
"The information you received is correct. Blaine is indeed a researcher, and a researcher whose status is in no way inferior to mine. It's just that our research directions are different. His research project cannot be publicly disclosed, so few outsiders know that he is a researcher."
Hearing this, Ash and his friends all looked strange. It turned out that Blaine was not only a researcher, but also a researcher no less capable than Professor Oak!
But this was too strange, because Blaine's most prominent reputation in Kanto was his title of 'Fire King'.
Blaine was a Fire-type specialist Trainer, and it was said that his overall strength was almost comparable to that of a normal Elite Four member!
The 'abnormal' Elite Four referred to the four in Kanto... But such a powerful Trainer also served as a researcher?
Actually, this wasn't unique, after all, right before their eyes was someone who became a Champion and then retired to become a researcher.
The strange thing they felt was... did the ultimate path for powerful Trainers all lead to becoming researchers? Professor Oak was like this, and Blaine was also like this.
Professor Oak ignored the strange expressions on their faces and continued, "Blaine's research focus is on genes. Genes, as the most fundamental 'code' of Pokémon, are very complex, and this kind of research cannot be done openly because it involves various things."
"The initial research was fine, just extracting the genes of various Pokémon and studying their differences. But later, Blaine actually advocated for fusing all genes together to replicate and create the strongest Pokémon in the world, a Pokémon that could challenge gods."
As soon as these words came out, Ash and his friends' pupils constricted, and Pikachu also widened its eyes.
Fusing Pokémon genes, replicating, and creating Pokémon? This kind of thing seemed a bit inhumane, didn't it?
Gene fusion, creating life—this kind of research was a highly forbidden existence, no matter where it was!
Blaine even proposed it within the Alliance; it was simply too outrageous.
"This research was naturally rejected, and not long after, Blaine withdrew from the research community and specialized in being a Gym Leader. But not long ago... something about Blaine was discovered."
"That is, he was still continuing his gene fusion experiments, and... he had succeeded. According to the information the Alliance received, he used gene fusion technology to create a Pokémon comparable to a god, but the Alliance did not find more information about what kind of existence it was, and Blaine disappeared directly after the incident came to light."