Blaine and Mewtwo's encounter did not cause much of a stir. While Blaine himself had never truly let go of the matter concerning Mewtwo, Mewtwo had already moved on.
What she wanted now was simple: to explore this world alongside Ash. Everything else was no longer important.
After a brief exchange with Blaine, Ash recalled Mewtwo and headed to the backyard of Oak's Laboratory.
He was resuming his training.
The Indigo Plateau Conference was still a month and a half away, and within that time, every one of his Pokémon needed to advance another level.
Only then could he confront veteran Trainers head-on without relying on Aura Fusion.
Ash was actually quite resistant to using Aura Fusion during the Indigo Plateau Conference.
He had used it freely during Gym battles in the past, but those opponents had far surpassed him in both age and experience. The Conference, however, would pit him against Trainers of his own generation.
If he had a choice, Ash wanted to win fair and square, relying on the strength of his Pokémon rather than his own power boost.
Because of that, his Pokémon's actual combat ability was crucial.
At present, Gardevoir, Charizard, and Pikachu had all reached High Level.
The next question was whether they could advance another tier within the remaining time, and whether his other Pokémon could also reach High Level.
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had gone by.
During that time, Ash's fame gradually faded.
No matter how explosive a reputation is, if someone disappears from public view long enough, their name will eventually be drowned out, unless they are a figure remembered across generations.
Ash was famous, but not yet legendary.
And so, during his quiet period, other events took center stage.
The first was Team Rocket.
The Kanto League and Team Rocket had maintained an uneasy balance for years, but Team Rocket's recent actions had been both frequent and reckless.
Without the League lifting a finger, Team Rocket had begun to collapse from within.
Naturally, the Kanto League seized the opportunity.
The Elite Four led a full-scale crackdown, striking while the iron was hot.
Within a month and a half, Team Rocket suffered devastating losses. Nearly all of their bases within Kanto were destroyed, countless kidnapped Pokémon were rescued, and numerous illegal experiments were dismantled.
For a time, Kanto's shadows were swept clean.
Team Rocket, as an organization, could be said to have been eradicated from the region.
As for their hidden bases in other regions, the Kanto League made its stance clear: there would be no tolerance.
Investigations were intensifying, and once a location was confirmed, high-level Trainers would strike without hesitation.
Team Rocket was, for all intents and purposes, history.
Still, hidden dangers remained.
Giovanni and the three highest-ranking executives were still at large.
As long as they remained free, the possibility of resurgence existed.
But the League had no intention of allowing that.
The moment those four showed themselves, they would be captured without mercy.
Barring extraordinary circumstances, Team Rocket's end was only a matter of time.
Aside from Team Rocket's collapse, another event dominated attention across Kanto.
The Indigo Plateau Conference was approaching.
As the Kanto League's grandest annual competition, it always attracted attention, but this year was different.
Traditionally, the Conference served as a proving ground for new Trainers, and its rewards were modest.
This year, however, the prizes were unprecedented.
Lance, one of the Kanto Elite Four and a member of the Dragon Tamer Family, had personally sponsored the rewards.
The top three finishers would be allowed to enter Dragon Island and choose a Pokémon.
Dragon Island was legendary.
It was the sacred domain of the Dragon Tamer Family, a place countless Trainers dreamed of visiting but almost none ever could.
And now, that privilege was being offered as a Conference reward.
The response was explosive.
After the announcement, Trainers from all over flocked to Kanto.
Many veteran Trainers, who had long since passed the novice stage, collected eight badges within a month and a half just to qualify.
For them, Gym challenges were never the obstacle.
Gym Leaders existed to assess Trainers, not to crush them.
They held back, granting badges once a Trainer demonstrated sufficient ability and potential.
If Gym Leaders fought at full strength, even a Trainer with two years of experience might fail.
Most Gym Leaders' main Pokémon were at least Mid level, and reaching that tier alone required both talent and dedication.
Ash, by comparison, was an anomaly.
A monster among monsters.
Thus, with modern transportation and lenient Gym assessments, experienced Trainers had no trouble qualifying.
As a result, this year's Indigo Plateau Conference became the most competitive and lively in recent memory.
Compared to veteran Trainers who could obtain badges with relative ease, Trainers with less than a year of travel experience found it extremely difficult to collect all eight badges.
For ordinary Trainers, a single year was barely enough to stabilize a complete team. Facing Gyms with diverse typings was already a disadvantage, and their Pokémon's levels often lagged behind. Even ignoring travel time between cities, such Trainers would usually need several months just to gather enough badges.
Under these circumstances, two clear anomalies emerged in the Kanto League.
Among this year's participants were two Trainers who had not even traveled for half a year, yet had already obtained all eight badges.
Both came from Pallet Town.
One of them even had a record of battling an Elite Four member and achieving victory.
Although there were losses, every defeat had been narrow.
Those two were, of course, Ash and Gary.
This year's Kanto was exceptionally lively.
At Ash's home
Ash and his group were enjoying a hearty meal around the dining table.
Unbeknownst to them, a month and a half had already passed. There were now less than three days remaining before the Indigo Plateau Conference began.
After this meal, they would pack their belongings and prepare to head toward the Indigo Plateau.
The Indigo Plateau wasn't far from Pallet Town. Even walking, it wouldn't take half a day. Ash could theoretically return home to eat and sleep after each match.
However, the preliminary rounds would last several consecutive days. Running back and forth would be far too troublesome, so Ash planned to stay there until the main tournament began.
At that moment, the television continued to broadcast trending news.
"Lance, the Dragon Tamer Elite of the Kanto Elite Four, successfully raided the fifteenth Team Rocket headquarters in Kanto today!"
"Team Rocket continues to decline. Kanto remains in excellent condition!"
"This year's Indigo Plateau Conference is expected to be extremely fierce, with hundreds of participants, including many Trainers with over two years of travel experience!"
Ash and the others casually listened as they ate.
Just as they finished their meal and set down their chopsticks, the female news anchor on the screen suddenly stiffened. Her expression turned tense as she began reading an emergency bulletin at high speed.
"We interrupt this program with urgent breaking news."
"Two enormous Pokémon have appeared in a wild mountainous area of the Kanto Region. Their forms are suspected to be related to Gigantamax phenomena from the Galar Region."
"These two Pokémon are currently engaged in combat, causing severe environmental destruction."
"The Kanto League has dispatched reinforcements, but arrival is estimated to take approximately thirty minutes."
"Residents in nearby areas are advised to evacuate immediately. Trainers with sufficient strength are encouraged to assist in stopping them."
As her words ended, a live feed appeared beside her.
A colossal Gengar and an enormous Alakazam were locked in battle.
Each clash shook the surrounding mountains. Forests beneath their feet had been completely flattened, and every exchange left behind strange stone-like patterns embedded in the terrain.
If left unchecked, the entire region would be devastated.
The moment Ash saw the two Pokémon, his pupils sharply contracted.
The strange patterns covering their bodies were nearly identical to those once seen on Dragonite at Bill's Lighthouse.
Rather than Gigantamax, it was far more accurate to say that these were ancient Pokémon.
"Ash… are they related to that Dragonite?" Misty asked.
Brock had noticed it too.
Ash nodded. "Yes."
Then he stood up immediately. "Let's go."
"Whether they're connected to Dragonite or not, we can't let them keep fighting."
"That's the back mountain of Pallet Town. If they continue, they'll reach town itself."
Coincidentally, the battlefield shown on the screen was exactly near Pallet Town.
Ash recognized the terrain instantly. He had trained there for the past month and a half.
It just so happened that for the last two days he had stayed home organizing his Pokémon in preparation for the Conference.
And now this happened.
What a coincidence.
"Ash, wait! Are you really going?" Delia asked anxiously, standing up and grabbing his sleeve.
"Yes, Mom," Ash replied calmly. "They're asking nearby strong Trainers to help."
"The League won't arrive for another thirty minutes. I can't just sit here."
Delia fell silent for a moment.
Then she released her grip, her worried expression replaced by a gentle smile.
"Be careful, Ash. Don't push yourself too far."
"Don't worry," Ash said with a grin. "If things get bad, Mewtwo's still here."
"You know how strong she is, right?"
He waved to Misty and Brock and dashed out the door with Pikachu.
Misty, carrying Togepi, and Brock followed closely behind.
Delia watched them leave. Her smile slowly faded, replaced by deep concern.
Ash had already told her about Mewtwo.
Even without being a Trainer, Delia could sense the terrifying power that Pokémon possessed.
With Mewtwo there, Ash's safety was more assured, but what mother wouldn't worry?
Those two titanic figures wreaking havoc on the television screen were terrifying.
Even if Ash was strong, could he really handle monsters like that?
If Mewtwo knew what Delia was thinking, she would probably find it both amusing and exasperating.
If size alone determined strength, then she would have been excluded from the top tier long ago.
From inside her Poké Ball, Mewtwo observed the battle.
Frankly speaking, those two together wouldn't last a second against her.
She could defeat them nine times over in an instant.
Large bodies, fragile cores.
Nothing more than paper tigers.
On the way to the back mountain, Misty jogged behind Ash, panting and complaining, "Why is the TV crew already there, but the League still needs half an hour?"
"With Dragonite's speed, Mr. Lance should arrive in minutes!"
"Unless… he's not in Kanto right now?"
...
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