After thinking for a long time, Ash finally stepped forward and gently picked Cubone up into his arms.
"Be strong," he said softly.
"Your mother would definitely want you to grow up healthy and happy."
Whether Cubone understood or not, Ash sighed lightly.
Some knots in the heart couldn't be untied by others—no matter how much they tried.
Only the one carrying them could loosen them on their own.
Seeing Cubone remain silent, Ash could only rub its head gently before turning and walking toward the stairs leading upward.
Pokémon Tower — Fifth Floor
As the top level, the fifth floor was noticeably smaller than the ones below.
The fog was thin, and the entire floor could be taken in at a glance.
Ash: "..."
On the inner raised platform, sitting right on the steps, was a massive purple-black Pokémon.
Its chubby little hands propped up its cheeks.
Its red eyes drooped lifelessly.
Tears shimmered at the corners of its eyes.
A picture-perfect expression of having seen through the meaninglessness of life.
It was—Gengar.
Ash glanced around. There didn't seem to be anything else worth exploring, so he walked straight over.
Seeing Gengar stare at him with watery, pitiful eyes, all the scolding Ash had prepared instantly got stuck in his throat.
Damn it.
He could only steel himself and pat Gengar on the head.
"Don't cry," Ash said seriously.
"Bad people will laugh."
"Geng…?"
"If you do a handstand, the tears won't fall down."
"Gengar…?"
"So what actually happened? Tell me—maybe I'll feel better."
"GENGAR!!"
That only made Gengar look even more aggrieved.
It snatched the crumpled piece of white paper from Ash's hand, licked its claw with its tongue, and began drawing on the back.
This time, the drawing was clearer.
On the left: a Gengar.
On the right: another Gengar.
The art skill had improved slightly.
But the numbers in the middle had changed.
Before, it was 1 and 0.
Now it was 1 and 1.
Ash: "?"
What does that even mean?!
What a headache…
Scratching his head, Ash walked past the sulking Gengar and climbed the steps.
Alright, let me see—where's the reward Fuji-san promised me?
He'd said it was some kind of incredible stone.
Ash had been looking forward to it for a long time.
The Reward
On the platform sat a small wooden box.
Ash opened it eagerly.
Inside was smooth red silk, elegant and luxurious.
Nestled at the center was a round bead, about five or six centimeters in diameter.
The moment Ash opened the lid, it flashed with a strange light—nearly blinding him.
The glow quickly faded, condensing into a curved oval symbol at the bead's core.
Ash picked it up, tapped it against the table, and examined it from every angle.
"…Is this some kind of evolution stone? Like a Thunder Stone?"
He instinctively pulled out his Pokédex.
Moments like this were when the Pokédex never disappointed.
"Beep.
A glass marble for children.
Useless."
Ash froze.
"…I got scammed by that old man?!"
Just as he was about to fling it away in rage, a cool voice sounded in his mind.
"Don't throw it away. That's a Key Stone. It's good stuff."
Ash looked utterly unconvinced.
"Red, are you messing with me? What kind of key looks like this?"
Red: "..."
Suppressing a strong urge to swear, Red explained patiently:
"Put it away. Have a craftsman refine it in the future.
Its applications are limitless.
It's a must-have item for powerful Trainers."
After crossing over from the game world, all of Red's own items had vanished.
But the items his Pokémon carried were still intact.
With this Key Stone, Red could already feel its special resonance.
If he really wanted to, he could seize control of Ash's body right now, release Mewtwo, and pull off one of Mewtwo's signature stunts—
With a single gesture, the entire Kanto region would tremble.
But Red wasn't the type to show off.
Next time, he decided.
Ash nodded and carefully put the Key Stone away, then dragged the heartbroken Gengar downstairs.
Pokémon Tower — First Floor
The first thing Ash saw was a familiar sight.
A certain Electric Mouse was still sleeping soundly inside the green barrier, snoring away peacefully.
Ash resisted the urge to rush over and flip it upside down.
He returned to the front desk, where the old shrine woman was chatting with two others.
"Eh? Brock—you're awake—WHAT THE HECK?!
Why do you look like this now?!"
Brock turned his head.
The word "Abstinence" on his forehead was gone.
Instead, his entire body radiated pure, holy light—almost with sparkly visual effects floating around him.
And most importantly—
His eyes were open.
Wide open.
Big, sparkling, anime-protagonist-level eyes blinked gently, shining with clarity.
"Oh~ Ash," Brock said with a soft smile.
"Using crude language isn't a good habit, you know~"
Ash: "?"
…Did his brain break?
Bright-eyed Brock patted Ash's shoulder and sighed with emotion.
"I have been reborn in the Abstinence Realm.
Everyone there speaks so kindly.
I finally achieved enlightenment."
"Women are but crimson skeletons.
If I am to become a great Pokémon Breeder, such worldly attachments must be cast aside!"
Ash: "..."
To be honest—
He didn't like this version of Brock at all.
But then he shrugged and laughed it off.
Whatever. Not my problem.
The shrine woman nodded approvingly at Brock's sage-like state, then turned to Ash.
"So, young man—everything resolved?"
"Yes, Granny. About this paper fan—"
Ash quickly handed it back.
He was pretty sure Gengar had stolen it as a prank.
He didn't want to be a thief.
But the old woman waved her hand and smiled.
"That fan has fate with you.
Keep it—consider it payment for saving Pokémon Tower."
Ash jolted.
There's actually something this good in life?!
That fan was a priceless treasure.
Effective against ghosts.
Deadly even in Trainer-on-Trainer combat.
If Red ever went dark and tried to possess him—
One swing and Ash could pin him to the ground.
Red: "..."
Ash scratched his head.
Wait—saving Pokémon Tower? What does she mean by that?
The shrine woman let out a strange chuckle.
She already knew that the two powerful members of the Rainbow Group upstairs had been defeated.
But merely driving them away wasn't enough.
Capital would still come back and flatten Pokémon Tower.
So she planned to use a forbidden technique—
To secretly rewrite those two men's wills.
They would still be themselves.
Their personalities unchanged.
But their plan to demolish Pokémon Tower would become a desire to protect it instead.
This was the final resting place of Pokémon souls.
How could it be turned into a radio station?
It's already 2020, she scoffed inwardly.
Who even builds radio stations anymore? At least put up a 5G base station.
The Promise
With everything settled, Ash painfully woke Pikachu—who was sore all over and drooling everywhere—and prepared to leave.
Then—
"Cubone!"
Everyone looked up.
A small black figure stood at the top of the stairs.
On its shoulder rested a bone club larger than its entire body, wreathed in eerie blue-black flames.
"Is that… Cubone?"
"Did it get corrupted by evil spirits?!"
Misty and Brock stared in shock.
Special-form Pokémon were incredibly rare—sometimes even rarer than Legendary Pokémon.
"Oh? The little one has gained new power," the shrine woman murmured.
Seeing Cubone approach with renewed confidence, Ash smiled warmly.
"So—do you want to travel with me?" he asked.
Cubone nodded.
Then shook its head.
"Cubone!"
Everyone looked confused.
Ash took a deep breath.
"I get it. We already have a bond.
What you're saying is—you gained power from Pokémon Tower, and now your body is bound to this place, right?"
Cubone: "?"
The shrine woman covered her face.
"…No.
It means this child wants to stay and guard its mother for a while—
and then come find you later."
"Cubone!"
Cubone nodded firmly.
It raised its massive bone club and pointed it toward Ash.
Ghostly blue flames flickered along its length.
Without hesitation, Ash raised his fist.
Bone club and fist met.
The flames curled around Ash's hand—but there was no pain.
Only warmth.
Fire-type Pokémon often carried flames, and only Trainers they accepted could touch them without being burned.
Their resolve connected.
Ash pressed down his cap and grinned.
"Then it's a deal.
When I've beaten all eight Gym Leaders, I'll come get you."
"This is a Pokémon Master's promise."
"Cubone!"
Beneath its skull, Cubone smiled like a child—
Looking forward to the day they would adventure together.
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