Ash now possessed two extremely rare feathers, the Rainbow Wing and the Silver Wing.
Ash did not dare treat either of them lightly. They might trigger some related event in the future, and when that happened, the two feathers would prove useful.
After bidding farewell to Todd and leaving Snowtop Mountain, the group resumed their journey toward Olivine City.
They had now entered a canyon, which they needed to cross to reach the next town.
However, at the moment...
"Ash, don't you think those huge rocks up there look like they could fall at any moment?" Misty asked nervously as she stared at the boulders perched along both sides of the canyon.
Ash looked around. From a military perspective, this would be the perfect place for an ambush. There were plenty of rocks above them, and if someone blocked both the entrance and the exit, even a large group of enemies would have nowhere to run.
"In that case, let's hurry through here!" Since the only girl in the group wanted to move faster, Ash and Brock naturally went along with her suggestion.
However, the weather inside the canyon was as unpredictable as ever. Before they had gone more than a few steps, a powerful gust swept through the canyon. Rocks tumbled from the cliffs and came crashing down toward their heads.
Without hesitation, Ash sent out Bayleef and Kirlia. "Bayleef, Leaf Storm! Kirlia, Psychic!"
Kirlia first used Psychic to hold the falling rocks in place. Bayleef then gave a forceful swing, sending countless leaves swirling into a storm that struck the boulders and ground them into powder within the raging winds.
"Bayleef, Kirlia, great work!"
"Bayleef!"
"Kirlia!"
"My, I didn't expect you to be so capable." Just then, three fiery red figures rushed out from farther down the canyon.
Upon taking a closer look, they saw three Arcanine approaching. A beautiful young woman rode on the back of one, while a boy who appeared slightly younger than Ash sat atop another.
The siblings had clearly witnessed the rockslide and hurried over to help.
The moment Brock saw the young woman, he immediately lost all composure. "Thank you! You look so gallant riding that brave and mighty Arcanine. Have you come to rescue this unfortunate soul?"
Then he did something that left everyone dumbfounded.
"Come, you can ride the brave and mighty me this time..."
"All right, that's enough! Do you have any idea how embarrassing you look right now?" Misty could not bear to watch any longer. She grabbed Brock by the ear and dragged him away.
Ash ignored him and instead studied the three Arcanine with great interest.
Come to think of it, he had caught a Growlithe in the Safari Zone. Perhaps he should find an opportunity to evolve it.
The evolution method was simple too. All it needed was a Fire Stone.
If Ash remembered correctly, Gary had an Arcanine on his team too!
Well, it did not matter. Growlithe could evolve whenever he wanted, and the high-quality Fire Stones in his system were far better than those found in this world.
"Anyway, thank you. My name is Ash, and we're heading to Olivine City."
"I'm Ramona, and that's my younger brother, Keegan. If you're going to Olivine City, we can give you a ride part of the way."
"Oh? Are you going to Olivine City too?"
"No, we'll only be traveling in the same direction for a short distance. We're mainly delivering some things to the other side of the mountain." As she spoke, she took a bag from the back of another Arcanine. It was filled entirely with Fire Stones.
"Are all these Fire Stones prizes?" Seeing them reminded Ash of the Grass-type Pokémon Tournament he had entered before, where the prize had been twenty Leaf Stones.
Apparently, he could still register for the competition.
"Of course I'm entering a tournament like that. Thanks for telling me, Ramona," Ash said gratefully.
Ash decided to use Quilava in the tournament. Judging from its recent condition, it was almost ready to evolve, so this competition might serve as the perfect opportunity!
This Quilava was the one he had received at the Pokémon Swap Meet. He had promised to give it a chance to shine, after all.
As for his other Quilava, Ash had given it an Everstone long ago. The moment he obtained a potion capable of altering its genes, he would have Quilava drink it. When that happened, Hisuian Typhlosion would officially make its debut!
And so, Ash and his companions temporarily changed their plans. They would first participate in the Fire-type Pokémon Tournament before continuing to Olivine City.
In terms of scale, this tournament was even smaller than the previous Grass-type tournament. Most of the entrants used unevolved Pokémon such as Growlithe, Ponyta, Cyndaquil, and Vulpix.
With Quilava, Ash easily claimed the championship.
It no longer possessed the innocent cuteness it had displayed as a Cyndaquil, nor the calm steadiness it had shown as a Quilava. In their place was a frightening aura that radiated from its entire body. Its proud and imposing figure drew every eye in the arena.
"Typhlosion, I look forward to working with you from now on!" Ash said, patting its belly.
He also successfully received the tournament prize, a Fire Stone, which was perfect for evolving the Growlithe he had caught!
He had gained two benefits from a single tournament!
Come to think of it, Ramona had been transporting these Fire Stones when she met Ash. Ash then entered the tournament and won the championship, causing one of the Fire Stones to end up in his hands after all.
Perhaps this was another manifestation of his extraordinary luck!
The other Quilava Ash had caught would eventually become a Hisuian Typhlosion. As for when it would make its appearance, that remained to be decided.
...
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