"Bastiodon is unable to battle. The winner is Lucario! That ans the victor of this Gym Challenge is Ash!"
Roark announced the result crisply and decisively.
Ding! [Congratulations, Host. Lucario has successfully defeated Bastiodon and gained 16,500 battle experience points!]
Lucario leveled up!
Level 51!
"Luca!"
Lucario returned to Ash's side with ease.
He held out his paw and high-fived both Monferno and Floatzel in turn.
They usually trained together. Or rather—more accurately—they were often trained together by Charizard, Tyranitar, and Pidgeot.
They got hurt together, trained together, and even ate together.
So, the bond between them ran deep.
"Pika Pi! Pikachu!"
Pikachu happily joined in, coming up to congratulate the three victorious teammates.
Byron stood frozen for a mont before slowly withdrawing Bastiodon into its Poké Ball.
It had been a long ti… since he'd encountered such a powerful challenger.
In all three matches, he had been completely overpowered.
No suspense. No chance to fight back. Nothing.
"Hahaha! But that's what makes this interesting! This is exactly the kind of Trainer the Pokémon League needs! I look forward to seeing how much further you can grow, Ash!"
Both Byron and Roark walked up to Ash.
"Ash, I can see how much you've grown. At the rate you're going, you'll be ready to challenge the Sinnoh League's Champion Path very soon," Roark said seriously.
Ash now… was on an entirely different level compared to when he first ca to challenge the Oreburgh Gym.
And that had only been a few months ago.
Now, even his father couldn't keep up with Ash.
His growth speed was simply unbelievable.
"Yes. Thank you," Ash nodded politely.
But how could Byron and Roark possibly know? Ash's true strength had already surpassed even that of a Champion.
Champion Path?
To Ash, that was as easy as picking sothing out of his pocket.
What he truly enjoyed was the journey—the experiences he had with his Pokémon.
Of course, that included the adventures shared with Dawn and Anabel.
"Well then, this badge is yours. Take it. This is the Mine Badge of the Canalave Gym!"
Byron handed Ash a new badge.
"Alright! I got the Mine Badge!"
"Pika Pikachu!"
"Gaaaah!"
"Flo-ha!"
"Luca!"
All three Pokémon and Pikachu jumped up together, celebrating Ash's victory.
"So Ash, what are your plans next? Have you decided on your next Gym?"
Roark asked casually, more like a friend than a Gym Leader.
Dawn and Anabel walked over just then.
They had been completely absorbed by the earlier battle, afraid to miss even a second.
"We've already decided. Our next stop is Chocovine Town. There's going to be a Pokémon Contest there! Dawn's only one ribbon away from qualifying for the Sinnoh Grand Festival!" Anabel responded with a smile.
Dawn and Piplup pumped their little fists, signaling they were ready to give it their all.
"Hmm, Chocovine Town isn't too far from here. If you have ti, you might want to check out Iron Island. There are lots of Steel-type Pokémon there," Roark and Byron suggested.
After leaving the Canalave Gym—
"Wait, the system didn't give a sign-in reward?"
Ash suddenly realized sothing.
There really hadn't been a sign-in!
What was going on?
He focused his mind and entered his consciousness.
Sensing Ash's ntal inquiry, the system responded:
Ding! [System sign-in function is currently upgrading…]
Ding! [Congratulations, Host. The system's sign-in function has been successfully upgraded!]
An upgrade?
Ash nodded. It made sense. If Pokémon could evolve and level up, the system could definitely upgrade too. Which ant the rewards should get even better.
Ding! [Congratulations, Host. You have arrived at the Canalave Gym. Sign-in initiated…]
Ding! [Sign-in successful. Distributing rewards…]
System storage space increased to 1000 cubic ters!
10 million PokéCoins!
Trait Activation Cards x6!
Three rewards, one more shocking than the next.
The upgraded system space—1000 cubic ters—made Ash's jaw drop.
That was basically the size of a large room!
He could now store a massive amount of items inside.
He could literally build a ho inside the system space if he wanted!
As for PokéCoins, he now had 10 million, doubling his previous amount of 5 million.
Though truthfully, money wasn't really an issue for Ash anymore.
Once he returned to Pallet Town from Sinnoh, he'd have to co up with a reasonable explanation to tell Delia about how he had suddenly beco rich.
But the best reward?
The Trait Activation Cards!
These could unlock hidden abilities for his Pokémon—abilities that hadn't yet been awakened!
"Ash! Ash! What are you zoning out for?"
They were walking outside when Dawn, holding Piplup, called out repeatedly, realizing Ash wasn't responding at all.
"Ah—oh! Yeah, I heard you. I was just deep in thought. I say, why don't we head to the main island at the center of Iron Island? I bet Riley is there training."
Ash snapped out of it.
Dawn and Anabel nodded.
"Yeah! We were thinking the sa thing. Then it's settled!"
With their decision made, the trio headed for the central island of Iron Island.
The ground here was incredibly tough.
Even a Pokémon with Dig would have a hard ti breaking through it.
When the group arrived at the central ruins of Iron Island, sothing felt very off.
Instead of being filled with Steel-type Pokémon, there was a strange and unsettling atmosphere in the air.
Wait a second—Iron Island?
There was a ruin here, wasn't there?
How could he forget about that part of the original storyline?
Team Galactic—those guys must be nearby. They were probably using the Spear Key to emit waves, trying to scan Mount Coronet from afar and locate the Spear Pillar's entrance!
"Dawn, Anabel—I know what's going on here. Co out, Lucario! It's ti to train your Aura powers!"
"Luca!"
Dawn and Anabel didn't ask questions.
"Lucario, use your Aura—scan the surroundings and see if there's any unusual energy in the area!"
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T/N:
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