Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
The Next Day
The following morning, Ash woke up early. He'd spent the entire night sleeping outside alongside his Pokemon.
When he opened his eyes, he noticed a blanket draped over him. Ash immediately knew it must have been Brock and Misty who'd covered him. A warm feeling spread through his chest at their thoughtfulness.
After a short while, Misty and Brock woke up as well, and the Pokemon began stirring one by one.
The moment they woke, the Pokemon felt an intense pang of hunger. They turned toward Ash and his friends with pitiful, pleading expressions.
Brock chuckled when he saw their faces. He'd already anticipated that Ash and the Pokemon would wake up starving.
None of them had eaten anything since last night, and they'd been through such an intense battle on top of that.
So he'd prepared all the necessary ingredients the previous evening. Seeing the hungry looks on the Pokemon's faces, Brock immediately got to work preparing their meal.
Misty and Ash pitched in to help, and together they quickly prepared food for all the Pokemon. Then the three trainers sat down at the table and enjoyed their own breakfast.
Half an hour later, they finished what would be their last breakfast on Mount Hideaway. The Pokemon had completely recovered their energy after eating their fill.
The three trainers packed up their belongings and began making their way down the mountain with their Pokemon.
During this month of intensive training, not only had the Pokemon's strength increased dramatically, but they'd also gained some unexpected benefits.
Not only had Ash captured the powerful Onix, but Fraxure had successfully achieved its final evolution and become Haxorus, effectively doubling its combat power.
In Ash's original lineup, Charizard was undoubtedly the strongest. Below Charizard were Aerodactyl, Electivire, Venusaur, Scizor, and the newly captured Onix.
Following them were Gyarados, Primeape, and Butterfree—all valued members of Ash's team.
However, each Pokemon had different natural limits and potential capabilities, which meant their strength levels varied accordingly.
Even for Elite-level or Champion-level Trainers, not every Pokemon on their team would be equally powerful.
Fraxure had originally been unable to keep pace with Scizor and the others in terms of strength. But after evolving, it had instantly surpassed them all.
After completing their training regimen, Ash and his two friends took their Pokemon down the mountain and returned to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
They released the Pokemon to roam freely around the grounds, then went to find Professor Oak, who had just woken up early that morning.
"Professor!" Ash called out.
"Ash! You're back! I was starting to think you might forget that the Indigo Plateau Conference is about to begin." Professor Oak's eyes lit up when he saw them.
Truth be told, while Ash didn't have the largest number of Pokemon at the Laboratory, his Pokemon were definitely the most energetic and active ones there.
Pokemon like Muk often came to pester him throughout the day. But this past month without them had made the Laboratory feel much quieter—even a bit too quiet, making Professor Oak feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Only now did he realize that although Ash's Pokemon weren't the most numerous, each one had its own distinct personality. Their presence made the Laboratory feel much more lively and vibrant.
Even though he was frequently tackled and hugged by them, he actually didn't mind that feeling at all.
"I would never forget such an important event, Professor. I'll have to trouble you to take care of my Pokemon again." Ash responded with a warm smile.
"Haha! Gary has already departed. If you're planning to walk there, you'd better hurry up!" Professor Oak advised.
"I understand. I'm heading home now to get ready, and I'll be leaving today. I'm counting on you to look after my Pokemon." Ash nodded in acknowledgment.
"Don't worry, I'll take excellent care of them. Give it your all at the Indigo Plateau Conference! If you manage to advance to the tournament bracket, we'll come to the venue to cheer you on in person."
Professor Oak spoke encouragingly. Pallet Town hadn't produced an outstanding Trainer in quite some time, and this year three had emerged all at once.
Ash, Gary, and Green had all successfully earned eight Badges. Green and Gary had already set off on their journeys. If all three could make it into the tournament bracket, this year's results would be considered exceptional.
Professor Oak had never expected any of them to win the championship from the start. He would be thrilled if they could just advance to the final rounds.
"Then you'd better start preparing now!" Ash replied with confidence radiating from his voice.
"Hahaha! That's the kind of confidence I like to see! Work hard out there!"
"By the way, Professor, I've also captured a new Pokemon. Taking care of him might be a bit more challenging than usual."
Ash mentioned his capture of Onix. After all, Onix was absolutely massive, and caring for it would require considerably more effort. He wanted to give the Professor fair warning.
"Don't worry about it! I'm the Pokemon Professor, after all!" Professor Oak waved his hand dismissively, completely unconcerned.
"Then we'll say goodbye for now!" After those parting words, the three trainers bid farewell and departed.
Professor Oak watched them leave with a happy smile on his face, then walked outside to see what Pokemon Ash had captured this time.
"Muuuk!"
The moment Professor Oak appeared, Muk immediately showed up and rushed straight toward him, clearly intending to tackle the Professor in an enthusiastic embrace.
"Uh... Haha! Muk, wait just a moment! I heard that Ash captured a new partner. Where is it?"
When Professor Oak first saw Muk, he felt a touch of nostalgia. But then a hint of concern crossed his face, and he quickly tried to redirect the Poison-type's attention.
"Muk! Muk!"
After hearing the question, Muk pointed toward a pile of large boulders in an open area not far away.
"Huh? Behind those rocks? Wait a second... Were those rocks there before?" Professor Oak stared at the pile of boulders, feeling confused.
Such a conspicuous pile of rocks would have been impossible to miss if they'd been there previously. But now they'd appeared out of nowhere, making them naturally very noticeable.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Just as Professor Oak stood there puzzled, the ground suddenly began to shake. Professor Oak's expression shifted, and then he watched as that pile of rocks started moving on its own.
"It moved?!"
"ROOOOAR!"
"Oh my goodness!"
Even Professor Oak was stunned as the pile of rocks suddenly shifted. The massive body rose up, towering high above him as it looked down from its commanding height.
Even as a Pokemon Professor, he had never seen such an enormous Onix before. He'd heard that the Onix on Mount Hideaway grew unusually large due to geographical factors in that region.
He'd even gone there specifically to investigate the phenomenon. But when he'd visited Mount Hideaway previously, he hadn't encountered this particular giant.