The new application of Aura power developed by Black Ash, if you think about it, has terrifying potential! First, remote communication with various Pokémon.
When Pokémon are left with Professor Oak or elsewhere, he can use their Poké Balls to understand their specific situations. And as in the current scene with Dratini returning to its flock, with this ability, Ash can not only provide training advice during their separation but also stay updated on Dratini's situation, making it easy to reunite in the future! This is far superior to White Ash's method of just hoping to meet again!
[Ash: Aura power... it's really enviable. If I had that power, even if separated from Butterfree and Dratini, I could find them easily in the future!]
[Lance: At least you have the possibility of learning it in the future. Then you could also use the Poké Ball to find Dratini and Butterfree!]
[Ash: Yeah! But so far, I don't know if there's any way to awaken Aura power other than training...]
Black Ash awakened his ability to control Aura through self-training. Through continuous effort, his Aura grew stronger. It's because of this solid Aura foundation that Black Ash could develop various skills after beginning his journey. He hadn't developed them earlier simply because there was no need. Now... when needed, Black Ash can use his immense Aura as a foundation to research all sorts of special techniques!
[Brock: Please! If there's any other method, let me know! I'd pay any price for this!]
[Korrina: Eh... Brock, 'any price' is a bit much...]
[Lorelei: Don't worry, he's Ash. Do you think he'd come up with any actual ideas?]
[Korrina: True.]
[Ash: ...I feel like you guys are discussing something not very nice about me.]
...
In the Black World —
After bidding farewell to Dratini, Ash spent two days returning to Pallet Town. Of course, the first stop was home! Before the Indigo Plateau Conference, Misty had gotten used to staying at Ash's house and was quite familiar with his mother, Delia. But... Sabrina wasn't! This was her first time meeting Ash's mother. As she stood at the doorstep of Ash's house, Sabrina felt her heart beating faster than ever before. The moment the door opened, Sabrina wasn't sure her heart was ready. Her face was stiff, and the tips of her ears were redder than apples.
But when she saw the dark-skinned, squinting figure who opened the door, Sabrina's heart seemed to stop instantly. Her stiff expression softened, only to shift into a cold glare—
"Brock? Why are you here?"
The icy tone made Brock freeze. It should have been a happy moment opening the door to see an old friend, so why was Sabrina so cold? Had he offended her somewhere? Why did her face turn like that the moment she saw him?!
"Oh... that's... a long story..."
"Ah, Ash is back! And Misty. Now, who are these two?"
Behind Brock, a woman who still held her charm peeked out, greeting everyone with a smile. The coldness on Sabrina's face finally melted like spring snow, turning rosy and stiff again. Misty, watching Sabrina's expression change, couldn't help but feel like laughing. So Sabrina... also made such a face when meeting Ash's parents!
Afterward, though nervous, Sabrina stepped into Ash's home. With Delia's easy-going nature, Sabrina's tension gradually eased. She had wondered what Ash's mother would be like. According to Ash, she was very gentle, caring, but also a bit of a nag—typical child's talk about their mom! But facing outsiders, or a potential daughter-in-law, a mother's attitude could be hard to predict... Yet now, Ash's mother seemed quite easy to get along with! Except for her somewhat sharp tone toward Ash...
It wasn't that mother and son didn't get along; it was the earlier Lugia incident that let Delia know. She had originally planned to rush to the Orange Islands, but was calmed down before leaving. At the time, she thought nothing was wrong. Until just now, when Tracey accidentally slipped up while recounting their travels, Delia learned Ash had been through such danger! So now, Ash was experiencing a brutal scolding.
...
[Ash: Mom... is my mom the same in the other world...]
[Delia: Isn't that normal?! No matter how Ash changes, my child is my child!]
[Delia: It's just that the Black World you resolved things a bit faster, otherwise I'd definitely be the same as in this world—flying over there!]
[Ash: Heh... heh...]
On this, Ash could only smile awkwardly. Don't be fooled by his mother's calm appearance—she was anything but!
[Caitlin: And Sabrina, the 'ugly daughter-in-law' meeting the in-laws, hahaha!]
[Sabrina: Who's ugly?!]
[Cynthia: Hehe, Caitlin, that's just a figure of speech. Don't take it seriously, Sabrina~]
[Caitlin: Huh It seems this Sabrina isn't well-versed in that kind of knowledge The Black World Sabrina obviously read a lot about couples and in-law relationships, which is why she was so nervous meeting Ash's mom.]
As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you fear; the ignorant are fearless. That was Black World Sabrina's situation now.
[Sabrina: I... I'll study hard too!]
[Delia: Ah, it's fine. Auntie isn't the type to break up couples. Rather... someone taking a liking to our Ash is simply his incredible luck~]
There it was! The classic move of putting down one's own child in front of girls. At times like this, if someone dared to agree, Delia would likely give them an earful! After all, this was... just polite talk!
...
In the Black World —
Delia, having finished scolding Ash, enthusiastically began entertaining Sabrina, Misty, and the others. Knowing Ash was returning today, she had deliberately bought plenty of ingredients and prepared a feast with Brock! During the meal, Delia asked about Sabrina's background. Since Tracey had introduced himself earlier, Sabrina had been calming her nerves, and Delia noticed, so she didn't ask immediately, especially after Tracey's slip-up. Now, with Sabrina calmer, she could inquire.
"I... I was formerly the Gym Leader of the Saffron City Gym. Due to some reasons, my personality was a bit... off. Thanks to Ash, I can now live like a normal person. So I thought of coming to the Indigo Plateau Conference to cheer him on, and then... then I suddenly wanted to go to the Silver Conference and have a proper battle with Ash! So... after the Indigo Conference, I started traveling with him."
Sabrina spoke as her heart raced again. The heartbeat that had finally quieted inexplicably sped up, perhaps because she didn't know how to tell Delia she was already dating Ash. However, as she kept talking, Sabrina gradually spoke more calmly. Delia listened quietly while eating, occasionally asking a few questions.
"...It must have been hard on you, Sabrina. Our Ash gives you a headache, doesn't he?"
"N-Not at all! If anything, Ash has been taking care of me along the way! Preparing Pokémon food, training methods, Pokémon habits... he's taught me all these on our journey!"
Ash, who had been silently eating with Pikachu, finally stopped. He ruffled his neatly combed hair into a mess, then, as if steeling himself, said to Delia:
"Alright, Mom! Don't ask so much. There'll be time for questions later! Let's eat first. Pikachu and I are almost full, but Sabrina hasn't even finished half her bowl! And Misty too! There'll be time later..."
"What do you mean... 'there'll be time later'?"
"It means... Sabrina and Misty are both my girlfriends! Your future daughters-in-law! Got it?"
Delia: ...
Delia: !!!
Thud!
Delia slammed the table, standing up with a look of horror at Ash.
"Hey, hey, hey! Mom, why do you look at me like I'm some alien?! What's with that expression?!"
...
[Lance: Can't hold back. Black Ash is too direct, right? Ash's mom was completely unprepared!]
[Delia: Ah, looking at her expression, I can't help but think if the Ash on my side told me he had two girlfriends, I'd wonder if the earth exploded or the world was ending.]
[Ash: What?! You don't trust your son that much?!]
[Delia: Nope!]
[Ash: ...]
Though... he really had no grounds to refute. Before watching the livestream, he hadn't said he'd find two girlfriends—finding even one seemed nearly impossible! As for after watching... he did feel a slight something toward Misty...
...
In the Black World —
As Ash revealed that Misty and Sabrina were his girlfriends, not only Delia but even Brock showed stunned expressions! Although there were hints among the three at the Indigo Conference, no one expected such rapid progress in just a month! Ash would outright admit it in front of his parents! Misty and Sabrina's faces went from stunned, to confused, to flushed, to bright red. They thought Ash would at least tell Delia after they were mentally prepared. However... Ash's emotional intelligence had awakened, but not completely! So this information, which should have been revealed over months or even years, was now... directly known by Delia!
Now, it wasn't about asking questions—Delia stopped eating entirely, pulling Misty and Sabrina to sit on the sofa, chatting warmly and asking all sorts of things.
Ash: (´-ι_-｀)
What's going on? Why stop eating?
Seeing Delia's chattering demeanor, Ash knew he probably had no room to interject. So, he simply took Tracey to Professor Oak's lab first, with Brock following curiously. However, on the way, when Ash asked why Brock didn't stay with Professor Ivy, Brock immediately entered an emo state. That familiar look... was the face of every rejected person. If nothing else... Brock probably had an "accident" over there.
Fortunately, Brock's emo time wasn't long. Arriving at Professor Oak's lab, Ash handed the GS Ball to the professor and informed him of his discoveries about it.
"What? You're saying the GS Ball was created from the power of the two Legendary Pokémon, Lugia and Ho-Oh?! Wait... you got the Silver Wing on the Orange Islands, fine, but when did you get the Rainbow Wing?! You didn't even tell me about something this important!! Please! I'm your professor! And I've been taking care of your Pokémon all this time, you... continues muttering"
Ash: ...
Could he say he forgot to tell Professor Oak? The existence of Ho-Oh might not be shared with others, but telling Professor Oak, or even his travel companions Brock and Tracey, was fine—Ash knew their characters well. So... he really had forgotten to mention this story! Now, facing Professor Oak's lecture, Ash could only endure it obediently. Who would have thought that after escaping his mother's nagging, he'd get an earful at the lab!
Fortunately, Professor Oak, though he said a lot, finished quickly. He first set the GS Ball aside, then asked Ash for the Silver Wing and Rainbow Wing. As for these two Legendaries, Professor Oak had long been fascinated. Even if he couldn't observe them directly, studying their feathers was a great boon!
Coincidentally, Tracey seized this chance to apply to become Professor Oak's assistant. The professor naturally didn't refuse—he needed an observer's help! After entrusting the GS Ball and the two feathers to Professor Oak, Ash and Brock headed to the professor's ranch to spend time with their Pokémon.
Aerodactyl, Venusaur, Blastoise, Butterfree, Beedrill, Muk, Steelix, Kingler, Onix, and Snorlax. Counting the carried Infernape, Pikachu, Charizard, Pidgeot, Dragonair, and Crystal Onix, plus the Jigglypuff that followed but wasn't caught, and the absent Mewtwo and Dratini... unknowingly, he had already caught so many Pokémon.
"It must be tough for the Professor... taking care of everyone every day must be hard work!" Ash patted Muk's head and sighed. Especially this Muk, which seemed particularly fond of Professor Oak, always liked to hug him.
"Hehe, actually, Professor Oak enjoys it too. Not only are there your Pokémon, but many other rare ones. The professor observes and records them daily, loving every minute of it. After all, as a Pokémon Professor, his desire is to study and explore all kinds of Pokémon!" Brock crossed his arms, looking at Ash's gathered Pokémon with a sigh.
He had returned to Pallet Town relatively early and often helped Professor Oak care for the Pokémon. So he knew the professor worked hard but also enjoyed it. Taking care of Ash's Pokémon wasn't just a duty—it was his joy!
"Anyway, I still have to thank Professor Oak. Without him ensuring our logistics, no matter how hard I tried, I'd be a mess now! All right! Let's rest for two days, then head to the Johto region! Brock, you coming?"
"Of course! How could I not?"
"Heh, long time no see!"
Ash withdrew his hand from Muk and stretched hard, then looked at the distant starry sky. Next... it was time to start a new journey! The Orange League wasn't his end! Lorelei's words still echoed in his ears: the Silver Conference champion, the right to challenge the Elite Four—he was determined to seize it!
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