In the Black World—
In the end, Ash still didn't understand what gift Molly had received from the Unown. But he knew one thing: Entei would never harm her, so it certainly wasn't anything bad.
Not long after, as the crystallization lifted, Misty and the others arrived. Unexpectedly, among them were not only Delia, Professor Oak, and a TV crew, but also the missing Dr. Felina!
After some explanation, everyone finally understood the reason for Dr. Felina's disappearance. It was all the work of the Unown! He seemed to have been transported by them into another dimension—a place without concepts of time or space. Just when he didn't know what to do, he was suddenly released and rushed straight home. Coincidentally, as soon as he returned to the area, the crystallization phenomenon at home began to lift, and he was able to reunite with Professor Oak.
Hearing this, Ash had a rough guess about the whole incident. Why Dr. Felina was sucked into another dimension was unknown, but the reason for his release was likely related to the Unown exhausting their energy. So when the Unowned poured their energy into Ash and Molly, Dr. Felina was simultaneously released and rushed over.
Anyway, it was a happy reunion.
Afterward, Ash explained the cause and effect to Dr. Felina, including Molly being infused with unknown power by the Unown. If he noticed anything unusual about Molly, Ash said he could be contacted immediately.
Dr. Felina repeatedly thanked Ash. If not for him, he might still be trapped in another dimension, never to return. And if Molly had learned the truth, she might have fallen into a lifetime of self-blame.
"You're welcome. Strictly speaking, Molly is my childhood friend!" Saying that, Ash crouched down, ruffled Molly's silky blonde hair, and said softly, "Molly, are you going to become a Trainer in the future?"
"Mhm!"
"Then… after you set out as a Trainer, come and challenge me, okay? By then, the world's number one Trainer… will definitely be me!" Ash smiled, stating his vow to the little girl—it was his goal!
Molly was six years old. In four years—he aimed to become the strongest in the world!
As Ash smiled, the image of the Black World slowly faded…
...
[Lance: How old is Molly now?]
[Dr. Felina: Almost seven.]
[Lance: So… he's giving himself four years? Four years to become the world's number one Trainer? Should I call that arrogance or confidence?]
[Cynthia: Do you think Ash can't do it?]
[Lance: Heh, I don't plan to give up the top spot either. If Black Ash is confident in himself, so am I!]
[Steven Stone: Wait, when did you become number one?]
[Lorelei: You're getting a little carried away, Lance. You can't even get past me. Number one in the world? Have you been watching too much of this broadcast?]
[Lance: Hmph! Once I can Mega Evolve, I'll definitely beat you!]
[Lorelei: Don't boast. Even if Mega Evolution exists, without a Key Stone and Mega Stone, how are you going to Mega Evolve? Do you think you can use Aura like Black Ash?]
[Bruno: Yeah, don't get ahead of yourself.]
Lance was collectively mocked. Under the siege of two Kanto Elite Four members, he ultimately didn't reply. After all… strength speaks for itself! When Mega Evolution arrives, that will be his moment to shine! (But without it, not so much.jpg)
Though Lance quieted down, many Elite Four members and even Champions remained skeptical of Black Ash's claim. The world wasn't without geniuses—though one as prodigious as Black Ash hadn't appeared until now. But genius didn't guarantee success! Black Ash had been traveling for nearly eight months now. He only had two Elite Four–level Pokémon: Charizard and Pikachu! With Aura Fusion, he could temporarily raise one to Champion-level, but it had side effects and was only for finales. Compared to a true Elite Four member, there was still a significant gap, let alone a Champion.
The gap between Champion and Elite Four was like heaven and earth! Because a Champion was, typically, a Pokémon that had reached the peak of sub-Legendary-tier strength—like Suicune or the Legendary Birds. Without a Trainer's help, such Legendaries could at most reach Champion (sub-Legendary) level—a ceiling imposed by nature. What broke this limit was the bond between humans and Pokémon! That's why many Legendaries chose to follow humans—not only out of recognition but also to use human bonds to break through their limits. Of course, there were individual Pokémon who, through sheer willpower, could step onto an unknown peak alone… but none of the Elite Four or Champions had ever heard of or seen such a Pokémon.
Digression aside…
Precisely because the gap between Champion and Elite Four was so vast, many disagreed with Black Ash's claim of becoming the world's strongest in four years. It wasn't that they thought Black Ash weak, but rather… how could any strong Trainer concede defeat before the battle?! Agreeing that Black Ash would be number one was equivalent to admitting defeat without a fight—impossible for Elite Four and Champions with their immense pride.
During the discussion, the White World screen began to light up.
...
In the White World—
After the Crystal Tower incident, Ash and the others continued their journey. Before long, they reached Goldenrod City and, after various ups and downs, met Whitney and finally began their battle at the Goldenrod Gym.
At first, Ash smoothly took down two of her Pokémon with Quilava, but was ultimately swept by her Miltank, suffering his first Johto League defeat! Subsequently, thanks to Team Rocket's interference, Ash had a flash of inspiration on how to counter Miltank. After blasting off Team Rocket, he earned a rematch.
With the "inspiration" Team Rocket inadvertently provided, Ash successfully defeated Whitney this time and earned the Plain Badge.
...
[Whitney: Team Rocket, the ultimate wingmen!]
[Misty: Without them, Ash might not have gotten to challenge the Gym again so smoothly~]
[Jessie: Exactly! You should be thanking us!]
[Ash: Shut up! I'm still not giving you Pikachu!]
Ash knew exactly what these three were after—they just wanted his Pikachu! Though he had to admit they had good taste… that wasn't a reason to let them steal his partner!
...
In the White World—
After earning the Plain Badge, Ash's group headed for the next Gym: Ecruteak City—the Ecruteak Gym! Along the way, Misty won a fishing competition, getting lots of chocolate and a trophy. Then Brock met up with Sakura again and returned the Vulpix he'd been caring for to her.
Afterward, Ash and the others arrived in Ecruteak City. There, they saw the Burned Tower and met Morty, the Gym Leader. Morty told them the legend of the Bell Tower and the Burned Tower—a legend inextricably linked to Ho-Oh. When Ash mentioned he'd seen Ho-Oh, Morty said it was absolutely impossible… and then, after Ash defeated him, Morty said Ash might have really seen Ho-Oh after all~
...
[Lance: Mussel! Morty, whether you believe someone has seen Ho-Oh depends on if they can beat you, doesn't it?!]
[Morty: Eh… did I really say that back then? Sorry, I forgot!]
Morty wished he could hide from the screen and the barrage. How embarrassing! And in front of Ho-Oh itself! What was the difference between this and denying Ho-Oh's chosen Rainbow Hero right to its face?
[Ho-Oh: It's fine. Back then, I rarely appeared in the world. Occasional sightings were just fleeting shocks. It was only before Ash that I showed myself fully for a long time.]
Ho-Oh's words weren't a boast—they just proved how much it valued Ash. It hadn't given Ash the Rainbow Wing initially because it felt Ash's heart wasn't ready yet. If they met again in the future, it would probably give it then. (Probably.jpg)
[Morty: I was wrong, Lord Ho-Oh! I shouldn't have doubted the hero you chose!!]
[Lance: No need. Any normal person would doubt it. But you doubted at first and only agreed after Ash beat you… that's a bit… hard to comprehend.]
[Morty: Well… I figured a Trainer who could beat me wouldn't lie about something so trivial, so I chose to believe him.]
Hearing that, Lance was speechless. That… kind of made sense. But you really were a bit narcissistic!
...
In the White World—
After earning the Fog Badge, Ash's group continued on, now targeting Cianwood City. However, before reaching Cianwood, they passed a place called Clear Cliff and unexpectedly met an old friend—Mewtwo!
"Old friend" wasn't quite right—Ash and the others had had their memories erased by Mewtwo before, but by chance, they crossed paths with it again. Moreover, Team Rocket had also discovered Mewtwo's whereabouts and planned to capture it as a weapon!
After some conflict, Ash and the others were captured, and Mewtwo was seized. The captured Mewtwo was placed in a machine designed to suppress all its psychic power and control its mind. However… after all it had been through, Mewtwo's mind had been thoroughly tempered. It was no longer the confused being easily swayed by words!
In the end, even on the brink of destruction, Mewtwo refused to yield to Team Rocket's machine. Giovanni, seeing Mewtwo's stubbornness, grew furious. If he couldn't use Mewtwo as a weapon, he'd rather destroy it than let anyone else have it—he'd force it to submit or kill it!
At the critical moment, Team Rocket's trio stepped forward, rescued Ash and the others, and Ash's Pokémon used their bodies to smash the machine restraining Mewtwo, successfully freeing it! Unfortunately, Mewtwo's body was now in tatters. Left alone, death was only a matter of time.
Fortunately, there was a mystical lake brimming with life energy atop Clear Cliff. Without hesitation, Ash carried Mewtwo toward the lake while the other clone Pokémon held off Team Rocket's forces.
When he reached the Lake of Life, a middle-aged man named Rina said to Ash, "This lake could be a monumental discovery for the Pokémon world! If we use it rationally, we could reach new heights in medical science! We could save countless lives! If you let it enter, the lake will likely be contaminated!"
Ash merely glanced at Rina, then suddenly tossed Mewtwo into the lake, shouting, "Right now… I just want to save… him!" As Mewtwo sank into the water, Ash continued, "If you can't even save the life right in front of you, then forget about saving others."
Rina was left speechless. What was the point of arguing now? It was already in the lake!
As Mewtwo sank to the bottom, the immense life energy of the lake frantically repaired its body. By the time Giovanni and his forces arrived, Mewtwo had fully revived and reappeared before them! Now, Mewtwo's power was even greater than before! All of Giovanni's machines were like scrap metal before it!
In an instant, Mewtwo teleported all of Giovanni's troops and machinery to the nearest city, erasing their memories of it. The lake and the surviving Pokémon were also teleported underground.
Finally, Mewtwo learned to let go, allowing the clone Pokémon to go their own ways, while it set off on its journey again. It didn't erase Ash and the others' memories this time—including the Team Rocket trio's.
Before leaving, Mewtwo left Ash with a message: "If you hear someone calling you, look back. You might see me there."
With that, the White World's story slowly faded…
...
[Lance: Ash is still that Ash! No matter the moral dilemma, he stands by his own justice!]
[Cynthia: Well done, Ash. That last line was right—if you can't even save the life before you, then what's the point of talking about saving others?]
[Flint: Mewtwo was clearly moved by Ash's kindness, which is why it finally decided not to erase their memories—because it trusted Ash.]
[Mewtwo: More or less. The Ash of that world earned my trust in advance. Honestly… I did consider becoming Ash's Pokémon for a moment, but… how should I put it… it didn't feel compelling enough.]
Excellent character, but… insufficient strength. It recognized Ash's heart but couldn't accept him as its Trainer. It would help Ash in times of trouble, even risk its life for him—but it couldn't serve as his Pokémon. If Ash had even half the strength of Black Ash, perhaps Mewtwo would have agreed without hesitation.
[Ash: It's okay, Mewtwo. I understand… but that was then. In the future, I'll definitely become a Trainer worthy of you! When that time comes, I'll battle you and catch you fair and square!]
[Mewtwo: …I'll await that day.]
[Caitlin: Your relationship is so complicated! But more importantly… did you notice a key point in the footage? This Team Rocket trio—they weren't acting, were they? They straight-up defected!]
If their previous failures could be blamed on innate clumsiness, this time—especially Meowth—they actively helped Mewtwo escape! How could they not be undercover agents?!
Giovanni's face darkened further. Small failures and nuisances were one thing, but on such a major operation, these three incompetent buffoons actually succeeded for once… in helping the enemy! For the first time, Giovanni felt Caitlin might be right—these three were undercover agents sent by the League to destroy Team Rocket from within!
The Team Rocket trio, meanwhile, was speechless with bitterness. They'd thought that incident was buried… why did that Caitlin have to bring it up now?!
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