"Ash…" Walking out of the arena section, Ash spotted Elsa and the girls heading toward him. They were still inside the arena tower, away from the main exits, so the crowd here was thinner—mostly trainers lingering after battles and staff moving equipment.
"Hey! How was it?" Ash grinned instinctively. He looked confident, but there was a clear edge of exhaustion in his posture. His shoulders were slightly stiff, and his steps lacked their usual spring. Yellow noticed immediately.
"Sit straight. I'll help you out a bit." Before Ash could respond, she stepped behind him. A soft green glow spread from her hands, gentle and warm, pulsing with Viridian force as she placed them against his back.
"Oh~ a special ability user." Leaf blinked in surprise, while Elsa tilted her head slightly. The two exchanged a glance. It wasn't unheard of—stories of trainers with special talents were everywhere—but seeing it up close was still rare enough to draw attention.
"Thanks, Yellow," Ash said quietly.
He didn't resist. He couldn't afford to.
The truth was, he was completely spent.
Aura usage always took a toll on him, but today had pushed him far harder than usual. The connection he'd felt—with Riolu, with Frogadier—had been deeper, clearer, and almost overwhelming. It was exhilarating… and draining.
If not for his regular training and solid physical conditioning, he might have collapsed on the spot. Still, that connection told him something important.
As long as he could guide Frogadier's growth properly, Ash was certain—Ash-Greninja was no longer just a possibility. That instant in the battle—when he sensed Frogadier's intent without looking—proved it. 'Let's train that feeling,' Ash thought, excitement bubbling quietly beneath his fatigue.
'When he becomes Greninja… we'll be in sync from the start.'
"Hey there, Leaf. Long time no see." Ash turned, smiling as he greeted the girl walking toward him. "Hmm. Hey, Ash." Leaf smiled back, her expression bright. "You look as amazing as always." A faint blush crept onto her cheeks as she held his gaze a moment longer than necessary.
It was easy to read.
Even Misty caught it.
Yellow had noticed long ago, so she wasn't surprised in the slightest. "You look tired," Leaf added more softly. By then, Yellow had already finished. The green glow faded as Ash straightened, rolling his shoulders once.
"Yeah… I'll be fine now." He tapped Yellow's hand lightly in thanks. She smiled and stepped back.
"Yep, that took a chunk out of me," Ash admitted with a chuckle. "Nothing to worry about. My partners did all the hard work." He tapped one of his Poké Balls. It vibrated faintly in response, as if answering him.
He spoke clearly, remembering the fight. Especially with Frogadier, that Solrock was not high-level, around level 31, but his skill set was quite mastered.
"I'll travel with you," Leaf said suddenly. "Can I?" She looked straight at him, eyes clear and hopeful. With a gaze like that, Ash could never deny it. So, Ash just smiled and nodded. "The more the merrier, I guess." He jested with a light tone.
At that, Elsa stiffened slightly. After all, she could tell Leaf's current emotion and also felt going away would be bad, so she spoke out. "I—I'm coming too," she said quickly.
"Why not travel together?" Ash blinked, surprised. Elsa had mentioned earlier that she was heading off with her friends. But when he looked past her, he noticed the two girls exchanging knowing glances.
"We're not going," one of them said with a grin. "Have fun." They said, after that, they talked with Elsa and Leaf in silence before winking at them and leaving. And just like that, they left—laughing as they disappeared down the corridor. Leaving five of them behind. "Ash."
A familiar voice called out. "Can I have a moment with him, ladies?" It was Flint's voice.
Flint approached from the arena side, hands in his pockets, his expression relaxed but attentive. Ash had stayed back specifically because Flint had asked—and had allowed the others to accompany him.
"Flint," Ash said, brightening.
"Thank you for the exciting match."
Flint laughed, shaking his head. Ash's enthusiasm—even after everything—was something he genuinely liked. "Here. This is for you." He pulled out a small case and handed it over.
"I heard you caught an Onix," Flint continued.
"This is a high-level Metal Coat. After some proper training, give it to him." Ash blinked.
"Eh? Why? I already got the badge." Flint smiled knowingly.
"It's a prize. You might not know this, but that Solrock you defeated was about to join my professional team." He shrugged lightly. "You took out a Pokémon I was planning to use at the professional-level skill." Ash's eyes lit up.
"Plus," Flint added, "I was planning to give you the badge after a second round. I never thought you'd defeat Solrock too." He looked genuinely astonished.
Ash laughed, scratching the back of his head as he accepted the Metal Coat. "Thank you, Flint. I'll definitely train that Onix into a powerhouse." Flint smiled back, watching the young trainer with interest.
'Funny,' he thought. 'I was planning to catch that Onix myself… but he got there first.'
And somehow—
That felt just right.
After receiving the gift, Ash bid farewell to Flint and left the arena tower with the others.
Yellow, Leaf, Elsa, and the girls ended up having a long catch-up while walking through the city streets. With Ash's stomach growling loudly enough to be noticed, they quickly agreed on finding a nearby restaurant to celebrate his win.
It turned out the restaurant owner had been present during the match. The moment he recognised Ash, his attitude changed completely. "Fifty percent off for today, kid." The man announced loudly to Ash, grinning.
"You gave us a great show." That alone made the meal taste even better.
They ate well—really well—and for once, Ash didn't hold back. Laughter echoed through the restaurant as plates piled up and stories were exchanged. By the time they left, everyone was full, relaxed, and in high spirits.
Later that night, instead of collapsing completely, Ash opted for active rest. Light exercise. Stretching. A short run. Then studying notes while lying on the bed.
The girls were stunned when he explained it—but none of them tried to stop him. This was normal Ash behaviour by now. "Here. Plum pickle with tea." Ash turned and found Elsa standing there, holding out a small cup and a neatly wrapped pickle.
"Oh~ that hit the spot." He drank deeply, sighing in satisfaction. Pikachu chirped happily beside him—he had gone on the run too and clearly felt just as refreshed.
"Pika~!" Froakie and Riolu, on the other hand, were completely done. They lay sprawled out nearby, staring at the ceiling like salted fish, silently questioning how Pikachu still had this much energy after fighting and training.
They both knew Pikachu had battled too. That only made it worse. "Pika~Wiga!" Pikachu roared proudly. Ash laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. Senior privileges."
"Pidge~o!" Pidgeotto swooped down from above, wings cutting the air sharply. He looked both excited and slightly annoyed—clearly unhappy about not being called into battle. "I know, big guy," Ash said calmly.
"Next time, we'll do it together." Pidgeotto cried out once more before flying back up, clearly fired up to train harder. Butterfree, meanwhile, was the definition of diligence.
Day after day, he never skipped training.
At the moment, Ash was working with Butterfree on energy control—compressing [Energy Ball] into a denser, more concentrated form. The sphere launched at frightening speed once released, but mastering it took time.
Ash used Viridian energy sparingly, keeping Butterfree refreshed enough to continue.
Recently, Butterfree had reached a point where he could form the attack in just over a second.
Sometimes even less.
With mastery now at level 5, Ash was confident—once it reached level 6, Butterfree would be ready. After that, training would shift toward [Gust].
A tactical move. Especially against Flying types.
Bug types were at a disadvantage there, and Ash wanted answers ready before that problem appeared. Pikachu, meanwhile, was back to focusing on [Iron Tail].
With Iron Tail still at level 3, Ash felt it was better to let Pikachu concentrate on refining raw power and precision. His legs were strong enough for now.
"That's enough for today." Elsa's voice cut through cleanly. Sharp. Commanding.
Ash paused, then smiled and nodded. "Alright." For once, he didn't argue.
Later, while heading inside, Elsa frowned slightly. 'That idiot… he's never the type to listen.'
'We'll have to keep him busy tonight.' She quickly gathered the girls. Misty already had plans. Leaf said she needed to take care of something.
That left Yellow. The two exchanged a look—and grinned. Ash didn't even get a chance to ask before he was grabbed and dragged away.
"Pika?"
"La?" Pikachu and Ralts stared in confusion—then immediately chased after them, joining in without hesitation.
The result? A buffet of sweets.
Misty and Leaf joined later, and the group ended up watching a movie together. Ash hadn't expected much—but the film surprised him. The battle scenes were well choreographed and realistic.
'Actors really are trainers too,' he thought. Later that night, Ash finished setting up his tent. "Sleeping already?" He turned to see Misty standing there.
"Yeah," Ash replied honestly.
"Turning in early tonight." She looked around. The area was quieter than usual. "I enjoyed today," she said softly.
"That was a good release… So why not do it again sometime?" Ash smiled.
"That's a good idea." He stood up and walked over, sitting beside her. They stayed quiet for a moment. Misty hesitated. 'I think Leaf likes you,' she wanted to say.
But the words wouldn't come.
Instead—
'…I like him.' The realisation hit her cleanly.
'Then… this is fine.' Before Ash could react, Misty leaned in. Their lips met—awkward, brief, unsure. Ash froze for half a second—
Then didn't pull away.
He placed a hand around her waist and gently pulled her closer. They separated only when they ran out of breath. Misty's face was completely red.
"I also like you," she said quickly. "Just know that, idiot."
She stood up and walked away before he could respond. Ash watched her go, smiling faintly. 'I'll remember it,' he mused. 'Silly.'