"You need my help? Is it about Volkner?"
Ash guessed the issue right away.
And he knew exactly why.
It was because he had a Pikachu—and Volkner's starter Pokémon had also been a Pikachu.
One that had already evolved into a Raichu.
"Yeah… you're right. Volkner is really powerful—he's my close friend and longtime rival. We grew up together, always pushing each other to be stronger. While I eventually took a different path and became Sinnoh's Fire-type Elite Four, Volkner took charge of the Sunyshore Gym, battling endless waves of challengers to hone himself.
"But over time, the strength gap between him and the challengers just kept growing. He began to lose interest in battles altogether."
The red-haired man smiled bitterly.
"You've got a Pikachu, and I think maybe—just maybe—if you battle him, it could reignite his passion. That guy's probably holed up at the top of the Sunyshore Tower right now."
Flint pointed toward the tallest building in all of Sunyshore City.
A gleaming tower clad in solar mirror panels that shimmered in the sunlight.
"Let's go meet him first," Ash said simply.
He neither agreed nor refused outright.
This wasn't the old Ash who said yes to everything out of kindness.
Flint didn't mind Ash's blunt attitude—after all, in his heart, he already viewed Ash as a trainer even stronger than himself.
Sunyshore Tower.
It was the heart and pride of Sunyshore City.
The entire city ran on electricity—no cars, no buses. People moved around via moving walkways powered entirely by solar energy.
Solar panels adorned nearly every building, collecting sunlight and feeding power back to the grid, all routed through the Sunyshore Tower.
Volkner himself had engineered the tower's energy systems.
"He's a genius when it comes to electricity," Flint explained. "Without his work, this city wouldn't be what it is today. Alright, we're here."
Flint led Ash, Dawn, and Anabel to the tower's uppermost floor via elevator.
The view from the top was spectacular—the lakes, the city, the breeze—everything looked majestic.
Just as they arrived, they saw someone stepping out onto the deck.
"Minato?!"
Ash gasped aloud.
"…Huh? What's Minato?"
Volkner looked puzzled.
He turned to Flint. "It's been a while. These folks here to challenge the gym? If they want a badge, just tell them to pick one up at the front desk."
His tone was calm—almost lifeless.
There was no spark in his words, no hint of responsibility as a Gym Leader.
Over the years, he'd been challenged by countless so-called "talents" who crumbled after a single move. One after another, they disappointed him.
Now, most of his attention was devoted to developing the city's power infrastructure.
Sunyshore Tower was his masterpiece.
"Still the same as ever, huh, Volkner…" Flint gave Ash a helpless look.
Ash nodded slightly.
He'd seen enough.
"Flint, I see you've got an Infernape too. Why don't we have our two Infernapes battle?"
He didn't need to explain the rest. The idea was simple: show Volkner something worth watching.
Flint's eyes lit up. "That might just work."
Volkner didn't want to get involved at first, but Flint practically dragged him along to the Sunyshore Gym.
The battlefield there was enormous—more than enough for their Pokémon to go all out.
"Ash, you beat Lucian's Bronzong with your Pikachu, right? I thought Pikachu was your trump card."
Flint grinned, sending out his Infernape.
"It's been with me since the very beginning. Don't underestimate it."
He said it deliberately—for Volkner's ears.
Sure enough, the man with the Minato-like face glanced at Ash, curiosity piqued.
Defeated an Elite Four member's ace?
He was intrigued now.
Still, despite entering the Sunyshore Gym, the system's sign-in reward didn't trigger.
Ash noted this silently.
Seems like I'll need an official Gym Leader challenge from Volkner before it activates…
"Infernape, I choose you!"
Two Infernapes faced off.
On Ash's side: his freshly evolved Infernape, already at level 57.
On Flint's side: a fully trained Infernape, level 69.
At the peak of Elite Four strength.
A 12-level difference.
One was near-Elite, the other stood at the top of the tier.
Could Ash's Infernape stand up to that?
"Use Bulk Up!"
"Waa-gah!"
Ash's Infernape roared as its body glowed red, muscles tightening and power rising.
"Huh, Bulk Up? That's a rare move—even my Infernape hasn't learned it."
Flint was genuinely impressed.
"But now that I know… I won't let you pull it off again! Infernape, Extreme Speed!"
"Double Team!"
Ash stayed calm despite the level difference.
Dozens of Infernape clones emerged, all shimmering with that red glow from Bulk Up.
But any Elite Four Pokémon had incredible battle awareness.
Flint's Infernape didn't wait—it blitzed through the clones, destroying them one by one with Extreme Speed.
Only two remained!
Flint's Infernape lunged at one with a fierce punch—50/50 shot.
It gambled.
But the goddess of luck was clearly on Ash's side—Flint missed!
Ash smirked and tugged down the brim of his cap.
That single successful Bulk Up tipped the balance.
"Now, Extreme Speed—combo it with Mach Punch!"
"Waa-gah!"
Ash's Infernape burst forward.
If Flint's Infernape could use Extreme Speed, so could his.
"Let's see whose close-quarters combat reigns supreme. Let's go—full force!"
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals