Professor Oak was stunned. "What?! A potion like that exists? Ash, how in the world does your brain work?"
"Ash, I owe you big time," Masaki Oak added sincerely. "This means everything to me... to him. I can't thank you enough."
Just the properties of the medicine made it clear how rare and difficult it was to refine. The fact that Ash had only managed to create five in the past ten years—one of which had already been used—only added to its value.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that a single Essence-Cleansing Pill could be traded for the ownership of three entire islands—permanently. That was how powerful and precious it was.
Ash, however, just shook his head at Masaki's words. "Forget it. Champion-level Pokémon are rare as it is. The more we have, the better. Just have him take it quickly—we'll see the results ourselves."
Though both the Essence-Cleansing Pill and the Rare Candy were precious, Ash didn't mind using them. He was backed by a powerful heritage, and the only thing that frustrated him was the rarity of the ingredients. The pill was officially a red-grade item, but its materials were rarer than those of golden-grade ones. Even the Full Restore Capsule, which was on the same level in terms of healing, could be made up to five times a month. The Essence-Cleansing Pill? Much harder.
Following Ash's instructions, Dragonite first took the Essence-Cleansing Pill. Immediately, his orange skin flushed with heat, and black impurities started oozing out of his body. Everyone was initially startled—but thanks to Ash's prior explanation, they remained calm.
Fortunately, they had moved to a poolside area. If this had happened in the dining hall, no one would've had the appetite to eat afterward. Dragonite jumped into the water, and the dark residue slowly washed away.
When he reemerged, a radiant and revitalized Dragonite soared before them. His scales glowed with a healthy shine, and the gentle, childlike smile on his face showed just how good he felt. Then came the Rare Candy. Since Dragonite was originally a Champion-level Pokémon, regaining that strength was easier for him than for others.
As expected, under the effect of the Rare Candy, Dragonite's energy surged, and his power burst forth—he had broken through again to Champion level. The water in the nearby pool churned violently from the force of his newly reawakened aura.
"Amazing… this is the first time I've seen both the Essence-Cleansing Pill and the Rare Candy in action," said Delia, clearly astonished. She didn't understand all the fine details of Pokémon abilities, but she could clearly feel the overwhelming pressure that now radiated from Dragonite.
"We did it, old friend! You're finally back!" Masaki Oak laughed like a young man again, barely containing his joy.
"Wuuu~!" Dragonite nodded, eyes gleaming with happiness. He soared into the air and roared twice, proudly announcing his return to the peak.
Later that afternoon, Ash's own Dragonite finally gave birth to the long-awaited three Pokémon Eggs, under the watchful eyes of everyone present. The eggs were extremely resilient—short of deliberate, malicious intent, they wouldn't break even if dropped.
Since Ash still had his journey ahead, the gathering didn't linger. Of the three eggs, Skye Draconis and Masaki Oak each received one.
Now that Masaki's Dragonite had recovered, Ash suggested that he give the egg to Gary. It would help strengthen Gary's team—and Ash had always seen him as a brother. Their bond, formed since childhood, wasn't something so easily broken.
As for the Dragonite egg given to Skye Draconis… Ash would come to regret that one later. He hadn't expected that it would attract the attention of yet another troublesome woman—a headache he really didn't need.
Ash handed the final Dragonite egg to Cynthia, earning himself a gentle kiss on the cheek in return—a gesture that left him momentarily speechless.
On the road to Saffron City, Brock unfolded the regional map and scanned the next gym details. "Our next stop is Saffron Gym," he said. "The Gym Leader is rumored to be a superpowered psychic—goes by the name Sabrina. Her age is unknown, but from what I've gathered, she's probably around your age, Ash. And her strength... she's already at the Ace level."
Cynthia, walking beside them with the Dragonite egg safely cradled in her arms, listened intently.
Regardless of what came next, one thing was certain—Cynthia and Ash would stay together. As for Ash's occasional cold-blooded edge, she believed it could be resolved in time. What she didn't know was that this darkness stemmed from the killing intent he carried with him when he crossed into this world.
"She's the same age as Ash and already an Ace-level trainer?" Cynthia said thoughtfully. "She must have a very effective method for training Psychic-types."
"Hmph, I wouldn't put too much stock in it," Ash scoffed. "That kind of 'Ace-level' strength is flawed. Don't forget—Sabrina is a psychic. I bet she's boosting her Pokémon with her own psychic power. That's not proper strength from the Pokémon themselves. I'd say she's probably only at the Elite-level at best."
Though Ash spoke with contempt, deep down, he knew better. Reaching Elite-level at her age still meant she was an exceptional talent—he just wasn't about to admit it out loud.
Brock added, "They say that Gym Leader Sabrina isn't someone to be taken lightly. Rumor has it that she turns challengers who lose into dolls… and keeps them locked up until the Pokémon League is over."
"What?" Ash halted mid-step, suddenly alert. His Sharingan activated, evolving directly into Mangekyō Sharingan as his gaze swept across the surrounding landscape, searching for any hidden threats.
"What is it?" Brock asked, confused by the sudden shift in Ash's demeanor.
"Ash, don't overdo it!" Cynthia said urgently. "If you keep using your Sharingan like this, you'll damage your eyes beyond repair!"
It was strange. Cynthia was already twenty-eight, while Ash was only fifteen—but there was no awkwardness in her tone. Despite the age gap, her concern was natural and sincere. In most relationships, such a difference would be hard to ignore, but not with them.
"It's fine. I've got a way to stabilize it—at least for now," Ash replied with a soft smile, touched by her concern. Then he turned to Brock. "How far are we from Saffron?"
Brock glanced at the map again. "About an hour away. We should reach the city just before sundown."
...
TN:
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