"I still like the way you laugh," Ash said softly, lying in Cynthia's arms. As he looked up and saw the tears on her cheek, he smiled and gently reached up to brush them away with his left hand.
"If you like it... then I'll laugh for you more often," Cynthia whispered. Ash's touch made her cheeks flush. This was the first time he had taken the initiative to touch her, and it stirred her heart uncontrollably.
"Ash, you're awake! How's your body feeling?" Brock called out as he finished setting up the tent and noticed Ash stirring.
"I'm fine. Just side effects from overusing my psychic power. Lately, I've pushed it too much, and my mental strength is slipping out of control," Ash replied, brushing off the concern with a light excuse.
"Even though your psychic ability is powerful, the side effects are too serious. It's not worth the risk," Brock said, frowning. "We need to find a solution. Let me contact Professor Oak. He's one of the leading researchers in the world. Maybe he or someone he knows can help you manage it."
Brock's concern was valid. Ash's Sharingan was powerful, but its side effects—intense pain and even the risk of blindness—were no joke. The strain on his body at the cellular level alone would've been fatal to most people. Ash's endurance was nothing short of extraordinary.
"Ash... promise me, okay? Don't use your psychic powers again until we find a proper solution. I hate seeing you suffer like this," Cynthia said, holding Ash close. Every time he used his ability, he needed painkillers just to ease the agony.
"Don't worry," Ash replied with a gentle smile. "I've already thought of a temporary way to suppress the side effects. Unfortunately, I can only use it three times. I'll save it for when I'm close to losing my sight completely."
"Brock, get some rest. My body's still stiff... I think I need to sleep it off," Ash added. With Cynthia's help, he lay down inside the tent. Pikachu quietly curled up next to his pillow, just like always.
Ash hadn't expected his body to stiffen like this upon waking up. It seemed like his soul had stayed in the spiritual space longer than usual. Normally, only his mental projection would enter that space—but this time, it was his soul itself.
Pikachu had been sleeping beside his pillow since the days he was still a Pichu. It had been a habit for over ten years. Far from minding it, Ash cherished it deeply. Pikachu was the first Pokémon he ever bonded with in this world—his companion, his brother.
Ding~!
[Cynthia's deep concern for the host has been detected. Reward: +10 Attribute Points!]
Just as Ash was about to doze off, the system notification jolted him awake. He hadn't expected such genuine worry from Cynthia to translate into a huge gain like ten attribute points!
"System, I want to spin the draw!" Ash said without hesitation. He had a good feeling about tonight.
Ding~!
In the next moment, Ash entered the spiritual space—not with his soul, but with a projection of his mental energy. That meant no side effects this time.
"Nice, I was right! It's the slot machine with a critical hit chance!" Ash grinned as he saw the machine appear before him. If he hit the green square, he'd receive three random items—sometimes just common ones, but often golden ones with immense value.
He pulled the lever five times. The machine's golden ring spun so fast that even Ash's Sharingan couldn't keep up.
Ding~!
[Congratulations, host! White item acquired. Better luck next time!]
[Congratulations, host! Black item acquired: Three Master Balls! 100% catch rate for Legendary Pokémon, 50% for Mythical Pokémon, 10% for common species!]
[Congratulations, host! White item acquired. Better luck next time!]
[Congratulations, host! White item acquired. Better luck next time!]
[Congratulations, host! Green item acquired – Critical Triple Burst!]
Ding~! Critical success!
[Congratulations, host! First burst: White item acquired. Better luck next time!]
[Congratulations, host! Second burst: Black item acquired – One of the Six Navy Shave Techniques!]
[Congratulations, host! Third burst: White item acquired. Better luck next time!]
After reviewing the results of his five attribute point draws, Ash felt fairly satisfied overall. The Master Ball, for one, was a huge gain—a guaranteed tool to capture any Legendary Pokémon.
Technically, Suicune had submitted to him of its own will, offering no resistance during capture. That's why the Luxury Ball hadn't broken. Otherwise, given Suicune's current strength as a second-tier Legendary, it would've easily broken free. The same could be said for Dragonite.
What truly excited him, though, was the black-tier reward from the triple critical burst: Shave, one of the Six Navy Techniques—a form of super-high-speed movement. With it, his body could move so fast it would seem to vanish entirely from sight.
"Mm!"
A sharp jolt of pain surged through Ash's brain, but it passed quickly. Once it was over, he realized he had fully grasped the technique. Shave relied on explosive force created by stepping on the ground more than ten times in an instant, allowing him to move at nearly imperceptible speed. Of course, due to Ash's current physical limitations, the speed he could achieve would only be comparable to a second-tier Legendary Pokémon.
"Nice... just as I thought—the stronger I get, the more alive I feel," Ash murmured, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Normally, his body wouldn't be able to withstand the strain of using a move like Shave—but since it was a system-generated reward, it came perfectly integrated. Along with it, his physical strength had been upgraded to just the right level: on par with a second-tier Legendary.
"At this rate... maybe the side effects of my Mangekyō Sharingan will lessen, too."
Ash clenched his fist slightly as he thought about his Kaleidoscope Eye. Every time he activated Susanoo, the cellular damage was immense—like being flayed alive from the inside. But now, with his enhanced physical resilience, the toll should be much more manageable.
Thanks to the boost from Shave, Ash no longer felt the weakness and fatigue that usually followed his psychic exertion. His body had recovered fully. Only his eyesight remained unchanged.
"Wait a second..."
Ash's eyes lit up with inspiration. "I already have the Eight Gates Technique, and now one of the Six Navy Techniques—Shave... Why not go catch a Fighting-type Pokémon specialized in hand-to-hand combat?"
The idea thrilled him. For the first time in a while, he felt a powerful sense of direction and momentum.
...
TN:
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