Chapter 561: Let's Try Again
League Calendar Year 204, beginning of the year.
The 32-year-old Cynthia was humming a song while cooking at home.
Mom had already retired from the position of head chef; now the head chefs were Cynthia and Roserade.
Although Cynthia was still unmarried, she already had the charm of a married woman.
As for.
The relationship between Will and Cynthia.
It had entered a subtle state.
"Lucario~ Come eat~"
Cynthia's call came from inside the house.
Will, sitting on the roof, perked his ears up and responded:
"Oh~"
He looked at the photo in his hand.
That crack was still there, but compared to being clearly visible two years ago, it was now just a faint white line.
Although you couldn't see it without looking closely.
However.
The matter from two years ago.
Still inevitably left scars in their respective hearts.
Difficult to erase.
He put the photo away.
Picked up Glaceon, who was playing dead and lying flat on the ground, and walked towards the house.
At the dining table.
"Do you know Ash?"
Cynthia turned to look at Will.
"Of course, I met him in Dahara City two years ago."
Will nodded.
Speaking of Dahara City.
He and Cynthia inevitably fell silent for a moment.
Then.
Cynthia spoke first:
"Ash challenged the Sinnoh League in the second half of last year, won the tournament a few days ago, and plans to challenge us."
"Hm? He didn't go challenge Alola?"
Will glanced at Cynthia in confusion.
"No."
Cynthia shook her head.
This made Will stunned for a moment.
According to the original trajectory.
After Ash suffered a setback in Kalos, he won the Championship in the Alola region the following year.
However, the world has changed a lot now.
It's quite normal for some changes to occur on Ash's side.
Perhaps it was the strength Will displayed in Dahara City two years ago that kept Ash thinking about it, which is why he chose the Sinnoh League again the following year.
He just didn't know.
Whether Ash brought a new team this time or his old Sinnoh team.
He also didn't know if Ash was traveling with old companions or new ones this time.
Anyway, those guys from Team Rocket were most likely still there.
"When and where?"
Will asked.
"Already on the way here. Not an open challenge. That child's strength is quite strong."
"Mm."
Will nodded.
Ash's Pikachu is Champion-level; if he doesn't hold back (plot armor shenanigans), he's still extremely powerful.
As for the other Pokémon, they shouldn't be weak either.
After all, at this point in time...
In the original work, Ash should be participating in the Pokémon World Coronation Series in the second half of this year.
The Pokémon World Coronation Series,
Is a competition in the anime to determine the world's strongest monarch.
Initially, it was suspected to be proposed by the former Champion of the Galar region, Mustard, but in this life, Mustard sat in the Champion seat for a long time and only yielded the position to Leon a few years ago.
Perhaps because of this reason.
The concept of the Pokémon World Coronation Series has not yet been brought up this time.
After eating lunch.
Will helped Cynthia clear the plates.
They looked intimately close, laughing and chatting while they were busy.
It was as if.
They hadn't had a big fight two years ago.
It was as if.
That argument had been completely forgotten.
But was it really so?
In the afternoon.
Ash arrived as promised.
The one who came with him was not Goh, but a person who surprised even Will.
"Paul?"
Cynthia blinked in surprise.
The seventeen-year-old Paul might not look like a handsome guy, but he was indeed a boy with considerable temperament.
He had an inexplicable aura of a stay-at-home husband.
"I came uninvited, sorry for the intrusion, Senior Cynthia, Senior Will."
Paul bowed to Will and Cynthia.
Back when Paul was traveling in the Sinnoh region.
He accidentally bumped into Will and Cynthia while they were executing a mission and helped out a little bit.
As a reward.
They agreed to Paul's battle request.
Will personally took the field, sweeping all six of his Pokémon and making Paul doubt his life, simultaneously earning Paul's absolute respect.
There was another point.
That was Paul's older brother—Reggie.
The 'genius' who was taught a lesson by Will and Cynthia back then, later embarked on a journey with the goal of becoming the most excellent trainer.
Not a battle trainer.
But a Pokémon Breeder.
At that time, Paul thought his brother was an incompetent person, simply losing heart just because he lost to Cynthia, so he also always took Cynthia as his goal.
He wanted to personally defeat Cynthia to prove his own will to his brother.
Until later when he met Ash.
Paul changed.
He understood Reggie and respected his choice.
At the same time, he was even more grateful to Will and Cynthia for helping his brother find the right path.
"Lucario! Long time no see! And Miss Cynthia, nice to meet you!"
Ash greeted them very energetically.
He still wasn't used to calling Will by his name.
"Pika pi!"
Pikachu also waved.
"Hello, welcome to Celestic Town."
Cynthia, as the host, nodded to them,
"Come inside and sit first?"
"Can we have a battle first?!"
Ash stepped forward excitedly.
Incredible.
Even though he had already been traveling for seven years, Ash's passion for battling and Pokémon was not diminished in the slightest, perhaps even more so than before.
Simply a born trainer's holy physique.
Simply...
A genius on a different level.
"No problem."
Cynthia nodded with a smile.
She didn't dislike these energetic youths, nor did she mind displaying the demeanor and strength of a Champion.
"Great, Pikachu! We can challenge Lucario!"
"Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a glance.
There seemed to be a raging fire burning in their two pairs of eyes.
Paul glanced at Ash, then at Cynthia.
A rare look of excitement also appeared in his eyes.
One side is the great senior he respects.
The other side is the rival he acknowledges.
Can Ash defeat Cynthia?
Paul believes...
There is a chance of winning.
But it's not big.
And the reason...
Paul's gaze couldn't help falling on the Lucario beside Cynthia.
Just standing there, without having to do anything.
It could make him recall that kind of oppressive feeling from a few years ago.
Completely having no idea how to win.
Before coming.
Paul had already borrowed his brother's Lucario and gave Ash some special training.
But...
The gap was too huge.
That is to say, the gap between Lucarios was too huge.
Only those who have personally battled Will know that just a single word 'Lucario' cannot be used to describe him.
Otherwise.
Will's name wouldn't be specifically recorded in the Pokémon League, specially separated from other Lucarios.
On the grassland outside Celestic Town.
Paul acted as the referee, announcing the special rules:
"A 6v6 full battle. Both sides must disclose the participating Pokémon in advance."
Disclosing Pokémon in advance.
This is a 'gameplay' method in the Pokémon Battle Club, and also a relatively popular new rule in recent years.
Probably to make trainers start the mental game before the battle even begins.
To think about which Pokémon the opponent might send out first.
And then their own side makes predictions and targeted choices.
The addition of this rule strengthened the trainers' sense of participation and also placed higher demands on the trainers' minds and experience.
"No problem! Everyone, come out! These are my side's players!"
Ash grinned.
Threw the five Poké Balls at his waist together.
Swish x5!
Five flashes of white light passed.
When Will saw Ash's lineup, his cheeks couldn't help twitching.
These were clearly the Aces from each of Ash's teams in his first six regional travels.
Charizard, Sceptile, Infernape, Greninja, Lycanroc. (Wait, Alola was the 7th gen, but the author says first six regions. The text also mentions Greninja, Charizard, Infernape, Sceptile, which are Kanto/Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos. Usually Krookodile is Unova's ace. Anyway, the author implies his strongest regional aces).
To say these six combined are definitely Ash's strongest lineup?
That's certainly not necessarily the case.
Including Snorlax, Swellow, these all have the qualifications to compete with these six for status.
Especially the former Snorlax, its win rate under Ash is 80%.
However.
These six indeed have the qualifications to compete for the strongest lineup.
Especially since right now there are no strong players like Lycanroc (Wait, he hasn't traveled Alola yet, so he shouldn't have Lycanroc. The author previously said "no Lycanroc, Sirfetch'd yet"), Sirfetch'd yet.
And from another perspective, just talking about the popularity king of each generation.
These six.
Without a doubt.
"You should be very clear about my side."
Cynthia didn't know what Will was thinking, just smiled warmly.
She summoned Garchomp and the other five Pokémon.
The first team.
Also Will's five strongest companions.
Even the weakest Gastrodon now has a full level of Lv. 85.
Inside the team.
Gastrodon is just a little sister.
But outside.
Who wouldn't have to call her 'Big Sister'?
"I'll take the first match."
Will tossed his hand and stepped forward.
Having been in the Pokémon world for so long, it's rare to have a chance for a head-on showdown with Ash. He didn't plan on letting his companions take it.
If he let them.
Then there might be no opportunity for Will to make a move.
"Alright! Pikachu, I choose you!"
"Pika!"
Seeing Cynthia send out her ace right away.
Ash also immediately sent out his most trusted partner, Pikachu.
Ace vs Ace.
"Battle begin."
Paul looked at both sides ready for battle, so he nodded and waved his hand.
However, after the voice fell.
Neither side moved.
Will and Cynthia planned to show the demeanor of a Champion, letting Ash and Pikachu make the first move.
But Ash and Pikachu froze in place:
"? Miss Cynthia, aren't you going to use Mega Evolution?"
Hearing Ash's words.
Will and Cynthia were stunned for a moment, their expressions slightly stiff.
And Paul also tilted his head, feeling strange.
If it were him.
He would also specifically wait a bit at the beginning, waiting for Cynthia to let Lucario undergo Mega Evolution before battling.
Because only that Lucario is its most powerful state.
Only battling that kind of Will is the battle they truly want.
Looking at the expectant gazes of the two youths.
Will turned his head slightly, preparing to say something.
But he heard Cynthia behind him say softly:
"Let's try again."
Let's try again.
This phrase, in these past two years, they had said to each other no less than a hundred times.
"Okay."
Will nodded.
He closed his eyes, devoting all his effort into it.
In the past.
He didn't need to do this.
Deliberately closing his eyes, emptying his mind or whatever, was purely redundant.
But now...
"Mega Evolve!"
Cynthia pointed the ring on her hand at Will.
White light mixed with rainbow colors flashed past, and dazzling light also lit up on Will's body.
Ash and Paul widened their eyes simultaneously, full of expectation.
However, when the white light dissipated.
Appearing in place was still that Lucario.
No change at all.
Will and Cynthia fell silent at the same time.
Failed again.
So.
That argument.
Was it really forgotten?
No.
It was always there.
It was just temporarily covered up by this warm daily life.
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