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'Is this Viridian Power?'
Ash felt the power flowing within him, completely different from Aura, and was comparing the two.
Compared to Aura, Viridian Power was much gentler and had no offensive capabilities.
Normal Aura also had no offensive capabilities, but if one wanted to use Aura to attack, it would transform into the sharpest blade. If one wanted to use Aura for defense, it would become the most solid barrier.
However, Viridian Power couldn't do that. This thing couldn't transform into any form; it could only flow as energy.
An A-rank Viridian Power, in terms of both quality and quantity, was incomparable to the Aura within him.
But that was only when compared to Aura. If one were to measure Viridian Power's strength by Pokémon levels, Ash felt it was at least a bit stronger than the power existing within an Elite-level Alakazam.
In other words, this power could even heal Champion-level Pokémon.
Previously, a major drawback for Ash was that if he encountered a severely injured Pokémon, he could only barely keep it alive with Aura.
Like Charmander before, if it weren't for the rainbow wing, all he could have done was use Aura to forcibly stabilize Charmander's Aura. Even after reaching the Pokémon Center, its condition would still have been very dangerous.
Riolu was perfectly suited for Aura, which was why it could be saved by Aura.
If it were another Pokémon in Riolu's situation, even with Ash's formidable Aura, it would have been a hopeless case.
Now, after obtaining Viridian Power, that situation could finally change.
In terms of healing, Viridian Power could absolutely leave Aura in the dust!
With this, Riolu's recovery time could also be shortened significantly. It would have originally taken nearly twenty days, but now... well, he'd know after trying it.
Furthermore, if his Pokémon were injured in the wild, Ash could now mobilize Viridian Power to treat them.
In the future, he could be given a nickname — Miraculous Healer!
"Hey, Ash, are you too tired? Why are you grinning like an idiot?" Misty looked at Ash, who was inexplicably smiling, and couldn't help but shiver.
Drinking a beverage and suddenly showing such a strange smile, could he be possessed by a ghost?
"Hm? Cough cough, nothing, just thought of something happy."
"What happy thing?"
"Uh, it's just that a power suddenly awakened within me, which is quite beneficial for Pokémon's healing and recovery," Ash could only briefly explain one function of Viridian Power.
After all, if he knew all of its abilities without even using this power, that would be too strange.
Even so, Misty and Brock looked at Ash as if he were a monster.
"No way, buddy, you just took a tiny nap, and then you're saying you've awakened another power? Are you kidding me!"
"What, did battling Sabrina open up your meridians?"
"God, he awakened another new power. He says it as simply as 'I just drank a bottle of mineral water.'"
"It's completely illogical, alright!"
"It's true, let me show you," Ash said, placing his hand on Pikachu. Pikachu on the table looked at Ash's hand curiously, with some confusion on its face.
The next second, a surge of power transmitted to its body!
"Pika~~~" A comfortable groan came from Pikachu. That feeling was like eating an ice cream on a sweltering summer day, incredibly refreshing!
Its slightly sore feet from walking were now completely free of any ache, as if it had rested overnight in an Pokémon Center's recovery machine, incredibly satisfying!
Seeing the extremely comfortable expression on Pikachu's face, Misty and Brock exchanged glances.
"No way? He really awakened a new ability!"
"You try too, Misty," Ash said, moving his palm from Pikachu's body and placing it on Misty's hand, which was holding a cold drink.
Misty's face flushed slightly. How did this guy get so used to holding hands now? Don't say this doesn't count as holding hands; how can it not count when he's gripping it?
Before Misty could speak, a warm current surged from her palm to her heart, flowing through her limbs and bones. The fatigue from walking most of the day seemed to be released in that instant.
"Ah~~~ Mph!!" Misty realized something was off the moment she cried out, then quickly covered her mouth with her other hand, forcibly stifling the rest of the sound.
This sound, coming from Pikachu, was fine, but coming from her, it had a very peculiar feeling, easily misinterpreted.
Just looking at Brock's strange expression, one could tell. He looked at Ash, then at Misty, his expression gradually changing.
Seeing this, Misty's face turned crimson as she released her mouth, saying with a hint of exasperation, "Ash, let Brock experience it too."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
"Ah~~~~ Mph!!" Brock, feeling the same sensation, also quickly covered his mouth. He finally understood why Misty had made that strange sound; this thing was truly comfortable!
What on earth kind of power did Ash awaken? How could it make people so comfortable? Just the energy flowing into the body was like getting a full body massage, too intense!
"Now you believe me, right? I really did awaken a new power," Ash said, releasing Brock's hand with a smile.
The two exchanged glances, then both nodded. They couldn't disbelieve it; the comfort was undeniable. It was a power completely different from Aura, and it had significant benefits for both Pokémon and humans.
"This is incredible. How did you suddenly awaken a power, Ash? Are you the reincarnation of some legendary Pokémon?"
"Don't even say it, he's good at battling, has so many strange powers, and can even talk to Pokémon. You might really have been a legendary Pokémon in your past life."
The two spoke in unison, while Ash refuted them with a helpless expression.
What reincarnation? These were all powers he gained through 'his own' efforts, alright!
His parallel world self was still himself.
Regarding this power, Misty and Brock had no clue. Although Ash knew it was Viridian Power, he couldn't just blurt it out. He could only find information about Viridian Power later and then bring it up opportunistically.
The matter of Ash gaining new abilities was quickly set aside. By then, they had finished their shopping and rested. With Ash using Viridian Power to restore them, they were now full of energy.
So the trio decided to continue on to the next Gym.
Celadon Gym was not far from Saffron Gym. If they were quick, they could arrive in less than a week, as long as they didn't get lost... The trio first went to the Pokémon Center. Ash reported his victory at the Saffron Gym to Professor Oak and sent Gengar back to Oak's Laboratory.
At this time, Gengar hadn't reverted to its Gastly form, perhaps finding it too troublesome to keep changing back and forth, so it simply maintained its Gengar form.
After sending Gengar back and receiving Pidgeotto, Ash told Professor Oak to treat Gengar before hanging up the phone.
Professor Oak had originally wanted to ask for details about the battle, but he was met with a black screen.
This made Professor Oak roll his eyes helplessly, then he released Gengar.
One of the parties involved was gone, but wasn't there still one? Not a party, but a ghost involved would also work... Ash's group once again embarked on the road to Celadon City. He first gave the purchased weighted vests to Pikachu and Charmeleon.
The weighted vests were only for three Pokémon: Kirlia, Pikachu, and Charmeleon.
Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pidgeotto couldn't wear them; even if they could, it would look strange. As for Riolu, it hadn't recovered at all and couldn't even do basic training, let alone use a weighted vest.
Among the three Pokémon, Kirlia was passed over because the little one wasn't a close-combat type to begin with. Even if it trained with a weighted vest, the effect wouldn't be as good as for close-combat loving Charmeleon and Pikachu.
Of course, in reality, this was all due to Ash's lack of money. If he had money, he wouldn't care about suitability or priority; all Pokémon would just get them!
Money isn't everything, but not having money is truly impossible!
So Ash had already started thinking about ways to earn money, which was wild gambling battles, or 'wild battles' for short!
Wild battles were common occurrences in the wild. Ash had previously battled many wild Trainers, but he had rarely gambled.
On one hand, Ash was just a Rookie Trainer at that time, belonging to the lowest rung of society. If he encountered a slightly stronger Trainer, wouldn't he lose his pants?
On the other hand, Ash didn't have a gambling habit. Delia had told him from a young age not to get involved in such a bad habit as gambling.
However, after being out for a while, Ash realized that wild gambling battles weren't really gambling. Gambling relies on luck, while these wild battles rely on skill and strength, so how could they be called gambling?
The real reason, however, was still a lack of money... And Brock and Misty didn't object; in fact, they encouraged him to engage in wild battles. This kind of high-pressure battle could better push the limits of both Trainer and Pokémon, which was also very helpful for personal growth, so it wasn't a bad thing.
These various reasons led to the emergence of a 'killing god' on the road between Saffron City and Celadon City... Six days later, at noon—
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!!"
"Pidgeotto, quickly dodge!"
A young man in his twenties commanded his Pidgeotto, which had already been knocked to the ground, to dodge, but the scorch marks on Pidgeotto's body proved how severe the attack it had just sustained was.
At this moment, Pidgeotto struggled even to flap its wings, let alone dodge.
The scorching orange-red flames directly enveloped Pidgeotto. A moment later, the flames dissipated, revealing the Pidgeotto on the ground, charred black.
"The match is decided. Charmeleon wins." Brock waved his hand, declaring the victor.
The young man slumped down, his eyes somewhat vacant, an expression of disbelief on his face: "How... how could I lose to a newcomer who's only been out for a little over a month? How is this possible..."
Ash walked up to Pidgeotto, whose feathers were scorched black and whose body even faintly emitted a slight aroma. He placed his hand on it, and the Viridian Power within him surged.
A few seconds later, Pidgeotto's condition had improved significantly; at least, its life was no longer in danger.
After obtaining Viridian Power, Ash no longer had to worry about holding back in many battles. Before, he was afraid of severely injuring the opponent's Pokémon and not having an Pokémon Center nearby.
Now, he didn't have to think about such things; he could perform the treatment himself, just like now.
"Nothing's impossible. Many people have lost to me on this journey. The agreed-upon five thousand Pokedollar, give it to me." Ash said, as he picked up Pidgeotto and brought it to the young man, while also asking for the spoils of this battle.
"Many people have lost to you? Are you that 'Wild Battle Killer' that's been widely rumored recently?!"
Ash: ...What the heck, 'Wild Battle Killer' has even appeared.
Who came up with that nickname?
"I don't know any 'Wild Battle Killer.' I'm just a Rookie Trainer. Here, this is your Pidgeotto. I've given it preliminary treatment, so its life isn't in danger. However, it's wrong not to check on your Pokémon immediately after a battle, you should remember that."
Being lectured by someone several years younger than him, the young man showed a wry smile on his face, then took Pidgeotto: "I understand, thank you for the reminder. Here, this is five thousand."
The young man pulled out five thousand Pokedollar from his spatial backpack and handed it to Ash. Ash didn't count it, directly stuffing it into his own backpack, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face.
The money earned from this gambling battle was relatively substantial. Most people usually only had one or two thousand; those who dared to bet five thousand were a minority among minorities.
Only those extremely confident in their own strength, or those who thought they had encountered an easy target, would bet so much.
And Ash's identity as a Rookie Trainer was the best disguise for outsiders.
Even if others saw Ash's Pokémon Pokedex and knew he wasn't an ordinary newcomer, upon seeing the one and a half months of travel time on Ash's Pokedex, they would happily agree to gamble battle with Ash.
The result was predictable: they were beaten so badly they couldn't find their way home!
In just six days, Ash, relying on this Rookie Trainer identity, managed to rake in nearly 100,000 Pokedollar on the road from Saffron City to Celadon City!
The number of people he battled in six days exceeded sixty!
If it weren't for Ash's Viridian Power, his Pokémon probably couldn't have endured such continuous battles.
It was also because of these Crazy battles that Ash's reputation gradually spread along this road—'Wild Battle Killer,' this name was indeed for Ash!
It's estimated that if Ash stayed on this road a little longer, he would become a well-known figure. At that point, even his Rookie Trainer identity wouldn't be effective anymore.