After Ash organized his thoughts for a while, he finally found the reason.
The difference between capturing Dragonite this time and capturing his other Pokémon was simple—he had fought Dragonite.
Among all the Pokémon Ash had caught so far, except for Pidgeotto and Squirtle, the rest had joined him voluntarily.
As for Pidgeotto and Squirtle, one had been defeated in battle and lost its ability to fight, while the other had been hypnotized and captured peacefully afterward.
In both cases, the system had already given him the reward beforehand.
So, Ash had never realized until now that if he fought a Pokémon but didn't knock it unconscious, then subdued it afterward—
The system would still treat that as a victory.
Now it was clear.
The entry system's judgment of "defeat" wasn't limited to total knockouts.
As long as there was a true battle and the Pokémon was subdued, all dropped items would be counted.
Furthermore, the same Pokémon wouldn't drop another item again within three days.
That was why Ash had never bothered to catch wild Pokémon in the middle of fights before.
But now, after taming the super ancient Dragonite, he had learned something new.
The entry would still drop.
And this time, he had struck gold—literally.
Getting a golden entry from an Elite-level Dragonite was extremely rare.
Normally, the minimum guaranteed drop would be a red entry.
Only Champions or Pokémon above that level would guarantee a gold drop every time.
For others, the odds were almost nonexistent.
It reminded Ash of when he had defeated Meowth before and somehow obtained the golden "Evergreen Strength" entry.
That had been pure luck, a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.
But this new entry seemed almost destined for Dragonite.
Though other Dragon or Flying Pokémon like Salamence could also use it,
Ash currently only had one Pokémon with both Dragon and Flying attributes—Dragonite herself.
So without hesitation, he loaded the entry directly onto her.
With that, Dragonite's full power was now at a level comparable to a quasi-Champion.
If she went all out, even winning against one wasn't impossible.
After Dragonite returned to her smaller form, Misty and Serena finally processed what had happened.
When they saw the now-normal-sized Dragonite greeting them cheerfully beside Ash and Pikachu,
They couldn't hold back their emotions any longer.
They ran up to Ash and threw their arms around him.
"Ash! You're okay!"
"We were so worried about you!"
Feeling the warmth of their embrace and the faint scent of the sea mixed with their perfume, Ash froze.
He didn't quite know what to do with his hands.
He was fine, wasn't he?
Why were they so worked up?
Finally, he gave a small laugh and gently patted their backs.
"Alright, I'm fine, see? But if anyone deserves the worry, it's Pikachu! He was the one actually fighting Dragonite."
The moment he said that, Pikachu immediately bolted off.
"Pika!!"
Trying to shift the blame, huh? Not today!
Misty and Serena looked up just in time to see Pikachu running away.
Then they looked at Ash's awkward face up close and suddenly burst into laughter.
Their bright laughter echoed like silver bells in the salty breeze.
"Next time we run into danger, I'll stand beside you, Ash! I won't run away again!"
"Me too! We'll face it together!"
Both girls released Ash from their embrace but didn't let go of his hands.
Their fingers intertwined with his, and their words carried a quiet determination—like a solemn vow.
Ash hesitated for a moment, then smiled and gently squeezed their hands.
"I understand. Then I'll teach you both until you can fight on your own. When that time comes, it'll be your turn to protect me."
"Hehe, don't worry, Ash. Just stay behind me when that time comes!"
"That's right! Serena and I will protect you next time!"
Before Ash could respond, a familiar voice interrupted the tender atmosphere.
"Ahem, sorry to break up your little moment, but Ash—can you tell me what's going on with that Dragonite? I just can't sit still anymore!"
The warm, intimate mood froze instantly.
Ash instinctively let go of both girls' hands and turned toward Professor Bill, looking slightly embarrassed.
Misty and Serena, on the other hand, looked absolutely furious.
Why now, of all times?!
Couldn't he have waited just a few more minutes?
The atmosphere had just started to feel warm, the perfect moment between them—and now it was gone.
Especially for Serena.
When their journey had just begun, before Misty joined them, Ash would sometimes hold her hand without hesitation.
But ever since Misty became part of the group, even Serena felt shy about such things.
Moments like these were rare—precious, even.
And Professor Bill had ruined it in an instant.
Ash sighed and walked over to explain Dragonite's situation to Bill, leaving the two girls standing side by side.
Misty and Serena exchanged looks, their eyes filled with mixed emotions.
It wasn't long before Misty broke eye contact first, blushing slightly and looking away.
She already knew about the subtle connection between Ash and Serena.
From the start, Serena had shown feelings for him.
Misty didn't want to compete, but lately, she couldn't help but act the same way—
Saying things that went beyond normal friendship.
She wasn't trying to be bold, but she couldn't suppress her emotions either.
Serena noticed Misty's unease, thought for a moment, then smiled gently and leaned closer.
"Hey, come here," she whispered, pulling Misty by the arm and saying something softly near her ear.
Misty's eyes widened, then softened, and the tension between them seemed to fade.
...
When Ash finally finished talking to Professor Bill and returned, Dragonite's Poké Ball now secure on his belt,
He found Misty and Serena walking toward him hand in hand, smiling mysteriously.
Ash blinked, confused. "What's going on? Why are you two suddenly so cheerful?"
"Hehe, we won't tell you!" Serena giggled.
"This is a girl's secret," Misty added playfully, sticking her tongue out.
Ash scratched his head, completely baffled, and decided not to question it further.
Women's secrets were more terrifying than any Pokémon battle anyway.
Instead, he walked back into the half-destroyed Bill Lighthouse and contacted Professor Oak,
reporting everything that had happened with the super ancient Dragonite and the new golden entry.
The adventure might have ended for the night, but something between the three of them had definitely changed.
(End of Chapter 43)