Did he still want the position of Johto Elite?
"Ash, I've actually been looking forward to our battle for a long time, but I never expected the battle to turn out like this. I didn't foresee having a three-on-three Elite battle with you, and being pushed to the brink. This Pokemon is my strongest trump card, and if I lose even this match, I should definitely be 'remembered throughout history.'"
Koga said with a sigh and a joking tone, expressing his true feelings.
If he was defeated by a Trainer who debuted just two months ago, and three of his Elite-level Pokemon, including his trump card, were defeated, it wouldn't be remembered throughout history. It might very well be infamy for eternity…
This kind of record would undoubtedly be nailed to history's pillar of shame, so for this battle, whether it was for taking on the role of Johto Elite soon, or for not being "remembered throughout history," he couldn't lose!
"Mr. Koga… good luck." Ash called out Koga's name, and moments later, he cheered for Koga, causing Koga to almost stumble while getting ready to throw the Pokeball.
What did this mean? Ash, his opponent, was cheering for him? Didn't he want to win?
If it were someone else, Koga would definitely think they were mocking him, but truthfully, Ash had also mocked his record.
But given Ash's personality, he shouldn't do this kind of thing. From the first meeting, Ash's impression had been quite good. Even after repeatedly defeating Koga's Pokemon, he hadn't shown an arrogant, mocking expression.
Instead, after each battle, he would immediately come to his Pokemon's side, encourage them, commend them, and then return them to the Pokeball or take them away from the battlefield.
Koga hadn't seen a young person with such character in a long time.
That's why Koga found it strange, wondering what Ash meant by cheering.
Meanwhile, after cheering for Koga, Ash closed his eyes as if he were meditating, but in reality, he had entered the chat group.
...
[Newbie Ash: Guys, I've secured two victories! Koga should use his trump card in the final match, who's up next?]
[Champion Ash: I'll step in. It's been a while since I faced an Elite, I want to relive the feeling.]
[Tactical Ash: Tsk, since you spoke first, I'll let you take it. But next time, let me have a turn. Nobody around here wants to battle with me.]
[Champion Ash: Heh, how many people in the group are willing to battle you?]
[Ash the Aura Guardian: That's incorrect. Didn't I just battle him last time?]
[Champion Ash: And wasn't that when you were so sickened by him you couldn't eat for a day?]
[Ash the Aura Guardian: Haha, both of us were equally miserable.]
[Newbie Ash: Uh-uh, everyone is an 'Ash' here, so don't harm each other. Champion, how should I proceed?]
[Champion Ash: Look at the right side of the chat, there should be an icon lighting up.]
Upon hearing this, Ash's virtual body glanced at the left side of the chat window which had many icons. Previously, no matter how he tried to click or mentally imagine, they wouldn't move.
But now, one of the icons had lit up, a hat-shaped icon, and when Ash pointed to it, countless options appeared before him.
These were the names of each Ash in the group, and now Ash wanted to choose someone to descend upon him.
This was the one-time A-Level ability he had drawn a few days ago, [Top-tier booster].
This ability allowed Ash to select a senior in the group to possess him, train his Pokemon, or help him in battles.
Those arriving weren't just Ash from the Otherworld, but also one of their Pokemon...
Previously, it was mentioned that all items drawn from the chat group wouldn't materialize, such as carry items which couldn't be extracted from the chat.
Thus, allowing a Pokemon from a Parallel World to descend shouldn't be possible either.
But actually, they couldn't descend as entities, but could arrive as energy bodies.
In his first draw, Ash gained Ash the Aura Guardian's Aura Power, and then the chat group infused that power into his body, allowing him to directly possess the strength to contend with Champion-level Pokemon.
The same held true this time. Ash could designate one of his Pokemon to absorb the power of the same-origin Pokemon from the seniors in the group.
Simply put, if Ash chose to have Champion Ash possess him, and he had Charizard, then Ash could choose his Charizard to receive the power of Champion Ash's Charizard.
But this power was one-time, and after the possession period ended, the power attached to the Pokemon would vanish.
At first glance, this seemed useful only in perilous situations or unwinnable battles to help secure a victory, without bringing any substantial improvement to the Pokemon.
Yet with Ash's Aura Power, nothing short of a dual Divine Domain Level would pose a threat.
In terms of unwinnable battles, the victories obtained by relying on others' strength wouldn't count as true victories to Ash. Only unless it's a must-win, like a battle that prevents the world from ending.
Otherwise, even in the Eight Great Masters Championship, any victory through others, even parallel versions of himself, wouldn't be accepted by Ash.
Thus, this ability seemed rather insignificant, but this wasn't entirely true.
This one-time ability, besides aiding in a battle, had an extra effect: the possessed Pokemon would retain a portion of the talent and strength of the possessing Pokemon.
This was the most precious aspect of this one-time ability.
Ash hadn't planned to use this opportunity against Koga, but had he done so at the start, even a one-on-six battle might not guarantee Koga's victory.
Yet the group seniors suggested utilizing this chance at the Fuchsia Gym, although not immediately.
Ash's growth had reached a certain limit. His growth speed was indeed rapid, but it could be faster.
In essence, Ash's potential was boundless. Now, with the existence of the chat group akin to an inherent cheat, if he couldn't become a Champion within a year, it would be inexplicable.
Therefore, to further exhaust Ash's potential, he needed to challenge some challenging battles, such as… facing an Elite.
Simply put, a one-on-one battle wouldn't pressure Ash much, given Pikachu was immensely overpowered, combined with Ash's Aura Fusion. As long as he didn't face a Champion, he had a chance to win.
A two-on-two battle posed some pressure, but Fuchsia Gym had the rule of three-on-three, which was perfect.
This allowed Ash's two Pokemon to experience pressure, having those with a chance to win fight the first two rounds, then the third round would be handled by group seniors.
If Ash defeated two of Koga's Elite-level Pokemon, the third would definitely be his trump card, a perfect opportunity for Ash's Pokemon to experience battling an Elite trump card.
As an opponent, he wasn't that special, but there was no better rival short-term. Plus, Ash's team had a problem child, and this battle served to resolve that child's issues too.
Thus, Ash ultimately decided to engage in the three-on-three Elite battle with Koga.
He planned from the start that if he won two matches against Koga, it would count as his victory. As for the third match, it wasn't his battlefield, and even if he won, it wouldn't count as his win.
After defeating two of Koga's Pokemon, his challenge was concluded, followed by the group seniors' showcase, and that's why Ash told Koga before the battle - good luck!
This wasn't sarcastic or mocking, but genuinely cheering for Koga, because he was about to face perhaps the worst nightmare of his career!