Although the dream of becoming a Pokémon Master isn't as deeply rooted, making a name for himself has always been buried in Ash's heart.
However, now that he's truly famous, Ash feels somewhat at a loss.
The moment he stepped out, he was surrounded by a crowd that bombarded him with questions, and some uncouth individuals even tried to snatch his Pikachu away. If this is what fame brings, he would rather not be famous!
"Actually, Ash, the problem is that you have the fame, but you don't have the corresponding position and strength," Brock explained from the side.
"Look at Mr. Koga, or other Celestial King Champions; even if they don't bring bodyguards, the crowd drawn by their fame wouldn't dare to do anything to them. In fact, they would politely ask for photos and autographs, not causing the chaos like now."
"This is the result of their status. The position of Celestial King Champion makes many people admire and revere them, yet not dare to act recklessly. But Ash, you're different, you... only have fame!"
Hearing this, Ash rubbed his head helplessly. Is this a typical case of status not matching fame? Has he become an example?
It seems like in the future, he will need to keep a low profile when going out, at least until he wins the Quartz Conference championship.
"By the way, Ash, what's the deal with Bulbasaur? And when did Pikachu learn those two special moves? What's with Charizard's colorful flames? You're not hiding things from even us, are you?" Misty bombarded Ash with questions after catching her breath.
This battle not only left Koga bewildered, but even they couldn't understand it at all!
After all, they've been Ash's companions, walking side by side for two months. Ash has only been active for two months, so they've been with him from the start, inseparable.
Yet every time Ash battles, he pulls out things they are completely unaware of—Cerulean Gym's partner form, Vermilion Gym's Surf, Saffron... well, they know a bit about Saffron, but evolving two Pokémon during the Celadon Gym battle is something else, and the most significant being this time at the Fuchsia Gym!
All three Pokémon displayed unprecedented moves and powers. Since when did Ash train his Pokémon to this level?
Hearing this, Ash scratched his head awkwardly, then presented the explanation he had prepared in advance.
"Charizard's flame is the Sacred Fire, yes, exactly, Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire. Since the Rainbow Wing has been on Charizard for a long time, he inherited this flame, but previously he couldn't use it. This time, under the pressure of an Elite Level Pokémon, he finally managed to execute it with difficulty. Completely mastering this flame is just a matter of time."
A colorful fire is Ho-Oh's fire... Although they had already speculated, hearing it from Ash's mouth still left them incredibly shocked!
It's the Divine Flame, and it's mastered by a Charizard, an Elite Level Pokémon!
No wonder he could use this flame to surpass levels and defeat an Elite Level Pokémon.
"As for Pikachu's skills... they were discovered not too long ago. Floaty Fall can let Pikachu fly for a short time, but the duration is very brief. Rather than flying, it's more like floating, so I named it Floaty Fall."
"Pika Papow is a move whose power is determined by the bond between Pikachu and me. Theoretically, the bond has no upper limit, so the move theoretically has no upper limit either. For now, the power is at least stronger than Thunder, and when using the move, the opponent is locked on by the lightning, so this move has a guaranteed hit effect."
Floaty Fall, Pika Papow, both are incredibly exaggerated moves. One allows Pikachu to fly in the air, though briefly, the strategic significance of just this point is much more important than the strength of its power.
Pika Papow is a guaranteed hit move with no limit.
And with Splishy Splash and Zippy Zap... can a Pikachu really have such a skillset? Isn't it too outrageous? Could this Pikachu really not be some Legendary Beast reborn?
Moreover, an ordinary Legendary Beast rebirth shouldn't be able to achieve this, it would need to be a Legendary Beast like Mew.
Ash ignored Misty and Brock's shocked expressions and continued: "As for Bulbasaur's power-up, didn't you hear Mr. Koga say it just now? It was provided by Victini, who is said to be a mythical beast known as the God of Victory, granting infinite power to trainers who yearn for victory!"
"But why did Victini come to you? Didn't Mr. Koga say Victini usually appears in the Unova Region?"
"Well, who knows where mythical beasts appear! Don't Legendary Beasts and mythical beasts love freedom and flying around? Maybe Victini was traveling to Kanto, saw me striving for victory in the first two battles, and bestowed me with power!" Ash said, lying through his teeth.
This Victini excuse was naturally found by Champion Ash for him. In fact, he didn't even know what Victini is, nor did he understand what Xerneas, mentioned by Champion Ash before leaving, was as a Legendary Beast.
These things could be learned from the group chats later; for now, he could temporarily use them as top-tier booster excuses.
But after Koga explained about Victini, Ash also understood why Champion Ash used Victini as an excuse. If the abilities were really as legendary as they say, then its capability would equate to an Aura Fusion promax version.
Even raising Bulbasaur to Champion level would be considered normal by those in the know, much more acceptable than the 'possessed by a spirit' explanation.
"No, wait. If Victini only came after you won two battles, then what were you planning to defeat Mr. Koga with in the proposed 3v3?" Misty continued questioning.
Ash shrugged, showing a helpless expression: "I never thought I could win against Koga's three Pokémon. If Gengar had been brought along, there might have been a chance, but without Gengar, it's unwinnable. I just wanted to use Mr. Koga's Pokémon to give some pressure and boost to my partners, but unexpected surprises happened faster than planned."
Misty rolled her eyes and said sarcastically: "Only you would think of using Elite Level Pokémon as grindstones. Aren't you afraid of breaking your grindstone?"
"My partners aren't that fragile. Let's treat Charizard and then be on our way." Ash said, releasing Charizard and using the Power of Viridian to heal both Charizard and Pikachu.
...
This battle was indeed significant for Ash, firstly with Charizard advancing by one level, crossing from Elite Peak to Professional Level!
Charizard reached Elite Peak less than two days ago. Logically, to cross such a major stage, even with Ash's methods and Charizard's training intensity, it would require at least more than ten days.
Now, a single match allowed Charizard to cross over, and it hardly affected its ability values, which almost increased with maximum values!
This match itself was not easy; winning relied on Charizard struggling hard, and such a boost was merely what Charizard deserved.
Pikachu also advanced from Professional Junior Level to Professional Middle Level, and Bulbasaur had the greatest improvement. This battle's progress was more than usual for half a month, even equivalent to three or four months for ordinary trainers.