After Gardevoir spoke, her eyes shifted toward Blaine. A faint hostility flickered within them.
Her intelligence far surpassed that of most humans; she understood everything, cause and effect, motivations, consequences. She knew exactly what Blaine had done to her.
Blaine had nearly cost her life several times. Yet she held no resentment for those moments.
Because without Blaine's experiments, she might never have been born with such exceptional talent. Without that strength, she wouldn't be able to help Ash as she did now.
So despite those near-fatal incidents, Gardevoir bore him no grudge.In truth… she was even somewhat grateful.
It was Blaine who gave her such overwhelming potential. It was Blaine who sent her into Ash's hands.
Those two things alone were enough for her to forgive everything else.
What she could not forgive, was what Blaine had just suggested.
He actually wanted Ash to hand her over to the Alliance!
That was something she could never endure. How could someone even propose such a thing? How could such a heartless idea exist?
She hadn't slapped Blaine across the room only because Ash was still present.
She understood that Blaine meant well for her and Ash…But to her, the emotional impact of that suggestion was worse than death. She would rather be drained dry by Mewtwo one day than be separated from Ash.
Besides, she had already asked Ash what he thought, and Ash said he would protect her. Yet this old man dared to "sow discord," trying to separate them?
So Gardevoir spoke up directly, her telepathic voice essentially saying:
"My Trainer already promised to protect me. What are you still trying to stir up, old man?"
To Gardevoir, Ash was someone she believed in with absolute, unconditional trust.
If Ash said he could protect her, then he could. All she had to do was stay by his side, continue growing, and one day become strong enough to rival that Pokémon called Mewtwo.
Then she would protect Ash in return.
No one could have guessed how many thoughts were hidden beneath Gardevoir's gentle tone.
If Blaine could see her inner world, he would be terrified. Women were terrifying, female Pokémon counted too.
But Blaine had no idea what she was thinking. He only sighed, believing Gardevoir was naïve.
Just because Ash said he could protect her, she believed it completely?
Her understanding of the world was too narrow. She hadn't seen its vastness, so she thought her Trainer was invincible merely because he had never lost, and even defeated an Elite.
But reality was much harsher.
"How about this, Ash?" Blaine suddenly said. "You came to challenge the Cinnabar Gym, didn't you? Let's battle."
"Huh?" Ash blinked.
Weren't they in the middle of talking about Mewtwo? Why the sudden challenge?
"Prove to me that you have the strength to protect Gardevoir. If you can't even defeat an old man like me, how can you talk about standing against Team Rocket and Mewtwo? Seeking help from the Alliance is the right choice."
Blaine slid on his sunglasses, expression turning sharp and serious.
"But Blaine… weren't you also the one who didn't seek help from the Alliance? They're literally still searching for you."
Ash's words instantly shattered Blaine's serious façade.
Why did this kid always fixate on strange details?!
It wasn't that he didn't want the Alliance, he couldn't go to them!
If he showed himself, both sides, Team Rocket and the Alliance, would immediately react. That could trigger a catastrophic war. Before finding a concrete way to restrain Mewtwo, he had to stay hidden.
Besides, the fact that he had once joined Team Rocket's research labs was a humiliation to the Alliance. He still had no idea what madness had possessed him back then.
But what was done was done; nothing could change it.When this whole disaster was settled, he might very well be imprisoned by the Alliance.
None of that mattered.
What mattered was resolving the crisis he had created.
That meant Gardevoir absolutely could not be discovered by Mewtwo or Team Rocket. And even if she was discovered, she had to be protected at all costs.
That was why Blaine had insisted Ash seek the Alliance's aid.
Ash wasn't like him, Ash was respected, raised under Professor Oak's wing. If Ash asked the Alliance for help, they would listen.
This was the safest path for him.
But Ash stubbornly believed he could protect Gardevoir.
So Blaine had no choice but to force Ash to face reality, through battle.
And Ash still refused to take the bait, leaving Blaine with a pounding headache.
This young man is far too fearless for his own good!
"However…" Ash said at last, "you're right about one thing. I did come to challenge the Cinnabar Gym. Whether it's to test my strength or to complete the challenge, this battle has to be fought."
Ash stood up, meeting Blaine's gaze head-on, and declared loudly.
Blaine's connection to Ralts's past was an unexpected twist. Even without all of this, Ash would've challenged Blaine anyway, but now, the meaning behind the battle had shifted.
This wasn't just a Gym challenge anymore. This was Blaine's test: Was Ash truly strong enough to protect Gardevoir?
"How about we make a bet?" Blaine said. "If you lose, I'll still give you the Volcano Badge… but you must hand Gardevoir over to Professor Oak so he can send her to the Alliance. She'll stay protected until the Alliance captures Mewtwo or finds a way to deal with it."
"And if you win, you get to keep Gardevoir by your side, and I'll give you this."
Blaine stood up slowly, walked over to a nearby table, pulled open a drawer, and took out a small safe.
He unlocked it.
Inside sat two smooth, crystalline spheres.
Inside them, intricate patterns, like twisting gene chains, glowed faintly. The two orbs were similar in shape but radiated different colors.
Ash's pupils shrank the instant he saw them.
He didn't need an explanation. Even if he didn't know the species they belonged to… he recognized exactly what they were.
MEGA Evolution Stones.
Blaine actually had Mega Stones. Two of them.
"You recognize them?" Blaine asked when he saw Ash's stunned expression.
"I do. Where did you get them?" Ash admitted openly. Considering he might use Mega Evolution in the upcoming battle, there was no need to hide it.
"These two gemstones appeared beside Mewtwo the moment it was born," Blaine explained. "Everyone was overwhelmed by the shock of Mewtwo's birth, so I quietly collected them."
"I'm not sure what they're specifically for, but Mewtwo clearly needs them. They might make it even stronger… or even patch the flaws in its essence. If I give these to you and Mewtwo finds you in the future, you can use them to negotiate with Team Rocket or with Mewtwo itself. If they refuse, destroy them."
Though Blaine's tone was calm, his ruthlessness was unmistakable.He was, after all, the man who created Mewtwo, and tore out its spiritual origin.
His meaning was also clear:
Even if Ash beat him, Blaine didn't truly believe Ash could stand against Team Rocket and Mewtwo. Not when Blaine himself could only survive by remaining hidden.
Unless Ash defeated him overwhelmingly, Ash's fate against a world-scale organization wouldn't be much different from his own.
These two Mega Stones… this "bargaining chip"… was meant to give Ash a sliver of leverage when the worst happened.
Originally, Blaine had planned to keep them for himself. But if a fifteen-year-old like Ash could defeat him?
Then giving the stones to him wasn't unreasonable.
"You said you recognize these. Where did you see something like them? Do you know what they do?" Blaine asked in return.
"As for their effects," Ash said with a small smile, "you'll find out soon enough. Where are we battling? And what are the rules?"
He didn't answer the question.
Blaine clicked his tongue, but didn't press further.
"Fine. Let's go. I'll take you to the battlefield. The regular Cinnabar Gym arena can't be used anymore, but I have another arena nearby, one no one else knows about."
"Wait, Blaine, can I call a friend?" Ash asked. "Oak's grandson. We grew up together. He also wants to battle you. Don't worry, I'll tell him not to bring anyone else and he won't reveal your location."
"Alright."
Blaine agreed without hesitation.
For one, he planned to relocate his base after this battle anyway.For another, the friend Ash mentioned was Professor Oak's grandson, no risk there.
After getting his approval, Ash phoned Gary.
Thirty minutes later, the whole group followed Blaine through narrow paths toward an extremely remote part of the island.
They were approaching the base of the Cinnabar Island volcano, an area nearly no one visited.
Cinnabar Island might be a tourist hotspot, but this region was far too dangerous for casual travelers.
Before Cinnabar Island became a tourist hotspot, it had constantly suffered volcanic eruptions and similar disasters. Even now, the island remained dangerous; warning signs lined the restricted paths, telling tourists not to come anywhere near this area.
If the volcano truly erupted, as long as no one was close to it, evacuating the people in the town below wouldn't be difficult.
Any location famed for tourism would naturally have strong safety measures in place.
And precisely because no one dared to come here, this place served as one of Blaine's secret battlegrounds.
"What kind of place is this, Ash? Can you even battle here?" Gary complained while wiping sweat from his forehead.
The trek was already exhausting, but the closer they got to the volcano, the hotter the air became. For Gary, the temperature was reaching his limit.
Not only that, the entire path uphill was slanted. How was this supposed to be a battlefield? Battles were supposed to take place on level ground!
"We're almost there," Blaine said as he continued upward.
With each step, everyone gradually realized where Blaine's mysterious battlefield might be located.
Ten minutes later, Blaine finally guided them to the summit of the volcano.
There, on the crater's edge, stood multiple small metal platforms, and in the very center hung a massive arena, suspended above the lava by thick iron chains!
This was the battleground Blaine had spoken of.
"Battling on a volcano… That's exactly the style you'd expect from a Fire-type Gym," Brock breathed, stunned by the spectacle.
The chains holding the arena in place were clearly not ordinary metal, and the arena itself must also have been crafted from special materials.
Otherwise, with Cinnabar Island's frequent eruptions, a normal battlefield would've melted into lava instantly.
Even when inactive, the constant heat from the volcano would warp or destroy ordinary materials. If Pokémon battled on such a surface, there was a real risk of stepping onto a collapsing platform. So a reinforced, customized arena was absolutely essential.
"What are the battle rules?"
Ash asked, excitement growing inside him. After defeating Koga, he hadn't faced a powerful Trainer in a long time.
"How about an three-on-three high level match?" Blaine suggested casually.
Ash: ???
Ash turned and stared at Blaine with a baffled expression. Did this old man really just say that?
"Blaine… do you even realize how long I've been traveling?!" Ash shouted. "You want an hugh level three-on-three with me? Have you no shame?!"
Blaine's face reddened slightly, though the shadows of night mercifully hid it.
It was outrageous. Suggesting not only an high level battle, but a three-on-three high battle against a newcomer who had debuted three months ago?
"Ahem… didn't you defeat Koga already?"
"That method can't be reused," Ash huffed. "I don't have the strength to beat a higher level Pokémon right now."
Ash wasn't completely unwilling to fight an high-level match.Now that he had a Mega Evolution stone, he could barely say he had three Pokémon that could fight at that level.
But it wasn't simple. Even a single gap in sub-levels was like the difference between heaven and earth.
If Blaine sent out his Magmar…
What could Ash possibly use to fight that monster?
...
Bonus @600PS
Read chapters ahead @keepsmiling 818 p@reon