In the Black World —
Seeing Ash's anger, Misty and Sabrina also tried to calm him down. Thinking about those bullies wouldn't help now. It was better to get Lapras back for treatment quickly. After all, Lapras's injuries looked quite serious.
"I'll administer some emergency treatment!"
With that, Ash took off his backpack and pulled out a bottle of potion.
Previously, Brock had been primarily responsible for medical treatment and meals. But Ash had always been learning on the sidelines! So that one day, after Brock left, he could manage on his own. Now, that choice seemed incredibly correct.
Moreover, beyond basic first aid, Ash had also learned a more advanced medical technique during this time! One that only he could perform.
"Lapras, bear with me, this might sting a little..."
Saying that, Ash stroked the top of Lapras's head with one hand, while carefully spraying the potion onto its wounds with the other.
Being touched, combined with the sting of the treatment, caused Lapras to cry out in pain and struggle. It butted its head hard against Ash's hand. Fortunately, Ash had braced himself, otherwise Lapras's head might have gained another wound.
"It's okay, Lapras. I'm not a bad person. I'm here to help you..."
As he spoke, a faint blue glow emanated from Ash's hand as he stroked Lapras again.
The moment the glow made contact, it was as if a tranquilizer had been administered. Lapras not only stopped struggling but became unusually calm. Ash's eyes had narrowed in concentration at some point.
Misty and Sabrina watched Lapras stop struggling and let out a sigh of relief. It was the power of Aura again! Truly the ability to communicate with Pokémon. Of course, the most important thing was that Ash's own sincere concern for Lapras had been transmitted to its heart.
All that was needed now was to take Lapras back to the Pokémon Center to recover...
Just as the two were thinking this, the bullies who had been wailing on the ground finally recovered. Once they stood up, they immediately directed their anger at Ash, who was next to Lapras.
"You brat! Was that you just now?!"
"How dare you do that to us!"
"Do you even know who we are?! We're the ace bullies about to challenge the Southern Cross Star!"
Misty: "..."
Are these guys idiots? Since Ash could knock them over like that in the blink of an eye, they hadn't even grasped the difference in their strength. Oh, right, Ash didn't use Pokémon; it was a physical strike... Could it be they're confident in their Pokémon's strength?
Ash slowly opened his eyes. He first gave the three an indifferent glance, causing them to involuntarily fall silent. Then he turned back to look tenderly at the Lapras before him.
"Feeling better now?"
"Lapraaaas~"
Lapras gently nuzzled Ash's palm at that moment, letting out a light, happy sound.
Misty and Sabrina then noticed that most of the numerous, serious wounds on Lapras's body had vanished! The few remaining wounds were minor enough for Lapras to recover from naturally, which also wouldn't take long.
But... how was this done? Just relying on potion was impossible to achieve this effect!
Seeing the surprised looks on the girls' faces, Ash smiled and explained.
"This is a new ability I discovered recently. By channeling my Aura into another Pokémon, or even another living being, I can accelerate the healing of their injuries! As for the principle... it's probably because Aura is the fundamental energy of life. By giving them some of my Aura, I'm briefly accelerating their life processes, speeding up their recovery."
Sabrina & Misty: "..."
Too esoteric. Can't understand at all.
"Haha, anyway, just think of it as me helping other Pokémon use Recover without any side effects!"
One thing Ash didn't mention was that this method consumed his own Aura. If he overused his Aura, he would... die! So, while it looked powerful, it was actually a move he couldn't use too often. But if used well, it could save a life! Simply healing a Pokémon's injuries like this didn't cost too much, though.
[Korrina: Whoa! Learned something new!]
[Raihan: Well, new knowledge acquired!]
[Caitlin: Huh? Raihan, you can't do this?]
[Raihan: I'm ashamed to admit, other than using Aura Sphere and simple telepathy and Aura barriers, I don't know any of the other skills Black World Ash uses.]
Although Raihan was embarrassed to say it, in reality, those three skills Raihan did know were things 99% of the world's trainers coveted! Having self-defense abilities and being able to communicate with Pokémon—with these, becoming a great trainer wasn't hard at all! As for Black Ash's abilities... one could only say that not just people, but even Pokémon wished they were that capable! It was simply变态 within a变态!
[Mewtwo: This skill is very different from Recover.]
[Mewtwo: Recover uses the user's own energy to heal superficial physical injuries. Don't be fooled by the healing; it actually consumes a lot of stamina and the user's own vitality.]
[Mewtwo: But Aura power is different! This power can heal a Pokémon from the inside out. Not only can it mend injuries, but it can even restore stamina and vitality!]
Mewtwo explained the difference between Aura power and Recover to everyone. Simply put, Recover was just patching up the surface. But Aura power could restore a Pokémon's energy from the inside out! It was like a panacea!
[Lance: That powerful? Are there any side effects?]
Giovanni had said before that powerful moves always came with risks. Ash's Aura Fusion caused him to share damage equally with his Pokémon, damage that bypassed his tempered physique. So, what was the danger of this powerful healing move?
[Mewtwo: The danger is indeed significant. I can also use Aura. If I transmit Aura to others or Pokémon as Black World Ash described, it consumes a large amount of my own Aura.]
[Mewtwo: Carelessly overusing Aura won't just shorten one's lifespan; it can even cause one's life force to dissipate! Because Aura is the source of a person's life!]
[Mewtwo: The 'Aura Guardian' you speak of is just a human who controls Aura. No matter how strong Black World Ash is, he is still human. Once his Aura is exhausted, he will... die.]
Hiss—
Mewtwo's words made people around the world gasp! Outstanding contribution to global warming. Even if powerful moves came with risks, this was too risky! Could you really heal yourself to death by healing others?
[Mewtwo: Don't worry too much. The amount of Aura transferred is your own decision. I don't think Black World Ash is so foolish as to sacrifice his life for others.]
Mewtwo paused for a few seconds before adding.
[Mewtwo: Wait a minute. If the subject is Ash... Pretend I didn't say that just now.]
Don't be fooled by Black World Ash's calm demeanor. Just look at White World Ash. The essence of both Ashes was the same. If White World Ash would act to sacrifice himself for a Pokémon, Black World Ash definitely would too! To avoid being proven wrong, Mewtwo decided to add a layer of insurance.
In the Black World —
Ash stroked Lapras's neck while looking at the trio of bullies who now didn't dare speak.
"Well... next up is you!"
"You said you're so awesome, right? How about a battle with Lapras?"
"I don't care what kind of trainers you are, challenging the Southern Cross Star or not. Bullying the weak, tormenting Pokémon—that's just wrong!"
"If Lapras wins, not only will you apologize to it, but you'll also stop doing bad things from now on!"
The three bullies exchanged glances, then forced down the fear in their hearts and continued shouting at Black World Ash.
"Bring it on!"
"Who's afraid of who!"
"If you lose, hand over Lapras!"
Ash took a small golden pearl from his backpack.
"I never bet with companions or Pokémon. If you win, I'll give you this golden pearl I found at sea."
Yes, Ash had found a golden pearl at sea! To be precise, it wasn't so much "found" as Ash, constantly scanning his surroundings with Aura, had noticed the small pearl brought in by the waves. For Ash, who saw money as almost as important as life, this was an enormous bet!
What? You ask what Pokémon are to Ash? That, of course, is something more important than life!
The bullies saw the golden pearl in Ash's hand, and their eyes practically gleamed. As for whether it was real... if they won and it was fake, could Ash really run away? So, the three bullies happily agreed. They released a Spearow, a Beedrill, and an Arbok.
Ash didn't even need to use Aura observation. Just from their appearance, these three Pokémon were weak. It was a kind of innate frailty they exuded!
"Begin!"
"Finish them, Lapras. Ice Beam."
With a snap of Ash's fingers, Lapras spat out an ice-blue beam of light. The ray streaked through the air, instantly freezing all three Pokémon solid!
Instant KO!
While treating Lapras, Ash had sensed it. This Lapras not only had strong potential, but its current strength wasn't weak either! If not for its poor condition being bullied, even if these three had doubled their numbers, they couldn't have laid a finger on Lapras!
After their three Pokémon were instantly defeated, the bullies finally accepted reality. After promising Ash they would never do bad things again, they left, dejected.
At that moment, a young man with medium-length green hair and a green cap suddenly appeared before Ash. He first excitedly introduced himself as a Pokémon Watcher, then pulled out a sketch he had drawn of Lapras for Ash to see. It was precisely a sketch of Lapras using Ice Beam! Immediately after, the young man named Tracey asked Ash if he could observe Lapras up close. In return, he could draw a few Pokémon sketches for Ash! For example, Ash's Pikachu with the strange red ring on its shoulder.
Ash didn't refuse, but he said he needed to take Lapras back to the Pokémon Center first. The Aura healing had restored Lapras about seventy or eighty percent, but he still wanted the Center's confirmation to fully put his mind at ease. For easier transport, Ash temporarily returned Lapras to its Poké Ball.
Not long after, the group arrived at the Pokémon Center. After an examination, Nurse Joy told Ash that Lapras was fine; the remaining injuries would heal with just half a day's rest. Everyone finally relaxed.
Ash happened to notice a poster on the side. Written on it were the words "Orange League Conference" and "Southern Cross Star." This instantly piqued Ash's interest. The Nurse Joy on duty explained this Orange League to Ash. After all, it was a minor league in the Orange Archipelago and wasn't considered an official League. To participate, you still needed to collect badges, though only four. Also, participants didn't battle each other. After collecting all four badges, the main event was defeating Drake, the Head Gym Leader of the Orange Crew! As long as you defeated Drake, you could earn the title of Honorary Trainer of the Orange League!
"Drake is very powerful. Many people have collected four badges to challenge him, but lots of them can't even beat his first Pokémon. So far, Drake has never lost a battle! It's said he's been waiting for someone who can defeat him."
Nurse Joy explained to Ash in detail. This seriously ignited Ash's fighting spirit! An undefeated trainer? Was he even stronger than the Elite Four and Champions? Now he had to have a battle! So, Ash decided to participate in the Orange League competition!
Misty and Sabrina naturally wouldn't stop Ash. On the contrary, Sabrina also seemed somewhat interested in this league and asked to participate as well. So, Ash contacted Professor Oak and told him his thoughts.
Professor Oak seemed to have expected it long ago and just waved it off. "I knew you wouldn't come back so obediently after seeing the Orange League. It's fine. The research on the GS Ball isn't urgent; you can keep holding onto it for me. Go win another championship!"
"Hey, hey! Don't worry, Professor Oak! Guaranteed victory!"
After that, Professor Oak hung up. Ash turned around contentedly, ready to share the good news with Sabrina and Misty. However, as soon as he turned, a large face appeared right in front of him, startling Ash.
"Whoa! Tracey? What are you doing?"
"Ash, do you know Professor Oak?"
"Oh... yeah, he's from the same town as me!"
"Wow... it really is Professor Oak! I couldn't believe it at first!"
What followed was a stream of words worshipping Professor Oak, saying he wanted to travel with Ash and eventually return to Pallet Town to meet his idol, Professor Oak. Ash wore a speechless, sweat-dropping expression. Misty, on the side, shrugged and said she didn't mind if Tracey joined. Sabrina pouted, somewhat helplessly agreeing to Tracey joining as well.
I thought I could have a three-person world on this trip. And now there's a light bulb. Should I find a chance to turn him into a doll and hide him away secretly?
Tracey, in his happy state, suddenly felt a chill, as if targeted by something terrible.
After the excitement, the group of four went to visit Lapras at the pool in the Pokémon Center. From Nurse Joy, they learned this Lapras was likely attacked by poachers and had drifted all the way here. There was actually a whole group of Lapras floating around the Orange Archipelago sea, but the islands were so vast it wasn't easy to find her herd.
"How about... Lapras, you travel with us! That way, you can search for your group while also seeing more sights along the way!"
"Lapraaaas~"
Lapras, who had already connected with Ash's heart through Aura, agreed without the slightest hesitation. It even rubbed Ash's cheek warmly with its face.
And so, Ash gained a Lapras! Along with a new traveling companion—a light bulb! Ash now had more than six Pokémon on hand. Considering the upcoming voyage would be mostly at sea, transportation was essential. So, Ash teleported his Venusaur back. Now the Pokémon with him were: Charizard, Blastoise, Dragonair, Pikachu, Pidgeot, and Lapras! With this lineup, the highlight was that no voyage would ever be a problem!
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