[Lance: Going around in circles, Black World Ash still ended up joining the Orange League!]
[Leon: Because the Head Trainer of the Orange League is amazing! An undefeated trainer... I wonder how strong he is!]
[Drake: Ahem, actually, I'm not that powerful. In the end, I still lost to Ash, and from this livestream, I was just a frog in a well.]
[Drake: I can't win against just any Elite Four trainer from Kanto or even other regions.]
[Gary: Speaking of which, Ash did say he won the Orange League, but right after showing off, he got beaten by my Eevee.]
[Ash: I... I was careless!!]
[Misty: What 'careless'? It's just that you got carried away and arrogant after winning!]
White World Ash's biggest flaw is his tendency to become arrogant and complacent. As long as he wins, no matter the process, he feels that victory is all that matters! Even if the battle was hard-fought, a win is a win! This is also why White World Ash often gets cocky. Along his journey, he's been beaten down by many powerful trainers, like Lorelei and Lance. By the time of the Silver Conference, he's become much more steady. If he had won everything effortlessly like Black World Ash but lacked Black Ash's mental fortitude, he might not have even made it through the Silver Conference! This path of experiencing setbacks is the one that belongs to White World Ash.
[Cynthia: Ash was defeated after the Indigo Plateau Conference? Could it be his strength grew by leaps and bounds in the Orange Islands?]
[Lorelei: I met Ash once in the Orange Islands. He challenged me with a Charizard, which was taken down by my Slowbro. Then Ash's Pikachu was instantly KO'd too.]
[Ash: ...]
Just... you know, you could have left that part out, right? So embarrassing.
[Drake: Eh... I thought his Charizard was quite strong! And that Pikachu's tenacity was also extraordinary... But anyway, a loss is a loss.]
[Drake: This shows I still have a long way to go!]
The so-called "undefeated" was just a matter of not having met a truly strong trainer. The gap between Ash's level and the Elite Four level was made quite clear in Lorelei's account. It was a world of difference! Therefore, he, who was defeated by Ash, was naturally even further from the Elite Four. The title of "undefeated Head Trainer" was just that of a frog at the bottom of a well. He wondered if Black World Ash would be disappointed when he finally challenged him.
...
In the Black World —
Ash and his party didn't choose to head for the first Gym right away. Instead, they took a good vacation on Kumquat Island. Their original purpose in coming was to have fun. Although they now had a new goal, they couldn't just give up their hard-earned rest time for the sake of a Gym challenge, right? So the group of four began their seaside vacation.
Although Tracey had said he wanted to follow Ash and the others, after brief contact, he still sensed the special relationship between Sabrina, Misty, and Ash. So during the vacation, Tracey often went off to sketch by himself. Meanwhile, Ash took the two girls surfing, jet-skiing, and sunbathing on the sea. Occasionally, some blush-inducing incidents occurred. All three were immersed in the moment.
However, happy times are always short. After two days of fun, they set off on a new journey. Ash and Tracey rode on Lapras, while Misty and Sabrina rode on Blastoise. Riding one Pokémon with four people was too cramped. At this point, not only Sabrina, but even Misty gritted her teeth in frustration. Originally, the three of them could have happily traveled together on either Lapras or Blastoise. Chatting, maybe some flirting along the way... what a great time that would have been! But now... it was over, all over!
Tracey, sitting behind Ash on Lapras, suddenly shuddered violently. He subconsciously looked over at Blastoise not far away. Sure enough, both women were looking at him with vague yet intense stares!
"Was I... not supposed to travel with you?"
"Huh? What's wrong? Is it uncomfortable sitting on Lapras?"
"No, it's just..."
"Hey, since we're traveling together, we're companions. Don't be so uptight!"
Ash patted Tracey's shoulder nonchalantly. Because the girls' resentful glares weren't directed at him, he didn't feel that abyss-like stare.
Traveling on the sea by Pokémon, the scenery along the way was naturally not to be missed. Misty and Sabrina suppressed their dissatisfaction and began to enjoy the seascape. They even took off their shoes and socks, letting their feet skim the water from Blastoise's back, playfully splashing each other. Ash caught sight of this scene and was momentarily stunned.
Feeling... traveling is awesome!
"By the way, Tracey, can you teach me how to draw?"
"Drawing? That requires a lot of foundational skill. To advance, you need to put in a lot of effort! Ash, aren't you a battling trainer? Why do you want to learn drawing?"
"Hmm... I want to draw a picture that belongs just to Misty and Sabrina! You teach me the basics. If I'm hopeless, you won't need to say it; I'll give up on my own."
Tracey suddenly understood and began explaining the basic elements of drawing to Ash.
...
[Caitlin: Amazing! Amazing! This is a masterclass in high emotional intelligence! Ash, did you learn this?]
[Cynthia: Hehe, at first, what Black World Ash did still made me think he was a blockhead like White World Ash. But it turns out... he's a little dense, but not completely!]
[Misty: Ours is just the opposite. He has a little emotional intelligence, but not much! And that little bit is all spent on Pokémon! What a big block of wood!]
[Ash: He just wanted to learn to draw! I can learn too! Tracey, teach me when I get back! I'm going to paint a peerless masterpiece of Pikachu!]
[Misty: ...]
[Serena: ...]
[Melody: ...]
Thud!
Misty was absolutely right! A little emotional intelligence, but not much! And it's all spent on Pokémon! The first thing he thinks of when learning to draw is painting Pikachu?? It's really so like you, you little dunce!
...
In the Black World —
As time passed, half a day later, they finally arrived at the location of the first Gym: Kumquat Island!
Due to the long journey, Ash went to heal his Pokémon first, then prepared to challenge the Kumquat Island Gym. Just as they were about to arrive, Tracey unexpectedly spotted a coconut on the ground! Just as he was about to pick it up, Ash pulled him back.
"Look at that."
Following Ash's pointing finger, Tracey noticed an almost invisible thread attached to the coconut, connected to a large bucket! If Tracey had gone for the coconut, he'd have been drenched with cold water!
"Hmph! Not bad! You saw through the trap I set!"
At that moment, a young boy jumped out from behind a nearby coconut tree, speaking in an approving tone.
"You're here to challenge the Orange League, right? If you don't have the corresponding strength, you'll be turned away!"
"Don't worry, I've participated in the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"Oh? So did you win the championship?" The boy raised an eyebrow sarcastically.
Judging by Ash's appearance, he looked like a rookie trainer. Even if he had participated, winning the championship was impossible. As the saying goes, you can't lose face before the battle. The boy didn't want his Gym Leader to be looked down on before the challenge even began!
"I did. The champion of this Indigo Plateau Conference is me."
Young Boy: "..."
Crack!
He'd kicked an iron plate! What champion? The Indigo Plateau Conference Champion! The boy never expected that one of the challengers he was preparing to face was actually a Conference Champion-level figure!
"A.J., stop causing trouble!"
A clear female voice rang out. Everyone looked to see a coolly dressed woman walking over slowly. She wore a black tank top robe, revealing her defined collarbones and fair arms. Paired with an orange-red long skirt and her pretty face, she became a beautiful sight on Kumquat Island.
"You are..."
"My name is Cissy. I am the Western Star of the Southern Cross and the Gym Leader of Kumquat Island. My younger brother was rude. I apologize on his behalf."
Saying this, Cissy bowed slightly.
...
[Ash: No, wait! The Gym Leader didn't respect me that much back then! They even looked down on me!]
[Cissy: Eh... No helping it. Who asked you to even fall for my brother's crude trap? I thought, 'Where did this weak trainer come from who wants to challenge me?']
[Misty: It's also Ash's fault, can't blame them. You see, when A.J. asked you what champion you were, you could only say 'Top 16.']
[Misty: But when A.J. asked Black World Ash, his immediate response was—'I am the Indigo Plateau Conference Champion!' So satisfying!]
This last sentence revealed Misty's true feelings. When she was first taunted by A.J., she was actually angry for Ash. But she really had no good reason to argue back. But this time... Black World Ash had vented their frustration for them! Even though it was another world, watching this A.J. get deflated felt just as good as if their own A.J. had been put in his place!
One word—satisfying!
[Ash: Tch! I will definitely win the Silver Conference this time! Then, whoever dares ask me that, I'll tell them right back—'I am the Silver Conference Champion!']
[Gary: Save it. You can't beat me.]
[Harrison: Hehe, I don't plan on giving up the Silver Conference championship either!]
[Ash: Hah! Harrison, you're talking too!]
[Harrison: Well, I've also traveled for several years and collected eight Gym badges, right? I can be considered an elite trainer.]
[Ash: Yeah, but why can't someone like Otoshi, who also collected eight badges, talk?]
[Brock: Being swept by a newly evolved Kingler shows the other's level is only about...]
Otoshi continues to be metaphorically whipped.
...
In the Black World —
Ash and his group followed Cissy to the Kumquat Island Gym. The rules here were different from a normal Gym battle. It was less of a battle and more of a game. There was a small pool in the Gym. After Cissy pressed a button, the hall opened up, and a row of empty cans rose from the pool's edge.
The first match was a target showdown. It required precise control of force and aim to knock down the cans on the opposite side of the pool at high speed. Later, there were moving targets like Frisbees. Therefore, this game tested control over the power and speed of water attacks!
Ash sent out Lapras first! Blastoise's attack power was too high and difficult to control precisely in such a narrow space. Cissy sent out Seadra to compete.
"Let's go, Lapras!"
Since he hadn't had Lapras for long, Ash's training plan wasn't fully formed yet. At the same time, his bond with Lapras wasn't yet at the level where they could perform Aura Fusion. Of course, even if it were, Ash probably wouldn't use it here. Using Aura power in this kind of target game would be rather pointless. So, this game was entirely up to Lapras's own skill!
The game began. When attacking the cans, they were evenly matched. Then they started aiming at the moving targets. The two sides were still neck and neck! Finally, both needed to hit a target simultaneously, with the one hitting first winning.
Ash's eyes narrowed slightly as an idea gradually formed in his mind. The next second, the target flew out, and Ash quickly shouted,
"Use Water Gun against Seadra's Water Gun!"
Cissy: "?!"
Before Cissy could react, Seadra had already fired its Water Gun. Lapras aimed at Seadra's attack and directly intercepted the opposing Water Gun! Then, it fired a Hydro Pump at an extremely fast speed, successfully shattering the falling Frisbee!
"You can play it like that??"
As the creator of this battle method, Cissy never expected this kind of play! Destroy the opponent's attack first, then quickly launch your own!
"Huh? Isn't this a game of seeing who can block the opponent's attack and then hit the target? Did I misunderstand?"
Looking at Ash's innocent and righteous expression, the corner of Cissy's mouth twitched slightly as she recalled Seadra.
"As expected of the Indigo Plateau Conference Champion. Your thinking is... refreshingly unorthodox!"
...
[Ash: Whoa! You can play it like that? Why didn't I think of that back then!]
[Cissy: Learned. I'll handle challengers like this from now on! That way, challengers without sufficient hard power won't get my badge!]
[Brock: I have a feeling Miss Cissy has learned something dangerous... Future challengers are going to suffer!]
Originally, it was just a contest of speed and accuracy. In the future, it would probably become a contest of speed, accuracy, strength, and raw power!
...
In the Black World —
Ash won the first game. The second game was a wave race. They had to ride waves along the coast outside the Gym hall to a buoy, circle it, and return. The first one back won. This time, Cissy used a Blastoise, and Ash also sent out his Blastoise!
Judging by appearance, Ash's Blastoise was clearly bigger than Cissy's. Cissy actually raised her Blastoise quite well, but Ash's side had Aura-enhanced training and the world's top-tier breeder,
Brock! Therefore, this turtle's development was on a different level from ordinary turtles!
"This Blastoise is so well-trained... But we won't lose!!"
"I'll be the judge of that! Blastoise, time to show some real skill!"
"Blastoise!!"
Upon hearing this, Blastoise pulled out a pair of sunglasses from its shell and put them on. The turtle with sunglasses is the strongest!
Seeing the wise-looking turtle that resembled a street tough, Cissy's eyes sparkled. So Blastoise looks this cool with sunglasses?! Seems like she needs to get a pair for her own Blastoise too!
The game started soon after! Both sides stood on their respective Blastoises and shot off almost simultaneously. However, Ash's Blastoise surpassed Cissy's with an overwhelming advantage! Watching from the side, Cissy ordered her Blastoise to shoot a Water Pulse behind itself, creating a wave to ride! She finally barely caught up to Ash.
However, Ash only glanced behind him without a hint of surprise. He tapped Blastoise's shell with his foot, and Blastoise understood. Without any visible movement from the wise turtle, the seawater beneath it surged upwards, carrying it to the buoy at an even faster speed and straight back around it! The entire time, the wise turtle rode its own wave!
Under Cissy's stunned gaze, Ash reached the shore first, winning the match!
What was that?! Were her Blastoise and the opponent's Blastoise even the same species?!
PS :
Kumquat Island: The first island in the Orange Archipelago where Ash challenges a Gym. Home to Cissy's Gym.
Cissy: The Gym Leader of Kumquat Island, known as the "Western Star" of the Orange League's Southern Cross. Her challenges are based on aquatic skill games rather than direct battles.
A.J. (Ada): Cissy's younger brother, who sets traps for potential challengers as a test.
Orange League Gym Challenge Format: Established as a series of skill-based games (target shooting, wave racing) rather than standard Pokémon battles.
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