"Gary, take Ash back to camp and help him change into dry clothes."
"Got it."
With Gary supporting him, Ash returned to the forest campsite, while Professor Oak stayed behind to supervise the rest of the campers at the riverside.
After all, the fishing activity had only just begun at 9 a.m. and was scheduled to continue until 4 p.m. Many campers still determined to earn a top score waited patiently, casting their lines into the water again and again.
But…
The sheer commotion from Ash reeling in and battling Gyarados had caused a massive stir. The once-clear river had turned cloudy, and most of the Water-type Pokémon had been scared off or had fled downstream.
Unless they relocated, the remaining campers weren't just unlikely to catch anything big — they might not catch anything at all.
But that wasn't Ash's concern anymore. He had already secured the top spot with the capture of Gyarados. Unless someone else also managed to reel in and defeat a Gyarados — which was practically impossible — no one could dethrone him.
After all, a Magikarp needs to reach at least Level 20 to evolve into Gyarados. With the current strength level of the campers at this summer camp, anyone who dared to challenge a Gyarados would most likely end up like Goh — flattened and coughing blood.
Back at the camp, Ash first dropped Froakie and Gyarados off at the on-site Pokémon Center to have Nurse Joy treat their injuries.
Then, he returned to his assigned cabin to shower and change.
Today's battle with Gyarados — both the fishing and the fight — had been intense. Ash had gone all-out, not only to keep his relationship with Gyarados a secret from the others, but because he genuinely wanted to defeat it and farm that juicy EXP.
Even though Gyarados had held back considerably, Ash had still struggled to win.
But the rewards were well worth it. Froakie had skyrocketed six levels — from LV.8 to LV.14 — and was now only a small step away from evolution.
On top of that, it had learned two incredibly useful new moves: [Lick] and [Water Pulse].
"Haaaah… whew."
Ash took a long breath as the hot water washed over him in the shower. Afterward, he picked out a fresh, clean outfit and changed.
The soggy, muddy wreck he'd been earlier was gone. Now he stood tall once more — the bright star of summer camp.
Jet-black hair slightly tousled.
Amber eyes, clear and full of light.
A face with defined features and a naturally heroic aura.
Though still youthful, his sunny, radiant smile carried a sense of innocence. But anyone who spent more than a moment with him would quickly notice — Ash wasn't like other kids his age. His maturity, determination, and natural charisma gave him a unique kind of leadership presence.
He wasn't just likable — he was magnetic.
"Hey Ash, what are we doing now?"
Gary asked curiously after Ash returned from picking up Froakie and Gyarados at the Pokémon Center.
"Froakie's exhausted from that battle. Plus, it already did a full hour of morning training today. So I'm giving it the rest of the day off."
Ash continued walking toward the forest trail beyond the camp.
"I'm planning to take Gyarados somewhere quiet and help it recover a bit more using my psychic powers. Then I'll call my mom about the online shop stuff."
"Huh? Didn't Nurse Joy already treat Gyarados? Why do you need to heal it again?"
Gary's question was innocent enough.
But Ash didn't tell him the truth — that he wasn't healing Gyarados's injuries, but enhancing its potential using the sacred power of the Viridian Forest.
The truth about the Viridian Blessing — the power to improve a Pokémon's natural aptitude — was too unbelievable, too dangerous.
Ash wasn't planning on telling anyone, not even once he got stronger.
Even Gary, his closest friend, only knew about the basic healing ability and the "Skill Copy" function — and even that had been disguised as just part of his psychic power.
Thud!
Ash arrived at a quiet patch of forest near the edge of the camp and released Gyarados from its Poké Ball.
"Gyarados… I'm really sorry about earlier."
Despite the monstrous aura radiating from the serpentine behemoth, Ash didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped forward and gave it a genuine hug.
"Roaaarrr…"
Gyarados shook its head gently, showing no signs of blame. After all, Ash had already explained everything to it before the battle.
"Thank you, Gyarados. I really mean it."
Whether it was helping him ambush Goh earlier, or securing him the first-place prize today — Ash owed it all to Gyarados.
And now, as promised, he channeled the Source Cleansing energy of the Viridian Blessing into Gyarados's body.
[Pokémon: Gyarados]
Level: 23
Type: Water / Flying
Nature: Arrogant
Ability: Intimidate
Potential: Red (Elite) — [0.5% Progress]
Moves: Bite, Leer, Tackle, Rage, Whirlpool, Brine, Scary Face, Waterfall, Rain Dance, Twister, Splash, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Dragon Dance
After one infusion of Source Cleansing, Ash used the system to scan Gyarados's stats.
A small progress bar now appeared beside its Potential rank:
0.0575%
The system explained that once the bar reached 100%, Gyarados's potential would rise from Red (Elite) to Blue (Perfect).
But with Ash's current level of Viridian power, each infusion could only raise it by 0.5%. Even if he did it daily, it would still take months to complete the upgrade.
Still, a promise was a promise.
He had told Gyarados that if it helped him with those tasks, he would personally raise its potential by one full tier.
"Gyarados, the camp staff will be releasing you back into the wild soon — probably somewhere in the ocean south of Pallet Town."
Ash looked up at the towering beast with calm determination.
"When camp ends in two weeks, return to the place where they release you. I'll come find you."
"After that, come to the small river outside Pallet Town every day. I'll continue using my powers to raise your potential, just like I promised."
Behind them, Gary watched from a distance as Ash appeared to use healing powers on Gyarados.
In truth, Ash was communicating with the dragon using Aura Transmission, making sure no one could overhear.
He'd already fulfilled his end of the bargain.
Gyarados had helped him win the day — and in return, Ash had started unlocking its true power.
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T/N:
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