"I don't expect certain people—certain individuals—to think about the region and the League at all times while they're busy running their own little circles and building their private networks outside,"
"but at the very least, when they step into the League Council building—when they walk into the council chamber—"
"they should clearly understand who they are."
"That they are citizens under the Kanto League, that they are League councilors. In settings like this, in meetings like this, the interests of the region and the League should come first—
not schemes for personal gain."
"Y-you—!!"
"Councilor Miller, why are you getting so emotional?" the man smiled faintly.
"I wasn't talking about you at all. Why are you reacting so strongly?!!"
-----
Pallet Town
"Beep—beep—"
"Knock knock—"
"Delia, Ash—are you two at home?"
After receiving the notice from the Pokémon League Headquarters at the Indigo Plateau, Professor Oak only then realized how massive the situation had become—
and how, without even intending to, Ash had stirred the entire professional Pokémon Trainer world.
Without hesitation, Oak left his experiment mid-way, jumped into the jeep parked behind the lab, and drove straight to Ash's house.
"It's Professor Oak?" Delia said as she opened the door.
"Are you here to see Ash? He's upstairs right now. He finally managed to catch that Pidgey this morning—you should've seen how happy he was."
Delia had no idea that her son had just triggered a chain reaction shaking the entire Kanto League. She chatted casually as she let Oak inside.
"That Pidgey might look cold on the outside, but it actually likes Ash a lot. It getting caught was only a matter of time."
"I see…" Oak nodded absentmindedly.
"Is Ash upstairs? I need to talk to him about something important. I'll head up first."
…
Upstairs, Ash had already sensed Oak's arrival the moment the jeep stopped.
Before Oak could even knock, the door opened from inside.
Click—
"Professor!" Ash greeted him with a smile.
Looking at the professor—who had clearly rushed over, sweat still visible on his forehead—Ash couldn't help but feel a little warmth.
"Ash," Oak said gravely as he stepped inside,
"do you have any idea what you've done?"
"You've unintentionally stirred up the entire professional Pokémon Trainer circle in Kanto.
Even the League itself has been alarmed."
His gaze fell on the computer possessed by Rotom, the shop backend of Ash's Move Mastery Room still open on the screen.
"…Mm-hmm. I know," Ash replied casually.
"You know?" Oak was visibly surprised.
"Of course. I've been studying hard lately," Ash said calmly.
"I understand exactly what it means to help Magikarp learn Tackle."
"After Rotom put the service online today, the three test slots were gone in under a minute.
The reservation queue has already exceeded 700,000 people."
"Even major Kanto families—like the Tsuchihara Family—have already contacted me, hoping to sign large contracts."
"I imagine it won't stop at Kanto. Other regions' trainer circles will notice soon enough."
Oak stared at him for a long moment.
"Since you know how big the impact is," Oak asked slowly,
"why did you still do it? Why didn't you discuss this with us first?"
"There's no need to tell me you did it just to boost your shop's popularity," Oak continued sternly.
"With the learning time cycle and order limits, your shop has been fully booked since August 8."
"Many trainers who registered on opening day still haven't reached their turn."
"Your business is already exploding—you don't need publicity tricks. Don't try to fool me."
"Uh…" Ash scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Professor… what if I said I really wanted to expand the business?"
"You're serious?" Oak frowned.
Ash took a breath.
"Back at the Pokémon Summer Camp, at first, Gary and the others and I didn't have a terrible relationship with Goh—mostly because of Chloe."
"When I learned Goh had received a Magikarp, and that Magikarp could theoretically learn Tackle,
and later realized my Aura-enhanced ability could boost Pokémon's move comprehension…"
"I started wondering—could I actually help Magikarp learn Tackle?"
"At the time, I just wanted to help a 'friend.'"
"…But after the fallout, after I cut ties with Goh—and especially after what happened later…"
"When Goh abused Pokémon because Magikarp had no combat ability…"
Ash's voice lowered.
"That's when I really understood how tragic Magikarp's position is in this world."
"A Pokémon with absurd potential—yet despised, mocked, and abandoned."
"So the plan I'd once shelved… I picked it back up."
"After continuous experimentation, just this morning, I succeeded."
"The two wild Magikarp I had previously treated—both learned Tackle."
"This happened today. The moment I got home, I told Rotom to put the service online."
"I acted on impulse."
"But I wasn't thinking about profit first."
"I thought—this result could change Magikarp's fate.
It could stop trainers from looking down on them, from despising them."
"I don't expect people to worship Magikarp," Ash said softly,
"but at least… to look at them properly."
"I believe this research matters.
It can change an entire species' destiny."
"That's why I wanted to share it immediately—
and my Move Mastery Room was my only direct bridge to the outside trainer world."
"…Of course," Ash added, smiling sheepishly,
"boosting shop popularity and business growth was a nice bonus."
"Professor, I'm still just a six-year-old kid."
"Sometimes I act before thinking everything through."
"So… yeah. Putting the Magikarp–Tackle service online really was an impulsive decision."
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals