After treating 35 Pokémon, Ash's Viridian Blessing rose by only one level—
from LV.28 to LV.29.
However, at the current rate—where healing around 20 Pokémon was enough to gain one level—
he was already very close to leveling up again with just a few more treatments.
Ash's current Viridian Blessing stood at LV.29, while Frogadier was at LV.27.
If he activated Will Empowerment · 5:5 Standard Mode, then:
29 (Viridian Blessing) + 2 (Ash's baseline) + 27 (Frogadier) = 41.5
That meant Ash could temporarily use psychic reinforcement to cross an entire major tier, boosting Frogadier's strength straight into the Elite Tier.
Even though the effect would only last around ten minutes,
Elite-tier combat power already qualified as a high-level combatant within the professional Pokémon world.
Recently, pressure from Team Rocket had given Ash a strong sense of urgency—
but he had successfully turned that pressure into motivation.
Without even realizing it, he had already acquired a level of strength capable of protecting himself.
And most importantly—
The Pokémon Summer Camp had officially ended.
In just half a month since receiving his starter Pokémon, Ash had already reached this level.
Four years from now, when he turned ten and officially began his journey…
how strong would he and his Pokémon be then?
-----
It took more than half an hour to finish healing Pokémon at Dashiwan Valley.
On the way back, when Ash passed the stone bridge outside town again,
the aunties who had been washing clothes by the river had already gone home to cook dinner.
Looking back, dusk had melted into the mountain valley.
Wisps of gray mist drifted across the fields, making the once-lively farmland appear hazy and distant.
The earlier bustle gradually faded into silence.
In the fields, farmers wielded sickles, seizing the cool evening hours to harvest rice.
Meanwhile, Pallet Town was now wrapped in rising cooking smoke.
Thin trails of chimney smoke curled upward, dimming the already fading sunset even further.
….
When Ash returned home, Delia Ketchum was preparing dinner.
He sent Rotom upstairs first to handle matters related to the online shop,
while Ash and Frogadier grabbed brooms and helped gather the grain drying in the backyard.
They swept it into neat piles, then packed it away using tarps and plastic sacks.
After dinner, Ash sat on the sofa holding Pichu in his arms.
Frogadier sat obediently beside him, while Pidgey stood quietly on the backrest behind Ash.
The entire day had been packed to the brim—
Morning and noon were spent training Pokémon.
Afternoons were devoted to studying and learning.
In between, he handled shop matters and went to the stone bridge and Dashiwan Valley to heal wild Pokémon.
Only after dinner did things finally slow down.
Ash chatted with his mother, talked about everyday matters, and watched television together.
"Oh right~ Mom," Ash suddenly said, turning his head as they sat together on the long sofa.
"I've been pretty busy lately. I promised to help you catch a Pokémon before, but I still haven't done that."
"What kind of Pokémon do you like?"
"Hmm…" Delia thought for a moment.
"Pokémon… I've heard that Grass-type Pokémon have the power to promote plant growth."
"If possible, I think I'd really like to raise a Grass-type Pokémon."
As she spoke, her face lit up with excitement.
"Promoting plant growth, huh?" Ash smiled.
"You do love taking care of flowers and plants. Having a Grass-type Pokémon around would definitely be convenient."
"And Grass-type Pokémon usually have gentle personalities—they're easy to take care of."
"But if it's just about helping with gardening…"
"I actually know a Pokémon that's perfect for you."
"It's not a Grass-type," Ash added thoughtfully,
"but when it comes to planting flowers and managing gardens, it's an absolute expert."
Thinking of that Pokémon, a smile spread across Ash's face.
"Oh?!" Delia's interest was instantly piqued.
"What Pokémon is it?"
"Hehe—secret for now."
"Oh, Ash! You're actually keeping secrets from your own mom?"
Delia suddenly pulled him into her arms, poking his sides and underarms playfully.
"Tickle tickle~"
"Hahaha—stop, stop! That tickles!"
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you later, okay?"
"That Pokémon isn't from Kanto," Ash said quickly.
"It's a Pokémon unique to the Kalos Region. As for what it is—you'll find out soon enough."
Before Delia could react, Ash hugged Pichu tightly and dashed upstairs to his room.
…..
Night fell.
The deep blue of the night sky seemed to rise from the land itself—or descend from the heavens—
blending stars, mountains, forests, and fields into a single quiet whole.
Ash took Pichu and Frogadier to the bathroom for a wash.
Pidgey, being a bird Pokémon, didn't like bathing, so Ash simply wiped its feathers with a damp towel and gently brushed them clean.
Wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt after his bath, Ash returned to his room.
He sat down at the computer, logged in, and opened the Piplup social app on his desktop.
Then he clicked on a contact—
An avatar of a Fennekin.
-----
Kalos · Vaniville Town
After dinner, a pot of black tea was brewed and a plate of cookies baked.
A beautiful girl with light flaxen, slightly wavy long hair sat on the sofa watching TV with her mother.
"Beep beep beep!!"
Just as the mother and daughter were arguing animatedly over a scene on television,
the girl's phone suddenly rang.
She picked it up—and upon seeing the message from a friend whose avatar was Frogadier,
her cheeks instantly flushed, and a mix of joy and shy excitement appeared on her face.
"Who is it?"
Grace sipped her tea, squinting sideways at her daughter's phone, trying to see who was messaging her so late.
"Hey!! Mom, don't peek at my phone—that's rude!" the girl protested.
"I didn't even see it," Grace laughed.
"And even if I didn't look, I can guess—it's that boy named Ash, right?"
"When you went to Kanto to attend Professor Oak's Summer Camp, I couldn't watch the livestreams all the time during the day because of my Rhyhorn riding training."
"But whenever I had time, I went back and watched the replays."
"I know all about what happened between you and that boy."
"I originally let you go to the camp with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor just to help you grow a bit."
"I never expected the camp to give me such a big surprise."
"Honestly," Grace continued with a smile,
"seeing you become so cheerful and confident… I really should thank him in person."
"But then I think about how that brat basically 'stole' my precious daughter—
and suddenly I feel like I want to punch him."
Grace leaned closer, grinning mischievously.
"So, Serena… what do you think I should do?"
--------------
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