"Also—Lumina, Valor."
Ash crouched slightly by the riverbank, his tone softening.
"After all this training and grinding against wild Pokémon, both of you have already reached LV.15."
"In another month or so, you'll naturally reach the level where Magikarp and Feebas evolve."
"So there's no need to rush."
"Right now, just take it step by step."
"Build a strong foundation."
"Because one day—"
Ash smiled faintly.
"You'll become the most dazzling stars on the battlefield."
"I'm looking forward to that day."
"Gulu~"
Lumina nodded gently.
Her eyes shimmered—
Filled with hope.
Filled with anticipation.
After assigning everyone their training tasks—
Ash immediately got to work.
First—
He headed to Stone Bridge.
There, a number of wild Water-type Pokémon had already gathered—
Waiting patiently.
Ash knelt down and began treating them one by one.
Once finished—
He broke into a light jog.
Next stop—
Dashiwan Valley.
From the direction of the Viridian Forest, injured and sick Pokémon had made their way there.
And just like before—
Ash treated them all.
These two clinics—
One connected to the river ecosystem of Pallet Town.
The other—
To the vast grasslands and the sprawling Viridian Forest.
The number of wild Pokémon they attracted—
Was staggering.
Because survival in the wild—
Was far harsher than most humans imagined.
Competition.
Injury.
Illness.
It was all part of their daily lives.
Ever since Professor Oak's summer camp ended—
And Ash established these two free clinics—
The number of visiting Pokémon had only continued to grow.
It never decreased.
It only seemed that way—
Because as Ash's Viridian Power increased—
The experience required to level up grew exponentially.
So in comparison—
The growth felt slower.
But in truth—
The number of patients was increasing every single day.
Just not explosively—
But steadily.
And soon—
That would change.
Because—
The third clinic was about to open.
Unlike Stone Bridge and Dashiwan Valley—
Which served wild Pokémon—
The third clinic—
Would serve trainers across the entire world.
After nearly two months of training, study, and internship—
Ash was finally about to receive:
His medical qualification certificate
His clinic operation license
…
By this afternoon—
It would all be official.
If he wanted—
He could activate the system immediately.
Install the prepared plugin into his online shop—
And launch the third clinic.
And when that happened—
The number of Pokémon requiring treatment would surge.
And his Viridian Power, which had slowed down—
Would explode in growth once more.
"If my Viridian Power reaches LV.50…"
"And Pikachu and the others reach around LV.45…"
"Then using a 50-50 split with Will Empowerment—"
"I'll be able to reach Champion-tier power, even if only temporarily."
At that point—
Ash's eyes grew calm.
"There'll be no need for Professor Oak's Charizard to stay as my bodyguard."
"I can send it back to protect Mom and Aunt Miho."
That lingering worry—
The safety of himself and his family—
Was slowly fading.
Not because he ignored it—
But because he was growing strong enough to face it.
Of course—
Accepting Professor Oak's protection was never something shameful.
But—
Ash used that pressure—
As fuel.
As motivation.
Because his goal—
Was never just Elite Four.
Or Champion.
It was—
To become a true Pokémon Master.
A human—
Standing at the level of legends.
The morning mist slowly faded.
When Ash first stepped out—
The town had been covered in gray haze.
Now—
The rising sun painted everything gold.
The mist thinned—
Like ribbons.
Like silk.
Like drifting smoke.
And when Ash returned from Dashiwan Valley—
He saw someone already waiting.
"Morning, Ash!"
Gary Oak stood by the riverbank—
Smiling brightly, like a small sun.
Ash blinked in surprise—
But then—
His gaze shifted.
At Gary's side—
Stood two Pokémon.
And instantly—
Ash understood.
"Well, well—"
"Your Eevee finally evolved into Umbreon, huh?"
"Nice. Really nice."
Gary grinned.
"Heh—yeah."
"But it just evolved, so…"
"Even though it's a Dark-type now—its Dark-type moves are still lacking."
He leaned closer—
Eyes narrowing slightly.
"You've gotta help me out, Ash."
Ash waved his hand casually.
"Relax."
"Leave it to me."
"I'll make sure your Umbreon learns some solid Dark-type moves."
For friends—
This was nothing.
The matter of Umbreon—
Was just a small episode.
But it reflected something deeper—
Gary's growth.
Because of Ash's influence—
Because of their shared training—
Because of their constant battles in the city arena—
Gary had grown rapidly.
His strength—
His mindset—
His determination—
All of it had sharpened.
And Ash—
Had seen it all.
So he wasn't surprised.
Only—
Satisfied.
Because this progress—
Was something Gary had earned.
Step by step.
Through effort.
Through sweat.
Through relentless training.
And the road ahead—
Was only getting longer.
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