Clarissa looked at Ash with a gentle, radiant smile—clear and warm like sunlight.
Without giving him a chance to refuse, she slipped on her mask, lightly pushed past him where he stood frozen at the doorway, and walked straight into the treatment room to begin preparing.
Watching her take the initiative like that, Ash scratched the back of his head.
A faint trace of guilt surfaced in his heart—about how he had pretended not to notice her feelings earlier in the classroom.
And yet—
Seeing her here now, helping him without hesitation…
The affection he already had for her quietly deepened.
So much so that—
It had crossed into something undeniable.
"Alright then… after work, I'll treat Assistant Clarissa to dinner."
Ash smiled to himself.
"I heard from someone in the shop group chat that a Vermilion-style grilled fish restaurant just opened in Viridian City. We can try that."
He pushed aside thoughts of complicated emotions.
Pushed aside the concern of whether getting close to a Joy family girl right after rejecting their marriage proposal would cause trouble.
"Let things take their course."
What Ash didn't know—
Was that the girl he had once "rejected"…
Was standing right in front of him.
And if the Joy family ever found out that Ash liked Clarissa—
They wouldn't be angry.
They'd be thrilled.
…
To them, even if his Viridian Power couldn't be inherited…
Ash himself—
A talented, hardworking trainer from a humble background—
Was already more than enough.
A rare gem.
A perfect candidate.
Ash waved toward the live broadcast cameras outside the treatment room with a relaxed smile.
Then, without further delay, he put on gloves and a mask before stepping inside.
With a flick of his hand—
A portable Poké Ball transfer machine appeared from his system storage.
Healing.
Move tutoring.
Spatial storage.
These were the abilities Ash had chosen to reveal to the world.
Because with his current fame, it was only a matter of time before they were discovered anyway.
Better to reveal them openly—
And live more freely because of it.
…
Even now, in the middle of a live broadcast, he could casually take out equipment from his system storage.
The host had already explained it away as another small application of his psychic powers.
And the audience—
Wasn't particularly shocked.
"Wow, that's convenient."
That was all most people thought.
After all, these were non-combat abilities.
Useful—
But not threatening.
They didn't invite greed.
Or fear.
And as for Ash himself—
He was no longer the vulnerable child he once was.
With Pikachu now at Elite Tier, supported by a complete skill framework and Ash's battle command—
It could already challenge Gym-Class opponents.
And with his trump card—
Viridian Power: Will Empowerment
Ash had the confidence to stand against even pseudo-Elite Four-level opponents.
…
Add to that—
Professor Oak's Champion-level Charizard acting as his hidden protector.
The Kanto League's strong support.
His growing ties with powerful families.
And even… certain ambiguous relationships.
All of it meant one thing—
Very few people would dare target him now.
And even fewer—
Had the ability to.
Compared to the days right after the summer camp, when Team Rocket had set their sights on him—
When he had to stay cautious, constantly on guard—
Now—
He could finally breathe a little easier.
But at that very moment—
Inside a dimly lit office within the living quarters of the Viridian Gym—
A different pair of eyes was watching.
Sitting on a leather sofa, casually stroking a Persian in his lap—
Giovanni
His gaze was fixed on the projection screen in front of him.
On it—
Was the live broadcast of Ash inside the Pokémon Center treatment room.
Unlike the general audience, who simply marveled at how "convenient" Ash's abilities were—
Giovanni saw something deeper.
"Besides healing…"
"Viridian Power can also assist Pokémon in learning moves…"
"And even open dimensional storage…"
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
His eyes sharpened.
"I wonder…"
"Does this boy possess Source Cleansing—the ability to enhance a Pokémon's potential?"
"And Will Empowerment—the power to temporarily boost combat strength?"
"What else…"
"Is hidden within Viridian Power?"
"What is its true, complete form?"
Giovanni understood this power better than anyone.
After all—
It was one of the foundations of his own strength.
At his current level, firmly within the Champion tier—
If he wanted to go further—
To expand Team Rocket's influence—
Then beyond the ongoing Mewtwo Project…
There was another path.
To study—
To uncover—
To fully harness—
Viridian Power.
His gaze deepened.
A new idea took shape.
"Perhaps…"
"The genetic samples we collected from that boy…"
"Should be sent to Dr. Fuji for further research."
-----
Meanwhile—
Ash remained completely unaware.
That somewhere—
In the shadows—
His so-called "mentor"—
Was already beginning to take a serious interest in him.
And yet—
Even if he knew—
He might not have been too surprised.
After all—
People like Giovanni…
Were never simple.
Perhaps he had taken Ash in as a student out of appreciation for talent.
Perhaps—
He was nurturing a future rival.
A force that could shake Team Rocket from stagnation.
Strange logic?
Maybe.
But not impossible.
After all—
There had once been a story—
Where, after being defeated by a young challenger—
Giovanni had disbanded Team Rocket on the spot.
A man like that—
Was capable of anything.
And now—
As Ash stood inside the treatment room—
Preparing for his very first consultation—
The stage was set.
Not just for healing.
But for something far greater—
A future that was already beginning to move.
--------------
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