"How does it feel, Fearow?"
After closing the system panel, Ash turned his attention back to Fearow.
"GAAAH~!"
"It feels amazing!"
"I can clearly feel the increase in strength inside my body."
"Especially my eyesight. It's been enhanced tremendously."
"I feel like I can see opponents' flaws and weaknesses much more clearly now."
As the one who had personally fused with the Scope Lens, Fearow's understanding of its own growth was far more direct than any system panel could ever describe.
"Good, very good."
Ash nodded with satisfaction.
"Your level has now surpassed your older brother Pidgeot's."
"You've also caught up to Pikachu and Greninja at LV.44."
"You went from being the team's tail-end member to standing at the front."
Then his expression became more serious.
"But don't get arrogant."
"Compared to the others, your foundation is still lacking."
"And unlike them, you don't have Bond Evolution or Mega Evolution available to you."
"So you can't afford to relax."
"You'll need to work even harder."
"GAAAH~!"
"Don't worry."
"I won't get complacent."
Fearow's answer came immediately.
"The gap between me and the electric rat, the cold-faced frog, and Big Brother Pidgeot isn't that large right now."
"If I start getting arrogant, they'll probably leave me in the dust again by tomorrow."
Fearow understood its own situation very clearly.
"Good."
"As long as you understand that."
Ash smiled.
"Alright, item fusion is finished."
"For now, focus on adapting to your newly increased strength."
"Starting tomorrow, you'll be joining the high-intensity training schedule."
"Your priority is stabilizing your newfound power as quickly as possible."
"GAAAH~!"
"Understood!"
Fearow nodded enthusiastically.
Its eyes burned with fighting spirit.
"Good."
"I won't keep lecturing you."
"You guys play on your own for a bit."
Then Ash turned toward Pidgeot.
"Pidgeot, take me outside."
"It's time for tonight's psychic meditation."
"Pidgeot~!"
Pidgeot agreed immediately.
A moment later, Ash grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, put it on, and prepared to leave.
After all, the night wind was strong.
Flying high through the sky might sound romantic and cool.
In reality, it was an excellent way to catch a cold.
With a powerful flap of its wings, Pidgeot carried Ash out through the window.
The pair soared into the star-filled night sky.
The moon hung high overhead.
Countless stars glittered around it.
Under the moonlight, the world wasn't as bright as daytime.
Yet everything remained surprisingly clear.
The moonlight illuminated the trees, turning them silver.
It illuminated the grass, turning it silver.
It illuminated Pallet Town, transforming the entire settlement into a silver-white dreamscape.
The earth itself seemed to be covered in silver.
And under the moon's embrace, the entire world appeared wrapped in a pale, ethereal glow.
Within that silver-white world, insects performed one nocturne after another.
Pallet Town was quiet.
The world was quiet.
Everything seemed peaceful beyond words.
...
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
When the usable mental energy inside the psychic space behind his forehead was finally exhausted, Ash ended his Aura cultivation for the night.
One advantage of Aura training was its consistency.
Although his mental power increased as his psychic cultivation advanced, the rate at which Aura consumed that power increased proportionally.
As a result, regardless of how much stronger he became, he could still only sustain around two hours of meditation each day.
From a scheduling perspective, it was remarkably convenient.
"System."
"Display my personal status panel."
After finishing his cultivation, Ash immediately issued a command.
[Ding! Scanning...]
[Ding! Scan complete.]
Ascension Trainer System
(Severely Damaged)
Host: Ash
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Strength: 13 (Adult average: 10)
Stamina: 12 (Adult average: 10)
Intelligence: 19 (Adult average: 10)
Charm: 28 (Adult average: 10)
Viridian Power: LV.62
Aura Power: LV.36
Pokémon
First Echelon
Pikachu LV.44
Frogadier LV.44
Pidgeot LV.43
Fearow LV.44
Second Echelon
Shiny Gyarados LV.24
Shiny Milotic LV.24
Third Echelon
Bulbasaur LV.14
Items
Soothe Bell
Divine Catalyst Ring
Green Pearl Bracer
Light Ball (Fused with Pikachu)
Quick Claw
Sharp Beak (Fused with Fearow)
Scope Lens (Fused with Fearow)
…
"As expected."
"Aura Power increased by another two levels."
"Now it's reached LV.36."
Although it still lagged behind his Viridian Power, it had finally reached the threshold Ash had established for beginning combat-oriented development.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Since the prerequisite has been met..."
"Starting tomorrow, I'll officially begin Aura combat training."
Excitement surged through him.
Most trainers in the Pokémon world already considered themselves powerful because they commanded Pokémon.
And from the perspective of ordinary people in this world, that was perfectly reasonable.
Pokémon were a trainer's strength.
Pokémon were their weapons.
Pokémon were their combat power.
But Ash was different.
He was a transmigrator.
He knew exactly what true personal combat power meant.
What individual heroism meant.
He loved Pokémon.
He loved catching them.
Training them.
Battling alongside them.
But he also longed for personal strength.
Especially now that he possessed supernatural abilities himself.
To Ash, true security came from having power he could wield personally.
Take people like Giovanni or Lance.
In this world, they stood at the very top.
Champion-class powerhouses.
Living legends.
Yet in Ash's eyes, if someone stripped them of their Pokémon, they would immediately become incredibly vulnerable.
Not much stronger than ordinary people.
That lack of security was one of the primary reasons he pursued personal strength so obsessively.
...
Seeing that there was still about half an hour left before bedtime, Ash sat on his bed.
Pikachu was sprawled comfortably in his lap as Ash absentmindedly stroked its fur.
At the same time, he pulled out a notebook.
Tomorrow would mark the beginning of a new chapter.
His Aura combat development plan.
Although he had already created a rough framework earlier, now it was time to refine it.
The close-combat path was straightforward.
Study martial arts.
Research Fighting-type moves.
Learn the principles behind techniques used by Fighting-type Pokémon.
Master them himself.
As for long-range combat—
There was only one logical starting point.
The signature move of Lucario.
Aura Sphere.
And tomorrow—
Ash's journey toward becoming a true Aura warrior would finally begin.