[Bonus Chapter For Powestones]
Faced with Ash's passionate encouragement,
Charizard and Pikachu's response was—
"ROAR!"
"Pika~"
Charizard rolled onto his side and fell asleep on the spot.
Pikachu, at some point unknown to anyone, pulled out a tiny blanket and curled up right where he was.
Instantly AFK.
Bond? What bond?
Ash? Don't know him. Not familiar at all.
"HAHAHAHA! Ash, you're actually killing me!"
Seeing Charizard and Pikachu's blatant slacking, Gary burst out laughing.
He wasn't mocking Charizard or Pikachu.
After all, with Ash's current strength, those two were probably already his absolute trump cards—beating them would take everything he had.
He wasn't qualified to laugh at them.
The one he was laughing at—
Was Ash.
Red in the video—what kind of pressure? What kind of power?
Ash, with everything you've got right now, can you even beat a single Pokémon from an Elite Four member?
And you still dare to try and "collide" with Red?!
How do you even have the courage?!
Even if Red is your parallel counterpart, your growth paths are completely different!
Just like the difference between him and Blue…
"What are you laughing at, Gary?! If you don't try, how would you ever know!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Then just wait for Red to come tomorrow and educate you properly."
Nearby, Delia rested a slender finger against her chin, a thoughtful look on her face.
"If Red's coming tomorrow… what should I cook for him~? After all, he's a parallel-world Ash, so he's basically my child too!"
Meanwhile, Professor Oak was thinking to himself:
I wonder if Red would be willing to let me take a look at the Flame Plate…
Charizard and Pikachu, who had been pretending to sleep, quietly opened their eyes at the same time.
They weren't actually afraid.
This was just for comedic effect.
If Red were Ash from another world—
Then Red's Charizard and Pikachu were simply them from another world.
And both of them…
Had never been the type to accept defeat.
Especially Charizard.
In the footage, he had once stood motionless in freezing water for an entire day just to enter Charicific Valley.
That level of perseverance spoke for itself.
So in truth…
Ash's idea had already stirred something in them.
Tomorrow, after Red arrives—
They would personally experience the gap between themselves and Red's Charizard and Pikachu!
With the conclusion of the super-ranking,
The arrival of Red—the strongest Trainer from a parallel world,
And the revelation of the artificial, genetic First-Tier Legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo—
Wave after wave of massive upheaval swept across the ten Pokémon worlds.
On the Heavenly Ranking forums,
People had already begun arguing about one question:
Who was the strongest in the world right now?
Before this, Leon—one of the Masters Eight—had been considered the strongest contender.
But after Red appeared…
Everything changed.
Ten-year-old Red could already defeat a First-Tier Legendary.
So now—
How powerful must the present-day Red be?
The Masters Eight tournament wasn't over yet!
The semifinals will begin tomorrow!
And the Silver Conference's Top 16 draw was about to start!
This world…
It was becoming livelier by the day.
The Next Morning
Just outside Pallet Town,
A young man wearing a red cap and a red-and-black short jacket walked forward at a leisurely pace.
On his shoulder sat a Pikachu with an exceptionally round face, curiously observing its surroundings.
"So this is Pallet Town? It kind of feels… similar to my hometown."
"By the way, Mewtwo, you didn't take us the wrong way, right?"
'Don't question me! My psychic power is flawless!'
"…"
The visitor was none other than Red.
After the ranking ended yesterday, Red confirmed Ash's address through the comment feed.
After resting briefly, he had Mewtwo carry him down from the mountain.
Having a psychic Legendary at your side was incredibly convenient.
Red had no idea where Pallet Town was.
Many place names in this world differed from his own.
So he obtained a Kanto region map in Johto and had Mewtwo bring him nearby.
Unexpectedly—
Aside from Pallet Town itself, most city names and Gyms were astonishingly similar to his world.
It's been a long time since I've seen those Gym Leaders…
Especially Brock, who had practically been his guide in the early days.
Without Brock, he didn't even know how long it would've taken him to truly grasp Pokémon battles—
Let alone awaken his talent and become a Champion within half a year.
What kind of person was Brock in this world?
Before long, Red entered Pallet Town.
Looking at the bustling streets,
He felt a sense of dislocation.
Ever since he began training on Mt. Silver,
He had almost forgotten what "lively" felt like.
His companions had been only his six Pokémon.
Occasionally, he would visit Professor Oak to check on the Pokémon he had stored there.
But social interaction?
Almost zero.
As a result, the outside world had given him a nickname—
"The Mt. Silver Recluse."
"Excuse me… where does Ash from Pallet Town live?"
Red asked a passerby and headed straight off after receiving directions.
The passerby stared at Red's retreating figure and the Pikachu on his shoulder, puzzled.
Why does he feel so familiar…?
That outfit…
That hat…
That Pikachu…
Ash—no, wait…
Red?!
The Red from yesterday's super-ranking?!
The reason he hadn't recognized him immediately was simple—
Red's appearance had changed significantly.
He now looked around seventeen or eighteen.
While the Red in the ranking footage was only ten.
If not for that iconic outfit and that unmistakable Pikachu—
No one would've recognized him.
"Oh, right—he said yesterday he was going to find Ash,"
"Getting old… memory's not what it used to be."
"Legendary Red… plus a future-bright Ash…"
"What kind of chemistry will that create…?"
Soon, Red stood before a house.
Based on the directions, this should be Ash's home.
Before he could knock—
Excited shouting erupted from inside.
"AHHH! Mr. Steven, dodge! You're going to get hit!"
"Whoa! Mr. Leon's Charizard is way too strong! He's already taken down two of Mr. Steven's Pokémon!"
The voice was young—one Red had never heard before.
Yet strangely familiar.
Almost… like himself when he was younger.
Without a doubt—
That voice belonged to Ash.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The door opened.
A Mr. Mime wearing an apron waddled over and pulled the wooden door open.
Standing outside was a tall young man,
Radiating a faint but unmistakable pressure.
"Barri?"
Who was this?
Never seen him before.
"Mr. Mime—nice Pokémon."
Red gently patted Mr. Mime on the head and walked inside.
Mr. Mime wiped its head with both hands, savoring the moment.
Though that man carried an indescribable pressure—
He also gave off a strangely comforting aura.
As if Pokémon were naturally drawn to him.
After taking off his shoes and entering,
The house felt simple—
Yet warmly lived-in in a way most people couldn't quite articulate.
Red immediately saw Ash on the couch,
Pikachu resting in his arms.
Trainer and Pokémon were fully focused on the battle playing on TV, shouting reactions from time to time.
The sight made Red's vision blur slightly—
The boy didn't look like him.
Different face. Different clothes.
Yet Red clearly saw his own shadow in him.
That excitement.
That passion.
Exactly like when he had first stepped into Pokémon battles.
After conquering everything and standing unmatched—
With only Blue occasionally able to contest him—
No one could truly defeat him anymore.
So he had gone to Mt. Silver.
There, he became stronger.
But he had also lost something.
After watching yesterday's ranking—
And seeing Ash now—
He finally understood what he had lost.
The passion and love for battle itself.
The thrill.
The tension.
The racing heartbeat.
Knowing it was one thing.
Finding it again… was another matter entirely.
Perhaps—
The answer lay with the boy on that couch.
Suddenly, Ash seemed to sense something.
He and Pikachu turned their heads together—
And saw a young man standing quietly, watching them.
A Pikachu sat on his shoulder as well.
"Red! You're here!!"
Ash recognized him instantly.
No matter how Red changed—
Ash could recognize him at a glance.
Because that was himself—
From another world.
"Pika-pi!"
Ash's Pikachu greeted Red's Pikachu.
Red's Pikachu responded with a friendly smile.
The two hopped down and exchanged sparks through their tails.
"Red, why are you here so early? I thought you'd come in the afternoon!"
"I didn't have anything else to do."
"What are you watching?"
"The Masters Eight tournament!! Oh, right, Red—you don't know what that is yet!"
Ash immediately launched into an enthusiastic explanation—
What the Masters Eight were,
Who the two battlers were,
Leon—ranked first,
Steven—ranked third.
Steven had already lost five Pokémon.
Leon had only lost three.
The early stages were evenly matched—
But the moment Leon sent out Charizard—
The tide turned completely.
Leon's Charizard was his strongest Pokémon.
Well beyond standard Champion-level.
And Steven specialized in Steel-types—severely countered by Fire.
Two Pokémon had already fallen to Charizard.
Only Metagross remained.
Victory was clearly leaning toward Leon.
"Masters Eight… interesting. Mind if I sit and watch?"
"Of course not! Watching with you would be amazing!"
Ash excitedly made room.
Though their age gap was large—
And this was their first meeting—
Neither felt any sense of unfamiliarity.
Perhaps…
That was the affinity of parallel selves.
"Ash, who came?"
Delia's voice came from outside.
"Red's here!"
"Red?!"
Delia rushed in—
And the moment she saw Red,
She felt as if she were looking at Ash grown up.
"Ash! Go get some fruit! We have a guest!"
Before Ash could move, Mr. Mime had already placed a fruit platter on the table.
"Mime mime!"
"Oh, you already cut it? Such a good helper~."
"Mime~"
"I was about to cut it myself!"
"Alright, Ash, stay and chat with Red. I'll go prepare lunch."
Before leaving, Delia said warmly to Red:
"Chat with Ash for now, okay? Since you're here, I have to cook something good!"
"…Thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome~."
Watching her leave, Red sighed softly.
"Ash… you have a wonderful mother."
"Yeah! Mom's the best in the world!"
Ash proudly replied before turning back to the TV.
Red sat down as well, thinking quietly—
When I go back… I should visit my mom first.
He hadn't seen her in a very long time.
On screen, the first Masters Eight match reached its climax.
Metagross and Charizard both Dynamaxed.
Red's eyes flashed with surprise.
Dynamax…?
He knew nothing about it.
His journey had ended around Alola before he returned to Mt. Silver.
He didn't even know who Leon was.
Steven, on the other hand, knew well.
A solid opponent.
Mega Metagross could fight.
Top-tier among Champions.
They exchanged two massive Max Moves.
Both took damage.
Final moves remained.
Metagross was clearly exhausted.
Gigantamax Charizard, however, still had strength to spare.
Steven ordered Max Rockfall!
If Charizard used G-Max Wildfire, the outcome could change—
Four times weakness.
One hit KO.
A devastating blow to Leon's morale.
But—
A massive barrier appeared before Charizard!
The rockfall was perfectly blocked.
After shrinking back down, Charizard's final Fire Blast defeated Metagross.
Red had already grasped Dynamax's fundamentals:
Moves change
Power increases
Each move carries special effects
Max Quake boosts Sp. Def.
Max Steelspike lowers Speed.
More details would come later.
"Leon… ranked number one here?"
"Yes! He's incredible!"
"I remember him now…"
Leon had claimed his Charizard's Gigantamax could rival Red's Mega Charizard X.
Now Red understood.
After Gigantamax—
Leon's Charizard did reach that tier.
But…
That was all.
'It's been about seven years since I caught you, hasn't it?'
'Are you using me as a unit of time again?'
'No, you're imagining things.'
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