"Are you trainers traveling too?"
Bai Yu, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped forward.
He wasn't particularly interested in Shinji and Gary.
Bai Yu didn't want to be bothered by those two.
Ever since that gym battle, those two had been acting like madmen.
They'd been battling Pokémon at the Marsh City Pokémon Center for three whole days.
In the end, even Nurse Joy couldn't stand it anymore and intervened. Only then did
the two reluctantly leave Marsh City.
Who knew if they'd pester him to battle after they met?
Bai Yu was interested in Pokémon battles, but battling the same opponent all day long
would wear him down. Even if Bai Yu was interested,
those two would eventually wear him down. It was better not to meet them at all. Anyway,
those two would definitely come to the Marsh City Gym after the Indigo League.
"I'm Ash, a trainer from Pallet Town."
Ash's previously somewhat dim eyes regained some of their former brilliance.
"My name is Xiao Shi~ I am..."
Xiao Shi's mind was completely elsewhere; he dashed to Bai Yu's side in a flash.
He was about to extend his hand to greet her when he realized the girl looked familiar, as if he'd seen her somewhere before.
"Xiao Shi, you're at it again."
Xiao Xia reached out, trying to stop him.
Turning her head, she saw the girl's face and was momentarily speechless.
As a fellow Gym Leader, she naturally recognized the girl.
"Are you Princess Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City?"
Xiao Xia admired all kinds of powerful female Trainers.
In the Kanto Region, besides the two Elite Four members, the most famous female Trainers were Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader.
There were even rumors that the Saffron City Gym Leader would succeed Agatha Christie as the new Elite Four member of the Kanto Region!
This was her idol!
"Yes."
"You're the Pewter City Gym Leader and the Cerulean City Gym Leader?"
"What? You're also participating in this Gym Leader Tournament?"
Sabrina had some recollection of the two.
She seemed to have seen them in the last Gym Leader Tournament.
However, they weren't representing their respective gyms.
Sabrina vaguely remembered that year, there was a middle-aged man who looked quite similar to Brock participating.
Using Rock-type Pokémon, they defeated many Gym Leaders.
Xiao Xia and Xiao Shi nodded; as members of one of the eight major gymnastics teams in Kanto, they had naturally received the relevant notification and took Ash to the resort island.
As for the Gym Leader Tournament, they didn't care.
Very few Gym Leaders were truly willing to challenge the eight major gymnastics teams.
Few would intentionally provoke such a challenge.
This little incident quickly passed.
Ash, with his carefree personality, immediately forgot about the previous unpleasant events.
He proactively recounted some things that had happened since becoming a Trainer.
He also mentioned that after a rainstorm, he encountered a Finch radiating rainbow light flying overhead in Viridian Forest.
"Ahem~" Bai Yu coughed, having
just taken a sip of tea, when he heard Ash say this.
A Finch radiating rainbow light...
wasn't that Ho-Oh?
Of course, it was normal for Ash, who didn't even understand the Pokédex, not to recognize legendary Pokémon.
If the Wind King hadn't emitted that glow, it would indeed have looked like an alternate evolution of Finch.
"Ash, you must be mistaken. How could a Finch emit a rainbow glow?"
"Exactly! Besides, I was in Viridian Forest that day, and I didn't see that Pokémon."
Brock and Misty didn't believe Ash's explanation.
In their minds, how could a Finch emit that kind of glow?
"A Finch emitting a rainbow glow?"
Sabrina was different from Brock and Misty.
She knew many Pokémon not listed in the Pokédex.
That glowing Finch...
Team Rocket must have been searching for
Ho-Oh for a long time.
Ash's battle strategies are indeed rich, but in practice, the results aren't as impressive as expected.
Ash's strength still needs a long time to improve. He has six Pokémon, and besides Pikachu, his most famous Pokémon in the Kanto Region is probably the abandoned Charizard.
It demonstrated immense power against Articuno in the Battle Frontier and Battle Factory.
Even later, in the Unova Region, it defeated Iris's strongest Dragon-type Pokémon, Dragonite, with its superior strength. Unfortunately, after Unova, Charizard never had another chance to battle, only appearing in one or two episodes when teaching Gengar how to use Will-O-Wisp.
"Brother Bai Yu, we'll leave now."
"Next time you have the chance, you must come to Pallet Town to see me,"
Ash said excitedly.
After traveling for so long, this was the first time he'd seen a trainer who understood his tactics so well.
Next time, I'll definitely let Bai Yu see my tactical system.
"If I have the chance, I'll go there." Bai Yu didn't refuse.
Pallet Town, clearly an ordinary town in the Kanto Region, has become extraordinary because of the appearance of these protagonists.
Even if Ash hadn't invited Bai Yu, he would have found time to go to Pallet Town.
He also wanted to meet the most authoritative research doctor in the entire Pokémon world, Oak Snow City!
"His tactics require a very high degree of synergy with the Pokémon." Sabrina had listened to Ash's tactics the whole time.
"He will become an excellent trainer in the future."
Bai Yu nodded; that was Ash
's unique charm. "You have a high opinion of him?" Sabrina was slightly taken aback.
This was the first time she had heard Bai Yu praise someone, not even Gary and Paul from the previous battle.
Bai Yu hadn't praised them then; instead, his tone was filled with helplessness. Did
Ash really have such outstanding talent?
Sabrina had seen similar trainers in her future visions.
The man's appearance was somewhat similar to Ash's, but their eyes were worlds apart.
Ash's eyes were gentle and passionate, while the trainer's eyes were cold and indifferent.
While Bai Yu and the others were talking, in a room somewhere in the ship's cabin,
a middle-aged man wearing ninja armor stood in the room, his eyes cold as he stared directly at the muscular man before him.
He was fiddling with an 'R' badge. This time, the League's Gym Leader competition had also required him, the former Gym Leader, to participate. After handing over the Gym to his daughter, he boarded the Saint-Tiannu and, upon entering his reserved cabin, met this man.
"Stop playing with your badge, Abandoned Power Plant, are you going or not!"
Lt. Surge interrupted the middle-aged man, his tone impatient.
Having just received the mission, he had found the man and explained his intentions.
Abandoned Power Plant was near the resort island; if he made a move, he would easily be attacked by the League.
If it were just the two of them, they could hold off the remaining Gym Leaders of the League for a short time.
The price for doing so would be the direct exposure of their identities within the League.
Giovanni's plans would then be affected.
This was one of the reasons the middle-aged man hesitated to agree.
"That Pokémon is your problem, but I need to find another one."
"You should know I can't help now."
The middle-aged man said slowly, his cold gaze chilling.
The three executives each had their own goals, each responsible for capturing different legendary Pokémon.
If their identities were exposed, it would be a devastating blow to the capture of the three legendary birds.
He would absolutely not act until orders came from above.
"Then you can stay put. Let's see how long you wait." Lt. Surge's expression was cold. "Articuno isn't so easy to capture. With your Poison-type Pokémon, you might not even be able to touch it."
The middle-aged man's face immediately darkened.
Lt. Surge's words were not unreasonable. Compared to the Elite Four members of any region, even facing a legendary Pokémon alone, he wasn't very confident he could defeat it.
As for whether Team Rocket could send reinforcements… he was even less certain.
Knowing Giovanni as he did, the man was certain Giovanni wouldn't help.
"Go find Apollo," the middle-aged man said coldly. "Given his personality, he won't refuse if you ask."
"After all, that's Zapdos!"
The middle-aged man finished speaking and ignored Lt. Surge.
He had said everything he could; even though he wasn't the Gym Leader anymore, he couldn't act rashly.
Not only for himself, but also for his daughter.
At least at this point, he absolutely couldn't act.
"Apollo?"
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(End of Chapter)