"Ugh..."
Barely confirming that Guzzlord would not return, the mentally exhausted Ash's eyes darkened, and he collapsed onto Dragonite with the child in his arms.
'Ash?!' Oak was startled at the sight. He didn't have time to celebrate the narrow victory and immediately rushed to Ash's side.
"He should just be exhausted and fainted, but it's still best to take him to a Pokémon Center for a check-up." Lance, who had come along, helped check and confirmed that Ash was fine.
"Is this the child who mastered Aura Power? Fortunately, Oak, you brought him." Giovanni also came over. Perhaps because Viridian City was very close to Pallet Town, he had also heard about Ash.
"We should be fortunate that he's fine!" Oak said with lingering fear. "Otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to explain it to his mother..."
"I also wouldn't know how to explain it to his father." Lance nodded with a cold face, genuinely relieved.
He had only recently taken up League affairs as a Champion, and he didn't want the Kanto League to suffer a blow to one of its high-level combatants because of any mishap to this child.
So, the Dragon Master was truly seething with anger at this moment, even almost losing control of his emotions when questioning the survivors.
"You are Interpol, right? What exactly are these monsters?!" When Lance found Mudan and Handsome, who had been rescued, he immediately defined them as suspects needing interrogation.
"They are Ultra Beasts, and it's not wrong to call them monsters from another dimension. This one is named Guzzlord..." Mudan, who was still relatively clear-headed, explained everything in detail. "Their existence is currently top secret. Our police system's internal directive is to hunt down invading Ultra Beasts in small teams. At the same time, to avoid widespread panic, we are temporarily not disclosing the details to the major Leagues..."
"But the facts prove that you simply don't have the ability to solve the problem alone!" Lance angrily grabbed Mudan's collar, completely disregarding the other party's injuries. "If Oak hadn't arrived in time today, if Ash hadn't unleashed his Aura with all his might, those monsters would have broken through Viridian Forest!"
"At that time, even if they were truly subdued, what kind of destruction would the surrounding towns suffer? How could you bear such a cost?!"
"Yes... 836 and I, we can't bear it now..."
Mudan hung his head, neither struggling nor arguing, looking utterly disheartened.
836 was Handsome's internal code within Interpol, and Mudan himself was 000. The two of them partnered as the bait, Fall, and had been hunting Ultra Beasts together before.
But unexpectedly, this time they became the prey.
Now that Fall was gone, Mudan and Handsome were not only severely injured but also simultaneously lost their beloved partner Pokémon... That's why Mudan was so disheartened and chose to reveal all the information he knew about the Ultra Beasts to Lance.
"The first place Ultra Beasts appeared... was Alola?" Lance's expression hardened upon receiving the information. He recalled a few years ago, he had even fought a powerful Trainer from Alola.
According to the other party, there wasn't even a Pokémon League in Alola, and yet such a big incident occurred there?!
"Regardless, this matter must be thoroughly investigated! I don't care if it was an Alolan group or an individual who caused these incidents, in any case, they must give the Kanto League an explanation!!"
"Mr. Lance, please calm down first. Mudan and the others are seriously injured, and we should prioritize their treatment now." Giovanni spoke up, calming the still furious Dragon Master. "In my opinion, we should first head to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, settle the injured, and then talk."
"You're right..." Lance also realized he was a bit hasty. After a major battle, they were all exhausted and needed a place to rest and treat the injured.
Demanding answers and discussing countermeasures could be postponed for now.
"Then let's set off. Mr. Lance can notify the incoming Champions and Gym Leaders to meet in Viridian."
Giovanni smiled and walked ahead to lead the way. He kept his back to everyone, trying to hide a subtle hint of joy in the corner of his eye.
The most promising Dragon Master in Kanto, and a world-renowned Pokémon Professor?
They had all misjudged!
That child named Ash might indeed possess Aura Power, but in Giovanni's view, what that kid unleashed earlier was definitely not Aura Power, but another equally miraculous power!
Giovanni, from Viridian, had heard a legend since childhood... It was said that every ten years, a child capable of inheriting the power of Viridian Forest would appear.
This power was called Viridian Power, and like Aura Power, it had many miraculous uses.
Although no holder of Viridian Power had appeared in the past decades or even centuries, and this legend had never been confirmed... Giovanni was willing to believe that Ash must possess Viridian Power!
This discovery was like a ray of dawn, illuminating his long-hidden plan.
Giovanni had always been troubled by a certain experimental subject, racking his brain for a way to help it advance further.
Only by creating the strongest individual could his ambition be satisfied... but the path to becoming the strongest was destined to be fraught with difficulties!
After meeting Ash today, Giovanni felt he had found a solution.
That experimental subject... as long as strong genes were continuously injected into it, it would definitely continue to grow stronger!
And Viridian Power... and of course, Aura Power, these powers were undoubtedly the mark of human strongmen, and also implied the possibility beyond limits!
At this moment, Giovanni looked at Ash, who was in a coma, and a plan had already sprung to his mind... Late at night, Viridian City's Pokémon Center, after the daytime rush, once again became silent and peaceful.
Lance and other League higher-ups had left, but Ash and the child were left here. They were still in a coma and it was not advisable to move them lightly at the moment.
Oak had informed Ash's mother, Delia, who rushed over to care for him almost immediately and hadn't rested since.
But after midnight, Delia, who had been forcing herself to stay awake, suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness overcome her and soon fell into an irresistible deep sleep.
At the same time, all the surveillance cameras in the Pokémon Center suddenly went offline, with only static remaining on all screens.
This anomaly lasted for a very short time, and the surveillance system quickly returned to normal. However, no one would know that during the brief period when the surveillance was offline, a shadow appeared in Ash's hospital room without any warning.
In the darkness, a cold glint quietly pierced the young boy's body... "Ugh..."
Ash unconsciously frowned. He would not know that from this moment on, his destiny would be tightly intertwined with an unknown life form...