As Ash continued his training, the strength of his opponents grew steadily. Through these battles, Charmander also became stronger. On several occasions, it nearly lost its life—but in those moments of crisis, it broke through its limits and evolved into a Charmeleon.
During that period, Charmeleon encountered many trainers who tried to capture it, but it defeated every one of them. Through it all, it remembered the words Ash had once spoken:
"How about it? Do you want to come with me? Your potential is far beyond what that trainer can handle. When you understand what I mean, come find me."
Those words stayed with Charmeleon, reminding it that its true potential had yet to be realized. After countless battles and hardships, Charmeleon finally evolved into a Charizard. With its newfound power, its pride grew stronger than ever.
In the original world, Charmander's forced evolution had led to poor growth, leaving it far weaker than the Charizard of the Valley.
But here, things were different. With Ash's guidance and the hidden techniques sealed within its mind, this Charizard's growth was extraordinary. Its body was robust and its strength rivaled the greats—it was becoming a true master of change.
After evolving fully, Charizard considered searching for Ash. But it was still just a Pokémon, unable to communicate such a desire, and so it remained in the deep forests of Kanto, honing its strength until it could stand tall even among Champions.
In these mountains, Charizard had become a true overlord. Under its reign, even the weakest wild Pokémon had reached elite strength. If Ash were here, he would have been astonished by what his once-abandoned Charmander had achieved.
The next day, Dragonite finally returned. After recalling their partners into their Poké Balls, Ash and his group set off for their next destination—Dark City.
Ash didn't yet know that the outside world had gone into a frenzy over Professor Oak's paper about Eevee's evolution.
Using the information provided by Ash, Professor Oak had shared the findings with several trainers who had close ties to Eevee. Following Ash's method, new evolutionary forms had appeared, shaking the research community to its core.
Riding that momentum, Professor Oak also announced Ash's name change.
To most, the name Miki Yechi meant nothing—but to certain families, it carried weight.
As Ash's reputation grew, people began digging into his background. The name change sparked plenty of speculation, but most of the public brushed it aside.
After all, the Oak family had raised Ash for more than a decade. If he abandoned them to return to the Draconis family, it might be seen as ungrateful. But if he remained with the Oaks, his true heritage would be diminished.
Perhaps to strengthen Ash's reputation, Skye Draconis released several battle recordings of Ash. In an instant, trainers across the regions were stunned by the ninjutsu-style techniques Ash had pioneered.
Some began to call him a master of a new generation of skills. His fame grew rapidly. With the Kanto Conference approaching, trainers from every region now turned their eyes to Ash and his Pokémon.
"Wow! Master Ash is so young, yet already at Champion level!"
"Son, you should study hard and learn from him. Look at his strength!"
"He might be the youngest Champion in history!"
But Ash, still traveling across the grasslands, had no idea how famous he'd become. Even if he did, it wouldn't matter. His goal was to establish a new family, and it was only a matter of time.
...
Kanto Pokémon League Headquarters — Conference Room
"What do you make of this report?" asked Lt. Surge, seated at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping across the senior officials.
"Can we bring him into the League?" Bruno asked after a pause. Around the table sat nearly all the heads of the Eight Great Families.
"No," Masaki Oak answered firmly. "Ash has no interest in politics or authority. If possible, I'd rather he inherit the Oak family itself."
"I agree," Draco Draconis added.
"Our elder once hoped Ash would inherit the Draconis family, but he refused. He's already decided not to inherit either the Oak family or the Draconis family. Instead, he plans to build his own strength and carve out his own path."
Draco's eyes shone with both pride and regret—after all, he was Ash's uncle.
"According to what you've said, I'm rather curious about this Ash," a mature woman with crimson hair said teasingly in the meeting room. This woman was Lorelei of the Indigo Elite Four!
"Your Oak family and the Draconis family have certainly made a fortune this time. Beyond his growing fame, the profits from the new medicine alone are enough to drive anyone mad with envy!" After Lorelei spoke, the current head of the Ignatius family leaned forward, his words sharp.
"That's right—quite the secret you were keeping," added Kenjirou Sasaki from the side.
"Kawaguchi, don't play coy with me. I've heard that your daughter seems quite taken with young Ash. Rumor has it she's even traveling with him!" Kenjirou Sasaki continued, glancing at the head of the Mugino family. The man gave a confirming nod, which made Sasaki smirk.
"Haha! Well, some things are simply destined, aren't they?" the Mugino patriarch replied with a laugh, clearly enjoying Sasaki's envy.
"Enough joking. Let's return to the matter at hand—what approach should we take regarding Ash?" interrupted an elderly woman, her tone heavy with authority.
This was Agatha of the Indigo Elite Four.
Though the eight great families each held considerable influence, the Blackstone family she hailed from was currently beset by troubles of its own.
...
TN:
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