Ash wasn't just strong with his Pokémon—he himself wasn't weak either! Skye Draconis couldn't help but be amazed at Ash's performance. After all, very few humans could fight Pokémon head-on!
"Roooaaar!"
As Ash and the others landed on the cavern floor, the Aerodactyl inside suddenly let out a roar and soared upward. Behind it, a Kabutops and an Omastar also stirred restlessly.
"Roooaaar!"
The Aerodactyl flew into the sky, gathering energy before unleashing a Hyper Beam straight toward Ash and the others!
"You're too arrogant! Pidgeot—counter with Hyper Beam!"
Frustrated from being unable to display its power earlier, Ash's anger erupted at this moment.
"Pidgeoooot!"
Ash's Pidgeot appeared in a flash, charging and unleashing a Hyper Beam of its own. Its speed was astonishing.
"That's impossible… Hyper Beam should take time to charge! How can it release it instantly?!" Cynthia exclaimed in shock, staring wide-eyed at the spectacle.
"BOOOOM!!!"
The two beams collided midair, exploding into a violent storm of wind and smoke.
The Aerodactyl stiffened from the recoil of its own Hyper Beam, struggling to stay airborne with a glide.
"Now's our chance! Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!"
Ash's eyes flashed coldly. Pidgeot's body glowed white, and it shot forward in a straight line, vanishing in a blur before reappearing behind the Aerodactyl. With a sharp strike of its beak, Pidgeot dealt a heavy blow.
"SKREEEE!"
The Aerodactyl shrieked in pain. Though only at quasi-Champion level, it still had impressive stamina. Even that attack wasn't enough to bring it down completely.
"Incredible endurance… these ancient Pokémon truly are built tough!" The onlookers couldn't help but admire its resilience.
"Pidgeot, finish it with Energy Sphere!"
Ash commanded again, and Pidgeot's beak gathered a swirling orb of blue energy before launching it at Aerodactyl.
"BOOM!!!"
"ROOOAAAARR!!!"
The Aerodactyl screamed as the attack struck head-on. The force was overwhelming—on par with an A+ ranked move. Unable to withstand the blow, the Aerodactyl fainted, tumbling through the air before crashing down unconscious.
"Gary!"
Seeing Aerodactyl's condition, Ash immediately called to his long-time rival. While Aerodactyl's power was impressive, Ash didn't have much interest in capturing it. Gary, on the other hand, was different. Already a quasi-Elite, Gary wouldn't pass up the opportunity to add such a powerful Pokémon to his roster.
"Poké Ball, go!"
Understanding Ash's intent instantly, Gary hurled an empty Poké Ball.
Click! Click! Click!
The ball shook violently in resistance before finally locking shut with a ding. Relief washed over everyone. After all, Aerodactyl had been ferocious enough that only top trainers like Skye Draconis or Professor Oak would've remained calm through the ordeal.
"Yes!" Gary shouted in triumph. This was his first quasi-Champion-level Pokémon, and he couldn't contain his excitement.
"Congrats."
Ash stepped forward, giving Gary a firm fist bump, their bond as rivals and friends clear to all who watched.
As for Kabutops and Omastar, without wings they couldn't escape the cavern. Subduing them was far less dangerous—simply putting them to sleep would be enough.
By the next day, the situation was resolved. Ash and his group made their way to the Pokémon appraisal center. Luckily, several helicopters were available, saving them a great deal of time on their journey.
The other great families had been keeping a close eye on Ash and his group. When Professor Oak, Skye Draconis, and Chuanji Mugino were dispatched to Grampa Canyon at the same time, the news spread instantly—every family realized that there was some hidden secret within the canyon.
But by then, Grampa Canyon was already under Ash's influence. While the ownership technically went to Gary, the two cousins had no conflict over it. With the discovery of living ancient Pokémon, every family could only regret missing their chance.
The allure of a Full Restore Capsule was simply too great. Their obsession with it had distracted them, and in the end, Ash had reaped the benefits.
Of all the families, the greatest regret fell on the Blackstone family. Still, the capsule they received in compensation was a decent return—at least enough for a hollow "win-win."
"Damn it, why is that guy always so lucky?" grumbled the Ignatius family's representative, staring helplessly at Ash's file.
"It was a miscalculation… I should have been following Ash's movements much earlier. Instead, I let him play me." Kenjiro Sasaki of the Blackstone family was equally bitter, frustrated that he had been outmaneuvered.
"What a fascinating kid…" murmured Lorelei of the Elite Four, seated comfortably at her desk in the Glacienne family's estate.
At thirty-three, she carried both the beauty that turned heads everywhere and the mature presence of a graceful elder sister. Her eyes lingered on Ash's name with lazy interest.
"I miscalculated as well. I've visited Grampa Canyon countless times, but I never uncovered anything like this!" Bruno of the Ignatius family confessed with regret, his expression sour at Ash walking away with the canyon's rights.
Of course, Ash himself knew nothing about these discussions. Even if he had, he would've just laughed and thought to himself:
"Well, that's what you get for not passing the trials yourselves."
...
TN:
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