"Master Mewtwo, this was delivered through psychic transmission. It is something Master Ash asked to be given to you."
Inside a castle deep within the Dream Forest, a middle-aged man in a white coat spoke respectfully to Mewtwo, who sat upon a throne.
The castle itself had been created by Ash using Mokuton, and all the interior decorations were also crafted by him. It served as a meeting place for his companions and was also Mewtwo's residence.
"Understood. You may leave."
Mewtwo lifted the scroll from the man's hands using psychic power and spoke via telepathy. The castle was equipped with special devices created by Ash that allowed long-distance psychic communication and teleportation.
"If there are no further instructions, I will take my leave, Master Mewtwo."
The middle-aged man bowed and withdrew. He was already accustomed to Mewtwo's cold tone and felt nothing unusual.
Mewtwo's current life could only be described as extremely comfortable.
The environment of the Dream Forest was practically paradise for Pokémon. Combined with the self-developed techniques taught by Ash, his strength continued to grow steadily.
He also had worthy opponents like Dragonite and Suicune, making his daily life far from dull.
After the man left, Mewtwo opened the scroll using a specialized psychic method.
"Is this… a technique modeled after Serperior's abilities? Interesting."
The technique recorded in the scroll was a Grass-type combat method, highly compatible with psychic control.
"It seems I need to train harder. My current strength is still insufficient."
After memorizing the contents, the scroll disintegrated into useless scraps.
"When Ash completes his challenges across all regions, it will be time to expand Fantasy Island."
"As for the Ito family in the Sinnoh region… they should be eliminated completely when the opportunity arises."
Mewtwo's eyes narrowed slightly as he organized his thoughts.
Now, as one of Ash's Pokémon and the overseer of the Dream Forest, Mewtwo had acquired vast knowledge. When it came to enemies, he would not hesitate to annihilate them entirely.
Mewtwo's ferocity was well known.
It was evident from his battle with Ash. In combat, Mewtwo was overwhelmingly aggressive. When enraged, not only did he retain full consciousness, but his combat power increased even further.
Meanwhile, Ash was completely unaware of the growing impact of the techniques he had introduced.
After breakfast, he returned to his room to wake Sabrina. Once she had washed up and finished the breakfast Ash had prepared for her, Shirō was already waiting outside.
The three of them then headed toward the Gym.
"Shirō, after this Gym battle, you should leave and travel on your own."
On the way, Ash spoke calmly.
"What you've learned now requires real combat experience. If you continue to follow me, your growth will slow down."
The Eight Gates could not be mastered through training alone. It required intense battle experience, precise control over speed and power, and continuous refinement through real combat.
"I understand, Master. I won't disgrace your teachings," Shirō replied with a nod. "I plan to challenge the Kanto League this year."
He knew that while staying by Ash's side allowed him to learn more, true mastery required independent growth and broader experience.
Moreover, his Pokémon had already learned the fundamentals of the Eight Gates.
As for the Six Forms, they could use them proficiently, but true mastery was still far away.
Now officially registered as a Kanto trainer after becoming Ash's disciple, Shirō was ready to step onto his own path.
"The Kanto League, huh… That's good."
Ash nodded.
"Because of these self-developed techniques, this year's League may be far more competitive than usual. Your opponents will be stronger, so be careful."
For Shirō's decision, Ash was quite satisfied.
The rules of the Gym battle were a two-on-two knockout format. Each side could only use two Pokémon. This was what Jasmine had explained to Ash the day before, and both had already chosen their Pokémon.
"Come out, Steelix."
As the battle began, Jasmine threw her Poké Ball. A flash of white light appeared, and a Steelix at the late pseudo-champion level emerged on the field.
"A Steel and Ground-type…"
Ash observed calmly before making his choice.
"Totodile, you're up."
Considering the type advantage, he sent out his Water-type Pokémon. Although Totodile was only at the Elite level, it was the perfect opportunity for it to gain experience. With its type advantage, it should at least be able to hold its own for a few rounds.
"An Elite-level Totodile? Are you looking down on me?" Jasmine frowned slightly, her tone sharpening. "Even if you're helping Ampharos, I won't go easy on you in a Gym battle."
"Going easy?" Ash shook his head. "No. I didn't send out Totodile to win. But if things go well… it might not lose either."
"Steelix, use Rock Tomb!"
"ROAR!"
Jasmine's frustration seemed to carry over to Steelix. With a roar, numerous rocks formed around its body, condensed from Ground-type energy, before launching toward Totodile.
"Water Wall."
"Wani!"
A surge of water erupted in front of Totodile, forming a rapidly rising defensive barrier. The flow was swift and continuous, intercepting the incoming rocks.
The moment the rocks collided with the water wall, they were initially blocked.
However, the difference in strength soon became apparent.
Totodile was only at the Elite level, while Steelix was at the pseudo-champion tier. Before long, cracks began to form in the water barrier as several rocks started breaking through.
If Totodile had been at the King level, it could have completely neutralized the attack. But at its current level, holding the defense was already pushing its limits.
(End of Chapter)
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