"Soul Extraction."
The moment Ash Ketchum spoke, everyone present tensed. Even the name of the move carried an unsettling weight.
"Sana~"
Gardevoir raised her left hand, which became enveloped in a deep blue glow. Then, she reached forward—
Her hand passed directly into the body of the Metagross without the slightest resistance.
"—Hah?!"
Metagross suddenly froze mid-motion. It couldn't move. Not even a single limb responded.
When Gardevoir slowly pulled her arm back out, a glowing blue sphere had formed in her palm.
It was condensed psychic energy—the core of Metagross's mental power.
This move did not literally extract a soul. Even for Ash, such a thing was impossible. Instead, it forcefully dragged out a large portion of the opponent's psychic energy, severely weakening them in an instant.
"That's the end."
"Crack!"
"—AAARGH!!"
The moment Ash's voice fell, Gardevoir clenched her hand, crushing the energy sphere.
At the exact same instant, Metagross trembled violently as if struck by an invisible force, then collapsed completely, losing all ability to fight.
"Metagross…"
Jasmine could only watch helplessly. The battle had ended far too quickly. She couldn't even fully comprehend the nature of Ash's technique before it was over.
"The Metagross is unable to battle. Gardevoir wins. Therefore, the victor is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town."
Acting as referee, Sabrina raised the flag and declared the result.
This technique was extremely taxing. At full power, it could rip away nearly half of the opponent's psychic energy, rivaling top-tier techniques. However, even Gardevoir could only use it a limited number of times. If it failed, the backlash could be severe.
Fortunately, Gardevoir stood at the peak of the Champion level and, as a Psychic-type Pokémon, possessed immense mental strength.
"I lost. This battle taught me a lot. Thank you, Mr. Ash. Please accept this— the Steel Badge of the Olivine Gym."
After recalling Metagross, Jasmine stepped forward and handed over the badge.
"Thank you. Your strength is undeniable. I'm sure you'll go even further."
Ash accepted the badge and recalled Gardevoir.
The events in Olivine City had brought him significant gains. Not only had he deepened his understanding of Pokémon evolution, but Croconaw had successfully evolved as well.
It had been a fruitful journey.
After saying their goodbyes, Ash, Sabrina, and Shirō left Olivine City, heading toward their next destination—Cianwood City, only a few hours away by sea.
"Master, let's part ways here. Thank you for everything you've taught me. I won't bring you shame."
At a fork near the harbor, Shirō stopped and bowed slightly.
"Take care of yourself," Ash replied. "You're my apprentice now. Word has already spread. If certain families catch wind of it, they may target you. If that happens, use the scroll I gave you."
The Eight Gates technique alone would take Shirō's Pokémon a long time to master. There was no need for him to continue traveling with them for now.
"And don't forget," Sabrina added, "go to Fantasy Island first and obtain the special Pokédex. It's your certification. Your registration has already been updated— you're now officially a trainer affiliated with Fantasy Island in the Kanto region."
She rarely gave advice, but for Ash's apprentice, she showed rare approval.
Shirō nodded, determination clear in his eyes.
His journey was only just beginning.
"Relax, Sabrina. Master told me all of this a long time ago."
After hearing Sabrina's reminder, Shirō nodded. He then turned, waved once with his luggage in hand, and headed off on his own path.
Ever since he had called her "Master Sabrina" once, she had found it oddly uncomfortable, as if it made her sound much older. After that, he simply addressed her by name.
"Let's go too. The ship to Cianwood City is about to depart."
After Shirō left, Ash Ketchum picked up his backpack and boarded the ship with Sabrina. If he remembered correctly, the Gym in Cianwood City specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon.
"Do you think Shirō can win the Kanto League?"
While on the ship, Sabrina suddenly asked, her tone calm but curious.
Even though Shirō was already at the quasi-Champion level, the Kanto League was far from simple. Ever since Ash's previous League appearance, a new generation from the eight major families had begun to rise.
No one had expected that this year's Indigo Plateau Conference would include participants from all eight families.
Last year, they had already reached Elite-level strength. This time, it was entirely possible some of them had broken into the quasi-Champion tier. Even Gary Oak had likely reached that level by now.
Still, Shirō had his advantages.
He was already at the peak of the quasi-Champion level, while most of the others had only just stepped into it. That gap alone was significant.
On top of that, there were the techniques Ash had taught him.
If nothing unexpected happened, Shirō had at least a strong chance of taking the championship.
And if he used the Eight Gates…
It would be overwhelming.
"No problem," Ash replied after a moment of thought.
"Setting aside the Eight Gates, just Soru, Geppo, and Rankyaku are enough for Shirō to establish himself in the League. Add in his current level, and he's already a wall most trainers won't be able to overcome."
"And his Pokémon lineup isn't weak either. Two of them are already at the peak of the quasi-Champion tier, and the rest have reached Elite level."
"If he still can't win under those conditions… then taking him as my apprentice would've been for nothing."
(End of Chapter)
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin
😊 Thank you for your support!