"Mystic Water? Please. Even if it's rare, you can still find it. There's no need to go out of your way. You can get plenty of it from the Oak family alone."
When she heard that Ash's target was the Mystic Water, Sabrina spoke flatly, clearly unimpressed.
"It can be found, yes, but this time it's different. Otherwise, I wouldn't have changed our route just to come here."
Ash smiled as he replied, then headed with Sabrina to the Pokémon Center to register.
After leaving Cerulean City, Ash had suddenly recalled the events surrounding the Whirl Islands, especially the massive whirlpools that surrounded them.
In this world, there was a high chance that Lugia would appear there, and not the same one Ash had encountered before. If possible, he hoped to guide it toward Fantasy Island. He still remembered that the Lugia from before had even been accompanied by a younger one.
Lugia typically lived deep beneath the sea, so it would not need territory on Fantasy Island itself. As long as it remained in the surrounding waters, that would be enough. The one he had met previously had likely refused his invitation because of its clash with Mewtwo, leaving it in a less than agreeable mood. Besides, that particular Lugia seemed to have its own responsibilities.
"Master Ash, your registration has been completed. This is the rule guide for the Whirl Islands competition. Please read it carefully."
At the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy handed over the booklet with a gentle smile.
"Got it. Thank you, Nurse Joy."
After taking the guide, Ash thanked her and returned to the room prepared for them, with Sabrina following behind.
Now that she understood Ash's goal was the Mystic Water tied to the Whirl Islands competition, Sabrina had no reason to object. There was still plenty of time, more than enough for Ash to participate.
"Now that I've signed up for the Whirl Islands competition, according to the route, we need to pass two more islands before reaching Cinnabar Island. There's still a lot of time before that, so gym battles can wait."
Ash paused, then sighed slightly.
"To be honest, I'm already getting bored of gym battles. If they were at the same level as Elite Four or Champion-tier trainers, it would be one thing, but that's obviously not the case. I need to think of a better approach soon."
After memorizing the rulebook, Ash began planning his next steps. At this point, gym battles no longer gave him any sense of achievement.
"Ring, ring, ring."
Suddenly, his phone rang. Very few people had his number, so the call immediately caught his attention.
"Grandpa? It's you."
Seeing the caller ID, Ash quickly answered.
"Ash, I have something important to tell you. Your Johto journey might have to be cut short."
Professor Oak's words made Ash frown.
"Cut short? What do you mean? Did something happen?"
"Yes. It's about the custom techniques you released on Fantasy Island. Because only trainers from your island can exchange for them, it has caused dissatisfaction across other regions. They're now pushing for a regional competition."
"A regional competition? Aren't those held once every ten years? It's only been seven years since the last one."
Ash narrowed his eyes. He was clearly familiar with the matter.
Regional competitions were major events where each region sent its endorsed Champion-level trainer to compete. In other words, only League-recognized Champions like Ash could participate.
Each region would also place significant bets, making the competition essentially a battle for resources unavailable in their own territories. Unsurprisingly, the other regions were targeting Ash's self-created techniques.
"That's right," Professor Oak continued. "But the Kanto League couldn't withstand the joint pressure from the other regions, so they had no choice but to agree. You already know what they're after."
"I see. How predictable."
Ash let out a faint chuckle.
"I don't mind. I originally joined the League to challenge Champions anyway. This actually suits me better."
He had been growing tired of gym battles, so this development was almost like a gift. The only downside was the timing.
"Unfortunately, it's still two years away…"
"Where will it be held?" Ash asked, now clearly interested. "And the exact details?"
"In Kanto," Professor Oak replied. "Champions from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos will all participate. But you need to be careful with the stakes. They will definitely target your custom techniques."
Professor Oak went over the details of the competition with Ash, explaining the location, the participating Champions, and the precautions he needed to keep in mind. After all, this would be Ash's first time taking part in a regional competition, the highest level of battle among all regions.
"Two years is still quite a long time. It's more than enough for me to prepare."
Ash spoke calmly, clearly unbothered.
"As for my custom techniques, I'm not worried at all. Even if I hand them over, it won't matter. Without understanding the chakra pathways, they won't be able to learn them."
A faint smile appeared on his face as anticipation flickered in his eyes.
Two years later, on the regional stage, he would show the entire world what it truly meant to be the strongest Pokémon Trainer.
"By the way, Grandpa," Ash added, sounding slightly speechless, "there are still two years left. Why notify me so early? Even if I finish challenging both the Indigo League and the Hoenn League, there would still be plenty of time."
(End of Chapter)
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