"You still have two years. Don't you need to prepare properly? Right now, Champions across all regions have already begun closed training with their respective families and Leagues. Everyone is taking this seriously."
Professor Oak sounded somewhat helpless. Compared to the tense atmosphere elsewhere, Ash's attitude was far too relaxed.
"No need. I'll just proceed as usual. I'm looking forward to the competition in two years. I just hope it won't disappoint me."
With that, Ash hung up the phone, a faint, confident smile forming on his lips.
Sabrina, who had been watching him, felt her cheeks heat up slightly at that expression. Still, concern lingered in her eyes.
"Aren't you worried at all? This is a regional competition, not an ordinary League Conference. The participants will all be Champions, and even other top-tier trainers aiming for that level."
"That's what makes it interesting." Ash shrugged calmly. "With my current strength, gym battles are meaningless. Sure, they can help train Pokémon, but I don't feel anything from them anymore. No pressure, no excitement."
"The regional competition, on the other hand, is exactly what I need."
To Ash, there was no reason to worry. Even among Champion-level trainers, very few could truly push him.
Then, as if remembering something, he stepped closer to Sabrina and lightly lifted her chin.
"Speaking of which… something's been off about you today. Back at the Saffron Gym, and even now, your face has been unusually red."
"W-What are you talking about…"
Unable to turn her head away, Sabrina could only avert her gaze, avoiding Ash's eyes.
The atmosphere grew quiet for a moment.
In the afternoon, the room remained closed, and time passed without interruption.
By evening, the tension between them had long since settled.
Ash lay on the bed, looking relaxed, clearly in a good mood.
"That helped clear my head. Looks like I should relax like this more often."
Sabrina, on the other hand, looked embarrassed and slightly annoyed, resting beside him.
"You're unbelievable… You don't hold back at all."
Her voice carried a mix of frustration and shyness.
Ash chuckled softly.
"You didn't exactly stop me either."
That only made Sabrina's face flush even more as she leaned silently against him.
—
After a restful night at the Pokémon Center, Ash and Sabrina set out early the next morning, heading toward Jena Town on Cinnabar Island. There was a port there, making it convenient to travel to the next island.
As they walked, Ash's thoughts shifted back to his plans.
"The skill disc still has three uses left… One is reserved for the Lucario I plan to catch in the future. That leaves two uses. I need to choose carefully."
Lucario, being a humanoid Pokémon, was perfectly suited for close combat techniques, making it an ideal candidate.
Another target in his mind was Slaking from the Hoenn region.
If not for its crippling laziness, Slaking could rival even Legendary Pokémon in raw power. Unfortunately, finding a rare individual without that limitation would be extremely difficult.
Within three hours, Ash and Sabrina arrived at Jena Town. Although they had passed through two smaller towns along the way, neither of them stopped.
After all, nothing there had caught Ash's interest.
After arriving at Jena Town, Ash and Sabrina boarded a ship bound for Cinnabar Island. The journey would take about three hours. The surrounding waters were filled with whirlpools, making navigation difficult. Small boats risked being dragged in, while even large ships had their direction constantly affected, forcing them to move at a much slower pace.
Standing on the deck, Ash gazed out at the endless sea, the cool ocean breeze brushing against his face as he enjoyed the rare moment of calm. Not far away, Sabrina lay on a reclining chair near the pool, basking quietly in the sunlight.
"Hm?"
Ash's expression suddenly changed.
"That kind of psychic fluctuation…"
For a brief moment, he sensed a familiar presence. It felt incredibly similar to the psychic waves he had once felt from Lugia. However, just as quickly as it appeared, the sensation vanished without a trace.
"So it really is here… but that's strange."
Ash frowned slightly.
"In the original timeline, Lugia didn't appear near Cinnabar Island. Why would it show up here? Did I misjudge something?"
He did not act immediately. The psychic trace had already disappeared, and even with his Aura perception, he could not locate it again in such a vast ocean.
—
Deep beneath the sea, in the darkness of the ocean floor, a massive shadow slowly opened its eyes.
Its gaze turned toward the direction of the Whirl Islands, where Ash currently was.
"So it's him… Ash."
A low voice echoed through the depths.
"I just hope I'm not too late."
With that, the shadow surged forward, cutting through the water at incredible speed. Its destination was the same as Ash's, Cinnabar Island.
Unaware of this, Ash remained on the deck, already shifting his thoughts toward the upcoming competition.
"Since it's a water-based competition, the Pokémon I can use are limited," he muttered.
"Croconaw, Suicune… and Articuno."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"It's been a while since I've seen those guys."
(End of Chapter)
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