In the evening, after washing up, Ash and Sabrina came to the hotel dining area, where they happened to run into Nathan. The three of them sat together, eating and chatting, while Pikachu happily munched on a plate of fresh fruit.
"Brother-in-law, are you really together with my sister?" Nathan asked as he opened his notebook, transferring the Lugia footage he had recorded earlier to his email.
"What are you planning to do with that, trying to find a girlfriend?" Ash took a bite of the food, then paused, clearly unimpressed with the taste, and set his utensils down.
"It's nothing, just… unexpected. I thought my sister would accept the arranged marriage my dad found for her." Nathan shook his head. Lorelei's father had already begun making arrangements for her future partner.
Because of that pressure, Lorelei had acted impulsively and gotten involved with Ash. What she had not expected was that the incident would make her truly understand her own feelings for him.
"An arranged marriage? With which family, or from another region?" Ash asked. From what he understood, the Glacienne family's current situation was not strong enough to be rushing into something like this.
"It's not finalized yet. My dad only mentioned the idea to my sister in advance. After all, she's already twenty-nine. If this continues, she'll be labeled as a leftover woman."
Hearing this, Ash simply waved it off.
"Forget it. That doesn't matter anymore. Your sister is my wife now. If anyone tries to take her away, I won't hesitate to destroy them."
His tone was calm, but the intent behind it was absolute. Anyone who dared to challenge that claim would have to be prepared to pay the ultimate price. With his awakened power, Ash carried an aura that felt as though it could decide life and death itself.
"Oh, right… speaking of that," Nathan suddenly remembered something. "My dad said he won't oppose your relationship with my sister, but she needs a proper status. Otherwise, he'll never agree. After all, she is still the current head of the Glacienne family."
"No need to worry about that," Ash replied without hesitation. "Once everything here in Johto is settled, I plan to get married. All of you, together."
His words made Sabrina smile softly. For her, nothing was more reassuring than having her place beside him acknowledged openly. That recognition was the responsibility a man should carry.
"By the way, didn't you say you were going to challenge the Johto League? How many badges have you collected?" Ash asked, changing the subject.
"Only three. I stopped after I started investigating Lugia. There's no chance for me in this year's Johto League."
"Speaking of which, brother-in-law, your apprentice has become really famous in Kanto lately. I've seen his battle recordings. It's my first time seeing a quasi-Champion-level trainer fight like that."
Shirō had indeed gained a lot of attention in Kanto. Ever since his identity as Ash's first apprentice was revealed, his reputation had skyrocketed. At the same time, the pressure on him had increased just as dramatically.
Carrying that title meant he could not afford to bring shame to Ash's name. Even against weaker opponents, Shirō fought with everything he had. Before every Gym battle, he carefully gathered information and prepared strategies.
Although he had reached the level of a quasi-Champion, Kanto's Elite trainers were seasoned veterans. Their years of experience were something a young trainer could not easily overcome.
Even when Shirō had the advantage in strength, his Gym battles were often hard-fought, forcing him to recognize his own shortcomings. Talent alone could not replace real combat experience.
"Really? How many Gyms has he cleared?" Ash asked, now genuinely curious. Since they had parted ways, he had not kept in touch with Shirō and knew little about his progress.
"I'm not exactly sure, but it should be more than three," Nathan replied. As he spoke, he turned his notebook's camera toward Pikachu, carefully recording its physical data.
Seeing this, Ash frowned slightly.
"You're using a computer to analyze battles now?"
He did not mind Pikachu's data being recorded, but relying on data-driven combat methods was another matter entirely. Treating a computer as a substitute for instinct and experience would never lead to true mastery. It reminded him of Shinmu, someone he had encountered before who relied heavily on similar methods.
"No, this is just for assistance. I record my Pokémon's data, then review and analyze it afterward. Data-driven battling may look simple, but the preparation beforehand is actually quite troublesome."
Nathan shook his head. Whenever he ran into something he could not understand about this style, he would study battle recordings from the Kanto League, as well as Ash's matches. He wanted to clearly see the gap between his own data analysis and Ash's.
"That's fine for now, but sooner or later, you'll have to let go of the computer," Ash said calmly. "True data-based battling relies on observation and calculation. Those two abilities are the core."
Since Nathan was now family, Ash did not hold back. If he could guide him, he would.
Hearing this, Nathan immediately turned off the notebook's camera and opened his data files, carefully recording every word Ash said. This document contained all of his accumulated experience with data-driven battling.
Now that Ash had become his brother-in-law, Nathan had a natural advantage. Learning directly from a true master was something others could only dream of. Compared to Ash, a genuine Champion-level data strategist, his own half-developed, quasi-Champion approach was still far from complete.