At this moment, the eyes of the entire world were focused on you!
And you were a true knight!
A valiant knight who could make sacrifices for their Trainer!
Under the gaze of the whole world—
Sirfetch'd was enveloped in a dazzling, pure white light of purification.
Having comprehended its own path of knighthood, Farfetch'd had completed its transformation!
Farfetch'd!
No—
"Silver saddle gleams on a white steed, swift as a shooting star!"
At this very moment!
Farfetch'd broke free from its cocoon and was reborn!
It was Sirfetch'd—
a Pokémon standing at the very pinnacle of knighthood!
The Uncrowned Brave of Galar!
[Leon: Hahahaha! Just as expected of Ash's Pokémon—even its evolution is this unique! Sirfetch'd, you have my recognition!]
[Professor Magnolia: No wonder Sirfetch'd was regarded in ancient times as the incarnation of the Hero of Sword and Shield. The way it wields sword and shield is exactly the same as the hero depicted in the murals.]
[Raihan: Full of spirit! I like that look in its eyes!]
[Bea: I just looked it up—Sirfetch'd actually has the Fighting-type attribute? I just want to ask, does armed combat count as Fighting?]
[Mustard: Hahaha, why wouldn't it count?]
[Caitlin: Question—what role did Champion Karuna play in this segment?]
[Lillie: Me, me, me! I know! She was the tool person used to hug Professor Big Fur!]
Karuna: That's enough, all of you!
Karuna decided that no matter the occasion in the future, she would never again wear any clothes related to Pikachu.
These people were completely insane!
If you don't have it, you just get jealous here!
Then next time you go to the beach for a photoshoot, just wear Squirtle instead!
...
On the screen—
Sirfetch'd is a Pokémon that evolves from Farfetch'd native to the Galar region after enduring countless battles.
After evolving, Sirfetch'd resembles Farfetch'd in appearance, but its feathers turn white.
The V-shaped marking from its Farfetch'd days becomes thicker, resembling connected eyebrows.
Sirfetch'd wields a leek-stalk sword in one hand and a shield formed from leek leaves in the other.
Its leek is both a weapon and food.
Calmness is its byword!
Power is its label!
A meteor-piercing strike shattered the Sacred Sword!
How could a fake sword and shield stand against the true Hero of Sword and Shield?!
The meteor-like leek shattered King's Shield!
Aegislash could only barely block Ash's (pseudo) Behemoth Blade with the King's Sword!
But—
This was Behemoth Blade!
As expected—
With no surprises at all!
The pale blue slash sent Aegislash crashing down violently!
"T-This… how is this possible?!"
Aegislash shouted in panic.
But facts were facts!
Its body smashed straight through the door behind it—the door symbolizing the path of knighthood!
Sometimes, what pushes open a door isn't a key!
It's resolve!
It's faith!
"That was amazing, Farfetch'd—no, 350 Farfetch'd! We did it!"
Seeing the attack succeed,
Ash immediately scooped up the Farfetch'd beside him.
No—
the current Farfetch'd had already evolved into Sirfetch'd!
Sirfetch'd's wise eyes revealed a hint of helplessness.
Duck Duck had grown up—it no longer needed those loving hugs.
Sirfetch'd shifted its body and broke free from Ash's embrace.
Then it took two steps forward and picked up the leek on the ground.
Sword in the left hand, shield in the right!
The Hero of Sword and Shield returned to position!
After taking up its sword and shield, Sirfetch'd performed an extremely solemn knight's salute toward Ash.
It was as if it were declaring that Ash was the master it would follow for life!
Sirfetch'd's tsundere attitude made Karuna laugh repeatedly.
Just moments ago, Farfetch'd looked like it needed comforting.
Who would've thought that in the blink of an eye, it would turn tsundere!
Sure enough, evolution could change a Pokémon's personality.
Of course, it was also possible that Sirfetch'd was just putting on an act.
Freshly evolved—
wanted to show off a bit!
At this time—
Amidst the rubble,
Aegislash staggered to its feet in terror.
It subconsciously touched its neck, and only after confirming that its head was still attached did it finally breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Too terrifying!
That strike had crossed over its King's Sword and rested directly against its neck.
If not for the protection of this armor—
Aegislash didn't even dare to imagine the outcome.
Were youngsters these days really this terrifying?
Using a toy sword to slash out sword qi?
Could it be that Ash was the real knight—
And it itself was just a counterfeit?
In an instant,
Aegislash's entire body turned ashen gray.
"Uncle Aegislash, thank you so much! My Sirfetch'd finally evolved!"
It was Ash speaking.
After putting away the Rusted Sword, he immediately waved and thanked Aegislash.
After pushing open the door in its heart,
Farfetch'd had completely bid farewell to the past,
And found a path that belonged to it alone.
Hearing Ash's voice, Aegislash finally snapped back to reality.
The original purpose of opening this Knight Dojo was to promote the spirit of knighthood.
And Ash and his Sirfetch'd were the best possible promotional material.
The fear from earlier was instantly thrown to the back of its mind.
Carrying its Aegislash,
Aegislash walked straight up to Ash.
It pulled out a phone from within its steel armor,
Then started snapping photos of itself with Ash.
At the same time, it directly began editing a post on its social media.
"The first knight of the Knight Dojo is officially born!
He is Ash from Pallet Town!
If anyone wishes to become a knight like Ash, come quickly to the Knight Dojo of Kalos!"
After arranging a nine-grid collage with photos of itself, Ash, Sirfetch'd, and Aegislash in the center,
Aegislash finally hit send.
Perfect!
It had been worrying about how to promote its Knight Dojo!
After finishing all this,
Aegislash patted Ash's shoulder with satisfaction.
"It's all thanks to you, Ash. Otherwise, who knows when my dojo would've produced a true knight."
"You have no idea—I've had this Knight Dojo open for three whole years! Three years! And not a single person passed the first trial!"
"Waaah~"
Seemingly recalling its experiences over those three years,
Aegislash suddenly burst into tears on the spot.
This behavior caused everyone else—including Ash—to subconsciously take a step back.
No choice about it.
They were mainly afraid of being infected by something called the "youth virus."
[Flint: Uncle Aegislash! So touching! When I get back from Paldea, I'll definitely take part in your knight trial. I'll become a true knight too!]
[Volkner: What did you get infected with now?! Don't learn this kind of thing! You're a Fire-type Elite Four—what use do you have for knightly spirit?!]
[Flint: It might be useless, but it's cool! Just imagine—before a battle, my Infernape salutes the opponent like a knight. Isn't that awesome?!]
[Lucian: It's fine. He won't get to show off for long.]
At this moment—
Cynthia was still on a plane headed for Paldea!
The countdown to Sinnoh Fire-type Elite Four Flint's doomsday had officially begun!
...
On the screen—
The Knight Dojo trial concluded with great success.
Even Karuna was somewhat surprised by the talent of Ash and Sirfetch'd.
After all, this Knight Dojo had been open for a full three years.
Three whole years!
And Ash was the only one to successfully graduate!
When she first heard that Ash planned to seek out Aegislash's help,
Karuna's heart had leapt with joy.
In her imagination, Ash would surely stay in Galar for quite some time before truly comprehending the path of knighthood.
That way, she would have more time to spend alone with him.
Worth it—even after canceling several engagements.
Who knew the process would go so smoothly!
It didn't even take a full day.
Not only did Ash earn Aegislash's praise, but even that Farfetch'd evolved into a Pokémon she had never seen before.
So annoying!
How did her carefully planned duo adventure turn out like this?!
Karuna's cheeks puffed up like a bun.
Even the Pikachu in her arms sensed something was wrong.
Why was this woman hugging it tighter and tighter?!
Fortunately,
Karuna wasn't just a Champion—she was also an excellent actress.
Her ability to regulate her emotions was outstanding.
Just as Pikachu was hesitating over whether to use Thunderbolt to remind her,
Karuna had already loosened her grip.
Pikachu once again collapsed into a soft, plush embrace.
Time flew by.
After bidding farewell to Aegislash, Ash left the Knight Dojo together with Karuna.
"Ash, you haven't been to Kalos in a long time, right? Is there anywhere you want to go? I can show you around."
On the way back,
Karuna spoke casually to Ash.
She had no choice—otherwise, the precious vacation she'd worked so hard for would be completely wasted.
"Not really. Greninja still can't be contacted, and I checked on Goodra last time—it's living happily."
Ash pondered for a moment.
"I can't really think of anywhere I want to go right now~"
After Farfetch'd evolved into Sirfetch'd,
Ash's mood had improved significantly.
Even his tone became lighter.
But in contrast,
The expression on Karuna's face grew increasingly subtle.
Is that what I wanted to hear?!
Of course not!
But because of her status, Karuna couldn't say it outright.
Otherwise, it would seem too frivolous.
"Pika!"
"Pikachu says… go look for Alain? But I don't know where he is either! Come to think of it, I really want to beat him up badly. I should've won back then!"
When Pikachu suddenly mentioned Alain,
Ash was reminded of that battle at the Lumiose Conference.
Just a little more—
And he would've lifted his first-ever championship trophy.
Losing due to lack of skill was one thing.
But losing in such a frustrating way—
Although he accepted the defeat back then, the more he thought about it now, the angrier he became!
"Miss Karuna, do you know where Alain is now?"
"I don't know. After that incident, we haven't kept in touch."
Karuna shook her head, clearly unaware of Alain's whereabouts.
Seeing that he couldn't get an answer from Karuna,
Ash could only sigh.
He'd have to wait until next time they met to get his revenge!
Just then,
A voice came from Ash's pocket.
"Beep beep, Rotom—there's a message from Iris."
Rotom Phone's voice was rather piercing,
Especially in the open countryside.
The sudden sound startled Ash.
He hurriedly took the Rotom Phone out of his pocket.
Sure enough, after lighting up the screen, there was an email.
The avatar was a cute Axew—one glance told you it was Iris's work.
Hearing it was Iris,
Pikachu also leaned in.
"Pika?"
"I don't know either—let's take a look first."
Ash opened the message.
The email wasn't text, but a video.
In the video, a dark-skinned girl wearing a silky long dress stood before a Dragonite.
She pointed forward—toward Ash beyond the screen—
Then spoke in a youthful yet dignified voice:
"Ash! I've successfully defeated Grandpa Alder and become the Champion of Unova!
As my first gift after becoming Champion—come battle me!"
Behind Iris, Dragonite, along with Haxorus and Excadrill at her side, let out fierce roars—
Like a declaration of war.
The straightforward challenge perfectly matched Iris's personality.
[Iris: Eh? I didn't expect to defeat Grandpa Alder in just five years—this is really exciting!]
[Drayden: Hahaha, worthy of my disciple. You accomplished something even I, as your master, couldn't do so easily.]
[Alder: To think the one inheriting my Champion seat would be little Iris… I wonder how much she's improved after five years. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel at ease handing Unova over to her.]
[Lance: Haven't you all noticed a blind spot? Five years later, Iris still looks only thirteen or fourteen! A League Champion at thirteen or fourteen? Since when did the Champion title become this cheap?!]
[Lorelei: Heh. Or maybe Iris genuinely has the strength to become Champion—unlike someone who can't even beat an Elite Four member yet still dreams of being Champion.]
[Alder: That's right, that's right! My strength is no joke. If that little girl Iris didn't have power that convinced me, I'd never hand the Champion seat over to her.]
[Leon: Another teenage Champion… seems the future is an era brimming with talent. To be born in the same era as you all is truly my honor!]
Leon feared no one.
No matter how great your talent was—so what?
To him, it merely made for a more interesting toy.
After the Eternatus incident,
Leon had also figured things out.
Developing Galar couldn't be done overnight.
Dynamax was good—but greed had no place in its use!
Otherwise, the end result would always be the same.
Without Rose, there would still be Kars!
Only by forging a different path could Galar truly step onto the level of the Grand League.
[Lance: Who wasn't a prodigy in their youth?! If I weren't in Kanto, I'd already be Champion, okay?!]
[Lorelei: You're not now. And five years later, you still won't be.]
Murderous words that stabbed straight into the heart!
Lance felt a lump stuck in his throat that he couldn't swallow down!
Fuming, he pulled out a small red notebook from his chest.
Flipping to a page already filled with a single name—
Lorelei!
Humiliating me in public like this—I'll remember it!
When I ascend to the Champion's seat,
The first thing I'll do is send you to Paldea to keep Flint company!
...
On the screen—
After the short video finished playing,
A look of nostalgia appeared on Ash's face.
"It's been so long since I last saw Iris. Last time I went to Unova, I didn't even have time to look for her."
Ash said thoughtfully.
Pikachu on his shoulder nodded in agreement.
The previous trip to Unova had been for investigating ruins,
So Ash never got the chance to stay there for long.
But this time—
Receiving Iris's invitation,
Ash felt a long-lost excitement bubbling up.
A Champion challenge!
Just thinking about it made his blood boil!
"Miss Karuna! I've decided—next, I'm going to Unova for a while!"
An excited Ash pumped his fist as he spoke to Karuna.
At this moment,
A gentle smile bloomed on Karuna's face—
As sweet as honey.
"Ash, what a coincidence. I also happen to be going to Unova. A new Champion has emerged there—of course I should go offer my congratulations."
Karuna gently patted Pikachu on Ash's shoulder.
The smile in her voice was impossible to hide.
She'd been wondering how to find an excuse to keep spending time with Ash—
And then Iris delivered one right to her doorstep.
How could she possibly refuse?
As for whether Iris might pose a threat to her?
How could that be?
As long as you're a normal person, you wouldn't dislike her.
She was Karuna—
Champion of Kalos, the world's most famous star!
A symbol of an entire era!
In high spirits, Karuna narrowed her eyes and brought Ash to her luxurious mansion in Shalour City.
That night, the moonlight was thick and bright.
Wearing a nightgown, Karuna gently swirled the red wine in her hand, her mood exceptionally wonderful.
Making the first move on Ash before Cynthia—
This feeling was truly delightful!
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