Speaking of his parallel world self, Gary's face showed an extremely proud expression.
Although it was a parallel world, it was still himself!
Becoming a Champion in two years—that record is absolutely unprecedented in this world. As for whether it will be unparalleled in the future... that depends on whether he, with the parallel world memories, and Ash can break this record.
"Becoming a Champion in two years... You were so amazing in the other world!" Ash said with admiration.
Hearing this, Gary looked at Ash with some surprise: "You believe me?"
"Uh... Of course I believe you! How could I not! Although what you said is a bit far-fetched, Gary, you don't need to joke about something like this, right? No matter how outrageous something is, if this is the only explanation, then you have to believe it!" Ash paused for a moment, then said seriously, his face full of trust.
Actually, he was panicking inside—thank goodness, he almost gave himself away!
Even Professor Oak was still looking somewhat skeptical, while he had directly believed Gary's words.
He wasn't particularly surprised that Gary had gained memories from a parallel world; instead, he was surprised that the parallel world Gary had become the champion in two years.
This surprise was clearly misplaced. After all, being surprised by the parallel world Gary's achievements presupposes believing Gary's explanation of a parallel world.
Professor Oak still had some doubts, but Ash believed without hesitation, because his current achievements were entirely due to his parallel world self!
And just now, he almost revealed the chat group in his mind. After all, Gary had confessed everything to them the moment he got it; if he were to hide it, wouldn't that be too petty?
But Gary's experience was completely different!
According to Gary, he only gained the memories of his parallel-world counterpart. Perhaps he inherited some personality traits from that parallel-world Gary, but Gary clearly didn't have a chat group, let alone participate in anything like lotteries within it.
If Gary was a privileged young master, then he would be a super overpowered character!
Their power levels were on completely different scales. Gary only gained the memories of his parallel-world counterpart, while this guy had all his parallel-world counterparts teaching him!
The difference was that one possessed the power of a single world, while Ash possessed endless, multifaceted power.
The two situations were completely different, so Ash immediately stopped himself from revealing anything about the chat group. The senior members had repeatedly warned him not to disclose anything unless absolutely necessary.
There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. If word got out, he'd probably be dissected and never have peace again.
Professor Oak nodded in agreement with Ash's explanation: "Ash makes sense. While your explanation is a bit far-fetched, it perfectly matches your incredible progress. Looking at it this way, your rapid improvement in just one month doesn't seem so unacceptable."
"By the way, Gary, what about me in the parallel world? You won the championship in two years, so what about me?" Ash asked curiously.
He had the contact information for all his parallel world selves. If he could find out about his other self from Gary, he could ask that other world's Ash in the chat group what had happened.
Why did Gary suddenly gain memories of his other self from another world? And why was Gary renamed "Blue" in that other world?! What kind of name is that?!
Upon hearing this, Gary's previously proud expression, spurred by Professor Oak's praise, froze, even turning somewhat ugly.
If he could, he really didn't want to reveal Ash's situation in that other world. It was just too unbearable.
In this world, he was constantly overshadowed by Ash, and in this other world, he was still being suppressed by Ash. When he received this information, he was truly stunned.
"Ahem, I only gained some experiences from my parallel world self, along with the methods of raising Pokémon, and some residual energy from that space that fused with my Blastoise. That's all I know. Of course, including information about you, Ash. It's a pity, Ash, that I can't know how you're doing in that parallel world."
Gary thought for a long time before finally saying with some regret.
The expression he had just shown...
He looked as if he were diligently searching his memories, only to find nothing in the end.
Ash's face showed a hint of suspicion upon hearing this. Gary even knew about his two years as champion, yet he had no memory of him. Did that make sense?
Not to boast, but for Gary, Ash should be the most important person besides his girlfriend, family, and Pokémon.
After all, they were childhood friends, constantly rivals since their travels, and there was also his connection with Professor Oak… all of this convinced Ash that Gary definitely had memories of his parallel world self, but for some reason, he didn't want to talk about it.
No problem, he'd just ask.
While Gary was still recounting his extraordinary encounter and vividly describing the black hole, Ash quietly closed his eyes and entered the chat group.
…
[Ascender Ash: Guys, do you guys have someone named Blue on your side?]
"Becoming a champion in two years makes him the youngest champion in history."
[Ash the Aura Warrior: Blue? Never heard of it, but why does that name feel so familiar? What's his relationship with Gary?]
Although Blue's name is completely different from Gary's, for some reason, Ash the Aura Warrior immediately thought of Gary upon seeing the name. There must be some connection between the two.
[Ascender Ash: It's like this…]
Ash recounted all of Gary's experiences and improvements during this period in the group chat. Ash wouldn't casually reveal such core secrets to anyone else, but since it was himself, it didn't matter.
Since Gary was willing to tell him this, telling his parallel world self was practically an implicit agreement, right?
[Ash the Aura Warrior: I see. Is there a Gary in a parallel universe named Blue? But it shouldn't be from my timeline. Gary's name here is Gary.]
[Champion Ash: It's from my timeline.]
[Ascender Ash: Huh?]
"Is this from the Champion's world? Does that mean Gary became Champion faster than you in your world? That can't be! "
The group is full of powerful figures, but there are only two truly universally acknowledged masters: one is Legendary Pokémon Friend Ash, who possesses numerous divine beings, has challenged Arceus, and probably has a whole team of legendary Pokémon.
The other is Champion Ash.
If Legendary Pokémon Friend Ash became the strongest in the group because of his legendary Pokémon, then Champion Ash became one of the strongest purely through his own strength. He possesses a whole team of legendary Pokémon through his own hard work!
In terms of talent, Champion Ash is also one of the top in the chat group.
However, even with the most outstanding talent, Champion Ash is still overshadowed by Gary in his world?
[Champion Ash: Hmm, Gary did become Champion faster than me, but he only held the title for an hour.]
[Ascender Ash: ?]
[Champion Ash: Because he just became Champion, I challenged the Elite Four and defeated them all. Finally, I faced him, and I won.]
Wow, there's a pro!
No wonder Gary was reluctant to reveal his situation in the other world. Was Gary really that pathetic in Champion Ash's world?
Being Champion for an hour is impressive! If the Elite Four hadn't needed time to recover their Pokémon, Gary probably wouldn't have even been Champion for an hour!
[Champion Ash: In my world, Gary has two names. One is his original name, and the other is Blue.]
[Ascender Ash: Two names? Why would he have two names? Did Gary's parents in that world think his original name, Gary, wasn't good enough, so they changed it for him when he grew up?]
[Champion Ash: Hehe, no, it's not that. It's because]
[Champion Ash: That's because after that guy became champion, he was too arrogant, so I beat him up. His mentality collapsed, and he immediately retired to the mountains to train. When he came back, he not only changed his name to Blue, but his personality also became much calmer, no longer as impetuous as before.]
[Ascender Ash: ...That's too tragic! Is this the legendary 'Champion Experience Card'?]
[Legendary Pokémon Ash: I seem to remember the name Blue, but that was many years ago. The Gary from that world... no, I should say Blue, was indeed a very talented trainer.]
[Ascender Ash: Since even the legendary Pokémon says so, it seems that Green really had some skills.]
Our world's Gary also had its share of misfortunes, including mine.
[Champion Ash: Rookie, you've felt the boost this chat group gave you after you got it, right? Even with such a powerful, almost cheat-like advantage, it still took you about a year to reach Champion. So, why do you think we both became Champions in just two short years in my world?]
Champion Ash's words made Ash ponder deeply.
He was right. With the chat group's assistance, the many good things he got from the lottery, the help of various legendary Pokémon in the real world, and the guidance of countless parallel world versions of himself, it still took him over seven months to barely acquire three Elite Four-level Pokémon.
Pikachu had only recently returned to the Elite Four level.
So how did Champion Ash manage to become a Champion Trainer in just two short years?
[Champion Ash: Actually, when I first started my journey, a memory suddenly appeared in my mind—Pokémon battle methods, training methods, battle experience… so many things appeared in my mind as if they belonged to me.]
[Champion Ash: Besides that memory, I also discovered I possess a special ability: during Pokémon battles, the more adverse the situation my Pokémon faces, the faster it improves and the more rapidly it grows. This ability is explained in the memories I received; it's called—Battler.]
Battler…the ability to leap forward through battles—that name is quite fitting. This is why Champion Ash was able to become Champion in just two years.
However, isn't what Champion Ash described very similar to Gary's situation? They both gained a memory and then relied on it to make rapid progress. Although it's not as powerful as the chat group, it's definitely a rare treasure for any trainer.
[Ascender Ash: So, Champion, you obtained your memories from a parallel world beforehand, became Champion in just two years, and then got the chat group, right?]
[Champion Ash: Pretty much, but there's one difference from what you said. The memories I received weren't from my own parallel world, but from someone else. That person is called… Red. Although their appearance and behavior are very similar to mine, they aren't me. They might be a similar being from another world.]
[Champion Ash: It's the same for Gary in our world. He had the same experiences as me, and the owner of the memories he received was named—Blue. That's why he has two names, but strictly speaking, Blue should just be considered his nickname.]
Now I understand. So that's how Gary in Champion Ash's world got his two names. And in that world, both he and Gary had their own experiences. Judging from the names Red and Blue, their relationship might be similar to his and Gary's—a rivalry.
However, according to Champion Ash, although Red and Blue are similar to them, they aren't parallel world counterparts.
So, is the memory Gary received from Blue, or from a parallel world Gary who received Blue's memories?
Perhaps it's the latter. After all, judging from Gary's pale face, in the memories he received, he should have become the youngest champion before being immediately defeated by Champion Ash.
Calling him the youngest champion is certainly true, but we should add another title—the fastest champion!
[Ascender Ash: I understand, boss. I'll head out now.]
[Champion Ash: By the way, since Gary received that memory, he should have also acquired Blue's ability. Blue's ability is called 'Raiser'.]
[Champion Ash: This ability focuses on training. Under identical training conditions, possessing this ability will increase the training speed by at least five times. This is an ability comparable to the Battler. With this power, one can train team after team of powerful Pokémon at an extremely fast pace.]
[Champion Ash: But there are downsides too. While the training speed is faster than that of a seasoned fighter, the upper limit of this ability is lower. That's why Gary became champion faster than me, but I'm stronger than him.]
[Champion Ash: But you're different, rookie. You don't have the talent of a seasoned fighter. Although you have the help of the chat group and the occasional lottery assistance, you still need to be careful of Gary in the upcoming Silver Conference. He will definitely become a formidable opponent.]
[Ascender Ash: Heh! That would be perfect! I couldn't be happier!]
Isn't this perfect? He was thinking that Gary wasn't putting enough pressure on him, but this high-pressure competition is exactly what he wanted!