The real reason why Blaine left the Cinnabar Gym made Ash and his friends feel a bit creepy.
Gene fusion of Pokemon, creating life on their own, crafting a whole new Pokemon as a human...
This kind of thing is like a fantasy tale. If it wasn't Professor Oak who was speaking about it, Ash definitely would not have believed it.
He just came to challenge the Cinnabar Gym, so why did it seem like he had stumbled upon some incredible secret?
"Now, the Alliance is also looking for Blaine's whereabouts. The reason they haven't revoked his position as the Cinnabar Gym Leader is indirectly showing goodwill, indicating that they won't take action against him." Professor Oak's next words caught Ash by surprise.
"Why? Didn't Blaine do something that the Alliance couldn't tolerate, which was why he ran away? And now the Alliance doesn't pursue it?" Ash asked, puzzled.
If they didn't plan to investigate from the beginning, why force Blaine to leave?
"There are many things you can't understand, Ash, and I can't explain them in detail. In short, you just need to know that Blaine's research is forbidden by the heavens, but he has already conducted and completed it. The Alliance needs his research results and may ignore his mistakes for that reason."
Saying this, Professor Oak also sighed. Inside the Alliance, not everything is completely bright, and even within the villain organizations, there's not complete darkness. The world isn't black and white, and Ash doesn't understand this yet, and shouldn't have to.
It's best for Ash to maintain a pure heart for now. If possible, Professor Oak wouldn't want to tell Ash about this, but since Ash is persistent, he would eventually find out, which is why Oak has chosen to tell him proactively.
Despite this disclosure, Professor Oak didn't explain the intricacies clearly, only revealing the true reason for Blaine's disappearance.
Ash only understood half of it, but he now knew the reason for Blaine's disappearance and why the Cinnabar Gym was left unmanaged in shambles.
And now, it's likely that no one can find where Blaine is, which means completely abandoning the idea of challenging the Cinnabar Gym.
With a sigh, Ash was already starting to think silently about the next Gym he would challenge.
Unable to challenge the Cinnabar Gym, even counting the Viridian Gym, he was still missing a badge. He needed to see if any other Gyms were on the way back that he could challenge.
"Thank you for telling me so much, Professor Oak. I'll hang up now."
"No problem... But if you really meet Blaine, you can tell him to come and have a good talk with me. We're old acquaintances, and I know what's on his mind. But some things can't have conclusions without a discussion."
Hearing this, Ash chuckled, "The whole Alliance can't find him. How could I possibly find him?"
"Not necessarily. With your ridiculous luck, you might bump into a person on the street, only to discover it's Blaine." Professor Oak jokingly said, and Ash on the other end of the phone was instantly covered in black lines.
What a bizarre notion that you'd bump into Blaine just like that on the street. No matter how good your luck is, it can't be that good!
"Hanging up, hanging up." Ash quickly hung up and then headed with Misty and the others towards the hotel they had long since reserved.
Since Blaine wasn't on Cinnabar Island, they might as well stay in the hotel for a couple of days and treat it as a relaxing vacation.
Ash was still eager to try out the hot springs here to see if they were truly as miraculous as they were said to be in relieving fatigue. If so, he might let his Pokemon try them out as well.
Led by Ash, the trio arrived at their reserved hotel. It truly appeared luxurious; the exterior decorations were several levels above other hotels, and once inside, the decorations were even more extravagant and opulent.
Though called a hotel, the place was not much different from a five-star luxury hotel. Accustomed to traveling rough and staying in free accommodations at the Pokemon Center, this was their first time staying in such a place. Besides being awe-struck, they also felt a bit uneasy.
They were staying on the fourth floor, with a room containing three beds, considered the top-tier accommodation. Looking down from the fourth floor, they could see a crowd bustling below.
Apart from the comfortable rooms, the hotel had various facilities: hot springs, swimming, Poke Arena, Pokemon massage areas, and so on.
Having Erika's connections was truly advantageous. Without her, they might not have been able to stay in such a place, or even glimpse a room here. At the moment, it's not a place you could stay in just by having money.
Even if money were enough, it would probably require a five-figure sum per night; after all, this is the top-notch hotel within this tourist spot.
After putting down their luggage, the trio went out to wander around Cinnabar Island, as the day was still early. They could further explore the Cinnabar Tourist Area's local customs and come back to the hotel in the evening to enjoy the hot springs.
After over three months of traveling, this was perhaps the most relaxing experience they had so far.
...
As dusk approached, Ash and his friends strolled around Cinnabar Island, enjoying food and drink, and having nearly exhausted their activities for the day. Just as they were about to return to their hotel, Ash accidentally bumped into someone.