The expansion of the Silver Conference may have already begun; the venue's construction started shortly after the last Silver Conference ended. At that time, many people were puzzled, asking why the Silver Conference Hall needed to be expanded?
Originally, the Silver Conference Hall was already large enough, with a central arena that could accommodate thousands of spectators without issue, plus five smaller arenas that could also hold hundreds of spectators each.
In such a scenario, why expand? How many people are they planning to accommodate? Could there really be so many coming to watch, so many wanting to compete?
Such voices were common at the time, but considering the new rule changes, this expansion is obviously aimed at the new regulations. If participants from regions worldwide are allowed to join this league without limiting badges, then the number of participants would clearly be unprecedented.
Perhaps the number of participants might exceed the audience count, necessitating venue expansion; otherwise, the Silver Conference's preliminary matches might drag on indefinitely.
...
Ash and Gary were chatting as they walked back to Pallet Town. At a fork in the road, they parted ways: one heading to Oak's Research Institute, the other returning home, marking their mutual divergence.
As he arrived at the doorstep, before Ash could open the door, it swung open, revealing Misty's charming face: "Welcome back, Ash~"
"How did you know I was here?" Ash hadn't even knocked, yet Misty had already opened the door, as if she knew he was coming back.
"I just felt it~," Misty said playfully, tilting her head and blinking.
"Actually, she stood by the door all afternoon, waiting for you to return," Brock interjected, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, exposing Misty's lie.
There was no intuition, just persistence.
"Misty, you…"
"Hehe, I got a little restless thinking of your return! Come on in; it's almost time to eat!" Misty grinned, pulling Ash inside the house.
As Misty said, she became restless knowing Ash was coming back. Their time together was less than a week before Ash left for Dragon Island.
To be truthful, from start to now, this was the longest separation between Misty and Ash. Otherwise, she was almost inseparable from Ash. Yet, once they became a couple, they'd been apart for three whole days, which seemed amusing.
This was one of the reasons Misty couldn't wait, standing by the door all afternoon for Ash.
"How was the trip to Dragon Island? What Pokemon did you catch?" Misty asked curiously after they sat together on the couch.
"I caught a Dragonair! Let me tell you, this Dragonair…" Ash gestured vividly, detailing every event from Dragon Island to Misty. Perhaps due to the closeness of ties, he felt compelled to tell Misty everything.
When Misty heard Ash acquired Dragonite's MEGA Evolution Stone, she displayed a surprised expression; his luck was unparalleled.
On Dragon Island, Ash found a seemingly weak Dragonair, which was actually favored by the Divine Domain Level Dragonite. This Dragonair's talent was undoubtedly exceptional.
Furthermore, Dragonair learned from Dragonite's ancestor, mastering Dragon's Breath, which continuously enhanced its internal Dragon Power. Finally, Ash acquired Dragonite's MEGA Evolution Stone, completing the full Dragonite package in one go!
While it seemed like luck, it was closely linked to Ash's character. If Ash hadn't helped that Dragonair actively, even with the Dragonite ancestor's constant observation, Ash might not have learned so much.
Because Ash assisted and caught that Dragonair, this outcome was achieved. Ultimately, wasn't it due to Ash's kind heart?
During Ash's storytelling, dinner was ready. At the dinner table, Ash succinctly shared the tales he told Misty with his mother and Brock, while expressing his intention to head to Orange Archipelago tomorrow.
"So soon? Won't you rest at home for a few days?" Delia asked, a bit reluctance evident.
Mothers are like this: while seeing their children around they might wish otherwise, the moment the child plans to leave, there's a feeling of reluctance.
"No choice; we need to help Little Lugia find its parents in Orange Archipelago and deliver a Pokeball for Professor Oak to Dr. Nemu. So, we need to leave as soon as possible," Ash responded, eating.
"I see, then that's inevitable. Let me help you pack your bags first," Delia replied.
"Okay," Ash didn't hold back with his mother. If he held back, would she still be called mother?
In truth, there's not much to pack; mainly preparing some bento for Ash to eat along the way. With the space backpack, food can be preserved for a long time. Even though Brock and Ash are excellent chefs now, as a mother, she still wishes to personally make some dishes for her child's journey.