With Serena's crystal sponsorship, Ash successfully carved out a crystal sculpture for Pikachu, and this work was even more exquisite than Misty and Serena's!
On one hand, Ash's familiarity with Pikachu was unparalleled, more so than with any person or Pokemon. Nothing could compare to how well Ash knew Pikachu.
Additionally, this was Ash's third time creating a finished product, his proficiency had naturally increased.
Finally, a Pokemon sculpture was considerably simpler than a human one. Considering all these points, Pikachu's sculpture was more refined than Misty and Serena's.
After completing the sculpture, Pikachu couldn't put it down, playing with it lovingly. The crystal sculpture not only felt better, but Ash's craftsmanship, aided by Aura Power, possessed unrivaled attention to detail.
Moreover, this was a sculpture of Pikachu by Ash, whereas others were generic models of Pikachu. There were notable differences between Teacher Dapi and other Pikachu in certain details.
This truly was the sculpture meant for him!
...
In the blink of an eye, a day passed, and it was now the next morning. Ah Gong, with dark circles under his eyes, returned the Crystal Onix to Ash. The previous night, Ash and his friends had rested at the island's Pokemon Center, while Ah Gong stayed up all night researching the Crystal Onix.
He only had one night to thoroughly document the essence of the Crystal Onix since he figured he wouldn't see it again once Ash left.
Oh, wait, maybe they'll show it on TV someday, but who knows if it will be a Crystal Onix or some Steelix by then.
So, Ah Gong spent the entire night observing the Crystal Onix, his eyes shadowed, but at last, he deeply imprinted every aspect of the Crystal Onix into his memory.
The next morning, Ash visited Ah Gong's shop to retrieve the Crystal Onix and witnessed Ah Gong's newly elevated sculpting skills.
After examining the Crystal Onix, Ah Gong's skill had indeed escalated to an epic level, most significantly, his sculptures seemed to have gained life, appearing vividly alive.
Ah Gong had finally reached the sculpting level of his ancestors, and from now on, Penggan Island would have another exceptional glass artist.
"Goodbye, Ah Gong and Masumi, we'll visit again when we can!" Ash and his friends waved farewell to Ah Gong from the back of Lapras.
During their one-day stay on Penggan Island, they acquired the Crystal Onix, created statues for Misty and Serena, and addressed Serena's financial issues. It was a triple win!
The stop was definitely worthwhile, and next, the trio would head to Seven Berry Islands, an amazing place where seven islands are nearly connected with no gaps, hence the name.
The Seven Berry Islands are rich in berries, including rare ones that can enhance Pokemon Ability Value. They aren't produced in large quantities, so they must be purchased directly when visiting the islands.
On the way to Asia Island, they'll pass by Seven Berry Islands, and Ash plans to use its berries to create a glowing Pokemon dish. With the berries' boosting properties and his culinary skills, it would surely lead to a magical reaction and enhance their Pokemon's speed impressively.
Currently, Charizard and Gardevoir are nearly at Elite Level, while Pikachu—after receiving his crystal sculpture from Ash—miraculously surpassed the Gym-Level threshold and reached Elite Level!
This was something Ash never imagined.
Pikachu didn't advance during battle or training but due to a crystal sculpture. Advancing to Elite Level in such a way was unheard of, and Ash hadn't even realized it at first.
Later that night, Ash suddenly sensed Pikachu's aura was somewhat different, and upon closer inspection, found out Pikachu had reached Elite Level!
Even Pikachu himself hadn't noticed. When Ash asked him what happened, Pikachu said his only power fluctuation was after Ash finished his crystal sculpture. If he advanced, it was only then.
This left Ash feeling very perplexed. Who could believe a Pokemon would advance just because it received something! Especially considering the Elite Level bottleneck, Pikachu had been stuck there for quite a while!
And now it advances so inexplicably? Crazy!
Another amusing thing was when Gardevoir learned Ash had crafted a crystal sculpture for Pikachu, she cried and clamored for one as well, but by then, they had already left Penggan Island, and returning to the cave for more crystals wasn't feasible.
Therefore, Gardevoir turned her eager eyes toward her new partner—the Crystal Onix.