Ash silently prayed for Steven's forgiveness, then asked Professor Oak to store the two jewels safely. He would retrieve them when he returned in two days.
Oak nodded, put the Key Stones away, and his expression turned serious.
"Your next Gym challenge is Viridian Gym, right?"
"Yes, didn't I just say that?"
"Do you want me to go with you?" Oak asked suddenly, far too seriously for what should've been a normal Gym challenge.
Ash blinked.
It was just a Gym battle. Even if he lost, it wasn't something that required a former Champion to intervene.
But Oak knew the truth.
Blaine had already told him about Mewtwo. He knew Giovanni's true identity. And he knew Giovanni coveted something Ash possessed, Gardevoir's mutated gene chain.
Oak wasn't worried about himself, he was worried about Ash.
He was old, but his Pokémon were not.
And while he didn't yet understand how terrifying Mewtwo was, he did know one thing: No one touches Ash Ketchum while Samuel Oak is still alive.
Ash, unaware of Oak's internal calculations, was stunned for a moment by the offer. Warmth spread through his chest, Oak truly cared. But since Ash couldn't show he knew Giovanni's identity, he had to refuse.
Besides… Ash had a trump card so powerful that even Giovanni and Mewtwo didn't scare him anymore.
"Hehe, it's fine! It's just a Gym challenge. Even if it's the strongest Gym in Kanto, I'm the strongest rookie Kanto's ever had. I'm not going to lose!" Ash flashed a confident grin and gave a big thumbs-up.
Oak looked at that bright, infectious smile and couldn't help softening.
"Alright. Then I'll wait for your return. When you get your eighth badge, I'll have your mom cook a full table of celebratory dishes."
"What?! That's my mom! Why do you need to tell her what to cook? You're just trying to freeload again!" Ash shot back.
Professor Oak laughed awkwardly, exchanged a few more words, then ended the call.
The moment the call disconnected, his playful expression vanished. Oak's face hardened.
He hesitated only a second before dialing another number.
"Hello? This is Oak. You're still stationed in Viridian City, right? Good. Something's come up. I need you to protect someone."
Ash put the video phone down and checked the time. It was still early. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed Pikachu and released all his Pokémon for morning training.
Pikachu, who had been dreaming of going back to sleep, almost toppled over in despair. His glare clearly said: 'You promised to relax! What happened to relaxing?!'
"You can go sleep if you want," Ash said calmly. "But Riolu and the others still want to train. If Riolu catches up to you, well, that's your problem."
Pikachu froze.
Riolu catching up?
Absolutely not.
Riolu was away from Midtier. His Aura qualifications were so high that he could've evolved long ago, his bond with Ash was maxed from day one, and training alongside an Aura-empowered Ash had rapidly boosted Riolu's own Aura.
The idea of Riolu surpassing him made Pikachu's fur stand on end.
He clenched his little fists, sparks popping.
The big brother could not fall behind.
So, despite grumbling, Pikachu marched to training with the others.
Ash and the group trained for two full hours in a desolate corner of Cinnabar Island.
By the time Ash returned, Misty and Brock had already washed up and were waiting in the lobby. The plan was simple:
No battles. No stress.
Just relaxing and enjoying Cinnabar Island together.
There was no shortage of things to enjoy on Cinnabar Island. Between the scenery and attractions, Ash and the others made sure to visit everything worth seeing.
Because Ash wore a mask, his presence didn't draw the usual crowds. It was a little stuffy to wear one in Cinnabar's heat, but he didn't mind; his ridiculous physical endurance made it a non-issue. Misty and Brock didn't even bother, public attention on them had faded long ago.
That was how fame worked. Shine brightly, then slowly fade unless you made trouble again. Today it was Misty and Brock being forgotten; tomorrow, it would be Ash himself, as long as he didn't cause another island-wide incident.
Time flew by when you were having fun. In what felt like an instant, four days passed. They had soaked in nearly every hot spring, wandered every path, and eaten their way across the island.
To Ash's surprise, the hot springs weren't just a gimmick. When he examined them with Aura, he could feel the small traces of genuine effects—muscle relaxation, mental clarity, minor stimulation of cellular activity. But those benefits were only meaningful with long-term bathing. For short-term visitors like them, the experience was mostly just… really comfortable.
During these four days, Brock was suspiciously absent whenever they were out together. Ash simply assumed Brock was off exploring. Misty, however, understood perfectly well what Brock was doing.
For as dense as Brock could be around girls he liked, his emotional intelligence in helping other people was sky-high. He was intentionally giving Ash and Misty space. Misty was embarrassed, a little flustered… and grateful.
But Ash? Completely clueless.
She couldn't exactly throw herself at him either, so progress was slow, but it was progress. Four straight days felt suspiciously like four consecutive dates. Their walking distance naturally closed, and Ash would occasionally take her hand without even thinking about it.
Truly without thinking, because half the time he was leading her somewhere and simply forgot to let go.
When their mini-vacation ended, the three boarded a ship toward their final destination: Viridian Gym.
The ferry only went to Vermilion City, so they would walk from Vermilion to Viridian, passing through Cerulean and Pewter along the way, convenient stops to visit Misty's and Brock's families.
Once they arrived in Vermilion, Ash immediately thought of visiting Chloe and the others. It had been over two months since they last met. Back then, he was still a rookie who barely managed to push himself into Partner Form just to defeat a Raichu.
Now?
Pikachu could flatten that same Raichu with one paw tied behind his back.
Even Ash himself hadn't expected his growth to be this absurd.
By the time they reached Vermilion, the sun was already setting. They decided to stay at Professor Cerise's place for the night and head out in the morning. Professor Cerise should currently be working in his laboratory.
On the way, Ash also checked in on Vermilion Gym, specifically whether Lt. Surge had stayed reformed.
The answer was surprisingly positive. Vermilion Gym was now a model example for the whole city. Despite Lt. Surge's imposing appearance, he had become a patient, attentive instructor whose battle teaching style shocked visiting challengers.
The number of trainers coming to challenge the Gym was steadily rising again.
"I didn't expect Lt. Surge to really change," Misty said, amazed. "I thought he'd go back to his old ways the moment we left."
"Uncle Surge isn't a bad person," Ash said cheerfully. "He just doesn't know how to hold back. His personality's rough, so he never noticed he was hurting challengers. He only needed someone to snap him out of it."
For someone like Lt. Surge, a friendship-redefining punch, or a thorough beatdown, was the perfect cure.
Before long, they reached the Cerise Laboratory. Unlike the bustle of their first visit, it was quiet now; after all, who casually wandered into a research facility for fun?
Well, except Team Rocket, but that was another story.
Professor Cerise was in the middle of his research when they knocked. He looked up and his eyes lit with surprise.
"Ash! It's been a while! Why are you here?"
"We just came back from Cinnabar Island and thought we'd stop by to see you, Professor Cerise," Ash said with a grin. Then he pressed a Poké Ball.
A soft pop and a flash of white light later, Riolu materialized on the floor.
"Riolu, greet Professor Cerise."
"Rio!" Riolu chirped energetically, its voice full of spirit. Compared to when it first left Vermilion City, its aura was practically blazing, its vigor, posture, and presence were all leagues above its former self.
Riolu also remembered the gentle, familiar aura in front of it. This man had cared for it for so long. Without him, Riolu might never have survived long enough for Ash to arrive.
Professor Cerise's face softened instantly. "Well, look at you! You've recovered wonderfully, Riolu!"
Even though Riolu wasn't his Pokémon, he had raised it for months. He had personally chosen to entrust it to Ash. Seeing it bright, healthy, and full of energy now made his chest feel warm. And he was grateful, deeply grateful, that he hadn't been swayed by a certain someone's doubts back then.
If he had made the wrong choice, Riolu might not even be alive.
"Riolu has already reached Mid-low level!" Ash declared proudly, patting his own chest. "At the Indigo League, it'll definitely show you a performance that'll blow you away!"
Professor Cerise smiled instinctively at first, ready to praise his progress, but then the words truly registered.
"Mid-low?"
His eyes flew open like a startled Pidgey, jaw unhinging, expression switching straight into utter shock.
"H–Hold on, Riolu reached that level? Already?!"
He couldn't help it; his scientist brain short-circuited.
Ash had only had Riolu for what, two months at most? And one of those months was spent healing and restoring its talent, meaning actual training time was barely a month.
A month.
From fresh novice…to Mid-low level.
Professor Cerise stared at Ash, Riolu, then Ash again, wondering if the world was still real.
How in the world did you raise a Riolu to this level in one month?! Did you install cheat mods when I wasn't looking?!