There was no need to spell out how gifted Ash was; even Professor Cerise, who rarely kept up with outside news, knew just how infamous Ash had become.
A super rookie unlike any before him…
A newcomer who had defeated an Elite-level opponent, and someone rumored to possess his own unique battle-empowerment method.
But even knowing all that, Professor Cerise never imagined Ash could raise Riolu to this level in barely a month.
Just a month ago, Riolu had been a fragile, recovering mess. Now, even without evolving, it already possessed solid combat strength.
If this wasn't cheating, then what was?
"Anyway, where's Chloe? She isn't back from school yet?"
Ash glanced around the lab, but Chloe was nowhere in sight. A few researchers peeked out curiously, wondering why their professor looked so shaken.
"Chloe should be about done with school. She should arrive any minute."
Knock, knock.
Speak of the devil.
As he opened the lab door, Chloe stepped in wearing her school uniform. She froze when she saw the extra people in the lab, then her gaze locked onto Ash, her eyes widening slightly.
"Ash? Why are you here?"
"I just finished challenging the Cinnabar Gym, so we stopped by Vermilion City." Ash waved casually and sat down while Chloe put down her schoolbag.
Chloe listened carefully as Ash talked about his recent travels. Despite Ash's fame, most of the public discussion only covered the events at the Fuchsia Gym. The rest of his accomplishments were unknown.
Outside, rumors were spreading, wild rumors. People were even questioning whether Ash existed, claiming the Kanto League had fabricated a prodigy for publicity. After all, aside from the battle with Koga, no other Elite-level footage existed.
And since most people never watched the original livestream, their doubts spread quickly.
Chloe had been fighting those accusations online whenever she had free time, fiercely defending Ash. But one girl's voice was easily drowned out by a mob.
Ash had no idea this was happening until Chloe filled him in.And the moment he heard it, he was furious.
Being less famous was fine, he chose low-profile travel himself.But slander? Lies?
That, he couldn't tolerate.
Defeating Koga may have involved strategy, but it wasn't fraud, he had explained why that happened.
Just because a bunch of clueless people online didn't know what Victini was, they turned the truth upside down. Ash's anger surged.
"These people are unbelievable! I clearly won on my own strength, at least for the first two rounds against Koga! How did that turn into a scripted lie? Is there no justice?! Fine! I'll go beat another Elite and shut them up!"
His voice rang through the lab, indignant.
He could accept his fame fading, he intentionally avoided the spotlight, after all.
But being branded a fraud? No way.
Brock crossed his arms, brows knitted in thought. "Ash, something about this smells fishy… These claims have no evidence, and their reasoning falls apart immediately, yet tons of people are repeating it. It's like they're all trying to force you to show yourself."
Based on the comments Chloe showed them, none of it added up. The logic was paper-thin, no sane person would believe it. Unless someone was deliberately stirring trouble.
Either the masses were idiots, or someone was paying for an organized smear campaign.
The latter seemed far more realistic.
Ash finally calmed down. Now that Brock mentioned it, it really did seem deliberate. Even if someone genuinely disliked him, they wouldn't fabricate something this flimsy. The old footage was public; you couldn't deny a livestream.
So this wasn't jealousy, It was an attack.
"Have you offended anyone recently, Ash?" Professor Cerise asked, frowning.
Ash thought for a moment, then shook his head. He'd practically been a ghost these past weeks, moving around in masks, avoiding crowds. That was why his fame had gradually faded.
"That's strange," Professor Cerise muttered. "Then who's targeting you?"
"Who cares?" Ash shrugged after a moment. "If they want to force me out, I'm not taking the bait. I'll stay quiet until the Indigo Plateau Conference. Then I'll flip public opinion in one go."
The group chat veterans had taught him well. He was no longer someone who charged forward blindly.
The more someone tried to drag Ash into the spotlight, the more determined he was not to show up. A few waves of public opinion couldn't shake him.
Ash had nothing to fear.
The whole smear campaign passed quickly, and soon it was evening. Dr. Cerise finished his work, dismissed the researchers, and brought Chloe, Ash, Misty, and Brock home.
Because he had informed his wife ahead of time, she had prepared a full table of food to welcome the three travelers, which made them all feel a little embarrassed, they always seemed to freeload whenever they came.
After dinner, Brock and Ash volunteered to wash dishes while Misty helped clean the table. Talia initially refused, guests shouldn't be doing chores, but the three insisted that since they were eating, drinking, and staying there, they should at least help. Giving money felt too formal; helping with housework felt right. In the end, Talia relented.
After cleaning up, everyone chatted for a bit before heading to bed. The next morning, after breakfast, they prepared to leave Vermilion City. Dr. Cerise suggested they stay for a couple more days, but aside from the resort they'd already visited, there wasn't much else to do. Ash still had his final badge to obtain, so he politely declined.
Besides, Chloe still had school. If she had time off, they might have stayed longer.
Before the group departed, Dr. Cerise passed along a message from Professor Oak:
On the way to Viridian City, there was Lighthouse where Bill lived. Recently, an enormous, possibly unknown Pokémon had appeared near the lighthouse. Its aura was so overwhelming that Bill couldn't get close to it. He wanted Professor Oak to come investigate.
However, Oak was far away in Pallet Town, and he knew Ash and the others were already nearby. So he asked Cerise to relay the request and have Ash take a look.
Ash agreed immediately.
The Lighthouse
One day later, near sunset, the group reached Lighthouse. The area was gorgeous, cliffs, waves, and ocean wind, but its remote location meant it had never become a tourist attraction.
Misty originally wanted to run to the beach, but reminded herself there was business to handle first. She reluctantly let the idea go.
Ash wasn't thinking about the beach at all. Instead, he stumbled upon a strange scene.
A cluster of Krabby were slowly surrounding a much smaller Krabby. Ash frowned and rushed over in a single stride, planting himself in front of the little one.
"What are you doing?"
The sudden appearance of a human made the Krabby shift sideways cautiously. The largest Krabby, clearly the leader, clicked its claw and muttered something.
Misty arrived behind Ash just in time to hear the noise. "Ash? What's it saying?"
"He says none of the Krabby in the group will acknowledge this little one. It's too small, so they're doubting whether it even belongs to their clan. They think it might be a spy from another Krabby group."
Misty and Brock stared blankly.
A spy? Among Krabby?
Even Ash, who translated it, felt speechless. What kind of drama were these crabs living in? Territorial disputes were one thing, but suspicion within the same species?
The small Krabby rushed forward, angrily protesting.
Even without translation, Misty and Brock understood the general meaning, it was insisting it wasn't from another clan.
"KUKA!"
The leader snapped back sharply. The smaller Krabby froze, then backed away uncertainly.
"What did it say now?" Misty asked.
"That if the little one wants to prove it's not an outsider, it needs to defeat the leader."
Misty: Huh??
How did beating the leader prove anything? And wouldn't a stronger Krabby appearing suddenly be more suspicious?
Ash didn't bother thinking about the logic, Krabby logic wasn't human logic.
"If that's all it takes, then great," Ash said, stepping forward. "I'll accept the challenge on its behalf! I'll command you in battle, Krabby!"
The small Krabby blinked. Ash had protected it, defended it, and even stepped up to fight for it. Coupled with the gentle, trustworthy aura from Ash's Viridian power, its affection skyrocketed. Though nervous, it looked up at Ash's determined expression, and its hesitation melted away. It scuttled beside him, raising its tiny claw, it accepted!
Seeing this, the Krabby leader narrowed its eyes and clacked its pincer. With a wave, it ordered the rest of the clan to back off.
A one-on-one would be enough.
How could a runt like that possibly beat him? He was sure he wouldn't lose.