Pokémon: The Strongest Trainer (Ash SI)

"Copy!"

Ash activated the three-tomoe Sharingan, staring into the heart of the meteorite. His eyes shimmered with power as they absorbed the white energy floating through the air—elemental energy pouring into his gaze like a river into a basin.

"As expected," Ash muttered, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Now that I've unlocked the Mangekyō, the elemental energy my Sharingan can store has increased dramatically. Since I can directly copy it... I guess I don't need the evolutionary stones anymore."

Within his vision, the elemental energies separated by color: the Moon Stone's energy glowed white, the Thunder Stone's yellow, the Fire Stone's red, and the Water Stone's blue.

At the moment, Ash's Sharingan could only store these energies—he couldn't yet wield them himself. But he could project them outward, functioning like a living evolutionary stone. In other words, he had become a portable evolution device—able to trigger the perfect evolution of Fossil Pokémon.

After storing a large amount of elemental energy, Ash returned to the tent and drifted off to sleep. The collected power was enough to evolve ten Pokémon completely!

The next morning...

Ash stirred in his sleep, feeling something warm and soft licking his cheek repeatedly.

"Mmm... Pikachu, cut it out," he groaned, curling deeper into his sleeping bag. "Let me sleep a bit longer... I was up late last night."

"Pika~ Pikachu!" the electric mouse huffed in exasperation. Left to his own devices, Pikachu scratched his cheek and wandered off to eat the Pokémon food Brock had already laid out.

"Ash, hurry up! We've got to reach Cerulean City before nightfall—or else it's another night in the tent!" Brock called out from outside the tent as he noticed Pikachu eating alone.

"Oh right! I almost forgot I've still got a Gym challenge ahead of me!" Ash jumped up, suddenly wide awake. The Sharingan's aftereffects had made him space out, and for a moment, he'd forgotten the day's goal.

After quickly washing up, Ash and Brock resumed their journey to Cerulean City. The Moon Stone mystery had more or less been resolved... though Clefairy remained a rare and valuable subject for future research.

Of course, Ash meant proper academic study—not anything shady. If Professor Oak found out about Clefairy, he'd definitely be thrilled!

As they walked...

"Ash, are you also planning to collect the Gem Variant badge from the Cerulean Gym?" Brock asked casually, trying to pass the time.

"Yeah. The gem-type badges are all I'm interested in. But that elite-level strength... it's tougher than I imagined. That battle with your grandfather Garan had me sweating," Ash replied, nodding thoughtfully. It had been his first time facing a Trainer of that caliber.

"My grandfather told me the Cerulean Gym is headed by Mizuharu. She's one of the Gym Kings—an old friend of his too. Don't underestimate her. Granny Mizue is seriously powerful," Brock warned, flipping through a notebook filled with Gym Leader data before reading aloud.

"Mizuharu…" Ash murmured. His eyes narrowed as his Sharingan activated once more, turning a bright crimson.

When his Sharingan activated, Ash's entire demeanor shifted. Though he'd developed into a cheerful and lively person over time, the moment his Sharingan spun into motion, a cold, focused calm settled over him. A dual nature—but one that helped him grow stronger.

By evening, the pair finally reached Cerulean City. The journey had taken nearly the whole day.

Since it was already late, they headed straight to the Pokémon Center to rest. Ash had a Trainer's Pokédex, which granted him free accommodations. Brock, being a certified Gym Trainer, could also stay without cost by flashing his badge.

"Miss Joy, could you take care of my Pokémon, please?"

"Ah—Miss Joy!" Brock immediately swooped in, striking his usual pose. "My name is Brock, seventeen years old, currently single. Would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"

As expected, Brock's eyes turned into tiny slits as he swooned over Nurse Joy. Even though all Joys looked alike, Brock never missed a beat.

"Oh! I appreciate your kindness," Joy replied awkwardly, "but our family has certain rules—we're not allowed to date outsiders. I'm sorry!"

She took Ash's Poké Balls and gave a professional nod.

Hearing her words, Brock immediately froze, petrified. It was as if a gentle breeze could scatter his dust into the wind.

"You're Ash Oak, right? My sister mentioned you. Thank you again for collaborating with us on the mental recovery formula," Joy said politely, bowing in appreciation after tending to Ash's Pokémon.

The Joy family had issued a special directive—to treat Ash with VIP-level respect. The truth was, both the Joy and Officer Jenny families could marry... but only under one special condition. A condition so specific, most of the world's men had already failed to meet it.

As for what that condition was... well, Ash would only find out in time.

"It doesn't matter. When it comes to pharmaceutical sales, the Joy family is second to none. No one can dispute that. So I believe you made the right decision choosing to work in pharmaceutical research," Ash said with a relaxed smile.

Seeing Ash's smile and those crimson eyes, Nurse Joy's cheeks flushed lightly. She appeared flustered but tried to maintain her composure in front of others. Making an excuse, she politely excused herself and left the room.

Ash and Brock then returned to their rooms. Pikachu immediately leapt onto the soft bed, curling up comfortably. Compared to the wilderness, a proper bed was a luxury—and Ash hadn't slept well in days.

The Cerulean Gym was known for specializing in Water-type Pokémon. So far, Ash hadn't caught any new Pokémon during his travels—mostly because he hadn't encountered any worth capturing.

"Looks like Steelix won't be seeing action tomorrow," Ash thought to himself. "The type disadvantage is just too severe, especially since the Gym Leader's Pokémon are likely higher level too."

Given that, Ash decided to go with Growlithe, Pidgeotto, and Pikachu for tomorrow's match.

With that lineup in mind, and thoughts of the upcoming Gym battle swirling in his head, Ash slowly drifted off to sleep. A tough fight awaited, and he needed to be fully recharged.

…

TN:

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