[Caitlyn: So Ash has successfully added Larvitar to his team.]
[Blaine: For a Pokémon with such potential, following Ash is undoubtedly the quickest path to becoming a powerful ally.]
[Lance: It's true. In the near future, Larvitar will grow stronger, adding another powerhouse to Ash's team.]
...
At that moment, the Black World video finished playing.
Just as everyone was confused, the entire world began to shake. When their vision cleared, they suddenly found the world had returned to normal. Time began to flow for them once more.
Movement returned to everyone. They were all excited.
[Steven: Time has finally resumed! We can finally observe what happens next.]
[Lance: Ash will be participating in the Silver Conference next, right? I'm going to watch this time, to see what ranking Ash can achieve.]
[Cynthia: Now that Ash has received rewards, some of which can directly improve a Pokémon's strength, his ranking should be better than originally, right?]
[Caitlyn: Cynthia, let's go together. Maybe we can attend the Silver Conference too.]
[Lorelei: Caitlyn, it's fine for you to attend yourself. Cynthia is a reigning Champion. If she participated in the Silver Conference, it would be unfair to the other competitors.]
...
Everyone discussed excitedly, heading out to exercise and train their Pokémon. A sense of anticipation was in the air.
Meanwhile, Ash looked excitedly at Charizard, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu. Three of the rewards he received pertained to them: the Ancient Charizard Training Method, Bulbasaur's Free Evolution, and the Electric Gem.
The Electric Gem could be used immediately. The Ancient Charizard Training Method would require time to implement. The Free Evolution for Bulbasaur would allow it to evolve into Ivysaur and potentially Venusaur instantly—perfect for a Bulbasaur that disliked how its evolution made it "less cute."
In reality, Ash hurried toward the Silver Conference venue, followed by Misty and Brock. They were friends and wouldn't be parting ways anytime soon. Given all the adventures and secrets surrounding Ash now, they wished they could follow him forever if possible.
Different from the original timeline, a series of powerful figures like Cynthia, Steven, and Lance were also making their way to the Silver Conference. Naturally, they weren't going to compete—participating with their strength would be a crushing mismatch. They wouldn't do such a thing. They simply wanted to observe, to see what sparks would fly from an Ash who had gained special rewards and been stimulated by his Black World counterpart to become slightly different.
Among this group was one person with a completely different purpose: Gary. He called himself Ash's fated rival. But after witnessing Ash's changes in the White and Black Worlds, he understood instantly: his own experiences were too ordinary, utterly insignificant compared to Ash's. This time, even with Ash's rewards, he was determined to go to the Silver Conference, defeat Ash just like before, and maintain his own victory.
Two months passed quickly.
Ash arrived at the outskirts of the Silver Conference. He, Misty, and Brock registered for the preliminary rounds together before returning to their hotel.
The Team Rocket trio, of course, followed as usual. They had tailed Ash through three regions already, and this time was no exception—especially after seeing Pikachu's power and super potential.
In a small rented room, Jessie looked speechlessly at James beside her. "Why book such a tiny room? Why not a big one?"
Hearing this, James shrugged helplessly. "It's because our funds are insufficient. Boss Giovanni is very disappointed with our performance. If we can't capture Pikachu, we'll have no operational funds at all."
"Meowth, that's right," Meowth added from the side.
Jessie looked exasperated but had nothing to say.
Early the next morning, Ash took Misty and Brock directly to the preliminary arena. Looking around, he immediately spotted many familiar faces: Cynthia, Lance, Steven, and others. They saw Ash too and extended hands in friendship. After all, to them, Ash was the Rainbow Hero, the person used by the unknown entity to compare two worlds. It was natural to be on good terms.
As registration began, Ash soon drew his two opponents: Jun'ichi and Shō. The three of them came to the arena, greeting each other with smiles.
"Ash, you're a celebrity now. I never expected to be grouped with you," Jun'ichi said excitedly. For him, facing Ash as an opponent was unexpected.
Hearing this, Ash also smiled. "Don't worry, I'll give it my all in this battle!"
Hearing his words, Shō opposite him was also filled with fighting spirit. "I'll do my best too!"
As the first match began, Ash unsurprisingly sent out Pikachu. Blessed by the Electric Gem, the power of Pikachu's Electric-type moves was twice as strong as before. Under normal circumstances, opponents of the same level would be knocked out cold by its attacks.
Jun'ichi opposite released his Marill. Neither side hesitated, launching directly into battle.
"Pikachu, we can't lose this one! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash waved his fist and called out loudly.
Pikachu's body erupted with violent lightning, a Thunderbolt striking straight forward. Opposite, Jun'ichi also shouted, "Marill, use Water Gun!"
As water rushed forward, the attacks collided. The next moment, Pikachu vanished from its spot, appearing right beside Marill.
"Pikachu, now! Use Iron Tail!"
As his words fell, Pikachu spun and struck Marill directly with a powerful metallic tail. Bang! Marill was slammed into the ground and fainted, unable to get up. Pikachu's power was overwhelming.
In the subsequent battle, Ash very easily defeated Shō's Pokémon. He successfully scored six points and advanced to the Top 16.
Many people paid attention to Ash during this battle. No one was surprised by his dominant performance. For them, it was understood that Ash's strength should be this formidable. Although compared to Black Ash, their world's Ash wasn't as intensely driven or involved, his talent was there. Coupled with the help from the mysterious entity, Ash's victory seemed inevitable.
Just after leaving the arena gate, Ash spotted Gary opposite him at a glance. Gary also brought his Pokémon to Ash's side. "Ash, I won my preliminary round."
Ash also clenched his fists. "Don't worry, I won too. If we meet in the tournament, I won't hold back."
Gary laughed. "Ash, you were defeated by me before. This time, I'll let you taste defeat again." After saying that, Gary left directly.
Misty and Brock came over, confusion in their eyes. "Was that Gary just now? What did he say?" Misty asked curiously.
Ash said passionately, "He said he'd beat me in the next match. I'll never let him succeed!"
Everyone returned to the hotel. The Team Rocket trio had already set an ambush. They acted directly, attempting to capture Pikachu with overwhelming force. However, Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt without warning.
A massive flash of lightning sent the three of them flying. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried out as they disappeared.
"It was those three again. They're really like ghosts," Misty said angrily. Although the Rocket trio's appearances didn't necessarily cause major trouble—sometimes their interference even helped—to everyone, they were still the bad guys. So the sentiment toward them hadn't changed much.
On the way back, Ash greeted people he knew. He was enjoying this exhilarating feeling. Misty and Brock beside him exchanged a look. They both knew Ash was somewhat basking in the reflected glory of Black Ash's achievements, a kind of borrowed confidence. But they wouldn't say anything, because they knew Ash would surely find his true self. After all, this was Ash.
Soon, the next day arrived. Ash, Misty, and Brock came directly to the arena.
"In the Top 16… I wonder who my opponent will be?" Ash said excitedly. Then he saw his draw: his opponent was Gary.
Gary in the distance also saw Ash and showed a pleased smile. "It seems our battle will start earlier this time."
"Ash, then your journey in this Silver Conference is about to come to an end."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789