For Ash, the memories of the Alola region were among the most precious in his life. He had Professor Kukui, who was like a father to him, the constant guidance of Tapu Koko, supportive classmates, and wondrous adventures.
The people of Alola were by no means weak! Their unique Z-Moves alone were enough to give any outside trainer a run for their money.
Gladion's Type: Null (Silvally), Professor Kukui's powerful Incineroar... they were easily on par with Elite Four members or even Champions.
By calling Alola a "backcountry," Goh wasn't just being rude—he was insulting Ash's second home. Ash's powerful aura forced Goh to take a step back, but the boy stubbornly stood his ground.
"Am I wrong?!" Goh barked. "The Alola League is just a second-rate organization that popped up yesterday! Before that, it was just a vacation resort.
How can it compare to a prestigious league like Kanto?"
Chloe wanted to argue. She had seen the Alola exhibition match on TV. Tapu Koko, the Island Guardian, was a being that even a Champion might struggle against.
How could a region with such power be "weak"?
But Ash retorted first. "Since you think Alola is weak, how about a battle? If you lose, you have to admit Alola is strong!"
Ash figured Goh was around his age and must have been traveling for a while. He assumed Goh had simply seen many strong trainers elsewhere but never an Alolan one.
A quick battle would surely open his eyes. Ash, in his kindness, didn't realize that some people's ignorance is bottomless.
Goh crossed his arms arrogantly. "My first Pokémon is going to be Mew! Do you think I'd just settle for a common Starter like you? People who are satisfied with whatever the Professor hands them aren't even worthy of battling me!"
[Lance: Good grief! Where is this kid? I actually want to punch him!]
[Professor Kukui: Please, let me go first!]
[Wallace: What a joke! Catching Mew as a starter? With what? His big mouth?]
[Volkner: If you told me Ash caught Mew barehanded, I'd believe it. But this guy? He couldn't even handle a three-minute run. He's just a snack for a wild Pokémon.]
[Lillie: Go Ash! Bring down some divine justice!]
The Champions and Alolan trainers were speechless. They thought Goh was some elite trainer, but he was just a loudmouth rookie who hadn't even started his journey!
In the Footage—
Ash stared at Goh. Is this guy a fool? He was a kid who hadn't even picked a Pokémon, yet he was talking about catching a Mythical Pokémon like Mew? Ash decided there was no point in arguing. If you argue with a fool, you become one.
"Forget it, Professor. Let's see those Lugia photos Chloe took."
"Wait! What do you mean 'forget it'!" Goh shouted. "I may not have a Pokémon yet, but my theory and tactics are Top 8 level! Lend me one of yours, and I'll beat you. That Pikachu on your shoulder looks decent—lend him to me!"
Ash tilted his head. "?" Pikachu tilted his head. "Pika?"
You want me to lend you MY partner... so you can use him to battle ME? Are you okay in the head?
"Enough, Goh!" Professor Cerise snapped. He had hoped Goh's energy would help Chloe, but now he realized the boy was simply uncurbed and rude. "If you continue this nonsense, you are no longer welcome here!"
"What's the big deal? Just let me use him!" Goh reached out, trying to grab Pikachu by force.
Ash's eyes narrowed. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!""PIKA—CHUUUU!!"
A massive golden bolt of lightning slammed into Goh, charring him instantly and blasting him straight through the ceiling of the laboratory.
"Uhh... sorry," Ash rubbed the back of his head as Chloe and Cerise stared in shock at the hole in the roof. "Muscle memory.
People are always trying to steal Pikachu, so my subconscious just reacts when someone reaches for him like that. Haha..."
Just what kind of life have you been living to have a reflex like that?! Chloe wondered.
"Will he be okay?" Cerise asked, worried about the liability of a kid dying in his lab. "No problem! The Rocket Trio gets blasted like that all the time, and they always come back. I'll just apologize next time I see him."
[Lance: Lol, the Team Rocket trio actually got a shoutout.]
[Steven Stone: Haha! Team Rocket did a 'good deed' for once. Their constant harassment turned Ash's defense into a perfect reflex!]
[Volkner: Ash is being too optimistic. The Rocket Trio has superhuman durability. A normal kid being hit by a point-blank Thunderbolt and launched through a ceiling... he's going to the hospital.]
In the Footage—
With the nuisance gone, Cerise marveled at Chloe's photos of Lugia's fins and feathers. Chloe gave all the credit to Ash, explaining how he commanded the Sea God to save her.
Cerise was finally convinced: Ash wasn't just a trainer; he was a legend in the making.
"Ash, would you like to become a Special Research Fellow for our lab?" "Special... Fellow?" Ash had never heard the term.
"You'll investigate Pokémon for us. Though, for an Alola Champion, it might be a bit beneath you..." "That sounds like fun! I'll do it!!"
Ash, nearing fifteen but still a child at heart, officially joined the lab. That night, Cerise informed Ash that Goh was indeed hospitalized.
Ash was confused—Team Rocket never had to go to the hospital! Professor Oak stepped in to handle the paperwork, clarifying that Goh had provoked the Pokémon's self-defense.
In the following days, Ash and Chloe became fast friends. Ash even took her to Pewter City to meet Brock. Seeing an older Brock, still single but with eight-pack abs, made the real-world Brock cry.
They had a battle where Pikachu defeated Brock's Steelix, showing that Brock's strength had reached the "Semi-Elite Four" level.
When they returned, Cerise had a new task: a mass outbreak of Ivysaur in the city center. To help, he handed Ash a new piece of technology: a smartphone.
Suddenly, a Rotom flew into the room and dove straight into the phone! "The Rotom Phone is ready, zzt!"
[Professor Oak: WHAT?! A Rotom can enter a phone to create a Pokédex?!]
[Professor Kukui: I had this idea, but I didn't think it would be perfected so soon in the future!]
[Professor Sycamore: This is a monumental discovery! Integrating Rotom with daily electronics for utility... amazing!]
The "Rotom Phone" hadn't been invented yet in the current timeline. While people knew Rotom could inhabit appliances, the idea of a sentient, mobile Pokédex was revolutionary.
The Professors realized that with this footage as a guide, they could likely invent it years ahead of schedule!
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