In the Footage—
Ash and Chloe received their mission and headed to Ecruteak City in the Johto region to track down Suicune and help Officer Jenny catch the poachers operating in the area!
Chloe was originally supposed to attend school today, especially since she had already missed several days of classes.
However, just yesterday she had firmly insisted that Ash must not leave her behind anymore! Therefore, she could only choose to skip school. Her teacher had no objections; in fact, if Chloe wanted to stop attending altogether, the school wouldn't mind.
After all, what could a regular school teach that could compare to firsthand experience traveling alongside a champion-level trainer? It wasn't like she needed to master standard school subjects to achieve her goals.
It was simply that Chloe didn't want to drop out on a whim and genuinely wished to complete her final graduation year. Though at this point, her schedule was practically no different from dropping out.
The two boarded the bus and began their journey to Ecruteak City, a place Ash had visited during his past travels through Johto.
"...The Gym Leader of the Ecruteak Gym is named Morty, and he specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon!" Ash recalled. "He gave me a really tough time back then!
Thankfully, I had my Noctowl with me, which is how I barely managed to defeat him!"
Even though several years had passed, Ash remembered those early battles clearly. Back then, his Pikachu wasn't nearly as powerful as he is now, and Charizard was still training away in the Charizardic Valley.
Fighting Gym Leaders without any massive level advantages meant relying entirely on type matchups, strategy, and quick thinking on the spot.
Because of that, he had tasted defeat many times. But nowadays, there was practically no Gym Leader who could stand as an equal match against him.
The Pokémon on his current roster were not only incredibly versatile, but their raw training levels were exceptionally high.
Even if his Alola team members were sometimes considered slightly less experienced by outsiders, they were still incredibly formidable. If he were to battle Morty again today, it would never be the grueling struggle it was back then!
"Huh... do followers of Ho-Oh really specialize in Ghost-type Pokémon? That feels a bit strange," Chloe noted.
Her focus was a bit unusual, but she raised a fair point. A group of followers dedicated to the legendary Ho-Oh utilizing dark, spooky Ghost-types didn't quite seem to match the bright, grand, and majestic image of the Rainbow Pokémon.
"Haha, don't worry too much about that detail! Morty didn't even believe me when I first told him I met Ho-Oh anyway!"
Ash laughed, scratching his head. "It was only after I finally defeated him in our Gym battle that he started to believe I might have actually seen it."
"Pika-pika~"
While the two chatted, the bus arrived in Ecruteak City. Officer Jenny and her forces had set up a perimeter in the surrounding forests where Suicune was rumored to roam, and Morty had naturally volunteered to assist with the local operation.
Ash and Chloe quickly made their way to one of the designated ambush points. Upon seeing them, Officer Jenny offered a formal police salute before breaking down the current status of the mission.
"...The truth is, we have successfully ambushed this group of poachers multiple times. However, due to a severe shortage of local police resources, they managed to slip through our fingers every single time!
Not only are they highly organized and numerous, but the Pokémon they command are exceptionally powerful. Left with no other choice, we had to request backup from the Kanto region."
The request had traveled from Kanto's headquarters to Professor Oak, who then contacted Professor Cerise, who ultimately deployed Ash. It was a long chain of hand-offs that ended up delivering a literal regional Champion to the scene!
"Originally, the Kanto headquarters intended to dispatch members of the Elite Four to assist us. However, the Kanto Elite Four are currently tied up tracking down a major ongoing incident and couldn't break away, so they could only ask Ash to step in."
This Officer Jenny was clearly well aware of Ash's identity. In fact, given his current standing, there were very few people across any region who didn't recognize him.
As one of the most prominent rising stars in the World Coronation Series, his reputation had spread globally. Many experts in the racing circuits were already predicting that Ash might become one of the youngest trainers to ever break into the Masters Eight!
The sheer battling power he had displayed throughout his recent matches more than justified that reputation.
Therefore, Officer Jenny didn't have the slightest objection to the Kanto region sending him as their ultimate reinforcement. For all practical purposes, having Ash on the field was equivalent to deploying Lance himself.
"No problem at all! We will absolutely catch that group of poachers!" Ash promised confidently, patting his chest.
"Ash, long time no see! And Pikachu too!" a voice called out. Ash turned around to find the very Gym Leader he had battled all those years ago—Morty!
"Morty?! Are you assigned to this sector too?" Ash asked. He knew Morty was participating in the search operation, but he hadn't expected them to be assigned to the exact same immediate area.
"Haha, no, I'm actually stationed in a neighboring sector," Morty explained with a warm smile. "As the local Gym Leader, I have to ensure our defensive combat power isn't entirely concentrated in a single spot.
I just took a brief detour over here to greet you. I've heard you're climbing the ranks of the World Coronation Series at an incredible pace!"
Morty's tone was filled with genuine admiration. Over the past few years, his own personal strength had steadily matured, bringing him quite close to the caliber of an Elite Four trainer. But compared to Ash's meteoric rise, his own progress felt incredibly modest.
Ash's rate of growth was simply the fastest he had ever witnessed in his entire career. Even Johto's reigning Champion, Lance, paled in comparison when looking at their respective timelines.
"Haha, it's nothing major! I still have a long way to go," Ash replied modestly. "My current goal is to defeat Leon and take that massive step forward on the path to becoming a true Pokémon Master! Defeating Leon is just the very beginning of my real dream!"
Morty stood entirely speechless. The Leon he's talking about... is the undefeated, strongest trainer in the world, the Galar Champion Leon, right?
After receiving Ash's casual confirmation, Morty's mind boggled. Defeating the undisputed strongest trainer on earth was considered just the starting line of his dream? Just how astronomically difficult was this kid's ultimate ambition?!
...
Global Forum Chat Board
[Leon]: Hahaha! So defeating me is considered just the beginning of your dream? You certainly don't lack ambition, Ash!
[Lance]: The title of 'Pokémon Master' that Ash has been pursuing for all these years... what exactly does it mean to him? I always assumed it simply meant becoming the strongest trainer in the world, but now Ash is stating that even defeating Leon is merely the opening step.
[Caitlin]: Could his goal be to successfully catch every single species of Pokémon in existence? If that is the case, then compared to such a massive undertaking, defeating Leon truly is just a preliminary step.
There were over eight hundred known species of Pokémon discovered across the world, excluding Legendary entities. Even if you subtracted evolved forms, a trainer would still need to track down hundreds of unique creatures.
Attempting to document and catch all of them was an incredible task, and if you factored in Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, the numbers became truly staggering. If that was Ash's target, then defeating Leon was indeed just the beginning.
[Ash]: Actually... I've spent a lot of time thinking deeply about what my dream really means lately. When I say I want to become a Pokémon Master, what I truly mean is that I want to become genuine friends with every single Pokémon in the entire world!
[Ash]: Even without relying on a Poké Ball, I want to be able to connect with them, understand their hearts, eat together, sleep under the same sky, talk, share adventures, and stand side-by-side in battle! That is my true dream!
The global audience reading his message fell into a collective, stunned silence. This definition of a dream was far more profound than anyone had anticipated. Compared to Ash's vision, the checklist approach Caitlin had suggested felt incredibly small.
Becoming friends with every Pokémon on earth? The raw population of Pokémon across the globe was measured in the millions, if not tens of millions! And there were dozens of documented Legendary Pokémon. Becoming true companions with all of them seemed practically impossible.
Yet, the absolute feasibility of the goal didn't truly matter. What mattered was the journey itself. This boundless ambition would ensure that Ash would never stop traveling, exploring, and growing for as long as he could move his feet!
It was his ultimate source of lifelong motivation, ensuring he would never find himself aimless even if he achieved the title of World Monarch.
[Wallace]: An incredibly noble and grand ideal. Compared to aiming for a single title like the world's top Coordinator or the world's strongest battler, Ash's dream encompasses the entire living world.
[Leon]: Compared to the sheer scale of Ash's dream, my own vision for the future suddenly feels much smaller.
[Morty]: While it sounds almost impossible to fully realize, that's perfectly fine. The pursuit itself is what carries true value!
[Cynthia]: I wouldn't write it off as impossible just yet. If it's Ash we are talking about... there is always a glimmer of hope.
[Flint]: Exactly! I have absolute faith in Ash! He's a trainer who consistently turns the impossible into reality. If anyone can break through the boundaries of common sense to become the world's number one Pokémon Master, it's him!
[Ash]: Thank you so much, everyone! I'll give it everything I've got!
At the same time, within his own reality, Ash cheered loudly to encourage his team members gathered around him. "Everyone... let's walk together all the way to the very end of our dream!"
"Pika-chuu!"
"Roar!"
"Lucar!"
"Froak!"
Every single one of Ash's Pokémon roared, barked, or cried out in passionate agreement, their faces reflecting an immense wave of pride and excitement. He was absolutely going to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master!
Standing nearby, Red offered a quiet, approving nod. The Ash of this altered timeline had already far outpaced his counterpart from the original sequence of events.
With his hands-on guidance and the structural insights provided by the historical broadcast, Ash's growth had been accelerated by several years.
Your dreams within this world extend far beyond my own horizons. Mewtwo's telepathic voice echoed softly within Red's mind, prompting a quiet smile from the legendary trainer.
Isn't that exactly how it should be? After all... he is the one destined to eventually surpass me. Red firmly believed in Ash's boundless potential.
In the Footage—
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Morty bid them farewell and returned to his assigned patrolling sector. He couldn't leave his post unattended for long, lest the poachers exploit a gap in their perimeter.
"Gym Leader Morty doesn't seem to carry any of that gloomy, eerie aura typically associated with Ghost-type specialists. He's actually incredibly bright and cheerful, which makes it easy to see why he's considered a chosen follower of Ho-Oh," Chloe remarked, watching him walk away.
"Yeah, Morty is an awesome guy!" Ash grinned.
Suddenly, the smile on his face froze completely.
At the twelve o'clock position, roughly twenty miles away, there is a massive concentrated energy spike, along with several weaker fluctuations surrounding it. It perfectly matches the profile of the poachers and the Suicune you are searching for. Go investigate immediately.
The ancient, booming resonance of Eternatus echoed clearly within Ash's mind. Ever since their profound spiritual connection had been established through Red's mediation, Eternatus's attitude toward him had taken a complete turn.
Not only did the legendary entity communicate with him willingly, but their interactions had become remarkably harmonious.
Ash faithfully channeled his Aura to the dragon three times a day, exceeding the minimum frequency Eternatus had requested, and the entity absorbed the life energy safely without causing Ash any strain.
This consistent trust had allowed their relationship to advance by leaps and bounds.
The sudden shift in Ash's expression was entirely due to the urgency of Eternatus's warning. The poachers had already located Suicune, and a confrontation was actively taking place! Twenty miles out meant roughly ten thousand meters of dense forest terrain...
"Let's go, Chloe! I know exactly where the poachers are! Officer Jenny, we're heading out ahead of the main unit. Just have your Arcanine follow our scent trail!"
Without waiting to explain further to the bewildered rangers, Ash unclipped a Poké Ball and called out his Charizard.
Grabbing Chloe's hand, he pulled her onto the Flame Pokémon's broad back, soaring into the sky at immense speed toward the coordinates provided by Eternatus.
It took Officer Jenny and the auxiliary trainers a few seconds to snap out of their shock before she immediately deployed her Arcanine to pursue them through the brush.
"Ash... how could you possibly know Suicune's exact location from all the way back there?" Chloe asked loudly over the rushing wind, gripping Charizard's shoulders.
One second Ash had been casually chatting, and the next he had flown into a serious, tactical focus. Had he been constantly scanning the entire forest with his own Aura?
"Eternatus detected the energy spike and warned me! We're almost there!"
"Pika-pika!"
Pikachu pricked up his long ears, his senses reacting to the approaching power signature. Before they could even catch a glimpse of the legendary beast, the telltale signs of a high-tier battle echoed through the canopy.
Subtle explosions and crackling energy rings rolled through the distant trees.
Suicune was actively engaged in a fierce battle against the poaching syndicate. Given that Suicune was a literal legendary deity of the Johto region, these human criminals operating out of the shadows shouldn't logically stand a chance against its wrath...