Half an hour later, Ash walked out of the research room, both hands holding two small white jade bottles. He looked at Professor Oak and Masaki Oak, both watching him with anticipation. Without much ceremony, Ash casually tossed the bottles their way.
"Hey! You brat, do you think you can just throw these around like that?!" Masaki Oak fumbled forward and caught the bottles with both hands, his heart skipping a beat.
Ash ignored the outburst and flopped onto the nearby sofa, pouring himself a glass of water. The process of refining the potion had drained him. Even though he had fully grasped the production method, Ash was still just seven years old. His small body couldn't keep up with such intense concentration and effort.
He had carefully documented each step of the refining process. It was one thing for his mind to perfectly command the steps—his body was a different matter. Fortunately, the system's support allowed Ash to control his physical movements precisely, and his proficiency was improving rapidly.
"The potion's been successfully developed. As for its effects, we'll need a Pokémon to test it. Find one that's lost its ability to battle. I want to observe the results and compare them with the data," Ash said calmly.
"Yes, yes, let's do that. Hurry and bring over a Pokémon that's been knocked out!" Masaki Oak turned to instruct the lab assistants with barely contained excitement.
Before long, a Bulbasaur was brought in—its eyes spinning and body bruised from a recent scuffle with another Pokémon.
"Bulba~saur..." the Pokémon groaned weakly, its limbs twitching occasionally as it lay on the table.
Masaki Oak took a pill from one of the jade bottles and dissolved it into a standard recovery spray. Once mixed, he carefully applied the spray to Bulbasaur's injuries.
Everyone watched closely.
The moment the medicine touched the wound, they were stunned. Right before their eyes, Bulbasaur's injuries began to heal at a visible rate. Within seconds, the wounds were completely gone—no scars, no lingering damage.
"Bulba? Bulbasaur!" The Pokémon jolted awake, looked around in confusion, then joyfully bounded over to Professor Oak, rubbing against his leg affectionately.
Although Bulbasaur's stamina hadn't fully recovered, it had regained at least half its strength—just as Ash predicted.
"Incredible... This is incredible!" Masaki Oak marveled. "Compared to the standard recovery agents on the market, this potion is a miracle! Once it's released, both beginner and veteran Trainers will rush to get their hands on it. And the ingredients aren't even rare! It's completely recyclable!"
Ash couldn't help but smile at the sight of his successful creation in action.
"Uncle Masaki, here's the production method," Ash said, handing over a booklet. "Once you return, let the family's breeders mass-produce it. As for how to share profits with the League, I'll leave that up to you."
Masaki Oak was stunned for a moment, then said seriously, "Ash, this is your invention. You should get at least half the profit."
"No need," Ash replied firmly. "Do as I said. I'm part of the Oak family. Supporting the family benefits me too."
Professor Oak watched silently, a warm smile spreading on his face. Ash truly regarded them as his family.
Masaki Oak, however, hesitated. "Then… do you want to involve the Dragon Clan? After all, your father—"
"Don't talk to me about that man," Ash cut in coldly. "Grandpa, I'm Ash Ketchum of the Oak family—not Ash Draconis. Don't bring him up in front of me again. One day, I'll make him pay for everything he did to my mother."
With that, Ash turned and walked out of the lab, heading home.
Professor Oak sighed. "Seems like Ash harbors deep resentment toward the Dragon Clan. Right now, there's no way he'd accept being part of that family."
Masaki Oak nodded grimly. "Serves Lance right, abandoning both Delia and Ash. Ash is immensely talented—if he ever decides to go after him, it won't end well for Lance. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Ash ends up leading the Oak family someday."
Professor Oak shook his head. "Impossible. Ash dislikes being tied down. If he did, he'd have joined Gary when he returned to Pallet Town. Ash is my grandson—Ash Ketchum. The matter of the Dragon Clan… I'll let him handle that himself."
"I brought it up just to gauge Ash's stance," Masaki Oak said with a sigh. "Even though Delia was hurt, I can still see it—she still has feelings for Lance."
"I thought about introducing someone else to her, but she refused. Later, Skye Draconis—Lance's father—contacted me. He wanted Delia to return to the Dragon Clan with Lance."
"Back then, Skye was in seclusion, and with the family leadership uncertain, the elders suppressed him. Now that he's returned and learned everything, he's furious."
"But it's clear Ash resents the Dragon Clan. And knowing Delia, she'll always choose Ash over Lance. That makes things... complicated."
After Ash left, the two elders sat in the lab, reflecting on the complicated situation. Skye Draconis, Lance's father and the former patriarch of the Dragon Clan, was once a peer of Professor Oak and a respected elder in his own right. When he learned what had happened during his absence, he was furious—especially with how Lance had treated Delia and Ash. He had even considered personally taking Delia back to the clan.
But Professor Oak had refused.
Because it wasn't his decision to make.
Only Delia and Ash could decide.
...
After Ash returned home, it was just past 8 a.m. By then, Delia was already up. When she saw that Ash wasn't in his room, she guessed correctly—he must have gone to Professor Oak's research lab. Meanwhile, Pichu had also woken up.
"Pi~Pichu!"
The moment Pichu saw Ash, it squealed happily and ran up his arm, climbing to his shoulder. It nuzzled his cheek affectionately, its tiny body radiating pure joy.
Ash smiled. The heavy mood brought on by the Dragon Clan earlier began to lift.
"Alright, alright—go play. I need a little rest. We've got training this afternoon," he said, patting Pichu gently.
He made his way to the kitchen, where he found Delia at the sink, quietly washing dishes. Her back was turned, sunlight streaming through the window onto her shoulders.
Watching her work, Ash suddenly paused.
There was a flicker of hesitation in his heart—an uneasy ripple in his desire for revenge.
Even with everything the Dragon Clan had done… could he really drag his mother back into it?
...
TN:
The Dragon Clan's surname for this fic is going to be Draconis—it's got more style than just "Dragon."
Also, for some reason, Ash is still a Ketchum and hasn't changed his name to Oak. Maybe it's a legal change on paper, but everyone still calls him Ketchum at home? Or maybe he hasn't changed his surname at all.
I'm not entirely sure—what do you think? 😊
...
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