"Time should be just about right," Ash muttered softly as he watched ahead.
Suddenly, his Arcanine surged forward, its speed exploding in an instant. With a burst of acceleration, it overtook Dario, leaving the audience stunned.
Arcanine's instantaneous burst was unbelievable—its acceleration was so fast it reached near top speed almost instantly!
"Amazing, truly amazing! Young Master Dario's Ponyta has suddenly evolved into Rapidash! As expected of the premier sprinter among Pokémon!"
The announcer's words had barely finished when Ponyta's entire body glowed with a dazzling white light.
Through his keen vision, Ash could clearly observe the changes within the Pokémon's body. Once a Pokémon reached its limit, its cells naturally triggered evolution—unless it chose to resist it.
"Impossible! How could this happen?!" Dario cried out in disbelief as Ash overtook him. Now that Ponyta had evolved into Rapidash, the difference in their speed was enormous!
"There it is! Rapidash's maximum speed—240 kilometers per hour!" The announcer's voice rose with excitement. In only five seconds after evolving, Rapidash had already pushed its speed to the limit. An extraordinary performance!
"The champion has appeared! The winner is Masaki Oak! As expected of a trainer from a championship-level family, his strength is overwhelming. Lara secured second place, followed closely by Feng Yan in third!"
"This race is invalid! Lara's father used underhanded means—this result cannot stand!" A voice suddenly rang out just as Ash and the others were about to approach the podium, drawing everyone's attention.
Ash's lips curved into a small smile. "Finally, the real show begins." He had been waiting for this moment.
The one who spoke was none other than Dario's father, Mr. Laramie. His earlier scheme had already been exposed, leaving him flustered. But he quickly calmed himself—after all, there was no evidence, and he thought he could turn the situation around.
"What nonsense! You were the one who plotted against us, and now you dare frame my father?!" Dario snapped back furiously, unable to stand his opponent's hypocrisy.
"Hmph! Do you have proof? I, however, have undeniable evidence that it was your father who ordered those three!" Mr. Laramie said smugly, brimming with confidence.
At his signal, several men dragged three culprits onto the stage. Seeing them, the audience recalled the earlier disruption of the race. They had been so caught up in Rapidash's evolution that they had nearly forgotten.
"See? These three have confessed! It was your father who commanded them to sabotage the race!" Mr. Laramie declared triumphantly. Dario smirked at Lara, clearly thinking victory was his.
The crowd murmured among themselves, their gazes turning suspiciously toward Lara's side. Malice simmered in their voices, especially among the Laramie clan members.
"Pathetic!"
"What a disgrace to the family!"
"Throw them out!"
At that moment, Ash began to clap slowly. "Now this is interesting. I didn't expect you to expose yourself so quickly." His calm voice shifted the audience's attention back to him.
"What are you suggesting? Just because you're from the Oak family doesn't mean you can throw your weight around!" Mr. Laramie retorted, though his voice quivered. He glanced at the three captured men, his confidence wavering, then tried to sound bold again.
"Many of you here should know who I am. That's right—I'm the one who signed the affiliated family contract with your Laramie clan."
"I've already investigated what happened. As for who is guilty, why don't we let this recording decide?" Without paying Mr. Laramie's bluster any mind, Ash calmly took the microphone and played back an audio recording.
It was the conversation between him and Dario earlier. As the words echoed across the arena, Mr. Laramie's expression turned pale. The audience wasn't foolish—anyone who listened could tell the truth.
"Get out of the Laramie clan!"
"You've brought shame on us all!"
"Beat him!"
The entire crowd erupted in outrage, directing their anger toward Dario and Mr. Laramie. Their despicable methods were now laid bare, their reputation ruined.
With the public's scorn crashing down upon them, the two could no longer remain in the clan. Whether expelled or imprisoned, their fate was already sealed.
But before that final judgment, there was still one matter Ash needed to make absolutely clear.
If this matter were handed over to the police, word would spread through the families almost immediately. That's why private punishments—lynching, even—had become commonplace. Among the great clans, such behavior was simply overlooked.
"Speak. Who gave you the courage to pull a stunt like this?"
Inside a chamber of the Laramie tribe, Ash sat calmly on a sofa, a cigarette between his fingers. His sharp gaze bore into Mr. Laramie and his son Dario, who stood trembling before him.
"It… it was our own doing!"
But under the oppressive weight of Ash's presence—magnified by the piercing clarity of his Aura—they shook uncontrollably, as though a pair of all-seeing eyes were stripping them bare.
"Ash, are you saying someone put them up to targeting the Oak family?" Cynthia, seated nearby, immediately asked the question that weighed on everyone's mind. Beside her, Mr. Laramie, the head of the clan, flinched nervously at her words.
"Of course," Ash replied coolly. "Think about it. He knows full well the Laramie family alone could never compete with the Oaks. Even with a re-signed contract, there's no way they could hope to replace us. That leaves only one possibility—someone else pushed him into this."
"You mean he's not just being reckless?" Cynthia frowned.
Ash nodded, taking a slow drag of his cigarette. "Do you really think he's that much of an idiot?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Dario cut in suddenly, his face darkening. Yet his eyes betrayed a flicker of confusion—one so raw and unfeigned it made Cynthia falter in shock.
Impossible… is he really unaware?
Everyone knew of the close ties between the Oak family and the Dragon Clan.
To provoke the Oaks was to provoke Lance's bloodline itself. No sane family would dare tug at that tiger's whiskers. Unless… they had backing. Either overwhelming confidence, overwhelming strength—
Or their brains had been slammed in a door.
...
TN:
⚡ Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (Support me! 😊)