[Misty: So Ash has not only won in the Orange Islands, but he's picked up another championship too?!]
[Steven: Ash really does have strength. That Sceptile and Swellow—impressive. Even through the footage, I can sense their power.]
[Alain: That Charizard… very strong.]
[Cynthia: And that Infernape as well. I could feel the surging waves of heat from here.]
After seeing Ash's full roster of Pokémon,
the Champions and Elites finally gained a proper sense of his true power.
Maybe the Alola League itself was weak—
but Ash was not.
Even through a video call with Professor Oak,
they could tell just how formidable his Pokémon were.
And that was just the raw Pokémon strength.
Add Ash's commands on top of that…
together, it equaled true battling power.
With just these partners,
Ash already had the strength to stand among them as an equal.
Yes—Ash was truly strong.
—On screen—
After claiming victory, to the stunned stares of the crowd,
Swellow beat its wings and took to the air again,
while Sceptile simply brushed the dust off and walked to Ash's side as if nothing had happened.
The entire match had been theirs to command.
How could they possibly have lost?
The prize was five Glass Whistles,
said to come from Lavaridge Gym—limited treasures.
Koharu's eyes sparkled the instant she saw them.
Girls could never resist shiny things like that.
Ash might not fully understand,
but he could see the longing in her eyes.
He picked out one whistle in a deep rose color,
its hue almost identical to Koharu's hair,
and handed it to her.
Her face lit up with joy as she accepted it.
"Thank you, Ash! I'll treasure it forever!"
That single gesture sent the live chat into chaos.
[Misty: Ash! Why is it that when we first met, you destroyed my bike, but when you meet other girls, you give them gifts?!]
[Serena: Exactly! Ash, you've never given me a gift either!]
Faced with their accusations,
Ash suddenly felt a mysterious chill down his spine.
—On screen—
After Koharu accepted her gift,
Ash returned Sceptile and Swellow to Professor Oak's ranch,
then set out with her for the Petalburg Gym.
The reason? May.
Her father, Norman, was the Gym Leader there.
That was Ash's destination.
Inside, Norman greeted them.
As for May—
She was preparing for the Kalos Tripokalon Triple Crown Satellite Tournament.
The moment she saw Ash,
her face lit up in joy.
But then her eyes fell on the girl standing beside him.
Her smile froze.
"Ash, over here!"
Oblivious to the sudden shift in mood,
Ash waved cheerfully.
May could only stiffly return the wave and sit by her father's side.
"Long time no see, May!"
"Long time no see…"
...
Awkward. Painfully awkward.
Koharu wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.
She felt like "the mistress caught in the act by the wife."
But Ash, of course, noticed nothing.
He simply caught up with May,
even excitedly sharing Serena's contact info with her when he learned she was heading to Kalos.
([Serena: …Thanks a lot, Ash!])
Meanwhile, Norman's son Max had returned home as well.
Now ten years old,
he was of age to travel—
but had stayed back to accompany May to Kalos.
With Max's chatter filling the room,
The awkward air finally lifted.
He rambled about becoming Hoenn's future Champion,
filling the house with laughter and words of encouragement like "the future is bright!"
[Wallace: Boy, grow up quickly! The moment you're strong enough to beat the Elite Four, my Champion seat is yours anytime.]
[Steven: Wallace, you're a Champion. Can you at least act like one?]
Wallace nearly choked with rage.
Steven, of all people, dared say that?
The same Steven who abandoned his Champion duties to dig around in caves for rocks?
[Wallace: Just you wait. Name a place—I'll come fight you right now!]
[Diantha: Ooh! If you two actually brawl, make sure to call me. I'll livestream it.]
After all, battles between Champions were rare—
perfect for content.
—On screen—
Somehow, the conversation drifted to Pokémon Contests.
To show off in front of Ash,
May even played recordings of her latest Contest performances.
Ash, unsurprisingly, wasn't too invested.
But Koharu's eyes lit up.
The dazzling stages,
the beauty of the combinations—
She was captivated.
Girls were always weak to beauty.
Battling had moved her, yes—
but she realized she liked the style of Contests even more.
May seemed so skilled.
Could she ever measure up?
The comparison was scary.
If she lost to May in this too,
it would be humiliating.
Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
If she wanted Ash's eyes to stay on her,
she needed a sparkle of her own.
Contests were alluring—
but to truly stand beside Ash,
Koharu resolved to become a Pokémon Trainer.
Her reason was simple:
she had to keep chasing him.
She couldn't let him leave her behind.
Flawless plan.
Koharu even gave herself a little mental thumbs-up.
"Mr. Norman, May, Max—thank you for your time. We'll be going now."
After some catching up,
Ash rose and politely excused himself.
The new journey was just beginning, after all.
Though reluctant, May nodded firmly.
"Ash, I look forward to our next meeting. Next time, I'll have won the Tripokalon Satellite Tournament!"
"I believe in you, May!"
And with that, Ash and Koharu left Petalburg Gym.
Having found her own goal, Koharu seemed much more cheerful.
"Ash! I've decided—I want to become a Pokémon Master too!"
She bounced happily ahead of him,
declaring her dream out loud.
"Is that so? Then we're rivals from now on! Don't expect me to go easy in a battle!"
Ash was delighted by her choice.
Once again, Pokémon battles had worked their magic.
Her recovery this fast could only be thanks to the Battle Frontier matches.
As expected—he really was a miracle worker!
Grinning, Ash gave Koharu a big thumbs-up.
Only for her to roll her eyes.
"Ash, you big dummy!"
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