In an instant, thunderous applause erupted throughout the Silver Conference stadium.
The crowd all offered their blessings to the newly crowned champion.
Amid the cheers of everyone present, Ash couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter.
From this moment on, his destiny had completely changed.
Five years without a single title—
Yet now, the championship of the Silver Conference was merely the starting point of his ascent to the summit.
From here onward, his journey continued.
He would never lose again, and he would take every championship.
Caressing the trophy in his hands, Ash lifted it high above his head.
The gesture earned him another wave of applause.
A ten-year-old child winning the championship on his second attempt—
Such an experience was enough to overshadow the vast majority of people!
The rise of a genius—
It was a sight many were delighted to witness.
"Champion."
A word that had once felt so distant—
Now it rested in the palm of Ash's hand.
Brock and Misty also offered their heartfelt congratulations.
Amid the applause of his companions, Ash stepped down from the podium.
"This time you won, but next time I will be the one taking the championship," Gary declared, still as cocky as ever.
Even though he was genuinely happy for Ash, he couldn't bring himself to speak kindly.
Ash didn't mind in the slightest.
"Then I hope we can meet again on the finals stage," Ash replied, scratching his head as he spoke.
One sentence made Gary's entire face flush bright red.
You're picking a fight on purpose, aren't you?!
Amid the laughter of the crowd, the annual Silver Conference officially came to an end.
After claiming the championship, Ash's Johto journey had come to a close.
After saying farewell to Misty and Brock, he returned to Pallet Town together with Gary.
Misty had wanted to accompany Ash home.
But after receiving a phone call from her three sisters, though reluctant, she had no choice but to leave first—while promising she would visit Ash in Pallet Town soon.
Pallet Town — Professor Oak's Laboratory
In the backyard, Ash came as usual to feed his Pokémon.
Aside from Pikachu, most of his Pokémon lived here.
But today…
There was an unexpected visitor in the backyard.
He was a boy a few years older than Ash.
He wore the same style of jacket Ash did—except his was blazing red.
He also wore the same style of cap—likewise red.
And on his shoulder sat a Pikachu identical to Ash's…
Except—
Why was this Pikachu perfectly round?!
The boy's name fit his appearance perfectly:
Red — as radiant as the sunset, the goal countless people pursued.
The moment Ash stepped in holding Pokémon food, he spotted the figure.
"Red! Big bro Red! How do you have time to come back today?"
Ash's voice overflowed with delight.
He hadn't expected to see Red here at all.
Red was Pallet Town's legend—
A true prodigy!
The one who became the "Demon of Mt. Silver," raising the average level of the mountain's wild Pokémon by twenty!
Red turned slightly.
His cap brim hung low, hiding the sharp gleam of his eyes in shadow.
Facing Ash's question, Red laughed heartily—he had always been this cheerful.
"I came back to congratulate you—congratulations on winning the championship."
As he spoke, Red gave Ash a firm pat on the shoulder.
Clearly, he was pleased that his junior had achieved a championship so quickly.
"Hehe, I just got lucky. The trainers in this tournament weren't that strong, so I had a chance at the title," Ash said modestly.
In front of Red, Ash became noticeably humble.
"Don't sell yourself short. In the future, you'll become the world's strongest champion."
"That's only because you didn't enter the World Championships, Red. When it comes to talent, I'll never be able to surpass you."
Ash wasn't exaggerating.
He himself would struggle for years before winning the Alola League.
Meanwhile, Red had set out at age ten and, in the same year, won the Indigo Plateau Conference, challenged and defeated all four Elite Four members, and even beat the Champion Green.
He was the legend behind the "Five-minute Champion" moment.
"That's different. Our goals aren't the same. Your dream is to become a Pokémon Master.
Mine is simply to challenge every strong opponent in the world.
I'm really looking forward to the day you fight me."
Red's confidence was powerful—infectious, even.
"I will! When I become a Pokémon Master, I'll challenge you for sure!"
"Haha! I'll be waiting for that day!"
Red laughed heartily.
Not far away, another legendary trainer—Green—was poking his younger brother's forehead over and over.
"You really embarrassed me. You couldn't even beat that brat from Red's family."
"That's not my fault! You didn't beat Red either!" Gary protested.
"Still talking back? Do you want me to stop coaching you?!"
The moment Gary dared to retort, Green exploded.
"If you won't coach me, I'll go to Red instead! He's stronger than you anyway!"
Gary huffed.
A dark line crossed Green's forehead.
Had he been away from home too long?
Was his little brother growing rebellious?!
But before Green could scold him—
A familiar humming sound echoed through the sky.
The light curtain was activating again.
Red, Ash, Green, and Gary all looked up simultaneously.
Seeing the light curtain illuminate once more, they paused their conversation.
Even the legendary Red and Green couldn't figure out what this mysterious phenomenon truly was.
At the same moment, the light curtains across the entire world activated.
Everyone stopped what they were doing.
Even Bruno, who had just arrived in Silver Conference town hoping to meet Ash, halted his search.
After three days of silence, the reactivating light curtains pushed global anticipation to its peak.
Especially after the last round—
The rewards Bruno and Ash had earned during the Q&A segment were envied by countless people.
Such abilities…
They were almost mythical.
[The Compilation "The Road to the Legendary Trainer's Peak (III)" begins]
As the text appeared on the light curtain, silence fell across the world.
Everyone looked toward the sky, waiting expectantly.
A burst of brilliant white light flashed—
A new scene slowly formed.
Inside Professor Cerise's domed backyard—
Ash and Goh stood facing each other on the training grounds.
Before each of them stood a Pokémon.
Ash's was Riolu.
Goh's was Farfetch'd (Galarian Form), newly captured by Ash.
Goh looked visibly nervous.
"Don't be nervous, Goh. Just use what you learned at school to command Farfetch'd," Ash reassured him.
Riolu had inherited Lucario's natural battle instinct—
Its hunger for victory was immense.
Any opportunity to grow stronger, it seized without hesitation.
That was why Ash spent a huge amount of time training it daily.
But simple training no longer satisfied Riolu.
So Ash let the equally battle-hungry Galarian Farfetch'd train against it.
But commanding two Pokémon at once was basically fighting himself—
Ash found it difficult.
So when Goh asked for help with training, Ash handed Farfetch'd's command over to him.
It was Goh's first time battling alongside Ash—
Of course he was nervous.
"F-Farfetch'd! Use Fury Cutter!"
After Ash calmed him, Goh's tension eased.
He quickly ran through Farfetch'd's move list in his mind and selected the most appropriate move for the situation.
Farfetch'd lowered the giant leek from its shoulder.
A white glow coated the blade—
And it dashed toward Riolu with blinding speed.
"Riolu! Use Force Palm to block it!"
Though Riolu was still newly hatched, its strength far surpassed Farfetch'd's.
After taking two consecutive Vacuum Waves, Farfetch'd naturally lost its ability to battle.
Training continued through various battles until night fell.
Pikachu, who had waited at Ash's side the entire day, had dozed off.
Because of the intense training, Ash seemed to have overlooked Pikachu.
[Bruno: Master Ash, I've arrived in Silver Conference town! Where are you? Let your disciple meet you!]
[Ash: Uh… sorry, the Silver Conference ended and I already went back to Pallet Town. You might've come for nothing. Also, I never agreed to take you as a disciple!]
[Bruno: It's fine, Master Ash! I will show you my sincerity! Please wait for me in Pallet Town!]
[Chloe: Ash seems to be ignoring Pikachu… he didn't interact with it all day. Pikachu looks jealous…]
[Misty: True… I've never seen Ash so obsessed with training one Pokémon. Does Riolu have some kind of magic?]
[Delia: No—Ash's bond with Pikachu is special. Nothing can replace that sincerity.]
[Ash: Mom's right! I'd never ignore Pikachu!]
[Bea: Maybe he was just too focused on training. I doubt it was intentional.]
[Paul: Hmph. If a Pokémon can't stand its trainer working with a new partner, then it doesn't understand its place.]
But Pikachu's expression was truly heartbreaking.
Like a pet neglected because a new one had entered the household.
Even Ash himself felt guilty.
"One moment of neglect might be an accident," Red said quietly, "but never ignore your Pokémon's needs. They're partners—family."
Ash looked up in surprise.
Red wasn't as distant and stoic as the rumors said.
He actually knew how to comfort others.
"I understand, Red!"
On screen—
After a full day of training, Ash began taking Riolu to battle Great Ball-tier trainers.
Once entering the Great Ball class, climbing the ranks slowed significantly.
Fortunately, Ash was strong enough to keep winning steadily.
He mainly used Riolu, Gengar, and Sirfetch'd—
Not Magikarp.
Even if it was a Totem Magikarp, without evolving into Gyarados it was still… a Magikarp.
With nothing but Splash, it was nearly useless.
Great Ball-class trainers were clearly stronger—
Most were close to Gym-Leader level.
Ash could sweep them easily with Pikachu.
But he wanted to train his newly caught Pokémon.
Naturally, the battles became more difficult.
Yet this was the best way for the weaker members of his team to grow quickly.
Among them, the best performers were Riolu and Galarian Farfetch'd.
Unlike Gengar or Dragonite, they were unevolved and full of potential.
During battle, both internalized the moves Ash taught them.
Riolu even learned Swords Dance, while Farfetch'd mastered Fury Cutter.
But one silhouette had been overlooked—
Pikachu, Ash's very first partner.
It hadn't participated in any recent battles.
On the field—
"Riolu! Vacuum Wave!"
Riolu landed a clean hit on an Electabuzz, securing victory and ranking Ash at 901st in the Great Ball class.
"Awesome! Riolu, we climbed the rankings again!"
Ash ran onto the field and hugged Riolu excitedly.
Watching from the side, Pikachu's disappointment was impossible to hide.
It crept over, gently tugging on Ash's pants with its tiny paw.
Ash, absorbed in victory, didn't notice for a long moment.
Finally, he knelt down and stroked Pikachu's drooping ears.
"Pikachu… do you want to battle too?"
"Pika!!"
Pikachu's ears perked straight up.
It pumped its tiny fists—ready and eager.
But Ash's next sentence froze Pikachu in place.
"But Riolu and Farfetch'd are in really good form right now… so how about letting them handle the next few battles?"
Pikachu's heart shattered.
Ash wasn't intentionally neglecting Pikachu.
He had carefully considered the situation.
Pikachu had traveled with him from the very beginning—
Its experience and strength were already top-tier.
Riolu and Farfetch'd were different.
Great Ball-class trainers were strong but not overwhelming—
The ideal opponents for rapid growth.
He had to prepare them for facing Leon's champion team.
But Pikachu didn't understand that.
All it felt was the pain—
The agony of being left behind.
And it couldn't accept it!!
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