Gary was completely dumbfounded.
What are you doing?!
A faint, pale-blue aura flickered in and out of existence around Ash's palm.
Seeing this, Gary could only helplessly stop in his tracks.
He leaned against a nearby rock and quietly watched Ash.
He wanted to see just what kind of nonsense this guy was about to pull.
You're not seriously going to catch Moltres, are you?
No way, right?
…Right?!
[Drake: I have a feeling this Moltres absolutely won't escape Ash's grasp either!]
[Professor Oak: This really brings back memories. When Red put the three Legendary Birds in the backyard back then, I was just as shocked! The kids of the Hanamura family are simply terrifying—this level of talent is astonishing!]
[Gary: Grandpa, Blue and I aren't bad either, okay?! It's just the Legendary Birds! If Blue wanted to catch them, it'd be easy too!]
[Pryce: It's different. This Moltres likely ranks in the top five among its entire species—perhaps second only to the one holding the "Flame" divine authority in the Orange Islands.]
[Wallace: Ash is getting more and more unbelievable. Hurry up and come travel in Hoenn already—maybe you could directly settle the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre! After all, Ash's Aura is super-effective against gods!]
[Steven: Are you just trying to slack off? I've heard Team Magma and Team Aqua have been restless lately. They're planning to revive those two idiots again.]
Hoenn, Sootopolis Gym.
"Tch—so Steven noticed after all!"
Wallace, the current Hoenn Champion, was deeply troubled.
What kind of Champion just hands off the title and goes digging for stones all over the world?!
That was outrageously unreliable!
[Wallace: Don't let me catch you, or you'll pay for it!]
[Steven: Hello? Bad signal—let's talk later!]
[Alder: As expected of Hoenn, a region overflowing with talent. Even when the Champion slacks off, another Champion can still guard the region. Not like Unova, where talent is dwindling.]
[Benga: Master, we still have Junior Sister!]
[Alder: Yes, Unova still has hope! The Dragon Princess will surely lead Unova back to the peak!]
[Lance: Your Dragon Princess got beaten to tears by Ash.]
Sinnoh was afraid of triggering international disputes.
Kanto, however, was not.
And honestly, Lance being this annoying had its reasons.
Normally he was cold and aloof, but once dragons were mentioned, his IQ dropped sharply.
Just like now.
Talking about a "Dragon Princess" right in front of the heir of the Dragon Clan—wasn't that blatant provocation?!
What's more, the Dragon Clan and the Village of Dragons in Unova had never gotten along.
So—
Lance decisively pulled out his little notebook and wrote down Iris, Alder, and Benga's names with great force!
"Once I become Champion, Unova—just wait for my challenge!"
…
On-screen—
Ash continued using his Aura to restore Moltres's strength.
At the same time, he thanked Moltres for giving him the feather earlier.
"Thank you. Infernape was able to grow so quickly thanks to your help during this time."
However—
Moltres didn't really listen to a word Ash said.
Clearly, Ash had overlooked something.
When his Aura acted on ordinary Pokémon, it was essentially a weakened version of Viridian Forest's healing power.
But—
Once his Aura touched a Legendary Pokémon—
It was a completely different matter.
For Legendary Pokémon, Ash's Aura had a special effect.
It allowed them to share the user's emotions and steadily stabilize the power within their bodies.
The instant Ash's Aura came into contact with Moltres—
Moltres was utterly conquered.
Because within Ash's emotions, it felt something called respect.
This boy truly loved every Pokémon from the bottom of his heart!
Perhaps…
It could try being captured by this human.
Once that thought emerged, it spread like wild grass—
Impossible to stop.
So—
Moltres gently rubbed its forehead against Ash's palm.
Then it let out a soft cry.
Through Aura, it transmitted its thoughts directly into Ash's mind.
Ash's hand froze mid-heal.
He stared with wide eyes at Moltres, his face filled with surprise and joy.
"You… you want to be captured by me?!"
The sudden happiness flooded Ash's mind—
So much so that his voice echoed throughout the entire valley.
And naturally, it reached Gary's ears.
Gary, who had been calmly leaning against a rock, nearly slipped and fell flat on his face.
What the hell?!
How is Moltres about to be caught just like that?!
Who do you think you are—Red?!
Do Pokémon line up to get captured by you?!
Yet—
Reality unfolded right before his eyes.
Under Gary's stunned gaze—
Ash pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and gently touched Moltres's head.
A brilliant red light enveloped Moltres and drew it into the ball.
The Poké Ball fell to the ground, shook twice—
Click.
Capture confirmed.
Gary was completely stunned.
Ash—something is seriously wrong with you!
Did you drug Moltres or something?!
Otherwise, how could it be willing to be captured so obediently?!
And you too, Moltres!
Where is your pride as a Legendary Pokémon?!
How could you surrender so easily?!
The words clogged Gary's throat, desperate to burst out.
When Ash raised the Poké Ball containing Moltres high into the air—
Gary finally realized.
This wasn't an illusion.
Ash had really caught Moltres.
What the hell…
After successfully capturing Moltres, Ash stopped using his Aura to heal it.
After all, healing was only a secondary effect of Aura.
Now that Moltres belonged to him, he could just take it to a Pokémon Center.
With that—
Ash, Pikachu, and Infernape walked over to Gary.
At this moment, Gary was still trapped in shock, unable to recover.
Ash waved his hand in front of Gary's face.
The atmosphere that had only just improved between them instantly became tense again.
Gary stiffened, his face full of displeasure.
Just a moment ago, they were fighting side by side—
And now you've gone and caught Moltres?!
Doesn't that make me look like an idiot?!
Seeing Gary suddenly sulking again, Ash didn't bother reacting.
After all, it was Gary.
Nothing he did ever surprised Ash anymore.
Thus—
The group walked together back to Professor Oak's Laboratory.
After they left—
A dark silhouette briefly appeared among the clouds.
Judging by the figure and the blonde woman standing atop it—
It was Cynthia and her Garchomp.
After Ash captured Moltres, Cynthia quietly departed as well.
She even arrived at the back gate of Professor Oak's lab before Ash did.
Cynthia's sudden descent nearly made Professor Oak drop the cup noodles in his hands.
He was puzzled about what exactly the Sinnoh Champion had been up to.
But when he saw the warning glint in her eyes—
Professor Oak decisively chose to keep his mouth shut.
Some time later—
Ash and Gary returned to the backyard.
Ash handed the Poké Ball containing Moltres to Professor Oak.
Infernape followed Oak inside the lab for treatment.
Once that was done—
Ash immediately went to Cynthia's side.
He excitedly recounted the whole process of finding Infernape.
He even bragged about defeating Moltres and obtaining its feather.
Cynthia, who had silently witnessed everything, simply smiled and said nothing.
She listened quietly, occasionally giving feedback.
Especially when Ash mentioned capturing Moltres—
Cynthia even put on a deliberately clumsy expression of surprise.
[Caitlin: She really loves him! To think I'd live to see Cynthia make that face—totally worth it!]
[Diantha: Oh my~ the usually aloof Cynthia is actually such a caring girl. She even acts—something I didn't know at all.]
[Cynthia: Do you have a problem with that?]
[Diantha: Hehe, of course not~ How could I? I quite like Ash too, you know~]
Crack.
The sound of glass shattering echoed through a café in Levincia City, Paldea.
An icy pressure instantly spread through the warm café.
Everyone fell silent, their gazes darting around, trying to find what was wrong.
Iono looked around, confused.
In the end, she said to the counter, "Boss, I think your air conditioner's broken."
Only Flint, sitting across from Cynthia, knew what had really happened.
But he couldn't say a word—
He'd die!
At this moment, Flint was trembling like a leaf, nothing like his usual bold self in the chat.
The Sinnoh big sister didn't even touch her beloved Swiss roll anymore.
Cynthia set down her dessert fork and looked coldly at Flint.
"Come on. Let's borrow Levincia Gym—we haven't battled in a long time."
"Big Sis, please show mercy!"
Flint begged with all his courage.
But the only response was Cynthia's icy gaze.
Instantly, Flint deflated like a punctured balloon.
He followed Cynthia out of the café with dead eyes.
At that moment, Flint finally understood a truth—
Don't seek death, and death won't find you.
And never, ever provoke a woman in love.
It's all Ash's fault!
Ever since Big Sis fell for Ash, she'd become so irritable!
Clearly, Flint had forgotten—
The root cause was his own mouth, and the true instigator was Diantha.
Only after Cynthia left did the café's temperature return to normal.
Sipping her coffee, Iono subconsciously glanced toward the door.
"Strange… was that the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia just now? Why was she in Paldea?"
…
On-screen—
Cynthia's acting might have been clumsy.
But that depended on the comparison.
Compared to Diantha, Cynthia's acting was downright terrible.
But fooling Ash and Gary?
Easy.
Neither of them suspected a thing.
Still—
When Ash mentioned capturing Moltres—
Gary couldn't help but interject irritably.
"Beating Moltres wasn't just your credit. If you'd let me act at the end, my Blastoise would've flattened it, and I'd be the one who caught it."
"Oh, come on! I only caught Moltres because I earned its recognition!"
"Who says I couldn't earn its recognition?! I'll tell you what—just a Moltres? I'll collect all three Legendary Birds for you!"
"Sorry about that—I already beat you to it. I've caught Zapdos and Moltres. Your progress is zero."
At that—
Ash immediately became smug.
Gary choked.
What the hell?!
You not only caught Moltres—
You secretly caught Zapdos too?!
Did you also secretly catch Suicune and just not tell me?!
I stepped out for a bit—
And the whole backyard changed?!
And you, Ash!
What are you doing behind my back all day?!
Countless complaints surged through Gary's mind.
But what came out of his mouth was just two words—
"So what?"
Sometimes, the simplest words were the deadliest.
When Ash heard that—
He completely exploded.
"Gary, explain yourself! What do you mean 'so what'?! I'm two Legendary Birds ahead of you! Is it really that hard to admit I'm stronger?!"
"Heh. As if you're stronger than me. Let me tell you—I'm ranked 10th in the Ultra Class. Once I beat that Alain guy, I'll be in the Masters Eight. Got it?"
Gary scoffed at Ash's words.
He hadn't slacked off at all lately.
Between research, he constantly challenged trainers in the World Coronation Series.
Ash's face flushed bright red after hearing this.
When it came to trash talk—
Gary had fully inherited his brother Blue's elite genes.
Ash couldn't argue back at all.
He was furious.
"Big deal! Masters Eight! I'll be there soon too! I'm already ranked 49th in the Ultra Class! It won't be long before I make the Masters Eight!"
"So what? I'll still get there first. You've already lost in this regard. Understand?"
Gary even poked Ash in the forehead as he spoke—
The full villain experience.
Seeing Ash's temperature rising—
Cynthia, who had been watching the drama, finally stepped forward.
She placed one hand on Ash's head and the other on Gary's—
And vigorously ruffled both of them.
"No matter which of you becomes part of the Masters Eight, it's worth celebrating. Today's meal is on me—let's all go have a feast."
Cynthia said with a warm smile.
Gary wanted to add a few more jabs—
But since Cynthia had spoken, he couldn't argue.
Thus—
After a bit of tidying up, the three headed to Viridian City for a big meal.
Meanwhile—
Professor Oak, having finally finished treating Infernape and Moltres, hurried to the backyard, eager to share the good news.
But when he arrived—
He was greeted by an empty field and Pokémon running around freely.
And right then, his phone rang.
Professor Oak picked it up—
Only to see a group photo of Ash, Gary, and Cynthia eating together.
Suddenly, the cup noodles he'd eaten earlier tasted completely bland.
[Alder: Hahaha! Sam, I never thought you'd live to become a lonely old man. This is killing me!]
[Mustard: Ah, I envy you. Unlike me—I have my beloved wife and son with me every day. When I'm tired, I can only guide my disciples' martial training.]
[Pryce: I can only hug my little Swinub and grieve alone in my Gym.]
[Chairman Damarak: I'm worse off. I handle piles of League documents every day. I'm already 80, with only three to five secretaries bringing me tea and food—don't even need to feed myself! Sigh, life is hard.]
[Professor Oak: That's enough, all of you!]
Kanto, Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Professor Oak slammed his cup noodles onto the table in frustration—
Then, driven by hunger, picked them back up again.
Just then, an enticing aroma drifted through the air.
Professor Oak sniffed hard with the tip of his nose—
And turned toward the distant sight of smoke curling up from Delia's house.
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