Chapter 102: The Conclusion of the P1 Grand Prix
In the remaining matches, Natsume and Ash cut through their opponents, reaching the final round.
On the final stage, their capes fluttered in the wind.
Natsume and Ash stood on opposite sides of the arena.
What caught everyone's attention was their attire—their clothing, capes, and even hats were covered in colorful logos and advertisements.
Both stood with arms crossed, showing no signs of moving, exuding the air of true masters.
"Wow! Is this what a battle between top fighters looks like? You can feel the aura already!" the host's voice rang with excitement.
"Natsume, I can't believe it's just the two of us in the final!" Ash opened his eyes, clearly excited.
"Shh—our ads are charged by the minute," Natsume telepathically reminded him.
Ash immediately shut his eyes again, standing perfectly still alongside Natsume.
"Alright, Ash is sticking to his usual tactics. Looks like Natsume is about to make his move!"
The camera focused on Natsume.
Natsume closed his eyes, standing motionless, and so did his Dragonite.
The arena fell into silence, a little too still.
Minutes passed. Half an hour went by, and murmurs started from the crowd.
"Hey, maybe Natsume just wants to milk those advertisers while standing here?" Misty speculated.
"I heard that the minimum ad fee for the final is 200,000 per minute. Normally, the match would finish in ten minutes," Brock added, a hint of envy in his voice.
"With that many ads, if they just stand here all day…" Misty's eyes sparkled at the thought of so much money.
"Uh, contestants?" The host began to sweat, panicking at the potential live broadcast disaster.
The cameraman was equally stressed. Since this was the final, the camera could only show the two of them. Switching angles wasn't possible.
The huge screen blazed with dazzling mini-ads, irritating the audience further.
The host's gaze kept shifting between them, searching for a solution. Suddenly, he lit up.
"I've got it! Natsume is brilliant!"
The host's voice boomed:
"As long as Dragonite doesn't attack, it won't get exhausted, remaining invincible. Natsume can even observe Pikachu's weaknesses. Maybe he's the first contestant to figure out the perfect strategy!"
The audience went silent for a moment, then erupted into thunderous applause.
Natsume: "..."
*This host is truly something else.*
The match ultimately ended with Natsume and Ash tied for first—the judges couldn't bear to intervene. If left alone, these two could stand forever.
"Ash, the ad revenue's all yours. I just want the Gold Belt!"
Outside the arena, Ash excitedly told Natsume.
"Here." Natsume handed him the belt. Ash accepted it carefully, as if it were a treasure.
"Yes! Now I finally have a chance to challenge Bruno!" Ash exclaimed, hanging the Gold Belt around his neck.
"Congratulations, Ash," Brock said.
"Wait, you just gave away all that money?" Misty asked, astonished.
"Uh, but Natsume covered all my meals and Pokémon supplies along the way," Ash scratched his head, thinking it normal.
"If I ever need money, I just ask Natsume," Ash recalled. He had done this since he was a child.
"Money in my hands is just money, but in Natsume's hands, it can turn into even more money," Ash said seriously.
"What did Natsume call it? Investment—yes, that's called investment!"
Misty covered her face. "Did you give all your pocket money to Natsume when you were a kid?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah, ahem, why don't we check on Mr. Anthony?" Natsume coughed twice, pointing ahead.
Everyone looked to see Anthony slumped on a nearby rock, dejected.
"Damn it!" A single tear fell as Anthony slammed a fist into the ground.
Sensing someone approaching, he quickly wiped his tears.
Looking up and seeing Ash and Natsume, Anthony paused in surprise.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just kicking someone when they're down," Natsume replied with a nod.
"Ash! Natsume, don't joke around!" Misty and Ash hurriedly pulled him away.
"Mr. Anthony, are you alright?" Brock asked, hesitating whether to bring up Rebecca's situation.
"I'm fine. Next P1 tournament, Anthony and I will train even harder!" Anthony stood suddenly, shouting toward the sky.
"He still hasn't given up," Brock muttered, twitching his lips.
Even he could see that Anthony had completely abandoned reality, focusing solely on the tournament, and still only achieved mediocre results.
This was highly irresponsible.
*Priii!*
A delighted shout came, and everyone turned to see Primape, eyes gleaming at Anthony.
Following behind was a Hypno, slowly stuffing a tree fruit into its mouth.
*Hypp~* the Hypno muttered.
"It's those two wild Pokémon that competed!" Misty exclaimed, pointing at Primape and Hypno.
"I remember now! Since Anthony was eliminated, Primape hasn't appeared in any battles!" Ash added.
"Really?" Anthony blinked, tears welling up in his eyes.
He crouched slightly, reaching out to Primape.
"Come on, Primape, be my partner. Let's compete together in next year's P1 Grand Prix."
"We'll definitely win the championship, Primape!"
Anthony's gaze burned with hope. Primape paused, then walked toward him, a picture of harmony between human and Pokémon.
"Ah, what a pity. We defeated Mr. Anthony, but still lost," Brock murmured, looking down in disappointment, remembering Rebecca's request.
"That's not necessarily true," Natsume's voice rang out.
Brock turned to see Natsume wearing an unusual expression.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Anthony screamed.
Brock looked back, witnessing a familiar scene.
Primape grabbed Anthony, swinging huge fists directly at his face.
"Could this… be some kind of trainer approval process? Go, Primape!"
Anthony didn't resist, letting Primape pummel him until he was bruised and battered.
*Ape-ape-ape!* Primape's attacks intensified, fists leaving afterimages.
But this wasn't an approval ceremony.
When Anthony staggered to his feet, bruised and battered, Primape had already vanished.
Only the slow-moving Hypno remained, its eyes glowing blue.
Then a voice echoed in Anthony's mind.
*Hypno… you're suited to be a Gym Leader.*
Anthony: "???"
What's going on today? Was someone offering a bounty for him?
With a flick, Hypno teleported away, leaving no one to ask.
"Dad!"
In the distance, Rebecca appeared.
"You clearly said that if you lost this time, you'd go back to being a Gym Leader!"
"Ah… well…" Anthony's eyes darted away.
"Hahaha, let's go," Misty laughed heartily.
"Yeah, let's keep moving. Next stop is Gringey City," Brock said, pulling out a map.
"Gringey City? Does it have a Gym?" Ash asked excitedly.
"No, but it has the largest power plant in the Kanto region," Natsume recalled thoughtfully.
*Pika!*
In Misty's arms, Midchu suddenly perked up his ears.
*A power plant… the booklet mentioned something about it.*
Without disturbing Anthony and Rebecca, the group followed the crowd, leaving the town behind and continuing their journey.
You can read more (around 100+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https ://ravenarchives .com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.