Ash, with his invincible physical body, wants to become a Pokémon Master...

Finally, Misty lost her patience and forced her way from the gym to the entrance of the Sanctuary. (Mega Gyarados Form!)

The Dragonite guarding the gate simply sniffed Misty's scent and let her pass.

He even thoughtfully led Xiaoxia to the location of the Imperial Dragon Shrine.

"You mean, Ash and the others are in here?"

"Waaah!" (That's right!)

Dragonite simply nodded.

Seeing this, Xiaoxia pushed the door open and went in.

Then a burst of hot steam hit me.

"Oh dear, you guys..."

What comes into view is a beautiful scene of harmony between humans and nature, full of green and healthy elements.

"Xiaoxia, you've come at the perfect time."

When Xiaozhi saw that it was Xiaoxia who pushed open the door and entered, he immediately showed a happy expression.

Even Tsubaki is almost gone now; she's been admiring the scenery for too long, but Ash is still full of energy.

For some reason, he felt increasingly stronger with each battle, completely unaware of fatigue.

He quickly pulled Xiaoxia inside to enjoy the scenery, leaving Pikachu and Togepi standing outside looking completely bewildered.

The two little cuties didn't understand what was happening and wanted to push the door open again.

But then Dragonite returned carrying a large pile of sweet and delicious berries, put the food on the ground, and began to entertain Pikachu and Togepi.

They happily played outside the door.

————Giant Sword Assault————

three days later.

Everyone returned to the dojo satisfied, even changing into new clothes.

When Kabu saw their expressions and the way Tsubaki was clinging to Ash in the gym, he immediately understood what had happened.

He immediately dismissed the servants and told them to prepare a sumptuous dinner, then smiled and came to Xiaochun's side.

"Congratulations, Miss, on successfully passing the final trial. As for the engagement..."

Upon hearing this, Xiaochun blushed and coughed awkwardly.

"Well, let's proceed with the engagement as planned."

"Yes, I understand."

Ash and Tsubaki no longer intend to break off their engagement.

They had a deep, soul-searching conversation, and Tsubaki concluded that Satoshi was the most suitable person for her in the world.

If it weren't for the fact that they hadn't eaten for so many days, Ash and his friends would have liked to stay together longer.

All Xiaozhi can say about this is...

"Xiaoxia and Xiaochun are despicable human traffickers! They tricked all my children into coming here!"

For the next few days, Ash and his friends stayed at the Inkstone Gym to rest and recuperate.

Of course, the three of them continued to be affectionate throughout the time, and the servants in the gym naturally treated Ash as their master.

However, the maids who guarded the door every night were always shocked by Ash's powerful abilities.

"That's amazing!"

"Is he even human? He doesn't even stop for a moment. Are all men like this?"

Hearing their young mistress's high-pitched voice, the two clueless maids suddenly felt a bit afraid of marriage.

Even Kabu, who happened to be passing by, couldn't help but shed tears of emotion.

Because of a congenital defect, Kabu was unable to start a family or have his own biological children. He raised Tsubaki as his daughter from a young age.

Kabu had always worried that Xiaochun, with her usual cool and tough demeanor, would never get married.

It seems there's no need to worry about the family's succession now.

"The next generation should be born soon!" Kabu wanted to go to the ancestral hall to burn some incense and tell his ancestors the good news.

Unfortunately, Kabu didn't make it in the end because he heard that the battle between Miss and the others was too intense in the final stage of the trial.

It caused too much damage to the venue, and Dragonite is working hard to repair it.

What a Dragonite!

Since the Inkstone Gym is now practically Ash's second home, he also set up his own teleportation node within the gym.

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the side quest "Go and light up all the teleportation anchors! (Johto Alliance Chapter)": Please light up the teleportation coordinates in the important cities of the Johto Alliance (9/9)]

[Rewards: 8000 Alliance Coins; Speed ​​+2; Free Attribute Points +4; Milton Battle Ticket Fragment +1 (Rumor has it that collecting four fragments can summon Shenron!)]

Ash only has one last fragment left to summon the legendary Miradon.

"Such a troublesome task must involve a very powerful Pokémon, right?" Ash was very excited.

Of course, during his time at the Smoky Gym, Ash wasn't entirely obsessed with romantic relationships.

After all, he has already collected all eight badges of the capital, so how could he neglect the special training he needs to prepare for the upcoming League Tournament!

The companions he recruited in the Johto region were the focus of his training this time.

It just so happens that Xiaochun is also a very skilled trainer and a battle enthusiast.

She is obsessed with both human-to-human and Pokémon-to-Pokémon interactions.

Therefore, she is an excellent training assistant.

However, this place is a training ground for dragon Pokémon, so naturally Dragonite and Garchomp receive the most attention.

The elders of the Dragon Clan also grew to like Ash more and more, and would occasionally visit the gym to guide Ash in training his dragon Pokémon.

Ash also received ten Dragon Gems as a gift from Kabuto.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained "Dragon Gem" +10: A Dragon-type gem. When equipped, the power of Dragon-type moves will be increased by 30%!]

This Dragon Gem is a great item, but unfortunately it's a one-time use item; it will disappear after its energy is consumed.

However, having ten of them might produce surprisingly good results at certain times.

As the son-in-law of the Dragon Clan, this is essentially part of the dowry the family is giving to Ash.

Later, Kabu also mentioned that the family would prepare a Dragon-type Pokémon that Ash didn't have, but it would take some time to wait.

Xiao Zhi originally wanted to refuse, since being a kept man was not his thing.

However, both Kabu and Tsubaki insisted that it was a traditional rule and they could not refuse, so Ash had no choice but to accept it.

"Oh, you've really made my life miserable."

Xiaoxia: "You don't look like you don't want it at all!"

"Hey~"

Ash loves Pokémon the most, so how could he say no to getting a dragon-type Pokémon for free?

Anyway, as long as Xiaochun remains the head of the Dragon Clan, Xiaozhi will not abandon the Dragon Clan.

During its time at the Blacksmith Gym, even Garchomp got a great time.

During the trial, this guy protected Hakron and demonstrated great strength, eventually succeeding in conquering it.

While Ash and Tsubaki are being affectionate, Garchomp always takes the opportunity to be affectionate with Tsubaki's Dragonite.

So when it was time to say goodbye, Garchomp was in tears and really didn't want to leave.

This is its first success in love. After being tormented so badly by Xiao Nan Niang, it now wants to sink into the gentle embrace of love forever.

"Alright, you rascal! A real man should have ambitions beyond his hometown, how can you keep indulging in this kind of thing!"

"Get up quickly! Crying while clinging to my legs won't help. We have to get to Ruoye Town to complete the competition registration and then head to Shirogane Mountain!"

Because he got lost along the way, Ash was already in a rush.

Ash and his friends gave the Dragonite Mega Evolution Stones they had obtained during the previous trial missions to Tsubaki as a parting gift, and then said goodbye and left.

The two then proceeded along the coastline. Unlike their journey there, the return trip was shorter and the road was smoother and more convenient.

But Garchomp was naturally reluctant to leave, and as soon as it came out for lunch, it clung to Ash's leg, clamoring to go back to the Blacksmith Gym.

In response, Ash could only give it a good beating with his Iron Fist of Love.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again. If you become weak, they might abandon you."

"If you keep doing this, your training volume will increase tenfold!"

Upon hearing this, Garchomp instantly stopped being sad and stood up, patting its chest to show that it was a shark that would never indulge in pleasure.

"This guy."

He's usually a bit dull, but he only becomes quick-witted in situations like this.

However, just as Ash and his friends finished packing their luggage and were preparing to speed up their journey, Professor Elm suddenly contacted Ash.

"Ash, congratulations on successfully obtaining eight badges. However, I may need your help with something."

"Dr. Kongmu, please speak freely."

Ash left his red Gyarados with Professor Elm to recuperate, and he still owes him a favor.

As long as it's not too troublesome, Ash doesn't mind helping. Hearing him say that, Kuki felt relieved and agreed.

It turns out that Professor Elm wanted to ask Ash and his friends to help him deliver an egg to a marine Pokémon research lab on their way back to New Leaf Town.

"A Pokémon egg?"

Ash gets interested as soon as Pokémon is mentioned.

"What kind of Pokémon egg is it?"

"I really don't know, but I heard that it was found by Ms. Chengmei, the director of the institute."

Xiao Zhi naturally agreed to this request.