Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

For the sake of his sister and daughter, Ah Ju could never betray the alliance once he joined it.

"Mr. Ash... thank you." After a long silence, A-Ju expressed her gratitude solemnly.

"You can just call me Ash. I'm the junior here," Ash said humbly. "Mr. Kikko is a very strong trainer, and I've learned a lot from our previous battles, especially from your Crobat..."

"Ash," Lance said curtly, "we need to talk about serious matters!"

"Sorry, sorry~" Ash said speechlessly, raising his hands in surrender.

In his view, his task was now complete, and he didn't want to hear about the trivial matters that followed.

Instead of wasting time like this, I'd rather play with Miss Rika's fingers under the table.

“Alright, since Ash has said so, there’s no need for further analysis.” Lance seized the opportunity and said, “Since the Johto Tournament is over, you can stay there with Kikyo.”

"Understood," Shiba replied in a muffled voice.

Ash, who had one ear remaining, understood what the Dragon King meant: he was making plans for his future championship.

Yulongdu will likely use this tournament to officially declare himself the champion of both regions, while Aju's defection can serve as a replacement for the Four Heavenly Kings.

From then on, Kona and Kikuko guarded Kanto, Shiba and Akiku guarded Johto, and Lance provided support from the center. Although manpower was still insufficient, it was still better than before.

"Next is the regional defense for the tournament." Lance changed the subject, looking worried. "Team Rocket's movements have been unclear lately. They might launch a surprise attack during this period, but Professor Barnett's investigation has only covered four cities in Kanto... Ash, what are your thoughts on this?"

"Huh?" Ash was taken aback when he was suddenly called out.

However, after a moment's thought, he quickly came up with an idea: "In my opinion, if the situation changes, all four of you Elite Four should go to Johto. Given the current state of Kanto, Team Rocket can't gain anything from it. At most, they'll just send some grunts over to take revenge on society. On the contrary, it's easier to find big fish in Johto."

“That’s what they say, but wouldn’t Kanto be too empty?” Shiba retorted worriedly. “Especially Viridian City, without a Gym Leader there, and with Kiku leaving, there will be no one to take care of it.”

"Aren't there still people from the Battle Frontier?" Ash said nonchalantly. "Please ask Ashida to tell that Pyramid Pharaoh to move the Battle Facility to Viridian City so he can temporarily take over Granny Agatha's defenses. He has Regirock in his hands, so his strength is at least at the Elite Four level. If all else fails, I can ask my teacher and friends for help."

"Very good, then it's decided. Everyone must not let their guard down recently!" Yu Longdu's eyes lit up, and he immediately approved the decision.

He discovered that Ash had a truly broad perspective and could always conjure up all sorts of unexpected sources of assistance.

Kamishiro is a trainer who controls legendary Pokémon, yet these people are less sensitive to this than a child!

Moreover, Lance had probably heard some rumors about Ash's so-called teachers and friends.

That's definitely even stronger than a champion-level combat power!

“I have something else to say,” Professor Barnett suddenly spoke up. “Ash asked before if it was possible to counter the teleportation panel. During my research with Professor Sakuragi, we have made decisive progress. We have preserved a panel in Vermilion City. Its opposite panel has been sealed off, but the energy circuit is still there. If we can forcibly activate it, we should be able to teleport in the opposite direction.”

"Vermilion City?" Ash was taken aback. "Where exactly is the control panel located?"

“It’s in the basement of the Vermilion City Gym,” Barnett explained. “At first, we didn’t know how to investigate, but Professor Sakuragi helped us by reporting us to the police, who arrested Lt. Surge and most of his trainers…”

"When did this happen?!" Ash couldn't sit still any longer.

“It’s only been in the last day or two,” Lijia interjected. “I just found out myself. After all, he’s the owner of a military academy, and the alliance didn’t announce it to the outside world for the sake of the impact.”

“Okay…” Xiao Zhi couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

Lance and the others chatted about other trivial matters, but Ash wasn't interested in listening anymore. Rika also seemed uninterested and even fell asleep leaning on Ash's shoulder.

The league's higher-ups knew the Gym Leader's Grass-type Pokémon's schedule, so no one made a sound to wake him up. Only Agatha and Lorelei kept teasing Ash.

After the meeting ended, Ash, who had been sitting still, intended to let Rika sleep a little longer, but she suddenly opened her eyes.

"Mr. Ash, are you worried about what just happened?" Rika asked understandingly.

"Yes, this is really the wrong time to touch Ma Xueshi..."

Maslow wasn't actually one of Giovanni's confidants. The main reason Giovanni used him was because he needed him to manage St. Anne's.

This guy used to be a major in the United States Air Force, and he had some influence in other regions.

After St. Anne was captured by the Alliance, Mt. Surge was essentially a expendable pawn, so leaving him alone was the best option at that point.

After all... even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a room full of veterans.

This is actually why Ash insisted on using a gentle approach to persuade Kikyo to surrender.

Ninjas and soldiers are two types of people who should not be driven to desperation...

"Miss Rika, please tell Barnett and Professor Sakuragi that they must be extra careful about their safety in the near future," Ash cautiously instructed.

"I will definitely do it!" Lijia also realized the seriousness of the problem.

After chatting for a while, the two left the meeting room hand in hand, only to unexpectedly run into A-Ju outside the door.

"Mr. Aju, have you not left yet?"

"I must express my sincere gratitude," A-Ju said earnestly. "My sister mentioned what happened before, and it was all thanks to Mr. Xiao Zhi's guidance that I was able to find the answer."

"I just think that Mr. Aju is an admirable strongman. If he cannot be used by the alliance, it would be an immeasurable loss."

Ash's expression was utterly sincere at the sight of A-Ju, who had come to him for help.

"You're making me feel really ashamed..." Having been constantly flattered by Ash, A-Ju was a little smug, but still had some self-awareness. "In that battle, I ultimately lost..."

"I was outnumbered, and I only managed to win by a narrow margin thanks to my teammates' hard work," Ash said modestly, shaking his head. "Your Crobat is truly amazing, and I've always wanted to learn from you about your breeding techniques."

"You want to know how to shrink the size of the cross-bat?" A-Ju suddenly realized.

"Yes!" Xiao Zhi nodded immediately. "If you can tell me, I promise you will be richly rewarded!"

Chapter 205 The Cross Bat, The Path to Perfection!

Ash doesn't think there's anything shameful about asking for help for his Pokémon.

After all, he only possessed a half-finished cheat system. All its functions were used to enhance his personal combat power, and it lacked the advanced functions that allowed him to exchange for cultivation techniques or even Pokémon.

If you want your users to keep getting stronger, you can't just work behind closed doors; you have to constantly learn from the strengths of others.

"This..." A-Ju was a little surprised that Xiao-Zhi would make such a direct request.

He seemed hesitant, remaining silent for a long time before finally nodding quietly.

"Fine... If you want to know, I'll tell you, and I don't need to give anything in return."

A-Ju clearly saw this as a condition for making friends. Ash is now a rising star being heavily promoted by Kanto, and A-Ju is determined to join the League. Investing in Ash is definitely a win-win situation.

"The reason I shrunk Crobat's size is actually because of a secret ninja medicine passed down in my family. Pokémon can soften their bones through a medicinal bath, thereby changing their size."

"Change your size...isn't it just about shrinking?" Ash understood the key point in Kikyo's words.

"Of course, it's not just about shrinking; it depends on the Pokémon's needs," A-Ju explained. "When breeding Crobat, we naturally want it to be smaller and more agile; but for Pokémon like Arbok and Ariados, a larger size is actually more advantageous."

"I see." Xiao Zhi suddenly realized.

He had initially thought that ninja elixirs would be something fantastical, but now that he heard about them, they actually sound quite scientific.

That should be through drug stimulation, giving the Pokémon a chance to grow again. Whether it becomes large or small, powerful or agile, will depend entirely on the trainer's skill.

“I have the Ninja Elixir at my Gym, and of course I can provide it to you,” A-Ju continued, “but I must explain beforehand that the elixir is highly poisonous, so only Poison-type Pokémon can take the bath; and during the process, they will also suffer some pain, the specific situation will vary from Pokémon to Pokémon… but there will be no danger to their lives.”

"Is that so... Mr. Aju, thank you for telling me this. I need to discuss it with Crossbat before I can make a decision."

“That’s only right. Then I’ll take my leave.” A-Ju nodded and then left quietly.

...

"It's time for me to head back to the dojo. It's getting late, and I'm starting to feel sleepy." After A-Ju left, Rika, who had been silent all along, stretched her body slightly, and a peaceful sleepiness appeared on her face.

"I'll take you," Ash suggested with a smile. "Let's ride back together on a Dragonite."

"Okay, then I'll leave it to Mr. Ash."

With Rika's approval, Ash released Dragonite outside the headquarters building. He helped Rika sit in front of him, and after taking off, he gently put his arms around her waist.

Rika didn't reject this little gesture; instead, she leaned back and nestled into Ash's arms.

As night fell, Ash smoothly piloted Dragonite, even using his psychic powers to create a shield to protect Rika from the wind.

Soon, Rika fell asleep against Ash.

As he inhaled the natural fragrance emanating from the other person, Xiao Zhi gradually began to relax.

He always enjoyed spending time alone with Rika. Although this young lady had a perfect image in the eyes of others, she was leisurely and lazy in private and never made people feel pressured.

Moreover, they can understand each other.

In her presence, Ash didn't need to hide his thoughts, and Rika always expressed her feelings gently yet openly, while also looking forward to how this relationship would unfold...

Dragonite landed smoothly at the entrance of Rainbow City Gym. Ash carefully picked up Rika and escorted her into the gym, gently placing her on his bed in his bedroom.

"Sweet dreams, Ms. Rika." With a light laugh, Ash disappeared into the bedroom.

The girl was still fast asleep, but the beautiful curve of her lips became even more pronounced.

...

"Crobat, what do you think?" After leaving the Rainbow Gym, Ash released Crobat to fly beside him, intending to hear its opinion.

"Let me make it clear first, you just need to follow your own ideas. You don't need to consider me, and there's no need to force yourself," Xiao Zhi patiently instructed. "What I can guarantee you is that even if you don't use that secret medicine, I'm confident I can train you to become even stronger! So, you only need to be responsible for your own decisions!"

The Crobat's bent spoon is pointing towards the Fuchsia Gym, which shows that the Ninja Elixir is indeed the key to its growth.

Even so, Ash hopes that Crobat can make its own decision.

He hopes that Crobat genuinely wants to become a stronger Pokémon, rather than enduring pain simply to satisfy his honor as a trainer!

"Heh...heh!!"