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

Or is the mistake in not proactively informing Ho-Oh and Lugia?

The hero isn't a time traveler, so he can't possibly list a series of legendary habitats like Asia Island, Belly Rock, and Azure Mountain in a matter of minutes like Ash. Where is he supposed to go to notify them?

He didn't even truly pass the Rainbow Warrior's test... otherwise why would Marshadow be staring at him?

So, is Ash going to scold Celebi?

They just don't want to help, they don't want to be subdued, is that not allowed?

Celebi can indeed travel through time and make forests more lush, but that's not its job!

Ultimately, the title "Forest God" is just a name given by humans; Celebi is actually just a mythical beast that enjoys playing around with life.

With great power comes great responsibility. This saying doesn't apply to all legends... or even most of them!

As for Ho-Oh and Lugia, who arrived late, it's really not their fault, because they probably didn't even know about this.

When Ash encountered the Spirit Gate, it was the Rainbow Wing that came into play; Ho-Oh itself never intended to come to the rescue!

Legend has it that some god isn't just sitting around with nothing better to do than carry a crystal ball and constantly watch over the world to see where disasters are happening, then transform into a superhero to put out fires...

They'll only appear if things escalate to a really big level... like when the hero bombed the Orange Islands~

So, can I criticize Marshall? Well, this guy does deserve a bit of criticism.

Clearly, Marshall had followed the hero the whole way and witnessed all of his experiences!

But all it wants to do is fulfill its duty as the Shadow Guide. Whether the spirit world invades or what the hero is up to has absolutely nothing to do with it!

Ash even suspected that if the hero hadn't reactivated the Rainbow Feather in the end, it would have really let the opponent be tortured to death by the spirit creatures!

Is he so stubborn he's practically brain-dead? Ash, who watched the M20 movie, says that Marshadow really is that kind of idiot to him!

The story kept replaying in his mind, along with his own identity as a hero... Ash lay expressionless on the bare rock wall, his movements mirroring those of the hero on his deathbed.

The hero's defiant question still seemed to echo in his ears...

"Ash, are you alright? Why are you lying here?" A mature and alluring face blocked the moonlight, and Ash was taken aback. Cynthia had actually found this place!

"Miss Cynthia, what brings you here?"

"Everyone was a little worried when you didn't come back, so I came out to check on you," Cynthia explained, looking at Ash with concern. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

“There are indeed some things I can’t figure out… Ms. Cynthia, you study history and mythology in Sinnoh, right?” Ash wearily propped himself up. “In your opinion, what is the attitude of those legendary Pokémon towards this world?”

“I don’t know. No one can really say for sure about legendary Pokémon,” Cynthia shook her head. “In fact, most people’s impressions of legends are just their own assumptions. In most people’s minds, legendary Pokémon should be compassionate, omnipotent, and wholeheartedly protect the world… This actually stems from humanity’s ancient worship of gods.”

"But in reality, they're just Pokémon." Ash suddenly sneered disdainfully. "Just because they represent a certain rule, they can transcend the mundane and even be high above!"

"Ash?" Cynthia's heart skipped a beat. Just a moment ago, she noticed a deep sadness emanating from Ash.

That kind of emotion unconsciously resonates with people, and even makes her feel sorry for the boy who is bearing it all alone, wanting to comfort him.

"Legendary Pokémon, they're really amazing~" Ash's tired smile was tinged with self-deprecation. "With just a light feather, they can gain sincere faith; they can give people hope at will, but whether they respond or not depends entirely on their mood."

"Especially when disasters occur that require humans and ordinary Pokémon to sacrifice their lives, they always manage to descend at the last moment like gods, easily suppressing everything... and then everyone is grateful to them!"

Ash was complaining, but what he poured into those words was a deep sense of regret and sorrow... for the heroes, and for all the lives lost in the catastrophe!

"Pikachu?" And this feeling, under the influence of the power of Viridian, was accurately transmitted into Pikachu's heart.

Not only it, but also the Crobat that was present, and the Togekiss that brought Cynthia there, all resonated with each other and their power instantly increased!

However, the management sprite, who had been silent all along, was now terrified!

Ash can't go on like this!

Just now, unlike Pikachu and other Pokémon, Ash's three powers were simultaneously reduced by a portion!

The management sprite wanted to warn Ash, but it couldn't speak because it was also bound by the halo.

Whether Ash wants to become a benevolent person, a wise person, or a brave person, it's all easy; as long as he makes up his mind, he can gain power.

Because this was originally a mechanism set up by the gods, in order to mold Ash into a perfect human being in the eyes of the gods!

The hidden rule behind the protagonist's halo is that Ash, as a human, must never question those legends that are called gods!

This rule is greater than everything else, even surpassing all his awareness!

hum~

Just then, a flash of black light appeared on the golden part of the GS Ball and on the Rainbow Wing in Ash's backpack...

The management sprite knew it had to take action!

"Ugh!" Abruptly, Ash, who had no intention of restraining himself, suddenly felt as if he had been pricked by a needle in the head and instantly lost consciousness.

"Ash... uh~" Cynthia was startled when she saw this and instinctively went to help him up.

As a result of their height difference, Ash's face just happened to fall into her...

And before completely losing consciousness, it unconsciously rubbed against something~

This unexpected turn of events caused even the mature Cynthia to blush slightly...

However, after letting out a soft sigh, she didn't intend to push Xiaozhi away. Instead, she began to gently pat his back.

She didn't know what Xiaozhi had gone through; she just wanted to offer him some comfort in this way...

Chapter 289 He really didn't mean to attack...

"Ash, did you and Cynthia really not have any unpleasantness last night?"

After setting off the next day, Xiaoxia looked at the two walking side by side but not exchanging a single word, and felt that the atmosphere between them was strange.

"Honey, you're really overthinking it. There's absolutely nothing unpleasant between me and Ms. Cynthia~" Ash explained seriously, though he sounded a little guilty.

He's definitely not unhappy anymore, but it's hard to say how Cynthia will react.

After suffering a mental shock last night, Xiao Zhi actually woke up not long afterward.

But when he regained consciousness, Ash found himself enveloped in a warm embrace... much like when he was little and he would hug an older sister and act cute.

Subconsciously… Xiao Zhi swears it really was subconscious; he just rubbed against her like he did when he was little, and then she pushed him away.

After that, Xiao Zhi witnessed the beauty of a goddess under the moonlight, her cheeks flushed and her eyes filled with reproach…

Seeing this, Ash couldn't help but sigh. Cynthia and Nanami were about the same age, but Cynthia was definitely a bit older... However, that was several years ago, and Ash hadn't checked on Nanami's current situation...

Uh…no!

Ash meant that seeing Cynthia like that made him feel like he was doomed.

Fortunately, perhaps because of the shared emotions she felt earlier, Cynthia didn't pursue the matter with Ash on the spot, nor did she bring it up again later, thus allowing him to escape unscathed.

However, since last night, they have inevitably felt a little awkward when they meet again.

Ash was feeling guilty... As for Cynthia, judging from her expressionless face, she definitely thought Ash did it on purpose!

Of course she would think that way, after all... some people can't be treated like ordinary eleven-year-olds.

An ordinary eleven-year-old child wouldn't possess fighting power surpassing that of a champion, wouldn't train themselves into a monster of muscle, and certainly wouldn't earn such... an embarrassing title!

Kanto... Demon or something...

Ugh, it's all that admin elf's fault!

While enduring the refrigerator-like aura of a mature beauty, Xiao Zhi secretly rolled his eyes and shifted all the blame onto a certain harmless duck.

Of course we have to blame it. Last night's embarrassing scene was all caused by its needle prick.

have a finger in the pie…

(Hey, thanks.) Ash silently thanked the Pokémon manager in his mind.

(No need... that kind of attack is punishment, not an attempt to grope your breasts.)

(I'm not referring to Cynthia!) Ash cried out inwardly, feeling indignant.

What the hell is going on? Why do the people I get involved with start to go astray?

3D Dragon II, as an AI attached to a system, shouldn't you focus your attention on some important things?

(And there's no need for the others, as I just mentioned... that's punishment.)

Porygon II seemed to know what Ash wanted to thank, and cut him off before he could finish speaking.

It was truly thanks to it knocking Ash unconscious last night, preventing him from continuing to perform freely, otherwise Ash's power would have been reduced even more severely!

(Sigh, if I don't need it, I don't need it... But in Dragon II: Survival of the Fittest, the rules that this protagonist's halo actually follows are probably not just the code I wrote myself, right?)

There was no reply, but Ash had already confirmed the answer.

Although the cheat system he possessed was a game hack he wrote himself, it was clear that it had been tampered with by some entity after he arrived in this world.

Otherwise, why would something like what happened last night?

Pikachu and Crobat both received a power boost thanks to Ash's awakening of the Viridian Heart; however, Ash's own Viridian power was significantly reduced!

Such contradictory errors would not appear in the code of a senior programmer!

Moreover, this protagonist halo, named 'Perfect Man,' seems to be a bit too fond of praising mythical beasts!

All I did was feel sorry for the hero and say a few disparaging things about Ho-Oh and Lugia in my mind, and I got such a severe punishment?!

Not only the power of Tokiwa, but also the power of psychic abilities and aura has been significantly weakened, with the remaining power being less than 70% of what it used to be!