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

Unlike Blue's simple stone ball, Brock and Liz created a heart-shaped boulder. The two stones hurtled away, completely blocking the two subsequent Ultra Caves!

"It's my turn last..." Ash looked at the shiny Electric Z on his wrist. "Pikachu, let's go!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu flew energetically to Ash's side, ready to face the Ultra Cave ahead.

They didn't perform the so-called full-power dance. Ash simply raised his hand as he usually does when activating the power of Viridian, but this time he activated the Z power!

"Ultimate Volt Lightning Flash!!"

"Pikachu!!"

A dazzling ball of lightning gathered in front of Pikachu. It raised its paw and made a punching motion with all its might, unleashing the accumulated lightning with a thunderous roar!

Lightning surged forth, and the exploding arcs of electricity transformed into a terrifying lightning storm. The two boulders were torn to pieces simultaneously, and the three Ultimate Holes that had opened one after another instantly twisted into nothingness!

"Did...did it succeed?" Liz stared blankly at the now calm sky, completely forgetting that someone was taking advantage of her.

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other and smiled, then gently bumped their fists together.

They've become stronger again, and that's the biggest gain!

“Tsubasa…” Tapu Lele stared blankly at Ash.

After realizing that Ash seemed to sense something, it immediately turned its head away and resumed its sullen expression...

Chapter 393 The Bet: A Month-Long Island Tour!

"It should be over by now..."

Lizhi breathed a sigh of relief as the strange phenomenon in mid-air completely disappeared.

Only then did she have a chance to ask Ash, "What was that just now?"

“If you leave the Ultra Cave unattended, Ultra Beasts will come out of it,” Ash explained. “These are special creatures that are different from Pokémon. Some of them are even extremely ferocious. The Guardian Deity Tapu will see them as intruders and will attack them without hesitation once he discovers them.”

"Such a thing actually happened..." Liz's expression turned serious for a moment.

She realized the seriousness of the situation. Tapu Lele had even given up competing with Ash to close the cave entrances, which showed its wariness and hostility towards Ultra Beasts.

“Miss Liz, you don’t need to worry too much. We already have a way to control Ultra Beasts.” Ash then changed the subject. “I came to Alola this time to resolve these issues.”

"Really?" Liz was a little unsure, but after confirming with Xiaolan, she felt a little relieved.

Tapu Lele glanced at Ash out of the corner of her eye, seemingly making some considerations.

"Butterfly!" Suddenly, it called out to Ash and threw a rose-red crystal in front of him.

That's Psychic Z. It probably wanted to thank Ash for helping to close the Ultra Void, which is why it made this gift.

However, given Tapu Lele's childish temperament, she would never admit it.

"Thank you for the gift, but I'll accept it without hesitation." Ash took the Z Crystal with both hands, but still looked like he was about to leave. "But one thing at a time, Tapu Lele, you still owe me an apology!"

"Tsubasa?" Tapu Lele was stunned. In its opinion, giving away Z-Crystals was already a generous concession.

Instead of being grateful, this annoying guy kept bringing up those past issues!

Liz was speechless. She never expected that Ash, who was strong and seemed more mature than the average child, would stoop to the level of a Pokémon.

Of course, Lizhi has a misconception: Xiaozhi never considers himself 'mature'.

His previous age doesn't count, so he's now an eleven-year-old child.

He can be stubborn, make mistakes, be childish, and even like now, relentlessly pursue his point of view!

“Tapu Tetsubou, you’ve always been pampered on Akara Island, so you can probably act recklessly and cause trouble... But here, if you make a mistake, you have to admit it!”

Tapu Lele gifted Ash a Z Crystal, but that doesn't mean Ash has to back down. He has to get an explanation today!

Admittedly, the vast majority of wild Pokémon are not suitable to be restrained by human moral standards... But just because they have no morality does not mean that they are right or can act recklessly!

"Tsubasa! Tapu Lele?!" Tapu Lele was clearly furious again, screaming incessantly and brandishing its claws at Ash, as if it wanted to rush up and pluck his hair out.

I've always been pampered by others, and I've never apologized to anyone since I gained consciousness!

Who do you think you are, you outsider? You haven't even passed the island pilgrimage, yet you dare to presumptuously demand that I submit?!

"Heh... So you're saying that if I pass the Island Challenge, you'll admit your mistake and apologize?" Ash accurately seized on the loophole in the other person's words. "Then it's a deal! It's just the Island Challenge, I'll definitely pass it and show you!"

“Tsubasa…Tsubasa!” Tapu Lele was stunned. It didn’t expect Ash to take its words as a bet.

However, it had already been provoked by its competitive spirit and impulsively agreed, even adding what it considered to be a very strict condition for Ash.

A month-long island pilgrimage!

If Xiaozhi can do that, it will consider admitting its mistake and backing down!

“Alright! One month it is… but I’ll raise the bar!” Ash agreed without hesitation. “For the next month, I will definitely complete the Island Tour hosted by the Island King! If I fail to do so, then whatever your Guardian Deities ask me to do from now on, I will never refuse!”

"But if I do that, not only will you have to apologize to me, but you'll also have to stand by my side in any future events that affect the future of Alora—like the Zerg invasion!!"

“Butterfly…Butterfly~” Tapu Lele rolled her eyes and immediately agreed with a mischievous smile.

It felt confident of victory... after all, in its memory, the island pilgrimage was a very difficult one to complete.

Besides, it doesn't matter if it loses, since it's hostile to those guys anyway, something Mingming has verified.

We all have a common enemy, so it doesn't matter if we side with him.

As for an apology… haha, that's just to fool him, I would never do that…

"Tapoo, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand... I always value promises and hate it when people break them!" Ash took out an Ultra Ball and threatened menacingly, "If you dare not keep your promise after I complete the Island Challenge... this Ball will be your final resting place!"

“Tsubasa…Tsubasa!!” Tapu Lele’s expression froze. It nodded angrily and flew away in a huff.

Perhaps feeling that admitting defeat in person would be too embarrassing, Tapu Tweet finally accepted the bet.

"That guardian spirit... has a really awful personality," Xiaoxia said speechlessly.

"It's just like a child, everyone in Alola listens to it, so we don't need to spoil it," Blue said with a smile. "Besides, this guy probably doesn't realize that completing the Island Tour in a month is a piece of cake for Ash."

"Is it easy..." Xiaoxia wasn't sure. "The time is really tight. On average, we have to clear one island a week. It's so rushed..."

"Honey, Tapu Lele can't count, and you can't count either?" Little Blue reminded her speechlessly, "Count again carefully~"

"It's ten days to clear one island; the great test of Akara Island has been passed," Lila corrected.

"Ha...Is that so~" Xiaoxia laughed a little guiltyly, really not wanting to admit that her math skills were actually on par with Pokémon who had never been to school.

To be honest, clearing an island in ten days is a slow pace even for Ash.

Since the current Island Challenge doesn't have any captain-level challenges, Ash's main test is battling the island kings, something he's never been afraid of.

"Oh, right, this is for you." With everything settled, Lizhi seemed to wake from a dream and handed the Rock Z to Ash.

"Congratulations on passing the great test on Akara Island! Also, keep up the good work on your bet with Tapu Lele... If you can really complete the island pilgrimage in a month, then you will have truly accomplished an unprecedented feat!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Miss Lizhi," Xiaozhi said with a grateful smile.

Ash has also obtained the Rock-Z, and his great challenge has officially come to an end. But just as they were about to leave, Bea suddenly approached Liz.

"Please, Miss Liz!" She bowed ninety degrees to Liz, "Please allow me to also participate in the island pilgrimage and take on the great challenge of Akala Island!"

This result was entirely within Ash's expectations. With the battle and Z-Moves, Liz had fully demonstrated her strength, and it was certain that Bea would be eager to try her luck.

“Of course, no problem. I’m happy to see that young people are willing to follow the Alola tradition.” Liz readily agreed. “However, Ash’s Shining Stone comes with him, which can save you a trial step; if you want to get the Z-Ring, you need to take a trial first before you can take the big test.”

“No problem!” Cai Dou nodded firmly. “And I hope you will give it your all in the test! I want to fight against real strong opponents so that I can keep getting stronger!”

“I’m afraid this will disappoint you.” Liz shook her head in refusal. “In the great test, our island king will not use his full strength.”

"Why?!" Cai Dou was completely puzzled.

"Because it's both a tradition and a duty!" Liz said seriously. "The Island Tour is an Alola tradition that any child over ten years old can participate in. They travel to the four islands and complete the great test of the Island King, offering their respects to the guardian spirits and the nature of Alola in this way... We are performing an ancient and solemn ceremony, not making things difficult for the trainers!"

"If you were to fight me as a challenger for the Island Tour, I would never go all out!"

Chapter 394 The Murmuring Hill, the 'Ordinary' Ugly Fish

Ash's big test was over, and the group decided to say goodbye and return to the Tingtao Hotel.

However, Ayaka stayed behind at the Altar of Life, saying she wanted to train there.

Everyone knew, of course, that she was preparing for a major test, and at the same time, she wanted to find a chance to calm down and think about what Liz had said to her at the end.

Xiao Zhi didn't say much about it, but simply asked Da Jia to stay and train with her.

"By the way, that girl you recently started dating, did she have any bad experiences in the past?" Xiao Lan asked with concern on the way back.

Those who don't know Cai Dou might describe her as "heartless and ungrateful" based on her behavior and personality, but Xiao Lan wouldn't.

Sister Lan is always very good at judging people; she could tell at a glance that Cai Dou was under a lot of mental stress.

It's like a string that's been stretched too tight; it might snap at any moment!

"She was influenced by her family and the general environment of Galar. It's fine for her to spend this time in Aurora experiencing the local customs and culture."

Ash briefly explained Bea's past, letting everyone know what she had been enduring.

This is also why Ash brought her to Alola. What Bea needs most right now is relaxation, and Alola, with its beautiful natural scenery, is undoubtedly the best place to relax.

As for her stubborn insistence on fighting stronger opponents, that's not a problem that can be solved in a short time; let her figure it out on her own.

Like most people eager to become stronger, Ayaka can only see those stronger than herself and only learns from her failures...