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

This action drew secret glances from the other three island kings, who all knelt and prayed when they took over as island kings.

"Ash from Kanto now makes a promise to Tapu Fini, who sleeps in the sea surrounding the island, as an Alolan native and a resident of Poni Island."

Logically, when the island kings take over, they should wear formal attire and perform their favorite circle dance for the guardian deity, but Ash doesn't need to do any of that.

In short, he was invited by Tapu Fini to become the king of the island!

All those so-called traditions are null and void in his eyes... as long as the guardian deity doesn't object~

As if to prove this point, Tapu Fini actually flew out of the pool in the altar with Ash's extremely simple summoning, sprinkling a shower of crystal-clear water droplets that danced gracefully above Ash's head.

Now, everyone had no more doubts and clearly understood how much the Guardian Angel valued Ash.

"Tapui, I am willing to accept your invitation and take on the responsibility of protecting Poni Island and the surrounding waters!" Ash solemnly promised, raising his hand to hand his Z-Ring to the Guardian.

"Now I will baptize it." Tapu Fini whispered softly, waving its arms to summon arch-shaped water columns on both sides of the altar, surrounding Ash.

Ash's Z-Ring was also cleansed by the purifying water and was returned to Ash by Tapu Fini.

“That is…” Hara, the king of Melemele Island who came to witness the ceremony, couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise on his face.

It's surprising enough that the guardian spirit is willing to communicate with humans through telepathy, but now, on Ash's bracelet, Hala has even seen a special red Z-Crystal!

The knowledgeable old man wouldn't be mistaken; that thing is Tapu Z, proof that it can assist the Guardian in unleashing the strongest Z-Move!

Tapu Fini actually entrusted something like this to the boy before him?!

"I truly accept the pure bond and the power entrusted to me." Ash solemnly fastened the bracelet to his wrist, and a light blue halo quietly bloomed.

From that moment on, he was officially crowned King of Pony Island!

However, the ceremony did not end there. Ash and Tapu Fini turned to the guests and announced Ash's first decision after becoming king.

"I hereby announce that the great trial of Pony Island will begin anew... and this is also a trial for myself!"

"I will select three people to participate in this test. Among them, there will be a future captain, a candidate for the title of King of the Island, and a pure challenger!"

As soon as Ash finished speaking, Tapu Fini launched three water balls into the air, which hovered above everyone's heads.

The swirling water sphere found Jasmine first, transforming into clear, purifying water that sprinkled upon her.

“Me…” For a moment, Jasmine seemed to realize something.

The second water ball flew to Hapuu, who was still unwilling to give up. When the cool water flowed into her forehead, she was stunned.

As for the final water balloon, after circling for a while, it finally landed on Ayame.

"Ash, everything on Poni Island, including myself, is in your hands from now on!" After doing this, Tapu Fini earnestly entrusted Ash with these words, then turned and disappeared into the pool.

This scene left the Alora people speechless. Their guardian spirit had actually entrusted them to a mission, something they had never heard of before!

Ash then approached the three newly chosen challengers.

"Jasmine, Hapuu, and Rainbow Bean, I hope you can accept this test. If you are ready, please come to me at the Sun Wheel Altar!"

"So you mean I'm the chosen captain?" Jasmine asked, puzzled. "Participating in the trial is fine, but as for being the captain, I have no idea what I'd be doing..."

"Just get ready, and then bring your friend with lots of Z-Crystals to the Sun Wheel Altar to find me," Ash explained with a smile. "I'll tell you what to do then."

“Okay.” Jasmine nodded, still somewhat doubtful.

"Why choose me to be the candidate for King of the Island?" Hapu asked, puzzled.

“Hapoo, you should ask fewer questions.” Ash shook his head and said, “I won’t be staying on Poni Island for long. Someone has to be in charge of the big test here. I discussed with Tapu Fini that we could find someone to fill in, and then I recommended you.”

"replace…"

"I'll say it again: you need to be clear about why you want to be the island queen... If you just care about titles and face, you can choose not to accept it."

“I…accept!” Hapwu nodded through gritted teeth. “I’ll go and prepare properly right away, and I’ll definitely pass your and Tapu Fini’s test!”

"I never expected you to become the king of the island..." In the end, only Cai Dou was left, and she felt a little lost.

Ash invited me to Alola for a trip, but before I even started the big test, Ash became the examiner...

"How have you been lately?" Xiao Zhi asked with concern.

"That's great, you get to train every day... Your Pinsir is also very hardworking, it really can learn my fighting techniques, even better than my Pokémon!" Bea said seriously, "I've already passed the great test on Akara Island, and my next target should be you!"

"Then come find me at the Sun Wheel Altar," Ash said seriously.

After spending these days in Alola, Bea was still a bit tense, which is probably why Tapu Fini chose her to participate in the Big Test.

After explaining things to the three challengers, Ash no longer needed to put on airs as the king of the island. Blue and his friends and family gathered around him chatteringly... Everyone found it incredible that Ash had suddenly taken over as the island's ruler.

Liz and Mertan were even more surprised. Who would have thought that a challenger who was on an island trek would suddenly become their colleague?

And he was incredibly arrogant, as he was personally invited by the guardian deity!

"Hello Ash, congratulations on becoming the island king!" Just then, Hala, who hadn't been invited, approached Ash.

"You must be Mr. Hala, I've heard so much about you." Ash greeted him politely.

“Your name is truly legendary,” Hala said in a deep voice. “The most sought-after rising star in Kanto has already become the king of the islands after just arriving here!”

"I was just lucky to gain the approval of the guardian deity. I'll need your help in the future," Xiao Zhi said politely.

“Sure thing~” Hala said confidently, then asked seriously, “What you just said, are you suggesting that we reinstate the captain’s position during the island pilgrimage?”

“That’s right! I believe that under the current circumstances, Alola needs to form an alliance and revamp the Island Tour so that it can unite and face the impending crisis!”

Chapter 415 The Support of the Island King!

After hearing Ash's words, the three island kings present reacted in different ways.

Liz already knew that Ash planned to help Kukui establish a league, and she had also inquired about the captain from her, so she wasn't particularly surprised by Ash's suggestion.

Modan was particularly concerned about Ash's last words; the impending crisis likely referred to the Ultra Beasts...

“Establishing an alliance, including resetting the captain, are all good things, but the difficulty is extraordinary. Kukui has been working hard for so long, but there has been no substantial progress, and the captain's test is practically defunct... Do you have a way to solve all of these problems?”

The old man's words had a certain air of inquiry, clearly indicating his intention to probe what abilities Ash possessed that earned him the favor of the Guardian Deity.

"Dr. Kukui has made no progress because he doesn't have much experience to draw on and doesn't understand how other alliances operate. And, if I may be frank, while the island kings verbally express their support, they haven't actually provided him with enough assistance. Of course, progress is slow when you're fighting alone."

These words made Hala and the others look embarrassed. All along, they had been watching this matter with a "let's watch the show" mentality, and their attempts to offer help were mostly just empty words.

"Another aspect is the role of the team leader. This is actually a problem with the Totem Pokémon, and it's not difficult to solve. I personally have the ability to communicate directly with Pokémon, so I can definitely communicate with the Totem Pokémon... So far, I have already reached agreements with the Totem Pokémon in the three locations of Chirping Hill, Shady Grove, and Mount Vera on Akala Island."

The captain's test for the island pilgrimage is bound to gradually decline.

In the past, the captains were very strong, and the Totem Pokémon were willing to cooperate with them to take on challenges. Later, when the captains became less powerful, the Pokémon naturally stopped serving them.

To get the dominant Pokémon back into the test, the key is to understand their weaknesses and let them know what they can gain from it.

Otherwise, they'd just be ordered around by the captains and get beaten up, and in the end, they'd have to give up a Z-Crystal. Only a fool would rush to take the test.

"Heh, you're quick on the uptake." Mordan shrugged speechlessly. "Things have come to this point, I need to go back and find a captain."

His attitude is essentially siding with Ash.

“I’ll look for it too. You’ve already contacted the Overlord, it wouldn’t be right for you not to be the captain.” Lizhi nodded in agreement.

"I will also work hard alongside Miss Lizhi!" (The off-screen voiceover can be ignored.)

As far as Modan and Liz are concerned, Ash's current plans are all beneficial to Alola and they should support them.

Even if they continue to ignore the issue as before, will they still have a place to stand once Ash truly helps Kukui build the league?

In short, Ash easily gained the support of the two island kings... which is actually a characteristic of Alola.

From Ash's arrival on Akara Island to his current coronation as the island's king, it has taken a little over a week.

But upon closer examination, all the hasty events actually make perfect sense.

The Alola Islands revere their guardian deities, and Ash happens to have a way to gain the approval of these deities, thereby recruiting the island kings into his team!

"Ash, I have a request... If you can grant it, I'll do everything I can to help you!" Hala suddenly pleaded. "Did you go to Po Town before...?"

"Hala, shouldn't we discuss this privately?" Mordan seemed to have thought of something and quickly stopped him.

"No need, there's no need to hide this!" Hala waved his hand. "Ash, I hope you'll allow me to take Guzma away..."

"Why?" Ash asked knowingly. "You are the king of the island, why should you plead for the leader of Team Skull?"

“Because Guzma is my disciple!” Hala admitted directly, while earnestly pleading, “It is my fault for not educating him properly, which led him astray… but he is by no means an irredeemable villain, and he deserves a chance to reform.”

"That hot-tempered guy really should hear what you have to say in person," Ash said with emotion. "Don't worry, I locked him up because he has some crucial clues, not to make things difficult for him. As long as he and the Skull Team make amends for their mistakes, they can naturally be released without charge."

"Really?...That's wonderful!" Hala was overjoyed and patted his chest repeatedly to assure her, "Once he gets out, I will definitely not let him run rampant again. I will definitely guide him back to the right path!"

“I think some of his ideas are quite good.” Ash shook his head slightly. “At least in Alola, he’s the only one who dares to talk about overthrowing the Island Tour.”

“Island pilgrimage is an Alola tradition!” Hara said, somewhat displeased.

Clearly, he must have looked at Guzma with the same fierce and glaring expression before.

“But undeniably, it does need to be refined and its essence discarded,” Ash countered. “Guzma’s behavior is mostly the venting of a loser, but his desire to break free from outdated ideas does have its merits. Mr. Hala, as his mentor, have you never seen his strengths?”

“I…” Hala was speechless.

He truly didn't know what to say. As the master and the eldest island king, he was less insightful in this regard than even one of the children.

After a long silence, Hala sighed and promised, "Ash, thank you for telling me all this... I will do everything I can to help you with what you want to do!"

"It's my pleasure."