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

After a fierce battle, both Diantha and Ash broke through to a higher level, and the actress even agreed to become Ash's... uh, entertainer.

In short, everything is going well.

Five top-tier champions, seven champions... the boasts he once made in Kanto have now been largely realized.

Having experienced defeating the champion with all his might, Ash can truly be arrogant enough to say... the champion is nothing special.

Just like the Great Armor that broke through in battle, the Kanto crew will soon stabilize at this level, and the remaining crew members will also be able to catch this wave and make significant progress again in a short period of time.

As for the newly recruited companions…

Ash isn't bragging. With enough resources, he can train them to at least be able to suppress the Elite Four members in less than a year!

If someone is exceptionally talented, they could even directly step over the threshold of becoming a champion!

Ash could use his newly captured Pokémon to compete in the World Championships and even level them all up to 80. Now, Ash can do the same thing.

After this battle, Ash had no more scheduled activities in Kalos.

Next, we need to worry about the establishment of the Alola League.

Just as Ash was figuring out when to set off, the management sprite suddenly asked him a question.

(Are you just going to leave like this?)

(Otherwise what?) Ash was a little puzzled. What kind of riddle was this guy playing now?

(You wandered around Carlos just for a few Mega Stones, and then instructed that actress to become the champion she was supposed to be?)

(Isn't this trip quite successful? Is there anything else I need to do?) Xiao Zhi asked in confusion.

(Ha, do you not know what you should do... or do you simply not want to do it?) The management spirit hit the nail on the head, (You're not even the real Ash, what are you doing here defending the original storyline?!)

(I...) Xiao Zhi suddenly woke up.

He finally understood what the management sprite was talking about.

Indeed, he seemed to have done a lot in Carlos, but in reality, he did nothing at all.

Just like in the original story, Karuno became the champion, and Lionhead still hasn't given up his ambition...

Ash clearly had the entire plot in his grasp and even held the upper hand, yet he never considered making any changes.

He admitted that he had always considered this trip as a prequel to the Carlos arc.

There will be a real trip for Carlos later, and in addition to him and Serena, the Führer and his sister may also join him on the journey.

They will travel all over Carlos, watch Serena make short films, admire Citron's hair-perming inventions, and participate in various theatrical versions... and perhaps even fight some villains.

Even if Ash doesn't plan to challenge the gyms, he can at least leverage his personal connections and the entertainment company's resources to package Serena as a super popular performer, helping her defeat that girl in the Triple Crown Satellite Tournament and become the new Kalos Queen...

This can be considered as making up for the regret.

However, the management wizard enlightened him.

He was originally a time traveler in disguise, so why did he have to replicate Ash's experience?

Because his target was Serena, Ash always held onto the beautiful imagery of the original story.

He looked forward to the festival date in Wing City, the girl's performance at the Triple Crown Satellite Tournament, and the impromptu female version of Ash when he was sick...

But this isn't an animated world!

Serena has already changed under his influence, so why should he bother to imitate other people's romance?

He and his Serena should have their own wonderful experiences... and it shouldn't be limited to Carlos!

(Thanks for reminding me, Porygon-Z. I was indeed too careless before.) Ash silently thanked him in his heart.

(Being able to figure it out immediately shows a quick reaction.) The management sprite's tone was more gratified.

(Then tell me, what exactly do you need me to do?) Xiao Zhi asked knowingly.

There must be something that requires me to strengthen my resolve to accomplish it, otherwise the management spirit wouldn't suddenly urge me on.

(There's another treasure hidden here with Carlos. Interested in going to find it?)

(An ultimate treasure?) Ash was taken aback.

What level of treasure would it be to deserve such a title?

Tree of Life, Cocoon of Destruction... or the core of the Zeta Gundam?

(The so-called supreme treasure refers to an item that enhances attributes beyond the stone tablet... which is the source of life of the creator god!)

(The source of life?!) Ash was so shocked he almost cried out.

This thing is absolutely famous!

The Source of Life first appeared in the Sinnoh Alpaca movie.

They are similar to stone slabs, but much larger in size. Alpacas can switch their source of life to resist attacks of different attributes.

Simply put, it's about ghosts carrying melee attacks and flying units carrying ground units.

In the movie "The Time Traveler," the creator god bravely confronts a colossal meteorite to protect Mijina from a thousand years ago, resulting in severe injuries and the loss of his life essence.

Fortunately, a human named Damos helped it find the source of life. To express his gratitude, the creator god used the five elements of life—earth, water, grass, electricity, and dragon—to create the Jewel of Life, making the land of Mijna incredibly fertile.

However, when the agreed-upon day for return arrived, a series of absurd events occurred, which enraged the creator god.

Then, back in the modern era, the Creator God, lacking the Earth-type elemental source, couldn't be immune to electric damage and was accidentally struck by Pikachu's lightning.

The above is the story that happened in Sinnoh. As for Kalos... wait!

(You mean the Jar of Punishment, the one that sealed Hoopa's power?)

Ash immediately realized that Kalos did indeed possess the Source of Life, and it even had three different types!

A hundred years ago, the traveler Gulis used the three life sources of water, fire, and earth to create a container that sealed Hoopa's power—the Judgment Jar!

(That's the one, do you want to go find it and take it for yourself?)

Ash was deep in thought when he heard the suggestion to manage the Pokémon.

This is practically robbing the alpacas outright...

To be fair, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this suggestion.

Ash and Alpaca are rivals. The more power Ash steals from Alpaca, the weaker Alpaca will become.

With this shift in power, his chances of winning will undoubtedly be higher.

However, there is one thing that Xiaozhi has always been concerned about.

(Did 3D Porygon-Z really sacrifice its life to protect Mijna a thousand years ago?)

(Is this important to you...? Even if it is true, will it change the antagonistic relationship between you?)

Some things are really hard to explain clearly.

The creator god created the planet and worked tirelessly to protect the world. As one of the world's living beings, shouldn't Ash and his friends be grateful?

Does the creator god have the right to control the world it created and transform it into the way it desires?

If Ash and other creatures refuse to accept this change, do they have the right to refuse... or even to become its enemies?

(Okay, I'll do it!) Without much hesitation, Ash decided to follow his heart.

There's no need to dwell on past issues; he and the alpacas are enemies now, and that's enough!

...

The next morning, Ash explained to everyone his decision to head north to Desert City.

This was naturally agreed upon by everyone. As Carlos's renowned desert tourist capital, the desert city held an unprecedented attraction for the girls.

However, Korne did not intend to go with them.

"I'm going straight to Kanto. I need to resolve Lucario's problem as soon as possible."

"Alright, see you later then." Ash smiled and said goodbye to the girl.

They shouldn't be separated for too long, since he plans to go back to Guandu later, so they'll definitely see each other again.

“Oh right, if we go to Desert City from here, we’ll pass by Kalos’s Poké Ball Factory.” Nanami thought of something. “We can visit it along the way, and if there are any special Poké Balls we like, we can take them with us.”

"Uh...won't that be too expensive?" Serena asked hesitantly.

“Absolutely not. I donated two production lines to them,” Nanami said generously. “Moreover, I was the one who spearheaded the sale of the technology for producing Masterballs to Silver Corporation.”

Well, the Carlos people did a great job in this respect.

They value money, so they won't easily break the rules of monetary transactions.

When they see something good or advanced technology, the Carlos people are more inclined to spend money to sell it rather than resort to other underhanded methods.

Conversely, if it's a family business owned by a champion, they'll seize any opportunity to steal something.

Chapter 684 The Jar of Punishment, and the Ancient Sinnoh!

Setting off again, Ash, Serena, and Nanami first visited the Poké Ball Factory...

Or you could say looting.

Since he already had shares in the company, Ash didn't hold back and upgraded a batch of his companions' Poké Balls.