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

Xiao Zhi quite admires this kind of personality.

Next came the parting with Zoroah.

Ash and his friends returned the little fox and the big fox to the Enchanted Forest—which is actually a grassland surrounding Raven City.

Returning to its homeland, Zoroark was extremely excited. It lay down on the ground, sniffing the fragrance of the grass, and then joyfully plunged into the depths of the grassland.

“Finally back…” In contrast, Zoroya seemed preoccupied.

Returning to my hometown is a joyful experience, but parting is always painful...

“That’s…” Ash didn’t notice the little fox’s emotions for the time being; he noticed something unusual on the grassland.

There are signs of destruction in the center of the grassland, which don't seem to be left by Pokémon. It's more likely that someone built some facilities here, but then demolished them.

Ash gestured for Metagross to scan carefully for a while, and sure enough, it found a broken Phantom Core in the soil!

"Jung...was he here before?!" It was only then that Ash realized.

The mysterious researcher Jung likely set up his laboratory on this grassland after the foxes were kidnapped.

Anyway, this place has always been known for its psychedelic atmosphere, and with the Phantom System in hand, he doesn't need to worry about being discovered.

Now it seems that this guy was really careful. He had already prepared a way out for himself before Kou Tai fell from power!

Whether or not to issue an arrest warrant for him is also a problem that is currently troubling Ash...

But before he could think it through, Zoroark had already brought the little fox to him, and the moment of parting had finally arrived.

"Swoosh!" Zoroark first thanked Ash gratefully. It had seen all the hard work and care Ash had given Zoroark along the way.

It also knew that entrusting Zoroa to Ash would be a good idea.

But if that happens, it will be all alone here…

"Ash..." Zoroar was naturally very reluctant to part with him. It looked like it wanted to say something but couldn't, as if it was struggling with some kind of decision.

"Zorua." Ash gently patted the little fox's head, his gentle voice echoing in its heart, (Do you know your responsibility?)

(My...responsibility?)

(Stay here with Zoroark until it emerges from the shadows of its past... This is something only you can do, and something you must do.) Ash said with utmost seriousness.

Of course, he couldn't bear to part with the little fox and wanted to tame it and keep it by his side, but he couldn't do that... at least not now!

Zoroark is not the Nidoking couple or Lapras couple it once was. It has suffered severe trauma in the human world, and no matter how much it trusts Ash, it will not entrust Zoroark to someone else right now.

Its body and mind both need healing, and the place that can heal it is nowhere else but here!

Therefore, Zorua will also stay here.

It will stay with its MA (Magic Controller) and help it through this healing period until Zoroark is at peace and no longer feels lonely. Only then will Zoroark embark on its journey.

Raising someone before they are born is a debt that can never be repaid in a hundred lifetimes…

Because they are not biological mother and daughter, Zoroia must stay by their side in this situation!

“I…I understand, I will stay by MA’s side…but we will see each other again in the future, right?” Zoroya asked eagerly.

"Of course!" Ash promised with a smile, "We'll definitely meet again in the future!"

"It's a promise, we must meet again in the future! When that time comes..." Zoroah chased after Ash as he left, constantly reminding him to keep his promise, but he kept his last words to himself.

It cannot mention any words related to travel, lest MA feel guilty and saddened by it.

But one day in the future, it will definitely go on an adventure with Ash again!

The little fox firmly believed this... and the future proved it to be true.

In the near future, when a certain girl leaves the academy and officially embarks on her journey as a Trainer, she will become involved in someone's future through Zoroa...

Chapter 739 Returning to Guandu, Kou Tai's Fate

Ash didn't take a particularly fast route on his journey back to Kanto from Unova; instead, he honestly took a plane.

While flying above the clouds, Xiaozhi kept thinking about what had happened recently.

Hoenn's disaster warning, Sinnoh's relentless pursuit, Unova's foresight...

There are also encounters and partings with different people and Pokémon.

Lost in thought, he drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up again, the flight attendant was already announcing over the loudspeaker that the plane would be landing in Golden City soon.

"Ash, are you too tired?" Seeing that Ash was still a little sleepy, Serena rubbed his temples with concern.

At the same time, the girl also felt a sense of self-blame.

During their journey, the three of them traversed the Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova regions in a short period of time, with virtually no rest in between.

Ash not only has to rack his brains over various important matters, but also has to take care of the two of them on their journey, so it's no wonder he gets tired.

But while enjoying this care, I feel powerless to do anything in return…

Lillie felt the same way. She was so full of enthusiasm and determined to help Ash when they set off, but in the end, she couldn't do anything to help him.

"It's just a short rest, don't worry," Ash said with a smile, reassuringly. "We were indeed quite busy before, but we won't have to rush back to Kanto."

He chose this path himself, and he should bear all the consequences... Xiao Zhi won't complain, and he doesn't want the people around him to be infected by his bad mood.

He had already readjusted himself by the time he got off the plane and walked to the exit of the station.

Outside the airport, Lijia and Naz, whom they hadn't seen in a long time, had been waiting for a long time.

This is an unspoken understanding: if Ash returns by plane, he will definitely land in Saffron City; and the young lady, who has received the news in advance, will definitely come from Celadon City to pick him up with Sabrina.

"Mr. Ash, welcome back." Upon seeing Ash's figure in the distance, Rika immediately greeted him warmly. "These two must be Miss Serena and Miss Lillie. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Rika."

"I'm Sabrina... Hello." In contrast, Sabrina's greeting was completely perfunctory, and even the last greeting was added on the spot after seeing Ash.

“Miss Rika, Miss Naz.” *2

Serena and Lillie quickly greeted each other. When they came to Kanto before, Rika and Natsume stayed behind at the gym, so this was the first time the group had met.

Serena and Lillie also dared not neglect the two Gym Leaders beside Ash.

After all, one of them is more than friends with Ash and is also Ash's psychic mentor, while the other, like Blue, can be Ash's boss.

The group returned to the Goldenrod Gym first. While Ash and his friends rested for a while, Sabrina had already arranged for a car to be ready.

"I heard that Mr. Ash is back, so everyone has already headed to Pallet Town. Aunt Hanako is probably preparing a welcome party for you all tonight," Rika explained, while asking the two girls for their opinions, "Serena and Lillie, would you like to explore Saffron City first, or go straight to Pallet Town later?"

She didn't specifically ask Ash, because she knew where Ash would be going later.

“We’re definitely going to Pallet Town!” Serena said matter-of-factly.

She exchanged a glance with Lillie, who shared the same idea.

The future mothers-in-law... well, what they mean is that Ash's mom is busy, and everyone else will be gathering in Pallet Town, so they don't have time to go shopping!

“Then in a little while, Sabrina, you take them home first,” Ash said after thinking for a moment. “Miss Rika, come with me to the Indigo Plateau.”

"Okay." Naz nodded in agreement; this outcome was within her expectations.

So the group split into two groups. Sabrina took the two girls by car to Pallet Town, while Ash and Rika rode on Dragonite to the League headquarters to report for duty.

As the two flew through the air, Rika, who was sitting behind them, suddenly gently massaged Ash's shoulders.

"Ms. Lijia?"

"Mr. Xiaozhi seems to have accumulated a lot of stress on this trip," Rika said with concern.

There are some things that Rika can see through, no matter how well Ash hides them.

Rika noticed the worry in his eyes and the fact that he no longer seemed as spirited as when he first left Kanto.

"Yes, there were quite a few things to deal with, but fortunately, most of them have been resolved."

Ash leaned back slightly, resting his back gently against Rika's chest, and Rika reciprocated by wrapping her arms around his waist.

Smelling the familiar and pleasant perfume on the other person, Xiao Zhi finally began to relax.

Dragonite landed quickly on the Indigo Plateau, and after entering the League Building, the two headed straight for Lance's office.

"Rika...and Ash?" Upon suddenly seeing the two, the champion, who was working, was taken aback. "Didn't you just get off the plane today? Why are you here first?"

Lance thought Ash would go home first, at least to let his parents know he was safe... and then spend some time flirting with a group of girls before finally thinking of coming to report for duty.

"There's no other way. I have a vicious criminal with me. I can only feel at ease if I formally detain him."

“Koutai… that guy is indeed awful.” Lance nodded in agreement, then smiled and said, “By the way, the officials from Sinnoh and Unova have both praised your performance and have agreed to many follow-up cooperation plans with me. As for Hoenn, Steven sent a personal letter of thanks.”

“It must be tough for Mr. Daigo,” Ash said with an understanding smile.

Although Steven won his gamble on Ash and successfully received news that the crisis at Mt. Chimney had been resolved, the support he received from the Hoenn leadership began to decline.

The reason, of course, is self-interest. In the eyes of the Hoenn family, Jirachi's remaining two wishes will definitely benefit Ash, and Steven's behavior is definitely a case of betraying his own people.

However, since he has the backing of the Zvoich family, he won't be like Cynthia before, with her Elite Four members taking advantage of her.

"Oh, right, this is for you." After finishing his small talk, Ash took out the Dragon Stone and handed it to Lance, explaining how to use it.

"This thing...you're giving it to me?!" Yu Longdu's mouth dropped open in astonishment, and he didn't even dare to reach out to take it.

The stone slab is no ordinary attribute-enhancing item; even a champion can use it!