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

Chapter 913 I have a good impression, but I don't like you that much.

Having gained a general understanding of the situation in Meteor Village, Ash decided to stay there for a while.

The environment of Meteor Village is exceptionally favorable, and it would certainly be beneficial for Pokémon to bask in some of the dissipated natural energy here.

The origin of the Pokémon world is various types, while natural energy can be transformed into any type. It is considered the best type of energy, which can be absorbed by any Pokémon, and is even of great benefit to legendary Pokémon.

The flightless fish and the bighead carp have been fighting in Hoenn for hundreds of millions of years, supposedly to expand the land and sea, but in essence, they are fighting for natural energy.

At the same time, natural energy can be transformed into special power that each Pokémon urgently needs, depending on its specific circumstances.

For example, Ash previously selected three Pokémon to go down into the sinkhole. Goodra needs to convert natural energy into the metal required for its shell, thus accumulating more power for evolution.

Poison Baby aims to convert natural energy into dragon attributes as much as possible in order to learn Dragon Pulse and evolve as soon as possible.

As for the final giant Gyarados, the goal is to develop its flying type, striving to achieve something like the Emerald Gyarados from a hundred years ago, which could fly directly in the air.

Of course, these few days of extra meals are not enough to achieve the ultimate goal; they can only be considered as laying the foundation.

Little Silver is also here to absorb energy; its main target is the meteorites in the sinkhole.

These meteorites that fell from space contain energy that is too violent for ordinary Pokémon to handle; only legendary Pokémon can absorb it at will.

After deciding to stay, Haruka also checked the schedule for the Grand Contest and discovered that the nearby Akihabara Town would be hosting another Grand Contest in a week.

It should be noted that all towns with competition venues can regularly host their own grand prix and award ribbon medals to the winners; the only difference is that the judges and hosts are local.

It's worth noting that the Senna Festival in the anime had nearly 250 participants. Each of these trainers had five ribbons, which meant that more than 1,200 matches had to be held!

With such a large scale, even if only one event is held per day, it would take more than three years to complete the competition.

Relying solely on Conkenstein, Sukizo, and Vivian to complete all these races would simply be asking them to overwork.

"Seven days... I didn't know Ash couldn't stay that long." Calculating the time, Serena was a little worried that if they stayed here too long, it would affect Ash's progress in obtaining the badges.

"No problem, just focus on preparing for the Grand Contest in Autumn Leaf City," Ash said with a smile, reassuring her. "The guidebook says that the Saint Prosperity will set sail from Slateport City soon, circle Hoenn clockwise, and then return to Slateport City. We can board the ship then, and I can just get off at Mossdeep City along the way."

The grand spectacle of the large-scale celebration was quite elaborate. As the celebration approached, luxury cruise ships would pick up the trainers who had qualified for the competition and take them to Slateport City during the cruise.

Take a boat trip around the waters near Hoenn, pick up a badge along the way, and then go watch the big festival – you can do everything without missing a beat.

...

Having finalized their itinerary, the group settled down in Meteor Village.

That night, Ash sat by the sinkhole, watching over Silver who was fast asleep on the meteorite, while his mind was preoccupied with the Water People.

Meanwhile, he was also waiting for someone to come over…

"Aren't you asleep yet?" Sure enough, Higana's voice came from behind.

"I've been waiting for you. We still had things to talk about during the day." Ash patted the empty seat next to him, gesturing for Higanbana to sit down beside him.

The latter readily agreed and, after sitting down, she and Xiaozhi looked at the dark, giant pit in front of them, but they didn't know how to start a conversation.

It was only after a long time that she finally let out a soft sigh.

"My previous thoughts were indeed too extreme... and too arrogant. Not only outsiders, but the Meteor Clan also disliked me."

"It's good that you know," Xiao Zhi said calmly.

“This…” Higana’s expression froze. She wasn’t surprised by the answer, but she wasn’t really looking forward to it.

After another moment of silence, she finally spoke with a sigh, "Sometimes I think, if I hadn't met you, I might have really caused a disaster, and then everyone would have thought I was a despicable madwoman..."

"No, you will definitely meet me." Ash was certain of this. "Your previous actions went against my principles... I will not stand by and watch you overthrow Hoenn, and I will not allow you to implicate innocent people!"

To put it bluntly, if Higana continues down that path, her ultimate fate will be the same as that of Klinks Cote.

The death penalty is carried out immediately, without even a reprieve.

All I can say is that she was lucky to have met Ash at the beginning.

Higanbana is a headstrong, crazy woman, while President Devon is a kind-hearted person with a heart for the world... This was Ash's initial impression.

However, such impressions cannot be used as evidence, much less for sentencing.

In reality, Ash's standard of judgment can only be what a person has done, not what he originally thought they would do.

"So I feel very lucky to have met you before I made a big mistake... and you've always been willing to take care of me." Higanbana looked at Ash expectantly, as if waiting for some kind of answer, and her mood gradually became uneasy.

“Higana, I can’t lie to you… I have feelings for you, but not that much.”

Ash decided to be open and honest; he wouldn't tolerate even the slightest lie in this matter.

He didn't have a good impression of Hilda at first, and he let her take revenge only because Ash wasn't a Hoenn and also out of sympathy.

But everything quietly changed after Ash met Shionara's soul and became her successor.

As Higanbana gradually turned her hopes to Ash, Ash, after taking on some of her hatred, also began to try to guide her.

Finally, Ash brought the situation under control to the point of minimal impact, allowing Higanbana to truly find mental relief.

During this time, they also gained a deeper understanding of each other.

If we temporarily set aside those outrageous criticisms, Higanbana is indeed an independent, strong, resilient, and admirable woman.

Appreciation can turn into goodwill, but it doesn't quite reach the level of deep, unforgettable liking.

“I know, I’ve thought about these things before…” Higana managed to control her tone, trying not to sound incoherent. “So… what’s your decision?”

"I want to take you away, to keep you by my side!" Ash's tone was extremely solemn. "I know this will sound strange, but..."

"But there's no need to say what follows!" Higanbana suddenly interrupted Ash.

She stood up, and just as Xiaozhi was wondering if she was going to leave, she suddenly pounced on his back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I'll go with you, and I'll always be by your side!" Higanbana clung tightly to Ash, as if she were holding his most precious treasure.

“I know we’re not really at that point yet… but I still want to be with you! I can never be completely free, so I need you to keep me in check… so I don’t hurt others!”

"It's not just about restraint." Ash gently shook his head, pulling Higanbana's arms down to her heart. "I will also become your barrier, preventing anyone from hurting you!"

He didn't really like her that much, but he felt a sense of responsibility along with his feelings, so he would stay by her side forever!

"Mmm~" Higanbana responded softly, and then rested her chin on Ash's shoulder.

At this moment, she felt more relaxed than ever before.

Perhaps, this sense of security is what she has been seeking ever since Xi Jiana left…

"Ouch... Ouch!" The tender moment was always short-lived. Before the two of them could even get warmer, the eavesdropping girl accidentally fell out of the corner.

"Um...you're all here, hehe~" Xiaoyao knelt on the ground and scratched her head shyly.

"Hmph, eavesdropping is one thing, but to trip and fall flat on your face?" Higana rolled her eyes at the girl speechlessly. "What, was the weight in front of you affecting your balance?"

"Higanbana, don't say these things in front of Ash... It's embarrassing, okay?" Haruka blushed instantly. "But... I feel like it really is a little heavy..."

"Are you sure you're shy?" Higana rolled her eyes.

So what, you think you've gotten older, huh? You think you've gotten cleavage, huh?!

Chapter 914 Autumn Leaf Tournament, you dare call yourself a formidable opponent?

After spending a week in Meteor Village, Ash and his friends are preparing to leave.

This week, because two people established a relationship in an unusual way, another girl with a poor sense of balance started to have her gossip spirit burning brightly.

How will this relationship develop? Will their interactions change from before? And if someone acts like a little woman... will it be considered shy or cringe-worthy?

All of this made Higana extremely irritable, and she repeatedly threatened to crush the culprit that was causing Haruka's poor balance.

However, Haruka was not intimidated by this threat at all, and even went so far as to drag Serena into gossiping with her.

The latter naturally refused; she had long since moved past that stage. A simple congratulation would suffice; there was no need to find amusement in them.

Moreover, caught in the harem vortex centered around Ash, no girl can remain a bystander forever… With May acting so recklessly now, once she and Ash get together, she'll absolutely face retribution!

As their departure was imminent, Ash and his friends said goodbye to everyone in Meteor Village.

Upon hearing that the inheritor was leaving, the Meteor Clan were naturally reluctant to part with him, expressing their regret at missing out and wondering why the inheritor couldn't stay a few more days.

But when they heard that Ash was going to take Higanbana away, they all grinned from ear to ear, practically chanting "Namo Amitabha, the inheritor of the lineage, selflessly sacrificing himself to feed this female hooligan!"

(Seriously, just how bad are you people here?) Ash stared at Higanbana, utterly speechless.

(Stop nagging, didn't you see it all?) Higana responded expressionlessly with her eyes as well.

(Wow, these two are exchanging glances again. Is this the romance of being in love?) Xiaoyao promptly started gossiping.

(Hehe, Xiaoyao's revenge will definitely be multiplied by a mile~) Serena is always incredibly insightful.

(Thank goodness, that she-devil is finally gone!) By all Meteor Citizens~

"Successor, I wish you a safe journey." The elder stepped forward to bid farewell, and at the same time did not forget to warn someone, "Sigana, from now on you will be by the successor's side, you must not cause him any trouble!"

"Grandma, I know!" Xijiana said, feeling frustrated again.

The elder ignored her and took out a special Mega Stone, handing it to Ash: "Successor, please accept this... This is Latios's Mega Stone; those around you will need it."

"Thank you very much then." Ash gratefully accepted the gift.

This Mega Stone is perfect for Lila.

Since she couldn't do what Ash did—transform herself into a Heart Drop and a Mega Stone to fully amplify the Water City—she might as well choose the Mega Stone alone.