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

"Similarly, I highly value a dedicated trainer like you and believe you will be one of Hikari's best rivals."

"This... thank you for the compliment." The sudden praise made the spirited girl a little embarrassed, and her rather cold and hard temperament gradually softened.

"Also... Mr. Mikkelsen is also taking two paths at once. Do you think he's not focused enough?"

“Uh…” Xiao Wang’s expression froze for a moment.

She understood. Xiao Zhi was subtly telling her a fact: the strong can do whatever they want, and some people can be as fickle as Xiao Wang dislikes, yet they still achieve far greater success than her.

"That's about it. It's good to care about your friends, but being too concerned about other people's affairs can sometimes have a negative impact on us... As trainers, what we should focus on most is the partners we've caught."

"Understood, thank you for your guidance!" Xiao Wang nodded gratefully.

Shang Zhi also bowed silently. He was taking two paths at the same time, and he had been enduring some gossip, with Xiao Wang being just one of the people who were talking about it.

Now, after hearing Xiaozhi's words, Shangzhi has finally resolved a knot in his heart that had been troubling him.

While competitive matches aim to determine winners and losers, trainers are more likely to compare themselves to their past selves.

True progress comes from constantly becoming stronger together with your partner and surpassing your past selves!

"Mr. Ash, I also have a question," Shangzhi asked elegantly while playing the harp, "In your opinion, what is the ultimate pursuit of a Trainer?"

Not only Shangzhi, but many people are curious about Xiaozhi's thoughts.

He is ahead of all trainers, and people can't help but wonder what kind of scenery he sees.

"Well, I haven't reached the pinnacle of being a trainer yet, so I can't answer that..." Ash chose to avoid the question and changed the subject. "However, I personally suggest that Mr. Shangzhi and Ms. Xiaowang participate in tomorrow's doubles match and try to gain some experience through exchanges with different trainers."

"Well... alright." Shang Zhi was slightly disappointed at not getting the answer he expected, but he knew he couldn't force him.

As for doubles battles, he is already following the traditional path of a trainer, so he naturally wouldn't give up this opportunity to hone his skills.

"I'll give it a try." After thinking for a moment, Xiao Wang finally nodded seriously in agreement.

In the past, she would never have accepted such a suggestion, since her attitude towards the Grand Contest was focused and she wouldn't be distracted by anything irrelevant.

But now, she feels it might be time to absorb some other experiences.

...

"You're really something. You just casually uttered a few empty words and dispelled Xiao Wang and Mr. Shang Zhi's misunderstandings."

Back in his private room at the Pokémon Center, Dawn playfully nudged Ash's waist.

Aside from the question he didn't answer at the end, Ash only said one thing.

Focus on taking care of yourself and stop worrying about other people's private affairs.

As for the ultimate goal of a trainer, Dawn can answer that without Ash even needing to do it.

This is actually a generalization based on limited information.

The traditional trainers, coordinators, and even breeders in the Challenger League are merely professions that are outwardly represented within the trainer system and do not represent the entire group of trainers.

What they understand as the ultimate pursuit should actually be called a professional ideal, which, in more detail, is honor.

Take Xiaowang for example. She is so focused and ambitious. She travels to Sinnoh and participates in the Grand Contest. Can you say that she is not after the Ribbon Trophy?

Even Ash Ketchum from the original series was the same. No matter how strong, brave, and loving he was about Pokémon, there were many people who criticized him for not winning a championship for twenty years.

Interestingly, Ash's overall reputation gradually improved thanks to his two victories in Sun & Moon and Journey.

So you see how despicable this screenwriter is. On one hand, they claim that Pokémon Masters are the ultimate ideal of N, while on the other hand, they try to please the audience with the "winner takes all" mentality, fooling everyone into agreeing with this answer.

"It feels so complicated, you trainers." During a casual chat, Zhubei couldn't help but feel conflicted. "Nine out of ten people want to be the strongest, but then they say that's not the ultimate goal... I don't want to be that kind of trainer. I just want to be with Glaceon and the others, so I won't care about winning or losing, and I won't fight tooth and nail for so-called honor!"

"Your pursuit... is practically nonexistent, isn't it?" Xiao Guang was speechless.

Honestly, this is clearly a declaration of surrender!

Aren't there many people in the world who don't care about winning or losing, and don't strive for honor?

"Hmph, it's not that simple," Pearl retorted, pouting defiantly. "Think about it carefully, how many people can't even do this when washing jade?"

Tsubasa once desperately wanted to become stronger and even asked Ash to train her.

But after experiencing the modern world and becoming a trainer herself, she calmed down and began to envy the lives of ordinary trainers or even the general public.

You don't need to worry about too many things to be happy with Pokémon...

Modern people, relying on technological advancements, have achieved what is commonplace... something that countless ancient people, despite their best efforts, could never attain!

“Tsurugi…hmm?!” The girl’s thoughts were thought-provoking, but Xiaozhi, who had been watching her, suddenly frowned.

Just now, when Zhu Bei mentioned Xi Cui, her figure suddenly became ethereal!

Although it was only for a brief moment, Ash still noticed it, and her presence was strangely reduced!

There is a force interfering with the time of this world, affecting the Shell that has experienced time travel... Ash quickly realized this.

"Ash, what's wrong?" Seeing Ash's serious expression, Zhubei couldn't help but ask curiously.

"It's nothing, just focus on preparing for tomorrow's doubles match." Ash shook his head and patted Tsurugi's shoulder lightly. "Besides, I think your pursuit is pretty good, at least you can lie down with a clear conscience."

"Okay, let's lie down together~" Ash originally intended to leave a trace of time power on Pearl, but the latter took the opportunity to lie down on the bed and winked at Ash.

"Hey, don't use this as an excuse to make trouble!" Xiao Guang jumped up and down in frustration.

Of course, what she actually cares about is...

Some people simply can't lie down properly.

Chapter 1210 The Doubles Tournament, What Happened During It

Ash is obviously not going to participate in the doubles tournament in Yoriichi.

Xiao Gang also didn't participate, for reasons similar to Xiao Zhi's.

If he enters this kind of competition as a superstar, it would be dishonorable to win and even more shameful to lose. He might as well just be a spectator.

Another aspect is providing logistical support to your partners and showcasing your excellent breeding skills.

Incidentally, as Xiao Gang's status as a top breeder has become widely known, there have recently been calls to call him the 'world's number one breeder'.

Among all the breeders with names, Xiao Gang is indeed the most capable on the surface.

So, the winner takes all.

"Ash, it's that person." While drawing lots to choose a partner at the venue, Dawn suddenly caught sight of a 'familiar face'.

A purple-haired, taciturn boy…

"Hello." Shinji also saw Ash and the others at the same time. After hesitating for a moment, he still chose to go up and greet them, but his tone sounded dry.

His feelings must be complicated. He was a trainer who debuted at the same time as Ash, but their achievements are now worlds apart.

It wasn't until Shinji got closer that he realized he should have seen Ash not long ago!

"You, back then..."

"I was on a covert mission at the time, so I was disguised," Xiaozhi explained simply. "How is Mr. Leisi now?"

"He later went to challenge the Battle Frontier, lost to Mr. Kamishiro, and then gave up on continuing his journey..." Shinji recounted his brother's situation in a low voice, his tone seemingly tinged with resentment. "Let's not talk about him anymore... Are you going to participate in this tag team tournament?"

It's clear that he's resentful of Raiji's choice, and at the same time, he's placed Ash in the same category as Shinji, someone who must be defeated.

Even when asking Ash if he wanted to participate, his tone was somewhat eager to try.

Having fighting spirit is good, but being a bit too impatient...

"I'll just be a spectator this time; my teammates will participate," Ash said, shaking his head.

"Them..." Shinji glanced at Hikari and Tama, as well as Nozomi and Naoshi, who were lagging behind, his eyes gradually becoming sharp.

Since he didn't have a chance to compete with Ash, he would defeat the people around him first... This was also how Shinji demonstrated his strength during this period.

"Anyway, good luck to you all~" Xiao Zhi said casually, then stopped talking to the other party.

Ash has already joined the team, so there's really no need for Ash to feel any sentimentality towards Shinji.

In fact, their previous relationship was only limited to 'knowing' each other; Ash was more familiar with Raiji, with whom he had battled once.

The doubles match draw was completed quickly. Just as the trainers were holding up their number plates in the arena looking for their teammates, Hikari was surprised to find that his partner was actually Tamamo-no-Mae!

Similarly, Xiao Wang also drew Shang Zhi, which surprised them greatly.

"Hey, you didn't cheat, did you?" Dawn whispered to Ash.

"Maybe~" Ash smiled without saying anything.

This was indeed the result he caused, but Ash didn't use any special superpowers or similar abilities to cheat; he just thought about it seriously.

In randomly organized competitions like this, Ash cares more about how much training his teammates and friends can gain than about winning or losing.

He would like to pair Xiaowang and Shangzhi together. The two had a slight disagreement before, but now that they are playing doubles together, they will definitely improve as they reflect on their experiences.

This kind of thinking has led to the current outcome.

As the humanoid Dialga and the true form of the God of Time, Ash is the most powerful prophet in the world today. He may not be able to predict his own fate, but with just his thoughts, he can manipulate the flow of time and thus interfere with the future of others.

Zhu Bei and Xiao Guang were paired together, which was of course his "idea".

He left a trace of time power on the pearl, so that he could immediately sense if anyone disturbed time again!

To avoid overlooking anything while watching the game, it's best to group them together.