Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

"Pikachu".

Pikachu nodded.

I haven't tasted such chewy cookies since that day.

I still feel a little nostalgic.

Blaine remained silent for a long time, so long that Ash began to sense something was wrong and tentatively called out.

"senior?"

“…That old man,” Xia Bo slowly exhaled, his voice carrying a complex emotion, like nostalgia, like感慨, and like the melancholy of a long-awaited reunion, “I didn’t expect him to still be alive.”

"Ok?"

Xiao Zhi was taken aback.

"Senior, do you know that old man?"

Blaine subconsciously looked at his right arm, but after some fortuitous encounters, he no longer resonated with that Pokémon.

"Knowing...it's more than just knowing."

Noticing the three people's gazes, he offered an explanation.

"In a way, we're pretty much old colleagues."

Xiao Gang nodded.

It's not surprising that we know each other.

After all, those who can retire in Purple Garden are either retired bigwigs of the Alliance or have considerable influence in their families.

Upon hearing this, Ash immediately moved closer, instantly giving Staryu an opportunity to use her micro-management skills.

The ice pellets shot straight towards Xiaoxia.

Misty took two more steps closer to Ash, giving him a provocative look, thus forming a pincer movement with him.

Ash looked curious and moved closer to Blaine.

"A colleague? That old man also studies Pokémon?"

Bob did not answer immediately.

He held the flute and slowly sat down on a protruding rock, seemingly sorting through memories that hadn't been touched in a long time.

Those were all things from a long time ago.

At that time, he was just a capable gym leader who not only had hair but was also quite famous in the field of Pokémon research.

And Fuji, the old man Ash mentioned, is the same.

At that time, they were all at an ambitious age, always believing that they would change the history of Pokémon research.

They often talked all night long, debating the possibilities of various theories by the crater of Cinnabar Island, discussing everything from the origin of Pokémon to the nature of evolution, and from the principles of Mega Evolution to the more distant future.

Although, cough! Fuji is not as capable as him, he is much more radical.

That old guy always felt that the existing research framework was too conservative, the academic committee was too bureaucratic, and the funding application process was too restrictive.

They should go and explore those truly forbidden areas—

A forbidden zone belonging exclusively to the Creator.

Later, the Rockets somehow found out about the two's thoughts and sent someone to contact them.

Back then, the Rockets were an organization operating in a gray area, unlike their later, more overt operations.

They promised to provide all the funding and equipment, regardless of the process, only the result.

The two sides hit it off immediately, with one side providing the money and the other providing the labor.

With the full support of the Rockets, they actually accomplished that feat on a remote island.

They have grasped the power of the gods.

They created Pokémon that originated from the Dream gene.

But the authority of the gods is never so easy to grasp.

Chapman still remembers that moment.

The nutrient solution in the incubation chamber slowly descended, and the Pokémon curled up like a sleeping baby.

It is entirely milky white with purple streaks, has a thick tail, and its appearance is somewhere between a fantasy and some unknown creature.

Then it opened its eyes.

There was no emotion in those purple eyes.

The authority of the gods is never easy to grasp.

The moment that Pokémon opened its eyes, a powerful energy wave swept across the entire laboratory.

The exorbitantly priced equipment was reduced to scrap metal in an instant, alarms ripped through the night sky, and the entire island trembled.

It began attacking everyone on the island indiscriminately.

It was only because of his own formidable strength, the foundation of a gym leader, and years of combat experience that he managed to escape from his opponent at the cost of losing all his hair and injuring his arm.

Since then, Blaine has kept all his thoughts to himself.

He no longer ventured into those "forbidden zones," nor indulged in those wild dreams. He settled into being a gym leader, guarding the crater on Cinnabar Island, battling challengers day after day.

Only occasionally, when he is alone at night, would he think of that Pokémon's eyes.

Then he told himself that it was all in the past.

Unexpectedly, I saw something from an old friend today.

After so many years of fruitless contact, he had assumed that Fuji had perished at sea.

"I guess so."

Chapman pulled himself out of his reverie and sighed.

He looked up at Ash, his gaze complex.

"He always treasured this thing, but I never expected... he would give it to you."

Xiao Zhi scratched his head.

"The old man was very generous. He not only gave me this flute, but also a very precious stone!"

"Stone?"

"It's a Mega Stone, but unfortunately I don't know which Pokémon uses it."

Blaine's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

They gave all that stuff away?!

Bob opened his mouth, his voice strained.

"Ash, is Fuji your grandfather or some kind of relative?"

"no."

"So you're his grandson-in-law?"

"Uh, not really."

Blaine: "???"

It's neither this nor that, so why would that old man give you something so important?!

It couldn't have been a Pokémon he just gave you!

"Speaking of which, senior, since you and I know each other, do you know what Pokémon's evolution stone that is?"

Xiao Zhi asked.

Still in shock, Blaine shook his head.

"do not know."

Xiao Zhi wasn't disappointed; he just asked casually.

Anyway, the item is already at Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town. With the professor's abilities, he'll surely be able to figure it out.

There's no rush.

Xia Bo took a deep breath, forcing himself to break free from the confusion of "Is Fuji getting senile?"

"However, I do have a guess..."

Seeing Ash looking at him, Blaine said.

"Although there is currently no theoretical basis for it, it is merely an immature, even wild, guess—"

"That stone might be a [omnipotent] mega stone."

"universal?!"

The three spoke in unison.

Even Xia, who was confronting the starfish, couldn't help but look back, almost getting her face splattered with ice pellets, which scared her so much that she quickly turned back.

Bob nodded.

After all, the foundation of his and Fuji's research back then was the DNA of dreams.

Mew is called the "Mythical Pokémon" because it possesses the genes of all other Pokémon—

In theory, it can learn any move and transform into any form.

That is the most incredible creation of nature, the origin of all Pokémon research.

If this "infinite possibility" were incorporated into Mega Stones...

Nature is omnipotent.

190. Buhou! My opinion of him!

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.