Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

The change stopped halfway through.

Its body was a size larger than before, but it did not fully transform into its slender and fierce form.

It's like a sculpture that's only been roughed out, with no details carved at all.

The light quickly dissipated.

Charizard's condition has also returned to its starting point.

"Roar……"

His voice carried an indescribable weariness.

It gasped for breath and swayed forward. Ash caught it before it fell.

Ash's body also trembled, and the Key Stone on his bracelet quickly dimmed.

Xiao Zhi looked down at his wrist.

"Pikachu! Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumped up from the ground and touched its ride.

"It's alright, it's alright."

Ash smiled, reached out and patted Pikachu's head, gently pressing his palm on its head.

"It's just like exercising for an hour."

"Charizard, how are you?"

"roar......!"

This sound had a bit more strength than before.

Seeing this, Xia looked on with a face full of questions.

"This...is it a failure?"

"It wasn't a complete failure," Xiao Gang said, his brow furrowing slightly. "The evolution was initiated successfully, but it didn't complete the entire process..."

"Is that considered half an evolution?"

Charizard had already stood up straight, but it was clearly somewhat listless, and the flames on its tail were smaller than usual.

"Well......"

Professor Oak looked thoughtful.

"After all, it's not an ordinary Mega Stone. So there are still some discrepancies."

"deviation?"

Xiao Zhi looked over.

According to Dr. Blatano, Mega Evolution is a 'synchronous resonance' between the trainer and the Pokémon.

"Only when we are intertwined, with each other's hearts and minds united, can we succeed."

"However, recently Blatano himself seems to have been embroiled in an academic fraud scandal, so we can only examine his research critically."

Professor Oak sighed, his tone carrying a hint of the academic world's helplessness.

"After all, it's the research community, so this kind of thing isn't unusual."

Xiaoxia's lips twitched.

"Academic fraud... then can we still believe his claim of synchronized resonance?"

"Hmm, Ash's situation..."

Without giving a direct answer, Professor Oak paused, seemingly considering his words.

"I feel like I just need to practice more."

He patted Xiaozhi on the shoulder.

"It's not your problem, nor is it Charizard's problem; it's simply that you two haven't worked out together yet. Who can succeed on their first try after just getting the bracelet and evolution stone?"

Xiao Zhi nodded.

"We'll definitely succeed next time!"

"Roar!"

The fire-breathing dragon straightened up.

Professor Oak watched the interaction between the human and the dragon with a smile.

He seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke up.

"Speaking of which, Ash, you've already got eight badges, right?"

Ash was crouching down to tidy Pikachu's wind-blown fur when he heard the question and looked up.

"That's right, we got all eight from Kanto!"

"Pikachu, Pikachu!"

Pikachu raised its little paws, its tone filled with smugness.

"It's a shame about Giovanni's match!" Ash scratched his head, his tone somewhat regretful. "They didn't get to have a proper fight."

Pikachu also shook its head.

What a pity! What a pity!

He collapsed before the mouse could even make a move!

"Ash, you're much better off than the others who went on the trip with you."

Professor Oak gave a compliment.

"Besides the Cerulean Gym badge, it seems that the others have only gotten two or three badges."

Xiaoxia: "......"

Her lips twitched.

No.

What does "besides" mean?

Why do the Cerulean Dojo members get insulted wherever they go?!

"In that case, I can participate in this year's Quartz Conference, which is in a little over a month."

"Our Zhenxin Town..."

The doctor lowered his voice, tinged with a slight sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection).

"But we haven't had a champion in a big competition for a long time."

Xiao Gang asked.

"Doctor, has Pallet Town ever produced a champion?"

“Of course.” Professor Oak straightened his back. “But I haven’t had that since I became a researcher.”

He said it casually, but a hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes.

Back then...

He, Yukinari Oki, was the champion of the first Kanto Tournament!

Although he eventually gave up martial arts for academic pursuits, he was still a champion!

"No way?" Xiaoxia's eyes widened in shock, forgetting even the earlier teasing about the dojo. "That means... it was decades ago?"

"more or less."

"So—there's still more than a month before the conference starts."

"We must bring glory to Pallet New Town!"

The doctor gave his instructions.

"Xiao Mao and I will definitely bring glory to Zhenxin Town!"

Pikachu also raised one of its little paws, as if making a vow, and shouted "Pika Pika!" twice.

"Xiao Mao?"

The doctor paused for a moment, then raised his eyebrows slightly.

Oh, right.

Xiao Mao meets all the requirements!

He'd completely forgotten to mention this to Xiao Mao these past few days!

I also prepared a Mega Bracelet and a matching evolution stone for him, and even put them in the table drawer right in front of him...

So many days have passed... why hasn't he taken it yet?

When did this kid become so polite? Back then, after being provoked by Ash's travels, didn't he sneak into the lab at night, steal a Squirtle and the Pokédex, and then go on his own travels?

What happened this time?

219. We're all on the same side! We're all on the same side!

After all, he is his own grandson.

Although Professor Oki, a true-blue Kanto native, doesn't say it out loud.

But I definitely keep it in my heart.

Otherwise, with Xiao Mao's half-baked infiltration skills, he's hunched over, drags his feet, and can't even suppress his breathing.

How could I possibly let him steal something from a research institute full of high-end materials?

That was just Chun Chun joking!

In the end, Xiao Mao never came back for dinner.

Ash and his friends emerged from Professor Oak's lab as dusk was already falling.