Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

And right behind those dark clouds.

What awaits is the most dazzling rainbow light.

...and...something that has been awaited for a long time...

……

……

(...I've been thinking about this plot for a long time...and even if I wanted to change it, I couldn't...)

(Although I was advised against it... I'll post it anyway...)

Chapter 168 · Xiao Zhi: Damn it! Marshadow!

"How awful..."

Faced with this predicament meticulously constructed by Marshadow, a situation that seemed to lead to certain doom no matter which option was chosen... Ash felt an unprecedented headache.

My temples were throbbing.

The brain feels like it's been stuffed into a high-speed maze with no way out.

Should we address the landfill issue first?

Or save the city?

Are these two options?

Why does it seem like there's only one answer?

Hey!

This damn choice felt like two mountains pressing down on him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The Phoenix Feather radiated a scorching heat in his palm, and the light was incredibly dazzling in the perception of "Mind's Eye," as if interrogating his soul—what will you do?

In the midst of this suffocating silence and pressure, several familiar presences steadily drew closer.

Pikachu gently leaped onto his shoulder, which was trembling slightly from tension, and patted his cheek soothingly with its tiny paws.

"Pikapi!"

Its voice wasn't loud, but its bright black eyes clearly conveyed a message—no matter what decision you make, I will always stand by your side and face it with you.

Pidgey swooped down and landed on Gyarados's broad back.

Its sharp gaze swept over the menacing giant beast and Marshado opposite it, and it let out a short, high-pitched cry.

Its relatively simple thinking cannot fully comprehend the complex choices that Ash faces.

But it could sense the heaviness in Ash's heart.

It doesn't understand, but it's willing to crush any enemy that stands in its way for Ash.

The golden Gyarados lowered its massive head, its cold whiskers gently brushing against Ash's back, emitting a low whimper.

Its thinking is more direct—the enemy is right in front of us, so let's fight.

It trusts Ash's judgment; it attacks wherever Ash points.

Misdreavus floated in front of Ash, blinked its adorable big eyes, and made a cute "I can't do anything with you" expression on its face.

"Mama~"

The word "dream demon" carries a hint of laziness and indifference.

Misdreavus: It's troublesome, but who told you to be my trainer?

Purple flames erupted from Miss Dream Demon's body.

The will-o'-the-wisp burned away all the plastic bags covering the body.

...At this point, there's no need to be sentimental anymore.

Anyway, Miss Misdream doesn't need to breathe.

They may not understand the perplexing trolley problem.

They may not understand the profound meaning of sacrifice and salvation.

But without exception, they all gave their power and their trust to Ash without reservation.

So this is what the bond between Pokémon and their trainers is?

This is also the theme of this world—the genuine relationship between humans and Pokémon.

Feeling the unwavering support of his friends, Ash took a deep breath.

The respirator on his face had long since fallen off, and the air, filled with filth and stench, no longer seemed unbearable.

He closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing his chaotic thoughts.

When he opened his eyes again, the confusion and struggle in them had receded like the tide, replaced by a calm that was almost burning.

"I can do it now!"

Ash's aura shone with unprecedented intensity, no longer a faint glow, but rising like a blue flame.

In a sense, the manifestation of waveguide power can also be seen as a form of vitality.

So now is the time to burn your life.

Use life to unleash even stronger waves.

This wondrous light extended outwards on its own, like a bridge connecting Pikachu, Gyarados, Pidgeotto, and Misdreavus.

An unprecedented resonance was generated.

Although he could transmit vague thoughts and commands through the waveguide before, at this moment Ash felt as if his consciousness had merged with the consciousness of the four Pokémon.

This is something that can only be done after gaining expertise in the field of waveguides.

It is not a waveguide technique in the conventional sense.

The little AI can more clearly perceive the electric current emanating from Pikachu's body, the surging water flow from Gyarados, the lightness with which Pidgeotto rides the air currents, and the eerie manipulation of shadows and illusions by Misdreavus.

His own will, and his unwavering determination after making a decision, flowed into the hearts of his companions without any hindrance.

Deep connections that were previously impossible were achieved under immense pressure and with pure trust.

It's a pity that Charizard can't fly now; it would be even better if it could evolve into Charizard.

Ash looked up, his gaze piercing through the pervasive dust and ominous shadows, and saw Marshadow floating atop the giant dust mountain, quietly awaiting his answer.

An indescribable rage suddenly surged into my heart.

While the anger was primarily directed at Martínez for treating life and the city as pawns, it also contained a degree of personal grudge—that anyone who posed the trolley problem deserved to die.

Screw multiple-choice questions!

—What are these two options?

There's clearly only one kind!

Ash cursed at Marshadow fiercely, "Damn it!"

Normally, he would definitely want to go on and on, spouting a bunch of nonsense and Pokémon profanities.

But today, for the first time, Xiao Zhi wasn't interested in rambling on.

When did this happen?

I'm really not in the mood to say much!

The sounds of traditional Chinese culture echoed over the empty garbage dump.

It's simple, direct, and full of the most straightforward emotional outburst.

Ash even forcefully raised his middle finger at that tiny gray mythical Pokémon—[protruding]

This gesture is universal and almost any living being can understand its meaning.

—Beyond the distant clouds, Ho-Oh was sensing Ash's emotions. This sudden action made it choke, causing it to sneeze with a fiery aura.

—In a sense, Marshadow is also taking the blame for Ho-Oh... Ho-Oh is at least half the blame.

—⊙_⊙ Suijun: "...What is he doing?"

—(???) Emperor Yan: "...Very energetic!"

Ash, of course, had no idea that Ho-Oh and its messengers had already arrived, and that someone was destined to cover for them in this disaster.

At this moment, he was under immense psychological pressure, even greater than that of the "trolley problem."

So he forced himself to calm down and use reason to analyze the situation before him.

However, the result of calm reflection is the same as that of acting impulsively in the moment.

—To do something knowing it is impossible.

You must defeat Marshadow and the giant dust mountain it has enhanced without using Ho-Oh's feathers.

He clearly recognized that Marshall was at the heart of it all.

Even if the Dust Mountain is temporarily purified with feathers, it can still cause other chaos if it is not defeated, or drive the Dust Mountain to the city to join the Grimer and cause even greater disaster.

—The Rainbow Warrior's Trial has no standard.

This is the biggest problem, because you don't know how to get through it.

—Even if Ash wanted to intentionally fail and end the test, he didn't know how to do it.

—That was truly the worst kind of brutality.

The Ho-Oh feather, the only purifying artifact, must be reserved for the colossal Grimer in the city that is devouring the factory district and poses an even greater potential threat.

Only in that way can the city's losses be minimized before the disaster fully erupts.

Ho-Oh's feathers are absolutely capable of solving the Grimer problem without leaving any pollution in the city.

This is something that neither Brock, Misty, nor Ash could possibly do.

This is what it means to specialize in one's field.

"Damn it, I hate the trolley problem the most!"

Xiao Zhi cursed under his breath, his voice filled with suppressed anger and a hint of helpless self-mockery.

"When faced with this kind of shitty problem, isn't the best solution to just find the bastard who asked to pull the lever at the track junction, or the one who tied people to the tracks and kill him?"

"But now... it turns out I'm the one pulling the lever... I've really encountered this..."

Ash's gaze swept over each of his companions, and his voice lowered: "I... I never like, and will never easily decide the fate of others."

"But I can choose my own destiny, and choose the path we... should take."

"I'm sorry, guys... This time, I'm really going to make you risk your lives with me."

He said "I'm sorry" because this decision meant they would face a powerful mythical Pokémon and a monster that had devoured the entire junkyard.

This operation is extremely risky and will inevitably require overexertion of resources...resulting in injuries or even death.

This conflicts with his usual philosophy of treasuring every partner.

Although Ash catches Pokémon during his initial travels, he also selects the best ones.

He is indeed very picky, and many Pokémon have been released by him.

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love Pokémon.

Choosing the right Pokémon to build bonds—that's his way of being a trainer.

It's not about randomly picking a Pokémon and thinking you can build a bond with it—that kind of relationship is too cheap.

But similarly, once a choice is made, it will not be abandoned.

That's also true; once a decision is made, there's no going back.

So Ash never really planned to catch too many Pokémon in his life.

Human emotions are finite.

But this also makes it a two-way emotional journey.

and so--

His response was an even brighter burst of electricity from Pikachu.