Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

The seawater from the area where the dragon appeared today is being continuously extracted and subjected to extremely precise filtration, centrifugation, extraction, and analysis.

This is the basic quality of a Pokémon professor.

As for directly asking that ancient being for a piece of scale or a drop of blood?

He's crazy.

But he wasn't that crazy.

Those extremely small amounts of shed skin material and residual energy particles that permeate the seawater... these "naturally shed" samples are his treasure at this moment!

"The filtration precision has been increased by another order of magnitude!"

"Centrifugal force is increasing!"

"Correct!"

"That's it!"

Dr. Zheng Hui stared intently at the scrolling data stream on the screen, muttering rapidly to himself.

Even if we can only analyze a tiny bit of structural information... a tiny bit of energy characteristics...

"These are priceless!"

"It's a pity I didn't get all the information I wanted."

The giant Dragonite refused to reveal who its comrade was.

This left Dr. Zheng Hui slightly disappointed.

Even so, I'm already satisfied with what I've gained today.

So-called research is about unraveling mysteries little by little.

The research process itself is also an enjoyable part; it doesn't have to be completed in one step.

The sea outside the window was calm and still, and the moonlight gently covered all traces of the day's thrilling events.

Only the low hum of the laboratory instruments could be heard.

And the fluctuating emotions of the three individuals.

In the stillness of the night, it tells of the turbulent waves that arose after an encounter with the legend.

An encounter with a legendary Pokémon is something worth cherishing for a lifetime.

Chapter 54 Lt. Surge's Casual Chat and Sakaki's Magnanimity

Deep within the dojo in Vermilion City.

The air here is perpetually filled with a cold, metallic scent, similar to military-grade lubricating oil.

It's completely different from the misty atmosphere of Hua Lan Dojo.

Ma Xueshi was a soldier.

Moreover, he was an exceptionally outstanding soldier.

Even though he has now changed careers and become a dojo owner, he has not neglected his hobbies as an outstanding soldier.

Several abstract, battle-damaged art paintings hung on the metal wall.

On the weapon maintenance rack in the corner, you can even see several training replica swords.

It's less like a dojo and more like the command center of an elite military unit.

The dojo owners have a lot of power; they can decorate the dojo however they want, and there are no standards in this regard.

Maslow leaned back in his large alloy seat, his military boots casually draped over the edge of the control panel, tapping the armrest intermittently.

On the encrypted communication screen in front of him, Sakaki's figure was half-hidden in the shadows, with only the slow stroking of the cat's fur clearly visible.

"...So, the kid that old man Oki has trained this time is quite interesting?" Lt. Surge's voice, tinged with a rough laugh, broke through the slight static in the communication channel.

"That golden Gyarados doesn't matter... Anything is possible with Shiny Pokémon."

"But you can't just use Pikachu all the time~"

"I need to show him that Raichu is the right path!"

This involves key issues.

Lt. Surge believes that Pokémon should evolve to their final form as much as possible, as Pokémon that cannot evolve are inherently flawed.

Without forcing growth, quickly completing the final stage of evolution and obtaining a fully developed body allows for better cultivation.

It's just a matter of the trainer's mindset.

This is mainly due to the ecosystem of Pokémon, which has led to trainers being divided into two schools of thought.

①: Some Pokémon require special substances to evolve to the next stage, so the trainer's intervention is reasonable.

②: Normally, Pokémon should reach the next stage through their own training and growth, so trainers should not interfere.

Neither side could say who was right or wrong; they could only say it depended on their respective circumstances.

The other side of the screen.

Giovanni's voice came through calmly, revealing no emotion: "A golden Gyarados... is indeed rare. What's even rarer is that it can make such a naturally ferocious behemoth obey."

"Although Meow Meow's report is vague, fear cannot be faked."

"That Pikachu... is probably not an ordinary Pikachu."

...If he had witnessed Pikachu's true power, then Giovanni would probably only be able to say:

—I'm well-traveled and knowledgeable; what haven't I seen?

—I've never seen this kind of Pikachu before!

laugh.

Ma Xueshi paused in his tapping of the armrest, a wider smile spreading across his face: "What, boss, are you tempted too?"

"Looking to recruit someone to add a mascot to the organization?"

After all, Ash is only 10 years old. Even a vicious organization like Team Rocket wouldn't exploit child labor like this.

Among the evil organizations in this world, Team Rocket, while undeniably wicked, is still relatively reliable.

Even if Ash is to join Team Rocket and start official activities, he should at least be an adult.

The Rockets are now fully formed and don't particularly need fighting power; there's no need to force them to grow too quickly.

There was a brief silence.

Giovanni's voice rang out again, with an added elusive quality: "What Team Rocket needs are sharp teeth that can tear apart their prey, not canaries kept in cages."

"Kuroba City is your territory, M. Surge."

“Give him a proper ‘weighing’ for me.”

"Take a look at that piece of material. Is it just good for lighting, or can it really be forged into a fine knife?"

"Of course, we'll also see if he... can be of use to us."

It would be better if it could be used.

It doesn't matter if it can't be used.

Sakaki is magnanimous enough to tolerate threats.

Even if he knew that the trainer was specially trained by Professor Oak, he wouldn't think of getting rid of him as soon as possible.

[If one day I am defeated by someone else's strength, it only proves that my cultivation is insufficient.]

That's what Sakaki thought.

He is the leader of the Rockets.

But he is also the strongest gym leader in the Kanto region.

He is an ambitious man and a Pokémon trainer.

Communications ceased abruptly.

The screen went dark, revealing Maszewicz's own face with a playful smile.

He held that position for a few seconds, then chuckled and took his military boots off the control panel.

"...The boss always speaks in such a roundabout way."

He stretched his neck, making a slight clicking sound, and glanced at the other auxiliary screen beside him that was always lit up—

It clearly showed footage taken from a distance by a patrol boat at great risk not long ago:

On the sea under the cover of night, the silhouette of the enormous Dragonite, as large as a mountain, and the tiny, almost negligible figures atop the lighthouse in front of it.

The image was somewhat shaky, but the terrifying sense of oppression originating from the level of life itself almost overflowed from the screen.

Despite the blurry image, Lt. Surge could still recognize that the figure standing at the very front was none other than Ash, the person he had just been talking to Giovanni.

"First it was the golden Gyarados, and then this huge creature that should only exist in mythology..."

Lt. Surge's finger traced Ash's blurry figure on the screen, a glint of curiosity mixed with cruelty flashing in his eyes.

"Your luck is top-notch, boy."

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms behind his head, and stared at the frozen image of the giant beast and the boy on the screen.

The powerful lights on the dojo's roof reflected cold, hard points of light in his eyes.

"To be able to communicate calmly with that kind of monster..."

"Just this courage alone makes him ten times better than those cowards who turn to jelly and run away at the sight of Raichu."

In the empty dojo, his low, expectant murmurs echoed.

"I'm really looking forward to it, little boy..."

"Please don't... disappoint me too quickly."

Maslow's fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest of his seat, the rhythm slow and powerful, like the prelude to a war drum.

I have high hopes for you!

Strictly speaking, Mascherano is just a partner of the Rockets.

Strictly speaking, Lt. Surge was just Sakaki's subordinate.

Although Giovanni leads Team Rocket, Giovanni is not synonymous with Team Rocket.

What will happen to the Rockets... Mt. Surge doesn't really care too much.

An organization is not the same as an individual.

He was simply captivated by Sakaki's personal charm.

In fact, the other gym leaders who joined Team Rocket did so for the same reason.

Otherwise, given the status and position of the gym leaders, Team Rocket wouldn't actually be able to force them to join.

To some extent, it can be understood that the gym leaders chose Team Rocket.

As for the reason?

how to say……

The situation in the Kanto Alliance is rather bad right now.

Because the Kanto League does not have a champion who can command the entire league and subdue everyone.

This means that neither side is willing to submit to the other.

The Four Heavenly Kings are considered to be in the same group.

The eight dojo masters are considered to be a group.

Professor Oak, Professor Bill, Professor Sakuragi, and other Pokémon professors are all part of the same group.

But even though that's the case, there are other connections between them... and they may even be hostile and competitive with each other.

such as:

In addition to being a gym leader, Rika is also a visiting professor at Rainbow University, a rising star in the academic world.

Dr. Masahiro, Dr. Sakuragi, Lt. Surge... these three can also be considered as one of the factions in Konoha City.