Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

However, this is not the most noteworthy aspect.

What's most striking is the "dream monster doll" she's been holding, which looks exquisitely crafted and even a bit too realistic, yet it seems to come alive under the moonlight.

Those red eyes suddenly lit up with a lively and cunning light.

The Misdreavus floated up lightly, emitting a clear, bell-like "Mmm~" laugh, and flew happily around the surprised Ash.

"So...so you were the real thing?!" Xiaoxia's eyes widened in sudden realization. "You've been keeping your true form as a toy all this time?!"

"Mwah~!"

Dream Fairy, or rather, this is the real "Dream Fairy".

It nodded its little head, which resembled thick, curly hair, with a smug look, seemingly proud of its successful little trick.

This can be considered part of her mischievous nature.

Ash looked at the nimble and adorable Misdreavus, his eyes filled with even greater surprise.

He immediately took out an empty Poké Ball from his waist and solemnly handed it to Misdreavus: "Come on, Misdreavus, please take care of me from now on!"

"Mah!" The dream demon stopped its playful behavior and became serious.

Its forehead gently and solemnly touched the button in the middle of the Poké Ball.

"Den-"

A beam of red light shot out, enveloping the Dream Fairy's petite body and successfully capturing it in the ball.

The Poké Ball wobbled slightly in Ash's hand, then clicked softly and settled completely.

Conquer, success!

It was at this moment that the [Pokémon Master Achievement System], which had been largely ignored, finally started to respond again.

A semi-transparent interface quietly appeared out of the corner of Xiaozhi's eye:

[Catch the new Pokémon: Misdreavus]

[Nickname: Mengmeng]

[Personality: Afraid of loneliness]

[Level: 30]

[Characteristic: Floating]

[Skills: Shout LV10, Psychic Wave LV5, Fright LV4, Black Gaze LV3, Illusion Beam LV3, Strange Light LV2, Power Gem LV1, Magical Flame LV1, Protect LV1, Substitute LV1, Misfortune Comes Alone LV1, Will-o'-the-Wisp LV1, Share Pain LV1, An Eye for an Eye LV1, Shadow Ball LV1, Song of Destruction LV1, Resentment LV1]

Looking at this long and impressive list of skills...

Ash couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow... Momo is amazing!"

He happily held up the Poké Ball that belonged to Momo to his eyes, as if he could see the figure of his new companion clearly through the red and white shell.

"That's great, Xiaozhi!" Xiaoxia was genuinely happy for him.

"A very promising Ghost-type partner." Xiao Gang smiled and nodded approvingly. "Looks like the snacks I prepared these past few days weren't in vain."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and curiously tapped the new Poké Ball with its paw to welcome him.

The other trainers around Ash saw that he had successfully captured the nimble Misdreavus, and although their eyes couldn't help but show envy, they were more understanding and relieved.

These past few days have made them realize that their connection with these ghostly little creatures cannot be forced.

Moreover, Ash wasn't the only one who successfully gained a partner; several other lucky individuals among them also received recognition.

Seeing that Brock and Misty beside Ash hadn't gotten anything, they actually felt that the result was more "balanced".

After all, only one out of three people succeeds, so the success rate is only 33.3%.

Although this is considered a high probability among everyone present... well, that's just how luck works.

The crowd began to disperse.

With feelings of satisfaction or slight regret, everyone walked down the stone steps in twos and threes towards the brightly lit Pokémon Center at the foot of the mountain, preparing to conclude their trip to Girls' Gorge.

However, just as Ash and his friends were about to turn around and leave.

An aged yet amused voice, as if resounding directly in their minds, clearly said, "Hey, you three little ones, wait a minute."

The three of them paused, turning around in surprise.

The air in front of them rippled like water, and the figure of the thousand-year-old Gastly slowly emerged, still with its round, chubby appearance and sly smile.

It floated there, emitting a faint, ethereal glow, blending perfectly with the night.

At the same time, the Poké Ball belonging to Misdreavus on Ash's waist opened automatically.

A red light flashed.

"Mewmee" flew out lightly, nuzzled Gastly's misty body affectionately, and made a soft "Mewmee" sound.

"Senior, is there anything else you want to say?" Ash looked at the returned Gastly with some surprise.

"Gaga~" Gastly let out its signature laugh.

His gaze shifted between Ash and Misdreavus, and his tone unusually gentle, like that of an elder…

"Kid, I'm entrusting Mengmeng to you."

talking.

From its misty body separated a small piece of stone as deep as the darkest night sky—a piece of extremely high-quality Dark Stone.

The Dark Stone slowly floated to Ash's front.

“Here, take this,” Gastly said.

"If this little guy ever comes to his senses and decides to evolve, we'll use this."

"This will save you the trouble of looking for it later. Consider it a dowry from me... no, a parting gift!"

It just goes to show that a leopard can't change its spots.

emm.

Even at this age, the old man still talks inappropriately.

They insisted on ruining the atmosphere.

Ash took the Dark Stone: "I understand... I will definitely respect Momo's own wishes and will use this stone well."

"Mwah..." Misdreavus flew to Gastly's side, circled it a few times, its voice filled with obvious reluctance, and nuzzled Gastly with its little head.

"Alright, alright, stop with the mushy stuff." Gastly seemed impatient as it shook its body, but a subtle tenderness flickered in its large white eyes.

"Once you've seen the world, don't forget to come back and visit this old man occasionally."

"Hurry up, hurry up, it'll be dawn if we dawdle any longer!"

After it finished speaking, its form began to fade slowly, like ink merging into the night. Finally, it let out a strange chuckle and disappeared completely.

The dream demon lingered in place for a moment.

She gazed in the direction where Gastly had disappeared before pulling herself together and flying back onto Ash's shoulder.

Pikachu and the dog stand on either side of each other, making soft "meow" sounds, as if saying, "I'm ready."

However, it weighs more than 6 kg, which is more than Pikachu.

The Dream Demon was much lighter, but still weighed around 1 kg.

Considering that Ash is also carrying a backpack... it probably weighs around 15 kg.

It's fortunate that Ash had multiple badges to boost his stamina, otherwise he really wouldn't have been able to handle it.

"Hehe~~" Xiaogang and Xiaoxia laughed.

Ash carefully put away the Dark Stone, then gave his new companion on his shoulder a warm smile: "Okay, let's go, Momo."

……

……

(Strange forbidden words... [4+6], [8+9] will be blocked)

Chapter 92 Xiaozhi: How much trouble is there in asking about the travel route in Kanto?

The sea breeze carried the long, drawn-out whistle of an ocean liner, announcing the start of a new journey.

Ash, Misty, and Brock left the Girls' Gorge Port, which still retained some of the festive atmosphere.

Pikachu perched energetically on Ash's shoulder.

Meanwhile, the newly added Misdreavus floated curiously on the other side.

Mengmeng: Hehehe, it can fly~ (???)

She would sometimes disappear and sometimes mischievously reappear, constantly teasing the tip of Pikachu's swaying tail.

"Pika..." Pikachu wagged its tail helplessly, seemingly at a loss with its new partner who loved to play pranks, but it wasn't really angry.

Pikachu: She's clearly older than me, so why does it feel like I'm raising a daughter? (||?_?)

Brock, who was walking beside him, looked at the map in his hand, then looked up and asked, "Ash, which city are you planning to go to next? If you want to continue challenging the gyms, choosing the right direction is very important."

Upon hearing this, Ash answered almost without hesitation, "To Celadon City."

“Rainbow City?” Misty blinked. “I remember there’s a huge arcade there, and the largest department store in the Kanto region! But… why the Rainbow Gym?”

To be honest, there's a question that Xiaoxia has been keeping to herself for a long time.

Ash's route was not the fastest route forward.

It's a bit roundabout; for example, it skips over Golden City.

Xiao Zhi stopped and turned around, his face showing a rare look of inner conflict.

He did put some thought into the route he planned, okay?

He stretched out his hand and began counting on his fingers as if analyzing data:

"There's nothing we can do about it. Dojos in the Kanto region can be roughly divided into two types based on their strength and the generally accepted level of challenge."

He bent the fingers of his first hand: "Pewter City Gym, Cerulean City Gym, Vermilion City Gym, and the Rainbow City Gym we're going to next—"

Xiao Zhi paused for a moment.

"These four are generally considered to be more friendly and more suitable for novice trainers to gain experience and obtain badges in the early stages."

Then he bent the fingers of his other hand, and his expression became more serious:

"And the other four, Fuchsia Gym, Cinnabar Gym, and especially the last two, Sapphire Gym and Viridian Gym..."

He took a deep breath:

"The difficulty of these four is higher than the last, they are on a completely different level."

"Especially the Goldenrod Gym and the Viridian Gym, the gym leaders are all incredibly powerful."

Xiao Zhi concluded:

"Trains who are truly ambitious and want to achieve good results at the Indigo League usually save these two toughest challenges for last."

"Therefore, following this order, Rainbow City is the most suitable target for us at this stage."

If you want to reduce the difficulty, do the opposite.

Challenge the Goldenrod Gym in your first gym.

You'll basically only encounter superpowered apprentices in dojos, the kind who struggle even to bend a spoon.

If you choose the Goldenrod Gym for the 7th and 8th gyms.

Congratulations on your upcoming encounter with Sabrina, a humanoid mythical beast with superpowers.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxia's cheeks puffed out.

"Are you trying to say that the Cerulean Gym is easy to bully?!"

Although Xiaoxia also knew that Hualan Dojo ranked last among the eight mainstream dojos in Kanto.

But it still feels really unpleasant to be told that so directly.

"Friend...it hurts me to say that." Xiao Zhi looked heartbroken.

"Starting from Pallet Town, let's proceed in order..."