"Not at all, Aaron. You're the amazing one. You're already qualified to challenge Cynthia," Ash replied humbly.
And he meant it.
His current strength was thanks to awakening the system after transmigrating. Without it, his first wave of core team members wouldn't even have reached Elite Four level yet.
So people like Aaron and Lucian—Elite Four in their twenties—were indeed incredibly strong.
After exchanging a few "commercial compliments," Aaron looked at Cynthia.
"Miss Cynthia, I hope you'll go all out today. I want to truly measure how far I and my Pokémon have come!"
Aaron had always loved Bug-type Pokémon.
It all started with a Wurmple.
As a child, he'd climbed a tall tree and got stuck, too afraid to climb down. A Wurmple helped guide him safely to the ground.
From that day on, Aaron developed a deep fondness for Bug-types.
And eventually, he even learned how to understand what Bug Pokémon were saying.
In this regard, he was somewhat similar to Anabel.
But not quite on the same level—Anabel could understand far more than just Bug-type Pokémon.
"Aaron, I have a… friend. She's really afraid of Bug-type Pokémon, can't even get close to them. She's doing a little better now, but… do you know any faster or better ways to help someone overcome that fear?" Ash asked.
The two had chatted for a while and naturally grew more familiar. Aaron's expertise reminded Ash of Misty.
Although Misty had gotten a bit better with Bug-types, Ash still wanted to help her if he could. And asking Aaron seemed like a smart move.
"That friend of yours… she's probably a girl, right?" Aaron smiled knowingly. "It's pretty common—girls are usually more afraid of bugs."
"One effective method is to help her truly experience the charm of Bug Pokémon firsthand. That kind of emotional connection can lead to unexpected results."
The two of them then delved into deep discussions about Bug-types, with Ash memorizing everything carefully.
Meanwhile, Cynthia and Aaron had to remain in the area—they were waiting for the TV crew.
This match wasn't a private exhibition; it would be an officially broadcasted showdown.
So Ash, Dawn, and Anabel continued toward Hearthome City.
They were getting close now.
—
Hearthome City.
Another Pokémon Contest was underway.
What a coincidence.
But Dawn had no intention of entering.
She wasn't in a rush anymore. She only needed one final ribbon to qualify for the Grand Festival.
So to keep her mindset steady, she decided to skip the Hearthome Contest.
However, Jessie from Team Rocket—still tagging along with them—had no such hesitations. She signed up immediately.
—
"Hearthome Gym is finally open!"
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped excitedly.
Ash and his group stood before the gym doors.
Suddenly, the doors burst open!
A tall, slender young man with short golden hair came rushing out in a panic!
He nearly crashed into Ash, who sidestepped just in time, letting the man trip and fall flat on the ground.
Thud! A badge case flew out of his hands—he already had three badges.
"Aw, man! I've gotta get to the Pokémon Center fast—my Pokémon need to recover!" he cried, scrambling to pick up his badge case.
Right behind him stepped out a stylishly dressed woman.
She was none other than Fantina, the Hearthome Gym Leader who specialized in Ghost-type Pokémon.
Ding! [Congratulations, host! You've arrived at Hearthome Gym. Sign-in process initiated…]
Ding! [Sign-in complete. Distributing rewards…]
5,000,000 PokéCoins
System storage expanded to 125 cubic units
Bond level with all current Pokémon +2
Ding! [Reminder: The following seven Pokémon now meet the bond requirement for Mega Evolution—Charizard, Sceptile, Gengar, Pidgeot, Tyranitar, Gardevoir, and Lucario!]
Ash's eyes lit up at the system's voice echoing in his mind.
So it finally happened—they had reached the required bond level for Mega Evolution...
After battling Fantina, he'd definitely have to reach out to Steven about the Mega Stones. Hopefully, some had already been prepared in advance.
Ash couldn't wait to see his very first Mega Evolution in action.
This reward was the first to ever grant a +2 in bond level—instantly qualifying seven of his Pokémon for Mega Evolution!
Of course, the Pokémon also needed to be strong enough to handle the power of Mega Evolution. Otherwise, it could backfire.
"Hey hey hey! Are you here to challenge the Hearthome Gym too?" Fantina asked, slightly amused by Ash's blank expression.
"Ah—yes! Miss Fantina, please grant me a Gym Battle!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu added, full of fighting spirit.
"Okay, no problem! Come on in. I can feel a strong presence from you… this won't be an easy battle, will it?" Fantina smiled with intrigue.
She'd traveled far and wide, meeting many powerful trainers. Over time, she'd developed a keen sixth sense for strength—and Ash gave off serious vibes.
As Ash and his group walked into the gym, the golden-haired young man hesitated, then followed them in.
His name was Barry, and he was also on his journey to challenge the Sinnoh League.
Just moments ago, he'd come running out because all three of his Pokémon had been KO'd by Fantina's single Gengar.
He'd been rushing to the Pokémon Center out of worry—and a bit of shame. Losing without taking down even one of her Pokémon had really stung…
But Fantina's words about Ash had caught his attention.
Now he wanted to see for himself what kind of trainer this was—the one he almost crashed into.
—
"Now commencing the Gym Challenge between Ash and Gym Leader Fantina!"
"Each trainer may use up to three Pokémon. The match ends when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Let the battle begin!"
The referee's voice echoed through the gym.
With a dramatic wave of the flag—
The battle was on!
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T/N:
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