"By the way, Clarissa—aside from the Quick Claw and Sharp Beak, did your family manage to find any information about the other four items?" Ash asked.
"Mm, yes," the girl nodded.
"Pokémon items are extremely valuable resources. They rarely appear on the open market—but while the market may lack them, the Pokémon League certainly doesn't."
"After my mother and grandmother reported your request, the League responded. The remaining four items can be purchased directly through them, and the price will follow the standard rates listed in the battle shop at the city arena."
Ash paused for a moment, surprised.
"Through the League…?"
He hadn't expected the League to open such a convenient channel for him.
According to Professor Oak, the Kanto League had already designated him as a top-seed talent. After the previous attack by Team Rocket, they had even stationed investigators in Pallet Town for his protection.
But Ash understood something clearly—none of the League's support came without conditions.
In the future, he would be expected to join the Kanto League. Truly rare resources—like pseudo-legendary Pokémon—would only be granted if he proved himself, such as by winning the Indigo League Championship.
In other words, the League's current support leaned more toward granting privileges and convenience rather than direct resource investment.
And that made sense.
No matter how talented someone was, if they couldn't grow successfully, everything was meaningless.
On top of that, the Kanto region still had dangerous forces like Team Rocket lurking in the shadows. The assassination of promising talents had happened more than once in history.
Given all that, the League's cautious approach was completely understandable.
And yet, despite all this…
They had still chosen to help him this time.
Even if it was simply lifting purchase restrictions—allowing him to buy items directly instead of grinding arena battles for points—it was already a huge favor.
On the open market, a single item could cost anywhere between 2.5 to 3.5 million Poké Dollars.
But in the arena shop? Around 1 million.
That alone cut the cost dramatically.
"Yes… I'll have to thank the League properly," Ash said with a relaxed smile.
Originally, he thought acquiring all six items for his Fearow would take a long time and a significant price.
But now?
He had made tremendous progress in less than a day.
"Let's go—we'll register for the battle first," Ash said. He planned to exchange the remaining items after the match. Right now, the competition came first.
"Okay~" Clarissa nodded obediently and followed him to the registration counter.
As soon as Ash stepped into the lobby, trainers immediately recognized him and greeted him warmly.
"Ash! Back again with your girlfriend for doubles?"
"Didn't see you for a couple of days—what've you been up to?"
"Ash, I watched your clinic livestream! My Hitmonchan has an old joint injury—could you take a look sometime?"
"Ash—"
"Ash bro—"
Even though this was a gathering of fellow trainers—not die-hard fans—their enthusiasm was undeniable.
Some wanted to befriend a rising prodigy.
Others genuinely needed his help.
Ash responded to each of them with easygoing patience.
"Hey everyone. I've been busy these past few days since launching my online clinic—I've been holding consultations every afternoon, so I didn't have time to come here."
"Now that I've adjusted my schedule, I finally managed to squeeze out some time."
"As for those who want treatment—honestly, my schedule is still pretty tight. After today's matches, I still need to treat wild Pokémon at two clinics outside Pallet Town, manage my Skill Shop, and continue my Aura training…"
"So if you need treatment, try booking an appointment at my clinic tomorrow at noon. If you can't get a slot, feel free to message me—I'll arrange something separately."
This "special treatment" was limited to trainers who had met him offline in Viridian City, so it wouldn't overwhelm his workload.
And for Ash, offering this goodwill helped maintain both his reputation and connections.
"Totally understandable!"
"We've seen your schedule on Rotom's posts—you're insanely busy."
"We're not in a hurry. We'll try to book tomorrow, and if we miss it, we'll message you."
Everyone responded with understanding and appreciation—no complaints, no resentment.
"Alright, I'll head to registration now. Let's chat later," Ash said with a smile.
He and Clarissa moved to the counter. Nearby, Gary and Green had already finished registering and were waiting.
"Ash, which arena are you in?" Gary asked.
"Field 6. What about you guys?" Ash replied.
"We're using the Fletchling and Flabébé we caught this afternoon—good chance to build their bond. Since their levels are low, we got assigned to Field 10."
"Got it. Then let's split up for now. We'll meet at the arena's Pokémon Center after the matches."
"Sounds good."
Gary and Green nodded and headed toward Arena 10.
Meanwhile, Ash—raising the team's average strength with Pikachu—walked alongside Clarissa toward Arena 6, ready for the next battle.
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T/N:
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