"Pidge…"
"Gyaa…"
After the fusion of the Sharp Beak, the atmosphere in the room gradually returned to normal.
On the windowsill, Pidgeot and Fearow chirped back and forth, continuing their usual banter.
Pikachu lay sprawled across the bed, hugging the Rotom Phone and rolling around while watching anime.
Meanwhile, Greninja sat upright at the desk, calmly browsing the Pokédex on the computer.
Compared to Pikachu, Pidgeot, and Fearow—who had already built their own structured move frameworks and developed stable battle styles—
They only needed to strengthen what they already had, occasionally adding new techniques when necessary. No matter what kind of opponent they faced, they could adapt calmly and respond with a consistent strategy.
But Greninja was different.
Though it was a Water/Dark-type Pokémon, its true strength came from its Ability—
Protean.
It relied on constantly shifting its type to deal damage.
That meant it could never be confined by a fixed attribute.
It couldn't rely on a single perfected style like the others.
Instead—
It had to keep learning.
Not just learning moves of different types—
But learning everything about Pokémon themselves.
Type matchups.
Resistance charts.
Pokédex knowledge.
The moment it encountered an opponent, it needed to instantly determine:
What type it was.
What abilities it might have.
What moves it was likely to use.
Greninja's path…
Was that of a true ninja.
Unpredictable. Ever-changing.
To fully utilize the passive power of Protean, it had to continuously expand its knowledge and adaptability.
Fortunately—
Greninja was exceptionally intelligent.
And incredibly diligent.
It learned quickly.
And with Ash's Ascension Trainer System supporting its move acquisition, its strength improved at an astonishing pace.
"It's not quite at Pikachu's level yet… but it's getting very close."
"In battle, it can already handle almost any opponent with ease."
Watching Greninja studying so seriously at the desk, Ash felt deeply satisfied.
Seeing that all his Pokémon were busy—training, chatting, or relaxing—each with their own rhythm, he chose not to disturb them.
He took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and began his nightly training—
Aura Meditation.
Cultivation was like rowing upstream—
If you stopped moving forward, you fell behind.
Ash understood this well.
That was why he never allowed himself to slack off.
Pallet Town at night was peaceful.
The deep blue of the sky seemed to blend seamlessly with the land below, merging the stars, forests, and fields into one tranquil canvas.
Moonlight flowed like water across the earth.
A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of nature.
Everything felt quiet, soft… and serene.
Inside the cozy two-story farmhouse—
Ash sat cross-legged on his bed, facing the window, immersed in meditation.
He didn't need time to calm his mind.
In an instant—
He entered the state.
Though his eyes were closed—
His ears remained open.
Listening.
To everything.
The rustle of leaves.
The whisper of wind.
The distant calls of night creatures.
From these sounds, he constructed vivid mental images—like painting scenes from the essence of sound itself.
And within that process—
His Aura Power slowly grew stronger.
Time flowed like water.
In the blink of an eye—
A full week passed.
During this week, free from distractions, Ash lived a perfectly structured life.
Every day—
His Viridian Power and Aura Power steadily improved.
And so did his Pokémon.
A week ago, after Fearow fused with the Sharp Beak, its strength had surged dramatically.
Ash then spent three days helping it stabilize and control that newfound power.
Only after it fully mastered its strength did he allow it to return to battle.
Now—
One week later—
Fearow had risen from LV.38 to LV.40.
But Fearow wasn't the only one improving.
Pikachu.
Greninja.
Pidgeot.
All three had pushed themselves even harder.
Because Ash's plan wasn't to fuse all six items into Fearow at once.
Each fusion would be spaced out over one to two months.
And after each fusion, several days were needed just to stabilize the power.
That gap—
Gave the others a chance.
Unwilling to be surpassed, Pikachu, Greninja, and Pidgeot trained with relentless intensity.
They doubled their battle frequency at the City Arena.
And their effort paid off.
Within a single week—
All three Pokémon gained an average of three levels:
Pikachu — LV.44
Greninja — LV.43
Pidgeot — LV.43
Alongside Fearow at LV.40—
Ash's first-tier core team had fully entered the Elite Tier.
Their growth speed was nothing short of astonishing.
But the competition didn't stop there.
Even the second-tier Pokémon—
Magikarp (Valor) and Feebas (Lumina)—
Were inspired.
They trained just as hard.
Shiny Magikarp (Valor): LV.17 → LV.21
Shiny Feebas (Lumina): LV.17 → LV.21
Both had reached LV.21.
And earlier that morning—
Magikarp had shown clear signs of evolution.
That moment alone filled Ash with excitement.
For so long, his Skill Shop's "Magikarp + Tackle" service had helped countless trainers across Kanto obtain Gyarados.
Now—
It was finally his turn.
And not just any Gyarados—
A shiny Gyarados.
Once Magikarp evolved—
It would no longer be limited by Splash and Tackle.
Ash could finally bring it into real battles at the City Arena—
Without raising suspicion.
Without risking exposure of the system.
As for Feebas—
Though it hadn't shown visible signs of evolution yet—
Ash could feel it.
It was close.
Very close.
Meanwhile—
While Ash enjoyed steady growth—
Things were much busier on Misty's side.
Preparing for the Cerulean Water-type Pokémon Beauty Contest, she barely had time to train her own Pokémon.
But with her three capable sisters managing logistics—
And the League's Event Committee providing support—
Everything progressed smoothly.
Step by step—
The grand event drew closer.
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