"Oh my. I never expected my Ash to be so popular! Having so many wonderful girls wanting to marry him must be a blessing he earned in his past life."
Hearing his mother Delia's voice over the communicator, Ash felt a bit exasperated. Karen's mother, Amy, laughed and replied to Delia, "He's a great catch! If he could just fix that habit of being a bit too fond of women, he'd be perfect."
In a way, Amy did have some reservations about Ash's harem. Ash, thick-skinned as ever, pretended not to hear any of it. He spoke into the communicator to Rin, "How's your health? Have you gotten used to living there?"
"I'm completely fine, Lord Ash. You are the one who truly needs to take care of yourself. Even though you always claim to be a 'bad guy' who won't save the world, I know that's just talk. When the time comes, you're always the first to step up, just like at the Tree of Beginning..."
Rin's eyes dimmed slightly as she spoke. Even knowing it was a one-way trip, Ash and Lucario had marched forward without hesitation. While she was immensely proud that Ash was capable of saving the world, if it meant sacrificing his life... she would rather he just be an ordinary person. That was the wish she kept buried deep in her heart.
"I'm sorry..."
Although he only remembered her name, facing this girl who had waited a thousand years for him, Ash couldn't help but feel guilty. After all, she had been sealed in stone for a millennium.
Hearing his apology, Rin shook her head. "You don't need to feel sorry for anything, Lord Ash. No one can ever blame you for what you've done. But please, you must prioritize your own safety."
"Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on this guy."
Lara stepped up beside Ash, looking earnestly at Rin.
"At the very least, I won't let Ash do anything incredibly reckless again."
Looking at Lara, Rin saw the exact same worry in her eyes. She smiled warmly. "Then I leave Lord Ash in your capable hands, Lady Lara."
"Rest assured. I will definitely bring Ash back safe and sound."
As she said this, Lara gripped Ash's hand tightly.
"Alright, my goal has been achieved. You are of no further use to me now, Ash."
When it was time to say goodbye to Karen, her farewell was just as unique as ever, leaving Ash and the group quite speechless.
"Watch out, or he'll settle the score after you're married."
"Oh, then I'll be eagerly waiting for you. But speaking of which, what are you planning to do with your little underlings? I don't believe for a second you don't have a plan for them."
Looking at Ash's biker gang, Karen was very curious about how Ash would utilize them. Ash smiled and replied, "I already have everything prepared. After all, I need their help gathering certain intel."
"Don't worry, Boss Ash! We'll keep a close eye out for the intel you need!"
"That's right!"
Although Karen was very curious about what kind of intel Ash meant, seeing him act so mysterious, she didn't press the matter.
"Alright, I'll let you keep your air of mystery. I'll be waiting for you in Johto. If you forget about me again this time, I won't let you off easy!"
"Understood."
Watching Ash's group walk away in the distance, Karen took out the Poké Ball Ash had given her and released the Pokémon inside.
"Dra!"
Looking at the Dratini in front of her, Karen scratched her head, feeling a bit of a headache. "Ah, I really don't know why you wanted me to be your trainer. After all, I'm much better at training Dark-type Pokémon..."
"Dra!"
The Dratini looked at Karen and made a mischievous, bad-girl expression. Karen was taken aback for a second before laughing. "I see. In that case, our compatibility really is quite good, you bad girl. Alright, I will train you well. But be warned, our battling style is going to be a lot wilder."
"Dra!"
While Karen and Dratini were getting to know each other, on Ash's end, Mightyena and Houndoom had already returned to their Poké Balls. However, Absol wasn't in a hurry to return. Instead, it followed Ash and called out, "Awooo..." (I want to travel with you for a while like this. At least until the tournament you mentioned is over before going back to Hoenn.)
"Meow. Boss, he wants to travel with us and head back to Hoenn after the Indigo League is over."
Hearing Meowth's translation, Ash smiled, patted Absol's head, and said, "Alright then. I'll be counting on you for the Indigo League."
"Awooo!"
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