A familiar surge of electricity coursed through Ash's body once more.
Some things are only truly cherished once they're lost.
Having adapted to this new world, Ash had long buried his longing for Pikachu and his friends deep within his heart.
However, the Goblin King's lightning was like an invisible hand, prying open that sealed door once again.
"Pikachu..."
A flicker of sorrow crossed Ash's face as he remained pinned down by the Goblin King's overwhelming power.
At this moment—
He perfectly embodied the infamous painting: "The Protagonist in Despair."
A crack formed in his heart.
The once-calm surface of his emotions trembled under the relentless storm of electricity. His body convulsed slightly, not just from the pain—but from something deeper, something stirring within him.
While his body continued to struggle against the Goblin King, his consciousness drifted elsewhere—into another dimension.
There, he saw Pikachu calling out to him.
He saw his friends, their warm smiles, their cheers.
For a fleeting moment, it felt like he was back in those happy days.
He hadn't been in this new world for long, yet for some reason, it felt like an eternity had passed.
However—
Just as he basked in the joy of reunion—
CRACK!
Like a fragile mirror shattering into countless shards—his vision collapsed.
Reality snapped back into focus.
And in front of him—
A twisted, grotesque face loomed, sharp fangs bared in a mocking sneer.
A fire ignited within Ash's chest, burning hotter than any lightning.
"It's all… because of you..."
A low whisper escaped his lips.
The Goblin King, reveling in its cruelty, barely registered his words, assuming he was begging for mercy.
It opened its mouth, preparing to mock him further—
But then—
Ash suddenly lifted his head.
A raging inferno burned in his eyes.
"IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!!"
"BECAUSE OF YOU, PIKACHU AND I WERE SEPARATED!!!"
"YOU—"
"GO TO HELL!!!"
BOOM!!!
A massive shockwave of Aura energy erupted from Ash's body!
If he had a way to check his status panel at that moment, he would have been shocked to see—
His level had skyrocketed from 10 to 15 in an instant!
Nen—a mysterious power born from both mind and body.
The strength of the body determines its lower limit.
The strength of the mind determines its upper limit.
Although Leo had turned the power systems of various worlds into game-like mechanics, he had not restricted the true potential of those willing to push beyond their limits.
After all, what kind of game would limit the growth of real prodigies?
And right now—
Ash embodied that very principle.
Before, the power he had displayed was merely the excess energy spilling over from his body's natural limits.
But now—
With the Goblin King's lightning as a catalyst, he had finally awakened the true force within him.
Even though the Pokémon world was peaceful compared to others, filled more with bonds than battles—
Ash, the protagonist of that world, possessed a determination that could rival any warrior from any realm!
BOOM!!!
A devastating force exploded from his fist!
The Goblin King, still locking arms with Ash in their struggle, suddenly froze.
And in the very next second—
The world around it blurred.
No—
The world wasn't moving.
It was.
It was sent flying!!!
Brock and Misty, who had been preparing to ambush the Goblin King from behind, could only stare in stunned silence.
"..."
"…."
CRASH!!!
The Goblin King slammed into a nearby tent, obliterating it on impact.
Yet, almost immediately, it scrambled to its feet, eyes wide with fear and disbelief.
"IMPOSSIBLE!!! HOW DID YOUR POWER INCREASE SO MUCH?!"
Ash flexed his arm. Sparks of residual electricity danced across his skin.
He glanced at Brock and Misty before grinning.
"Let's go!"
"Time to claim our first dungeon boss kill!"
"On it!"
"No problem!"
Without hesitation, the three charged forward, surrounding the Goblin King.
Even with his newfound strength, Ash wasn't able to end the fight in one blow.
But now, with Brock and Misty backing him up, the Goblin King was on the defensive.
Having realized that its lightning was completely ineffective against Ash, it began retreating, trying to find an escape route.
Unfortunately for the Goblin King—
Brock was already one step ahead.
He stepped forward, blocking its path.
"You're not going anywhere."
Since the magic Earth Wall was no longer effective against the Goblin King, Brock had no choice but to use his own body to create more offensive opportunities for Ash.
After learning the Petrified Skin spell, his body had become as hard as rock.
Even if it couldn't deal much damage to the Goblin King, it was still a powerful magic!
Meanwhile, Misty continued to provide support, launching strategic attacks when the timing was right.
Each time she used Spirit Rope, it briefly restrained the Goblin King for a few seconds, making it difficult for him to move.
Finally, under the combined efforts of all three, Ash delivered a devastating punch, bringing the Goblin King down with regret and unwillingness still etched across its face.
And in that instant—
The Goblin King's body dissolved into three streaks of white light, which then entered the bodies of Brock and Misty.
Both of them immediately leveled up.
As for Ash, since he had already advanced earlier, he simply gained a large amount of experience points.
"Ash!"
After the battle, Misty was stunned on the spot, momentarily overwhelmed by disbelief and excitement.
Brock, however, remained calm. Without wasting any time, he stepped forward and collected the items the Goblin King had dropped.
But just as he did—
An electronic voice suddenly echoed from the sky, as if it came from another world, reverberating across the entire land.
[World Announcement!]
[Congratulations to players Ash, Brock, and Misty for achieving the first dungeon boss kill! Rewards: +1 level, +1 ultimate skill tailored to their main profession, and a permanent 20% discount in the special store.]
[Congratulations to players Ash, Brock, and Misty for achieving the first dungeon boss kill…]
[Congratulations…]
The announcement rang out three times.
At that moment, players across the world were forced to hear the notification echoing in their ears.
The names Ash, Brock, and Misty were now permanently imprinted in the minds of every player.
Meanwhile…
Deep within Golden City's exclusive dungeon—[Dense Forest Cat Demon Dungeon], located over half a district away from Cerulean City…
"Lance, watch out! It's about to release poisonous gas again!"
Lorelei's urgent warning snapped through the air as she noticed her teammate momentarily distracted by the world announcement.
"Huh?!"
Lance turned his head, only to find himself directly in the path of a thick purple fog creeping toward him.
At that very moment—
A shadowy figure suddenly leapt in front of him and threw a powerful punch forward.
The sheer force of the attack generated a fierce gust of wind, delaying the spread of the poisonous gas for a brief moment.
Realizing the danger, Lance swiftly regained his composure.
With a single powerful flap of his dragon wings, he grabbed Bruno and soared backward, pulling both of them out of harm's way.
As soon as they cleared the area, the poisonous mist resumed its slow advance.
Wherever it passed, vegetation withered instantly, the lush greenery fading into lifeless decay.
Not far from the battlefield, an elderly woman struck the ground with her cane and turned a sharp gaze toward Lance and Bruno.
Then—
A long, narrow shadow stretched out from the tip of her cane, rapidly shifting into a shadowy duplicate of herself.
The shadow figure stepped forward, entering the poisonous mist without hesitation.
And the next second—
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Flashes of cold steel sliced through the air.
The shadowy figure was instantly torn apart by a flurry of razor-sharp claws.
A moment later—
A half-man-sized cat demon emerged from the poisonous mist, its disheveled fur bristling with menace.
This was it—
The Boss of the [Dense Forest Cat Demon Dungeon]—the target of Lance and his team!
The instant the shadow clone was destroyed, the elderly woman let out a faint groan, momentarily clutching her chest in pain.
"Ninja Art—Ice Spikes!"
Until now, Lorelei had remained silent, but with precise timing, she unleashed her attack.
Several sharp ice spikes shot toward the cat demon—
But with incredible agility, it dodged every single one with ease.
"Tch. What a slippery little bastard."
Lance clicked his tongue in frustration before glancing apologetically at his teammates.
Then—
With a sudden flap of his dragon wings, he unleashed a powerful gust, blowing away the poisonous gas and revealing the cat demon's position once again.
"We can't keep this up! It'll release another poison cloud in just five minutes!"
"Even though it's not lethal, it'll severely weaken our combat ability!"
The elderly woman, standing steady with her cane, reminded everyone.
"Got it, Agatha!"
Lance responded firmly.
Without hesitation, he and Bruno exchanged a quick glance—
And in the very next instant—
A surge of raw energy erupted from both of them as they charged at the cat demon boss.
Lorelei continued using her ice-based ninjutsu to restrict the enemy's movements.
Meanwhile, having recovered from her earlier setback, Agatha once again summoned her shadow magic, sending her doppelgänger into battle to assist Lance and Bruno.
The fight raged on for over ten minutes.
The cat demon unleashed two more waves of poisonous gas, pushing the team to their limits.
But finally—
At the perfect moment, the exhausted cat demon made a critical misstep.
For the first time, it failed to dodge Lorelei's ice spike, taking a direct hit to the abdomen.
Seeing this golden opportunity—
Lance and Bruno immediately lunged forward, launching a relentless flurry of attacks!
Within seconds—
The cat demon boss fell under their combined onslaught.
And as it collapsed—
A notification echoed in the ears of every player in Golden City—
Announcing that the first kill of the [Dense Forest Cat Demon Dungeon] had been secured.