Sensing Ash's doubt, the boy introduced himself with great confidence—but Ash would never believe that someone with only advanced peak-level strength was truly a Gym Leader.
"Abi, stop causing trouble and get down from that tree already!"
As expected, just when Ash started to question him, a clear female voice rang out. Startled, Abi lost his balance and tumbled off the thick branch.
"Abi!"
Hearing the panic in the approaching voice, Ash turned toward the sound just in time to see the newcomer.
A woman with short, black, androgynous-style hair sprinted toward them. Her face was delicate, her figure slender—youthful, but with a steadiness about her.
"Mokuton!"
A tree erupted from beneath the falling Abi, branches weaving themselves into a cushion of leaves. The living platform caught the boy gently, lowering him to the ground as the roots withdrew.
"Amazing…" Abi muttered in awe, staring at the fading wooden structure. This was his first time seeing anyone manipulate trees like that.
Even the nearby Grass-type Pokémon paused, and the young girls tending to them exchanged shocked glances. Psychic abilities were common enough—but controlling trees like this? Only certain Legendary Pokémon possessed such power. Humans? Almost never.
"Hello, and thank you for saving my younger brother. My name is Sato Miwako, a trainer of the Hinoki Gym." Miwako approached Ash, extending her hand politely once she confirmed that Abi was unharmed.
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town in Kanto. I'm here to challenge the Gym." He shook her hand briefly, then let go.
"I've heard of you," Miwako said warmly. "Kanto's strongest champion… rumors about you travel fast."
Her gentle smile softened the air around them, sweet like the scent of flowers in the greenhouse.
"This is my younger brother, Abi. Sorry—he often pretends to be the Hinoki Gym Leader and challenges random visitors. He's caused me a lot of trouble. Please don't take it to heart."
"It's fine," Ash replied. "Can I challenge the Gym now? I'm on a tight schedule."
He had no time to waste. Matters on Magic Island could be left to Mewtwo, but collecting every Johto League Badge needed to be done as soon as possible.
He still had to reserve at least one to two months to train his Pokémon properly. Without relying on Skill Discs, natural growth always required time.
"Alright. Please follow me."
Miwako led Ash to a vast battlefield of lush green grass. At the same moment, the upper panels of the greenhouse opened, flooding the entire area with warm sunlight.
"So that's how it works… This really is an ideal field for Grass-type Pokémon," Ash murmured. Under such perfect conditions, Grass Pokémon would naturally fight at greater strength than usual.
"I advise you to give up now. There's no way you can beat my sister."
Abi crossed his arms and sneered, glaring at Ash. At eleven years old, he clearly had no idea who Ash was—or what kind of power he wielded.
"Abi, be quiet and watch," Miwako said sharply. Unlike her brother, she fully understood who stood before her. The boy who looked slightly younger than her possessed strength at a level she could only imagine.
"The battle rules are three-on-three," Abi declared, stepping into the referee's spot with a red and green flag in his hands.
"The challenger may switch Pokémon freely."
"I guessed correctly… These two are from the Sato family of Johto. No wonder they could build a greenhouse of this size."
After observing the surroundings a bit more, Ash confirmed his initial suspicion.
"The match will now begin! The first Pokémon I'll use is—come out, Ariados!"
As the battle started, Miwako threw her Poké Ball. A burst of white light revealed the sharp-legged spider Pokémon, its crimson body and horn-like spike gleaming beneath the sunlight.
"A king-level Ariados, dual Bug/Poison typing. Looks like this woman isn't weak… but compared to Lorelei, she's still far behind."
Ash couldn't help recalling Lorelei, one of the Four Elites of Kanto. Even among Elite-class trainers, the gap between Miwako and Lorelei was far too large.
White light flashed again as Ash revealed his own first choice—Murkrow. After days of rigorous training, its strength had increased enough to be only one step away from evolution, allowing it to jump tiers rapidly despite skipping the quasi-Elite rank.
With mastery of its new skills and a body refined for evolution, Murkrow's combat potential now exceeded the usual boundaries of level and rank.
"Gyaaah!"
Murkrow soared upward the moment it emerged, wings cutting through the air as its caw echoed across the greenhouse. In Ash's previous life, crows were believed to bring misfortune.
But in this world—where Murkrow was a Dark/Flying-type—the superstition felt strangely fitting.
"A Murkrow… A Flying-type? That puts my Ariados at a clear disadvantage," Miwako murmured.
"Ariados, use Poison Sting!"
At her command, Ariados fired a rapid barrage of purple needles from its mouth. A single hit would inflict poisoning—and at king-level potency, unconsciousness could follow quickly.
"Tailwind."
A soft gust spiraled beneath Murkrow's wings. The airflow strengthened instantly, blowing every incoming needle harmlessly aside.