"Is this… Tokiwa Power?"
Ash closed his eyes, feeling the new energy coursing through him, gentle, soothing, and utterly unlike Aura.
Aura was dynamic, versatile, it could become a blade sharper than steel or a barrier tougher than diamond depending on the user's will.
But Tokiwa Power was nothing like that. It didn't attack, it didn't defend, it simply flowed.
Even so, its depth and purity were astounding. If he had to compare it, this energy alone surpassed the power within an Elite-level Alakazam.
That meant… it could even heal Champion-level Pokémon.
Previously, that had been a major weakness for Ash. If a Pokémon was gravely injured, he could only barely sustain its life using Aura.
Like with Charmander back then, if not for Ho-Oh's Rainbow feather, even his Aura could only have stabilized Charmander temporarily.
Riolu was an exception because Aura resonated perfectly with it, but any other Pokémon would've been beyond saving in the same condition.
Now, with Tokiwa Power, that had finally changed.
When it came to healing, this energy completely outclassed Aura!
Even Riolu's recovery time could now be drastically shortened. What once would've taken twenty days might now take less than half.
If any of his Pokémon got hurt in the wild, Ash could treat them immediately with this power.
He grinned to himself, amused by the thought.
"Haha… maybe they'll start calling me the Miracle Healer!"
"Hey, Ash, are you okay? Why are you grinning like an idiot all of a sudden?" Misty asked, giving him a wary look.
A guy sipping juice with a weird smile? Yeah, that was suspicious.
"Huh? Cough...uh, nothing. Just thought of something nice," Ash said quickly, waving his hands.
"What kind of 'something nice'?"
"Ah… well, it's like… I suddenly awakened a new power. One that helps with Pokémon healing and recovery," he explained awkwardly.
He only mentioned one aspect of it, no need to make it sound like he'd somehow mastered an ancient force in his sleep.
Even that small explanation was enough to make Misty and Brock stare at him like he'd grown a second head.
"No way. You took one nap, and now you're saying you've awakened another power? You serious?!" Brock exclaimed.
"What, did battling Sabrina unlock your chakras or something?"
"Yeah, he's like, 'Oh, just awakened a new ability,' like he's talking about drinking a bottle of water! This is so unfair!" Misty huffed.
Ash chuckled. "It's true! Look, I'll show you."
He reached out and placed his hand gently on Pikachu's head.
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted its head, blinking curiously.
A warm, emerald glow spread from Ash's hand, and a soft pulse of energy seeped into Pikachu's body.
"Pikaaa~~~!" Pikachu let out a long, contented sigh. The little mouse melted on the table, eyes half-closed in pure bliss.
It was like a cool breeze and an ice cream on a scorching day, refreshing beyond words. Even the soreness in its feet vanished completely.
Watching Pikachu's goofy, happy expression, Misty and Brock traded stunned glances.
"No way… He really awakened another ability!" Brock murmured.
"You try, Misty," Ash said, turning to her with a grin.
"Eh? W–wait..."
Before she could protest, Ash gently took her hand. Misty froze, her cheeks instantly flushing bright red.
Seriously… what was with him and this habit of holding hands lately?!
But before she could say anything, warmth blossomed from her palm, flowing up her arm and spreading through her entire body.
All the fatigue she'd built up during their travels just melted away.
"Ah~~~ Mmph!!"
She immediately realized how wrong that sounded coming out of her mouth, clapped a hand over it, and shot a glare at Ash.
Meanwhile, Brock's eyebrows shot up. His gaze bounced between them, and a knowing smirk began to creep across his face.
Seeing his expression only made Misty's blush deepen to scarlet. She released her hand and snapped, "Ash, let Brock try it too!"
"Huh? Oh, sure!"
Ash reached over and repeated the gesture.
"Ahhhh~~~ Mmph!!"
Brock's eyes rolled back slightly, and he quickly covered his mouth just like Misty had. The sensation was too good, a full-body wave of relaxation like he'd just come out of a luxury massage.
"What… what is this power…?! It feels amazing!" Brock said, trembling slightly.
"See?" Ash smiled triumphantly, withdrawing his hand. "Now you believe me? I really did awaken a new ability."
The two exchanged glances, then both nodded. There was no denying it, the feeling had been real. Whatever Ash had awakened, it was something entirely new, and its soothing, restorative effect was undeniable.
"This is incredible," Brock muttered, rubbing his arm where the warmth still lingered. "How do you just… suddenly awaken powers like this, Ash? Are you the reincarnation of some Legendary Pokémon or something?"
"Don't even joke about it," Misty added, half teasing, half serious. "He's amazing at battles, has all these weird powers, and can even talk to Pokémon. You might actually have been some kind of Legendary in your past life."
Ash could only sigh, waving his hands in exasperation.
"Reincarnation? Come on! These are all my own powers! I earned them!"
Yeah, maybe they were originally from his other selves in parallel worlds, but those versions were still him.
Misty and Brock, of course, didn't understand any of that. They just exchanged another look, both thinking the same thing: He's impossible.
As for Tokiwa Power, Ash couldn't just blurt out the truth. He'd find more information about it later and then "accidentally" bring it up to make it sound natural.
Before long, they'd finished shopping and taken a short break. With Ash using Tokiwa Power to refresh them, both Misty and Brock were bursting with energy again.
So, the trio set out once more, this time toward Celadon City, home of the next Gym.
The Celadon Gym wasn't too far from Saffron; if they traveled efficiently, they could get there within a week. Well, if they didn't get lost.
Their first stop was, as always, the Pokémon Center. There, Ash reported his victory over Sabrina to Professor Oak and sent Gengar back to the lab.
At this point, Gengar hadn't bothered reverting to its Gastly form, it seemed too lazy to keep switching back and forth, so it just stayed as Gengar.
After sending Gengar off and retrieving Pidgeotto, Ash reminded Oak to give Gengar a proper rest and checkup before hanging up.
Professor Oak had just opened his mouth to ask for battle details when...click!, the screen went black.
Oak blinked, sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "That boy… Always cutting the call before I can ask anything."
Still, curiosity got the better of him. He released Gengar from its Poké Ball, hoping to at least hear the story from the ghost-type itself.
Meanwhile, Ash's group was already back on the road to Celadon.
As they walked, Ash pulled out the new weighted vests he'd bought earlier and handed them to Pikachu and Charmeleon.
He'd purchased three in total, for Kirlia, Pikachu, and Charmeleon, but Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Pidgeotto couldn't wear them comfortably. Even if they could, they'd look ridiculous in them.
And as for Riolu, well, poor Riolu was still recovering. It couldn't even do light exercise yet, let alone train with weights.
Between the three chosen Pokémon, Kirlia got skipped over. She wasn't much of a close-combat fighter, and the weighted training wouldn't have helped her nearly as much as Pikachu or Charmeleon.
Of course, if Ash had the money, he'd have bought vests for everyone, suitability be damned. But he didn't.
Money might not be everything… but being broke made everything harder.
As he looked over his team, Ash started thinking about ways to earn some quick cash.
And that's when the idea struck him, wild gambling battles.
In the wild, Trainers often challenged each other and wagered money on the outcome. Ash had battled plenty of wild Trainers before, but he'd never really bet money.
Back then, he was just a rookie, barely scraping by. If he'd lost a few matches in a row, he'd probably have had to sell his backpack to eat.
And besides, his mom had always warned him: "Never get into gambling, Ash. It's a dangerous habit."
But now… he had a different perspective.
These "wild gambling battles" weren't really gambling, were they?
Gambling depended on luck. Battles, on the other hand, depended on skill and strength.
So technically… it wasn't gambling at all. Right?
The real reason, however, was still simple, Ash was broke.
Misty and Brock didn't argue against his idea. In fact, they encouraged it. These so-called wild battles weren't just about money; they were a test of skill and endurance. The constant pressure and high stakes could push both Trainer and Pokémon beyond their limits, making them stronger.
So really, it wasn't a bad thing at all.
That's how, over the next few days, a "killing god" appeared on the route between Saffron City and Celadon City.
Six days later, under the blazing noon sun
"Charmeleon, use Flamethrower!!"
"Pidgeotto, dodge it, quick!"
A young man in his twenties shouted desperately, but his Pidgeotto was already barely standing. Its wings trembled, body covered in scorch marks, smoke curling from its feathers.
Before it could even lift off, Charmeleon's orange-red flames engulfed it completely.
When the fire faded, the poor Pidgeotto lay on the ground, charred, smoking, and done for.
"The match is decided," Brock announced, raising his hand. "Charmeleon wins."
The young man slumped to his knees, his face pale with disbelief."H-how… how could I lose to a Rookie Trainer who's only been out for a month?! This can't be happening…"
Ash, meanwhile, walked up calmly and crouched beside the defeated Pidgeotto. He placed his hand on the Pokémon's singed feathers, and a soft green light rippled out from his palm.
The gentle pulse of Tokiwa Power flowed into the injured bird, and within seconds, the burns began to fade. Its breathing steadied; the faint spark of life returned to its eyes.
"There," Ash said quietly, standing up.
Ever since awakening Tokiwa Power, he no longer needed to worry about holding back in battle. Before, he'd always hesitated to go all-out, afraid of seriously injuring an opponent's Pokémon, especially when far from a Pokémon Center.
Now, he could heal them himself.
"Nothing's impossible," Ash said matter-of-factly. "A lot of people have lost to me on this road. Anyway, we agreed on five thousand, right? You can hand it over now."
The young man blinked at him, stunned.
"W-wait… A lot of people? Are you the 'Wild Battle Killer' everyone's been talking about lately?!"
Ash froze. What.
'Wild Battle Killer'? Who in the world came up with that name?!
"I don't know who that is," Ash replied flatly, trying not to grimace. "I'm just a Rookie Trainer passing through. Here, your Pidgeotto's fine now. But next time, check on your Pokémon right after a battle. Ignoring them like that is bad form."
The older Trainer gave a strained smile, scratching his head. "Right… I understand. Thank you for the advice."
He rummaged through his pack, pulling out five crisp bills and handing them to Ash.
"Here's the five thousand."
Ash didn't even count it, just tucked it straight into his backpack.He couldn't help the little grin that tugged at his lips.
Five thousand in one battle, that was a big win.
Most Trainers on the road could only afford bets of one or two thousand.
Only those extremely confident in their skills, or those who thought they'd found an easy mark, would dare to wager that much.
And a "newbie" like Ash?
He was the perfect bait.
Sure, his Pokédex showed that he wasn't an ordinary beginner, but the recorded journey time, barely a month and a half, made every overconfident Trainer think they could crush him.
They couldn't.
One by one, they fell.
In just six days, Ash had fought over sixty battles and earned nearly a hundred thousand pokedollars.
If not for his Tokiwa Power healing both his team and their opponents, his Pokémon probably wouldn't have survived such relentless fighting.
But thanks to that same power, Ash and his team just kept going, unstoppable.
And so, the stories began to spread.
Whispers along the road spoke of a mysterious young Trainer who defeated everyone he faced. A boy who healed even the Pokémon he'd just crushed.
A boy they called…
The Wild Battle Killer.
If Ash stayed on this route any longer, he'd probably become a minor celebrity.