Chapter 393: Another Year Passes
In a remarkably short time, Ditto successfully copied every Pokémon in Kenji's
roster. It was now capable of shifting into any of his partners at a moment's
notice.
However, as perfect as its transformations were, they weren't without flaws.
While Ditto could replicate physical forms and base stats, it couldn't mirror
specialized techniques—it couldn't pull off Gyarados's Hydro Comet, Beedrill's
Super Speed state, or Arbok's intricate Serpent Patterns. Those were unique
abilities born from specific training and biological mutations that went deeper
than just DNA.
Still, even without the "gimmicks," a Ditto that could fight with the raw power
of his team made it a nightmare for anyone in its level bracket.
During training sessions, Ditto usually chose to stay in the form of Beedrill,
causing its growth rate to skyrocket as it mimicked the Ace's movements.
A week later, Kenji finally met with Zhurong Yun to report his meeting with
Matsuma. He kept the specific gifts—the pink Ditto and the Modified Mega
Stone—to himself. Some secrets were too dangerous to share, even with the
Champion.
Zhurong Yun was visibly shaken by the revelation that the owner of the Battle
Tower was the mastermind behind the R-Organization. He immediately initiated a
high-level investigation.
The leads were cold, but they managed to track down the official public manager
of the Tower. As expected, the manager was a high-ranking Team Rocket operative.
To the League's surprise, the operative was remarkably cooperative. He didn't
hide anything; in fact, he offered to hand over the Battle Tower and every
secret R-Organization industrial asset within Huaxia territory to the League
immediately.
The only condition: total amnesty for the former members of the syndicate.
This was clearly Matsuma's final move. He was liquidating his empire and buying
safety for his people.
After a series of intense debates, the Huaxia League officially accepted the
trade. The R-Organization was effectively dismantled.
The sheer scale of Matsuma's industrial footprint was staggering. Once the cards
were on the table, the League discovered that Team Rocket had established
business interests in nearly every major city in the country. Now, all of those
resources belonged to the state.
Kenji, however, had moved on from the politics. He and Li Heng were currently
traveling back to Lincheng for the holidays.
With the New Year approaching, they were in no rush. Kenji had Ditto transform
into a massive Aerodactyl, and the two friends enjoyed a scenic flight home
across the country.
Li Heng's talent as a trainer was finally starting to shine. After transferring
to Metropolis Academy and having access to real resources, his strength had
surged. He was now on track to match some of the school's top prodigies. Kenji
knew that with a bit more work, Li Heng would be ready for his own Gym Challenge
circuit within a year or two.
They touched down in Lincheng, the air familiar and cool. Their first stop was
the source of their childhood memories: Bin's BBQ.
"Holy crap, look at this place!"
Kenji and Li Heng stood before the restaurant, both letting out a gasp of
surprise.
It had been months since they'd seen it. The humble stall was gone, replaced by
a massive, high-end establishment. The interior decor was modern and upscale,
looking more like a five-star lounge than a grill.
And this was just the flagship location. Thanks to Kenji's endorsement as the
Grand Champion, Bin's BBQ had become a viral sensation. They had opened branches
in every major city in East Mountain Province, and more were planned nationwide.
The boys walked inside. Auntie Mei's usual spot at the register was now occupied
by a pretty young woman in a sharp uniform.
"Lara, where's my mom?" Li Heng asked, knocking on the counter.
The girl looked up, eyes widening in surprise. "Heng?! You're back? And who
is..."
Her gaze drifted to the boy in sunglasses beside him. The answer was immediate.
Her eyes sparkled, and she looked like she was about to scream.
Li Heng quickly put a finger to his lips, making a "hush" sign. He coughed
awkwardly. "Lara, come on. Do you want me to see my mom or do you want to cause
a riot?"
Lara caught herself and clamped her hands over her mouth, though she couldn't
stop the frantic, excited nodding. "She's upstairs in the office! She's been so
busy. She didn't say you were coming home today!"
"Heh, it's a surprise."
...
After a quick catch-up, Li Heng led Kenji upstairs. Kenji's status was too high
now; staying in the public dining area was a recipe for a mob scene.
When Uncle Bin and Auntie Mei saw the two of them, they froze for a heartbeat
before erupting into joy. They crowded around the boys, alternating between hugs
and scolding Li Heng for not calling ahead.
Under their warm hospitality, Kenji and Li Heng had a massive, home-cooked
lunch.
Afterward, Kenji left Li Heng to spend time with his family and headed to his
own home in Lincheng.
It was the luxury villa Director He had provided him a year ago. Even though he
was rarely there, the Director kept a cleaning crew on retainer. The place was
spotless, ready for his return.
"Dit-dit...!"
A small pink head poked out of Kenji's backpack—Ditto.
Beside him, Ninetales (in her human form) let out a soft laugh. She used her
psychic power to lift the blob from the bag and cradled it in her arms like a
plush toy.
"Go ahead and play with the little guy in the living room," Kenji told her. "I'm
going to head upstairs and check the place out."
Ninetales nodded and warped onto the sofa in a flicker of light, already poking
at the bouncy Ditto. Kenji smiled and started up the stairs, the weight of the
last year finally starting to feel light.
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you