Sinnoh Region- Celestic Town
In a quiet villa perched on a hill, Cynthia sat curled up on her sofa, a cup of tea in hand.
Her bare feet, toenails painted a soft ivory gold, swung idly as she gazed at the now-dark television.
The broadcast had ended. Ash's battle against Koga was over, and there was nothing left to watch.
Yet Cynthia's thoughts lingered on the final scene… and Ash's words.
"The power of Victini… The Pokémon said to bring victory to its Trainer."
Cynthia murmured softly, her golden eyes glinting.
"So, Victini, the God of Victory itself. A righteous Trainer who longs for victory might catch its attention… plausible, yes, but…"
She smiled faintly.
"Something about that story doesn't sit right. It seems I'll have to see this year's Indigo Plateau Conference for myself."
For a Champion of Cynthia's stature, the Indigo Plateau Conference was usually little more than a child's game. Even a talented rookie who'd been training for two years could only go so far.
Trainers like Cynthia, who began their journey at fifteen with Pokémon already at Gym-level, were rare, perhaps only a handful in the world.
Few families could afford to provide such a head start.
And so, the Indigo Conference had never once caught her attention.In truth, even in her debut year, she could have swept through it without breaking a sweat.
But if her debut self were to face Ash as he was now… she wasn't entirely sure of the outcome.
Even if Bulbasaur's strength had come from Victini, what about Charizard and Pikachu before that?Could those two have been powered by Victini as well? Impossible.
A weak Bulbasaur might have reached Champion-level only through divine help, but Charizard and Pikachu had fought entirely on their own, and still won.
That meant Ash's own power as a Trainer, even without divine intervention, was enough to match a standard Elite.
Of course, that assumed the Elite had no prior knowledge of his battle style.
If they did… it would be a different story.
"If anyone thinks Elites are pushovers just because Ash beat a prospective one today, they're dead wrong," Cynthia said to herself, lips curving slightly.
Even an average observer could spot the flaws in Ash's battles.His Pokémon, while fierce and dynamic, had clear weaknesses in stamina and defense.
Charizard and Pikachu both relied on overwhelming bursts of power.A patient opponent who boosted their own stats first and dragged the fight out could easily wear them down.
"Koga made one mistake," Cynthia mused. "He kept attacking. If he'd simply built up buffs or used large-scale techniques to chip away, Ash wouldn't have lasted long."
She chuckled softly.
In her mind, she could already see ten different strategies that would dismantle Ash's tactics, all assuming she had his battle data.
Still, that was precisely what made Ash interesting.
He was raw, unpredictable, and unrefined, but he learned fast.
If he could already challenge Elites now, what would he become in another year?
Cynthia reached for her phone.
"Hello, Lorelei? It's me. Get me a special viewing seat for the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"Yes, that's right. I want to attend personally."
"Why? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to see that Kanto boy."
A playful smile crept across her face as she listened to Lorelei's teasing.
"What? You're calling me the cradle-robber? Hah, says the woman who once scouted a ten-year-old prodigy! Fine, fine, I'll see you there."
She hung up, still smiling, a rare glimmer of genuine excitement lighting her expression.
For the first time, Cynthia was looking forward to one of Kanto's "rookie tournaments."
But she wasn't the only one.
Across the world, Elites and Champions who had watched the match were already contacting the Kanto League, each requesting special access to this year's Conference.
The phones at League headquarters rang non-stop.
The Indigo Plateau, once dismissed as a "rookie cradle" or "chicken-pecking contest," suddenly became the hottest stage on the planet.
Meanwhile, the cause of all this commotion had already quietly left Fuchsia City.
Guided by Gardevoir's Teleport, Ash, Misty, and Brock reappeared on a remote mountain trail, far from the noise and flashing cameras.Finally, they could sit down and breathe.
They should have headed straight for the Pokémon Center to heal their exhausted team, but that was impossible now.
Fuchsia City had exploded with attention.
The streets were flooded with Trainers, journalists, and fans.
For Ash, setting foot there again would've meant being mobbed within seconds.
After all, he had just done the unthinkable: a rookie had crushed a Elite and done it in spectacular fashion.
Of course, Ash's "Victini" story had soothed the frenzy a bit, but few people truly understood the name.
Outside of Koga and a handful of scholars, almost no one in Kanto had ever even heard of Victini. To most, Ash's explanation sounded like a poetic excuse, or just pure humility.
Only those who really knew Pokémon mythology would have paused and realized the terrifying implications behind that name.
Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting out a long sigh.
"Is this what being famous feels like? That was terrifying! Those people don't even care about personal space anymore!"
He slumped onto a nearby rock.
In the past, he'd dreamed of this, of standing in the spotlight, being cheered by crowds.
Every kid with a big dream wanted that at some point.
But now that it had finally happened… it didn't feel quite the way he imagined.
"Actually," Brock said calmly as the three of them finally escaped the mob, "this is happening because, right now, you only have fame, Ash, not the position or authority that usually comes with it."
Ash blinked. "Huh?"
Brock pushed his glasses up, his expression turning serious."Think about it. Look at Mr. Koga, or any of the Elites and Champions. When they walk around in public, sure, they attract crowds, but nobody dares to grab them or shout in their face. People line up politely for photos, and even the press keeps a respectful distance."
"That's not just respect," he continued. "It's hierarchy. Elites and Champions have status, real, recognized status. People admire them, but they're also afraid to cross them. You, Ash… you've got the fame, but not the power behind it."
Ash let out a long, defeated sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "So I'm famous without the rank to back it up… great."
He slumped a little, muttering under his breath, "Guess I'll have to lay low until I win the Indigo Conference. Maybe then people will at least hesitate before tackling me."
"By the way!" Misty suddenly burst out, hands on her hips. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, mister! What exactly happened to Bulbasaur out there? And when did Pikachu suddenly get two new special moves? And Charizard's rainbow fire, what even was that? Don't tell me you're hiding things from us too!"
She fired questions like a machine gun, barely stopping for air.
Brock crossed his arms, nodding. "To be fair, she's got a point. That battle confused even us, and we've been with you from the start."
Indeed, the two of them had been with Ash from day one, through forests, cities, and every Gym so far. And yet, each time he battled, he managed to pull off something that left them both speechless.
The partner fusion form at Cerulean Gym.
Surf Pikachu at Vermilion.
The strange dual aura resonance at Saffron.
The double evolution during the Celadon battle.
But Fuchsia? Fuchsia had been on a completely different level.
Three Pokémon. Three unprecedented displays of power.Every single one defied reason.
When the heck did he even have time to train them like that?!
Ash scratched his head, giving a sheepish grin. "Ahaha… well, about that…"
He paused, then recited the excuse he'd carefully prepared long ago.
"Charizard's flame is called Sacred Fire, yeah, that Sacred Fire, the one belonging to Ho-Oh."
Misty and Brock's jaws dropped.
Ash nodded quickly, continuing before they could interrupt.
"The Rainbow Feather's been with Charizard for a long time. It's soaked up Ho-Oh's divine energy, and Charizard sort of… inherited it. But he couldn't use it before, not properly. This time, under the pressure of an Champion-level opponent, he finally broke through. Once he gets used to it, he'll be able to control that flame completely."
Both his companions stared at him, wide-eyed.
So it really was Ho-Oh's flame?!
No wonder Charizard had been able to incinerate an Champion-level Pokémon's attacks!
"As for Pikachu's new moves," Ash said, holding up a hand, "I only discovered them recently myself. One's called Floating Fall, it lets Pikachu stay in the air for a short time. Not really flying, exactly. More like… floating, suspended by his lightning. The duration's super short, so I named it 'Floating Fa;;.'"
Misty's eyes widened. "Wait, Pikachu can fly now?!"
"Kind of," Ash said, scratching his cheek. "Just don't expect him to hover around like Pidgeot."
"And the second one?" Brock asked.
Ash smiled, his eyes softening as he glanced at Pikachu.
"That one's called Sparkling Lightning. The power depends entirely on the bond between me and Pikachu. And since our bond has no limit… theoretically, the move doesn't either."
He paused, his tone lowering.
"Also, when it's used, the lightning automatically locks onto the target. It never misses."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Misty blinked. "So… a guaranteed-hit, no-upper-limit move…?"
Honestly, even a Legendary Pokémon reincarnation shouldn't be able to reach this kind of power.
Misty and Brock's faces were still frozen in disbelief, but Ash acted as though he hadn't seen them at all.
"As for Bulbasaur's strength," he continued smoothly, "didn't you heard me earlier? That was the power of Victini, a mythical Pokémon, the so-called God of Victory! It's said to grant infinite energy to righteous Trainers who burn with the desire to win!"
Misty blinked.
"But why you? Didn't Mr. Koga say Victini usually appears in the Unova region?"
Ash shrugged dramatically, hands raised.
"Hey, who knows where a mythical Pokémon will go? They're free spirits, they roam the world! Maybe Victini was passing through Kanto, saw me giving it everything I had in those first two battles, and decided I was worthy."
He smiled, utterly shameless.
It was a perfect lie, one conveniently handed to him by Champion Ash before he left.
In truth, the real Ash didn't even know what Victini was.
He'd never heard of Xerneas either, the other name Champion Ash had mentioned before departing.
'I'll just look them up in the group chat later,' Ash thought.
For now, Victini makes a perfect all-purpose excuse.
Still, after hearing Koga's own explanation of Victini, he understood exactly why Champion Ash had chosen that cover story.
If Victini really was as mysterious and powerful as the legends claimed, then this excuse sounded far more believable than "I was possessed by another version of myself."
It was, essentially, a divine version of Aura Fusion Plus Ultra.
Even saying Bulbasaur was boosted to Champion level didn't sound unreasonable in that context.
Misty, however, wasn't letting him off so easily.
"Hold on, Ash. If Victini only appeared after you won the first two matches, then what was your original plan? What Pokémon were you going to use for the third battle to beat Koga?"
Ash blinked, then spread his hands in mock helplessness.
"Honestly? I never planned to win all three. If I'd brought Gengar, maybe I'd have had a chance. Without him, no way. I just wanted my team to face strong pressure and use the battle for experience… but well, surprises tend to happen faster than I expect."
Misty groaned, throwing her arms up.
"Only you would think of using Cgampion-level Pokémon as training dummies! Aren't you afraid you'll break your 'whetstone' before you're done sharpening it?"
Ash grinned, completely unfazed.
"My partners aren't that fragile. Anyway, let's heal them up first."
He released Charizard, who landed with a heavy thud, his body still steaming faintly with lingering heat from the battle.
Ash raised his hand, green light flickering at his fingertips as he channeled his Tokiwa Power.
Warm waves of energy flowed from him, washing over Charizard and Pikachu. Their fatigue melted away, the burns and bruises vanishing as if they'd never been.
This fight had been monumental for all of them.
The progress in this battle was more than that of half a month of normal training, even comparable to three or four months for an average Trainer.