At present, Pidgeot and Fearow had yet to encounter any real difficulty in improving their strength. Even when investing the same resources and putting in the same amount of effort as the others, the signs of their slower growth were still faint and barely noticeable.
However, the signs had appeared nonetheless.
Without any great fortuitous encounters or extraordinary opportunities in the future, the gap between Fearow and Pidgeot on one side and Greninja and Pikachu on the other would only continue to widen.
Although Ash possessed the Source Cleansing, which could improve and enhance a Pokémon's talent and Potential, just as talent differences cannot be bridged through hard work alone, differences in fortune cannot be compensated for through talent.
Pikachu, much like Ash himself, was a Child of Fortune among Pokémon. Even Greninja carried the fortune of the Kalos region upon its shoulders.
Ordinary people could not compare to geniuses, and geniuses were no match for protagonists blessed by destiny.
It was almost as though such things were decreed by heaven itself—something incredibly difficult to change.
...
The 3v3 battle featuring Pikachu, Greninja, and Fearow had been Ash's final match of the evening at the City Arena.
Earlier, Venusaur, Milotic, Gyarados, and even Pidgeot—another member of his first-tier ace lineup—had all already participated in battles.
Thus, after the match concluded and exchanging a few courteous words with his opponent, Mr. Morkel, Ash released the rest of his Pokémon.
Including Venusaur, Milotic, Gyarados, and Pidgeot, who had not appeared in the 3v3 battle, he thanked the fans and spectators watching from the stands before finally leaving the arena with his Pokémon.
"Ash, see you tomorrow."
Leaving the City Arena, Gary and Green returned to Pallet Town in Aunt Mihoko's and his mother Delia's car, while Ash rode his bicycle to escort Clarissa Joy back to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City.
Standing before the steps outside the Pokémon Center, Ash gently kissed the girl's forehead like a true gentleman. Their relationship had progressed to the point where this had become their usual way of saying goodbye.
"Mhm! Ash, see you tomorrow~ (^_^)" the girl replied sweetly.
She didn't immediately turn around to leave. Instead, she quietly waited as Ash rode off on his bicycle with Pikachu and Greninja accompanying him.
Only after watching their figures disappear into the end of the street did she reluctantly turn around and head back inside the Pokémon Center.
"My, my, Clarissa. You and your Ash are getting sweeter by the day. All you do now is shower everyone with Growlithe-level sweetness. What am I supposed to do?" Kinsey Joy teased the moment Joy Clarissa walked back into the Pokémon Center lobby, repeatedly glancing over her shoulder.
"Hehe~ (^▽^)" Half a year ago, such teasing would have made Clarissa Joy blush furiously. But now, her face was filled with nothing but happiness and sweetness. She was completely open and confident about her relationship with Ash.
"Sister Kinsey, are you thinking about falling in love? You're so beautiful that finding a boyfriend should be easy. Trainers come and go through the Pokémon Center every day—I refuse to believe you haven't found anyone you like."
"You cheeky girl, stop teasing me." Kinsey Joy rolled her eyes playfully. "It's true that plenty of Trainers come through here every day, but after seeing your Ash all the time, my standards have gone up considerably. Finding someone as outstanding as him—or even better—isn't exactly easy."
"Hehe, if you don't mind, Sister Kinsey, I don't mind sharing Ash with you~"
"?(???ω???)? You naughty girl! How dare you tease your sister like that? You're asking for a spanking!" Kinsey Joy replied with flushed cheeks and mock indignation.
"Hehe, you can't catch me!" Joy Clarissa laughed before skipping happily toward the dormitories upstairs.
As her training curriculum over the past six months had gradually come to an end, she found herself with increasingly more free time.
Aside from helping Ash handle consultations for their online shop during the afternoons, she would also travel to Pallet Town in the mornings to help him train his Pokémon.
Although she could certainly train her own Pokémon in Viridian City, the efficiency of having a professional like Ash personally guiding them naturally couldn't be compared.
Of course, compared to helping train her Pokémon, what Joy Clarissa valued even more was spending additional time with Ash.
After all, she wasn't the only girl in his life.
In a few years, once they were old enough to freely travel and embark upon Pokémon journeys, she knew she wouldn't be the only girl accompanying him.
Whether there would be more in the future, she didn't know.
But at the very least, aside from herself, there would also be Misty and Serena.
...
Riding his bicycle back toward Pallet Town, it took Ash less than twenty minutes to pass between the twin mountains that served as the gateway to the town before returning home.
Just as he did every day, Ash first headed to the two clinics located at Dashiwan Valley and Stone Bridge to provide treatment for the wild Pokémon gathered there.
Over the past six months, not only had his Pokémon experienced explosive growth in strength, but Ash's own psychic powers had also advanced tremendously.
However, that primarily referred to his Aura abilities.
Half a year ago, during his visit to Cerulean City, he had finally discovered the proper method of practicing the "Listening to All Things" meditation technique and had begun incorporating combat-oriented training into his Aura abilities.
By contrast, the Viridian Power that had previously advanced at a breathtaking pace had slowed down considerably.
After all, there were only three clinics in total. The number of patients they could accommodate each day was limited, and the amount of time Ash could devote to treatment was equally finite.
The number of patients he treated each day remained relatively stable, meaning that the amount of experience gained from his Viridian Power cultivation was similarly fixed.
Furthermore, now that his cultivation level had become significantly higher, the amount of experience required to level up had increased dramatically as well.
The days when opening his third clinic allowed his Viridian Power to rise multiple levels in a single day were long gone.
Not to mention three levels—even spending an entire day treating every injured Pokémon across all three clinics was no longer enough for him to gain a single level.
However, Ash had long anticipated this and wasn't anxious in the slightest.
Strength was something that required time and steady progress. How could anyone expect to achieve greatness overnight?
Moreover, the growth rate of his Viridian Power was already incredibly fast. Ash had no desire to ask for more.
Likewise, he had never considered opening additional clinics simply to increase the amount of experience gained from his Viridian Power.
For one thing, the current three clinics already provided substantial coverage.
Secondly, even if he did establish more clinics, he simply wouldn't have the time to manage them all. At present, he already devoted most of every afternoon—and often the majority of an entire day—to operating his clinics and cultivating his Viridian Power.
Besides, Viridian Power was ultimately meant to serve as support.
As a Pokémon Trainer, his greatest priority would always be helping his Pokémon grow stronger. If he truly wished to improve his personal combat abilities, then Aura cultivation was undoubtedly the superior choice.
Naturally, Ash had never neglected his Aura training.
Much like the first-tier ace Pokémon under his command, his Aura cultivation had already reached the peak of the Gym-level and was only a step away from reaching the Pseudo-Elite Four rank.
Furthermore, his proficiency with Aura Jujutsu, Aura Laijutsu, and Aura Sphere had all reached the Grandmaster level.
As for what came next...
Aside from researching Greninja's Bond Evolution, Ash also planned to begin developing and refining an entirely new series of combat techniques centered around the Rasengan.