Ding!
[Congratulations, Host! Successfully arrived at Veilstone Gym. Sign-in in progress…]
Ding!
[Sign-in successful. Rewards are being distributed…
System Storage Expanded to 27 Cubic Meters!
Master Balls x3!
Potential Boost Cards x6!
Attribute Enhancement Cards x6!]
The rewards were powerful. Insanely powerful!
Just how big is a 27-cubic-meter space?
Imagine a cube with a length, width, and height of three meters each—that's how massive it is!
Ash had a feeling that this system space would undergo some sort of grand transformation one day—provided he kept signing in and earning rewards.
Three more Master Balls were added to his collection. Their utility was unquestionable. With these, Ash now had six Master Balls in total—and he hadn't used any of them yet!
Was the system encouraging him to build a legendary Pokémon army?
As for the attribute enhancement cards—Ash had received six in the past and used one on his Chimchar to help it master Blaze Awakening. Now, with six more in hand, he had a total of eleven left to use.
The potential boost cards were another big win. He hadn't received any in a while. Now, he could use these to strengthen his secondary team. All he needed was the right opportunity.
__
The Veilstone Gym was the third gym challenge for Ash in the Sinnoh region.
Ash had already resolved to use his newly caught Pokémon for each of his Sinnoh gym battles. That way, the fresh recruits could quickly grow in strength and experience.
Previously, Reggie—Paul's older brother—had mentioned an impressive trainer who traveled with a Pikachu capable of Volt Tackle.
Now, seeing Ash in person, he instantly realized that the person Paul kept talking about… had to be Ash.
He silently hoped that Ash could bring some change to Paul's rigid, cold personality.
With that thought, Reggie headed home to summon his younger brother.
__
Paul didn't hesitate when Reggie told him that Ash was waiting for him at Veilstone Gym.
If Ash was calling him out, Paul wanted to see what he was planning.
__
Inside the Veilstone Gym…
"Maylene," Ash asked calmly, "what do you think is the difference between you and a trainer like Paul?"
Maylene thought for a moment before answering.
"Paul… he treats Pokémon like tools. He's completely focused on achieving strength—ruthless strength. And… he is strong. As a Gym Leader, I couldn't even put up a decent fight…"
"Luca!"
Lucario growled, clearly upset with his trainer's self-doubt.
Ash gently shook his head.
"You've misunderstood something, Maylene. Who ever said Gym Leaders are supposed to win every match against challengers? That's not the point of being a Gym Leader, is it?"
"You think Paul is strong, so you feel unworthy. That's where your thinking went wrong. When the League appointed you as Veilstone's Gym Leader, it was because you were already a powerful and capable Trainer."
"As for Paul, this so-called 'strong trainer' of yours—he couldn't even withstand a single move from one of my Pokémon."
"To me? He's weak. He has no right to belittle others, much less judge them."
Ash said this very deliberately—because he could already sense Paul and Reggie standing just outside the room, using his Aura powers.
__
Paul clenched his teeth as he listened.
Reggie, noticing his tightened fists, let out a quiet sigh.
Paul was still haunted by what had happened to Reggie—his older brother—when he lost to Brandon of the Battle Frontier. That loss changed everything.
Back then, Paul was a Trainer like any other—just like Ash, Maylene, or Reggie. He had passion and love for Pokémon.
But after Brandon told Reggie that his fighting style was flashy but hollow, Paul misunderstood. He thought it meant that caring for Pokémon was a weakness.
So he hardened his heart, vowing to become stronger—by shutting out emotion and relying on results alone.
__
"But think about it," Ash continued inside the Gym. "Every member of the Elite Four, every Pokémon League Champion—heck, even most of the so-called villains—what do they all have in common?"
"They care about their Pokémon."
"They're not tools. This isn't some video game. Pokémon are living beings. They understand us. They feel our emotions."
"I don't know what Paul's past Pokémon were like, but I can tell you one thing—those Pokémon used to smile."
"The ones he has now? They've forgotten how to."
"Smiles are contagious. Bonds are powerful. And when Pokémon truly feel your heart—that's the real foundation of strength."
Paul stood motionless at the door.
"There's a kind of special stone that can boost a Pokémon's power—but only when the Trainer and Pokémon share a powerful bond. That bond is called Affinity."
"When that affinity is strong enough, it creates a phenomenon known as a link—a connection that enhances strength. Paul? He's on a dead-end path."
"He's incapable of forming those bonds. His growth is capped. If he doesn't change… he'll never beat Brandon, not in this lifetime."
__
Ash was referring to Mega Stones. He was sure the research had reached completion by now.
It was likely that the Kalos League had already proposed the concept of Mega Evolution.
Ash never planned for the Devon Corporation to monopolize the stones. That wouldn't be realistic. The Pokémon League would never allow it.
Still, Devon would surely profit the most—and most of those profits would end up in Ash's pocket.
The League was just helping him scale this project. They were his temporary workforce.
__
He'd said all he needed to say.
Maylene was a Gym Leader. If she didn't get it now, she'd have no one to blame but herself.
"Thank you, Ash," Maylene said, eyes brimming with clarity. "I understand now."
"Lucario… thank you for always believing in me. Come on, let's give Ash the kind of Gym Battle he deserves!"
"Luca—!!"
Lucario's eyes gleamed with determination.
The two of them turned to face Ash, eyes burning with battle spirit.
"No problem. Let's see what you've got!"
"Pikapi!"
Pikachu added with a chirp, fired up as well.
Ash's fighting spirit surged like wildfire.
Dawn and Anabel exchanged a glance. Ash really knows what he's talking about…
Some things just didn't need to be said out loud.
The battle between Ash and Maylene was about to begin!
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T/N:
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