Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

“MU! Mu.......”

After being knocked to the ground by a concentrated barrage of attacks, Murkor initially trembled as it tried to get up, but after several attempts, it ultimately failed to overcome its physical limitations and collapsed to the ground, unable to fight.

"Go!"

Seeing this, Ash didn't think much of it. He simply took an empty Poké Ball from his belt, enlarged it, and threw it out.

A flash of red light, and without struggling, M'kl was directly captured into the Poké Ball. The Poké Ball didn't even tremble, meaning that this capture was perfect.

"I've tamed Mukkel!"

"Pickup!"

"OKI!"

After Ash picked up the Poké Ball containing Staraptor, Pikachu and Aipom celebrated. They hadn't expected that their first partner caught in the Sinnoh region would be so easy.

"Wow, that's amazing... there wasn't a single unnecessary movement."

Although Dawn is still a novice when it comes to Pokémon battles, Ash's command skills in this battle are so impressive that even a layman can see the value in them.

He made the right choice in every situation, and even used Shadow Clone to create a false impression for Stark, thus hiding the true location of Aipom, in order to deliver the final fatal blow.

"Wow, that was so decisive... It feels like Ash's command skills have improved dramatically in such a short time? Did he undergo special training?"

Not only Dawn, but even Brock, who had been traveling with Ash for a long time, was surprised by this.

No... perhaps it's precisely because they've traveled together for so long and understand each other better that Xiaogang is starting to feel that Xiaozhi is quite extraordinary now.

Even though the opponent was just an ordinary Stark, Ash would have been at a disadvantage at first, unlike today when he appeared so strong and confident.

"Hmph, you want to subdue someone of this caliber?"

“?!” xN

Just as Ash put away Stark's Poké Ball, before Dawn and Brock could congratulate him, an untimely voice suddenly came from behind them.

"You are......"

"Hey! What do you mean by that? That's incredibly rude!"

Xiao Gang wanted to ask about the other party's identity first, while Xiao Guang, who was more impatient and straightforward, directly expressed his dissatisfaction on behalf of Xiao Zhi.

Ash looked at the other person, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

He had short purple hair, wore a long-sleeved jacket in purple and dark turquoise, and his face was full of indifference, as if he didn't care about anything in the world. His gaze towards others was only scrutinizing.

Shinji.

Ash's strongest and most formidable rival during his travels in the Sinnoh region was a trainer whose views on Pokémon training were completely opposite to Ash's. This trainer emphasized Pokémon talent, type advantages, and various tactics.

"I'm just telling the truth."

Despite Hikari's aggressive demeanor, Shinji showed no intention of changing his answer.

He paid no attention to Hikari and Brock who were blocking his way, his gaze fixed on Satoshi who was observing him.

"Your command skills are decent, so you should be considered a pretty good trainer. If that's the case, you should be more selective when choosing Pokémon."

He said this in a guiding tone:

"That Murkor is arrogant, but it doesn't have the strength to match its arrogance. In just a few rounds of fighting, it couldn't figure out the situation at all. Although it has some fighting awareness, it is too stupid. The skills it uses are just those that most Murks can master."

"What exactly do you mean? So, in your opinion, Ash shouldn't have caught this Stark?"

"This has nothing to do with me. I'm just giving my advice from the perspective of a Pokémon trainer. After all, if you have to catch something like this... well, even the best command skills are useless."

"you--"

"Okay, calm down."

Seeing that Xiaoguang was about to get really angry, Xiaogang quickly stopped her and then looked at Xiaozhi behind him with a pleading look.

Of course, Brock was also a little scared when he asked Ash for help, because what the person in front of him said was really... strange.

If Ash loses his temper because of what he said, things will get out of control.

"Say what you will, but I have no doubt about my choice."

Ash gave Brock a reassuring look, then walked up to Shinji and confronted him directly.

"If a trainer's abilities require highly talented Pokémon to complement them, or if only those talented Pokémon can help a trainer reach the end, then the problem must lie with this year's Pokémon League. I have always believed that the bond between trainers and Pokémon can break through the shackles of ability and help each other reach a farther destination."

Xiao Zhi's statement was also quite blunt, essentially a complete rejection of the other party's viewpoint.

"Ridiculous." Shinji scoffed. "So you think you can beat me in the League Tournament? With such a cowardly idea?"

"How will you know if you don't try? Pokémon battles are something where you don't know the outcome until you try, aren't they?"

"......"

On this point alone, Shinji no longer rejected Satoshi's idea.

Indeed... He never imagined that his brother would be so weak and powerless when facing Kamishiro, without even the slightest chance to fight back, unless they actually compared them.

"EL!"

Shinji didn't retort, but the electric monster that had been silently standing at Shinji's feet couldn't hold back any longer.

Arcs of electricity flickered on its plug-like horns, indicating that it was ready to battle Ash.

"Don't do anything unnecessary."

“EL......”

However, the Electric Monster's fighting spirit was quickly suppressed by Shinji's rebuke.

Before leaving, he gave Xiaozhi a meaningful look and left with his last words.

"I don't have time today, but if we meet again next time, I'll prove just how stupid your so-called bond between trainers and Pokémon really is."

As Ash watched Shinji's departing figure, he thought about how Shinji hadn't yet left his name.

Xiao Guang, however, was still sulking, his good mood for the day ruined.

"What's wrong with this guy? He acts so arrogant! Anyone who didn't know him would think he was some big shot!"

"After all, every trainer has a different philosophy, so it's inevitable that there will be a trainer who is so persistent."

Xiao Gang shook his head.

Although that's what he said, his identity as a Pokémon breeder made it difficult for him to agree with Shinji's ideas.

If there is no bond between trainers and Pokémon, then for trainers and humans, wouldn't Pokémon just be a simple tool?

A silent atmosphere lingered between them until Aipom started playing pranks on Pikachu again. Perhaps the mischievous Aipom was the one who hated the heavy atmosphere the most.

......