"Why isn't the detonator reacting at all? Didn't we plant that many bombs?!"
Complete confusion!
To avoid being caught in the blast, Mars had ordered a retreat right after getting the command from Cyrus. The aircraft circled for a full five minutes before she finally pressed the detonation button.
And yet, even after that five-minute flight, with so many bombs detonating, there should have been at least some shockwaves.
But now? Not even the faintest rumble.
"Commander Mars, our detectors did register explosions. Look—the needles on all instruments are trembling!"
Her subordinate, tasked with monitoring the detonation, wore an equally puzzled expression.
At that exact moment, deep within the core island of Iron Island…
Ash, Riley, and both of their Lucario stood at four cardinal points, their palms extended, channeling the power of Aura.
This method of using Aura had just been taught to Ash and his Lucario by Riley and his own partner Lucario—one of the legacy techniques passed down from the Aura Guardians of Rota.
In this critical moment, Riley had made a bold suggestion:
By combining their Aura powers, the four formed a powerful protective barrier, encapsulating the entire blast zone.
All the bombs had indeed detonated—inside the barrier.
Which was why Mars and her team didn't sense any explosion whatsoever.
They wrongly assumed the bombs had misfired.
Mars was losing her mind with rage!
"Phew… I didn't know Aura could be used like this. But don't worry—I won't spread this technique around."
Ash marveled at the scene before him, still wide-eyed.
Beside him, Dawn and Anabel stood speechless.
Within the shimmering blue shield, all the bombs had gone off in a dazzling eruption.
But outside the shield, not a single shockwave escaped. Everything was isolated by the dome of Aura.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you and your Lucario, this island might've been finished. I've grown fond of this place after staying here for a while—I didn't want to see it destroyed. But… I think my training with Lucario has hit a bottleneck. It's time I moved on."
Once the explosions had fully subsided, Riley finally relaxed and lowered the barrier.
The ruins remained untouched—preserved in perfect condition.
Riley had already contacted Officer Jenny. Moreover, the unique energy fluctuations caused by Team Galactic's activities had been detected by multiple Pokémon research labs across Sinnoh.
Just then, an aircraft slowly descended from the sky.
An elderly woman stepped out.
It was Professor Carolina—Cynthia's grandmother and an expert on the Sinnoh region's space-time legends.
"Oh my, so it's you, Ash! I can't believe you managed to find such a massive meteorite island. Truly impressive. Oh, and Ash, you really should contact my granddaughter more often. Boys should take the initiative, you know? My granddaughter's always busy. I can tell there's mutual interest between you two, but if you don't keep in touch, your feelings won't deepen. Also…"
The moment Professor Carolina stepped off the aircraft, she launched straight into a fierce barrage.
She was teasing Ash, of course.
For the sake of her granddaughter, Professor Carolina had done her homework on him.
She'd even gone out of her way to ask Professor Birch and Professor Oak directly.
While she didn't get all the answers, Professor Oak had confirmed that Ash had made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of the 18th Pokémon type and Eevee's other potential evolutions.
(These were, of course, things Ash had confidentially shared with Professor Oak ahead of time.)
A vast knowledge of Pokémon and unmatched strength as a trainer—Carolina felt Ash was very well-suited for her granddaughter Cynthia!
From there, Carolina and the research team declared their intent to thoroughly study the newly unearthed Iron Island ruins and asked for Riley's cooperation.
As for Ash and the others, it was time to move on—to their next destination: Chocovine Town.
Before leaving, Ash and Riley agreed that someday, if there was a chance, Riley would visit Pallet Town to see him.
The two had become true friends.
Chocovine Town.
The prestigious Chocovine Contest was about to be held.
This was one of the key Pokémon Contests—a gateway to the Grand Festival.
Dawn's spirits were sky-high.
Winning this Chocovine Contest Ribbon would secure her eligibility for the Grand Festival.
She had already registered.
The contest was scheduled for 2 p.m., right after lunch.
"Good luck, Dawn! Who are you planning to use this time?"
Ash, Dawn, and Anabel were resting after lunch.
"This time, I'm going with Buneary and Pachirisu. No problem at all!"
Dawn was bursting with confidence.
"Excuse me—are you the same Dawn who competed in the Wallace Cup?"
Just then, a girl approached them.
Interestingly, a Gabite followed at her heels.
The girl's name was Ursula.
"Yes, that's me. And you are…?"
Dawn blinked in confusion.
Ursula glanced at the Piplup beside Dawn and nodded. "Looks like I didn't mistake you. I watched that Wallace Cup. Can't believe you and that May girl ended up sharing first place. Totally undeserved if you ask me. You just got lucky."
Just lucky?!
That struck a nerve—Dawn bristled with indignation.
She was about to fire back—but Ash wasn't having it.
He stepped forward ahead of her.
"I don't know you, but I'm already picking up the scent of sour grapes. People like you who can't reach the top and then complain that the winners didn't deserve it are a dime a dozen. If you think you're better, prove it on the stage. Trash talk without results just makes you look small. You weren't even visible after the first round of the Wallace Cup, were you? Maybe check a mirror before talking about who's worthy of first place."
Honestly, Ash couldn't stand people like this—didn't matter if they were girls or boys.
"Who asked you?! I said she didn't deserve it, so she didn't! Who do you even think you—"
Ursula was livid, jealousy written all over her face. She'd finally found a moment to vent—no way she was going to let it go.
And now someone dared to call her out as jealous?
Sure, it was true—but how could she admit that?
She snapped back instinctively—
Only to recognize the boy standing in front of her…
Wasn't he the one who had gone toe-to-toe with Wallace at the Wallace Cup finals, using a Sceptile in a dazzling performance that nearly eclipsed Wallace himself?!
Ursula: "…"
Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Without another word, she grabbed her Gabite and stormed off in defeat!
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T/N:
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