Pokémon: Who let him leave Pallet Town?

Chapter 621 Let's go to the Battle Frontier!

The huge cheers almost lifted the entire stadium!
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt—Let's decide the winner!!!"

"Pikachu!!!"

Golden lightning, like a roaring dragon, tore through the last line of defense on the other side.

The opponent's Pokémon fell to the ground, and the referee's flag was waved away.

"Match over! The winner is Ash from Pallet Town!!!"

"The champion of this year's Rainbow Festival is—Ash—!!!"

The spotlight instantly shone on the panting but incredibly bright-eyed boy in the center of the field.

Golden ribbons rained down from the sky, accompanied by deafening cheers and applause.

Pikachu excitedly jumped onto his shoulder, sharing this long-awaited moment of glory with him.

"I won! I'm the champion!"

Xiao Zhi excitedly raised his arms, feeling the adoration of the entire audience. The immense joy and pride made him feel a little dizzy.

After overcoming countless hardships and obstacles along the way, I have finally reached the pinnacle of the Hoenn region.

He instinctively straightened his back, feeling as if the whole world was cheering for him.

Even the golden school uniform he was wearing, the "Sunshine Academy Special Edition" that Natsume had sent him and which he cherished and wore over his competition uniform, now seemed to him like a champion's cape.

The flashy patterns and slogans on it all radiate the glow of victory!
The audience offered their heartfelt congratulations.

Although this child's aesthetic sense is comparable to Daigo's.

But they still noticed his performance on the field.

The applause was warm.

"Thank you, Grandpa Damaranch!"

At the awards ceremony, when the representative of the Hoenn League handed him the exquisite championship trophy, Ash felt that he had reached the pinnacle of his life.

Holding the trophy, he flashed a bright smile at the camera, already envisioning the "Natsume-san-san treatment" he would receive.

He gave interviews, returned home to celebrate, and challenged the next regional league.
However, the smile on his face didn't even last three seconds—

Rumble, rumble—!
A deep, powerful engine roar came from afar, quickly drowning out the cheers from the crowd.

"what?"

The audience all looked up at the sky.

A medium-sized transport plane, painted a striking bright yellow and bearing a huge "Sunshine Academy" logo and a series of sponsor advertisements on its fuselage, hovered directly above the main venue in an extremely domineering manner.

A strong gust of wind sent the ribbons flying wildly, and the audience covered their hats, looking up in astonishment.

"what's the situation?"

"Is this... a new segment of the performance?"

"This plane's paint scheme is great. Very commercial!"

"Why isn't Officer Jenny here to supervise the pilots?!"

Just as everyone was discussing this, the transport plane's hatch opened, and a suspended ladder with grappling hooks descended precisely, hovering directly in front of Ash.

At the same time, a processed but still distinctly Natsume-esque, completely flat voice came through the airplane's loudspeakers:

"Congratulations on winning the championship, Ash."

"Holiday over. Next stop, Kanto region, the Battle Frontier, let's go!"

"Please board."

Xiaozhi: "???"

The entire audience: "???"

Ash was completely stunned as he held the trophy.

The ecstasy on his face hadn't faded before it was replaced by a huge question mark.

What holiday?
I just won the championship!
What about the celebration party? What about the interviews? What about the celebration with your colleagues?!

What exactly is the Battle Frontier Zone?!

"Wait, wait! Natsume-san! I just finished the competition!" Ash shouted towards the top of the suspended ladder.

"Time waits for no one. The real challenge has just begun."

Natsume's voice left no room for negotiation.

"Or are you content with just one regional tournament championship and planning to stop here?" These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly sobering up the somewhat complacent Ash.

He saw Xiao Yao, Xiao Gang, and Xiao Sheng, along with their three friends, in the audience.

The three of them stared in disbelief, but then their eyes gradually revealed understanding and encouragement.

Yes, winning the championship is not the end.

His dream is to become a Pokémon Master!
A surge of new passion welled up inside him. Although the method was a bit outrageous, Natsume-san always managed to push him to higher levels when he needed it.

"Pickup!"

Pikachu patted Ash's cheek, its eyes resolute.

Xiao Zhi took a deep breath, and his eyes sharpened again.

He hugged the championship trophy tightly, and then, to the astonishment of the world's audience, handed the trophy to the equally bewildered league staff member next to him.

"Please keep this for me! I'll be right back for it!"

After saying that, he grabbed the suspension ladder and, amidst the roar of the helicopter rotors and the flashes of countless cameras, nimbly climbed upwards.

The golden "advertising school uniform" fluttered in the airflow, becoming the most unforgettable "champion's exit" scene of this year's Rainbow Festival.

"Natsume is really good at stirring things up."

In the audience, Xiao Gang nodded slightly, full of admiration.

Natsume dressed Daigo and Satoshi in those clothes with a very clear intention: for publicity.

Xiao Gang sees things very clearly.

But it's clear that the media and audiences are more concerned with the couple's aesthetic sense than with the clothes themselves.

The advertising was not effective.

But now that they've picked him up at the airport, countless media outlets will definitely capture the scene of Xiao Zhi boarding the plane, allowing them to better showcase the advertising slogan.

"What do you mean by 'having a special skill'?"

Xiao Sheng looked at Xiao Gang curiously.

"Stop chatting! Why isn't that plane moving? Wait, why is it pointing at us?!"

Xiao Yao's terrified voice rang out.

"Ok?"

The remaining two turned their heads to look, only to be met with three grappling hooks.

"what!"

"what!"

"what!"

Three loud shouts rang out in unison, and all three were captured and taken to the transport plane.

Why should we go too?

The three of them shouted in unison and looked at Officer Jenny's screen, which displayed the scene from Natsume's side.

The other person was sitting comfortably in a recliner with their legs crossed.

"Of course, it's about caring for Xiaozhi's physical and mental health."

"."

A trip without a group tour is definitely not perfect.

The transport plane retracted its ramps, closed its doors, and with an even louder roar of its engines, turned around and sped off toward the Kanto region, leaving the audience and staff at the venue looking at each other in disbelief.

The Hoenn League representative, holding the championship trophy still warm from Ash's body, smiled wryly at the reporter beside him and said:

"This...it seems our champion has an unusual schedule."

On the plane, just as Ash and the others fastened their seatbelts, they heard Natsume's voice in the cabin:
"Oh, right, there's a new 'Battle Frontier Training Edition' school uniform on the table. Remember to change into it when you get there."

"With more sponsors, the ad space is a bit crowded, so please bear with us."

Xiaozhi: "."

He looked down at the "Rainbow Tournament Champion Limited Edition" school uniform he was wearing.

The feeling of elation I had on the podium was completely replaced by a sense of tension and anticipation about facing unknown challenges, as well as a deep worry about my future image.

The real "test" seems to have only just begun.

(End of this chapter)