Pokémon: Simultaneous time travel, this Ash is too versatile!

Chapter 228 The Quartz Conference – Opening Ceremony!
Ash was stunned by Gengar's pledge. He didn't understand how this suddenly had anything to do with Magmamon. But since Gengar said so, he was sure he wouldn't lie, at least not about something as important as this.

Ash naturally trusted him unconditionally and said, "Take it and use it. I'll thank you on behalf of Primeape!"

"You really trust me? Aren't you afraid I'll keep this for myself? Also, do you know what this means for Ghost-type Pokémon?" Gengar asked Ash with a strange expression after seeing how readily Ash agreed.

"I don't know, but you're my Pokémon, how could I not trust you?" This time, Ash looked puzzled, as if to say, "Gengar, what nonsense are you spouting? How could he not trust his own Pokémon?"

"Hey, you're still so naive. But you can trust me, it's true. This thing can increase the energy efficiency and attack speed of Ghost-type Pokémon by at least 50%. After being fully absorbed, it can also improve their aptitude. It's definitely a god-level item for Ghost-type Pokémon."

Gengar stopped being mysterious and explained the effects of the black dumbbell to Ash directly, causing Professor Oak to roll his eyes.

If he had known Gengar knew so much, he would have just given this thing to Gengar directly instead of researching it.

After studying it for a long time, all he figured out was that the black dumbbell had the function of amplifying the training effect of Ghost-type Pokémon and amplifying the damage of Ghost-type Pokémon. He couldn't figure out anything else about it.

After all, the research time is a bit short. As long as we can roughly find out that this thing has a positive effect on Ghost-type Pokémon, that's about it. We can then equip Ghost-type Pokémon with it and continue the research to figure out all the effects.

As for whether it has any amplification effect on other types of Pokémon, Professor Oak has already investigated this. This thing only works on Ghost-type Pokémon. Other types... can't even benefit from this thing's Ghost-type amplification effect.

So this thing is a godsend for Ghost-type Pokémon, but it's trash for Pokémon of other types.

"Let me make this clear first. If things go well after using this item, and Primeape really does evolve as you said, then it's quite worth it. But if things don't go well..."

Gengar paused for a moment, and under everyone's gaze, slowly said, "The result would be a huge loss. At most, Primeape would only gain one Ghost type, and nothing else. Compared to the cost of losing this item, it's absolutely not worth it!"

"So, after hearing about these effects, do you still plan to develop the Ghost type for your Primeape to evolve? You know, whether it succeeds or not, this thing will eventually disappear. If you don't do it and let Primeape try it on its own, at least it's a zero-cost experiment. If you use this item, then it's a huge gamble."

Gengar has made it very clear that using it is gambling. This thing is undoubtedly a divine item for Ghost-type Pokémon. Ash even has a Ghost-type Pokémon with such strength that it is at the peak of the Elite Four!
If he carries this item, not only might his advancement to Champion level be accelerated, but he could even contend with Champion level players without advancing to Champion level. It's easy to imagine the boost this item would provide.

However, if Ash chooses to use it, the item will eventually disappear regardless of success or failure. The strategic significance of Minabool's evolution is greater than its actual strategic significance. As long as it evolves, it will be the first Minabool in history to evolve, and it's not a temporary evolution like Mega Evolution, but a permanent one!
Success is certainly worthwhile, but failure... well, as Gengar said, is a complete loss.

Ash has another option: let his Primeape continue to be self-reliant and train its Ghost-type ability on its own. However, it's unclear how long that will take, but the advantage is that the cost is almost zero.

In terms of costs, it's the time cost of Infernape itself, and the potential to hinder its progress in improving its strength, which could indirectly affect its future achievements...

Will Ash choose to gamble with a precious item, or sacrifice Primeape's time and potential?
The answer is obvious—"Use it!"

Ash's answer was only one word, but that one word was enough to show Ash's determination. He would never sacrifice a Pokémon in exchange for something else.

No matter how precious the item is or how much help it can bring him, he will always prioritize the future of his Pokémon.

Even if Primeape really can't evolve because of the rules of nature, so what?

Having an additional Ghost type is quite beneficial for Infernape! How can this not be considered an investment?
If Gengar needed the item more, Ash would have given it to Gengar without hesitation. However, Gengar never showed any interest in the item.

Gengar chuckled at Ash's reply and shook its upper body, saying, "You're such a silly trainer... Of course, I'm a silly ghost too. When such a good item is placed in front of me, my first thought is not to devour it but to give it to my disciple. It's really funny."

"Ho-cha? Ho-cha-ho-cha!!" Disciple? When did I become your disciple?!
Gengar's magnanimous expression froze, then it angrily retorted, "Hey! You damn monkey, don't you have any conscience?! I've spent so much time and effort training you, and you're no longer my apprentice?! I'm the one who nurtured your Ghost attribute!"

"Ho-cha-ho-cha!" That's my talent! You're just a teammate; it's only right for teammates to help each other!

"Password?! Who taught you to talk like that?! Ash, did you teach him?!" Gengar was so angry that a tic-tac-toe mark appeared on his forehead.

That monkey is really infuriating! I don't know where it learned its mouth from, but it has a whole repertoire of talking techniques!

Ash waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this: "Don't blame me! It has nothing to do with me. I only taught Primeape how to train, not how to talk!"

"Hehe, monkeys are a bit mischievous. When Primeape was still a Mankey, it was already quite naughty, otherwise Ash wouldn't have met it," Brock said with a chuckle.

When Mankey was still a monkey, he mischievously tried to steal Ash's hat, and it was because of this that the two formed this bond, which led to Ash capturing Mankey, which evolved into Prisma Mankey.

After his initial anger subsided, Gengar couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't angry at all; he wasn't about to get angry over something like this. Instead, the scene warmed his heart.

He had rarely encountered such a situation in the past thousand years, with people joking and laughing. This made Gengar sigh with emotion – it was so good to be able to come to Ash's side.

It was Ash's appearance that ended his boring ghost life and redeemed him.

Mewtwo, inside its Poké Ball, couldn't help but smile knowingly at the sight. This was an atmosphere that Team Rocket might never experience in their lifetime.

Amidst laughter and cheers, Gengar led Magma away from the scene. He needed to prepare the fusion items for Magma. Ash was also called along by Gengar. With Ash and Mewtwo, both legendary-level monsters, present, the fusion process would be much smoother, and the success rate would be almost 100%. This was why Gengar said failure was impossible; the only possible outcome of failure was that Magma wouldn't evolve after a successful fusion. Aside from that, there would be no other possibility of failure.

The worst outcome would be simply losing the black dumbbell prop.

……

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye. During these three days, Xiao Zhi has returned to the public eye.

He either doesn't appear at all, or he makes a stunning debut. Ash, who hadn't appeared for a long time, immediately defeated two enormous Pokémon. Although those two Pokémon hadn't fully revealed their strength, it was clear from the glimpse that they were absolutely exceptional.

Ash dealt with them effortlessly, which is quite remarkable. It's hard to imagine how powerful Ash has become. More importantly, the Pokémon that dealt with those two was one they had never seen before.

Not only had they never seen Mewtwo among the Pokémon Ash had previously sent out, but they had never seen it in the real world either. Even the most knowledgeable person would not have any information about Mewtwo.

Some professors even called Professor Oak to ask if Ash's Pokémon was some new breed. Professor Oak simply gave a vague answer, saying that the fewer people who knew about Mewtwo's origins and power, the better.

Regardless of whether those PhDs were driven by a good thirst for knowledge or something else, information about Mewtwo still cannot be revealed to them.

Ash's mysterious Pokémon are one aspect, but on the other hand, Ash's growth has begun to frighten many people.

Based on the performance of those two giant Pokémon, they are at least Elite Four level, or even higher. Ash can now easily defeat Elite Four level Pokémon!
How old is he? He's only fifteen! Who has a mother who's this freakish at fifteen?!

According to Ash's resume, he didn't even train any Pokémon before his journey. He was a complete novice trainer, and his total training time so far is only about half a year.

Throughout history, there has never been such an abnormally talented trainer. Whether it's Leon or Cynthia, in terms of talent, they are far inferior to Ash.

Especially Cynthia, who is now the youngest champion. Although her overall strength is not as good as Leon's, in terms of comprehensive strength, she is even the second best in the world.

She's only twenty years old this year, and she's hailed as a genius champion. It's only a matter of time before she surpasses Leon—that's what the news reports say. As for how big the gap is between her and Leon, only Cynthia herself knows.

In short, Leon is known for his combat prowess, while Cynthia is known for her talent. Of course, Cynthia's combat strength is not bad either, but it is not as outstanding as her talent.

An eighteen-year-old champion would have been considered unprecedented and unparalleled in the past, but now it seems that someone has already emerged as a successor…

With Ash's talent, he might have become a champion before he was even eighteen. Moreover, Ash had never trained any Pokémon before he went on his journey. His talent is far superior to Cynthia's.

Most people at this year's Indigo League already believed that Ash had the championship in his pocket, since it was just a beginner's tournament and the participants had no more than two years of experience.

With these restrictions, you somehow possess a Pokémon that can instantly defeat a Champion-level Pokémon?! Who can beat you?!
However, you don't need to become the champion to go to Dragon Island. Just aim for second or third place. Even if you can't get first place, everyone still feels that they have a chance to get second or third, as long as you don't run into Ash, that weirdo, along the way.

And today, the Quartz Convention officially begins. Yesterday, the torch relay was completed, and today, the torch is lit, marking the start of the official Quartz Convention!
The sacred fire here refers to the flames of the Moltres, a legendary spirit whose flames are quite impressive.

If we're talking about flames stronger than Moltres's, then it's naturally Ho-Oh's flames, but unfortunately, the League can't get their hands on something like that...

After all, Ho-Oh hasn't appeared in the public eye for hundreds of years. To get rid of Ho-Oh's flames, it's better to get rid of Entei's flames. However, Ho-Oh's exclusive flames are now on Charizard.

The Indigo Stadium was packed. Professor Oak, Hanako, Blaine, and the others had all come to watch the opening ceremony. After all, this was Ash and Gary's first time participating in a formal League tournament, so they had to cheer them on.

These days, tickets to the Indigo League are naturally in high demand, but who is Professor Oak? Getting a ticket is a piece of cake for him.
Moreover, Ash and Gary are both contestants and have VIP tickets, so they don't need to compete with people outside.

As the stands filled with people, Alliance President Darma Lanqi arrived, and the host picked up the microphone and announced, "Now, the Kanto Alliance Indigo Tournament opening ceremony officially begins! All contestants, please enter the arena!"

In the spacious arena, participants entered from all directions. Ash and Gary were in their respective teams, with Pikachu perched on Ash's shoulder, making him stand out.

Although it was their first time participating in the League Conference, the two showed no signs of stage fright. They walked with their heads held high and followed the team with long strides. The confidence they exuded was enough to make people feel that they were not ordinary trainers.

"Go, Ash!!" Xiaochun, sitting next to Xiaoxia, shouted with her hands cupped around her mouth.

As Ash's childhood friend, how could she possibly miss such an important competition for him?

Even Professor Sakuragi and his family came, after all, they watched Ash grow up and helped him a lot.

Ash, who was on the field, heard Chloe's voice amidst the noise. He looked up, smiled at Chloe, and gave her a thumbs up. Pikachu on Ash's shoulder made the same gesture.

After all the contestants entered the arena, the torchbearer ran towards the torch-lighting platform, but Ash noticed something amiss with the two people on the platform who were welcoming the torch…

(End of this chapter)