Pokémon: Simultaneous time travel, this Ash is too versatile

Chapter 155 Miss Joey's Message, Blaine's Forbidden Research, Gene Fusion, Life

The gap between Ash and Gary is now quite large. Before the battle at Fuchsia City Gym, Ash met Gary and learned about the strength of the Pokémon Gary had.

She's already quite good among new trainers, but there's still a gap compared to him.

However, Ash still considers Gary his biggest rival because they have been rivals since childhood. Even though the gap between them has widened since they came out, Ash has no intention of underestimating Gary.

If Ash were to encounter Gary at the Indigo League, he would absolutely not be careless and would go all out to battle him.

Furthermore, for Ash, besides winning the Indigo League, what he wanted most was to defeat Gary in a head-to-head 6-on-6 match!

Whether Xiao Mao can make it into the six-on-six match depends on his ability.

Gary smiled noncommittally at Ash's declaration of war, then turned around gracefully, waved his hand, and said, "I'll be waiting for you at the Indigo League. Also, if you find Blaine, let me know, and I'll challenge him too. After all, I can't stay in my comfort zone forever."

Ash watched Gary's retreating figure, and after a moment of silence, he shouted, "How am I supposed to contact you?! Give me your phone number!"

Upon hearing this, the previously graceful scene instantly turned strange, and Xiao Mao stumbled and nearly fell flat on his face on the deck.

"Couldn't you have waited until we got off the ship to ask me? You're ruining the atmosphere now, don't you know that?!" Xiao Mao turned around and said irritably.

He then gave Xiaozhi a number, indicating that it was his new cell phone, which Xiaozhi silently memorized.

It must be said that the Alliance's newly invented mobile phone, that thing called a cell phone, is indeed very convenient.

Although it can't make video calls, the fact that it can be carried around is already very convenient.

It is said that the league is conducting more in-depth research on mobile phones, and the future goal is to one day be able to make video calls and transfer Poké Balls at the same time.

That way, there's no need to go through the hassle of finding a Poké Ball teleport point.

But that's a matter for the future. At least for now, let alone Poké Ball transmission, even video calls haven't been invented yet.

After Ash and Gary exchanged numbers, the three of them enjoyed the sea breeze on the deck for a while longer, and the cruise ship was already close to Cinnabar Island.

Ten minutes later, the cruise ship docked, and Ash and the others were stunned by the scene before them after disembarking.

This island, which is known for its heat, is packed with people!

Most of the people here are dressed casually, and you can tell at a glance that they're here on vacation.

Honglian Island is no longer the Honglian Island it once was; it has been transformed into a full-fledged resort.

When Ash saw these people, he seemed to understand why Blaine had closed the gym.

Cinnabar Island used to be a scorching volcanic island, and apart from challenging gyms, almost no one would come to this island.

However, in recent months, this place has become a very popular tourist destination because hot springs that can refresh and soothe the mind have been developed here.

Even in the sweltering heat, many people still come to Guren Island to enjoy the hot springs.

Keep in mind, it's already September, the hottest time of the year, and there are already so many people on Crimson Lotus Island. It's hard to imagine how crowded the island will be in winter!

After disembarking, Shigeru, accompanied by his girlfriends, approached Ash and arrogantly said, "You probably can't find a place to stay around here, right? How about I find you a hotel? It's just a small room, only big enough for two people."

Xiao Mao's words seemed somewhat inconsistent with his arrogant attitude. He made such a big boast, but in the end, he only gave Xiao Zhi and the others a small room.

Actually, that's not the case. Honglian Island is now a popular tourist destination, and it's extremely difficult to rent a room there. It's practically impossible to rent a room on the spot.

If you want to rent a room on Red Lotus Island, it will take at least a week.

The fact that Xiao Mao could say such a thing shows that he was able to rent a room for Xiao Zhi on the spot, which is quite a lot of influence. But Xiao Zhi smiled and said, "No need to trouble yourself, I've already rented a room. When I learned that Cinnabar Island was becoming a tourist destination, I had a premonition and rented a room in advance. Moreover, it's the best hotel on Cinnabar Island."

Upon hearing this, Shigeru's expression froze. The best hotel on Cinnabar Island was currently impossible to book even with money. Even he, a wealthy young master with connections, couldn't get a reservation. Where did Ash get those connections? Did he ask his grandfather for help?

Actually, Ash didn't ask Professor Oak for help. It was Rika who asked Ash to call her a few days ago to inquire about the perfume sales. They also exchanged phone numbers, and Rika learned that Ash and the others were about to arrive at Cinnabar Island. So she asked them if they had rented a place yet.

Back then, Ash didn't rent a place, and he didn't actually expect Cinnabar Island to become so popular.

Rika told Ash and the others about the situation on Cinnabar Island and said that they could leave the house rental to her. With her current influence, she could easily get things done anywhere in Kanto.

Even the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto have to give her face; that's the influence of having a monopolistic upgrade item.

Even the Four Heavenly Kings are now extremely eager for the perfume she sells; that's something that money can't buy.

So with Rika's help, they were able to stay at the most luxurious hotel on Cinnabar Island, and Ash bragged to Gary without any restraint.

Who told Xiao Mao to be so arrogant and say those things as if he were doing charity?

Although Gary's words weren't very pleasant, they were actually meant to help them, so Ash didn't go too far. If Gary had just been mocking them, Ash would have pinned him to the ground!

After exchanging a few casual words, the two parted ways. Xiao Mao had come here to vacation with his girlfriends, and he would have to continue his cultivation after the vacation, so he naturally couldn't waste this hard-won rest time.

Ash and his friends strolled around Cinnabar Island, inquiring about Blaine along the way.

Crimson Island is extremely hot in the morning. Almost everyone is wearing short sleeves and shorts and carrying a small fan as they walk on the road.

Ash's outfit was still jeans, a short-sleeved shirt, and a jacket, which looked quite unconventional. Brock was dressed similarly, while Misty was more normal.

Moreover, all three of them were wearing masks. Ash's influence hasn't completely disappeared yet, so they naturally need to cover up, which only makes it seem even stranger.

After all, it's so hot on Cinnabar Island, and he's wearing a mask. Anyone passing by would take a second look. However, since Ash's popularity has decreased, those people couldn't recognize him through the mask.

Wearing masks, Ash and his friends explored various attractions along the way while inquiring about Blaine's whereabouts.

However, the locals here all say that Blaine has already left Cinnabar Island, and as for the Cinnabar Gym, it is now in ruins.

The strange thing is that the League didn't send anyone to take back the Crimson Gym's status, nor did they rebuild the Crimson Gym. It seems as if they had completely forgotten about Blaine.

After swimming all morning, Ash and his friends came to only one conclusion: Blaine was no longer on Cinnabar Island. However, they learned from the Pokémon Center on Cinnabar Island that Blaine's absence was not solely due to the rumored reason that the challengers who came to challenge him were too frivolous.

Around noon, Ash and his friends sat in the Pokémon Center, drinking cold drinks and enjoying the air conditioning to relieve the heat. "Miss Nurse Joy said that Blaine was a researcher back then. The reason he left Cinnabar Island was because of research there. That's quite different from what's being said outside, isn't it?" Ash murmured while drinking his watermelon juice.

"You could ask Professor Oak about the researcher; maybe he'll know something?" Brock suggested.

Upon hearing this, Ash snapped his fingers in sudden realization: "That's right! I could ask Professor Oak! Why didn't I think of that!"

As he spoke, Ash took Pikachu and ran straight to the phone at the Pokémon Center.

Seeing Xiaozhi's overreaction, Xiaoxia and Xiaogang exchanged a glance and followed him with a sense of helplessness.

"Hey, Professor Oak!"

"Hey, hey, what's got you all excited? Did you catch some rare Pokémon again?" Professor Oak replied to Ash on the other end of the phone, calmly mixing some experimental materials.

"I have arrived at Crimson Lotus Island, but I have not seen Bob."

"Didn't I already tell you that the Crimson Lotus Gym is closed?"

"I know, but I still wanted to try my luck. But when I got here, I found something very strange. The Crimson Gym here is not just closed, it's actually in ruins! The League hasn't issued any statement saying that Blaine has been disqualified from the gym."

"And Nurse Joy here also said that Blaine is a researcher, and it seems that he left the Cinnabar Gym because of research on that matter, so I wanted to ask Professor Oak if you have any information or data about Blaine."

Upon hearing this, Professor Oak paused in his actions, a hesitant expression appearing on his slightly wrinkled face.

Finally, under Ash's expectant gaze, Professor Oak sighed and said, "That Nurse Joy over there is really something, telling you all sorts of information, even though it's League secrets."

"Being a researcher or a secret? No way! At first, Nurse Joy said the same thing as the rumors, that Blaine left the gym because of the challenger. But after I took off my mask, Nurse Joy told me the truth. My face is actually quite useful!" Ash replied with a smug look on his face.

He took off his mask in front of Joey, not because he thought Joey would tell him about Chapman's whereabouts based on his reputation, but because he wondered if Chapman was really not coming out because of those random challengers. With his current reputation, he could prove that he was not a casual challenger, and then Joey might tell him about Chapman's whereabouts.

Although the process was a bit different from what was expected, the result was that Joey did release real information, but the information stopped there. Fortunately, Professor Oak seemed to have more information.

"Your information is correct. Xia Bo is indeed a researcher, and a researcher whose status is in no way inferior to mine. However, our research directions are different, and his research projects cannot be made public. Therefore, few people outside know that he is a researcher."

Upon hearing this, Ash and his friends all showed strange expressions. It turned out that Blaine was not only a researcher, but also a researcher who was no less capable than Professor Oak!

But this is too strange, because Chapman's most illustrious reputation in Guanthu is that of the King of Fire.

Blaine is a Fire-type specialist trainer, and it is said that his overall strength is almost comparable to that of a normal Elite Four member!

The "abnormal Four Heavenly Kings" refers to these four from Kanto.

But how could such a powerful trainer also serve as a researcher?

Actually, this is not something unique, after all, there is someone in front of them who became a champion and then became a researcher.

What struck them as odd was: did all powerful trainers ultimately become researchers? Professor Big Gamers was one, and so was Blaine.

Professor Oak ignored the strange looks on their faces and continued, "Sabelle's research focuses on genes. Genes, as the most basic 'code' of Pokémon, are extremely complex things, and this kind of research cannot be done openly because it involves all sorts of things."

"The initial research was fine; it was just extracting the genes of various Pokémon and studying their differences. But later, Blaine actually advocated fusing all the genes together in order to create the strongest Pokémon in the world, a Pokémon that could challenge the gods."

Upon hearing this, Ash and his friends' pupils constricted, and Pikachu's eyes widened.

Fusing the genes of elves to create clones? Doesn't that seem a bit inhumane?

Gene fusion to create life is a highly taboo subject, no matter where it is!

It's absurd that Xia Bo even brought this up within the League.

"This research was naturally rejected, and not long after, Blaine retired from the research community to work full-time as a gym leader. But recently—something about Blaine was discovered."

"That means he is still conducting gene fusion experiments and has succeeded. According to the information obtained by the League, he used gene fusion technology to create a Pokémon comparable to a god, but the League has not found any more information about what it is. Blaine also disappeared after the incident was exposed."

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