Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

The battle had ended, and the backyard was filled with a faint smell of burning and the hum of residual energy.

Ash carried Pikachu on his shoulder, his face showing no regret for the draw, but rather excitement and satisfaction at encountering a formidable opponent.

"That's amazing, Brother Jian! And Gardevoir too!"

Ash strode up to Zhang Jianying, his eyes gleaming. "Your teamwork, and those moves I've never seen before, even Pikachu almost couldn't handle them!"

"Pikachu! Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded vigorously on Ash's shoulder in agreement.

Zhang Jianying was gently patting Gardevoir's back, using its waveguide to help it calm its breathing.

Hearing Ash's words, he smiled, and the helplessness he felt due to Pikachu's outrageous stats dissipated considerably.

"Your Pikachu is truly amazing, and the chemistry between you is the best I've ever seen."

He meant it sincerely; after all, his data analysis clearly shows just how "top-notch" he is.

"Hehe," Ash scratched his head sheepishly, "By the way, your Gastly is quite something too. I saw it making faces at Pikachu next to the battle arena!"

As he spoke, he imitated Gastly sticking out its tongue, which made Gastly, which had just emerged from the shadows, proudly flick its big tongue.

At this moment, the doctor walked over with a smile, looking at the two young people with admiration: "A very exciting battle! Both sides have shown outstanding qualities and a deep bond."

Professor Oak changed the subject: "Alright, there will be plenty of opportunities after the battle. Let's have dinner together at the lab tonight."

The backyard of Professor Oak's lab was unusually lively at this moment.

Ash excitedly released his friends whom he had met in the Hoenn region.

"Everyone come out and meet our new friends!"

Ash's voice was full of energy.

Seeing this, Zhang Jianying smiled and let his friends go play.

Gardevoir stood gracefully to one side, offering a gentle smile to the curiously peering Aipom.

Gastly floated near Glalie and tried to transform into its shape, but to little avail. Pikachu, however, showed great interest and tugged at its cheeks, trying to imitate Glalie's appearance.

Ash's Torkoal slowly moved to the side of the Grovyle. The two turtle Pokémon quietly enjoyed the afternoon sun, as if they had reached some kind of tacit understanding. The torkoal's good friend Shuckle also leisurely climbed onto the Grovyle's shell and poured some of its homemade juice for Torkoal, causing Torkoal to shed two lines of tears.

The usually boisterous baby dragon simply held the Everstone, gazing at the Great Swallow from afar, making unintelligible gurgling sounds in its throat, as if it were dreaming of its future soaring through the sky.

The lizard king, carrying a twig, walked over to the forest tortoise and examined the bushes on its carapace that gave it a peculiar feeling.

"Everyone is getting along really well!" Ash grinned happily at the harmonious scene.

After a short rest, Zhang Jianying remembered that he still had the League's bonus to claim, so he consulted Professor Oak about whether he could claim the bonus in Kanto.

While organizing his research materials, Professor Oak told Zhang Jianying that the Alliance rewards could be claimed anywhere.

He then asked Xiaozhi, who knew the location, to take him there and buy some ingredients needed for the evening.

Led by Ash's enthusiasm, they arrived at the League Service Center in Viridian City.

The process of claiming the reward went smoothly; however, Zhang Jianying was still surprised when the machine displayed a string of zeros in her card.

After all, he was well aware of the purchasing power of Alliance Coins. He was a little puzzled as to how a single base, especially one that had been indirectly destroyed by Mewtwo, could be so valuable.

He walked to a quiet corner and dialed Cynthia's number.

On the other end of the screen, Cynthia seemed to be consulting documents. Upon hearing his question, she put down the file in her hand.

"The amount is correct." Cynthia's tone remained calm as always.

"No need to worry. The base you destroyed itself was of limited value, but it contained crucial information about legendary Pokémon. The League believes you prevented a potential major crisis in time, and this reward is well-deserved."

She paused briefly, "Of course, the alliance wants to keep specific information within a limited scope to avoid unnecessary disruption."

This explanation was clear and reasonable, and Zhang Jianying's doubts dissipated.

After hanging up the call, holding the savings card containing the generous prize money, Zhang Jianying stood on the bustling streets of Changpan City, his mind racing. He decided to buy a stable home that truly belonged to him and his companions.

That deep-seated yearning for land and peace seemed to be completely ignited at this moment.

He no longer wanted to wander around; he longed for a piece of land where he could take root, watch the trees he planted grow strong, and provide a safe haven for his little ones.

Once the thought arises, it can no longer be suppressed.

His gaze naturally fell upon the Sinnoh region, which had already left a deep imprint.

On the way back to Pallet Town, Ash excitedly shared his plans to head to the Sinnoh region to challenge the Pokémon League, clutching the ingredients in his arms.

"Brother A-Jian, who knows, we might meet again in Sinnoh and have another battle!"

"Of course, I'm looking forward to it."

Zhang Jianying responded with a smile, pondering to himself, "So, it seems I can still get together with Xiao Zhi at this tournament?"

He suddenly had a toothache and hoped that he wouldn't get completely destroyed by Pikachu when he got serious.

The other companions stayed at Professor Oak's lab, with only the Pokémon that refused to leave its trainer and Pikachu, who was always inseparable from Ash, following the two.

Along the way, Baby Dragon listened to Ash introduce his Pokémon in great detail. Although it still held onto its Everstone and looked like it wasn't interested, its perked-up little ears betrayed its curiosity.

When Ash mentioned his Charizard, the Pokémon couldn't help but let out a "woo-woo" sound, as if it had found a kindred spirit, who was also a rather disobedient creature.

These natural words made Zhang Jianying feel as if he could see a vivid picture of Ash and his Pokémon adventuring and growing together.

He could sense that Ash had poured deep affection into every Pokémon, and this pure love and bond was perhaps the source of his ability to create countless miracles.

……

In the evening, the setting sun painted the sky of Pallet Town a warm orange-red, and wisps of smoke rose from the backyard of Oak's Laboratory, filling the air with the mouthwatering aroma of roasted meat.

With Ash's strong suggestion that "open-air barbecue is the most atmospheric!" and Professor Oak's cheerful support in bringing out a full set of barbecue equipment from the lab's warehouse, a lively open-air dinner began.

"Woohoo!"

Baby Dragon squatted beside the grill like a little overseer, his eyes fixed on the sizzling, dripping meat, barking impatiently and drooling.

Zhang Jianying skillfully flipped the meat skewers, looking at the eager baby dragon with a helpless smile.

Gardevoir floated gracefully beside him, its psychic powers precisely controlling the seasoning bottle to evenly sprinkle it onto the skewers of meat. Occasionally, it would thoughtfully pick up a handkerchief to wipe away non-existent sweat from the trainer's forehead.

In front of him was a glass of Huhu brand special edition liquor, diluted several times over, which Zhang Jianying sipped slowly.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Gastly's "mischievous heart" is burning fiercely.

It excitedly flicked its tongue, approached the pot, its eyes gleaming with cunning, and communicated in a way that only they could understand.

"Heh~ How about it, Brother Pot, give us some more entertainment?"

Shushu blinked its beady eyes, slowly poked its head out of its shell, glanced at Ash who was laughing carefree and fighting with Pikachu over a skewer of meat not far away, and then looked at Ash's unsuspecting Pokémon around it. It seemed to think that this was indeed a good idea to "add to the fun".

It nodded and began slowly preparing the incredibly powerful "original liquid".

Soon, a silent celebration began.

The lizard king coolly accepted the cup, downed it in one gulp, and the next second it hugged its beloved branch, leaned against the forest tortoise's shell, and started snoring.

The long-tailed monster curiously took a bite, immediately started spinning in place, and finally grabbed the tail of the giant swallow, treating it like a swing.

The most emotionally sensitive Coal Turtle reacted particularly violently after drinking the "special drink".

It spewed out two plumes of thick smoke mixed with sparks from its nostrils, and two streams of tears, comparable to the power of a water gun, shot from its round eyes. It grabbed the front leg of the steady forest tortoise beside it, its voice choked with emotion.

He began to pour out his heart: "Brother! Listen to me! My hometown is in the faraway Steel Valley! There are shiny metal ores everywhere, and the air smells wonderful with sulfur and rust! Every morning, I'm woken up by the roar of flowing magma from underground... I miss home! Waaah..."

The usually calm forest tortoise was caught off guard by this sudden surge of intense emotion and could only silently endure the tears streaming down its legs.

Gastly excitedly tumbled in the air, pulled out its Pokédex, and started snapping photos of these "dark history" scenes.

In particular, the scene of the coal turtle crying and expressing its homesickness was given a special close-up.

"Haha! This is invaluable ecological data!"

Professor Oak didn't stop them; instead, he pulled out another Pokédex, grinning from ear to ear, and made notes on the staggering Pokémon, saying, "Their behavior patterns when drunk are very valuable for research!"

Seeing his friends' strange looks, Ash curiously picked up a glass of "pure juice": "Huh? What's wrong with everyone? Is this juice really that good?"

As he spoke, under the watchful eyes of Zhang Jianying and Professor Oki, he gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.

And then... nothing happened.

"It tastes good, but there's nothing particularly special about it!"

Ash smacked his lips and continued to fight with Pikachu for the last piece of roasted mushroom.

Zhang Jianying's eyes twitched, and he couldn't help but ask the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time: "Xiao Zhi, do you usually get your body tempered by Pikachu's Thunderbolt... uh, I mean, do you? Does that really work?"

"what?"

Ash easily pried open the claws of the Shrimp Soldier who was trying to steal the sausage from his plate, then turned around blankly.

"Pikachu's electric shock? I'm used to it! It was a little uncomfortable at first, but now it feels tingly and refreshing! Pikachu, right?"

"Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded in agreement, a tiny spark of electricity flashing across its cheek.

"Brother Jian, do you want to try it? It's really relaxing!"

Zhang Jianying looked at the yellow electric mouse that was flashing with electricity and politely declined.

He silently refilled Xiaozhi's cup with "original juice," his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of inquiry: "Here, drink more to cleanse your palate."

Xiao Zhi, unsuspecting, once again downed his drink heartily, his expression unchanged.

Gastly and Shuckle, who had been watching in disbelief, refused to believe it.

One of them secretly passed the cup using its shadow, while the other silently increased the dosage, and poured two or three more cups into Xiaozhi's cup.

It wasn't until after the sixth cup that Xiao Zhi finally burped, a slight blush rising to his face. His eyes glazed over for about half a second before he scratched his head and said, "Uh... I think... I'm a little dizzy?"

Then, shaking its head, it energetically rejoined the food-grabbing frenzy.

"..."

Zhang Jianying and Professor Oki were secretly astonished.

Gastly looked at Ash, who was still full of energy, and then at the half-full cup of "original liquid" in its hand, and a sense of suspicion welled up in its heart.

"Huh? Did Brother Pot pour the wrong thing? It tilted its head back and finished the rest of the half-cup itself."

And then... that was it.

Its purple gaseous body swayed, then crashed to the ground with a "poof," its tongue lolling out, completely unconscious.

Zhang Jianying covered his face, unable to bear to look: "Well, another one who doesn't have a clear understanding of his own abilities."

After an unknown amount of time, the enticing aroma of roasted meat seemed to possess a magical power, waking the knocked-out Pokémon from the spell of "juice".

They groggily got up, shook their still dizzy heads, looked at each other, and tacitly agreed not to mention their embarrassing moment.

Immediately, all eyes turned to the culprit who had just woken up.

Gastly, oblivious to the "danger," was still lost in its own thoughts.

"Hehehe... Damn it, even my Ghost and Poison types couldn't withstand the juice... Is that Ash a monster? If he went in himself, what chance would we Pokémon have..."

The Lizard King coldly wiped the corner of its mouth, the Aipom grinned and rubbed its claws together, and the Coal Tortoise silently spewed out a thick plume of sulfurous smoke.

An unspoken revenge was quietly brewing amidst the smoke and fire of the grill.

While Gastly was still not fully awake, Aipom nimbly darted to the grill, picked up a skewer of meat, coated it with a thick layer of a blood-red, super-spicy sauce made from spicy berries, and quietly placed it in the most conspicuous spot.

Gastly finally regained full consciousness and floated over, howling.

"Barbecue! Oh no, where's my barbecue?!"

It spotted the tempting skewer of grilled meat at a glance, and without thinking, it swallowed the whole thing with a flick of its tongue.

The next second, "Jehovah—!!!"

A piercing scream, so intense it became distorted, ripped through the night sky.

Gastly's original purple gaseous body instantly turned into a scorching bright red.

Its large tongue thrashed wildly as if it had been scalded, and thick black smoke billowed out of its body, almost turning it into a small dark cloud.

It spun and tumbled in the air, leaving a trail of acrid smoke in its wake, uttering incoherent screams: "Heh heh heh! Water! Give me water! Help! My tongue is on fire! I'm going to disappear!!"

Seeing Gastly's exaggerated reaction, the instigator, Aipom, clutched its stomach and rolled on the ground laughing, while even the cool Sceptile's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

The atmosphere in the backyard was exceptionally warm and harmonious, filled with the aroma of roasted meat, Gastly's pitiful howls, and the friends' hearty laughter.

Watching this farce unfold, Zhang Jianying shook his head helplessly and handed the still-smoking Gastly a glass of ordinary chilled juice.

"Hey, you've learned your lesson, haven't you?"

Ash and Pikachu were still discussing why the skewer of grilled meat had elicited such a strong reaction from Gastly, and Ash even wanted to try it himself, but Professor Oak stopped him in time...