Elf: Is the bear apprentice the weakest? I'll shatter the sky with my fists.

Please give me your autograph!

A boy wearing a baseball cap pushed his way to the front, trembling as he handed over his treasured card, "I've been following your matches since Kanto!"

Just as Li Chen took the pen, more shouts came from all directions...

"Please take a photo with me!"

"Can I touch the thorny vines of the Evil-Binding Pine?"

Do you take on apprentices? I just got my starter Pokémon this year!

An elderly man with white hair stumbled as he was jostled by the crowd, and Li Chen quickly caught him.

The old man trembled as he pulled a yellowed trainer's manual from his pocket, with clippings from decades ago pasted on the title page.

It's still a silhouette of Professor Oak when he was young.

Li Chen opened the book and found many photos and names inside.

Among them are familiar characters like Lance and Daigo Zubuki...

"My grandson said..." Tears welled in the old man's cloudy eyes, "If I can hold on until I'm eighty... I'll definitely meet a true strongman."

"Young man, you are the most powerful trainer I have ever seen."

Curious, Erguipeng leaned closer and gently touched the old man's cane with his thorny vine.

This action caused a commotion, with more people pushing and shoving forward in an attempt to touch the legendary Pokémon.

On the periphery of the crowd, several young trainers wearing badges from different regions spontaneously maintained order.

They were complete strangers, yet they instinctively joined hands to stop the overly excited audience.

One of them held up a support sign for Li Chen, which was covered with densely written battle records.

Please make way!

A clear female voice suddenly pierced through the noise.

It was the waitress I'd met at the coffee shop before; she squeezed in carrying a tray full of macarons, saying, "At least let Mr. Champion have something to eat!"

The moment Li Chen took the dessert, E Guipeng had already jumped in front of everyone.

The little guy pulled out a pen from somewhere and started signing autographs for his fans in a very professional manner.

Although it was just a few crooked flame patterns drawn.

The cheers continued for a full half hour without stopping.

As the setting sun cast long shadows, Li Chen finally broke through the encirclement and left, sitting on the back of the Fierce Sky Steed.

He looked back and saw the crowd still chanting that name, countless hands waving in the air like undulating waves of wheat.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Li Chen rubbed E Guipeng's head.

"tomorrow..."

He gazed at the faintly visible starry sky at the end of the passage.

"It's time to find the next one of the Eight Masters."

The crystal bead in his pocket suddenly became hot, reflecting the triumphant smile on his lips.

Li Chen sat atop Lie Kong's head.

My fingertips gently tapped the smooth surface of the crystal bead.

The night breeze ruffled his hair, and the lights of Miare in the distance resembled scattered stars.

"Master Ba..."

Faces flashed through his mind.

The cloak of the Dragon Crossing fluttered in the wind;

Daigo's Metagross gleamed coldly in the mine;

Cyndaquil's Garchomp tore through the blizzard on the snowfield;

Gardevoir of Karune dances between the screen and reality;

Leon's Charizard ignited the entire Palace Arena...

Li Chen had met with them before.

As for the remaining three, they were either trainers Li Chen had never met before, or trainers he really wanted to meet.

Ai Lan.

I once soloed ten Mega Pokémon.

His whereabouts are now a mystery.

It is said that he was last seen in the desert city of Carlos, accompanied by an unusually irritable Tyranitar.

Xiao Zhi.

So much time has passed, and now he is a legend who has just ascended to the position of one of the eight masters.

Pikachu's Thunderbolt still shines in battle replays across various regions.

However, I heard that he recently returned to Pallet Town and seems to be undergoing some kind of special training.

Alice, the Dragon Master of the Unova region.

Her Twin Axe Dragon once achieved the feat of defeating three opponents in a row at the World Championships in the Unova region.

Latest intelligence indicates that she is currently in seclusion deep within the Dragon Spiral Tower.

Mewtwo's telepathic connection suddenly transmitted a video:

Three locations are highlighted on the Carlos map, each marked with a different level of challenge.

Desert City was shrouded in a sandstorm, Pallet Town glowed with a warm, inviting light, while the Dragon Spiral Tower was enveloped in terrifying dragon energy.

Rayquaza crept closer and nudged the location of the Dragon Spiral Tower with its nose, its scales flaring up slightly in excitement.

......

......

It was already morning in the backyard of Oak's Laboratory in Pallet Town.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated.

Ash sat cross-legged on the grass, with dozens of Poké Balls neatly arranged in front of him.

Sunlight pierced through the thin mist, casting dappled halos of light on each sphere. His fingertips lightly touched it:

"Charizard can handle Steel-type...but it still struggles against Rock-type..."

"Solgaleo's Meteor Strike is powerful, but it consumes too much energy..."

"Latias's speed is an advantage..."

Not far behind him, at the second-floor window of Oak's Labs, Shigeru was leaning against the window.

A white coat was casually draped over his shoulders, and the coffee in his hand had long since gone cold.

His gaze fell on Solgaleo, the lazy Pokémon beside Ash, whose mane shimmered like flowing gold in the morning light.

"They've even caught legendary Pokémon..."

Xiao Mao's voice was soft, tinged with complex emotions.

"You're still acting so recklessly."

Ash on the lawn suddenly turned around and grinned as if he had sensed something.

He held up a collar inlaid with two-colored mega stones, and Charizard breathed out a breath mixed with blue flames from a distance.

"Want to give it a try?"

Ash's shout startled a group of Pidgeys.

"New tactics!"

Xiao Mao pushed up his glasses, the reflection from the lenses obscuring the slight upturn of his lips.

As he turned around, the computer screen displayed the news he had just received.

Breaking News! Mysterious Trainer Suppresses Giratina!

Outside the window, Ash's Charizard simultaneously projected its Mega Evolution X and Y forms. Amidst the interplay of light, no one noticed that the sky suddenly distorted for a fleeting moment...

A rainbow-colored figure is coming through the clouds.

Suddenly, the clouds on the horizon were tinged with a rainbow of colors, and the air in the entire town of Pallet Town seemed to freeze for a moment.

Ash looked up as if he had something in mind, and the Mega Stone collar in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

Solgaleo suddenly stood up, his mane bursting like flames; Latias flew rapidly from the lake, transforming into human form and landing beside him.

"This feeling is..."

Phoenix King's figure broke through the clouds, its rainbow-colored wings spreading out and scattering countless specks of light dust.

It spiraled down, the resulting wind pressure causing the entire grassland to bend low. When it landed on the roof of the research institute, its seven-colored tail feathers drooped down, brushing against Ash's hair.

The windows of Oak's lab shook violently, and Shigeru knocked over his coffee cup again.

He didn't bother wiping it off, staring intently at the monitoring screen.

The energy readings above have exceeded the limit.

"Ho-Oh..."

Ash took a step forward.

"Did you come here to see me?"

The rainbow-colored divine beast's eyes shimmered with the light and shadow of memories from long ago.

It suddenly lowered its head and gently touched Ash's hat with its beak.

That old but sturdy hat that accompanied him through all the regions.

Ho-Oh's rainbow-colored beak gently moved away from Ash's hat brim, bringing with it a warm breeze.

Its eyes, which seemed to hold the weight of countless years, gazed deeply at Ash before it unfurled its wings that blotted out the sky.

"Wait!" Ash instinctively reached out his hand.

But the Phoenix King had already taken flight, its body surrounded by a rainbow of light. With each flap of its wings, it scattered shimmering dust of light, those specks drifting in the air like tiny stars.

It flew higher and higher, its massive body gradually transforming into a magnificent rainbow bridge on the horizon.

Latias tilted his head back, his long hair flying in the air: "It seems to have left behind a very important message..."

Ash looked down at his palm, where a rainbow-colored feather was radiating warmth.

When he looked up again, Phoenix King's figure had completely disappeared into the clouds. Only a few falling rainbow feathers slowly spun down, turning into specks of light and dissipating before touching the ground.

but......

It seems I already possessed the Rainbow Feather.

The institute's doors were flung open, and Xiao Mao rushed out, panting, "What did it say?"

"do not know."

Ash shook his head, not knowing what Ho-Oh wanted to say.

Marshadow rose slowly from beneath Ash's feet like an inky shadow, its bright white eyes gazing at the horizon where Ho-Oh had disappeared, its cloak-like shadow swaying gently in the morning breeze.

"Masha..."

Its whispers were like sighs, carrying a hint of indescribable longing.

But soon, the shadow quietly sank into Ash's shadow, leaving only a faint ripple of black light.

Ash touched his shadow and turned to look at his companions who were poised to attack.

"Alright!" He picked up the Mega Stone collar from the ground, slapped his cheeks hard, and said, "Let's continue the special training!"

Charizard spewed out a burst of flame mixed with blue sparks; Solgaleo's mane burst forth with dazzling sunlight; Latias transformed into a streak of light, weaving through the forest.