Mount Silver.
The Johto League Silver Conference.
“The second round of the finals tournament the first quarterfinal match is about to begin!”
“Entering the battlefield now are Jackson from Johto… and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto!”
“Jackson was one of the top performers during the Ever Grande Conference exhibition circuit and is considered a powerful contender for the Silver Conference title!”
“And his opponent, Ash Ketchum, began his journey only two years ago!
After reaching the Top 16 in the Indigo Conference during his first League challenge, he has once again shown extraordinary skill throughout the Silver Conference!”
“So just what kind of battle will these two Trainers bring us in this quarterfinal showdown?!”
“Let the match begin!”
The commentator’s excited voice echoed throughout the massive stadium.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the audience.
Under the bright lights of the battlefield, countless spectators focused their attention on the two entrances leading into the arena.
“Ash will be okay… right?”
Misty asked softly while holding Togepi in her arms.
“That Trainer named Jackson is really strong,” said Brock calmly with his arms crossed.
“Especially his Blaziken.
It’s obvious he’s trained it exceptionally well.”
After a pause, Brock smiled faintly.
“But Ash has grown a lot during this journey.
Right now, all we can do is trust him.”
Misty nodded gently.
“Yeah… Ash can do this.”
At the end of the trainer’s tunnel, a tall young man stepped onto the battlefield first.
Jackson waved confidently toward the crowd, earning another wave of cheers before narrowing his eyes toward the opposite entrance.
Moments later
A boy wearing a red cap slowly walked out beneath the stadium lights.
His black hair stirred slightly beneath the brim of his hat.
His eyes, however, were completely different from before.
Calm.
Focused.
Sharp.
His name was Ash Ketchum.
Or rather…
At least, that was who he was now.
The previous night, he had awakened inside a dormitory room at the Silver Conference athlete village with memories that did not belong to this world.
A Pokémon fan from another reality.
Someone who had watched Ash’s journey for over a decade.
Someone who remembered every victory…
Every loss…
And every regret.
Especially this battle.
The Silver Conference quarterfinals.
The match where Ash’s Johto journey would come to an end.
He remembered it clearly.
Ash would lose here.
And after that would come even more regrets missed opportunities in Hoenn, failures in Sinnoh, abandoned training, inconsistent strategies, Pokémon that never reached their true potential…
But now
Everything could change.
From this moment onward…
He was Ash Ketchum.
And he would rewrite destiny itself.
“I won’t lose here,” Ash murmured quietly as he stepped onto the battlefield.
“Not at the Silver Conference.
Not at the Ever Grande Conference.
Not at the Lily of the Valley Conference.”
“This time… I’ll become a true Pokémon Master.”
“Pika…”
Pikachu looked up at Ash worriedly, sensing the intense emotions surging within him.
Ash lowered his gaze before smiling softly.
“We’re going to win together, Pikachu.”
“Pikachu!”
Pikachu’s expression immediately brightened.
To be honest, after inheriting Ash’s memories, one thing frustrated him more than anything else.
Ash had incredible talent.
His bond with Pokémon was almost unmatched.
Yet he constantly failed to fully develop his teams.
The Johto starters still hadn’t reached their final evolutions.
Many of his strongest Pokémon lacked proper long-term training.
His battle strategies often relied too heavily on instinct rather than preparation.
And despite possessing championship-level potential, he repeatedly reset his progress whenever he entered a new region.
It was painful to watch.
Especially Sinnoh.
That had been Ash’s greatest chance.
Only to end with the appearance of Tobias and his impossible Darkrai.
But this time…
Things would be different.
No more wasted potential.
No more careless mistakes.
No more resetting his experience every region.
This time, Ash would climb to the very top through genuine strength.
“The quarterfinal battle will now begin!”
“The battlefield selected is the Grass Field!”
“The match will be six-on-six!”
“The Trainer who defeats all of the opponent’s Pokémon first will advance to the semifinals!”
The referee raised his flags.
“Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town will make the first move!”
Ash immediately pointed forward.
“You’re up first, Pikachu!”
“Pika-Pikachu!”
Pikachu leaped from Ash’s shoulder and landed lightly on the field.
Across from them, Jackson threw a Poké Ball.
“Go, Kecleon!”
A flash of white light erupted.
Kecleon appeared on the grassy battlefield, narrowing its eyes cautiously.
“Pikachu, Quick Attack!”
Ash gave the command instantly.
Even though he possessed future knowledge, this was still his first real Pokémon battle in this world.
His heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
But instead of fear
He felt excitement.
“Kecleon, use Camouflage!”
The moment Pikachu dashed forward, Kecleon’s body blended perfectly into its surroundings.
Its form vanished completely within the tall grass.
The Grass Field was ideal terrain for Kecleon.
Combined with its natural stealth abilities, locating it normally would have been extremely difficult.
But Ash already knew Kecleon’s weakness.
“Don’t stop, Pikachu!” Ash shouted immediately.
“Keep moving forward and use Thunderbolt straight ahead!”
“Pika CHUUUU!”
Electricity exploded from Pikachu’s cheeks.
A massive bolt of lightning surged across the grass field.
BOOM!
The explosion scattered dirt and grass into the air.
Although the attack did not land directly, the electrical shockwave forced Kecleon out of hiding.
“There it is!” Ash shouted.
“Quick Attack, now!”
Pikachu moved like a streak of yellow lightning.
“Kecleon, dodge!” Jackson shouted.
But it was too late.
Pikachu slammed directly into Kecleon before it could fully recover from Thunderbolt’s shockwave.
Kecleon crashed backward across the field.
Then it stopped moving entirely.
“Kecleon is unable to battle!” the referee declared.
“Pikachu wins!”
The stadium exploded with cheers.
“What an incredible opening move!” the commentator shouted excitedly.
“Ash immediately countered Kecleon’s invisibility by predicting its position and maintaining offensive pressure!”
In the audience, Professor Oak adjusted his glasses in surprise.
“Amazing,” he murmured.
“Ash and Pikachu’s coordination is far sharper than before.”
Misty’s eyes widened.
“Ash actually predicted Kecleon’s movement…”
“And his timing was perfect,” Brock added seriously.
Jackson recalled Kecleon with a smile.
“You did great.
Rest for now.”
Then he looked back toward Ash.
“You’ve gotten stronger.”
Ash met his gaze calmly.
“And I’m not stopping here.”
Jackson grinned before throwing out another Poké Ball.
“Then let’s keep going!”
“Go, Sneasel!”
A burst of light revealed Sneasel, its sharp claws gleaming beneath the stadium lights.
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly.
Unlike Kecleon, Sneasel was dangerous.
Fast.
Aggressive.
And extremely difficult to pin down.
“Metal Claw!” Jackson commanded immediately.
Sneasel vanished in a blur.
Its speed was astonishing.
In only a second, it appeared directly in front of Pikachu.
CLANG!
The shining claws struck Pikachu and launched him backward through the air.
“Pikachu, Thunderbolt!”
Still airborne, Pikachu released another burst of electricity toward the ground below.
But Sneasel was already retreating at high speed.
The attack barely clipped it.
Jackson smiled confidently.
“My Sneasel won’t go down so easily.”
Ash remained calm.
He understood something important immediately.
Pikachu could probably win.
But against an opponent as agile as Sneasel, continuing this fight would waste too much stamina.
That was one of old Ash’s biggest flaws.
He often pushed the same Pokémon too hard instead of controlling the pace of battle strategically.
“Pikachu, come back.”
“Pika?”
Pikachu looked confused.
But after meeting Ash’s gaze, he nodded and retreated.
The audience stirred in surprise.
“A substitution already?!” the commentator exclaimed.
Ash grabbed another Poké Ball.
“This battle is yours, Totodile!”
With a flash of light, Totodile appeared on the field energetically.
“Totooo!”
“Totodile, Water Gun!”
A powerful stream of water shot toward Sneasel.
“Sneasel, dodge and use Metal Claw!”
Sneasel darted sideways before charging forward again with terrifying speed.
But this time
Ash smiled.
“Now, Totodile!
Bite!”
Totodile’s eyes lit up instantly.
The moment Sneasel entered range
CHOMP!
Totodile lunged forward and clamped down directly onto Sneasel’s arm.
“What?!” Jackson’s eyes widened.
Sneasel struggled violently, but Totodile refused to let go.
Ash almost laughed.
Among all of his Pokémon, Totodile’s Bite attack was practically instinctive.
After all…
Totodile had spent half its life trying to bite Ash himself.
“Toto-toto!”
Totodile happily bounced around while still holding Sneasel in its jaws, leaving the Dark-type Pokémon completely disoriented.
In the audience, Professor Oak burst into laughter.
“It’s dancing while attacking!”
Nearby, Delia Ketchum excitedly lifted her camera.
“Ash!
Totodile!
Look over here!”
“Finish it now!” Ash shouted.
“Use Tail Whip!”
Totodile spun its body using momentum before releasing Sneasel.
WHAM!
Its tail slammed directly into Sneasel’s face and launched it across the battlefield.
Sneasel crashed hard near the arena boundary.
After several seconds
It failed to stand.
“Sneasel is unable to battle!” the referee announced.
“Totodile wins!”
The entire stadium erupted once more.
Ash Ketchum had claimed two consecutive victories.
And for the first time since the Silver Conference began…
People started wondering if this Trainer from Pallet Town might truly become a championship contender.