Chapter 63: Achievement Unlocked: [Stabbing a God]

Leaving the Power Plant, Ash and his companions continued south. Passing through a stretch of rocky hills, they stepped onto a high plateau and looked out ahead, where the faint silhouette of a small town could already be seen in the distance.

The town was shrouded in a thick mist. Even though it was broad daylight, that entire area looked as though it had been cordoned off by some sort of barrier, casting a gloomy and dim atmosphere over it.

Most of the buildings in the town were an eerie shade of purple. If you stared at them for too long, it even gave you a creepy feeling that the town itself was staring back at you.

It felt rather supernatural.

If Gary hadn't kicked the bucket, he probably would have loved this place.

Misty, in truth, really wanted to persuade them to take a detour. After all, there was no Gym here, and it was rumored to be haunted—not exactly the kind of place a delicate young lady should visit; they might as well just head straight west to Saffron City.

However, Ash immediately shot her down.

Although there were still a few days left before Gary's first-seven memorial service, he was still determined to go to the town's Pokémon Tower, famous throughout Kanto, to burn a stick of incense for his dear friend.

...

Just as the trio finished resting and were about to hit the road again, the Pokédex suddenly emitted a mechanical sound, quite loud and high-pitched.

Ash remembered hearing this kind of jubilant sound when he unlocked the 2H Trainer rank.

"Beep-beep. Congratulations, Trainer Ash, for unlocking the achievement: [Stabbing a God in the Back]."

He scratched his head, thinking to himself that this bootleg Pokédex signal really wasn't reliable. We've been walking for over half an hour, and only now are you talking about stabbing a god in the back?

As expected, next time he should really ask Professor Oak to swap it for an HW Pokédex.

However, the title [Stabbing a God in the Back] sounded rather grating to the ears. All three of them instantly had their interest piqued and immediately declared that they would take an extra ten-minute break to study this new achievement.

Previously, there were only scattered achievements like Food Chain, Longevity Bond, and Best Actor. Had a new one been unlocked now?

The three of them fumbled around with the Pokédex, and sure enough, they spotted several new achievement options.

"[Stabbing a God in the Back]: Defeat a legendary Pokémon (1/1)."

Brock nodded. Although he hadn't completely defeated it, Ash had indeed gained Zapdos's approval, so rounding it up and getting this title was not a big problem.

Actually, it wasn't the CPU's fault for having such a long delay in getting a signal; it was simply too mind-boggling that a mere 2H-tier Trainer had suddenly defeated a legendary Pokémon.

No one would believe it if you told them.

It was enough to give any CPU a headache.

The trio examined it further and discovered that this [Stabbing a God in the Back] achievement was actually just the first tier, much like Pikachu currently being a [Novice Trainee] within the grand achievement of [The Path of the Best Actor].

"[Stabbing a God Three Times]: Defeat three legendary Pokémon (1/3)."

"[Slaughtering Gods Like Dogs]: Defeat thirty legendary Pokémon (1/30)."

The three of them: "..."

What an arrogant achievement!

Ridiculous!

Aren't they afraid that broadcasting this title will cause their Trainer to be collectively beaten up by all the legendary beasts?

Besides, could anyone really slaughter gods like dogs? Even the peak Trainers, those high-and-mighty Champions, probably couldn't pull that off, right?

The three continued scrolling down the screen and discovered that there were actually other branching achievements related to legendary Pokémon.

"[The God Between My Legs]: Ride a legendary Pokémon and maintain it for 10 minutes (0/1)."

"[The Mighty Legendary Beast Master]: Catch a legendary Pokémon (0/1)."

And above this [The Mighty Legendary Beast Master], there was even an ultimate achievement.

"[The Wrath of Gods and Men Legendary Beast Master]: Release all ordinary Pokémon, keep only legendary Pokémon on hand, and reach a total of 10 legendary Pokémon."

Ash and his friends: "..."

That certainly sounded rather repulsive.

These achievements were all supposed to be gradually revealed only after Ash collected eight badges and participated in the League, serving as a new set of milestone goals.

What's the fun in just beating people?

Of course, it was much more interesting to play with legendary beasts in your hands, catching them just like catching chickens.

Ash's eyes lit up brightly. Hearing these titles, countless surges of burning passion and confidence welled up in his heart as he gazed into the distance.

The future was still worth looking forward to!

Suddenly, a hint of slyness flashed in his eyes, and he probed:

"Say, Pokédex, I've unlocked quite a few achievements now, but all you ever do is hand out empty titles. Can't you give me some actual substantial rewards?"

After all these days, anyone who wasn't a complete blockhead could figure out that this Pokédex was very bizarre; maybe it really could dish out some rewards.

Ash wasn't greedy. Pokémon on the level of Dragonite, like the one they encountered last time, would be plenty if it just casually gifted him a few.

If worst came to worst, giving him a couple of eggs would also be fantastic; he could just happen to unlock the [Egg-Laying Rooster] achievement.

"Beep-beep..."

The Pokédex began to whir, as if searching for something, and only made a sound again half a minute later.

"System update successful! Beep-beep. From now on, every time an achievement is unlocked, Trainer Ash will receive a special reward."

"Now issuing the reward for unlocking [Stabbing a God in the Back]. Trainer, please check your inventory."

Hearing this, Ash and his friends were overjoyed. They just tried it on a whim and it actually yielded a reward?!

"Ahem..."

A minute later, the Pokédex's voice indeed changed. It was no longer a mechanical sound, but had turned into a human voice, starting with a classic cough.

Ash scratched his head. The voice was a bit hoarse, but it sounded somewhat familiar...

"Hello everyone, this is a special edition of Professor Oak's Lecture. Today I won't be doing a crosstalk; instead, I'll sing a song for you all."

Reward: Professor Oak's Song, which has the effect of purifying the body and mind.

Ash and his friends: "???"

"1, 2, 3, go. My home is in the east..."

Sparks of fire flew from Ash's eyes, and his hand moved with lightning speed, faintly covered by a bizarre cyan glow. The sound of sonic booms roared, and even the air was visibly distorted.

At this moment, his hand speed reached the peak of his professional career, and it was probably a height he would never be able to reach again in this lifetime.

He switched the Pokédex's sound settings to vibration.

"Pokédex, I don't need any rewards from now on, help me delete all of this trash!"

Ash roared at the top of his lungs.

What the heck, is this a reward or an attempt on a dog's life?!

He had heard Professor Oak sing before; only that weird girl Blue could clap with a smiling face, while both he and Gary had passed out on the spot.

What an absolute disaster.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

Because the Pokédex had been switched to vibration mode, it couldn't emit normal sound and could only buzz endlessly.

Seeing this, Ash grew even more irritated, almost wanting to smash the Pokédex right then and there.

Damn it!

This Pokédex really was just something Professor Oak used to target him, wasn't it?!

...

In the end, Ash still stuffed the Pokédex back into his pocket. All three of them wore expressions as if they had just been force-fed garbage, their faces pitch black as they walked toward the distant town...

...

...

Lavender Town, a town adorned with mysterious and noble purple.

To put it another way, a ghost town.

If you haven't seen a few wandering ghosts here, you don't even deserve to call yourself a resident of Lavender Town.

Even Ash, a newcomer to the place, felt the urge to drag Red out for a stroll.

Red: "..."

He felt somewhat offended.

Arriving in a new town, the first thing to do was naturally to head to the local Pokémon Center to recuperate and enjoy some free services. The three of them walked straight ahead following the map.

However, unlike them, the townspeople they met along the way were not rushing around; they all walked very slowly, strolling leisurely with their hands behind their backs.

The residents here were quite relaxed.

What was even stranger was that the townspeople were mostly elderly folks or children; they basically didn't see any young or middle-aged adults.

The three of them had no suspicions. The town wasn't very large, and there were no particularly special buildings, save for a purple tower in the northeast that exuded an eerie aura, which must undoubtedly be the Pokémon Tower.

Right now, however, they needed to go to the Pokémon Center to restore their stamina first.

The three pushed open the doors of the Pokémon Center. Coincidentally, a bald old man with white eyebrows was walking out at the same time, wearing a kind and gentle expression.

Noticing that the three of them looked unfamiliar, the old man asked with a smile, "You three aren't locals, are you?"

"Just passing by,"

Ash answered honestly.

Hearing this, the old man wasn't surprised at all. He wore a beaming smile and asked mysteriously,

"Then do you believe ghosts exist in this world?"

Ash replied without skipping a beat,

"I do. I've got one right on me."

The old man: "?"

Why did these outsiders refuse to play by the rules?

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(2 chapters updated~ Please vote and bookmark. There are three days left, please give me all your energy for these three days, this really matters...)