Chapter 41: Giselle Yoto!

"Kid, are you alright?" After the five teenagers fled in fear upon learning Ash's identity, Ash and Brock helped the young boy named Joe to his feet.

"I'm fine. Thank you!" Joe replied gratefully. But from the worried look on his face, it was clear—he feared retaliation.

"If you're so scared of being targeted again, why keep attending this school? It's not worth it," Ash said, frowning as he looked at Joe's anxious expression.

"No... My parents worked really hard to get me into this academy. I have to graduate from here. Even if I'm bullied, I just have to endure it," Joe replied with a heavy heart.

"I remember they were whipping you just now. You should report that to a teacher!" Brock interjected.

"It's useless," Joe replied helplessly. "Even if a teacher sees it happen, they'll ignore it. This is an elite school. The students are all heirs of wealthy families—nobles and high-ranking officials. Kids like me—commoners—have no voice here. We're just targets."

"So you're Ash Ketchum… I thought those punks were bluffing," a voice interrupted.

Just as Brock finished speaking, a girl in a sailor uniform appeared before Ash and Brock. She had long, dark hair, warm brown eyes, and porcelain skin—her elegance and beauty were striking.

"And you are?" Ash narrowed his eyes. She looked familiar.

After studying her for a moment, Ash suddenly remembered. "No wonder this place has become like this… You're Giselle of the Yoto family."

She was the second daughter of the powerful Yoto family from the Sinnoh region, younger sister to Champion Cynthia Yoto—Giratina's chosen and an icon in her own right.

"It's nice to officially meet you," Giselle said calmly. She wasn't surprised Ash recognized her—children of prestigious families were taught to recognize rival houses and key figures.

"You've stirred up quite a storm here," Ash said coolly, glancing at the crowd of students trailing behind her. As the daughter of one of Sinnoh's top families, Giselle naturally held sway.

Her parents had sent her to this academy in Kanto in the hope she would build ties with Ash. After all, the Full Restore Capsule Ash developed was already gaining traction among major clans.

But Giselle didn't care about her parents' political schemes. After arriving, she began showing off the knowledge she'd learned in advance, quickly rising to the top of the class and completely forgetting her family's instructions.

"The education here is weak. What's wrong with me correcting it? And you—what right do you have to criticize our school?" Giselle scoffed. She was from a noble family too—there was no need to speak humbly to Ash.

But she had overlooked one thing: her position and Ash's were worlds apart.

Ash wasn't just the heir to the Oak family. He was also the future successor of the Dragon Clan, though he hadn't officially acknowledged it. Still, the outside world saw it differently.

And with his status as a top-tier Pokémon Trainer, and the creator of the groundbreaking Full Restore Capsule, Ash's influence far surpassed Giselle's. The Oak family may be peaceful, with no major ambitions outside their scientific legacy, but the Dragon Clan held power that could shake regions.

The Yoto family, meanwhile, was deeply divided. Internal power struggles were common. If not for Cynthia's current position as Champion of Sinnoh, Giselle's status as an heir might have already been erased.

"Brock, inform my uncle. From today onward, the Full Restore Capsule is banned from being supplied to families in the Sinnoh region," Ash said coldly, eyes flashing. If Giselle wanted to question his authority, he'd let her feel the weight of it.

"Got it," Brock replied. He pulled out his phone and called Masaki Oak. As the top Pokémon Breeder of the Oak family and one of Ash's closest allies, Brock's position was highly respected.

"I'm sure you'll soon understand what gives me the right to make decisions about this school. Now, get out of my sight," Ash snapped, giving Brock a glance to follow him as he turned and walked away.

As for the risk of retaliation from the Yoto family?

Ash wasn't worried at all.

With the Full Restore Capsule being a rare product—only ten units released per month—many sought to curry favor with the Oak family just to secure a single dose. The combined influence of the Oak and Dragon families could easily isolate or even crush a clan like the Yotos if necessary.

Giselle, struck by the pressure Ash exuded—so intense it was as if he had activated some hidden power—unconsciously stepped aside. She bit her pink lower lip hard, watching his retreating figure, eyes burning with unwillingness.

Not long after, her phone rang.

As soon as she picked up, her father's angry voice roared through the receiver.

"Giselle, did you provoke Masaki Oak's heir?!"

The voice on the other end of the line was furious.

"Now every major family in the Sinnoh region is putting pressure on us. Apologize to Ash immediately! If he refuses to forgive you, just wait and see how I deal with you. Your sister's already on her way—stall him if you can. I'm sure he'll show some respect for her."

Giselle was stunned. A single phone call from Ash had caused such an uproar that the entire Uto family was now under pressure from Sinnoh's elite families.

All this, just from a boy she thought was merely a pharmacist.

She had no idea of Ash's true value.

While Giselle was being scolded over the phone, Ash and Brock brought Joe to the school's main building. Ash wasn't done yet—he wanted to meet the principal. After all, what kind of person could run a school like this and allow such abuse?

They soon reached the door of the principal's office. Ash stopped abruptly, staring at the nameplate.

"Serion Draconis."

Ash narrowed his eyes.

"So we finally meet," he muttered, voice low but steady.

Brock said nothing, but he could see the tension in Ash's eyes. He understood.

Among the great families, Ash's background wasn't a secret.

Everyone was watching him—waiting to see whether he'd acknowledge his bloodline and return to the Dragon Clan, or eventually clash with them in a confrontation that could reshape the power balance of the entire Pokémon world.

...

TN:

So, Ash is now a young master?!

Also, AU folks~ Giselle is now related to Cynthia, and her surname is Yoto.

...

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