(2) I Died And Woke Up As Ash Ketchum With A Cheat System, So I Made Sure He Never Lost Again

Orange Islands: A Vacation Full of Trouble

Kai’s rival Troy is so eager to arrange their rematch at the Silver Conference that he sprints off as soon as Kai names the next region. Meanwhile, Victor is rebuilding his plans around a new, unarmored Mewtwo. Kai already has two Mega Stones for his own Mewtwo, but has never tested what they can do.

Before leaving, Kai extends a bad-luck charm on Ren for 60 years. The system helpfully shows Ren’s misfortunes in detail: after a spectacular series of accidents, he winds up injured, miserable, and assigned the code name “Number Two” by Team Aqua. Kai heads to the Orange Islands in a suspiciously good mood.

The trip quickly turns into a parade of near-disasters. Kai’s friend Coral wins airship tickets, only for their “unlucky” airship—piloted by three disguised Rocket agents—to fall apart as soon as it lands. Team Rocket’s other schemes fare no better: Kai repeatedly foils their attempts to steal Pokémon, and their plans often end with them being blasted skyward. Their airship is just one of many things they lose.

At Professor Talia’s institute, Kai examines the mysterious GS Ball and senses the presence of Ho-Oh and Lugia inside it. Slate, meanwhile, discovers the lab is filthy, puts on a maid outfit, and cleans the entire house. He’s so delighted by the prospect of staying with Talia that Kai predicts he’ll regret missing the journey. He does: less than three weeks later, Slate returns home heartbroken over a misunderstanding.

On Tangelo Island, Kai rescues a battered baby Lapras from men attacking it with an iron bar. The frightened Pokémon soon bonds with Kai, though it gives Coral the cold shoulder. Young Pokémon observer Owen joins the group, hoping to share his research with Professor Thorne. Later, Kai’s childhood friend Ara arrives, bringing handmade gifts and her evolved Pokémon. Her thoughtful presents nearly make Coral cry, while Kai and Owen escape the ensuing conversation about perfume and skincare.

Coral Earns Her Moment

Coral takes on the Orange League’s unusual water-themed challenges. She wins her first badge through contests testing accuracy and wave-riding, then earns another by freezing geysers and shaping an ice sled. Her Psyduck—who insists on being called “Staru”—turns out to be far more capable than his vacant expression suggests.

At the Trovita Gym, Coral’s Kingdra, Milotic, and Psyduck overwhelm the leader’s team. Her most memorable victory comes at the Orange League Winners Cup, where she faces Garrick and his Dragonite. Coral’s water-focused team initially seems predictable, but she uses rain, terrain, status effects, and clever timing to work her way through his lineup. Her Psyduck even takes out multiple opponents before being traded for Garrick’s Gengar. In the final showdown, Milotic defeats Dragonite, earning Coral the title of Orange League champion.

The reward keeps growing: elite trainer Freya sees Coral’s potential and chooses her as her successor. Freya teaches her, gives her a Mega Stone and Gyarados stone, and watches Coral Mega Evolve Gyarados successfully on her first try. Kai jokes that he’s effectively “planting” a future Elite Four member.

A Legendary Crisis—and a New Power

The Orange Islands’ biggest crisis begins when a mysterious collector captures Moltres and then Zapdos, throwing the weather and ocean currents out of balance. Kai fights Zapdos using Mega Mewtwo Y, then boards the collector’s flying fortress, takes control of it, and frees the captured birds.

As Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres clash, Kai gathers the three sacred orbs and returns them to the shrine on Shamouti Island. Sky plays the island’s traditional melody, calming the birds and restoring the balance. The guardian Lugia thanks Kai and helps awaken new abilities in him and his Pokémon. Gerra’s sealed eye opens, gaining powerful psychic abilities, while Kai receives the title “Child of the Ocean,” along with the ability to breathe underwater and ride ocean currents.

Kai’s victory is filmed for the news, alerting Victor to just how powerful he has become. Back on the islands, the baby Lapras is reunited with her pod in a particularly tender moment. Kai insists it isn’t a release—just a reunion—and quietly tries not to cry.

Back on the Road: Johto, Victor, and More Team Rocket Mishaps

Kai and his friends return to Pallet Town with several new Pokémon and eggs. Owen is invited to study under Professor Thorne. Slate, however, is found at Kai’s house after apparently suffering a dramatic romantic disappointment. He retreats to face the wall and refuses to discuss Talia.

In Johto, Kai encounters Suicune, then quickly gets pulled into Professor Elden’s missing-Totodile case. Team Rocket stole the starter and is caught with the Pokémon clamped onto Cassidy’s hair. Kai’s popularity is also a recurring inconvenience: police officers and researchers repeatedly stop him for autographs, sometimes in the middle of investigations.

Kai helps rookie trainer Penny improve her battle tactics, catches a powerful Heracross, and intervenes in a forest dispute between Heracross and Pinsir. Team Rocket’s attempts to steal Pokémon from the area only lead to another of their expensive robots being destroyed. A running joke is that the trio keeps getting promotions or paid assignments simply because they’re the ones conveniently following Kai.

Kai also finds a rare dancing Totodile and catches it specifically because it loves to perform. On another route, he battles Rhea’s steel-winged Skarmory with his newly caught Cyndaquil, winning after Cyndaquil lights up and unleashes a fiery counterattack.

Victor’s New Mewtwo

Near Violet City, Victor arrives with his second Mewtwo. Unlike the first, this one has been given constructed memories intended to make it loyal to him. Kai’s Mewtwo senses its near-identical counterpart before Victor even appears.

The two Mewtwo clash, but Kai’s Mega Mewtwo Y overwhelms Victor’s. Victor offers Kai a partnership to overthrow the League; Kai refuses, arguing that Victor’s cause won’t change the fact that Team Rocket is still evil. Rather than capture Victor’s Mewtwo or start a larger war, Kai heals it and lets Victor leave—with a warning not to use it for evil. Victor departs for Kalos, determined to learn how Mega Evolution works.

Team Rocket, which had been assigned to watch Kai, earns another promotion for reporting on him. They celebrate as if they’ve achieved something heroic.

Johto’s Gyms, a Missing Professor, and an Unsettling Ending

Kai continues collecting badges. In Violet City, he debuts Gimmighoul’s evolved form, Gholdengo, which turns out to be far more outgoing than the shy chest Pokémon it used to be. Kai’s Togekiss defeats the leader’s Pidgeot to win the Zephyr Badge.

At the Aelia Gym, Kai’s Kirlia evolves into Gallade during its fight with Scyther. At Goldenrod, Noctowl’s battle with Clefairy is a comic highlight: Clefairy’s Metronome produces only Splash, leaving it flopping uselessly across the field. Kai then defeats the gym leader’s Miltank by Mega Evolving Heracross and using it as a ramp to launch Rollout straight into the air.

The lighthearted travel takes a darker turn when a crystal spreads across the Johto grasslands. Professor Ardan has vanished, and his young daughter Norah has accidentally used the Unown’s power to create an imaginary world—and an Entei-like Pokémon based on her wish for a father. Kai reaches Norah, explains that her real father is still alive, and helps her let go of the illusion. With Mew’s help, Kai retrieves Ardan and seals the Unown away again.

The story ends in Ecruteak City, where Kai defeats gym leader Ezra’s Ghost team—even though nearly every Pokémon is prepared to use Destiny Bond. Kai wins the Fog Badge and leaves with a Rainbow Wing in his possession, in a city whose people once spoke with Ho-Oh. The final scene hints that the legendary bird may not have abandoned humanity after all—and that Victor’s next Mewtwo encounter is still to come.

Standout Recurring Jokes

• Team Rocket’s endless bad luck: They lose airships, robots, disguises, and chances to steal Pokémon, yet keep getting rewarded for accidentally gathering useful intelligence.
• Slate’s weakness for “beautiful, mature women”: He repeatedly flirts, gets dragged away by Coral, and never learns his lesson. His Talia heartbreak leaves him dramatically facing a wall.
• Coral’s water-specialist predicament: She owns a Psyduck who can’t swim, fears bugs, and keeps discovering that her Pokémon are more capable than she expects.
• Kai’s reputation: Researchers, police, fans, and gym leaders recognize him as a young professor and Indigo champion, even when he’d rather just travel.
• Kai’s power—and matter-of-fact attitude: He treats owning multiple legendary Pokémon, taking over a flying fortress, and battling a godlike opponent as practical problems to solve.

Personalities Appearing

• Kai — The exceptionally capable trainer and researcher at the center of the story.
• Coral — A determined water specialist who becomes Orange League champion and Freya’s successor.
• Slate — Coral’s traveling companion, a skilled caretaker with an incurable weakness for flirting.
• Ara — Kai’s longtime friend, a thoughtful Pokémon performer.
• Owen — A young Pokémon observer who joins the journey and becomes Professor Thorne’s student.
• Pikachu — Kai’s dependable partner, frequent mediator, and occasional actor.
• Troy — Kai’s rival, preparing for a rematch at the Silver Conference.
• Professor Thorne — Kai’s mentor and a respected Pokémon researcher.
• Professor Talia and Professor Ardan — Researchers involved in the GS Ball mystery and the Unown crisis.
• Victor — Team Rocket’s leader, who raises a second Mewtwo to challenge Kai.
• Team Rocket’s trio: Cassidy, Brandon, and Meowth — Persistent schemers whose plans almost always collapse.
• Freya — Kanto’s Ice-type Elite Four member and Coral’s mentor.
• Ryder — The Flying-type Elite who repeatedly challenges Freya.
• Gym leaders and other trainers — Including Garrick, Rook, Finn, Bella, Ezra, Penny, Theo, and Hazel.