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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_1088_en
Chapter 196
Chapter 1078: Ash vs. Norman!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Recovering from the powerful electric shock, Max led the three of them into his family's large dojo.
"I'm a little over seven years old, so I still have a few years before I can become an official trainer."
As they walked on the wooden floorboards, Max continued to chatter on about himself.
He was a fanatical fan of Pokémon battles, but the day he could officially set out on his journey was still a few years away.
The days dragged on like years, so Max could only spend his time glued to the television, watching exciting Pokémon battles from all over. This also led to him wearing glasses at such a young age.
"Damn it, my sister is really something else!"
Along the way, Max seemed to have found an audience and began complaining about his sister.
This was none other than May, whom Ash and the others had met before.
He had originally planned to ambush May when she returned home. After all, her journey starting from Littleroot Town would eventually bring her back to Petalburg City.
He planned to seize the opportunity to intercept her, force her to take him on her journey, and deal with the fallout later.
That way, even his father wouldn't be able to say much.
But after waiting for a long time, he saw no sign of May.
She was cunning and had bypassed Petalburg City entirely. After all, the Hoenn Region had more than just eight Gyms.
However, the remaining Gyms weren't very famous. Apart from seasoned locals, outsiders would basically only challenge the eight well-known Gyms.
Some big sister she turned out to be.
"By the way, Master Ash! Which of the starter Pokémon do you think I should choose!?"
Max asked with great anticipation, even using a respectful title.
Winning a League Conference in his debut year and even successfully challenging a member of the Elite Four...
Max had watched countless battle recordings, and in his mind, only the new Ghost-type Elite Four member from their own Hoenn Region could compare to Ash.
Unfortunately, Charmander aren't native to the Hoenn Region, and Max was extremely envious of Ash's Charizard.
"Heh, just call me Ash," Ash replied with an awkward laugh.
"As for which one to choose, that's up to you. No one else can give you advice on that."
"But Ash, you're already an Elite Four-level trainer! Why are you still taking on Gyms and participating in the League Conference?!"
Max asked in astonishment.
Even for a conference winner, there's still a significant gap to an Elite Four member.
Normally, a trainer who wins a conference needs another three or four years of dedicated training before they're ready to formally challenge the Elite Four.
But Ash had done it all in one go, becoming an Elite Four-level trainer. Yet here he was, still taking on Gym challenges. This was quite puzzling to Max.
"As a trainer, it's natural to want to see more of the outside world."
At this question, Ash's mind settled a bit.
It was true that if he just sent out his Pidgeot to find and schedule battles with other Elite Four members, his strength might increase even faster.
But his goal had never been simply about becoming stronger.
Encountering new Pokémon, new experiences, new trainers, and new parts of the world—these were all part of his goal.
So for now, Ash didn't think that simply flying directly to his destination on Pidgeot was a good idea.
"But once this journey in the Hoenn Region is over, I might try a different approach."
Ash secretly made up his mind.
He was getting ahead of himself...
Now, led by Max, the three of them had arrived at a spacious indoor training ground with a sturdy wooden floor underfoot.
The thick wooden walls were embedded with stout pillars, looking as if they could withstand powerful attacks.
From an inner door, a man slowly walked out.
This man wasn't particularly tall. He was dressed in trousers and a short-sleeved shirt for daily training, with a red jacket worn over top.
He had short, close-cropped black hair with a single lock of bangs on his forehead.
Judging by his appearance alone, he looked more like a P.E. teacher from some school.
But his expression was serious, his eyes were sharp, and his features were deep-set and resolute. Standing there with his arms crossed, he gave off an intensely aggressive vibe.
"Dad! Let me introduce you! This is Ash from Pallet Town, and he's an Elite Four-level trainer from the Kanto Region!"
Max quickly made the introduction, with a tone as if he were introducing himself.
"An Elite Four-level trainer, you say...?"
Norman's brows rose as he stared at Ash.
He had heard of the title "Elite Four-level trainer"... but for it to belong to someone so young was extremely rare.
Then, Max bounced over to Norman's side and began introducing his father to Ash.
"This is the Petalburg Gym Leader, and he's definitely the strongest of all the Gym Leaders!"
His tone, once again, was as if he were introducing himself.
"And my father once battled Master Wallace and held his own!"
Max pushed up his glasses, rattling off the facts as if they were family heirlooms.
However, Norman cut in.
"My name is Norman, a trainer at the Petalburg Gym. As for Wallace, that was just a friendly spar a long time ago. It means nothing."
Hearing this, Ash's focus returned.
Steven Stone was the former Pokémon League Champion... and the current Pokémon League Champion of the Hoenn Region was this very man, Wallace!
To think that this middle-aged man before him could actually go head-to-head with a Pokémon League Champion?
Ash didn't buy the "friendly spar" story.
"So, you've come to our Petalburg Gym today..."
Before Norman could finish, Max had already answered for Ash.
"Oh! Dad, Ash is here to challenge our Petalburg Gym!"
If it were anyone else, Max would naturally want his father to crush them with overwhelming strength, showcasing Norman's power.
He couldn't bear to see Norman lose.
After all, most of the badges the Petalburg Gym gave out were a result of Norman deliberately going easy on his challengers.
But this time, the opponent was the legendary Ash.
So Max chose to be neutral. No matter who won, it was guaranteed to be an exciting battle!
"You're here to challenge the Gym?"
Hearing this, Norman looked Ash up and down. Most trainers who reach the Elite Four level rarely continue to participate in the League Conference.
Here to crush some rookies?
But by the looks of it, he'd be able to properly stretch his muscles today.
Norman's gaze instantly sharpened, and his whole demeanor grew stern, making it difficult to look away.
This was the presence of a true expert!
*Clack, clack!*
Without checking if Ash had the required four badges, Norman walked directly to one end of the spacious indoor dojo.
"Alright then, the rules for a Petalburg Gym challenge are 3v3. Only the challenger is allowed to freely switch their Pokémon. Once all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, a winner is decided!"
Max, meanwhile, stood between the two, taking on the role of referee.
He was precocious for his age and not yet a trainer, but nothing was more exciting than getting to be the referee for one of his father's Gym battles!
(end of chapter)
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Recovering from the powerful electric shock, Max led the three of them into his family's large dojo.
"I'm a little over seven years old, so I still have a few years before I can become an official trainer."
As they walked on the wooden floorboards, Max continued to chatter on about himself.
He was a fanatical fan of Pokémon battles, but the day he could officially set out on his journey was still a few years away.
The days dragged on like years, so Max could only spend his time glued to the television, watching exciting Pokémon battles from all over. This also led to him wearing glasses at such a young age.
"Damn it, my sister is really something else!"
Along the way, Max seemed to have found an audience and began complaining about his sister.
This was none other than May, whom Ash and the others had met before.
He had originally planned to ambush May when she returned home. After all, her journey starting from Littleroot Town would eventually bring her back to Petalburg City.
He planned to seize the opportunity to intercept her, force her to take him on her journey, and deal with the fallout later.
That way, even his father wouldn't be able to say much.
But after waiting for a long time, he saw no sign of May.
She was cunning and had bypassed Petalburg City entirely. After all, the Hoenn Region had more than just eight Gyms.
However, the remaining Gyms weren't very famous. Apart from seasoned locals, outsiders would basically only challenge the eight well-known Gyms.
Some big sister she turned out to be.
"By the way, Master Ash! Which of the starter Pokémon do you think I should choose!?"
Max asked with great anticipation, even using a respectful title.
Winning a League Conference in his debut year and even successfully challenging a member of the Elite Four...
Max had watched countless battle recordings, and in his mind, only the new Ghost-type Elite Four member from their own Hoenn Region could compare to Ash.
Unfortunately, Charmander aren't native to the Hoenn Region, and Max was extremely envious of Ash's Charizard.
"Heh, just call me Ash," Ash replied with an awkward laugh.
"As for which one to choose, that's up to you. No one else can give you advice on that."
"But Ash, you're already an Elite Four-level trainer! Why are you still taking on Gyms and participating in the League Conference?!"
Max asked in astonishment.
Even for a conference winner, there's still a significant gap to an Elite Four member.
Normally, a trainer who wins a conference needs another three or four years of dedicated training before they're ready to formally challenge the Elite Four.
But Ash had done it all in one go, becoming an Elite Four-level trainer. Yet here he was, still taking on Gym challenges. This was quite puzzling to Max.
"As a trainer, it's natural to want to see more of the outside world."
At this question, Ash's mind settled a bit.
It was true that if he just sent out his Pidgeot to find and schedule battles with other Elite Four members, his strength might increase even faster.
But his goal had never been simply about becoming stronger.
Encountering new Pokémon, new experiences, new trainers, and new parts of the world—these were all part of his goal.
So for now, Ash didn't think that simply flying directly to his destination on Pidgeot was a good idea.
"But once this journey in the Hoenn Region is over, I might try a different approach."
Ash secretly made up his mind.
He was getting ahead of himself...
Now, led by Max, the three of them had arrived at a spacious indoor training ground with a sturdy wooden floor underfoot.
The thick wooden walls were embedded with stout pillars, looking as if they could withstand powerful attacks.
From an inner door, a man slowly walked out.
This man wasn't particularly tall. He was dressed in trousers and a short-sleeved shirt for daily training, with a red jacket worn over top.
He had short, close-cropped black hair with a single lock of bangs on his forehead.
Judging by his appearance alone, he looked more like a P.E. teacher from some school.
But his expression was serious, his eyes were sharp, and his features were deep-set and resolute. Standing there with his arms crossed, he gave off an intensely aggressive vibe.
"Dad! Let me introduce you! This is Ash from Pallet Town, and he's an Elite Four-level trainer from the Kanto Region!"
Max quickly made the introduction, with a tone as if he were introducing himself.
"An Elite Four-level trainer, you say...?"
Norman's brows rose as he stared at Ash.
He had heard of the title "Elite Four-level trainer"... but for it to belong to someone so young was extremely rare.
Then, Max bounced over to Norman's side and began introducing his father to Ash.
"This is the Petalburg Gym Leader, and he's definitely the strongest of all the Gym Leaders!"
His tone, once again, was as if he were introducing himself.
"And my father once battled Master Wallace and held his own!"
Max pushed up his glasses, rattling off the facts as if they were family heirlooms.
However, Norman cut in.
"My name is Norman, a trainer at the Petalburg Gym. As for Wallace, that was just a friendly spar a long time ago. It means nothing."
Hearing this, Ash's focus returned.
Steven Stone was the former Pokémon League Champion... and the current Pokémon League Champion of the Hoenn Region was this very man, Wallace!
To think that this middle-aged man before him could actually go head-to-head with a Pokémon League Champion?
Ash didn't buy the "friendly spar" story.
"So, you've come to our Petalburg Gym today..."
Before Norman could finish, Max had already answered for Ash.
"Oh! Dad, Ash is here to challenge our Petalburg Gym!"
If it were anyone else, Max would naturally want his father to crush them with overwhelming strength, showcasing Norman's power.
He couldn't bear to see Norman lose.
After all, most of the badges the Petalburg Gym gave out were a result of Norman deliberately going easy on his challengers.
But this time, the opponent was the legendary Ash.
So Max chose to be neutral. No matter who won, it was guaranteed to be an exciting battle!
"You're here to challenge the Gym?"
Hearing this, Norman looked Ash up and down. Most trainers who reach the Elite Four level rarely continue to participate in the League Conference.
Here to crush some rookies?
But by the looks of it, he'd be able to properly stretch his muscles today.
Norman's gaze instantly sharpened, and his whole demeanor grew stern, making it difficult to look away.
This was the presence of a true expert!
*Clack, clack!*
Without checking if Ash had the required four badges, Norman walked directly to one end of the spacious indoor dojo.
"Alright then, the rules for a Petalburg Gym challenge are 3v3. Only the challenger is allowed to freely switch their Pokémon. Once all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, a winner is decided!"
Max, meanwhile, stood between the two, taking on the role of referee.
He was precocious for his age and not yet a trainer, but nothing was more exciting than getting to be the referee for one of his father's Gym battles!
(end of chapter)
