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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_356_en
Chapter 356
Chapter 352: A Magician? Isn't That Something Anyone with Hands Can Do?
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
“You mean, I could be eliminated at any moment, starting from the very first round?”
To be thrown into a do-or-die match right from the start was something Ash hadn't expected. He stared down at his own palm, his body trembling slightly with excitement. He took a deep breath, and his hand clenched into a tight fist.
“Then we’ll just have to keep winning!”
“Pika!”
Ash and Pikachu bumped fists. This tournament format, where they could be knocked out at any moment, had already set their blood boiling!
So when does the battle finally start!?
He had already been waiting at the Pokémon Center for half an hour.
“Beep.”
Suddenly, the television in the lobby made a sound. It seemed to be a flash report interview from a battle that had just concluded. The sound drew the attention of Ash and his group, and they couldn’t help but curiously move closer.
“Congratulations to Gary from Pallet Town for winning his first battle! And with an astonishing one-on-three victory, no less. It’s hard to imagine this is a trainer who only just started his journey this year.”
On the screen, a reporter was interviewing a youth with spiky brown hair.
Gary had already finished his first preliminary match of the day.
On the television, he had already snatched the microphone without a hint of politeness, his other hand on his hip, his expression exceedingly arrogant.
“Haha, for me, Gary of Pallet Town, isn’t this something anyone with hands can do? Surely there isn’t a trainer from Pallet Town who can’t manage a clean sweep in their opening match, right? Heh heh.”
Ash: “!”
His brow furrowed. He had a feeling the Gary on TV was hinting at him.
“A clean sweep, huh... That’s so you.”
Ash’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Damn it, how has that guy Gary already finished his first match, while I’m still here doing warm-ups!
This was another baffling aspect of the Indigo League Conference's format. The battle venue and the opponent were only decided twenty minutes before the match. Everyone's start time was a random number.
One person might have their first match at 8 in the morning, while another might not start until 5 in the afternoon—a thoughtful arrangement to ensure every participant could enjoy this ultimate form of torture.
Finally, after another thirty minutes of waiting, an announcement came from the front desk.
“Ding-dong~ Would participant Ash please come to counter XX to draw for your competition venue and opponent~”
Ash was overjoyed, his body shooting forward like a rocket. Brock and Misty followed curiously behind him.
When they arrived at the front desk, Nurse Joy had already prepared the button device.
“Click.”
Without a second thought, Ash reached out and pressed it. A roulette-style device above them began to spin. With another press from Ash, the display slowly came to a halt, the pointer finally landing on a blue symbol.
“Your first battle will be in the Water Arena~ It’s in Arena 1~” Nurse Joy prompted with a smile.
The four branch arenas of the Indigo League were, in fact, four venues with distinctly different styles, but there were only four: Water, Rock, Grass, and Ice.
Leagues in other regions might have as many as eighteen different types of arenas, all flashy and complicated, but the Indigo League had only these four. The traditions of the ancestors could not be abandoned.
The Main Arena at the center was a standard-regulation competition venue.
“As for your first opponent, it’s a trainer named Guangwu~”
Ash looked up and saw, next to the Water Arena symbol, the portrait of a man with long, cyan hair. His face was androgynous, and he even looked a bit flamboyant.
“Is that my opponent for the first round? He looks like a small fry, doesn't he?”
A voice came from behind. It wasn't Ash speaking.
Ash instinctively turned to look behind him, only to see a person slowly walking in through the Pokémon Center’s main entrance, his appearance identical to the portrait on the screen.
“You’re Guangwu?!”
“How dare you say my name so casually? Ash from Pallet Town? Pallet Town, is that some kind of countryside place? No wonder you’re so rude~”
Guangwu slowly walked up to Ash. Waving his two slender hands in front of Ash’s face, he produced two Poké Balls out of thin air with a “pop,” looking incredibly flashy.
“I am the magician Guangwu, and I'll be the one to send you packing in the very first round. Heh heh.”
He balanced the Poké Balls on his fingertips, spinning them with practiced elegance. This feat of conjuring Poké Balls from thin air earned applause from many onlookers, showing he was a rather famous individual.
“Hmph!”
Ash let out a cold snort at the sight, secretly plotting his counterattack.
This was the pre-match trash talk segment. Momentum was the most important thing. How could he let himself be intimidated like this before the battle even started?
At this thought, Ash took a sudden step forward. His hand shot out like lightning, flashing in front of Guangwu. The very air hissed as it rubbed against his palm, which moved with incredible speed, creating a chilling sound.
Guangwu: “!”
He only felt a strong gust of wind flash before his eyes. A large drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. He never imagined this country bumpkin would actually dare to make a move!
But by the time he reacted, Ash had already withdrawn his arm, and he himself hadn't suffered any damage.
“So fast!!”
Guangwu was stunned. He saw that the two Poké Balls on his fingertips had somehow ended up in his opponent’s hand.
“KRAK!!”
Next, Ash raised his hand to Guangwu’s eye level. With a sudden exertion of power, he crushed the two Poké Balls in his hand into fragments, which scattered onto the ground. The scene was extremely savage.
“Holy cow...”
“Those must be prop Poké Balls, right...?”
“With that kind of strength, couldn't he carry several bags of rice at once?”
The surrounding passersby all turned to look, shocked by Ash’s display of Machamp-like human strength.
It was a well-known fact that Poké Balls were made of incredibly sturdy material. Only a Pokémon with immense power could possibly pull off a bare-handed crush of a Poké Ball.
And for some trivia, it is actually very difficult for a normal human to exert full force when gripping a spherical object. It’s nearly impossible to crush even a fragile egg.
Ash casually tossed two new Poké Balls to Guangwu as compensation.
“Making Poké Balls appear out of thin air? Isn’t that something anyone with hands can do?”
Hearing this, Guangwu’s expression changed drastically. He could only shoot Ash a hateful glare before turning with a dark face and walking out of the lobby.
“Hmph, you can run your mouth for now. I won’t be holding back later!”
“Me neither!”
In the pre-match skirmish, Ash had won by a slight billion points.
“Your battle is in Arena 1 in twenty minutes. Remember not to be late~ Being ten minutes late is considered an automatic forfeit~” Nurse Joy kindly reminded him.
After Ash prepared all the Pokémon he would use in his first match, he readied himself to leave with Brock and Misty.
“Ding-dong~”
Just then, another figure walked in. It was a familiar face.
“Look, it’s the trainer of Moltres!”
“I heard she’s a fortunate one. Is this year’s champion already decided?”
“No wonder it feels like the whole place is filled with a lucky aura now that she’s here.”
The moment she appeared, she drew the gazes and heated discussion of the surrounding crowd, who swarmed around her, trying to absorb her lucky aura.
“Ah, someone from my town! Are you heading out?!”
Blue looked a little helpless, surrounded by the crowd. Her eyes suddenly caught sight of Ash about to leave, and she couldn't help but squeeze through the people and run over. She tightly gripped the hem of his clothes, panting heavily, her expression a little panicked.
“Hahh... hahh...”
Her mental state was poor at the moment. It was her first time participating in a competition of this scale, and she didn’t have the same composure as Ash or Gary. She had suffered from insomnia the night before, and now she had heavy dark circles under her eyes, her expression somewhat listless.
“Yeah, my opponent has been decided. You need to do your best too. Let’s fight so we from Pallet Town can make it to the Main Arena together!”
Ash noticed her condition. He reached out and patted Blue’s head, cheering her on.
“Mhm!”
Hearing Ash’s passionate voice, Blue finally felt her courage slowly return. She raised her chubby fists, puffed out her cheeks, and revitalized herself.
“Ding-dong~ Would participant Blue from Pallet Town please come to counter X to draw for your arena and opponent~”
“Do your best!”
“Mhm! You too!”
The two exchanged a final glance, then both broke into confident smiles and walked off in opposite directions.
(end of chapter)
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
“You mean, I could be eliminated at any moment, starting from the very first round?”
To be thrown into a do-or-die match right from the start was something Ash hadn't expected. He stared down at his own palm, his body trembling slightly with excitement. He took a deep breath, and his hand clenched into a tight fist.
“Then we’ll just have to keep winning!”
“Pika!”
Ash and Pikachu bumped fists. This tournament format, where they could be knocked out at any moment, had already set their blood boiling!
So when does the battle finally start!?
He had already been waiting at the Pokémon Center for half an hour.
“Beep.”
Suddenly, the television in the lobby made a sound. It seemed to be a flash report interview from a battle that had just concluded. The sound drew the attention of Ash and his group, and they couldn’t help but curiously move closer.
“Congratulations to Gary from Pallet Town for winning his first battle! And with an astonishing one-on-three victory, no less. It’s hard to imagine this is a trainer who only just started his journey this year.”
On the screen, a reporter was interviewing a youth with spiky brown hair.
Gary had already finished his first preliminary match of the day.
On the television, he had already snatched the microphone without a hint of politeness, his other hand on his hip, his expression exceedingly arrogant.
“Haha, for me, Gary of Pallet Town, isn’t this something anyone with hands can do? Surely there isn’t a trainer from Pallet Town who can’t manage a clean sweep in their opening match, right? Heh heh.”
Ash: “!”
His brow furrowed. He had a feeling the Gary on TV was hinting at him.
“A clean sweep, huh... That’s so you.”
Ash’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Damn it, how has that guy Gary already finished his first match, while I’m still here doing warm-ups!
This was another baffling aspect of the Indigo League Conference's format. The battle venue and the opponent were only decided twenty minutes before the match. Everyone's start time was a random number.
One person might have their first match at 8 in the morning, while another might not start until 5 in the afternoon—a thoughtful arrangement to ensure every participant could enjoy this ultimate form of torture.
Finally, after another thirty minutes of waiting, an announcement came from the front desk.
“Ding-dong~ Would participant Ash please come to counter XX to draw for your competition venue and opponent~”
Ash was overjoyed, his body shooting forward like a rocket. Brock and Misty followed curiously behind him.
When they arrived at the front desk, Nurse Joy had already prepared the button device.
“Click.”
Without a second thought, Ash reached out and pressed it. A roulette-style device above them began to spin. With another press from Ash, the display slowly came to a halt, the pointer finally landing on a blue symbol.
“Your first battle will be in the Water Arena~ It’s in Arena 1~” Nurse Joy prompted with a smile.
The four branch arenas of the Indigo League were, in fact, four venues with distinctly different styles, but there were only four: Water, Rock, Grass, and Ice.
Leagues in other regions might have as many as eighteen different types of arenas, all flashy and complicated, but the Indigo League had only these four. The traditions of the ancestors could not be abandoned.
The Main Arena at the center was a standard-regulation competition venue.
“As for your first opponent, it’s a trainer named Guangwu~”
Ash looked up and saw, next to the Water Arena symbol, the portrait of a man with long, cyan hair. His face was androgynous, and he even looked a bit flamboyant.
“Is that my opponent for the first round? He looks like a small fry, doesn't he?”
A voice came from behind. It wasn't Ash speaking.
Ash instinctively turned to look behind him, only to see a person slowly walking in through the Pokémon Center’s main entrance, his appearance identical to the portrait on the screen.
“You’re Guangwu?!”
“How dare you say my name so casually? Ash from Pallet Town? Pallet Town, is that some kind of countryside place? No wonder you’re so rude~”
Guangwu slowly walked up to Ash. Waving his two slender hands in front of Ash’s face, he produced two Poké Balls out of thin air with a “pop,” looking incredibly flashy.
“I am the magician Guangwu, and I'll be the one to send you packing in the very first round. Heh heh.”
He balanced the Poké Balls on his fingertips, spinning them with practiced elegance. This feat of conjuring Poké Balls from thin air earned applause from many onlookers, showing he was a rather famous individual.
“Hmph!”
Ash let out a cold snort at the sight, secretly plotting his counterattack.
This was the pre-match trash talk segment. Momentum was the most important thing. How could he let himself be intimidated like this before the battle even started?
At this thought, Ash took a sudden step forward. His hand shot out like lightning, flashing in front of Guangwu. The very air hissed as it rubbed against his palm, which moved with incredible speed, creating a chilling sound.
Guangwu: “!”
He only felt a strong gust of wind flash before his eyes. A large drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. He never imagined this country bumpkin would actually dare to make a move!
But by the time he reacted, Ash had already withdrawn his arm, and he himself hadn't suffered any damage.
“So fast!!”
Guangwu was stunned. He saw that the two Poké Balls on his fingertips had somehow ended up in his opponent’s hand.
“KRAK!!”
Next, Ash raised his hand to Guangwu’s eye level. With a sudden exertion of power, he crushed the two Poké Balls in his hand into fragments, which scattered onto the ground. The scene was extremely savage.
“Holy cow...”
“Those must be prop Poké Balls, right...?”
“With that kind of strength, couldn't he carry several bags of rice at once?”
The surrounding passersby all turned to look, shocked by Ash’s display of Machamp-like human strength.
It was a well-known fact that Poké Balls were made of incredibly sturdy material. Only a Pokémon with immense power could possibly pull off a bare-handed crush of a Poké Ball.
And for some trivia, it is actually very difficult for a normal human to exert full force when gripping a spherical object. It’s nearly impossible to crush even a fragile egg.
Ash casually tossed two new Poké Balls to Guangwu as compensation.
“Making Poké Balls appear out of thin air? Isn’t that something anyone with hands can do?”
Hearing this, Guangwu’s expression changed drastically. He could only shoot Ash a hateful glare before turning with a dark face and walking out of the lobby.
“Hmph, you can run your mouth for now. I won’t be holding back later!”
“Me neither!”
In the pre-match skirmish, Ash had won by a slight billion points.
“Your battle is in Arena 1 in twenty minutes. Remember not to be late~ Being ten minutes late is considered an automatic forfeit~” Nurse Joy kindly reminded him.
After Ash prepared all the Pokémon he would use in his first match, he readied himself to leave with Brock and Misty.
“Ding-dong~”
Just then, another figure walked in. It was a familiar face.
“Look, it’s the trainer of Moltres!”
“I heard she’s a fortunate one. Is this year’s champion already decided?”
“No wonder it feels like the whole place is filled with a lucky aura now that she’s here.”
The moment she appeared, she drew the gazes and heated discussion of the surrounding crowd, who swarmed around her, trying to absorb her lucky aura.
“Ah, someone from my town! Are you heading out?!”
Blue looked a little helpless, surrounded by the crowd. Her eyes suddenly caught sight of Ash about to leave, and she couldn't help but squeeze through the people and run over. She tightly gripped the hem of his clothes, panting heavily, her expression a little panicked.
“Hahh... hahh...”
Her mental state was poor at the moment. It was her first time participating in a competition of this scale, and she didn’t have the same composure as Ash or Gary. She had suffered from insomnia the night before, and now she had heavy dark circles under her eyes, her expression somewhat listless.
“Yeah, my opponent has been decided. You need to do your best too. Let’s fight so we from Pallet Town can make it to the Main Arena together!”
Ash noticed her condition. He reached out and patted Blue’s head, cheering her on.
“Mhm!”
Hearing Ash’s passionate voice, Blue finally felt her courage slowly return. She raised her chubby fists, puffed out her cheeks, and revitalized herself.
“Ding-dong~ Would participant Blue from Pallet Town please come to counter X to draw for your arena and opponent~”
“Do your best!”
“Mhm! You too!”
The two exchanged a final glance, then both broke into confident smiles and walked off in opposite directions.
(end of chapter)
