Reading settings
he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_388_en
Chapter 388
Chapter 384: Ash: The Strongest? I Understand.
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
.
(Limited-time free chapter. Read for free for the next two days.)
"Beep. Weezing. Most have the Levitate ability, but a portion of Weezing have the Neutralizing Gas ability," the Pokedex promptly reminded him. Fearing Ash wouldn't understand, it added, "Beep. Neutralizing Gas: Nullifies the abilities of all Pokémon on the field."
This was what Abin meant when he said he would shut down Charizard's Blaze from the very beginning.
Hearing this, Ash was a little annoyed.
*Damn it, this Pokedex spouts all sorts of useless nonsense when introducing a Pokémon. Why didn't you mention such crucial information from the start?!*
But now was not the time to take his anger out on the Pokedex. Ash could only turn his gaze back to the bald man across from him, who wore a look of assured victory.
Although his opponent's health wasn't in great shape, Charizard's condition was even worse, not to mention it was poisoned. Any betting man would put their entire fortune on the other side.
"You really calculated everything, my good brother..."
Ash couldn't help but sneer.
"Jie-jie... there are no brothers on the battlefield. After the battle, I can call you 'Dad' ten times."
Abin sneered back in the same manner. This was the principle he had always lived by. They could be good brothers off the field, but in an official battle, he would never hesitate to backstab if given the chance!
"You've calculated everything, but did you calculate this?"
Ash suddenly spoke, a confident smile returning to his face. He took a step forward, and Charizard matched his movement, stepping forward as well.
Abin: "..."
Seeing the nearly synchronized movements of the boy and the dragon, Abin's expression indeed turned somewhat grim.
Admittedly, Abin was a cunning character who had calculated everything, but all of it was just within the confines of what he called a "turn-based game."
A real-life battle is no turn-based game.
Not to mention his Bond Phenomenon, which was entirely different from a standard battle. He refused to believe Abin could seal his Bond Phenomenon too!
With this thought, Ash let out a mighty roar:
"Charizard, use Inferno with maximum power!!"
"ROAR!!"
Having been countered at every turn, Charizard was already seething with rage. Hearing Ash's voice, it let out a furious roar on the spot. Its skin instantly turned a deep red, and cracks that looked like molten lava, visible to the naked eye, appeared on its body, continuously radiating heat.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!"
The next second, the flames of Inferno erupted from Charizard's skin, spewing outwards. In just an instant, the high temperature had melted the ice surface, which was the size of half a football field, down by more than half a meter, and countless clouds of steam billowed up.
"Wheeze..."
Weezing stared blankly at the flames of Inferno closing in. It had just thought to dodge when it realized it was already completely surrounded by fire, as if it were trapped in a fiery purgatory with nowhere to run.
The sheer temperature of the flames nearly made it faint.
Fun fact: It's not just the Blaze ability that can increase a move's power; the Bond Phenomenon also has the effect of boosting power!
Ash was confident that one Inferno, enhanced by the Bond Phenomenon, would be enough to finish off Weezing!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!"
The flames of Inferno slammed directly into Weezing's body. The fire instantly exploded outward, surging skyward like a fiery tidal wave. The intense heatwave forced all the spectators to lean back reflexively.
At the center of it all, Weezing fared even worse. Under the ferocious flames, its body was flung backward, about to crash heavily onto the ice.
"The outcome is decided!"
Seeing this, Ash clenched his fist. So what if you're the flashy, tricky Abin of Youngster Town? With enough strength, I can shatter you with a single blow!
"Jie-jie... this is indeed something I didn't expect."
On the other side, however, Abin had already regained his calm expression. He suddenly let out a sinister cackle. The firelight illuminating his face, coupled with his bald head, made him look like a demon.
"That's why I prepared a special move, one that is only to be used when I encounter an attack I did not expect..."
Abin's words were, as usual, baffling.
But as his voice fell, a strange, pitch-black energy suddenly glowed on Weezing's rapidly falling body. It pierced through the surrounding sea of fire and finally shone upon Charizard's head.
"BOOM!"
Weezing crashed down, its body still wreathed in raging flames...
Soon, the flames dissipated and the steam cleared. The entire ice arena had been carved down by nearly a meter.
And on one side, Weezing had already completely lost its ability to battle, lying collapsed on the ice.
Before the applause and cheers could erupt, a scene on the field stunned the crowd once more.
"Roar?"
As Weezing closed its eyes, Charizard, which had been venting by breathing fire into the sky, suddenly frowned. An immense feeling of weakness washed over its body like an unstoppable force. Finally, it too collapsed onto the ice with a loud thud.
"How is that possible!?"
Ash's expression changed dramatically on the spot. Not understanding what had happened, a thought suddenly struck him and he blurted out, "Was it that last move Weezing used?!"
"Beep. Move: Destiny Bond. If you defeat me, you will go down with me. This move fails if there is a large level disparity."
The Pokedex prompted.
This was Abin's final calculation. If he encountered a situation he couldn't counter, he would simply have his own Pokémon faint and drag the opponent down with it.
Although he had considered defeating Charizard with Weezing and then using Destiny Bond to take out the final Pokémon, trading one for one to eliminate Ash's ace was good enough.
"Weezing and Charizard are both unable to battle!"
As the Referee's voice fell, a huge wave of cheers erupted from the arena, partly for Abin's cunning and partly for Charizard's ferocious Inferno.
"You did a great job, Charizard. I'm sorry you had to face such an opponent."
Ash recalled Charizard. The Poké Ball was still trembling slightly in his hand, expressing its grievance.
Charizard would rather fight Moltres again than battle the cunning Abin!
Now, both trainers were down to their last Pokémon. There was no room for retreat.
"Nicely done... Weezing. It wasn't a waste to spend a week digging in the mud just to find a rare specimen with the Neutralizing Gas ability."
Abin switched Poké Balls, pulling out the third one he had prepared long ago.
*I've investigated all of Ash's Pokémon. When cornered, he will definitely send out his ace, Gengar.*
Thinking this, he decisively threw his Poké Ball. With a "pop," a red light flashed, and a brownish Pokémon appeared on the ice.
It stood nearly two meters tall, with a dinosaur-like appearance and well-developed muscles. It had a large pouch on its belly, which held a baby Pokémon that looked just like it.
"Beep. Kangaskhan, the Parent Pokémon. A Normal-type Pokémon. Abilities: Early Bird, Scrappy, Inner Focus. To protect its child, its strength becomes exceptionally great."
The Pokedex prompted. Because of what happened last time, it thoughtfully included the abilities this time.
But just giving the name without a description was as good as saying nothing at all.
Kangaskhan. This was a Pokémon from his home region, but one that truly shone in another, where its popularity was quite high.
"A Normal-type..."
Ash mused, feeling a little conflicted.
This was the final round. Now was not the time for training; he had to secure a certain victory.
*A Normal-type, so I should send out the Ghost-type Gengar. Even if I don't send out my strongest, Metapod, for this battle, it should be fine, right?*
*Or maybe I should use Metapod, just to be safe...?*
"Jie-jie..."
On the other side, Abin was snickering again.
He had sent out his Pokémon early on purpose. An ordinary person, upon seeing a Normal-type Pokémon, would naturally send out a Ghost-type Pokémon to counter it, since the latter is immune to Normal-type moves.
But this Kangaskhan's ability was no ordinary one.
Ability - Scrappy: Normal- and Fighting-type moves can directly hit Ghost-types.
In other words, this was a Kangaskhan specifically meant to fight Ghosts!
The moveset Abin had given Kangaskhan was designed entirely to counter this Gengar. He'd start with the Normal-type Fake Out to catch him off guard. Ash would surely be stunned and blurt out, "Why did a Normal-type move work?!"
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Kangaskhan would use Power-Up Punch to increase its physical attack.
Then, it would spam the super-effective Dark-type move, Sucker Punch!
He had even taught Kangaskhan Earthquake, another super-effective move!
He had already written the entire script.
In today's battle, he, Abin of Youngster Town, would be the one to advance to the Top 16!
Seeing Ash's slightly conflicted expression, Abin laughed wildly, looking fired up.
"Ash, this is the final battle! Let me see your strongest Pokémon!!"
It sounded like a heroic challenge, but in reality, this sentence from Abin also had a hidden barb.
He knew the temperament of a hot-blooded youth like Ash. When you challenged him to bring out his strongest Pokémon, he would definitely send out his strongest Pokémon.
If Ash sent out Pidgeot, or the Wartortle or Ivysaur he had seen before, which also possessed considerable strength, the situation might change again.
What he wanted was for Ash to send out his strongest, Gengar, so his Kangaskhan could fight the Ghost directly!
"The strongest? I understand."
Hearing Abin's voice from across the field, Ash was no longer conflicted. He made his decision, his hand moving to another Poké Ball on his belt.
Just as Abin had guessed, Ash was a hot-blooded youth. Since his opponent requested a battle of the strongest, he would certainly send out his strongest Pokémon...
(end of chapter)
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
.
(Limited-time free chapter. Read for free for the next two days.)
"Beep. Weezing. Most have the Levitate ability, but a portion of Weezing have the Neutralizing Gas ability," the Pokedex promptly reminded him. Fearing Ash wouldn't understand, it added, "Beep. Neutralizing Gas: Nullifies the abilities of all Pokémon on the field."
This was what Abin meant when he said he would shut down Charizard's Blaze from the very beginning.
Hearing this, Ash was a little annoyed.
*Damn it, this Pokedex spouts all sorts of useless nonsense when introducing a Pokémon. Why didn't you mention such crucial information from the start?!*
But now was not the time to take his anger out on the Pokedex. Ash could only turn his gaze back to the bald man across from him, who wore a look of assured victory.
Although his opponent's health wasn't in great shape, Charizard's condition was even worse, not to mention it was poisoned. Any betting man would put their entire fortune on the other side.
"You really calculated everything, my good brother..."
Ash couldn't help but sneer.
"Jie-jie... there are no brothers on the battlefield. After the battle, I can call you 'Dad' ten times."
Abin sneered back in the same manner. This was the principle he had always lived by. They could be good brothers off the field, but in an official battle, he would never hesitate to backstab if given the chance!
"You've calculated everything, but did you calculate this?"
Ash suddenly spoke, a confident smile returning to his face. He took a step forward, and Charizard matched his movement, stepping forward as well.
Abin: "..."
Seeing the nearly synchronized movements of the boy and the dragon, Abin's expression indeed turned somewhat grim.
Admittedly, Abin was a cunning character who had calculated everything, but all of it was just within the confines of what he called a "turn-based game."
A real-life battle is no turn-based game.
Not to mention his Bond Phenomenon, which was entirely different from a standard battle. He refused to believe Abin could seal his Bond Phenomenon too!
With this thought, Ash let out a mighty roar:
"Charizard, use Inferno with maximum power!!"
"ROAR!!"
Having been countered at every turn, Charizard was already seething with rage. Hearing Ash's voice, it let out a furious roar on the spot. Its skin instantly turned a deep red, and cracks that looked like molten lava, visible to the naked eye, appeared on its body, continuously radiating heat.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!"
The next second, the flames of Inferno erupted from Charizard's skin, spewing outwards. In just an instant, the high temperature had melted the ice surface, which was the size of half a football field, down by more than half a meter, and countless clouds of steam billowed up.
"Wheeze..."
Weezing stared blankly at the flames of Inferno closing in. It had just thought to dodge when it realized it was already completely surrounded by fire, as if it were trapped in a fiery purgatory with nowhere to run.
The sheer temperature of the flames nearly made it faint.
Fun fact: It's not just the Blaze ability that can increase a move's power; the Bond Phenomenon also has the effect of boosting power!
Ash was confident that one Inferno, enhanced by the Bond Phenomenon, would be enough to finish off Weezing!
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!"
The flames of Inferno slammed directly into Weezing's body. The fire instantly exploded outward, surging skyward like a fiery tidal wave. The intense heatwave forced all the spectators to lean back reflexively.
At the center of it all, Weezing fared even worse. Under the ferocious flames, its body was flung backward, about to crash heavily onto the ice.
"The outcome is decided!"
Seeing this, Ash clenched his fist. So what if you're the flashy, tricky Abin of Youngster Town? With enough strength, I can shatter you with a single blow!
"Jie-jie... this is indeed something I didn't expect."
On the other side, however, Abin had already regained his calm expression. He suddenly let out a sinister cackle. The firelight illuminating his face, coupled with his bald head, made him look like a demon.
"That's why I prepared a special move, one that is only to be used when I encounter an attack I did not expect..."
Abin's words were, as usual, baffling.
But as his voice fell, a strange, pitch-black energy suddenly glowed on Weezing's rapidly falling body. It pierced through the surrounding sea of fire and finally shone upon Charizard's head.
"BOOM!"
Weezing crashed down, its body still wreathed in raging flames...
Soon, the flames dissipated and the steam cleared. The entire ice arena had been carved down by nearly a meter.
And on one side, Weezing had already completely lost its ability to battle, lying collapsed on the ice.
Before the applause and cheers could erupt, a scene on the field stunned the crowd once more.
"Roar?"
As Weezing closed its eyes, Charizard, which had been venting by breathing fire into the sky, suddenly frowned. An immense feeling of weakness washed over its body like an unstoppable force. Finally, it too collapsed onto the ice with a loud thud.
"How is that possible!?"
Ash's expression changed dramatically on the spot. Not understanding what had happened, a thought suddenly struck him and he blurted out, "Was it that last move Weezing used?!"
"Beep. Move: Destiny Bond. If you defeat me, you will go down with me. This move fails if there is a large level disparity."
The Pokedex prompted.
This was Abin's final calculation. If he encountered a situation he couldn't counter, he would simply have his own Pokémon faint and drag the opponent down with it.
Although he had considered defeating Charizard with Weezing and then using Destiny Bond to take out the final Pokémon, trading one for one to eliminate Ash's ace was good enough.
"Weezing and Charizard are both unable to battle!"
As the Referee's voice fell, a huge wave of cheers erupted from the arena, partly for Abin's cunning and partly for Charizard's ferocious Inferno.
"You did a great job, Charizard. I'm sorry you had to face such an opponent."
Ash recalled Charizard. The Poké Ball was still trembling slightly in his hand, expressing its grievance.
Charizard would rather fight Moltres again than battle the cunning Abin!
Now, both trainers were down to their last Pokémon. There was no room for retreat.
"Nicely done... Weezing. It wasn't a waste to spend a week digging in the mud just to find a rare specimen with the Neutralizing Gas ability."
Abin switched Poké Balls, pulling out the third one he had prepared long ago.
*I've investigated all of Ash's Pokémon. When cornered, he will definitely send out his ace, Gengar.*
Thinking this, he decisively threw his Poké Ball. With a "pop," a red light flashed, and a brownish Pokémon appeared on the ice.
It stood nearly two meters tall, with a dinosaur-like appearance and well-developed muscles. It had a large pouch on its belly, which held a baby Pokémon that looked just like it.
"Beep. Kangaskhan, the Parent Pokémon. A Normal-type Pokémon. Abilities: Early Bird, Scrappy, Inner Focus. To protect its child, its strength becomes exceptionally great."
The Pokedex prompted. Because of what happened last time, it thoughtfully included the abilities this time.
But just giving the name without a description was as good as saying nothing at all.
Kangaskhan. This was a Pokémon from his home region, but one that truly shone in another, where its popularity was quite high.
"A Normal-type..."
Ash mused, feeling a little conflicted.
This was the final round. Now was not the time for training; he had to secure a certain victory.
*A Normal-type, so I should send out the Ghost-type Gengar. Even if I don't send out my strongest, Metapod, for this battle, it should be fine, right?*
*Or maybe I should use Metapod, just to be safe...?*
"Jie-jie..."
On the other side, Abin was snickering again.
He had sent out his Pokémon early on purpose. An ordinary person, upon seeing a Normal-type Pokémon, would naturally send out a Ghost-type Pokémon to counter it, since the latter is immune to Normal-type moves.
But this Kangaskhan's ability was no ordinary one.
Ability - Scrappy: Normal- and Fighting-type moves can directly hit Ghost-types.
In other words, this was a Kangaskhan specifically meant to fight Ghosts!
The moveset Abin had given Kangaskhan was designed entirely to counter this Gengar. He'd start with the Normal-type Fake Out to catch him off guard. Ash would surely be stunned and blurt out, "Why did a Normal-type move work?!"
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Kangaskhan would use Power-Up Punch to increase its physical attack.
Then, it would spam the super-effective Dark-type move, Sucker Punch!
He had even taught Kangaskhan Earthquake, another super-effective move!
He had already written the entire script.
In today's battle, he, Abin of Youngster Town, would be the one to advance to the Top 16!
Seeing Ash's slightly conflicted expression, Abin laughed wildly, looking fired up.
"Ash, this is the final battle! Let me see your strongest Pokémon!!"
It sounded like a heroic challenge, but in reality, this sentence from Abin also had a hidden barb.
He knew the temperament of a hot-blooded youth like Ash. When you challenged him to bring out his strongest Pokémon, he would definitely send out his strongest Pokémon.
If Ash sent out Pidgeot, or the Wartortle or Ivysaur he had seen before, which also possessed considerable strength, the situation might change again.
What he wanted was for Ash to send out his strongest, Gengar, so his Kangaskhan could fight the Ghost directly!
"The strongest? I understand."
Hearing Abin's voice from across the field, Ash was no longer conflicted. He made his decision, his hand moving to another Poké Ball on his belt.
Just as Abin had guessed, Ash was a hot-blooded youth. Since his opponent requested a battle of the strongest, he would certainly send out his strongest Pokémon...
(end of chapter)