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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_389_en
Chapter 389
Chapter 385: A Request Like This, I've Never Heard in My Life
Ash casually tossed out his third Poké Ball.
"Pop!"
Appearing in the Ice Arena was a green, banana-shaped Pokémon, nearly a meter tall. It stood quietly on the ice surface, its curved, verdant body covered in black stripes.
The black markings seemed to follow no pattern, yet they held a profound mystery. Staring at them for too long could even draw one in, conjuring the illusion of a giant green dragon dancing in the mind, with the faint, inexplicable roar of a dragon echoing in one's ears.
"Pod!"
But upon closer inspection, it was just an unremarkable Metapod, aside from being twice the usual size.
"A Metapod?!"
"Am I seeing things?!"
The venue instantly erupted in an unprecedented clamor of discussion, even peppered with a considerable amount of angry cursing. After sending out an incredibly ferocious Charizard in the last match, what was the meaning of sending out a Metapod for the finale?
Did he send out the wrong one?
Did he have a brain fart?
Or was he deliberately throwing a fixed match?
Many of the gamblers in the audience tore up their betting slips on the spot and proceeded to curse Ash's entire family.
What could a Metapod even do? It was a small-fry Pokémon, on the same tier as a Magikarp—completely useless!
"Participant Ash, did you send out the wrong Pokémon?"
Even the Referee, who had seen his fair share of grand spectacles, was dumbfounded and blurted out the question. Even though a Pokémon couldn't be taken back once sent out, he still couldn't help but ask.
Upon seeing Ash gently shake his head, the Referee's expression shifted to one of sudden realization, followed by immense shock.
*Hiss... so he's throwing the match?*
True, what was the point of getting into the Top 16? There was no guarantee of advancing to the Top 8, and the Top 16 didn't even earn a bronze medal.
But throw one fixed match, and you could have a villa by the sea tomorrow.
"Ash, you..."
It wasn't just the audience; even his opponent, Abin, was stunned. Kangaskhan even turned its head to look at its Trainer curiously.
*We were supposed to fight a ghost, so how did it turn into fighting a bug?*
A storm raged in his mind, and Abin's expression finally changed. A hint of goodwill gradually appeared in his eyes as he looked at Ash.
*So, this hot-blooded youth, out of consideration for their brotherly bond, is unwilling to fight and plans to give me the win?*
But he should have at least picked a more respectable Pokémon. A Metapod was just too blatant!
It could be said that besides Ash, only Misty and Brock, seated in the Friends and Family Seating, understood what was about to happen. The two of them had already closed their eyes, silently mourning for Abin.
The tournament results for Abin of Youngster Town were not looking particularly ideal.
Ash ignored the audience's discontented murmurs. Seeing the rapid changes in Abin's expression, he couldn't quite understand it but sensed it was serious. He shouted loudly, "My good brother, you're the one who chose this. Don't you dare blame me."
His earnest and solemn demeanor gave Abin a slight pause. For no reason at all, a bold idea inexplicably surfaced in his heart.
"My strongest Pokémon is Metapod."
Ash had told him this more than once. A hot-blooded youth wouldn't lie... could it... could it be true?
"Impossible!"
Abin immediately shook his head again and again. A large drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. Though he said it was impossible, his expression grew increasingly grim.
He knew a thing or two about a Pokémon like Metapod. Harden, String Shot, Tackle. An exceptionally talented Metapod might also learn Bug Bite and Electroweb, but that was it.
What could those trash moves possibly do?
No, I must be overthinking this!
"The final battle begins now!"
At the Referee's signal, Abin didn't dare to be careless this time. He immediately focused his entire mind for the fight, his gaze becoming incredibly serious.
"Kangaskhan, use Fake Out!" he commanded, taking the initiative.
Kangaskhan understood. This was their usual opening. Aided by the speed of the priority move, Kangaskhan instantly dashed in front of Metapod. Its massive shadow fell over the smaller Pokémon, looming from above.
Then, its two fists opened into palms and smacked down hard on Metapod's head.
"Smack!"
A crisp slapping sound rang out, breaking Metapod's Focus Sash and preventing it from moving this turn.
"Pod..."
But Metapod's expression didn't change in the slightest. Its pair of resolute, dead-fish eyes just stared quietly at the giant beast before it.
"Hmph, enough with the mystifying act! Kangaskhan, use Power-Up Punch!"
Whatever the case, he could still continue with this combo.
Kangaskhan nodded. Its two fists, the size of sandbags, ignited with an orange glow of energy as they simultaneously struck at the target before them.
*Power-Up Punch: A punch thrown at the target that deals damage while also increasing the user's Attack stat.*
"Metapod!!"
Hearing Ash's voice from behind, Metapod understood. It actually closed its eyes right where it stood, allowing the Power-Up Punch's offensive to draw near.
"Pod..."
Half a breath later, it reopened its eyes.
"Zing!"
A silver stream of light shot toward the sky, appearing in everyone's pupils.
At this moment, Metapod was completely different from before.
Floating on the surface of its green body was a visible, silver glow of energy, flowing like a stream. Its entire body emanated a strange aura. If there were any connoisseurs in this audience, they might have recognized this aura—the "Aura of a Deity."
Metapod's eyes hadn't changed, yet they gave off a feeling of looking down on all creation, as if it couldn't care less about the approaching Power-Up Punch.
"Swoosh."
A fierce right straight punch came at it. Metapod's body merely tilted back a slight 27 degrees, dodging it by the barest of margins.
"Swoosh."
Another left sweeping punch. This time, Metapod's body tilted forward, once again dodging with ease.
Two consecutive Power-Up Punches, both seemingly guaranteed to hit, were easily evaded. The movements were perfectly natural, as if it were all part of a script.
Kangaskhan instantly became enraged, unleashing a continuous barrage of Power-Up Punches. In just a few seconds, it had already thrown over a dozen punches, the fierce force of the blows gouging small pits into the ice surface.
Yet Metapod's expression remained unchanged. Its body swayed back and forth on a single line like a tumbler toy, perfectly dodging every single punch.
Seizing an opening as Kangaskhan swung, Metapod had already rolled a full circle. Its body then bizarrely bounced up, and the banana-like Pokémon slammed into Kangaskhan's nose.
"Thwack!"
A sharp pain shot through its nasal cavity, causing Kangaskhan to stumble back several steps, clutching its nose as tears welled up in its eyes.
"What the hell!?"
Abin was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend the profound technique behind Metapod's movements at all. And what the hell was that silver energy on its surface?!
"It's just Ultra Instinct," Ash said with a light laugh.
At this moment, the silver, glowing Metapod was still standing there, having entered the legendary state of Ultra Instinct - Omen.
To put it in simpler terms, it had stepped into the ultimate state.
Although Metapod could enter the even higher level of Perfect Ultra Instinct, this opponent was not yet worthy of him revealing his trump card. Besides, that state was difficult to maintain and wouldn't last long before it went soft.
"Ultra Instinct?"
Abin was completely baffled. He had never heard of this term in any game or in real life.
"Here's some trivia for you: right now, not even Elite Four Bruno could necessarily beat my Metapod."
Ash didn't say he could definitely defeat Elite Four Bruno.
Although Metapod's state was a level higher than his opponent's, its own Level was far lower than Bruno's. If it could secure victory within the short time Perfect Ultra Instinct could be maintained, that would be one thing. But if Bruno managed to stall for time, Metapod would be completely at his mercy afterward.
His wording was precise.
Hearing this, Abin's face changed drastically on the spot. He knew how terrifying Elite Four Bruno was, and he also knew that Ash wouldn't just spout nonsense.
*Holy crap, so this guy was being serious the whole time!?*
"You're the one who insisted I send out my strongest Pokémon. A request like that... I've never heard one in my entire life."
If he had sent out Gengar in this battle, the outcome might still be up for debate. After all, even Charizard had been badly targeted by his opponent. But if it was his Metapod...
"Since you wanted to court death, as your good brother, I will certainly grant your wish!"
As he spoke, Ash took a long step forward. Unconsciously, his breathing had synchronized with Metapod's to the point where man and bug seemed to merge into one.
Ultra Instinct required an extremely high level of willpower to sustain. Metapod needed Ash's willpower layered on top of its own to maintain this state.
Instantly, the silver stream of light on its body's surface became even more dazzling and solid.
(end of chapter)
Ash casually tossed out his third Poké Ball.
"Pop!"
Appearing in the Ice Arena was a green, banana-shaped Pokémon, nearly a meter tall. It stood quietly on the ice surface, its curved, verdant body covered in black stripes.
The black markings seemed to follow no pattern, yet they held a profound mystery. Staring at them for too long could even draw one in, conjuring the illusion of a giant green dragon dancing in the mind, with the faint, inexplicable roar of a dragon echoing in one's ears.
"Pod!"
But upon closer inspection, it was just an unremarkable Metapod, aside from being twice the usual size.
"A Metapod?!"
"Am I seeing things?!"
The venue instantly erupted in an unprecedented clamor of discussion, even peppered with a considerable amount of angry cursing. After sending out an incredibly ferocious Charizard in the last match, what was the meaning of sending out a Metapod for the finale?
Did he send out the wrong one?
Did he have a brain fart?
Or was he deliberately throwing a fixed match?
Many of the gamblers in the audience tore up their betting slips on the spot and proceeded to curse Ash's entire family.
What could a Metapod even do? It was a small-fry Pokémon, on the same tier as a Magikarp—completely useless!
"Participant Ash, did you send out the wrong Pokémon?"
Even the Referee, who had seen his fair share of grand spectacles, was dumbfounded and blurted out the question. Even though a Pokémon couldn't be taken back once sent out, he still couldn't help but ask.
Upon seeing Ash gently shake his head, the Referee's expression shifted to one of sudden realization, followed by immense shock.
*Hiss... so he's throwing the match?*
True, what was the point of getting into the Top 16? There was no guarantee of advancing to the Top 8, and the Top 16 didn't even earn a bronze medal.
But throw one fixed match, and you could have a villa by the sea tomorrow.
"Ash, you..."
It wasn't just the audience; even his opponent, Abin, was stunned. Kangaskhan even turned its head to look at its Trainer curiously.
*We were supposed to fight a ghost, so how did it turn into fighting a bug?*
A storm raged in his mind, and Abin's expression finally changed. A hint of goodwill gradually appeared in his eyes as he looked at Ash.
*So, this hot-blooded youth, out of consideration for their brotherly bond, is unwilling to fight and plans to give me the win?*
But he should have at least picked a more respectable Pokémon. A Metapod was just too blatant!
It could be said that besides Ash, only Misty and Brock, seated in the Friends and Family Seating, understood what was about to happen. The two of them had already closed their eyes, silently mourning for Abin.
The tournament results for Abin of Youngster Town were not looking particularly ideal.
Ash ignored the audience's discontented murmurs. Seeing the rapid changes in Abin's expression, he couldn't quite understand it but sensed it was serious. He shouted loudly, "My good brother, you're the one who chose this. Don't you dare blame me."
His earnest and solemn demeanor gave Abin a slight pause. For no reason at all, a bold idea inexplicably surfaced in his heart.
"My strongest Pokémon is Metapod."
Ash had told him this more than once. A hot-blooded youth wouldn't lie... could it... could it be true?
"Impossible!"
Abin immediately shook his head again and again. A large drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. Though he said it was impossible, his expression grew increasingly grim.
He knew a thing or two about a Pokémon like Metapod. Harden, String Shot, Tackle. An exceptionally talented Metapod might also learn Bug Bite and Electroweb, but that was it.
What could those trash moves possibly do?
No, I must be overthinking this!
"The final battle begins now!"
At the Referee's signal, Abin didn't dare to be careless this time. He immediately focused his entire mind for the fight, his gaze becoming incredibly serious.
"Kangaskhan, use Fake Out!" he commanded, taking the initiative.
Kangaskhan understood. This was their usual opening. Aided by the speed of the priority move, Kangaskhan instantly dashed in front of Metapod. Its massive shadow fell over the smaller Pokémon, looming from above.
Then, its two fists opened into palms and smacked down hard on Metapod's head.
"Smack!"
A crisp slapping sound rang out, breaking Metapod's Focus Sash and preventing it from moving this turn.
"Pod..."
But Metapod's expression didn't change in the slightest. Its pair of resolute, dead-fish eyes just stared quietly at the giant beast before it.
"Hmph, enough with the mystifying act! Kangaskhan, use Power-Up Punch!"
Whatever the case, he could still continue with this combo.
Kangaskhan nodded. Its two fists, the size of sandbags, ignited with an orange glow of energy as they simultaneously struck at the target before them.
*Power-Up Punch: A punch thrown at the target that deals damage while also increasing the user's Attack stat.*
"Metapod!!"
Hearing Ash's voice from behind, Metapod understood. It actually closed its eyes right where it stood, allowing the Power-Up Punch's offensive to draw near.
"Pod..."
Half a breath later, it reopened its eyes.
"Zing!"
A silver stream of light shot toward the sky, appearing in everyone's pupils.
At this moment, Metapod was completely different from before.
Floating on the surface of its green body was a visible, silver glow of energy, flowing like a stream. Its entire body emanated a strange aura. If there were any connoisseurs in this audience, they might have recognized this aura—the "Aura of a Deity."
Metapod's eyes hadn't changed, yet they gave off a feeling of looking down on all creation, as if it couldn't care less about the approaching Power-Up Punch.
"Swoosh."
A fierce right straight punch came at it. Metapod's body merely tilted back a slight 27 degrees, dodging it by the barest of margins.
"Swoosh."
Another left sweeping punch. This time, Metapod's body tilted forward, once again dodging with ease.
Two consecutive Power-Up Punches, both seemingly guaranteed to hit, were easily evaded. The movements were perfectly natural, as if it were all part of a script.
Kangaskhan instantly became enraged, unleashing a continuous barrage of Power-Up Punches. In just a few seconds, it had already thrown over a dozen punches, the fierce force of the blows gouging small pits into the ice surface.
Yet Metapod's expression remained unchanged. Its body swayed back and forth on a single line like a tumbler toy, perfectly dodging every single punch.
Seizing an opening as Kangaskhan swung, Metapod had already rolled a full circle. Its body then bizarrely bounced up, and the banana-like Pokémon slammed into Kangaskhan's nose.
"Thwack!"
A sharp pain shot through its nasal cavity, causing Kangaskhan to stumble back several steps, clutching its nose as tears welled up in its eyes.
"What the hell!?"
Abin was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend the profound technique behind Metapod's movements at all. And what the hell was that silver energy on its surface?!
"It's just Ultra Instinct," Ash said with a light laugh.
At this moment, the silver, glowing Metapod was still standing there, having entered the legendary state of Ultra Instinct - Omen.
To put it in simpler terms, it had stepped into the ultimate state.
Although Metapod could enter the even higher level of Perfect Ultra Instinct, this opponent was not yet worthy of him revealing his trump card. Besides, that state was difficult to maintain and wouldn't last long before it went soft.
"Ultra Instinct?"
Abin was completely baffled. He had never heard of this term in any game or in real life.
"Here's some trivia for you: right now, not even Elite Four Bruno could necessarily beat my Metapod."
Ash didn't say he could definitely defeat Elite Four Bruno.
Although Metapod's state was a level higher than his opponent's, its own Level was far lower than Bruno's. If it could secure victory within the short time Perfect Ultra Instinct could be maintained, that would be one thing. But if Bruno managed to stall for time, Metapod would be completely at his mercy afterward.
His wording was precise.
Hearing this, Abin's face changed drastically on the spot. He knew how terrifying Elite Four Bruno was, and he also knew that Ash wouldn't just spout nonsense.
*Holy crap, so this guy was being serious the whole time!?*
"You're the one who insisted I send out my strongest Pokémon. A request like that... I've never heard one in my entire life."
If he had sent out Gengar in this battle, the outcome might still be up for debate. After all, even Charizard had been badly targeted by his opponent. But if it was his Metapod...
"Since you wanted to court death, as your good brother, I will certainly grant your wish!"
As he spoke, Ash took a long step forward. Unconsciously, his breathing had synchronized with Metapod's to the point where man and bug seemed to merge into one.
Ultra Instinct required an extremely high level of willpower to sustain. Metapod needed Ash's willpower layered on top of its own to maintain this state.
Instantly, the silver stream of light on its body's surface became even more dazzling and solid.
(end of chapter)
