Reading settings
he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_409_en
Chapter 409
Chapter 405: What Top 16? I'm Top 9!
Seeing the time was ripe, Red calmly instructed:
"Dratini, use Play Rough."
Dratini nodded, its body already enveloped in a layer of pink energy. Then, its form became like a nimble serpent as it slithered along the ground toward the immobilized Ninetales.
This move not only caused Trainer A's expression to change drastically, but even Champion Lance, in the VIP room above, slammed his hand down on the marble armrest in anger. His palm throbbed with a pain he didn't even register.
This physical pain didn't even amount to one-ten-millionth of the fury in his heart.
He hadn't felt such rage in at least five years.
A Dratini... using Play Rough?!
Using Cotton Guard was already absurd enough, and now you're even using a Fairy-type move, the bane of Dragon-types!?
This was something he, the Dragon Tamer, Champion Lance, could absolutely not accept!
He could tolerate the appearance of a Dragon-type traitor in the neighboring Hoenn Region. After all, the high-ranking Dragon-type Elite Four member there hadn't said anything, so he couldn't just cross borders and point fingers, using his authority to force the local Pokémon League to delete Altaria from the Pokédex.
But, he was an old-school Dratini fan.
He would never allow a Dragon-type traitor to appear within the Dratini family line!
"Hmph, Cotton Guard and a Fairy move... so it's the descendant of a traitor, is it."
Lance quickly realized that this Dratini might have a genetically powerful Altaria in its ancestry. He had never expected that a bird and a dragon wouldn't have reproductive isolation.
Lance was already considering reporting this to the highest authority here later to revoke the license of this trainer named Red...
Wait.
"It seems I *am* the highest authority here!"
At this thought, Lance's expression instantly turned cold and sinister. A murderous glint appeared in his eyes as he silently added this trainer, Red, to his little black book of enemies.
On the battlefield, Ninetales was still stunned from Giga Impact and easily hit by Play Rough.
*Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!*
The motions of Play Rough looked a lot like Thrash. It involved a chaotic flurry of strikes powered by Fairy energy, continuously battering the opponent's body and kicking up a cloud of fairy dust.
*Grrrowl!!*
As continuous waves of pain wracked its body, Ninetales finally broke free from its stupor. It let out a low, bestial growl, its eyes filled with ferocity, then bared its sharp teeth, about to clamp down on Dratini with a Bite.
*Swoosh—*
But after two Dragon Dances, Dratini's speed had been raised to a considerable level. It slickly slipped past, grazing Ninetales's neck. Its body coiled like a spring, then shot upward.
*Whoosh...*
At this moment, the tip of Dratini's tail was already wreathed in a layer of light-blue Water-type energy. Thanks to the boost in physical power from Dragon Dance, the power of this move had also been significantly increased.
"Dratini, use Aqua Tail," Red commanded in a low voice.
His opponent was truly unlucky. His Dratini didn't know many other moves, but it just so happened to know Aqua Tail—a perfect counter for the fiery Ninetales.
*Grrrowl!!*
The mid-air Dratini flipped its body over, bringing its Aqua Tail down. Carrying the pressure of the water, it finally chopped down hard on Ninetales's lower back.
*Boom...*
The water instantly burst, smashing down with immense force. Ninetales's waist buckled like a snapping chopstick, caving inward at a large, shocking angle.
As the saying goes for wolf-like Pokémon: a head of copper and bones of iron, but a waist of tofu. Since foxes and wolves belong to the same family, Ninetales's waist was also a vulnerable spot.
A critical hit!
*Awooo—*
Ninetales couldn't help but let out a tragic wail. The explosion caused by the watery mist enveloped the area, and Trainer A's expression turned to one of despair.
A few seconds later, the misty smoke cleared.
Ninetales had already collapsed at one end of the arena. Its once-elegant fur was a mess, with droplets of water dripping from it.
On the other side, Dratini was coiled on the arena floor, panting heavily. Its body trembled slightly, but its eyes were still bright and sparkling. The small serpent's body already seemed to project the faint afterimage of a great dragon, a sight that commanded respect.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! Dratini is the winner!"
"Since all three of Contestant A's Pokémon are unable to battle, this match is won by Contestant Red!"
The Referee announced in a timely manner.
He had already refereed several of Red's battles. Despite never starting with an advantage, and often having a level disparity with his opponents, this Dratini always managed to maintain a terrifying record of one-on-three sweeps.
Of course, this was partly because Red had an easy run so far, not encountering any real experts. At most, he faced mid-tier specialists like Trainer A.
"Or maybe this Contestant Red is a bit of a specialist himself? I wonder what his other Pokémon are?"
The Referee couldn't help but wonder aloud.
In the current Indigo League, only two people had exclusively shown a single Pokémon from start to finish: the Masked Man's Incineroar and Red's Dratini.
Whether they were specialists who only knew how to use one Pokémon, with the other five being filler Magikarp, or if they were well-rounded and just hadn't shown their hand yet, was one of the hot topics of this tournament.
Listening to the cheers and discussions from the crowd, Red simply recalled his Dratini, tipped his hat down slightly, and slowly left the arena, his bearing exceptional and proud.
"You did well, Dratini..."
He said softly.
The three Top 16 battles involving his acquaintances were over. The last battle of the day began shortly after. This time, it was between two opponents of similar strength who fought from the sky to the ground. The continuous *bang, bang, bang* of powerful attacks echoed with vigorous intensity, making one's blood boil with excitement.
But the process... is omitted.
The four battles of the first day were over.
Then came the four Top 16 battles of the second day.
The battles were spectacular. Ash even saw a few highly skilled trainers whose strength was truly formidable. But the process...
is omitted.
Two days passed quickly, and all eight battles of the Top 16 were concluded. The contestants had one day to rest before the even more thrilling quarterfinals would begin.
That night, Ash and his friends sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, eating and talking. The atmosphere was a mix of post-battle relaxation and pre-battle tension, creating an extremely subtle mood.
Due to the tight schedule, they didn't celebrate Ash reaching the Top 8. Instead, they planned to wait until the entire tournament was over, then return to Pallet Town and treat the whole village to a celebratory meal at the village entrance.
Reaching the Top 8 in his debut year was a significant achievement for Pallet Town.
"Hehe, my Gary may have only made it to the Top 16, but he still has great potential."
Professor Oak said cheerfully, patting the Spiky-Haired Youth's shoulder beside him in what sounded like an attempt to console him.
"Hmph, what Top 16... I was clearly in the Top 9..."
At the dining table, Gary mumbled and complained.
He had lost his battle, and now Ash, whom he usually looked down on, had become the center of everyone's attention. This made him feel rather unbalanced.
As he stewed in his thoughts, he grew angrier and angrier. Envy, disappointment, regret, shame, and self-blame—all sorts of negative emotions surged into his heart. Gary's expression flickered, his mental fortitude in disarray, bringing him to the verge of succumbing to his inner demons.
"Sigh, maybe I, Gary, was just born to be a trash trainer...?"
"Maybe I should just quit being a trainer and go back to Pallet Town to raise pigs..."
"Or inheriting Grandpa's lab is a good option, too. Grandpa is about to retire soon anyway..."
"Born as a human, I'm sorry..."
Gary began to mutter in a low voice.
Green: "..."
The words "go home and raise pigs" echoed in his mind. Green couldn't help but shake his head, thinking to himself that if Gary's mental issues weren't resolved soon, he would likely never amount to much. He finally made a decision and spoke up:
"Gary, we'll set out again tomorrow. You're coming with me somewhere."
Gary lifted his head, a question mark slowly forming above it.
"Where? To raise pigs?"
(end of chapter)
Seeing the time was ripe, Red calmly instructed:
"Dratini, use Play Rough."
Dratini nodded, its body already enveloped in a layer of pink energy. Then, its form became like a nimble serpent as it slithered along the ground toward the immobilized Ninetales.
This move not only caused Trainer A's expression to change drastically, but even Champion Lance, in the VIP room above, slammed his hand down on the marble armrest in anger. His palm throbbed with a pain he didn't even register.
This physical pain didn't even amount to one-ten-millionth of the fury in his heart.
He hadn't felt such rage in at least five years.
A Dratini... using Play Rough?!
Using Cotton Guard was already absurd enough, and now you're even using a Fairy-type move, the bane of Dragon-types!?
This was something he, the Dragon Tamer, Champion Lance, could absolutely not accept!
He could tolerate the appearance of a Dragon-type traitor in the neighboring Hoenn Region. After all, the high-ranking Dragon-type Elite Four member there hadn't said anything, so he couldn't just cross borders and point fingers, using his authority to force the local Pokémon League to delete Altaria from the Pokédex.
But, he was an old-school Dratini fan.
He would never allow a Dragon-type traitor to appear within the Dratini family line!
"Hmph, Cotton Guard and a Fairy move... so it's the descendant of a traitor, is it."
Lance quickly realized that this Dratini might have a genetically powerful Altaria in its ancestry. He had never expected that a bird and a dragon wouldn't have reproductive isolation.
Lance was already considering reporting this to the highest authority here later to revoke the license of this trainer named Red...
Wait.
"It seems I *am* the highest authority here!"
At this thought, Lance's expression instantly turned cold and sinister. A murderous glint appeared in his eyes as he silently added this trainer, Red, to his little black book of enemies.
On the battlefield, Ninetales was still stunned from Giga Impact and easily hit by Play Rough.
*Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!*
The motions of Play Rough looked a lot like Thrash. It involved a chaotic flurry of strikes powered by Fairy energy, continuously battering the opponent's body and kicking up a cloud of fairy dust.
*Grrrowl!!*
As continuous waves of pain wracked its body, Ninetales finally broke free from its stupor. It let out a low, bestial growl, its eyes filled with ferocity, then bared its sharp teeth, about to clamp down on Dratini with a Bite.
*Swoosh—*
But after two Dragon Dances, Dratini's speed had been raised to a considerable level. It slickly slipped past, grazing Ninetales's neck. Its body coiled like a spring, then shot upward.
*Whoosh...*
At this moment, the tip of Dratini's tail was already wreathed in a layer of light-blue Water-type energy. Thanks to the boost in physical power from Dragon Dance, the power of this move had also been significantly increased.
"Dratini, use Aqua Tail," Red commanded in a low voice.
His opponent was truly unlucky. His Dratini didn't know many other moves, but it just so happened to know Aqua Tail—a perfect counter for the fiery Ninetales.
*Grrrowl!!*
The mid-air Dratini flipped its body over, bringing its Aqua Tail down. Carrying the pressure of the water, it finally chopped down hard on Ninetales's lower back.
*Boom...*
The water instantly burst, smashing down with immense force. Ninetales's waist buckled like a snapping chopstick, caving inward at a large, shocking angle.
As the saying goes for wolf-like Pokémon: a head of copper and bones of iron, but a waist of tofu. Since foxes and wolves belong to the same family, Ninetales's waist was also a vulnerable spot.
A critical hit!
*Awooo—*
Ninetales couldn't help but let out a tragic wail. The explosion caused by the watery mist enveloped the area, and Trainer A's expression turned to one of despair.
A few seconds later, the misty smoke cleared.
Ninetales had already collapsed at one end of the arena. Its once-elegant fur was a mess, with droplets of water dripping from it.
On the other side, Dratini was coiled on the arena floor, panting heavily. Its body trembled slightly, but its eyes were still bright and sparkling. The small serpent's body already seemed to project the faint afterimage of a great dragon, a sight that commanded respect.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! Dratini is the winner!"
"Since all three of Contestant A's Pokémon are unable to battle, this match is won by Contestant Red!"
The Referee announced in a timely manner.
He had already refereed several of Red's battles. Despite never starting with an advantage, and often having a level disparity with his opponents, this Dratini always managed to maintain a terrifying record of one-on-three sweeps.
Of course, this was partly because Red had an easy run so far, not encountering any real experts. At most, he faced mid-tier specialists like Trainer A.
"Or maybe this Contestant Red is a bit of a specialist himself? I wonder what his other Pokémon are?"
The Referee couldn't help but wonder aloud.
In the current Indigo League, only two people had exclusively shown a single Pokémon from start to finish: the Masked Man's Incineroar and Red's Dratini.
Whether they were specialists who only knew how to use one Pokémon, with the other five being filler Magikarp, or if they were well-rounded and just hadn't shown their hand yet, was one of the hot topics of this tournament.
Listening to the cheers and discussions from the crowd, Red simply recalled his Dratini, tipped his hat down slightly, and slowly left the arena, his bearing exceptional and proud.
"You did well, Dratini..."
He said softly.
The three Top 16 battles involving his acquaintances were over. The last battle of the day began shortly after. This time, it was between two opponents of similar strength who fought from the sky to the ground. The continuous *bang, bang, bang* of powerful attacks echoed with vigorous intensity, making one's blood boil with excitement.
But the process... is omitted.
The four battles of the first day were over.
Then came the four Top 16 battles of the second day.
The battles were spectacular. Ash even saw a few highly skilled trainers whose strength was truly formidable. But the process...
is omitted.
Two days passed quickly, and all eight battles of the Top 16 were concluded. The contestants had one day to rest before the even more thrilling quarterfinals would begin.
That night, Ash and his friends sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, eating and talking. The atmosphere was a mix of post-battle relaxation and pre-battle tension, creating an extremely subtle mood.
Due to the tight schedule, they didn't celebrate Ash reaching the Top 8. Instead, they planned to wait until the entire tournament was over, then return to Pallet Town and treat the whole village to a celebratory meal at the village entrance.
Reaching the Top 8 in his debut year was a significant achievement for Pallet Town.
"Hehe, my Gary may have only made it to the Top 16, but he still has great potential."
Professor Oak said cheerfully, patting the Spiky-Haired Youth's shoulder beside him in what sounded like an attempt to console him.
"Hmph, what Top 16... I was clearly in the Top 9..."
At the dining table, Gary mumbled and complained.
He had lost his battle, and now Ash, whom he usually looked down on, had become the center of everyone's attention. This made him feel rather unbalanced.
As he stewed in his thoughts, he grew angrier and angrier. Envy, disappointment, regret, shame, and self-blame—all sorts of negative emotions surged into his heart. Gary's expression flickered, his mental fortitude in disarray, bringing him to the verge of succumbing to his inner demons.
"Sigh, maybe I, Gary, was just born to be a trash trainer...?"
"Maybe I should just quit being a trainer and go back to Pallet Town to raise pigs..."
"Or inheriting Grandpa's lab is a good option, too. Grandpa is about to retire soon anyway..."
"Born as a human, I'm sorry..."
Gary began to mutter in a low voice.
Green: "..."
The words "go home and raise pigs" echoed in his mind. Green couldn't help but shake his head, thinking to himself that if Gary's mental issues weren't resolved soon, he would likely never amount to much. He finally made a decision and spoke up:
"Gary, we'll set out again tomorrow. You're coming with me somewhere."
Gary lifted his head, a question mark slowly forming above it.
"Where? To raise pigs?"
(end of chapter)
