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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_430_en
Chapter 430
Chapter 425: All-Out Battle! The Finale!
"Damn it... has Intimidate become useless?"
The Masked Man had originally planned to use U-Turn in conjunction with his Pokémon's Intimidate ability to lower its opponent's attack power, but he never expected it to fail completely. The Incineroar before him was not in good condition; if not on its last legs, it was certainly close.
Not to mention, in this 6v6 battle, it had been fighting continuously at high intensity. The single Incineroar was carrying the entire team, and the consumption of its mental energy was a bit too high.
But in terms of mental strain, the other side was even worse off...
"..."
Ash staggered, nearly toppling forward. He only managed to steady himself by bracing one hand against the ground. Pikachu was at his side, helping to support him.
This was his first full 6v6 battle, which was already a considerable mental burden. What's more, he had repeatedly used the high-level Bond Power. At this moment, his vision was filled with overlapping images.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Ash gasped for air and straightened his body, but sweat was now pouring down his forehead. His face was ashen, and a vein bulged on his temple.
Before him, even the silver light covering his Metapod had begun to grow unstable, flickering, as if the state of Perfect Ultra Instinct could fade at any moment.
"Damn it, to think it's been dragged out this long..."
Ash's eyes were bloodshot, a fierce glint now visible within them.
No matter what, he had to defeat this Incineroar today!
"Attack! Metapod!!"
On the other side of the arena, the Masked Man's thoughts were identical.
No matter what, he had to block this Metapod today!
"Incineroar! Use your most powerful Flare Blitz!!"
From both ends of the arena, loud roars erupted simultaneously.
"Pod..."
The next second, Metapod moved. A silver light streamed around its body as terrifying power once again surged from the tip of its tail. It leaned forward and began to advance, its body exuding an imposing and fearsome might, as if it were unstoppable.
"Roar-hooo!!"
Incineroar also flexed its arms, its body instantly erupting in fiery red flames. In a flash, they burned to their peak, transforming into the annihilating energy of blue flames that enveloped its entire body. Then, with a kick from its hind legs, it turned into a great blue fireball and charged forward.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!"
A strike beyond the ultimate and Incineroar's strongest Flare Blitz collided head-on in the center of the arena. The impact instantly triggered a terrifying explosion. A mixture of flame energy and silver light shot upward, causing the very clouds in the sky to roil violently. Finally, it all dissipated into waves of hot wind that swept across the entire Indigo Plateau Main Stadium.
"Did I just witness a battle that will be recorded in the annals of history...?"
This thought appeared simultaneously in the minds of the tens of thousands of spectators.
Everyone originally thought it was a master smurfing in the silver and gold ranks, but it turned out they had hooked a king instead.
Seconds later, the hot wind and silver light scattered as energy residue, and the smoke and dust gradually cleared.
"Hooo..."
Incineroar stood on its end of the arena, panting heavily.
Finally, it clutched its chest, its eyes wide. The flame on its fire belt wavered. Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, its body tilted and collapsed with a thud.
It couldn't hold on.
Before the match, there had been countless speculations about what kind of contestant the Masked Man was. Now, they had the answer. He was an Incineroar specialist; his one Incineroar completely outclassed all his other Pokémon.
"Incineroar..."
Witnessing this, the Masked Man stumbled back several steps, a bitter and regretful smile beneath his mask.
He had lost.
It seemed he was still unable to stop this Metapod.
"Pod..."
On the other end of the arena, a Metapod covered in silver light still stood quietly in the center, signifying that it hadn't retreated a single step in that final clash. In contrast, Incineroar's body had fallen near the white line at the edge of the arena.
An overwhelming victory!
At this moment, everyone in the entire arena stared wide-eyed at this Pokémon. The vast aura swirling around it was no different from that of the gods in legends and myths.
"So even an ordinary Pokémon can reach such heights?"
There was no doubt that in the coming days, trainers across the Kanto Region would likely start focusing on raising Pokémon like Pidgey, Rattata, and Caterpie, attempting to replicate this ascension to godhood.
The overall strength of trainers in the Kanto Region would regress by a full twenty years because of this single battle today.
"Incineroar is unable to battle! Metapod is the winner of this match!"
Though utterly baffled, the referee in the middle quickly announced the verdict.
Hearing this, Ash straightened himself with a shudder. He took a heavy step forward, his bloodshot eyes wide. A surging emotion welled up in his heart, his face twisting as he couldn't help but roar:
"Well done, Metapod! That's how you do it! Defeat all of his Poké... Poké..."
Before he could finish his sentence, an immense sense of dizziness overwhelmed him.
It was followed by a terrifying wave of exhaustion that surged over him like an ocean tide, swallowing him whole. Ash could no longer bear the immense pressure. His mind went blank, and everything before his eyes gradually faded to black.
"Pod..."
The same happened to the Metapod before him. The silver energy dissipated, and it returned to its oily green, Rayquaza-like color. Its once-firm body rapidly deflated like a leaking balloon, its eyes turning into swirls.
That heaven-shaking aura vanished as if it had never existed, and it once again became an unremarkable, common bug Pokémon.
*Thud.*
Ash's body pitched forward, collapsing onto the arena floor just as Incineroar had.
"Pika?!"
Pikachu, at his leg, was the first to react. It grabbed Ash's hat and shook it, completely at a loss.
Why did the human collapse?
I've been warming up this whole time, don't tell me we're not fighting now?
I've used up all the PP for my Tail Whip! I'm confident that a single Quick Attack could knock out the Masked Man on the spot, now that his physical defense has been completely shredded!
I, Pikachu, am the true legend in the making, just waiting to make a name for myself at the Indigo League Conference!
"Pika... Pika..."
Ash's collapse stunned the entire arena. They had seen Pokémon lose their willpower or run away, and they had seen trainers slump to the ground, but this was the first time they had ever seen one faint and fall flat.
The Masked Man could only nod to the referee. With a focused gaze, he acted decisively.
First, he recalled Incineroar. Then, he strode forward, scooping up the completely limp Metapod with one hand and hoisting Ash over his other shoulder. The Masked Man couldn't help but stagger, nearly falling right there.
"Strange, why is my body so weak today...?"
Normally, he could carry another Ash without a problem. Why did one Ash and one limp Metapod feel like his limit today?
The Masked Man shook his head and hurriedly carried the fainted boy and bug Pokémon toward the infirmary inside the arena.
"Contestant Ash is unable to battle! The winner of the first quarterfinal match of the Indigo Plateau Conference is the Masked Man!"
This was the last thing Ash heard as his consciousness faded.
A match is a match. Whether a Pokémon is unable to battle or a trainer is unable to battle, it signifies defeat. There would be no polite rescheduling for another day.
Ash's journey at the Indigo Plateau Conference had officially come to a close.
(end of chapter)
"Damn it... has Intimidate become useless?"
The Masked Man had originally planned to use U-Turn in conjunction with his Pokémon's Intimidate ability to lower its opponent's attack power, but he never expected it to fail completely. The Incineroar before him was not in good condition; if not on its last legs, it was certainly close.
Not to mention, in this 6v6 battle, it had been fighting continuously at high intensity. The single Incineroar was carrying the entire team, and the consumption of its mental energy was a bit too high.
But in terms of mental strain, the other side was even worse off...
"..."
Ash staggered, nearly toppling forward. He only managed to steady himself by bracing one hand against the ground. Pikachu was at his side, helping to support him.
This was his first full 6v6 battle, which was already a considerable mental burden. What's more, he had repeatedly used the high-level Bond Power. At this moment, his vision was filled with overlapping images.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
Ash gasped for air and straightened his body, but sweat was now pouring down his forehead. His face was ashen, and a vein bulged on his temple.
Before him, even the silver light covering his Metapod had begun to grow unstable, flickering, as if the state of Perfect Ultra Instinct could fade at any moment.
"Damn it, to think it's been dragged out this long..."
Ash's eyes were bloodshot, a fierce glint now visible within them.
No matter what, he had to defeat this Incineroar today!
"Attack! Metapod!!"
On the other side of the arena, the Masked Man's thoughts were identical.
No matter what, he had to block this Metapod today!
"Incineroar! Use your most powerful Flare Blitz!!"
From both ends of the arena, loud roars erupted simultaneously.
"Pod..."
The next second, Metapod moved. A silver light streamed around its body as terrifying power once again surged from the tip of its tail. It leaned forward and began to advance, its body exuding an imposing and fearsome might, as if it were unstoppable.
"Roar-hooo!!"
Incineroar also flexed its arms, its body instantly erupting in fiery red flames. In a flash, they burned to their peak, transforming into the annihilating energy of blue flames that enveloped its entire body. Then, with a kick from its hind legs, it turned into a great blue fireball and charged forward.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!"
A strike beyond the ultimate and Incineroar's strongest Flare Blitz collided head-on in the center of the arena. The impact instantly triggered a terrifying explosion. A mixture of flame energy and silver light shot upward, causing the very clouds in the sky to roil violently. Finally, it all dissipated into waves of hot wind that swept across the entire Indigo Plateau Main Stadium.
"Did I just witness a battle that will be recorded in the annals of history...?"
This thought appeared simultaneously in the minds of the tens of thousands of spectators.
Everyone originally thought it was a master smurfing in the silver and gold ranks, but it turned out they had hooked a king instead.
Seconds later, the hot wind and silver light scattered as energy residue, and the smoke and dust gradually cleared.
"Hooo..."
Incineroar stood on its end of the arena, panting heavily.
Finally, it clutched its chest, its eyes wide. The flame on its fire belt wavered. Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, its body tilted and collapsed with a thud.
It couldn't hold on.
Before the match, there had been countless speculations about what kind of contestant the Masked Man was. Now, they had the answer. He was an Incineroar specialist; his one Incineroar completely outclassed all his other Pokémon.
"Incineroar..."
Witnessing this, the Masked Man stumbled back several steps, a bitter and regretful smile beneath his mask.
He had lost.
It seemed he was still unable to stop this Metapod.
"Pod..."
On the other end of the arena, a Metapod covered in silver light still stood quietly in the center, signifying that it hadn't retreated a single step in that final clash. In contrast, Incineroar's body had fallen near the white line at the edge of the arena.
An overwhelming victory!
At this moment, everyone in the entire arena stared wide-eyed at this Pokémon. The vast aura swirling around it was no different from that of the gods in legends and myths.
"So even an ordinary Pokémon can reach such heights?"
There was no doubt that in the coming days, trainers across the Kanto Region would likely start focusing on raising Pokémon like Pidgey, Rattata, and Caterpie, attempting to replicate this ascension to godhood.
The overall strength of trainers in the Kanto Region would regress by a full twenty years because of this single battle today.
"Incineroar is unable to battle! Metapod is the winner of this match!"
Though utterly baffled, the referee in the middle quickly announced the verdict.
Hearing this, Ash straightened himself with a shudder. He took a heavy step forward, his bloodshot eyes wide. A surging emotion welled up in his heart, his face twisting as he couldn't help but roar:
"Well done, Metapod! That's how you do it! Defeat all of his Poké... Poké..."
Before he could finish his sentence, an immense sense of dizziness overwhelmed him.
It was followed by a terrifying wave of exhaustion that surged over him like an ocean tide, swallowing him whole. Ash could no longer bear the immense pressure. His mind went blank, and everything before his eyes gradually faded to black.
"Pod..."
The same happened to the Metapod before him. The silver energy dissipated, and it returned to its oily green, Rayquaza-like color. Its once-firm body rapidly deflated like a leaking balloon, its eyes turning into swirls.
That heaven-shaking aura vanished as if it had never existed, and it once again became an unremarkable, common bug Pokémon.
*Thud.*
Ash's body pitched forward, collapsing onto the arena floor just as Incineroar had.
"Pika?!"
Pikachu, at his leg, was the first to react. It grabbed Ash's hat and shook it, completely at a loss.
Why did the human collapse?
I've been warming up this whole time, don't tell me we're not fighting now?
I've used up all the PP for my Tail Whip! I'm confident that a single Quick Attack could knock out the Masked Man on the spot, now that his physical defense has been completely shredded!
I, Pikachu, am the true legend in the making, just waiting to make a name for myself at the Indigo League Conference!
"Pika... Pika..."
Ash's collapse stunned the entire arena. They had seen Pokémon lose their willpower or run away, and they had seen trainers slump to the ground, but this was the first time they had ever seen one faint and fall flat.
The Masked Man could only nod to the referee. With a focused gaze, he acted decisively.
First, he recalled Incineroar. Then, he strode forward, scooping up the completely limp Metapod with one hand and hoisting Ash over his other shoulder. The Masked Man couldn't help but stagger, nearly falling right there.
"Strange, why is my body so weak today...?"
Normally, he could carry another Ash without a problem. Why did one Ash and one limp Metapod feel like his limit today?
The Masked Man shook his head and hurriedly carried the fainted boy and bug Pokémon toward the infirmary inside the arena.
"Contestant Ash is unable to battle! The winner of the first quarterfinal match of the Indigo Plateau Conference is the Masked Man!"
This was the last thing Ash heard as his consciousness faded.
A match is a match. Whether a Pokémon is unable to battle or a trainer is unable to battle, it signifies defeat. There would be no polite rescheduling for another day.
Ash's journey at the Indigo Plateau Conference had officially come to a close.
(end of chapter)
