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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_432_en
Chapter 432
Chapter 427: Kanto Region, A Major Crisis!
"Ah, Mr. Lance?!"
Ash was stunned, a rare hint of panic in his voice.
Although, according to Brother Red, Green, and the other top players, they could swat someone like Champion Lance dead with their eyes closed, who knew if that was true? Top players loved to act all high and mighty.
But Champion Lance was, after all, the ultimate powerhouse Ash had looked up to since he was a child. That much was undeniable.
In the deepest recesses of his mind, Champion Lance was the strongest person in the eyes of most Trainers from the Kanto Region. The impact of seeing him was far more intense than seeing Brother Red or the others.
"You're Contestant Ash, correct? I've seen your battle. Your strength is impressive, and you have great future potential. Would you consider joining our Kanto League?"
Champion Lance's expression was stern, his arms crossed as he got straight to the point.
He wasn't one for beating around the bush. His immediate goal this time was recruitment.
The Kanto League's top-tier combat power was exceptionally strong, but there was a shortage of new talent in the mid-tier, causing their overall strength to lag. This situation had persisted for a long time, and they were in constant need of exceptionally talented Trainers to join their ranks.
Although participating in the League Conference technically put one on the Pokémon League's books, what he meant was a formal induction, becoming a true member of the League.
From then on, the League would pour resources into their development, providing focused training. The support, whether in terms of money or Pokémon, would be several times that of an ordinary person—an extremely generous offer.
It was only slightly worse than what Team Rocket offered; they threw money around so absurdly it defied all reason.
"Um, isn't it a bit too soon?"
Ash quickly shook his head, offering a tentative refusal.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Gaining benefits also meant being constrained by others. He understood this basic principle.
Moreover, after what Brother Red had told him earlier, an answer for his future path was already vaguely forming in Ash's mind.
Though it was still hazy, this path definitely had nothing to do with being cultivated by the Pokémon League.
And a bit of trivia: that green-haired executive from Team Rocket had also extended an olive branch to him. The reward he offered was half of Team Rocket's future empire, which was far more generous than this.
"Oh, well, take your time."
Surprisingly, Champion Lance didn't press the matter further, appearing completely unconcerned.
After all, Ash was a legitimate True Newbie. Even if he didn't join the Pokémon League, he was, for all intents and purposes, a member of the League. There was no rush.
Besides, no matter how gifted a genius was, they probably weren't qualified enough to warrant a personal invitation from the great Champion Lance himself. Powerhouses have a built-in combat power detector, and he had already seen through Ash completely.
A Trainer with remarkable aptitude.
But that was all. He couldn't become a Champion right from his debut; he was still lacking.
That absurd Metapod was not a power he could control. It was either the creation of a master or something he'd found by sheer luck. As for Ash himself, he was at best a tool with future potential.
Although even Champion Lance was intensely curious about the world beyond the Ultimate State realm, a man as proud as him knew that this power was fundamentally different from the ultimate path he had mastered. He could never make it his own.
But he only needed to know one thing, and that was enough.
The Ultimate State realm was not the end of this world!
After watching this battle, Lance, while shocked, also felt a surge of soaring battle intent and passionate pride, just as he had when he first learned of the existence of the Ultimate State realm.
"Oh, actually, my main reason for finding you today is something else."
Champion Lance gave his cloak a dramatic flourish, then took out his phone. After a few taps, he held the screen in front of Ash.
The invitation was truly just an aside. The real purpose concerned the future destiny of the entire Kanto Region.
Seeing the grave expression on Lance's face, Ash took a deep breath. Not daring to be careless, he focused his gaze on the screen.
It displayed the Weibo interface, currently open to the Kanto Region's Real-time Trending Topics.
"Metapod Distribution Map."
"Indigo League Conference Quarterfinals."
"Authoritative Professor Oak States: Caterpie is the Best Pokémon for Newbies."
"2020: The Most Common Strategy is the Best Way to Climb the Ranks."
"Charmander is Just for Laughs, Caterpie is the Best Starter Pokémon."
"Latest Team Recommendation: Metapod, Pidgey, Rattata, Weedle."
"Exposed: Team Rocket Leader Stated to the Media in His Early Years That Weedle is the Strongest Pokémon."
Ash: "?"
Lifting his head, Ash looked at Champion Lance and slowly raised a questioning eyebrow.
Are you kidding me? This concerns the future of the entire Kanto Region?
"Contestant Ash, it seems you completely fail to see the severity of the situation..."
Champion Lance slowly retracted his phone, his face devoid of any humor. He sighed, the starlight in his eyes holding supreme wisdom, as if it had traversed time and space.
"Because of your Metapod today, the dream team for the next generation of Trainers in the Kanto Region will no longer be Charizard, Ivysaur, and Blastoise, but rather common Pokémon like Metapod, Rattata, and Pidgey. Do you have any idea what that means?"
Lance said, his tone grave.
Others saw only trending topics; he saw the future destiny of the Kanto Region.
This was the magnanimity of Lance as the strongest person in Kanto!
To enhance the region's overall ability, Pokémon League Officials would always create idol-like personas for the local Starter Pokémon Trio, shaping them into powerful beings. This was an unwritten rule that had been in place for decades.
But now, the Kanto Region was facing an unprecedented crisis. The new generation of Trainers might come to believe that Metapod is the strongest Pokémon.
"Can you imagine a future where the League's battle arenas are filled with nothing but Metapods?"
Although Lance didn't discriminate against any Pokémon, the overall strength of Metapod was indeed a whole tier lower than the likes of Charizard and Ivysaur.
"And your Metapod is a one-in-a-decade specimen. Furthermore, this top-grade specimen had to meet Red, Red had to obtain the 'Ultra Instinct' Secret Manual, he himself had to encounter a Pink Butterfree, and he had to make that Pink Butterfree fall in love with a Pidgeot..."
Lance's words finally made Ash's expression change as he understood the gravity of the situation.
Because of his Metapod, the overall strength of the new generation of Trainers in the Kanto Region could regress by twenty years!
This was something that Champion Lance, who was striving to strengthen the lower and middle tiers of the Kanto League, could absolutely not accept!
If he didn't know that Ash was a legitimate True Newbie and a junior of Professor Oak, he would have already struck down this world-class villain who threatened the entire region.
"Ah, Mr. Lance, I didn't do it on purpose!" Ash hurriedly explained with a sincere attitude.
He truly hadn't expected this. These ridiculous trending topics were just absurd.
"So, is there any way to salvage this? I have a bold idea. We could just create a new idol, like my Pikachu!"
Ash quickly held up Pikachu, who had been dozing off beside him.
"No. The Electric Mouse is just for show, common as dirt. Its strength is even worse than Metapod's."
Champion Lance shook his head. This dismissive gesture and expression made Pikachu want to give the man an electric shock.
(end of chapter)
"Ah, Mr. Lance?!"
Ash was stunned, a rare hint of panic in his voice.
Although, according to Brother Red, Green, and the other top players, they could swat someone like Champion Lance dead with their eyes closed, who knew if that was true? Top players loved to act all high and mighty.
But Champion Lance was, after all, the ultimate powerhouse Ash had looked up to since he was a child. That much was undeniable.
In the deepest recesses of his mind, Champion Lance was the strongest person in the eyes of most Trainers from the Kanto Region. The impact of seeing him was far more intense than seeing Brother Red or the others.
"You're Contestant Ash, correct? I've seen your battle. Your strength is impressive, and you have great future potential. Would you consider joining our Kanto League?"
Champion Lance's expression was stern, his arms crossed as he got straight to the point.
He wasn't one for beating around the bush. His immediate goal this time was recruitment.
The Kanto League's top-tier combat power was exceptionally strong, but there was a shortage of new talent in the mid-tier, causing their overall strength to lag. This situation had persisted for a long time, and they were in constant need of exceptionally talented Trainers to join their ranks.
Although participating in the League Conference technically put one on the Pokémon League's books, what he meant was a formal induction, becoming a true member of the League.
From then on, the League would pour resources into their development, providing focused training. The support, whether in terms of money or Pokémon, would be several times that of an ordinary person—an extremely generous offer.
It was only slightly worse than what Team Rocket offered; they threw money around so absurdly it defied all reason.
"Um, isn't it a bit too soon?"
Ash quickly shook his head, offering a tentative refusal.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Gaining benefits also meant being constrained by others. He understood this basic principle.
Moreover, after what Brother Red had told him earlier, an answer for his future path was already vaguely forming in Ash's mind.
Though it was still hazy, this path definitely had nothing to do with being cultivated by the Pokémon League.
And a bit of trivia: that green-haired executive from Team Rocket had also extended an olive branch to him. The reward he offered was half of Team Rocket's future empire, which was far more generous than this.
"Oh, well, take your time."
Surprisingly, Champion Lance didn't press the matter further, appearing completely unconcerned.
After all, Ash was a legitimate True Newbie. Even if he didn't join the Pokémon League, he was, for all intents and purposes, a member of the League. There was no rush.
Besides, no matter how gifted a genius was, they probably weren't qualified enough to warrant a personal invitation from the great Champion Lance himself. Powerhouses have a built-in combat power detector, and he had already seen through Ash completely.
A Trainer with remarkable aptitude.
But that was all. He couldn't become a Champion right from his debut; he was still lacking.
That absurd Metapod was not a power he could control. It was either the creation of a master or something he'd found by sheer luck. As for Ash himself, he was at best a tool with future potential.
Although even Champion Lance was intensely curious about the world beyond the Ultimate State realm, a man as proud as him knew that this power was fundamentally different from the ultimate path he had mastered. He could never make it his own.
But he only needed to know one thing, and that was enough.
The Ultimate State realm was not the end of this world!
After watching this battle, Lance, while shocked, also felt a surge of soaring battle intent and passionate pride, just as he had when he first learned of the existence of the Ultimate State realm.
"Oh, actually, my main reason for finding you today is something else."
Champion Lance gave his cloak a dramatic flourish, then took out his phone. After a few taps, he held the screen in front of Ash.
The invitation was truly just an aside. The real purpose concerned the future destiny of the entire Kanto Region.
Seeing the grave expression on Lance's face, Ash took a deep breath. Not daring to be careless, he focused his gaze on the screen.
It displayed the Weibo interface, currently open to the Kanto Region's Real-time Trending Topics.
"Metapod Distribution Map."
"Indigo League Conference Quarterfinals."
"Authoritative Professor Oak States: Caterpie is the Best Pokémon for Newbies."
"2020: The Most Common Strategy is the Best Way to Climb the Ranks."
"Charmander is Just for Laughs, Caterpie is the Best Starter Pokémon."
"Latest Team Recommendation: Metapod, Pidgey, Rattata, Weedle."
"Exposed: Team Rocket Leader Stated to the Media in His Early Years That Weedle is the Strongest Pokémon."
Ash: "?"
Lifting his head, Ash looked at Champion Lance and slowly raised a questioning eyebrow.
Are you kidding me? This concerns the future of the entire Kanto Region?
"Contestant Ash, it seems you completely fail to see the severity of the situation..."
Champion Lance slowly retracted his phone, his face devoid of any humor. He sighed, the starlight in his eyes holding supreme wisdom, as if it had traversed time and space.
"Because of your Metapod today, the dream team for the next generation of Trainers in the Kanto Region will no longer be Charizard, Ivysaur, and Blastoise, but rather common Pokémon like Metapod, Rattata, and Pidgey. Do you have any idea what that means?"
Lance said, his tone grave.
Others saw only trending topics; he saw the future destiny of the Kanto Region.
This was the magnanimity of Lance as the strongest person in Kanto!
To enhance the region's overall ability, Pokémon League Officials would always create idol-like personas for the local Starter Pokémon Trio, shaping them into powerful beings. This was an unwritten rule that had been in place for decades.
But now, the Kanto Region was facing an unprecedented crisis. The new generation of Trainers might come to believe that Metapod is the strongest Pokémon.
"Can you imagine a future where the League's battle arenas are filled with nothing but Metapods?"
Although Lance didn't discriminate against any Pokémon, the overall strength of Metapod was indeed a whole tier lower than the likes of Charizard and Ivysaur.
"And your Metapod is a one-in-a-decade specimen. Furthermore, this top-grade specimen had to meet Red, Red had to obtain the 'Ultra Instinct' Secret Manual, he himself had to encounter a Pink Butterfree, and he had to make that Pink Butterfree fall in love with a Pidgeot..."
Lance's words finally made Ash's expression change as he understood the gravity of the situation.
Because of his Metapod, the overall strength of the new generation of Trainers in the Kanto Region could regress by twenty years!
This was something that Champion Lance, who was striving to strengthen the lower and middle tiers of the Kanto League, could absolutely not accept!
If he didn't know that Ash was a legitimate True Newbie and a junior of Professor Oak, he would have already struck down this world-class villain who threatened the entire region.
"Ah, Mr. Lance, I didn't do it on purpose!" Ash hurriedly explained with a sincere attitude.
He truly hadn't expected this. These ridiculous trending topics were just absurd.
"So, is there any way to salvage this? I have a bold idea. We could just create a new idol, like my Pikachu!"
Ash quickly held up Pikachu, who had been dozing off beside him.
"No. The Electric Mouse is just for show, common as dirt. Its strength is even worse than Metapod's."
Champion Lance shook his head. This dismissive gesture and expression made Pikachu want to give the man an electric shock.
(end of chapter)
