Reading settings
he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_434_en
Chapter 434
Chapter 429: The Semifinals, Red vs. the Masked Man!
The next day.
Ash and his friends were sitting in the Audience Stand. His journey in the Indigo Plateau Conference had come to a complete end. Now, like everyone else, he was just an unremarkable spectator.
Professor Oak, Delia, and the others, seeing that Ash was fine, had already left the Indigo League. They were back in their hometown preparing a celebratory feast, waiting for Ash and his friends to return before celebrating.
Initially, Professor Oak's expectation for him was the Top 16. Now that he'd made it to the Top 5, it was certainly something to celebrate properly.
The only regret was that Gary had already left the Kanto Region to go training on his own and couldn't share in their joy.
"That's Ash for you, his body can really take a beating!"
"When Nurse Joy said he'd have to lie in bed for three months, I almost burst out laughing."
"She specializes in Pokémon, after all. She wouldn't know that you can't compare one person's constitution to another."
Everyone laughed and clapped Ash on the shoulder, thinking to themselves that it was just as they'd expected. If he'd been sent to the infirmary any later, his wounds might have already healed on their own.
Ash naturally saw that they were using jokes to help him forget his defeat, but he didn't point it out. He played along, patting his chest to show that a Pallet Town native's constitution really was in a league of its own.
However, he didn't feel that disheartened now. Instead, he felt a sense of relief and liberation. It wasn't a big deal.
"Hello everyone, I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I've achieved a Top 5 finish in this Indigo Plateau Conference."
Today's battles hadn't started yet, but suddenly, the figures of Ash and Lance appeared on the main screen. They were sitting upright and proper—it was the interview footage from the press conference yesterday.
What followed was a speech about how no one should imitate him, that his Metapod possessed a "Giant Dragon Bloodline," and that other Metapods were just fodder and wouldn't work. Lance chimed in beside him, and at the end, even thoughtfully gave advice on how to choose a Pokémon team lineup.
The entire Audience Stand immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion, with everyone murmuring in understanding.
The misunderstanding was cleared up.
The trending topic incident with the Metapod officially came to a close. Although during this time, many travelers from the Hoenn Region had complained on behalf of their hometown's deity, proclaiming that there was no way a Bug Pokémon could withstand the Dragon Ascent of the great Rayquaza.
But it wasn't a big deal. How could the ravings of outsiders carry more weight than the words of Champion Lance?
This made Brock and the others turn to Ash, their eyes full of curiosity.
Others might not know, but they knew the real story behind the Metapod. If they weren't mistaken, this interview was probably...
Complete nonsense?
For a top-tier figure like Champion Lance to play along was just outrageous. Lance's idol-like image instantly crumbled a little in their minds.
"Heh, a white lie... With this, I've saved the fate of the entire Kanto Region!"
Ash quickly sat up straight and spoke with a grave expression.
The next second, a righteous light enveloped his face, shining so brightly that the others couldn't look directly at him. His merit points skyrocketed...
Not long after, the commentator, Referee, and others took the stage, signaling that the Top Four matches of the Indigo Plateau Conference were about to begin.
It was worth mentioning that Ash had slept for three days, completely skipping the rest of the Quarterfinals. He woke up to find it was already the semifinals, and he exclaimed in regret for having missed the matches.
Besides the Masked Man, who had successfully advanced after eliminating him, Brother Red, who was in the same upper bracket, had also defeated his opponent to advance to the Top Four.
In other words, the two combatants for today's first semifinal match were these two.
Soon, under thunderous cheers, two figures slowly walked to opposite ends of the Battle Arena, facing each other from a distance.
One of them was an old acquaintance of Ash's. He still had the same wheat-colored skin, was bare-chested, and wore a black and red mask. With his well-developed muscles, he looked like a professional wrestler.
On the other side was a Trainer whose face couldn't be seen clearly, and even his name was indistinct. He wore a gray hat and looked completely unremarkable.
"They're out! They're out!"
Knowing the inside story, Ash and his friends looked on with anticipation, curious to see how Brother Red would handle this clash of titans.
Although Ash would have preferred to defeat the Masked Man himself, there was no conflict in Brother Red taking a shot first, and him taking another in the future.
On the Battle Arena.
At this moment, Red had completely taken over the Trainer's body. The cheers from the crowd and the Masked Man before him didn't cause the slightest flicker in his eyes.
"How about... I just forfeit?"
Red curled his lip, unable to stop himself from muttering under his breath.
This Trainer's skill level was abysmal, and his goal was only to reach the Top Four, which he had already achieved. Taking it any further might just shorten his lifespan.
Besides, in a tournament of this level, the opponents' strength was pathetic. Even Green had completely ignored this tournament. He himself had only managed to get a semblance of a real fight by using a low-level Dratini in an extreme battle.
But he'd had his fun now. It didn't matter anymore, so he might as well just leave.
With that, Red raised a hand, signaling to the Referee in the middle:
"I choose to for—"
Before he could finish, the Masked Man cut him off:
"Contestant, I know you're strong, and that Dratini isn't your full strength! Please, you must use all your power and have a battle with me today!"
After speaking, the Masked Man even threw a punch toward Red through the air.
At once, spurred on by this heated pre-battle declaration, the entire Battle Arena erupted again, a deafening roar of cheers demanding the battle begin.
The Masked Man had extraordinary perception. He had sensed Red's complete lack of battle intent and his attempt to forfeit. Being a battle enthusiast, how could he let such an opponent go? He immediately put Red on the spot, under the gazes of thousands of spectators, forcing him to accept the challenge.
That masterful yet peculiar command strategy, the rhythmic flow of a battle that seemed as if the entire script had been perfectly planned out—this indicated that this mysterious Trainer must have truly powerful Pokémon, not just a Dratini of an obviously low level.
Usually, you only see situations where a Pokémon's strength surpasses its Trainer's skill. It's rare to see a high-level Trainer who doesn't possess Pokémon to match.
"..."
Hearing this, Red slowly turned his head to look at the Masked Man.
His eyes, calm as still water, and his restrained yet profound aura, inexplicably made the fearless Masked Man swallow hard. A flash of regret for his earlier interruption crossed his mind.
It was as if, in that moment, he had unleashed an unbelievable monster.
"Heh heh, your courage is commendable..."
Just then, Red let out a soft laugh. If there was anything left in this Indigo Plateau Conference that could even slightly interest him, it seemed it was only the person standing before him.
Oh, and maybe Champion Lance, who was secretly observing the battle from above.
At this thought, a spark of battle intent ignited within Red, and he couldn't help but utter a sentence.
"But you were wrong about one thing. There's no one here who can make me use my full strength."
The calm tone, combined with the arrogant content of his words, instantly made the air in the entire Indigo Plateau Arena seem to freeze.
With that, Red took a Poké Ball from his waist, raising his arm halfway into the air.
It was a blue and purple Poké Ball, its entire surface covered in a regular, light-blue mesh pattern. Four golden bars were embedded protrudingly into its shell. It looked full of technology and completely different from a normal Poké Ball.
"Then I'll send this one out. Let's see if you can defeat it."
Red slowly tossed the Beast Ball in his hand.
(end of chapter)
The next day.
Ash and his friends were sitting in the Audience Stand. His journey in the Indigo Plateau Conference had come to a complete end. Now, like everyone else, he was just an unremarkable spectator.
Professor Oak, Delia, and the others, seeing that Ash was fine, had already left the Indigo League. They were back in their hometown preparing a celebratory feast, waiting for Ash and his friends to return before celebrating.
Initially, Professor Oak's expectation for him was the Top 16. Now that he'd made it to the Top 5, it was certainly something to celebrate properly.
The only regret was that Gary had already left the Kanto Region to go training on his own and couldn't share in their joy.
"That's Ash for you, his body can really take a beating!"
"When Nurse Joy said he'd have to lie in bed for three months, I almost burst out laughing."
"She specializes in Pokémon, after all. She wouldn't know that you can't compare one person's constitution to another."
Everyone laughed and clapped Ash on the shoulder, thinking to themselves that it was just as they'd expected. If he'd been sent to the infirmary any later, his wounds might have already healed on their own.
Ash naturally saw that they were using jokes to help him forget his defeat, but he didn't point it out. He played along, patting his chest to show that a Pallet Town native's constitution really was in a league of its own.
However, he didn't feel that disheartened now. Instead, he felt a sense of relief and liberation. It wasn't a big deal.
"Hello everyone, I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and I've achieved a Top 5 finish in this Indigo Plateau Conference."
Today's battles hadn't started yet, but suddenly, the figures of Ash and Lance appeared on the main screen. They were sitting upright and proper—it was the interview footage from the press conference yesterday.
What followed was a speech about how no one should imitate him, that his Metapod possessed a "Giant Dragon Bloodline," and that other Metapods were just fodder and wouldn't work. Lance chimed in beside him, and at the end, even thoughtfully gave advice on how to choose a Pokémon team lineup.
The entire Audience Stand immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion, with everyone murmuring in understanding.
The misunderstanding was cleared up.
The trending topic incident with the Metapod officially came to a close. Although during this time, many travelers from the Hoenn Region had complained on behalf of their hometown's deity, proclaiming that there was no way a Bug Pokémon could withstand the Dragon Ascent of the great Rayquaza.
But it wasn't a big deal. How could the ravings of outsiders carry more weight than the words of Champion Lance?
This made Brock and the others turn to Ash, their eyes full of curiosity.
Others might not know, but they knew the real story behind the Metapod. If they weren't mistaken, this interview was probably...
Complete nonsense?
For a top-tier figure like Champion Lance to play along was just outrageous. Lance's idol-like image instantly crumbled a little in their minds.
"Heh, a white lie... With this, I've saved the fate of the entire Kanto Region!"
Ash quickly sat up straight and spoke with a grave expression.
The next second, a righteous light enveloped his face, shining so brightly that the others couldn't look directly at him. His merit points skyrocketed...
Not long after, the commentator, Referee, and others took the stage, signaling that the Top Four matches of the Indigo Plateau Conference were about to begin.
It was worth mentioning that Ash had slept for three days, completely skipping the rest of the Quarterfinals. He woke up to find it was already the semifinals, and he exclaimed in regret for having missed the matches.
Besides the Masked Man, who had successfully advanced after eliminating him, Brother Red, who was in the same upper bracket, had also defeated his opponent to advance to the Top Four.
In other words, the two combatants for today's first semifinal match were these two.
Soon, under thunderous cheers, two figures slowly walked to opposite ends of the Battle Arena, facing each other from a distance.
One of them was an old acquaintance of Ash's. He still had the same wheat-colored skin, was bare-chested, and wore a black and red mask. With his well-developed muscles, he looked like a professional wrestler.
On the other side was a Trainer whose face couldn't be seen clearly, and even his name was indistinct. He wore a gray hat and looked completely unremarkable.
"They're out! They're out!"
Knowing the inside story, Ash and his friends looked on with anticipation, curious to see how Brother Red would handle this clash of titans.
Although Ash would have preferred to defeat the Masked Man himself, there was no conflict in Brother Red taking a shot first, and him taking another in the future.
On the Battle Arena.
At this moment, Red had completely taken over the Trainer's body. The cheers from the crowd and the Masked Man before him didn't cause the slightest flicker in his eyes.
"How about... I just forfeit?"
Red curled his lip, unable to stop himself from muttering under his breath.
This Trainer's skill level was abysmal, and his goal was only to reach the Top Four, which he had already achieved. Taking it any further might just shorten his lifespan.
Besides, in a tournament of this level, the opponents' strength was pathetic. Even Green had completely ignored this tournament. He himself had only managed to get a semblance of a real fight by using a low-level Dratini in an extreme battle.
But he'd had his fun now. It didn't matter anymore, so he might as well just leave.
With that, Red raised a hand, signaling to the Referee in the middle:
"I choose to for—"
Before he could finish, the Masked Man cut him off:
"Contestant, I know you're strong, and that Dratini isn't your full strength! Please, you must use all your power and have a battle with me today!"
After speaking, the Masked Man even threw a punch toward Red through the air.
At once, spurred on by this heated pre-battle declaration, the entire Battle Arena erupted again, a deafening roar of cheers demanding the battle begin.
The Masked Man had extraordinary perception. He had sensed Red's complete lack of battle intent and his attempt to forfeit. Being a battle enthusiast, how could he let such an opponent go? He immediately put Red on the spot, under the gazes of thousands of spectators, forcing him to accept the challenge.
That masterful yet peculiar command strategy, the rhythmic flow of a battle that seemed as if the entire script had been perfectly planned out—this indicated that this mysterious Trainer must have truly powerful Pokémon, not just a Dratini of an obviously low level.
Usually, you only see situations where a Pokémon's strength surpasses its Trainer's skill. It's rare to see a high-level Trainer who doesn't possess Pokémon to match.
"..."
Hearing this, Red slowly turned his head to look at the Masked Man.
His eyes, calm as still water, and his restrained yet profound aura, inexplicably made the fearless Masked Man swallow hard. A flash of regret for his earlier interruption crossed his mind.
It was as if, in that moment, he had unleashed an unbelievable monster.
"Heh heh, your courage is commendable..."
Just then, Red let out a soft laugh. If there was anything left in this Indigo Plateau Conference that could even slightly interest him, it seemed it was only the person standing before him.
Oh, and maybe Champion Lance, who was secretly observing the battle from above.
At this thought, a spark of battle intent ignited within Red, and he couldn't help but utter a sentence.
"But you were wrong about one thing. There's no one here who can make me use my full strength."
The calm tone, combined with the arrogant content of his words, instantly made the air in the entire Indigo Plateau Arena seem to freeze.
With that, Red took a Poké Ball from his waist, raising his arm halfway into the air.
It was a blue and purple Poké Ball, its entire surface covered in a regular, light-blue mesh pattern. Four golden bars were embedded protrudingly into its shell. It looked full of technology and completely different from a normal Poké Ball.
"Then I'll send this one out. Let's see if you can defeat it."
Red slowly tossed the Beast Ball in his hand.
(end of chapter)
