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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_445_en
Chapter 445
Chapter 440: A Dead Egg
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
The day after the Indigo League Conference officially concluded.
Early in the morning, Ash was already up.
He wasn't in a hurry to go home, but his friends Abin and Ritchie, whom he had met during the conference, were leaving. Ash had no choice but to get up at the crack of dawn to see them off.
Both rivals and friends, he had formed a not-insignificant bond with them over these past few days.
"Here, you can have these items back—the Iron Ball and the White Herb."
Abin, however, waved his hand dismissively, his bald head shining brilliantly in the morning sun.
"I'm loaded. These few items are no big deal."
At this, Abin grinned again.
"Ash, I've discovered you seem quite suited for my strategic playstyles. When I develop any new strategies, I'll call you to discuss them. I'll also send you a copy of any new items, so remember to check your Computer regularly!"
Of course, friends were friends, but he had his own selfish reasons.
Abin's dream wasn't about making himself stronger, but to invent the ultimate strategies, allowing ordinary people to use unorthodox tactics to take on Champion Lance. For that, he needed an assistant who could execute his strategies, or perhaps...
A guinea pig.
"OK."
Ash simply smiled and readily agreed.
To be fair, using Fling with an Iron Ball to hit Flying-type Pokémon, or pairing a White Herb with Shell Smash, were both excellent strategies. A guinea pig, so be it.
It was a win-win, beneficial for both of them.
After seeing off his rivals, Ash returned to the Pokémon Center hall alone.
Pikachu was dozing on his shoulder, and Brother Red's true body was also hanging motionlessly from the side of his clothes.
The Indigo League Conference had completely ended. The once-bustling scene was gone, replaced by a sparse scattering of people dragging their luggage and backpacks as they left. Having spent nearly a month here, Ash found it somewhat unsettling.
"Hey, Ash, there you are! I was just looking for you."
Just then, a hearty voice broke his train of thought. Ash looked up and saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the Pokémon Center.
The Royal Mask.
Although he was now wearing a white lab coat, he had no shirt on underneath, still exposing his chest muscles. It was a very unconventional style, possibly worn just to circumvent an airplane rule prohibiting bare torsos.
He still wore the red and black mask that completely obscured his face.
"Mr. Masked Man, are you leaving?"
Ash noticed that the Masked Man was now carrying a large shoulder bag, looking as if he were about to depart.
"Yeah, the competition is over, after all. I just booked my airplane ticket and I'm about to go. I wanted to say goodbye before I left."
The Masked Man was from another region and had been solely focused on challenges in the Kanto Region. Aside from Ash, he hadn't formed any other bonds here.
Although there was a large age gap between them, they were similar people. Not to mention, they shared a mysterious sense of familiarity, as if they were fated to be connected.
At that moment, the Masked Man suddenly thought of something. He extended a fist toward Ash, his eyes burning as he spoke.
"Ash, in two years—approximately two years from now—I will establish our own Pokémon League in the Alola Region. The first League Conference will be held then. I hope you'll come and participate."
Before coming to the Kanto Region, he hadn't even been sure if he could establish a League.
But now, the Masked Man's resolve was incredibly firm, and his focus was absolute. He knew that in two years, he would definitely succeed!
Hearing this, a spirited smile also emerged on Ash's lips, his bright eyes meeting the other's gaze.
He raised his arm and they bumped fists.
"The Alola Region in two years? I'll be there. But don't blame me when an outsider like me takes your very first Champion title."
"Heh, the Trainers of the Alola Region aren't weak either."
Instantly, an incredibly powerful battle intent flared in both of their eyes. After one last look at each other, the Masked Man withdrew his fist and, without further delay, turned and walked toward the main entrance.
*Bzzzzzz...*
Just as the two passed each other, a high-frequency sound suddenly registered in Ash's ear, giving him the strange sensation of a single drop of water falling onto a pond, sending out slow, expanding ripples.
"Huh?"
Ash's sound of surprise made the Masked Man stop in his tracks. He turned his head curiously and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Um, Mr. Masked Man, when we just passed each other, did you hear a strange sound?"
The Masked Man was even more baffled by this, unable to stop himself from scratching his head.
"A sound? No, I didn't."
But now, Ash's brow was deeply furrowed. It wasn't just the strange sound in his ears; within his mind, rings of blue energy had appeared out of thin air, spreading outward in a ripple pattern.
Then, under the Masked Man's completely bewildered gaze, Ash subconsciously closed his eyes. His consciousness sank deep within, attempting to find the source of that special halo of energy.
A moment later, he found his answer.
"Someone... someone is calling me?"
Seeing Ash pointing a finger at him, the Masked Man was even more confused. When did I call you?
"No, it's your backpack! Mr. Masked Man, I think something in your backpack is calling me!"
Ash exclaimed hurriedly, though he didn't know what was happening, he had a powerful intuition.
"My backpack? Impossible. Everything in my backpack is inanimate. I don't even have any items, just clothes and..."
Before he could finish, the Masked Man's expression suddenly changed. As if realizing something, he quickly opened his backpack and pulled out an object.
A Pokémon egg.
Its shell was mostly white, dotted with several deep blue spots.
"A Pokémon egg?!"
Ash's eyes widened. This was the first time he had ever seen a Pokémon egg.
Could this egg be the one calling to him?
"Impossible. First of all, a Pokémon egg doesn't have the ability to call out to a human. Even if it did, it's impossible, because this is..."
The Masked Man sighed, then continued, "This is a dead egg."
He gently cradled it. Once again feeling the complete absence of a heartbeat or life aura within the shell, a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.
"In this conference, counting the Island Guardians, I only used five Pokémon. My sixth partner didn't get to battle. It's a partner I caught during my travels in the Sinnoh Region, and this Pokémon egg is an egg from its species."
"But when I found it, it was already lifeless. So in every city I visited, I had the local Nurse Joy check it again. I even went to many Pokémon Day Cares to have experienced artisans examine it, but the result was always the same."
A dead egg. It couldn't possibly be alive.
The Masked Man had already given up. After leaving the Kanto Region, he planned to first make a trip to the Sinnoh Region to bury this egg in its homeland.
"Impossible! I can feel it calling me!"
Ash immediately retorted, his tone earnest as he even reached out, wanting to touch the egg's shell himself.
The Masked Man could only pass it to Ash carefully, sighing once more.
"Sigh... to determine if a Pokémon egg is alive or dead, first, you touch it with your hand to feel if the heart is still beating. Second, you feel its life aura up close. A living egg will give off a clear sense of vibrant life..."
He wasn't finished speaking when Ash cut him off.
"Mr. Masked Man, this egg's heart is beating like a drum! Are you deaf?"
In the next second, the Pokémon egg in Ash's hands indeed began to tremble violently. Its heartbeat was just like a drum; even without pressing a hand against it, one could hear the loud "thump-thump-thump" booming out.
The dense life aura practically hit him in the face.
Masked Man: "???"
(end of chapter)
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
The day after the Indigo League Conference officially concluded.
Early in the morning, Ash was already up.
He wasn't in a hurry to go home, but his friends Abin and Ritchie, whom he had met during the conference, were leaving. Ash had no choice but to get up at the crack of dawn to see them off.
Both rivals and friends, he had formed a not-insignificant bond with them over these past few days.
"Here, you can have these items back—the Iron Ball and the White Herb."
Abin, however, waved his hand dismissively, his bald head shining brilliantly in the morning sun.
"I'm loaded. These few items are no big deal."
At this, Abin grinned again.
"Ash, I've discovered you seem quite suited for my strategic playstyles. When I develop any new strategies, I'll call you to discuss them. I'll also send you a copy of any new items, so remember to check your Computer regularly!"
Of course, friends were friends, but he had his own selfish reasons.
Abin's dream wasn't about making himself stronger, but to invent the ultimate strategies, allowing ordinary people to use unorthodox tactics to take on Champion Lance. For that, he needed an assistant who could execute his strategies, or perhaps...
A guinea pig.
"OK."
Ash simply smiled and readily agreed.
To be fair, using Fling with an Iron Ball to hit Flying-type Pokémon, or pairing a White Herb with Shell Smash, were both excellent strategies. A guinea pig, so be it.
It was a win-win, beneficial for both of them.
After seeing off his rivals, Ash returned to the Pokémon Center hall alone.
Pikachu was dozing on his shoulder, and Brother Red's true body was also hanging motionlessly from the side of his clothes.
The Indigo League Conference had completely ended. The once-bustling scene was gone, replaced by a sparse scattering of people dragging their luggage and backpacks as they left. Having spent nearly a month here, Ash found it somewhat unsettling.
"Hey, Ash, there you are! I was just looking for you."
Just then, a hearty voice broke his train of thought. Ash looked up and saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the Pokémon Center.
The Royal Mask.
Although he was now wearing a white lab coat, he had no shirt on underneath, still exposing his chest muscles. It was a very unconventional style, possibly worn just to circumvent an airplane rule prohibiting bare torsos.
He still wore the red and black mask that completely obscured his face.
"Mr. Masked Man, are you leaving?"
Ash noticed that the Masked Man was now carrying a large shoulder bag, looking as if he were about to depart.
"Yeah, the competition is over, after all. I just booked my airplane ticket and I'm about to go. I wanted to say goodbye before I left."
The Masked Man was from another region and had been solely focused on challenges in the Kanto Region. Aside from Ash, he hadn't formed any other bonds here.
Although there was a large age gap between them, they were similar people. Not to mention, they shared a mysterious sense of familiarity, as if they were fated to be connected.
At that moment, the Masked Man suddenly thought of something. He extended a fist toward Ash, his eyes burning as he spoke.
"Ash, in two years—approximately two years from now—I will establish our own Pokémon League in the Alola Region. The first League Conference will be held then. I hope you'll come and participate."
Before coming to the Kanto Region, he hadn't even been sure if he could establish a League.
But now, the Masked Man's resolve was incredibly firm, and his focus was absolute. He knew that in two years, he would definitely succeed!
Hearing this, a spirited smile also emerged on Ash's lips, his bright eyes meeting the other's gaze.
He raised his arm and they bumped fists.
"The Alola Region in two years? I'll be there. But don't blame me when an outsider like me takes your very first Champion title."
"Heh, the Trainers of the Alola Region aren't weak either."
Instantly, an incredibly powerful battle intent flared in both of their eyes. After one last look at each other, the Masked Man withdrew his fist and, without further delay, turned and walked toward the main entrance.
*Bzzzzzz...*
Just as the two passed each other, a high-frequency sound suddenly registered in Ash's ear, giving him the strange sensation of a single drop of water falling onto a pond, sending out slow, expanding ripples.
"Huh?"
Ash's sound of surprise made the Masked Man stop in his tracks. He turned his head curiously and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Um, Mr. Masked Man, when we just passed each other, did you hear a strange sound?"
The Masked Man was even more baffled by this, unable to stop himself from scratching his head.
"A sound? No, I didn't."
But now, Ash's brow was deeply furrowed. It wasn't just the strange sound in his ears; within his mind, rings of blue energy had appeared out of thin air, spreading outward in a ripple pattern.
Then, under the Masked Man's completely bewildered gaze, Ash subconsciously closed his eyes. His consciousness sank deep within, attempting to find the source of that special halo of energy.
A moment later, he found his answer.
"Someone... someone is calling me?"
Seeing Ash pointing a finger at him, the Masked Man was even more confused. When did I call you?
"No, it's your backpack! Mr. Masked Man, I think something in your backpack is calling me!"
Ash exclaimed hurriedly, though he didn't know what was happening, he had a powerful intuition.
"My backpack? Impossible. Everything in my backpack is inanimate. I don't even have any items, just clothes and..."
Before he could finish, the Masked Man's expression suddenly changed. As if realizing something, he quickly opened his backpack and pulled out an object.
A Pokémon egg.
Its shell was mostly white, dotted with several deep blue spots.
"A Pokémon egg?!"
Ash's eyes widened. This was the first time he had ever seen a Pokémon egg.
Could this egg be the one calling to him?
"Impossible. First of all, a Pokémon egg doesn't have the ability to call out to a human. Even if it did, it's impossible, because this is..."
The Masked Man sighed, then continued, "This is a dead egg."
He gently cradled it. Once again feeling the complete absence of a heartbeat or life aura within the shell, a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.
"In this conference, counting the Island Guardians, I only used five Pokémon. My sixth partner didn't get to battle. It's a partner I caught during my travels in the Sinnoh Region, and this Pokémon egg is an egg from its species."
"But when I found it, it was already lifeless. So in every city I visited, I had the local Nurse Joy check it again. I even went to many Pokémon Day Cares to have experienced artisans examine it, but the result was always the same."
A dead egg. It couldn't possibly be alive.
The Masked Man had already given up. After leaving the Kanto Region, he planned to first make a trip to the Sinnoh Region to bury this egg in its homeland.
"Impossible! I can feel it calling me!"
Ash immediately retorted, his tone earnest as he even reached out, wanting to touch the egg's shell himself.
The Masked Man could only pass it to Ash carefully, sighing once more.
"Sigh... to determine if a Pokémon egg is alive or dead, first, you touch it with your hand to feel if the heart is still beating. Second, you feel its life aura up close. A living egg will give off a clear sense of vibrant life..."
He wasn't finished speaking when Ash cut him off.
"Mr. Masked Man, this egg's heart is beating like a drum! Are you deaf?"
In the next second, the Pokémon egg in Ash's hands indeed began to tremble violently. Its heartbeat was just like a drum; even without pressing a hand against it, one could hear the loud "thump-thump-thump" booming out.
The dense life aura practically hit him in the face.
Masked Man: "???"
(end of chapter)
