Chapter 140: The Freeloaded Great Secret Art
May 15, 2024 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Let me train the monkey, and I'll guarantee it becomes a Champion in the future?"
Ash couldn't help but scoff. It sounded nice, but wasn't this just freeloading? If Primeape never became a Champion, it would just stay in his hands forever.
It was the same as when he said, "Pidgeotto, I'll change your nickname once I become a Pokémon Master."
Everyone was an old hand at making empty promises.
"Mr. Shandou, freeloading isn't a good look."
"Your soul will be scorned by Arceus."
"Your High Jump Kicks will never land again."
Ash and his two companions said disdainfully.
Shandou gave a sheepish smile, thinking to himself that this kid wasn't as naive as he looked. He was hard to fool.
Since trickery wouldn't work, he'd have to try persuading him with reason.
"Alright, I'll admit I have my own selfish reasons..."
Shandou took a deep breath and began to play on their emotions.
Although he now understood the importance of family and would no longer throw himself completely into the P1 Grand Prix, the dream of becoming a Champion was still there. Moreover, ever since seeing Primeape, his dream of a Region-level championship had even escalated to a World level.
"By the way, didn't you lose? How can you have the nerve to ask to train my Primeape? Are you going to train it to be a third-place finisher? That I could understand."
Ash muttered under his breath.
The words reached Shandou's ears, and his dark face flushed red. He then said, regaining his serious expression:
"I have mastered the secret technique, Detect, and I can teach it completely to Primeape!"
Ash raised an eyebrow and then snapped his fingers.
The Primeape, still eating, understood the cue. It instantly created dozens of Detect afterimages, each extending a head to eat simultaneously, creating a dazzling and bewildering sight.
"Such powerful Adaptability..."
Shandou was secretly shocked. In such a short time, Primeape's use of Detect had improved significantly, which only increased his longing.
"I'm not talking about ordinary Detect..."
He gave a mysterious smile and, after fumbling for a moment, pulled a book out from his chest. The cover looked yellowed and tattered; it was clearly quite old.
Most Martial Artists know Detect; it's not that rare.
"But what if it's the Highest Realm of Detect?" Shandou suddenly asked.
The trio's eyes widened. On the book's cover were four large, bold, sweeping characters. The mere sight of them was enough to send a shiver down one's spine.
Ultra Instinct.
"Damn! Ultra Instinct! Isn't that the ultimate secret manual that even Master Bruno holds in the highest regard!"
Brock was so shocked his eyes widened even further. He instinctively reached for the Secret Manual to get a closer look, but Shandou carefully blocked him.
"That's right, it is Ultra Instinct. This is the supreme Secret Manual passed down through my family. Back then, Master Bruno only borrowed it for an hour, and the very next year, he became the strongest Martial Artist in the Kanto Region!"
Shandou bluffed.
Upon hearing this, the gazes of Ash and his companions immediately grew fervent, as if they wanted to snatch the book and examine it right away.
It was just that the four characters for "Ultra Instinct" were written in a modern script, and near the edge, it looked like they could see the words "XX Publishing House."
"Honestly, I had an ancestor with the surname Sun. He was the strongest Martial Artist in the World back then and saved this planet from peril on numerous occasions."
"The World wasn't so peaceful back then. The Cosmic Overlord Pokémon King would attack our Earth every other day. And that's not even mentioning threats from outer space; here on Earth, an infinitely regenerating Pink Demon frequently appeared, attempting to rule the World. It was truly terrifying. Only my Ancestor Sun could barely stand against them."
"This Realm of Ultra Instinct is the supreme Secret Manual that he spent his entire life comprehending, and he passed it down to his descendants..."
That's right, Shandou.
Full name, Sun Shandou.
Ash and his companions were completely enthralled. These events, as shocking as they sounded, were nowhere to be found in any Historical Records.
"Pokedex Beep. At the scene. Everything he is saying is true."
The Pokedex on Ash's waist suddenly chimed.
Shandou: "?"
This time, it was his turn to be dumbfounded. He had just spouted a bunch of nonsense off the top of his head, yet it was actually true?
"Ahem..."
Since his opponent's Pokedex had confirmed it, his claims held more weight. Shandou broke into a smile.
"So, how about it? You entrust Primeape to me, I will teach it the Ultimate Technique of Ultra Instinct, and in the future, it will surely become an existence even more powerful than Elite Four Bruno. And you can become its Honorary Trainer!"
He pitched his incentive tactic.
Ash was tempted, his breathing growing a little ragged.
Even the head of the nearby Primeape, who was only pretending to eat, turned red—as red as its own rear end.
"Wait a minute. If you really have this ability, why didn't you teach it to your Hitmonchan?"
Ash had found the blind spot in his story.
"Hehe, my Hitmonchan is old, and its Aptitude is only average, just at the level of a single perfect IV. And more importantly..."
At this, Shandou suddenly blushed, scratched his head, and then answered in a low voice:
"Ultra Instinct requires a pure and sincere heart. Only one with a... a virgin body can better match this Ultimate Skill."
His Hitmonchan was promiscuous in its youth; his home is full of Tyrogue Pokemon Eggs. It can't even use a regular Detect with enough flexibility, let alone a supreme Realm like Ultra Instinct.
But he could see that this Primeape possessed the pure heart of a fighter; it was definitely a malleable talent.
Even its Trainer exuded the aura of a 'lone wolf destined for eternal singlehood,' which was a bit painful to look at.
"..."
Those words made Primeape want to throw a punch.
It wasn't sure if it was being praised or mocked for being inexperienced.
Seeing the tempted look on Primeape's face, Ash hesitated. He had already seen from the P1 Grand Prix that Primeape had a huge interest in this type of competition.
If Shandou had truly mastered an Ultimate Skill that even Elite Four Bruno couldn't achieve, then entrusting Primeape to him wouldn't be a waste of its talent.
"What do you think, Primeape?"
Ash gave the choice to Primeape.
"Priiiime..."
Primeape stuffed all the food into its mouth. After a moment of hesitation, its eyes became incredibly firm, and it nodded at Ash.
This gesture made Shandou ecstatic. He thought to himself, *It's a deal?*
"I agree to entrust Primeape to you."
Since the decision was made, Ash no longer hesitated. He looked at Shandou, his expression quite serious.
"But you have to agree to a few of my conditions, or else I'll have to refuse."
Shandou's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he nodded repeatedly.
"First, you have to let me look at this Ultra Instinct Secret Manual for one night. Otherwise, how will I know it's not a fake?"
Ash pointed his finger at the Secret Manual in Shandou's hand.
"Alright, but I can only lend it to you to look at alone, and for two hours. Back then, I only lent it to Master Bruno for an hour."
Shandou wasn't worried about this point. The Secret Manual wasn't some cheap thing from a roadside stall; it was genuinely passed down from his ancestors.
The text was obscure and hard to understand. He had studied it his whole life and only understood a tenth of its contents. He wasn't worried that a naive youth could master his family's ancestral Secret Manual in just a couple of hours.
Even Elite Four Bruno admitted after borrowing it that he had only understood a tenth of it, saying that in this World, only a ghost could possibly read it completely.
This kid probably couldn't even recognize all the words.
Ash nodded imperceptibly. After all, Brother Red wasn't exactly human right now.
It didn't matter if he couldn't understand it; someone else would be able to.
Red: "..."
Still, Ash was secretly amazed. Seeing how readily the other party agreed, it seemed what he had said before was very likely true.
"Second, I am Primeape's Trainer, not some Honorary Trainer. I am only entrusting it to your care, not giving it to you. In the future, even if it enters a Battle, I will be the one giving the Command (Strategy)."
Honorary Trainer?
It sounded nice, but the title was just an empty shell meant to sever his Bond with Primeape. Ash cursed him internally as an old fox; there was no way he would agree to that.
Hearing this, Shandou's face fell, his expression instantly turning ugly. He was just about to say "no."
Seeing this, Ash decisively turned his head, ready to walk away.
"Priiime!"
Primeape also raised its fist. Its Trainer could only be its big bro, not some dark-skinned uncle who appeared out of nowhere.
"Fine, fine, I agree!!"
His expression shifted unpredictably, but Shandou still agreed. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was the one being taken for a ride.
At this, Ash patted his shoulder and said with a smile:
"Uncle, how could I possibly take advantage of you? Your position is very prestigious. I can have the symbol of your Fighting Soul Gym engraved on Primeape's big golden Belt. When it becomes a Champion, the glory will be yours too!"
Ash turned the tables, completely reversing the Offensive.
In other words, he had just gained a training ground similar to Professor Oak's Backyard and could even get a Great Secret Art for free.
Shandou: "..."
His head was starting to ache.
"Also, during the Indigo Plateau Conference or other important competitions, I might need to call Primeape back to participate. You'd better manage your time well. After all, battle is the best way to improve!"
Shandou: "..."
"Also, you have to let us see each other once a week. After all, our brotherly bond is deep..."
Shandou: "..."
"Also, you must do your best..."
Shandou: "..."
After Shandou and Ash had signed a series of unequal treaties, he finally couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his hand on the table and roared:
"You're getting all the benefits! What's in it for me?"
Hearing this, Ash looked at him as if he were an idiot and said in disbelief:
"You're Primeape's Honorary Trainer. Isn't that enough?"
Shandou: "..."
If there was a Great Secret Art of freeloading, then the Youth before him had undoubtedly mastered its very essence—
(It's July, please send some monthly tickets and recommendation tickets my way.)
(The fun is about to begin in Celadon City, and it's time for Red to come out and stretch his legs.)
(end of chapter)