Chapter 184: Beep. Pikachu Learns a New Move!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Harnessing the might of heaven and earth to unleash the fury of nature—this move had undoubtedly reached the peak of its potential!
After a while, the lightning dissipated, and the kirin's form vanished.
The dojo's battlefield, already pockmarked with craters, was now completely unrecognizable. It was shattered, resembling a wasteland of rubble.
The two-meter hole in the ceiling was a moot point... as there was no ceiling left. The room had become an open-air dojo, its tiled roof completely blasted away.
To be honest, this move didn't actually require luring Arbok under the hole. Striking it directly would have had the same effect.
But Red wanted a precision strike; it was a matter of a master's pride.
As for the Arbok that took the full brunt of the Thunder Kirin's strike, it had already completely lost its ability to battle. Charred black with tattered skin, it lay amidst the ruins with its tongue lolling out, a miserable sight. It was clear that shedding its skin now would be pointless.
Koga's self-created Shed Skin Substitute technique was now completely useless.
The ground around it had caved in by half a meter, forming a small crater. The scene was utterly brutal.
"So strong..."
Brock and Misty were stunned by the attack, which was like the descent of a thunder god. They had no idea a Pokémon battle could reach such a level.
The fact that this Arbok hadn't been directly turned to dust and scattered by the wind was, frankly, even more surprising to them.
"Good heavens, is this the kind of challenge I might face as a future Gym Leader?!"
Janine, the Ninja Girl, was also dumbfounded. For a moment, she felt the urge to turn and flee.
She glanced at the ruined dojo. Hadn't Koga said he was leaving right after the battle? He wasn't going to leave this mess for her to clean up, was he?
Probably not, right? Her father was a responsible person...
"Pika, chuu!!"
Just as everyone was still gasping in astonishment, a bolt of yellow lightning shot up into the air from behind Red, in front of Brock and Misty, drawing everyone's attention.
However, the scale of this lightning seemed rather miniature compared to what they had just witnessed.
It was Ash's ordinary Pikachu.
Naturally gifted and skilled at copying, it had benefited greatly from watching the entire battle. As if it had gained new power, it eagerly showed off, its body seeming to overflow with endless energy.
"Oh? Did you learn a new move?"
Red's eyes lit up. He knew better than anyone how extraordinary Ash's Pikachu was. Curious, he pulled out his Pokédex, intending to check what new move it had learned.
Was it Extreme Speed?
Or Thunder Kirin?
Or had it mastered both?
The Pokédex's CPU began to whir, and after a moment, it issued a notification.
"'Beep. Pikachu has learned a new move...'"
"'Poison-type move: Toxic.'"
Red: "?"
He subconsciously shook the Pokédex, wondering if the stray electricity had short-circuited it.
"Pika, pika..."
Hearing this, the ordinary Pikachu was eager to prove itself. Having caught the keyword, it copied the motion of the round-faced Pikachu from earlier, raising a small paw into the air, gathering power, and then slowly pressing down.
"Pfft."
A purplish-black ball of energy shot out from its paw. It looked incredibly toxic and turned into a puddle of liquid upon hitting the ground, corroding some of the gravelly debris...
Red: "?"
So you were staring wide-eyed, madly trying to copy something this whole time... and you copied the opponent's Arbok?!
Does this electric mouse have a lazy eye or something?
In the end, Red could only rub his temples. *As expected of Ash's Pokémon, just as ridiculous as its Trainer. To think it could make waves in the tranquil lake of my mind, a mind I thought was immune to everything...*
"Today's battle... is my loss."
Across the dojo, after several minutes of shock, Koga finally closed his jaw and slowly recalled his defeated Arbok into its Poké Ball.
A move that could channel the might of heaven, earth, and nature... To be honest, he had never seen, or even heard of, such a thing.
A few months ago, he had disguised himself as a foreign ninja and secretly launched an attack on Champion Lance. The brief exchange had been enough to let Koga know he was no match for that terrifying man.
But this youth from Pallet Town before him... he estimated his strength was likely even greater than Champion Lance's. Perhaps about 1.5 Lances.
"Pallet Town... truly a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons."
A person can have split personalities, but a Pokémon cannot. To be able to raise a common electric mouse to such a terrifying level, this youth must have inherited the Pokémon from his ancestors.
Had there ever been any powerful Trainers from Pallet Town before?
Then, Koga gave Red a ninja's gesture of defeat.
"Today, I have been thoroughly defeated. I accept my loss completely. Even if I had sent out my true ace, I fear it couldn't have withstood your Thunder Kirin."
"Correct. There's no 'perhaps.' You couldn't have withstood it," Red replied politely.
"..."
Koga coughed, forcing himself to ignore the other's words, and said in a grave voice, "After today, I will no longer be Koga of the Fuchsia Gym, but Koga of the Johto League's Elite Four. If you ever come to the Johto Region, I will challenge you as a ninja. At that time, I will use everything I have to defeat you!"
Becoming stronger was Koga's ultimate pursuit as a ninja!
Hearing this, Brock and Misty's expressions changed drastically. They had long sensed that this ninja "uncle" was uncommonly strong, but he was actually an Elite Four-level Trainer!?
Good heavens.
Next, Koga turned to the utterly baffled Ninja Girl at his side. A gentle smile appeared on his usually stern, old-fashioned face as he patted her shoulder.
"Daughter, you must now walk the path ahead alone. The honor of the Fuchsia Gym now rests entirely on your shoulders."
After speaking, without waiting for Janine to say anything, Koga's figure abruptly vanished on the spot.
This was a high-level ninjutsu known as Shunpo, also called Fei Lian Jiao.
He now had to hunt down the third Trainer from Pallet Town before he finally left the Kanto Region!
*A personality split that leads to a surge in strength, an ancestral Pokémon that can rival a Champion's...*
"Here I come!"
From Team Rocket's intelligence channels, he knew there was one more lone Trainer from Pallet Town. She was rumored to be a naive, clueless, pretty girl. Today, he was going to vent all his frustrations on her.
He, a member of the Elite Four, had been thrashed by two young punks in a row. Unforgivable!
This was the fury of a ninja!
"Father..."
The Ninja Girl had been moved for only a moment. It was only after Koga's figure had completely vanished that she snapped back to her senses.
Was he really leaving this whole mess for her to deal with alone?
Janine looked at the open-air dojo, and her head began to spin.
*Forget it. From now on, the Fuchsia Gym will just be an open-air ruins arena. That way, I won't have to deal with it.*
The honor of the Fuchsia Gym was fading...
With the dust settled, Red recalled his round-faced Pikachu. He packed up his gear, and the group prepared to leave.
Red suddenly thought of something and walked toward one of the room's walls.
"..."
He reached out and began picking at a crack in the wall, trying to pry something out. A few beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Dammit, how did he manage to embed the Soul Badge so deeply?!"
Because Ash had used too much force earlier, he couldn't pry the Soul Badge out, no matter how hard he tried.
"I'm counting on you, Ash's Pikachu!"
Red decisively withdrew his hand. As a master, maintaining his composure was paramount.
Pikachu's eyes lit up at his words. It had been dying to show off. Seeing its chance, it raised a paw and threw a ball of purple energy at the wall.
Toxic!!
Red: "..."
This electric mouse...
is toxic.
(end of chapter)