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Ash's abilities had already been proven. This last battle could have been avoided, as the reason for choosing the Elite three-on-three was to determine if Ash had the ability to protect Gardevoir. Now, Ash had fully demonstrated his potential and self-preservation capabilities.
Elite-level Pokémon were, of course, not a big deal in the eyes of Mewtwo and Team Rockets. However, if Ash could protect himself, then if he wanted to leave, unless the opponent had prepared tools specifically against Psychic-types, Ash would definitely be able to escape.
The reason Blaine wanted to continue this battle was to see how strong Ash himself truly was, to still have the confidence to contend with a peak Elite Magmar.
One must know, his Magmar was one of the top existences among the Elites. Even if Koga's Crobat were to participate, he was confident he could defeat it in a short amount of time.
Without a Champion, who could compete? This was his Magmar!
He wanted to see how Ash was so confident to dare to fight his Magmar.
"Blaine, what did you just say? This battle can be skipped, right? Then I'm leaving." However, just as Blaine was thinking of testing Ash's abilities, Ash waved his hand, indicating he was leaving.
Blaine was stunned for a moment, then quickly shouted, "Come back! Come back! Who said we're not fighting! I said it could be skipped, not that it wouldn't be fought, okay?!"
"You've already seen that I have the ability to protect Gardevoir, so why bother fighting?" Hearing this, Ash stopped his steps and turned to Blaine, speaking helplessly.
If he could help it, he didn't particularly want to participate in Pokémon battles, because Pokémon battles were for Pokémon!
What was the point of a human getting involved?
So, unless absolutely necessary, Ash rarely entered the arena himself, except under very specific conditions.
For instance, when first catching Pikachu, when catching Gengar that no one else in the team could handle, or when catching the proud Aerodactyl, Ash would choose to act himself. Normally, he would let his Pokémon battle.
He wanted to become a Pokémon Master, not a martial arts master or the strongest human in the world... "That's true, but I'm still curious about your abilities. You seemed to have mentioned that your power is Aura, right? But based on my understanding of Aura, it doesn't have all the effects your power does, and it can even create barriers similar to Psychic barriers."
Blaine also stated the true purpose of this battle, which was to see what Ash's power was truly like, and to ascertain Ash's real strength.
Being able to protect oneself was one thing; how much combat power one possessed was another. He was now extremely curious about Ash's Aura.
Of course, if he saw Ash losing or getting severely beaten, he would naturally have Magmar stop. After all, using a peak Elite Magmar against a child was still somewhat embarrassing for Blaine.
Ash could only sigh at this, then helplessly faced Magmar: "Alright, Blaine, since you put it that way... don't blame me if your Magmar gets traumatized."
Magmar: ???
You brat! Traumatize me! I'm already holding back by not burning you to a crisp, okay?!
Actually, after entering the arena, Magmar had been full of questions. Why would his Trainer make him battle a human? If he accidentally lost control of his flames, it wasn't impossible for this human to die!
Elite-level was already another tier of existence, not to mention he was peak Elite. If he went all out, he could even incinerate a small town. Even the lava temperature in a volcano was far less compared to his flames.
Making someone of his strength fight a child... wasn't he afraid of killing this child?
As a result, this child was even more arrogant, saying things like traumatizing him. Did he really not know the huge gap between humans and Pokémon?
Blaine also chuckled, "If you have the ability to traumatize Magmar, then go ahead and do it. If Magmar's psychological resilience is that weak, then he wouldn't deserve to reach the Elite level."
"Bu ba!" Magmar also beckoned to Ash with a finger, indicating that Ash should attack freely, and if he dodged, he would lose!
"I attack first? Are you sure?" Ash asked with a strange expression.
"Bu ba!" Come at me!
Although Magmar was momentarily confused as to why Ash could understand him, he immediately dismissed it the next second and let Ash attack him freely.
He, a dignified peak Elite Magmar, would be afraid of a human? Even if this human seemed to have good reflexes.
"Pikachu, Pikachu!!" You're up, Ash!
Pikachu also shouted from behind Ash. The position he was standing in was exactly where Ash, as the Trainer, had been standing just now.
Gary and the others, as outsiders, found this scene oddly comical, because it was as if Pikachu was commanding Ash to enter the battle as a Pokémon... Had the roles of Trainer and Pokémon swapped?
Ash, on the field, heard Pikachu's words and rolled his eyes, showing the whites.
This guy really knew how to seize an opportunity, using the same words he often used to send his Pokémon into battle. But this time, it was indeed his turn to fight, so if the roles swapped, then so be it.
"How about you experience what it's like to be a Trainer, Pikachu? I'll also experience what it's like for you Pokémon to battle. Whatever attack you say, I'll do it." Ash suddenly tilted his head and said to Pikachu.
Hearing this, Pikachu was stunned for a moment, then instantly overjoyed. There was such a good thing to happen!!
Originally, he had just shouted casually and had never thought about commanding Ash, but since Ash had said so, he had to properly experience what it was like for Ash to stand in the command position!
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded, then took a stance, pointed a finger at the opposing Magmar, and shouted, "Pikachu! Pikachu Pikachu!!" Ash, use Quick Attack!
Magmar: ...Are you kidding me? Make that human in front of me use Quick Attack? That's a move only Pokémon can use. How could that human possibly... "Bang!!" While Magmar was speechless, Ash had already pushed off the ground with his toes, his figure disappearing instantly!
Only a fleeting white afterimage remained in the air. The next second, a blurry figure, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, approached Magmar in the blink of an eye. The speed was so fast that even the scorching volcanic air currents around them rippled and distorted.
Immediately after, Ash's right arm suddenly tensed, and he swung it out forcefully. That seemingly ordinary fist carried immense power!
"Boom!!!" The punch, accompanied by a deafening roar, exploded, but it didn't land on Magmar. Instead, it smashed into the volcanic inner wall behind Magmar.
Amidst the loud crash of flying debris, the volcanic rock wall crumbled like clay hit by a giant hammer, dark red rock fragments mixed with scorching volcanic Ash flying everywhere!
A huge hole, nearly a meter in radius, appeared directly on the volcanic inner wall. It was a hole blasted open by Ash's punch!
In that instant, the entire scene became silent, with only the sound of falling rocks into the lava and the gasps of the onlookers.
"Damn it!!" After a moment, Gary was the first to let out an expletive.
He really couldn't hold it in. If anyone could see such a bizarre scene and not shout, he'd call that person his dad, okay!
Is this something a human can do? Is this the force a human can generate?
Ash hadn't used any energy. He had simply used the impact force from his charging speed and the acceleration of his punch to create a punch wind that literally penetrated that thick volcanic inner wall!
It was penetrated!!
Could an Elite-level Pokémon achieve this with pure physical strength without using its internal energy?
At least Magmar believed he couldn't.
Even Magmar, who wouldn't feel hot even in lava, now had two drops of sweat trickling down his forehead.
The sweat drops hit the rock pillar below and instantly evaporated.
Ash slowly retracted his fist, his entire body only about a fist's distance from Magmar, and a confident, sunny smile still graced his face, as if he was completely unaware of what he had just done.
"How about it, my Quick Attack isn't inferior to your strength, is it?" Ash's words made Magmar even more speechless. You really can use Quick Attack!
"Magmar, create distance, use Flamethrower!" Blaine's voice rang out from behind Magmar.
Blaine, who had been shocked by Ash's previous display, now belatedly began to command Magmar. If Ash hadn't chatted with Magmar or posed just now, perhaps Magmar would have already taken a punch from Ash.
Magmar only reacted after receiving the command. He was in the middle of a battle, yet he was shocked by his opponent's performance. Was this still the battle-hardened Pokémon he was?
The next second, Magmar stomped the ground and leaped up. The rock pillar he and Ash were standing on shattered under the powerful force, and Ash also leaped backward with the momentum.
In mid-air, Magmar suddenly puffed out his mouth, then spewed an extremely scorching flame from his flat muzzle!
A crimson pillar of fire, carrying scalding heat, descended from mid-air, sweeping directly towards Ash with the power to incinerate everything. Wherever it passed, the air sizzled with a muffled sound.
Ash, in the air, seemed to have no way to defend himself. If it were before the battle, Blaine would definitely have told Magmar to hold back a bit, but now... Heh heh, if he held back even a little, it would be his Magmar that got taken down!
"Boom!!"
Flamethrower directly hit Ash, engulfing him in the fierce flames.
Although they knew Ash might be fine, Misty and the others couldn't help but feel a pang in their hearts. Flames of this power could melt steel into molten iron in an instant. Now, hitting Ash...
"Whoosh!" A blue light burst out from the pillar of fire. Ash's figure leaped higher into the sky. He was completely unharmed, enveloped by a blue shield formed by Aura.
Those seemingly all-consuming flames seemed to have no effect on Ash's Aura.
"Fire Blast!!" Blaine's expression remained unchanged after seeing Flamethrower have no effect. This was already to be expected. Ash, putting aside other aspects, was absolutely top-notch in terms of defense.
Even the intense shockwave just now, impacting the barrier Ash had set up, failed to create even a single crack.
And that was a dispersed barrier. If it were a focused defense, the defensive power would naturally be self-evident.
However, Blaine didn't believe Ash could use this kind of protection continuously. Even if he could, the defensive power would decrease. So, what he was truly preparing for was this next attack, the ultimate Fire-type move, Fire Blast!
Magmar landed lightly on a rock pillar in the volcano, then opened his mouth again, spewing a scorching flame. The flame, shaped like a 'big' (big character), flew towards Ash in the air!
Its temperature and the size of the flame were more than twice as strong as Flamethrower!
'How will you respond, Ash? Let me see what other wonders this power of yours holds.' Blaine stared intently at Ash in the air, wanting to see how Ash would deal with this attack. Would he still rely on a hard defense?
In the air, facing the approaching Fire Blast, Ash retracted the barrier around him, then clenched his fist. The light of Aura flowed on his fist, and then he punched out!
"Bang!!"
With a loud bang, the ultimate Fire-type move, Fire Blast, used by the peak Elite Magmar... was shattered!
Sparks of fire scattered in the air, falling like a meteor shower, a truly dazzling sight!
If this beautiful scene were to participate in a Contest, it might even get a perfect score, but in a battle, such a scene held no aesthetic value for the attacker.
Magmar instantly turned to stone, his entire body stiff. He was still spitting out sporadic flames, indicating the immense shock he was feeling.
That was one of the strongest attacks he could currently unleash, yet it was shattered by the opponent with a single punch!
He was just a human! Just a human!!
Why could a human have such power? Was this even logical?
He had reached his current level after countless efforts, countless resources given by Trainers, plus his own formidable talent.
What did that human in the air, who punched his Fire Blast into oblivion, rely on?
Chapter 168: One-Punch Ash, the Origin of MEGA Evolution.
If Gengar had been present at that moment, he would have definitely felt a sense of camaraderie.
Finally, someone could understand his feelings from back then!
And compared to Magmar, the Gengar of yesteryear was actually harder to accept, because he had lived for over two thousand years. What kind of ancient monster hadn't he seen?
Even if humans in ancient times were slightly stronger, they could at most possess the power to deal with ordinary Pokémon. But once a Pokémon reached the Superior level, it was no longer something a human could contend with.
But what about Ash? He, an Elite-level Pokémon, was knocked down with one punch. What the hell!
At this moment, after Ash shattered the Fire Blast in the air, his feet also stomped fiercely on the air. Relying on the powerful impact, his entire body shot towards Magmar on the volcanic rock pillar like an arrow released from a bowstring.
"Magmar, quickly dodge!" Blaine, as expected, possessed the composure of an Elite-level Trainer. After encountering such a maddening and dumbfounding scene, he was still able to react immediately and command Magmar.
Unfortunately, Magmar's psychological endurance was not as good as Blaine's. Rather, his mental state had already collapsed.
His Fire Blast was shattered by the opponent with a single punch, and this was without the opponent even using any move. This exaggerated difference in strength made Magmar show faint signs of 'broken will'.
So, Blaine's command didn't reach Magmar's ears in time, but Ash had already arrived in front of Magmar!
"Goodbye," two faint words echoed in Magmar's ears. The next second, Magmar felt a heavy blow to his stomach, and then he directly lost consciousness.
Ash slowly retracted his fist from Magmar's stomach, not even glancing at the inner wall of the volcano shattered by the subsequent shockwave of his punch. Instead, he let Magmar lean on his shoulder.
At this moment, Magmar had already lost his ability to battle, solely because of Ash's single punch.
However, when Magmar leaned on Ash, Ash's clothes were almost ignited!
Although Ash's body itself was not afraid of Magmar's body temperature, his clothes were not!
Ash, who had originally intended to act like a master without speaking, quickly covered his entire body with Aura, isolating the temperature outside. Otherwise, all his clothes would have been ignited!
Despite that small interlude, the final outcome remained unchanged: the victory of this battle belonged to Ash!
Blaine, standing in the Trainer's seat opposite, had an incredibly complex expression on his face. He couldn't even speak.
Pervert… too much of a pervert!
He had never seen such a perverted human! Even Natsume, the Psychic he met at the Trainer's gathering, was nothing compared to Ash!
Even the Psychic Elite of the Unova region, who was said to be able to destroy a small town after going berserk, was probably no match for Ash!
No wonder Ash said he was confident he could protect Gardevoir. No wonder he said his strength was the strongest in the team. He was truly sincere, not trying to deceive at all!
"I lost. As promised, I will give you those two MEGA Evolution Stones, and I will no longer persuade you to hand Gardevoir over to the Alliance," Blaine said, taking out a Poké Ball and recalling Magmar.
It was clear that Blaine was completely convinced. If even Ash's power couldn't protect Gardevoir, then handing her over to the Alliance would be the same.
After all, the Alliance couldn't have Champion-level Trainers guarding Gardevoir all day long, and unless a Champion-level Trainer personally protected her, who could compare to the power Ash now possessed?
So now, Ash was actually the best candidate to protect Gardevoir.
Because the power Ash had just displayed was at least Champion-level. In fact, even an ordinary Champion-level Pokémon might not be able to shatter a Fire Blast with brute force alone!
Magmar's strength was indeed at the Elite peak, but his ability values were very well-developed. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he rivaled a Champion. Even if a mid-level Champion Pokémon came, it wouldn't be able to stop his Fire Blast so easily.
Considering this, Ash's strength was truly terrifying beyond measure.
After recalling Magmar, everyone didn't linger on the volcano side. The intense battle just now had already caused the volcano to subtly stir.
The Cinnabar Island volcano was a bit 'sensitive'; even slight tremors might cause a volcanic eruption. However, in an unknown corner, Ash forcefully suppressed the rising magma with Aura.
The reason why the Divine Domain level is called the Divine Domain level is that they already have the power to control nature, and even resist nature in reverse.
So for Ash, suppressing a volcano was naturally a piece of cake. If Blaine knew about this, he would probably have his brain crash for ten minutes… After several tens of minutes, everyone returned to the small house where Blaine lived. Blaine brewed a new pot of tea for everyone, and then they all sat down. For a moment, the atmosphere was a bit silent.
On the way back, no one spoke. Ash, however, quietly exchanged a few words with Gary and Misty, but seeing that the atmosphere was not right, he didn't say much more.
Everything was fine after the battle, so why did it suddenly become so somber? Ash couldn't understand either.
Another few tens of seconds passed, and just as Ash couldn't help but want to ask Blaine, Blaine finally spoke: "Sorry, I was thinking about something just now, so I haven't spoken."
"I will give you the two Evolution Stones I mentioned to you before, Ash, but before that, could you please answer the questions in my heart?"
At this moment, Blaine had taken off his sunglasses, and a pair of slightly cloudy eyes revealed a look of utter bewilderment.
Ash nodded in response, indicating that he could ask any questions he had.
"What exactly is that MEGA Evolution? How did you discover it?"
Ash mentally organized the explanation prepared by the seniors in the group and the results he had obtained from consulting Professor Oak, then slowly said, "MEGA Evolution was something I discovered by chance. This evolution requires the help of two items, and sufficient bond between both parties to achieve."
"Actually, this evolution is already being researched in Kalos. According to Professor Oak, Professor Sycamore in Kalos said that some Pokémon have survived to the present, and in order to adapt to changes in the external environment, they have undergone a kind of devolution. This devolution is irreversible."
"So, is there a possibility of activating the ancient genes within a Pokémon, thereby achieving a higher level of evolution?"
"After research, Professor Sycamore indeed confirmed that as long as the ancient genes within some Pokémon can be activated, the Pokémon can achieve a higher level of evolution. However, he has not yet discovered the method to activate these genes."
These were Professor Oak's exact words, so even if Blaine went to Professor Oak, there would be no discrepancy.
Because prior to this, he had indeed gone to understand the principle of what is called MEGA Evolution.
It must be said that Professor Sycamore is indeed a genius. To have conducted research to this extent without a MEGA Evolution Stone and a Key Stone, if he had those two items, he might have discovered MEGA Evolution long ago.
Blaine also showed a thoughtful expression upon hearing this. So MEGA Evolution also involved research into gene chains. He had been studying gene-related experiments, yet he hadn't discovered anything at all.
However, the direction of his gene research and Professor Sycamore's research direction were also somewhat different. One was researching deeper, more ancient aspects of genes, while the other was researching gene fusion, replication, and so on.
Although both types of research were gene research, they could not be confused.
"So, the item that Professor Sycamore's side lacked to activate gene evolution just happened to fall into your hands, and then you just happened to experiment and discover MEGA Evolution?" Blaine asked Ash with a strange expression.
Even though Professor Sycamore had already confirmed that Pokémon had a higher level of evolution, in reality, without a MEGA Evolution Stone and the other item Ash mentioned, he would never be able to achieve MEGA Evolution.
And Ash just happened to discover MEGA Evolution. Was this Ash's luck again?
"You could say it's a coincidence. The main thing is that my Aura can observe the connection between these two things, so I had Gardevoir wear this MEGA Evolution Stone, and then I used Aura to link the power of these two gems, finally achieving MEGA Evolution."
Ash said, releasing Gardevoir, and having Gardevoir take out the MEGA Evolution Stone from her body. He also took out his Key Stone and placed it in front of Blaine.
He wasn't afraid that Blaine would snatch these two items. Firstly, Blaine wasn't that kind of person. Secondly, trying to snatch these two items in front of him… even if you brought Lance, you wouldn't be able to do it.
Blaine took the Evolution Stone and Key Stone from Ash's hand, his gaze focusing on the Key Stone. He had already seen the Evolution Stone, but he had only caught a fleeting glimpse of the Key Stone.
"Is this the other item you said is needed for MEGA Evolution?"
"Yes, I named it Key Stone, meaning the key to unlocking Pokémon evolution, and it sounds like 'key'," Ash unceremoniously appropriated the research results from another world. Anyway, no one in this world had discovered it, so he had the final say.
"Key Stone, huh… truly a wondrous thing. If you were to place these two items in front of Professor Sycamore and say they could be used to unlock a higher level of Pokémon evolution, he would probably go bankrupt to trade those two items from you," Blaine said with emotion, returning the two gems to Ash.
"What did you mean by evolving through bond? Besides these two items, are there other conditions?"
"Yes, didn't I just say that MEGA Evolution is achieved by linking the power of two items through Aura, thereby activating Gardevoir's ancient genes? So, if there's no Aura, what would be used to activate the power of the Key Stone and Evolution Stone? That would be bond."
"The deep bond between a Trainer and a Pokémon can serve as a bridge connecting the two, thereby achieving the effect of Pokémon evolution. If the bond is insufficient, MEGA Evolution cannot be performed."
Ash's words were not only for Blaine but also for Misty, Brock, and Gary.
They actually knew nothing about MEGA Evolution, but they would definitely come into contact with it and use it in the future. Learning more now would be of greater help in the future.
"This system is too complicated. Gigantamax is much simpler," Gary grumbled, expressing his dissatisfaction with the complexity of the MEGA Evolution system.
This thing not only requires two items, but also specific Pokémon, and a sufficient bond between the Pokémon and the Trainer. It's incredibly troublesome.
In contrast, the Gigantamax of the Galar region can be performed as long as there is a Dynamax Band. However, that system has requirements for the battlefield, otherwise, if Gigantamax spread to various regions, the Galar head Alliance's title would have already been solidified.
"Harsh conditions are only natural. You also don't see how exaggerated the increase this system provides to Pokémon is," Blaine didn't care about these harsh conditions. After all, compared to the exaggerated boost, this level of conditions was considered minimal.
"That's only because it's Ash's Pokémon that get that kind of boost! Ash has the ability to empower his Pokémon with his own abilities. Do other Trainers have that? How much can a simple MEGA Evolution even boost?" Gary questioned.
He had already learned about the special nature of Ash and his Pokémon through Misty and Brock.
He had never even heard of the ability to merge one's own power with a Pokémon's; it was simply a monstrous ability. And Ash, possessing such power, and his Pokémon, naturally couldn't be viewed with common sense.
MEGA Gardevoir seemed much stronger than her normal state, but Ash's power was augmented within her. How much MEGA Evolution itself could boost was still unknown.
"As for the extent of the boost, it can probably consistently increase by one small stage, and the base stats will also increase. For a beginner professional, fighting a high-level professional after MEGA Evolution should not be a problem."
"However, the increase in power and ability becomes less noticeable at higher levels. At the Elite and Champion levels, the overall increase might only be one small stage."
Ash made an estimate, converting the overall boost of MEGA Evolution.
Excluding his Aura fusion, MEGA Evolution brought an overall increase in power and strength, while Gigantamax offered powerful stamina, strong moves, and special effects accompanying each move.
As for Z-Moves… that system in the rural countryside, to be honest, not many people in the entire Alliance even knew about it.
Ash only learned about the Z-Move system in the group. It can only be said that Alola's reputation was indeed too low.