Chapter 23: Slash, an Essential Move for the Starter Pokémon Trio
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
The three were secretly shocked and quickly stepped aside to whisper.
"Ash, did you really do that?" Brock asked seriously.
"Haven't I been with you guys this whole time?" he retorted.
"Then the misunderstanding is cleared up. You're still one of the good guys."
Ash: "..."
*Wait a minute, I don't think I gave my name just now, did I?*
Misty, at the side, weakly chimed in:
"By the way, should we run? Someone is obviously doing bad things using Ash's name."
"It must be that guy, Gary. He's always bouncing around causing trouble. This time, I'm really angry!"
Ash's expression was tinged with anger. Tricking that silly girl Blue was one thing, but this time he dared to stage a Faked Accident using his name. This was simply going too far!
"But actually, there is another possibility."
At that moment, Brock suddenly opened his eyes.
The light that glinted in his eyes nearly blinded Ash and Misty.
"He's Professor Oak's grandson. His insight and ideas are surely different from the average person. Perhaps he's really researching the Reverse-Type Strategy? Especially you, Ash. I can already faintly see the conceptual model of this strategy in you."
Ash frowned and retorted:
"Then what about him sniping someone's Promotion Match?"
"Think about it. There's really no difference between a 100-win Streak and a 99-win Streak. This Youth clearly has enough Strength to travel, yet he's locked down here because of a bit of unnecessary Obsession. Perhaps Gary's goal is to make the latter completely break the Shackles of his Obsession. After this Mental State Breakthrough, he might even be able to reach a new level."
"Gary… truly Professor Oak's grandson. Everything he does has a deeper meaning…"
Brock couldn't help but stroke his chin and let out a long sigh.
The two of them: "..."
*Back at Mt. Moon, you said the same thing.*
Gary's on The Fifth Layer again?
*Speaking of which, that guy has a Sister, right...?*
After some thought, Ash turned his head and fixed his gaze on Xiao Ming, who was still hugging his Sandshrew.
"In that case, I'll snipe him one more time and completely shatter these Shackles of his!"
The two of them: "?"
*What layer is this now?*
Vermilion City.
In a certain high-end Cafe, a Spiky-Haired Youth was leisurely enjoying a freshly ground Coffee.
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
Outside the door, an energetic girl in a red skirt and white Sun Hat was clearing the weeds around the Cafe, dripping with sweat.
"Little Garlic, use Slash!"
*Smack!*
Ivysaur's whip came down, clearing out a large patch of empty land.
Blue's Bulbasaur had already successfully evolved, the bulb on its back sprouting a flower bud, but its Nickname remained unchanged.
As for what they were doing now…
They were working part-time.
In eight days, the top-class luxury Cruise Ship, the S.S. Anne, would set sail from the Vermilion City Dock.
As a country girl, Blue naturally wanted to board the ship and experience the feeling of being an elite, but when she asked about the Cruise Ticket price, it instantly filled her with disgust for this world so full of monetary interests.
"What a black-hearted business…"
Just as she was sitting dejectedly in the Pokémon Center, that man appeared.
Gary, who was already seven days ahead of them on their journey, approached Blue with his signature frivolous smile.
He was also in this city, waiting to board the S.S. Anne and become one of the elites.
"Die!"
Without a second thought, Blue threw a Pallet Town Wild Punch straight at Gary's face.
Gary just smiled slightly, easily dodging the old-fashioned punch with a tilt of his head.
Everyone from Pallet Town is basically a superhuman.
"How dare you appear before me again…"
Blue's voice began to tremble. Her large, lively eyes were already on the verge of distorting with rage.
If her emotions intensified even a little more, black Magatama might even appear in her pupils.
Blue's resentment had clearly reached a critical point. She was about to command her Ivysaur to give this man a Full Body Bind and toss him into the harbor to feed the Sharpedo.
"Ahem…"
At that moment, Gary suddenly held up an envelope.
The whistling Vine Whip screeched to a halt less than half an inch from his face.
Important Item: S.S. Anne Cruise Ticket.
"How do you have that!?"
Blue's expression changed in an instant. Her smile was like a blooming flower, and she became friendly and charming.
With a feint, she lunged to snatch the Cruise Ticket, but he easily dodged her.
"Hey, hey, Gary-kun~ If you just hand over that piece of waste paper in your hand~ all our grudges will be wiped clean, 'kay!"
Then Gary pulled out another envelope. He lifted his chin slightly, a smile in his eyes as he looked at her, looking every bit the part of a superior.
"These are the Cruise Tickets I bought with the pay I earned from working here for seven days. There are two of them. It's not impossible for me to give you one, but I still have some finishing touches to take care of, like the weeds on the roadside…"
"Leave it all to me! I'm a professional weed-puller, 'kay!"
Blue patted her small chest. At some point, she had already changed into a professional weed-pulling outfit, a sickle in one hand and a hoe in the other, full of Vitality.
Gary wasn't stingy and immediately agreed.
"In that case, if you clear all the weeds in Vermilion City, I'll give you one of the tickets."
Blue then rushed out of the Pokémon Center in a frenzy. Whenever she found weeds, she would charge over and pull them out by the roots.
"Oh, right, here's another gift. This is the TM for the ultimate HM (Hidden Machine), 'Slash'. It's internationally recognized as one of the essential moves for the Starter Pokémon Trio. Not only can it clear weeds, but it's also a powerful battle Move~"
Before they parted, Gary tossed her a Disc with a well-intentioned reminder.
Blue didn't suspect a thing and quickly had her Ivysaur master "Slash." Her weed-clearing speed immediately skyrocketed.
*Maybe Gary is a good person at heart?*
*It's just that the Power of this "Slash"… why does it look so pathetically weak…?*
*Whatever, my Little Garlic must have gotten stronger!*
Watching Blue toiling away outside the window, Gary took a light sip of his Coffee, a self-satisfied smile of someone in complete control spreading across his face.
Work part-time?
He would never work a day in his life.
These Cruise Tickets were, of course, something he got through Pay-to-Win.
After all, his family was prominent. As the grandson of the most famous Pokemon Professor in the Kanto Region, his pockets were full.
"There's no way someone would actually make their Starter Pokémon learn 'Slash', right? Ahahahaha!!"
He laughed smugly with his legs crossed, practically bouncing with glee.
Green, from the depths of his Soul: "..."
In just two short weeks, the amount of trouble this Youth had courted was already more than he himself had in his entire past life.
*It shouldn't be too late to switch to a new Host, right...?*
*Hmm, how should I go about it?*
Meanwhile, the Battle between Ash and Xiao Ming had begun.
"So you're the final stepping stone for my 100-win Streak?"
Xiao Ming cracked his whip against the Ground, unable to resist starting the pre-battle Trash Talk session.
Talking smack before a match was a tradition.
Not only could it annoy your opponent, but if you encountered someone with a weak mentality, it could even throw their reasoning into chaos. This was a Method employed by excellent Trainers.
"No, I'm here to snipe… I'm here to help you break your Shackles!"
Ash, however, wasn't annoyed and even felt a surge of excitement in his heart.
If that guy Gary could defeat this 99-win Streak powerhouse, then so could he!
Glancing at the Sandshrew before him—a Ground type—he tossed a Poké Ball without a second thought.
"Pika!"
A crisp cry rang out. It was none other than that seasoned, mysterious Round-faced Pikachu making another appearance.
Electric Current crackled on its cheeks, and a terrifying sense of Pressure instantly radiated from its body, enveloping the entire Arena.
It was as if a Primordial Beast had been unleashed.
But in just an instant, the Round-faced Pikachu reined in this burst of Vital Spirit.
It stood up straight, pointed a small paw at the Sandshrew, then turned its head to look at Ash with a baffled expression.
"Pika?"
*That's it?*
*It's not an opponent like Ho-Oh or Mewtwo, and you have the nerve to call me?*
*To fight a dirt Mouse?*
*Don't you dare underestimate me, Pikachu.*
Ash, however, acted as if he hadn't noticed, pointing with his thumb and shouting, "I'm counting on you, old Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
He wanted to witness the Power of this Round-faced Pikachu for himself.
"Pika…"
However, the round-faced one just twitched its ears in place, then lifted a hind leg to scratch its cheek.
The Round-faced Pikachu used Slack Off.
"Pokedex Beep. When a Pokemon's Level is higher than its Trainer's, it will often disobey commands."
The Pokedex helpfully explained.
Otherwise, if a Champion gave their Ace Pokemon to a Fodder Trainer, wouldn't the latter instantly skyrocket in Strength?
"A Pikachu with the Pressure Ability? That's really rare."
Across the field, a drop of sweat rolled down Xiao Ming's forehead. That Pressure just now was indeed outrageously strong.
And for a Trainer to raise two Pikachu… this Youth before him must be an old-school mouse fan, just like himself.
*But it doesn't seem to be listening to commands. This is my chance!*
"Sandshrew, use Sand Attack!"
Xiao Ming immediately seized the opportunity.
The Sandshrew, from its spot, took advantage of the surrounding Rocky Area and flung a massive cloud of sand and dust toward Pikachu.
But the latter's Strength was truly off the charts. Though it looked lazy, it had, at some unknown moment, already vanished from its original position.
It had moved to a different spot and resumed its leg-kicking Slack Off.
The massive cloud of sand hit nothing but air.
"Such incredible Speed! I didn't even see its movement trajectory…"
Seeing this, Xiao Ming's heart lurched. A bad feeling was already rising within him.
*Don't tell me my Promotion Match for my 100-win streak is going to be sniped again.*
"Then try this Move! Use Swift!"
Xiao Ming was very confident. This Move was guaranteed to hit; it couldn't be dodged!
*Don't panic, I can still win!*
Sandshrew swung its tail, and dozens of yellow stars shot out towards Pikachu. The latter didn't dodge, taking the full force of all the Swift stars.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack…!*
All the Swift stars slammed into Pikachu's body, exploding into countless fragments.
Hit Points -0, Hit Points -0, Hit Points -0
After the Combo Attack, the Round-faced Pikachu let out a comfortable Yawn.
Everyone: "..."
*Although we knew this Pikachu's Level was high, this Level… seems to be far, far higher than we could have ever imagined…*
"Sandshrew, use our strongest Move!!"
Xiao Ming, on the other side, felt his heart nearly stop. He Snarled, almost screaming:
"Sandshrew, use Fissure with maximum Power!!!"
Fissure, a One-Hit KO that transcends the rules!!
To have mastered an ultimate Move like a One-Hit KO without having evolved yet was a testament to this Sandshrew's considerable Strength. Its 99-win Streak was definitely not the result of luck.
*I can still turn this around!!!*
The Sandshrew was seen leaping high into the air, flipping its body to spin wildly, before smashing its sturdy fist straight into the Ground.
*CRACK-CRACK-RUMBLE!!*
The Ground for dozens of meters around instantly shattered.
Fissures spiderwebbed and cracked apart, and the Battle Arena actually split, forming two chasms several meters deep. The scene was immense.
An eruption of countless bits of Smoke and Dust and debris shrouded everything.
"What a powerful Move…"
This was the first time Ash had ever seen a One-Hit KO Move.
But what made him more curious was, could the Round-faced Pikachu withstand a Move like this?
Soon, the Smoke and Dust cleared.
The Round-faced Pikachu was still crouching at the edge of a chasm, lazily kicking its leg.
The exaggerated, completely shattered scars in the earth beside it seemed to have nothing to do with it. There wasn't a single mark on its body.
Seeing this, the Beast Tamer Xiao Ming's heart went cold. He couldn't stop his knees from buckling, and he fell to a half-kneeling position on the ground.
"I lost again…"
The first time he was about to get his 100-win Streak, he was taken out in one hit by someone's Hydro Pump.
The second time he was about to get his 100-win Streak, he was completely ignored by an Electric Mouse.
His mentality had completely collapsed