Chapter 40: Come out, Squirtle! Come back, Squirtle.
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
The Theoretical Knowledge had been fully covered. Brock took off his Academic Robe and handed the stage back to Ash.
Next, it was naturally time to move on to the Practical Training segment.
Although, he felt that right now, it was Ash who seemed more like the Disciple...?
After being lectured, Goh had also become interested in catching Pokemon and asked curiously:
"So, are you guys going to catch that prankster now?"
According to Professor Cerise, that Pokemon wouldn't show itself easily, so until now, no one knew what type of Pokemon it was.
"Actually, figuring out its type is quite easy."
At some point, Brock had put his Lab Coat back on.
His narrow eyes were sharp, glinting with the light of wisdom.
Ash quickly clapped his hands. "Please continue your performance, Teacher Brock."
"Ahem, from Professor Cerise's description, we can basically confirm it's a Ghost-type Pokemon. And here in the Kanto Region, there's only one common type of Ghost Pokémon, or rather, only one family."
He slowly announced three names.
"Gastly, Haunter, Gengar."
Ash nodded in agreement, even though it was the first time he had heard these three names.
Then he touched his face and mused, "So, our target is a Ghost Pokémon... In that case, the first step is to lure it out."
The other three looked at Ash, their eyes lighting up in surprise. "You've already thought of a way to lure it out?"
In situations like this, Ash's brainwaves were usually the most... insightful.
With Food?
But even Academia hadn't reached a conclusion on what Food Ghost Pokémon liked.
With beauty?
There was a dark-skinned lecher here, but he was a lecherous *person*, not a lecherous Pokémon.
"Don't talk. Watch my Skill."
Ash, however, looked confident. He took two steps to open the main door, then with a wave of his hand, pulled the other three into the farthest corner of the room.
Under the baffled gazes of the other three, Ash suddenly shouted towards the Air in the direction of the main door:
"Hey, hey, hey, is there a Ghost there? Help me close the door."
The three of them: "???"
After a while, the main door didn't move.
Seeing this, Brock couldn't help but sigh and say:
"Is this your 'insight'? I'm truly disappointed."
Misty added, "Maybe I should take back my Blue Badge."
Ash frowned, feeling it was a bit strange, because this method had always been successful for him in the past.
For example, when he was a child and home alone, scared there might be a Ghost in the house, he would deliberately open the Room Door and shout, "Is there a Ghost here? Close the door for me."
10 years passed, and no Ghost ever came to close the door for him.
That proved their house wasn't haunted; it was a house with good feng shui.
From this, he deduced the method should be viable.
Besides, a prankster... ultimately, it just wants to attract human attention.
It would naturally show itself for something like this, right?
Ignoring the three of them, who were now covered in dark lines of exasperation, Ash tried several more rooms, but there was still no response.
"Oh, Ash, let's hurry up and think of another way. Isn't this just pure nonsense?"
"If you ask me, only a Ghost can beat a Ghost. Let's go to the other Haunted House next door, Catch a Ghost Pokémon, and then come back and use that Ghost to beat this one," Misty suggested.
Ash raised an eyebrow. *Misty, you're truly a genius.*
Ignoring everyone's objections, he, with Sheer Force, pulled the three of them to the last room.
This time, however, the situation was finally different.
The moment he entered the room, Ash suddenly seemed to sense something. He stopped in his tracks and said in a low voice, "I have a hunch. There's a Mole in this house!"
Even Pikachu's ears twitched. This action instantly made the other three nervous.
So the four of them went to the corner of the room again. Ash made a gesture for them to be calm and patient.
After taking a deep breath, he slowly shouted towards the door.
"Hey, is there a Ghost? Close the door."
*Slam!*
The moment his voice fell, the door actually slammed shut!
There really is a Mole!
Then the Room Door was opened again, then closed, then opened...
*Slam, slam, slam!*
The Room Door opened and closed continuously, as if an invisible force was playing a prank on it.
The four of them exchanged a look. There was indeed a transparent Ghost Pokémon there, controlling the Room Door.
If they stared hard, they could even faintly make out a transparent, pixelated Shadow.
Brock's eyes, in particular, had an excellent focusing ability. He could even vaguely make out the Pokemon's figure.
It seemed to be a Pokemon even fatter than Pikachu...
Misty quickly asked, "Ash, what's the next step?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask...?" Ash replied directly.
He had always taken things one step at a time, never planning ahead, always staying on the Surface Level.
"Farfetch'd, aren't you the one who wants to be a father to others? Hurry up and figure out a way to Catch that Ghost!" Misty complained as she pushed Ash forward.
She wasn't just afraid of Bug Type Pokemon; she was scared of Ghosts, too.
"Who do I ask... wait!!"
Ash, who was still muttering to himself in distress, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. It seemed there really was someone he could ask!
He suddenly slapped his chest and typed out a line of text in his mind with a Thought.
"Hey, hey, hey, Big Bro Red, stop researching how to Body Snatch me and help me figure out how to deal with this Ghost Pokémon."
Red: "?"
*He had hidden himself so secretively, yet he was seen through?*
But a great senior had to act like one. Red merely glanced at the situation before him, and the Strategy was already clear in his mind.
Without hesitation, he said:
"Ahem, that's a Gengar, a Ghost Pokémon. It's only visually invisible; that doesn't mean it can ignore an Attack. Just launch an Attack directly."
"As expected of someone with real insight!" Ash said joyfully after receiving the Information.
Before Ash's consciousness switched back, Red added, "However, this Gengar's Strength is not weak. Its visual invisibility alone is not something you can handle right now. Without Battle Instinct, you'll just become Gengar's Living Target."
Battle Instinct was a profound feeling. It was impossible for a Trainer to master it without long-term training, let alone a Newbie Trainer like Ash, who had only set out three weeks ago.
Ash: "Meaning?"
Red thought for a moment and finally gave a hint.
"Your Squirtle has an Item that might have a wonderful use."
Sunglasses, an Item that can Increase the Power of a Dark-type Move.
And the Dark Type has a good Type Advantage over the Ghost Type. Perhaps it could allow one to see Gengar's true form.
In the game world, there were no such slick moves, but in this real World, it wasn't necessarily the case.
As long as you dared to imagine, anything was possible...
Returning to reality, Ash's face once again showed a high-spirited expression, one full of Future Potential.
He was steady again. He threw out a Poké Ball with a flick of his wrist.
"Come out, Squirtle!"
A small blue water turtle appeared in front of everyone.
"Squirtle, Squirtle!"
Squirtle had a simple, honest look, but upon seeing there was a fight, its expression immediately became eager.
It hadn't had a Battle since being caught, and it was eager to have a good fight soon.
"Squirtle, Squirtle? (Let this turtle see who today's opponent is?)"
Squirtle squinted, raising its claw to look around, but it didn't find any enemies.
It truly puzzled this turtle...
"Squirtle, quick, take out your Sunglasses!" Ash quickly instructed.
"Squirtle!"
Without a second thought, Squirtle decisively pulled its Sunglasses out from its Tortoise Shell and held them up high, as if it were Doraemon introducing a new gadget.
Ash took the opportunity to request, "Squirtle, can I borrow your Sunglasses? Is that okay?"
"Squirtle, Squirtle...?"
"Lend you, lend you? That means you agree to lend them to me. Then I'll be taking them for now, don't mind if I do."
Ash smoothly took the Sunglasses held high in Squirtle's hand, then pressed the button on its Poké Ball.
"Come back, Squirtle."
Squirtle: "?"
In the next instant, Squirtle turned into a flash of red light and returned to its Poké Ball.
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(Still undergoing tribulation, the results are average so far... Please add to your collection and recommend!)