Chapter 316: Ultra Instinct, the Divine Metapod!
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"All flash and no substance. Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch!"
Bruno simply thought Ash was being unnecessarily mysterious and immediately ordered an attack.
"Swoosh!"
Hitmonchan sprang into action. Its rapidly moving body was like a phantom, and the white light on its fists was dazzlingly bright. In an instant, it flashed before Metapod, its fist swinging toward the latter's head without a second thought.
Mach Punch!
"Boom!"
The fist struck Metapod squarely!
However, the familiar, solid impact wasn't there. Hitmonchan's expression changed.
"Swoosh!"
It turned out he had only struck an afterimage. Hitmonchan's fist passed right through it, while Metapod's crescent-shaped body had already bent back slightly, perfectly evading the punch.
"Detect?"
Bruno was slightly taken aback. Can bug-types now learn the signature moves of fighting-types?
But soon, Bruno launched another attack.
"Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch continuously!"
The reason Detect was a signature move for fighting-types was that their physical prowess was sufficient to support using it two or three times in a row, or even entering a terrifying "Detect Mode."
In Detect Mode, one could use the move limitlessly within a certain time frame to evade all attacks.
Of course, this could only counter small-scale attacks. Against a massive AoE attack like Precipice Blades, it would be impossible to dodge even with a hundred consecutive uses of Detect. In essence, it was a technique of moving the body to avoid attacks.
A high-spec version of "Dodge it!"
"Hitmon!"
Hitmonchan sank its footing. This time, both its fists lit up with white light as it continuously struck at the Metapod before it.
"Swoosh!"
Afterimage.
"Swoosh!"
Afterimage.
In a flash, Hitmonchan had already thrown at least ten Mach Punches. Yet with every blow, Metapod simply stood still, only moving when the attack was about to land. Its banana-like body would either lean backward or tilt forward, evading damage by the shortest possible distance.
Its movements seemed slow, yet they were perfectly in tune with the flow of the universe.
At one point, Hitmonchan even launched a simultaneous two-fisted attack aimed at Metapod's blind spot. Metapod simply rolled twice on the spot, still managing to evade it perfectly.
"Pod…"
A bright green light now shone in Metapod's otherwise vacant eyes.
"Is this... entering Detect Mode?"
A high-intensity barrage of blows forced Hitmonchan to pause and catch its breath, while Bruno blurted out in disbelief.
Detect Mode was a technique that only fighting-types with high potential could possibly master. And now it was appearing on a bug-type?
"Heh heh, Master Bruno, please continue. We're just getting started."
Ash couldn't help but smile, seeming to know that this was far from Metapod's limit.
To be fair, being able to speak to an Elite Four member like this felt pretty good.
Hearing this, Bruno's eyes narrowed and his expression gradually turned serious. He then centered himself with a deep breath and shouted:
"In that case, Hitmonchan, enter that state! Then, attack with both fists!"
This sentence meant that Bruno was now getting serious.
Although Hitmonchan was not his strongest ace, it was one of his six main Pokémon. Hitmonchan at full power was already equivalent to at least 80% of Bruno's full strength.
This was the level he would bring when facing other Elite Four members of the same caliber in an official match!
As he spoke, Hitmonchan stood its ground and closed its eyes, taking a deep breath. In an instant, its entire body was shrouded in a mysterious aura...
"Chan…"
When Hitmonchan opened its eyes again, two glints of green light shone within its pupils.
It had entered Detect Mode.
"Clang!"
Immediately after, the fists held at its sides simultaneously lit up. One side shone with a dazzlingly bright white light, while the other glowed with a silvery, metallic luster...
Mach Punch!
Bullet Punch!
Both were extremely fast priority moves!
"Swoosh!"
"Swoosh!"
Hitmonchan's speed had reached its peak. Its fists, one shimmering white and the other silver, rained down in a continuous barrage. To the naked eye, its movements were a complete blur, leaving only fleeting afterimages.
"Youth, Detect Mode isn't just for defense!"
Bruno laughed wildly, and his Hitmonchan followed suit. Mach Punch and Bullet Punch erupted simultaneously, pushing the speed of its priority punches to their absolute peak!
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Its Iron Fists swung repeatedly toward Metapod's body, while the latter constantly adjusted its form, tilting forward or backward to dodge. The green light in its calm and steady eyes flickered brightly.
Hitmonchan and Metapod continued moving along a single horizontal line, attacking and dodging...
"Swoosh!"
"Swoosh!"
"Swoosh!"
In less than ten seconds, the punch count had reached at least a hundred. As Metapod's curved body dodged, it even carved a straight, black trench line into the ground.
And yet, not a single punch had landed.
"Holy..."
"Is this really a bug from our hometown?"
"What's the point of evolving into a damn Rayquaza at this rate..."
Brock and his companions were so shocked their jaws hung open, wondering to themselves when Metapod had gotten so strong.
Had someone secretly swapped it?
But with all this continuous dodging, how was it supposed to attack?
The three of them stared with wide eyes, forgetting to even breathe for a moment.
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"
Both the fighter and the bug had entered Detect Mode. Fists struck afterimages, and it seemed neither could get the better of the other. The situation had reached a stalemate.
But very soon, the situation changed again.
Although its appearance remained the same, the green light in Metapod's eyes suddenly dimmed before lighting up again. This time, it had transformed into a silver-white light, becoming incomparably noble and profound.
Even the surface of its green body seemed to be coated in a silver-white sheen, like a misty, steam-like ripple of energy.
Metapod's speed and reaction time instantly multiplied several times over, as if its body had undergone some earth-shattering transformation.
"Divine Metapod."
At that moment, everyone watching blurted out the name in unison, no longer able to bring themselves to call it Metapod.
Faced with another incoming punch, this time Metapod didn't rely on sharp perception and bodily agility to evade. Instead, it completed the dodge in an instant, its movements natural and fluid, a display of perfect form.
It was as if...
It wasn't consciously trying to dodge, but rather, its body was moving automatically.
Several more Mach Punches and Bullet Punches were perfectly dodged by Metapod in this manner. Its silver-white eyes showed not the slightest ripple, as if its soul had already shed its shell, and it was the physical body moving on its own, surpassing instinct.
"Thwack!"
In the next second, Metapod had completely flipped itself upside down. The banana-shaped body heavily smashed into Hitmonchan's nose, causing it to sting. Tears almost fell from the Pokémon's eyes as it was forced to take several steps back, constantly rubbing its nose.
The difference in skill was clear!
"Ultra Instinct!?"
Bruno's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as he exclaimed, the force of his clenched fist enough to crush a Squirtle.
Wait, isn't this f*cking Ultra Instinct!!?
He had once borrowed the secret manual for Ultra Instinct from the martial artist, Shandou. It was a supreme secret manual for fighting-types, but after studying it for ages, he could only grasp the most superficial parts, unable to see the whole mountain.
And today, it was being used by a youth.
And a bug-type??
To hell with the Volcano God!!
Even someone as calm and composed as Bruno wanted to scream a string of curses at the sky.
After panting heavily, Bruno managed to calm himself slightly, but his pupils were still wide with shock. He couldn't help but look at Ash with a trembling voice.
"Youth, you... you've really mastered Ultra Instinct?"
Ash just smiled lightly and answered truthfully, "I haven't mastered it. My Divine Metapod has."
That's right, the Divine Metapod had officially entered the realm known as Ultra Instinct.
Ultra Instinct relies on conditioned reflexes from every part of the body. Consciousness and the body are separated, allowing each part to perceive surrounding danger beyond mere instinct, eliminating the need for the brain to think before acting.
What Brock and the others saw—whenever Brother Red came out to stand watch, he liked to play with Metapod like a tumbler toy, pushing it back and forth—was not so simple.
All of it was training.
Training for the necessary prerequisite to achieve Ultra Instinct: separating consciousness from the physical body while in motion.
"Compared to other fighting-types, Metapod is the most suitable Pokémon for learning Ultra Instinct."
These were Red's exact words from before.
Because other Pokémon could move in countless directions at the same time, which infinitely increased the difficulty of mastering Ultra Instinct.
But Metapod was different. At any given time, it could only move forward or backward, along a single straight line.
Furthermore, its evolution had been forcibly halted—as if its Pokédex's B-button had been jammed—and through sheer willpower, it refused to change, which had also made Metapod's will incredibly strong.
It was these two points, combined with Metapod's own nature and aptitude.
Add to that Red's level of comprehension of the "Ultra Instinct" secret manual, and in less than two months...
Ultra Instinct. Achieved.
"Surely no fool actually saw Brother Red rocking in his armchair and thought he was just coasting into retirement, right?"
Ash couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
If someone really thought that, he would find it unacceptable.
Using the armchair, which also could only move forward and backward, to simulate Metapod's environment.
He was comprehending Ultra Instinct!
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(end of chapter)