Chapter 158: The Zhurong Clan! The Power of the Serpent Pattern!
"You should know that in our Huaxia, there's a family known as the 'Clan of Champions,' right?"
Kenji nodded. "The Zhurong Clan. Any Huaxia citizen must have heard of them."
The Zhurong Clan, hailed as the Clan of Champions. Since the establishment of the National League, nearly ninety percent of the League Champions across generations had come from the Zhurong lineage.
It was said that the Zhurong family had once been blessed by Ho-Oh. Every Zhurong champion possessed a Pokémon blessed by Ho-Oh.
The current National League Champion, Zhurong Yun, was said to have a Blaziken blessed by Ho-Oh. The flames burning within it could purportedly incinerate anything. Ordinary Water-type moves not only failed to counter this Blaziken...
But would instead be countered by its flames. Ordinary water attacks would simply evaporate, unable to harm the Blaziken at all.
"As my disciple, I ask nothing else of you, but one thing you must achieve: you absolutely cannot be inferior to those Zhurong bastards." Grandma Liu said with a stern face.
Kenji looked stunned. To fulfill this requirement, Tyson Tang truly wasn't qualified to be Grandma Liu's disciple.
A Huaxia Provincial Gym Leader versus the National League Grand Champion—they weren't even in the same league.
Forget Zhurong Yun; any random Regional Elite Four member could probably beat Tyson Tang into the ground.
Tyson Tang might be a rare top-tier genius among millions, but "top-tier genius" was merely the entry ticket to challenge Zhurong Yun.
But... as a former National League Elite Four member, why did Grandma Liu seem to have such a grudge against the Zhurong family?
Could it be that something unpleasant had happened between her and the Zhurong family back in the day?
Kenji didn't know and dared not ask.
"Grandma asks you, do you have the confidence to do it?" Grandma Liu looked at Kenji and asked.
Kenji met Grandma Liu's gaze and nodded. "No problem."
Getting Kenji's answer, Grandma Liu didn't respond immediately. Instead, she stared straight into Kenji's eyes without saying a word.
But in Kenji's eyes, there wasn't a shred of hesitation or wavering.
"Good!" Finally, after half a minute, Grandma Liu nodded in satisfaction, a smile returning to her face.
"Remember your words today. From now on, you are Liu Yanju's disciple," Grandma Liu said calmly.
Kenji nodded.
To prove he was stronger than the Zhurong Clan, the best way was undoubtedly to become the next National League Champion.
And that day probably wasn't too far off.
...
Outside the courtyard house, Grandma Liu leaned on her cane. Kenji and Arbok stood side by side not far away.
"Come out and stretch your legs, old sister," Grandma Liu said with a smile. She took a Pokéball from under her robe with her withered hand and threw it.
With a bang, the Pokéball opened. A massive purple cobra flew out in a flash of red light and landed on the ground.
Arbok
Sex: Female
Level: LV.99
Type: Poison
Ability: Intimidate
Potential: S
A level 99, peak Champion-level Arbok!!
"Little Kenji, watch closely. Grandma is going to demonstrate the results of my many years of research."
Grandma Liu tapped her cane on the ground, pressing the button of the Pokéball embedded at the top. With a crisp click, another red light flew out.
The next moment, a round, purple fatty wearing a Mega Stone pendant around its neck flew out, hovering in mid-air, clutching its round belly and grinning with a wide mouth.
"Gengar!!"
Gengar
Sex: Female
Level: LV.100
Type: Poison/Ghost
Ability: Cursed Body (May disable a move used on the Pokémon)
Potential: S
A Master-level Gengar!!!
Kenji's eyes widened.
This was the first time Kenji had seen a Master-level Pokémon with his own eyes.
A Pokémon reaching level 90 was called Champion-level.
A Pokémon reaching level 99 was also called Champion-level.
But only a Pokémon reaching level 100 could be honored as Master-level.
Although there was only a one-level difference between 99 and 100, they represented two completely different realms of existence.
For a Pokémon to reach Master-level, it wasn't something that could be achieved just by piling up training, battle experience, and resources.
More importantly, it required a profound understanding of oneself and of life.
How hard was it to achieve Master-level? Even Ye Jianguo, the former Southeast Elite Four member, only had a peak Champion-level Kangaskhan at level 99 as his ace!
A Master-level Gengar that also mastered Mega Evolution! How terrifying would its strength be?
"Gengar! Use Dark Pulse on Arbok!"
"Gengar!!—"
Hearing the command, Gengar pushed its hands forward. Dark-type energy gathered before it, transforming into a wave of energy that blasted toward Arbok.
"BOOM!!!—"
"CHA!!!—"
As the Dark Pulse hit Arbok, with a painful hiss, Arbok's entire serpentine body was sent flying.
Just a casual, not even full-power strike from Gengar—and not even a STAB move, but a Dark-type Dark Pulse—nearly critically injured the level 99 peak Champion-level Arbok.
This was the gap between Champion-level and Master-level.
Like a chasm separating the two.
"Arbok, Regeneration Pattern!"
Grandma Liu's aged voice rang out.
The next moment, the pattern on the chest of the heavily injured, gasping Arbok suddenly began to twist and blur, transforming into a completely different design.
As the pattern changed, the speed of Arbok's recovery accelerated dramatically. In just a few seconds, there was a significant change.
And after a dozen seconds, it was completely healed.
Before Kenji could marvel at the powerful recovery ability granted by the Regeneration Pattern...
Grandma Liu commanded, "Change! Defense Pattern!"
Arbok's chest pattern changed again.
"Gengar! Dark Pulse with the same force!!"
"Gengar!!!—"
Gengar pushed its hands forward again, blasting a wave of Dark energy at the Arbok not far away.
Arbok remained motionless, making no attempt to dodge.
"BOOM!!!!—"
Another explosion erupted on Arbok's body as the Dark Pulse hit again.
With a cry of pain, Arbok was sent flying once more.
But compared to the first time, after activating the Defense Pattern, Arbok's defense had significantly improved. It didn't look nearly as battered as when it took the first Dark Pulse.
Next, Grandma Liu demonstrated the remaining patterns of Arbok to Kenji one by one.
Counting the Regeneration and Defense patterns shown first, there were five different patterns in total.
Five different patterns corresponded to five completely different buffs: Regeneration, Defense, Attack, Speed, and Intimidate!
Regeneration, Defense, Attack, and Speed were easy to understand. Intimidate amplified Arbok's inherent Intimidate ability, making its aura even more terrifying and its suppression of opponents stronger.
The power of the serpent patterns did not disappoint Kenji.
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