Chapter 192: Red: Mirror Flower, Water Moon!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Linglingling!!"
The sound of a dragon's cry, tinged with anger, rang out.
A hurricane suddenly whipped up within the stream-filled valley, forming a spiraling tornado that completely enveloped the Team Rocket trio.
Though it was also wind, it was entirely different from Pidgeotto's Gust, carrying with it an irresistible and powerful majesty.
Being compared to a jump rope had infuriated even the good-tempered Dragonair, which directly unleashed its specialty.
"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh!!"
The hurricane whirlpool pulled in water from the stream, instantly forming a magnificent waterspout. As the strange pearl beneath Dragonair's head began to glow faintly, this waterspout moved with a will of its own toward the opening in the bush.
"Ah-glug-glug-glug..."
The Team Rocket trio was also swept into the waterspout. Caught off guard, their throats were filled with a large mouthful of water, rendering them unable to speak.
"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh!!"
Finally, the waterspout erupted violently, exploding into a splash of water. The immense force launched the trio into the sky, and within seconds, they became a twinkling star disappearing over the horizon.
"That's a Dragon-type Ultimate Move, Twister!"
"Whoa, this is the first time I've ever seen it. So cool."
Brock and Misty marveled from the side.
"Pokédex Beep. Twister, a Dragon-type Move. Its Power is the same as Tackle, at 40," the Pokédex suddenly reported.
Dragonair: "..."
The wild Dragonair's favorability towards Ash -1.
Ash: "?"
With the outsiders gone, Ash went forward to pick up the thirtieth Safari Ball, thinking to himself that this was a good enough report for Professor Oak; after all, the quantity was more than sufficient.
"I'll just call you Bull Three Hundred."
He put away the Safari Ball and looked at the small blue serpent in his hands, then at the Dragonair hovering in mid-air, emanating a strange light.
Ash spoke up:
"In order to make it the strongest Dragonite, can I catch Dratini now?"
Dragonair nodded. Although this person seemed a bit quirky and mischievous, he had enough high-spirited drive. It would be a good thing to let it go out and see the world.
Ash was overjoyed at its words. Catching a Pokémon with such immense potential made the whole 30-Tauros affair worth it. He was just about to pull out his own Poké Ball.
"Alright, I choose you! Poké Ball!"
"Muu~~"
The Dratini suddenly lifted its head and shook it at Ash.
Ash froze, and the expression on his face changed abruptly. "Huh? You don't want me to catch you?"
"Muu-muu-muu~~"
Dratini nodded, confirming Ash's words.
The Dratini species is inherently peace-loving Pokémon. It would much rather be with a calm and composed Trainer than a brawny one.
Despite its young age, its mind was quite developed. It had been observing Ash's every move, and by now, it had already formed a definition of him in its mind.
A reckless hothead.
Its dream was to achieve an evolution into a Pokémon as elegant as its mother, so naturally, it had to follow an elegant Trainer.
Ash, it did not like.
Furthermore, Dragon-type Pokémon have a naturally sharp intuition. It had a feeling that if it went with Ash, it might walk down a villainous path, and its entire character would take a strange turn...
To catch or not to catch was a two-way street; not even Ash could force it.
"Ooh, ooh, then come with me! I'm the most elegant woman there is!" Seeing her chance, Misty quickly tried to intercept, her voice becoming sweet and delicate.
Brock was not to be outdone and leaned in as well:
"You can come with me, too! I can help you become a powerful, muscular Dragonite! You'll be able to kill a Tauros with a single punch."
Dratini: "..."
It fell into a dilemma.
"Your mastery is still insufficient..."
Within Ash's Soul, Red, who was rocking back and forth on the Grand Master's Chair, suddenly initiated a private chat.
A powerful Trainer must be able to act and restrain themselves with ease, to have both an offensive and a reserved aura coexisting within them. It was clear that the current Ash was at the peak of his brashness, dominated by an aggressive and domineering will.
Reserved and steady?
You'd need a microscope to find it.
However, Red didn't actually think there was anything wrong with this. A Trainer in the early stage should be reckless; they could slowly mature later on. It was a process that couldn't be rushed.
"Oh, I almost forgot about you. Come on, Brother Red, let's switch bodies."
An idea suddenly struck Ash, and he instantly switched the right to use their body with Red.
This time, it was Ash sitting on the Grand Master's Chair in his Soul, acting like an old man.
In the real world, the Ash whose body was now occupied by Red underwent a sudden change in aura. He became incredibly ice-cold, calm, and restrained, like an unmoving, prideful iceberg.
He was reserved, yet his aura was exceptionally powerful. Even the hovering Dragonair unknowingly descended by half a meter.
"Muu!!!"
Like a cat that had smelled fish, Dratini instantly pushed past Brock and Misty and flew towards Red.
Although it didn't know what had happened, a Dragon-type Pokémon's sixth sense was very strong. It could feel that the Ash before it now was the most suitable Trainer for it.
Brock and Misty frowned deeply. They had no idea what had happened to cause such a change in aura, and they cursed Ash for playing dirty.
"Damn it, my other self from the Digital World, can't you give me a hand? Come and possess my body tomorrow!!"
The two prayed silently in their hearts, but mostly they felt a sense of disappointment in their Digital World counterparts for not living up to their potential.
"Haha, I'm such a little genius!"
In the Soul, Ash rocked the Grand Master's Chair wildly like it was a rocking horse, a smug look on his face.
When it came to elegance, who could compare to Brother Red?
Among all the people he knew, perhaps only the Top Player who had possessed Gary could rival Brother Red in elegance.
Red understood Ash's idea and gave a helpless smile, not stopping him. He casually pulled out an empty Poké Ball.
Dratini's eyes sparkled. It actively leaped up and touched the button on the Poké Ball, and with a "swoosh," it was absorbed inside as a red light. The ball didn't even shake before it signaled a successful capture.
It's a done deal!
In his Soul, Ash couldn't help but laugh out loud. A triumphant smile then curled on his lips as he switched control of the body back with Red.
That's right, he had used Red as a tool, a tool for wooing Dratini.
But in the process of switching, the Pokédex on Ash's waist also sounded its capture notification, accompanied by a celebratory BGM.
"Pokédex Beep. Congratulations on catching Dratini. Trainer: Red."
Ash: "?"
His expression instantly stiffened, and he was suddenly struck by a bad premonition.
"When did you get the illusion that I wasn't using you as a tool as well?"
The next second, a deep voice tinged with a devilish tone echoed in his Soul.
Red, now seated once again on the Grand Master's Chair, flashed a classic villainous, wicked grin and sneered.
He named this move...
Mirror Flower, Water Moon!
Ash used him as a tool, but when had Red not also been using Ash as a tool?
Trying to play mind games with him? Far too naive.
To be honest, his current Pokémon were mostly in a state of retirement. It wasn't really right to keep dragging them out to hold the line. It was about time he caught a few new, local Pokémon.
Although his Digital World self had a full Pokédex, apart from his main team lineup, he had only used most Pokémon to complete the Pokédex and understand their abilities and moves. He hadn't specifically trained or raised them.
On this point, he was completely different from Green.
Green meticulously raised every single one of his Pokémon. Any one of them could be brought out to carry the team.
So, in terms of peak power, Red's Pokémon were a cut above Green's.
But in terms of average strength, Green could pin Red to the ground and thrash him.
"Jackpot, bro. You seriously just handed me a Dratini for free, so I'll be taking it."
After saying that, Red didn't forget to twist the knife.
"By the way, you can command Dratini all you want. As for whether it listens or not, well, that's not my problem. Hehe."
Ash: "..."
The onlooking Brock and Misty: "?"
Watching Ash's expression shift from light to dark, they had no idea that in the few seconds that had just passed, this body with two souls had been filled with schemes and intrigues, a battle of wits that was over in a flash.
In an instant of less than a few seconds, several rounds had already clashed!
Narrator: The result of today's battle—Ash's defeat.
(end of chapter)