Chapter 240: The Pokédex is Still Attacking! The Pokédex is on a Rampage!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Pidgeot!!"
As the strange white light faded, an incomparably loud eagle's cry exploded amidst the all-encompassing Sheer Cold, announcing the official birth of a giant raptor.
"Pidgeotto evolved?"
Misty stared in disbelief at the giant brown eagle within the shimmering, icy light. The brilliant white light obscured its exact features, but she could see a blur of vibrant colors, a sign that it was incredibly flashy.
"Yeah, it evolved from a utility bird into a utility Pidgeot."
Brock, on the other hand, wore an expert's expression. Pushing a Pokémon's potential to the limit in a moment of extreme danger to trigger an evolution—that was one of Ash's old tricks.
It was an extremely risky gamble. If it failed, never mind being unable to battle, the Pokémon might even suffer a spiritual wound, making its next attempt to overcome its limits exponentially more difficult.
But without a doubt, Ash had won the bet.
Pidgeotto was already an old teammate of Ash's. It had joined his team within the first three days of his journey and had been diligently working as a utility bird ever since. In terms of experience, it was more than ready for evolution.
"Pidgeot!!"
Pidgeot let out another piercing cry. The evolution had granted it brand-new power. An icy chill surged from its sharp beak, just barely halting the crack-like fissure where the two attacks met right in front of it.
In terms of sheer staying power, Articuno's stamina was still a cut above. The icy energy from the other side remained incredibly potent, and even the newly evolved Pidgeot could only maintain a stalemate, just enough to keep from being overwhelmed.
On top of that, having just evolved, Pidgeot hadn't yet fully adapted to its new body and strength.
"What do I do...?"
The situation was a stalemate once again. Articuno's Sheer Cold was still at its peak, while his Pidgeot's was nearing its end.
Ash didn't have time to celebrate. He was sweating profusely with anxiety. The scenario he'd imagined, where evolution came with an automatic invincibility buff, hadn't happened.
"Don't panic. This is where the trainer comes in."
Hearing the calm voice that suddenly echoed in his mind, Ash instantly calmed down. As expected, he could count on Brother Red.
Clever as he was, he quickly understood Red's intention.
"I get it! As a trainer, I need to strengthen my bond with Pidgeot to raise its strength to the next level... Hmm, no, Brother Red's understanding would never be so shallow. I get it now! As a trainer, I must observe everything around me and find a breakthrough for my Pokémon."
A brainstorm erupted in Ash's mind, and inspiration burst forth like a fountain.
Red: "..."
Sensing that Ash was already plotting to redirect the energy to the cave's ceiling to cause a Rock Throw to attack Articuno, he spoke up and interrupted Ash's train of thought.
It's all ice energy. What damn Rock Throw are you planning to make!
"What I mean is," Red said slowly, "when a wild Pokémon is in a beam struggle with your own, a trainer must be adept at shattering the opponent's spirit."
In a stalemate, rather than considering other techniques, it was better to consider the simplest, most brutal path.
Trash talk.
Directly target the weakest point in the wild Pokémon's—or its trainer's—heart. Deliver the most intense blow directly to their very soul, like stabbing them in the heart.
It was a bit insidious, so Red didn't recommend using it against opponents of similar strength. It wasn't the heroic way.
But if it was an underdog fighting a powerful foe, then any move that secured a win was a good strategy.
If a rookie trainer managed to sucker punch Champion Lance while he was striking a pose, the public would only praise the newcomer's clever tactics and think the Champion was an idiot.
They would never call the newcomer despicable.
"That makes so much sense! As expected from a master of taunts!"
Ash's eyes lit up. He fixed his gaze on Articuno, which was still locked in the beam struggle mid-air and held the absolute advantage. His eyes were like a tiger's, stalking its prey.
Red: "..."
I am a man of battle, not a master of taunts!
Articuno: "..."
Is something staring at me?
Articuno couldn't help but shiver in mid-air. The god of ice and snow was feeling a bit cold...
But after staring for a long while, Ash scratched his head, completely baffled.
"So, what should I say to tick it off?"
No matter how he looked at it, this Articuno seemed to be a flawless legendary bird with an unshakable spirit.
At this moment, the Sheer Cold had almost completely enveloped Pidgeot. If he didn't do something, defeat would be certain. Left with no choice, Ash forced himself to blurt out:
"Articuno, you stupid bird!"
The power of Sheer Cold surged. Articuno had been successfully taunted.
Pidgeot: "?"
An immense force came roaring over, pressing down on it to the point of suffocation. In its heart, it wished it could redirect the Sheer Cold right at Ash, cursing inwardly and wondering if the boy was messing with it on purpose!
"Articuno, you..."
Ash was about to say more when a loud, mechanical, electronic voice suddenly erupted from his waist, enunciating each word in a standard reading tone.
"Beep. Articuno, the God of Misfortune. One day, while resting in the Seafoam Islands, it awoke to find its only exit had been blocked by a human with a giant boulder."
The Pokédex suddenly interjected, its volume having been turned up to the maximum at some point, its voice echoing around the cave like a subwoofer.
Ash: "?"
Something that hilarious actually happened?
Articuno: "!"
Hearing this, Articuno's movements became chaotic, and the power of its move unknowingly weakened by several degrees, finally allowing Pidgeot to catch its breath.
Its spirit was shaken.
However, the Pokédex was still attacking, every word a fatal blow to its pride.
"Beep. Articuno, the almighty god of the snowy mountains, capable of freezing anything, yet unable to master the HM 'Strength'. It has failed in numerous attempts to push the giant boulder, and once even fell over from using too much force."
Articuno: "!!"
The power of Sheer Cold weakened again. Its expression was one of utter chaos.
"Beep. Although it is the most graceful of legendary birds, in reality, it has been trapped in this cave for half a month without eating. It usually needs to maintain the posture of a brooding hen to conserve energy. It has been a flightless chicken for half a month, and today is its first time flying."
The Pokédex had gone on a complete rampage!
Articuno: "!!!"
"No way? A legendary bird like Articuno can be a flightless chicken? I don't buy that, hehe."
Ash quickly twisted the knife.
Articuno: "!!!!"
It... its defenses were shattered.
Its spirit was utterly crushed.
Even its use of Sheer Cold became clumsy.
"Pidgeot!!"
Pushed to its limit, Pidgeot seized this opening and finally broke through the opponent's Sheer Cold completely. The deadly white light that filled the sky dissipated into faint snowflakes that fell and turned to dust.
Bathed in the white light, Pidgeot finally revealed its new form to everyone. It was covered in brown feathers, with several vibrant plumes extending backward from its head. It stood over two meters tall, and with its wings spread, it looked incredibly cool. The sight of this giant, fierce raptor was enough to intimidate everyone present.
"You're so cool!!"
Ash's voice reached Pidgeot's ears, and it couldn't help but smugly shake the vibrant feathers on its head.
*It seems that with my improved looks after evolution, the process of taming wild humans will be much faster...*
"You're so cool! As expected of my Pokédex!!"
Ash stared excitedly at his Pokédex. He wasn't looking up.
As for the cool giant bird in the sky, no one was paying it any attention for the moment.
Pidgeot: "?"
(end of chapter)