Chapter 243: A Bird in a State of Extreme Rage
Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
.
"He really caught Articuno?"
"Holy crap."
Brock and Misty hurried over. They stared at the youth still sitting on the ground, his face covered in dust but wearing a gleeful expression, both of them too shocked to speak.
A rookie Trainer, on his journey for less than a year, had caught a Legendary Pokémon?
"Is this the new generation?"
"It's enough to make your scalp tingle."
After a few seconds of shock, the two of them burst out laughing, letting out a deep sigh of relief. After spending so much time with him, they had more or less come to understand that no matter what this youth did, there seemed to be nothing worth being surprised about.
"One day, is he going to drag down the Creator God and give it a good beating?"
"That would be pretty funny, wouldn't it?"
Meanwhile, Ash looked at the Ultra Ball in his hand, which had stopped trembling. Feeling the faint chill emanating from it, his heart was still pounding wildly.
Catching Articuno... even after the fact, he was startled by his own actions. He never expected to actually succeed.
"Pikachu, as expected, you've always been the carry!"
"Pika!"
The surrounding light trembled slightly. The yellow light converged into a single point, then slowly morphed into the shape of an electric mouse before gradually appearing before everyone.
In just a few short hours, Pikachu had gained a new understanding of how to use Flash. It could now make its body completely merge with the surrounding light, truly becoming invisible and formless. Whether it was spectating or launching a sneak attack, as long as the enemy wasn't a sensory-type ninja, it was unstoppable.
I am Flash, Flash is me.
Of course, although this move might seem invincible, it still had a prerequisite.
There could be no other light sources around; Pikachu had to be the sole source of light to achieve this near-molten state.
"Heh heh, that's already amazing."
Ash rubbed Pikachu's head and said with a smile, "When moves like a dark field appear in the future, you'll be the darling of the meta."
To be able to do something so spectacular with a useless move like Flash, perhaps only this Pikachu could pull it off.
"Pika pika (Hurry up and let out my air conditioner)!"
Pikachu couldn't help but pat Ash's waist. With its other little paw, it somehow pulled out a cup and a three-piece bedding set, ready to hibernate on the spot.
"Let's get out of here first."
After one battle after another, the cave seemed like it was about to collapse, with rocks falling from time to time. Since their objective had been achieved, and even far exceeded expectations, the three of them exchanged a look and walked toward the exit.
Their initial goal was just to pluck a single feather, but now they had carried away the entire feather duster.
Outside the Seafoam Islands cave.
Ash's group of three walked to the edge of the beach. The surrounding environment changed from snowy weather to that of a tropical island. The sudden change in temperature made everyone a little uncomfortable.
"So, you've come out, youths."
Just as they exited the cave, a bald man in sunglasses was already waiting outside.
This time, Blaine's trip had been very fruitful. He had found a place extremely suitable to become the Cinnabar Gym 3.0. His expression was jubilant, his mustache practically floating in the air.
The cave's structure was even a rare "chamber of ice and fire." The upper part had icicles and ice pillars, while the lower part consisted of rock walls and floors with geothermal heat. It was an absolutely perfect geomantic treasure for a Fire-type Gym.
The Cinnabar Gym would be revived here!
Seeing Ash's group looking disheveled, their faces covered with exhaustion and dust, Blaine couldn't help but step forward and pat Ash's shoulder, presumably to console him.
"Haha, did you not see Articuno? Don't worry about it. I told you, a Legendary Pokémon isn't that easy to find. An ordinary person could spend their whole life... hmm? Is that an Ultra Ball? What are you...?"
Blaine was mid-sentence when he suddenly saw Ash take out an Ultra Ball, looking completely baffled.
No matter how he racked his brain, he could never have imagined that Ash had gone and caught the entire bird.
"Come on out, my air conditioner."
The corner of Ash's mouth curled up slightly into a crooked smirk. A mischievous whim came over him, and he threw the Ultra Ball.
Can I, too, finally act like a hidden master, pretending to be an Emboar to crush an Incineroar?!
Feels pretty good!
Ash secretly observed Blaine's expression, imagining the old man's face going from mockery, to confusion, to shock, and finally to a sharp intake of breath.
This series of changing expressions would surely be very amusing.
"Bang!"
As a red light flashed, a large, ice-blue bird appeared on the beach once more. An icy chill instantly filled the surroundings; its sharp presence and the frost it exuded made everyone wary.
"By the Volcano God's flaming... Is that A-A-Articuno?!"
In just an instant, Blaine's expression changed from confusion to utter shock. The giant, icy bird rushing toward him almost made his eyeballs pop right out of his sunglasses.
Ash, however, watched Blaine's reaction with great satisfaction, his vanity immensely gratified.
But Blaine's next expression wasn't a sharp intake of breath. Instead, it was... fear?
Ash scratched his head. Articuno was the god of the snowy mountains, a benevolent legendary bird that liked to rescue humans trapped in snowstorms. What was there to be afraid of?
Before he could even turn his head completely, an ice-blue afterimage magnified endlessly before his eyes. A terrifying chill washed over him, descending upon him completely.
Danger!
Ash couldn't react in time and was kicked squarely on the side of his face by Articuno's flying kick, delivered at a tricky angle. The immense force sent his body flying several meters away, landing in the sea with a "plop."
"High Jump Kick? Articuno knows a move like that?"
Blaine, Brock, and Misty were utterly shocked. They stared at the Articuno before them, which stood on one leg, the other claw raised in mid-air. Its body was panting and trembling, and its expression was decidedly unfriendly.
There was a large bump on its forehead, as if it had been hit by a rock.
"Skreee!!" Articuno was very angry.
Damn it! It had been about to burst out of the Ultra Ball with all its might, only to find the door had suddenly been welded shut!
It's enough to infuriate a bird!!
Damn it!!
"Sputter, sputter..."
Ash emerged from the sea, his neck crooked, one hand clutching his aching cheek. Although the kick was powerful, it wasn't a major problem.
But since when could Articuno master High Jump Kick?!
The Pokédex beeped. "Not only humans, but birds too, can do anything when in a state of extreme rage."
The Pokédex was waterproof; it could still spout nonsense even while soaked in seawater.
Looking at the god of the snowy mountains before him, which was in a state of extreme rage, its noble and elegant divine aura was long gone. All that remained was the air of a street thug that wanted to beat him to a pulp.
"What powerful regenerative ability..."
Ash couldn't help but marvel. As expected of a Legendary Pokémon. After taking a fully charged Thunder from Pikachu, it was already up and about, pecking at the ground so quickly.
"Damn it, I should have used a Luxury Ball!"
Earlier, to increase the capture rate, Ash had chosen an Ultra Ball instead of a Luxury Ball, which would have increased its friendliness.
"Skreee!!"
But this was no time for regrets. The Articuno across from him went berserk again, dashing into the sea in a few steps like a flightless chicken. Everything it touched along the way was coated in ice crystals, as if a snow-and-ice special effect had been applied.
It turned its wings into fists and unleashed a flurry of Legendary Bird Military-Style Boxing on Ash, occasionally throwing in a few heavy rising kicks and fierce rooster pecks.
"Dadadadadada!!"
Ash vaguely guessed that Articuno had exhausted a massive amount of energy and probably didn't even have the strength to use its elemental energy anymore. It could only use its physical strength to pummel him.
If it were using its Ice-type abilities, he might have temporarily dodged the brunt of the attack, but if it was a battle of physical strength...
He, Ash, had never been second to anyone in his life!
"Dadadadadadada!!"
Man and bird simultaneously unleashed a flurry of Wolf Fang Fist-style punches in the sea, continuously pummeling each other. Every punch landed with a meaty thud, the whistling sounds were terrifying, and the sea surface was churned into a turbulent mess.
(end of chapter)