Chapter Eighteen: As the Saying Goes, Breaking the Cocoon to Transform into a Dragon
“Be careful, Starfish, that Shelmet can use Electric Net,” Xiaoxia warned cautiously.
“Zzzt!”
The two forked antennae on Starfish twisted inward, as if flexing muscles.
The battle began!
“Strike first! Starfish, use Rapid Spin!”
“Shelmet, use Harden!”
No matter what the opponent used, the strategy was to boost defense at the start—this was Ash’s tactic.
“Tat-tat-tat…”
Dozens of small yellow stars hit Shelmet’s shell, shattering on impact but causing little damage, not even forcing it back a step.
“In that case, Starfish, use Water Gun!”
The Harden move only increased physical defense; magical defense remained unchanged.
Starfish pressed down on its top, shooting a slender stream of water that splashed across Shelmet’s face.
This time, it successfully inflicted damage, pushing Shelmet and its float backward across the water’s surface.
Seeing this, Ash quickly commanded, “Shelmet, use String Shot for defense!”
Shelmet shook off the water from its face, then shot out a large mass of white silk.
Strangely, the silk didn’t move forward to entangle the target, but rapidly spread out in front, forming a large white shield made of silk.
Shelmet hid at the center of the shield, its body gleaming with a flickering metallic shine as its defense rose.
Ash intended to max out Shelmet’s defense in one go!
Xiaoxia grew anxious—if this continued, Shelmet’s defense might reach 12,000 in no time.
The white shield proved quite flexible; Starfish’s long-range Water Gun couldn’t break through. She had to change tactics.
“Starfish, use Rapid Spin!”
Starfish suddenly leapt and spun wildly, transforming into a sharp dart that sliced through the silk shield in seconds.
But upon cutting through the shield, what lay inside startled Starfish so much that water almost leaked from its joints.
Shelmet, hidden inside the shield, had already gathered a glowing yellow orb at its mouth, crackling with electricity, ready to strike.
Ash’s eyes brightened as he raised his arm and shouted, “Now, use Electric Net!”
The yellow orb transformed into a sprawling electric net, instantly enveloping Starfish at close range, leaving no room to escape.
Sizzling sparks burst forth!
The next moment, the electric current surged, causing Starfish to scream in agony due to the type disadvantage.
Finally, Ash pressed his cap and shouted, “Finish it off—use Tackle!”
Shelmet, with its defense increased by three stages, charged forward like a tank, crashing into the gem on Starfish’s chest, which had been slowed by the Electric Net.
“Clang!”
Starfish flew backward violently, crashing hard into the nearby wall and leaving a small crater.
The gem on its chest began to pulse and beep erratically.
Its energy was nearly depleted.
“Starfish is unable to battle. Shelmet wins!” Sakura, the referee, declared promptly.
“So, Xiaoxia, have you witnessed the power of the future Pokémon Master?” Ash boasted proudly, his nose held high.
---
Xiaoxia wiped sweat from her forehead.
She thought to herself that Ash’s mind during battles was a completely different person from usual.
Unable to move freely, he forced Starfish to approach on its own, creating opportunities? Clever move!
Meanwhile, Brock’s gaze was deep and fixed on the seemingly expressionless Shelmet, unmoved by victory.
Strange.
Normally, Shelmet should evolve in a few days.
Ash’s Shelmet was quite powerful and had more than enough experience points, yet it hadn’t evolved yet.
It was a pity, considering the high-quality care this Trainer with a breeder’s spirit provided daily.
During the break, Brock couldn’t help but ask loudly, “Hey, Ash, where did you get this Electric Net Shelmet?”
Ash, contemplating his next strategy, replied without hesitation, “A friend gave it to me.”
“Which friend?”
“I’m not telling you.”
Brock: “…”
Today, this kid was particularly annoying.
...
No wonder Ash was so arrogant—he had just figured something out!
Even if a Caterpie reached max level, it couldn’t evolve into Rayquaza!
Bug Catcher Kogoro had been deceived by his good buddy!
The real evolution line should be Caterpie evolving into Shelmet, then into Accelgor.
That’s the normal progression.
But if the Shelmet stage is stalled at max level without evolving, it can truly evolve into the soaring dragon, Rayquaza!
As the saying goes, “From cocoon to dragon,” not “from bug to dragon.”
The real evolution chain is Caterpie -> Shelmet -> Rayquaza.
Wise ancestors had long hinted at this major revelation in the proverb…!
And Kogoro’s half-telling, half-hiding buddy was truly a villain.
...
Xiaoxia stared at Ash’s intense, contemplative expression.
For some reason, she wanted to go over and dunk his head into the water…
But the battle was still ongoing. With a serious look, she released her second Pokémon.
A flash of red light, and out came a larger purple starfish.
It looked as if two Starfish had been stacked with a slight offset, making its structure more complex.
“Behold the Gemstar Starfish, a decent Pokémon, Psychic/Water type. No hope—recommended to knock out.”
The Pokédex reported automatically.
Xiaoxia: “???”
Psychic/Water? Did it dig up your family grave?
“Gemstar Starfish, attack with full force!”
---
She growled and launched the counterattack.
“Stars!”
This time, the Gemstar Starfish raised all four arms simultaneously, exuding even more momentum.
Ash, fearless, shouted, “Cut the chatter! Shelmet, hit it with a speed-down combo!”
At once, Shelmet spat out a large mass of white silk.
The opponent didn’t dodge and was directly covered in silk.
Xiaoxia smiled confidently, “No use! Gemstar Starfish, use Rapid Spin!”
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The starfish spun so fast that the silk strands wrapped around it were shredded instantly.
“Tsk, such formidable power…”
Ash frowned slightly, surprised by Xiaoxia’s rugged-style Pokémon, and then waved his thumb again, “Then use Electric Net!”
This time, facing the incoming electric net, Gemstar Starfish remained calm.
Its rapid spinning traced a rainbow arc, slicing through the electric net cleanly.
Sizzle, sizzle!
Without the net to support it, the electric current quickly dissipated into sparks.
“Keep using Rapid Spin!”
Gemstar Starfish spun wildly and crashed into the immobilized Shelmet.
The heavy starfish horns scraped against Shelmet’s shell, sparking fiercely with a chilling sound.
Yet, its defense remained high.
Xiaoxia’s eyes suddenly widened as she shouted, “Then use Hydro Pump!”
Gemstar Starfish abruptly stopped spinning, aiming the red gem at its center directly at Shelmet.
The next second, a powerful, thick jet of water burst forth with tremendous force, knocking Shelmet over!
Boom! Splash!
The sheer impact sent Shelmet flying like a cannonball, leaving a long trail.
Its hard shell even left a huge crater in the wall behind!
Plop…!
In the end, it fell pitifully from the wall.
“Shelmet is unable to battle. Gemstar Starfish wins!” Sakura announced, adding wryly, “But the stadium repair costs will come out of your pocket~”
Xiaoxia: “…”
What a useless teammate!
Not only refusing to help now but also crushing the morale of allies—am I really their mother?!
“If Sakura could hear my inner scream, she’d probably say otherwise.”
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(xixi...)