Chapter Twenty-Three: The Single-Strike Slash — A Must-Learn Technique of the Three Great Clans

The three were secretly shocked and quickly retreated to the side to whisper among themselves.

"Ash, have you really done something like this?" Brock asked seriously.

"Haven't I been with you the whole time?" Ash countered.

"Then the misunderstanding is cleared up; you’re still a loyal one."

Ash: "..."

Wait a minute, I don't think I even gave my name just now, did I?

Misty, standing to the side, timidly interjected: "By the way, shouldn't we run? It’s clear that someone is using Ash’s name to do bad things..."

"It must be that guy Gary! He’s always bouncing around, but this time I’m truly angry!" Ash’s expression was somewhat indignant. It was one thing to tease that silly girl Blue, but for him to dare to frame him? This was simply going too far!

"Actually, there is another possibility." At this moment, Brock suddenly opened his eyes. The light flashing in his gaze nearly blinded Ash and Misty.

"He is Professor Oak’s grandson; his insights and ideas are surely different from ordinary people. Perhaps he really is researching a 'reverse-attribute' combat strategy? Especially you, Ash—I have already faintly seen the conceptual model of this tactic in you."

Ash frowned and asked, "Then what about him sniping other people’s promotion matches?"

"Think about it: there is no real difference between a 100-win streak and a 99-win streak. This boy clearly has the strength to go out on a journey, yet he is locked here by an unnecessary obsession. Perhaps Gary’s goal is to force the latter to completely shatter the shackles of that obsession. After a breakthrough in mindset, they might even be able to take a step further."

"Gary, he is truly worthy of being Professor Oak’s grandson. Everything he does has a deep meaning..." Brock couldn't help but stroke his chin and let out a long sigh.

The two of them: "..."

You seemed to say the same thing back at Mt. Moon.

Is Gary on the fifth layer again?

Come to think of it, that guy has an older sister, right...?

...

After thinking for a moment, Ash turned his head and set his sights on A.J., who was still hugging his Sandshrew.

"Since that’s the case, I’ll snipe him once more and completely break his shackles!"

The two of them: "?"

Which layer is this supposed to be?

...

Vermilion City.

In a high-end café, a spiky-haired boy was leisurely enjoying some freshly ground coffee.

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

Outside the door, an energetic girl wearing a red skirt and a white sun hat was sweating profusely, clearing the weeds around the café.

"Bulba, use Cut!"

"Snap!"

Bulbasaur swung a vine, clearing a large patch of open ground. Blue’s Bulbasaur had successfully evolved, and a flower bud had sprouted from the bulb on its back, but the nickname remained the same.

As for them right now... they were working part-time.

Eight days later, the S.S. Anne, a top-tier luxury cruise ship, would set sail from the Vermilion City docks. As a girl from the countryside, Blue naturally wanted to board the ship to experience the feeling of being among the elite. But when she asked about the ticket price, she felt instantly disgusted by this world full of money and greed.

"What a dark ship..."

Just as she was sitting in the Pokémon Center, feeling lost, that man appeared.

Gary, who was already seven days ahead of them on his journey, arrived before Blue with his characteristic frivolous smile. He was also in this city, waiting to board the S.S. Anne to live the high life.

"Die!"

Blue didn't even think; she sent a "Pallet Town Turtle Fist" straight toward Gary’s face.

Gary just smiled slightly, tilted his head, and easily dodged the punch.

Everyone in Pallet Town is basically a superhuman.

"How dare you still appear in front of me..." Blue’s voice trembled, her large, lively eyes on the verge of distortion. If her emotions were even a fraction more intense, black tomoe might even appear in her pupils.

Blue’s resentment had clearly reached a critical point. As she spoke, she was about to command her Bulbasaur to bind this man up and throw him into the harbor to feed the Sharpedo.

"Ahem..."

Just then, Gary suddenly held up an envelope. The whistling vine whip stopped less than half an inch from his face.

An important item: an S.S. Anne ticket.

"How do you have that!?"

Blue’s expression changed instantly; she beamed like a flower, becoming sweet and charming. She faked a move, intending to snatch the ticket, but he easily avoided it.

"Na-na, Gary-kun~ If you just hand over that scrap of paper in your hand~ our grudges will be wiped clean!"

Gary pulled out another envelope, lifted his chin slightly, and looked at her with a smiling gaze, giving off quite the air of an elite.

"This is a ticket I bought with the wages from my seven days of working here. There are two of them. It’s not that I can’t give you one, but I still have some finishing work to do, such as the weeds by the roadside..."

"Leave it all to me! I’m a professional weeder!" Blue patted her small chest. She had already changed into her professional weeding outfit, clutching a sickle in one hand and a hoe in the other, full of energy.

Gary wasn't stingy and agreed immediately.

"Since that’s the case, clear all the weeds in Vermilion City, and I will give you one of the tickets."

Blue rushed out of the Pokémon Center in a hurry, dashing toward any weed she could find to pull it out by the root.

"By the way, here’s a gift for you. This is the supreme secret TM for 'Cut.' It’s internationally recognized as one of the skills every starter must learn. It’s not just for weeding; it’s a powerful combat skill too~"

Before parting, Gary tossed over a disc, offering a kind reminder.

Blue didn't doubt him for a second. She soon had her Bulbasaur master "Cut," and the weeding speed skyrocketed.

Perhaps Gary is a good person at heart?

It’s just... why does the power of this "Cut" look so pathetic...?

Never mind, my Bulba must have gotten stronger!

...

Watching Blue working hard outside the window, Gary took a light sip of his coffee, revealing a smug smile as if he were in control of everything.

Part-time work?

He would never work part-time in this life.

This ticket was naturally bought with his "pay-to-win" capital. After all, coming from a wealthy family and being the grandson of the most famous Pokémon professor in the Kanto region, his pockets were deep.

"Does anyone actually let their starter learn 'Cut'? Ahahahahaha!!"

He laughed triumphantly, bouncing around with his legs crossed.

Green, deep within his soul: "..."

In just two weeks, this boy had committed more acts of "death-seeking" than he had in his entire previous life...

It shouldn't be too late to change hosts, right...?

Hmm, how exactly should I go about that...?

...

On the other side, the battle between Ash and A.J. had begun.

"So, you’re the final stepping stone for my 100-win streak?" A.J. cracked his whip against the ground, unable to resist starting the pre-match trash talk.

Talking smack before a match is tradition. It can not only disgust the opponent, but if they have a weak mentality, it can even cause their logic to crumble. It’s the tool of an excellent trainer.

"No, I’m here to snipe... I mean, I’m here to help you cut through your shackles!"

Ash wasn't annoyed; instead, his blood was pumping. Since Gary could defeat this powerhouse with a 99-win streak, he could naturally do it too!

He glanced at the Sandshrew in front of him. Ground-type, right? Without hesitation, he tossed a Poké Ball.

"Pika!"

A crisp sound echoed. It was that seasoned, mysterious round-faced Pikachu appearing once again.

Electricity crackled on its cheeks, and a terrifying pressure immediately radiated from its body, enveloping the entire arena. It felt as if a prehistoric beast had been unleashed...

But in an instant, the round-faced Pikachu stopped exerting itself. It stood upright, pointed a small paw at the Sandshrew, and then turned to look at Ash with a confused expression.

"Pika?"

That’s it?

You call me for an opponent that isn't Ho-Oh or Mewtwo?

To fight a dirt rat?

Don't look down on your Pikachu.

Ash ignored it, waved his thumb, and shouted: "I’m counting on you, old Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

He wanted to see the true power of this round-faced Pikachu.

"Pika..."

However, the round-faced Pikachu just shook its ears in place and then lifted its hind leg to scratch its cheek.

The round-faced Pikachu used Slack Off.

"Beep. When a Pokémon's level is higher than the trainer's level, it will often disobey," the Pokédex kindly explained.

Otherwise, if a Champion handed their ace Pokémon to a scrub trainer, wouldn't the latter instantly skyrocket in power?

"A Pikachu with the Intimidate ability? That’s quite rare..." A.J. on the opposite side felt a drop of sweat roll down his forehead. The pressure just now was indeed absurd. And for a trainer to raise two Pikachu? This kid was clearly a hardcore mouse fan just like him.

But it looked like the Pokémon wasn't following orders. This was his chance!

"Sandshrew, use Sand-Attack!"

A.J. seized the opportunity immediately. Sandshrew performed a "rat-toss" on the spot, and combined with the rocky terrain, it kicked up a massive cloud of dust and sand, rushing toward Pikachu.

However, the latter’s strength was truly off the charts. Though it looked lazy, it had somehow already vanished from its spot. It reappeared in a different position and continued to kick its leg, slacking off.

The sky full of sand missed its target.

"Such fast speed... I didn't even see its movement trajectory..." A.J.’s heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose.

His 100-win promotion match—was he going to be sniped again?

"Then try this! Use Swift!"

A.J. was confident. Swift is a guaranteed-hit move; it couldn't be dodged! Don't panic, I can still win!

Sandshrew flicked its tail, and dozens of yellow stars shot toward Pikachu. The latter didn't dodge, taking all the Swift hits head-on.

*Da-da-da...!*

The Swift stars struck Pikachu one after another, bursting into countless fragments.

HP -0, HP -0, HP -0...

After the combo, the round-faced Pikachu let out a comfortable yawn.

Everyone: "..."

Although they knew this Pikachu was high-level, this level seemed to far exceed their imagination...

"Sandshrew, then use our strongest skill!!"

On the other side, A.J.’s heart nearly stopped. He roared at the top of his lungs:

"Sandshrew, use Fissure at maximum power!!!"

Fissure—a one-hit KO move that transcended the rules!!

The fact that it could master a one-hit KO move before even evolving showed that this Sandshrew was no ordinary Pokémon; its 99-win streak was definitely not just luck.

I can still turn this around!!!

Sandshrew leaped high into the air, flipped its body, and spun frantically. Finally, its sturdy fist slammed straight into the ground.

*Crackle... Boom!!!*

The ground for dozens of meters around shattered instantly. Cracks spread in layers, and the arena split into two gullies several meters deep. The scene was massive.

The rising dust and debris obscured everything.

"What a powerful skill..."

This was the first time Ash had seen a one-hit KO move. But what made him more curious was whether the round-faced Pikachu could take a hit like that...?

...

Soon, the dust settled.

The round-faced Pikachu was still squatting by the edge of a gully, lazily kicking its leg. The exaggerated, shattered mess beside it seemed to have nothing to do with it; there wasn't a single scratch on its body.

Seeing this, the "beast tamer" A.J. felt his heart go cold. His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees on the ground.

"I... lost again..."

The first time he was about to hit 100 wins, he was one-shotted by someone's Water Gun.

The second time he was about to hit 100 wins, he was completely ignored by an electric mouse.

His mentality had completely collapsed!