Chapter 7: A Hard-Shelled Battle!

With the forced function of the Pokedex finally lost, the Caterpie successfully evolved.

As the light faded, it transformed into a green, banana-shaped Pokemon with an even more vacant expression. In any case, it was a far cry from the majestic aura of the Rayquaza depicted on the screen.

"Metapod, nickname: Rayquaza. The Shell Pokemon. Its body becomes harder when stimulated. It is the favorite snack of Pidgeot; crunchy and delicious," the Pokedex announced automatically.

Helpless, Ash could only slowly pick up the immobile Metapod. It was surprisingly heavy; even with his strong arms, it was a bit of a strain. If he couldn't beat someone in the future, throwing this Pokemon at them would be a great strategy.

"Metapod, let's stop thinking about Rayquaza, but a bright future is still in our hands!" Ash sighed, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Metapod!" the freshly evolved Metapod responded with tears in its own eyes.

Misty: "..."

How did this scene look so bizarre?

...

"By the way, which jerk pried off my 'B' button?" Ash glanced at the Pokedex. The marks were clean, without any excess scratches; it was clearly the work of a seasoned pro.

Looking closer, he noticed a line of small text written beneath the hollowed-out B button: "Be a decent person."

Seeing this, Ash was instantly enraged. The day he found out who the culprit was, he would make sure to smash them in the face with his Metapod.

Red: "..."

...

The two packed their bags and continued toward Pewter City. Although Viridian Forest was a paradise for Bug-type Pokemon, a full day had passed and they had seen nothing but Caterpie and Weedle. Even with Ash's hyperactive temperament, he couldn't help but feel a sense of aesthetic fatigue.

They pushed forward.

As they walked, Ash suddenly noticed a figure charging toward them.

*Whoosh!*

A sharp blade swung down vertically toward his head, incredibly fierce. It was a sharp sword!

*Clang!*

Ash instinctively raised his arm to block, and when the blade made contact, it shattered into two pieces.

"Damn it, such powerful strength!" The figure scrambled back, clutching the broken blade, his expression one of shock.

Ash: "???"

What the heck? Wearing plastic toy swords to play samurai?

Looking closer, he saw the figure was wearing blood-red armor and a menacing helmet.

"Greetings, I am Samurai Jack, currently undergoing the strong and resilient training of a samurai!"

Ash frowned and replied, "No, you're Bug Catcher Jack."

Wearing two plastic helmets to play samurai—could you at least cover your tank top and shorts?

Jack: "..."

...

"In any case, I am searching for trainers from Pallet Town. You're from Pallet Town, aren't you? Have a battle with me!" the samurai boy Jack shouted sharply.

"Alright, Bug Catcher, then I, the super rookie from Pallet Town, accept your challenge!" Ash immediately raised his Poke Ball with fiery enthusiasm.

"I am Samurai Jack!" Jack roared in anger, throwing his Poke Ball first.

Red light flashed, and a grayish-brown bug appeared. It had a muscular yet lean physique, two hard, sharp horns on its head, and a ferocious expression.

"Pinsir, not the common Bug-type Pokemon. It has great strength, but the meat is tough and not very tasty," the Pokedex announced automatically.

Jack: "?"

Why were the Pokedex and the trainer both so sarcastic!?

...

"In that case, I choose you, Pikachu!" Ash sent out his top-three yellow general.

"Pika..." Pikachu, however, had somehow already set up a pillow, quilt, and mattress set behind everyone, decorated with a small lightning bolt symbol.

"Zzz..."

It had actually started making its bed on the spot and was sleeping soundly, even emitting small snores.

Ash: "..."

Pikachu used Slack Off.

"In that case, I choose you, Pidgeotto!" Ash, undeterred, sent out his top-three bird general.

"A good choice, Ash. Pidgeotto's Flying type perfectly counters Pinsir's Bug type," Misty couldn't help but praise.

"Oh, it's countered? Then come back, Pidgeotto," Ash said, recalling his Pokemon.

Misty: "?"

Did I memorize the type-chart wrong? Or is this boy hard of hearing?

Next, Ash sent out his other top-three dragon general.

"Metapod? Isn't this Pokemon just a target?" Jack sneered, ordering, "Go, use Vice Grip!"

"Pinsir!"

Pinsir lunged like a wild bull, kicking up dust along the way. Lowering its head, it caught the Metapod directly between its giant pincers and began to exert force, trying to snap it in half.

"Don't lose to it, use Harden!" Ash commanded.

Metapod’s gaze sharpened, a metallic sheen flickered, and a blue light signifying defense ignited. It became hard.

*Crack...*

Under the immense pressure, the spikes on Pinsir's giant horns actually developed several cracks against the hard shell.

"Damn it, come back, Pinsir!" Jack quickly recalled his Pokemon.

Those horns were a work of art; if they broke, their value would drop significantly. He had no choice but to send out his second Pokemon.

A green, banana-shaped... yes, it was another Metapod!

"In that case, Metapod, we use Harden too!" Jack said confidently.

When it came to hardness, he wouldn't lose to anyone!

A metallic sheen lit up on its body as well, and it looked even more silver and shiny than Ash's Metapod.

Ash didn't back down, shouting, "Damn it, we use Harden too!"

"Then we'll keep using Harden!"

"Then we'll be harder than it!"

"Harden!"

"Harden!"

Misty: "???"

Why did these lines sound so subtle? In her ears, she seemed to hear the roars of Incineroar and Lycanroc.

...

The battle lasted for over an hour. By now, both Metapods were glowing with a golden light, clearly having pushed their hardness to the limit.

"Damn it, have I reached my limit?" Jack groaned, panting heavily.

"Damn it, am I unable to get any harder!" Ash frowned deeply, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"Then use Tackle!" Jack suddenly launched a surprise attack.

Hardened, it began to charge—this followed the laws of nature. The Metapod was covered in golden light, transforming into a sprinting golden tank, slamming its head hard into Ash's Metapod.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew, and a metallic blast echoed through Viridian Forest.

HP - 0.

*Clang!*

Ash's Metapod didn't show weakness; it also transformed into a golden tank and rammed back. A terrifying metallic boom resonated through the air again.

HP - 0.

"Tackle!"

"Then we use Tackle too!"

Misty: "?"

What’s more torturous than watching hard shells for an hour is the thought that they might spend the next hour just watching them tackle each other!? What did I do wrong to deserve this hell?!

...

Soon, they reached the 10th round of Tackles.

Both Metapods' HP remained in a state that wasn't peak, but was still considered full.

Jack gasped for air, his gaze finally shifting as he couldn't help but exclaim: "So strong... as expected of a trainer from Pallet Town, everyone is so powerful..."

"Huff, huff, have you met other trainers from Pallet Town?" Ash asked, hands on his hips, breathing hard.

"Yes, I've met three people: trainers with a Squirtle, a Bulbasaur, and a Charmander. Especially the trainer with the Squirtle—they were ridiculously strong."

"Squirtle? Is it Gary, that guy?" Ash remembered back in childhood, his best friend Gary had once said that when he turned 10 and started his journey, he wanted to pick a Squirtle.

"Then who do you think is stronger, me or him?" Ash couldn't help but ask.

"You? Haha, you can't even beat me, and you're even worse than the girl with the Bulbasaur!"

"The girl with the Bulbasaur?"

Ash quickly recalled; when he and Gary played together as kids, there was always a little girl who wanted to join in, but he had ruthlessly rejected her every time. A man should naturally play with men—what was a girl doing there? That girl seemed to be named... Blue?

Red: "..."

That name sounded somewhat familiar...

...

"Hmph, then I can't lose to you here!" Ash suddenly spun his cap, a hot and bright light shining in his eyes.

He was the one who would become a Pokemon Master in the future; how could he be blocked at the very start by a small Bug Catcher?

"Metapod, use Electroweb!" he shouted.

A golden electric net spewed out, tightly binding the Metapod that was right in front of him and unable to move.

*Zzzzt!*

The next second, countless currents surged, directly electrocuting the Metapod into charcoal.

Hmph, so what if the defense was pushed to the limit? Electroweb was a special attack.

"Beep, Metapod is unable to battle, Rayquaza wins!" the Pokedex announced automatically.

Jack's eyes widened in disbelief, then he shook his head violently and accused, "That's not right! In the original generation, there's no distinction between special and physical attacks, so your Electroweb shouldn't have any effect!"

"Beep. The era has changed, adult. Electroweb Metapod isn't from the original generation," the Pokedex replied automatically.

Ash nodded. Although he didn't quite understand, the Pokedex seemed to have finally done him proud for once.

Jack: "..."