Elf: Re-employment of retired champion of Padiya

Chapter 854 Shinji's Resolve, Luo Mu's Gift

After a while.

As the flames and smoke from the explosion dissipated, the figure of Pogaman, who had been hit, was revealed.

— Its body was charred black, and it was covered in mosquito coil-like eyes. It lay unconscious in a small pit.

"Bogarman, cheer up!!"

Xiao Guang exclaimed in surprise and quickly went over to pick up Bogaman to check on its condition.

"It seems the meteor shower has gone out of control. This usually happens when the execution of a move is not very successful."

Cynthia's words pinpointed the problem with Gible's "Meteor Shower".

At the same time, she took out a bottle of wound spray from her pocket, squatted down and lent it to Xiaoguang.

"It's more like a single meteor than a meteor shower."

"Besides, why would the trajectory be so erratic? Even with poor accuracy, it shouldn't have veered off course so drastically."

Shinji also chimed in, expressing his bewilderment at why Bogarman, who was outside the arena, was the one to suffer.

outrageous.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Shinji froze instantly.

No, why did I suddenly start complaining so naturally?!
Compared to the chattering group, Luo Mu's expression changed from initial inquiry to relief.

Yes, that solves the case completely.

If Luo Mu had only considered these possibilities when Gible was chasing Ash before, he could now be almost 100% certain.

Although it's unclear why this Gible appeared in Aspen Town through "spacetime distortion," judging from the performance of what was described as a meteor shower but was actually a Pogaman missile, it's quite remarkable.

It was definitely the Gible that Ash would only encounter and catch later in his Sinnoh journey, but would soon be forced to stay at Professor Oak's lab to retire, and he never even got to evolve it!
the other side.

Ash and Pikachu didn't miss this opportunity either.

Just as Gible was briefly fatigued from releasing its meteor shower, Pikachu, engrossed in its performance, paused, then instantly transformed into a streak of white light and shot out. Its lightning-shaped tail, now coated with a metallic sheen, tore through the air and lashed out at the unresponsive Gible.

This time, Gible couldn't stand up again. While it was dizzy and disoriented, Ash threw a red and white Poké Ball with an amazing accuracy that Nemo would envy, hitting Gible right between the eyebrows and catching it in the ball!

The Poké Ball shook three times in place, and finally, accompanied by the rise of three illusory stars, a "ding-dong" sound indicating successful capture rang out.

Gible, successfully caught!
"Great!"

Ash excitedly ran over, picked up the Poké Ball, and celebrated with Pikachu.

Shinji's lips twitched at the sight.

This guy's luck is just amazing.

The Tyranitar from the Rainbow Tournament is one thing, since Ash never actually caught it.

But he personally witnessed the Gible charging headfirst into Ash as if it were a free kill.

His only MetalGreymon was entrusted to him by Mr. Steven, so how come Ash can find the same thing anywhere?
Shinji increasingly felt that the things he had thought about when he was obsessing over trivial matters were unreliable.

Seeing that Ash had successfully caught Gible, Luo Mu's lips curled up slightly.

This kind of development is quite good.

Although Ash only recently obtained his second badge, his team is already full.

However, catching Gible ahead of time also means that this Gible will most likely evolve into its final form, Garchomp, before the League Tournament.

After all, while Garchomp's evolution speed isn't as fast as Metagross's, it's not much slower.

However, he was happy not because Ash caught Gible, but because he was glad that Ash hadn't used Thunderbolt on Gible in front of Cynthia.

Otherwise, I would really lose face in the Sinnoh region.

Fortunately, he didn't suffer a complete loss of reputation.

The first thing to do after catching Gible is, of course, to release it from its Poké Ball.

Ash excitedly raised the Poké Ball and shouted, "Come out, Gible!"

A flash of red light, and Gible reappeared on the open ground.

It shook its head, seemingly trying to shake off the discomfort from being whipped by the iron tail.

Next, Ash thought Gible would become friendly with him, but after Gible locked its gaze back onto Ash, its short legs kicked without hesitation, and it leaped again—

"Quah!"

Caught off guard, Ash let out a strange cry as Gible once again accurately bit his head.

For some reason, the Gible seemed to bite harder this time, and Ash cried out in pain, clutching his head and collapsing to the ground, rolling around in agony.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped up and down anxiously.

"Gible, let go! We're friends now!" Ash shouted as he rolled around, trying to get Gible off his head, but Gible's four little claws clung tightly to his head and wouldn't let go.

Xiao Gang and Xiao Guang also gathered around, looking somewhat at a loss.

"Strange, it's already been captured, so why is it still biting Ash?" Dawn was puzzled, completely unable to understand the logic behind the Gible's actions.

Simultaneously.

Ash, having gradually adjusted to the pain, sat up again, Gible on his head, his face full of confusion and grievance: "Yeah, why is this happening?"

Unbeknownst to them, Luo Mu, standing a short distance away, had a slight glint in his eyes.

Although the reason could be roughly seen from the Gible's behavior, he still quietly focused his mind, and a barely perceptible ripple spread out, then gently touched the Gible.

Unlike the effect on Darkrai, who had a strong psychological defense, Luo Mu encountered almost no obstacles, and a mix of resentment and frustration was clearly transmitted back to him.

It's pretty much the same as what I observed.

Upon realizing this, Luo Mu immediately understood and said, "It might be feeling a little lost right now."

"Lost?"

Xiao Zhi and the others all looked at Luo Mu.

Zhu Lan crossed her arms and nodded slightly, continuing the conversation: "I'm afraid it's because of the meteor shower just now; that move was clearly out of control."

"It could be due to insufficient strength or unfamiliarity with the moves, but in any case, most Pokémon will feel frustrated to some extent in these situations."

"So that's it!"

Xiao Gang and Xiao Guang stared wide-eyed, then suddenly realized what was going on.

Hearing this, Ash quickly reassured Gible, "It's okay, Gible! That was just an accident, you'll definitely succeed next time!"

"Pikachu!" (Yeah, yeah, just try again!)
Pikachu chimed in to help, urging Gible not to be discouraged and to try again.

Upon hearing this, Gible finally released Ash's head and jumped back to the ground.

Feeling the encouraging gazes around him, Gible clenched his little fists, seemingly rekindling his fighting spirit.

"Shark!"

The Gible opened its mouth again, and orange light began to gather.

"Po...Poga?!"

Piplup, still feeling dizzy, had just opened his eyes when he saw that familiar, ominous orange light gathering again in Gible's mouth.

Bogaman was startled, instinctively thinking he was about to be in trouble again.

—Its intuition was correct.

As the Gible suddenly launched the ball of light into the sky.

The ball of light wobbled as it rose into the air, and then, once again, in a bizarre and completely illogical arc, it precisely plummeted towards Piplup, who was trying to hide behind Hikari!

The meteor even dodged Pikachu's "Iron Tail" that it tried to block with its movement, and fell straight towards Piplup as if it had locked onto it.

"Poga—!!!"

Amidst the desperate cries of Bogarman as he frantically darts left and right, the skewed energy blast once again struck him precisely.

“Poga.”

Bogarman, the tiny penguin, swayed, emitting black smoke, and then fell straight down again.

Because the Gibles had just gone through a battle, this time the power of the meteor "swarm" wasn't as high as it had been before.

But even if the damage isn't high, to Piplup, what difference is there between this and a provocation?

Piplup got up in a huff and charged at Gible with a furious expression. Although he couldn't understand what it was saying "Popapoa," he was sure it was hurling some very offensive insults.

In response to Piplup's "output," Gible's reaction was to once again assemble a "meteor shower" to prove itself.

But this time, the meteor shower once again struck Bogarman, who had run far away without hesitation.

This time, Bogarman was completely out of options. He sat on the spot where he had been bombed, completely turning into gray and white.

It suspects the giblets did it on purpose!
Everyone: "..."

A deathly silence fell over the courtyard. Everyone wore strange expressions as they looked at the Gible, whose eyes held a determined glint as if it wanted to join the League and who didn't seem to have any ill intentions.

Ash's Gible seems to be quite peculiar.

That night.

Ash and the others went to choose their favorite rooms, since Dawn had to prepare for the Grand Contest to be held at the Tower of Time in a few days.

Zhu Lan seemed to be organizing some documents in her room. Luo Mu didn't disturb her, and he didn't have the time at the moment.

—Because Shinji asked him out, saying he wanted to talk to him about something.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly through the spacious backyard of Zhu Lan's villa.

The daytime hustle and bustle has faded away, leaving only the low chirping of unknown wild bird and insect Pokémon.

Luo Mu and Shinji stood side by side in the courtyard, with the little Flame Monkey quietly at Shinji's feet, its big eyes shining brightly in the moonlight.

In the distance, the outline of the Tower of Time and Space appeared even more tranquil and solemn under the cool moonlight, as if the fierce battle that had just taken place had never happened.

After a brief silence, Shinji took a deep breath, the cool night air making his mind even clearer.

Or rather, he has changed a lot since he was lost and confused when he couldn't find his way.

His gaze casually swept over the little fire monkey at his feet before he spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the quiet night:

"Teacher, I've been thinking a lot about Chimchar lately."

"Yes, go ahead." Luo Mu nodded gently, acting as a listener.

Upon hearing this, Shinji's gaze returned to what was ahead, his tone carrying a subtle hint of heaviness.

"I did waver."

Shinji admitted that saying that word carried a hint of difficulty and bitterness.

"Before I captured Chimchar, I witnessed firsthand the power it unleashed in dire circumstances."

"Fiery and powerful, dazzling to the extreme, it fulfills all my fantasies about Pokémon with potential."

"The moment I subdued it, I thought with great ambition that I would definitely be able to help it draw out that power and lead it to the peak."

At this moment, Shinji's tone gradually took on a hint of confusion and frustration.

"But I tried every method I could think of, except to recreate the scene at that time."

"If I hadn't met you, and hadn't witnessed my brother's crushing defeat in the Battle Frontier, I might have been able to harden my heart, but I can't do it now."

"Perhaps that's why, when Chimchar was next to me, the flame seemed to be completely asleep."

"On the contrary, it was when I borrowed your Victini's power, and the time it temporarily partnered with Ash to protect me."

Shinji lowered his eyelids and his voice became softer.

Chimchar seemed to sense the trainer's low spirits, shifting restlessly and looking up at Shinji's profile.

It inexplicably sensed that Shinji's words at this moment would determine its future.

The little fire monkey was a little uneasy.

Shinji continued narrating.

"At that moment, I even thought that perhaps for it, a trainer like me, who couldn't even ignite its fighting spirit, was a constraint in itself."

"Would it be truly best for it to be handed over to someone who is better at stimulating its emotions?"

The moment Shinji finished speaking, a gentle night breeze swept by, causing the flames on Little Flame Monkey's bottom to sway slightly.

Shinji paused for a long time, seemingly gathering his courage again.

“But after everything that happened today, I thought about it for a long time on my own.” He spoke again, his voice now more composed. “I suddenly realized that the idea of ​​‘entrusting’ something, while seemingly for its own good, is essentially a form of escapism.”

Shinji raised his head, his eyes no longer confused, and he regained his original composure.

"That's tantamount to defeating without a fight. I admit I can't do it, I admit I've completely lost to Ash when it comes to 'properly guiding Chimchar'."

"More importantly, it is a betrayal—a betrayal of its choice to trust me, follow me, and even instinctively want to protect me when I am attacked."

At this point, Shinji's gaze unconsciously fell once again on the little fire monkey at his feet.

The little Chimchar was also watching him intently, its big, watery eyes reflecting Shinji's image. It seemed to be trying hard to understand the meaning behind its trainer's words.

Shinji's tone became clear and forceful at that moment.

"This is just my personality; I'm not used to, nor am I good at, using my intense emotions to influence Pokémon."

"My battle style has always been based on calm analysis, rigorous planning and execution, using excellent results to control the battle and using my own tactics to guide Pokémon to victory."

"I must have been wrong before. I was wrong to think that only when Chimchar's emotions reached their peak and started to boil could that special fire be activated."

"But now I believe that calm command and systematic training may not necessarily fail to help it truly master that power."

"It doesn't require any external influence; it's about completely taking control of that power."

"The key to this problem is whether I truly understand it and whether I have found the path to combine my approach with its unique features."

Shinji looked at Luo Mu, and his usually calm and emotionless triangular eyes seemed to ignite with flames.

"So, teacher, I don't want to give up."

"I will not entrust it to anyone."

"I will continue on my own path, even if it means losing the game in the arena I dream of playing."

"No matter how much time and effort it takes."

"I will keep going until the day when the little fire monkey can truly control its own flame through its own will."

"This is my responsibility as its trainer, and it's also my response to the trust I placed in it."

Luo Mu listened quietly to the student's heartfelt confession, his gaze lingering between Shinji and Chimchar for a long time.

He saw the little fire monkey excitedly hug Shinji after he finished speaking.

I also saw the faint smile on Shinji's face as he held up the little Chimchar's bottom.

Luo Mu smiled with relief, nodded, and said in a steady tone, "Yes, it's good that you've figured it out."

He thought that perhaps this wasn't so bad.

The Shinji in front of me is no longer the Shinji from the anime who "rejects Pokémon that are not 6IV".

Just as Shinji said, he has already embarked on a completely different path due to my intervention, and his mentality is no longer as extreme as in the original story.

It's like Ash meeting Gible ahead of time.

Unlike Shinji in the original work, he will also develop Chimchar's potential abilities in his own way and in completely different ways.

No one can be sure whether Shinji's chosen path will be successful, including Luo Mu.

However, Luo Mu believes that as a teacher, he must support students who have made a decision.

He turned to look at the Calycanthus, which was quietly listening nearby, and nodded gently to it.

The Crowned King immediately understood. In its shadow, the Spirit Horse and a red, yet mysteriously heat-free, rock appeared together.

Luo Mu walked over lightly, picked up the rock, and returned to Shinji.

Seeing Shinji's seemingly puzzled expression, he smiled and instructed, "Take this rock and go meet up with Shizuka first."

"Then the two of you go together to Mount Harshness, and take this rock out of the crater there to summon a Heatran."

“Sidorlann—”

"Isn't that it!?"

Shinji's eyes widened slightly. He remembered that it was the name of the legendary Pokémon that Shizuka had been searching for with the help of the Nurse Joy family in the Sinnoh region.
As expected of Teacher Luo Mu, he found the other party even faster than the entire Joey family!
Luo Mu had no idea what Shinji was thinking. Just when Shinji thought Luo Mu wanted him to run the errand, Luo Mu spoke again.

"That Heatran is quite strong."

As Luo Mu said this, he thought to himself, after all, that Heatran was capable of defeating the Island King who possessed the power of the stone tablet all by himself.

After so many years, according to the legendary law that Pokémon get stronger with age, it will definitely become even stronger.

"I have arrangements for Shizuka, the key is you."

"Me?" Shinji held the little fire monkey, a hint of doubt appearing in his eyes.

Do you still have your own things to do?

Luo Mu nodded, then changed the subject.

“Sidoran is a legendary elf who can control magma and lava.”

"Once it appears, tell it that I said so, and ask it to help you and the little fire monkey with special training."

"I suppose it won't refuse."

(End of this chapter)