Elf: Starting as the Fighting Gym Master, and being entangled by Nancy.

Chapter 403 Intense: Czechrom vs. Martial Arts Bear Master!

Volcanoes are unable to fight.

Although everyone knew the outcome the moment they saw Reshiram.

However, they were still somewhat shocked.

The champion represents the strongest level of skill in a region, and is almost at the top of the human trainers.

But Alder's Volcarona was still beaten to this state by Li Xuan's Reshiram.

This caused everyone to gasp in surprise.

This kid is so terrifying.

[By the way, who is the Aderc Champion's ace Pokémon?]

[It used to be a fire moth, but now... it looks more like an afro-haired buffalo?]

[A water buffalo with an afro, what Pokémon is that?]

It's similar to Tauros in your Kanto region.

【this……】

Tauros from the Kanto region are actually quite strong.

However, it is not weak only in the Kanto region.

Compared to Pokémon from other regions, it is slightly inferior.

Many trainers from other regions were surprised to learn that Alder's current ace Pokémon would be an afro-haired buffalo.

What to say.

This was somewhat unexpected.

"Reshiram, go back and rest for a bit."

Li Xuan chose to take back Rahiram.

Then, they sent out the Abandoned Monkey, which possesses both Fighting and Ghost attributes.

"Forsaken Monkey, the Pokémon in my team are all a bit tricky..."

Adek gave a wry smile.

There is a brave eagle in my own team.

But their actual strength is just average.

Secondly, their level is slightly lower than that of the champion's main players.

In terms of attributes, it only has the Flying type, which is effective against the Fighting type, which is weak against Forsaken.

But here's the thing.

The Warriors Eagles are not strong at long range, so if they get into close combat with Li Xuan, the Abandoned Monkey will probably have the advantage.

Therefore, Adek dared not gamble.

The only option left is to go all out with the afro-haired buffalo.

"Old buddy, I'm counting on you!"

Buffalo was previously Alder's second strongest Pokémon, but now that Volcarona is gone, Buffalo has naturally become Alder's ace Pokémon.

Li Xuan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Pokémon that appeared before him, with brown fur all over its body and a head that looked like an afro.

Pokémon: Afro-Headed Buffalo

[Attribute: General]

【Level: 75】

【Characteristics: Herbivorous】

[Movement: Afro assault, others omitted.]

Level 75, the main level for most regional champions.

The further you progress, the harder it becomes to level up. Reaching level 80 means you've already stepped into the realm of legendary combat.

"The Abandoned Monkey, your opponent's strength should not be underestimated. Even if you have the advantage in strength, you must not let your guard down."

As a veteran champion, Adek had previously demonstrated strong fighting skills, so Li Xuan dared not be careless.

"Stop drinking." (Boss, I know, I'll be careful.)
The abandoned monkey clasped its hands together, its scarlet eyes reflecting the image of the afro-haired buffalo.

They looked at each other, both able to feel the unique energy between them...

"Moo!"

The afro-haired buffalo roared, its hooves stomping heavily on the ground, and two puffs of white vapor spewing from its nostrils.

"Oh! It's the Afro-haired Buffalo from the Ardec Champion! Back when the Ardec Champion was competing, this Afro-haired Buffalo was definitely a key Pokémon! If I'm not mistaken, Gym Leader Li Xuan's Forsaken should have only recently reached the Champion level."

The forum moderator, Yi, is also a veteran commentator. He can tell the approximate level of both sides' Pokémon just by looking at them.

However, Li Xuan's Abandoned Monkey has a significant advantage in terms of attributes.

At least from the perspective of the forum moderator, Yi, who has been commentating on Pokémon battles for many years, the outcome of this battle is actually quite unpredictable.

In other words, we'll see whether the Afro-Headed Buffalo defeats the Abandoned Monkey with sheer strength, or whether the Abandoned Monkey successfully turns the tables by leveraging its attribute advantages.

The second battle is about to begin.

"Afro-haired Buffalo, unleash your Mind Hammer!"

Aldak started with an aggressive approach.

Visible pink ripples suddenly burst forth between the horns of the afro-haired buffalo!

The moment it pawed at the ground with its forelegs, the entire battlefield trembled, and its superpower field crushed all the rubble along the way into dust!

"It's here! This is the Buffalo with its explosive head charging attack! Its power is something that many Pokémon wouldn't dare to directly confront. What tactics will Gym Leader Li Xuan use to deal with it? Let's wait and see!"

The forum moderator, B, stirred up the audience's emotions.

Everyone was very curious about how Li Xuan would defend against the explosive-haired buffalo's mental hammer attack!
"Abandoned Monkey, stop them!"

Li Xuan's decision to stand his ground caused Adek to frown slightly.

What is this guy thinking?
The Abandoned Monkey's strength shouldn't be that great yet, how could it dare to ignore the Afro-Headed Water Buffalo's mental hammer?
The difference between the two sides was only a small segment. Although the damage caused by the frizzy-haired buffalo was considerable, the abandoned monkey was also a champion-level fighter and would not be defeated by this move.

Moreover, the Abandoned Monkey has mastered a move that, if used properly, can successfully turn the tide of battle. If the Buffalo Town with the Afro hits the Abandoned Monkey, the balance of power in this battle will have already tilted in his favor.

At this moment, Adek also realized that something was wrong.

Li Xuan, so confident and fearless, ordered his afro-haired water buffalo to launch a fierce attack on the abandoned monkey.

This means the opponent has definitely found an opportunity to counterattack.

Adek didn't dare gamble, so he chose...

"Afro-haired Buffalo, stop! Use Cotton Defense!"

Adek got greedy.

The afro-haired buffalo suddenly stopped, its superpower glow about to be replaced by a surge of grass-type energy...

"Abandoned Monkey, don't let it succeed! Cross Slash!"

Every time Li Xuan commands the Abandoned Monkey, he likes to shout out a cross-shaped slash, regardless of whether it works or not, just slash it out first.

"Abandon the world!" (Understood!)
The powerful aura unique to Fighting-type Pokémon emanated from Forsaken.

The afro-haired buffalo paused.

The moment the downy fur on its body began to shimmer with a cotton-like white light, the Abandoned Monkey's deadly attack arrived!
This cross-shaped slash was faster than usual, hitting the buffalo's nose with pinpoint accuracy.

Click!

The heavy body of the afro-haired buffalo was sent flying backward by the Abandoned Monkey's attack, its four hooves leaving the ground.

Hit the mark!

"Unexpectedly, the Abandoned Monkey actually hit the Afro-Headed Buffalo's vital point. Now the Afro-Headed Buffalo is in trouble! I wonder if Champion Adek has any countermeasures, otherwise the pace of this battle will really be pulled into Li Xuan's rhythm!"

The forum moderator, number two, was still talking, recounting the details of the battle at length.

[Hitting a vital point right from the start? When did Master Li Xuan get this kind of luck?]

Is it possible that if you use up all your luck on something like this right from the start, you might run out of luck later?

I still choose to believe in Master Li Xuan. If it were Master Li Xuan, they shouldn't have lost a match, right?

[You guys are being ridiculous. Even if the Forsaken Monkey can't fight, there's still Reshiram. Do you really think the Afro-haired Buffalo can defeat Reshiram? Just getting past the Forsaken Monkey is already a stretch, okay?]

After this long string of comments was posted, many netizens in the Unova region chose to mute themselves and remain silent.

It really is so.

Even if the afro-haired buffalo barely manages to defeat the Forsaken Monkey, what will happen to Reshiram afterward?
If they can defeat the Volcano Moth so easily, taking down an Afro-haired Buffalo would be no problem at all.

[Alright, alright, let's continue watching the matches.]

The battle continued. The afro-haired buffalo was sent flying into the air by the abandoned monkey's cross slash, which made Li Xuan raise an eyebrow.

The Abandoned Monkey's cross slash is clearly aimed downwards and backwards; it doesn't have the ability to launch the opponent into the air.

The afro-haired buffalo, on the other hand, seemed to "take off," giving the impression of moving with incredible speed...

and many more!

Li Xuan sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "Abandoned Monkey, attack with sharp stones!"

"Abandon the drink!"

The abandoned monkey didn't understand why its trainer was suddenly giving such a command, but it still gathered rock energy and continuously launched countless sharp rocks!

shhhhhh!
The sharp stones whistled out, each one tearing through the air, the combined sound making one's teeth grind slightly.

But they can do whatever they want.

The afro-haired buffalo turned its head downwards, and its afro became even more fluffy, looking as soft as cotton.

Cotton defense!

The sharp stone pierced the head of the afro-haired buffalo, seemingly hitting the target completely, but it was merely a hit.

It did not fundamentally damage the problem.

The defense of the Buffalo with the frizzy hair has been greatly increased!

Well done! Ardek champions, at least don't get shut out!

[That works! If we use Cotton Defense again, Gym Leader Li Xuan's Abandoned Monkey won't be able to work against the Afro-Headed Buffalo!]

The Afro-Headed Buffalo was already stronger than the Forsaken Monkey. If it were to be used again, the Forsaken Monkey would really have to be replaced by Reshiram.

The two sides went back and forth, and in the end, it was actually the abandoned monkey who suffered the most during these few rounds.

"This is getting a bit complicated..."

Li Xuan frowned slightly. The Abandoned Monkey had only managed to hit the Afro-Headed Buffalo once, but the Afro-Headed Buffalo's defense had been successfully enhanced, making the Abandoned Monkey's strength seem somewhat weak. "Afro-Headed Buffalo, Earthquake!"

This time, Alder didn't let the Buffalo with its Afro engage in close combat with the Forsaken. Instead, he chose to use a move like Earthquake for a ranged attack.

Rumble!
The buffalo with its explosive hair stomped heavily on the ground, sending seismic waves outwards.

"Hold."

Li Xuan frowned, but did not take the hit head-on.

The abandoned monkey raised its hands to block, forming a protective barrier that isolated the seismic waves.

Is Li Xuan at a disadvantage?

[Don't open the champagne halfway through; Li Xuan might be holding back something big.]

The number of comments in the live stream decreased as everyone focused intently on the battle between the two sides.

In this back-and-forth battle, it seems that the Abandoned Monkey is at a disadvantage.

"Afro-haired buffalo, use Earthquake again!"

Adek continued his relentless attack.

The buffalo with its explosive hair stomped its hooves on the ground, and the ground energy was transformed into an earthquake shockwave that rippled outwards!

This time, Li Xuan came up with a solution.

"The Forsaken Monkey, Acrobatics!"

Li Xuan unleashed an unexpected move.

acrobatics!

Upon hearing this, the abandoned monkey moved with surprising agility.

Enveloped in azure-blue flight energy, the Abandoned Monkey flew at low altitude, avoiding the interference of seismic waves, and instantly approached the Afro-haired Water Buffalo!

"Idea hammer!"

The buffalo with its afro radiated a super-powerful glow from its head, but it was quickly and abruptly stopped...

Wow!
Amidst the applause, the afro-haired buffalo discovered that his superpowers were unusable, replaced by ground energy.

earthquake!

However, this is forced out, which is completely different from using it voluntarily, and they are not the same effect.

"Cross chop!"

The Abandoned Monkey acted before the Afro-Headed Water Buffalo, and brownish-red energy emanated from its arms!

Boom boom! ! !

The cross-shaped slash hit the afro-haired buffalo once again, but this time it missed a vital spot, and its power was somewhat unsatisfactory.

"Moo!"

Although the power was not high, the afro-haired buffalo still cried out in pain, and the earthquake attack was forced to dissipate.

"One more time? Master Li Xuan really likes to use this trick..."

Adek scratched his head. He had heard from others that Li Xuan liked to use the "do it again" trick.

I never expected that they'd use "one more time" in a situation like this!

This was a miscalculation on their part.

Adek rubbed his temples; the battle had descended into chaos once more.

Defense is improved, but the Buffalo with the Afro is forced to use the Earthquake move.

During this period, the abandoned monkey was able to do so many things.

"resentment!"

Li Xuan's playing style has also become "dirty".

Adding fuel to the fire of resentment, all Li Xuan needs to do is stall!

If you drag it out, you'll deplete your "PP value".

The abandoned monkey's hair flared wildly, and ghostly energy burst outwards, surging into the body of the afro-haired buffalo.

"Moo..."

The afro-haired buffalo used "Earthquake" much more slowly, and was already panting heavily just as it was about to unleash it.

Aldak: "???"

Wait, what's going on?!

Adek felt something was off.

He only used two moves, how did the afro-haired buffalo turn into this?!

"Use it again, and you'll feel resentment."

While the effects of "One More Time" were still in effect, Li Xuan gave the order, and the Abandoned Monkey used the Resentment Technique once more.

"Abandon the drink!"

The Abandoned Monkey roared, and countless ghostly energies transformed into phosphorescent flames that flowed into the body of the afro-haired water buffalo.

And the afro-haired buffalo can no longer unleash an earthquake!
The buffalo with its afro struggled!
What kind of move is struggling?
Struggling cannot be considered a technique, but rather a way to consume one's own physical strength to launch an attack without any attribute.

It's a move that all Pokémon know, but its power is rather underwhelming.

"Abandoned Monkey, stop it!"

This time, facing the maddened, charged water buffalo with its explosive hair, Li Xuan chose to have the Abandoned Monkey take the brunt of the attack.

"Moo!"

The afro-haired buffalo charged wildly, crashing headfirst into the solid arms of the abandoned monkey.

"Give up!" (Is that all the strength you have? Your defense is useless!)
The Abandoned Monkey grinned, its fighting energy erupting from its body. Embracing this terrifying energy, it charged towards the afro-haired buffalo!

Close combat!
The buffalo with its frizzy hair could no longer bear the strain; its forelegs buckled on the ground, and most of its strength had dissipated.

The struggles I just made have exhausted me, and considering the injuries I just sustained, my stamina is nearing an unhealthy level.

"Master Li Xuan, your tactics are truly versatile. No matter what the tactic is, you can control it very well."

Adek sighed.

It must be admitted that Li Xuan's combination of "one more time" and "resentment" caught him completely off guard.

"It seems the scales of victory have tipped in Li Xuan's favor. I wonder if Champion Adek still has a fighting chance?"

The forum moderator looked at Adek, still wondering if there was a chance for a comeback.

The result was cruel.

The afro-haired buffalo was beyond saving; it was defeated by the abandoned monkey in a close-quarters battle.

"The Buffalo with the frizzy hair is unable to battle. Since all of Adeker's Pokémon are unable to battle, the winner is Li Xuan."

The referee raised his flag, and Li Xuan's large image appeared on the screen.

[Master Li Xuan is already capable of defeating regional champions... How about Master Li Xuan establishes his own league?]

[Don't test the Kanto League. This kind of talented trainer has a very scholarly spirit. If you keep testing them, they might actually defect to another region.]

There are quite a few netizens who are stirring up trouble.

However, anyone with eyes can tell that this is a joke.

After defeating Adek, Li Xuan's live stream was flooded with gifts.

There is no governor, but there are dozens more captains and admirals.

Ultimately, it's because this battle was too obscure.

In the strongest trainer competition, most people just glance at it and then quit.

Only a minority persevered.

After doing all that, Li Xuan took his Pokémon to get treatment.

……

……

Liberty Garden Island, Pokémon Center.

"Hahahaha! Master Li Xuan, I didn't expect your strength to have improved to this level. In terms of aces alone, I am no match for you anymore."

Alder and Li Xuan arrived at the Pokémon Center, where they were unusually cheerful and didn't seem to care about their defeat.

"No, it was just luck. If you, Champion Ardek, knew my tactics, then even if I won this fight, I could only win using Reshiram."

Li Xuan shook his head.

Just now, when the Buffalo with the frizzy hair used its cotton defense, the Abandoned Monkey almost retired on the spot.

If it weren't for the resentment that "forced" it to use its struggling moves, the one who would have lost the match would probably have been the abandoned monkey.

The massive increase in defense is still too overpowered. Even a Pokémon like Forsaken, known for its offensive capabilities, can only look on in awe when faced with this Pokémon.

"Even so, you still won in the end, didn't you?"

"Not to mention, whether it's the process or the result, I can't find any fault with your command in the battle, Master Li Xuan."

"Given time, it will probably be within the next two years before you reach that level."

Adek can see very far.

Li Xuan simply smiled and remained silent.

……

……

The second half has begun.

N vs. Masde.

"To be recognized by a first-level god at such a young age, lad, you're quite talented. So, how about it, any plans to come to Armor Isle as an apprentice?"

Mastedt smiled and seemed to be trying to recruit them.

N:?
"Forget it, Mr. Mastad, my mind is made up. There's no need to try to recruit me."

N shook his head, and Czechrom arrived on the field.

"Alright, then I guess I'll have to send it out."

Ma Shide feigned regret, but his eyes instantly turned sharp.

"Martial Arts Bear Master, I choose you!"

(End of this chapter)