Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

The initial protection shielded the user from the first wave of attacks. Then, the Claydol activated Gravity, pinning the Tropius and Devourer to the ground. Following that, it unleashed a barrage of attacks with 100,000 horsepower and the Flame Wheel, finishing them off.

The last opponent in the doubles was quite interesting. The trainer named Hinata, who had many fans, sent out Charizard and Rockruff, while Ash's team sent out Torkoal and Sceptile in the Sunny Day mode.

The weather conditions for Coal Turtle are essentially favorable to the opposing team... Hyuga thinks so too.

As a result, his Cyndaquil had just activated its Flame Wheel when it was instantly defeated by Torkoal's Earth Power; the remaining Charizard only managed to breathe hot air before being crippled by Sceptile's Rock Slide.

Before he could react, Torkoal unleashed a cloud of smoke that enveloped the area. Sceptile, taking advantage of the darkness, leaped up and approached Charizard, grabbing its leg and slamming it to the ground. It then crashed into a sharp rock attack created by Torkoal, and was done for!

In low-level doubles matches, there was no protection, no blindfold coverage, no teamwork... and yet he was dubbed the 'Smiling Conductor' by fans.

"Indeed, it felt so easy. They were all over in just a few moves." After the three battles ended quickly, May couldn't help but sigh, "As expected, Ash is still too strong."

"It's because the opponents are too weak." Serena shook her head with a smile. "I don't mean to belittle them, but they can't even get Ash to go all out, let alone get him to take it seriously."

"Pretty much. There will definitely be some top players in this tournament, but the overall quality can't compare to the other tournaments I've participated in." Ash shrugged with little interest. "However, it's not just a problem with the players; it's that the overall level of battles in Hoenn has been improving slowly in recent years."

"The whole...", "Hoenn?"

Haruka and Rukia, the two Hoenn girls, couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.

"Blame Wen for all you want. They've been dragging their feet on cooperating with me because of their desire for a monopoly."

I wonder if anyone remembers that Ash's initial business was Pokémon games developed under Professor Oak's name and released through Silver's channels.

By referencing the Pokédex, many experiential aspects such as base stats, move sets, and Pokémon training are quantified, allowing a large group of players who have transitioned from trainers to train Pokémon more scientifically. Furthermore, with the guidance provided by the game's PVP mode, the overall battle level in the Greater Tokyo Area has been improved.

At that time, Lance even presented Professor Oak with a banner.

The first two generations of games sold very well, but when Ash officially went on a trip and was about to develop the third generation of games, Hoenn refused to cooperate.

Devon refused to open up commercial channels and even controlled the academic community of Hoenn, preventing Professor Birch from transferring the rights to use the Pokédex to Silver, which led to the complete shelving of the 'Pokémon Hoenn' project.

Following Ash's advice, Silph simply ignored Devon and went straight to developing Johto Remake and Sinnoh, along with various classic side series such as Ranger and Mysterious Dungeon.

Ash only got the right to use Hoenn's Pokédex after he helped Devon retrieve the parts from Sea Abyss 1, and then he asked Shilfow for it. But by then, Silph was already developing Pokémon Sun and Moon.

And so, the most classic Ruby and Sapphire version of the game could not be reproduced in this world. Even the Ruby and Sapphire remake seems to be scheduled after Sun and Moon... and this is without any other people contacting us for cooperation.

According to what I've learned, there's a lot of demand for a remake of Sinnoh, and it seems like a lot of people are waiting for Kalos to be released in XY. There's probably some official support behind this.

The regional leaders aren't fools; over the years, the Pokémon series of games has been tested countless times by the market.

It is not just a form of entertainment; it is also the most detailed personal guidance for trainers. It can even serve as a third training program outside of preparatory classes and trainer academies. Introducing it early is definitely beneficial.

The Hoenn region should have benefited from this advantage when Ash was ten years old, what a pity...

Chapter 929 Some People Need to Be Dealt With

Because the match ended very quickly, Ash had a lot more time to observe the battles of other players.

Ash is always meticulous in this regard and would never underestimate his opponents just because their overall level is low.

Whether it's gathering information or strategizing, Ash always gives his all in every battle.

And upon looking, he indeed saw a very special person.

For example, Tetsuya with his boots and meowing—his strength is indeed worthy of Ash's attention.

And then there's... Masamune.

This seemingly principled person, who always refers to himself as "I," was initially discovered by Yuuki.

Of course, Yuuki didn't understand why so many people cheered for Masamune with that kind of fighting style.

He had absolutely no strategy, just recklessly charging forward with sheer brute force, and his Pokémon would be covered in wounds after each battle.

As a result, this kind of person seems to have resonated with many people, prompting countless people to cheer him on.

"It's nothing, because he is Masamune."

"Huh?" Yuuki was completely confused by Ash's explanation, but Ash was unwilling to say more.

The reason it resonates with people is because Masamune is an anime character, and one who stands alongside the main characters and is defined as a formidable rival.

Therefore, his approach must be correct, since his appearance was intended to embody a style similar to Ash Ketchum's.

If he's wrong, doesn't that mean Ash's style during the Hoenn period was wrong?

If you don't believe me, try a different villain. He recklessly charges into the fray at the start, shouting encouragement to attack even when the Pokémon are already badly injured. If that were the case, the main characters would have stopped him outright and would never have cheered him on.

The fierce battle on the field continued, and Masamune's spirit was truly extraordinary. His Scorpion was like he had unlocked a cheat code, and after enduring countless fatal blows, he successfully eliminated the opponent's last remaining Mara Mara, dragging Masamune into the top 32.

After that, all the qualified players will have to wait for the computer to draw lots to determine their groups.

"Oh...interesting." Ash was slightly surprised when he saw his next opponent.

"Ash is going up against that Masamune?" Yuuki's eyes lit up. "Ash, you have to teach that guy a lesson and show him how to cherish Pokémon!"

"I'll only teach him how to battle," Ash said, shaking his head slightly. "As for how he should cherish his Pokémon, that's the League's job."

"League... what are you talking about?" Yuuki found Ash's words always hard to understand.

"I just happened to think of the first law I'd have after becoming the Hoenn Champion." Ash's gaze turned colder. "Some people really need to be taught a lesson."

...

The next day, the first match of the round of 32 began!

"The final tournament of the Rainbow Contest is about to begin! Thirty-two trainers will compete in an all-out battle format to determine the final qualifiers! The first opening match will be held in Grass Field, where Ash from Pallet Town (red team) will face off against Masamune from Verdanturf Town (green team)!"

The round of 32 has begun, and both Ash and his opponents are on high alert. Meanwhile, Masamune, who drew the first move, is constantly cheering himself and his teammates on.

"Go for it, Kirin! Even if our opponent is Ash, we absolutely have to give it our all! Show some spirit, we'll definitely win!!"

"Pokémon, you know what to do, right?" "Chakko~gu~"

Compared to the noise around Masamune's side, it was much quieter around Ash.

He had already studied Masamune's information last night. She was a cute-looking but ruthless woman, and he also knew how to deal with his opponent's Pokémon... in a relatively gentle way.

"Game start!"

"Kirin Qi, unleash your power and use Impact!!" Masamune, who attacked first, launched a basic basic attack at the top of his lungs.

"Ah." A transparent yawn bubble slowly floated out, and Qilin Qi, who was rushing forward, carelessly crashed into it... Then it fell headfirst in front of the little airplane, rolled its eyes, and fell fast asleep.

"Hey... Qilin Qi, get up! How can you sleep on the field? Get up and show some spirit!!"

"Intrigue, conspiracy, dream-eating." "Cheers~"

Masamune was trying to use Rejuvenation Roar, but Ash had already completed his buff at the right turn and then finished him off with a Psychic attack.

Losing the ability to fight while asleep may cause mental exhaustion, but at least you won't get injured.

"Kirinki... come back! It's your turn now, my imposing Growlithe, unleash your power and use Tackle!!"

"Yawn, conspiracy, dream eating."

It was a complete repeat of what happened earlier. Masamune shouted himself hoarse, but he still couldn't wake up Growlithe, whose eyes were already spinning in circles.

"I will never admit defeat! Swampert, show some guts and charge!!"

"Yawn...you know." Ash didn't want to give any more commands, so he simply let Togekine handle it on its own.

Another knockout, and the game went into halftime.

Across the entire arena, Satoshi could hear Masamune's so-called cheering.

At the start of the second half, Masamune sent out Steelix, which was quite durable, allowing Togekiss to use Dream Eater twice.

If he wanted to avoid yawning, he should have dug a hole immediately... but Ash was too lazy to complain.

Next up is Scorpio, who can also be defeated in one move.

Soon, Masamune had only one left.

"Go, Metal Monster! We absolutely cannot give up! The reason we fared so poorly in the previous battle was because we lacked courage!!!"

"Yawn..." Just as Masamune was shouting, Ash gave the command with a blank expression.

"Metal Monster, use your full psychic power!!"

"Mental interference".

Masamune even tried to use his superpowers to retaliate against Yawn Bubble, but Tokiku's superpowers were stronger, and he directly shoved Bubble onto his opponent's face.

Thanks to its excellent resistance to superpowers, Metal Monster managed to withstand three Dream Eater attacks, but still lost its fighting ability in its sleep.

Having fought his way up to this point, Masamune can now pack his things and go home.

"Why...why is this happening?!" Masamune suddenly roared in frustration. "I was looking forward to a fierce battle! That way, even if we lost, we wouldn't have any regrets. But now...what on earth is going on?!"

"Consider it me teaching you how to battle," Ash replied casually. "At the same time, it's also because I don't want your Pokémon to get too badly injured. When you went to the Pokémon Center to get your Pokémon healed, didn't Nurse Joy tell you not to always use this kind of fighting style?"

“Miss Joey…she simply doesn’t understand my spirit!!”

"If your so-called spirit is just about shouting more than giving commands in a battle, then I really can't understand it." Ash turned away indifferently. "Anyway, once I become the Hoenn League Champion, I'll have a way to deal with people like you."

Sacrificing oneself to attack or letting Pokémon take the damage are all tactics, and there's nothing wrong with using them.

The problem is, you can't keep doing this.

Using the scars on Pokémon to flaunt one's own prowess... As I said before, Masamune is the only true rival of the protagonist.

As for dealing with people like Masamune, Ash decided to implement a mandatory medical examination program within the League after defeating Hoenn.