Pokémon: Starting as a Farmer Instead of a Trainer

Chapter 137 The Final Battle: Ash vs. Darkrai (4000 words)

The battle intensified, with Ash and Paul's duel lasting for nearly half an hour without a winner, making it the longest battle in the entire Lily of the Valley Conference so far.

There were no dull moments throughout the entire series. Although Ash's actions were a bit questionable, such as his strange team composition, he still delivered a very exciting battle!

Finally, after a series of confusing maneuvers by Ash, Pikachu was defeated by Electivire, which activated its electric engine, leaving both sides with only one Pokémon remaining.

"It made me nervous just watching."

"Hmm..."

Naruto and Ponpo were both worried for Ash. This fight was too close to the limit. However, it was still clear that Ash was definitely much stronger than Paul. But the team composition was just wrong.

But we've already fought this far, so there's no point in saying anything more. The focus should be on the final, crucial battle.

The Rockets trio was also there. Their business had been booming lately, and they had almost sold out the entire estate's inventory. They had also been arranged to move around and sell their products in the stands.

Even enemies of so many years would desperately want the other to win at a time like this...

Finally, with a burst of flames shooting into the sky, even interrupting the entire signal, Infernape unleashed an astonishing burst of fire, and with a final, fierce attack of Flare Blitz, it successfully turned the tide and won!

"We finally won!"

At this moment, even Naruto couldn't help but stand up excitedly. This kind of all-out effort against a formidable rival showcased the growth of the Pokémon along the way, making people feel excited no matter when.

Looking down, Ash and Infernape were embracing tightly. As their rival, Shinji smiled with relief. Naruto couldn't help but take out his phone and use Rotom to capture the moment perfectly.

Looking at the photos on the screen, he nodded slightly and sighed, "This is what trainers are like... Even though they're working towards the same goal, some may eventually choose to give up and take a different path, but these memories will ultimately become a shared journey of growth alongside their Pokémon!"

"Mmm~"

Ponpo nodded, but for it, the best memories were of living with Mingyou and everyone else. This trip had shown it so many things that it had never seen before in Beishang Township.

If there's a chance in the future, it would like to go out and have fun with everyone... to see and experience more things that it hasn't experienced before.

"Don't worry, it definitely will!"

Mingyou turned her head, gazing at it tenderly, and gently stroked its head...

Soon, the quarterfinals finally came to an end, and the four winners will compete in the semifinals tomorrow. The group assignments for the players were also displayed on the big screen.

Perhaps due to the altered effects of the earthquake, Ash did not immediately face Darkrai in the semifinals; his opponent was another trainer who could only be described as relatively strong.

"Looks like we won't meet until the final the day after tomorrow, but that's fine... I'll just use tomorrow's semi-final as a chance to get back into shape."

Looking at the big screen above the venue, Mingyou said softly. After all, she had just seen the strength of the other contestants. Xiaozhi's opponent in the semi-finals was not as good as Shinji. The battle would be over in ten minutes at most!

"Let's go, let's spend some more time giving him some extra training!"

"Mmm~"

……

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. The first match of the semifinals was once again a foregone conclusion. Darko easily defeated six opponents with Darkrai, even finishing the match faster than in the quarterfinals.

As for the second match, it was even faster than Naruto had expected. Ash only needed eight minutes and even only sent out three Pokémon to defeat Magmortar with Kingler and successfully end the battle.

Finally, after nearly half a month of competition, the Lily of the Valley Conference has come to its final battle. This is also the first time that Ash has made it to the finals of the conference since he started his journey from Pallet Town nearly three years ago!

That evening...

In the forest near the venue, Mingyou and his friends gathered. These days, in order to defeat Darkrai, he had his Bengal and other Pokémon help Ash train his Pokémon every day.

Tonight is the last night!

"You'd better do your best in tomorrow's final. Everyone's saying you'll get swept by Darkrai six times. Show them what you're made of!"

Mingyou said with a smile.

Xiao Zhi nodded seriously and replied, "Thanks to you guys for your help with the special training these past few days."

"It's you and your companions who have the desire to become stronger. I haven't been able to help much at all. Just don't give up on your dream."

Mingyou smiled and waved, glancing at the time; it was almost time. She then prepared to say goodbye and leave. But just then, Xiaozhi suddenly shouted, "I'll work hard to become a Pokémon Master! Then… no, I should say, whenever you need any help, feel free to ask me!"

"Hmm... there really is something!"

Hearing this, Mingyou raised her right hand, turned around with a smile, and said exactly what she had been waiting for...

The night passed quickly, and amidst the audience's eager anticipation, the final of the Lily of the Valley Tournament finally arrived as evening approached the next day.

Before the competition even started, fireworks were already being set off at the venue. Against the backdrop of dusk, the dazzling fireworks bloomed in the sky like starlight.

The enthusiastic cheers from the audience below seemed to make the Phoenix King's sacred flame on the high platform burn even brighter, celebrating the event.

Sitting below the cauldron, Zhu Lan crossed her arms, a slight smile playing on her lips, her eyes filled with anticipation for the outcome of the conference.

As Darkrai and Ash walked out of their respective contestant tunnels together, the cheers from the audience grew even louder until the two stopped.

Ash pulled down his hat brim, looked ahead, his eyes becoming completely serious, and said with a smile, "Just one last step. Let's go together, Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!"

"..."

Darko, standing opposite, didn't say anything, just smiled as always. Now there was only one opponent left. Perhaps the trainer that Naruto mentioned really didn't exist.

"Let's fight!"

Both players threw their Poké Balls at the same time, and the moment Darkrai appeared, the entire audience erupted in cheers. This was the kind of popularity that had driven them to victory in the Lily of the Valley Conference. In comparison, Ash's Heracross was hardly noticed by anyone.

"In the face of absolute power, elemental advantage is useless..."

Darkrai shook his head. After all, he had seen too many Fighting and Fairy-type Pokémon that could counter Darkrai, but without exception, these Pokémon couldn't even hurt Darkrai.

Then he raised his hand and shouted, "Dark Hole!"

The moment he finished speaking, Darkrai raised his arm, condensed a black energy ball in his palm, and quickly flung it out. The next second, many black spheres shot out from the energy ball. The area covered was so large that Heracross had no way to dodge and was swallowed by the black hole.

Just as it was about to fall asleep, Ash immediately shouted, "Sleep talking!"

"..."

Upon hearing the sound, Heracross, who was about to fall, suddenly charged forward. Its powerful horns began to generate swirling green currents, striking Darkrai directly in the abdomen the instant Darkrai lowered its hand—the effect was outstanding! The damage was very significant!

"good!"

In the stands, Hikari almost jumped for joy. Until now, no trainer had been able to inflict such damage on Darkrai. If this continued, they were sure to win.

Xiao Gang, however, remained serious and said in a deep voice, "He's really strong. He took a Super Horn Strike and is still completely unharmed... And don't forget, Darkrai has a move that can restore his status."

Just as he mentioned this, Dakdo waved and shouted, "Dream Eater!"

"Come back!"

Ash reacted quickly, immediately recalling the sleeping Heracross and sending out Sceptile for defense. Since the target wasn't asleep, the Dream Eater failed. Then he laughed and said, "I won't let you use Dream Eater to recover!"

Dakdo: "..."

"Hehe, tactics are still very useful!"

Mingyou held Ponpo and whispered that this was how he taught her, because Darkdo always played like this: Dark Hole and then Dream Eater, and the defense could be broken with a single coordinated attack.

Seeing Darkrai suffer his first setback, the audience was incredibly surprised. Darkrai remained silent for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "As expected of a player who made it to the finals, you truly have the skill!"

"Same to you!"

Ash laughed and waved, shouting, "Get close to it with Quick Attack, then use Leaf Blade!"

"just!"

The Lizard King pushed off the ground with its hind legs, instantly transforming into a white light and arriving in front of Clay. At that moment, the four leaves on its wrist emitted a pale green light, splitting into two, and then it swiftly swung forward...

But at that very moment, Darkrai suddenly tucked his head into his body like a turtle, trying to seize the opportunity to grab his opponent.

However, it seemed that Xiao Zhi had already anticipated this move. The leaf blade, which was originally swung in a straight line, suddenly changed direction and slid down sharply, hitting the target directly. Then, his other hand also slashed down!

A critical hit!

The damage was significant. This time, Darkrai didn't remain unresponsive as before; instead, she collapsed to the ground, instantly losing her ability to fight...

Silence. The entire room was completely silent...

Darkrai was defeated? And by two Pokémon without taking any damage? Are we dreaming?

"Yay!!!"

Ash's friends and Team Rocket were all very excited. The invincible Darkrai had fallen! Ash/Little devil had actually done it!

Mingyou simply smiled calmly. He had already thoroughly studied Darkrai, and defeating his opponent with only two Pokémon was within his expectations. However, the key was still the opponent's other Pokémon...

Darkrai was recalled, but there was no disappointment on his face. Instead, he was happy because finally a trainer allowed him to use a second Pokémon, just like the deal with Naruto!

He then took out a second Poké Ball and said, "After all, Darkrai has been appearing all the time, so if you pay attention, it's not hard to find its weaknesses and exploit them. But... how are you going to deal with this second Pokémon? Let me see!"

With that, he threw the Poké Ball with all his might. A red light accompanied by a scorching heat emanated from it, and then a powerful figure appeared on the field.

It was a Pokémon that resembled a turtle, with orange-red eyes. Its head seemed to be covered with a metallic mask, and its body was reddish-brown with brown and orange spots. Its legs had structures similar to metal bracelets, and each foot had four claws arranged in a cross shape. It looked somewhat frightening...

Heatran: A volcano-like Pokémon that prefers high-temperature environments. It has a bad temper and is easily angered. The only way to gain its favor is to conquer it with your strength and earn its approval.

"After Darkrai, is it Shedranan...?"

Xiao Zhi's expression turned serious, and he felt a sense of pressure once again.

The other viewers were increasingly curious and surprised. This was too outrageous! It was incredibly difficult for ordinary people to even see a legendary Pokémon, but Darkroc had several.

"Why don't we just steal all his Pokémon? Whether it's Darkrai or Heatran, catching just one will make us rich and powerful, and we'll definitely earn Boss Giovanni's favor!"

"The problem is... we can't beat them."

"Let's just stick to doing business honestly, meow..."

"Solas~"

The Rockets' trio were momentarily dejected, but quickly recovered and continued working.

Naruto glanced at it but didn't say anything. This was indeed unexpected, but he believed that Ash would be able to handle it...

The battle resumed, and Ash took out a Poké Ball, about to recall Sceptile, but Darkrope didn't give him the chance.

"Lava Storm!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a heatwave accompanied by a storm swept in. Ash, holding the Poké Ball, couldn't even open his eyes to find Sceptile's location, and could only shout along, "Leaf Storm!"

"just!"

The Lizard King shielded its body with its hands to protect itself from the heatwave, then lifted its tail, creating a gust of wind carrying glowing blades, and swept forward.

The two storms collided violently, but the outcome was decided in an instant. Under the high temperature of the magma, all the leaves were burned to ashes. The Lizard King was unable to resist and was completely swallowed by the storm, even blown into the sky and crashing down hard.

Just as the lava storm, which lasted for nearly half a minute, subsided, the Lizard King lay on the scorched ground, unable to fight any longer...

The familiar feeling gradually returned, which made the audience see the shadow of Darkrai in Heatran, and the following plot was obvious.

"Come on, next one!"

Dakdo smiled and looked ahead.

Ash didn't respond, but instead threw the Poké Ball with all his might. A red light flashed, and with a bang, a heavyweight Snorlax appeared on the field.

"Gambit!"

"The battle has only just begun! Let's all attack, Snorlax, with 100,000 horsepower!"

"One more lava storm!"

As their voices fell simultaneously, the next second Snorlax was enveloped in a scorching storm, just like Sceptile. But then the ground began to shake violently, and the storm began to move.

Snorlax, shrouded in the storm, suddenly emanated an orange aura, unleashing its full power and using its Thick Fat ability to resist the flames, dragging the storm along as it charged directly towards Heatran!

The opponent had no time to dodge and was completely unprepared for such a thing. He was directly hit by Snorlax, which had a remarkable effect and caused considerable damage. Heatran was even knocked out of the arena and crashed into the wall near the player tunnel with a loud bang.

The entire arena fell silent once again, and the little Snorlax in the audience waved its little hand happily.

Mingyou chuckled softly. This 100,000 horsepower was exactly what he learned by eating the move-learning fruit. Moreover, the Moon Bear had trained the opponent's patience, so it wouldn't be able to send the opponent flying far away with one move like before...

"Looks like I'm going to win this deal!"

……

Two more chapters to come

(End of this chapter)