Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

The mosquito coil swimmer remained as steady as a mountain, and his left fist, imbued with the light of water, struck out fiercely!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

boom! ! !

It wasn't an explosion, but rather a dull thud and a powerful shockwave produced by the collision of extreme energies!

In the center of the arena appeared a scene that would set any fighter's blood pumping—

Xiao Zhi fights with a fan.

Right fist to right fist!

Flames and torrents clashed violently at the point where the fists collided, hissing and steaming up even denser water vapor!

Fire Dinosaur vs. Mosquito Coil Swimmer.

Left fist against left fist!

The claw strikes and fists collided without any fancy moves, and the force of the wind dispersed the ripples on the ground.

Much of the water in the temple has already flowed out, and there isn't much left.

The dojo has floor drains, which makes cleaning easier and also prevents water from flowing down.

The four forces reached a delicate balance, locked in a stalemate in the center of the field, with none able to advance an inch further.

After a few seconds.

Their strength was exhausted at the same time.

Ash and Fan Dou each took a step back to steady themselves.

Charmander and Mosquito Coil Swimmer simultaneously withdrew their fists, their chests heaving violently as they stared intently at each other.

The dojo was completely silent, save for the heavy breathing of a few people.

immediately--

"Hahaha--!"

“Hahahahahaha!”

"Gah!"

"Yo-bo!"

Ash and Fan Du looked at each other's disheveled yet exhilarated appearance and couldn't help but burst into laughter at the same time.

Charmeleon and Mosquito Swimmer relaxed their tense bodies and let out a laugh-filled cry.

Fighting is fun!

"Great! That's wonderful!" Fan Dou patted Xiao Zhi's shoulder hard, his eyes full of satisfaction and undisguised praise.

"This is what a fighter is all about!"

"When hearts are connected, strength dances together!"

"Understand each other in battle, and transform each other's power into your own!"

"You little rascal, you've got it all figured out!"

The key to being a fighter is having the heart to embark on the path of fighting.

The remaining skills and strength can only be acquired over time.

Without a heart that can truly understand the path of combat, one is nothing more than a powerful thug.

Xiao Zhi wiped the sweat and condensation from his forehead.

Feeling the increasingly clear and almost fused resonance between himself and Charizard within his body, he nodded emphatically: "Ah! I understand, Uncle Fan Dou!"

His gaze swept over the approaching Pikachu, then fell upon the somewhat dejected Misdreavus above him:

—This applies not only to fighting, but also to partners with other attributes.

One day, we will all be able to do it!

That would be an unprecedented peak!

Sunlight filtered through the lingering steam, casting hazy beams that enveloped the four figures in the center of the training ground who had just finished their fierce battle.

It was as if they were draped in a veil of glory.

This unusual graduation test ended in a tie.

The outcome is not important at this point.

This is just a final memorial.

……

……

The author says the following

(I can only mention that the Pokémon's actions are faster than the Trainer's commands, or that they occur simultaneously.)

(But I can't write it like that directly, otherwise it would sound too awkward... Is this considered artistic embellishment?)

Chapter 154 A single branch in hand, and ten miles of rapeseed flowers with no head.

After leaving the Fighting Spirit Dojo.

The atmosphere of human cities is gradually being replaced by the freshness and moisture of the forest.

After being inhaling that smell of sweat and medicinal oil for so long, I felt a little unaccustomed to leaving it suddenly.

Ash, Misty, and Brock rode their bicycles along an increasingly rugged road toward Black Cloud City.

Compared to the wide main roads connecting major cities, this road leading to an industrial city is clearly poorly maintained, with potholes and uneven surfaces.

The trees on both sides also appeared to grow wilder, with their dense branches stretching out toward the center of the road from time to time.

In short, the road conditions are quite difficult.

It's far worse than the road between Golden City and Rainbow City.

Ash rode in the lead.

His gaze swept ahead, constantly on guard for any unusual occurrences, but his body seemed unable to stay still.

Whenever his bicycle passed a large tree that looked thick enough by the roadside, he would subconsciously swing his fist or use his hand as a knife to swiftly and accurately strike the tree trunk.

"boom!"

"Snapped!"

"咚咚-"

The dull thuds and the subtle tremors of the trees became the most frequent background noises during the journey.

At first, Xiaoxia and Xiaogang were able to remain silent.

But as more and more trees along the roadside suffered the same fate, Xiaoxia finally couldn't help but facepalm and complain:

"Hey, Ash! I know you just finished your special training at the dojo and are full of energy, but do you really need to go and greet every single tree?"

"They're not going to jump out and fight you!"

Xiaoxia wondered if Xiaozhi might become one of those fighting-minded people in the future.

Don't do that!!

Xiao Gang chuckled helplessly, "Although trees are resilient and usually don't suffer much damage from a punch, your habit of hitting them every time you pass by... does seem a bit..."

Plants are ultimately different.

This is especially true for large trees, which rely primarily on their bark to transfer nutrients.

As long as a large section of bark isn't cut off, there shouldn't be any major problems.

A fist mark?

It doesn't matter at all.

Anyway, it won't be the kind of thing where "after school, a tree branch grows in your hand, and ten miles of rapeseed flowers are all headless."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi chuckled and said, "Sorry, sorry."

"For fighters, the way they generate power must become an instinctive muscle movement."

"And since I've only recently learned waveguides, I need to practice even more."

"I'm just trying to get into the swing of things~"

"To coordinate waveguide and muscle instincts while exerting force."

This is also where the biggest difference lies between humans and Lucario, the Aura Pokémon.

Lucario is born with waveguide ability; it's an instinct.

Humans learn waveguides through training; they need to develop this skill into an instinct.

There's no shortcut to this; it just takes time and patience.

"And look."

Xiao Zhi pointed to a tree trunk that he had just chopped with his hand, where only a faint white mark remained.

“I controlled the force; I didn’t really hurt them.”

As he spoke, to prove it, he punched the trunk of another tree.

This time, the moment the fist touched the tree bark, a barely perceptible layer of shimmering, wave-like light flashed and disappeared.

The fist paused slightly as if sinking into soft mud, and then the tree trunk began to shake violently.

The leaves fell softly, but the bark itself remained intact.

As long as the outer bark of the tree is not damaged, it doesn't matter if the wood inside is damaged.

For a large tree, the wood inside only serves a structural support function; otherwise, it is completely irrelevant.

“This…” Xiaoxia and Xiaogang exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes.

This isn't pure brute force, but rather a technique of penetration and oscillation. How long has it been since you learned waveguides?!

"Okay, you're amazing." Xiaoxia sighed, acknowledging his unique cultivation method.

High in the sky.

Pidgey spreads its broad wings, its sharp eyes scanning the forest and road below like a scanner, ensuring there are no large groups of wild Pokémon or other potential dangers ahead.

It occasionally lets out a clear call, signaling to its companions on the ground that "everything is safe".

But on Ash's head and shoulders, the scene was quite different.

Misdreavus seems to have recovered from the disappointment of not being able to safely transfer Ghost-type power to Ash, or perhaps it has turned that frustration into motivation for mischief.

Sometimes it transforms into a blurry black shadow, silently approaching Pikachu, and then suddenly reveals itself, letting out a strange "Mah!" sound.

Sometimes it creates illusions to create false obstacles in front of the path, prompting Pikachu to instinctively try to clear them with an electric shock.

In short, they kept making a ruckus.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu was also training.

So at first it was startled, its cheeks crackling with electricity, but it quickly realized that it was the dream monster causing trouble.

It barked a few times in annoyance, then used electromagnetic levitation to chase after the Dream Demon.

The two little creatures chased each other, leaving joyful trails in the air and among the treetops by the roadside, adding a lot of life to the somewhat dull journey.

...Don't be fooled by Pikachu's seemingly angry demeanor when it's being teased.

...Actually, Pikachu had a lot of fun too.

No matter how mature Pikachu tries to appear, it's still just a Pokémon, especially since it's not that old.

...Pikachu is actually quite playful, okay?

As the sun gradually sets, painting the sky a magnificent orange-red, the roads become even more difficult to traverse.

Some sections of the road have even been taken over by sprawling tree roots and wildly growing vines.

The three had no choice but to get off the car and struggle forward, pushing their bicycles.