Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 329 Xiao Zhi: When someone hits you hard, you have to hit them back with even more force!

Examine it from the perspective of a professional fighter.

Ash's physique isn't particularly robust; his muscle definition leans more towards agility and explosiveness than pure strength.

His stance was casual, even showing a touch of youthful impetuosity, and his defensive posture wasn't exactly rigorous or perfect.

Ash was able to stand out from many skilled fighters and become one of the final three to advance.

Shiba was somewhat surprised, and even felt a hint of instinctive disdain.

He originally thought that this last precious spot should go to A-Si, the head of the Azure Dojo who also specialized in fighting and had trained hard for many years.

After all, he and Ah Si were "in the same profession".

They had long admired each other and both longed for a pure, hard-hitting contest between fighters.

Shiba narrowed his eyes, glanced at Ash, then swept over the composed White Boat beside him, and quickly made a decision in his mind.

First, quickly "eliminate" this greenhorn who might have advanced by luck, and then focus wholeheartedly on the 1V1 duel with Bai Zhou!

This is the proper etiquette for a truly respectable and powerful person!

It's also a way of respecting one's own fighting style!

Having made up his mind, Shiba's aura suddenly became heavy and focused.

Noticing Master Shiba's sharp gaze, Ash was unaware of the approaching danger.

He even thought the other person was greeting him in a friendly manner, so he naturally raised his hand and waved back.

"Master Shiba! It's been a long time!"

Before the words were even finished!

Suddenly, Master Shiba's aura changed!

His center of gravity shifted instantly, and he exerted force with his feet, producing a slight thud on the arena floor!

The next moment, his figure left a faint afterimage in the spot.

Its true form, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, had already rushed to within a meter of Ash!

A straightforward, unadorned punch aimed straight at Ash's face!

That punch was fast, accurate, and ruthless!

Show no mercy, aiming to end the battle in an instant!

Ash's mind had no time to react to the sudden attack; his pupils even dilated slightly in surprise.

but!

His body, honed by Bai Zhou over a long period and subjected to countless sparring sessions (and beatings), had long since developed a fighting instinct that transcended thought!

In the blink of an eye, Xiaozhi didn't even see the fist clearly; he just subconsciously raised his left hand upwards, his five fingers spread.

Snapped!

A soft sound.

That fist, strong enough to fight against a monster, was easily grasped in his palm!

The force of the punch abruptly stopped!

What?!

Shiba's pupils suddenly contracted, and a storm raged in his heart!

He felt all the power in his punch had been dissipated!

Almost instinctively, he tried to pull his fist back, but found that his wrist was being held tightly and he couldn't budge it no matter how hard he tried!

Absolute crushing power?!

How is this possible?! The other person is clearly just a teenager!

But the fighter's instincts told him that this was no illusion!

"impossible!"

Shiba was horrified, but he let out a short, low growl.

As a seasoned fighting master, his rich combat experience allowed him to react instantly!

Instead of continuing to struggle, he used his clamped fist as a fulcrum and suddenly unleashed his core strength.

Spinning in mid-air, Wolf delivered a powerful whip kick, fiercely sweeping towards Ash's arm joint that was supporting his body!

Attack where they must defend! Use skill to overcome a weakness in strength!

Force him to let go!

However, Ash's reaction once again exceeded Shiba's expectations!

He didn't even consider the idea of ​​"must save"!

My master once said: The essence of Tai Chi is to use the opponent's force against them!

In Xiaozhi's simple understanding, it means that if someone hits you hard, you should hit them back with even more force!

So, just as Shiba's whip kick came, Ash suddenly tightened his left hand, which was gripping Shiba's wrist, and then unleashed an even more terrifying grip and swinging force!

An irresistible force traveled up Shiba's arm, forcefully interrupting his kick.

It even caused him to be thrown like a doll, about to be violently slammed into the hard ground!

If that fall landed squarely, even someone with Shiba's physique would definitely feel terrible!

"Strange power!"

At the critical moment, the monstrous force that had been waiting in the wings finally moved!

Its massive figure vanished instantly, and when it reappeared, it had already caught Shiba, who had been flung away.

Four strong arms cushioned all the impact, allowing Shiba to regain his footing safely.

The entire action happened in the blink of an eye, so fast it was dazzling.

"Holy crap?! That kid just now—did he throw Master Shiba out?!"

"Am I seeing things?! Master Shiba took the initiative to attack, but almost got killed instantly?!"

"He's got something! Just who is that kid? I've never heard of him in the fighting world before."

"You're really ignorant! That kid isn't just from Zhenxin Town! He's also Dr. Bai Zhou's apprentice! He said so himself!"

"Dr. Shiraishu's apprentices are that amazing?! Does that mean he himself is going to be unstoppable?!"

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the audience erupted in a deafening roar and murmur of discussion!

Many previously indifferent spectators now stared wide-eyed at the seemingly harmless boy on stage.

Shiba staggered a step, regained his balance, and his eyes were filled with horror.

Why didn't he avoid it?

With that kind of force—wasn't he afraid of dislocating his arm?!

"I'm sorry! I underestimated you! Young fighter! Your strength—is awe-inspiring!"

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions in his heart. The nonchalance and casualness on his face completely disappeared, and he solemnly bowed to Xiaozhi.

"I was rude just now, but from now on, I will give it my all and treat you as an opponent worthy of my full strength!"

'

"Huh? Is that so?"

Ash was still a little confused and turned to look at Pikachu on his shoulder in bewilderment.

Pikachu covered its face with its paws, looking "unable to watch," and then forcibly turned its head back towards Shiba.

"Oh well!"

Xiao Zhi then realized what was happening and immediately got into a serious stance.

"Master Shiba! Please guide me!"

The stance he adopted was not the newly learned Tai Chi starting posture, but the basic boxing stance that he had practiced with Bai Zhou for the longest time and had the most solid foundation.

His breathing was deep and his gaze focused.

Bai Zhou, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, calmly picked up the curious young Gilas at his feet and quietly retreated to the edge of the arena, completely giving up the central battlefield.

He did not intend to immediately intervene in their duel.

He understood the simple truth that when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits.

Besides, others might not know, but how could he not know the background of his "foolish" apprentice?

This kid, through the "foundation-building fist techniques" he had imparted to him over the years and various "hammerings of love" ———

In terms of physical abilities and instinctive reactions alone, they have long surpassed the realm of normal humans, making them comparable to Super Saiyans.

"Super strength! Cooperate with me!"

Shiba growled, his eyes sharp.

This time, he held nothing back!

His waist and hips twisted sharply like a taut bowstring, and he took a step forward!

He no longer pursues a one-hit kill, but instead forms a perfect synergy with his superhuman strength!

With a low growl, the monstrous power unleashed a barrage of four fists, striking Ash simultaneously from four tricky angles.

Combined with Shiba's attack, it instantly blocked all of Ash's possible dodge and defense routes!

A standard synergy between a Fighter and a Fighting-type Pokémon!

However, what made Shiba's pupils shrink again was that, faced with this seemingly all-encompassing combined attack, Ash actually—

No dodging or evading?!

boom!boom!boom!boom!

The four heavy, hammer-like fists of the monster slammed solidly into Ash's chest, shoulders, and arms, producing dull thuds.

Xiao Zhi's body swayed slightly, but he didn't take a single step back!

Immediately afterward, just as Shiba's fist was about to hit his face, Ash bent his arm and slammed his body forward!

Man!

A simple yet incredibly sharp elbow strike to the chest, delivered with perfect precision, struck Shiba's chest as he charged forward with all his might!

"Hmm—"

An indescribable force pierced through his body, and Shiba felt a tightness in his chest, and his vision went black instantly.

Countless fragments of memories flashed by like a revolving lantern, mingling with the sweat shed under the setting sun and with sheer strength.

A breathtaking, earth-shattering showdown with Crimson—

And the sheer frustration of being tormented to the point of ecstasy by the White Boat tactics—

Wait! Why are there scenes in my memories that don't exist?!

"Heh—"

—"

With his hard-earned will and strong physique, Shiba forcefully suppressed the metallic taste that was about to rise in his throat.

Forcibly pulling myself back to consciousness from the brief dizziness, I stumbled a few steps, but miraculously, I didn't fall and managed to steady myself.

So close—just a hair's breadth away!

He was almost sent flying by that brat's elbow!

A feeling of utter absurdity welled up in Shiba's heart.

No way! What exactly did Bai Zhou teach him?!

He sensed something was wrong just now!

Rather than calling Ash a fighter, it's more accurate to say he's a complete madman!

Offense only, no defense! No regard for cost! Fearless!

Fortunately, Shiba is a seasoned fighting master whose terrifying ability lies in his ability to instantly transform any emotion into the fuel for battle!

He keenly observed the slight but inevitable inertial stiffness after Xiao Zhi's elbow strike!

It's now!

Shiba's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Suppressing the excruciating pain in his chest, he stepped forward, his arms instantly locking Ash's upper body and one arm. "Mana! Throw me away!"

Shiba roared without hesitation.

"Chap-ri!"

Machamp didn't hesitate at all; its trust in its trainer was absolute!

Even if this command seems so unreasonable!

Its bulging muscles immediately swelled, and its four thick arms gripped Shiba's shoulders and waist firmly, unleashing all its power!

Like throwing a hammer, the two tightly locked together, Shiba and Ash, were swung around and flung towards the edge of the ring!

Since they can't compete in strength, they'll have to rely on the fighting skills and tactical wisdom honed over decades of life and death, skills that are ingrained in their very bones!

Being suspended in mid-air with nowhere to grab onto is the biggest weakness of Ash, a "stat monster" that relies on instinct and brute force!

As expected, Ash, who was firmly held in place by Shiba, struggled desperately in mid-air.

However, they could not find an effective way to counter it and could only fly out of the ring with the inertia.

Just as the two were about to fly off the ring boundary together, Shiba revealed a triumphant smile.

He suddenly released his grip on Ash and kicked Ash hard with both feet!

Using the force of the impact, Shiba performed a beautiful somersault in mid-air and landed steadily back in the ring.

He knelt on one knee, slightly out of breath.

Ash, on the other hand, plunged headfirst into the pile of rocks outside the arena with a "bang," kicking up a cloud of dust.

A moment later, Xiao Zhi crawled out of the pile of stones, covered in dust, and shook the dust off his head.

Aside from looking somewhat disheveled and covered in stone chips,

Surprisingly, it was lively and energetic, seemingly unharmed at all.

"Ash, the competitor, has left the arena! You are disqualified from this match!"

The referee immediately stepped forward, announced loudly, and looked at Ash a few more times with some disbelief, nervously checking his physical condition.

"I knew it! A master is a master! What kind of trash is Ash? Just a monster with brute force but no stats!"

"Laughable! My Master Zhi's left fist deals high damage, and his right fist deals high damage! How is that just empty power? Master Shiba won by trickery, and you're calling that an unfair victory?"

"Master Shiba is awesome!!! This is a real match! He went all out and beat Dr. Shiraishu to his knees, dragging him back to become a star-level fighter!!!"

The audience erupted in heated debate and cheers once again, bringing the atmosphere to a new climax.

"Huh? It's...it's over?"

Xiao Zhi walked to the bottom of the arena with a bewildered look on his face and looked at Bai Zhou with a mournful expression.

"Master—I'm sorry—I can no longer challenge you—"

Bai Zhou looked at him like this and couldn't help but twitch his lips, finding it somewhat amusing.

"Alright, alright, I got it. You played well. Go rest over there."

He offered a few casual words of comfort and then gently ruffled Ash's spiky, sand-covered head.

Turning his gaze away from his "loser" apprentice, Bai Zhou turned back to the panting Shiba on the arena.

If the younger one is being "bullied," then as the master, he definitely has to step in and show some support, right?

He gently put the young Gilas down in his arms, then slowly walked to the center of the ring, smiled slightly at Shiba, and remained calm and composed.

"Master Shiba, please give me your guidance."

Shiba did not respond to any words, but slowly adjusted his breathing, calming his somewhat disordered breath back into a steady state.

He lowered his center of gravity slightly, tensed all his muscles again, and focused all his attention on Bai Zhou.

Completely focused, holding nothing back!

This is the best response he could give to this unfathomable opponent!

Based on Ash's monstrous performance, his master, Shiraishu, must be even stronger!

The confrontation with Bai Zhou must not be a head-on clash like before; we must outsmart him and find a breakthrough!

Shiba's gaze swept rapidly over Bai Zhou's body, finally settling on the young Gilas, who was blinking his big eyes and looking around at the edge of the arena.

Young Pokémon in their developmental stage are undoubtedly the trainer's darlings, but also a potential weakness in battle!

I've got it! I can use it to control Bai Zhou's mind and rhythm!