Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

Chapter 107 Ash: I'll "change" the ability on the spot!

The following morning, the air in Nohara City was filled with the fresh, moist moisture unique to wetlands, mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees.

Zhang Jianying and Xiao Zhi's group arrived at the competition venue located in the eastern suburbs of the city.

In the center of the arena, a sturdy wooden platform was erected, and several competition areas with different functions were divided around it. Many trainers and their Pokémon were already warming up or getting used to the environment.

The figure speaking on the platform was burly, with bulging muscles, wearing only trousers. He wore a blue mask, revealing only a pair of piercing eyes, and his booming voice echoed throughout the arena through the loudspeaker: "—The Pokémon All-Around Competition is not just about battles! It's also about showcasing the bonds between us and our partners..."

A stage for tacit understanding and shared growth!

"I'm Yoshinobu from Nohara Dojo! And also the organizer of this competition!"

He gestured with his hand, pointing to the vast wetlands behind him: "All proceeds from this competition will go towards protecting this beautiful wetland and all the Pokémon that live here. So, show your and your partners' strength, speed, and wisdom! Friendship first, competition second! Enjoy the process and respect your opponents!"

"Now, I declare—the Nohara City Pokémon All-Around Competition officially open!!"

"Ohhhhh—!!"

A burst of enthusiastic cheers and applause erupted from the audience.

Trainers were eager to get started, and Pokémon were making excited noises, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

"Let's hurry up and register!" Ash couldn't wait and grabbed Pikachu, rushing towards the registration area.

"Don't rush, Xiaozhi, there's still plenty of time to register." Xiaogang pulled him back helplessly. "First, make sure you understand the registration points and rules for each project."

After listening to the competition rules, Zhang Jianying, carrying his Pokémon, planned to go to the registration area first.

The group made their way through the bustling crowd toward the registration area.

As they passed a public battlefield, a voice, not loud but exceptionally clear and cold, suddenly entered Zhang Jianying's ears: "What a useless piece of trash."

The voice was not loud, even somewhat flat, but the undisguised disappointment and indifference were completely out of place with the enthusiastic atmosphere around them.

Zhang Jianying paused, subconsciously glancing at Xiao Zhi beside her.

Sure enough, Ash was jolted as if by lightning, turning his head sharply and staring intently in the direction from which the sound came.

"That voice is—"

Ash muttered to himself, then his eyes widened and he blurted out, "Shinji?!"

In the center of the battlefield, a boy with a dark blue jacket, short purple hair, and a stern face was putting a Poké Ball back into his waistband.

At his feet, a tank skunk, which had just been easily defeated, scrambled to its feet, dazed and confused.

Before him, a dragon king scorpion with fierce eyes and a dark purple sheen on its carapace slowly retracted its giant pincers, which gleamed with venom.

Hearing the shout, Shinji turned around.

Beneath her purple, tousled hair, those lifeless, dull eyes met Ash's gaze, burning with fighting spirit.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

crackling and popping—

Zhang Jianying could almost picture the sound of electric sparks flying when their eyes met.

"Shinji! You're here too!"

Ash strode over, his tone a mixture of surprise and excitement at finding a rival.

Shinji glanced at him, his face expressionless, and simply retrieved the Dragon King Scorpion that had easily defeated its opponent back into the ball, then turned around as if to leave.

"Hey! Shinji!"

Ash shouted, "Are you here to participate in the All-Around Competition too? I won't lose to you this time!"

Shinji stopped in his tracks.

He didn't turn around, his voice remaining calm: "Boring. No matter how many battles you have, the result won't change. Your tactics, your Pokémon, are all too naive."

"What did you say?!"

Ash clenched his fist instantly, veins bulging on his forehead. "I'll definitely beat you this time!"

Shinji finally turned half his face to the side, a faint, almost mocking smile playing on his lips: "Then let's give it a try. But this kind of recreational competition—ha."

He didn't say anything more, but that short, soft laugh said it all. He didn't linger and walked straight in another direction.

"Damn it!"

Ash waved his fist at his retreating figure, but the flame of fighting spirit in his eyes burned even brighter.

Zhang Jianying stood there, looking on with amusement as he watched the drama unfold.

Here it comes! I didn't expect there to be a special event even in a competition. Ash's fateful showdown with his cool and arrogant rival!

Xiao Gang and Xiao Guang also came over at this time.

"Was that Shinji just now?" Brock looked in the direction Shinji had left.

"Yes!" Ash nodded vigorously, clenching his fist. "He's participating too! I'm determined to beat him this time!"

""

Hikari looked at Ash with some concern: "Ash, are you alright? Shinji keeps talking like that—"

"I'm fine!"

Ash took a deep breath, a smile returning to his face, but this time it was filled with a burning desire for battle. "I'm even more excited now! Let's go sign up! I absolutely won't lose this competition!"

Seeing Xiao Zhi's burning fighting spirit, Zhang Jianying couldn't help but give him a thumbs up in his heart.

As expected of you, your speed in adjusting your mindset is amazing.

Moreover, he actually thinks quite highly of Ash.

After all, this is an entertainment-oriented competition that emphasizes performance and teamwork.

Ash's boundless imagination and the pure, passionate bond he shares with his Pokémon are simply unstoppable.

On the contrary, Shinji's overly rational style, which pursues extreme efficiency, may not necessarily gain him an advantage.

What's even more interesting are the two people themselves.

The two said things like "boring" and "childish," but their ideas were completely opposite, and they couldn't stand each other.

But because of Ash, Shinji began to think about more possibilities in battles and the thoughts of Pokémon themselves.

After being defeated by Shinji time and time again, Ash began to reflect and grow, no longer simply recklessly charging ahead.

Like two sides of a coin, they are completely different, yet interdependent, influencing each other, and moving forward together through collisions.

This strange relationship is truly unique.

Zhang Jianying shook his head and followed Xiao Zhi and the others.

The registration area was crowded, but orderly. The competition consisted of several events: strength test, speed race, skill challenge, and teamwork test. Trainers could participate in all events or choose which ones to participate in.

Ash checked off almost every item without hesitation. "I want to participate in them all!"

Xiao Gang chose the strength and skill events, while Xiao Guang was more interested in the teamwork event.

When it was Zhang Jianying's turn, he held the registration form, looked at the pile of Poké Balls in his hand, and hesitated.

The strength test measures the number of specially made bricks that can be broken. The Pokémon in his team either lack arms or are larger than the competition standard.

Just then, a Poké Ball at his waist suddenly started to shake on its own. Zhang Jianying was startled and picked up the Poké Ball from the Greatsword.

He smiled and said, "Alright, I'll leave it to you then."

He registered Greatsword Demon for the strength test. As for the other events, he'd deal with them after the first competition.

After registering, everyone arrived at the competition venue for the strength test.

Several competition platforms have been set up, each with neatly stacked special gray bricks bearing the competition logo. These bricks appear denser than ordinary bricks, clearly having undergone special treatment to increase their difficulty in breaking.

The rules are simple: Pokémon must use skills to attack bricks within a time limit, and the one that breaks the most bricks wins. Wide-range destructive moves, such as Earthquake and Hyper Beam, are not allowed.

The game was progressing very quickly.

First up is Brock, who will compete against another random trainer.

Xiao Gang sent out the Bad Frog.

The opponent sent out a sharp-eyed Manuela.

"The match begins!"

The referee gave the whistle.

Manuela took the initiative, rubbing her claws together to create a metallic sheen – [Sharpening Claws], which enhances attack and accuracy.

Immediately, it moved with lightning speed, darting to the bricks, its sharp claws flashing with cold light as it slashed down, splitting them in two.

Click!Click!

The bricks shattered with a crack, sending dust flying.

"Mavila, break 6 special bricks!" the referee announced after counting.

The random trainer shook his head with some regret; this result could only be considered average.

It was Xiaogang's turn.

He squinted, carefully observed the placement and texture of the bricks, and then nodded to the bad frog.

The unruly frog silently stepped forward without making any enhancements, its right fist slightly retracted, and brownish-red fighting energy instantly condensed!

[Brick Breaker]!

The force of the punch pierced the air!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—

A series of dull cracking sounds rang out, and the bricks shattered like cookies being hit by a heavy hammer!

As the dust settled, the referee tallied the results, his voice tinged with surprise: "Bad Frog, you shattered 10 special bricks!"

"Great!" Ash and Dawn cheered.

Zhang Jianying nodded secretly. The scoundrel's attack was skillful, swift, and decisive.

Hikari then appeared and sent out Apokolips. Apokolips used its tail to perform "Slash," breaking 7 bricks, a pretty good result.

The competition continued, with trainers and Pokémon from all walks of life taking the stage, and most of them scoring between 5 and 10 points.

Soon, it was Zhang Jianying's turn.

"Next match: Zhang Jianying vs. Kenta!"

Zhang Jianying led the Greatsword Demon onto the competition stage.

The opponent was a spirited-looking young man who sent out the imposing Empoleon.

"Emperor Naboo, [Metal Claw]!" Kenta launched the first attack.

Emperor Nabo let out a low cry, and the edges of his steel-like wings gleamed coldly as he slashed at the bricks like a sharp blade!

Click!Click!

The bricks shattered one after another.

"Emperor Naboo, break 11 special bricks!" the referee announced.

Kenta was fairly satisfied with the result and looked at Zhang Jianying. Zhang Jianying nodded to the Great Sword Demon: "Feel free to improvise."

The Greatsword Demon silently took a few steps forward. His eyes swept over the neatly stacked bricks in front of him.

Then, a faint red light flashed in its eyes.

[Gathering Qi].

In its current field of vision, those seemingly seamless, specially made bricks appear to reveal imperceptible textures and weak points.

It slowly withdrew its foot blade.

On the blade, azure water suddenly appeared, coiling and condensing like a living thing, transforming into an even more solid and sharp water blade [Shell Blade].

The greatsword demon swung his foot blade vertically, silently slicing through the bricks.

Immediately afterwards—

Splash splash ...

A series of dense and crisp cracking sounds rang out!

A whole row of bricks, like dominoes that have been pushed over, neatly cracked and collapsed!

The pieces are uniform in size, and the cuts are as smooth as a mirror.

The entire competition venue fell silent for a second.

The referee's eyes widened, and he quickly stepped forward to count the results. His voice was tinged with excitement: "Zhang Jianying's Greatsword Demon has shattered 17 specially made bricks! This is the highest score so far!"

"Wow--!!"

The audience erupted in cheers and applause!

"That's amazing! Is that a skill? It's so sharp!"

"That greatsword demon—its form seems a bit unusual?"

Zhang Jianying patted the shoulder of the Great Sword Demon who had returned to his side and laughed, "Well done."

Greatsword Demon nodded slightly, and sheathed his blade.

From the audience, Ash's eyes lit up: "So strong! The Sculptor is so cool!" Dawn nodded repeatedly: "It's really amazing!"

Just then, the loudspeaker announced: "Next pair of players, prepare—Ash, Shinji!"

Zhang Jianying raised an eyebrow, led the Great Sword Demon off the stage, and turned his gaze to the two who were about to enter the arena.

Ash and Shinji were already standing in front of their respective arenas. They looked at each other across the distance, and although the match hadn't started yet, an invisible tension seemed to fill the air.

Ash is facing Shinji, clenching his fist and saying something, judging from his lip movements, it's something like "I'll definitely beat you this time".

Shinji remained expressionless, merely glancing at Ash before turning his attention back to the bricks in front of him.

Zhang Jianying crossed his arms and looked at the contrasting yet inexplicably harmonious figures on the stage, and that strange "CP feeling" in his heart resurfaced.

Um----

One is passionate and impulsive, the other is calm and rational; one believes in bonds and emotions, the other values ​​efficiency and strength.

But these two people always manage to create intense sparks when they meet.

What else could this be but a "love-hate relationship"?

In the arena, as the referee gave the order, the two released their Pokémon. Shinji sent out Ursaring, while Ash sent out the energetic Gible.

What can a tiny gible like a gible do?

Shinji was a little confused, but he was already used to Ash's unpredictable ways and didn't pay much attention.

"Circle Bear, [Sword Dance] Arm Hammer."

Unlike Shinji's indifferent reaction, Ursaring seemed to really enjoy the lively atmosphere of the competition. It looked around happily and nodded excitedly when it heard its trainer's commands.

The Ursaring touched the Flame Orb on its chest, inflicting a burn on itself and triggering the [Guts] ability. With the help of the ability and [Swords Dance], its attack power reached its peak, and it slammed a heavy [Arm Hammer] into the specially made brick in front of it.

17 pieces! That's already equal to the Greatsword Demon's score.

Shinji recalled his excitedly roaring Ursaring and quietly stepped aside, waiting for Ash's performance.

Ash looked serious. "Don't lose to it! Show some perseverance and go for Garchomp! Use Dragon Dive!"

The small Gible leaped into the air, its body enveloped in dense Dragon-type energy, head down, and slammed its sharp fin-like protrusions into the brick.

"Click—"

As the giblet moved its head away, the bricks in the arena shattered one by one.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

The referee rushed forward, counted the pieces, rubbed his eyes, and counted again. He announced in astonishment, "Ash's Gible has achieved an amazing score of 20 pieces!"

"Wow—!!" The audience below the stage exclaimed in disbelief!

"It shattered 20 bricks at once?! Is this brick fake?"

"How is that possible! I just tried it, it's rock hard!"

Zhang Jianying and Da Jiangui, sitting in the audience: "————"

Can you still make up Pokémon abilities like this? You say Guts, and Gible has the Guts ability? But you didn't bring a Fire Orb!

The two, one human and one Pokémon, gazed at each other silently. In the eyes of the stun dagger, Zhang Jianying saw deep-seated autism.

Shinji on stage twitched at the corner of his eye, instinctively tightening his grip on Ursaring's Poké Ball. He glanced suspiciously at Ash, who was celebrating while hugging Gible, and was equally questioning his existence.