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

Chapter 82 Spinning, jumping, I closed my eyes

As night deepened, the campfire at the campsite remained bright and warm.

The boys sitting around the fire were still enthusiastically discussing the challenges ahead.

"I absolutely must challenge the Jiayuan Dojo again!"

Ash clenched his fist, his eyes burning with an indomitable spirit. "Last time I lost to Melissa, completely overwhelmed by her hypnotic tactics. This time, I'm determined to find a way to break free!"

Xiao Gang added from the side, "Ms. Melissa's tactics are indeed very special. She is good at using change moves to disrupt the opponent's rhythm, and then using Ghost-type Pokémon's unpredictable attacks to find a breakthrough."

"So I'm undergoing special training right now!"

Ash stood up excitedly, gesturing wildly, "I've got an idea! I'll spin the moves and make them into a shield! That way, it can block attacks and maybe even bounce them back! But..." He scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

"It's not quite there yet; it needs more practice."

Xiao Guang held the jar of tree sap in both hands, his eyes somewhat unfocused, and said softly, "Tomorrow, I'm going to participate in the Grand Contest in Jiayuan City."

Her tone was a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, and her fingers unconsciously rubbed the rim of the cup.

"Even though Aipom and Piplup have practiced for a long time, I'm still worried—what if we make a mistake? What if the judges don't like our performance?"

"Hikaru!"

Ash slapped her on the shoulder suddenly, his voice loud and powerful, "What are you talking about! Apokolips and Piplup are working so hard, and you've been practicing so hard too, there won't be any problems! Just relax and go perform!"

He grinned, flashing his signature cheerful smile: "You have to believe in yourself and Pokémon! Just like I believe in Pikachu!"

Hikari was infected by Ash's energy, her tense shoulders relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face: "Mm!"

You're right! I'll try my best!

"By the way, Brother Jian!"

Xiao Zhi suddenly turned to Zhang Jianying, his eyes sparkling, "Could you take a look at the results of my special training? I'd like to hear your opinion!"

"Of course," Zhang Jianying nodded with a smile.

The group moved to a more open area next to the campsite. Ash took a deep breath, his expression turning serious: "Chimchar, get ready!"

"Aww!"

The little fire monkey jumped to the center of the open space, the flames on its tail burning brightly with its emotions.

"Begin! Emits flames while spinning!"

The little fire monkey opens its mouth and spews out blazing flames, while its body begins to spin rapidly.

The flames spread outwards under the influence of centrifugal force, forming a constantly rotating ring of flames that protects the little fire monkey at the center.

The flames spun faster and faster, their orange-red light streaking across the night sky in a dazzling arc.

"Look! This is the flame protection net I came up with!"

Ash pointed excitedly, "Not only can it defend, but if you practice enough, you might even be able to whip out flames like a whip!"

But soon, problems arose.

As the spinning speed increased, the little chimpanzee's breathing became rapid, and the stability of the flames began to decrease, fluctuating in intensity.

Suddenly, the flames surged violently for a moment, almost getting out of control. The little fire monkey hurriedly stopped spinning, and the flames went out.

It lowered its head somewhat dejectedly, and the flames on its tail shrank.

Ash quickly ran over, squatted down in front of Chimchar, and gently patted its head: "It's okay, you've already done great, Chimchar. We've improved a lot!"

But when he turned back to look at Zhang Jianying, his face showed obvious trouble: "Brother Jianying, the little fire monkey can't fully control its power yet. Once during a battle, its flames suddenly erupted, and it lost control."

Ash's voice lowered, a hint of frustration flashing in his eyes, "He even bit me."

He stretched out his arm, and in the moonlight, a faint, healed tooth mark could be seen.

"I don't know what to do."

Ash scratched his head, the usually energetic boy looking somewhat lost. "Should I try to forcibly control the special flames, or just let nature take its course? If I don't control them properly, will they hurt themselves or others?"

He continued, expressing his worries: "And then there's Torterra, which has become much slower after evolving. Although Shinji's Torterra taught it how to defend and counterattack when it can't move quickly, Torterra's body can't withstand too many attacks right now. It trains so hard every time, and it breaks my heart."

Zhang Jianying listened quietly, feeling a mix of emotions.

The Xiao Zhi before me is no longer the reckless boy who charged ahead blindly with only passion.

The appearance of a formidable rival, the continuous challenges and failures made him start to seriously think about tactics, the characteristics and limitations of Pokémon, and began to worry about the troubles his partner was facing.

This is the growing pain, but it's also an inevitable part of the journey.

After all, compared to Ash, Shinji, and even many other trainers, have had a longer time to travel and accumulate experience.

Instead of giving a direct answer, he beckoned, "Baby Dragon, come here for a second."

Baby Dragon, carrying the Everstone, slowly walked over, glancing at the little Chimchar with its scarlet eyes.

"Ash, look at Babydra!"

Zhang Jianying gently stroked the protrusion on the top of the baby dragon's head. "It used to be unable to control its abilities. The two special energies in its body would sometimes go out of control and clash, causing it a lot of pain."

Baby Dragon raised its head, its scarlet pupils gleaming in the moonlight. It hugged Zhang Jianying's arm, its tail swaying slightly involuntarily.

"But I've never been in a hurry."

Zhang Jianying's voice was calm yet firm, "Because I know that the Pokémon themselves are also working hard. If the trainer is too anxious, this emotion will be transmitted to the Pokémon, making them more tense and more difficult to control their power."

He crouched down, his gaze level with the little fire monkey, and gently patted the little guy's head.

The little fire monkey raised its head, its round eyes reflecting the light of the campfire.

"Let nature take its course, work together, and believe in your Pokémon."

Zhang Jianying looked at Chimchar, then at Ash, and said, "I believe Ash, you can do it, and I also believe Chimchar can do it."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a reassuring power that put the little Chimchar at ease.

"Don't be impatient. Trust Ash, and trust yourself. Whether or not you can control the special Blaze, it won't affect the power you already possess. You can learn to master this talent slowly, just like Bagon, even if the process is difficult and long."

Under the night sky, the eyes of Baby Dragon and Little Flame Monkey lit up, as if reflecting the stars.

Chimchar looked at Ash, his gaze gradually shifting from confusion to determination.

Xiao Zhi took a deep breath, extended his clenched fist, and his face once again broke into that infectious smile.

"Little Chimchar! I believe in you! We can do it! Let's cheer each other on!"

The little chimpanzee seemed to see the previous scene flash before its eyes.

When it lost control, it bit Ash, but Ash didn't blame it or abandon it. Instead, he embraced it with a warm hug, his eyes full of worry and encouragement.

The guilt and emotion of that moment surged up again, its eyes reddened slightly, but the flames on its tail burned brighter and more steadily than ever before.

"Aww!"

It stretched out its tiny fist and gently touched it with Ash's fist.

Zhang Jianying also picked up the baby dragon and smiled gently.

Baby Dragon awkwardly buried its face in his arms, but the slightly swaying tip of its tail betrayed its current mood.

But it still couldn't resist secretly raising its eyes and giving a provocative glance to Gardevoir, which was standing quietly beside Zhang Jianying.

Gardevoir merely pursed her lips, but her eyes held a mixture of indulgence and indifference.

Meanwhile, in a relatively quiet open space on the other side of the camp, Ash's Torterra was training alone.

It struggles to move its limbs, trying to maintain a certain sprinting speed after evolution, but its heavy body makes each attempt clumsy and difficult.

After another all-out charge, its forelimbs went limp, its entire body lost its balance, and it fell to the ground with a "thud".

"Ugh!"

The forest tortoise struggled to turn over, and somewhat agitatedly slapped the ground with its forelimbs, making a dull thud.

The power gains it received from evolution were real, but the loss of speed and agility left it feeling unprecedentedly frustrated.

Not far away, Zhang Jianying's earth turtle was lying quietly.

The giant tree on its carapace, blessed by the rabbi, emitted a soft, vibrant glow under the moonlight.

Among the tree canopy, several crystal-clear fruits, exuding a natural fragrance, can be vaguely seen slowly taking shape.

Ice Goose, Pikachu, Dawn's Piplup and Pachirisu, and Brock's Eggicatch are excitedly playing among Torterra's broad shell and thick branches, occasionally picking a ripe berry to share happily.

The earth turtle let the little guys frolic on its body, its eyes gentle.

However, a portion of its gaze always remained fixed on that young kin in the distance, who tried again and again, only to fall again and again.

When the forest tortoise failed again and growled in frustration, the earth tortoise let out a low call, signaling the little creatures on its back to get off.

It slowly rose, its massive body taking heavy steps, and walked to the forest tortoise.

The moonlight, like water, poured down on the two generations of turtle-type Pokémon.

Two turtles, one large and one small, gazed at each other in silence.

The forest tortoise looked up at the majestic, awe-inspiring earth tortoise before it, its eyes filled with both respect for its predecessor and a hint of resentment and longing.

Zhang Jianying, Xiao Zhi, and the others noticed the commotion and came over.

"Tutai Turtle."

Zhang Jianying looked into his companion's eyes and understood what it meant. He turned to Xiao Zhi, without explaining further, and simply said, "Xiao Zhi, bring Torterra and come with me to this open area. Swordmaster, you come too."

The Greatsword Demon silently rose and followed him like a loyal guard.

"Gardevoir, could you please look after the other Pokémon?"

Zhang Jianying whispered to Gardevoir.

Gardevoir nodded gently, using its psychic powers to guide the playful little creatures back to the campfire, and then carefully laid out soft mats for the sleepy Pokémon.

The group followed Zhang Jianying to a more open area by the stream next to the campsite. Moonlight illuminated the babbling brook and the flat grassland.

"Ash."

Zhang Jianying spoke, his voice clear and calm in the night, "My Turtwig has been much larger than its kind since it was a baby, so it is destined not to be a Pokémon known for its speed."

"Your forest tortoise is the same. Evolution brought increased strength and defense, but also sacrificed some speed. This is natural selection in life, and there's no need to force a reversal."

He pointed at the earthen tortoise: "However, there is a way to attack quickly, and there is also an art of defense and counter-attack. Don't let one fighting style limit your thinking."

He looked at Greatsword Demon: "Greatsword Demon, use [Shell Blade] on Torterra, just use the normal training force."

Greatsword Demon nodded, instantly drawing two foot blades. His figure was as fast as lightning, and two sharp, water-colored blade lights slashed towards Earth Platform Turtle!

Ash and Torterra both held their breath.

However, the earth turtle did not take the hit head-on.

Just as the blade was about to strike, it subtly shifted its body, adjusting the angle of its carapace.

The water-colored blade light slashed at the tilted carapace, producing a piercing friction sound. Most of the force was guided and deflected, flowing along the carapace's curve towards the ground!

boom!

A small crater appeared in the ground near the tortoise's feet, but the tortoise itself only swayed slightly, without even leaving a white mark on its shell.

The Greatsword Demon showed no mercy, launching a continuous barrage of attacks from all angles.

The earth turtle, whether by turning to its side, retracting its shell, or taking a step, deflects and dissipates the force of the attack with the smallest movement and the most precise angle.

Its movements appear slow, yet they are always perfectly timed, possessing a calm and graceful beauty that makes one feel as if they are handling something with ease.

The heavy body seemed to have transformed into the most sophisticated stress-relieving device.

After demonstrating five or six times, Zhang Jianying finally raised his hand to signal to stop.

He looked at Ash: "Did you figure it out?"

Xiao Zhi's eyes widened, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he clapped his hands: "I understand! There's no need to tough it out!"

It can redirect the force of the attack! Like bouncing a ball aside!

"Ugh!"

The forest tortoise suddenly realized what was happening, and the bushes on its back swayed excitedly.

It had always been thinking about how to "block" attacks with its shell, but never thought that it could also "guide" attacks.

"That's right."

Zhang Jianying nodded approvingly.

"Defense is not about head-on collisions, but about understanding and controlling power."

He patted the platform tortoise's thick shell. "Next, let it teach your forest tortoise another skill: hatching."

Under the deep, patient explanation and demonstration of the Terratodon, the Forest Tortoise began to learn this seemingly risky skill that could instantly change the course of a battle.

A faint white light flickered on its carapace, symbolizing a temporary weakening of its defenses, but at the same time, a more aggressive aura began to rise from its body.

"【Breaking the Shell】can allow you to switch from extreme defense to extreme speed at crucial moments, catching your opponent off guard."

Zhang Jianying explained, "To complement this, let's show the Earth Platform Turtle the [Grass Field] and [Grass Slide]."

The earth-platform tortoise let out a low growl and lightly stomped its forelegs on the ground.

Emerald green ripples spread out from it, quickly covering a large area of ​​grassland.

The meadow, bathed in green light, seemed to come alive, exuding a refreshing and vibrant atmosphere.

Immediately afterwards, the figure of the earth turtle suddenly glided across the grassy field! Its speed was completely inconsistent with its huge size, as if it were gliding on the waves of grass, and it rushed more than ten meters away in an instant.

This is not pure speed, but a unique dash technique that utilizes skill characteristics and terrain effects.

"Using the grass slide on a grassy field will make you very fast and give you the first strike advantage."

Zhang Jianying said, "Combined with the increased attack power after hatching, you can instantly close the distance and deliver a heavy blow to your opponent. This is the kind of thunderous strike that suits you, unleashing from your defense, rather than simply rushing in and getting yourself killed."

The forest turtle's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if it had seen a brand new path of battle that belonged to it.

It looked gratefully at Torterra, then excitedly at Ash.

"I understand! Thank you, Earth Tortoise! ​​Thank you, Brother Sword!"

Ash jumped up excitedly, "Torrell! We found it! This is how we battle!"

"Ugh—!"

The forest turtle also let out a joyful roar. Overwhelmed with excitement, it pounced and knocked Ash to the ground. Its huge shell pressed down on Ash, and it even affectionately rubbed its head against the trainer's face.

"Haha, forest turtle, it itches! Get up!"

Ash laughed heartily as he was rubbed against the turtle shell, pushing hard with both hands.

Zhang Jianying watched from the side, and her eye twitched involuntarily.

He imagined what it would be like if his own, much larger, earth tortoise had pounced on him so enthusiastically—

I could almost hear the cracking sounds of my bones breaking under the strain.

Ash's reputation as a "humanoid Pokémon" is well-deserved.

Meanwhile, a "gurgling" sound came from the bushes quite a distance from the camp.

"Keep your voice down, Kojiro! Your stomach's growling so loudly, they'll notice!"

"But Musashi, we haven't eaten all day. We've been looking for Meow Meow since this morning, and now—"

Musashi and Kojiro lay behind a thicket of bushes, talking in hushed tones.

Their clothes were covered in grass clippings and mud, and their faces were etched with exhaustion and hunger.

But at that moment, their eyes were fixed on the campfire in the camp through their binoculars.

To be precise, it was meowing happily, her mouth greasy as she ate a large plate of special energy cubes, and Monini playing happily beside her.

"Why—why—"

Musashi's voice trembled, whether from hunger or anger, it was hard to tell. "We searched all day, exposed to wind and sun, living in fear, without even a bite to eat."

"And then—" Kojiro continued, his voice trembling with tears, "Meow Meow and Monini are here eating and drinking and having so much fun."

"6

Under the moonlight, they could clearly see Meow Meow let out a satisfied burp, pat her round belly, and then lie down on the grass, gazing contentedly at the starry sky.

Mominion imitated Gardevoir's elegant posture, drawing admiring glances from Cheesecake.

"This is outrageous!"

Musashi clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fierce determination. "We're Team Rocket! Our most loyal comrades! How could they—how could they abandon us to enjoy themselves?!"

"But it's Musashi."

Kojiro hesitated, "We can't beat that trainer, can we?"

"Even if we can't win, we have to fight!"

Musashi gritted her teeth and said, "At least let them know that Team Rocket is not to be trifled with! And..."

She patted her empty stomach, a glint of light flashing in her eyes. "That food looks so delicious!"

The two exchanged a glance, and a plan to "win back their companion and freeload a meal" began to brew amidst their hunger and anger.

But they did not act rashly; they simply kept a close watch on the camp, waiting for an opportunity.

As night deepened, the moonlight gently enveloped the camp.

Zhang Jianying and his group returned to the campfire, where most of the Pokémon had already fallen asleep under Gardevoir's careful care.

Pikachu curled up next to Ash's sleeping bag, its tail occasionally twitching slightly; Piplup snuggled up to Dawn; Brock's Croagunk and Eggicatch were also resting quietly.

The four said goodnight to each other, offering quiet encouragement for tomorrow's challenges. Warm lights flickered on and off in the tent.

The campfire gradually died down, its embers shimmering with dark red light.

The forest returned to tranquility, with only the babbling of the stream and the even breathing of the Pokémon weaving together to create a lullaby for the night.

The starlight shone on the sleeping camp, and also on the young trainers and their Pokémon.

And from behind the bushes in the distance, two pairs of green eyes still gleamed with a stubborn and hungry light in the darkness—