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

Chapter 97: Salamence with an Intimidate ability but excessive confidence

The repair team was very efficient; in less than two hours, the brand-new gas pipeline was laid and a strict airtightness test was conducted. Zhang Jianying readily paid the fee, and looking at the warehouse space that had been cleaned up, leaving only some charred marks, he smiled helplessly.

That's good. Out with the old, in with the new. As long as Pokémon is alright.

It was nearly noon, and the sun was shining brightly.

Zhang Jianying prepared a sumptuous lunch in the open-air dining area in the backyard, both to welcome the new members and to calm the nerves of the firefighting heroes.

He formally introduced the Evil Ghost to New Leaf Cat and a pair of mice.

Ergui sat obediently in the chair next to Zhang Jianying, his starry eyes under the green grass mask curiously observing his two new companions.

New Leaf Cat tilted its head, trying to poke at the leaves on Egui's head with its paw, but Egui gently dodged it. Egui wasn't angry; instead, it chuckled with a "boo-ni".

The two mice huddled together, pointing at the three masks that served as decorative buttons on the cloak behind Erguilan, and whispering to each other, seemingly assessing their collectible value.

"Alright, now that we know each other."

Zhang Jianying clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"I have something to announce. The Sinnoh League Conference is approaching. We need to speed up our badge collection."

He took out a map of the Sinnoh region and pointed to Bleu City: "Next stop, Bleu City, the goal is to get the Forest Badge."

Upon hearing this, New Leaf Cat yawned boredly and licked its paws, clearly showing little interest in collecting badges or battling.

The pair of mice were so engrossed in devouring the berry pie on their plate that the fighting seemed less appealing than the food in front of them.

Zhang Jianying looked at them and smiled helplessly.

The intention of taking them on trips is to let them burn off their excess energy, receive some basic training, and prevent them from destroying the house. After all, if they keep destroying things, my wallet really can't take it.

"The three of you."

He specified, "Battles aren't mandatory. If you're occasionally interested, you can learn some basics from Ice Goose. The rest of the time, just do physical and reaction training with Potts, understand?"

"Meow~" Xin Ye Miao responded perfunctorily, wagging her tail.

"Squeak, squeak." The two mice, with food stuffed in their mouths, nodded indistinctly.

Ultimately, if we ignore the brief commotion caused by Newleaf Cat trying to steal the last piece of berry pie from a pair of mice's plates, the atmosphere at lunch was pretty good.

After the meal, Zhang Jianying took the tortoise to the orchard in the backyard.

He took out two small bags from his backpack, which contained plant seeds for secret sweet and sour seasonings.

"Turtle, it's up to you. Try and see if you can get these seeds to sprout."

Zhang Jianying selected a small patch of fertile soil with suitable sunlight and moisture, and gently sowed the seeds.

The earth-based tortoise growled and walked to the seed.

The giant tree behind it glowed faintly, and rich grass-based energy flowed from its limbs into the earth.

At the same time, the Earth Tortoise used its unique talent, gained after being blessed by the Seraphim, to gently and precisely accelerate the plant's growth process.

Soon, the surrounding common tree seedlings and herbs sprouted branches and leaves at a visible speed, becoming lush and verdant.

However, in the two small plots where the secret seasoning seeds were sown, only the soil slightly rose up, and two tiny clumps of extremely delicate shoots emerged, growing much slower than other plants.

Zhang Jianying squatted down and carefully examined the two special seedlings, stroking his chin.

"It seems the secret seasoning plants are indeed extraordinary. The methods to accelerate growth have limited effectiveness."

He muttered to himself, "Turtle, I'll have to leave this place to you from now on. Don't try to speed it up; just let them grow at their natural pace."

The tortoise nodded steadily, gently shifting its body to cast a patch of shade over the seedling, shielding it from the midday sun without obstructing its light.

The trees on its back exude a refreshing and invigorating fragrance, enveloping the small nursery.

Together with the wild Pokémon, Zhang Jianying carefully loosened the soil around the seedlings and watered them.

While Zhang Jianying and the tortoise were focused on taking care of the seedlings, the atmosphere on the beach on the other side of the backyard gradually became "dangerous".

Having just evolved and feeling the immense power within its body, the Salamence was idly sunbathing on the beach.

Its blood-red wings were outstretched, and the dark red patterns on its body looked particularly ferocious in the sunlight, yet also revealed a hint of smugness.

Its gaze involuntarily drifted toward the garden not far away.

Gardevoir was showing the newly joined Darquiz around the environment with an elegant demeanor and a peaceful expression.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting a soft glow on its white skirt.

Looking at Gardevoir's ever-calm demeanor, Salamence suddenly recalled many "unpleasant" memories.

When it was still a baby dragon, it was lifted up and disciplined by Gardevoir using Psychic; it was blasted away by the [Moon Power] when it provoked others; and it suffered countless frustrations from trying to challenge the "big sister's" authority only to be easily suppressed.

Now, it has evolved! Its power has increased dramatically!

Energy flow is smoother than ever before, and the characteristics of the damaged flight skin have been streamlined and integrated, allowing for better utilization.

The more the Salamence looked at it, the more it felt—it seemed like it could do it again!

Both old and new grudges surged into my heart!

It's time to overthrow "tyranny"!

Let this smug green tea b*tch, who always acts so nonchalant, taste what it's like to be humiliated!

Today, we must plant this guy in the ground!

"roar--"

A deep roar brewed in its throat as the Salamence straightened up, its eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Genga?"

Gengar, who was holding a jug nearby and trying to pour out the last drop of its special mixed fruit juice, noticed the change in Salamence's aura.

It followed Salamence's "fiery" gaze and landed on Gardevoir, suddenly realizing what was going on!

Oh open!

This little sister thinks she's all that again! She wants to challenge the boss's authority!

That's fun! So much fun!

Gengar and Shuckle stared at each other with their beady eyes, both eyes flashing with a mischievous glint that seemed to enjoy watching a good show.

Gengar, carrying its pot, floated up to the eager Salamence, making faces and gesturing wildly.

It patted Salamence's wings, gave a thumbs-up, pointed at Gardevoir, and made an exaggerated expression that said, "You're strong, you'll definitely win."

Potpot also stretched out its forelegs, clumsily gesturing as if to say, "Big Sister has been neglecting her training lately, this is the perfect opportunity!"

Salamence was initially a little apprehensive, after all, Gardevoir had been a formidable opponent for a long time.

But under the unbridled, extravagant flattery and cajoling from Gengar and Shuckle, that little bit of unease was quickly overwhelmed by inflated confidence!

That's right! I'm a powerful Salamence now! What's there to be afraid of!

We're all in our final form, so why can't I be the boss?!

"roar--!!!"

It suddenly stood up and let out a roar full of fighting spirit towards Gardevoir!

Blood wings unfurled, and dragon might spread!

Come on! You stinky green tea! Let me test your skills! If I don't plant you in the ground today, I'm not called Flying Dragon!

Gardevoir, who was patiently explaining various facilities and novelties of modern society to the Evil Spirits, paused slightly.

Stinky green tea?

It slowly turned around, its crimson eyes calmly looking at the menacing Salamence.

The air around me seemed to freeze suddenly.

The Salamence's surging aura inexplicably faltered as it was swept over by that calm gaze.

My heart skipped a beat; I suddenly had a bad feeling—

Am I being too impulsive?

But the arrow was already on the bowstring, and it had to be released!

Especially with Gengar and Shuckle adding fuel to the fire, Salamence had no choice but to grit its teeth and continue to raise its head, conveying its provocation with its eyes.

Not far away, the Greatsword Demon, who was quietly practicing his slashing skills in the reef area, keenly sensed the low pressure at the center of the storm.

Silently sheathing its sword, it scooped up the Ice Goose that was looking at it with great curiosity and quietly retreated to a safe distance. It didn't forget to call over New Leaf Cat and a pair of mice—the three little guys in total.

Seeing this, Gengar picked up its Shuttle, grabbed the still somewhat bewildered Urgot, and quickly floated to the side of the Greatsword Ghost, joining the ranks of onlookers.

Evil blinked its starry eyes, looked at Gardevoir, then at Salamence, and seemed to understand something.

It pulled out the more reassuring Foundation Stone Mask from behind its cloak, put it on, and prepared to watch the battle intently.

On the open beach, only Gardevoir and Salamence remained, facing each other from afar.

Battle is imminent.

Salamence didn't stand on ceremony and didn't want to give Gardevoir time to prepare.

Knowing how difficult it is to deal with Psychic Pokémon, it goes all out from the start!

With a flap of its blood wings, Salamence unleashed the full power of its damaged flight skin, combining the immense energy gained from its evolution to unleash an astonishing initial velocity from its massive body!

The white light of [Sacrifice Charge] enveloped his entire body, like a blood-red meteor shot from the gun, tearing through the air with a fierce whistle, and crashing straight into Gardevoir!

The speed and power of this attack surprised both Gengar and Skull Demon who were watching.

If we were to face them, we would probably need to take it seriously and think about strategies for dodging or taking the hit head-on.

However, Gardevoir simply stood still, a fleeting glint of pale blue light from its psychic powers flashing in its crimson eyes as it briefly foresaw the trajectory of the attack.

Just before Salamence was about to crash into it, Gardevoir's figure rippled like water and vanished without a trace.

Instant teleportation

The next moment, it appeared to the side and rear of the Salamence's charge path.

With hands gracefully clasped together in front of the chest, the [Power of the Moon] rapidly gathered!

The cool beam of light shot out precisely, striking the side of the massive body of the Salamence, which was slightly slowed down by its charge!

The Salamence reacted extremely quickly, forcefully reversing its charge. Its blood wings unfurled, and its massive body performed a nimble side spin in the air, narrowly avoiding the core of the moonbeam beam. However, it was still grazed by the edge, leaving a burn mark on its hard scales.

Without stopping, it used the momentum of its rotation to unleash the rhythmic light of an ancient war dance—[Dragon Dance]!

Salamence wants to use its enhanced physical abilities and increased speed after evolution to engage in close-quarters combat!

They didn't give Gardevoir a chance to calmly unleash its psychic powers.

Salamence abandoned the Dragon-type moves whose effects were negated, and instead focused all its energy on the energy of its flying skin, covering its body surface with it.

The lights of [Sacrifice Charge] and [Steel Wing] flashed alternately. The Salamence's attack was like a storm, with claw strikes, wing flaps, and charges, all seemingly random yet continuous. It didn't care about the intense energy consumption and only wanted to use speed to overcome slowness and brute force to defeat skill!

Despite the fierce onslaught, Gardevoir remained completely at ease.

Its figure flickered erratically during the attack, each seemingly perilous dodge perfectly timed, its white skirt like butterfly wings dancing in a storm.

Occasionally, seizing a tiny opening in Salamence's offensive transitions, a silent [Mental Break] or a crescent-shaped [Moon Power] strike can be delivered.

It will then launch a precise counterattack, adding new wounds to the Salamence.

"Bingqi! Bingqi (Go! Go!)"

"Meow! (Go, boss! Hit it!)"

"Squeak! Squeak! (Charge! Charge! Bite it!)"

On the sidelines, Ice Goose, Newleaf Meow, and a pair of mice were waving small colorful flags they had somehow acquired, cheering on the two Pokémon locked in fierce combat. The atmosphere was electric.

On the field, the Salamence, unable to break through after a prolonged attack, began to get a little impatient.

Although the energy reserves brought about by evolution are abundant, they cannot withstand its relentless and indiscriminate bombardment.

The Safi'jiiva's scarlet pupils gradually turned a violent, blood-red hue as it activated [Reverse Scale].

It wasn't losing its mind due to anxiety, but rather trying to use the [Reverse Scale] state to forcibly increase the speed of energy flow and explosive power!

It will concentrate all its power into the final blow!

The Salamence suddenly created distance, its gaping maw opening wide. The terrifyingly destructive energy of the [Hyper Beam] gathered and compressed within it, emitting a blinding white light!

At the same time, it frantically squeezed out the last bit of energy from its flight skin properties, merging it into the [Destructive Ray].

Gardevoir stopped its elusive movements and quietly watched Salamence gather its full power.

At this moment, it seemed as if it saw again that sensitive, stubborn little baby dragon who always wanted to prove itself no matter what.

However, the little guy has now grown into such a powerful and beautiful dragon.

It smiled with satisfaction.

No longer dodging.

Gardevoir stretched its arms horizontally in front of it, and a vast, ocean-like psychic energy surged forth and condensed before it!

The invisible psychic power was imbued with the sharpness to cut through everything. [Psychic Smash] transformed into a visible pale blue crescent-shaped blade. Just as the [Hyper Beam] mixed with flight energy burst forth from Salamence's mouth, Gardevoir pushed its hands forward!

The super-powered crescent moon flew out silently and precisely cut into the center of the thick, dazzling white beam of light!

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

[Destructive light] It is neatly divided in two from the middle!

The split energy beams grazed Gardevoir's sides, blasting into the beach and rocks behind it, sending sand and rocks flying everywhere.

The pale blue crescent moon, after cutting through the beam of light, continued its momentum until it reached the exhausted Salamence, at which point it quietly dissipated, turning into specks of firefly light.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

The Salamence was panting heavily, its massive body swaying slightly; the attack had drained its strength.

The bloodlust faded from its eyes, and reason returned.

Although its face still showed its unruly nature, it knew very well that it was still quite a distance from Gardevoir.

immediately.

Suddenly, Flying Dragon remembered the "bold words" he had uttered before the fight, and a bead of cold sweat slowly slid down his forehead.

It seems like I've courted disaster—

The Salamence rolled its eyes, habitually flicked its tail, and turned around as if nothing had happened, ready to make its escape.

It planned to go find its trainer, or simply hide back in its Poké Ball to avoid trouble.

However, just as its body had turned halfway, it felt an irresistible, invisible force firmly fixing it in mid-air.

Gardevoir's telepathic message, a cool tone tinged with a hint of "gentleness," echoed directly in its mind: "You scheming green tea bitch?"

"Are you going to plant me in the ground?"

Salamence froze. There was no way to escape, so it made up its mind to give up completely.

Turning back, she still wore a defiant "fight if you dare" expression towards Gardevoir, exhaling two puffs of hot air from her nostrils: "Roar! I said it! So what!"

Gardevoir's response was concise and clear: Very good.

Gengar and Shuckle, who had witnessed the entire process, now looked at the "brave and fearless" Salamence with "admiration".

The Great Sword Demon covered his face in astonishment, utterly amazed.

So, when Zhang Jianying and Torterra finished tending to the seedlings and followed the commotion to find the Pokémon on the beach, this was the scene they saw.

-

The once majestic Salamence was now mostly buried in the sand, with only its bruised and swollen head sticking out, staring blankly at the sky.

Gardevoir stood gracefully to the side, gently brushing away non-existent sand from her skirt, her expression calm as if nothing had happened.

A group of onlookers with varying expressions surrounded them.

Zhang Jianying suppressed a laugh, walked over to the dragon-shaped sand sculpture where only the head was visible, squatted down, patted the cold scales on the Salamence's head, and said with a sigh, "Salamence, oh Salamence, why don't you ever learn?"

The Flying Dragon angrily turned its head to the side, letting out a defiant snort.

Zhang Jianying added insult to injury, his tone regretful: "What a pity, I didn't get to see the spectacular scene of planting such a huge dragon in the ground. It would have been very memorable."

"Giggle!!"

Gengar, who had been waiting for this moment, immediately floated over excitedly, waving the Pokédex in its hand. The screen was playing a high-definition loop of the entire process of Salamence being grabbed by Gardevoir with Psychic and "planted" in the sand!

They even thoughtfully added slow motion and replay!

"Roar!"

Enraged, Salamence stretched its only movable neck, opened its mouth wide, and tried to bite its smug second brother who was holding up "evidence," as well as the unscrupulous trainer next to it who not only didn't help it but also laughed along!

Unfortunately, it was buried too tightly and its neck wasn't long enough, so it could only nibble at the sand in vain, which infuriated it.

In the end, it was the calm and collected turtle who lent a hand.

It slowly walked over, carefully tied a grass knot around Salamence's exposed neck, and slowly "pulled" Salamence's huge body out of the sand pit.

The Salamence lay exhausted on the ground, covered in sand and looking disheveled, but its eyes remained stubborn.

The Earth-plated Tortoise gently rolled up the Pot Pot, the Ice Goose, the New Leaf Cat, and a pair of mice, placing them on its broad carapace.

Ergui Peng also took off his mask and jumped to the tree behind Torterra. Then, Torterra and Kyogre dragged the exhausted Salamence, slowly turned around, and walked towards home.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long.

Seeing this, Zhang Jianying walked over to Gardevoir and stood side by side with it.

"It has grown quite a bit."

He said softly.

Gardevoir nodded gently, its crimson eyes gazing softly at Salamence being dragged along by Torterra and Scyther.

"Let's go home."

Zhang Jianying stretched and said, "Let's pack up. We should head to Baidai City tomorrow."

"9