Chapter 319: Cynthia: I'm Garchomp. Roar roar roar!!!
Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Hehe, after bullying Pidgeottos all day, you finally got pecked in the eye by one, Ash."
Red couldn't help but shake his head, musing that Ash, who was always copying others' special moves, had finally gotten a taste of his own medicine.
In fact, he had noticed Machamp's strange behavior midway through. The best strategy would have been to go all out from the start, maxing out its attack speed. But instead, it had gone from weak to strong, continuously increasing its attack speed to adapt to Metapod's evasion.
It was using Metapod as a punching bag to master Ultra Instinct.
It only dodges and doesn't attack—a perfect punching bag.
And once both entered the Ultimate State simultaneously, Metapod would no longer have any advantage, becoming a punching bag in the truest sense.
"Yong..."
Seeing the heavily injured Metapod still standing its ground, its banana-shaped body held itself erect as if it still wanted to fight on, Red couldn't help but shake his head and even let out a sigh.
"Looks like winning is impossible now."
He had said it before: Metapod's Ultra Instinct wasn't perfect; it still hadn't taken that final step.
According to that Secret Manual, Ultra Instinct is actually divided into two stages. The initial stage is the current Ultra Instinct -Sign-.
Although this stage already seems very powerful, the second stage is the true, Perfect Ultra Instinct.
But even someone as strong as Red had no idea how to help Metapod take this final step.
What surprised Red, however, was that this "Ultra Instinct" was undoubtedly a supreme Secret Manual. Though only in its initial stage, it had already reached the peak of this world—the Ultimate State.
This was a state that all Elite Four members and Champions yearned for!
And the Perfect Ultra Instinct that truly transcended the Ultimate State was what Red, and Green, were truly pursuing.
The Ultimate State was not this world's ceiling.
Beyond the Ultimate State lay this world's true peak!
Fun fact: when the two of them had just transmigrated into this world, they were already standing at its summit, having reached the Ultimate State.
Whether it was the Extreme Speed of Red's retirement-mode Pikachu or the Lightning Qilin that commanded the might of nature, they had already stepped into the Ultimate State.
This was the pinnacle of Speed and elemental energy.
Likewise, the Extreme Speed of Green's Arcanine, as well as its instantaneous burst power, had also reached this state.
This was the pinnacle of speed and burst power.
But to continue improving on a single attribute like energy or speed had become absurdly difficult, as hard as a volcano god ascending to heaven; further improvement was almost impossible.
This path of raising a single attribute beyond the Ultimate State was, arguably, the most straightforward and also the most difficult.
Thus, other paths emerged that didn't involve simply increasing a single ultimate attribute.
For example, Green was attempting to fuse his Arcanine's two ultimate attributes, Extreme Speed and burst power, to transcend their individual limits. This had a high chance of breaking through that barrier.
When he told Red he was about to step into a new state, this is what he was talking about.
Another example: Ultra Instinct.
It could be described as a super-advanced technique for controlling mind and body. When truly perfected, it too was enough to break through this barrier.
Metapod's body and willpower were practically made for this move, Ultra Instinct, allowing it to learn it extremely quickly.
But perhaps because it learned so quickly, it could not, no matter what, take that final step.
Red felt it was just missing a certain catalyst, but that final, thin membrane remained tantalizingly out of reach, with no clue how to break through.
"Unless it can take that final step, it's impossible to win."
Red gave his final verdict.
He then returned his gaze to the present, shaking his head. He stopped viewing the battle from a participant's perspective and instead became a spectator, silently watching the drama unfold.
Perhaps if he stopped forcing it, a new opportunity would arise?
"Well, Youth, do you wish to continue the battle?"
In contrast to Ash's dismal expression, Bruno was beaming, looking as if he'd just won the lottery.
He had just come out to deliver a letter, but he hadn't expected to pick up a disciple with such decent aptitude for free, and even have his Machamp truly enter the Ultimate State.
You have to realize, this was a state that many Champions couldn't even reach!
Haha, when I get back, I'll apply to join that "Ultimate Masters Exchange Group" that Lance and the others secretly created!
It was said that the Unova Region's Champion, Alder, had already applied countless times, only to be rejected every time.
Whenever Alder complained in a private message, Lance, as the group owner, couldn't just come out and say he'd been kicked out of the Champion club, so he could only reply like this:
"I'm innocent, Mr. Alder. It seems like the system is malfunctioning; I can't add you no matter what I do. Gotta go, my phone only has 99% battery left. You should ask the other admins."
He passed the buck completely.
So, Alder glanced at the group member list. There were only a few people, all of them world-renowned, influential figures.
But the most ridiculous part was that, aside from the group owner, everyone else was an admin.
So, he had to bite the bullet and send a private message to an admin, asking why he wasn't being let in.
This was the reply from Admin · Champion Steven Stone:
"I wanted to add you, but someone's hand speed was faster than mine. By the time I opened it, you were already rejected. Gotta go, I just dug up a Shiny Beldum."
Alder fumed, cursing under his breath about how there couldn't be so many Shiny Pokémon, especially a Beldum with so much promise. His face darkened as he messaged the next admin.
"This isn't him. I'm Garchomp. Roar roar roar!!"
This was the reply from Admin · Champion Cynthia.
Alder: "?"
Could a real Garchomp even type? Wouldn't its claws shred the phone screen?!
"Hehe, this old man is getting on in years, my hands and feet aren't so nimble anymore. Gotta go, I'm retiring in the second half of this year..."
This was the reply from Admin · Champion Master Ma.
Alder: "..."
Not nimble? You're the one who snatches up red packets the fastest in the "Elite Four and Champion Exchange Group"!
And who was it that did twenty consecutive backflips on the spot after winning last year's P1 World Fighting Grand Prix?!
Damn it all!!
Back to reality.
"Well, Youth, do you still want to battle?"
The level of the battle was too high. Staring at the Machamp before him, which was still pulsing with silvery-white energy ripples, Ash swallowed hard and then passed the decision to his Metapod.
"What do you think, Metapod, do you still want to battle?"
"Yong!!"
Without a moment's thought, Metapod let out a low cry, expressing its resolve to keep fighting.
It had to be known, Metapod was the first Pokémon to join his team. Its strength, naturally, also had to be the greatest!
But looking at the Ultra Instinct Machamp before it, at the profound aura pulsing around its body, a large drop of sweat fell from Metapod's brow again as its face grew grave.
"How do I break through!!?"
Not only was Red clueless, but Metapod also didn't know.
But the one thing it did know was that once it could master Perfect Ultra Instinct and step into the state beyond the Ultimate State that even Red was pursuing, then the Machamp before it would be no match for it at all!!
"Yong!"
Metapod's gaze immediately focused as it steeled itself. Its mind raced, and its eyes began to unconsciously scan its surroundings.
I need a catalyst!
A catalyst for a breakthrough!!
Suddenly, Metapod saw the catalyst.
(end of chapter)