Ash himself took the lead.
He gathered his Aura in his feet and pushed off fiercely from the top of Gyarados's head. His body shot out like a cannonball, charging directly toward Garbodor's massive body.
[Agility]—This approach seemed reckless, but it was absolutely necessary right now.
Even with everyone's combined strength, they couldn't take it head-on.
No matter how risky it was, he had to do it.
Because he was the trial-taker, he had to use himself as bait.
Marshadow's attention would inevitably be on Ash, not on his Pokémon.
And as Ash's actions became increasingly radical and risky, Marshadow would inevitably focus even more attention on him. Only then could an opportunity be created.
"...Roar—!" Garbodor swung its arm made of discarded cars and steel rebar in anger, smashing down toward Ash wrapped in a foul wind.
At the same time, the holes on the surface of its body sprayed deadly poison and shot out garbage.
However, in Ash's "Mind's Eye of Aura", the trajectories of all these attacks were clearly visible.
His body narrowly dodged attack after attack by the skin of his teeth.
Fortunately, this Garbodor was, after all, forcefully catalyzed, so its skill level was very low.
Just like that Pseudo-Totem Tentacruel in Vermilion City, it basically relied on bodily instincts to attack.
Of course, this Garbodor's level wasn't even as high as that Pseudo-Totem Tentacruel.
After all, its attack speed was truly slow.
The Giant Tentacruel's power was entirely its own strength bestowed upon it by the Sea King Dragonite.
But only a portion of this Giant Garbodor's power belonged to Marshadow; the rest was mostly the garbage the Giant Garbodor had devoured itself.
The intensity of the Giant Tentacruel and this Giant Garbodor were completely different.
Ash's target remained firmly locked onto Marshadow at the peak of the mountain.
The candlelight in Marshadow's eyes flickered violently.
It hadn't expected that after making the "foolish" choice to launch a frontal assault, Ash could actually unleash such powerful coordinated combat capabilities. It especially hadn't expected this human Trainer to dare charge up personally.
However, Marshadow didn't lower its guard in this regard; it even raised its vigilance to one hundred percent.
In this world, there were indeed a few humans who could fight just like Pokémon.
Even Marshadow's own martial arts were learned from a human martial artist.
Shadow energy condensed in Marshadow's hands, transforming into pitch-black arrows that shot silently toward Ash.
Ash swung his fists wrapped in the light of Aura, shattering the shadow arrows one by one.
The intensity of these shadow arrows was not high.
Marshadow's goal was to put pressure on Ash, not to kill him directly.
If it wanted to kill someone, it could just lurk in the shadows and look for an opportunity to execute a one-hit kill.
This type of Pokémon was fundamentally positioned as an assassin.
Even a Mythical Pokémon like Marshadow, being a Ghost-type, was better suited as an assassin.
As Ash struggled to climb upwards, dodging Garbodor's attacks and Marshadow's harassment, he attempted to transmit a pulse of Aura containing an intent of persuasion to Marshadow:
—Stop it, Marshadow!
—Is this the trial you want?
Forcing a choice using the safety and suffering of countless people?
I have indeed come to understand that the world needs a dynamic balance, and sometimes one must face necessary sacrifices.
But I will never be heartless!
—Look at this city!
—It may be filled with filth, it may be going through labor pains, but it is also striving to find a direction for rebirth!
—The lives here shouldn't become chips in your trial!
Unfortunately, Ash's attempted communication was completely useless.
Marshadow did indeed receive this Aura message.
But its face made of shadows showed no change in expression; its burning pupils held only indifference.
—Trial-taker.
—You need to make a choice.
—Accept the test, make your decision, and prove your "heart".
—These are the rules.
"Goo..."
Marshadow let out a low sound, and its shadow power surged once more. Even more shadow tentacles emerged from Garbodor's surface and wrapped toward Ash.
Its actions themselves were the most direct rejection of Ash's persuasion.
It could not understand Ash's arrogance in trying to break the rules and solve the problem directly.
It would only continue to apply pressure.
It wanted to continue the trial!
"Can't be reasoned with, huh..." Ash gritted his teeth, dodging the coil of a shadow tentacle as his body darted upwards another distance.
"Then I'll just have to use my fists to make you understand!"
The battle unfolded intensely upon Garbodor's massive body.
Ash was like a speck of blue light, moving nimbly across the filthy mountain, tangling with the shadow power manipulated by Marshadow.
Around Garbodor, Pikachu and the others were dealing maximum damage, restraining Garbodor's main body's movements... waiting for Ash to create an opportunity.
Due to its massive size and type, Garbodor's movements were relatively sluggish, but its strength and endless arsenal of garbage ammunition were still terrifying.
Every swat, every spray of venom, forced Pikachu and the others to deal with them using their full strength.
Gyarados's Hydro Pump was no longer as torrential as it was initially.
Pikachu's electric light was also slightly dim.
Pidgeotto's wings were stained with filth.
Misdreavus was even dirtier; she had taken the most dangerous attacks... After all, Miss Misdreavus wasn't afraid of being poisoned and didn't need to breathe.
They were all doing their utmost.
Ash saw all this and felt anxious in his heart.
He knew he had to break the stalemate as soon as possible.
After narrowly avoiding a shadow explosion from Marshadow, Ash's hand suddenly reached into his clothes, making a movement that caused Marshadow's pupils to contract sharply.
Ash pulled out the Rainbow Wing he had been gripping tightly!
And Ash's Pokémon all perked up—the opportunity had arrived.
This was the good thing about the telepathic communication of Aura; any secret plans didn't need to be spoken out loud.
"Now!"
Ash let out a furious roar, using all his strength to hurl the fiercely glowing Ho-Oh's feather directly at Marshadow.
During his continuous movements, he had long been injecting his Aura into this feather... and now it was finally full.
The moment the feather left his hand, it seemed to transform into a miniature sun. The light of purification was unprecedentedly strong, dispelling the surrounding shadows and filth as it shot straight toward Marshadow.
Marshadow let out a sharp, panicked cry.
It had an instinctive fear of this light.
In the face of that pure light, it felt as if its body of shadows was about to be evaporated and purified.
The shadow of death instantly shrouded all its senses.
Almost subconsciously, it retracted all its shadow energy to construct the thickest shield in front of it. All its attention was drawn to the incoming Ho-Oh's feather—
However, in the next thousandth of a second.
It suddenly realized!
Wait!
The feather wasn't truly activated!
It was just a feint stimulated by Aura!
Because if it was truly Ho-Oh's feather being activated... then it, Marshadow, would have already been annihilated by now. There would be no chance for resistance at all.
But it was already too late.
At the exact moment Marshadow froze for an instant and went into full defense due to its fear of Ho-Oh's feather,
Ash made his move.
He abandoned all defense, fully activating all the Aura within his body.
At the same time.
Pidgeotto, Gyarados, and Misdreavus attacked with full force, briefly suppressing Garbodor's movements.
Creating an opportunity for Pikachu's rapid advance.
"Pikapi!" With the speed of a Quick Attack, Pikachu appeared on Ash's body.
At this very moment.
Right now.
Ash's Aura flowed without reservation, pouring like a bursting dam into Pikachu, who was closely connected to him—
"PIKACHU—!!!"
"PIKA—CHU—!!!"
Accompanied by Ash's hoarse shout and Pikachu's roar that surpassed its limits, an unprecedented, terrifying electric light erupted from Pikachu's petite body.
It was no longer golden lightning serpents, but an incandescent sea of lightning composed purely of destructive energy.
Because of this load surpassing its limits, fine beads of blood even shot out from the surface of Pikachu's body, and its electric sacs seemed as if they were about to burst open.
And this lightning, capable of destroying everything, did not blast directly at Marshadow. Instead, as if drawn by an invisible force field, it violently flowed back, entirely coiling around Ash's right arm and even his whole body.
Pikachu's electric power was indeed very strong.
But Ash felt that if this electric shock was dispersed, its destructive power probably wouldn't be enough.
So at this moment, he would use his own body as the conductor to guide all the electric shocks!
—He had to make everyone's efforts worthwhile!
—So he couldn't lose!
—There would be no second chance!
—I am betting my right hand right here!
As for why he didn't let Pikachu do it?
Of course, it was because Pikachu couldn't endure it anymore.
The fact that the lightning hadn't directly burned Ash to ashes was already the result of Pikachu trying its best to control it.
"Ugh-ahhhhh—!"
Ash let out an agonized roar!
The sleeve on his right arm instantly carbonized and vanished.
The moment the skin of his arm came into contact with that destructive energy, it became charred and cracked; the large area of severe burns was shocking to behold!
The intense pain almost tore his nerves apart.
But he didn't stop; the Aura successfully harmonized this powerful lightning energy.
The Aura domain provided by the System was indeed very strong. If judged by the cultivation progress of a normal Aura user, it could be said to be completely off the charts.
...Though this System lacked presence, it truly never dropped the ball at crucial moments.
Ash used his own flesh as a conductor, as the final amplifier.
He fused Pikachu's limit-surpassing power with all of his Aura, as well as that unyielding will!
Ash's entire right arm, and even the better half of his torso, transformed into a physical entity shining with incandescent lightning and deep blue radiance, like a spear of judgment descending from a god.
Marshadow had just realized the feather was a feint and hadn't had time to react before it saw that human—wreathed in destructive energy, skin charred, yet with eyes burning like a raging fire—appear right in front of it as if teleporting.
Stimulated by Pikachu's electric power and with his Aura fully erupting, Ash reached the fastest speed he had ever achieved.
That right hand, wrapped in incandescent lightning and blue Aura, delivered a blow like a demon god, magnifying infinitely in Marshadow's shrinking, terrified pupils!
The most important thing was that Ho-Oh's feather was grasped in Ash's hand!
This was like an indestructible dagger!
Fortunately, Ho-Oh's feather was extremely stable and wouldn't be directly activated by such violent usage... Ash had confirmed this when he previously tried injecting his Aura into the feather.
—Marshadow: ???
—Marshadow: I don't think I can withstand this!!
Ash barely maintained the last vestiges of his consciousness.
He blasted out all of his Aura, all of his power.
Through his Mind's Eye, he saw the most fragile point where the Aura intertwined on Marshadow's body.
—This punch is for the lives you treated as chess pieces!
—This punch is also for my 100% displeasure with you!!
—And this punch is purely just to punch you!!!
Damn it!!!
One hundred percent!!!
Aura Burst Punch!!!
BOOM!!!!!!!!!
The fist solidly bombarded the dead center of Marshadow's shadow-composed body!
There was no sound.
Or rather, the sound was annihilated by a stronger energy.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Immediately following was a silent explosion!
Incandescent lightning and blue Aura burst forth from within Marshadow like a supernova explosion.
Its tiny body simply couldn't endure this internal and external attack of destructive energy that transcended conventional boundaries.
The power of light from the explosive destruction of the lightning completely clashed with Marshadow's own shadow nature.
"Goo... ugh-ahhhhh—!!!"
Marshadow let out an indescribably shrill scream.
"Ahhhhh—"
Under the impact of that ultimate light and power, its body shattered into pieces like broken porcelain.
Explosions continuously rang out from the cracks.
"Ahhhh—"
Fragments of shadows mixed with dissipating energy sprayed and scattered in all directions like black snowflakes.
"Ah—"
That massive, condensed aura of shadow instantly collapsed and waned like a popped balloon.
Losing its source of power, the Giant Garbodor let out a bewildered and pained, massive roar.
Its enormous body swayed, and the massive amount of garbage attached to its surface began to shatter and peel off inch by inch.
This Garbodor was originally catalyzed by Marshadow's power, so its body was actually quite loose.
Ash maintained his punching posture, suspended in mid-air. His charred right arm hung limply, his entire body emitting green smoke as he panted heavily.
"Mai mai!" Misdreavus appeared by Ash's side at the very first moment, using her psychic powers to hold up Ash's battered body.
The surface of his body was covered in traces of lightning, and large areas of skin were burned away... Right now, he couldn't be touched in any way; he could only be suspended using psychic powers.
"Pidgeo—" Pidgeotto brought Pikachu over to Misdreavus.
Pikachu's condition was also very poor and it needed to be handed over to Misdreavus to be suspended with her psychic powers.
And since Ash was in such poor condition now, it was up to Misdreavus to decide what to do next.
The seemingly mischievous Misdreavus was actually the most sharp-witted among all the Pokémon.
"Roar..." Gyarados let out a low growl, slowing down its movements.
Gyarados and Pidgeotto, who were the best at hit-and-run, were still in decent shape.
Ash looked at the disintegrating Marshadow before him. There was no joy of victory in his eyes, only the exhaustion and determination of having burned through everything.
He had done it.
Through a feint, using himself as bait.
He successfully landed his strongest attack on Marshadow.
If this still couldn't pass the trial of the Rainbow Hero, then there was nothing more he could do.
He had done everything humanly possible; the rest was up to fate.
Under the watchful eyes of Ho-Oh, Entei, and Suicune.
Ash had, in his own way, provided the most fierce answer to this cruel trial.
And this answer sheet made Ho-Oh, Entei, and Suicune extremely pleased.
That's right, this was exactly the Rainbow Hero they wanted to see.
Someone who could calm their mind to make brave choices, who could execute what they envisioned, someone who surpassed miracles.
The nagashi somen that everyone doesn't eat for some reason
Do-do-do-do
F Do-do Jiang FF F
This is nagashi somen, everyone. What's wrong? Do. Eat up, don't be polite.
: Is it the chopsticks? Is it because we don't have any? Am I wrong?
Do-do
____
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