Chapter 203: Jing He's First Unrestricted Battle!
Chapter 203: Jing He's First Unrestricted Battle!
Sure enough.
Jing He wore an expression that said, "I knew it."
He had a feeling that coming to Vermilion City to find Commander Mars would make this inevitable.
However, with three badges already in his possession, Jing He had come to terms with it.
Some things couldn't be avoided, no matter how much he wanted to.
So be it.
Whether he could get the badge or how many badges he could collect, he would just go with the flow.
If he managed to collect all eight badges, participating in the League Conference wouldn't be a bad idea. After all, his Pokemon, like Gengar, had never been to a conference.
Jing He also had some knowledge about Commander Mars.
He, along with Koga and Petrel, was known as one of the three executives of Team Rocket.
After Team Rocket's dissolution, Mars actively participated in various events, providing significant assistance to Red and others.
In a sense, Mars was the fastest to rehabilitate after Team Rocket's collapse.
Despite his rough and burly appearance and his temper, he didn't look like someone with a sharp mind.
But how many people who reached the rank of lieutenant were truly brainless?
His official strength might be the weakest among the three executives, but this also indicated that his position wasn't solely based on power.
In reality, Mars was a no-nonsense, calm, and even somewhat humorous veteran.
His true forte was in life-or-death battles, where he had once pushed Red to the brink.
The glove that Red used to store electricity during his final battle with Giovanni, which was insulated to prevent discharge, was actually taken from Mars.
One of the most talked-about incidents involving Mars was when he commanded one of the Legendary Beasts, Raikou, to charge a maglev train.
Making the mighty Raikou serve as a power bank, he was likely the first to do so.
Additionally, he was the only person to have owned both one of the Legendary Birds, Electabuzz, and one of the Legendary Beasts, Raikou.
Of course, most of this information was based on the special episodes, while the anime portrayed Mars in a much simpler light.
Now, since he knew he couldn't avoid it, Jing He didn't hesitate and smiled, nodding.
"Indeed, Commander Mars."
Huh?
This caught Mars a bit off guard. He sized up Jing He, and his estimation of him improved slightly.
Jing He was rather handsome, holding a cute Six Tail in his arms, and despite his somewhat delicate appearance, he had a certain air of masculinity.
Crossing his arms, Mars grinned.
"Since that's the case, how about we have an unrestricted battle?"
Jing He was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered.
That was quite in character for Mars.
However, "Gengar?"
Gengar scratched its head.
What was an unrestricted battle? It had never heard of it or tried it before.
Seeing Gengar's confusion, Tony, who was standing nearby, assumed Jing He didn't know what an unrestricted battle was and kindly explained.
"An unrestricted battle is a more formalized version of wild battles. It was popular in some conferences and gym battles, but it has become less common recently."
He continued, "The rules are simple. Both trainers and their Pokemon enter the arena together, and you can switch Pokemon at any time. The first to defeat any of the opponent's Pokemon in rotation wins."
Jing He nodded.
"I understand. Apart from Pokemon not being allowed to directly attack trainers, all other in-arena situations must be handled by both the trainer and the Pokemon."
This mode was indeed less common now, but it wasn't unheard of.
In the special episodes, Red, Blue, and Green used this format in the final League Conference.
Even in Red's battle against Giovanni, the same format was used.
This format gave the traveling trainers a significant advantage over the academy-trained ones in the League's "rivalry."
As conflicts escalated, this format gradually faded from the spotlight.
However, some veteran trainers still held it in high regard.
Some older trainers even believed that the League's gradual loss of control over various regions was partly due to the decline of unrestricted battle rules.
'If Ash's era had used this rule, he might have won the Indigo League.'
"Gengar~~"
Gengar's face lit up with understanding.
So the battle videos it watched with the old lady were unrestricted battles.
No wonder the battles Jing He took it to felt a bit different from those videos.
"Since you understand, Mr. Jing He, I won't elaborate further," Tony said.
"Let's get started!"
Mazhi Shi said, already eager to begin.
It had been so long since he last had an unrestricted battle. When the news spread that someone was challenging Mazhi Shi, the Gym Leader, to an unrestricted battle, the intern trainers and staff at the Gym quickly gathered around.
Even the previously unconscious Bishuikui slowly awoke.
In the vast battlefield of the Fuchsia Gym, Mazhi Shi placed three Poke Balls on one side of the center.
Jing He, on the other side, placed the Poke Balls containing Gengar, Weavile, and Forretress.
According to the rules, the Poke Balls were locked to prevent the Pokemon from opening them on their own.
The two trainers slowly retreated to the edge of the arena. Tony, the referee, raised his flag, signaling the start of the unrestricted battle.
The first step in an unrestricted battle is for the trainers to rush into the arena, grab their Poke Balls, and summon their Pokemon.
The most common strategy is to try to destroy the opponent's Poke Balls to prevent them from summoning their Pokemon first!
"Battle—" Tony's flag dropped sharply, "Begin!"
In an instant, Mazhi Shi, his muscles tensed, dashed toward the center of the arena.
While Jing He also ran, his speed was noticeably slower compared to Mazhi Shi.
Seeing this, Mazhi Shi couldn't help but sneer.
A rookie is still a rookie.
Snap!
Mazhi Shi grabbed a Poke Ball.
Got it!
While the rules stated that Pokemon couldn't directly attack trainers, the aftermath of their moves could still cause significant damage.
Even the aftershock of a Pokemon's move was more than a regular trainer's body could handle.
As he opened the Poke Ball, Mazhi Shi also threw a dagger, aiming to knock Jing He's Poke Balls away.
"Go, Magneton! Use Thunder, covering the entire field!"
Hmm?
Before the red light fully materialized, he noticed that Jing He had stopped.
Click!
A sharp sound.
The Poke Ball that Mazhi Shi's dagger had knocked away opened on its own!
Wasn't it locked?
Locked?
For Gengar, unlocking a Poke Ball was like having breakfast.
"Gengar!"
Gengar emerged from the Poke Ball, holding a massive "Shadow Ball" in its hands, its grin sinister and terrifying.
Tony, the referee, widened his eyes.
While Pokemon storing energy inside their Poke Balls wasn't unheard of, how did Gengar manage to store such a large "Shadow Ball" without breaking the Poke Ball?
How did it do that?
Of course, it stored the energy in its mouth!
Eating "Shadow Balls" was second nature to Gengar.
Mazhi Shi's face turned pale as he quickly shouted:
"Magneton, attack Gengar!"
He immediately changed his strategy and dodged to one side.
Boom!!
The golden lightning and the massive, pitch-black energy ball collided, causing a violent explosion.
When the dust settled, Magneton was covered in dirt, looking rather disheveled.
Compared to releasing a move after emerging from the Poke Ball, the power of a move stored inside was significantly greater.
Mazhi Shi was about to switch Pokemon.
However,
"Gengar!"
Gengar laughed wickedly, extending its tongue to scoop up the remaining four Poke Balls into its mouth!
Bishuikui and the others gaped in astonishment.
"Is, is this even allowed?!"
Mazhi Shi's expression was no better than theirs.
Despite his extensive experience in unrestricted battles, he had never encountered such a situation.
A 3v3 had turned into a 1v3!
"Return, Gengar."
Jing He immediately called out.
As Gengar flew back to Jing He, it brought the remaining Poke Balls with it, all landing in his hands.
No rules, huh?
Then don't blame me for being unreasonable.
He threw the second Poke Ball.
"Go, Weavile!"
A howling blizzard descended, and the temperature in the arena plummeted.
Mazhi Shi gritted his teeth and commanded again:
"Magneton, use Flash!"
He also put on a pair of sunglasses and charged toward Jing He.
Since he was at a disadvantage in terms of Pokemon numbers, he had to change his strategy again.
Unrestricted battles only prohibited Pokemon from directly attacking trainers.
It didn't mean trainers couldn't attack each other!
Mazhi Shi sneered.
Watch me blast you!
The blinding white light forced Jing He to close his eyes.
"Weavile, Blizzard!"
Jing He gave the command while slowly retreating.
This behavior earned him the approval of the spectators, including Bishuikui.
Remaining calm and giving commands in the face of unexpected situations.
Choosing to avoid a disadvantageous position.
Both were very wise decisions, but...
Mazhi Shi's muscles weren't just for show.
A powerful punch aimed for Jing He's face, but with his eyes tightly shut, it seemed impossible for him to dodge.
However, Marty quickly realized something was off.
The punch missed!
How did Jing He, with his eyes closed, manage to dodge? And despite his slender frame, it seemed his reaction speed and agility were not to be underestimated.
What Marty didn't know was that at this moment, Jing He could "see" his movements even more clearly than with his eyes open.
Not just Marty's movements, but even the Triad Pokemon's actions were clear to him.
The power of Aura!
As for why he could dodge:
It was a joke to think he couldn't evade a punch from Marty when he could even avoid a surprise attack from a Gengar.
Could anything be faster than a Gengar?
Whooosh—
A sudden "Blizzard" swept across the field, covering the Triad Pokemon in frost.
Marty felt a bone-chilling cold.
His body shivered involuntarily, the sudden temperature drop making him stiff.
How could it be so cold?
But then—
A fist suddenly came at his face.
Bang!!
It was Jing He's fist!
"Hisss—"
The spectators gasped in shock.
In a close-quarters combat, Marty had been hit first?!
Wasn't he cold?
This was Marty's first thought after being punched.
His second thought was—
Damn! That hurts!
Jing He's strength was much greater than he had imagined!
Fortunately, Jing He's second punch missed.
But this also cost Marty the chance to take Jing He down instantly.
So he commanded:
"Triad Pokemon, Gyro Ball!"
Hummm—
The Triad Pokemon spun rapidly, breaking free from the ice of the Furret and then charging at it.
Jing He sighed inwardly, realizing he needed to practice some fighting techniques. Taking advantage of the distance he had put between himself and Marty, he took out another Poke Ball.
"Return, Furret."
In its place came the Forretress!
Forretress had a lot of experience dealing with Triad Pokemon.
"Brick Break!"
With the assistance of Aura, this strategic Pokemon swap allowed Furret to dodge the Triad Pokemon's Gyro Ball and created a perfect opportunity for Forretress to strike.
At the same time, Marty responded.
"Triad Pokemon, Thunderbolt!"
Since he couldn't win with technique, he would have to go for brute force!
He wiped the warm blood from his nose, his eyes burning with determination.
It had been a long time since he felt this excited!
This was a truly interesting battle!
Not only did his Pokemon choose to go on the offensive, but he also braced himself against the cold and charged at Jing He again.
Knocking out the trainer was also a way to win!
And it seemed to be his only chance of victory now.
But—
Just as he was about to rush at Jing He, he stopped in his tracks, because he noticed—
Jing He's hands, which seemed to be rubbing together aimlessly, were glowing with a faint blue light.
I must be seeing things, Marty thought.
Did I just see that guy forming an Aura Sphere?!
"Do you want to try it?" Jing He suddenly asked with a smile.
Marty: "..."
Bang!!
On the other side of the field—
The Triad Pokemon's Thunderbolt hit Forretress.
But Forretress' hammer smashed into the Triad Pokemon with equal force.
Crack—
The Triad Pokemon was sent flying, its body showing cracks, and—
Two of the magnets were stuck to Forretress' hammer!
Super effective plus super effective!
The blue light in Jing He's hands gradually faded.
He smacked his lips and said, "Oops, looks like I failed."
Marty's eyes twitched.
Was it a real failure or a fake one?
Jing He's calm demeanor reminded him of someone.
Someone who had instilled the greatest fear in him.
No, even that person wouldn't play so dirty in an unrestricted battle.
Why the scare tactics?
The entire arena fell silent.
"Triad Pokemon has lost the ability to battle!" Tony announced, his voice shaky. "The winner is Jing He!!"
Bisque and the others looked incredulous.
Captain Marty really lost?
Marty, standing still, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
Looking at Jing He, he said seriously, "Congratulations, young man. You won."
He had lost, both tactically and strategically.
Even in close combat, his greatest strength, he couldn't gain the upper hand.
He had no regrets about the loss.
(End of Chapter)
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