Chapter 43: Revenge and Custom Techniques
Chapter 43: Revenge and Custom Techniques
The next day, Ron and his group arrived at the match selection hall. Ron entered his information, and as expected, he was assigned to the Ice Field—his opponent was none other than Snake.
"Hey, make sure you teach that guy a lesson," Gladion said, giving Ron a pat on the back.
"Yeah! Get revenge for Lillie!" Mallow added.
"That guy was way too arrogant. Ron, you've gotta put him in his place!" Sophocles pumped his small fists in the air.
Both Lana and Kiawe also encouraged Ron to get revenge for Lillie. Ron smirked.
"Don't worry. I'll make him despair."
Lillie wasn't present—Nidoqueen had just been released from the emergency ward last night, and she had stayed by its side the entire night. Now, she was asleep, being looked after by Lusamine. Meanwhile, Principal Oak and Professor Kukui had gone to pick up Professor Oak and Delia.
That meant only their friend group was present, so they could speak freely.
---
When Ron walked onto the battlefield, he was greeted by Snake's irritated expression.
"You didn't expect to fight me, did you?" Ron sneered. "I told you—I'll make you regret it."
"Hmph. Let's see you try," Snake scoffed.
The match began.
Ron sent out Charizard, while Snake used Aggron.
"Aggron, Rock Slide!" Snake shouted.
Large boulders rained down toward Charizard, but it effortlessly maneuvered through them, flapping its wings with expert precision.
Ron's cold voice echoed across the field.
"Show him the difference in strength. Charizard, Inferno. Burn this field to ashes."
Charizard brought its arms together, generating a deep crimson flame between them. It then dragged the flame along its body, throwing it into the air while spinning at high speed.
A massive, swirling inferno shot toward Aggron.
The intense heat melted the ice, transforming the Ice Field into a scorched wasteland. As the water evaporated, the battlefield sank slightly, leaving behind a pit of roaring flames.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Unbelievable! Charizard's Inferno completely transformed the Ice Field into a blazing hellscape!" The commentator shouted in excitement.
Snake, clearly frustrated, panicked.
"Aggron, use Roar!"
Ron smirked.
"You're way too slow."
"Charizard, Fire Spin. End this."
Charizard unleashed a tornado of fire, pulling in the remnants of Inferno and trapping Aggron inside. By the time the flames dissipated, Aggron lay completely scorched on the ground, its metal plating partially melted. If it didn't receive immediate medical attention, it might never battle again.
Snake's face turned pale.
He silently recalled Aggron and sent out Arcanine.
"Dragon Claw."
Charizard's claws glowed with draconic energy as it sliced through Arcanine, launching it into the air. Charizard followed up with a rapid series of slashes, striking multiple times before slamming Arcanine into the ground.
Arcanine didn't even get the chance to fight back.
Snake, now visibly shaken, sent out Swampert as his last Pokémon.
It didn't make a difference.
Charizard played with it, dodging every attack before delivering the final blow.
As Swampert collapsed, Snake silently recalled it, his hands trembling.
Ron crossed his arms and scoffed.
"And you had the nerve to talk big yesterday? This is the difference between us. I even held back. Learn your place."
Without waiting for a response, Ron turned and walked away, heading to check on Lillie. The rest of their group quickly followed, eager to see how she was doing.
---
When Ron entered the hospital room, Lillie and Nidoqueen were already awake.
The moment she saw Ron, Lillie blushed and hugged him tightly.
With a soft, grateful voice, she whispered, "Thank you, Ron."
Nidoqueen, sitting on the hospital bed, also gave Ron a nod of appreciation.
A moment later, Professor Kukui and Principal Oak arrived, bringing Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum with them.
After some small talk, Ron learned that Gary had also been eliminated. Meanwhile, Professor Oak and Delia were heading to watch Ash's match, so the group decided to join them.
---
At the Grass Field, Ash's battle was already underway.
Ron and the others found Misty and Brock, sitting with them to watch.
As expected, Ash's opponent was Jeanette, a trainer from Bloomingvale.
Like in the anime, Brock immediately started simping.
The first match was Beedrill vs. Bulbasaur. Watching Bulbasaur's dodging maneuvers, Ron rubbed his chin.
"Ash is definitely going for a speed-based strategy. Most of his Pokémon are on the smaller side."
However, Beedrill was defeated in an unusual way—completely immobilized by Leech Seed before being KO'd.
Ron narrowed his eyes. Leech Seed usually isn't that effective. Did she modify the technique somehow?
Jeanette recalled Beedrill and sent out Scyther, but Bulbasaur quickly took it down with Vine Whip.
Then came Jeanette's Bellsprout, and the real show began.
Everyone watched in disbelief as Bellsprout effortlessly dodged Pikachu's attacks and sent it flying with a simple counter kick.
Ron leaned forward, intrigued. That wasn't a Pokémon move. That was martial arts."
Ash's Bulbasaur also fell quickly to Bellsprout's precise strikes. Only Muk's sheer bulk managed to counter it.
Ron's mind raced.
"What if I trained my Pokémon in Six Powers?"
Bellsprout isn't using any official moves—its techniques are closer to martial arts, yet it's performing incredibly well.
Checking Bellsprout's data, Ron noted that it was only a mid-tier Pokémon with an average level. Yet, it had taken down two of Ash's strongest Pokémon.
"There's potential here."
If Pokémon could learn real-world combat techniques, they wouldn't be limited by just four moves.
A whole new level of strategy could open up.
---
After Ash's match, Professor Oak invited everyone to dinner at a high-end hotel.
Once there, Delia took over the kitchen, preparing a massive feast.
The food was so delicious that even Mallow started taking notes, eagerly asking Delia for cooking tips.
While everyone was enjoying the meal, Ron quietly called up the system.
"Have you finished developing custom techniques for my Pokémon?"
The system hesitated for a moment before displaying three new options.
Charizard's custom techniques – 100,000 Popularity Points
Sylveon's custom techniques – 100,000 Popularity Points
Greninja's custom techniques – 100,000 Popularity Points
Ron stared at the prices and clenched his fists.
"System, I swear to god—MMP!"