Chapter 68: Battle Against Scizor

Chapter 68: Battle Against Scizor

A few days later, Celebi was sitting on Ron's shoulder, happily waving a small branch around, obviously in a good mood.

Ron didn't have much choice. Celebi was like Ash's Pikachu—it didn't like staying inside the Pokéball. But since Celebi wasn't heavy, Ron decided to let it do as it pleased.

Celebi was a mythical Pokémon among Legendaries, and ordinary people wouldn't recognize it as a Legendary Pokémon, so Ron wasn't worried about attracting attention.

Celebi had indeed been very cheerful lately. At first, it had thought that leaving its family and joining a strange trainer would mean living a tough life, not having enough to eat or enough warmth. However, since following Ron, its life had become colorful, filled with tasty food and fun experiences. Moreover, its strength had improved many times faster than within its own clan, to the point that it almost didn't want to leave.

As Celebi was humming happily, a red flash suddenly passed in front of them. Ron stroked his chin and said, "That looks like a Scizor. Its speed is decent, but I already have Pheromosa, so I don't really need another Bug-type right now."

Celebi nodded, agreeing: This Scizor was too ugly compared to Pheromosa.

Another red flash passed by, and the Scizor stopped in front of Ron, assuming a threatening attack stance. Ron scratched his head and asked, "Celebi, how about you handle it?"

Celebi shook its head, indicating it had no interest in playing with such an ugly Pokémon. Ron helplessly sent out Gyarados, saying, "Do you want to battle, uncle?"

"Ahem. How did you notice me?" After coughing twice, a man with a mustache stepped out from behind a tree.

"You underestimate me too much. My eyesight is quite good. I could even see your Scizor's movements clearly. Did you think I wouldn't notice the edge of your clothes sticking out from behind that tree just now?" Ron said helplessly.

"Haha, it seems you're quite a strong trainer, and you've trained your Gyarados well," the uncle said. "My name is Muramasa, and this is my Pokémon, Scizor. I've named him Masamune. I've been searching for strong Pokémon trainers like you."

"I'm Ron from Pallet Town. Were you looking for me?" Ron pointed to himself, puzzled. He couldn't clearly remember everything from the anime he'd watched long ago, just some of the more important details, and had forgotten the less significant ones. He vaguely recalled this uncle was looking for trainers to teach his son a lesson.

"That's right. Can I ask you for a favor?" Muramasa said. "If not, that's alright too."

"Alright, I'm not in a hurry anyway. I'll go with you," Ron replied after thinking about it.

"Thank you so much. Please follow me," Muramasa said, leading Ron forward.

After walking a while, Ron saw a dojo built in a traditional style. Entering the dojo, he saw several trainers and their Pokémon training together, improving side by side. Ron nodded in approval of this method.

Seeing Muramasa return, those trainers immediately bowed respectfully, saying, "Master, welcome back."

"Mm, you all continue practicing here," Muramasa said seriously.

Muramasa led Ron to the main hall of the dojo, where one of his disciples immediately served hot tea and explained the history of the dojo and Muramasa's story to Ron.

"So, you're the opponent my dad brought over?" A voice came from nearby.

Ron looked up and saw a young man holding a laptop. The youth looked at Ron and said, "You're Ron from Pallet Town, right? I've already seen your information. You're quite capable, even managing to win the Indigo League Championship."

He opened his laptop to check something, then said, "Your battle style is aggressive, relying on sheer force to crush your opponents."

"Ron, this is my son, Shingo. The favor I'd like to ask is for you to have a battle with him. Would that be alright?" Muramasa asked as he approached.

"No problem, but I'm afraid it might damage your son's confidence," Ron said deliberately.

Ron knew that the best way to provoke a proud person was by looking down on them.

As Ron expected, Shingo immediately flared up upon hearing this, shouting, "What?! You're underestimating me? Fine, let's battle. This match is already mine; I can't lose! I'll make your defeat an ugly one!"

He then walked toward the battlefield, tossing out a Pokéball and releasing his Scizor, saying, "Let's battle! My Blade has already surpassed Dad's Masamune in stamina, speed, and attack. It's already the world's strongest Scizor!"

Ron almost laughed out loud at this, saying, "Do you know why the frog at the bottom of the well is so weak?"

"Why?" Shingo asked, confused.

"Because the sky it sees is only as big as the well's opening. The well is its entire world," Ron explained.

"Are you only capable of talking nonsense?!" Shingo shouted. "I'll show you my real strength."

"Alright then, let me show you the strength from outside your well. Since Scizor is Bug and Steel-type, I'll use Pheromosa," Ron said as he released Pheromosa.

Celebi smiled and waved at Pheromosa when it saw her appear. After Cosmog, Pheromosa had the closest relationship with Celebi.

"A Pokémon with no data? Quickly record it," Shingo sat cross-legged on the ground, typing on his laptop. "Alright, data recorded. I'll definitely win! Blade, use Quick Attack!"

"Pheromosa, dodge with Quiver Dance, then use Low Sweep," Ron commanded. "Go easy; just teach it a good lesson."

Pheromosa proudly watched as Scizor charged at her, gracefully dodging its Quick Attack with elegant dance steps. She then swiftly kicked out her slender leg, easily knocking Scizor into the air.

"Triple Kick," Ron ordered.

Pheromosa vanished instantly, appearing in front of Scizor midair, kicking it back onto the battlefield. She flashed forward again, kicking it upward, and finally leaped high, slamming it down with a powerful axe-kick.

"Impossible! Its speed, reaction, and attack are all at maximum values. The cameras couldn't even capture its movement. What kind of monster is this?!" Shingo shouted, panicking. "Modify the data! Modify the data!"

"Do you really think you have time to mess with your laptop right now? Finish it, Pheromosa—Jump Kick!" Ron ordered.

"Dodge it, Blade!" Shingo yelled, finally taking his eyes off the computer and looking toward his Scizor.

But it was already too late. Pheromosa's Jump Kick landed heavily on Scizor's slender waist, sending it crashing into the wall behind it. Scizor fell to the ground, completely unable to battle.

"Blade!" Shingo ran over, helping his Scizor up. "Are you alright?"

Scizor regained some consciousness and shook its head to show it was fine.

"Shingo, what happened to your computer now?" Muramasa smiled gently.

Shingo shook his head, admitting, "I couldn't even capture Pheromosa's movements. I had no time to check the computer at all."

"There's nothing wrong with collecting data to know your opponents beforehand. But you've relied too much on data during battle," Ron said. "Battles change in an instant. Where would you find the time to analyze all that data?"

"I've learned my lesson. Next time, I won't lose!" Shingo declared. He supported his Scizor and walked away, presumably to treat its injuries at home.