Chapter 279: Dou Zong Expert, How Terrifying!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander
"Our Circus Troupe has always featured a Mr. Mime's performance as the grand finale, specifically its acrobatic show and the Air Wall magic trick."
Ah Jin sighed and continued, "This Mr. Mime of mine was once capable of carrying the show. You could say that half of our entire troupe's income depended on it. It's our fault, really. We became too indulgent with it, which is why it's now a lazy dog on the sofa. It doesn't train, and even its signature air barrier and acrobatics became impossible to execute half a month ago."
You could say that indulgence ruined this Mr. Mime. It was a source of great regret for Ah Jin. Every night when she slept, she would hug it, feel the flab on its body, and be filled with remorse.
"Indulgence, huh..."
Ash glanced at the Pikachu by his leg. He felt like he was pretty lenient with Pikachu, too.
"Pika..."
Pikachu's ears twitched as it turned away, pretending not to understand human language, though a drop of profuse sweat trickled down its forehead.
"So, yes, our Circus is famous because of our Mr. Mime. That's why we decided to capture another one. It's just that this type of Pokemon is already rare, and it was only by a stroke of luck that we heard about a wild Mr. Mime near Pallet Town. And that's what led to everything that just happened..."
Their Circus's public performance was tomorrow, yet they were now missing their main act. At this moment, Ah Jin's mentality was on the verge of an explosion.
If this went wrong, the entire Circus Troupe might just crash and disband.
After she finished her explanation, Ash and the others let out a collective sigh, looking at the fat, gluttonous, and lazy Mr. Mime in the tent and shaking their heads.
"Kind and righteous Trainers, can you please help me?"
Ah Jin pleaded sincerely, her big, watery eyes fixed on the four of them.
"I accept!"
"This is too pitiful. We'll definitely help you."
"That's right, we're all righteous Trainers."
Without a shred of hesitation, the three immediately agreed, turning around to push Ash in front of Ah Jin.
Ash: "?"
"Ash, this is Pallet Town. This is your turf."
"As a local expert, catching a wild Mr. Mime should be a piece of cake for you, right?"
"Besides, you're a powerful Trainer with eight badges. It shouldn't be a big problem."
Before Ash could even speak, the three had already completely blocked off any of his potential excuses, hitting him with a classic case of moral high-grounding.
Helpless, he could only bite the bullet and walk up to Miss Ah Jin.
He truly couldn't refute any of their points. In fact, he was secretly pleased.
"Alright, who told me to be a Trainer from Pallet Town, who also happened to get eight badges? I'll take responsibility for capturing that Mr. Mime!"
Ash slapped his chest, his expression full of heroic spirit.
In any case, he had a good number of Pokemon on him now. The difficulty shouldn't be too high. He was very confident in himself.
"Ah, you agreed! That's wonderful!"
Ah Jin's face immediately lit up with a smile. She bowed to Ash and then explained, "But I don't need you to capture a Mr. Mime. After all, a wild one would need a period of training before it can go on stage. What I need is just your body."
Ash: "?"
He suddenly recalled the words his mother, Delia, had told him at the very beginning of his journey, and he couldn't help but hug himself tightly.
"A boy has to learn to protect himself when he's out there. Remember to wear..."
As his mind wandered, Ah Jin had already led the group into the largest tent. It was a temporarily constructed stage, with audience seating for about a hundred people below. The vibrant colors perfectly matched the circus atmosphere, and tomorrow's performance would be held right here.
"A Pokemon's circus performance is just too difficult to master. That's why I think it's better to have a real person play the part. Ash, your height and physique are a perfect fit."
Before Ash could say anything, several figures approached, holding up a pink and white doll costume. In a flash, they had covered Ash's entire body with it, put on some grayish-blue clown boots, and finally placed the Mr. Mime toy doll head on him. A Mr. Mime now stood before them.
"You know, I really can't see any difference..."
"Whoa..."
Brock and the other two couldn't help but be astonished. They couldn't spot a single flaw, secretly thinking that it was no wonder the urban legend that Mr. Mime was actually a human in disguise had spread.
"There isn't much time. Let's start the special training tonight. One all-nighter should be enough for you to learn the acrobatics. As for the Air Wall magic trick, it will be substituted with thin threads tied to your waist; you just need to keep your balance in mid-air."
As long as they could get through tomorrow's performance, the next one wouldn't be for another two months in the Hoenn Region. That would be enough time for them to find a new Mr. Mime.
*Crack!*
The sharp, cold sound of a long whip cracking echoed, causing Ash, who was still fiddling with the decorations on his costume with his companions, to shudder and turn his head stiffly.
Somehow, Ah Jin was now holding a long whip. Her once gentle and approachable face had suddenly changed, becoming incredibly stern and fierce.
Because she had been too indulgent with her previous Mr. Mime, the moment she entered work mode, she would no longer show any sentiment, becoming iron-fisted and merciless.
To put it simply, she had entered a frenzied state!
"Heh heh, Troupe Leader Ah Jin, there's probably no need for a whip..."
*Crack!!*
Another crack from the long whip sounded. Although it didn't hit Ash, it struck the floorboards by his feet, making him shudder again. He didn't dare to harbor the slightest thought of joking around anymore.
"All of you, turn right!"
"Yes!"
"Speak the beast language!"
"Bari!"
Two seconds, conditioning complete!
Brock and the other two: "..."
Feeling as though they had unknowingly thrown Ash into a massive pit, the three quickly scooped up Pikachu and headed for the tent's exit.
Some friends they were.
Time to bail...
Meanwhile, Ash and Ah Jin began practicing the motion of wiping non-existent glass.
He was also suspended in mid-air by transparent ropes, forced to perform the Air Wall magic trick by pretending to walk on level ground in the void.
The Volcano Deity would call this the work of a pro!
The next morning.
When Brock and the other two re-entered the large tent, the sight before them made all three of them widen their eyes, nearly causing them to fall to their knees.
At this moment, Ash the Mr. Mime was suspended in mid-air. His expression was utterly placid as he walked step by step through the air, as natural as if he were walking on the ground. The thin steel cables were completely disguised by the dark backdrop, not a single flaw could be seen.
His figure walking through the high air was illuminated by the lights, casting shadows that fell across the faces of the three onlookers. The visual impact was intense to the extreme!
"Walking on the void... that's the mark of a Dou Zong Expert!"
"Whoa, he mastered it to this degree in just one night?"
The three looked at Ah Jin, who had temporarily fallen asleep from exhaustion after pulling an all-nighter. Then they looked back at Ash on the high platform, who still seemed to be made of steel and iron. The Champion keeping watch, pulling off the unsettling pose of walking on level ground in mid-air. He even did a somersault in the void.
*Hiss...*
Brock and the other two finally couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air in unison, lamenting:
"Truly, terrifyingly so."
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(end of chapter)