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"Directions..." Giselle was stunned for a moment after hearing Ash's question, her intelligence momentarily failing her.
A Trainer who just happened to ask for directions and had been traveling for less than a month actually defeated an Elite Four level Trainer's AI?
This was something that students at their academy struggled for years, even more than a decade, to achieve!
Yet, a Rookie Trainer, a passerby, claimed he did it?
What kind of international joke was this! She would never admit it! If what he said was true, then what was the difference between them, who studied in the academy, and good-for-nothings?
"You must be a top student from some school here for academic exchange, right? Even if you're going to make an excuse, make a better one. What 'Trainer who just started traveling less than a month ago'... Do you think I'd believe such an excuse?" Giselle forced a smile and said, still unwilling to give up.
Ash frowned, a hint of displeasure in his voice: "I already said I'm a Rookie Trainer! And it was just a computer simulation battle. You don't actually think that strategy could beat an Elite, do you? If I used the same lineup to challenge Elite Karen in the real world, I'd just get completely thrashed."
Simulation battles were simulation battles, and reality was reality. Ash was very clear on this point. He had merely used the tactics taught to him by Tactician Ash and luckily defeated Karen in a computer simulation battle.
If he encountered an Elite in the real world, even if he had the exact same Pokémon, he would still be utterly crushed.
Surely no one genuinely believed that a Rookie level Pokémon's Sturdy ability could withstand a single attack from an Elite Four level Pokémon?
Surely no one genuinely believed that a Rookie level Pokémon's Endeavor could hit an Elite Four level Pokémon in the real world?
The cold data in a computer could not be applied to the real world.
Otherwise, this set of tactics wouldn't have been called a 'circus act' by Tactician Ash.
Because this set of tactics could only be used in computer simulation battles, and it only looked visually shocking. After all, bringing a bunch of level one Pokémon and taking down the opponent's high-level Pokémon would truly annoy the opponent in an online battle.
But if you dared to try this in the real world, your opponent would show you how cruel reality could be.
Therefore, even though Ash defeated the Elite Four level AI, he wasn't proud at all. At most, he just found the battle fun, just as Tactician Ash said—the main thing was to please himself, and that was that.
However, this person named Giselle seemed to be fixated on him defeating the Elite Four level AI, insisting he was some kind of top student, someone who could rival an Elite... Heh heh, if he had that ability, why would he bother collecting Gym Badges?
He'd just go straight to the Pokémon League and challenge them.
"Simulation battles are indeed not absolute. After all, in the real world, it's not like a computer that provides you with Pokémon of the same level as an Elite Trainer. But since you defeated an Elite with level one Pokémon, it means it can also be done in the real world, as long as you use the same tactics."
Giselle was also a bit displeased at this point, because Ash's tone sounded like he was looking down on their school's computer simulation battles.
The results of computer simulation battles couldn't be called absolute, as there was still a level difference in the real world. But if one could defeat an opponent across levels in a simulation battle, it could also be done in the real world.
Ash looked at Misty and Brock helplessly, pointing at Giselle and whispering, "This girl is pretty, but there seems to be something wrong with her brain."
Brock & Misty: ...Is it really okay to say that about someone? Even if your voice is quiet, others can still hear you!
"What did you say?! What a vulgar person! I now believe you are definitely not from a high-level academy; a high-level academy could never cultivate someone as vulgar as you!"
Ash: ###
"You were the one who kept pestering me first! I already said the real world and computer simulation battles are different, but you keep arguing with me!
"Fine, since you put it that way, let's settle this with action! Let me show you that what's in textbooks is absolute!"
...At the school's outdoor training ground—
Students packed the area around the training ground, watching the center. Ash and Giselle stood on the training ground, their gazes at each other sparking as if generating fire.
Brock and Misty exchanged glances, not understanding how things had escalated to this point. They had only come to ask for directions, yet suddenly found themselves facing the school's top junior student.
But the perception of the students at this school also made them quite displeased. Not to mention anything else, even Joe, who was at the bottom here, spoke as if he completely disregarded the Cerulean Gym.
Heh heh, even if the Cerulean Gym was the weakest Gym, it was still a Gym!
How could someone who was at the bottom of the school look down on the Cerulean Gym!
If Joe was like this, then the others, including the top student Giselle, were even more so.
They seemed to treat simulation battles and everything in textbooks as absolute truth. It might be good for Ash to have a battle with Giselle to clear her head a bit.
"Don't say I'm bullying a girl. I'll use my Pokémon first... You're the one, Ralts!" Ash waved his hand, choosing to send out the Ralts by his side.
Ralts paused, then let out a joyful cry. With a Teleport, she moved from Ash's shoulder to the center of the field.
Ralts's appearance drew gasps from the surrounding crowd, not because they recognized Ralts, but because Ralts's appearance was simply too adorable.
"Ralts... a Pokémon from the Hoenn region? But why does it look a bit different from what I saw in the textbook?" As a top student, Giselle's knowledge base was far more extensive than that of an average student.
While other junior students were still learning about Kanto Pokémon, she had already started reading textbooks on Pokémon from Hoenn and even Sinnoh regions.
Therefore, she was familiar with the Pokémon Ralts.
However, Ash's Ralts seemed to look a bit different from the Ralts images she had seen.
"A Psychic and Fairy type Pokémon. In that case, I'll use this one!" Giselle selected a Poké Ball from a pile of Poké Balls nearby and threw it. With a flash of light, a gas-like Pokémon appeared on the field.
The Ghost type Pokémon—Gastly!
"That's not your Pokémon, is it?" Ash asked, his brow slightly furrowed after seeing Giselle's action.
"That's right, these are battle Pokémon provided by the academy. Although they aren't personally trained by me, I know them inside and out. Gastly, with its Ghost and Poison typing, is an absolute counter to your Ralts! You didn't think I wouldn't recognize a Pokémon just because it's from the Hoenn region, did you? How about that? This is the knowledge learned from textbooks."
Giselle said with an arrogant expression.
One of the advantages of textbooks over traveling and gaining experience firsthand was that you didn't need to see things in reality. It was much easier, faster, and more time-efficient than knowledge gained through travel.
Anyone else wouldn't have been able to recognize Ralts, but she was Giselle!
"Textbooks, textbooks, it's so annoying. Let me show you something you can't learn from textbooks!" The constant mention of books gradually irritated Ash.
Under the guidance of many powerful figures, he was no longer resistant to learning knowledge. He also understood that to become a Pokémon Master, travel, experience, and learning were all indispensable; one couldn't become a strong Trainer simply by relying on more real battles.
But he also couldn't stand people who regarded textbook knowledge as everything. The most interesting part of Pokémon battles, wasn't it the variability and performing unexpected maneuvers against opponents? What kind of Trainer just followed the book all the time?
"Go, Ralts! Aura is in my heart!"
"Ralts!"
Ash's eyes flickered with a faint blue light. Ralts's hair floated without wind, revealing her bright, watery eyes, and the same blue light shimmering within them!
Aura Fusion!
Aura Fusion wasn't something everyone could use. Among the three Pokémon he had before, only Pikachu could use it with him.
However, Ralts was able to link directly as soon as she joined the team, and her connection was even deeper than Pikachu's by three points.
The reason was that Aura Fusion was related to the Pokémon's and his synchronicity, which could also be called intimacy, or bond.
Pikachu's synchronicity with him soared after their head-on clash, quickly reaching the level where Aura Fusion could be performed.
After all, the best way for men to understand each other was through a clash of fists.
Pidgeotto and Butterfree hadn't reached that level yet, perhaps because they hadn't had a truly close-quarters, fist-to-fist encounter.
But Ralts was able to perform Aura Link right from birth. Perhaps it was because she recognized him the moment she hatched from the egg, so her intimacy was exceptionally high.
Aura Fusion could comprehensively enhance a Pokémon's abilities, which was no different from indirectly raising its level. However, at Ralts's current level, she couldn't withstand much of Ash's Aura. At most, she could only go from ordinary high-level to peak, just one step away from the advanced level.
But the opposing Gastly was only ordinary high-level as well, so this level was sufficient.
And Aura was not just about simply boosting ability values...
"So cute!" Just as Ash was about to have Ralts make her move, Giselle on the other side suddenly exclaimed, causing both Gastly and Ash to stumble.
What the heck? You start a battle and then say 'so cute'? You'll make your Pokémon sad, you idiot!
Gastly also looked back at Giselle with a resentful gaze, but Giselle continued to stare at Ralts with bright, Bright eyes eyes.
Originally, Ralts, with her bowl cut, gave off a delicate and adorable impression. But now, with her hair floating up, Ralts's true appearance was revealed to Giselle and everyone else.
Not just Giselle, but all the surrounding students watching felt as if their hearts had been struck by an arrow after seeing Ralts's appearance!
How could there be such a cute Pokémon in this world!!
"Hey! We're still battling!"
"Sorry, I didn't expect Ralts to be so cute after her hair was lifted. Is this what you meant by something you can't see in textbooks? Indeed, textbooks only show Ralts with covered hair, but not with lifted hair. And your Ralts's hair seems a bit different from normal Ralts." Giselle said with a light laugh, covering her mouth.
Ash's mouth twitched. He said, annoyed, "I wasn't telling you to look at Ralts's appearance! Show her your power, Ralts, use Thunder Punch!"
Giselle: ???
Thunder Punch? Ralts?
Look at those tiny arms and legs, does that look like it can use Thunder Punch?
"Psychic type Pokémon are extremely weak in physical attacks. You're actually having her use a physical move? And at your Ralts's level, it's impossible to use a high-level move like Thunder Punch..."
"Zzzzzzt!!" As Giselle's words fell, a dazzling golden electric light flickered on Ralts's fist.
The next second, Ralts's figure instantly vanished. Before Giselle could react, Ralts had already appeared in front of Gastly, and then unleashed a powerful Thunder Punch!
Gastly, without receiving Giselle's command, was directly slammed into the ground from above!
"Boom!!"
Clouds of dust rose. Giselle stared blankly at the scene, her eyes filled with disbelief.
What happened? That little guy actually knew Thunder Punch?
Knowing Thunder Punch was one thing, but what was with that force? Normally, Psychic type Pokémon should be extremely bad at and very weak in physical attacks.
What was this little guy? A violent loli?
"Now! Confusion!" While everyone was in shock, surprise, and astonishment, Ash didn't stop his offensive.
Strike while the iron is hot!
Ralts, floating in the air, clenched her small hand, and Gastly, from within the ground, was directly pulled out. Then, like a ball, Gastly was slammed around by Ralts using Confusion. For a moment, the entire field was filled with 'thump, thump' sounds.
Ralts herself was also floating in the air using Confusion. It wasn't until she had slammed Gastly into the ground for the sixth time that Ash called a halt.
Because he felt that Gastly's Aura had become very weak. Based on his previous judgment from defeating other Pokémon, this level of Aura meant it had lost its ability to battle.
So, the outcome of this battle had already been decided.
Ralts gently placed Gastly, who was like a dead dog, in front of Giselle, then floated in front of Ash, spreading her arms: "Ralts, Ralts~~"
Did I do well, Ash~~
"You were amazing, Ralts. Look, everyone is stunned by you." Ash gently picked up Ralts and then showed her the expressions of the crowd.
Everyone present, including Brock and Misty who were familiar with Ash, had their mouths wide open, their faces looking as if they had seen a ghost.
Who would have thought that Ralts, such a seemingly delicate and frail little loli, would be so violent in battle!
When Ash usually took her to battle wild Pokémon, she was never that violent!
This guy was hiding another trick!
Misty and Brock thought in unison.
He hid Aura Sphere during the Pewter Gym battle, not letting Misty know. Later, he hid Electric Terrain during the Cerulean Gym battle, not letting either of them know. Now he's hiding a violent loli!
Who did this guy learn to hide his strengths from?
"...How did you do that? Has your Ralts's level already reached the advanced level?" Giselle was silent for a moment. She recalled Gastly, who had lost its ability to battle, then asked Ash.
Although she was a top student at the academy, she couldn't directly discern a Pokémon's level. That was something only experienced Trainers could do, like Brock, like Misty.
"Her level is the same as your Gastly's."
"The same? You can see through Gastly's level?"
"Why wouldn't I be able to?"
"Impossible. Without detection equipment, to discern it with the naked eye, you would need the eyesight of at least a Gym Leader level." Giselle instinctively denied it. If Ash was truly just a Rookie Trainer, how could he possibly have that level of eyesight?
"That's why what textbooks say isn't absolute. The fact proves that even a Trainer like me, who has only traveled for a month, can do it! This is the skill I gained after I started traveling!" Ash said, not being in the wrong and speaking with confidence.
Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention, I also have Detect!!!