Chapter 162: The Kanto Trio Have Become the Backbone of the Backyard!

Ash and his group arrived at Kaji Town, finding the Gym's doors tightly shut, but they met Sima, who told them that the Gym's leader, Liu Bo, was currently training under a waterfall in the outskirts.

Enthusiastic Sima voluntarily offered to lead Ash and his group to find Liu Bo.

Upon meeting Liu Bo, Ash and his group discovered that the old man who had saved them was actually Liu Bo, who was also the leader of the Kaji Gym.

Seeing that Pikachu had been left outside by Ash made Liu Bo unhappy; he found Ash's idea of becoming friends with Poké Ball naïve, scolded him for raising Poké Ball solely based on emotion as wrong, and also refused to battle Ash in a Gym match.

He also lectured Ash, but Ash wouldn't back down, demanding that Liu Bo battle him.

Seeing Ash's rash battle request, Liu Bo even scorned to accept it, directly using White Sea Lion's Ice Beam to instantly KO Ash's Little Elephant, after which the Team Rocket Trio came out to cause trouble, making Ash and Liu Bo fall off the cliff.

In the ice cave of the fallen cliff, they unexpectedly discovered Liu Bo's youthful partner, a long-haired pig.

Liu Bo was certain that the long-haired pig before him was the one that had gone missing. Now he understood why the long-haired pig had been frozen here: to find herbs useful for treating burns. Understanding the whole event, Liu Bo felt deep regret, opening the heart that had been sealed for long toward his Poké Ball.

Now knowing the long-haired pig's feelings, Liu Bo regained his affection for Poké Ball, no longer distrusting them as before.

Having found his old partner, Liu Bo together with Ash and his group drove off the Team Rocket Trio, and also accepted Ash's challenge.

Returning to Kaji Town, Ash kept his appointment to challenge the Gym.

The Gym battle in Kaji Town was also conducted in a two-on-two format.

Ash sent out Fireball Mouse, while Liu Bo sent out his Poké Ball as White Sea Lion.

This time Ash came up with a decent tactic, letting Fireball Mouse follow White Sea Lion into the water to lure it into close combat.

Liu Bo really fell for it, letting White Sea Lion charge forward, shortening the distance to Fireball Mouse.

Although Fireball Mouse couldn't move in the water, it could still use its move; when White Sea Lion approached, Fireball Mouse used High-Speed Stars.

Countless sparkling stars rained down like a meteor shower toward White Sea Lion; lacking defense, White Sea Lion didn't dodge and was directly hit, being knocked out of the water.

This series of attacks not only broke White Sea Lion's rhythm but also caused it to lose balance in a short time. Fireball Mouse seized the opportunity and unleashed a jet of flame at White Sea Lion.

Struck by the jet of flame's impact, White Sea Lion was flung backward into a stone pillar, losing its battling ability!

The battle ended just like that!

Liu Bo acknowledged Ash's unconventional tactics.

The spectators watching felt that Ash's Gym-challenging tactics were becoming ever more novel, not like his earlier brute-force approach; they had truly watched Ash grow all the way.

Liu Bo's second Poké Ball is the long-haired pig.

The long-haired pig's blizzard not only completely overwhelmed Fireball Mouse's scorching jet of flame, but also cleverly concealed its own form within the snowstorm, as if merging with the wind and snow.

Suddenly launching a fierce collision, it struck the defenseless Fireball Mouse; the sudden attack caused Fireball Mouse to instantly lose its battling ability.

Recalling Fireball Mouse, Ash sent out Pikachu.

Facing the icy battlefield, Ash thought of letting Pikachu use the stone pillars to move, gradually wearing down the long-haired pig.

Pikachu nimbly weaved between the stone pillars, skillfully dodging the long-haired pig's attacks, then seized its fur to use Thunderbolt; the current surged along the fur instantly throughout its body, inflicting considerable damage.

Afterwards the ice surface collapsed, the long-haired pig fell down, soaked all over; Pikachu used Thunderbolt at close range, the current surged like a furious torrent, and the long-haired pig cried out in agony under the lightning's bombardment.

This Thunderbolt was more effective, doubling the damage dealt to the long-haired pig.

Finally, seeing the long-haired pig at its limit, Liu Bo conceded defeat.

Liu Bo approved Ash's tactics, also feeling pity for his long-haired pig, and handed over the Ice Badge to Ash.

【Liu Bo: "These young trainers are getting stronger and stronger; I, this old bone, have to learn from them. Ash's those tactics really caught me off guard."】

【Brock: "Ash's tactics always surprise us, rarely predictable; although they look a bit rash, Ash isn't like before—he now thinks tactics well, can always pull off a clever move in battle, and thus won!"】

【Ma Zhishi: "Mm-hmm, Ash sure isn't like before, freeloading Badges; basically he earns them by strength now."】

【Tie Xuan: "I see Ash has won so many Badges; I feel yours is the easiest."】

【Ma Zhishi: "?"】

"What's up?"

"That's not my fault; blame that Pikachu being too monstrous—who knew it could defeat Raichu in its Pikachu form, giving Ash and Pikachu the chance to seize the opportunity."

Ma Zhishi now feels no resentment at all, even a bit fortunate.

Fortunately he met the normal Ash; if he had encountered Black Satoshi, who possesses rainbow-colored feathers and silver feathers, that Pikachu's power would be even more monstrous, and he would only lose more badly.

Thinking and thinking, the Black Light Screen lit up; Ma Zhishi also couldn't think of anything, so he just kept his gaze on the Black Light Screen.

Black Light Screen——

Ash also received a call from Professor Oak while heading to the Poké Ball Center in Yuan Zhu City.

But it wasn't like Bai Shijie saying that something had happened at Oak Research Institute.

Rather, Ash sent back Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur; although the trainer wasn't beside them, they still trained hard.

Not only were they training hard, but they also stirred up the Poké Ball in the institute's backyard.

Originally, there might occasionally be some disputes or conflicts among the backyard's Poké Balls, but since Ash's three Poké Balls arrived, such disputes have never occurred again, and the relationships among the Poké Balls have become very harmonious.

Professor Oak admired Ash's Poké Balls; upon returning, he trained, and often sought companions in the backyard as opponents.

They fought to their heart's content.

Now his Poké Balls have become the backbone of the institute's backyard.

"They look full of spirit!"

Ash saw the footage transmitted by Professor Oak; Charizard and the others, upon returning to the institute, did not slack off, training diligently.