Chapter 303: Should Trainers Fight Too?

Every Pokémon wants to be the first to fight, to strike first as the vanguard, bearing a heavy burden.

And Guang Tai’s choice is, of course,

Aegislash!

“The first one out is Aegislash?!” N saw the massive blade appear like a door panel and immediately felt immense pressure.

He had seen the power of the King Pokémon with his own eyes; Aegislash was Guang Tai’s Wangpai , and should be the initial partner. N had read this part of the content from Aegislash’s thoughts!

【You’re reading my thoughts again.】

Aegislash expressed its displeasure through spiritual energy, but N did not apologize—instead, he grinned mischievously:

“This is a battle. As a Trainer, when your Pokémon fights, you can’t just stand there doing nothing.”

【Oh, you’re right!】 Aegislash’s single eye brightened, then glanced at Guang Tai.

【Your Majesty, shall we go too?】

“Mortal Kombat?”

Guang Tai’s reply startled N badly!

True, Trainers can’t do nothing—but Mortal Kombat is a bit too much!

Even if it’s unrestricted, it shouldn’t escalate straight into a brawl.

“Haha, just joking. But since you’re reading thoughts, I’ll act too.”

Guang Tai pulled out a curved branch!

The Wand of the Illusion Forest!

“That’s...”

“Have you ever seen magic?” Guang Tai smiled mysteriously, and N’s heart instantly chilled!

Magic—ancient regions still whisper of powers like fairy tales, but whether magic truly exists remains uncertain.

Guang Tai smiled: “I can tell you, magic is real. There are still magicians in the world today!”

In Kanto, Ash once met a real magician who could temporarily turn humans into Pokémon by mixing potions—a truly miraculous feat of the Original Series!

Feng Lu and Wan Long were also conversing.

“The Plasma Group’s King... possesses the power to read Pokémon thoughts.”

Wan Long’s expression was serious; her notebook was open, her mind swirling with thoughts.

“Reading an opponent’s Pokémon’s thoughts mid-battle is equivalent to direct ‘pre-reading’ and ‘prediction.’ That’s a skill only elite Trainers develop after years of training—gaining the edge to anticipate actions before they happen, enabling precise strategic deployment. It’s a crucial ability.”

“If both sides possess equal pre-reading ability, the Pokémon battle reverts to chaotic rock-paper-scissors. Until the actual move is executed, we can never know what will happen next.”

“Moreover, to perform pre-reading, you must thoroughly understand Pokémon—but there are too many Pokémon in the world for anyone to master them all. Yet N, the green-haired man called the King, can achieve this regardless of those conditions.”

“Pre-reading?” Feng Lu bit her lip, tense: “If the challenger has this ability, it’s incredibly powerful. No one could defeat him—he’s already standing at the peak of Trainer capability from the very start.”

“Then what about the magic on the other side?”

Wan Long shook her head: “I don’t know.”

She then wrote down the battle’s opening lines:

[The battle between the Traveler and the King has begun. The King possesses the power to read Pokémon thoughts, while the Traveler wields a mysterious magic unknown to all—the fox that weaves illusions and the golden greatsword clash.]

“Zoroark!”

Zoroark’s form twisted, transforming into a second “Aegislash.”

Ability: Illusion!

Pokémon with this Ability, upon entering battle, take the appearance of the last Pokémon in their team.

But in real battles, Zoroark’s Illusion Ability isn’t bound by such rules—it can transform freely into anything it has seen, not just living things, even conjuring an entire forest out of thin air.

“Illusion transformations are purely deceptive—no real power. Beware of illusions.”

Guang Tai mentally warned Aegislash.

In the movie “The Rise of Darkrai,” that female Zoroark once used “Illusion” to suppress the Three Sacred Beasts—the ice crystals it created were fake, yet made the Three Sacred Beasts believe they were real, trapping them motionless.

That means Illusion Ability can simulate not just appearance, but even sensation!

Its real-world applications far exceed those in the games; even the Pokédex notes it can create illusions visible to hundreds at once.

Aegislash didn’t care.

Perhaps form can change, sensation can be mimicked—but there’s one thing the opponent can never learn!

That is—technique!

Sacred Sword—Cancel!

Aegislash swung its blade, unleashing a powerful Sacred Sword with an impossible motion—striking swiftly, retracting instantly, then repeating the action, landing three strikes in an instant!

Fighting-type power slashed wildly; Zoroark dodged frantically, then tried to use Illusion to control Aegislash!

Sacred Sword—Illusion!

Zoroark could never learn Sacred Sword—but Illusion gave it ample room to mimic the move. Though it inflicted no real damage, it could distract the enemy, creating openings for... truly lethal attacks!

When the fake illusion move becomes indistinguishable from the real one—that’s the moment the opponent falls!

Aegislash instinctively raised its shield; the illusory Sacred Sword struck it and vanished like smoke. Immediately, the Zoroark-transformed Aegislash emitted a dark, razor-sharp gleam!

Sacred Sword cannot be learned.

But Zoroark has its own cutting technique!

Sucker Punch—strike at the opponent’s vulnerable moment. High chance to hit vital spots!

“The battle just erupted—neither side gave commands?!”

Feng Lu had never seen this style of battle—where no verbal commands are needed.

“The shopkeeper also has the power to transmit Pokémon thoughts. Though different from N’s ability, the outcome is similar—so no verbal commands mean skipping the Pokémon’s reaction time. In high-level battles, this is crucial.”

Wan Long also watched the battle intently; even as an Elite Four member, she still needed to issue commands. She’d heard that in some distant region’s Battle Frontier, there were Trainers like this.

Gaining experience from such battles benefits even Elite Four members.

Ding!

The sharp dark slash struck Aegislash—but

Zoroark’s stats dropped, and Aegislash’s shield blocked the attack!

King’s Shield—when blocking an opponent’s attack, it shifts into a defensive stance, lowering the attacker’s offensive power.

Raising the shield doesn’t mean I’m using a move—this shield isn’t for show. It has real defensive power: part of its body, and a truly solid great shield!

Then—

The shield glowed with stone-like radiance, becoming sharply angular! Aegislash delivered a Lingjuli double-edged headbutt!

Bam! Zoroark was blasted away—but at the same moment, something on Aegislash’s body was also knocked off, sealed with Dark-type binding energy.

Knock Off.

Knocks off the opponent’s held item, rendering it unusable until the battle ends. Increases damage when the opponent carries an item.

“This move’s effect... hmm?”

N thought Dark-type attacks should be devastating against Steel+Ghost Aegislash, yet Aegislash took Knock Off with zero damage—as if it had... ignored the attack entirely?

So that’s it—this is the King Pokémon’s uniqueness? N understood.

Dark-type moves were definitely effective—but due to Aegislash’s special nature, the attack had shifted from effective to less effective.

Ignoring type advantages and resistances is possible—after all, he was facing the unknown “King of Pokémon!”

But Knock Off’s goal was still achieved!

The item knocked off was... a Metronome!

No matter its power, preventing its use was best!

Besides, N recognized the item.

“That’s a Metronome.”

N smiled faintly: “I even downloaded the Battle Company’s virtual battle software—they’ve updated this item too.”

Guang Tai hadn’t expected Big N to simulate training for this battle—but still, promoting items is a good thing.

After crafting his own Metronome, he’d sent a description to the Battle Company; clearly, they updated quickly.

“If you have ideas after the battle, you can buy from me.”

N laughed: “I’ll consider it.”

“Still, I’m carrying an item too... I overlooked type advantages... this exceeded my expectations, but the item still works.”

“When items are carried, Pokémon battles undergo a qualitative shift! The more powerful the item, the greater the change!”

Aegislash swung its Sacred Sword again!

Zoroark’s eyes glowed red!

Strange Light—emits strange light, confusing the opponent. Causes confusion.

Aegislash was hit by Strange Light; Zoroark slipped on a monocle in that instant.

Focus Lens—lens that reveals weaknesses. Boosts accuracy of moves for the holder.

As Zoroark charged, it simultaneously used Sword Dance!

The Aegislash it mimicked now shimmered with dark, razor-sharp cold light!

When hitting a vital spot, damage is greatly increased—and ignores all stat changes!

Likewise, bond with the Pokémon affects critical hit probability—this is likely a quantified expression of “bond.”

Zoroark struck Aegislash; the assault didn’t stop—it prepared for a flurry of blows!

But Aegislash’s single eye locked onto it!

Zoroark was stunned!

Didn’t you already confuse it with Strange Light? Then why is it still...?!

N thought the same thing at this moment!

Strange Light had no effect?

No—it’s the Trainer who did something!

“You noticed, didn’t you? Without limits, I project a certain power onto my Pokémon, reinforcing their energy and preventing their confusion.”

“And it’s not over yet.”

The branch in Guang Tai’s hand trembled slightly—then Solrock suddenly realized its “Focus Lens” was gone!

“Here it is!”

Shieldon put on the monocle—perfect, since it had only one eye. Then its massive blade shuddered violently and instantly activated “King’s Pose!”

N’s heart clenched—he raised his hand to recall his Pokémon, but Shieldon’s body already blazed with brilliant Steel- and Fighting-type light!

Compress the Iron Hoof beam into the holy sword, then unleash it in one sweeping strike!

The colossal holy sword struck true!

Silver light exploded at the tower’s peak—Solrock took the full force of the holy sword, its HP instantly reduced to zero!

N: “The item was swapped?!”

Guang Tai: “Correct. This is ‘magic.’ As you said, Trainers don’t do nothing!”

In this instant, the intense battle made the tower’s spirits cheer, while countless mournful cries echoed around them!

They marveled at the power of both Pokémon, singing praises to the victor and lamenting the fallen!

Feng Lu: “What’s that thing?”

“I never knew Pokémon could have such a golden form.”

Not just Feng Lu—even Wan Long’s gaze sharpened with interest. She watched intently and swiftly recorded everything!

[The Traveler’s great sword turned golden—just one strike, defeating... as if it were a legendary holy sword.]

N sighed: “Solrock... you did well.”

The first Pokémon fell. N’s pressure surged—the golden form left a deep impression in his mind!

That... was “King’s Pose”?

This Pokémon is truly extraordinary. The opponent deliberately let me see it!

He recalled Solrock, paused briefly, then immediately sent out his second!

Did Guang Tai recall Shieldon too?

Guang Tai also recalled Shieldon. Both threw down their second Poké Ball at once!

N’s second Pokémon was “Ninetales!”

Guang Tai understood.

In the game, in Black 2 and White 2’s second playthrough, at N’s Castle, Master N uses different Pokémon depending on the season—and Ninetales is the weather controller in his summer team!

If he sent out Ninetales, then Master N must have at least one more Fire-type Pokémon after it—either Rapidash or Arcanine!

But a Ninetales with the Drought ability isn’t something you encounter often. This Ninetales N sent out hadn’t activated its ability—meaning...

Ninetales let out a cry, and as its fox-song echoed, a blazing sun appeared.

Intense sunlight blazed across the battlefield!

“Manual Sunny Day—its ability is ‘Drought’!”

Whoosh! Guang Tai’s response, summoned by the wind, was Skitty!

N had prepared for this—Guang Tai’s two main Pokémon were Grass-type.

Then Fire was their perfect counter!

Ninetales bared its fangs, let out a piercing cry, then unleashed a torrent of flame! Compared to normal Sunny Day, the sunlight now burned even fiercer!

It carried a Heat Rock! A Pokémon holding a Heat Rock extends the duration of Sunny Day!

Slice through the flames with Sunblade! Guang Tai sent a mental command—Skitty danced the Dance of Victory!

Dance of Victory—and then, Sun Dual Blades!

Brilliant light flared on its leaves. Under Sunny Day, Grass-type Pokémon’s light-based moves require no charge time—Sunblade and Solar Beam both function instantly. As the emerald light-sword cleaved through the flames and instantly shifted into a beam of solar fire, Ninetales had no time to dodge!

Even though N had already sent the command, the transition from Sunblade to Solar Beam was too swift!

Struck by Solar Fire, Ninetales staggered—N himself was stunned!

Such immense power! This isn’t normal for a Grass-type move!

And just now, as the light-sword swung, that strange fluctuation was...

It felt like seeing countless flowers and the starlight of the universe!

N asked anxiously: “Are you alright, Ninetales?”

“Ugh!” Ninetales gritted its teeth and shook its head—it was fine!

It had been knocked down by a single Grass-type Pokémon!

But Grass-types are naturally weak against Fire—and Ninetales’s eyes glowed with a peculiar light, freezing Skitty in place!

Disable!

Prevents the opponent from using their last move for four turns—and in battle, it also has a paralyzing effect like Shihua !

N’s eyes flashed with sharp insight—he read Skitty’s thoughts in that instant.

Ninetales received N’s command. The flame it was about to charge instantly retracted. Strange psychic energy swirled around Ninetales—and before it, Skitty shattered like a soap bubble.

Substitute!

Skitty used Substitute to escape Disable’s effect—but Disable’s restriction still held. With blinding speed, it rushed to Ninetales’s side and slashed out a strange powder with a Leaf Blade motion!

Sleep Powder!

The powder landed on the strange light shield—no effect.

Ninetales smiled smugly—the shield was Mystery Guard, preventing any status condition for five turns.

Then, the battle is over!

Ninetales gathered its flames—this time, it used Flamethrower! The strongest Fire-type move!

The furious flames completely engulfed Skitty—no matter how strong a Grass-type Pokémon was, it couldn’t possibly...

“Play... close combat?!”

N’s mind snapped taut!

Within the flames, he clearly heard Skitty’s voice!

“Protect!” N had no time to send a mental command—out of the flames leapt a graceful figure, like a spirit of fire, spinning through the air!

A storm of martial dance strikes rained down on Ninetales—the sacred golden fox let out a terrible cry. When the fierce combat ended like autumn winds sweeping fallen leaves, Skitty stood still.

Wounded and battered, Ninetales surged forward at top speed, trying to counterattack!

But a flash of white light was blocked—then instantly reflected back with even greater speed!

Quick Guard! A counterattack with +3 priority!

Strike with the heel of the palm after sensing the opponent’s move, forcing them to recoil. If the opponent’s move isn’t a priority move, it fails!

Ninetales’s charge move was Quick Attack—priority +1!

“So fast!”

N’s mind strained. He had read those Pokémon’s thoughts—but he was always one step behind their actions. His own spirit grew weary in battle—was this the opponent Trainer’s pressure?

“Fire didn’t work again—is this Psychic?”

“No—it’s the move ‘Play Rough.’” Guang Tai exhaled in relief:

“Using Disable out of nowhere was terrifying. That move is rarely seen.”

“Play Rough—one of Skitty’s moves. By mimicking the opponent, it copies their Ability.”

“That means my Skitty now has the Drought Ability!”

Drought: When hit by a Fire-type move, it takes no damage and instead absorbs the flame, strengthening its own Fire-type moves. Pokémon with this Ability are immune to Fire-type moves!

A Grass-type Pokémon with Drought?

Even Wan Long and Feng Lu watching thought this was absurd—but it had truly happened!

Ninetales collapsed with a cry. Skitty’s held item was... Black Belt.

A Pokémon holding a Black Belt gains 20% increased power for Fighting-type moves!

Can you take a Quick Guard with 117 power?

(End of Chapter)