Chapter 531: Luo Mu VS Green

"."

A single ellipsis was enough to express Luo Mu's attitude.

Green of the Earth? If that Sakaki of the Earth heard this title, who knows what he would think.

Come to think of it, since I've already met both Green and Red once, this world is clearly not just a simple anime worldview; it must have mixed in some game elements as well, just like the Green standing before me who is about to take over the Viridian Gym.

As for the slightly darker and more cruel Special Chapter version, Luo Mu currently sees no related signs.

Just like the Lance I know, who is merely a righteous Flying-type Elite Four member and investigator.

Having waited for a long time without receiving the expected applause and cheers, Green's interest waned slightly, and he began to wonder if this name wasn't impressive enough yet.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two of them, accompanied by Ursaluna and Bloodmoon Ursaluna, headed back toward Oak Laboratory.

On the way, Green briefly explained the matter of him taking over as the Viridian Gym Leader.

"Wasn't the original Viridian Gym Leader position vacant? That elderly Granny Agatha didn't have enough energy, so after serving as the temporary leader for a while, the League approached yours truly."

"Thinking that I hadn't had much fun lately anyway, I accepted the invitation and will help the Kanto League seriously test these newcomers!" These were Green's exact words—

When speaking that last sentence, Green looked as if he was rubbing his fists together, seemingly already considering how to test the challengers.

Luo Mu could only silently mourn for one second on behalf of the future novice trainers of the Kanto region.

After Ash's Kalos journey ends.

Misty of the Cerulean Gym, Brock of the Pewter Gym and his younger brother will also master Mega Evolution, followed by Erika certified by Chairman Damalanche as having potential, and Sabrina with her cheat-level psychic powers, among other Gym Leaders.

Just thinking about it fills one with despair.

The two returned all the way to the laboratory, and just as Green unceremoniously kicked open the door to the research room, Professor Oak, who was busy preparing materials for his thesis, was drawn by the noise and turned to look.

He froze for a second.

Then, staring wide-eyed at Green, he said with a slightly trembling voice, "When did you get back?"

Perhaps Professor Oak's tone possessed a magical infectiousness, as Green's expression softened somewhat; he stepped forward to embrace Professor Oak, whispering, "Grandpa, I'm back."

"Mm, it's good that you're back; you've grown quite a bit taller."

Grabbing Green's shoulders on both sides, Professor Oak carefully looked him up and down, his slightly aged face filled with smiles.

This could be considered an extremely common occurrence in this world.

Many young people are keen on "adventure"; on the day they turn ten, they receive their starter Pokémon and either embark on a journey alone or travel with companions, pursuing their own dreams.

It takes anywhere from a few months to two or three years before these wanderers outside return home to reunite with their families.

Professor Oak, who was once very young himself, was just like this, embarking on his own journey together with his starter partner, Charmander.

Now it was his turn, as an elder, to wait for the return of his descendants.

Looking at the familiar brows and eyes in his memory, Professor Oak, with his enthusiastic attitude, had eyes full of affection.

Usually acting as if "I am number one" toward everyone and liking to call Professor Oak "that old man" directly when outside, Green now stood quietly and allowed Professor Oak to examine him.

After Professor Oak had looked his fill, under his questioning, Green repeated to him everything he had previously told Luo Mu.

"... Is that so? Taking over the Viridian Gym?"

Professor Oak pondered thoughtfully.

Even though he stayed in Pallet Town and paid no attention to outside affairs, he had heard rumors that the leader of Team Rocket, the notorious evil organization of the Kanto region, was actually the Viridian Gym Leader.

The incident seemed to cause a huge uproar at the time, and it was only after the Kanto League appointed Agatha as the temporary leader that things gradually calmed down.

Now that they had entered a stable period, the Kanto League naturally wanted to replace him with a more reliable Gym Leader and let Agatha, who held multiple positions, take a rest... Ideas like this, Professor Oak could guess, must have come from Chairman Damalanche.

After this warm exchange between grandfather and grandson.

Luo Mu, who had been shrinking to the side acting like a transparent person, once again became the focus of attention in the room.

The cause was Green asking, "What were you thinking, you old man? Evolution is such a serious matter, yet you let my Ursaring be the test subject."

Professor Oak didn't even think twice before selling Luo Mu out.

He said that Luo Mu possessed a complete chain of evidence, including specific video footage of the Ursaring's evolution.

Plus, with Bloodmoon Ursaluna and Ursaluna serving as two pieces of evidence, he certainly believed it, and in pursuit of scientific rigor, Professor Oak decided to give this good deed to his eldest grandson.

If it were just this, it would be fine.

But as the two chatted, Professor Oak accidentally exposed Luo Mu's background completely.

Things like a retired Champion-level trainer from the Paldea League, turning the tide, suppressing the three rampaging Legendary Birds, the hero of the Orange Islands... he praised him however he could.

Listening to this, even Luo Mu himself felt somewhat embarrassed.

On the contrary, Green's eyes lit up, and the way he looked at Luo Mu changed instantly.

Essentially still that free-spirited young master, Green clicked his tongue in wonder, "You've hidden your depth quite well, Luo Mu."

"No wonder you're someone who can arouse my interest; you're actually quite impressive!"

The look in Green's eyes as he gazed at Luo Mu carried an undisguised, thick interest.

Even without Green saying it, Luo Mu roughly knew what he was thinking.

It seems there's no escaping today.

Sighing slightly, Luo Mu raised both hands in surrender.

"How do you want to fight? You say it."

"Delightful!"

The corners of Green's mouth curved into a pleasant arc; with one hand in his pocket, he snapped the fingers of his other hand.

"A full-team battle... Although I'd very much like to try that, I don't know how much strength a so-called Champion-level trainer from the Paldea region actually has."

"Equivalent to a Kanto League Champion? Or perhaps an Elite Four member?"

"Anyway, it's hard to judge, so let's just use our existing combat power to compete."

"Ursaluna versus Bloodmoon Ursaluna; through this single battle between you and me, I will judge your level!"

The free-spirited Green happily decided the rules for the spar.

Professor Oak, standing to the side, chuckled cheerfully and said, "There is enough open space in the institute's backyard for a battle; I will go prepare first."

Luo Mu could only comply.

At the same time.

Outside the laboratory window.

Tracey, who happened to be passing by, accidentally heard the entire conversation, and upon hearing that Luo Mu was going to spar with Green, he immediately panicked.

Green, the Green he knew, right? "I must, I must hurry and notify Ash!"

Muttering indistinct words, Tracey casually dropped his sketchbook and ran with hurried steps in the direction away from the institute.

Although it was called a sparring match, the battle could not begin immediately.

Even as a fairly powerful Trainer, Green needed a little time to ascertain his Ursaring's condition, physical abilities, and characteristics; one could even say that precisely because of this identity, Green needed to thoroughly understand the Ursaring and, using it as a foundation, construct strategies belonging to himself.

The preparation time was just enough for Tracey to call Ash, who had not long returned home.

Upon seeing Ash, Green was somewhat surprised; that brat who used to follow behind him along with Gary had now grown so large and even won first place at the Silver League Conference.

But still, he can't compare to this great me~

Green, who had won the championship in his debut year, was very proud, even if he had only been the League Champion for five minutes.

The battle commenced in the open space.

It was not just Professor Oak, Tracey, Ash, and Pikachu watching as spectators.

Many Pokémon in Oak's backyard had also gathered over as if to watch the excitement.

Meanwhile, Green had roughly completed the process of mutually re-understanding with the Ursaring and stood opposite Luo Mu with a smile that was both confident and arrogant.

"No referee needed; a one-on-one direct victory, whoever loses the ability to battle first is considered the loser—how about that?"

In just a few words, Green stated the rules.

"Good."

Luo Mu nodded lightly, naturally having no objection.

If he were to fight against Green's main Pokémon, perhaps he would worry about what realm his opponent's main force had reached.

But since it was this Ursaring that he already understood somewhat, Hisuian Ursaring was sufficient to handle it.

Green's Ursaring on one side, and Luo Mu's Hisuian Ursaring on the other, both stepped into the temporarily designated arena with footsteps that slightly shook the earth.

Green spoke first, pointing at the Hisuian Ursaring and shouting, "Let me see your power first; use Stomp!"

"Roar—"

The Ursaring let out a low growl, lifted its paw, and continuously stomped the ground, triggering shockwaves.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Under the sweep of earth-yellow shockwaves, the ground cracked open with a rumble, and along with the tidal wave brought by the shockwaves, countless shards of rubble surged toward the Hisuian Ursaring! For an ordinary Trainer, the first choice at this moment would surely be to have their Pokémon avoid the enemy's sharp edge and issue the command "Quick, dodge!"

But Luo Mu chose to meet it head-on.

"We'll do the same, Stomp!"

The Hisuian Ursaring roared fiercely, releasing an unceasing barrage of Stomps with movements almost identical to those of the Ursaring.

The two shockwaves collided in an instant; the ground rumbled and shook, and countless uneven, jagged rocks were continuously pulverized under the ravage of the shockwaves.

The earth seemed to wail, constantly emitting booming sounds.

Seeing Luo Mu and the Hisuian Ursaring's response, the corners of Green's mouth curled upward, and he uttered three words in succession.

"Good! Good! Good!"

This was not anger born of humiliation, but the joy of finding a worthy opponent.

Green's gaze sharpened, and he shouted, "Swords Dance!"

He was adept at seizing opportunities to bolster his Pokémon, and this moment, when the earth trembled incessantly, dust billowed up, and visibility became slightly blurred, was just right.

The cost was merely enduring the next few waves of Stomps.

Based on Green's understanding of the Ursaring, it was impossible for it not to withstand them; as long as the plan succeeded, he would gain an advantage in the subsequent battle.

But less than a second after he issued the "Swords Dance" command, Luo Mu on the opposite side, as if he had anticipated it, blurted out the name of a move.

"Taunt."

On the surface of the Hisuian Ursaring, pitch-black energy accumulated for an instant, transforming into an extremely fast light wave that swept outward; this miraculous energy perfectly interrupted the "Swords Dance" that the Ursaring was about to release.

The Ursaring roared angrily; although just moments ago in the cave, it and the Hisuian Ursaring had appeared like good brothers.

Now, looking at the Hisuian Ursaring, it seemed as though it wanted nothing more than to tear it to shreds.

Predicted! Upon realizing this fact, Green raised his eyebrows; far from feeling frustrated, he became even more interested.

A Pokémon hit by the move "Taunt," before the Taunt energy dissipates, becomes unable to use practical status moves due to the anger swelling within its heart.

It could be considered a move that frequently appears in battles that are essentially contests of tactics.

But reality is not a game; there are no move restrictions, so if status moves cannot be used, then simply clash with power first and wait for an opportunity to act later.

"Calm down, Take Down!"

Green's voice seemed to possess magic, and the agitated Ursaring became somewhat calmer again.

Dense Ground-type energy gathered; the Ursaring, with all four paws on the ground, became like an earth-yellow missile, charging forward toward the Hisuian Ursaring without hesitation.

The Hisuian Ursaring itself excelled at energy attacks, so the command Luo Mu gave was naturally one of its most proficient moves.

"Hyper Voice!"

"Roar!!!"

A terrifying roar capable of shaking mountains and forests transformed into high-frequency sound waves that were nearly solid, and under the Hisuian Ursaring's furious bellow, it blasted forward without retreating against the charging Ursaring.

At the moment of collision, a shockwave explosively erupted.

Professor Oak, Ash, and Tracey, standing in the distance, were nearly blown over, yet they were unwilling to shift their gaze for even a second, still firmly staring at the two fiercely battling sides.

At this moment, the Hisuian Ursaring and the Ursaring were already locked in fierce combat.

On Green's side, he directly had the Ursaring utilize its forepaws, which contained immense power, to execute the Fighting-type move "Brick Break," continuously launching fierce attacks against the Hisuian Ursaring.

As for the Hisuian Ursaluna, it didn't back down in the slightest.

Even though it had become much more laid-back recently, it had, after all, fought its way through countless battles to reach its current state.

Just as when it faced the Monarch Snake, its past combat techniques had not regressed in the least, for they had already become part of its instinct.

The two colossal monsters collided; the earth rumbled, sand and stones flew everywhere, and the open ground was already trampled into a mess by their clash.

In an instant, under Green's signal, the Ursaluna suddenly changed its move, striking the Hisuian Ursaluna's shoulder with an Ice Punch.

Watching the frost spread, Green cast a provocative glance at Luo Mu.

Due to its innate racial talents, the Hisuian Ursaluna was slightly inferior to the Ursaluna in terms of raw power, yet in terms of technique, the Hisuian Ursaluna far surpassed the Ursaluna.

To be able to seize the Hisuian Ursaluna's opening and issue commands without a trace—could one say anything less was to be expected of Green?

Fortunately, the Hisuian Ursaluna's shoulder was protected by special soil; even though the Ice Punch was extremely effective, it could not drain too much of its stamina.

The injury only further ignited the Hisuian Ursaluna's fighting spirit.

It roared and howled once more, gave a slight shake, and the ice congealed on its shoulder turned into glittering fragments and vanished completely.

Relying on his exceptional insight, Green instantly understood what was on the Hisuian Ursaluna's shoulder.

His smile widened a bit more.

"Truly... tough!"

(End of Chapter)