Seeing that all traces of confusion had vanished from the boy's face, Ash nodded in satisfaction.
Moreover, he hadn't been exaggerating earlier.
Poison-type Pokémon really were powerful.
While they generally lacked explosive burst damage, poison itself inflicted percentage-based damage over time. It was essentially true damage, bypassing both defenses and protective barriers.
That alone made Poison-types terrifying.
As for Muk...
Ash genuinely wanted to raise one himself.
Looking back at the original timeline, the previous Ash hadn't owned many Poison-type Pokémon.
Bulbasaur possessed Poison typing, but its Poison-type potential had never truly been explored.
The Muk he caught at the Gringey City Power Plant rarely appeared after being captured.
The Beedrill he obtained during the Bug-Catching Contest in Johto had eventually been gifted to the passionate baseball girl Casey.
As for the Ultra Beast Poipole, later evolving into Naganadel in Alola, it had certainly left a strong impression, but even then, its Poison-type capabilities had never been fully developed.
In the Journeys era, Ash had caught a Gengar.
Yet even then, he had primarily trained it as a Ghost-type Pokémon rather than exploring its Poison-type strengths.
Thinking about it now, it felt somewhat regrettable.
Because of that, Ash genuinely wanted a dedicated Poison-type main battler.
After all, the ability to ignore defenses and barriers while dealing constant true damage was simply too powerful.
"Still, I already have too many Pokémon to train right now."
Ash sighed inwardly.
"I don't really have the energy to raise another one."
"But if I happen to pass through Gringey City during my future travels and encounter that Muk again..."
"Maybe I'll catch it and train it properly."
...
...
After listening to Ash's detailed breakdown, many club members suddenly realized just how powerful Poison-types could be.
Even Muk, a Pokémon most people considered unpopular and unremarkable, turned out to possess tremendous potential.
Several members who had become interested in Poison-types immediately left the club in excitement, planning to search the city sewers and wastewater treatment facilities for Muk of their own.
As for those who weren't interested in Poison-types, they had discovered something equally valuable—
Ash was actually willing to give training advice.
One after another, trainers released their Pokémon and approached him with questions regarding training and development.
Ash didn't refuse.
While helping them, he quietly used the Ascension Trainer System to copy skills from these Pokémon—many of which possessed deep move pools and trainers wealthy enough to invest heavily in them.
After copying the skills he wanted, he generously provided detailed training suggestions in return.
One could consider it payment for the copied skills.
"Mr. Ash."
A young man suddenly stepped forward.
He wore a light gray-blue casual jacket over a white T-shirt.
His eyes were filled with anticipation.
"I'm one of your biggest fans."
"I'm also the manager of this Pokémon Fan Club."
"Since you've finally visited our club, would you honor me with a friendly Pokémon battle?"
A battle?
Ash's eyes lit up.
"Sure."
He agreed immediately.
Over the past several days, the Water Pokémon Beauty Contest had occupied most of his schedule.
Not only had he lacked time for training, but he hadn't even visited the city's battle arena.
To be honest, both he and his Pokémon were itching for a fight.
"Really?!"
The young manager looked delighted.
"Thank you, Mr. Ash!"
"The battle arena is right next door. Please follow me."
"And I'll notify the other members too."
"I'm sure everyone would love to watch."
After leading Ash and the others into the battle arena, the young manager hurriedly sent people throughout the club to spread the news.
Ash quietly watched him from across the battlefield.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Does he genuinely want a friendly battle?"
"Or is he trying to defeat me and use my reputation to make a name for himself?"
Ever since Ash's fame had exploded and he had been crowned the "Light of Kanto," this sort of thing happened frequently.
Many people claimed to be fans.
They approached him with smiles and admiration.
Then they challenged him to battles.
But in reality, some simply wanted to use him as a stepping stone.
If they managed to defeat Ash, even once, their own fame would skyrocket overnight.
Because of that, Ash had developed a habit.
Whenever someone challenged him, he would secretly use his Aura powers.
First, to determine whether they harbored hostility.
Second, to quietly listen to their thoughts.
If they truly were fans seeking nothing more than a friendly exchange, Ash would happily accommodate them.
Even if their strength was lacking, he would usually leave them some dignity and avoid crushing them too badly.
But if they were plotting to use him for personal gain...
Then Ash wouldn't show mercy.
He would suppress them completely and teach them the difference between ambition and strength.
A moment later, his Aura investigation returned a result.
"No hostility."
"A genuine fan."
"He really just wants a battle."
A faint smile appeared on Ash's face.
Not bad.
He actually liked people like this.
Meanwhile, word spread rapidly throughout the club.
Ash had arrived.
Ash was battling.
And his opponent was none other than the club's manager.
Almost every member immediately abandoned whatever they were doing and rushed toward the battle arena.
Within minutes, the spectator stands were packed.
"There's no referee?"
Misty glanced around.
Seeing that both trainers had already taken their positions but no referee was present, she immediately stepped forward.
"In that case, I'll serve as the temporary referee."
"Thank you very much, Leader Misty."
The young manager bowed gratefully.
"It's no trouble."
Misty waved casually before stepping into the center of the field.
Her expression became serious.
"The upcoming match is between Pokémon Fan Club Manager Yashaku and Trainer Ash!"
"The battle format will be two-on-two!"
"Both trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"
The moment Misty gave the signal, the young manager acted.
"Come out, Machamp!"
"This is Mr. Ash we're facing, so make sure you perform your best!"
He threw his Poké Ball.
At nearly the same time, Ash made his choice.
"Greninja."
"I'm counting on you."
"Let's have a good battle with our opponent."
A Poké Ball flew through the air.
Bang!
Bang!
Two flashes of white light burst forth simultaneously.
The Pokémon of both sides appeared on the battlefield.
On Yashaku's side stood a powerful Machamp, its four muscular arms crossed confidently over its chest.
On Ash's side appeared one of his four primary ace Pokémon—
Greninja.
Milotic had only evolved yesterday.
Its future potential was limitless, but its current combat strength still hadn't fully matured.
Facing the manager of a Pokémon Fan Club, Ash preferred to play it safe.
Sending out one of his top-tier main battlers was the more reliable choice.
Especially after using the Ascension Trainer System to check Machamp's level and strength.
The result made Ash nod inwardly.
Just as he expected.
Yashaku's Machamp wasn't weak at all.
In fact, it was surprisingly powerful.
Had he sent Milotic into battle instead...
There was a very real chance he might have lost this match.