136. Piloswine

Ash was not angry when he heard that Pryce did not approve of his actions.

Everyone has a way of getting along with their Pokémon. Ash regards Pokémon as a friend and partner, a close family.

After obtaining the Bond System, he gained a deeper understanding of this during his journey. Because of this, he gained the respect of Professor Oak and the appreciation of Lance, and was even regarded as a strong opponent by him.

But he has no right to require all Trainers to be like him, just like how he doesn't think Pryce can deny his feelings and ties with his Pokémon.

"It's no use talking anymore, let's go and fight!" Ash threw his Tyrouges Poké Ball without any excuses or anything.

What could be more appropriate for a conversation between Pokémon Trainers than a battle?

"Okay, then let me correct your misguided thinking!" Pryce responded, "Come on out, Dewgong!"

The momentum of this Dewgong is very powerful, and there are waterfalls and flowing water here, which is environmentally beneficial to it.

"Is there any way you can defeat my Dewgong?"

Misty became happy when she saw it was Dewgong, "Ash, Dewgong is a dual Water and Ice-type Pokémon, which is very beneficial to your Tyrouge!"

However, Pryce also clearly heard this and said, "Pokémon battle strategies can only be of real value when the Trainer can accurately control their Pokémon!"

"That's true!" Ash smiled confidently and took the lead in launching the first attack, "Tyrouge, use Mind Reader!"

Tyrouges eyes suddenly shrank, and all of Dewgong's movements were clearly visible to him!

The next attack did not require any of Ash's order. It rushed directly towards Dewgong and was in front of it in the blink of an eye.

"Hmph! Dewgong, Ice Beam!"

This move Ice Beam is very fast and very powerful, one of the strongest Ice-type attacks. If such a close-range attack hits, Ash and Tyrouge knows that everything will be over for them.

Even Pryce himself thought that he had the chance to win this easily and was ready to declare his victory.

However, Tyrouge just dodged the powerful looking Ice Beam, and then kicked Dewgong hard with his flexible knee!

The Mind Reader move that he previously used is really useful for a Fighting-type Pokémon like him!

"Dewgong!"

Pryce couldn't believe the changes in front of him, it was just too quick. Tyrouge was unscathed, but his Dewgong was severely damaged.

He had to take Dewgong back before he could look at Ash again. For a moment, he fell into silence.

"Aunt Sheila, did something happen to Grandpa Pryce?" Molly whispered beside her.

Hearing this, Sheila asked in a surprise voice, "Molly-chan, how did you know that?"

"Just guessing, hehe!" Molly stuck out her tongue with one of her lest eye close while the right eye was open.

"Don't look at the current Pryce. He used to be a very cheerful person. Training his Pokémon was a very happy thing for him and his Pokémon's. He treated his Pokémon's like his family and friends!"

When Sheila started talking about his past, Pryce did not stop her. Instead, he took the initiative and said, "At that time, I thought I could understand Pokémon's heart just like you, Ash!"

"My Piloswine and I have won many battles together, but in a big game, an opponen used their Magmar to suppress my team, so I sent out my Piloswine on the field!"

"In the end, I lost the game and suffered severe burns from that Magmars powerful Fire attacks!"

When Ash and the others said this, their eyes bulged up. At Pryce's time, Trainer could also be harmed by a Pokémon's attacks if not carefully.

But obviously, Pryce's story is not over yet!

After losing the game, both Piloswine and Pryce were seriously injured. But just when he was feeling guilty about the failure of the battle, Piloswine walked into the heavy snow alone.

"Piloswine, he left the seriously injured me behind and left alone!" Pryce suddenly raised his voice, as if retorting to Ash, "From then on, I no longer treat Pokémon as my friends, but strictly train them without the same feeling!"

"Did you ever look for your Piloswine?"

Ash suddenly asked Pryce a very good question with a loud voice.

"You? What did you just say to me?" Pryce was suddenly shocked by Ash's burst of momentum.

Ash looked straight at Pryce, "Have you ever looked for it? Your Piloswine was seriously injured and ran into the heavy snow. What you were thinking was that it was going to leave you because of a single defeat? Even after all those times that you guys were fighting together!"

"Is this the so little amount of trust you have in your most trusted partner? At that moment, you were only disappointed with it, but you didn't have any worries him at all!"

Ash took his Tyrouge back and stood in front of Pryce.

"What are you talking about? Of course I went to look for it, but the heavy snow covered Piloswine's traces, and more than ten years has gone by, and he never came back to me!" Pryce was also very loud with his words!

"So, you think he must have abandoned you and found another Trainer that was more powerful than you?" Ash Aura continued to rise, his Aura was so high that even the regular Sheila was able to see it clearly. In his opinion, there must be another reason why Piloswine left in the heavy snow all of a sudden.

"Wait!" Aunt Sheila rushed up and stood between the two of them, "Stop arguing, this will get you nowhere!"

After Pryce and Ash's emotions finally stabilized, Sheila turned to Ash and said, "Ash, what exactly do you want to say?"

Ash breathed out, "I think there must be other reasons why your Piloswine left! For example, seeing how severely burned you were, Pryce, he braved the heavy snow to go out to find you some herbs to treat your burns, or something along the line!"

"Piloswine has a very good sense of smell. There are many people in Johto Region who train their Swinub's to find hot springs, so this speculation should be very reasonable!"

"As for why Piloswine didn't come back for so long, it should be..."

Ash suddenly paused, and his next speculation was obviously bad news for Pryce!

However, after hearing his words, Sheila and Pryce's eyes lit up at the same time, "If it is that, that means he must be at that place!"

As he said that, the two of them rushed deep into the forest together.

"Ash, what are going to do?" Misty and Brock quickly came to Ash's side.

"Let's go there too, follow them!" Ash hugged Molly tightly, "The forest here is very dense and there are no real mountain roads. You two must follow me closely!"

Ash's Aura power has a powerful detection capabilities, and by relying on his Aura power along the way, they have never intentionally lost their way.

Soon, they followed Pryce and Sheila to a cliff valley, "I've been here once or twice, and all kinds of herbs grow in this valley!"

In other words, according to Ash's speculation, Piloswine was probably looking for herbs for Pryce and accidentally fell into the depths of the Valley and has not returned yet!

Sheila quickly took out a rope, and sure enough, the group found the big anklet deep in the valley!

"Piloswine was really here!" Pryce hugged the anklet in his arms, his whole body trembling, "Ash, you were right, I was wrong, and I have been so wrong for so many years!"

"Let's find Piloswine first before continuing on with this!" Ash walked in one direction, where he sensed a weak but alive Aura.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, Piloswine was still alive. It was frozen in the ice at the bottom of the valley, and it still holds the herbal plant for treating burns in its mouth!