A flash of light streaked across the field.
A dark, humanoid frog Pokémon landed in the arena, deadpan eyes locking onto Blaziken and Slowbro in the distance.
"Nin..."
A cold glint flickered in its gaze.
So these were the two jerks bullying his little bro?
Grovyle wasn't just a teammate—he was his gaming partner. The one he trained with, hung out with, spent hours grinding alongside.
Somewhere along the way, Greninja had started treating him like a younger brother.
And now that little brother had been beaten up.
As the big brother, how could he not be pissed?
...
On the opposite side, Nathan's focus remained on Sebastian.
The presence coming from Archeops was noticeably stronger than Greninja's. It was at Elite, while Greninja was still at Advanced level.
The instant Sebastian sent it out, Nathan responded without hesitation.
"Blaziken, Blaze Kick—Archeops."
"Blazi!"
A red streak cut across the field as it vanished from sight, closing the distance in a blink.
Its right leg flared with heat and snapped forward in a blazing arc.
"Archeops—Protect!"
Sebastian's face tightened. Blaziken's speed was insane—an absolute nightmare to deal with.
"Krooah!"
Archeops reacted instantly, folding its wings as a translucent barrier flared into existence around it.
Boom!
Blaziken's Blaze Kick slammed into the shield.
Crack—
The barrier fractured under the impact, splintering into shards of light before fading away.
"Archeops—Acrobatics!"
Seizing the opening, Sebastian shouted again.
Archeops' wings ignited with white light as it slashed toward Blaziken at close range.
"Blaziken, Protect."
Nathan's voice remained calm.
A clear barrier unfolded around Blaziken just in time.
Bang!
Archeops' strike rebounded off the shield without leaving a mark.
Nathan's control of the tempo never wavered—exactly what you'd expect from someone at his level.
Another surge of speed rippled through Blaziken's body.
It was moving even faster now—pushing closer and closer to its limit.
"Blaziken… Fire Punch."
Nathan spoke again.
To Sebastian, that calm voice sounded like a devil whispering in his ear. His pupils constricted as cold sweat poured down his face.
"Archeops—quick! Use Double Team!!"
He shouted in panic.
Blaziken's right fist erupted in flames as it lunged forward with explosive force.
"Krooah!"
Archeops reacted instantly, splitting into a swarm of afterimages.
Blaziken's Fire Punch tore through one of the clones.
A decoy.
Archeops barely escaped.
"Blaziken… Blaze Kick. Sweep."
Nathan's expression didn't change.
Boom—
At extreme speed, Blaziken pivoted and unleashed a blazing roundhouse kick, a fiery arc carving through every Archeops on the field.
The clones shattered on impact.
The real body—
Boom—
The kick connected squarely.
"Krooah—!!"
Archeops' anguished cry rang out as it was blasted into the air. Flames clung to its body while it crashed heavily onto the battlefield.
"Archeops!!"
Sebastian's voice cracked as he shouted.
But Archeops lay sprawled across the cold floor like a broken fossil bird.
It had lost the ability to battle.
A collective gasp swept through the stands.
...
In the main spectator section, Rowan was grinning so hard his mouth could barely close. His face was flushed with excitement.
In his eyes, there was no longer any doubt.
His rise to the position of head of the Wright family was already decided.
"Hahahaha!"
Rowan threw his head back and laughed as he looked toward Richard.
"Richard… my apologies!"
"This time, I'll be taking the position of family head off your hands."
"Hahaha!"
Richard's face drained of color.
Sebastian's Pokémon had all been eliminated.
All he had left was Aaron—hardly enough to turn the tide.
And across the field stood a fully powered-up Blaziken, plus four more Pokémon waiting in reserve.
Aaron had only one left: Greninja.
No matter how he calculated it, the odds were hopeless.
Richard felt his stomach drop.
"Sebastian…"
"Even if I lose my position, I'll still make you pay, you useless bastard!"
He raged inwardly.
"You even dared to covet my Held Items!?"
"I'll make you choke on it!"
His hatred surged like a flood breaking through a dam—violent and unstoppable.
...
On the other side of the field, Emma also launched her attack against Aaron's Greninja.
"Slowbro… Ice Beam!"
"Slowbro…"
Slowbro let out a lazy cry as an icy-blue beam gathered in its mouth.
"Greninja… Quick Attack. Interrupt it."
Aaron's command followed immediately.
"Grenin—!"
Greninja's figure turned into a streak of black lightning.
Before Slowbro could finish condensing its Ice Beam, that black flash slammed heavily into its plump body.
"Slowbro—!"
Its attack was forcibly interrupted as it was sent flying, tumbling several times across the ground.
"So fast!"
Emma's pupils shrank slightly. She gasped in shock.
"Slowbro, get up!"
"Use Slack Off!"
"Slow…"
Sitting upright on the ground, Slowbro made a sluggish motion. A white glow spread across its body, slowly restoring its injuries.
"Hm?"
"The exam is right around the corner, and you still dare to Slack Off?"
"Greninja… Use Night Slash. Wake it up."
Aaron raised an eyebrow and gave the order coolly.
...