In the stands, the audience stared in shock at the violent clash between the two Pokémon below, voices rising into heated debate.
"Holy shit… Is that really just an Elite-level fight!?"
"No way… That Shiny Greninja should only be at Advanced!"
"They're way too strong!"
"Nathan really deserves that 52nd spot—insane. But that kid on the other side… why does he look so familiar?—insane. But that kid on the other side… why does he look so familiar?"
"Now that you mention it, I feel like I've seen him somewhere too!"
"He's definitely not some random nobody if he can stand toe-to-toe with Nathan's Blaziken…"
...
Victor looked down at Aaron with undisguised admiration, shouting himself hoarse in support.
This is what a real Trainer looks like!
So damn cool!
Hidden Dragon List?
Aaron's Greninja would slice straight through them all the same!
...
On the battlefield, Greninja's cross-shaped pupils fixed steadily on Blaziken.
Blaziken's sharp eyes locked onto the black frog in return.
The power this frog had displayed had genuinely surprised it.
To stand against it head-on…
The faint trace of disdain vanished from Blaziken's gaze as its expression turned serious.
"Blaziken—circle it. Then use High Jump Kick again!"
Nathan's intention was clear.
Exploit Blaziken's overwhelming speed and strike from an unexpected angle.
With its Speed boosted by six stages—a full fourfold increase—this was the safest approach.
"Blazi—!"
Blaziken growled low and burst into motion.
Its powerful legs tore across the field, circling Greninja at extreme speed, like a red streak flashing endlessly.
The naked eye couldn't even follow its movements.
Watching Blaziken show off its speed in front of Greninja, Aaron's lips curled slightly.
"Greninja… let this chicken see."
"Speed?"
"It's meaningless against the 'domain'."
"Greninja—Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Sage Art: Water Shuriken!"
"Grenin—!"
Greninja brought its hands together.
Boom boom boom—
White smoke erupted across the field as clone after clone materialized.
Thirty Greninja took up positions around the battlefield.
"Nin ×30!"
In perfect unison, all thirty launched Water Shuriken.
Each spinning blade bore a small black frog emblem—the Flying Thunder God spatial mark.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Water Shuriken flooded the air around Blaziken.
Relying on its extreme speed, Blaziken weaved effortlessly through the barrage.
It felt light. It felt free. At that moment, Blaziken felt like the wind itself.
No Elite-level Pokémon could possibly catch it. As it dodged another Water Shuriken, pride flashed in its eyes.
He was the most savage gamecock among all Blaziken. Invincible… how lonely.
Then—
A black figure appeared at its side like a ghost.
So sudden it nearly made Blaziken's legs give out.
Its eyes widened.
"Ken—!?"
A startled cry tore from its throat.
"Greninja… Sage Art: Rasenshuriken!"
Aaron's calm voice rang out.
The black figure was Greninja.
Using the Water Shuriken to plant countless spatial coordinates, Greninja moved freely across the field through Flying Thunder God's second stage.
Aaron called it—
Flying Thunder God: Shuriken Domain
Appearing instantly at Blaziken's side, Greninja's cross-shaped pupils flashed with icy light.
Terrifying energy surged into its palm as a spiraling sphere formed.
Three windmill-like blades condensed around the Rasengan, radiating razor-sharp force.
The air itself seemed to distort, as if being sliced apart at the molecular level.
Blaziken felt it immediately.
Its feathers were being shredded strand by strand by invisible wind blades.
Every instinct in its body screamed.
Its feathers stood on end.
It wanted to dodge.
It wanted to cry out.
But from the instant Greninja appeared to the complete formation of the Rasenshuriken—
less than half a second had passed.
The speed Blaziken had been so proud of offered no escape now.
All it could do was watch as the Rasenshuriken slammed into its body.
BOOOOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rocked the entire Pokémon Battle Arena.
The shockwave blasted outward in a devastating surge.
Wind howled.
The ground cracked.
Rocks shattered.
Dust swallowed everything, as if the world itself were ending.
Spectators raised their arms to shield their faces, unable to open their eyes against the raging gale.
Even so, they squinted through their fingers, desperate to see what had just happened.
The exchange had been too fast.
Most of them hadn't even caught a glimpse of it.
"Holy shit—what just happened!?"
"Pfft! Dust got in my mouth—I didn't see anything either!"
"Damn it, they're too fast! You can't track them at all!"
"Is this really just an Elite-level battle!? This is insane!"
"My Elite-level Pokémon wouldn't last a single move against that!"
Even with the wind still roaring, the crowd couldn't stop shouting.
Then, as the gale gradually swept the thick smoke from the battlefield—
Every eye widened.
What was the result?
...