Greninja naturally wouldn't let Machamp have its way.
Its five tails lashed out simultaneously, disrupting Machamp's attempt to grab and execute Seismic Toss.
"Damn it…"
The sixth tail fully emerged.
With five tails, they had been evenly matched.
With six—
Fatty knew he couldn't hold the line anymore.
Sure enough.
The moment the sixth tail stabilized, Greninja's aura surged again.
A whole new tier.
"Can't handle it, can't handle it! Fatty's out!"
"I concede!"
Seeing Machamp clearly fall into disadvantage with almost no chance of turning it around, Fatty surrendered decisively.
As for dragging the fight out to exhaust Greninja?
Please.
He wasn't that selfless.
Besides, he was here to make an appearance, not die gloriously.
With two beautiful sisters behind him ready to carry, why overwork?
"Return, Machamp."
The Pokémon was recalled immediately.
The audience blinked.
This fat guy…
He was something else.
[Your Greninja defeated Machamp. Gained 1647 EXP. Leveled up to 35.]
Just a sliver of experience remained until Level 36.
At 36, Greninja would evolve into Ash-Greninja's true form — Greninja proper.
Based on the Naruto template progression, Gu Qiu suspected the fourth stage would unlock after evolution.
After all, Naruto was the protagonist.
The later forms were monstrous.
"Just a bit more EXP…"
"First match — Number Team wins!"
"You did very well, young man. For the second match, allow this beautiful older sister to be your opponent."
Ayame stepped forward for the Letter Team.
"I'll continue."
Botan moved instinctively, but Gu Qiu spoke softly.
She glanced at the cold girl.
The cold girl nodded.
Fatty returned casually to his team, completely unaffected by the loss.
"Come out — Dewgong!"
Ayame's Pokémon emerged gracefully.
Pokémon: Dewgong
Type: Water / Ice
Ability: Thick Fat
Quality: High-tier
Level: 48
Moves: Horn Drill, Encore, Headbutt, Aqua Jet, Ice Shard, Rest, Aurora Beam, Take Down
Level 48.
Nearly pseudo–Elite Four territory.
Many ordinary Gym Leaders hovered around this range.
Stronger Gym Leaders maintained entire teams at this threshold.
Misty and Brock were already brushing Champion-level boundaries.
Even Ayame — who hadn't trained seriously in years — was this strong.
The Cerulean family truly had depth.
"That Dewgong is terrifying. Can Gu Qiu really win?"
The audience held their breath.
Greninja dispelled the Half-Tailed Beast Mode.
It wasn't in peak condition.
The Machamp fight had consumed heavily.
"Don't force it if you can't," the cold girl said quietly.
"I know."
The pressure was immense.
After Level 40, every level made a tangible difference.
If Dewgong were Level 43 or 44, Sage Mode might secure victory.
But 48?
The odds were slim.
"Greninja… use that."
"Croak."
Its aura shifted again.
Ayame paused instead of attacking immediately.
Greninja closed its eyes.
Three seconds.
When they opened—
Its pupils were green.
An aura of harmony with nature surrounded it.
"Sage Mode…"
Though no one recognized it.
"Greninja — battle."
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Hand signs flashed.
More than ten identical Greninjas appeared.
"Shadow clones?"
"No… these feel real."
Ayame's battle instincts resurfaced.
"Dewgong — Aqua Jet!"
Dewgong darted fluidly, striking clone after clone.
Each vanished upon impact.
When the real Greninja closed in, five remained.
"Dewgong — Headbutt!"
No hesitation.
"Substitution!"
A wooden log took the hit.
"What—?"
"Rasengan!"
A swirling sphere of chakra formed.
"That energy—! Dewgong, Ice Shard!"
BOOM!
Near pseudo–Elite strength showed itself.
Ice Shard shattered the Rasengan midair.
The chilling recoil forced Greninja back.
The power gap was evident.
"Greninja — Big Ball Rasengan!"
An enhanced Rasengan.
Infused with vastly more chakra.
Before forming it, Greninja created multiple clones to gather energy.
Ayame's eyes narrowed.
"It's stronger."
"Dewgong — Aurora Beam!"
The air froze.
A prismatic beam fired from Dewgong's mouth.
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
Greninja used it defensively.
The massive sphere smashed through the rainbow beam.
Charging forward.
"What is that strange sphere?!"
Ayame remained calm.
"Headbutt!"
BOOM!!!
A violent explosion erupted.
Both Greninja and Dewgong staggered backward.
And then—
A radiant light enveloped Greninja.
Evolution.
The battlefield fell silent.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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