It felt like the end of the world.
The very air inside the Gym seemed to solidify.
Destructive energy scattered wildly in all directions.
Fortunately, Misty had activated the specialized Gym Leader battle arena this time.
Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"We should've just battled outdoors…"
Misty muttered, feeling a pang of regret.
They collided.
Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and Hyper Beam crashed into each other.
Water splashed violently. Chunks of stone blasted into the air.
Many spectators turned pale.
"Was I really fighting that Greninja before?"
The fat guy's expression changed as he muttered, "I'm filing a complaint. Greninja totally threw the match when it fought me."
True to form, his train of thought was crystal clear.
Yet he wasn't afraid at all—still calmly munching on sweets.
Afraid?
With Elite Four Lorelei summoning Jynx and three top-tier Gym Leaders stepping in, if he were still scared, he wouldn't be Fatty.
He narrowed his eyes.
Lorelei had grown stronger.
Brock and the others hadn't even needed to act.
The flying water droplets and stones suddenly froze midair—
Then dropped harmlessly to the ground.
It was as if an invisible wall had blocked everything.
Brock and the other two gave wry smiles.
It felt like: We rolled up our sleeves for nothing.
"Lorelei's strength has improved again."
"Yeah."
Seeing Lorelei contain the aftermath without casualties, Misty let out a breath of relief.
She turned back to the battlefield.
That clash—
Had been evenly matched.
She was shocked.
Hyper Beam was an overwhelmingly powerful attack.
Not the watered-down anime version that never hit anything.
And yet—
That unknown technique had matched it head-on.
If Greninja were Level 50 instead of 41, Misty was certain—
Kingdra would have lost that exchange.
After the collision, both Pokémon were in rough shape.
Greninja even dropped out of Sage Mode.
"Gu Qiu, your strength has truly exceeded my expectations. When I sent out Kingdra, I never thought I'd lose."
"But this is where it ends. Your Greninja's level is still too low."
Misty regained her confidence.
"Is that so? I don't think so."
Gu Qiu grinned.
That smile made her heart skip.
Does he still have a trump card?
No… impossible.
Greninja had already unleashed terrifying power.
If there was more—
"Greninja, let them witness your true strength."
"Kuga!"
Greninja nodded.
A new power erupted from within him.
Gold.
Golden energy surged out, gradually enveloping his body.
His entire form turned radiant gold.
Markings appeared across him—
The marks of the Sage of Six Paths.
Defeating Cloyster hadn't just granted two levels.
It had completed the fourth-stage mission.
Greninja could now use the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
[Pokémon]: Greninja
[Ability]: Protean
[Attributes]: Water + Dark + Fire + Earth + Yang + Lightning + Wind (Nine-Tails Chakra Template – Naruto, Unique)
[Aptitude]: Epic
[Level]: 41 (Elite tier)
[Moves]: Pound, Growl, Bubble, Quick Attack, Ice Beam, Water Pulse, Water Shuriken, Night Slash, Role Play, Shadow Sneak, Rasengan, Harem Jutsu, Shadow Clone Technique, Sage Mode (Mastered), all Sage Mode ninjutsu, Nine-Tails Chakra Mode (Initial Mastery), Malice Perception, Nine-Tails Chakra Arms, Rasengan Barrage, Mini Rasenshuriken, Planetary Rasengan!
His first two forms had disappeared.
Because they had merely borrowed the Nine-Tails' power.
Now that he could access Nine-Tails Chakra Mode directly, there was no need to revert to weaker states.
"What a pure… noble power."
Lorelei, being the strongest present, felt it most clearly.
From Greninja's aura, even she sensed a faint threat.
If left unchecked—
This Greninja might one day harm even her.
"Jynx, how do you feel?"
She asked casually.
To her surprise, Jynx looked grave.
Pokémon perception exceeded that of humans.
A trace of shock flashed through Lorelei's eyes.
Jynx was nearly Level 80—one of her core Pokémon.
"Gu Qiu…"
She murmured his name.
In the stands, Brock and the others, who had just been about to sit down, froze again.
"That wasn't even his limit?"
Li Hong said quietly.
No one responded.
"You… still had a trump card."
Misty swallowed.
The situation was slipping beyond her control.
"Fight with everything you have."
"Alright. My Kingdra won't lose."
She regretted not sending out her signature trio.
If she had, she wouldn't feel this pressured.
Thankfully, Kingdra still had stamina left.
"Nine-Tails Chakra Arms!"
Golden chakra arms manifested around Greninja.
Above each one—
A swirling sphere began to form.
"You've got to be kidding…"
Misty knew those spheres all too well.
Six Rasengans formed simultaneously.
"K-Kingdra… use Twister!"
Her composure wavered.
Greninja moved.
Facing the tornado head-on—
He charged straight into it.
"What is he doing?!"
Misty was stunned.
"Is he suicidal?"
But just before the Twister could hit—
An unseen force repelled it.
The tornado split apart.
Greninja surged through untouched.
"N-No—!"
By the time Misty reacted, Greninja was already dangerously close.
At that speed—
Kingdra had no chance of escape.
Everything had unfolded exactly as Gu Qiu calculated.
"Kingdra, use Protect!"
Protect—
A god-tier defensive move.
Capable of completely blocking an opponent's attack.
Of course—
Whether it truly held depended on the gap in power.
If the difference was too great—
Even Protect would shatter.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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