"Boom—!"
A thunderous explosion ripped through the field.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Snap! Pop!
Greninja's Ice Punch slammed straight into Arcanine's Wild Charge. Lightning burst outward as a sharp chill swept across the battlefield.
Electric arcs snapped through the air as both Pokémon were forced apart, sliding back from the clash. The attacks canceled each other out—neither side taking real damage.
Lyra narrowed her eyes.
"…He's good."
"Greninja—Quick Attack!"
Aaron's voice stayed calm.
"Grenin…"
Greninja let out a low cry. Its body blurred, turning into a streak of shadow as it shot forward—faster than the eye could track.
"Arcanine, dodge!"
Too late.
The hit landed clean.
Boom—!
"Woof—!"
The impact sent Arcanine flying, its massive body thrown back across the field.
An Apotheosis-level Quick Attack, with a base power of 80, boosted by Protean to 120, carried tremendous force.
Arcanine was blasted several meters back, letting out a pained cry.
"Arcanine!"
Lyra's expression tightened as she called out.
She hadn't expected a Quick Attack to hit this hard.
"Greninja—don't give it a chance to recover!"
"Use Smack Down!"
Aaron pressed the attack, his voice steady.
"Nin…"
Greninja responded softly. Yellow energy gathered in its hand, forming a solid chunk of rock.
It hurled the stone straight at Arcanine.
Whoosh—!
The projectile tore through the air like a bullet.
"Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
Lyra reacted instantly.
"Krraah—!"
Arcanine forced itself upright and unleashed a stream of blazing fire.
The flames collided with the incoming rock—
Boom—!
A violent explosion burst outward, scattering heat, sparks, and shattered fragments across the field.
"Arcanine—Extreme Speed!"
Lyra's eyes narrowed as she gave the command.
A white glow wrapped around Arcanine as it launched forward, shooting toward Greninja like a streak of light.
"Greninja—use Flying Thunder God to dodge!"
"Then finish it with Rasengan."
Aaron stayed calm as ever.
"Grenin…"
Greninja's eyes locked in.
Just as Arcanine was about to hit—Greninja vanished.
In the next instant, it reappeared on Arcanine's back.
A black, frog-shaped mark was visible there.
During the earlier clash, Greninja had already placed the Flying Thunder God mark on Arcanine—this had been set up from the start.
Buzz—
A faint blue flash crossed Greninja's eyes.
A sphere of blue energy formed in its hand, spinning rapidly with a low hum.
Then it drove the Rasengan straight into Arcanine's back.
BOOM—!!!
The explosion shook the entire area.
Fortunately, the area was uninhabited—otherwise, that blast alone would've caused a lot of complaints.
"Awooo—!"
A pained howl rang out.
Arcanine slammed into the ground, carving out a deep crater as rocks and dust burst outward.
It lay there, tongue out and eyes spinning—completely knocked out.
...
"What!?"
"Arcanine…!"
"Holy—!"
"No way…!"
It all happened in a flash.
By the time anyone reacted, Arcanine was already down, lying motionless in the crater.
The crowd erupted.
Lyra stood there, frozen, eyes wide.
"…How?"
She'd just seen Arcanine about to land the hit—So how did it lose!?
How did that even happen!?
Was that frog really faster than Extreme Speed!?
She couldn't make sense of it.
Then her gaze snapped to Aaron.
That calm, almost indifferent expression—like everything had gone exactly as planned.
And those eyes…
So similar to that Pokémon's.
Frustration surged.
She clenched her teeth, glaring at him.
"Arcanine is unable to battle!"
"Lyra, please send out your next Pokémon!"
Simon finally snapped out of it, raising his flag as he called the result.
"Nice! Hahaha, that's my bro!"
"Well done!!"
"Finish her!!"
Yuri jumped up, face flushed as he shouted.
That felt good—she had it coming.
"Return, Arcanine."
The smile was gone from Lyra's face.
Now she looked fierce… and stubborn.
She pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it forward.
"Come out… Volcarona!!"
A flash of light—A Pokémon with six crimson wings and a moth-like body appeared midair.
A Bug-type powerhouse with a base stat total of 550—
Volcarona!!