"Roaaar!"
Dragonite let out a mighty cry as a bolt of lightning split the sky, crashing down upon Ash's Susanoo. The impact shattered its defenses in an instant—only for Ash to swiftly repair the damage with focused chakra energy.
"As expected… in this world, techniques like ninjutsu and ocular powers are restricted by the world's rules," Ash muttered, frowning as another flash of lightning illuminated the battlefield.
"Still, the power remains formidable. If it weren't, I'd be in serious trouble."
Susanoo had always been Ash's ultimate defense—his unbreakable guardian—but this was the first time it had been pushed to its limits. His opponent was a Dragonite, a pseudo-legendary Pokémon that had mastered the power of thunder itself. Its strength was nothing short of terrifying.
"Grrraahh!" Encouraged by its earlier success, Dragonite's morale soared. Its fists gleamed with a brilliant white light as it surged forward, unleashing a devastating Mega Punch.
"Yata no Kagami!"
In response, Ash focused his ocular power, manifesting the divine Mirror of Eight Virtues before Susanoo's left arm.
"BOOM!!!"
The shockwave rippled through the air as Dragonite's Mega Punch struck the mirror, yet Susanoo stood unshaken.
Ash had deliberately avoided using the mirror's reflection ability—not because he couldn't, but because the energy cost was enormous. This was only a sparring session, after all, and artifacts of this level were not so easily wielded.
"It took that much ocular power just to block one hit," Ash thought grimly, dismissing the mirror.
"Seems I can't use artifacts like these properly until my Mangekyō evolves further."
Before Dragonite could regain its stance, Ash made his move. Controlling Susanoo with sharp precision, he sent a colossal punch straight into Dragonite's chest.
"RAAAAHHH!"
Dragonite was sent flying, its roar echoing across the rocky cliffs. Thankfully, dragon Pokémon were known for their incredible endurance. Though hurt, Dragonite had taken worse before.
"CRASH!"
The impact shattered a massive rock formation behind it, scattering dust and debris across the field.
"Rooaaaar!"
Enraged, Dragonite unleashed its power. Winds howled violently around it, forming a massive tornado that hurtled toward Ash in mere seconds.
As a dragon with dominion over the skies, manipulating the winds came naturally to it.
"Totsuka Blade!"
Facing the raging storm, Ash knew brute force was the only answer. In Susanoo's right hand, a fiery sword materialized—a spirit-bound weapon inscribed with strange, glowing runes.
"HAAA!"
With a mighty swing, Susanoo cleaved the tornado clean in half, scattering the storm clouds like paper before a flame.
Ash exhaled in relief—but his respite was short-lived. A crimson beam shot out from the smoke, slamming into Susanoo's chest. The armor cracked under the pressure, and Ash felt his chakra drain rapidly.
"That's Hyper Beam!" he realized.
The continuous blast hammered against Susanoo's barrier, forcing Ash to pour everything he had into maintaining it. The ground beneath him scorched under the sheer power of the beam.
When the attack finally ceased, Ash dismissed Susanoo, panting heavily. In the next instant, he launched himself skyward using Moon Step, his feet flashing as if running upon invisible stairs in the air.
Seeing this, Dragonite's eyes gleamed—its wings spread wide as it ascended after him, faster than the eye could follow. Down below, Lucario, standing beside Cynthia, looked up enviously at the sight of his master dancing freely through the air.
Not only Lucario, but all of Ash's Pokémon watched in awe. Their Trainer's strength inspired pride—and a burning desire to become stronger themselves.
"Let's go, Dragonite!"
Ash called, appearing suddenly before his opponent. In one smooth motion, he twisted midair and kicked out, his right leg connecting solidly with Dragonite's jaw.
"BANG!"
Dragonite crashed into the ground below, dust and rock erupting on impact. Though tough enough to withstand the blow, it staggered, clearly dazed by the hit.
"Looks like combining Moon Step with Shave really does boost speed,"
Ash mused, analyzing his movement with a strategist's precision.
"If I adapt the Navy's Six Forms into my combat style… I can push my body even further."
Satisfied with his performance, Ash readied himself for the next exchange—his eyes gleaming like molten gold as lightning danced once more in the clouds above.
"Alright, that's enough for now."
Seeing Dragonite preparing to attack again, Ash raised his hand, signaling a stop. The battle had taken a toll—both physically and mentally. Yet by his estimate, he'd only used about thirty percent of his full power.
"I'm getting used to channeling chakra through my Sharingan," he muttered thoughtfully as he landed gracefully, stepping onto solid ground using Moon Step.
"Now the next challenge is figuring out how to counter psychic power… especially from someone like Mewtwo. That guy won't be easy to handle."
"Rooaah~!"
Hearing the command to stop, Dragonite let out a low, dissatisfied growl. Its tail swished impatiently, and its wings flapped once in protest. Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the sight—it was rare to see his Dragonite sulk like a child.
"Don't look at me like that," he said, smiling.
"I know you were getting fired up, but this training's just the start."
Ash walked toward his team, resting his hand on Dragonite's scaled shoulder.
"You all saw how I moved in the air just now, right? That technique is called Moon Step—a movement art I've adapted for Pokémon."
His Pokémon leaned in with curiosity as Ash continued, his tone turning teacher-like.
"However, only certain Pokémon can learn it. Dragonite, Tyranitar, Scizor, and Charizard—you four have the body structure and muscle control needed. The rest of you… it wouldn't work."
He looked over the group, where Onix, Pidgeot, and Bulbasaur watched from the sidelines.
"As for you guys, you already know it's impossible. Your builds just don't support aerial footwork like that."
Then his gaze shifted toward Entei and Arcanine, who stood proudly but somewhat dejected.
"And as for you two, even with Shave, your four-legged stance makes it hard to control the momentum. You can boost your speed with that move, but learning Moon Step itself—yeah, that's beyond your limit."
A murmur ran through the group—some Pokémon were thrilled, others visibly disappointed. The reactions made Ash grin softly.
"Don't worry," he said reassuringly.
"Each of you has your own strengths. The key isn't copying someone else's technique—it's finding the path that fits your body and spirit best."
He straightened, his expression growing more serious.
"Because if we're going to stand against opponents like Mewtwo… every one of us will need to grow stronger—together."
Dragonite's eyes gleamed with renewed resolve, its earlier frustration melting away. Around them, the air felt charged again—not with battle tension, but with shared purpose.
...
TN:
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