A clap of thunder rolled across the sky as a black silhouette silently descended onto the battlefield.
Shiny Greninja!!
"Grenin—"
Frog Boss fixed its cold, lifeless eyes on the opposing Magmar, a faint look of disdain flashing across its face.
"A Shiny Pokémon!?"
"Not bad… Old Sterling, I didn't expect your student to have a Shiny Greninja. Now this is getting interesting!!"
"Maybe… a miracle really could happen."
The moment Greninja appeared, murmurs spread through the spectator stands. Even Major Grant showed a brief flicker of surprise, though it quickly faded. Shiny Pokémon were exceedingly rare, but not unheard of.
"Hmph… no wonder you've been acting so arrogant. So you've got a Shiny Greninja."
The man opposite Aaron glared at him, his expression twisted with jealousy.
"But so what if it's Shiny? Strength is what really matters!!"
"Magmar… use Flamethrower!!"
Jealousy flared in his eyes as he barked the command.
"Mag——"
Magmar let out a low growl, a torrent of scorching flames blasting from its mouth and surging straight toward Greninja.
"Greninja, dodge!!"
"Finish it with Water Shuriken."
Aaron's voice remained calm and even.
"Grenin—"
Greninja leapt lightly into the air, effortlessly evading the Flamethrower. In the next instant, five shuriken formed from compressed water energy in its hands and shot forward in rapid succession.
Magmar didn't even have time to react before the lightning-fast shuriken struck home.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A series of sharp impact sounds rang out.
"Mag—"
Magmar's body was blasted backward, crashing heavily onto the ground. Its eyes spun in circles as it fainted.
...
"How is that possible!?"
Only now did the opposing man come back to his senses. Staring at his fallen Magmar, his face was filled with disbelief.
Even if Water-type moves countered Magmar, Water Shuriken wasn't supposed to be that powerful.
How could it instantly defeat a Magmar at Intermediate (Peak Stage)?!
"Magmar is unable to battle!"
"Next contestant from Camp Seven, please enter the arena!"
Even the referee looked briefly stunned before loudly announcing the result. The man could only leave the field with his head lowered.
...
"Tsk—"
"This Greninja is no ordinary Pokémon. Its strength has to be at least Early Advanced tier, right?"
"And the proficiency of its Water Shuriken must be extremely high. Otherwise, there's no way it could take down Magmar in a single hit."
"Principal Sterling really knows how to keep his trump card hidden. Don't tell me this kid is your trump card?"
...
The principals in the stands exchanged astonished looks as they whispered among themselves.
Sterling wore a satisfied smile, thinking to himself:
Hmph… that's it?
Such a limited view… Aaron hasn't even finished warming up yet!!
Meanwhile, Baldwin's face was as dark as charcoal. His side now had only one contestant left.
The balance of the match was beginning to tip.
...
At last, the opponent's final participant stepped onto the field.
Tall and slender, with long hair, he carried an unmistakably androgynous air.
He glanced at Aaron and spoke indifferently.
"Your Sealine Trainer Academy has done quite well this year. I didn't expect I'd have to take the field myself."
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let me put an end to this farce."
True to appearances, his voice was calm and neutral, making it hard to tell whether he was male or female.
Hearing such blatant grandstanding, Aaron was momentarily speechless.
I can't even put on a show like you…
You've already taken all the spotlight for yourself, haven't you?
Aaron rolled his eyes and said nothing. He'd put him in his place soon enough.
Showing off in front of me comes at a price.
"Come out… Kadabra!!"
The androgynous contestant threw out his Poké Ball.
A flash of light burst forth, and a yellow Pokémon clad in gray, armor-like plating appeared on the battlefield. It vaguely resembled a weasel and held a spoon in its hand.
It was the notoriously troublesome Psychic-type Pokémon: Kadabra.
[Name: Kadabra]
[Gender: Male]
[Nature: Rash]
[Type: Psychic]
[Ability: Synchonize]
[Base Stats: 400]
[Level: Intermediate (Peak Stage)]
[Potential: Champion-Class]
[Known Moves: Psi (Proficient), Psybeam (Proficient), Miracle Eye (Proficient), Reflect (Basic), Psychic Blade (Basic), Instant teleportation (Basic), Meditate (Basic)…]
[Description: Kadabra, the Psychic Pokémon. The evolved form of Abra, a Pokémon that possesses formidable psychic power…]
...