Ash's Scyther was already on the verge of evolving. All it needed was the right opportunity.
And now, that opportunity had finally arrived.
Earlier, they had encountered an Ariados. Although it was much faster than an ordinary Ariados, it had still been defeated after facing Ash's Scyther.
Coincidentally, there was a Pokémon Ninja Academy nearby. Aya happened to be training there, and the headmaster was Ariados's Trainer. He had also taken a great interest in Ash's Scyther.
So, at the headmaster's warm invitation, Ash, Misty, and Brock followed him to the ninja academy.
To clarify, although Aya was personally trained by the headmaster, her skills still needed work. Based on Venonat's current strength, it was still no match for Ariados.
The group followed the headmaster and Aya into the academy grounds.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw numerous Trainers practicing alongside their Pokémon.
"There are so many Pokémon here!" Brock couldn't help exclaiming.
Misty, on the other hand, looked a little uncomfortable.
The reason was simple.
There were Bug type Pokémon everywhere.
"Our Pokémon Ninja Academy is home to many Trainers who dedicate themselves day and night to mastering the various ninja arts of Pokémon," the headmaster explained to the group.
He wasn't exaggerating. Many Pokémon moves carried elements reminiscent of ninja techniques. For example, Brock's Pineco had access to Spikes, although it hadn't mastered the move yet. More directly, Ash's Scyther's Double Team was practically the equivalent of a ninja's Shadow Clone Technique.
But if there was one Pokémon that truly embodied the spirit of a ninja, it was Greninja from the Kalos region. It was practically a ninja brought to life. After forming the Bond Phenomenon with Ash, its Water Shuriken and blade techniques were even more heavily inspired by traditional ninja arts.
As for Greninja...
Ash had every intention of making it one of his future partners.
"Miss Aya, I've decided! I want to become your disciple!"
Without question, Brock had blurted that out on impulse, purely because he wanted an excuse to get closer to Aya.
When it came to chasing beautiful women, Ash could only give Brock a thumbs up.
Words simply couldn't do him justice.
Brock's outburst also reminded Aya of something.
She turned to Ash and asked, "Ash, would you and your friends like to experience being academy students for a day? I'm sure you'd all gain something from it. Right, Headmaster?"
The headmaster had originally wanted another chance to observe Ash's battling skills. Hearing Aya's suggestion, he immediately nodded in agreement.
Soon afterward, the three of them changed into the academy's ninja uniforms.
They certainly looked the part.
Misty's blue ninja outfit suited her especially well. The fitted design accentuated her figure, leaving Ash staring blankly for a moment.
He hadn't expected Misty to have such a surprisingly attractive figure.
As for Ash and Brock, one received a red uniform while the other wore a yellow one.
According to the academy's introduction, the red uniform represented the Battle Department, which focused on Pokémon battling. The yellow uniform belonged to the Technical Department, which specialized in improving Pokémon moves. The blue uniform was assigned to the Beauty Department, where students studied Pokémon grooming and weight management.
Before long, the three of them split up to attend their respective classes.
For some reason, as Ash watched Misty walk away, he suddenly felt a silent moment of sympathy for her.
Ash's premonition soon came true.
Although Misty's class was labeled as a beauty course, the beauty treatments were performed using Spinarak silk. For Misty, this was nothing short of a nightmare, and before long she was completely wrapped up in sticky threads.
However, after seeing a training session where Starmie practiced gliding across the surface of the water, she immediately became interested.
Brock's class, on the other hand, went much more smoothly.
His partner was Pineco, and the lesson focused on improving move proficiency by having Pokémon pop balloons placed around the training field.
During the exercise, Brock's Pineco successfully mastered Spikes, shattering every balloon on the field.
To celebrate, Pineco promptly used Self-Destruct again.
As for Ash...
His class naturally consisted of real battle practice.
"Ash, ever since our last battle, I've been looking forward to facing you again," Aya said with a smile.
"I've been looking forward to it too, Miss Aya. This time, I'll be fighting at full strength."
What Ash meant by "full strength" was giving Scyther the chance to evolve through trade.
Using the academy's Pokémon trade machine, Ash traded Scyther while it was holding a Metal Coat.
The moment the trade was completed and the Poké Ball was opened again, Scyther emerged completely transformed.
Its body had grown larger, its twin blades had become enormous steel pincers, and its entire body was covered in metallic armor. Even its original green color had changed to a deep crimson.
Bathed in a brilliant red flash...
Scizor had arrived.
"Scizor!"
Scizor examined its new body, its eyes radiating an intimidating aura.
"All right," Aya declared. "Let's begin!"
"Venonat, Poison Sting!"
"Scizor, use Bullet Punch to block it!"
Scizor's massive pincers blurred into motion, effortlessly batting away every Poison Sting.
"Scizor, Quick Attack!"
Seeing Scizor charging straight at them, Aya immediately commanded,
"Venonat, dodge and use Stun Spore!"
"Scizor, jump and use Air Slash!"
Venonat narrowly avoided the initial charge and released a cloud of Stun Spore.
But Scizor had already leaped high into the air, sending a sharp crescent of wind slicing downward.
"Now! Aerial Ace! Finish it!"
The battle ended without suspense.
Venonat was defeated.
"I lost again, Ash," Aya said with a smile as she recalled Venonat and shook Ash's hand.
"Thank you. You fought really well too, Miss Aya."
"Ash," the headmaster said excitedly after witnessing Scizor's performance, "your Scizor is truly exceptional. Would you allow me to train it for you? Don't worry, I'll definitely return it before the Silver Conference."
The more he watched Scizor battle, the more convinced he became that it possessed limitless potential, which was why he made the request.
At first, Ash was reluctant to agree.
However, after hearing the headmaster promise to return Scizor before the Silver Conference, he finally nodded.
"All right. I'll be looking forward to seeing how much stronger Scizor becomes."
So Ash left Scizor at the academy for special training.
It was much like leaving Charizard at the Charicific Valley. Training here would undoubtedly allow Scizor to grow even stronger over time.
As for Misty, after enduring one beauty class, she immediately escaped.
Later, after watching the Starmie water training session, she had her own Starmie participate as well, allowing it to learn how to glide smoothly across the surface of the water.
After spending a day at the academy, Ash and his friends bid farewell to Aya and the headmaster before continuing their journey toward Ecruteak City.
As for Team Rocket...
They were still hopelessly lost in the forest.
When they would finally find their way out was anyone's guess.
...
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