301. Greninja Vs Sharpedo

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Greninja's level was only 72.

There was a full 11-level difference between it and Archie's Sharpedo.

The higher the level, the greater the gap between each increment. Even Greninja could easily defeat opponents 5 or 6 levels below it.

But now it faced the challenge of battling a Sharpedo 11 levels stronger.

For Greninja, this presented an enormous challenge.

But this was exactly the kind of difficult battle Chris sought. If not for such a challenging opponent, he wouldn't have sent Greninja out.

In Chris's main lineup, Garchomp, Blaziken, and Gardevoir were all capable of Mega Evolution. Gyarados also possessed a Mega Stone. Only Greninja and Tyranitar couldn't Mega Evolve.

Tyranitar couldn't undergo Mega Evolution because Chris hadn't yet obtained the necessary Mega Stone.

But Greninja was different.

The bond between Chris and Greninja had already reached its maximum.

Chris understood his Pokémon's thoughts perfectly.

Unlike Blaziken, who wanted to defeat opponents for Chris's sake, Greninja's motivation was more self-centered. It wanted to defeat opponents and enjoy the pleasure of overcoming powerful challengers!

Especially the strong ones!

Ordinary opponents no longer provided any satisfaction.

Recently, apart from Master Keaton, there hadn't been any trainer that made Chris and Greninja feel pressured. Even knowing Greninja's desires, Chris struggled to find opponents that met its standards.

Moreover, Greninja didn't transform through Mega Evolution.

It transformed through its own unique Ability, "Battle Bond."

This transformation was harder to achieve than normal Mega Evolution!

For Greninja to transform, beyond the connection between Trainer and Pokémon, the feeling of desire becoming stronger was more intense and direct!

Choosing to battle Team Aqua first, Chris had specifically sought out Archie, who also specialized in Water-type Pokémon.

Facing an opponent who used the same type could better inspire Greninja's desire for victory. There was little satisfaction in defeating an opponent whose type was weak against its own.

Facing Sharpedo, who was 11 levels higher, Chris could feel Greninja's desire to win intensifying.

"Aren't you going to attack first? Then I'll make the first move!" Archie, seeing that Chris hadn't initiated an attack, chuckled and raised his hand to command. "Sharpedo, Waterfall!"

The surface of Sharpedo immediately erupted with surging water as if ignited, and then exploded forward.

The gaping jaws flew through the air!

In appearance, Sharpedo didn't look merely like a shark, but more like a shark-shaped missile!

"Use Aqua Jet to evade, then use Role Play!" Chris calmly commanded.

Greninja immediately leaned forward and rushed ahead, staying low to the ground to avoid Sharpedo's Waterfall attack. Simultaneously, it reached out and pulled a hat made of water from midair, placing it on its head.

Suddenly, Greninja felt its body becoming lighter, allowing it to move faster.

Sharpedo shared types with Greninja—both were Water/Dark. Although Role Play was a Psychic-type move, it targeted Greninja itself rather than the opponent, so it still worked effectively.

Sharpedo had two possible Abilities: the standard Ability "Rough Skin" or the Hidden Ability "Speed Boost."

Rough Skin: Opponents lose 1/8 of their maximum HP when using contact moves.

Speed Boost: The Pokémon's Speed increases by one stage at the end of each turn.

Chris's Blaziken also possessed this godly ability.

Both Abilities were excellent, so regardless of which one Archie's Sharpedo had, Chris considered it valuable to copy.

Judging from Greninja's current performance, Archie's Sharpedo possessed "Speed Boost"!

"I didn't know Role Play could be used that way," Archie chuckled. His original strategy had been to use Speed Boost to accelerate Sharpedo, dragging Greninja into a battle of speed before delivering a lightning-fast finishing blow.

Now...

He would still employ this tactic!

Nothing crushed an opponent's morale more than knowing exactly what strategy would be used against them and still being powerless to counter it.

"Sharpedo, Agility!"

Sharpedo turned in midair, its body suddenly accelerating forward.

To Chris, it increasingly resembled a shark-shaped missile.

"Use Substitute to dodge!"

Greninja immediately turned its head to the left, while a duplicate Greninja emerged from its body and jumped to the right.

Sharpedo halted in midair, uncertain which one to pursue.

"Water Shuriken!"

Both Greninjas immediately hurled five Water Shurikens.

"Whirlpool!" Archie snapped his fingers.

Instantly, the water around Sharpedo swirled rapidly into a vortex, easily catching the Water Shurikens and pulling them into its current.

Before Chris could attack again, Archie issued another command.

"Icicle Spear!"

Arrow-like icicles shot out from the rotating vortex, bombarding everything in range.

"It knows that move too? And turned it into an area attack?" Chris was surprised.

If Sharpedo had simply fired Icicle Spear directly, Chris wouldn't have been surprised. But Sharpedo was controlling the icy projectiles from within the Whirlpool, launching them through the water currents.

This required not just strong water control, but exceptional skill!

"Protect!" Chris commanded immediately, realizing it was too late to defend with Surf.

Both Greninjas crossed their arms in front of their chests in a defensive posture, conjuring invisible shields that blocked all the incoming Icicle Spears.

"Attack the Greninja on the left, Aqua Jet!" Archie suddenly locked onto his target.

Sharpedo burst through the Whirlpool, wrapped in light blue water, attacking with lightning speed!

Moves like Aqua Jet and Quick Attack provided priority in battles, essentially a manifestation of superior "speed."

With the combination of Speed Boost and Agility, Sharpedo—already naturally fast—reached Greninja almost instantly.

Its jaws gaped wide open, teeth covered with frost—preparing an Ice Fang!

Chris remained calm, analyzing the situation. The battle between these high-level Water Pokémon demonstrated skill far beyond ordinary matches. Greninja would need all its training and the deep bond with its trainer to overcome this significant level difference. Each command needed to be perfect, each reaction instantaneous.

Archie's eyes gleamed with excitement. He had expected a challenge from Chris, but seeing his strategies countered so effectively only heightened his interest. This battle would truly test both trainers' mastery of Water-type Pokémon.

As Sharpedo closed in, time seemed to slow. This moment would determine whether Greninja's desire for challenging battles would be satisfied or if the level gap would prove too great to overcome. Either way, both Pokémon were pushing their limits in a display of power that few trainers ever witnessed.

The entire base seemed to hold its breath, researchers pausing their work to watch the clash between these elite trainers. Water droplets hung suspended in the air from the previous attacks, reflecting the intensity of the battle about to reach its climax.