Chapter 13: First Meeting with Akira, Acquiring the Moon Stone
" Frogadier , Thunderbolt!" Ryan struck first, targeting Wartortle. The boy commanding Arbok also focused on eliminating the weaker opponent first, having Arbok use Poison Fang on Clefairy.
Both Clefairy and Wartortle were caught off guard and collapsed. Ryan and the opposing trainer exchanged knowing smiles—each recognized the other as the real threat. Their partners were essentially support. Eliminating the weaker links first would allow for a more exciting one-on-one duel.
"Arbok, use Toxic!" the boy called out.
" Frogadier , use Protect," Ryan responded with a laugh. After observing several battles, he'd noticed this trainer's habit: always opening with Toxic to poison opponents before wearing them down with other moves.
The protective barrier blocked the poison attack completely. The young trainer frowned and said, "Arbok, use Toxic again! I don't believe he can keep protecting forever!"
Ryan shook his head. Protect wasn't a permanent solution—the more it was used consecutively, the lower its success rate became. However, if this trainer couldn't adapt beyond his opening Toxic strategy, his growth would be limited. He'd never reach Elite Four level with such predictable tactics.
"Rain Dance," Ryan commanded. Frogadier summoned the rainfall, and heavy drops began falling across the battlefield. However, Arbok's second Toxic attempt succeeded this time, and purple toxin coursed through Frogadier body. Ryan anticipated the next moves: He'll follow up with Wrap, then Poison Fang.
As Ryan predicted, the trainer shouted, "Arbok, use Wrap, then follow up with Poison Fang!"
"Double Team, then Hydro Pump," Ryan said calmly. Frogadier immediately split into multiple copies. Arbok's Wrap missed completely, and then a powerful water blast from one of the copies sent it flying across the deck.
"Arbok, get up! Use Pin Missile to hit all the copies!" the trainer called desperately.
Arbok struggled to its feet and unleashed a barrage of needle-like projectiles, striking the Frogadier copies one by one. But when the last copy vanished, the trainer looked around frantically: Where did the real Frogadier go?
" Frogadier, finish this with Bounce," Ryan said, slightly disappointed by his opponent's limited adaptability.
The trainer suddenly realized what had happened. Frogadier came crashing down from high above, delivering a devastating aerial attack that slammed Arbok into the deck, knocking it unconscious. Ryan shook his head—he'd simply had Frogadier use Double Team as cover, then Bounce to leap high into the air for a surprise finishing blow against the weakened Arbok.
The captain announced their victory, and suddenly Frogadier began glowing with brilliant white light. The falling rain seemed drawn to it, forming a swirling waterspout around the evolving Pokémon. When the water column dispersed, a magnificent Greninja stood before them—one hand held in a ninja seal across its chest, the other raised high, creating a truly impressive sight.
Ryan walked over and embraced Greninja, smiling warmly. "Finally evolved, partner."
Greninja nodded coolly and clenched its fist, extremely satisfied with its new form. Ryan quickly administered a Pecha Berry to cure Greninja's poisoning. Just then, the opposing trainer approached and extended his hand.
"I'm Akira from Fuchsia City. Nice battle—can we talk for a moment?"
After helping Greninja recover, Ryan reached out and shook the offered hand. "Hello, I'm Ryan from Pallet Town. Good match."
"I'm Lillie, and I'm traveling with Ryan," Lillie added as she joined them.
"Nice to meet you both. Ryan, how long have you been on your journey? You're incredibly skilled," Akira asked with genuine curiosity.
"I only started my journey recently—I got my starter Pokémon this year," Ryan replied. "But I'm already thirteen, so I have a bit more experience than most new trainers."
"I see. You're planning to compete in the Indigo League Conference too, right? Let's have a rematch there," Akira said with renewed determination.
"Absolutely. But I hope you'll work on diversifying your strategy. If you keep relying on the same opening moves like today, you'll keep losing. I'm looking forward to more challenging battles with you," Ryan said constructively.
After that, he and Lillie went to collect their prizes from the captain—two beautiful Moon Stones. Ryan didn't immediately just evolve Nidorino into Nidoking, though. There were several important moves that Nidoking couldn't learn but Nidorino could master first. With Nidorino's exceptional potential, it could easily learn these techniques before evolving.
Akira listened thoughtfully to Ryan's advice, his eyes growing more determined.
Over the next two days, Ryan spent his free time fishing for Water-type Pokémon while dedicating the rest to mastering Bond Evolution.
The key was maximizing his connection with Greninja—achieving complete synchronization of body and spirit. Moving in perfect harmony, Ryan practiced various training poses alongside Greninja, their movements mirroring each other.
Lillie watched with fascination from the sidelines, cradling a Horsea that Ryan had recently caught. Snowy, however, looked at the new Water-type with a hint of jealousy—after all, that spot in Lillie's arms used to belong to her.
As their bond deepened, streams of water began enveloping Greninja, forming a rapidly swirling column around it.
When the water dispersed, a Bond Evolution Greninja stood before Ryan. He immediately and excitedly checked Greninja's enhanced status.
Pokémon: Greninja (Bond Evolution) Level: 36, Gender: Male Height: 150cm, Weight: 40kg Ability: Bond Evolution Moves: Toxic Spikes (Egg Move), Pound, Growl, Bubble, Quick Attack, Lick, Water Pulse, Smokescreen, Round, U-turn, Substitute, Bounce, Double Team, Hydro Pump, Rain Dance, Sleep Talk, Protect, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Shadow Sneak, Spikes, Sucker Punch, Water Shuriken, Extrasensory
Visually, it looked similar to regular Greninja, but with enhanced features and a large water shuriken on its back. After testing, Ryan found that Bond Evolution provided moderate improvements to all of Greninja's capabilities, though not dramatically so.
He consulted his system for clarification: "The bond requires deeper development. The stronger your connection becomes, the more your own attributes enhance Greninja's power."
Ryan's expression darkened. "So basically, you want me to invest in my own stats to make this form more effective."
"Correct."
"Damn! You're not even trying to hide it anymore!"
"This system prioritizes honesty with the host."
"You've really changed, System."
"Negative. This system's primary objective remains helping the host achieve Pokémon Master status. Deception serves no purpose."
"That stings, buddy!"
During his conversation with the system, Greninja couldn't maintain its Bond Evolution state and reverted to normal form. As the system had indicated, his bond with Greninja had barely reached the minimum threshold for transformation. More training—and stat investment—would be necessary.
Meanwhile, the expensive stat enhancement options loomed before Ryan once again.
"I'm so broke!" Ryan sighed heavily. As he wallowed in his financial woes, the harbor came into view ahead. Vermilion City was finally within sight!
To be continued...
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Power Stone or Review!
P@atreon/Soulforger (45+ advanced chapters)