Chapter 49: The Battle Continues
Assunta recalled Empoleon, sighed, and said, "That was my mistake. Your turn, Magnezone!"
A UFO-shaped Magnezone appeared on the battlefield. Then, Assunta shouted, "Lock-On!"
Ryan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He shouted, "Greninja, Protect!"
"Supersonic!" Assunta called out.
Watching the protective barrier block Magnezone's Supersonic waves, Ryan felt incredibly frustrated. He thought angrily, "Where's the promised Zap Cannon?"
Looking at Assunta's mischievous smile, the image of her as a straightforward, cheerful trainer crumbled in Ryan's mind. This girl was crafty.
Having been tricked into using his last defensive move, Ryan felt cornered. He channeled his frustration into determination and shouted, "Greninja, Power-Up Punch!"
There was no other choice. This was his only remaining attacking move. Grass Knot wouldn't be effective against the bulky, floating Magnezone.
"Lock-On, then Zap Cannon!" Assunta commanded.
Ryan's eyes narrowed. It seemed he had to reveal this ability now, or Greninja might actually fall here. Ryan began forming hand signs, and Greninja also cancelled its charging punch and mirrored the hand movements.
A massive torrent of water enveloped Greninja, and when it dissipated, the Battle Bond form of Greninja was revealed.
"Incredible! Are we seeing this correctly? Greninja has transformed again! Is this Ryan's secret weapon?! The transformed Greninja's appearance has completely changed, and look—there's a massive Water Shuriken on its back! This appears to be a completely new phenomenon never documented before!" The announcer exploded with excitement, enthusiastically explaining the unprecedented scene.
"This boy... just how much has he been hiding from me?" Professor Oak scratched his head and turned to the group. "Lillie, you've traveled with him the longest. Have you ever seen this form before?"
"Yes, I have," Lillie replied. "According to Ryan, he possesses this unusual ability called the Power of Bonds. It can create mysterious transformations with certain Pokémon, allowing them to achieve a new form. He calls it Battle Bond. The transformation isn't permanent—it reverts once the battle ends. He also mentioned that even without this special power, the deeper the bond between trainer and Pokémon, the more likely certain Pokémon are to achieve new evolutionary forms. Just like the Sylveon he discovered, which requires a strong emotional bond between human and Pokémon to evolve."
"Fascinating! I'll need to study this phenomenon further. After the match, tell him I'd like to examine Greninja for research purposes," Professor Oak said with scientific enthusiasm.
Everyone listened intently; this was an incredible learning opportunity.
Ryan pulled his right arm back and swung it forward with tremendous force. Greninja simultaneously launched its Water Shuriken from its back, the spinning projectile striking Magnezone and disrupting its Lock-On.
The Water Shuriken was part of Greninja's natural abilities in this form, so using it in combat was perfectly legal, just like Marowak's bone or Farfetch'd's leek.
Assunta frowned and said, "Magnezone, Magnet Bomb!"
Magnezone's body crackled with light blue electricity, its magnetic components glowing as it launched multiple spheres of electromagnetic energy, each sparking with electric power, toward Greninja. Ryan moved his hands in coordination with his Pokémon, and Greninja spun its Water Shuriken with incredible precision, deflecting each Magnet Bomb.
"Lock-On, then Zap Cannon!" Assunta commanded.
While Greninja defended against the Magnet Bombs, Magnezone successfully locked onto its target, then unleashed a devastating Zap Cannon that connected directly.
Fortunately, Greninja was no longer pure Water-type in this form, but the single Zap Cannon still reduced its health by half. Another direct hit would finish it. Ryan thrust his fist forward, and Greninja immediately lunged, striking Magnezone with a powerful blow.
"Ignore the attack! One more Zap Cannon!" Assunta ordered.
Magnezone immediately rose higher, putting itself out of melee range. With Lock-On successfully maintained, another Zap Cannon was imminent. Ryan gritted his teeth and swung his right hand decisively—Greninja launched its Water Shuriken at Magnezone.
The Water Shuriken struck Magnezone just as the Zap Cannon hit Greninja. Greninja crashed to the ground, unable to battle. Moments later, Magnezone also fell, equally incapacitated.
The triple Power-Up Punch boosts had already reduced Magnezone's health to critical levels, and the final Water Shuriken was the finishing blow. It was unfortunate that the Zap Cannon still fired; otherwise, the outcome might have been different.
Greninja reverted to its normal form as Ryan recalled it, while Assunta also recalled Magnezone. The announcer was delivering passionate commentary—after all, this was the first time Ryan had lost a Pokémon in the tournament, which demonstrated Assunta's considerable skill.
The two trainers exchanged determined looks as Ryan sent out his third Pokémon while Assunta followed with her fourth.
Charizard versus Flygon.
"Sandstorm!" Assunta called out preemptively.
"Sunny Day!" Ryan countered immediately.
The swirling sand was dispelled by intense sunlight. Assunta, abandoning the weather war, shouted, "Swords Dance!"
"You made a mistake bringing Flygon out against Charizard. Heat Wave!" Ryan declared.
Charizard generated a scorching wind that, boosted by the sunny weather, surged toward Flygon. The Ground/Dragon-type was completely overwhelmed by the superheated air, taking massive damage. Flames danced across its body—it was burned.
While burned, a Pokémon's physical attacks deal reduced damage, and it loses health each turn. Along with paralysis, burn is one of the most crippling status conditions in battle.
Assunta's Swords Dance had been wasted time, and if not for the stat boost attempt, Flygon might have avoided the burn condition.
"Return, Flygon!" Assunta said, hastily trying to recall her Pokémon.
"Too late!" Ryan shouted. "Charizard, Dragon Claw!"
Using its incredible speed, Charizard struck the retreating Flygon with a devastating claw attack before it could be recalled. Charizard then unleashed a relentless barrage of Dragon Claw strikes, launching Flygon high into the air. A final crushing Dragon Claw sent it crashing to the ground, unable to continue.
"Spectacular! That's Ryan's signature Dragon Claw combination! The lightning-fast assault gave the opponent no chance to counter, defeating Assunta's Flygon decisively! What will Assunta do now? She still has two Pokémon remaining!" the announcer exclaimed.
"Return, Flygon." Assunta silently recalled her Pokémon. "Go, Aerodactyl!"
A massive prehistoric Pokémon spread its wings and soared overhead, displaying the majesty of an ancient apex predator!
In the stands, Ash shuddered slightly, recalling some unpleasant memories from his own encounters with the Fossil Pokémon.
(End of Chapter)
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