Chapter 569: Match Three Ends…

"Aggrr...!"

Aggron let out a pained roar.

Two deep gashes had been carved through its hardened armor and into the flesh beneath, bright red blood running from the wounds.

For the first time, panic entered its eyes.

Nothing had ever cut through its armor like that before.

"This can't be possible..."

Galen stared at the wounds in disbelief.

He knew better than anyone how absurd Aggron's defenses were.

Its base Defense stat alone was 190.

With Diamond Body on top of that, it was practically a walking fortress.

And yet Greninja had cut through it.

Just like that.

Galen felt his confidence collapse.

Greninja was impossibly fast, hit ridiculously hard, and could even break through Aggron's defenses.

How the hell was he supposed to fight something like that?

"Greninja, finish it."

Aaron's calm voice rang across the battlefield.

"One more time."

"Sage Art: Water Release — Twin Water Blades Jutsu."

"Gren..."

Greninja gave a low cry.

Blue-white energy gathered around both hands.

This time, the twin blades were even denser than before.

Two streams of ultra-high-pressure water compressed into razor-thin edges, giving off a piercing whine as they spun through Greninja's hands.

Twin Water Blades worked on the same basic principle as a high-pressure water jet.

Compress water.

Accelerate it to extreme speed.

And turn the stream itself into a cutting edge.

[Move Name: Water Release — Twin Water Blades Jutsu]

[Category: Physical]

[Type: Water]

[Power: 140]

[Proficiency: Perfect]

[Special Effect: Attacks made with the blades ignore 50% of the target's Defense.]

...

This was a technique Greninja had developed on its own.

Its ability to ignore half of an opponent's Defense was exactly why the twin blades had managed to cut through Aggron's armor.

The first time Greninja demonstrated the technique, it had sliced clean through a five-centimeter-thick steel plate in a single strike.

Aaron had nearly pissed himself.

It was practically the ultimate armor-breaking technique.

He had spent the next several minutes showering Greninja with praise so shamelessly that even the normally deadpan Pokémon had started looking smug.

And now, the technique had finally found the perfect target.

...

On the battlefield, Galen watched the terrifying twin blades form in Greninja's hands once again.

Cold sweat immediately broke across his forehead.

"Aggron!"

"Combination move: Twin-Blade Iron Head Hammer!"

"AGGRROOON!"

The moment Aggron saw the twin water blades, it sensed the danger.

If it could sweat, it would have been drenched.

At Galen's command, Aggron reacted without hesitation.

It threw back its head and unleashed a deafening roar.

Silver and yellow energy surged around its massive body before converging above its head.

The two forces condensed into a pair of enormous silvery-white energy blades.

Head Smash and Iron Head.

Fused into a single combination move.

Twin-Blade Iron Head Hammer.

"AGGRROOON!"

Aggron lowered its head.

Then it charged.

Each step shook the battlefield as its enormous body thundered straight toward Greninja.

"Grenin!"

Greninja tightened its grip on the twin blades.

Then it vanished into a streak of black.

The two Pokémon rushed straight toward each other.

Greninja's Twin Water Blades crashed head-on into Aggron's Twin-Blade Iron Head Hammer.

KRAAAANG!

The collision sent a deafening metallic shriek through the arena.

Then—

BOOOOM!

Energy exploded from the point of impact.

A massive shockwave tore across the battlefield, blasting broken stone in every direction and swallowing both Pokémon beneath a wall of dust.

The entire arena shook.

"Th-This is insane!"

"Is this really a battle between freshmen?! They're fighting like Champions!"

"This match is unbelievable!"

"But who won?!"

"We're about to find out!"

High above the battlefield, Kenny practically shouted into the microphone.

The arena's dust extraction system immediately roared to life.

VRRRRRRRM!

The thick cloud rapidly thinned.

Little by little, the battlefield came back into view.

At the center of the arena was a deep crater.

Two figures stood inside it.

Greninja.

And Aggron.

They were several meters apart.

Aggron's head hung low, hiding its expression.

Greninja stood silently across from it, wearing the same unreadable expression as always.

No one in the stands made a sound.

Every eye was fixed on the crater.

Which one had won?

"Aggr... on..."

A weak cry broke the silence.

Aggron's enormous body swayed.

Then—

BOOM!

It collapsed into the crater.

A cloud of dust rose around its body.

Its eyes had already turned into spirals.

Aggron was unable to battle.

For several seconds, the arena remained completely silent.

Greninja had done it again.

Five Pokémon.

Five straight victories.

And Aaron still had not switched once.

Galen had only one Pokémon left.

"Aggron is unable to battle!"

The referee raised his flag.

"Galen, send out your next Pokémon!"

Galen did not move.

His face had gone pale.

His strongest Pokémon had lost.

Aggron.

The partner he had trusted to turn the entire match around.

Gone.

And Greninja was still standing.

Five of his Pokémon had fallen to a single opponent.

Aaron had not even needed to reveal a second Pokémon.

Whatever confidence Galen had brought into the arena was gone.

He stared at Greninja for several long seconds.

How could a Pokémon this ridiculous even exist?

Wasn't this basically cheating?

His hand slowly tightened around his last Poké Ball.

Then loosened.

There was no point.

"I concede..."

His voice came out hoarse.

The referee looked at him for a moment to make sure he had heard correctly.

Galen lowered his head and took out Aggron's Poké Ball.

A beam of red light swept across the crater and recalled his fallen partner.

Then he turned away from the battlefield.

Match Three was over.

Aaron had won without losing a single Pokémon.

And Greninja had taken down five of Galen's Pokémon by itself.

With his shoulders slumped, Galen walked out of the arena alone.