Pokemon: This Ash Is Too Versatile

"Water Shuriken!" The moment Ash’s voice came out, Greninja had already slapped his thigh, and two azure shurikens formed in his hands.

The next second, he forcefully threw them out!

The Water Shuriken sliced through the air, spinning rapidly as it shot towards Gyarados.

Clair stood still, not even issuing a command.

The two azure shurikens crashed into Gyarados’s thick body, sending water splashing everywhere.

Gyarados let out a low grunt, yet its massive body remained unmoved, its scarlet eyes not even blinking.

The Water Shuriken left a few shallow white marks on its hard scales, and that was all.

"Is that all you got?"

Clair crossed her arms over her chest, a cold smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"You were boasting earlier about beating me, and now Greninja’s attack can’t even break Gyarados’s defense. Isn’t that laughable?"

She fiercely flicked her cape, her right hand pointing straight at Greninja in the arena.

"Gyarados, Air Slash!"

Gyarados let out an ear-piercing roar, its thick tail swinging mightily.

Dozens of almost translucent air blades materialized out of thin air, each measuring about half a meter long, their edges glowing with a dangerous white light.

The next second, these Air Slashes, like scattered bullets, descended in a barrage over Greninja, the sharp sound of slicing air creating a continuous hum, making people’s skin crawl.

Ash’s pupils contracted; there were too many.

"Greninja, dodge!"

Greninja powered his legs, his lithe body moving swiftly across the field.

He maneuvered left and right, his movements creating afterimages, as one Air Slash grazed his shoulder, carving a deep trench into the ground, another sweeping past his head, crashing into the barrier behind, creating ripples.

Yet the Air Slashes were too dense.

Greninja’s Aura Perception operated at full capacity, clearly mapping the trajectory of each Air Slash in his mind.

But seeing them was one thing; dodging them was another.

The blades cut off his path completely, surrounding him with deadly flashes from all sides.

Two Air Slashes attacked simultaneously from the sides; Greninja, airborne, had no room to evade.

Bang!

Bang!

Two muffled explosions erupted almost simultaneously.

One Slash struck Greninja’s left shoulder, another hit his waist and belly.

Greninja’s body flew backwards like a kite with broken strings, rolling on the ground seven or eight times, kicking up a cloud of dust.

At the edge of the field, Ash’s body suddenly hunched.

He held his left shoulder and waist with one hand, gritting his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

The Aura Link conveyed Greninja’s pain entirely, the sharp agony of his flesh being sliced as if it truly happened to him.

"Ash!"

Misty stood up abruptly, her face full of concern, Serena clutching her chest with whitened lips, Brock locked his brows, silently watching the unfolding scene.

Lance, arms folded, glanced between Greninja and Ash with a thoughtful look, but didn’t express any opinion.

Cynthia sat calmly, her golden gaze as serene as a deep pool.

Having battled Ash herself, she knew better than anyone that the boy would never do anything he wasn’t confident in.

Since he dared to send Greninja into the fight, he must have his reasons.

She believed this boy would continue to create miracles she found astonishing.

Dawn nervously grabbed Cynthia’s sleeve and whispered, "Master, is Ash okay?"

The fierce battle was indeed thrilling, but Dawn’s keen observation also noticed Ash’s strange condition.

Why would you, as a Trainer, break out in a cold sweat and bend over when Greninja gets pushed back?

It seemed as if he’d been hit too!

How can a Pokemon battle make the Trainer look like they’re in danger, is it really that dangerous?

Cynthia gently patted Dawn’s hand and softly said, "It’s alright, don’t worry. He’s not someone who falls down easily. This battle is worth learning from, take a good look at how your peer fights."

At this, Dawn had no choice but to temporarily suppress her worries, focusing her gaze back on the battlefield.

In the arena, Greninja slipped to the field’s edge, barely halting his retreat against the transparent barrier.

His left shoulder and waist had a strikingly visible wound each; the two Air Slashes caused him significant injury.

Though he was at a Gym Beginner Level now, truthfully, his physical condition was only at the Professional Junior Level. If Ash hadn’t shared part of the damage, he would’ve probably lost his ability to fight by now.

Even so, he was gravely injured.

Ash was hunched over, gasping heavily, cold sweat rolling down his cheeks.

"Can you still stand up?"

"Koga."

Greninja propped his body up with one arm on the ground, his knees quivering slightly, slowly pushing himself upright again.

Clair watched Greninja stand again, gently shaking her head: "Futile resistance."

"You and I both know even if your Greninja has reached Gym Beginner Level, the gap between that and Gym Peak can’t be bridged by willpower. This Greninja truly has spirit, but spirit alone can’t win battles."