"Greninja, Water Shuriken! Finish this!"
Ryuu's voice was calm but firm.
His cousin Renji had done him a favor—his arrogance had fueled Greninja's evolution.
Now, it was only right to return the favor by ending the match in style.
Greninja raised its hand, forming spinning shurikens of water, then launched them in rapid succession.
The sharp-edged projectiles sliced through the air and struck Typhlosion one after another.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The final impact sent Typhlosion crashing onto the battlefield.
Its flames flickered for a brief moment—then died out completely.
It didn't get up.
"Typhlosion is unable to battle! Ryuu wins!"
Fujiwara Kiyoshi let out a deep, satisfied chuckle, stroking his white beard.
"Excellent, my boy," he said approvingly.
Renji, on the other hand, looked ashen.
Even though Kiyoshi called Ryuu his beloved grandson, it was clear—Renji and his brother were not included in that sentiment.
He had lost.
To someone a year younger.
In front of his grandfather...
Humiliating.
Ryuu smirked.
"Second cousin, your turn?"
Renji clenched his fists, his jaw tightening in frustration.
He turned toward his younger brother, Fujiwara Haruto.
"Haruto, take him down. You can do it."
Haruto narrowed his eyes.
Unlike Renji, he wasn't as loud-mouthed, but he was just as prideful.
He had to win.
For the family's honor.
"Fine," Haruto said coldly. "Let's go."
He stepped forward, gripping his Poké Ball.
"Feraligatr, I'm counting on you!"
With a flash of light, a massive blue reptilian Pokémon materialized on the battlefield.
It stomped the ground, its powerful jaws snapping as it let out a mighty roar.
Once again... a fully evolved starter, strong and battle-hardened.
But still—only Gym-level potential.
For a member of an Elite family, it was far from impressive.
Even Kiyoshi sighed in mild disappointment.
So ordinary.
If Ryuu hadn't gotten the system, he might have ended up with something similar.
Haruto and Renji had come here for one reason—they wanted the Electivire egg that Kiyoshi had.
But that wasn't going to happen.
Not today.
Not ever.
Ryuu smirked.
"Shelgon, you're up!"
The moment his Poké Ball burst open, both Renji and Haruto froze in shock.
A Shelgon?!
A pseudo-legendary?!
Their heads snapped toward Kiyoshi, disbelief on their faces.
"Grandfather, did you… give him that?" Renji asked through gritted teeth.
Kiyoshi didn't even try to hide his amusement.
"Hah! I wish," he said, shaking his head. "He found it himself."
Renji and Haruto exchanged glances.
They were jealous.
How was Ryuu's luck so ridiculous?
They were struggling with Gym-level Pokémon, and here he was—owning a future Salamence.
Ryuu tilted his head.
"Shall we begin?"
"Shelgon, Dragon Pulse!"
A purple beam of draconic energy erupted from Shelgon's mouth, slicing through the air like a laser.
"Feraligatr, dodge!"
Haruto's command came quickly.
Feraligatr leaped sideways with remarkable agility, barely avoiding the blast.
The Dragon Pulse struck the battlefield, leaving a smoking crater where Feraligatr had stood.
Haruto's confidence grew.
He wasn't out yet.
"Feraligatr, charge in and use Superpower!"
Feraligatr let out a guttural roar, its muscles bulging as it dashed forward.
It reared back a massive fist—aiming to land a devastating blow.
Ryuu narrowed his eyes.
"Shelgon, meet him head-on!"
Shelgon didn't hesitate.
Its hefty body moved surprisingly fast, leaving behind a blurred afterimage as it barreled forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground trembled beneath its charge.
Haruto's heart pounded.
But he held firm.
His Feraligatr was strong.
It could take this hit and counterattack.
The moment they clashed, the battlefield shook.
Shelgon slammed into Feraligatr, while Feraligatr's Superpower punch landed squarely on Shelgon's side.
The two Pokémon locked in place, straining against each other.
For a moment, it seemed even.
But then—
Feraligatr's expression twisted in pain.
It wasn't as used to heavy physical collisions.
Meanwhile, Shelgon had been training daily under intense conditions.
Ryuu smirked.
"Shelgon, finish it! Dragon Claw!"
Shelgon suddenly pushed forward with renewed force.
Its claws glowed purple, shimmering with draconic energy.
Then—it slashed downward.
Wham!
The attack struck Feraligatr's face.
Its eyes rolled back, and it staggered.
Haruto panicked.
"Feraligatr! Stand your ground!"
But Feraligatr couldn't recover in time.
Shelgon lifted its claw again, glowing with power.
Another Dragon Claw landed cleanly.
Feraligatr collapsed.
It was over.
"Feraligatr is unable to battle! Shelgon wins!"
Ryuu stood tall, hands in his pockets, watching his cousins seethe in silence.
---
Renji and Haruto looked miserable.
They had lost.
Badly.
To a Rookie Trainer who had only been raising Pokémon for two months.
It was beyond humiliating.
But they refused to admit their own weakness.
"It's not our fault," Renji muttered under his breath.
"Yeah," Haruto echoed. "Ryuu is just… ridiculously strong."
Ryuu rolled his eyes.
"Keep telling yourselves that," he said with a shrug.
Kiyoshi let out a booming laugh, clearly enjoying the sight of his two older grandsons squirming.
"Ryuu, my boy, you did well!" he said proudly.
"With Greninja and Shelgon, you'll hit quasi-Elite level in no time."
He patted Ryuu's shoulder, visibly impressed.
A future champion—he could see it already.
Meanwhile, Renji and Haruto exchanged silent, bitter looks.
They had come here for Electivire's egg.
Now, there wasn't a chance in hell that Kiyoshi would give it to them.
======
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