The two Pokémon on the field remained locked in a standoff for a full three minutes, and the atmosphere in the arena grew extremely tense.
Victory would be decided in a single instant. Neither Pokémon dared to act rashly.
Time ticked away, second by second.
At a certain moment, Mega Barbaracle suddenly made its move, slashing forward with Cross Chop toward what seemed like empty air.
But in the very next instant, Greninja's figure appeared.
Puff!
As it was struck back, Greninja immediately threw out two Water Shuriken, the spinning blades carrying a layer of sticky gel that covered the eyes in Barbaracle's palms.
In an instant, Barbaracle's vision was restricted. Its arms retracted as it tried to tear off the sticky substance.
Greninja did not hesitate. Taking advantage of the opportunity, it launched a continuous barrage of Water Shuriken, each one hitting accurately and covering the remaining arms, sealing off the palm eyes.
Without those eyes, Mega Barbaracle could no longer lock onto Greninja as it had before.
Now it was time for the counterattack.
"Hydro Pump."
Reappearing, Greninja emerged directly above Mega Barbaracle.
Its long crimson tongue lashed like a whip as a compressed blast of water shot out like a cannon shell, crashing straight down toward Mega Barbaracle.
The two forward facing eyes still caught sight of the danger. Instinctively, it swung its arms and used Cross Chop, colliding head on with the incoming Hydro Pump.
Boom!
The deafening explosion shook the entire stadium, making everyone's ears ring. The immense impact spread outward from the point of collision, stirring up massive waves and churning the water violently.
"Nin."
Greninja reappeared at the side. Within a single second, it launched three Water Shuriken along with one massive Water Shuriken toward Mega Barbaracle.
This time, Mega Barbaracle failed to detect it. The Water Shuriken struck one after another like deadly meteors.
The first three hits made Mega Barbaracle grunt in pain, dealing considerable damage.
Then the final giant shuriken, brimming with immense water energy, struck with unstoppable force.
Caught off guard, Mega Barbaracle took the hit head on, and the attack even struck a vital point.
Puff!
With a heavy piercing sound, the giant shuriken embedded deeply into its body.
Its entire frame trembled violently as it let out a painful roar.
The power of this strike far exceeded the previous attacks, carving a massive wound across its body.
In an instant, more than half of its stamina was gone, and a wave of weakness surged through it.
Its eight arms flailed weakly as its body swayed, on the verge of collapse.
"Barbaracle…"
After taking both Hydro Pump and Water Shuriken, Mega Barbaracle had reached its limit.
In the next moment, it could no longer maintain its Mega Evolution.
Greninja's ghostlike figure appeared once more, and another Water Shuriken shot out from a tricky angle.
Bang… boom.
The two sounds rang out almost simultaneously as Barbaracle fell backward, all six of its eyes turning into spirals.
"Barbaracle is unable to battle. Greninja wins."
On the large screen, Barbaracle's Poké Ball icon dimmed. Siebold still had four unused Pokémon remaining.
Clap clap clap.
After recalling Barbaracle, Siebold applauded. "Silas, you are stronger than I imagined. You have overcome your own weakness."
The next three battles turned into a complete sweep. Silas switched back to Registeel.
With Thunder Wave to control speed and Thunderbolt to finish, his opponent's Pokémon fell one after another.
It was only in the final battle against Blastoise that things became more intense. In its Torrent state, Blastoise used its remaining strength to unleash its strongest Water Pulse, dealing noticeable damage to Registeel before collapsing from recoil.
"Blastoise is unable to battle. As Elite Four Siebold has no remaining Pokémon, the challenger Silas advances to the next round."
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the stadium, mixed with two youthful voices cheering excitedly.
After a brief handshake and a few words with Siebold, Silas moved on without pause. There was no rest time between matches.
The battlefield beneath them changed once again. Cold, hard steel emerged from the water.
The arena transformed into interlocking metal plates, forming ridges and grooves that crisscrossed the field.
A steel terrain.
Naturally, this meant the next opponent was the Steel type Elite Four member, Wikstrom.
The clanking of armor accompanied heavy footsteps as Wikstrom approached. He and Siebold passed each other, and he took his place across from Silas.
Wikstrom clasped his hands together, his posture solemn and dignified. "I am the man of steel. Sir Silas, I have witnessed your battle. Your will is as unyielding as steel, and you are worthy of my full strength."
"Mr. Wikstrom, I will not hold back either." Silas smiled in response, a Poké Ball appearing in his hand.
While the two exchanged greetings, the host continued the introduction.
At the same time, in the Pokémon Center of Cyllage City, Grant suddenly sat upright, his face filled with admiration as he watched the live broadcast.
Everyone knew that Rock and Steel types often went hand in hand. Pokémon like Aggron and Steelix possessed both typing.
Elite Four Wikstrom was Grant's idol. One of his goals in becoming stronger was to one day visit the Hall of Chivalry and receive Wikstrom's passionate guidance.
He also wanted to see the ancient armor passed down through generations, a symbol of the friendship between Kalos and Galar.
"Grant, sit down. Do not disturb others," Viola said from beside him.
Snapping back to his senses, Grant scratched his head and sat down with an awkward laugh, looking up at the large screen.
Around him were trainers who had paused their journeys along with their partners. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the birth of a new Champion.
This scene was not limited to a single Pokémon Center. Across Kalos, Pokémon Centers were packed to capacity.
People cheered for brilliant strategies, sighed in regret at the defeat of Mega Scizor, and marveled at Silas's overwhelming strength.
That Mega Greninja had displayed an unparalleled level of dominance.
In direct confrontation, it had defeated four of Wikstrom's Pokémon, including his ace Mega Scizor.
Wikstrom slowly recalled his Pokémon. Beneath the heavy armor came a relieved sigh. "Sir Silas, your Mega Greninja possesses a will that surpasses steel."
Silas ended the Mega Evolution and recalled Greninja as well.
That was enough for now.
If the battle continued, Greninja might be injured, and that would not be worth it.
"Cyclizar, I will leave the next two battles to you."
Cyclizar leaped out with light, energetic steps, its thick tail swaying happily behind it. It radiated vitality and fighting spirit.
Taking on its battle stance, it patted its chest with its forelimbs and even gave Silas a playful thumbs up.
The meaning was clear. Leave it to him. He would end the battle as quickly as possible.
Across the field, Wikstrom observed carefully as he threw out another Poké Ball.
(End of Chapter)