"Greninja, remember the technique Gardevoir taught you—try it again!"
With Ron's encouragement, Greninja nodded and resumed his training.
He closed his eyes, focusing his senses. In his mind, he could clearly perceive the purple kunai formed from condensed water energy, hurled by his own hands.
He replayed Gardevoir's instructions in his mind—her guidance on the principles behind Teleport. Then, drawing on the psychic power he had recently awakened, Greninja made another attempt.
Ron stood by, stunned, as he felt the psychic waves radiating from Greninja. He had only hoped Greninja's Ability would evolve into Battle Bond—a phenomenon tied to their emotional link. But Greninja, now empowered by the mysterious force known as Fighting Aura, delivered a surprise far beyond expectations.
Not only had Greninja successfully awakened his Battle Bond, but it was a form unique to Ron himself. The transformation marked a deeper synchronicity—one born not just of battle, but of trust.
Moreover, something extraordinary had occurred—perhaps due to the synergy between his newfound psychic power, Fighting Aura, and the effects of Battle Bond. Greninja, despite not being a Psychic-type Pokémon, had somehow acquired a psychic technique with notable potency.
Especially remarkable were the kunai he now summoned post-transformation. These weapons shared a deep psychic link with Greninja, allowing him to sense their positions within a limited radius.
But that wasn't all. These kunai could also dissolve into a special form of water, one that adhered to objects or people, lingering for extended periods.
All of this reminded Ron of none other than Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage from the Naruto universe—the creator of the Flying Thunder God Technique. The comparison wasn't lost on him.
If Greninja could master converting this psychic sense into raw power, then perhaps he could replicate the effects of Teleport—or even something akin to the Flying Thunder God itself.
So in the days that followed his evolution, Greninja focused solely on training his Battle Bond transformation and practicing Teleport. The latter remained elusive, but the former became second nature.
With psychic energy pulsing through him once again, Greninja made another attempt—but it ended in failure. Fortunately, with Gardevoir nearby, any resulting strain was immediately soothed.
"You're doing great, Greninja," Ron said gently. "But let's take a break. Once you're fully attuned to your new powers, we'll try again."
He stroked Greninja's head affectionately, not pressing him further.
After all, expecting Greninja to instantly master Teleport was like asking him to learn a Fire-type move—it simply wasn't going to happen overnight.
At first, Ron had been amazed by Greninja's unexpected potential and had rushed into pushing him toward mastering the technique. But now, he realized it was a journey that required patience.
Greninja nodded silently, but he kept the goal in mind. He wouldn't forget.
Meanwhile, Ron found himself thinking back to Tobirama's various Water-style techniques—pondering what kind of move set would best suit Greninja's future growth.
In skill design, imagination is everything. As long as you can envision a rough framework, you can build out the specific moves, synergies, and strategy from there.
...
At the Forest Ranger HQ…
"Are you sure about this?"
Hiro eyed the young man standing before him—Bert—asking once again for confirmation.
"You've asked me three times now," Bert replied with a chuckle. "Yes, I'm sure. The role of a Forest Hunter isn't for me. At least… not right now."
"I'd rather be a wandering ranger—someone who travels freely across Hoenn, helping wild Pokémon in need."
Hiro looked into Bert's eyes and saw nothing but sincerity.
"Very well," he said quietly. "I hope you won't regret this decision."
With that, Hiro signed off the release papers, officially ending Bert's duties as a Forest Hunter. From this moment on, Bert was a ranger without an assigned post—a freelance guardian of the wilderness.
In practical terms, it meant Bert could roam anywhere in the Hoenn Region, free from structured missions or reporting lines. His compensation would be minimal—but then again, so were the expectations.
"I won't regret it," Bert said confidently.
As he took the documents, a faint red gleam flickered in his eyes.
But the flash was brief—too brief. Hidden behind the papers, Hiro didn't notice a thing.
Bert left the headquarters immediately, wasting no time in filing the necessary paperwork to finalize his departure. Moments later, he was already leaving the Rangers' base behind.
...
Back in the forest.
"Greninja, Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
At Ron's command, Greninja clasped its hands together. A swirling torrent of water rapidly formed into a cyclone, first intercepting Shiftry's Leaf Tornado, and then crashing down like a mighty waterfall, slamming directly into the Grass-Dark type.
Though Greninja had been slow to master terrain-shifting techniques, its progress with Water-type moves—and the intricate combinations Ron had developed—was nothing short of astounding.
The sheer force of the descending water struck Shiftry with searing pain, like a thousand needles pressing into its body.
"Greninja, Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Locking onto Shiftry's position, Greninja compressed the stream into a high-pressure jet—like a blade of sharpened water—that pierced straight through its opponent's chest.
Yet Greninja remained in control. It had no intention to kill. It simply neutralized the threat.
"Well done, Greninja. The next step is for you to fully master the combination techniques I've crafted for you. Our goal is for you to learn Shigan—Finger Pistol—so we can ultimately integrate Flying Finger Pistol into your arsenal as well."
As the battle ended, Ron strode swiftly toward Greninja, not holding back his praise or appreciation.
"Understood, Ron."
The voice echoed directly into Ron's mind—telepathy. Greninja's thoughts, clear and calm, resonated through their deep connection.
Perhaps due to the time they had spent honing their bond, Greninja showed no signs of fatigue despite the intense battle. On the contrary, it seemed more energized—stronger.
By now, Greninja had reached level 41. With every battle and lesson, it had grown, rapidly mastering the skills Ron imparted. It had undergone a stunning transformation.
But this was merely the beginning.
From here on, Greninja needed to solidify its strength, delve deeper into the Six Power techniques, sharpen its custom combo style, and finally gain proficiency in Ally Switch—the ability to seamlessly rotate positions mid-fight.
Lucario, sensing Ron's gaze, approached without hesitation. Its Aura flared as it instinctively searched for a worthy opponent.
...
"Yes! YES! Drain them—drain their lives away! Get stronger! Only then will the Dark King himself kneel before me and beg for mercy!"
The deranged voice rang out.
Bert's face twisted into a maniacal grin as he cackled madly. Not far in front of him, Gourgeist loomed tall, black energy tendrils spiraling from its gourd-like body, ensnaring two Ursaring.
At first, the two Ursaring—each strong enough to rival a quasi-Elite Four—struggled and roared. But the longer the dark energy siphoned their life force, the weaker they became… until their resistance faded completely.
Limp and lifeless, the two bodies dropped to the ground.
Gourgeist silently retracted the tendrils and returned to its Poké Ball.
Bert's wild expression slowly faded. His madness cooled, and without another word, he turned and walked away—leaving only two cold corpses in his wake.
-------
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