Charizard let out a low growl, its broad wings flapping violently in an attempt to stir up a gale and blow away the illusions.
But those Greninja clones remained motionless; their existence didn't seem to be a simple physical phenomenon.
Sceptile was more cautious, hunching its body as its emerald eyes darted around, trying to find the real body from the subtle differences in their movements.
However, every shadow was flawless, even their breathing rhythms were identical.
Beads of sweat formed on Drak's forehead as he bit his lower lip hard.
This was no longer an ordinary Double Team; it was complete psychological manipulation.
He felt a chill rise up his spine; an opponent like this was simply impossible to deal with.
"Charizard, Fire Blast! Sweep them all away!"
Drak roared, his voice carrying obvious agitation.
He could no longer afford to worry about precision and just wanted to try his luck with an area-of-effect attack.
Charizard took a deep breath, and the fire energy within its body erupted instantly. A massive "big"-shaped flame swept toward the surrounding Greninja clones with an aura that seemed capable of incinerating everything.
Everywhere the flames passed, the air was distorted by the heat, and leaves were instantly scorched.
At the same time, Sceptile swung its tail, and blade-like leaves, wrapped in wind pressure, were fired densely in all directions toward the illusions.
However, at the moment the flames and Leaf Blade were about to make contact, all the Greninja clones dissipated silently, like reflections on the surface of water.
They weren't hit; they had been deactivated voluntarily.
"What?"
Drak's voice was slightly out of tune. He felt a massive sense of powerlessness.
The real Greninja had already appeared above Charizard's head.
It moved lightly, landing like a feather, its hands quickly coming together in front of its chest as azure water flowed between its fingertips.
The water rapidly condensed, forming two sharp Water Shurikens.
"Water Shuriken!"
Ariel's voice only now slowly rang out, as if delivering the final verdict on this scene.
With a flick of Greninja's wrists, the two Water Shurikens streaked toward Charizard's eyes with a sharp whistling sound.
Charizard was pale with fright and jerked its head to the side, but one of the shurikens still grazed its cheek, kicking up sparks and leaving a shallow bloodstain.
The other one accurately struck the base of its right wing, where there was already an injury, adding new pain to the old wound.
"Roar!"
Charizard let out a howl of pain, its massive body swaying in the air, nearly tumbling down.
"Sceptile! Go and support him!"
Cenk shouted out.
Seeing this, Sceptile gave a roar as grass-type energy surged beneath its feet. Its figure instantly accelerated, trying to rush toward Greninja to bail out Charizard.
Its tail was raised high, ready to launch a lethal attack.
But Greninja's speed was far beyond its imagination.
As Sceptile charged, Greninja's body had already turned into a bolt of blue lightning, weaving through the dense forest.
Every time it moved, new clones from Double Team appeared and then vanished.
"Too slow."
Ariel commented softly, a hint of hard-to-detect playfulness in his eyes.
Sceptile came to a sudden halt halfway through its charge.
It realized it had completely lost track of Greninja; the surroundings were filled with swaying tree shadows and blurry illusions.
It felt as if it were in a massive maze, while its opponent was the hunter most skilled at hiding.
Just as Sceptile was searching anxiously, a ripple of water silently attacked from behind it.
Greninja had appeared behind it at some unknown point, and the Water Shuriken in its hand, carrying a rotating gale, directly hit the back of Sceptile's neck.
"Hiss—!" Sceptile let out a short cry of distress, its body staggering forward a few steps, leaving a deep blue water mark on its green skin.
It felt a wave of numbness, and its movements became sluggish.
The faces of the two trainers had turned completely pale. Looking at their two pokémon being totally suppressed on the field, waves of shock crashed through their hearts.
This wasn't a fair duel at all; it was a complete one-sided slaughter!
The extent of the power increase after Greninja's evolution was beyond their knowledge, even making them start to doubt their understanding of the Pokémon world.
"Charizard, pull yourself together! Use Dragon Pulse!"
Drak's voice carried a hint of despair; he knew this was the final struggle.
Enduring the sharp pain, Charizard opened its large mouth, and a shockwave containing powerful Dragon-type energy spread out in all directions.
It hoped to use this to force Greninja back, even if it only bought a moment of breathing room.
However, at the moment the Dragon Pulse was about to touch it, Greninja's figure had already turned into a wooden log!
Substitute!
It seemed able to predict everything, always able to pull back and retreat at the most dangerous moments.
When the Dragon Pulse dissipated, Greninja had already reappeared between Charizard and Sceptile.
It made no extra movements, simply raising its hands as more water began to gather at its fingertips. This time, it wasn't two, but a full four Water Shurikens rotating in its hands.
"It's over."
Ariel's voice fell lightly on Drak's ears, yet it was heavier than any sledgehammer.
The four Water Shurikens, like four blue meteors, were fired toward Charizard's four limbs respectively.
Charizard had no time to react at all; its wings and legs were all accurately hit simultaneously.
The impact of the water, combined with the sharp pain from its wounds, made it unable to support itself any longer, and it crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, Greninja closed in on Sceptile and struck its chest hard with its elbow.
Immediately afterward, Greninja's figure vanished again, leaving only the final two Water Shurikens to strike Sceptile's head simultaneously from different angles.
Sceptile's body trembled violently as it let out an unwilling cry, and then it too fell heavily beside Charizard.
Under Greninja's overwhelming power, the entire battlefield fell into a dead silence.
There was only the rustling of the breeze through the treetops and the heavy breathing of Drak and Cenk.
They stared blankly at Charizard and Sceptile, who had lost their ability to fight and lay on the ground, as the Poké Balls in their hands slipped and rolled to their feet.
All their pride and confidence were completely shattered at this moment by this newly evolved Greninja.
Ariel walked to Greninja's side and gently patted its shoulder.
Greninja's gaze remained somewhat cold, but when it looked at Ariel, it held a touch more softness.