The apprentice's expression shifted slightly; Greninja's Quick Attack had reached a level of effortless application. It was no longer just a skill, but more like an extension of instinct.
"Tauros, Horn Attack!" the apprentice's voice carried a hint of urgency.
Tauros's eyes turned red, and a violent aura radiated from its body as its power seemed to climb even higher.
It charged at Greninja once more, faster and with even greater destructive force.
"Double Team, Substitute!" Ariel commanded in a deep voice.
In front of the enraged Tauros, Greninja instantly split into several illusions, while a Substitute appeared in front of the original body.
Tauros's Take Down slammed into the Substitute again, the massive impact shattering it into pieces.
However, the original body and the illusions remained completely unharmed.
"Now, Smokescreen, then Water Shuriken to disrupt its rhythm!"
Ariel's instructions were as precise as a surgical scalpel.
Thick smoke spread out once more, enveloping the furious Tauros.
Tauros rampaged blindly within the smoke, but its rage only made it easier to deceive.
Several Water Shurikens shot out from the smoke, falling like raindrops onto Tauros's limbs and torso, forcing it to constantly adjust its center of gravity amidst its frenzy, unable to effectively Lock-On to its target.
Ariel watched the Tauros struggling with the smoke and Water Shuriken, then said to Greninja:
"In its rage, its judgment will falter. Use that to find its blind spots."
Greninja wove through the smoke, its movements even more fluid than before; every motion carried an indescribable sense of rhythm.
It was no longer simply evading or attacking, but weaving an invisible web, compressing Tauros's maneuvering space.
"Aerial Ace, Sucker Punch from above!"
Within the smoke, a dark shadow suddenly shot upward as Greninja leapt above Tauros.
Tauros looked up through the haze, but its vision was obscured, seeing only a blurred silhouette.
Greninja crossed its arms, the blades of the Water Shuriken pointing downward, and slammed them hard against Tauros's head.
The unavoidable nature of Aerial Ace left Tauros with no way to dodge.
The massive impact forced a muffled Roar from Tauros as its body involuntarily buckled.
"Quick Attack to pull away, then Quick Attack again!"
Ariel's commands were like a relentless wave of attacks.
After the Aerial Ace landed, Greninja used the momentum to leap backward, using Quick Attack to rapidly create distance from Tauros.
Before Tauros could recover from the impact of Aerial Ace, it saw a flash of watery blue blade-light through the smoke.
Greninja's Quick Attack was aimed directly at Tauros's hind legs this time.
Tauros tried to turn, but the pain in its hind legs combined with the impact of Aerial Ace made its movements sluggish.
The blade of the Quick Attack accurately grazed Tauros's joints once more.
"Tauros is unable to battle!"
Ariel's voice announced the end of the training session.
The third apprentice recalled his Tauros, panting heavily. The heavy expression on his face was gone, replaced by a deep sense of shock and admiration. He bowed deeply to Ariel and Greninja.
"Mr. Ariel, Greninja, thank you! I've learned so much!"
...
Following that, Ariel engaged in a gauntlet of matches against the Gym's apprentices. One battle after another allowed Greninja's strength to make decent progress.
Greninja rose from Level 36 all the way to Level 38.
Ariel walked over to Greninja and patted its head.
Greninja's eyes sparkled. It had perfectly combined Quick Attack with its own speed and technique in actual combat, showing clear growth with every step.
"You all performed excellently."
Ariel looked around at the apprentices, his voice carrying encouragement.
"The point of training is to discover weaknesses and improve upon them. Today's battles showed you the infinite possibilities of skill combinations and allowed Greninja to better master its new skills."
The apprentices nodded one after another, surrounding Ariel and Greninja to discuss the previous battles excitedly, their eyes filled with a longing for power and skill.
The brief silence in the Gym caused by Norman's departure had now been replaced by a fervent training atmosphere.
"Of course, the meaning of training goes far beyond getting stronger. Helping the weak and upholding justice are duties every one of us Trainers should fulfill."
Ariel spoke without so much as a blush.
Hearing Ariel's words, the apprentices' admiration for him grew even stronger.
After finishing up, Ariel bid farewell to the Petalburg Gym. When he left, the students were very reluctant to see him go.
...
Ariel returned to the underground base in Hoenn. A heavy alloy door slid open silently, revealing a cold, stark corridor inside.
In the hallway, the sound of electronic doors opening and closing echoed continuously. Mission codes flashing on screens were like strings of silent commands, constructing the core network of this massive organization.
There was none of the bustle or human warmth of the Petalburg Gym here, only a rigorous hierarchy and unquestionable orders.
He walked straight toward his private area.
After being promoted to Intermediate Cadre, he had obtained an independent meeting room, which also served as his temporary office.
Pushing the door open, the room was sparsely furnished: a long metal table and a few chairs, but otherwise empty.
This empty scene didn't make him feel lonely; instead, it gave him an illusion of being in control of everything—or rather, it was a premonition that he was about to control everything.
He took a mask out of his pocket, the cold sensation spreading through his fingertips.
The mask fit his face, concealing his original features. The warm face he had shown the Gym apprentices was replaced by a layer of cold, hard disguise.
At this moment, he was no longer 'Ariel,' but 'Ruth' of Team Rockets.
He sat alone at the head of the conference table, his gaze falling on the other empty seats.
In his mind, scenes from the last time he collaborated with Corona, Viper, Dar, and the other Team Rockets successors surfaced.
That operation's tactical coordination had been full of holes; the tendency to fight individual battles was obvious, and it even carried a sense of youthful impulsiveness.
However, it was precisely that seemingly chaotic gathering that showed an unexpected resilience when facing the League at a critical moment.
The power of the collective, even a loose one, had stubbornly resisted the League's offensive, ultimately allowing them to escape unscathed.
That experience was like a bolt of lightning shattering his preconceived notions.
He used to believe that individual strength was the fundamental factor that decided everything.
Elite Four Candidate, Elite—those were the limits he had set for himself.
But now, he realized that a person's limit, no matter how high, was ultimately just a single point.
The limit of a team, however, could completely overturn or even consume an entire region.
An organic whole, connected to each other, acting as each other's arms.
Even Sen, an official with no personal strength, could stir up trouble and accomplish many things simply by gathering three capable subordinates.
This in itself illustrated the importance of having an inner circle.
Sen's example was more like a mirror, reflecting the clear outline of Ariel's future path.
He could no longer fight alone.
He needed to cultivate his own inner circle, a team that truly belonged to him, that only took orders from him, and that could share his thoughts with perfect coordination.
This wasn't just for completing Team Rockets' missions, but for his even loftier ambitions.
He needed to discover the chess pieces scattered throughout the organization, the buried talents, and the individuals who craved power and status, bringing them one by one under his banner.
This wasn't just a stacking of power, but a condensation of will.