"Night Slash!" John shouted.
Greninja struck with precision, the dark blade slicing through Mismagius's defenses. The Ghost-type let out a haunting cry as it was knocked out, falling to the battlefield with a thud.
"Mismagius is unable to battle!" declared the referee.
Morty's eyes widened slightly as he adjusted his stance. "You've got some talent to have earned six Gym Badges in the Hoenn region!" he remarked, withdrawing his Mismagius into its Pokeball. Without hesitation, he tossed another Pokeball into the air.
Out emerged a Froslass, its spectral, icy form hovering ominously. The Pokemon at Level 62 was no joke.
John furrowed his brow. Why send out Froslass? Greninja counters Ghost-types easily. What's MortY's play here?
"Froslass, use Hail!" Morty commanded confidently.
Froslass waved its ghostly arms, and instantly the battlefield was engulfed in a whirling snowstorm. Icy flakes swirled through the air, making Froslass's figure appear even more ethereal and difficult to track.
John's eyes narrowed. "Weather tactics, huh?" He knew strategies involving weather conditions were becoming increasingly common as trainers climbed the ranks. The swirling snow made it hard to pinpoint Froslass's location. Still, he needed to act. "Greninja, start with Surf!"
The water attack surged forward, but Froslass floated effortlessly out of its reach, completely unaffected.
"Froslass, use Thunderbolt!" Morty barked.
From within the snowstorm, a crackling bolt of electricity surged toward Greninja. The attack barely missed, grazing past as Greninja vanished into the swirling frost.
John smirked as the realization dawned. "So that's why you sent Froslass—because it knows Thunderbolt. Makes sense now."
Snapping his fingers, he issued his next command. "Greninja, Role Play!"
Greninja reached out into the icy air, mimicking Froslass's abilities. A spectral glow enveloped Greninja as it adopted Froslass's Snow Cloak. Almost immediately, Greninja's form began to blur, vanishing into the swirling snow like its opponent.
Not only did this make Greninja harder to detect, but it also rendered it immune to the Hail damage. Now both Pokemon thrived in the same weather conditions.
Morty's eyes narrowed in frustration as Greninja disappeared from view. "Your strategy is impressive, I'll give you that," he muttered. "But don't think you can escape me just because you've hidden yourself. My 'sharp eyes' don't miss a thing!" His voice was laced with confidence.
"Froslass, three o'clock! Use Thunderbolt!"
A bolt of electricity tore through the snowstorm, aimed precisely where Greninja had been. John's heart skipped a beat. How did he know where Greninja was?
"Referee!" John called out, half-joking. "This guy's got some kind of cheat code going on!"
The referee, unmoved, signaled the battle to continue.
"Greninja, Double Team!" John ordered swiftly.
Greninja split into five identical copies, each moving in a different direction within the storm. One of the decoys was immediately obliterated by the next Thunderbolt, but the real Greninja remained unharmed.
"Double Team?" Morty scoffed. "You think that'll work on me? My eyes can see through that trick. The real one is—wait... there are two real Greninjas?"
Morty froze, momentarily confused. His confidence wavered, but he quickly shook it off. "No matter. Froslass, Discharge! We'll take them all out at once!"
The air crackled with energy as a burst of electricity radiated outward. John gritted his teeth. "Greninja, Quick Attack—now!"
Using the brief distraction, Greninja darted toward Froslass, following the faint sparks from its Discharge attack to pinpoint its location. Morty's eyes widened as Greninja closed the gap.
"Shadow Sneak!" the trainers shouted simultaneously.
Dark tendrils extended from both Pokemon, locking them in place as their shadowy attacks collided. Neither Pokemon could move freely, their movements restricted by the binding energy.
"Dark Pulse!" John commanded.
"Thunderbolt!" Morty countered.
The two attacks clashed mid-air, creating an explosive shockwave that scattered snow in all directions. Smoke filled the battlefield, obscuring both trainers' views.
As the haze cleared, both Pokemon were still locked in place by their respective Shadow Sneak attacks. Greninja, however, had one ace up its sleeve—a substitute had quietly appeared beside it during the chaos.
Morty's jaw tightened. "Substitute again? Are you kidding me?! How many times can your Greninja use that move?!"
John smirked, his confidence unwavering. "Greninja, double Dark Pulse! Let's finish this!"
The real Greninja and its substitute simultaneously unleashed beams of dark energy toward Froslass.
"Blizzard!" Morty shouted in desperation.
Froslass summoned a swirling storm of ice and snow in an attempt to fend off the incoming attacks. The air grew colder, and visibility dropped further as the twister of frost formed. But it was too late.
The twin Dark Pulse attacks sliced through the blizzard, striking Froslass head-on.