Ice Empress's Guidance, Greninja Learns a New Move

In a secluded grove near Sea God Lake,

Greninja was training a new move.

He raised both hands and took a deep breath. Water vapor in his palms slowly formed tiny ice crystals.

Greninja thrust both palms forward, sending a cold wind laced with ice crystals howling through the grove.

The biting wind swept across a stand of trees, freezing them solid in an instant.

A moment later, several sharp ice shuriken sliced through them, shattering the frozen trees into powder.

Greninja breathed out a puff of frosty air. He had become an Ice type too.

It was all thanks to the move he had just used: Icy Wind.

Sitting in a tree, Chi Hong watched and turned his head to the side.

"Ice Empress, what do you think of Greninja's talent? Can he master the Ice Pillar Plate's power and possess two Ultimate attributes?"

The Ice Empress folded her arms and fell silent for a moment.

"Normally, it would be impossible. But he can change his own type and become an Ice type. If the Ice Pillar Plate's power is granted to him through you while he's in that state, he might have a chance."

"Ice is essentially water, but Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Water differ in more than temperature. It also takes extraordinary willpower."

Chi Hong considered this.

"What should Greninja do, then?"

The Ice Empress glanced down.

"He isn't ready yet. First, he needs to learn how to control ice."

With that, she floated down to teach Greninja herself.

The Ice Empress flew in front of Greninja and began instructing him.

"You have a decent talent for Ice moves, Greninja. You learned one in a single night. Even many of my kin can't match your aptitude. But your control and understanding of ice are far too crude."

Greninja listened with solemn attention.

The Ice Empress was one of Chi Hong's Pokémon, just like him, but the formidable strength she had displayed earlier had won his admiration.

The Ice Empress continued.

"Water is the source of all things. It represents nourishment, acceptance, and life. Its nature leans toward protection."

"Ordinary ice is simply water below freezing. But to attain Ultimate Ice, talent isn't enough. Your water must develop 'killing intent.' When water imbued with that intent solidifies, it becomes ice. Such ice embodies unyielding hardness, overwhelming power, and destruction."

"That's why even the Snow Empress can't match my mastery of ice."

Greninja pondered her words.

The Ice Empress looked ahead and pointed.

"Look. You froze and shattered those trees just now, but a trace of life remains in their roots. That's where you fall short."

"Your ice is too soft. You're used to wielding water and relying on your trainer. In battle, your will is still inclined toward acceptance and protection."

"It has none of ice's sharpness or destructive force."

Understanding dawned on Greninja.

"Watch closely. I'll show you how ice is used."

The Ice Empress held out one hand. Water vapor gathered in her palm, gradually forming ice crystals.

She kept the power of her ice at Greninja's level and used the same move: Icy Wind.

"She learned Icy Wind after seeing it just once. Her talent really is incredible."

Chi Hong sighed in admiration, then shook his head.

"Of all the teachers I could have found, the first one who can actually teach is a Soul Beast I brought in from outside. Shrek doesn't even have a teacher who can instruct Soul Beasts. How sad."

Greninja watched the Ice Empress closely, trying to grasp how she wielded ice.

Whoosh!

A fierce cold wind burst forth before the Ice Empress.

It was faster and more violent than Greninja's had been.

In the blink of an eye, it surged toward the trees ahead.

As the wind carried ice crystals across them, the cold did not linger on the surface. It drove through the leaves, trunks, and roots, destroying every trace of life within.

Seconds later, the wind was still blowing. The frozen trees began to dissolve into drifting ice crystals, like ashes after a fire.

The Ice Empress's Icy Wind froze the same number of trees as Greninja's, though it took longer to do so.

But her ice penetrated deep into living things, destroying them from the inside out.

Greninja's ice froze the trees' surfaces first, then seeped inward.

Greninja stared, dumbfounded.

Now he understood what the killing intent of ice meant.

If those had been moving creatures instead of trees,

Greninja's Icy Wind would have restricted their movements. The Ice Empress's would have destroyed the life within them outright.

They would have been dead the moment they froze.

The Ice Empress lowered her hand and cast him a sidelong glance.

"Did you get that? It's difficult, but with Chi Hong's Ice Pillar Plate helping you, you might learn it after a few years of practice—"

Greninja formed a hand seal, gathering an icy-blue sphere of light before him.

Tiny ice crystals spun rapidly inside it, while the bitter cold condensed the surrounding air into white mist.

Greninja aimed at a large tree nearby and thrust both palms forward.

The sphere became an icy-blue beam that shot ahead, leaving a faint blue trail through the air.

Ice Beam!

Whoosh—

Every tree in the beam's path turned to ice in an instant, then scattered on the wind.

Without a doubt, Greninja had learned another move.

The Ice Empress froze and swallowed the rest of her words.

She gave Greninja a strange look. Inwardly, she was falling apart.

What? How could this Soul Beast have such incredible aptitude?

Even though I was born an Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion with Ultimate Ice and the greatest talent in my entire clan, I couldn't learn a new move just by watching someone use it!

I only showed you how to do it. How did you actually learn it?

Aren't we Soul Beasts supposed to rely on what our ancestors left us, inherit a few talents and moves, enjoy some treasures, then sleep until we're a hundred thousand years old before gaining the intelligence to learn anything new?

But two good friends nearby were taking it even harder.

Charizard folded his arms and kept tapping his foot against the ground, looking exceptionally restless.

How could he not be? The second-in-command already had Ultimate Water. Now he had a powerful senior guiding him, and he had learned another new move.

Worse, every bit of it gave Greninja an edge over him.

At this rate, Charizard's place at the top was in danger!

Riolu felt the same way. Rubbing his chin with a little paw, he sensed that this blue senior was becoming harder and harder to deal with.

After a moment, Charizard and Riolu turned to look at each other, communicating with their eyes.

Charizard: That quiet show-off is getting more arrogant by the day. He'll probably start bullying us soon.

Riolu: Exactly. We need to join forces. We can't let him dominate everyone.

They nodded together, forming a temporary alliance.