After Scizor finished venting, it looked down from the top of the waterfall, a sudden surge of heroic pride filling its heart. Its aura swelled significantly as it realized its strength had increased substantially.
The reason it could finally break through the waterfall was that, at the critical moment, Eichi had turned off the Weighted Vest. This allowed Scizor to finally unleash its true power. This sensation of raw strength was intoxicating, making the Pokémon crave more.
Once it had finished celebrating, Scizor rushed down the waterfall to return to Eichi's side. Eichi spoke with a look of pure gratification, "Congratulations on breaking through the waterfall, Scizor. Also, have you noticed? You've already broken through to the Elite rank."
Beedrill and Heracross also offered their congratulations. While everyone was celebrating Scizor's achievement, the sound of clapping suddenly came from behind them.
Eichi turned around to see Muramasa walking out, clapping his hands. "Very impressive," he praised as he approached. "I originally thought reaching the halfway point would be good enough for Scizor, but it actually broke through the waterfall in less than a week."
Standing behind Muramasa, Masamune raised both of its claws toward Scizor. This was a gesture unique to Scizor, signaling deep recognition and respect.
"There aren't many Pokémon that Masamune acknowledges," Muramasa explained from the side. "This shows that your Scizor is truly exceptional."
Scizor raised its own claws in response. Eichi looked at his Pokémon happily; receiving such recognition from others was a source of great joy for it.
Muramasa glanced at the remote control in Eichi's hand. "When I saw the ring around Scizor's waist, I thought it was just an ornament. I never expected it to be a Weighted Vest. That was quite a surprise. So, do your other two Pokémon also wear Weighted Vests?"
"Yes," Eichi replied.
Beedrill's Weighted Vest was around its waist, while Heracross wore its on its horn. When Eichi first tried to put the device on Heracross, the Pokémon had resisted stubbornly. It was only after a mix of threats and incentives from Eichi that it finally agreed to wear it.
After discussing the training gear, Muramasa spoke seriously, "Since Scizor has already broken through the waterfall, there's no point in continuing that specific exercise. We will start the next training session immediately today."
"What is the next training session?" Eichi asked.
Muramasa pointed at the waterfall. "It's still that waterfall. Eichi, have you heard of Combination Moves?"
"I have," Eichi replied. "A Combination Move is when two or more moves are combined to form a stronger technique."
"You're right," Muramasa said. "A Combination Move joins several moves together to create something much more powerful. Its power is no longer as simple as 1+1=2. A truly powerful Combination Move can even achieve an effect where 1+1 is far greater than 10. Do you know any, or do any of your Pokémon know any Combination Moves?"
Eichi shook his head. "No. Currently, I only plan to master all the moves they already know. There isn't even enough time for regular training, so I haven't had time to think about Combination Moves. They seem too far off for me right now."
"That's fair. I'm glad you have that mindset," Muramasa replied. "However, you only have less than two weeks before you leave, so there's no harm in learning a Combination Move in advance. I've observed that Scizor has a very solid foundation, and its mastery of almost all its moves has reached the Mastery level. Learning a Combination Move is no longer a problem."
Eichi nodded. "I understand. Teacher Muramasa, please teach me a Combination Move."
"First, to learn a Combination Move, two conditions must be met," Muramasa explained. "One is the ability to multitask, and the other is having reached Mastery level with the moves you wish to combine. Have you met these two conditions?"
"I have," Eichi answered firmly.
"Good," Muramasa said. "Let me tell you, any Trainer aiming for the Elite Four rank will begin creating their own unique Combination Moves to use as trump cards. Of course, you can't just create one out of thin air; every move is forged through countless experiments and battles. I have created three Combination Moves exclusive to Scizor. Today, I will teach you the simplest one: Cross Slash!"
"Cross Slash?" Eichi repeated.
"Yes," Muramasa said. "As the name suggests, it's related to X-Scissor. Specifically, this Combination Move is formed by combining X-Scissor and Air Slash. Masamune, give him a demonstration."
Masamune nodded, vibrated its wings, and shot forward. Facing the rushing waterfall, it closed its eyes and crossed its claws.
Gradually, Eichi felt the surroundings begin to shake. The ground and the trees started to tremble with a minute frequency. Suddenly, a wind blew through, causing the nearby trees to sway violently. The movement of the clouds in the sky accelerated, blocking out the sun.
The sky darkened instantly, and waves of energy radiated into the surroundings. The atmosphere became oppressive, creating a faint feeling of being unable to breathe. Small Pokémon in the vicinity began to flee in all directions as they sensed danger.
All of this happened in a single minute while Masamune was gathering strength. A powerful energy was accumulating within its body. Suddenly, Masamune's eyes snapped open like a sharp sword. If looks had power, its gaze could kill.
Masamune's eyes glowed orange-red, and in an instant, it swung its crossed claws.
A massive cross-shaped wind blade formed out of thin air and struck the waterfall. Eichi saw clearly that this cross-shaped wind blade was made of compressed energy, containing an astonishing amount of power.
As the wind blade flew, a cyclone kicked up in the area, blowing dust and debris onto Eichi and Muramasa. The surrounding trees rustled loudly, and leaves fell to the ground like rain.
In Eichi's eyes, the cross-shaped wind blade hit the waterfall with extreme speed. The collision produced a thunderous sound of rushing water as a massive amount of spray was blasted outward. From a distance, one could clearly see a giant cross appear on the face of the waterfall before it was washed away by the falling water.
Eichi was stunned. He had never seen such a sight before. Watching it on TV didn't count; he was now truly feeling the power of an Elite Four-level Pokémon. No wonder they were called the Elite Four.
Scizor's eyes were locked onto Masamune, the heat in its gaze almost ready to erupt. This move is too strong; I must learn it. This was Scizor's only thought.
In the distant Dojo, the disciples training also heard the commotion. After a moment of silence, Azuma said, "The Master is using that move again. It's fine, everyone, continue training."