Riolu's immense power didn't intimidate Rockruff; it knew that at this moment, Riolu's eyes must be very uncomfortable and couldn't see clearly.
So Rockruff used Quick Attack to swiftly circle behind Riolu and ram into its back.
With its eyes discomforted and obscured by the debris from smashed rocks, Riolu took the hit solidly, stumbling forward.
Sizzle sizzle!!
Seeing the opportunity, Rockruff opened its mouth wide, and the Chakra at its mouth quickly underwent Nature Transformation into Lightning Attribute Chakra, charging its fangs with lightning, and bit down hard on Riolu's leg.
Although at the last moment, Riolu managed to gather Chakra for defense, it inevitably got injured. Fortunately, Rockruff's Lightning Release was average and failed to paralyze Riolu; only the bitten leg had a strong sense of numbness.
"As expected of Kakashi's Summoning Beast, just as cunning as him," Obito couldn't help but mutter upon seeing this.
In a real battle, if a leg is injured and movement is impaired, it's practically crippling.
"Rockruff can actually use Ninjutsu of other Nature Transformations," Shisui was somewhat surprised, silently acknowledging that being the first Ninja Beast to hatch, it indeed had something.
"Metal Claw!"
Riolu gritted its teeth, swiftly raising its claws glinting with a metallic sheen and struck at Rockruff.
Rockruff didn't expect that even while being bitten by Thunder Fang, Riolu could still gather Chakra to counterattack. It was caught off guard and was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground.
Riolu's blow inflicted greater damage on Rockruff than it had imagined, nearly making it faint. Rockruff mustered all its strength just to stagger back up.
Kakashi noticed this and furrowed his brows slightly.
Riolu's Taijutsu power was somewhat beyond his expectations; Rockruff's physique was already quite good, yet it almost couldn't get up after just one swipe from Riolu.
Mokgetsu watched with a thoughtful expression.
The Pokemon's ability to use Chakra must mean they've been integrated into the system.
Yet, Pokemon have both attribute advantages and numerous types, far more than the Naruto World's Chakra Attributes. Mokgetsu previously speculated that similar elements like water, fire, earth, and lightning were retained, while others like steel and dragon, which don't exist in Naruto, were lost.
But from what it seems now, the attribute advantages have actually been retained in a very special way.
All ninjas have Chakra, but in truth, each person's Chakra is slightly different. A strong Perception Ninja can identify a person by their Chakra; someone like Kaguya can even judge past lives through Chakra.
Furthermore, some people's Chakra has special functions, such as Kushina's Chakra can suppress Tailed Beasts, which is why she was chosen as a Jinchuriki.
After system integration, all Pokemon's attributes became a unique form of Chakra, inheriting the type advantage relationships from the Pokemon world. Thus, Riolu's Fighting Type Chakra shattered Rockruff's Rock Throw, and a single Metal Claw nearly took Rockruff out.
Both Fighting Type and Steel Type are effective against Rock.
"Only battles between Pokemon have the original world's advantage relationships. When fighting local Ninja Beasts and ninjas, only the local Chakra advantage relationships apply," Mokgetsu concluded.
Mokgetsu felt that this didn't make much difference; type advantages are usually important in games, while in reality, it's about cultivation and ability development.
Rockruff slowly walked towards Riolu. Its effective range for Rock Throw was limited, so it had to get closer.
Riolu supported itself on the ground with its hands, forcing itself to stand up shakily, watching the approaching Rockruff with a guarded expression.
Everyone was watching the two beasts intently; without a doubt, the battle had reached its final stage.
Without hesitation, Rockruff used Chakra to transform the dirt into sand and tossed it at the immobile Riolu.
Compared to the more Chakra-consuming Rock Throw, Sand Attack was certainly more cost-effective. Interference was the first priority.
Riolu didn't expect Rockruff to use this move again, and its eyes were injured unexpectedly.
"Quick Attack!"
Bam!
Rockruff, using up its last bit of strength, charged at Riolu, knocking it to the ground.
Just as Obito, Shisui, and others thought the battle was over, the severely weakened Riolu hadn't completely lost its combat capability. It suddenly swung its claws imbued with a metallic luster at Rockruff.
But in the end, the claws could only stop three centimeters away from Rockruff, then fell to the ground in front of it.
Realizing what happened, Rockruff hastily created a small rock and lobbed it at Riolu's head, finally knocking it out of the battle.
Shisui shook his head with a regretful expression and thought if Riolu's arm were a bit longer, it could have turned the tables; losing the ability to move was too critical.
Nohara Rin and Mokgetsu each tended to a Pokemon. Kakashi and Might Guy quickly stepped forward to check on the Pokemon's condition.
"What a youthful and passionate battle!" Might Guy shed tears of emotion for Riolu.
He didn't mind Riolu losing the battle.
Twice, Riolu nearly turned the tide, never giving up in desperate situations. For Might Guy, such a Riolu would inevitably win back someday, just like how he defeated Kakashi after his efforts.
Feeling Might Guy's sincere emotion, the treated Riolu showed a faint smile. That's why it must work so hard to defeat Rockruff—being Might Guy's contractor, it's no inferior to any Pokemon.
"You performed perfectly, even surprising me a bit," Kakashi said, patting Rockruff's head with a smile.
Because Rockruff displayed impressive intelligence, Kakashi not only taught Rockruff cultivation but also tactics; the spinning Sand Attack was Kakashi's idea.
"Rock!" Rockruff barked happily.
At that moment when praised by Kakashi, Rockruff felt the hardships of the recent battle were nothing.
Seeing Kakashi and Might Guy maintaining a harmonious relationship with their Pokemon, Obito looked at his Charmeleon and fell into contemplation.
Why did it seem his side had a different vibe? Whose issue was it after all?
"Anyway, Charmeleon should still have quite an advantage," Obito recalled the results of his strength tests on Charmeleon and believed it could win.
PS: Originally wanted to finish writing, but it's too late now.