Sky Fire crashed down upon the earth, easily igniting the weeds across the wasteland. The scorching flames turned the surrounding area into a living hell, while black smoke billowed upward.
Even though they were out in the suburbs, sooner or later someone in Pingdie Town would notice the commotion. It probably wouldn't be long before they heard the wail of Officer Jenny's patrol car.
They had to finish this quickly.
Mimikyu followed at Luo Mu's side, its massive Shadow Claw tearing through patches of flame. Luo Mu looked up and met Moltres's crimson gaze without a hint of fear. "Dragonite!"
A gale rushed past. Moltres had barely blinked before Dragonite was already hovering silently before it.
Moltres's pupils contracted. It barely had time to register its heart pounding from the sheer speed of Dragonite's flight. Seeing that Dragonite was flying even higher than it, Moltres felt its authority had been challenged and let out a piercing cry. A Heat Wave bearing scorching sparks surged toward Dragonite.
"Bwoom!!"
Dragonite beat its wings rapidly. In an instant, it whipped the air into a howling gale that seemed to form a domain around it. The wind completely canceled out the Heat Wave, while countless tiny blades formed from the currents carved their marks into Moltres's body.
As Dragonite controlled the storm, it let out a thunderous roar toward the sky. Thick dark clouds gathered in an instant, and raindrops the size of beans poured down like a waterfall.
Rain Dance and Hurricane formed the perfect combination. Raindrops met the flames on Moltres's body and evaporated into white steam that swirled around the battlefield in the sky. Thanks to its seemingly bottomless stamina, Moltres endured the attacks, but that was all it could do.
Escaping the cage Dragonite had created was far too difficult for it.
Moltres had tried clashing its own Hurricane against Dragonite's. It had also tried using its signature Flamethrower to blast a path through. But Dragonite had easily countered both attempts.
Mimikyu held its Shadow Claw over Luo Mu's head to shield him from the rain. The wind tugged at his clothes as he watched the power of Moltres's moves, its expression, and its experience. He already had a good idea.
This Moltres was young. Its state of mind and the inexperience it couldn't hide when using its moves both showed that it had little battle experience.
Dragonite's Hurricane and Rain Dance weren't impossible to break through. For example, during the Paldea League's Champion Trial, Poppy's Servant Saber General had forced its way out with sheer strength.
In the few seconds Luo Mu spent thinking, Moltres seemed to have finally figured out the trick. Flying energy took the shape of a Brave Bird wreathed in blazing, brilliant azure flames. Wrapped in its attack, Moltres suffered several more deep wounds, but it summoned all its strength and broke through the domain of wind with the force of an eagle soaring into the sky.
Dragonite blinked. It wasn't angered by Moltres breaking through its domain. It simply held its position in the air and watched Moltres panting raggedly.
Seeing that Moltres's wounds were still healing at an incredible rate, Luo Mu marveled at the sheer reserves legendary Pokémon possessed, not to mention their heaven-given talent. Moltres had quickly found the weak point in their combination move and decisively broken through, even at the cost of injury.
With that thought finished, Luo Mu remembered he needed to end this quickly. He swept his right hand and shouted up at the sky, "Thunder!"
Dragonite responded at once. A muffled rumble burst from the thick clouds. Lightning writhed across them, and in an instant, a vast torrent of golden electricity streaked across the sky like the judgment of the Thunder God. The current became a raging sea of lightning, exploding over and over across Moltres's body.
The deafening thunderclaps rang without pause. Luxray gazed up at the sky with golden eyes and nodded in satisfaction.
Dragonite's Thunder had a little of Luxray's own flair.
At the Pingdie Town Police Station, Officer Jenny received a report and opened the window. She looked toward the thick storm clouds gathered only over the suburbs. Above her, the sky was still clear.
At Officer Jenny's side, Growlithe was visibly trembling, its tail tucked between its legs, yet it still faced the sky and let out a threatening Growl.
Officer Jenny gripped the keys to her patrol car and muttered, "If I die on duty, there should be compensation, right?"
The farm, Lake Area.
Luo Mu watched the enormous crater taking shape under Dragonite's bombardment, then asked Mimikyu, "Once we've drawn water from the lake, how about naming it Thunderclap Lake?"
Mimikyu always went along with Luo Mu's wishes, so it nodded in agreement.
The rumbling Thunder continued for a full minute.
The thunder gradually stopped, and the sea of lightning dispersed. The target of Dragonite's attack, Moltres, slowly emerged from view.
Most of Moltres's feathers had turned black with burns. The flames on its body had grown incredibly faint, and even its normally instinctive flight had become unsteady.
There was no doubt that Moltres was at its limit.
Even in this state, Moltres kept its unfocused eyes open and struggled to keep from falling to the ground.
"Good grief, legendary Pokémon have ridiculous stamina." Luo Mu's expression was one of astonishment, and a trace of respect rose in his heart. Moltres had lived up to its naturally exalted status.
For some reason, Moltres's unfocused gaze fell on Luo Mu below. The raindrops hadn't touched him; he still looked as calm and composed as he had when he arrived. It was as if Moltres wanted to etch his image into its mind.
Respecting Moltres's unyielding determination, Luo Mu brought the battle—which had been destined to end this way from the start—to a close. "Dragon Pulse."
A blue dragon-shaped phantom let out a piercing roar at the sky. Under Dragonite's control, it shot through the air and completely swallowed Moltres.
Moltres versus Dragonite. Dragonite won!
By the time Moltres woke up, night had fallen.
Luo Mu had sent Officer Jenny, who had come to investigate, back with a few made-up excuses. He had also treated Moltres's scarred body properly, and even the wounds deep enough to expose bone had mostly healed.
"You're awake?"
Luo Mu sat on a small stool and added a piece of firewood to the crackling bonfire before him.
Moltres's eyes shifted, and it let out a weak cry, seemingly wondering why Luo Mu had treated it. It couldn't even sense the restraint of having been caught in a Poké Ball.
Moltres was young, but it still knew most of the basics.
For instance, Trainers coveted legendary Pokémon like it. While it had been unconscious and badly injured after Dragonite defeated it, it would have had no strength to resist a Poké Ball. The chance of catching it would have been one hundred percent.
Luo Mu tilted his head. Perhaps it was a special ability of legendary Pokémon, but somehow he could understand what Moltres meant. In response to its confusion, Luo Mu asked, "Why would I catch you? Would you even want to be caught?"
Moltres didn't think it would. If it woke up inside a Poké Ball, it would most likely fight with all its might or refuse to obey any commands.
"Exactly." Luo Mu brushed the ash from his palm, leaned toward Moltres, and smiled. "Besides, you're not strong enough yet to make me eager to catch you."
Moltres awkwardly turned its head away. Luo Mu wasn't wrong. Once its anger had faded, it could recognize that it couldn't have beaten any of the Pokémon at Luo Mu's side.
But why, alongside its resentment, did it feel a little disappointed?
Moltres found the feeling utterly unfamiliar.
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