This was a Pokémon that resembled a saber-toothed tiger!
Its golden fur gave it a majestic air, accented by black, lightning-like stripes. It had a powerful body and muscular limbs, with a black steel crest extending from its forehead to the back of its head. Long fangs protruded beneath its X-shaped blue whiskers! Its long, lightning-shaped tail ended in a spark-shaped tip, while a cloudlike purple mane billowed behind it in the wind!
It was none other than Raikou!
One of the Legendary Beasts of the Johto Region!
Raikou.
According to legend, Raikou was a Pokémon that descended alongside lightning. With rain clouds on its back, it could unleash lightning at any time.
It possessed lightning-fast speed and raced across the land while releasing the power surging within its body as lightning strikes. Its thunderous howls shook the air and rocked the earth like thunderbolts crashing down from the heavens.
As Ho-Oh's personal guards, the Legendary Beasts traveled from place to place, continuing to observe humanity on behalf of Ho-Oh, who had lost faith in humans.
Although they were called the Legendary Beasts, Raikou, Suicune, and Entei were not unique individuals, just like the three fool birds!
They all had others of their kind, though their numbers were extremely small.
Nor were they all divine beasts!
The Pokémon World had many Legendary Pokémon, which humans called divine beasts and supreme divine beasts.
But not every Legendary Pokémon was a divine beast. Conversely, every divine beast was a Legendary Pokémon!
That was the difference between divine office and divinity!
Take Lugia, a first-tier deity of the Johto Region, for example.
Lugia was a Legendary Pokémon, known to people as the "Sea God" and the "God of Ocean Currents"!
But there was more than one Lugia!
Were all Lugia sea gods? No!
Only the strongest member of the entire species, the one who had acquired authority-the so-called divine authority-was the one and only "Sea God" and "God of Ocean Currents"!
Ordinary Lugia possessed only divinity and were classified as Legendary Pokémon!
But they held no divine office, so they were not divine beasts!
They could only be called Legendary Pokémon!
Because divine beasts were irreplaceable and could not be caught!
The divine authority wielded by each divine beast was intimately tied to the existence of the entire Pokémon World. Not a single one could be missing!
Even one missing link could bring disaster, or even destroy the world!
So, even though there were several Raikou, the one before him had been granted authority by Ho-Oh and therefore could not be caught!
That was why Wattson felt such regret. There were several of them, so why did he have to encounter this one?
"Roar!"
Raikou showed no surprise at Wattson's arrival, nodding before looking up at the sky.
"It looks like your efforts to hold it back kept the whole thunderstorm from descending on the city!"
Even Wattson's burly frame looked small as he came to Raikou's side.
"Do you know what caused this abnormal weather?"
Raikou ignored him, growling low before firing another Thunder into the sky.
"Roar!"
After shattering the lightning, Raikou gazed skyward, red light glowing in its eyes. Then a rough voice sounded haltingly in Wattson's mind.
"The legend... will soon... awaken..."
"Ho-Oh's... will..."
Wattson was not surprised that Raikou could communicate telepathically. Instead, its message left him deep in solemn thought.
A legend awakening?
Ho-Oh's will?
Ugh... thinking isn't my strong suit!
"All right! I'll pass that along to the Pokémon League's higher-ups. For now, let's deal with what's right in front of us!"
Wattson could not be bothered to ponder it any further. Those old scholars at the Pokémon League loved studying this sort of thing anyway, so he would leave it to them!
"I'll support you, Raikou. Let's scatter those thunderclouds!"
"Roar!" With a roar, Raikou stepped forward. The electric radiance around it surged, enveloping its entire body as an overwhelming pressure followed.
"ROAR!!!"
Entering battle mode, Raikou threw back its head and roared!
Above them, within the Electric Terrain, the thunder brewing in the clouds began to churn as well.
Seeing this, Wattson wasted no more time. He threw out his Pokémon Balls, and flashes of white light followed.
Several more figures appeared on the field!
Ampharos! Zebstrika! Manectric! Jolteon!
"Partners! Draw the energy out of the thunderclouds and direct the lightning toward Raikou!"
Wattson looked at them gravely.
"Magnezone! Electric Terrain!"
"Bzzzt!!"
Electric arcs flashed, enveloping the entire mountaintop as powerful Electric-type energy flooded the field.
"Ampharos! Use Thunder at full power! Focus on one spot and disrupt the balance in the clouds! Tear an opening in them!"
"Amphaaa!!!"
Ampharos let out a long cry as electricity steadily built around its body! Once it reached its peak, the electricity shot toward the clouds. The sudden surge of outside energy sent the lightning within them into turmoil, making it even more active. Then, guided by Ampharos, it broke through the magnetic field's interference and came crashing down like air escaping a punctured ball!
Boom!
An enormous pillar of light formed between heaven and earth, twisting and raging!
"Zebstrika! Manectric! Rush up with Quick Attack and draw in the lightning! Charge Beam!"
Clearly, the two Pokémon with the Lightning Rod ability had no fear of the thunderstorm descending from above. They charged onto the summit, firing two beams crackling with electricity at the enormous pillar of lightning overhead!
Disturbed and drawn in by the outside force, the lightning pillar instantly absorbed the beams. Then, under the influence of the three Pokémon's moves and the Lightning Rod ability, it changed direction and plunged toward the summit!
"Magnezone! Magnetic Flux! Jolteon! Charge!"
As the lightning approached, Wattson issued his commands calmly.
Electric Terrain combined with Magnetic Flux greatly boosted the Pokémon's attack and defense.
With its Volt Absorb ability, Jolteon could withstand even more attacks!
At that moment, Ampharos, Zebstrika, Manectric, and Jolteon were all beside Raikou, while Magnezone controlled the field from behind.
Overhead, the massive lightning pillar generated intense heat. Countless smaller bolts split off from the raging lightning, striking the surrounding air erratically and causing violent explosions!
"ROAR!!!"
Raikou roared again!
Lightning seethed all over its body as it leaped up to meet the incoming pillar.
"Everyone! Thunderbolt at full power!"
"ROAR!!!"
Amid the tremendous roar, the lightning pillar slammed into Raikou. Space itself seemed to freeze for an instant. Then the entire sky suddenly turned a blinding white, its dazzling light blotting out everything!
Crack, crack!
Only the sound of shattering glass kept ringing in his ears!
Under Magnezone's protection, Wattson retreated far from the summit.
Electric-type energy collided across the entire mountaintop, setting off one violent explosion after another! Led by Raikou, the Electric-type Pokémon continuously released their own energy to meet the endless lightning descending from the sky. The energy stored in the clouds kept pouring out and surging toward them. Fortunately, Raikou bore the brunt of it, and Wattson's Pokémon were all at the quasi-Elite Four level, so they could still barely endure it!
Thankfully, the thunderclouds overhead gradually began to shrink. All the lightning gathered by the storm converged on this spot before being drawn out, greatly reducing the threat to the city.
After continuously drawing in and resisting the lightning, Manectric and Zebstrika finally reached their limits and were the first to withdraw.
Then, after unleashing one more Thunderbolt, Ampharos also finished its task and withdrew!
Only Jolteon was still holding on!
Raikou, by contrast, bounded leisurely through the sea of lightning, thunderbolts swirling around its body as it kept channeling and guiding them onto itself!
So powerful!
In the distance, Wattson could only shake his head in admiration.
This continued for a long time. When the final trace of lightning in the clouds struck Raikou, Jolteon collapsed as well.
"Roar!"
Having absorbed a tremendous amount of lightning energy, Raikou's entire body was wreathed in electricity. It turned to glance at Wattson once more, then roared and bounded deep into the mountains, trailing lightning behind it.
Even a divine beast could not easily withstand the power of nature!
Raikou needed to keep running, using the earth's help to release that power!
Wattson watched the electric light recede until it vanished, then turned his gaze back to the mountaintop, part of which had been blasted away, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's finally over... A legend... What legend could it be?"
As the rain gradually eased, Wattson recalled his exhausted Pokémon and stood there in the rain.
He gazed into the distance, where Mauville City shone brightly with lights.