"Go on—I'm leaving this one to you!"
"Torterra, Ninetales—battle ready!"
Having observed the situation, Paul immediately pulled out two Poké Balls, sending out both Torterra and Ninetales, ready to carry out his next strategy.
"Vireee~!"
Upon seeing Torterra and Ninetales enter the field, Electivire no longer looked worried. These two were far better suited than it was at protecting their Trainer.
Grinning wide, Electivire suddenly took off into the sky, launching itself straight toward Regieleki.
Known as the "Electric Regi", Regieleki was incredibly powerful. According to legend, the electrical energy within its body was enough to power the entire Galar region. Its Transistor Ability further boosted the strength of its Electric-type attacks to terrifying levels.
But as fate would have it, Electivire's Motor Drive Ability allowed it to absorb Electric-type attacks and use that energy to increase its own speed.
And deep within its body was a unique Zap Plate—a special item amplifying its Electric affinity. Combined, the two formed a synergy similar to a bottomless energy well.
Though Regieleki was immensely strong, it didn't have the same kind of "cheat-code" advantage as a certain Pikachu or a certain Zeraora. Its Electric attacks simply weren't enough to do real damage to Electivire.
And just like what happened to Regice before it, Regieleki found itself completely outmatched, unable to showcase its true strength. All it could do was endure a relentless one-sided beatdown.
"Ninetales, take on Regidrago!"
Paul hadn't forgotten about the last of the Dragon Regi trio. Without hesitation, he sent Ninetales to intercept it.
While Fire-type moves weren't particularly effective against Dragons, Ninetales had a bag of tricks—Nasty Plot, Calm Mind, Agility, and Flash Fire—to amplify its power and speed. Against a Regidrago that hadn't fought seriously in centuries, whose reflexes were dulled and instincts calcified, that would be more than enough.
"Wooo~!"
Ninetales let out an excited cry. Its psychic energy surged as it soared toward Regidrago, engaging it in a fast-paced battle.
"Raaa~"
Torterra looked up, eyes scanning the skies and the battlefield around it. Its body tensed slightly with anticipation.
Although Torterra had a calm and zen-like nature, that didn't mean it disliked battling.
All its teammates were in the thick of things, and it felt somewhat left out just standing around.
Still, its top priority was protecting Paul.
As Paul stepped up onto Torterra's shell and climbed onto its back, he gazed toward the towering Tree of Beginning in the distance. His voice was low but resolute:
"This is only the beginning. Let's bring out Mr. Sunny Day, grow up."
The Regis were indeed powerful, but their typings made them relatively manageable—especially with no Fire-type Regi among them. At most, they could use some Fire-type moves.
So activating Sunny Day wouldn't empower them much.
"Raaa~"
The great tree on Torterra's back glowed faintly, resonating with the sunlight above. The entire area seemed to become saturated with solar energy.
Then, it began by using the basic version of Growth to sharply boost its offensive power at double the normal rate.
The plan was to maximize its offensive strength first, and then switch to its enhanced version of Growth to bolster its defenses.
Under Sunny Day, the already aggressive Ninetales became even more formidable, exerting heavy pressure on Regidrago.
Ursaluna basked in the warmth of the blazing sun, a cruel grin curling at the edge of its lips.
Abandoning Hammer Arm, both of its massive paws ignited in flames as it repeatedly unleashed Fire Punch on Regice. The onslaught was fiercer than before, making it even harder for Regice to hold its ground.
"Heh-ehh~ heh-ehh!"
The more Regice resisted, the more violently it retaliated—and the more exhilarated Ursaluna became.
Only Samurott, the lone one significantly affected by the Sunny Day, completely gave up on using its Water-type moves. Instead, it opted to fight back against the unyielding iron mass in front of it with Sacred Sword and Brick Break.
"OOOOH~!"
Five minutes later, a roar echoed across several hundred meters.
At last, the Ice Titan—Regice, battered and bruised—collapsed to the ground and unable to endure the punishment any longer.
"BOOM!"
A golden streak tore through the sky and crashed into the battlefield below, revealing a visibly weakened and powerless Regieleki.
"Re… gi… ele… ki…"
Struggling to rise, Regieleki trembled for a couple of seconds but ultimately crumpled to the ground, completely motionless.
As the Electric Titan, the one said in legends to be capable of generating all the power needed for the entire Galar region, Regieleki had been utterly drained—overwhelmed by the terrifying capacitance of Electivire working in tandem with the Zap Plate.
"Vireee~!"
Electivire crashed down from the sky, landing squarely on Regieleki's face. Cheerfully, it began patting its head in quick succession—grateful for the generous sacrifice of Regigigas.
Inside its body, the Zap Plate had already absorbed a substantial amount of pure electricity. But thanks to Regieleki's unreserved offering, Electivire had completed its charge even before Rotom Phone.
Now fully charged in every sense of the word, Electivire radiated raw energy with every movement—lightning crackling with each flex of muscle.
Even if its next opponent was Flint's Infernape, Electivire felt confident it could go head-to-head with it for three hundred rounds and never fall behind.
The fall of Regice and Regieleki was like the flick of a switch.
Not long after, the remaining three Regi Titans were each defeated by their respective opponents, collapsing one after another, and rendered completely unable to battle.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
During this moment, Paul pulled two Poké Balls from his pocket and threw them toward the two Titans that had fallen first.
Frankly, trying to capture guardian Pokémon of a place like this did feel... a little off.
But Paul figured—there were so many Regis here. What difference would it make if a few of them were taken?
Besides, how many Trainers could honestly resist the urge to capture such powerful Pokémon lying defeated right in front of them?
He certainly couldn't.
Worst case scenario, if it really caused problems later, he'd just release them. For now, capturing them would at least give him options.
The Poké Balls arced through the air in a graceful curve, popped open upon contact with the two Regis, and cast beams of red light down onto them in an attempt to convert them into energy and draw them in.
But in the very next instant, a strange aura shimmered over both Regice and Regieleki. The red light covering their bodies fizzled and disintegrated. The Poké Balls themselves were repelled by an invisible force and sent flying backward.
Capture failed.
"…That's odd."
Paul furrowed his brow, tucking the rejected Poké Balls back into his pocket. He eyed the two Titans he had failed to catch, then let his gaze drift toward that tree.
He vaguely remembered—something mentioned in one of the movies: the Tree of Beginning was not just a structure, but a unique life-form.
Which led him to wonder: could the Pokémon guarding it be considered part of that life-form? Perhaps they were already "captured"—not by a person, but by the tree itself?
If that were the case… then it made perfect sense why he couldn't catch them.
The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed.
Still, Paul couldn't help but feel a pinch of disappointment. There were so many powerful Legendary Pokémon at the Tree of Beginning, and he couldn't catch even one of them. What a waste.
The feeling didn't last long, though. After all, catching them had only been a secondary goal. His main objective was training—and recharging.
With all the Regis having defeated their opponents, Paul was just about to press forward and delve deeper into the area—when he suddenly noticed something strange.
The sunlight produced by Sunny Day had nearly all been drawn away by an unseen energy. It was being absorbed completely by the Tree of Beginning.
And in the next instant, a pulse of verdant life energy blinked down from the tree, falling upon the five downed Titans. In the blink of an eye, all their injuries were healed and their stamina were fully restored.
(End of Chapter)
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