Razor-sharp fangs, shark-like fins, blade-like claws, and a streamlined silhouette reminiscent of a fighter jet—Garchomp's sheer appearance was enough to strike fear into the heart of any foe. Its cruel, predatory gaze alone could shatter a person's courage with a single glance.
Amidst the flames raining from the sky and the searing magma erupting from the earth, Garchomp took flight!
Like a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier, it shot upward with a deafening roar, piercing through the twilight haze at speeds nearly imperceptible to the human eye.
When the land dragon spread its wings, few Pokémon could match its velocity. The hundreds of meters separating it from Sabrina and Moltres were crossed in the blink of an eye.
Take Down!
CRASH—!!!
The sound resembled shattering stone as Garchomp's shark-like head smashed violently into Moltres' chest. Having just unleashed Inferno Overdrive, Moltres was drained, its flames diminished. The impact sent the legendary bird reeling with a piercing shriek.
Dragon Claw!
Garchomp's massive frame—even larger than Moltres—swung its scythe-like talons in a cross-shaped slash, carving deep gashes into the firebird's torso.
From the wounds, not just blood, but blazing flames gushed forth.
"Vaporeon, Hydro Pump!"
The Flareon standing beside Ryuuske on Garchomp's back dashed forward, leaping off its head mid-air. As it soared, it transformed back into Vaporeon, its tail flicking as it unleashed a high-pressure blast of water capable of piercing steel and rock.
Like a sniper round from a Barrett, the water cannon struck Moltres point-blank, sending the firebird spiraling downward in a screech of agony. The collision of flames and water produced a violent hiss as steam erupted into the air.
Vaporeon twisted mid-air, shifting back into Flareon before landing gracefully beside Ryuuske on Garchomp's back.
Sabrina clung desperately to Moltres' feathers as they tumbled through the air, narrowly avoiding a fatal plunge into the magma below. At the last second, Moltres righted itself, hovering just meters above the molten earth.
"That timid Eevee of yours can switch forms that seamlessly? You've trained it well."
Sabrina exhaled slowly, her earlier panic fading. Rising from her crouch, she brushed off her skirt and spoke coolly, her voice laced with grudging respect.
At the same time, her grip tightened around the golden badge in her hand—its glow intensifying as Moltres thrashed beneath her, struggling against her control.
The Volcano Badge—the one most suited to commanding Moltres—was Blaine's. Sabrina's attack on Cinnabar likely had dual motives: revenge and securing the badge to strengthen her hold over the legendary bird.
"I have you to thank for that. Without the data you provided, I might never have met this adorable Eevee."
Ryuuske stood casually on Garchomp's back, hands in his pockets as the land dragon hovered mid-air, wings spread like a bomber ready to dive. Behind him, Dragonair coiled protectively, its elegant form resembling a guardian spirit.
His Dragon Legion was finally taking shape.
Both Garchomp and Dragonair had reached new heights under his training—now, it was a matter of refining their strength further. And with that, Ryuuske knew it was time to seek out new dragons to raise.
As he scratched Flareon under the chin, he smirked at Sabrina.
Flareon nuzzled his hand, its gaze fixed on Sabrina with a mix of lingering fear and burning defiance—ready at any moment to exact revenge on the woman who had once tormented it.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack, Ryuuske!"
Blaine flew closer on Charizard, removing his sunglasses to wipe his brow.
"Evolution releases tremendous energy. While it's common in battles—both competitive and life-or-death—for Pokémon to evolve mid-fight and regain strength, using Gabite's evolution to tank Moltres' Inferno Overdrive was way too risky."
Even as he scolded, Blaine's eyes gleamed with admiration as he inspected Garchomp—not a single scratch marred its scales.
"...But you must've suppressed Gabite's evolution for a long time. The energy burst from evolving was insane—enough to completely negate Moltres' full-power strike."
At this moment, Blaine felt victory was assured.
Even without Mewtwo, Ryuuske's Garchomp alone could overpower Sabrina.
Garchomp was Sinnoh's national treasure, ranked alongside Dragonite as one of the "Pokémon closest to godhood." A perfectly trained Garchomp differed from a true deity only in divine authority—its raw power was nearly comparable.
Blaine had rarely seen Garchomp—they were that rare. He didn't know how Cynthia's Garchomp measured up, but Ryuuske's specimen—towering at nearly eight meters, its draconic aura so dense it solidified the air, its temperament both ferocious and disciplined—left no doubt.
If released among its kind, this Garchomp would be the undisputed king.
Against a true deity, it might still fall short—but against Sabrina's forcibly controlled Moltres? The only challenge would be endurance.
As a mythical Pokémon, Moltres' flames were near-infinite. Unless it exhausted itself with another Inferno Overdrive, it would never run out of energy.
Throughout history, legendary trainers had Pokémon capable of fighting gods. But even if a trained Pokémon could defeat a deity, one fact remained unchangeable—the reason these beings were called "Legendary" and "Mythical":
They embodied the world's natural laws.
You could bring them to the brink of death—but you could never truly kill them.
Their standard attacks were instinctual, costing no energy at all.
In game terms, their MP recovery rate was astronomical.
Even if a trained Pokémon surpassed them in raw power, it could never outlast them.
Thus, to defeat a god, you either needed another god—or you had to end the battle swiftly.
Ordinary Pokémon could never win a war of attrition.
Perhaps only Arceus could strip them of this impossible trait.
To be continued…
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