Action speaks louder than words...
Since Luna didn't have a Flying-type Pokémon and couldn't outrun Tyranitar, Centiskorch, or Butterfree on foot, the task of luring the wild Pokémon fell entirely on Caleb...
...
~Northern Zone~
The gigantic Centiskorch coiled around the mouth of the volcano, its body glowing with a molten, lava-like crimson light as plumes of white steam rose from its surface.
Centiskorch was a species with an inherently combative nature.
No matter who approached, it would unleash a ferocious assault, incinerating its opponents with scorching flames.
Compared to its regular form, Gigantamax Centiskorch had undergone drastic physical changes...
Influenced by Gigantamax energy, its body segments had multiplied, and its legs had increased in number. These additional limbs allowed it to move at astonishing speeds despite its massive size.
From a distance, Caleb could already feel waves of blistering heat rolling toward him...
Before he could even command Dragonite to attack, the Centiskorch suddenly reared up, gathering a terrifying vortex of flames in its maw before launching it skyward.
"Go!" Caleb urged without hesitation.
Clutching Riolu tightly, he pressed himself flat against Dragonite's back.
Dragonite accelerated to top speed, immediately veering toward the western zone. The Centiskorch's attack grazed past his head. The fiery tornado left the very air in its wake searing hot.
Caleb reached up to touch his hair, only to find his short locks slightly singed and curled from the intense heat, "What the actual hell?!"
Seeing its attack miss, the Centiskorch abandoned its perch on the volcano and began slithering across the ground at breakneck speed, chasing after Dragonite.
As it pursued, it spat streams of scorching flames, attempting to blast Dragonite out of the sky.
Terrifying jets of fire shot past Dragonite, and Caleb's heart practically leaped into his throat. If those flames hit him, the result would be no different from being tossed into a crematorium.
The chase didn't last long...
Soon, Dragonite led Centiskorch to the border between the northern and western zones.
Abruptly, the Centiskorch slowed. It halted at the boundary line, peering into the forest beyond before ignoring Dragonite entirely and turning back toward its volcano.
After going through all that effort to lure it here, Caleb wasn't about to let it escape so easily.
"Dragonite, use Thunderbolt!" he ordered immediately.
Crackling electricity erupted in the air as Dragonite transformed into a malfunctioning lightbulb, illuminating the land below.
A sizzling bolt of lightning struck Centiskorch square on the head.
Provoked beyond endurance, the Centiskorch froze mid-retreat before whipping around, its eyes blazing with fury as it resumed chasing Dragonite.
Seizing the opportunity, Caleb and Dragonite dove straight into Butterfree's territory.
Blinded by rage, Centiskorch's massive body crossed the boundary line and trespassed into Butterfree's domain...
High in the night sky, Butterfree seemed to sense the intrusion. It turned, its crimson compound eyes flashing with red light as it flew toward the source of the intense heat.
From afar, Caleb spotted Butterfree's silhouette.
With his mission accomplished, he made a tactical retreat, landing Dragonite atop a tree roughly a hundred meters from the battlefield to observe the Gigantamax clash.
Centiskorch had been fixated on chasing Dragonite, but the moment Butterfree appeared before it, the Fire-type forgot all about its original target...
The two Gigantamax Pokémon faced off. One in the sky, one on the ground.
After a brief two-second standoff, they attacked without hesitation.
Butterfree's body shimmered with emerald light as countless dazzling butterfly silhouettes materialized around it.
Meanwhile, the circular patterns on Centiskorch's abdomen began glowing as it gathered a swirling mass of crimson energy in its maw. The surrounding air warped from the extreme heat.
The next instant, a green energy orb and a torrent of scarlet flames erupted simultaneously.
Butterfree's exclusive G-Max move vs Centiskorch's exclusive G-Max move!
G-Max Befuddle vs G-Max Centiferno!
A blinding spectacular explosion of light detonated across the landscape.
*Booooooommmmm!*
An enormous semicircular shockwave radiated outward from the two Gigantamax Pokémon at terrifying speed.
The deafening blast reverberated through the air, though to Caleb, the sound soon dulled into a muted ringing. Perched on the treetop with Dragonite and Riolu, he watched as a magnificent mushroom cloud bloomed before their eyes.
Time seemed to freeze... whether for a single second or an entire century, he couldn't tell...
Butterfree was the first to emerge, tearing through the smoke and soaring back into the sky. Its body was wreathed in a spiraling vortex of flames... the secondary effect of G-Max Centiferno: trapping the opponent in an inescapable ring of fire that inflicted continuous burn damage.
Rather than fleeing, Butterfree's wings became a blur as it beat them at hypersonic speeds, unleashing a Max Airstream directly downward.
The violent air currents dispersed the mushroom cloud, revealing Centiskorch's dimmed form below.
It lay motionless on the ground, its eyes shut tight and fast asleep...
"Holy cow, this Centiskorch has terrible luck!"
Of the three possible status conditions; poison, paralysis, or sleep... it had gotten hit with the one that lasted the longest. Even when Butterfree's Max Airstream smashed directly into its face, it still didn't wake up.
Caleb: "..."
Watching this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nervousness.
"No way... Is this Butterfree some kind of inverse-type specialist like Ash?"
Seeing its opponent still standing, Butterfree flapped its wings again. Swirling white currents gathered, taking the shape of a tornado.
Just as it was about to launch the attack, Centiskorch's eyes snapped open.
Emerging from its slumber, the Fire-type immediately flew into a rage. Flames pooled in its mouth, forming a fiery whirlwind that clashed head-on with Butterfree's Max Airstream.
A spectacular collision of Flying-type and Fire-type moves took place. Initially, the two attacks were evenly matched. But at this critical moment, the spiraling flames encircling Butterfree suddenly flared violently.
The abrupt burn damage elicited a piercing shriek from Butterfree. Its body faltered, and the Max Airstream weakened.
Seizing the opportunity, Centiskorch's G-Max Centiferno surged forward, igniting Butterfree's tornado.
The flames spiraled upward along the whirlwind, reaching Butterfree in the blink of an eye.
Setting itself on fire, Butterfree couldn't withstand the damage and plummeted to the ground.
Like Mamoswine before it, its body rapidly shrank until it vanished into the underbrush...