As for why the people of Galar referred to it as a "flaming bird," it was because it could exude an aura as intense and malevolent as a raging inferno.
But the truth was, from a certain perspective, the Galarian Moltres was even stronger than the original Moltres from Kanto...
"Screee!"
Realizing it had lost the clash of power against Dragonair, the Galarian Moltres clearly became even more furious. It let out another sharp screech, flapping its black-and-red flaming wings heavily, as black and red evil energy surged outward in waves.
The Galarian Moltres's signature move — Fiery Wrath!
Silently, the black-red energy began to seep out from beneath Dragonair, and in the next moment, a terrifying pillar of black-red energy exploded upward.
"Dragon Tail."
Lucas smiled faintly. An attack like this was meaningless against his Dragonair.
With a graceful twist of its long body, Dragonair nimbly evaded the Fiery Wrath and charged at high speed toward the Galarian Moltres.
Seeing its attack fail once again, Galarian Moltres didn't hesitate — it beat its wings again, releasing a powerful Hurricane that swept through the air.
However, Dragonair wasn't affected in the slightest. It rushed straight to the Galarian Moltres and whipped its tail at it.
Boom!
A terrifying impact landed. The Galarian Moltres was sent flying like a cannonball and slammed into the lake, splashing up several meters of water.
"Screee!"
An enraged, ear-piercing screech rang out again as Galarian Moltres burst out of the water, now surrounded by a blue aura — Brave Bird!
Damn you, yellow eel! Die for me!
"Dragon Tail."
Without even blinking, Dragonair lashed out with its glowing green tail, slicing through the air and striking Galarian Moltres once more.
Boom!
The Galarian Moltres went diving back into the lake.
"Screee!!" the red blazing bird emerged once more, roaring in fury!
Unforgivable! Eel! This bird is going to take you down for sure!
"Dragon Tail."
Boom! Another massive splash.
"Screee!!!!"
The indomitable Galarian Moltres burst from the lake a third time, shrieking in frustrated rage — but…
Marnie stood there dumbfounded, staring at the back of the Galarian Moltres. The dark red flames surrounding it had dimmed significantly.
"It... it ran away?"
Yes. This time, the Galarian Moltres no longer charged forward like a valiant warrior. Instead, it turned and fled into the distance in utter disgrace.
Yup, and that fleeing posture? Clearly, it had run away before. Very practiced.
"...Dragonair."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You think you can run after catching my attention? Keep dreaming."
Dragonair let out a gentle chirp, its beautiful body swaying gracefully as it accelerated in pursuit of the fleeing Moltres.
Meanwhile, the Galarian Moltres — flapping its wings desperately — was filled with rage.
It was the mighty Moltres, yet it had been knocked into the lake again and again... and by a pink eel, no less!
Unbelievable! In all its life, it had never suffered such humiliation!
Damn you, pink eel! Just wait! Once I've trained up, I'll come back and take my revenge!
But then—
Boom!
Before it could react, a familiar pain struck its head once again, and in a now-all-too-familiar motion, it fell — at a familiar speed, at a familiar angle, with a familiar pose — straight back into the lake.
Ripples spread across the lake's tranquil surface. Soaked and exhausted, the Galarian Moltres slowly emerged, half of its body slumped weakly onto the shore.
"Scree…"
It let out a feeble chirp, water continuously pouring from its beak — it must have drunk a significant amount from the lake.
"Not that strong overall, but it's got impressive stamina."
Lucas and Marnie slowly walked up to the Galarian Moltres. He rubbed his chin, carefully sizing up the weakened Pokémon and gave a casual assessment.
Its breathing was ragged and its spirit clearly drained — the Galarian Moltres was already near its limit.
Yet one had to admit — it was incredibly resilient. Despite taking so many attacks from Dragonair, it still remained conscious and capable of battle.
Perhaps it truly lived up to the title of "legendary."
Of course, Dragonair hadn't gone all out. It had merely been "playing" with the Galarian Moltres — but even so, its stamina was still quite impressive.
"But this is about as far as it can go. It'll need proper training before it's truly useful."
Without hesitation, Lucas took out an empty Poké Ball and tossed it at the Galarian Moltres.
Though his heart leaned toward Dragon-type Pokémon, perfectly gifted Dragon-types weren't exactly easy to come by.
So, he was willing to capture other excellent non-Dragon Pokémon as well — like Tyranitar and Gardevoir.
And now, Galarian Moltres was another worthy addition.
The Poké Ball hit Galarian Moltres and opened immediately, turning it into a streak of red light and pulling it inside.
The indicator light on the Poké Ball blinked repeatedly. Marnie nervously fixed her eyes on it, whereas Lucas seemed far more relaxed.
After all... he had plenty of Poké Balls. If this one didn't work, he'd just throw another. No big deal.
Ding~
A crisp sound rang out. The indicator light turned off — capture successful!
Galarian Moltres had been caught!
"Congratulations, Lucas."
A smile blossomed on Marnie's delicate face as she congratulated Lucas.
This wasn't just any ordinary Pokémon — it was a true Legendary! It was her first time witnessing one being captured with her own eyes.
The world was vast, but the number of Legendary Pokémon was minuscule. And Legendary Trainers? Even rarer.
At present, across all known regions, there was only one confirmed Legendary Trainer — an old man named Brandon who had captured one of the Legendary Titans.
(TN: Guess he only captured one so far?)
Even though Lucas had already captured Eternatus, watching him personally subdue the Galarian Moltres still left Marnie deeply excited.
"You really are my lucky star, Marnie."
Spinning the Poké Ball containing Galarian Moltres in his hand, Lucas's lips curled into a grin as he looked toward her.
It was Marnie who had provided the intel on Eternatus, and it was also during his time spent with her that he encountered Galarian Moltres.
She truly had brought him a fair bit of luck.
"Glad you realize that~"
Marnie's clear eyes sparkled as she tilted her pale chin slightly and replied calmly.
"So cute."
Unable to resist, Lucas reached out and ruffled the girl's hair. As always, the texture felt amazing.
"Ah! My hair!"
The girl's flustered, indignant "roar" rang out once again — a familiar sound indeed.
-------------------------------------------------
Time quietly passed, and night soon fell.
The crimson tree of the Dyna Tree Hill still stood tall and silent. Under the silver moonlight, the calm lake surface shimmered with faint, ethereal light — beautiful and serene.
A streak of blue light descended from the sky, and a cold, imposing, wolf-like Pokémon gently landed on the ground.
Zacian, the Hero of the Sword!
"No doubt about it — the aura of that parasite is here."
Zacian sniffed lightly, its cold eyes scanning into the distance — where an energy den had already been completely drained.
"So, it really is trying to restore its strength... but..."
A sharp glint flickered in Zacian's eyes. Along its journey, it had seen far too many drained energy dens.
There was no question — Eternatus was the culprit.
But Zacian knew well: relying solely on the energy from the Crown Tundra wouldn't be enough for Eternatus to return to its Eternamax form.
Which was precisely why it had to find Eternatus — fast.
Once all the dens in the Crown Tundra were drained, Zacian believed Eternatus's next target would inevitably shift to other locations — possibly even the energy sources in human cities.
"I hope it won't come to that..."
Glancing around, Zacian considered its next move. It could no longer sense Eternatus's presence — only faint traces of its residual aura.
It lifted its head to gaze northward. A rare hint of hesitation flickered in its eyes.
Perhaps the humans were unaware — but as one of Galar's ancient legends, Zacian knew very well.
To the north... lived the King of Bountiful Harvests — Calyrex.
Once a reigning monarch, Calyrex had a fiercely territorial nature. Zacian did not wish to provoke a misunderstanding.
Not because it feared Calyrex — though powerful, Zacian did not believe itself inferior to the once-ruling king.
Rather, it simply didn't wish to engage in a pointless conflict.
For countless years, Zacian and Zamazenta had lived in seclusion within the Slumbering Weald, peacefully coexisting with Calyrex — like distant neighbors who never interfered with each other.
"But no matter what... that menace must not be allowed to roam free!"
With its resolve steeled, Zacian once more leapt into the air, flying toward the north.
Eternatus was a being that should never have existed in the Galar region — even if it meant defying Calyrex, it could not be allowed to continue!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Across the vast, desolate ice paths, Lucas and Marnie trudged forward in thick winter coats. Dragonair followed quietly behind them.
"This place... it seems like it once had a civilization."
Looking at the stone pillars, stair railings, and other remnants nearby, Marnie blinked and spoke thoughtfully.
The green stone tiles on the ground — partially buried beneath snow — also supported her guess. The wear and weathering couldn't be faked by modern construction.
They were in the Crown Tundra — a region where human civilization had yet to fully take root.
This world had passed down for countless generations, and much of its ancient glory lay buried beneath the sands of time. Even now, humanity hadn't fully uncovered all those historical ruins and relics.
Naturally so. Even to this day, the wilds still contained countless mysteries.
And right now, it felt like the two of them were walking straight toward one such forgotten piece of history.
"Crown Tundra... have you ever thought about why it's called that?"
Lucas's crimson eyes flickered as he gazed into the distance. But in truth, with the constant snowfall, their visibility was extremely limited.
A blanket of white mist drifted around them, adding an air of mystery and cold tranquility.
"This..."
(End of Chapter)