The Clefairy's pink fur was nowhere near enough to withstand the biting cold of the Arctic. More Clefairy had scurried out from nearby meteorites and gathered together, huddling close to share warmth.
Hayato was startled to discover that their numbers were far greater than what he had once seen back at Mt. Moon.
A quick glance told him there were easily thirty to forty of them.
So many…?But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Seeing how badly they were shivering, Hayato had Gengar pull out a tent and stuffed as many Clefairy inside as it would hold.
Within moments, the tent was packed to bursting.
Yet even then, plenty of Clefairy were left outside, staring up at him with pitiful eyes.
Hayato: "…"
After a pause, he released Charmeleon from its Poké Ball, hoping the Clefairy could warm themselves around it.
Hearing this and then seeing so many Clefairy rush toward it, Charmeleon froze, stunned. With a doubtful expression it muttered, "Char…?"
"Just for a little while," Hayato reassured him. "Once Cramorant's finished, it'll be over."
Reluctantly, Charmeleon gave a small nod. "Char…" Alright then.
"Clefaiiiry!"
The Clefairy cheered in delight and, to Charmeleon's horror, swarmed over it in droves.
In the blink of an eye, the Fire-type was completely buried beneath a sea of pink fur.
After some frantic flailing, the Clefairy finally settled down, no longer trembling from the cold.
Completely smothered in the pink tide, Charmeleon eventually managed to pry its head out, gasping for fresh air and breathing in relief.
"Char…" It wore a thoroughly helpless expression.
"Thanks a lot!" Hayato grinned, snapping a picture with his camera of the unwilling yet still helpful Charmeleon surrounded by Clefairy.
Once he confirmed the Clefairy were safe, Hayato lifted his gaze toward the aurora-filled sky.
Cramorant had already placed itself between Rayquaza and Deoxys.
Hayato's eyes narrowed.
Deoxys had come to this planet only to retrieve its fallen companion, crystallized into the core it sought. It had no intention of invading.
But to Rayquaza, the intruder that had pierced the atmosphere and descended from space was nothing less than a trespassing enemy.
In truth—it was just a misunderstanding.
Resolving it would be simple: stop fighting, sit down, and talk.
With that thought, Hayato discreetly switched his camera from photo mode to video recording.
The colossal, ancient form hovered beneath the shimmering aurora.
Those unreadable golden, serpentine eyes stared straight ahead—at that bird Pokémon.
On the opposite side, a mysterious humanoid figure floated silently, its four tentacle-like appendages swaying as if alive.
For a heartbeat, time itself seemed to freeze.
Faced with this unexpected third party, both Rayquaza and Deoxys halted their attacks, fixing their gazes upon the dazed-looking bird.
"Gwah."
Cramorant flapped its wings and turned its vacant stare directly at Rayquaza.
"Rooooar!"
The god of the skies, who had existed since primordial times, radiated a gaze of overwhelming intimidation.
Its pitch-black body, vast and serpentine, evoked awe like a divine being.
Anyone who witnessed this sight would think only a mad creature would dare to oppose it.
Dr. Lund and his team were no exception.
Cramorant's behavior was, to any Pokémon, an act of provocation.
And just when everyone thought Rayquaza would obliterate it with Dragon Pulse—
The next second, the unthinkable happened.
Rayquaza backed down.
The sky god yielded… to that bird.
"What… what on earth?"
Dr. Lund's mind reeled at the sight, shaken to his core.
No—this defied all logic!
"Did Rayquaza calm down?"
Though Hayato had half-expected it, actually witnessing it left him with a pang of regret.
He had been looking forward to seeing Cramorant battle both Rayquaza and Deoxys at once…
Which meant the only opponent left was Deoxys.
High above, the standoff continued.
With Rayquaza now withdrawn, Cramorant turned its gaze to Deoxys.
The extraterrestrial Pokémon known as the "DNA Virus" responded immediately.
A terrifying wave of psychic power erupted from its core, surging outward in a gale before condensing into a streak of blinding light that shot straight at Cramorant.
From the start, Deoxys had wanted nothing to do with Rayquaza.
But the dragon's repeated attacks had stoked its fury.
There was no ending this fight so easily.
"Vmmm!"
With a resonant hum, countless clones split off from Deoxys, filling the sky in an instant.
Its tendrils rose in unison, forming innumerable orbs of multicolored psychic energy.
Cramorant tilted its head, blank eyes staring dumbly at the scene.
Then golden ancient markings began glowing across its body.
White rings of light formed and, in the blink of an eye, countless pale-blue beams lanced outward, crossing paths at breakneck speed.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Psychic blasts collided with Origin Pulses midair, two opposing forces clashing with cataclysmic impact, erupting in a brilliant explosion.
Like a grand fireworks display, the Arctic sky blazed brighter than day.
The spectacle reflected in the eyes of everyone below, illuminating Brendan's already fiery gaze until it burned even brighter.
A battle of this scale… was enough to set the blood of any Trainer ablaze.
Dr. Lund and the others gaped speechlessly.
What… was even happening?
And then, as if struck by a revelation, Dr. Lund snapped his head toward the boy calmly standing nearby, camera in hand, recording it all.
That Cramorant—it was his Pokémon…
That boy…
In his mind, Dr. Lund felt a jarring split.
The same boy who had been shivering by the heater, eating lollipops with his son—
Was also the boy now watching the clash of legendary Pokémon without the slightest trace of fear, even brimming with excitement.
Could they truly be the same person?
At his age, how was such a thing possible?
Scenes from earlier replayed in Dr. Lund's thoughts.
While the others scrambled to prepare for retreat, that boy had stayed rooted in place, face alight with anticipation.
As though he had known this battle was coming all along.
No—that was impossible! Surely just coincidence.
Dr. Lund forced himself to dismiss the thought.
Still… leaving aside the risk of being caught in a legendary clash, merely witnessing such beings appear before his eyes was already enough to leave anyone breathless with excitement.
(End of Chapter)