Hayato stood behind his Gengar. Entei and Suicune crouched nearby, while Marshadow had at some point slipped out of the shadows and drifted into the dark space between the two Legendary Beasts, silently joining them to watch the fight.
Raikou paid no mind to its three companions. Its piercing gaze was fixed entirely on the chosen human and the Gengar at his side.
The battle officially began.
Yet Raikou did not move. It stood alertly in place, as if evaluating its opponent's opening move.
Clearly—it was offering Hayato the first strike.
Interesting.
Hayato suddenly felt this Raikou had more manners than he expected.
In that case, he wouldn't hold back.
"Gengar, greet it with Confuse Ray!" Hayato ordered sharply.
At his command, Gengar's claws gathered a prismatic light that shot forth in a dazzling beam toward Raikou.
Raikou stared calmly at the attack, the shifting colors reflecting in its eyes. A moment later, it moved.
As the Confuse Ray struck, Raikou's body dipped low, and a terrifying current of electricity surged from its form.
Thanks to Hayato's earlier "dodge the rocks" training, Gengar reacted instinctively. Its form flickered, narrowly slipping past the bolt of lightning.
The Electric attack slammed into a massive tree behind them. With a deafening crack, the trunk was split in half, flames erupting under the current's fury. Within moments, the great tree was nothing but ashes.
"Geh-geh-geh…"
Gengar let out a low chuckle, but its eyes betrayed unease. That attack had been terrifying.
Raikou wasted no time. Another Thunderbolt surged forward with brutal speed.
This time, Gengar wasn't as lucky. The bolt caught it squarely, hurling the ghost backward.
"Don't lose focus!" Hayato barked.
Struggling, Gengar rose again—only to see Raikou's body already brimming with a third round of lightning.
"Invisible—now! Scout first!" Hayato snapped, forcing his words out as fast as possible. Raikou's strikes were too fast for leisurely commands.
Obeying instantly, Gengar vanished into thin air.
Raikou's oppressive aura filled the battlefield.
The third Thunderbolt tore through the spot Gengar had just vacated, missing entirely.
Hayato's chest tightened—but relief followed. Gengar hadn't been forced out of its invisible state. It had successfully evaded.
Only Hayato could still sense its position.
Seeing its target vanish, Raikou ceased its direct bolts. Instead, it raised its head and released a far more dangerous attack.
A surge of power erupted from its body—electricity exploding outward in all directions.
Discharge!
Unlike Thunderbolt, which struck a single target, Discharge blanketed the field in a deadly net of lightning.
So clever…! Hayato thought with awe.
But fortune favored them. Gengar had remained on the outskirts instead of pressing in, carefully observing. The sweeping Discharge failed to flush it out.
Just as Hayato was preparing to wait out the storm, Raikou suddenly staggered mid-attack. The Discharge faltered—and even backlashed, jolting Raikou itself.
Confuse Ray's effect had finally taken hold!
Now was their chance!
"Hypnosis!" Hayato commanded instantly.
"Geh-geh!"
Gengar lunged forward, its eyes glowing with psychic-blue light.
A crushing wave of drowsiness descended upon Raikou.
It tried desperately to resist, to stay awake—but its body betrayed it. Its eyes drooped shut, and the great beast slumped heavily to the ground.
Hayato finally exhaled.
Ridiculous… this Raikou was practically a living Thunder Cannon!
But there was no telling how resistant it might be to sleep moves, or how long it would remain under. He had to act fast.
"Toxic!"
He had no choice. Once Raikou awoke, Gengar wouldn't be able to get close. Every attempt to show itself would be punished by precise, merciless lightning.
The truth was, Hayato had mostly let Gengar train itself over time, aside from basic dodging drills. Against Raikou, the gap in strength was painfully clear.
Still, that wasn't entirely a bad thing.
This battle had already sparked new ideas for Gengar's future training.
The poison took hold, purple energy seeping across Raikou's body.
Its eyelids twitched. It was waking.
Seeing this, Hayato decided they could squeeze in one more strike.
"Dream Eater—then retreat!"
At once, Gengar's jaw opened wide, biting into Raikou's sleeping mind.
A savage spike of pain stabbed through Raikou's consciousness. With a snarl, it jolted awake.
But Gengar was already gone, retreating to a safe distance.
Raikou rose shakily, glaring. The opponent had struck and fled in the same breath.
Shameless!
The poison coursed deeper, gnawing at its strength. Raikou clenched its teeth, claws digging into the earth to endure the pain.
"If we just keep dragging this out, the battle will end itself," Hayato thought grimly.
Yet Raikou did not unleash another attack. Instead, it locked eyes with the chosen human.
It could still fight.
If it called rain and used Discharge again, the storm's currents would flow with the rainfall, spreading its range beyond anything before.
But that would endanger the human as well.
Raikou closed its eyes, sighing inwardly.
Enough. This battle… it had lost.
The poison spread. Feeling its strength draining, Raikou chose surrender.
"You have passed my trial."
The deep, gravelly voice echoed in Hayato's mind.
Startled, Hayato realized Raikou was speaking directly to him.
The beast gave him one last glance before turning away, its figure retreating with quiet pride.
It was leaving.
Raikou bounded toward the slope above them—but dizziness struck mid-leap.
Staggering, it turned its head, confirming that the human, Entei, and Suicune hadn't seen. Only then did it allow itself to collapse.
Its body slid helplessly down the slope—
—and with a heavy thud, Raikou tumbled into a pit below.
Hayato: "..." Why run off so fast? He had been about to cure its poison and restore its stamina.
Entei, Suicune, Marshadow: "..." What a disgrace to Legendary Pokémon!
(End of Chapter)