It was over.
After Zapdos left, Moltres also retreated.
As for Lugia, with the crisis resolved, there was no reason for it to remain.
The war of the Three Legendary Birds had ended—
—but what it left behind was a devastated island.
The Pokémon scattered across the ruins lowered their heads in silence. Some began to cry.
Their homes were gone.
They hadn't started the war—
—but they were the ones forced to suffer its consequences.
This was the sorrow of the weak.
After the Legendary Birds left, Sam didn't relax.
Instead, he scanned the area carefully, as if searching for something.
Lorelei frowned. "What are you looking for?"
"The Legendary Birds are gone," Sam replied coldly, "but the one who caused all this… is still out there."
Only then did Lorelei realize.
In the chaos of the battle, she had almost forgotten—
this disaster had been man-made.
At that moment—
The damaged airship at the edge of the island began to rise shakily into the sky.
The culprit had finally appeared.
Gilruta.
He had been hiding, watching everything unfold. With most of his ship's weapons destroyed, he hadn't dared to act recklessly.
Instead, he waited.
Now that the crisis had passed—
he chose to escape.
Although his plan to capture the Three Legendary Birds had failed, his ambition had only grown stronger.
Because Lugia had appeared.
The legends were real.
And that meant—
his ultimate collection was within reach.
"Once the ship is repaired… I'll make a new plan," Gilruta muttered, eyes burning with obsession. "Within half a year… Lugia will belong to me."
"He's getting away. Aren't you going after him?" Lorelei asked, confused.
Just moments ago, Sam had been searching desperately—
—but now, he stood completely calm.
"Let him fly for now," Sam said lightly. "The reporters will be here soon. This isn't the right place to deal with him."
Lorelei understood instantly.
Sam wasn't planning to arrest him.
He intended to end this himself.
And honestly—
that was better.
Someone like Gilruta, the richest man in Kanto, had countless ways to escape legal punishment.
Even if he were caught, the consequences would be trivial.
After what he'd done—
that wasn't acceptable.
Lorelei didn't stop him.
Instead, she warned quietly, "Don't let him escape."
Sam smiled coldly.
"Escape? Not a chance."
"Charizard Y… let's go."
With that, Sam mounted Charizard Y and shot into the sky, chasing after the fleeing airship.
Inside the ship—
Gilruta sat calmly on his throne.
There was no frustration on his face.
A man like him didn't collapse over failure. That kind of mindset was exactly why he had reached the top.
"Send the ship for repairs," he ordered. "Then we begin again."
"Next time… Lugia will be mine."
Before his assistant could respond, the ship's AI interrupted:
"Warning. An unknown target is approaching the vessel."
"All weapon systems are offline. Unable to intercept."
"Target coordinates updating—approaching rapidly—"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A violent knocking sound echoed through the hall.
Gilruta's expression changed.
He turned—
—and saw it.
Outside the reinforced glass—
Charizard Y.
And on its back—
Sam.
Gilruta frowned. He had already recognized him.
But before he could react—
BOOM!!!
The supposedly indestructible glass—
shattered instantly under Charizard Y's attack.
Cold wind howled into the ship, making everyone inside shiver.
Charizard stepped inside.
Sam followed.
Standing within the airship, Sam glanced around, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
It had been nearly a year since he arrived in this world—
—and this was the first time he had seen technology on this level.
A true flying fortress.
"If you sold this thing…" Sam muttered calmly, "it could probably buy you a Legendary Pokémon."
Then—
his gaze returned to Gilruta.
Cold.
Unforgiving.