The awakened Entei stood on the platform like a living inferno given form.
Silas immediately tried to scan it, but Hermes gave no response. That alone told him something important. The Entei in front of him was not truly alive, at least not in the same way ordinary Pokémon were. It possessed form, pressure, and power, but no stable life signature for Hermes to analyze.
The challenger, however, could be scanned normally.
Flareon — Level 81
Ability: Flash Fire
Potential: A
Moves: Rank A Flare Blitz, Rank A Fire Blast, Rank A Fire Fang, Rank A Growl, Rank A Heal Bell, Rank A Iron Tail, Rank A Bite, Rank A Quick Attack, Rank A Helping Hand, Rank A Tail Whip, Rank A Shadow Ball, Rank A Flamethrower, Rank B Flame Charge, Rank B Sunny Day
Silas's eyes narrowed slightly. This was a genuine pseudo champion-class Pokémon.
With power on this level, Silas could likely contend against an Elite Four member directly. For a brief moment, a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
Taking these Pokémon.
The idea vanished almost instantly.
If he attempted something that reckless, he would be serving himself on a platter to the champion-class Pokémon that lived here. The dominant Leafeon alone was enough to make him cautious, and there was no telling how many other monsters were hiding deeper within Phoenix Forest.
The battle began immediately.
Flareon opened with Flare Blitz, its body erupting into flames as it charged directly toward Entei. The legendary beast responded in kind, using Flare Blitz as well.
The collision produced a massive explosion.
Flames burst outward across the platform as both Pokémon crashed into one another head-on. The stone beneath them glowed red from the heat, but the platform itself did not crack or weaken in the slightest. Whatever material formed the arena clearly exceeded ordinary stone.
Entei recovered first.
The statue beast vanished in a blur before reappearing directly in front of Flareon using Extreme Speed. The impact landed cleanly, but Flareon endured it head-on and immediately countered with a powerful Shadow Ball at point-blank range.
The dark energy exploded against Entei's chest. For a brief moment, the flames surrounding the legendary beast flickered violently. Then Entei pushed through.
Flareon fought valiantly, using Quick Attack to create distance and Fire Blast to pressure from range, but Entei's pressure never eased. Every time Flareon tried to regain momentum, Entei closed the distance instantly with Extreme Speed.
The difference gradually became obvious.
Entei was simply stronger.
Flareon landed several meaningful attacks, but none were enough to truly shift the battle. Eventually, Entei overwhelmed it with another devastating charge, sending Flareon skidding across the platform before collapsing near the edge.
The moment the challenger was defeated, Entei returned to statue form instantly. The flames vanished as the stone hardened. It became motionless once more, as though the battle had never occurred.
Several members of the Flareon tribe immediately rushed forward to retrieve their fallen companion. There was no shame among them.
Only respect.
Then another Flareon stepped forward but this battle ended faster.
The challenger opened aggressively, attempting to overwhelm Entei with Flame Charge and Iron Tail, but the statue beast dismantled its offense almost immediately before ending the battle decisively.
A third Flareon challenged Entei after that.
Then a fourth.
One nearly managed to force Entei backward using a powerful combination of Fire Blast and Shadow Ball, but the moment Entei used Extreme Speed seriously, the battle collapsed instantly.
None succeeded.
Silas watched every exchange carefully.
The statues were strange.
They never felt overwhelmingly stronger than their challengers at first, yet they always maintained a subtle edge. Sometimes it was speed. Other times it was raw power, durability, or timing. The challenge was designed to appear technically possible while remaining brutally difficult in practice.
Then a Vaporeon stepped onto the platform.
Vaporeon — Level 79
Ability: Water Absorb
Potential: A-
Moves: Rank A Hydro Pump, Rank A Wish, Rank A Growl, Rank A Heal Bell, Rank A Iron Tail, Rank A Bite, Rank A Quick Attack, Rank A Helping Hand, Rank A Tail Whip, Rank A Shadow Ball, Rank AAqua Jet, Rank B Aqua Tail, Rank B Rain Dance, Rank B Aurora Beam, Rank B Ice Beam
The Vaporeon was noticeably weaker than the previous Flareon, but it still vastly exceeded the strength of any Pokémon currently under Silas or Madam's command.
The moment Vaporeon stepped onto the platform, the Suicune statue awakened.
This battle unfolded very differently.
Vaporeon opened cautiously, immediately using Rain Dance to alter the battlefield itself. Moisture gathered overhead before rain poured down across the platform, strengthening water attacks while reducing the intensity of the surrounding heat.
Suicune remained still for a brief moment, allowing the rain to fall across its body.
Then it moved.
Vaporeon fired Hydro Pump immediately, forcing Suicune to dodge rather than take the attack directly. For the opening exchanges, the battle actually appeared relatively balanced. Vaporeon used Aqua Jet for mobility while repeatedly firing Ice Beam to create barriers and limit Suicune's movement options.
The strategy itself was excellent.
The execution was clean.
But Suicune was simply too difficult to restrain.
Every time Ice Beam touched the legendary beast, the ice shattered almost instantly. It slowed the surrounding terrain, but it could not truly bind Suicune's body.
Then Suicune used Extreme Speed.
Everything changed.
Vaporeon had no effective answer for the technique. One moment Suicune stood several meters away. The next, it struck Vaporeon from the side with terrifying force before repositioning instantly.
Vaporeon tried adapting.
It used Aqua Jet to reposition more aggressively and attempted close-range combat using Iron Tail and Bite, but every exchange favored Suicune. The statue beast endured attacks with minimal reaction before retaliating with crushing force.
Vaporeon tried everything it could. Aurora Beam, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam. Nothing worked for long. Extreme Speed repeatedly shattered its momentum before it could fully establish control of the battlefield.
Eventually the fight became completely one-sided. Suicune battered the Vaporeon down methodically before ending the match with a decisive strike that sent water exploding across the platform.
Suicune returned to statue form immediately afterward. Several more Vaporeon attempted the challenge. Some lasted longer.
One used Wish extremely effectively and managed to recover multiple times before being overwhelmed. Another focused entirely on freezing the battlefield, attempting to limit Suicune's acceleration by coating nearly the entire platform in ice.
It failed the moment Suicune shattered through the frozen terrain with raw force alone.
None of the Vaporeon succeeded.
Then a Jolteon stepped forward.
Unlike the previous challengers, this Pokémon showed almost no hesitation despite having fully witnessed the earlier battles. It was confident.
Jolteon — Level 77
Ability: Volt Absorb
Potential: A
Moves: Rank A Thunder, Rank A Discharge, Rank A Charge, Rank A Thunder Wave, Rank A Charge Beam, Rank A Thunderbolt, Rank A Pin Missile, Rank A Growl, Rank A Work Up, Rank A Bite, Rank A Quick Attack, Rank A Helping Hand, Rank A Tail Whip, Rank A Shadow Ball, Rank A Thunder Fang Rank B Double Kick
The moment the Raikou statue awakened, Jolteon used Work Up.
Bright red energy enveloped its body before Jolteon immediately followed with Shadow Ball. Raikou answered with Thunderbolt, destroying the attack before it could land.
Although Raikou's electric attacks would struggle to directly damage Jolteon due to Volt Absorb, they still served a crucial role in controlling the battle's tempo and disrupting incoming attacks.
Jolteon adapted quickly.
It launched Pin Missile alongside another Shadow Ball. When the Pin Missiles entered the Shadow Ball, the attack swelled dramatically before exploding into dozens of darkened projectiles aimed directly at Raikou.
Thunderbolt intercepted the combination attack once again.
But this time, Jolteon had been preparing something else entirely.
During the explosions, it repeatedly stacked Work Up buffs, increasing its offensive power three separate times while Raikou focused on defense.
Silas's eyes sharpened slightly.
That was clever.
Jolteon wasn't trying to overpower Raikou immediately. It was creating pressure while secretly preparing a decisive attack later.
Taking advantage of the boosts, Jolteon accelerated forward with Quick Attack before switching into Double Kick. It used the kicks themselves as springboards, launching itself away while simultaneously firing another Shadow Ball enhanced by all of its accumulated boosts.
The attack's output more than doubled. This time, Raikou actually staggered slightly after taking the hit. Then it brushed the damage off.
Raikou countered instantly with Iron Head, slamming into Jolteon and sending it flying high into the air. Before Jolteon could stabilize itself, Raikou formed a massive Aura Sphere and launched it upward.
The attack connected directly.
Jolteon crashed down onto the platform, defeated.
Several additional Jolteon attempted the challenge afterward.
One focused entirely on speed and nearly avoided every direct hit for several minutes before eventually being cornered by Extreme Speed. Another relied heavily on Thunder Wave and Charge Beam, attempting to gradually weaken Raikou over time, but the strategy collapsed once Raikou closed the distance.
Once again, none of the challengers succeeded.
Silas exhaled slowly.
It was obvious now.
Defeating these statue Pokémon was no small feat.
He made his way toward the Espeon group.
Unlike the Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon tribes, the Espeon weren't participating directly in the trials. They observed from the sidelines calmly, their expressions carrying a strange confidence.
When Silas approached, a psychic link formed almost immediately.
"What's going on here?" Silas asked carefully. "Can you tell me the purpose of fighting those statue legendary Pokémon?"
He had many more questions, but he didn't want to overwhelm the Espeon and potentially lose the opportunity entirely.
'This is the Phoenix Festival. Lord Ho-oh blesses those it deems worthy during its rebirth process. Those statues are the tests. Contestants engage in fierce battles with them. The catch is that the statue always sets itself as stronger than the challenger. The trick is to surpass your limitations but that is easier said than done.'
Silas understood the gist. The challenge was technically beatable. That was what made it meaningful.
But defeating a stronger opponent capable of using Extreme Speed was brutally difficult. The move alone drastically shifted the balance of battle, and the statue Pokémon wielded it flawlessly.
"What happens if someone wins?"
Silas already had suspicions based on everything he had experienced on Mount Silver.
'If one can defeat the statue, then they take on the form of the statue. This festival occurs roughly every 50 years. Lord Ho-oh seeks worthy acolytes, and naturally the best candidates are my brethren.'
Espeon's voice carried unmistakable pride.
Silas continued speaking with her and gradually gathered additional information.
The Eevee and their evolved forms throughout Phoenix Forest were devout followers of Ho-oh. Its authority within the space was absolute. For many Pokémon born here, their life goal was to eventually become Suicune, Entei, or Raikou through the Phoenix Festival.
That finally explained the weaker challengers.
To them, merely attempting the trial held meaning.
The testing phase of the festival would continue for roughly another hour. Silas also learned that they were not the first outsiders to enter this hidden space.
They were, however, the first humans.
Normally, Eeveelutions from the outside world would occasionally discover the rift entrance after Ho-oh established telepathic guidance near certain locations.
Silas glanced back toward the platform.
Contestants continued stepping forward one after another, only to be defeated repeatedly.
Silas, Madam, and all of their Pokémon watched patiently as the Phoenix Festival slowly continued.
Not a single Pokémon managed to claim the divine reward.