Aoki had heard the same reason—the decay of the Pokémon Alliance—from others more than once.
Even Team Rocket, to a certain extent, besides fulfilling Sakaki's ambitions, also stemmed from disappointment with the Alliance.
Sakaki had spent some time in the Alliance, otherwise, he wouldn't have become the Gym Leader of Viridian City.
And because he showed impressive potential, the Alliance also valued him greatly, but the more he interacted with them, the more disappointed Sakaki became.
Coupled with his inherent ambition, he simply took over the mantle of Team Rocket from his mother and developed it into a massive underground organization spanning the Kanto and Johto regions.
Even the current Alliance is not confident enough to uproot Team Rocket, and doing so would definitely cause significant losses to the Alliance itself.
However, Aoki didn't expect that the Divine Cult's objective was also the Alliance.
In his final conversation with Wallace, Aoki knew that Wallace had come to battle with a resolve to die, so coercion wouldn't yield answers. Aoki could only try to extract what he wanted by probing.
When Wallace stated that the Divine Cult's goal was to eradicate the corrupt Alliance, Aoki knew their target was Mt. Silver in the Kanto region!
The only place that could be said to eradicate the entire Pokémon Alliance was Mt. Silver, located between the Kanto and Johto regions!
It was the location of the Alliance Headquarters and the root of all Pokémon Alliances in every region!
For over two months during this period, the Divine Cult had been constantly harassing the Alliances in various regions, slowly accustoming them to the idea that the Cult could appear at any time, making them constantly prepared for defense.
Even knowing that the Divine Cult's plan must target one or two of the regions, because all regions were treated equally, it was impossible to distinguish where their true objective lay.
Every region would undoubtedly prioritize protecting itself!
As the Divine Cult's invasions became more frequent, although troublesome, they did not cause too many casualties, and the defensive awareness of the Alliances in various regions also relaxed.
Finally, the Divine Cult seized the moment when everyone was relaxed, concentrated their forces, launched a sudden strike, and achieved their goal in one fell swoop.
Unlike Team Rocket, which slowly eroded the entire Pokémon Alliance from the bottom up, the Divine Cult either didn't show up, or when they did, they came with a powerful blow!
Straight to the heart!
As long as the main Alliance is destroyed, the Alliances in the various regions will become a scattered mess. Without an absolute central power to coordinate, some people will inevitably develop ambitions.
At that time, the six major regions where the entire Pokémon Alliance is located might return to a state of self-governance, as was the case before the Pokémon Alliance was established.
Moreover, Mt. Silver, where the Alliance Headquarters is located, must have its unique aspects. The Divine Cult's goal might not be as simple as mere destruction.
If Aoki's guess was correct, those Divine Cult cadres who should have appeared in the Hoenn region should now have already arrived at Mt. Silver.
With so many psychics, if they were truly unified, blockading Mt. Silver would not be difficult.
Furthermore, the Kanto and Johto regions also had to guard against the Divine Cult's invasion, dispatching several formidable combatants to the cities outside their regions, which would inevitably leave the interior of Mt. Silver understaffed.
If Aoki were the leader of the Divine Cult, now would undoubtedly be the best time to attack, and this would be the only chance. Once the Alliance truly knew their objective, launching such an attack again would be impossible.
The Divine Cult had been hidden for so long, not exposing themselves under the Alliance's nose like Team Rocket, precisely to conceal their true objective.
Aoki, Slowking, and Gardevoir continuously used Teleport, or Super Salamence, with the help of the Blue Sky Shard, flew rapidly towards Mt. Silver in the Kanto region.
The reason he didn't bring Steven was that Steven's speed was still somewhat slow compared to Aoki's. Moreover, if the Divine Cult truly blockaded Mt. Silver, Aoki might be able to infiltrate alone, but bringing Steven would increase the difficulty by an unknown number of times.
Once discovered, there might be an irresistible danger.
It was safer and more stable to have Steven and Drake come together.
At this moment, it was likely that not only his region had discovered this, but other regions might also be quickly dealing with the Divine Cult members and rushing towards Mt. Silver, though their distance was still somewhat far compared to the Hoenn region.
Aoki, Slowking, and Gardevoir's psychic powers were enough to transport them to Mt. Silver.
Fortunately, Aoki had left many psychic coordinates within Mt. Silver, and this area shouldn't be the Divine Cult's main focus, so he should be able to teleport in without being detected.
Appearing inside Mt. Silver again, looking at the somewhat familiar yet somewhat strange surroundings, Aoki's expression became even more serious.
Just as he had guessed, the summit of Mt. Silver, where the Alliance Headquarters was located, was completely enveloped by a powerful psychic energy.
This was certainly the work of the Divine Cult, but he didn't know what the situation was like inside.
However, Aoki currently didn't have time to worry about the situation at the top of Mt. Silver, because his current environment was not very friendly either.
For some unknown reason, the inner region of Mt. Silver had turned into a sea of fire. Looking around, the entire forest seemed to be engulfed in flames.
The first thought that flashed through Aoki's mind was… Moltres!
The Fire-type Legendary Pokémon, Moltres, that had once bullied him in Mt. Silver, relying on its powerful strength! The true Legendary Pokémon Moltres!
If it hadn't been for Mew's appearance back then, Aoki estimated that his outcome wouldn't have been good. As a top young talent in the Alliance, his life should have been safe, but his Pokémon might not have been so lucky.
Now there were no psychic fluctuations here, indicating that the Divine Cult probably hadn't arrived, but the place he was in was a sea of fire. If someone was truly causing trouble and setting fires inside Mt. Silver, would Moltres not know?
At the very least, Moltres, which is extremely sensitive to fire, would definitely be able to sense it.
But now, all the wild Pokémon were fleeing in all directions, yet Moltres was nowhere to be seen. No Pokémon even dared to go forward to extinguish the fire, only fleeing, including some Elite Four-level Pokémon.
Everything indicated that these flames were precisely released by this Moltres!
Although he didn't know what exactly Moltres was going crazy about, it was definitely causing chaos now!
Aoki narrowed his eyes. "Could it be that before the Divine Cult launched its general attack on Mt. Silver, it also contacted this Moltres? To have it create chaos inside?"
It wasn't impossible, after all, this Moltres, although a true Legendary Pokémon, for some unknown reason, had always stayed inside Mt. Silver, practically acting as a top-tier gatekeeper.
He didn't know what could restrict Moltres's movements, but a Legendary Pokémon being tied to one place for such a long time truly insulted the term 'Legendary Pokémon'.
But now, going crazy seemed to not be a good thing for the Alliance either.
Kicking them while they're down!
Aoki immediately spread out his psychic perception to search for Moltres's whereabouts.
Just a few months had passed, and he was no longer the same person he was back then.
Finding Moltres was definitely not for personal revenge, but for the sake of the entire Alliance.
If the rear defense was unstable, how could the Alliance members fight with peace of mind? This would definitely be a huge disadvantage for the overall battle!
At least, it seemed absolutely disadvantageous now.
"Hmm, it's not personal revenge! Let's deal with this Moltres first," Aoki muttered, his eyes flickering with an unknown fire.
His strength was insufficient back then...
Aoki considered himself not to be a vengeful person, unless he couldn't help it...
This time, it was definitely for the greater good, well, probably...
At this moment, his psychic coverage was very large. In the blink of an eye, he found Moltres's location, along with several Pokémon that were "aiding and abetting."
Among them was an "old friend" Aoki recognized!
Teleport activated again, and Aoki suddenly appeared in front of Moltres, just in time to see this creature, covered in flames, using the flames on its wings to set an ancient tree ablaze. Several Pokémon were with it, including the Shiny Ninetales that had previously escaped from Aoki's hands!
As the saying goes, when enemies meet, their eyes turn red with fury!
Aoki recognized Moltres and the Pokémon beside it at first glance, and Moltres, upon seeing Aoki, naturally recognized him immediately as well.
After all, less than three months had passed!
And in these three months, the vengeful Moltres's temper flared up instantly.
Last time, it was because Mew appeared, and those old guys from the Pokémon Alliance were constantly watching it, causing it to be restricted in battle. In the end, this human escaped with his life, but now, the gaze of those Alliance old guys, which had always lingered on it, had disappeared.
It knew its chance had come, so it was wantonly unleashing its power, and this little thief appeared!
Since Moltres became a true Legendary Pokémon, it had never suffered such a great loss.
Unacceptable!
So, what greeted Aoki was a blazing inferno!
Bang—
However, before the ball of fire could attack Aoki, a dark claw extended from the shadows on Aoki's body and directly crushed the fire.
A hint of surprise flashed in Moltres's eyes. Even if this ball of fire was just a casual attack, it shouldn't have been easily blocked by this little thief's Pokémon.
Moreover, from this dark hand, as a Legendary Pokémon, it actually felt a considerable threat.
It was the kind of threat from a Pokémon on the same level as itself!
Unconvinced, Moltres flapped its wings, fanning out several more balls of fire from its wings, flying towards Aoki.
Bang! Bang! Bang!...
As expected, this level of firepower was no difficulty for Darkrai.
Slowly, after blocking Moltres's several probing attacks, Darkrai emerged from Aoki's shadow.
This was Darkrai's first appearance in battle since its strength recovered to the second hurdle of the Champion level. Even facing multiple invasions from the Divine Cult and facing Wallace, Aoki had not let it appear.
It wasn't to hide anything; it was simply that among the opponents encountered, there was no opponent that required its intervention.
However, now facing this Moltres, feeling threatened, even if Aoki didn't say anything, Darkrai would proactively protect Aoki's safety.
And it wasn't just Moltres feeling threatened by Darkrai; Darkrai also felt a considerable threat from Moltres.
Most importantly! Darkrai felt the aura of a true Legendary Pokémon with a divine position from this Legendary Pokémon Moltres.
This was the aura of a true Legendary Pokémon!
Darkrai, in its most spirited days, pursued two things: one was absolute strength, and the second was the position of a true Legendary Pokémon, or rather, a divine position!
As the Nightmare Pokémon Darkrai, their divine position was still vacant, from the time of its birth until now, it had been vacant!
Its previous contact and battle with Giratina, to a certain extent, was also to feel the aura of a true Legendary Pokémon on Giratina, thereby finding a way to break through itself.
Darkrai had a premonition that if it broke through the second hurdle of the Champion level, or rather, broke through the Champion level, the divine position belonging to the Nightmare Pokémon might very likely descend upon it.
However, it was mercilessly defeated by Giratina back then, but now, it also felt the aura of a divine position on this Moltres.
Although there was still a significant gap between this aura and that of Giratina, the quality level was the same.
The opponent was a true Legendary Beast!
Darkrai felt the fighting spirit in its heart growing stronger.
Aoki also took this opportunity to scan Moltres's data.
Pokemon: Moltres (Purple)
Gender: Genderless
Level: 94
Attribute: Fire
Ability: Pressure
Held Item: Moltres's Divine Fire
Egg Moves: None
Base Moves: Wing Attack, Ember, Fire Spin, Quick Attack, Endure, Ancient Power, Flamethrower, Safeguard, Air Slash, Sunny Day, Heat Wave, Solar Beam, Sky Attack, Roost, Hurricane
Tutor Moves: Tailwind, Heat Wave, Snore, Hone Claws, Sky Attack, Defog
TM/HM: None
Moltres's data hadn't changed much; aside from some fluctuations in its stats, everything else was the same as what he had seen last time.
Moltres's Divine Fire!
This was the divine authority that this Moltres possessed, which could also be called the Fire Spirit, representing a part of all the flames in the entire Pokémon world.
Not all the flames; if it contained all the flames, Moltres would not be classified as a Tier 3 Legendary Beast, but a Tier 1 Legendary Beast!
"Kweik!!" Darkrai came before Aoki, staring directly at Moltres, its eyes filled with intense fighting spirit.
At this moment, there was still Giratina's Ghost-type energy within its body, but this Ghost-type energy would no longer affect its actual combat, as all its energy circulated freely.
Just as the two elders of Mt. Pyre had told him, the remaining elements were for his tempering, and whether it was during normal training or battling powerful opponents, it could accelerate the dissipation of the energy within his body.
Of course, the best way was to fight some powerful opponents; as the energy within its body surged intensely, some of the Ghost-type energy would naturally dissipate!
This powerful Moltres, possessing the aura of a true Legendary Beast, was clearly Darkrai's best opponent.
Previously, due to time constraints, although Aoki's Darkrai was high-leveled, it didn't have many moves, mainly because the TM/HM discs hadn't been used, so there were some unfulfilled deficiencies.
However, during this period, Aoki utilized the Alliance's authority and Team Sky's collection capabilities to compensate for Darkrai's shortcomings.
With his identity and status, there was almost no TM/HM disc that he couldn't acquire.
Pokemon: Darkrai (Light Purple) — Corrupted State
Gender: Male
Level: 91
Attribute: Dark
Ability: Bad Dreams
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: None
Base Moves: Ominous Wind, Disable, Quick Attack, Hypnosis, Sucker Punch, Nightmare, Double Team, Haze, Dark Void, Nasty Plot, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse
Tutor Moves: Foul Play, Snatch, Grudge, Wonder Room, Knock Off, Snore, Drain Punch, Trick, Payback, Focus Punch, Throat Chop, Shock Wave, Icy Wind
TM/HM: Calm Mind, Taunt, Ice Beam, Protect, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Rock Tomb, Aerial Ace, Will-O-Wisp, Parting Shot, Confide
It had learned a few moves of various different types; although it couldn't be said that it used them proficiently, it at least had some countermeasures when facing Pokémon of different types.
Seeing Darkrai appear in front of Aoki, the Pokémon beside Moltres instinctively stepped back.
This Pokémon was not something they could handle!
Hidden by the unique, tooth-like white and red objects, Darkrai's mouth opened and closed slightly, and a soft but unpolished Confide was transmitted from its mouth; the Pokémon who heard this Confide felt their spirits tighten, and their special attack ability decreased.
Moltres was among those whose special attack decreased; for a Fire-type Pokémon, a decrease in special attack meant a significant weakening for a Fire-type Pokémon known for its explosive power.
The battle began the moment Darkrai appeared, not giving the opposing Pokémon any time to prepare.
"Raaah—"
Feeling the mental changes on its body, Moltres's eyes were about to spew flames; it hadn't even started fighting yet, and its special attack had been lowered, which was unbearable for the proud Legendary Beast Moltres.
The dignity of a Legendary Beast had been violated!
Boom—
Flapping its wings, carrying scorching flames, it swooped low over the ground and charged directly at Darkrai!
Darkrai's eyes narrowed as it saw Moltres's movement; it held its hands out flat, and a black and a yellow ball of energy emerged from its two dark hands.
The black energy was as dark as ink, looking like a bottomless black hole; the more one looked at it, the more one's gaze would be drawn in.
And the yellow energy looked like a forcefully condensed mass of lightning, with strands of golden-yellow electricity escaping from it and disappearing into the air; Aoki, standing behind Darkrai, felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
Moltres was charging towards Darkrai's position, so Darkrai couldn't block it by dodging, as Aoki was standing behind it; if it dodged, Aoki might be the one to face Moltres.
Knowing this, Aoki didn't hesitate, flashing away from his spot and retreating slightly to prevent himself from becoming a burden to Darkrai.
It merged its claws and slammed them towards Moltres, which was now completely engulfed in flames, charging towards it.
Boom!!!
A violent explosion, raising a large amount of dust, caused the surrounding flames of the burning trees nearby to be completely dispersed by the air currents from the impact.
From the large amount of dust, Darkrai was the first to retreat, seemingly pushed back by the immense impact.
However, immediately after, the originally aggressive Moltres also flew backward from the other end, and seeing the occasional electric currents appearing on its body, it must have also sustained a considerable impact.
Overall, the attack effects caused by the two Pokémon were not significantly different, with Moltres having a slight advantage.
Only Darkrai had a slight advantage in energy utilization, and the Thunderbolt condensed into a fist also had a certain advantage against the Flying-type Moltres, plus it had previously used Confide to lower Moltres's special attack in advance.
With multiple factors combined, this situation where Moltres had a slight advantage emerged.
After all, Moltres's level was three levels higher than Darkrai's, and at their level, a three-level difference was still very significant.
Furthermore, Moltres was a true Legendary Beast, possessing divine authority bonuses; even if Darkrai was also a Legendary Beast, it was not Moltres's opponent.
Darkrai also realized this, which is why it chose to use tactics instead of fighting head-on.
After sliding a certain distance, Darkrai finally stabilized; although that collision had made it realize that Moltres's strength was definitely above its own, it also discovered some abnormalities.
A hint of doubt appeared in its eyes.
Other Pokémon might not feel it, but as a being who was once only one step away from divine authority, it still had some impression of this peculiar thing called divine authority.
It always felt that this Moltres in front of it had divine authority in name only, and had not fully displayed the true function of divine authority.
Or perhaps, the other party didn't know how to use it, or perhaps there was some other special hidden reason.
It told Aoki about the abnormality it felt.
Aoki was also slightly surprised; the level of such things was too high, and he had never encountered it before; if Darkrai hadn't reminded him, Aoki would truly not have known the key to it.
"Let's put this aside for now; it's a good thing for us. What I want to do now is to rub this arrogant Moltres into the ground!" Aoki said, gritting his teeth.
He wasn't one to hold grudges, mainly because those grudges were resolved by Aoki not long after they emerged.
Now, from his perspective, this Moltres had delayed him for over a year; he couldn't tolerate it!
He threw out two more Poké Balls, and Gengar and Tyranitar appeared together.
Seeing this Moltres, Tyranitar was stunned, and then its eyes burned with rage.
The reason Aoki had fought with this Moltres in the first place was because Tyranitar had been blasted away by Moltres.
Actually, Tyranitar had wanted revenge back then, but it wasn't strong enough; now that it saw it, how could it hold back?
As for Gengar, it was also one of the many Pokémon that had besieged Moltres back then; the clever Gengar scanned the entire scene and instantly understood the situation, its cunning eyes rolling, clearly thinking of some unfriendly ideas.
"Mega Evolve, Gengar! Tyranitar!" The Key Stone on Aoki's wrist flashed, and the two Pokémon immediately Mega Evolved!
Currently, Gengar and Tyranitar were both at Level 89, the peak of the first hurdle of the Champion level; after the Mega Evolution boost, they could temporarily possess the strength of the second hurdle of the Champion level.
Although they barely reached it and there was still a considerable gap from the Level 94 Moltres, at least they were on the same level and could contend with it somewhat; their attacks were also enough to pose a considerable threat to Moltres, and their attacks could no longer be underestimated as they were before.
Tyranitar recognized this Moltres immediately, and Moltres, in turn, recognized Tyranitar and Gengar immediately.
Its eyes were filled with shock.
With its vision as a Pokémon, it never would have imagined that this Tyranitar, which it could blast away with a casual blow back then, now posed a considerable threat to it.
Moltres was somewhat unable to react; it had only been a little over two months.
That Darkrai was understandable; Moltres could feel the ancient aura on it, which was much older than its own existence, so while it was a bit surprising, it wasn't a huge shock.
But this Tyranitar and Gengar were too much.
Just over two months ago, they had barely entered the Champion level, and now they had suddenly soared to the pinnacle of the Champion level!
Are they cheating?
One must know that even as a Legendary Beast, possessing the potential of a Legendary Beast, after breaking through to the Champion level, it had also spent an unknown amount of time circulating before possessing its current strength.
Am I the Legendary Beast, or are they the Legendary Beasts?
Is my Legendary Beast identity fake?
Moltres fell into deep self-reflection, while Tyranitar and Gengar didn't care what its situation was.
We've already Mega Evolved, and you're just going to stand there staring?
Tyranitar's body tattoos all connected, all the lines joining end to end, forming a single entity, and starting from the patterns on its belly, all the hidden patterns on its body turned dark red.
Even Mega Tyranitar's face had many patterns at this moment.
It looked quite mystical.
Precipice Blades!
Mega Tyranitar learned its lesson; it was staring blankly, so it was not good to interrupt its staring freely; it would serve it well with Precipice Blades.
It was originally Groudon's signature move, intended to deal with opponents it couldn't reach because it couldn't fly.
Rumble—
A reddish, obelisk-like stone pillar shot up into the sky, and the distance between Moltres and the ground closed in an instant.
Tyranitar could release multiple Precipice Blades simultaneously, but this would cause the energy to disperse and the power to be insufficient, but sometimes opponents would dodge, so this was the only way to hit them.
This was the first time Moltres had just stood there waiting to be hit.
So all the energy gathered together, and it was... a massive one!
Boom—Bang!!!
This Precipice Blades almost completely hit, and the effect was imaginable; the unprepared Moltres shot straight into the sky, but this time it wasn't flying up on its own, but was directly blasted upwards by the explosion of Precipice Blades!
Suffering a violent attack, Moltres finally reacted, but it was too late.
As it was blasted into the air, two other Pokémon were with it.
It was Darkrai and Mega Gengar, both equally dark, working in perfect sync. Their hands spun like windmills, rapidly conjuring and launching head-sized Shadow Balls at Moltres.
They maintained the same ascending speed as Moltres, ensuring all the Shadow Balls would hit their target.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!...
One after another, ceaselessly.
"Aaaargh!!!"
Moltres's pained cries echoed throughout the inner region of Silver Mountain. Every Pokémon that heard its cry knew it was the voice of Moltres, the King of Silver Mountain, but the agony within its screams was something only those who heard it could truly understand.
Whoosh!!
Moltres, unable to think of a solution, began to spontaneously combust from its tail. Golden-red flames instantly enveloped it, finally blocking the Shadow Ball attacks. Only then did it have the chance to flap its wings, preventing itself from becoming an uncontrolled projectile again.
It spun 360 degrees in place, and as it turned, the flames around its body intensified.
Darkrai and Mega Gengar were forced to retreat to ensure their safety.
They quickly returned to Mega Tyranitar's side, observing the disheveled Moltres from a distance.
Its once sleek and vibrant feathers, which resembled both flames and plumage, were now completely wilted, and even the feathers on its head appeared somewhat dull.
With the feathers on its two most prominent features in such a state, the once majestic Moltres now looked incredibly disheveled, resembling a scrawny bird.
The physical pain, the change in appearance, and the mental shock caused Moltres's eyes to instantly turn bloodshot.
Aoki's expression tightened. "This messy-feathered bird is going to go berserk. Everyone, watch your safety."
The three Pokémon, hearing Aoki's words, also nodded gravely. The previous barrage hadn't directly killed Moltres; instead, it had managed to react.
Now that it was enraged, it would be much harder to handle.
"Aaaargh!!!"
Moltres opened its beak, spitting out a powerful torrent of flames, then flapped its wings, unleashing a fierce gust of wind!
Fire fed by wind! Wind fueled by fire!
Combined, what appeared before Mega Tyranitar and the three Pokémon was a massive wall of fire, sweeping towards them!
The three Pokémon's expressions were serious; this was an attack worthy of a Legendary Pokémon!
Mega Tyranitar lifted its right foot and stomped down hard. The entire ground, centered around it, shattered completely. The most intact part was a large section of ground directly in front of it. Under its power, this section of ground rose directly upright before it.
Boom—Boom—
Mega Tyranitar spread its arms wide, grasping the uplifted piece of ground. Light yellow and dark yellow energy flowed through its body, channeling into the earth through its arms.
The surrounding shattered rocks and ground, which had turned to powder, seemed to transform into countless sentient threads, rapidly converging towards the piece of earth Mega Tyranitar held up.
In the blink of an eye, Mega Tyranitar transformed this piece of land into a towering, massive fortress, completely enveloping and protecting itself, Darkrai, and Gengar!
Immediately after, as soon as this fortress, condensed from rock and earth, took shape, Moltres's combined Flamethrower and Hurricane attack arrived as expected!
Whoosh—Whoosh—
Mega Tyranitar, holding up the fortress with both hands, dug its feet firmly into the ground, all its strength concentrated in its body. Yet, its feet were still being pushed back by the fierce attack, leaving two deep gouges in the shattered ground.
On the other side of the fortress, the side enduring the flame attack, had turned completely black, and a foul burnt smell permeated the air. Moreover, under this combined attack, the fortress was slowly dissipating, directly vaporized into gas by the superheated flames.
If Mega Tyranitar hadn't constantly reinforced the fortress, it's likely it would have turned to ash the moment of impact.
At this moment, Moltres, with its Legendary status, finally displayed the power it truly possessed.
"Tyran!!!"
Mega Tyranitar, retreating repeatedly, roared in anger. All its veins bulged, merging with the dark-red patterns that lit up on its body again, making Mega Tyranitar appear even more mystical at this moment.
Darkrai and Mega Gengar exchanged glances.
Mega Gengar slightly opened its mouth, and a gentle breeze carrying fine snow blew from it, landing on Mega Tyranitar's defensive fortress, instantly freezing into ice shards.
Darkrai was not to be outdone. It clasped its hands together, and a light blue beam swept from its hands onto the junction between the fortress and the ground, solidifying the ground and the defensive fortress together with ice crystals.
Only then did Mega Tyranitar's retreat slow down.
However, Moltres's flames were still very hot. Even Mega Gengar's Icy Wind and Darkrai's Ice Beam couldn't hold out for long; in less than a single breath, signs of melting were already appearing.
But Darkrai and Mega Gengar's goal was merely to momentarily stall for Mega Tyranitar.
The two Pokémon almost simultaneously submerged underground, transforming into two shadows that rushed towards Moltres, who was frantically flapping its wings and spewing flames.
They silently approached Moltres from behind. The enraged Moltres did not notice them, but that didn't mean the wild Pokémon standing on its side behind it didn't.
However, just as they were about to shout a warning, they were met with Darkrai's icy gaze and Gengar's eerie, half-smiling expression.
Immediately, these wild Pokémon felt a chilling sensation rise from their feet, shooting straight to their heads.
All the Pokémon who wanted to warn Moltres obediently shut their mouths.
Darkrai and Mega Gengar then let them go, their eyes fixed on Moltres, who was fanning the flames.
The two Pokémon did not hesitate. Darkrai extended one hand, and a black circle appeared at its arm—Dark Void!
However, as if one Dark Void wasn't enough to subdue Moltres, Darkrai extended its other arm, and another black ring emerged from that arm.
The two black rings seemed to possess sentience, extending from Darkrai's arms. After leaving its palms, the two rings merged together.
In an instant, what was originally just a black circle around the edges now became entirely black, looking like a bottomless black hole.
Mega Gengar's movements also didn't stop. A small ball shimmering with a strange light appeared before it, and it threw it towards Moltres in a wobbly trajectory.
One, two, three...
The strange lights seemed endless.
Only after the first strange light made contact with Moltres did it realize that there were enemies behind it as well.
Did they think one strange light would be enough to subdue it?
But before it could turn around, another strange light followed, then a third, and a fourth, one after another.
The quantitative change led to a qualitative change, causing Moltres's originally confident expression to become somewhat dazed, and for a moment, it forgot what it was doing.
And while its will was confused, the Dark Void, which had been condensing for some time, finally enveloped it! Swallowing it whole!
When the Dark Void dissipated, Moltres, which had been so aggressive, now lay motionless on the ground like a dead bird. If it weren't for the flickering flames on its body and its relatively stable breathing, one might have truly thought it was dead.
Moltres, fallen into sleep, became the prey of Mega Gengar and Darkrai.
Dream Eater!
Dream Eater, one after another!
At the same time, Mega Tyranitar finally emerged from behind the defensive fortress, striding towards Moltres.
After repeated Dream Eater attacks, Moltres's mind was in unbearable pain. The intense agony forced it to open its eyes.
Its initial attempt to open its eyes was slow and sluggish because its head ached terribly. However, as Mega Tyranitar ran, the ground beneath Moltres, where it lay pressed against it, vibrated repeatedly, making its head ache even more.
When it finally opened its eyes completely, it felt as if the sunlight was being blocked by something, and it seemed to be a rather large figure, with a ferocious and muscular appearance.
Mega Tyranitar!
By the time Moltres's slow-witted brain finally caught up, it felt as if its body was moving involuntarily.
It seemed to be held in something's hand like a small chick, hanging upside down, its sharp beak barely touching the ground.
"Aargh—"
Hearing its cry, Mega Tyranitar, who had picked it up, and Darkrai and Mega Gengar, who were nearby, understood its meaning.
They understood, but Mega Tyranitar's smile grew even more ferocious.
To translate, Moltres's words were roughly, "Enough! You lowly, inferior creatures, I am a Legendary Pokémon! I won't be casually..."
However, before it could finish speaking, Mega Tyranitar, unable to listen any longer, grabbed its large "chicken leg" and slammed it against the sturdy ground nearby like a whipping stick.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!...
Bird-shaped craters appeared on the ground, one after another. Halfway through the smashing, Tyranitar even lifted Moltres to check if it was still alive before continuing the smashing!
It only stopped smashing when it felt Moltres's bones were about to fall apart, then dropped it to the ground.
"Tyran—"
Mega Tyranitar mumbled, "Such a weak Legendary Pokémon..."
These words were the final blow to Moltres. Its eyes widened, and it completely lost its ability to battle.
Aoki flashed to his Pokémon's side, looking at the cratered ground and the motionless Legendary Moltres in the pit. Satisfied, he took out a Cherish Ball from his pocket.
No matter what, it was still a Legendary Pokémon, and a highly destructive Fire-type Legendary at that. A regular Poké Ball wouldn't be able to hold it.
He gently dropped the Cherish Ball onto the motionless Moltres in a free fall, and a red light enveloped it, drawing it inside.
The Cherish Ball gently swayed a few times on the ground. Moltres, exhausted both mentally and physically, had little power to resist and was captured and locked!
"This must be the first true Legendary Pokémon I've caught!" Aoki looked at the Cherish Ball in his hand, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably curving upward.
At the same time, Tyranitar's body beside him also began to change!