After hearing what they were discussing, Cain was stunned.
This family didn't just have ambition or guts... their brains were completely fried!
It wasn't just one or two with issues; no one in the whole family had a functioning brain cell.
Was this the family of fools?
Cain didn't even know where to begin mocking them.
With just that pair of members, they already wanted to go up against Giovanni?
Breaking past the limit of an Elite Four-level trainer was just reaching the level of a reserve Champion.
And Giovanni? That guy was at elite Champion level.
What kind of airhead starts a family like this?
No wonder Giovanni's father distanced himself from them...
A real circus of talent, seriously!
And yet, they had still managed to survive as a family until now. Incredible.
Take control of Team Rocket? Ha!
But putting that aside, their mission this time wasn't just to obtain Moltres's DNA, but to capture it completely.
That was something Cain definitely couldn't allow.
The stronger that family got, the more uncomfortable he would feel.
Brannis also summoned his six main Pokémon.
Judging by their presence, they were anything but weak.
Cain used the system to scan their data.
The strongest one was the one that had been transporting him all this time: Charizard.
Pokémon: Charizard (Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 70
Types: Fire + Flying
Ability: Blaze
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Belly Drum, Bite, Metal Claw, Air Cutter
Basic Moves: Wing Attack, Flare Blitz, Heat Wave, Dragon Claw, Air Slash, Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Rage, Scary Face, Fire Fang, Flame Burst, Slash, Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Inferno
Learned Moves: Fire Pledge, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail
TM Moves: Protect, Hyper Beam, Roost, Earthquake, Double Team, Flame Charge, Steel Wing, Swords Dance, Shadow Claw
Upon seeing the data for that Charizard, Cain's expression turned serious.
Even though he despised that family, he had to admit Brannis was not weak.
Aside from Charizard, Brannis's other Pokémon and all six of Rox's were over level 60, though none exceeded level 70.
Surpassing level 70 was already within Elite Four range.
And Charizard had a very good moveset. If the others gave him time to use Belly Drum along with Swords Dance, it could be devastating.
With 11 elite-level Pokémon plus one Elite Four-level Pokémon on the field, Moltres was in danger.
Cain remained hidden in the shadows, with no intention of getting involved just yet.
If it had only been Rox, maybe he would've dared. But with Brannis, who was even stronger, he preferred to wait.
He didn't know how long Moltres could hold out.
Though he didn't plan to intervene, Cain didn't retreat either.
The roar of battle echoed once more.
There wasn't even a chance for Moltres to escape anymore.
With 12 Pokémon fighting in shifts, they could wear it down little by little until it fell.
...
Two hours later.
Moltres was breathing heavily, covered in wounds all over its body. It couldn't hold out much longer.
But a Legendary Pokémon is still a Legendary Pokémon.
Even outnumbered, only two of Rox's Pokémon were still standing. The others had been withdrawn after losing.
Brannis still had his six Pokémon, though many were injured.
Only Charizard was in good condition.
The others were creating space and time for him.
Most of Moltres's wounds had been caused by that Charizard.
On the volcano, the battle was burning hot, but on the nearby thunder and ice mountains, the sounds of battle had weakened — a sign that those fights were in their final stages.
Cain remained hidden, silently observing.
"Brother, this Moltres is really strong! But it doesn't have much left — soon it'll be our family's Pokémon!" said Rox, his eyes full of greed.
He was clearly eager to claim Moltres for himself.
"Mm," Brannis responded with a tense expression.
These were the moments when the most caution was needed. A wounded wild beast is the most dangerous — and if it's a Legendary Pokémon on top of that...
"Brother, the other two fronts are almost finished. Their forces must be worn down... so what if...?" Rox hinted, making a throat-cutting gesture.
It was clear: he wanted to eliminate Tenebris and Umbra as well, and if they happened to capture Zapdos and Articuno too, even better.
He imagined Brannis keeping Moltres and himself getting Articuno... the thought alone thrilled him!
Brannis considered his words.
Tenebris and Umbra were Giovanni's main subordinates. If they were eliminated, it would not only take their resources but also directly weaken the boss.
"Let's finish with Moltres first. Then we'll see. I'm about to make my move. You, have your Pokémon ready," Brannis ordered.
"Understood!" replied Rox enthusiastically.
"Charizard, use Swords Dance! And then... Belly Drum!" shouted Brannis.
"ROAAAAR!"
Charizard roared powerfully in the sky.
It was excited to take down such a powerful opponent.
Cain also sprang into action upon hearing that.
He had waited patiently from the shadows. Now his moment had come.
He held several Poké Balls in his hands.
The enemy was more confident than ever. They thought they had everything under control. Their guard was at its lowest.
"Charizard, use Hyper Beam!" Brannis ordered.
The other Pokémon surrounded Moltres, restricting its movements so Charizard could finish it off.
This was it!
Cain didn't hesitate.
"Gengar, go take out Rox!"
"Honchkrow, Drapion, Weavile, Altaria — save Moltres!"
"Mismagius, use Confuse Ray to stall Rox's Pokémon!"
As he threw the Poké Balls, Cain gave clear commands.
Six Pokémon deployed instantly!
"Who's there?!" shouted Brannis, seeing the intrusion.
It was a critical moment in the battle, and this surprise attack was hard to stop.
Altaria and Honchkrow flew at full speed toward Moltres.
Honchkrow knocked away the Pokémon surrounding it, and Altaria grabbed Moltres and pulled it out of Hyper Beam's range just in time.
Drapion rushed in head-on, firmly holding the front line to block the enemies.
Meanwhile, Mismagius's Confuse Ray caught Rox's last two Pokémon.
Though they were stronger than Mismagius, they were seriously injured, with no energy left to resist.
Now that they were confused, there was no real resistance left.
Gengar, swiftly gliding along the ground, went straight for Rox.
(End of chapter)