This was the peak clash between Mega Dragonite and Dragonite.
Carrying the force to tear apart the raging blizzard, the golden draconic meteor plunged straight into the storm.
Mega Dragonite did not sit still and wait for defeat. With a powerful beat of its wings, it altered the trajectory of the blizzard, causing countless ice blades to surge upward and meet the incoming attack head on.
The golden meteor collided violently with the swarm of ice blades, and for a brief moment, even the blizzard itself seemed to freeze in place.
The Dragon-type energy surrounding Dragonite burst outward in rings of golden ripples, shattering the incoming ice blades. Yet the scattered shards still sliced across its scales, leaving behind fine scratches.
The freezing cold seeped deep into its body, slowing its movements.
More ice blades rushed in like sharks smelling blood, carving several additional wounds into Dragonite.
"Push through it, Dragonite!"
Lance's shout pierced through the roaring blizzard, his tone still filled with confidence. Dragonite had never let him down.
"DRAAA!"
Dragonite answered with a thunderous roar. The Dragon-type energy around it surged even further as the draconic meteor tore through the blizzard, crashing down with overwhelming force.
BOOM!
From the point of impact, the ground caved inward, cracks spreading outward like a web.
The spectators outside the field staggered as a shockwave rippled through the earth.
Magby lost its footing and fell, bumping its head against a rock and immediately forming a swelling bump, tears welling up in its eyes.
Cinccino rushed forward to comfort it, but the effect was minimal. Torracat simply stuffed a poffin into its mouth, and only then did Magby stop crying.
"This is bad… Dragonite is about to grow bigger!"
Just as Silas's words fell, a sudden change erupted on the battlefield.
Lance's Dragonite withdrew from combat, staring in confusion.
Wait… why are you suddenly getting bigger?
Mega Dragonite had absorbed an excess amount of energy, and its body began to expand.
From its normal size, it rapidly grew until it reached a towering height of ten meters.
"This…"
Lance's expression turned uncertain. This form of Dragonite felt strangely familiar, as if he had seen something like it before.
Ignoring the battle entirely, Silas rushed forward and stood beneath his Dragonite, shouting, "Dragonite, what's going on?"
His Dragonite lowered its head, looking aggrieved like a baby, letting out a series of pitiful cries as it explained.
Silas fell silent.
So… it got overfed during the fight.
The reason lay in the Viridian Power that Lance had infused into his Dragonite. During the battle, a portion of that energy had been absorbed by Mega Dragonite.
Viridian Power was a blessing of nature, characterized by its pure life energy.
That energy had been partially absorbed by Mega Dragonite during the fight. In its Mega Evolution state, it could not process it in time, and the excess energy manifested as an increase in size.
The ten meter tall Mega Dragonite stood on the field like a moving hill. Every step it took caused the ground to tremble again.
In the distance, Moltres, who had been bonding with Chatot, nearly had its eyes pop out.
That petty dragon actually became this huge!
Worse, it was even stronger than before.
A wise bird knew when to wait for revenge. Moltres decided to settle things another day.
It was not that it was afraid. It was simply being magnanimous.
Yes, that had to be it. Moltres convinced itself.
…
On the other side, the battle between Silas and Lance was forced to stop.
Lance walked over with his Dragonite, his gaze complicated as he observed the gigantic Mega Dragonite.
This was something even he had not anticipated.
Silas patted Dragonite's enormous claw and said helplessly, "Dragonite, try what you did on Dragon Island. Release the energy in your body into the island beneath your feet."
There was no other choice. Otherwise, it would take far too long to slowly exhaust the energy.
At its core, Viridian Power was essentially the same as the energy created by the ultimate weapon in Kalos, the one that AZ used to revive Pokémon.
The difference was that one was a natural blessing, while the other was born from the sacrifice of human and Pokémon life.
"Draa!"
Dragonite understood immediately. Why had it not thought of that?
Exiting its Mega Evolution state, Dragonite began to channel the special energy within its body.
Gradually, a green, nature-like energy flowed out from it and merged into the volcanic island beneath.
As this process continued, Dragonite's body shrank back down.
At the same time, changes began to occur across Cinnabar Island.
The hardened red volcanic rock began to sprout tiny green shoots.
Those shoots pushed through the rock, growing rapidly. Within moments, they branched out, grew leaves, and even bloomed into flowers.
The once active volcano at the center of the island entered a dormant state. Its interior stabilized, and it no longer emitted volcanic ash.
A lifeless volcanic island was suddenly filled with vitality, undergoing a fundamental transformation.
"The power of Pokémon is truly incredible."
Blaine gazed at the transformation of Cinnabar Island, unable to hide the shock and emotion in his eyes.
As the Gym Leader of Cinnabar, he had long wanted to change the island's environment.
But every attempt had failed. In the end, he could only focus on stabilizing the volcano to prevent destruction.
Turning to Silas and Lance, he spoke with emotion, "This unfinished battle has instead become a blessing for Cinnabar Island."
The two exchanged smiles. Neither had expected such an outcome.
The pure life energy of Viridian Power combined with the amplification effect of the Giant Dragonite. Both were indispensable.
Silas clearly remembered that in the future, Cinnabar Island would be destroyed by a volcanic eruption, becoming a dead island. Even Blaine's Gym would be forced to relocate to the nearby Seafoam Islands.
Now, that fate had been changed.
Silas felt genuine happiness.
He placed his hand on Dragonite's head, and Dragonite nuzzled him affectionately.
"Blaine, do you have any plans for Cinnabar Island moving forward?" Lance asked as the three of them sat around a campfire.
Although the natural ecology had recovered, without proper management, it could easily revert to its former state. Both humans and Pokémon would need to work together.
Blaine stroked his beard and gently patted the drowsy Magby. "I plan to divide Cinnabar Island into two parts. One will maintain its volcanic ecosystem, and the other will undergo large scale natural transformation."
It was a reasonable approach.
It ensured that the Fire and Rock type Pokémon already living there could retain their familiar habitat, while the transformed area would attract Pokémon of other types. With their presence, the island's ecological balance could be stabilized.
If this plan succeeded, Cinnabar Island's development would reach a whole new level.
Lance nodded in agreement. "I will contact the League and try to secure some resources."
Silas listened quietly, feeling equally hopeful about the island's future.
He believed that Blaine and Lance could achieve it, creating a unique island where volcano and nature coexisted.
Their discussion continued late into the night.
Meanwhile, Silas yawned, carrying the already sleeping Cinccino into the tent.
The next morning, he was woken up by Chatot pecking at his head.
When he stepped out of the tent, he found that the two had talked all night, already drafting a detailed development plan for Cinnabar Island.
After asking a few questions, Silas told them to get some rest.
He then said his goodbyes and, together with Moltres and Zapdos, set off toward the nearby Seafoam Islands.
(End of Chapter)