"Great Flame Burst—that's one of Moltres' signature moves!"
Trevor frowned deeply as he watched, already anticipating Talonflame's fate.
And just as he expected—
Although Talonflame's Brave Bird was incredibly fast, it still couldn't overcome Moltres' prepared attack. It was blasted away instantly, its body falling helplessly toward the magma below.
"Talonflame!"
Seeing this, Ash could no longer hold back. Breaking free from the others, he leapt forward and caught Talonflame tightly in his arms.
Amid the shocked cries of everyone, the boy and his Pokémon fell together toward the lava pool.
At the critical moment, Serena stepped forward. Suppressing her panic, she threw out a Poké Ball.
With a flash of light, a slightly dazed, frog-like Pokémon appeared.
The moment it emerged, its long tongue shot downward, wrapping around Ash and Talonflame.
Their rapid descent was halted.
The raging lava was now only a few dozen centimeters away from Ash.
It was a near-death moment.
As soon as Ash was pulled back to safety, Serena stormed over, cheeks puffed with anger.
"Ash, do you even realize how dangerous that was?!"
"Where did you even get the courage to do something like that? If Frogadier hadn't saved you in time, you'd have been completely burned to nothing!"
"I didn't think that far," Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
Then his gaze fell on Talonflame beside him, and he added seriously, "But I couldn't just watch it die. It's my partner—someone important to me."
Hearing this, Serena froze.
Not just her—the viewers across countless worlds fell silent as well.
In the Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto stared at the unfamiliar boy on the screen, meeting his sincere, unwavering gaze.
In Windmill Village, Luffy lowered his head, touching his chest as Ash's words echoed in his mind.
On a distant shore, a red-haired man gazed into the horizon, a faint smile appearing as old memories resurfaced.
In Pallet Town, Professor Oak looked at two children playing outside before slowly turning back, hands slipping into his pockets.
At that moment, across the dimensional platform, countless people found their thoughts stirred by Ash's words.
Yet not everyone agreed.
In a forest somewhere in the Pokémon world, a blue-haired boy watched Ash with clear disdain. Glancing at the weak Charmander beside him, his expression grew colder.
"Partner?" he scoffed. "Just a tool that can be discarded at any time."
With that, he walked away, leaving the Charmander to stumble after him.
Back in the video—
Serena stared at Ash, momentarily speechless.
Then her cheeks flushed slightly as she huffed, "Even if you say that, you can't risk your life like that. There are always other ways."
"This time I'll let it go. But don't do it again, okay?"
Seeing her soften, Ash grinned and nodded quickly.
Above them, Moltres silently watched everything unfold.
As a Legendary Pokémon that had lived for ages, it had witnessed countless human actions.
Even it had to admit—Ash's actions had stirred something within it.
With its intelligence, Moltres no longer felt hostility toward them.
After all, how could a trainer who risked his life for his Pokémon be a bad person?
With a cry, Moltres spread its wings and soared into the clouds.
Hearing the cry, Ash and the others were startled, thinking danger still lingered.
But in the next moment, they saw Moltres flying away into the distance, flames trailing behind it.
Watching its fading figure, Trevor let out a long breath, though confusion lingered in his heart.
"Legend says Moltres hates being disturbed during its rest… so why did it let us go so easily?"
Serena glanced at Ash, then said lightly, "Who knows? Maybe it just didn't feel like holding a grudge… or maybe it suddenly had a change of heart."
"Either way, we should leave quickly. If it comes back, we're done for."
Hearing this, everyone shivered at the memory of Moltres' terrifying power.
Without needing further urging, they hurriedly packed up and prepared to leave.
As their retreating figures disappeared into the distance—
The screen went black.
Everyone understood.
The Top 4 segment had officially come to an end.
Though the video ended, discussions across the dimensional platform only grew more intense.
Hashirama: "Waaah, that was so touching! It reminds me of my bond with Madara!"
Sakura: "Oh? I think I smell something interesting here…"
Kakashi: "No need to say more. I've got my seat ready—front row for the show."
Choji: "Can't miss this! Front row +1!"
Konohamaru: "Naruto bro, save me a spot! Front row +1!"
Hiruzen: "Out of the way, you brats! This isn't for kids—front row +1!"
Izuna: "Nonsense! My brother is far too noble for that! I refuse to believe it!"
Madara: "What nonsense are you spouting?! And you—if you don't believe it, why are you lining up to watch?!"
Killer B: "Yo, yo! The more you deny, the more it's clear—truth revealed!"
Shikamaru: "Even if that rap was terrible… he might have a point."
Hidan: "Shocking! Is this the loss of humanity or the collapse of morality? Stay tuned for our special report! Now, let's hand it over to Hashirama!"
Watching the flood of outrageous comments, Madara's face darkened in frustration.
Just as he was about to change the subject—
A system announcement appeared.
[Next Preview: Top 3 — Absolute Domain: Infinite Void!]
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