Pokemon: Legacy

From the distinctive features and details, Eric was certain that this massive bird was none other than the legendary Pokémon of Kanto Moltres.

But why was Moltres in the Paldea region? How had Luxray and the others managed to drag it back in such a humiliating manner?

Eric had no time to voice these questions. Luxray was drawing closer, and Eldegoss and the Cottonee were already cowering behind Serperior. Seeing the lush green fields in the distance, Eric's expression changed as he shouted, "Stay away from the fields!"

Thankfully, Serperior was as dependable as always. At the critical moment, two massive tree trunks, each thick enough to require two people to encircle them, erupted from the ground under Serperior's control, aiming straight toward Luxray's path.

Having spent so much time together, Luxray and Serperior didn't need words to coordinate. Luxray flung Moltres upward with a powerful toss, sending the bird soaring through the air.

Serperior's Frenzy Plant shot upward, seemingly with a mind of its own, binding Moltres tightly before hurling it far away toward the barren lakeside area of the farm.

Eric immediately understood Serperior's plan. Moltres was likely enraged after being dragged back like this, and a battle was inevitable.

If so, they might as well use the opportunity to excavate the lake area they had yet to develop.

A deafening crash resounded from the lake zone, and Eric winced, muttering, "That must've hurt."

Luxray skidded to a halt in front of Eric, while Aegislash gracefully leapt to his side, exuding an air of cool confidence.

Mimikyu slowly emerged from Luxray's shadow and jumped into Eric's arms, nuzzling for praise.

Eric gently rubbed Mimikyu's head, causing it to squint happily. Then he turned to Luxray and Aegislash, speaking quickly and urgently. "Great work, but what's the situation here?"

Luxray and Aegislash exchanged glances before launching into a theatrical explanation part vocal, part gestures.

After piecing together their account, Eric finally got a sense of what had happened.

After leaving the farm, Luxray and the others scoured the Paldean wilderness, finding several Pokémon with the Flame Body ability.

However, none were particularly strong. Certainly not strong enough to rival the Gym Leaders they had previously faced.

After days of searching, they stumbled upon Moltres at a volcano. But the legendary bird was aggressive, launching an attack the moment it spotted them.

Unwilling to back down, Luxray and the others retaliated, overwhelming Moltres in a fierce battle.

However, Moltres seemed able to rapidly recover its energy by drawing power from the volcanic magma.

Combined with its formidable endurance, the battle had turned into a frustrating stalemate.

Realizing this, Luxray and Aegislash decided to forcibly drag Moltres away from the volcano and bring it back to the farm for Eric to handle.

As Eric processed this, a sinking feeling crept into his chest, "What sort of pokemons have I trained?"

Legendary Pokémon were infamous for their seemingly endless stamina. Earlier, Luxray had been using electricity to paralyze Moltres, Aegislash had absorbed its flames with Flash Fire, and Mimikyu had sapped its strength with ghostly energy. That was how they had managed to subdue Moltres.

But now, given time to recover...

"SCREEEEEEEEECH!"

A piercing cry echoed across the skies, filled with blazing fury.

Moltres hovered majestically, golden-orange flames radiating from its wings, scattering embers with each beat. Its fiery crown burned brightly atop its head, and its tail, blazing like a comet, was mesmerizing yet overwhelming.

The heat distorted the air as Moltres opened its beak and unleashed a searing column of fire at the lake zone, scorching the barren ground into a massive crater.

Moltres was absolutely livid.

"Dragonite! Swampert!"

Sensing the commotion, Dragonite and Swampert, wherever they had been wandering, returned in a rush, their expressions turning serious as they observed the rampaging Moltres.

Now, all six of Eric's Pokémon were assembled.

Eric weighed his options carefully.

There were two ways to handle this.

The first was for everyone to gang up on Moltres, overwhelming it in an instant. But such a method might break Moltres's pride, making any future negotiations impossible.

The second was a one-on-one battle. Even the most prideful of legendary Pokémon would acknowledge defeat in a fair fight, and resistance to further discussions would likely be minimized.

Judging by Luxray's description and Moltres's current state, it seemed to be around level 50 or 60 not overwhelmingly strong for a legendary.

Eric wasn't interested in capturing Moltres.

No, his goal was clear: defeat it thoroughly and then negotiate.

Decision made, Eric turned to his team.

"Dragonite, you're up. Flying will give you an advantage. Everyone else, stand by and make sure no damage spills over into the other areas of the farm."

"Roar!"

Dragonite clenched its claws, its gentle eyes sharpening with determination as battle fervour surged through its veins.

The other Pokémon, though disappointed not to participate, obediently took up positions, ready to prevent Moltres from escaping or causing collateral damage.

As for the possibility of Dragonite losing?

None of them even considered it.

In the lake zone, Moltres continued to vent its wrath. Since gaining awareness, every fibre of its being had screamed that it was superior to ordinary Pokémon. Its flames were divine, its power unmatched, and every other creature was beneath it.

It had never doubted this until recently.

The thunderous beast, the shadowy swordsman, and the eerie puppet had shattered its pride. Its sacred flames were absorbed, and its body was dragged, humiliated, and forced to endure the indignity of being carried by these so-called lesser beings.

Now, it would destroy everything around it and make those wretched creatures pay.

Amidst its fiery rampage, a human voice rang out.

"Battle me, Moltres!"

Its bloodshot eyes immediately locked onto the man striding toward it, calm and unafraid.

Moltres's wings flared, summoning a pillar of divine fire.

----

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