“Damn, it’s Moltres!”
Julian’s mouth hung open in shock. He had never imagined there’d be a Moltres sleeping beneath all that magma.
Judging by its drowsy eyes, it had probably been asleep.
Now he’d woken it up—and it looked like it had a 'serious' case of morning rage.
“Metagross, pin it down for me! Don’t let it get away!”
Julian was thrilled. If this Moltres could sleep inside magma, then wouldn’t it make the perfect tool-bird?
Moltres were most commonly spotted near volcanoes—and not just small ones. They preferred massive, active volcanoes.
The Moltres stared at the aggressive Metagross with a confused expression.
'This isn’t right… Shouldn’t it be running away in fear at the sight of me? Why isn’t it fleeing? And why is it looking at me like that?'
Pokémon: Moltres (Fire/Flying)
Moves: Gust, Leer, Ember, Safeguard, Wing Attack, Flamethrower, Agility, Ancient Power, Incinerate, Air Slash, Roost, Heat Wave, Sunny Day, Hurricane, Endure, Overheat, Sky Attack
Note: Injured Contest Condition
Julian considered the possibility. Besides sleeping in volcanoes, Moltres was also known to enter lava when injured—to ignite its whole body and heal its wounds through intense heat.
When it appeared earlier, it had indeed looked like a massive ball of flames. Maybe it had been healing while taking a nap.
Originally Level 83, but due to the injuries, it had temporarily dropped to 81. Still, it was a pseudo-Champion-level Pokémon.
He couldn’t help but wonder—what on this island could’ve injured it? Was it the island’s guardian? Or maybe another human Trainer?
Moltres hovering in the air suddenly realized its four underlings guarding the entrance were missing.
'Could this guy have taken them out?'
'Humans really are the worst.'
Its injuries had been caused by humans in the first place.
And now Julian had interrupted both its healing and its sleep. The fury in its heart burned even hotter.
The flames on its body flared hotter and brighter. Julian had to signal Dragonite to back off—the smell of his own singed hair was already in the air.
And somehow, after days of rain, the storm suddenly stopped.
The clouds parted, and sunlight poured onto the land once more, making Moltres’s figure appear even more majestic and mysterious.
Metagross: 'I’ve beaten birds like you before.'
Metagross was referring to Articuno—but that was way back when Julian had just started his first year of university. And back then, Metagross had only been at the peak of Advanced level.
"Metagross, Mega Evolve!"
To end the battle quickly, Julian triggered Metagross's Mega Evolution.
Its level rose temporarily from 78 to 80, just a step away from pseudo-Champion tier.
The aura it released made the Moltres no longer dare to underestimate this opponent.
Even if Moltres had been at full strength, it doubted it could match the overwhelming presence of Mega Metagross.
A massive wave of psychic energy instantly ensnared Moltres.
The fiery bird felt as though it was trapped in quicksand—completely immobilized, its flames flickering weakly under the suppression.
As Mega Metagross’s Meteor Mash approached, Moltres let out a sharp cry.
With a piercing cry, the flames on its body suddenly erupted, breaking through the Psychic hold.
But it was already too late—
Mega Metagross’s Meteor Mash smashed straight into its face.
Moltres’s body slammed into the side of the volcano’s crater wall, sending chunks of rock tumbling into the magma below. The molten lava that splashed onto Moltres was absorbed by it.
Julian and Mega Metagross both noticed this—but neither cared.
The difference in power was obvious. Even if Moltres fully submerged itself in magma, it still wouldn’t stand a chance.
Embedded in the rocky wall of the volcano, Moltres spat a stream of scorching fire toward Mega Metagross.
The steel titan sidestepped effortlessly, while Moltres took the chance to pull itself out of the rock wall and putting some distance between them.
It then unleashed a rapid barrage of Flamethrowers, the attacks nearly seamless.
However, Mega Metagross had already teleported away. The flames scorched nothing but empty air.
Moltres frantically scanned its surroundings, finding no trace of its foe. It realized that Metagross was using Teleport to flicker through space.
The moment it showed an opening, it would be hit with a devastating strike.
So it activated Agility, zigzagging erratically to confuse Mega Metagross with speed.
Mega Metagross: 'Not entirely stupid, I see.'
Moltres: I’m plenty smart!
Unfortunately, it was not smart enough.
A transparent Light Screen had somehow been set up in Moltres's path during its high-speed movement, and it didn’t notice at all.
Moltres slammed face-first into the barrier.
Julian winced — just hearing that sound made his teeth ache.
The Light Screen cracked but didn’t shatter, but Moltres was completely dazed. Its wings flapped out of rhythm in the air, like it had just chugged a bottle of bad liquor.
It looked like a drunkard seconds away from face-planting into the magma.
Another Meteor Mash to the skull, and the legendary bird blacked out completely, plummeting to the ground.
Mega Metagross swiftly extended its claw, catching the falling Moltres before it could hit the ground. It gently placed the unconscious bird on the ground, then reverted to its normal form with a flash of light.
Metagross: 'This one went down too easy.'
It was disappointed—it hadn’t even warmed up, and the opponent was already down.
Honestly, this Moltres felt even weaker than the Articuno it had fought before. At least Articuno had put up a decent fight. But this? Too easy.
And it was true—the biggest difference came from Metagross’s rapid growth.
Back when it fought Articuno, it had only been one year old, and at the peak Advanced level.
Now, at two years old, it had reached late-stage Elite-tier. That kind of progress was downright terrifying.
Metagross: 'Wait, I’m already two years old?'
With its ever-deepening power and combat experience, crushing opponents had become almost routine.
Julian walked over to the unconscious Moltres but didn’t dare get too close. Even while knocked out, the heat radiating from its body was intense.
If he reached out and touched it, he’d basically be barbecuing his own hand.
So he stopped about four meters away. But even at this distance, the air was already 40+ degrees Celsius. Any closer, and his skin might start to burn.
And the volcanic environment didn’t help either.
He did have a protective suit that could block out the heat—but it was a hassle to put on, and just as annoying to take off. So he couldn’t be bothered.
Now that he was closer, Julian noticed a wound on Moltres’s back, it clearly wasn’t from Metagross. This was an old injury, likely the main reason Moltres couldn’t fight at full strength.
If it hadn’t been injured, Metagross would’ve needed at least a few more rounds to take it down.
Upto 30 chapters ahead on :-