Under the starlit sky, Ho-Oh hovered, wings outstretched, its piercing gaze locked onto Kai.
It simply stared Judging him.
Kai tightened his grip on Charizard's reins.
He could feel the tension in the air.
The earlier destruction, the downed Legendary Beasts, the chance at victory.
Ho-Oh was here to steal it all away.
He understood immediately.
Ho-Oh had been watching the entire time.
While Entei, Suicune, and Raikou had openly entered the battle, Ho-Oh had remained hidden, waiting.
Waiting for Kai to exhaust himself. Waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.
And now, it had revealed itself not to fight Kai directly, but to rescue its fallen champions.
Kai clenched his fists, fire burning in his chest.
He had pushed himself and his Pokémon to the brink. He had risked everything to defeat the Beasts.
He wasn't about to let Ho-Oh snatch victory from his hands.
He exhaled slowly, keeping his glare locked on the golden bird.
Under normal circumstances, he might have admired Ho-Oh. After all, it was a symbol of hope, rebirth, and grandeur.
Today, Ho-Oh was the enemy.
And there was no room for negotiation.
Still, the situation was grim.
If his Legendary Birds were battle-ready, he might have had a fighting chance. But after unleashing the Triple Bird Strike, Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno were utterly drained.
All Kai had left was his regular team strong, yes, but nowhere near Ho-Oh's level.
He glanced toward his belt.
Plus, Erika's two Pokémon Leafeon and Tangrowth had been released in support.
It would have to be enough.
Kai gritted his teeth.
He didn't need to defeat Ho-Oh. He just needed to buy enough time to capture the Beasts before Ho-Oh could revive them.
Without hesitation, Kai hurled all his Poké Balls into the air.
With flashes of blue light, his team assembled around him, facing the Legendary bird.
Erika stepped forward, adding her own Pokémon to the ranks.
Even facing overwhelming odds, Ho-Oh showed no fear. Its crimson eyes scanned the field with unshakable calm.
"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
A haunting, clear cry echoed through the night.
Kai felt the change immediately.
With a single beat of its shimmering wings, Ho-Oh unleashed a beam of golden light toward the fallen Entei.
The moment the light touched the Beast, flames erupted around its body—and it rose, reborn, full of strength once more.
Kai's stomach twisted.
Not just healing wounds but restoring full power.
"Damn it!" Kai cursed under his breath.
Now he understood why Ho-Oh hadn't panicked. It didn't need to fight.
It could simply resurrect the Beasts one by one.
The legends were true after all.
Ho-Oh's mythical power to revive the dead wasn't a fairy tale.
With Entei revived, the balance shifted dangerously.
But Entei, smarter after its defeat, wasn't rushing into battle again.
It was looking for a chance an opening to flee.
Kai's instincts screamed.
"Block them!!" he shouted.
Immediately, Charizard, Gengar, and Dragonair lifted off to engage Ho-Oh in the air, forcing it to divide its attention.
Meanwhile, the ground team, Jolteon, Crystal Steelix, Gardevoir, Leafeon, and Tangrowth spread out, boxing in Entei, Raikou, and Suicune.
Kai whipped out two Poke Balls and hurled them toward Raikou and Suicune.
The red capture beams struck cleanly.
For a moment, it seemed he had them but within seconds, both Legendary Beasts burst free, roaring defiantly.
Things were spiraling out of control.
Above, Ho-Oh blazed through the air, scattering his airborne Pokémon with waves of searing heat.
Gengar and Dragonair were knocked back.
Charizard roared, struggling to keep pace.
And Ho-Oh seized the opening.
It swooped down toward Raikou, wings glowing with divine light.
Another beam of golden radiance fell and Raikou stirred, its strength returning in a blinding flash.
Kai gritted his teeth.
Before Ho-Oh could reach Suicune, Kai hurled another Poke Ball at the weakened beast.
The light swallowed Suicune.
The capsule rocked violently, trembling with the force of the captured Legend inside—
Kai let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
Even if Entei and Raikou escaped, even if Ho-Oh wreaked havoc across the field—
He had won a piece of the impossible.
Beside him, Erika stared in wide-eyed amazement.
The man who had stood against gods.
Even if only for a moment.
But it wasn't over yet.
High above them, Ho-Oh flared its wings, its aura burning even brighter.
The real battle was just beginning.
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