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Aerodactyl, who had been soaring swiftly through the skies, suddenly felt an overwhelming surge of power coursing through its body. It stopped mid-air and let out a sharp, echoing roar as countless multicolored rays of light engulfed its form.
"Cryaaah!!"
The pursuing Articuno froze in mid-flight, startled by the sudden burst of light. With a powerful flap of its wings, the Legendary Bird halted in place, watching cautiously as the glowing sphere in the sky began to change shape.
"ROOOAR!!"
It only lasted a few seconds—but when the colorful aura finally dissipated, a brilliant seven-colored symbol flickered across the air, and Aerodactyl's form emerged, even more imposing than before.
Aerodactyl had already been larger than a typical Aerodactyl. Now, after Mega Evolving, its size had grown even further. Several jagged black stones protruded from its body like armor or bony spikes, giving it a fearsome, almost primal look.
"Cryaaah!"
Seeing the transformation, Articuno hesitated. A glint of fear flashed in its eyes as it cried out and unleashed an Ice Beam straight toward Aerodactyl.
"ROAR!!"
Articuno's attack was difficult enough to land before—but now, with Aerodactyl's speed greatly increased after Mega Evolution, it was completely futile. With just a twitch of its wings, Aerodactyl vanished from Articuno's sight in an instant.
The Legendary Bird blinked, startled—and then a calm, commanding voice sounded from behind it.
"Aerodactyl! Wing Attack!"
"ROOAR!!"
Aerodactyl roared in response, its wings glowing white as it struck. Articuno barely had time to react—just as it began to flap its wings to escape, Aerodactyl's rock-armored wings slammed into its back with lightning speed, sending the bird crashing toward the frozen ground below.
"Cryeeaaah!"
Articuno screamed in pain, its body twisting midair as it fell. Just before impact, it snapped its eyes open, spreading its icy-blue wings wide. A freezing gust erupted downward, churning up the snow beneath it into a localized blizzard. In seconds, the area became an icy maelstrom—and Articuno disappeared within it.
"ROOAR!!"
The freezing winds howled, but Aerodactyl felt no chill. Its eyes gleamed with excitement, its wings quivering with thrill as it let out another confident roar.
"As expected. After Mega Evolution, Aerodactyl's ability becomes Tough Claws—skills that involve direct contact deal much higher damage. Very good," Liam muttered with satisfaction.
Aerodactyl's performance exceeded all expectations. Even against an opponent that had a type advantage, it wasn't showing any signs of weakness.
"Aerodactyl, Articuno's hiding in that snowstorm. Use Supersonic to locate it."
"ROOAR!!"
Aerodactyl opened its mouth, releasing waves of rippling ultrasonic sound. The concentric rings spread across the blizzard, scanning every pocket of air and snow for movement.
"ROAR!!"
Within moments, Aerodactyl turned its head sharply toward a dense patch of snow, its gaze focused and fierce—it had found it.
"Oh, you found it? Then strike, Aerodactyl! Use Rock Slide!"
Liam caught the movement immediately. Trusting Aerodactyl completely, he gave the order without hesitation.
"ROOAR!!"
Aerodactyl let out a mighty cry. Circular distortions of air formed around it, and a barrage of massive boulders began to materialize and rain down precisely where it had detected Articuno.
"Cryeeaaah!!"
Caught off guard while moving through the storm, Articuno shrieked and swerved frantically to dodge the falling rocks. But the relentless assault forced it out of the snowstorm and back into open view.
"Now, Aerodactyl! Giga Impact!"
The instant Articuno broke free, Liam's eyes flashed. He shouted the command without a moment's delay.
"ROOOAR!!"
Aerodactyl roared, its body surrounded by a spiraling aura of blinding white energy. Then—like a meteor—it dove straight down toward Articuno, a colossal mass of stone and fury wrapped in dazzling light.
BOOM!!
The impact resounded across the island. The massive collision hurled Articuno straight back down into the icy wasteland—this time with no chance to recover midair.
THUD!!
The ground shook violently. A shockwave of raw energy blew away the lingering snowstorm, clearing the battlefield to reveal the aftermath.
In the center of a massive crater stood the mighty Aerodactyl, proudly raising its head.
Clinging to one of the rocky spines on Aerodactyl's back was Liam, his hair windswept and expression strained but steady.
"Phew… that impact was insane. Good thing I held on tight—otherwise I'd be part of the crater too."
Even from Aerodactyl's back, Liam had felt the tremendous recoil from Giga Impact. The sheer power nearly flung him off, and only his grip on the newly grown rock spines had kept him secure.
"Uh… Aerodactyl, maybe we went a little overboard this time."
Liam flexed his reddened hands and looked down at the unconscious Articuno lying in the crater below.
"Rooaar…"
Aerodactyl simply growled dismissively and used its trident-shaped wings to scratch its elongated jaw, looking completely unconcerned.
"Well… fine. Let's wrap it up then. Go, Freeze Ball!"
Liam sighed, shaking his head, and pulled out a specially prepared Freeze Ball. He tossed it toward the fallen Articuno.
With a flash of light, the Legendary Bird was absorbed into the ball. It shook once, twice—and then fell still. The capture was complete.
At long last, Liam had secured the third of the Legendary Birds. His team of powerful allies was now complete.
"Alright. Articuno's caught. Aerodactyl, let's regroup with Zapdos and Moltres—it's time to return to Johto and take care of business."
"ROOAR!!"
Later, after recalling Zapdos and Moltres from their searches across the island, Liam mounted Aerodactyl once again and flew toward Johto. Their next destination—the Whirl Islands.
Roughly half a day after Liam's departure—at Team Rocket Headquarters in Viridian City—a slender figure quietly pushed open the door to Giovanni's office.
Giovanni glanced up from his desk, recognizing the girl, and smiled faintly.
"Sachi. What is it? You really should learn to knock, you know."
The girl named Sachi didn't respond. With her usual calm and professional demeanor, she pulled out a file, flipped it open, and began to read aloud.
"Boss Giovanni, according to intelligence reports, earlier this morning, Vortex leader was sighted aboard a freighter bound for Cinnabar Island. His target was the Seafoam Islands. Approximately one hour after entering, witnesses reported seeing him leave again—heading toward the Johto region."
Finishing her report, Sachi closed the folder crisply, turned on her heel, and left the office without waiting for a response.
Giovanni leaned back in his chair, frowning slightly in thought.
"Hm? Liam went back to Johto… after a trip to the Seafoam Islands? What's he up to? Tch. According to the reports from Johto, he ran into some trouble there. Seems he's dealing with something messy."
He smirked faintly.
"He really doesn't have much sense of organizational loyalty, does he? Runs into a problem and doesn't even think to ask for help. Typical."
Giovanni clasped his hands beneath his chin, his eyes gleaming dangerously in the dim light.
"Looks like I'll have to make my own arrangements. Heh heh… I wonder if he likes surprises."
His low, amused laughter echoed through the dark office.