"Step aside for a moment, Latias."
Logan took two steps forward and gently patted Latias on the head, signaling for her to watch from the sidelines.
Latias glanced at Logan, then at her brother Latios. In the end, she made the sensible choice and moved out of the way, choosing not to interfere.
She was smart enough to know that neither Logan nor her brother was fighting seriously. This was merely a probing battle—an exchange to test one another—not a true life-and-death confrontation.
"Good girl."
Logan praised her lightly, then lifted his gaze toward the sky.
Just as Latias had thought, this battle was little more than a formality. Otherwise, Logan would not have remained standing calmly on the ground issuing commands—he would have leapt onto Garchomp's back and fought alongside it.
In a real battle of life and death, standing still to command like this would never be allowed. The enemy would force the Trainer into chaos, dragging them into a turbulent battlefield where only those capable of maintaining clarity and issuing correct commands amid disorder could truly be called powerful.
At the same time, Logan felt noticeably lighter in spirit.
He had already prepared himself for the worst. If Latios's own will rejected becoming his Pokémon, then Logan would truly have had to enter a prolonged struggle with both Latios and Latias.
With the Eon Flute, he could endlessly pursue these two Legendary Pokémon—grinding down their will through repeated clashes of strength. If things truly came to that, even Logan could not say how long it would take to subdue them.
Legendary Pokémon possessed extraordinarily powerful wills. Forcing their submission through sheer strength required immense patience. Ordinary Poké Balls could not contain them at all, and while Master Balls could forcibly capture them, Logan felt that would be a terrible waste.
The cost of producing a Master Ball was astronomical, and their success rate was no longer guaranteed. After the Saffron City incident caused by Team Rocket's chaos, Silph Co. had lost key portions of the Master Ball manufacturing technology. In today's world, there were only a handful of Master Balls in existence.
Logan still had some to spare—but he had no intention of wasting one on Latios.
If a battle could be won with words, why squander a Master Ball?
And now it seemed his "verbal assault" had succeeded.
Facing the sandstorm-wreathed Garchomp soaring toward him, Latios responded without hesitation. He let out a cry and unleashed a blast of draconic breath straight at Garchomp.
As a Legendary Pokémon, Latios had his own pride.
"Garchomp, answer it with Dragon Breath!"
Rather than ordering Garchomp to dodge, Logan chose a direct confrontation—skill against skill, king against king.
Logan had absolute confidence in Garchomp's offensive power. Even Legendary Pokémon were only slightly stronger in raw output, and compared to monsters like Mewtwo, Lugia, or Ho-Oh, Latios and Latias were not especially known for overwhelming firepower.
BOOOOM——!
The two streams of dragon energy collided midair, detonating in a thunderous explosion. Roaring energy surged outward, crashing down upon the small uninhabited island below.
The island's rocky surface shattered under the shockwave, disturbing the surrounding tides. Dragon-typed flames rained down, scorching the dry stone and changing its color.
Logan stood firmly upon the island, watching the falling embers. Eevee on his shoulder was just about to intervene when Latias suddenly floated in front of him and raised a protective barrier.
Almost instinctively, Latias used Psycho Shift, taking the residual Dragon Breath into herself.
And that instinct caused a problem.
For most Pokémon, Psycho Shift merely transferred negative status conditions or emotions. But Latios and Latias were special—on them, this move also carried the effect of Damage Split.
This was the foundation of their battle style.
Only when both siblings fought together could they unleash their full potential:
Latios wielded Power Split,
Latias wielded Guard Split.
Together, they could dynamically enhance each other's offense and defense. Against devastating attacks, they could even split incoming damage—ensuring they were never defeated in a single blow.
Combined with Heal Pulse and Recover, as long as both were present, they were nearly impossible to kill before exhaustion set in.
But the current situation was different.
Latios was fighting Garchomp alone, while Latias was merely observing. Neither Latios nor Garchomp had been struck by the Dragon Breath's residual shock—but Latias, trying to protect Logan, reflexively used Psycho Shift.
And that was where everything went wrong.
Latios, who had been circling midair with Garchomp, suddenly felt searing pain ripple through his body—as though he had been scorched by dragonfire.
He had been "betrayed" by his own sister.
He hadn't even been hit directly, yet he had taken damage.
Though it was only residual Dragon Breath, halved again by Damage Split—and hardly serious—it was still a sudden shock.
In high-level combat, even a moment's lapse was fatal.
Latios's body stiffened for an instant.
And Logan, the Kanto Champion and Dragon-type master, seized that opening instantly.
"…Now's our chance—Dual Chop!"
This was when Latios truly witnessed what speed meant.
Garchomp spread its wings—and in an instant, broke the sound barrier.
A sonic boom erupted as it appeared directly before Latios. Its claws, overflowing with draconic power, carved a perfect cross-shaped slash across Latios's wings.
Crystalline feathers shattered like glass.
Two deep gashes split open, blood spraying through the air.
And Logan's greatest strength was never letting momentum slip.
"…Excellent—don't let it recover. Crunch!"
Dark-type energy surged into Garchomp's fangs.
Its massive jaws snapped shut around Latios's neck.
Latios screamed in agony as blood and feathers scattered, his body writhing violently.
Every attack Logan chose directly countered Latios's typing, making the damage far more severe than ordinary moves.
But even this was far from enough to incapacitate a Legendary Pokémon.
Latios gritted his teeth, light exploding from his body—brilliant, blinding, like a miniature sun.
Psychic energy condensed, then detonated.
The sky itself drowned in prismatic color. Even the sun's light faltered, and human vision warped.
This was Latios's exclusive move—
Luster Purge.
A Legendary Pokémon's signature technique was terrifying beyond measure. The sheer scale of the attack blanketed the sky itself.
Garchomp cried out as it was blasted away, smashing into the ocean with a thunderous impact and sending a towering plume of water skyward.
Bubbles rose across the sea's surface.
Seconds later, Garchomp shot back out of the ocean like a missile, water streaming from its body. It roared skyward, baring its fangs at Latios, waiting for Logan's next command.
Several dents marred Garchomp's body, as if it had been struck repeatedly by a colossal hammer. Even its shark-like hide had become uneven.
Latios was about to use Recover, but halted when he saw Garchomp return so quickly. In a one-on-one fight, using Recover without cover was suicide—it turned the user into a living target.
Latios silently acknowledged Garchomp's terrifying attack power.
In a pure damage contest, he knew he could never win.
But he wasn't worried.
Latios, like Latias, was not an offensive specialist. They excelled at endurance warfare—outlasting enemies through sustain and attrition.
With Legendary durability, they were among the most frustrating opponents imaginable.
Logan, meanwhile, was observing closely.
Through Latios's fighting style, he gained deeper insight into Latias as well.
He quickly concluded that these siblings were poor duelists. Even against powerful non-Legendary Pokémon, they would struggle in one-on-one combat.
But in team battles?
They were monsters.
In Logan's mind, Latios and Latias were Legendary-tier healers—multiplying a team's combat effectiveness through buffs, healing, and survivability.
He had fully grasped their value.
Legendary Pokémon were powerful—but only if used correctly.
An ordinary Trainer, even with a Legendary Pokémon, could never unleash their full potential. Worse, poor commands could actually hinder them.
Latios glanced at his sister. Latias, embarrassed and guilty, turned her head away.
After all, it was her Damage Split that had nearly gotten his neck bitten clean through.
"That's enough," Logan said calmly.
"I understand your abilities now, Latios. Let's end this here. You could drag this fight out endlessly—but it would be meaningless."
With a flick of his champion's cloak, Logan revealed the Poké Balls at his waist.
This was no League match. No rule enforced single combat.
Without Latias aiding him, Latios would be overwhelmed if Logan unleashed his full team.
"Latias, heal him."
Latias nodded.
Deep violet light flashed in her eyes. She opened her mouth and released a stream of pure white radiance—
Heal Pulse.
Latios's bone-deep wounds sealed at visible speed. Torn flesh regenerated. Feathers grew back pristine and whole.
Logan watched with satisfaction.
This healer's output was excellent.
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