This was a gigantic avian Pokémon with a long, slender physique. Its entire body was cloaked in black and crimson feathers, while the crest atop its head and the outer edges of its wings burned as if wreathed in blazing red flames. Its tail feathers intertwined black and red, resembling flickering fire itself.
A blood-red, curved beak completed its appearance, giving it an overwhelmingly sinister and bewitching aura!
It was none other than Galarian Moltres!
"SCREEEEE—!"
The shrill, piercing cry of Galarian Moltres echoed throughout Wyndon Stadium.
"Moltres, huh?"
Leon's pupils flickered slightly as he carefully observed the Galarian Moltres before him.
"I imagine you're not unfamiliar with it, right?"
Lucas smiled faintly at Leon, the corners of his lips lifting.
This was Moltres of the Galar region. Leon was indeed not unfamiliar with this Pokémon—but he certainly couldn't be called familiar with it either.
After all, it was a Legendary Pokémon. Although there had long been rumors in Galar that someone had spotted the Galarian Legendary Birds in the Crown Tundra, they were, in the end, just rumors. No one could say whether they were true or false, and Leon himself had never seen the Galarian trio in the Crown Tundra.
Of course, that wasn't the important part.
What truly mattered was the strength of this Galarian Moltres.
"This kind of aura… it's extremely powerful."
Galarian Moltres was completely different from the Kantonian Moltres. The Kanto Moltres was a genuine Fire-type Legendary bird.
But aside from its name, Galarian Moltres had nothing to do with the Fire type at all.
Its attributes were Dark/Flying—it could truly be called an evil bird.
The reason people in Galar still called it "Moltres" was because the overwhelming energy surging within its body manifested outward as a sinister aura resembling flames.
That was how the name Moltres came to be—though in truth, Galarian Moltres really was a Moltres that had mutated due to its environment…
"If it's Moltres, then this is the one!"
Leon didn't hesitate for long before throwing his Poké Ball.
"Let's go—Inteleon!"
The Poké Ball opened midair, a flash of white light bursting forth. A blue, humanoid Pokémon appeared, arms crossed, slowly lifting its head to lock eyes with Galarian Moltres.
Leon's Water-type ace—Inteleon!
It was said that Leon's main team included all three of Galar's starters, but clearly, his other core Pokémon weren't particularly suitable for dealing with Galarian Moltres.
Leon had previously exchanged information about Calyrex with Lucas and obtained a Xurkitree, but it hadn't been long. Xurkitree clearly hadn't undergone complete specialized training yet.
Otherwise, an Electric-type like Xurkitree would have been far more suitable against Galarian Moltres.
"Inteleon, huh? I thought Leon would use Dragapult," Wallace remarked in surprise as he looked at the cold, composed Inteleon.
"He's probably saving Dragapult for later," Cynthia analyzed calmly. "Among Leon's Pokémon, only Dragapult and Charizard truly excel in aerial combat. And Inteleon is still fairly suitable for fighting Galarian Moltres."
After all, an ace couldn't be sent out too early, and aside from Charizard, Dragapult was Leon's strongest Pokémon.
"But if I remember correctly…" Iris hesitated, "Galarian Moltres isn't Fire-type, right?"
Though she was from Unova, Iris had still studied Legendary Pokémon from various regions.
According to existing data, although it was called Moltres, Galarian Moltres had never displayed any fire-related abilities.
Even its signature move, Fiery Wrath, despite looking like flames, was not a Fire-type move.
"No, it's not about typing," Wallace shook his head. "It's about Inteleon's ability."
Inteleon possessed extremely precise attack accuracy. Strictly speaking, it was like a sniper, an exceptionally agile sniper, making it well-suited to counter aerial opponents.
Still, Wallace had his doubts about whether Inteleon could truly handle this Galarian Moltres.
"Inteleon, huh?"
Lucas sized up the Pokémon and instantly understood Leon's plan. He chuckled softly and snapped his fingers.
"Then let's greet our opponent first, Moltres."
"Hurricane!"
"SCREEEE—!"
As Lucas's command fell, Galarian Moltres screeched sharply, its dazzling "flame-like" wings spreading wide before beating down powerfully.
A thick, flame-like aura surged around Galarian Moltres, the visual impact nothing short of breathtaking.
A terrifying hurricane, nearly tangible, roared forth, surging toward Inteleon like a tidal wave.
Hurricane! A Flying-type attack!
"Blizzard!"
Leon's expression tightened. If Inteleon were suppressed by Hurricane, the situation would become extremely unfavorable.
Inteleon opened its mouth, unleashing a ferocious storm of ice and snow straight toward the oncoming hurricane.
The blizzard and hurricane collided violently in midair, clashing again and again as intense wind pressure spilled outward.
BOOM!
Both attacks exploded apart.
"The power is still within an acceptable range," Leon murmured, his eyes fixed firmly on Galarian Moltres as he rapidly analyzed the situation.
From that Hurricane alone, the strength of this Galarian Moltres wasn't absurdly overwhelming. If that was the case, the battle was still manageable.
"Rain Dance!"
Before the residual air currents from Hurricane and Blizzard had fully dissipated, Leon shouted his next command.
Inteleon raised one arm, a sphere of pure water forming in its palm.
"Dark Pulse!"
Galarian Moltres drew its wings in, then spread them violently as a black-and-purple wave shot toward Inteleon's previous position at extreme speed.
"Inteleon!"
The attack came far too quickly. Leon shouted immediately.
Lucas's timing was impeccable—almost as if he had predicted Inteleon's charge-up in advance.
The water sphere in Inteleon's palm rose into the air, but Dark Pulse was already upon it. Inteleon instantly shifted its position.
BOOM!
Dark Pulse smashed heavily into Inteleon's original spot. Shattered stones flew outward, grazing Inteleon's body.
"To dodge even under these circumstances? Its agility really is outstanding."
Lucas looked at Inteleon with mild surprise. Dodging Galarian Moltres' attack at the very last instant was no easy feat.
That flexibility was truly impressive.
Meanwhile, Rain Dance had already taken effect. Dark rain clouds rapidly gathered in the previously clear sky.
A torrential downpour crashed down, enveloping the entire Wyndon Stadium.
Rainy weather!
Inteleon, as a Water-type, naturally thrived under rain, but Galarian Moltres, a Flying-type, clearly did not enjoy this weather.
"Don't underestimate my Inteleon, Lucas. The battle's only just begun."
With Rain Dance successfully established, Leon was clearly pleased. Under heavy rain, Inteleon's Water-type attacks would be significantly boosted.
Moreover, the pouring rain would inevitably soak Galarian Moltres' feathers, making them heavier and slightly hindering its movement—though the advantage wasn't particularly large.
"Is that so?" Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"Then let's see if you can hold on, Moltres!"
"Sucker Punch!"
Galarian Moltres let out a shrill cry as its body shot toward Inteleon at incredible speed.
Sucker Punch, a Dark-type priority move!
For Galarian Moltres, there was no strict distinction between physical and special attacks—either worked just fine.
And Lucas's Galarian Moltres had been trained comprehensively in all aspects.
"Inteleon!"
Seeing Galarian Moltres suddenly close the distance, Leon called out sharply.
Inteleon's gaze locked tightly onto Galarian Moltres. Its visual tracking ability was exceptional—no matter how fast Moltres was, it could see clearly!
Kicking off the ground, Inteleon leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the Sucker Punch.
"Snipe Shot!"
"Fiery Wrath!"
Rainwater had already pooled across parts of the battlefield. As Inteleon slid backward, it raised both arms in a shooting stance.
Pure, water-blue energy rapidly gathered at its fingertips.
"SCREEE—!"
Missing its initial strike, Galarian Moltres screeched furiously. A flame-like black-and-red aura erupted wildly, enveloping its body in an even more terrifying presence!
With a powerful flap of its wings, ominous black-and-red energy surged across the ground beneath Inteleon's feet.
"Inteleon!"
Leon's pupils shrank. He instantly realized Lucas's plan—Sucker Punch had just been a feint?!
Inteleon also noticed the anomaly beneath its feet. A massive column of water shot through the air toward Galarian Moltres.
Inteleon's signature move—Snipe Shot!
The attack was lightning-fast, tearing through the air and striking Galarian Moltres squarely.
Galarian Moltres' wingbeats stalled for an instant. The tremendous impact made its body shudder violently, forcing it back several steps in midair.
But it quickly recovered. Its sharp eyes flared with savage fury as it glared at Inteleon.
"Dodge! Inteleon!"
Leon reacted instantly, shouting at the top of his lungs.
To take only this much damage after being hit by Snipe Shot?!
Leon frowned deeply—but now was not the time to marvel at Galarian Moltres' defense.
Inteleon leapt upward, trying to evade the incoming attack.
"Too late," Lucas chuckled softly.
If Inteleon had abandoned the Snipe Shot earlier, it might still have escaped in time—but now?
What was it even thinking?
"SCREEE—!"
With Galarian Moltres' furious screech, the black-and-red energy on the ground surged wildly—then erupted skyward like a volcanic explosion!
Fiery Wrath!
In the blink of an eye, the flame-like black-and-red energy engulfed the airborne Inteleon. The sheer depth and magnitude of the power stunned every spectator present!
"Oh no!"
Seeing that Inteleon failed to escape Fiery Wrath's range, Leon's brow furrowed tightly.
There was no need to think further—such a powerful attack would deal massive damage to Inteleon.
Inteleon was agile and excelled in special attacks, but its defenses were low. Its role was that of a burst assassin-type Pokémon.
"Leon was a bit careless there," Raihan said with a grim expression as he watched the unrelenting tide of black-and-red energy. "Inteleon's not going to have an easy time after this."
It had taken the hit head-on, with absolutely no defensive measures. This was brutal.
"You can't really blame Leon," Steven shook his head. "If that Snipe Shot had interrupted Moltres' attack, things wouldn't have turned out like this."
No one had expected that Inteleon's Snipe Shot, despite landing cleanly, would merely knock Galarian Moltres back a little.
Its body didn't even look particularly sturdy—yet its defenses were terrifyingly strong.
"Lucas clearly trained it intentionally, didn't you notice?" Cynthia spoke after a brief silence.
"Every Pokémon Lucas has sent out so far has had exceptional physical resilience. And Galarian Moltres is a Legendary, its endurance and defenses are naturally formidable."
Steven and the others were momentarily stunned. Thinking back, it really did seem that way.
Cynthia was absolutely right. Lucas's training style emphasized a Pokémon's strengths, but he never neglected its other attributes.
Especially for a Legendary like Galarian Moltres—did anyone think its hellish early training was for nothing?
In Galarian Moltres' eyes, its "instructor" at the time—Gardevoir—was nothing short of a demon.
Lucas had always understood that while Galarian Moltres was a Legendary bird, its greatest advantage wasn't raw offense but special defense.
That was precisely why he chose Gardevoir to train it in the first place.
What was the best way to train defense?
Proper physical conditioning—and… getting beaten repeatedly.
As long as it wasn't beaten to death, with proper healing, rest, and occasional medical checks to ensure no lasting damage, defense would naturally rise over time.
So, to Galarian Moltres—
Inteleon's Snipe Shot?
Compared to Gardevoir's Moonblast under Lucas's training?
It was practically nothing.
In fact, after the special training ended, Gardevoir had even felt regretful—
Such a perfect punching bag… gone.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Does it bother you guys when I use em dash (—) instead but just commas (,) and normal dash (-)?