Even though Kyurem had gone easy on Serperior, it was still a legendary Pokémon, the strongest dragon of the Unova region. And with Serperior covered in wounds, it finally collapsed, unable to continue.
But Lucien wasn't discouraged. Nor was he disappointed.
He and Serperior had given everything they had. And judging by Serperior's performance… this battle had given it invaluable experience.
Lucien knelt and gently stroked Serperior's head.
The exhausted Pokémon weakly opened its eyes.
"You worked hard, Serperior," he said softly. "You did great. Rest now."
Serperior let out a faint sound of acknowledgement before returning to its Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
From a short distance away, Kyurem watched the scene silently, its expression unreadable behind its icy exterior.
Lucien put away Serperior's ball and drew another.
"Kyurem," he called, "please continue guiding me!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Dragonair's slender, elegant form burst from the Poké Ball.
The second battle, Dragonair vs. Kyurem, officially began.
Dragonair's gaze locked onto the dragon before it. A memory flashed in its mind: the last time it faced Kyurem, it had barely emerged before the cold froze it instantly.
'Learn from your failures.'
Cobalion's voice echoed in its thoughts, and Dragonair's eyes hardened with determination.
Kyurem noticed Dragonair's sharpened resolve. It narrowed its eyes and growled.
"Hmmm…"
Now that Lucien knew Kyurem was holding back, his courage felt steadier. He wanted to see how Dragonair's current strength compared to a true legendary dragon.
"Dragonair, Slam! Tail strike!"
Energy rippled along Dragonair's tail as it whipped it toward Kyurem.
"Oh? A tail strike?" Kyurem rumbled. "Then I'll use that move as well."
The Boundary Pokémon turned, its massive tail sweeping around. The two tails, one enormous, one slender, collided in midair. But Dragonair was far outmatched; the sheer force sent it flying backward almost instantly.
"As expected… the difference is still too great." Lucien clenched his jaw, then shifted tactics.
"Dragonair, Agility!"
"Hmph."
Kyurem snorted, unleashing a blazing ray of energy, Ice Beam, from its mouth.
But Dragonair spread its small wings, its flight speed boosted sharply by Agility. It wove rapidly around the frozen arena, dodging one icy blast after another. Under Lucien's command, it launched a counterattack, hurling itself downward coated in draconic energy...
Dragon Rush!
But as the charged Dragonair dove toward it, Kyurem's eyes remained cold. It swung a claw, striking directly into the oncoming attack with brutal force.
Dragonair cried out as it was knocked across the ice again.
"Weak… far too weak," Kyurem declared, gazing down with absolute dominance.
Then it leapt upward, its massive body hovering above the ground.
In the next instant, a torrent of raw, overwhelming draconic energy erupted from its body.
"Then let me show you what a true dragon is!" Kyurem roared.
A monstrous wave of Dragon-type pressure crashed across the entire cavern, dense and crushing, the pure essence of an ancient, perfect dragon.
The force submerged Dragonair completely.
Its body trembled. Its breath caught. The pressure was suffocating.
Kyurem's draconic presence was far, far greater than anything Dragonair had ever faced.
But Lucien sensed something else.
Kyurem appeared to be "attacking"… yet it wasn't actually striking.
It was waiting.
"Dragonair!" Lucien shouted, realization clicking into place. "Feel it, that dragon aura!"
"U...ugh!"
Dragonair gritted its teeth, its whole body shaking violently as it fought the suffocating force.
It refused to collapse.
For Lucien, to protect him, to help him reach his goals, It had to become stronger.
Memories flashed through Dragonair's mind.
Lucien carrying it through blizzards, Lucien warming it beside a crackling fireplace, Lucien praising it when they caught fish together, Lucien's excitement each time it shed its skin…and the countless nights where the two fell asleep in each other's arms.
And now;
Under Lucien's months of grueling training, under the guidance of the three Swords of Justice, and under Kyurem's overwhelming draconic pressure…
Dragonair suddenly burst into radiant, dazzling light.
That was...
Outside the battlefield, Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion widened their eyes in shock.
Even Kyurem's usually emotionless gaze flickered.
'Good… very good.'
This was the moment it had been waiting for.
Inside the pillar of light, Dragonair's body rapidly changed.
Its slender, serpentine form grew rounder and sturdier. Powerful limbs took shape.
Its skin shifted to an orange-yellow hue. Two delicate antennae appeared atop its head, along with a small dragon horn.
A pair of strong, membrane wings unfurled from its back,and a thick, powerful tail swayed behind it.
Purple wisps of draconic energy spiraled around Dragonair, Kyurem's pure Dragon aura flowed continuously into its evolving body.
No, It was no longer Dragonair.
It had become Dragonite, a kind-hearted yet terrifyingly powerful pseudo-legendary dragon.
As the evolution light faded, a pair of bright, determined black eyes opened, filled with the same conviction Lucien had always carried.
Dragonite lifted its head and locked onto Kyurem.
Kyurem's ancient, resonant voice echoed through the cavern:
"The time has come…Dragon who protects faith…witness your true power!"
Kyurem sensed something remarkable, a power within Dragonite that felt deeply connected to Lucien's own.
The legendary dragon roared in excitement:
"Show me your true might! This, is a real battle!"
"Wooooh!" Dragonite answered, wings snapping open.
This time, it released a fearsome draconic aura and launched itself toward Kyurem.
Kyurem raised its head, energy swirling in its jaws.
Pure Dragon-type power condensed and erupted into a Dragon Pulse, firing straight at Dragonite.
The shockwave collided with Dragonite in midair.
But even before the might of a legendary Dragon Pulse, Dragonite did not retreat.
"Perfect! That's it, Dragonite!" Lucien shouted, excitement overflowing.
Hearing Lucien's voice, Dragonite's eyes sharpened.
Its muscles surged with power, and, unbelievably, it began pushing Kyurem's Dragon Pulse back.
It was overpowering a legendary's attack.
Dragonite had broken through Kyurem's Dragon Pulse!
Kyurem's pupils shrank.
At that moment, it felt something, a powerful belief radiating from both Dragonite and Lucien.
That belief… seeped into Kyurem's body, filling the emptiness within its incomplete form.
Kyurem felt its strength rising, and for the first time, it seemed momentarily dazed.
The next instant;
Dragon Pulse shattered completely.
Dragonite, wrapped in a terrifying aura, slammed into Kyurem's massive body and sent the Boundary Pokémon skidding backward several meters.
"What—?!"
Outside the arena, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion stared in disbelief, their eyes glowing with admiration and shock.
...
Read chapters ahead @keepsmiling 818 p@reon