[Volcarona has successfully defeated Raikou. Legendary Progress: 2/3.]
Victory! They had won!
Nathan felt an overwhelming surge of joy from deep within his heart, genuinely happy for his Volcarona.
He broke into a run, dashing toward his companion. But just as he was about to reach it, Volcarona, who only moments ago had been flying valiantly in the air, suddenly dropped from the sky and began to plummet rapidly.
Seeing this happen, Nathan's expression changed, and he picked up his pace, sprinting even faster toward his Pokémon.
At the same time, Entei and Suicune, who had been quietly observing the battle from the side, quickly rushed to Raikou's side. But as soon as they reached him, both of them were shocked beyond words.
Raikou's eyes were shut tightly. Had it not been for the faint rise and fall of its chest, they would have believed Raikou had already passed away.
Without delay, the two Legendary Pokémon gently laid Raikou flat on the ground. Suicune, ever composed, used its powers to conjure clean water and softly began rinsing Raikou's body, tending to it with the utmost care.
Meanwhile, Nathan had already knelt beside Volcarona, carefully administering healing medicine. He treated the visible wounds using specialized ointments designed for Pokémon recovery. Once finished, he immediately turned and sprinted toward Raikou.
Looking at the unconscious Legendary beast, Nathan didn't hesitate—he treated Raikou the exact same way he had treated Volcarona. The two Pokémon were now both unconscious, their bodies completely spent.
To ensure both could recover as quickly as possible, Nathan had specifically gone to the system shop and purchased two Healing Balls—a special kind of Poké Ball with built-in healing functions that could gradually treat a Pokémon's injuries after capture.
Once both Volcarona and Raikou were safely stored in their respective Healing Balls, Nathan finally let out a long, deep breath. Relief washed over him.
Standing a short distance away, the cameraman Kelly was at a complete loss for words. He didn't know how to express what he had just witnessed. This battle—the intensity, the emotion, the level of skill—had far surpassed anything he had ever imagined.
At first, he had thought Nathan challenging Legendary Pokémon with his Champion-level team was sheer arrogance. Who in their right mind would believe they stood a chance? But now, seeing the result with his own eyes, he realized it wasn't arrogance at all.
It was confidence—unshakable, overwhelming, well-earned confidence.
To think a mere Champion-tier Pokémon had fought Raikou—one of the Legendary Beasts—and managed to win. Aside from Nathan, Kelly truly couldn't think of a single person capable of such a feat.
Suddenly, Kelly remembered his camera and panicked. He glanced to his side and was immediately struck with dismay—it was gone.
He scanned the area frantically. Finally, he caught sight of one of the tripod's legs sticking awkwardly out from the sand. Rushing over, he dropped to his knees and began digging furiously with both hands.
After some effort, he unearthed the camera. It had been buried during the chaos, likely knocked over by the tremors of battle or by the careless steps of bystanders. Judging from the damage, it would definitely need some serious repairs.
But thinking back to the footage he had just captured—priceless, once-in-a-lifetime material—Kelly couldn't be too upset. Even if the camera was sacrificed in the process, it was worth it.
"Shall we continue?"
Nathan turned his gaze toward Entei and Suicune.
The moment the two Legendary Pokémon felt Nathan's eyes land on them, they were both gripped by an unspoken pressure.
To be perfectly honest, when they first arrived, they hadn't taken this challenge too seriously. After all, Nathan's Pokémon were merely at Champion level. How dangerous could they really be?
But now, after seeing Raikou—Raikou—get bested in battle, and by a non-Legendary Pokémon no less, they no longer felt so sure.
Yes, Volcarona had also collapsed at the end of the battle. But there was no denying it: Volcarona won.
And now, Nathan wanted to keep going. He wanted to challenge them as well. The thought made them feel conflicted.
Were they really going to lose to his entire team?
Were they really going to be defeated by a bunch of Champion-level Pokémon?
"Well... um..."
Entei hesitated, clearly rattled.
It wasn't that Entei was afraid of defeat. As a Legendary Pokémon, it had experienced many battles, both wins and losses. It wasn't like it had never been bested before.
But still—Entei had its pride.
If it lost to a Champion-level Pokémon, what would that say about it? The damage to its pride and honor would be immeasurable.
"You're not scared, are you?"
Noticing Entei's hesitation, Nathan raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly.
Entei instantly jumped in defense.
"Scared? Me? Don't be ridiculous!" Entei snapped. "I'm just concerned your Pokémon might all get seriously hurt. If that happens, what would you do if someone came to harm you while your team was down?"
On the surface, Entei's concern seemed noble and logical. But both Nathan and the surrounding Pokémon knew the truth—it was just an excuse. A very thin one, at that.
Even Suicune quietly stepped a few paces away from Entei, pretending it didn't hear the ridiculous justification.
"Don't worry about me," Nathan said, patting his chest confidently. "I'll be perfectly safe."
Chiyou had been completely eradicated. As of now, there was practically no one in the country who could pose any real threat to him.
Entei sighed, feeling a bit exasperated. Nathan was leaving it no way out.
Still, the more Entei thought about it, the more it calmed down. Sure, Volcarona was strong, but that didn't mean all of Nathan's Pokémon could fight on even footing with Legendaries.
Volcarona had been raised by Nathan since it was a Larvesta. Even then, it had only barely scraped a victory against Raikou. If Entei were to face a different one of Nathan's Pokémon, maybe it could win easily.
"Fine," Entei growled. "But remember—you asked for it. Since you're so eager to taste defeat, I'll gladly help you with that."
As soon as it finished speaking, blazing flames erupted from Entei's body.
Nathan smiled and calmly released Mewtwo.
The moment Mewtwo appeared, Nathan activated its Mega Evolution.
In a flash, Mega Mewtwo X stood tall on the battlefield.
"Mewtwo—it's your turn."
Against Entei, sending out Frosmoth would've been utterly reckless. Frosmoth was Bug/Ice type—both of which were directly weak to Fire. It would've been a disaster.
Mewtwo, on the other hand, didn't have a type advantage, but at least it wasn't at a disadvantage either.
The battle began in an instant.
Mega Mewtwo X immediately played to its strengths, charging straight at Entei. Known for its physical prowess, Mewtwo's combat abilities were far superior to Volcarona's.
Letting Entei get space to launch its fiery attacks? Not an option.
Entei felt immense pressure. While Volcarona had the edge in special attack, this Mewtwo's physical combat capabilities were terrifying.
Where on earth is Nathan getting these kinds of Pokémon from? This is insane, Entei thought bitterly as it fought.
Both Pokémon moved with lightning speed.
Every time Mewtwo struck, Entei had to put its full focus into defending. A single direct hit from Mewtwo would leave it sore for hours.
Though Entei attempted a few counterattacks, Mewtwo's special defense was surprisingly strong.
The battle had only just begun. Entei wasn't about to unleash its full power immediately—it needed to feel Mewtwo out first. Diving in blindly without reading the opponent's capabilities would only waste precious stamina.
As the clash continued and they exchanged blows, Entei gradually adapted. Then, it decided to go on the offensive.
"Smokescreen!"
If Entei wants to defeat Nathan's Mewtwo, it is naturally impossible for him to fight Mewtwo in close combat all the time.
After using the Smokescreen, flames burst from Entei's body in an instant. High heat distorted the air, and intense fire spread in all directions.
Mewtwo quickly retreated—just being near those flames made it uncomfortable.
Pushing Mewtwo back, Entei opened its mouth and fired off two burning embers.
"Mewtwo, use Aura Sphere to intercept!" Nathan shouted from the sidelines.
Mewtwo raised both arms and launched two Aura Spheres. They shot forward, collided mid-air with the fireballs, and exploded on impact. Both embers were neutralized.
But Entei was already preparing its next attack.
Its body ignited again, curling inward until it resembled a fiery wheel.
"Flame Wheel!"
Entei charged at Mewtwo like a living firestorm.
Watching from the sidelines, Kelly's heart pounded with excitement. He aimed his freshly recovered camera and captured every moment.
Two Legendary battles in one day? Unbelievable.
And better yet—he was filming it all.
"Mewtwo, Teleport to dodge!"
Clashing head-on with a Flame Wheel was suicidal. Just a touch from that level of heat could inflict serious burns.
Hearing Nathan's command, Mewtwo vanished on the spot.
Entei, still speeding forward, suddenly lost its target and canceled the move. Mewtwo reappeared exactly where Entei had been just moments earlier.
Their positions had swapped.
Entei quickly responded with Extreme Speed, racing toward Mewtwo again.
But Mewtwo kept dodging, and Entei's attacks continued to miss. It was clearly frustrated.
This Mewtwo was incredibly agile, and Teleport made it nearly impossible to land a clean hit.
Unless Entei used a wide-range attack, Mewtwo would keep slipping away.
"Mewtwo, use Psystrike!"
Dodging wasn't enough. They had to fight back.
Mewtwo summoned a powerful wave of psychic energy—dense, almost tangible. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance and struck Entei head-on.
Entei tried to dodge, but the speed of the attack was unreal.
Before it could react, the Psystrike hit, and Entei stumbled back several steps.
The damage wasn't massive—but it stung.
After all, this was Entei. A mere psychic wave couldn't possibly take it down.
But the fact it had been hit at all? That was a message in itself.
(End of Chapter)