When Sylveon opened her eyes again, Roaring Moon—the fearsome Paradox Pokémon that had charged at them minutes earlier—lay motionless on the ground, eyes rolled back from exhaustion.
"Decisive strike, Sylveon."
Aiden crouched down with a grin, ruffling the still-dazed Sylveon's fur—a practiced "head-pat kill" move.
She might be timid, but Sylveon's power was terrifying.
Even a mighty Paradox Pokémon like Roaring Moon—with type disadvantages—could be one-shot by her Blood Moon.
By in-game damage calculations, Roaring Moon probably owed her several health bars.
A dragon-killer who's as skittish as a Diglett… yet utterly lethal.
"Sylveon?"
Sylveon tilted her head, confused.
But under Aiden's affectionate pats, she quickly puffed up her chest, casting a haughty glare at the fallen Roaring Moon.
Hmph! Looked scary, but I crushed it effortlessly!
Pathetic!
Wait—no. That brute was strong. Which means… I'm just that OP!
Of course! That's why Trainer trusts me with his life!
I can carry!
"Aiden, that 'Blood Moon' move…"
Larry—who'd watched Roaring Moon's entire collapse while surrounded by his trio of bird Pokémon—frowned thoughtfully.
Calling it a mere "moonlight technique" felt inadequate. The attack had clearly transcended ordinary moves, delivering instant annihilation with an unnaturally wide radius.
Only someone who'd felt its suffocating aura understood its true horror.
Larry recalled the surreal moment:
- Broad daylight…
- Yet the sky turned pink, crowned by a glowing crimson moon…
As if the moon itself had plummeted, unleashing apocalyptic power.
"Ah, that's Sylveon's special training from Kitakami," Aiden replied casually, then swiftly pivoted. "But—how do we handle this?"
He gestured to the unconscious Roaring Moon.
Paradox Pokémon shared no bond with humans. They fought with primal brutality—zero restraint, zero mercy.
Even if captured now, it'd likely rebel upon waking. A logistical nightmare.
"No worries."
Larry, seasoned from nearly a year of guarding Area Zero, whipped out an Ultra Ball and tapped it against Roaring Moon's forehead. The fainted Pokémon dissolved into red light, sealed inside.
"We'll teleport this ball to League HQ before it wakes."
Relieved, Larry's tone lightened—and he smirked, turning to Aiden:
"Hey, did you know? Whether Ancient, Future, or modern Pokémon… there's one foolproof way to tame them."
"Pokémon respect overwhelming strength. Beat them relentlessly until they submit—and they'll follow you without a Poké Ball."
"According to ancient texts, our ancestors earned their first Pokémon allies through bare-handed duels."
"For this job? Leave it to President Geeta."
"…"
Aiden's eye twitched.
Such a… "primal" solution.
But for creatures that ignored modern rules? Brute force was the only language they understood.
I hope Geeta survives.
After hastily resolving Roaring Moon's fate, Aiden looked up—
—and froze.
The black Rayquaza still circled the skies, its crimson gaze fixed on him, just as before.
It had watched their entire battle since Roaring Moon targeted them.
Why?
Why would a god-tier guardian—who'd single-handedly contained all of Area Zero's Paradox Pokémon—keep its eyes on him?
Strangely… from those vivid red eyes, Aiden sensed something unexpected:
Pride?
Why would a Legendary Pokémon feel… proud of me?
"Vee…?"
Sylveon also tilted her head, studying Rayquaza.
She'd sketched it countless times… but today felt different.
Something's… incomplete about it.
Is there a dragon more perfect than Rayquaza?
Her confusion deepened as she scrutinized the sky.
Then—
WHOOSH—!
Before Aiden or Larry could react, multiple crimson blurs erupted from Area Zero's depths.
Identical to before: wings like blood moons, serrated and vast.
More Roaring Moon?!
And not just one—a swarm!
If they fought head-on, Aiden and Larry would be overwhelmed.
But worse—they weren't fighting.
They were fleeing, scattering in all directions the moment they breached the surface.
Aiden tensed.
Fighting them? Manageable—with Larry's support and Sylveon's Dragon-slaying prowess.
But stopping their escape? Impossible.
He lacked fast fliers. Larry couldn't intercept them all alone.
Minimize damage. That's all we can do.
Yet Larry—supposedly on interception duty—stood calm, even stopping Aiden from throwing a Poké Ball.
"Don't worry. Rayquaza's ready."
"If we interfere, it might accidentally vaporize us. Stay put."
Before Aiden could protest—
A ROYAL DRAGON'S ROAR SHOOK THE SKY!
The black Rayquaza vanished, leaving only a white contrail streaking across the heavens.
Rayquaza—ruling its domain!
Aiden blinked, realization dawning.
Right… the sky's its territory.
How dare you trespass, fools?
The fleeing Roaring Moon panicked, flapping wings frantically to outpace Rayquaza.
Against humans? Their speed might've worked.
But against this?
FAILURE.
Rayquaza accelerated, its body wreathed in pulsing black light.
It moved so fast Aiden could only track it by the dark aura—
—yet something felt familiar.
That move…
Not a ranged attack like Meteor Shower. This was pure kinetic annihilation—using speed as a weapon.
The perfect fit for Rayquaza?
Aiden's eyes narrowed.
Dragon Ascent.
Where Meteor Shower was area bombardment, Dragon Ascent was precision obliteration—Rayquaza diving like a meteor, its body the warhead.
And beyond offense, Dragon Ascent held a secret:
It was the key to Mega Evolution. Only by mastering it could Rayquaza activate its Delta Stream organ, unlocking even greater power.
No wonder Larry said we'd just get in the way…
Aiden sighed, eyes locked on the black streak tearing through the sky.
As Rayquaza's aura faded, it vanished again, leaving only a trail of golden-black light.
Then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions erupted across the horizon, followed by Roaring Moon's shrieks and heavy thuds as bodies hit the ground.
The swarm collapsed in seconds.
For a Mega-Evolved Rayquaza?
Crushing them was easier than swatting flies.
Even without seeing it, Aiden felt absolute safety.
No wonder it's the "Guardian Dragon"…
Even the most arrogant Ancient Pokémon would flee from this life-reaping deity!
The battle ended swiftly.
When Rayquaza finally slowed—revealing its new form—
Aiden and Sylveon gaped.
Its obsidian body now bled liquid gold: tattoos alive, swirling like storm clouds.
A Mega-Evolved jaw, trailing sensory tendrils, breathed torrents of draconic energy—coalescing into violet aura that amplified its power.
Perfection incarnate.
Aiden's scalp prickled.
Can dragons… be this beautiful?
Mega Rayquaza.
(Shiny Mega Rayquaza—ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.)
"SYYYL!!!"
While Aiden was stunned, Sylveon exploded with excitement, ribbons whipping wildly—smacking Aiden's thigh repeatedly.
I KNEW IT!
Before—powerful but incomplete!
Now? THE PINNACLE OF EXISTENCE!
If I sketch this… even Teacher Smeargle will weep!
The ribbon-'Double Slaps' snapped Aiden's attention to Sylveon's pleading eyes.
His expression turned… concerned.
He'd always known Sylveon was obsessed with Rayquaza.
But if she Sketches Dragon Ascent…
Even I can't defend that!
That's just cheating, Sylveon!
…
(Internally screaming, but also low-key intrigued.)
While Larry was distracted by Rayquaza, Aiden quickly handed Sylveon paper and pencil.
"SYLVEON!!!"
Sylveon's focus was laser-sharp, eyes glued to Mega Rayquaza, muttering feverishly under her breath.
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