She specialized in Ice-types, but against a Fire-type like Charizard, she was naturally at a disadvantage.
In the quarterfinals, though Yukie lost, her heart was filled with unwillingness.
In her eyes, if the matchup had been different—say, if she had faced Red instead—she might have stood a chance at breaking into the semifinals…
But now? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
Moltres—the legendary Pokémon!
Forget type matchups. The very fact that Red had managed to capture such a legendary Pokémon already proved he wasn't just any ordinary trainer.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket's trio had set up shop selling snacks, sneaking peeks at the battle whenever they could.
"Red, huh? This kid's completely outrageous—he even managed to capture the legendary Moltres," James sighed in disbelief.
"Yozora and Red, those two brats are from the same hometown, right? Compared to them, our little twerp looks so pitiful, nya…" Meowth said sympathetically.
The entire stadium was in an uproar.
Every media outlet went into a frenzy, snapping photos and filming nonstop. After all, Moltres was a legendary Pokémon. Any data—be it a short video clip or even a single photograph—was of priceless value.
The press corps weren't the only ones. Many spectators in the stands, cameras in hand, were overjoyed at their luck and started frantically taking pictures of Moltres.
Seeing the madness sweep through the crowd, Professor Oak nodded in satisfaction.
"When I first heard that Red had captured Moltres, I was stunned myself," he admitted with deep emotion.
After all, Oak himself had once been a Champion-level trainer in his youth, with power that stood at the very peak.
But even then, he had never captured so much as half a legendary Pokémon.
Yet Red, only just starting his journey, had already captured one. It was extraordinary. His future was unimaginable.
On the battlefield, Yozora was also shocked—but compared to others, his surprise was much milder.
After all, this was Red. That man was far too terrifying. Capturing one or two legendary Pokémon was nothing unusual for him.
Even so, Yozora carefully examined Moltres's status panel:
Pokémon: Moltres
Type: Fire + Flying
Ability: Flame Body
Rank: Gym Leader Peak
Potential: Tier 3 Legendary
Description: A Moltres in its juvenile growth stage. Even so, its flames far outclass any other Fire-type Pokémon of the same level.
"So it's Flame Body…"
Yozora frowned.
With Flame Body, any physical contact carried the risk of burning the opponent.
And considering Moltres's flames—far hotter than ordinary fire—the effect of its Flame Body would be terrifying. A single brush against it could easily leave a foe crippled with burns.
And Beedrill? A close-combat fighter. One strike, and it would be seared alive.
"Well, Yozora, how do you like the little gift I specially prepared for you?" Red called across the field, smiling faintly.
"Too much for me to handle. I'll pass," Yozora shrugged, recalling Beedrill.
As a Bug-type, Beedrill was already vulnerable to fire. Add the risk of burns, and the damage would only multiply.
Beedrill was Yozora's ace this round. If he wanted any hope of victory, he couldn't afford to let it suffer unnecessary injuries.
With that thought, Yozora decisively recalled Beedrill and sent out Golduck instead.
So far, Yozora had fielded Gengar, Charizard, Beedrill, and Golduck. Gengar and Charizard had already been defeated.
He had also used up one of his mid-battle substitution chances, leaving him with only one remaining.
Red, meanwhile, had used Pikachu, Venusaur, Snorlax, and Moltres. Pikachu and Snorlax were already out of the fight.
He too had only one substitution left.
"Against the legendary Moltres, Yozora wisely recalled his Bug-type Beedrill and sent out Golduck!" the announcer shouted.
The moment Golduck entered, it unleashed Drizzle. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and torrential rain poured down.
Unlike most Pokémon, for Golduck, rain wasn't a move—it was an Ability.
At the mere thought, the storm began.
The cold rain fell across the field. Golduck thrived in the downpour, its life force and Water-type power swelling dramatically.
Across from it, Moltres let out an uneasy screech as its fiery aura weakened drastically.
Its body remained strong—rain alone couldn't weaken its vitality.
But its flames, the source of its pride, had been cut in half.
This was the power of weather—of battlefield conditions!
This was why weather teams were so dangerous. Not only did they empower themselves, they simultaneously crippled their opponents.
The result? A massive swing in advantage.
And so it was here: Golduck thrived while Moltres withered.
In the heavy rain, Golduck's level, though only at Lord-tier Peak, now rivaled that of a Gym Leader-level Pokémon. Its Water-type energy surged to even greater heights.
Moltres, on the other hand, had seen its Fire-type energy halved. Its flames—usually strong enough to rival Elite-levels—were now reduced to no more than mid-tier Gym strength.
"As expected," Red muttered, eyes flashing, "that Golduck isn't ordinary. Its rain isn't a move—it's innate. A natural gift for instant rain!"
If that was the case, then…
"Moltres, use Hurricane!" Red commanded.
Moltres, though suppressed by the rain, was still a Gym Leader Peak Pokémon.
Ordinarily, its flames were powerful enough to reach Elite-level strength. But in this storm, that power had been slashed in half.
Still, its Flying-type energy was unaffected. In this downpour, its aerial techniques were as strong as ever.
"Cawoooh!"
With a mighty cry, Moltres whipped up a violent storm. The Hurricane raged across the drenched battlefield, its radius massive, nearly impossible to dodge.
In the official games, Hurricane and Thunder both became guaranteed hits under rain. This battle mirrored that reality.
"Golduck, block it with Psychic power!" Yozora shouted.
"Golduck!"
Golduck cried out, summoning a shimmering purple barrier of psychic energy.
Though the Hurricane covered a wide area, its destructive power wasn't overwhelming. Golduck's barrier held firm, absorbing the attack.
Red's eyes narrowed. "Moltres—close in and use Air Slash!"
(End of Chapter)