Alex dove under the cover of the jagged rocks as Victini immediately wrapped both of them in its psychic cloak, making them completely invisible.
Alex held his breath, pointing the console's camera up toward the sky.
The thick smoke and clouds parted, revealing a bird cloaked in roaring flames—Moltres.
Alex's mouth fell wide open. He grabbed Victini in pure shock, his eyes glued to the majestic figure as he kept the console focused on its descent. Moltres had something clutched tightly in its sharp talons, but it moved too fast for Alex to get a clear look. With a sweeping glide, Moltres landed near the mouth of the volcano and disappeared into a dark opening that seemed to be its nest.
Before Alex could even process the sight, two jet-like streaks ripped through the clouds.
ROOOOAAAR!
Furious dragon roars echoed across the heavens as a blue and a red silhouette plummeted toward the volcano—Latios and Latias.
Without hesitation, the two Legendary Pokémon unleashed massive beams of energy straight at the volcanic slope, blasting rocks and sending waves of molten lava splashing high into the air.
Alex excitedly muttered to himself, barely able to contain his awe. It was practically unheard of to witness a clash between Legendary Pokémon in person.
An angry screech tore out from the crater. Moltres burst from the volcano wrapped in blazing fire, shooting straight into the sky to meet the charging Latios and Latias in a clash of furious power.
Alex quickly pulled back and replayed the footage on his console. Zooming in on Moltres's claws, he noticed it had been clutching a small, golden-yellow shape.
Watching the three powerful Pokémon tear into each other high above, Alex instantly pieced the situation together. Moltres must have ambushed the duo and stolen the little golden creature, and the two dragons had come to rescue it.
Alex and Victini looked at each other.
Slowly, matching mischievous grins spread across both their faces. Alex gave a low, cunning chuckle and whispered, "Victini... how about we rob Moltres's nest?"
Victini let out a giggle that sounded surprisingly menacing for such a cute Pokémon.
Neither wasted a second.
Still completely invisible under Victini's power, they rushed toward the volcanic hill. Alex used his psychic ability to gently lift and push aside falling boulders and rubble that blocked their path.
They soon reached the base of the summit and looked up at the narrow cave opening where Moltres had landed. The battle roared violently overhead, drawing all eyes away from the ground.
"Victini, lift us up!" Alex urged.
Victini nodded, using its psychic power to float both of them straight into the cave mouth.
The heat inside was scorching, hot enough to melt metal in seconds, but Victini's natural affinity for fire combined with its Protect move created a cool sphere around Alex.
The moment Alex's shoes touched the cave floor, the soles began to smoke. Alex reacted instantly, channeling his psychic power to lift himself an inch off the ground so his feet never actually made contact with the boiling rock.
They ventured deeper into the cavern. The jagged walls glittered under the glow of the magma, embedded with sparkling gem stones and glowing Fire Stones of exceptional quality.
Alex's eyes widened. He was sorely tempted to grab a few, but he kept his focus and pushed forward.
Soon, the tunnel opened up into a massive chamber filled with bright red, bubbling magma. Floating right in the middle of the molten lake was a large, flat stone platform.
On that platform lay a small Pokémon with a striking golden-yellow and white body.
Alex blurted out in shock, "A Shiny Latias...!"
It was tiny and terribly weak. Alex realized at once that it was just a baby, likely snatched away from its parents by Moltres.
Alex leaped, using his telekinesis to glide safely across the magma and land on the platform. He and Victini hurried to the fallen Pokémon's side.
The Shiny Latias was covered in severe burns, breathing faintly. It was far too weak to even sense who had arrived, letting out only faint, painful whimpers.
Alex placed his hand gently near its head, sending a warm psychic pulse into its mind: 'Don't be afraid. We mean no harm. We came to help you.'
The young Latias weakly opened its eyes for a split second, hearing only Alex's reassuring voice before slipping back into unconsciousness.
"Victini, use Heal Pulse!" Alex called out urgently.
Victini raised its tiny hands, bathing the scorched baby in a soothing, golden-pink light. The severe burns began to mend, stabilizing the young Pokémon's fragile life force.
Now that it was stable, Alex faced a major problem. "How are we going to carry it out of here without hurting it more?"
Victini tapped Alex's chest, pointing directly at the Premier Ball hanging around his neck.
Alex's eyes lit up. "Smart thinking!"
He unhooked the white sphere and gently tapped it against the Shiny Latias's body.
The Premier Ball clicked open. A beam of red light enveloped the young Pokémon, pulling it inside the capsule. The ball snapped shut, resting in the center of the platform as the red indicator light began to beep softly.
Wiggle... wiggle... click.
The capture sound rang out clearly.
Alex couldn't contain his excitement. He scooped up the ball and struck the iconic trainer pose.
"I caught a Shiny Latias!" he declared proudly.
A second later, realization hit him. His face flushed in embarrassment at doing the pose in the middle of a burning volcanic cave.
"Victini, get us out of this oven! Teleport!"
Victini nodded quickly, grabbing Alex's arm.
With a bright flash of light, both of them vanished into thin air, leaving the molten cavern completely empty—and reappearing safely back on the cool, breezy sands of their beach.