----
Ho-Oh let out a thunderous cry its wings flaring with righteous fury.
It had just watched Suicune, one of its chosen, captured before its very eyes.
And it was furious.
With a sweep of its wings, dozens of blazing fireballs ignited in the sky, cascading toward Kai like a burning net.
Before they could reach him, Gengar and Gardevoir burst from the smoke, intercepting the attack together psychic energy and shadow blasts collided midair with the fire, erupting into clouds of smoke and fla.
Kai stepped out of the smoke calmly, his hand catching the Ultra Ball that now held Suicune.
He spun it once in his palm and stared straight up at Ho-Oh.
Bold. Daring. Defiant.
The challenge in his eyes was unmistakable.
Across the battlefield, Entei and Raikou, now healed, exchanged a brief look with Ho-Oh.
Then, with a flicker of lightning and fla, the two Beasts vanished into the shadows, fleeing the battle.
They had escaped.
Kai clenched his jaw.
It stung.
He had nearly captured all three.
But now, two of the Legendary Beasts were gone. Just like he had said when these Pokémon truly wanted to flee, no one could stop them.
Still, one prize remained.
And now that the distractions were gone, it was just him and Ho-Oh.
"Alright," Kai muttered, eyes gleaming.
"Just the two of us now. Ti to settle this."
Around him, his and Erika's Pokémon regrouped.
Charizard, Gengar, Jolteon, Gardevoir, Tangrowth, and Leafeon ford a semicircle, pinning Ho-Oh in place.
But the Rainbow Pokémon didn't flinch.
Its eyes locked on Kai with ancient intensity.
Suddenly, without warning, a voice echoed in Kai's mind calm, genderless, and full of authority:
"Human. Release that Pokémon. Do not upset the balance of nature."
The balance?
Kai gave a dry, unimpressed chuckle.
How poetic.
He thought about the so-called balance of legendary Pokémon like the Birds of the Orange Islands, who changed the weather on a whim, sotis devastating entire ecosystems.
Was that balance?
He didn't buy it.
If anything, Trainers like him understood the cost of power better than these so-called guardians.
And besides—
He had Suicune now.
No way he was giving it up.
Without hesitation, Kai swept his arm forward.
"Attack!"
A barrage of moves launched into the sky.
Gengar's Shadow Ball, Jolteon's Thunderbolt, Charizard's Flathrower, Gardevoir's Psychic blast, Tangrowth's Vine Whip, and Leafeon's Leaf Blade—
Six different strikes.
One target.
Ho-Oh answered with a blaze of color.
It spread its wings wide, erupting with radiant, golden energy, and, with a single mighty flap, dispelled the entire attack.
The resulting shockwave rippled outward, kicking up dust and wind, battering the Pokémon and forcing them to shield their eyes.
Even Kai was nearly knocked off his feet
but Steelix lumbered forward, shielding him with its massive body.
For a mont, everything stilled.
The clash had been even but that was Ho-Oh on defense.
And still, its power was imnse.
Kai's brow furrowed It was stronger than nearly anything he'd faced.
Comparable, maybe, to a non-ga wtwo in sheer force.
And while his team was formidable, he could feel it—
They weren't enough.
Not to take Ho-Oh down.
But he hadn't co here to defeat Ho-Oh in a head-on fight.
No.
He had a backup plan.
While his Pokémon kept Ho-Oh distracted, Kai opened his backpack and dug into the very bottom.
There it was.
The Master Ball.
He had received it from Silph Co.
Tucked it away, never intending to use it.
A keepsake is more than a tool. (Author note: Previously I have addressed that I got confused between ultra ball and master ball in the starting chapters of the Fanfictions)
But Ho-Oh had overstepped.
It had interfered.
It had tried to steal his victory.
And now, it was ti to make it pay.
Kai raised his hand to throw but the ground shook violently beneath him.
He stumbled, nearly falling, and braced himself against Steelix's side.
What the hell—!?
He looked around.
The battlefield was… changing.
Crystalline vines, stone, and terrain once twisted and transford by the Unown's energy were now reversing, returning to their natural state.
Everything was shifting.
Unraveling.
Restoring.
The crystallization was vanishing.
Only one thing could explain it—
Ash and the others had succeeded.
The Unown were defeated.
The illusion was breaking.
In the confusion, Ho-Oh took flight.
It soared high into the air, wings gleaming, rising above the battlefield in a streak of gold.
Kai saw it clearly now—
It was retreating.
Not out of fear.
Not because it couldn't win.
But because it understood now that nothing would make Kai surrender Suicune.
And forcing the issue would risk too much.
Kai watched it go, Master Ball still in hand.
"Running away, Ho-Oh?" he called up. "No words this ti?"
Ho-Oh glanced down once silent, composed then turned toward the stars and vanished into the night sky like a shooting star.
"Damn it…" Kai muttered, tightening his grip around the Master Ball.
He lowered it slowly.
Ash had picked the perfect ti to resolve the Unown's chaos.
Too perfect.
Still, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He looked down at the Poke Ball now resting on his belt.
Suicune was his.
Not a total loss.
Not even close.
----
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