Galarian Moltres flapped its wings, hovering in the air, its gaze locked onto Marnie, momentarily startled by her sudden burst of fighting spirit. But its hesitation quickly faded as it narrowed its icy-blue eyes, preparing to unleash devastation.
Summer knew there was no time to waste. "Go, Ogerpon!"
Against such a formidable opponent, he had to choose carefully. Rillaboom and the Lilligants were at a severe disadvantage—one wrong move, and they'd be out of the fight.
More importantly, their combat style relied on close-range attacks, which wouldn't be ideal against a flying adversary like Moltres. Corviknight could hold its own, but Ogerpon's agility and unique mask abilities made it the perfect counter.
As Ogerpon landed gracefully, gripping its thorned cane, it looked up at the dark phoenix and immediately recognized the threat.
"Gaooo!" (That thing is bad news!)
Marnie quickly stepped up. "Summer, give me the rundown on this thing. I'll have Grimmsnarl back you up!"
Summer nodded, quickly summarizing, "Dark/Flying-type. Special attack-oriented. Its ability activates when its HP drops below half, making it even more dangerous. The black flames aren't real fire, but they drain energy and cause extreme fatigue. Avoid direct contact."
Marnie absorbed the information, then turned to Grimmsnarl. "Got it. Grimmsnarl, Light Screen!"
Given what Summer had just explained, mitigating special attacks was the first priority.
Grimmsnarl roared, channeling spiritual energy, and a protective light barrier formed before the group, shimmering like a mystical veil.
Up above, Galarian Moltres merely scoffed. Weaklings like these thought they could resist its flames? Laughable.
With a piercing cry, it flared its wings, sending waves of malicious energy plummeting down like a rain of black fire—its signature move, Fiery Wrath.
Seeing the attack, Summer acted fast. "Ogerpon, switch to Teal Mask Form!"
With a flash, Ogerpon placed the Teal Mask over its face, its body shifting colors, as a mystical aura enveloped it—the power of its legendary spirit awakening.
"Corviknight, Hurricane! Disrupt the attack!"
The steel bird didn't hesitate. It summoned a powerful whirlwind, sending raging currents upward to intercept the falling darkness.
The combination of Light Screen and the hurricane managed to weaken the attack significantly. The once devastating black flames were caught in the storm, dispersed into harmless embers.
Marnie smirked. "Now, Grimmsnarl, Thunder Wave!"
Grimmsnarl launched a pulse of crackling electricity into the air. The paralysis-inducing wave struck Moltres head-on, causing its body to seize up momentarily.
Moltres let out an angry screech, visibly struggling as its body spasmed slightly—just flapping its wings now took extra effort.
But this only infuriated it further.
Its deep-blue eyes burned with pure hatred. These lowly creatures dared to make a mockery of it?
Summer's eyes narrowed. "Be careful. It's about to get serious."
Ogerpon gripped its cane tightly, its leaf-like cloak fluttering in the wind.
Corviknight fluffed its metallic wings, preparing for whatever came next.
Grimmsnarl hunched low, snarling, its muscles tensed.
Moltres stilled midair… then folded its wings in, compacting its body.
The air around it shifted.
A howling, chaotic force erupted as its dark energy coalesced into a massive swirling vortex—a towering tornado of pure malevolence.
And at its core, Moltres was absorbing its own power, charging up an attack of apocalyptic proportions.
Marnie's breath caught in her throat. "That thing's cheating. No way it should be able to do that much at once!"
Summer, however, saw an opportunity.
"Corviknight, this is our chance!"
The steel bird stared in disbelief. "Gaa?! (Are you insane? That's a death vortex!)"
Summer's gaze hardened. "You control the winds better than it does. Take that storm away from it."
Galarian Moltres hovered above, its dark aura pulsing like a living entity, suffocating the air with oppressive energy. Marnie's battle-ready stance wavered for a moment—this was no ordinary opponent. The sheer weight of its presence alone made it feel like a force of nature rather than a mere Pokémon.
But Summer remained unfazed.
"Go, Ogerpon!" he called out, releasing the masked Pokémon onto the battlefield. At the same time, he recalled the others—this wasn't a fight for brute force; they needed strategy. Corviknight stayed behind, its razor-sharp eyes locked onto its airborne opponent.
Marnie gritted her teeth, forcing herself to push past her initial hesitation. "Give me a quick rundown," she said, her voice steadying. "What are we dealing with?"
Summer nodded. "Dark- and Flying-type. Special attack specialist. Its ability triggers once it's weakened, making it even more dangerous. Also, that so-called 'fire' around it? Don't touch it. It doesn't burn—it drains."
She inhaled sharply. "Great. So it's strong, fast, and gets stronger when it's losing. Just our luck."
Galarian Moltres, as if insulted by their conversation, let out a guttural cry. With a powerful flap of its wings, it sent a wave of crimson-black flames surging downward—a vicious attack known as Fiery Wrath.
"Corviknight, use Hurricane!" Summer ordered.
The steel bird shrieked and countered with a massive cyclone of wind, intercepting the flames midair. The two attacks collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the desert. The surrounding dunes trembled, sand lifting into the air like a raging storm.
"Long Hair Grimmsnarl, Light Screen!" Marnie commanded.
Her Pokémon reacted instantly, raising a protective barrier between them and the swirling chaos. The impact from Moltres's flames was significantly weakened, though the sheer force still forced them to brace themselves.
Moltres's eyes gleamed with amusement, as if to say, "Is that all?"
Marnie scowled. "That thing is toying with us."
"Not for long," Summer muttered. "Corviknight, fly into the storm."
The steel bird hesitated for only a second before flapping its massive wings and shooting into the sky, heading straight into the heart of Moltres's dark vortex.
Marnie's eyes widened. "Are you insane?"
Summer smirked. "Not insane. Calculated."
As Corviknight soared higher, Summer lifted his wrist. The Tera Orb in his grasp shimmered with blinding azure light. "Time to take control of the wind itself! Corviknight, Terastallize!"
Energy surged around Corviknight, engulfing it in a crystalline glow. A large, translucent balloon-like crown formed atop its head—the Air Tera Type making its presence known.
Empowered by the transformation, Corviknight twisted through the storm, wings slicing through the dark winds like a blade through silk. With each beat, it absorbed the raging winds, controlling the flow, redirecting the chaos to its advantage.
Moltres let out an enraged screech, realizing the storm was no longer its own.
The Legendary bird dove, eyes glowing with fury, preparing to strike Corviknight down with a devastating Brave Bird.
"Now's our chance!" Summer shouted. He reached for his Tera Orb again, this time activating a different Pokémon's power. "Terastallize, Ogerpon!"
A brilliant pink light erupted from the masked Pokémon, its Fairy Tera crown shimmering like the moon itself. With its newfound energy, Ogerpon leapt into the air, launching itself toward Moltres.
"Play Rough!"
The masked warrior spun midair, gripping its cane as it glowed with celestial energy. With a fierce battle cry, it smashed the weapon directly into Moltres's chest.
The impact was catastrophic.
Moltres let out a piercing shriek as a blast of starbursts and shimmering energy erupted upon contact. The force sent it tumbling through the air, its body twisting wildly before crashing into the dunes below.
A massive dust cloud exploded from the impact, engulfing the battlefield.
For a long, tense moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, a faint rustling.
Moltres slowly lifted its head, breathing heavily. Its once-pristine black feathers were scorched and tattered, and its body trembled with exhaustion.
But in its eyes—pure, unfiltered rage.
With one last, forceful flap of its wings, the Legendary Pokémon forced itself into the sky, glaring down at Summer and Marnie as if committing their faces to memory.
Then, without a sound, it turned and vanished beyond the horizon.
Marnie exhaled, shoulders sagging. "It… it actually ran?"
Summer dusted off his uniform. "Yeah. It won't forget this loss."
She glanced at him, expression unreadable. Then, suddenly, she smirked. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Meanwhile…
On a distant cliff overlooking the battle, a lone figure stood, peering through a pair of binoculars.
An elderly man, dressed in a traditional martial artist's gi, watched as the black-winged bird disappeared into the sky. He lowered the binoculars, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
Beside him, his own Corviknight let out a low caw, its keen gaze following the retreating silhouette of Galarian Moltres.
The old man chuckled.
"That kid… he's something else."
His Corviknight fluffed its feathers in agreement.
The old master smiled, shaking his head. "Reminds me of someone I used to know..."