Indeedee and Cosmog arrived shortly after the battle concluded.
Bai Chen shed his scorched armor, revealing skin that had been ravaged by Moltres's intense heat.
Not a single patch of flesh seemed unscathed.
Indeedee, ever prepared, brought out recovery medicines, and immediately initiated Healing Wish. A soft, restorative light enveloped Bai Chen, and his wounds began to knit back together at a visible pace.
Rumble—!
The sudden, heavy thunder of an avalanche echoed through the peaks. Looking up, Bai Chen saw the snowcaps beginning to collapse.
The searing heat from Moltres's flames had destabilized the mountain, threatening the local ecosystem.
Bai Chen picked up Articuno's Poké Ball and released her. The bird of ice emerged with a look of lingering resentment, her dark gaze fixed on Bai Chen.
Every ache in her body served as a reminder of his overwhelming brutality.
"Many ordinary Pokémon are living on this mountain," Bai Chen said, his voice calm but firm. "We need to stop this avalanche before we do anything else."
Articuno looked down the slope and saw a tide of wild Pokémon fleeing for their lives. She looked at her own battered wings, uncertain if she had enough strength left to halt the disaster.
"Nergigante and I will assist you. Trying is better than letting them perish," Bai Chen encouraged.
Articuno gave a solemn nod and took to the sky. Bai Chen climbed onto Nergigante's back, giving a sharp nod. "Let's go."
As they reached the clouds, Articuno flapped her wings to summon a massive blizzard. Simultaneously, Bai Chen and Nergigante channeled Nature Power to bolster the storm's intensity.
Valstrax, possessing a quadruple weakness to Ice, found the sub-zero temperatures unbearable and retreated into his Monster Ball to wait it out.
It took twenty minutes of grueling effort. By the time the mountain stabilized and the melting ceased, both Articuno and Bai Chen were nearly spent.
Returning Home
Once back on solid ground, Bai Chen had Indeedee treat Articuno with a Full Restore followed by a high-grade Recovery Medicine from the Monster Hunter world. Under Indeedee's care, the legendary bird's wounds began to fade.
When Articuno looked at Bai Chen again, her gaze had softened. At the very least, he was nothing like the poachers they had fought earlier.
After thirty minutes of rest, Ash and the others finally caught up. They were met with the sight of a recovering Articuno and a heavily bandaged Bai Chen. Though they expected him to be hurt, the severity of the burns was shocking.
Serena rushed over with a first-aid kit, but Bai Chen declined with a tired smile. "I'll be fine after a little rest. Don't worry."
As Serena watched, she noticed his skin was regenerating with terrifying efficiency. This healing speed is inhuman... she thought, though she was relieved he was out of danger.
Bonnie looked at Articuno, her eyes wide. "Mr. Bai, did you really catch Articuno and Moltres?"
"I did," Bai Chen nodded. These were the first Legendaries he had captured purely through his own combat prowess.
"That's amazing! Can we have a battle later?" Ash asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Wait until your Frogadier evolves," Bai Chen challenged. "Then we'll have a real match."
"It's a promise!" Ash cheered.
After resting, Bai Chen used Cosmog to teleport the group back to Mt. Arcree. He planned to stay there for a day before heading to Dendemille Town. Once everyone was settled, he took the two legendary birds back to his personal island.
The New Order of the Island
Upon his return, the sky above the island was still thick with rumbling thunder, but the lightning was far less chaotic than before.
Zinogre and Kirin were beginning to master their localized storms; soon, they would be able to control their power at will.
Bai Chen's first stop was to find Tinkatuff for weapon repairs. However, after inspecting the state of his gear, the little blacksmith was so incensed that she confiscated all his weapons and his armor on the spot.
She refused to let her masterpieces be used by someone so "reckless." Who uses a blade as a shield?! The Basarios blade was cracked, and the Zinogre blade had been warped by Moltres's heat.
Only the Zorah Magdaros sword had survived relatively intact. Bai Chen knew better than to argue with an angry Tinkaton and decided to let her cool off.
Next, he traveled to the island's central volcano to release Moltres. The fire bird emerged in a fury, sparks flying from its beak. It felt humiliated by the previous defeat and looked ready for a rematch.
Before Moltres could act, a massive Magma Cannon erupted from the lava nearby. The bird narrowly dodged the blast, staring in shock as a Gravios rose from the molten depths. The sheer size of the creature and the oppressive heat it radiated made Moltres hesitate.
"I fought you myself because I believe in leading through personal strength," Bai Chen explained loudly. "But if you still refuse to follow me, I'll have my partners take my place."
Moltres looked at the towering Gravios, then at Nergigante perched on Bai Chen's shoulder, looking eager for a fight. Finally, the legendary bird bowed its head in submission.
"I like those who understand the situation," Bai Chen smiled. "As a welcome gift, I have something for you."
Bai Chen pressed his hand against Moltres's head, and the light of the Bonding Stone flowed into the bird.
System Notification: > Individual 'Moltres' has obtained Rarity 8 skill [Lava Bloodline]. Similar skill detected... Evolution triggered.Individual 'Moltres' has obtained Rarity 9 skill: [Holy Fire Sunday].
Moltres's "Holy Fire Body" had transformed. This was the second Rarity 9 skill in the group.
[Holy Fire Sunday] (Rarity 9): The power of sacred fire burns eternally within the body. The user possesses the inextinguishable Sacred Flame and becomes a perpetual sun. Massively increases the power of Fire-type moves.
Moltres felt the change—the breaking of her racial shackles. She was moving toward a higher state of existence. Her eyes widened in disbelief. What is this power? Even the legendary Arceus... could he do this?
"A little gift. I hope you like it," Bai Chen said.
Moltres let out a sharp, joyous cry.
The Vision
Bai Chen looked out over the island. "What do you think of this place?"
Moltres looked around and answered honestly: "Terrible. It's the worst island I've ever seen."
"It is currently," Bai Chen admitted. "But this is our future sanctuary. My dream is simple: to lead everyone to the throne of the strongest, to break the limits of our species, and to face the most powerful foes in existence."
"But great power makes one an outcast among ordinary creatures. The journey is long, and everyone needs a place to rest. This island will be that home."
Moltres looked at Bai Chen with newfound respect. She hadn't expected the island to have such a profound purpose.
"I need you to help me guard this place," Bai Chen continued. "If, in the future, I find a way to keep ordinary creatures away from this dangerous zone and everything is settled, you're free to leave if you wish. I won't stop you."
"If this is a pact, I will honor it," Moltres replied. "You defeated me; this is your due."
The persuasion of Articuno went even more smoothly. Between their joint effort to save the Snow Mountain and Bai Chen's vision for the future, she quickly joined the fold.
Bai Chen didn't mind having another "guardian deity." In the future, when Velkhana was born, she would likely create a frozen zone anyway, and Articuno would be the perfect companion—and the perfect "brooder" to help hatch the Velkhana egg.
Future Planning
With two of the trio captured, Bai Chen's mind turned to Zapdos. He suspected the system would grant a massive hidden reward for completing the set.
Back at the camp, Bai Chen began processing his gains. He finally had the [Proof of Legend] skill. He copied it and granted it to himself, resulting in the Rarity 8 skill [Legendary Elder Dragon], which boosted all attributes significantly.
He then upgraded the skills of Zinogre, Nergigante, Gravios, and Valstrax to the "Legendary" tier.
Finally, he considered a "Link" skill for the Three Birds—something akin to a formation in a cultivation novel. He looked at the move, Helping Hand.
"If I use skill stones to evolve Helping Hand... perhaps I can create a 'Trio Bond' skill," he mused.
To achieve this, he needed a Rarity 5 skill stone to bridge the gap. For now, he decided to save his Rarity 6 and 7 stones.
That night, Bai Chen changed into casual clothes and teleported back to Kalos. Meanwhile, in Dendemille Town, a special traveler with pale blonde hair had finally arrived. Lillie had made it.
If you want to read more, join my P@treon/kazama677
I will drop 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones