Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 31: Metronome That Rolls Divine Moves Exclusively

Rio and Cynthia stood on the battlefield once again.

Surrounding them were all the Gym trainees and volunteers from the Pokémon House.

"Rio, you got lucky yesterday. Today, I dare you to have Munchlax use Metronome again. I refuse to believe it’ll roll a legendary move as powerful as yesterday’s," Cynthia said through gritted teeth before the battle began.

Yesterday’s defeat was still fresh in her mind. Afterwards, she had contacted her grandmother to confirm—describing the Pokémon she’d seen through the spatial rift. Her grandmother was astonished, confirming it was the legendary Pokémon of the Sinnoh region: Palkia, the deity who controlled spatial power. Being defeated by that god’s move, she had no complaints—only resentment. She resented losing to sheer luck. How incredibly fortunate did one have to be to roll that move? She suspected it might even be the first such occurrence in history.

"Then let’s give it a try," Rio said calmly, unfazed by Cynthia’s agitation.

He was also curious whether Munchlax could roll another divine move. If it could, then it was clearly a high-probability event.

Half a minute later, with Xiao Hao—the part-time referee—giving the signal, the second battle between Rio and Cynthia began.

"Munchlax, Metronome."

Rio gave the same command again.

"Ka~"

Munchlax’s paws glowed white.

Everyone’s eyes widened. They hadn’t expected Rio to start with Metronome again.

Mr. Fuji was taken aback: "Again? Does Rio really think Munchlax can replicate yesterday’s luck?"

"You’re actually making it use Metronome again? You’re hoping for another legendary move?" Cynthia’s eyes widened too—she hadn’t expected him to take her words literally. What she’d said before was all bluster, just a taunt.

"Fine then! My Gabite will avenge yesterday’s one-shot defeat!"

"Gabite, charge in—Dragon Claw!"

"Gah~" Gabite roared, its expression vicious—today it would settle the score—and charged at Munchlax, its sharp claws wreathed in a faint glow.

But—

Just as it took two steps, anomalies arose. Just like yesterday, the sky darkened as if the world was ending.

The only difference was that everything around them seemed to slow down. Falling leaves drifted down frame by frame. Gabite itself moved frame by frame—two seconds passed, and it hadn’t advanced even half a centimeter.

"No way... it’s happening again?" Mr. Fuji, also feeling the time dilation, was deeply shaken. Yesterday it was spatial rifts; today it was time dilation?

"Whoa, another divine move? Which time-controlling legendary is this?" Rio, also feeling the slow-motion effect, was inwardly thrilled.

On the opposite side, Cynthia’s mouth opened slowly: "A-r-e—y-o-u—k-i-d-d-i-n-g—m-e—a-g-a-i-n?!"

The Gym trainees screamed internally: "I’m convinced—this is definitely another legendary move! Which legendary is it this time?"

At the same time—

Inside a region of chaotic temporal currents, a massive palace stood. A colossal, deep-blue Pokémon lay prostrate on a throne. In its sleep, it suddenly opened its eyes.

"Roar~"

Instantly, the temporal currents around it seemed to freeze solid.

...

At the Lavender Gym—

"Ka~"

At this moment, the only one unaffected by the time slow was Munchlax.

Its mouth opened wide. Countless deep-blue particles materialized out of thin air and converged in its mouth, about to be unleashed.

Seeing this, everyone was certain—this was definitely another divine move on par with yesterday’s.

Mr. Fuji muttered internally: "A life well-lived—witnessing two legendary moves firsthand. And they came from Metronome of all things?"

Cynthia’s eyes reddened with frustration. "How disgusting can this be? Its Metronome is just ridiculously broken. Fine, you roll Palkia’s move once—but a second legendary move? Whose is this one now?"

Rio thought to himself: "This looks like the move of the Time God, Dialga—Palkia’s counterpart."

But the most despairing of all was Gabite.

Watching the deep-blue beam hurtling toward it, it slowly closed its eyes—a tear streaming down its cheek.

"Gah~" — It’s over... I’m toast again.

Whoosh—

The deep-blue beam shot from Munchlax’s mouth. It struck Gabite in an instant, sending it flying backward and opening a temporal wormhole at the end, swallowing Gabite whole.

It vanished from everyone’s sight once more.

At that moment, the anomalies faded, and the time slow ended.

Cynthia looked like she was about to break down again. Yesterday it was banishment to a spatial rift; today it was being thrown into a temporal wormhole.

"My Gabite... I’m so sorry..." she collapsed to her knees.

Meanwhile, everyone else stared intently at the fading temporal wormhole.

Mr. Fuji murmured: "Yesterday a legendary appeared—will we see another today?"

As if on cue, Gabite was flung back out of the wormhole, just like yesterday—completely incapacitated.

Cynthia rushed over to administer medicine.

Then everyone saw a colossal Pokémon fly past inside the wormhole. It too glanced at the real world through the temporal rift, and everyone was awestruck.

Cynthia, after treating Gabite: "That’s the other Sinnoh deity my grandmother mentioned—the one who controls time! So the move just now was its?!"

Mr. Fuji was ecstatic: "Worth it! This old man’s life is complete! Two days in a row, I’ve seen legendary Pokémon. I wonder if the one born from my own research could match these two."

The trainees: "Does anyone know which legendary this is? And who’s stronger—this one or yesterday’s?"

Rio murmured in awe: "Dialga—the Time God."

Yesterday was Palkia; today was Dialga. Next time, would it be Giratina’s move? And then Arceus’s?

Dialga glanced at the group—more precisely, at Munchlax beside Rio—then turned and disappeared into the colorful temporal currents.

After it left, the temporal wormhole created by Roar of Time vanished in an instant.

"Ka~"

Just like yesterday, Munchlax sat down heavily after using the move.

Rio quickly fed it some Snorlax Energy Cubes. Mr. Fuji, without needing a reminder, went to get food for Munchlax.

When he wheeled a cart of food over to Munchlax, he couldn’t help but give it a thumbs-up. Then he said to Rio: "Rio, next time Munchlax has a battle, make sure to call me. This old man has to be there to watch."

Though he still felt it was luck that Munchlax had rolled legendary moves two times in a row, who could say a third wouldn’t come? The chance to witness legendary moves was something an ordinary person might never get in a lifetime.

"Miss Cynthia, would you like to go for another round?" Rio called out to Cynthia, responding to Mr. Fuji’s request.

The second battle’s victory had boosted Munchlax from Level 27 to 31—a four-level jump. This kind of leveling was addictive.

Before Cynthia could answer, Gabite, now conscious again, shook its head frantically like a rattle.

Then Cynthia spoke up, her eyes red as she shot Rio a furious glare: "No more! Battle whoever you want. I’m never battling you again!"

She swore to herself—she would never again battle a Pokémon that knew Metronome. It had no battle technique whatsoever—pure luck. And when that luck struck, it was absolutely infuriating.

Yesterday the Spatial God, today the Time God. If there were a third time, would it send her Gabite to the Distortion World and summon Giratina, the God of the Distortion World?

Rio raised an eyebrow.

Is the future Sinnoh Champion—the strongest female trainer in the League—actually crying because of Munchlax?