Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 318: Rayquaza’s Ambush (Two-in-One)

Rayquaza suddenly thought of a possibility.

When Rio had destroyed the Greater Mauville Holdings, he had performed exceptionally well. Someone like that didn’t seem like the type to lie to it. But if he hadn’t lied, then why had the one-year deadline passed without the man contacting it through the emerald fragment again?

Forgetting? That was unlikely. It was the legendary guardian of the Hoenn region. No human would dare forget something it had entrusted them with—unless they wanted to die.

But if he hadn’t forgotten, then the only explanation was that something had gone wrong while he was carrying out the task. Yet that didn’t make sense either—he commanded Articuno and a Charizard that could use Sacred Fire. Few people could actually harm him.

"Ray~" — Enough thinking. It’s pointless. Better to find him directly and ask what’s going on. If something happened, I can forgive him. But if he lied and deliberately didn’t complete my task... hmph, then he’s as good as dead.

Rayquaza rolled through the clouds. Finally, it closed its eyes and began searching for Rio’s location. The emerald fragment it had given Rio had a tracking function—it could sense the holder’s location.

Before long, Rayquaza found where the fragment was.

"Ray~" — The Johto region? That kid is in the Johto region? Could he have been captured while trying to destroy the Pokémon Association and thrown into a cell?

Rayquaza looked toward Johto, puzzled. The more it thought, the more plausible it seemed. The Pokémon Association had many powerful members and advanced technology—it had even temporarily imprisoned Rayquaza itself. If not for an unexpected incident, it might never have escaped.

"Ray~" — Kid, hang on. I’m coming to save you.

Rayquaza twisted through the clouds again and flew toward the Johto and Kanto regions.

Meanwhile, at Indigo Plateau.

A new round of trainers had taken the stage. The trainer on the left sent out Haunter; the one on the right sent out Charmeleon. This put Gengar and Charizard on opposite sides for their respective juniors.

Charizard naturally supported Charmeleon, while Gengar supported Haunter. The loser would give the winner one day’s worth of food rations.

"Gengar~" — Little Charizard, let me show you the power of the Gengar line! I guarantee this battle will go to Haunter. I can tell just by looking—that Haunter is excellent.

Gengar cackled in support of its junior.

"Roooar~" — That’s not certain. I think Charmeleon will win this one. I can tell by looking—that Charmeleon is excellent too.

Charizard puffed out its chest in support of its junior.

"Battle—START!!!"

As they spoke, the battle on the stage began with the referee’s command.

"Haunter, Double Team!"

The Haunter trainer struck first.

"Haun~"

Haunter’s dark green form split like ink diffusing into water, dividing into six afterimages that surrounded Charmeleon in a ring, cackling eerily. Charmeleon looked around nervously, showing slight panic.

"Charmeleon, Dragon Claw—tear them apart!"

The Charmeleon trainer responded calmly. Charmeleon, initially flustered, suddenly lunged forward, its claws glowing with green dragon energy.

"Rua~"

Charmeleon slashed with its dragon-empowered claws, tearing through the air and dispersing two of the surrounding afterimages into mist.

"Gengar~" — It missed. That Charmeleon is done for.

In the guest room, Gengar cackled at Charizard. On the big screen, the real Haunter had already circled behind Charmeleon.

"Haunter, Lick!" the Haunter trainer shouted.

Haunter’s tongue lashed out like a whip, ghostly purple paralyzing energy gathering at its tip.

"Charmeleon, Dragon Tail—backward!" the Charmeleon trainer countered.

"Rua~"

Charmeleon swept its flaming tail backward. Orange and ghostly purple energy collided at the center of the battlefield, exploding into a shockwave that forced both trainers to shield their faces.

On the guest platform, Rio raised an eyebrow. Interesting... The evenly matched excitement made him inwardly praise the battle.

"Don’t give it a breather, Charmeleon—use Dragon Rage!" the Charmeleon trainer roared.

Responding to its trainer’s call, Charmeleon roared and fired a beam of green energy, while also launching a fireball from its tail. The energy beam formed a fierce dragon’s head as it shot toward Haunter.

"Dodge it!" the Haunter trainer shouted.

"Haun~"

Haunter dodged swiftly—but the dragon head curved midair to chase it. Though it still missed, the impact on a nearby boulder sent shockwaves that caught Haunter, throwing it back and dealing significant damage.

"Beautiful!" Rio couldn’t help but praise aloud.

He could see why the Dragon Rage had curved midair—Charmeleon had fired the fireball from its tail first, using the heat to distort the airflow and guide the Dragon Rage’s turn. That kind of coordination required hundreds of practice sessions.

"Roooar~" — Right? I thought it was beautiful too!

Charizard, feeling proud as if it were being praised itself, puffed up.

"Gengar~" — Don’t get too cocky. It’s not over yet, little Charizard.

Gengar shot back defiantly.

On the battlefield, Haunter had taken significant damage from the shockwave but was still standing. Under its trainer’s command, it sank into the ground. When it reappeared, it fired a Shadow Ball point-blank from beneath Charmeleon’s feet, sending it staggering back.

But that attack triggered Charmeleon’s ability—Blaze.

Scorching flames erupted around Charmeleon’s body.

"Charmeleon, Fire Fang!" the Charmeleon trainer commanded.

"Rua~"

Charmeleon’s fangs ignited as it bit down on Haunter’s still-extended left arm.

"Haun~"

Haunter screamed in pain, trying to pull away, but Charmeleon held on tight. The ghostly mist of Haunter’s body visibly thinned under the Fire Fang’s heat.

"Haunter, Night Shade!" the Haunter trainer shouted.

Haunter’s eyes flared with intense purple light. In Charmeleon’s vision, Haunter’s body seemed to absorb all light like a black hole, plunging the battlefield into darkness. Charmeleon looked around nervously.

Then its trainer’s voice cut through the darkness:

"Charmeleon, Flamethrower—northwest!"

"Rua~"

Charmeleon obeyed without hesitation, unleashing a brilliant red-orange flame that illuminated Haunter’s form in the darkness. Haunter screamed in pain—but it also retaliated, unleashing a Hex attack that sent Charmeleon flying. The flame on Charmeleon’s tail flickered unsteadily.

"Charmeleon, get up! Don’t give up! Remember our dream of winning the championship together!" the Charmeleon trainer shouted, delivering a motivational buff.

"Haunter, just a little more—you can beat that Charmeleon! Remember our promise to reach the top of the world?" the Haunter trainer similarly encouraged.

Haunter was in bad shape too, lying on the ground with its ghostly form beginning to dissipate.

Besides them, two others were exceptionally excited—Charizard and Gengar. Both watched the downed but not-yet-defeated Charmeleon and Haunter with great agitation.

"Roooar~" — Come on, Charmeleon! You carry the future of the Charizard line!

"Gengar~" — Come on, Haunter! You’ll be the pillar of the Gengar line’s future!

Rio, hearing the two overly excited reactions, was a bit speechless. You’d think this was the stage of The Prince of Tennis. Pillar of the Gengar line... really?

But honestly, he was also curious who would win. From the level information, both Pokémon were nearly identical—very close in strength.

In the end, both Pokémon, under their trainers’ commands, stood up—and Haunter floated back up.

"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!"

"Haunter, Shadow Ball!"

Both trainers gave their final, desperate commands. They knew this would be their last order of the match.

"Rua~"

"Haun~"

Charmeleon unleashed a scorching stream of fire. Haunter hurled a pitch-black Shadow Ball. The two attacks collided at the center of the battlefield, kicking up a massive curtain of dust.

When visibility cleared, Haunter was embedded in the wall, unable to battle. Charmeleon stood tall on the field, the flame on its tail flickering like a dying sunset.

The winner was decided—Charmeleon won.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause. It was an exceptionally close and exciting battle, with both sides evenly matched.

On the guest platform, Charizard smugly slapped Gengar.

"Roooar~" — Convinced yet, Old Ghost? The Charizard line is superior, isn’t it?

Gengar shot back defiantly: "Gengar~" — Don’t get too smug. One win doesn’t prove anything. Next time we meet, the Gengar line’s junior will win.

"Roooar~" — Keep talking. Don’t forget to give me half your food ration tomorrow.

Charizard mocked.

Just as Charizard laughed, the newly victorious Charmeleon on the battlefield began to change. It roared skyward, its tail flame suddenly contracting into a brilliant white. White evolution light enveloped its body. Its form grew larger, and a pair of wings sprouted from its back.

When the light faded, a 1.7-meter-tall orange-red beast spread its wings, creating a gust of wind across the battlefield.

"Roooar~" — Hahaha! Old Ghost, I really have to thank your junior! After that battle, my junior has evolved to its final form!

Charizard grew even more smug. Gengar just rolled its eyes and ignored the gloating.

But the battle wasn’t over. Although the Haunter trainer had lost one Pokémon, the format was 2v2, so he had one more chance.

"Come out, Gyarados—defeat this Charizard for me!"

A flash of light—the Haunter trainer sent out a normal-colored Gyarados.

Its appearance immediately pitted the Red Gyarados, who had been following Annihilape, against Charizard in a bet.

"ROAR!!!" — Don’t get too cocky, little Charizard! Watch the Gyarados line beat your Charizard line to a pulp!

Not facing Annihilape, Red Gyarados shed its sycophantic persona and became arrogantly confident.

"Roooar~" — Don’t get ahead of yourself, you itchy-skinned fool. Even if my junior just fought a tough battle, I believe it can still beat yours.

Charizard scoffed at Red Gyarados.

The battle on the stage began. The Haunter trainer struck first:

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

"ROAR!!!"

Gyarados unleashed a powerful torrent of water from its mouth.

"Charizard, Dragon Claw—get close!" the Charmeleon trainer, now Charizard’s trainer, calmly commanded despite his Pokémon’s recent evolution.

"Roooar~"

Charizard’s claws glowed with dragon energy, slicing through the surging water as it flew toward Gyarados.

Clang!

Just as Charizard was about to close in, the Haunter trainer ordered Gyarados to use Ice Fang. Gyarados’s frost-covered fangs met Charizard’s—ice and fire clashing, producing a thick fog that quickly enveloped the battlefield.

And at this critical moment, just as everyone was focused on the match—something unexpected happened in the sky.

Dark clouds suddenly covered the sky, blotting out the clear day. Wind howled through the venue, accompanied by rolling thunder.