Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 324: Capturing Rayquaza (Two-in-One)

Hello Guys,

Sorry for the delayed updates I was out for quite some time and the network was not stable enough for writing Chapters.

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Rio smiled and gave Raikou a thumbs up.

"It’s just that Ho-Oh is currently questioning whether you truly deserve the title of the strongest among the three legendary beasts."

After Rio spoke, Ho-Oh shot him a glance. It hadn’t questioned anything about Raikou being the strongest or not. In its eyes, which of the three beasts was first didn’t matter—what mattered was that they obeyed it.

"How about this, Raikou—why don’t you and Entei have a battle right now? Let Ho-Oh witness your strength." Rio ignored Ho-Oh’s look and assigned Entei and Raikou a task.

"Battle Entei?" Raikou held its head high, sizing up Entei with a hint of amusement. This was exactly what it wanted—a proper fight to prove once and for all who was the strongest among the three legendary beasts.

"Come on, Entei. I hope you can withstand my full-powered attack." Raikou stood on its storm cloud, looking down at Entei with absolute confidence in its own strength.

Entei frowned at Raikou. "A creature tamed by a human—what are you putting on airs for?" Entei shot back. It didn’t believe Raikou could defeat it. It possessed the Sacred Fire granted by Lady Ho-Oh—what was Raikou compared to that? Saying it would withstand a full-powered attack was just nonsense. If Entei couldn’t block a single move from Raikou, how could it hold its head up in the world?

But seconds later, Entei was stunned.

Raikou struck first. A devastating bolt of lightning suddenly fell from the sky, striking Raikou and transforming it into a ball of electricity. It charged at Entei with unstoppable speed. At that moment, Entei had just finished gathering its scorching Sacred Fire. The Sacred Fire shot from its mouth and met Raikou’s lightning ball in midair.

The Sacred Fire that had always dominated Raikou was this time scattered by Raikou’s lightning form. Without any pause, the attack closed in on Entei and passed through it.

The thunder strike, unlike anything Entei had ever experienced, struck it with numbing force. Entei fell—one hit, and it was down. Though not completely incapacitated, the fact that it had been knocked flat by a single blow made it clear to anyone watching: a massive gap in power had opened between it and Raikou.

"Eeent~!" — How is this possible?! What move was that?! How could it resist Lady Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire?!

Entei struggled to its feet on the tree, demanding answers.

Nearby, Ho-Oh’s eyes were wide open as it stared at Raikou, basking in the shocked gazes. Ho-Oh felt that Raikou’s attack was nearly as powerful as its own.

"This is the benefit of following you?" Ho-Oh’s voice echoed in Rio’s mind.

"That’s right. If you follow me, trust me, and acknowledge me, you too can gain new power—power to surpass the creation trio of Sinnoh, and perhaps even rival Arceus." Rio began painting a grand vision.

"Surpass the creation trio? Rival Arceus?" Ho-Oh was surprised by the first promise, but the second one was almost shocking. And then, sensing something off, Rio revised his words:

"Oh wait—not rival Arceus. I mean surpass Arceus."

"Sometimes, if you don’t try, how will you ever know if you can do it?"

Ho-Oh stared blankly at the human who dared to speak such wild words.

"What’s wrong, Ho-Oh—don’t you even dare to imagine it?" Rio smirked. "Lugia is different from you. When it followed me, it was determined to beat you up and surpass the creation trio. Given how much it trusts me now, I’d say it won’t be long before it gains its first reward and achieves its first goal."

Ho-Oh grew restless after hearing that. Lugia’s first goal was clearly to kick its tail and become Kanto’s strongest legendary. If that happened, Ho-Oh would be in serious trouble. No way—that couldn’t happen.

"I’m in. I want power to surpass the creation trio and all other legends." Ho-Oh agreed.

Rio smiled with satisfaction. Then he turned to Entei, who was still fixated on why Raikou had become so strong.

"Entei, if you want this power too, then follow me." Rio pulled out another Luxury Ball.

Entei didn’t answer—it looked at Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh naturally nodded. After all, if Ho-Oh itself had been captured by Rio, the three beasts couldn’t very well rebel, could they?

Seeing this, Entei bowed to Rio in submission. Rio threw the Luxury Ball. A flash of light—Entei was drawn in. It didn’t resist, and after three shakes, the capture was successful.

Its level information was the same as before—level 81. Its friendship had increased by 30 points upon capture.

"Entei, after I capture Rayquaza, come with me to see Munchlax. I think it’ll be really happy to see you." Rio smiled as he released Entei again.

He remembered how close Munchlax and Entei were.

"I understand." Since Entei had accepted Rio as its trainer, it had no reason to refuse.

Just then, another roar sounded.

"Suisui~!" — Lady Ho-Oh! What’s happening?!

Suicune bounded across the treetops and arrived before Ho-Oh and Rio. Looking up and seeing the chaotic battle between Rayquaza, Lugia, and the others, it assumed it was being called to join the fight. It was about to fire a Hydro Pump into the sky when Ho-Oh stopped it.

"I didn’t call you to fight." Ho-Oh said.

Suicune dispersed the Hydro Pump. "Suisui~!" — Then what did you call us here for, Lady Ho-Oh?

Ho-Oh looked at Rio. Rio cleared his throat, about to pull out another Luxury Ball, but Raikou answered for him:

"We’re here to acknowledge a trainer." Raikou telepathically conveyed that it, Entei, and Ho-Oh had all accepted Rio as their trainer.

Suicune was naturally shocked into silence, staring at Rio in disbelief. It couldn’t believe that the Lady Ho-Oh it served had been captured by a human.

"Don’t look at me like that. Lugia is also my Pokémon—and Regigigas, along with the three Regi, are mine too. Even Rayquaza, the Sky Guardian of Hoenn, is about to become my Pokémon." Rio said cheerfully, waving a Luxury Ball in front of Suicune. The meaning was clear: come in on your own.

Suicune looked at Raikou, then at Entei, and finally at Ho-Oh. It stepped forward and touched the Luxury Ball’s button with its nose. A flash of light—it was drawn in. A few seconds later, it became Rio’s Pokémon.

With that, Rio had now captured eight legendary Pokémon from the Kanto region: Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Articuno, and Zapdos. Only the divine Moltres remained. But with Lugia in hand, Moltres was just a call away. In other words, he had almost conquered all of Kanto’s legends.

The phrase "Dominating Kanto" could be stamped right on his forehead.

"Ho-Oh, go help Mewtwo and the others." Rio looked up at the sky and assigned Ho-Oh its task.

The battle high above had reached a fever pitch. With Gengar, Mewtwo, Lugia, and Greninja surrounding it, Rayquaza was beginning to falter. When Ho-Oh joined the fight under Rio’s command, the one-versus-four became one-versus-five, and Rayquaza’s struggle grew even more desperate.

Rio watched from the sidelines with the three beasts. The five-versus-one battle lasted about ten minutes. Finally, under a Psystrike from Mewtwo, Rayquaza reverted from its Mega Evolved form to its base form.

After that, without its Mega Evolution, Rayquaza entered a phase of total defeat. It endured for another three minutes before plummeting toward the ground—giving Rio his first chance to throw a Poké Ball.

A flash of light—Rayquaza was drawn in. One shake—it burst out, firing a Dragon Rage at Mewtwo and the others. Gengar blocked it, and Mewtwo followed up with Psycho Cut. Rayquaza took the hit, and Rio threw again.

A flash—Rayquaza was drawn in. After three shakes, it burst out again, firing Dragon Breath. Ho-Oh blocked with Sacred Fire, and Lugia struck with Hydro Pump. Rio threw a third time.

Before long, Rayquaza burst out again and countered. Three seconds later, Rio threw a fourth time. Seven seconds later, Rayquaza burst out for the fourth time.

"Seriously?! You just refuse to be caught? You want to keep this up?" Rio’s eyes widened. "Fine—let’s see how many hits you can take. I’ve got all the time in the world, and we’re not even in Kanto anymore."

Soon, the fifth throw came. Then the sixth. This went on for a total of twenty-three attempts—until Rio, out of frustration, swapped the Luxury Ball for an ordinary Poké Ball and threw it.

Only then was Rayquaza finally captured.

Rio was speechless. He had tried to give Rayquaza a comfortable home, but it had insisted on the most basic one. It reminded him of playing Pokémon games in his past life—when trying to catch Giratina in the Distortion World, he’d used Luxury Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls—none worked. Finally, with no balls left, he threw his last regular Poké Ball. And it worked in one shot.

Who could understand how he felt? Giratina had practically laughed in his face—good balls couldn’t catch it, but the worst one could. Truly a case of "the finest grain wasted on a wild boar."

And now, Rayquaza was the same.

After calming down, Rio released Rayquaza. Without much explanation, he simply said:

"Alright, Rayquaza. You can leave now."

Rayquaza, just captured, was stunned. It had been preparing to declare that it would never submit to this human—and Rio was letting it go?

Let it go? Then why capture it in the first place?

"What did you just say?" Rayquaza asked hesitantly.

"I said you can leave." Rio crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What, you don’t want to?"

"Let me leave? Then why did you capture me?" Rayquaza voiced its confusion.

"Simple—can’t I keep you as a collection piece?" Rio shrugged.

"A collection piece? You want me as a collection?" Rayquaza’s eyes widened. It felt deeply insulted. And the insult only grew when Rio added:

"That’s right. I don’t really need you as a combat asset right now. And within at least six months, at most a year, any one of my Pokémon here could beat you into the ground." Rio explained confidently.

"Rio, don’t bluff! Within six months to a year, your Pokémon could beat me?" Rayquaza said angrily. "Are you insulting me, or overestimating them? If it weren’t for all of them ganging up on me today, I could crush any one of them one-on-one!"

"How about a bet, then?" Rio shrugged.

"What bet?" Rayquaza growled.

"Bet that within a year, Gengar, Mewtwo, Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Greninja—each on their own—can defeat you. What do you say?" Rio proposed.

"Fine." Rayquaza accepted confidently. "What’s the wager?"

"Let me think." Rio tapped his chin in thought. Moments later, he smiled: "If I win, from now on you’ll do whatever I say—even if I tell you to attack Arceus, you’ll do it without hesitation. If you win, the wager is yours to decide."

"If you lose." Rayquaza’s draconic eyes narrowed. "If you lose, from then on you’ll follow my commands—even if I tell you to release all your Pokémon and destroy the Pokémon Leagues around the world, you’ll do it."

"Deal." Rio shrugged, accepting without hesitation. He believed that within a year, Mewtwo and the others, through the system, would gain the power to crush Rayquaza.

"Then it’s settled. One year from now, let’s see if they have what it takes. If I lose, I follow you. If I win, you follow me." Seeing Rio actually agree, Rayquaza wore a sly grin.

Meanwhile, Raikou watched Rayquaza’s smug expression and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It couldn’t help recalling its own bet with Rio—when it had agreed to test a full-powered strike from Greninja back when it was still a Froakie. If it lost, it would follow Rio’s commands from then on.

Looks like Lady Rayquaza will be in the same boat as me in a year... Raikou thought to itself.