Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 339: Lance’s Crushing Defeat (Two-in-One)

Lance stared in disbelief at the grown-up Molly.

"My name is Molly. Now, let’s have a good Pokémon battle — let me see just how strong this Flying-type Elite Four really is!" Molly declared from atop Entei.

"Molly?" Lance frowned. According to the records, Molly was the daughter of Dr. Spencer, the researcher who had disappeared while studying Unown — and she was only six years old. The young woman before him had a great figure and a striking appearance — was she really that six-year-old girl?

But what confused him even more was why Entei was beneath her. Hadn’t Entei been given to Rio by Ho-Oh? Shouldn’t it be at Indigo Plateau? What was this Entei doing here, helping a little girl oppose the League? Wasn’t it afraid of Rio finding out? Or Ho-Oh?

"Entei — why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at Indigo Plateau? And you’re helping this girl fight the League? Aren’t you afraid of Mr. Rio? Or Lady Ho-Oh?" Lance pressed.

"I’ve always been here, and I belong here — because I am Molly’s father." Entei stood on a crystal formation, staring at Lance.

"Molly’s father?!" Lance’s eyes nearly bulged out. That was shocking news. Then he remembered another piece of information he’d heard upon arriving — when Entei had abducted Lorelei yesterday, it had called her "Mommy." If Lorelei was Molly’s mother, and Entei was Molly’s father... did that mean Lorelei and Entei were husband and wife?

The world has finally become too insane for me to understand... Lance internally lamented.

"Mr. Lance, you haven’t answered my question — how about a good Pokémon battle?" Molly pressed.

Lance looked at Molly. After a long pause, he nodded slowly: "Fine. I accept."

If he refused, he probably wouldn’t get in anyway.

"Great, Mr. Lance! You have to give it your all — this is my first Pokémon battle, and my first time fighting alongside Daddy." Molly jumped off Entei’s back.

At that moment, a faint shimmer appeared across the battlefield. A battle arena materialized out of thin air. Entei slowly walked onto it.

Lance, still on Dragonite’s back, watched Entei step onto the field and felt like cursing. Your first battle, and you send out an Entei? Are you trying to show off that you have a legendary Pokémon?

Fine — Entei it is. I’ve been in plenty of battles — there’s no way I’ll lose to a six-year-old girl.

"Come out, Aerodactyl!" A flash of light — Lance sent out one of his main Pokémon, Aerodactyl. It was now level 67, a far cry from when he’d first met Rio.

"Aerodactyl, Rock Slide!" Lance, still on Dragonite, gave the first command.

"ROAR!!!"

Aerodactyl beat its wings and roared, summoning massive boulders that crashed down toward Entei.

"Daddy, dodge it!" Molly shouted.

Entei obeyed, weaving effortlessly between the falling rocks. When most had passed, Molly gave the counter-command: "Daddy, Fire Blast!"

Entei leaped off one of the falling rocks into midair and spat a searing flame that formed a large "大" character as it shot toward Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl, Ancient Power!" Lance shouted.

"ROAR!!!"

Aerodactyl roared, and a rock materialized before it, growing to a meter in diameter in the blink of an eye. It collided with the incoming Fire Blast midair — but the Fire Blast wasn’t fully dispersed, leaving enough flames to strike Aerodactyl, who cried out in pain and was burned.

Entei, meanwhile, casually shattered the remaining Ancient Power with a single claw.

"That was amazing, Daddy!" Molly cheered.

Entei turned: "It’s all thanks to Molly’s great commands."

This father-daughter bonding act irritated Lance. He ordered his strongest move: "Aerodactyl, Giga Impact!"

"ROAR!!!"

Despite being burned, Aerodactyl endured the pain as silver light enveloped its body. The light seemed to burn its very life force, restoring it from near-defeat to peak condition in an instant. It dove straight at Entei.

"Daddy, Sacred Fire!" Molly shouted.

Entei gathered scorching purple flames in its mouth. As Aerodactyl dove, it spat the flames. The Sacred Fire split in two as Aerodactyl pierced through it, creating a dazzling fork of fire. But by the time Aerodactyl reached Entei, it was already exhausted. Entei simply leaped aside, and Aerodactyl crashed headfirst into the ground, leaving a crater. When the dust cleared, Aerodactyl lay unconscious.

"You’re amazing, Daddy!" Molly jumped for joy.

Entei turned and nodded with satisfaction: "It’s all Molly’s excellent commands that made this victory so easy."

Lance: "..."

He felt like he had become nothing more than a bonding tool for this father-daughter pair.

Meanwhile, the battle was being broadcast live by drones operated by diligent journalists — it was being streamed across Johto and Kanto. Lance’s defeat disappointed the public.

"My man Lance is going to lose face now." Rio sighed, rubbing his forehead. Why be so stubborn? Why not wait for Agatha and Bruno? Even if this Entei was created by Unown, its strength isn’t far from the real thing.

"Don’t underestimate me! I have more than one Pokémon. I’ll make you father and daughter regret this!" Lance recalled Aerodactyl and sent out Gyarados. He had trained it to level 69.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Lance gave the first command.

"ROAR!!!"

Gyarados roared, spewing a torrent of water from its mouth.

"Daddy, Fire Blast!" Molly repeated the winning command from the previous round.

Entei obeyed, spitting flames that formed a large character. Fire and water collided, creating an explosion and scorching steam that spread in all directions.

"Molly, are you alright?" Entei shielded Molly from the steam to protect her.

"I’m fine, Daddy! Watch out for Gyarados!" Molly worried about Entei.

"Don’t worry — that Gyarados is no match for me." Entei declared confidently.

When the steam cleared, Gyarados was covered in burns, while Entei was completely unharmed.

"Dammit!" Lance gritted his teeth. "Gyarados, Hyper Beam!"

"ROAR!!!"

A Hyper Beam gathered in Gyarados’s mouth. "Daddy, Sacred Fire!" Molly shouted.

Entei gathered purple flames and spat them. Gyarados’s Hyper Beam took longer to charge — by the time it fired, Entei’s Sacred Fire was already halfway there. The two powerful moves collided, creating another explosion. Moments later, the Hyper Beam was overwhelmed by Sacred Fire, which struck Gyarados and knocked it out.

Lance’s second Pokémon had fallen — both defeated in just two moves by Entei.

"You’re amazing, Daddy! Pokémon battles are so easy!" Molly jumped with excitement.

"It’s not me — it’s Molly who’s amazing! Molly has a gift for Pokémon battles!" Entei turned and praised her.

Lance, who had just suffered two consecutive defeats, felt worse than if he’d eaten something foul. He wanted to slap the girl awake. "Pokémon battles are so easy"? Try fighting me without Entei! If you used a Pokémon you raised yourself, I’d crush you in no time! You understand?!

"Dragonite, the rest is up to you. You’re my last hope for glory." Lance looked down at his ace — Dragonite, now level 71.

"Drag~"

Dragonite flapped its wings, gently set Lance down, and walked onto the battlefield.

"Dragonite, Dragon Dance!" Lance commanded first — this time, not an attack, but a buff.

"Drag~"

Dragonite danced fiercely, boosting its Attack and Speed significantly.

"Daddy, Sacred Fire!" Molly commanded an attack.

Entei spat purple flames at Dragonite. Thanks to its Multiscale ability, Dragonite endured the Sacred Fire without catastrophic damage, retaining about three-quarters of its health.

"Dragonite, Dragon Rush!" Lance ordered.

"Drag~"

Dragonite spread its wings, soared, and unleashed a terrifying aura before diving at Entei.

"Daddy, Double-Edge!" Molly shouted back.

Entei braced itself, flames engulfing its body. As Dragonite dove, Entei charged forward with all its might. The collision of two powerful moves created a massive shockwave. When it subsided, Dragonite was sent flying, and Entei staggered back. Though Entei was visibly wounded, it was in much better shape than Dragonite, which was panting heavily.

"Daddy, I’m sorry — I shouldn’t have told you to use Double-Edge." Molly was worried about Entei’s injuries.

"No, Molly — your command was excellent. This little injury is nothing to Daddy." Entei turned and comforted her.

"Dragonite, Hydro Pump!" Lance, unable to stand the wholesome scene any longer, interrupted angrily.

"Drag~"

Dragonite blasted a torrent of water from its mouth. "Daddy, watch out! Use Sacred Fire!" Molly called out nervously.

Entei, annoyed at being interrupted from bonding with its daughter, accelerated its Sacred Fire, spitting it out rapidly. The flames collided with the Hydro Pump, creating more scorching steam. This time, instead of shielding Molly, Entei used Flame Wheel, covering its body in fire and charging through the steam at Dragonite.

When the steam cleared, Dragonite lay defeated, while Entei stood triumphant.

"Amazing, Daddy! We won again!" Molly cheered.

"I think we’re pretty amazing too." Entei replied.

Lance was utterly frustrated. What’s the point? My ace has fallen. How am I supposed to beat this kid? A six-year-old girl with an Entei — what rotten luck. I should have waited for Agatha and Bruno.

"I’m counting on you, Seadra." Frustration aside, there was no turning back. Lance recalled Dragonite and sent out his fourth Pokémon — Seadra, level 69. It fell to Entei after just three moves.

Lance sent out his fifth Pokémon — Charizard, level 68. It fell after three moves as well.

Finally, Lance sent out his sixth Pokémon — the "traitor of Dragon-types," Altaria, level 70. It held out for four moves before falling.

Lance stood there, dazed and defeated. He felt his reputation as Flying-type Elite Four was ruined. He had lost to a six-year-old. Never mind that she was commanding Entei — the public’s focus would be on the six-year-old, not the legendary. Tomorrow’s headlines would read: "Flying-type Elite Four Defeated by Six-Year-Old." He was sure of it — he knew the media too well.

And then Molly poured salt on the wound: "Daddy, I won against the Flying-type Elite Four in my very first battle!" she cheered.

Lance wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"Molly is amazing! Molly is the strongest trainer in Kanto — no, the world!" Entei praised.

"Strongest in Kanto?" Molly paused. "Wait, the strongest trainer in Kanto is a Champion named Rio. I remember watching his matches with you, Daddy. To be the strongest, I should beat him, right?"

"Rio?" Entei’s eyes flickered. It looked up at the drone hovering above and let out a long roar.

Moments later, a voice echoed in the minds of everyone outside Green Town: "Send Rio here. My Molly wants to battle him. Whoever wins is the strongest trainer in Kanto."

The voice reached Rio as well — he looked up in surprise. "Fight me?"