"Fine! I'll bet! You think I'm scared of you?" Barry snapped, crossing his arms stubbornly. "One hundred thousand!"
The moment the words left his mouth, even he felt the sting of hesitation. His usual boldness—his signature reckless confidence—had clearly taken a hit.
Dawn blinked in disbelief.
"One hundred thousand?" she repeated, tilting her head. "Wasn't it a million just a second ago?"
Barry scoffed, trying to maintain his pride, though a faint flush crept across his face. "That's all I've got right now! Take it or leave it!"
Dawn narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly seeing through him—but she didn't press further.
"…Fine," she said at last. "I'll take it."
She wasn't exactly wealthy either. Most of her expenses were handled through her mother, Johanna, and if she overspent… well, there would definitely be consequences later.
Still, this was worth it.
Her gaze shifted toward the battlefield.
This is going to be interesting…
The Battlefield
The rain still lingered from earlier—fine droplets falling steadily from the darkened sky. The ground was damp, the air thick with tension.
Palmer stepped forward, his expression calm but serious.
"My strongest partner," he said, his voice carrying clearly across the field, "come out—Dragonite!"
He threw the Poké Ball high into the air.
A flash of white light burst forth—
"WOOOAAAH!!"
A massive Dragonite emerged, its orange scales glistening under the rain. Its wings spread wide, beating once, twice, stirring the air with immense force as it landed heavily on the battlefield.
The crowd erupted.
"It's Dragonite!"
"Finally! Palmer's strongest Pokémon!"
"Now this is the real match!"
Even the gamblers—who had nearly given up hope after Rampardos fell—felt their spirits reignite.
"This is it! Dragonite can definitely win!"
"Come on! Don't let me lose everything!"
Meanwhile—
Blastoise stood firm on Gary's side of the field.
"Kami…"
Its deep, steady growl rumbled in its chest as it stared up at Dragonite.
Its eyes burned with something deeper than simple battle intent.
Recognition.
Memory.
Once—
It had lost to a Dragonite.
Lance's Dragonite.
That overwhelming defeat had carved itself into Blastoise's instincts.
And now—
Faced with another Dragonite—
It wanted redemption.
"Kami!" it called again, stepping forward slightly.
Gary noticed immediately.
He understood.
Of course he did.
But—
He shook his head gently.
"I know what you're thinking," Gary said quietly, raising his Poké Ball. "But this opponent… isn't yours."
Blastoise paused.
For a moment, it didn't move.
Then—
"…Kami."
It lowered its head slightly.
Acceptance.
The red beam of light returned it to its Poké Ball.
From the sidelines, Barry frowned.
"Wait—what? You're not continuing with Blastoise?" he blurted out. "Why not?!"
To him, it made perfect sense to keep Blastoise in battle—to wear Dragonite down, to gain every possible advantage.
Gary simply smirked faintly.
"It's been a while since you've had a proper fight," he murmured, taking out another Poké Ball—an Ultra Ball. "I found you a worthy opponent today. Don't disappoint me."
Ash's eyes widened instantly.
"That…!"
Brock stiffened beside him.
"…An Ultra Ball?"
Dawn blinked in confusion.
"What's wrong with an Ultra Ball?"
She didn't get an answer.
Because—
The Poké Ball opened.
A blinding flash of golden light tore through the rainy sky.
"KRAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
A thunderous cry echoed across the entire area.
From the light—
A majestic figure emerged.
Golden feathers.
Crackling lightning.
Wings that seemed to command the storm itself.
"Z—Zapdos?!"
The crowd froze.
For a split second, no one spoke.
Then—
Chaos erupted.
"A Legendary Pokémon?!"
"Is that really Zapdos?!"
"What kind of trainer is this guy?!"
"My money… my money's gone…!"
Barry's jaw dropped.
"Y-You've got to be kidding me…!"
Even Dawn's breath caught.
Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon hovering above the battlefield.
"Zapdos," the device announced, "the Electric-type Legendary Pokémon. It is said to appear from thunderclouds and has the power to control lightning at will."
Dawn's eyes sparkled.
"That's amazing…"
Ash nodded slowly, his expression serious.
"This is why Brock and I reacted earlier," he said. "Gary's Legendary Pokémon… they're all caught in Ultra Balls."
"…All of them?" Dawn repeated, stunned.
Ash hesitated for a second.
"…Four of them."
"…WHAT?!"
Barry practically exploded.
"FOUR LEGENDARY POKÉMON?! THAT'S ILLEGAL! HE SHOULD BE FINED!"
But even as he shouted—
There was fear in his voice.
A Clash of Legends
Palmer stared up at Zapdos, his eyes sharp with admiration.
"…I didn't expect this," he admitted. "To think you've actually captured a Legendary Pokémon."
Gary shrugged lightly.
"It's nothing special," he replied. "With your strength, Mr. Palmer, you could do the same if you wanted."
Palmer chuckled.
"Perhaps," he said. "But finding one is another matter entirely."
Gary didn't argue.
They both knew the truth.
Legendary Pokémon weren't just rare—they were protected, elusive, and often beyond reach.
Still—
Palmer's expression hardened.
"Let's see," he said, raising his hand, "whether your Zapdos… or my Dragonite… stands at the top."
Gary's lips curved into a faint smile.
"That's exactly what I want to find out."
The rain intensified slightly.
The air grew heavy.
Two forces—
Two apex beings—
Faced each other.
"Dragonite—Dragon Pulse!"
"WOOOAAAH!!"
Dragonite opened its mouth wide, releasing a spiraling beam of draconic energy. The attack surged forward like a living creature, its jaws snapping as it raced toward Zapdos.
"Zapdos—Thunderbolt."
"KRAAA!!"
Lightning burst from Zapdos instantly.
The golden bolt tore through the Dragon Pulse, splitting it apart in midair before continuing forward with unstoppable momentum.
"Now!" Palmer shouted.
Dragonite reacted instantly, beating its wings and shooting upward.
The Thunderbolt narrowly missed, slicing through the space it had occupied moments before.
Palmer frowned.
That power…
Even with the advantage of Dragon-type techniques—
Even with full force—
Dragonite's attack had been overwhelmed.
"Don't let up," Gary said calmly. "Use Thunder."
The storm above responded immediately.
With Rain Dance still lingering from earlier—
There was no escape.
But—
"Dragonite—Double Team!"
In an instant, dozens of Dragonite clones filled the sky.
Each one moved independently, circling Zapdos in a dizzying formation.
The real one disappeared among them.
Gary clicked his tongue softly.
"Trying to avoid targeting…"
He understood.
Thunder never missed—
But it still required a clear target.
Without one—
Even the storm couldn't strike.
Palmer didn't waste a second.
"Now—Blizzard!"
All the Dragonites moved at once.
A freezing storm erupted from every direction.
There was no path to dodge.
No gap to escape.
Zapdos was completely surrounded.
"Light Screen," Gary said.
A golden barrier flickered into existence around Zapdos.
The blizzard struck.
BOOM—!!
Ice and wind slammed into the shield, the impact echoing across the battlefield.
Frost spread across the barrier—but it held.
The damage was reduced significantly.
Barry clenched his fists.
"Damn it… it can even use Light Screen?!"
Above the battlefield—
Zapdos spread its wings once more.
Electricity crackled faintly along its feathers.
Its sharp eyes locked onto the real Dragonite.
The battle—
Had only just begun.