Chapter 46: Never Before Has Such a Rich Battle Been Fought!
"Boop~~"
A very cute voice came from above Victor's head as he rode the Sharpedo.
Looking up, he saw a plump, orange Pokémon with a creamy white belly and tiny flapping wings. Its innocent and adorable face gazed at him with curiosity.
[Who are you, and why do you carry the aura of Latios and Latias?]
Victor had been using the power of aura consistently since he asked a few wild Pokémon for directions earlier. This naturally allowed him to pick up Dragonite's thoughts.
Pokémon: Dragonite
Type: Dragon/Flying
Gender: ♀
Ability: Multiscale
Level: 65
Held Item: None
Moves: Outrage, Hurricane, Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, Thunder Punch...
"Is this a wild Pokémon under the command of a Legendary? A Dragonite at gym-leader strength—how troublesome," Victor thought to himself.
He smiled and explained, "Hello, Dragonite. I've been sent by Latios and Latias to track down the baby Pokémon that were kidnapped."
"Boop!"
[Oh, is that so? Then it's alright.] Dragonite seemed reassured, recognizing the mark of Latios and Latias on Victor.
She leisurely flew alongside the high-speed Sharpedo, easily keeping pace while chatting with Victor.
"Boop..."
[But human... isn't your little shark swimming too slowly? Why don't I carry you and fly instead?]
"Huh?" Victor looked startled.
Only then did he realize that Dragonite, despite her relaxed demeanor, was effortlessly keeping up with the Sharpedo.
After signaling the to stop, Victor pulled out another water-type energy cube from his pocket and fed it to Sharpedo Pokémon. With a light jump, he climbed onto Dragonite's back, recalling the Megalodon into its Poké Ball.
"Dragonite, is something wrong?"
He noticed her tilting her head at him, hesitant to take off.
"Boop~"
[Human, what did you feed Sharpedo earlier? It smells amazing.] Dragonite was drooling.
"This? It's an energy cube I made myself!" Victor replied.
He retrieved a few dragon-type energy cubes from his pocket.
"Boop!"
[This one smells even better!]
"Here, consider it a gift for our first meeting."
Victor chuckled, shaking his head as he handed the greedy Dragonite the energy cube.
"Boop!"
[Wonderful! Human, what's your name?]
"Victor," he replied.
[Victor, get ready—I'm taking off!]
Dragonite's flight wasn't powered by her tiny wings; those were far too small to lift her round body. Instead, she soared by harnessing the wind's power.
"Dragonite, do you have other partners? Let's gather them first. The marks Latios and Latias gave me can guide us."
Sitting on Dragonite's back felt just like the time Victor had ridden his father's Charizard—smooth and effortless, despite their high speed through the skies.
"Boop~"
[Got it, Victor! I'll call them over right away!]
With that, Dragonite unleashed a fearsome display of dragon energy, her resounding roar echoing across the sea and sky.
Moments later, distant roars responded from multiple directions. Small black dots appeared on the horizon, quickly growing larger as they approached.
Four Pokémon arrived, each formidable and impressive:
---
Pokémon: Salamence
Type: Dragon/Flying
Gender: ♂
Ability: Moxie
Level: 64
---
Pokémon: Garchomp
Type: Dragon/Ground
Gender: ♂
Ability: Rough Skin
Level: 63
---
Pokémon: Alakazam
Type: Psychic
Gender: ♂
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 62
---
Pokémon: Gardevoir
Type: Psychic/Fairy
Gender: ♂
Ability: Telepathy
Level: 65
---
Five gym-level Pokémon! Three were pseudo-legendaries, and two were Psychic-types known for their versatility.
Victor's own team was ill-suited for this situation: Carbink wasn't yet adept at supporting battles on water, and Incineroar, being a Fire-type, struggled in aquatic environments. These five Pokémon were exactly what he needed.
"Boop~"
After Dragonite explained the situation to her partners, they eagerly accepted Victor's "meeting gifts" of energy cubes. The bribes—er, gifts—won them over instantly. With Victor already carrying the aura of Latios and Latias, their trust in him deepened, and they seemed just shy of considering him a sworn ally.
Most Pokémon had straightforward emotions: if they liked something, they liked it; if they didn't, they didn't.
Victor quickly bonded with the group, and soon they were calling each other "brothers." Dragonite, the sole female among them, was mildly exasperated but remained focused.
Under Victor's direction, Dragonite led the formation. Garchomp and Salamence flanked on the left and right, while Gardevoir and Alakazam used their psychic abilities to hover and keep watch from the rear.
The five Pokémon formed a V-shaped formation, much like migrating birds, flying swiftly toward the destination marked by Latios and Latias. Victor, channeling his aura powers, could sense the way clearly.