"Go, Moltres! Blast Burn!"
Under the special pressure of a Legendary Pokémon, Moltres's opponent, Magmar, was completely unable to exert its full strength. Faced with Moltres's Blast Burn, it could only passively counterattack with Fire Blast. When the two moves collided, the power of Blast Burn shattered the Fire Blast.
Heat Wave surged. Under Gu Yuan's training, this had almost become an instinct for Moltres. Fires condensed under the Heat Wave, transforming into a firestorm that enveloped Magmar.
Flying-type energy gathered as Sky Attack was released. During the charge, a ring of burning flames appeared around the giant bird that Moltres had become. This was a special technique unique to Moltres; at least for now, Charizard was unable to replicate it.
The divine bird plummeted, directly swallowing the Magmar that had tried to resist with Fire Punch. Subsequently, a Blast Burn was released point-blank, blasting Magmar away before it exploded in mid-air. Before it even hit the ground, Magmar had lost its ability to battle and fainted.
As the battle ended, under Moltres's watchful gaze, Gu Yuan retrieved the Fire-type special item from Magmar's nest.
"This place will do. Get ready to break through, Moltres!"
After having Alakazam take Magmar away, Gu Yuan prepared to use this location for Moltres's breakthrough. With the help of Hatterene and various medicines, Moltres quickly returned to its peak state. Once Moltres was ready, Gu Yuan placed the Fire-type special item into its talons.
Being a Legendary Pokémon seemed to make a difference; when Moltres began absorbing the power, the Fire-type energy from the charcoal surged out in a near-tangible state, which Moltres then fully absorbed. A terrifying power began to coalesce. When the special item truly became a useless piece of charcoal, Moltres started to strike at the Elite Rank barrier.
Opening the system to Moltres's page, Gu Yuan used points to give it a boost. From the breakthrough experiences of Charizard and Roaring Moon, Gu Yuan discovered that when his Pokémon used special items to break through, adding the assistance of points allowed them to have a certain foundation immediately after the breakthrough, reducing the time needed to adapt.
With everything in place, the Elite Rank barrier could not pose any obstacle to Moltres. An invisible sound, like something shattering, echoed in Moltres's ears. The next second, Moltres seemed to undergo a rebirth through fire, wrapped in a massive amount of flames.
Soon, the flames released like a lotus flower, and Moltres soared into the sky, radiating an Elite Rank aura. As the aura spread, Moltres felt the abundant power within its body and couldn't help but feel eager to test it. When Roaring Moon had broken through first, it had shown off quite a bit. Now that it was also at the Elite Rank, both were back at the same starting line. It wondered if Roaring Moon could still be its match.
After all, as a Legendary Pokémon, the stronger Moltres became, the more it could exert the true power of a legend.
"Congratulations, Moltres. However, now is not the time for sparring. Don't forget, there is still someone waiting for our return gift."
Stroking Moltres's wings, Gu Yuan's gaze drifted toward the distance—the direction in which Sean was heading.
Suddenly, the battling Sean felt a sudden shiver, as if something bad was about to happen.
Is Gu Yuan about to make his move? Then let me see to what extent you've managed to strengthen yourself during these days.
Sean still trusted his intuition. Furthermore, the sooner Gu Yuan attacked, the better it suited Sean's desires. Because of Gu Yuan, Sean had hesitated to seek out Elite Rank Pokémon and didn't dare let his own Pokémon break through despite holding several special items. Now, Sean only wanted Gu Yuan to strike as soon as possible so he could resolve this potential crisis once and for all.
While Sean stood ready, Gu Yuan was in no hurry. As a qualified hunter, Gu Yuan would often strike at the very moment the prey let down its guard to ensure a clean kill.
At noon, Sean silently took out dry rations to share with his Pokémon. To prevent a sneak attack from a Psychic-type Pokémon, Sean had released Salamence and the others to guard him. After resting, Sean continued toward the heart of the forest. Sean had realized that unless he showed a weakness, Gu Yuan would never strike of his own accord.
If that was the case, he would use a significant opponent to draw Gu Yuan out. Entering the area where Elite Rank Pokémon were active, Sean quickly found the master of this territory. Seeing Sean dare to invade its land, the naturally hot-tempered Primeape immediately launched an attack.
An Elite Rank aura spread, and Salamence charged straight in. Dragon Claw formed, blocking Primeape's assault before using its wings to unleash a Hurricane to trap it. The Flying-type type advantage was enough to deal massive damage to Primeape.
"Salamence, Fly, then use Dual Wingbeat!"
At Sean's command, Salamence quickly flew high into the air before plunging down. Just as the power of the Hurricane dissipated, Primeape immediately used Cross Chop to resist Salamence's attack. The massive impact instantly generated a lot of heat where Primeape stood. Wings flailed, striking Primeape repeatedly.
Just as Salamence and Primeape were locked in combat, Gu Yuan's group suddenly appeared behind Sean. Flapping its wings as it rushed out, Charizard joined the battlefield between Salamence and Primeape, cooperating with Primeape to attack Salamence. Simultaneously, Alakazam and the others also struck, seeking out their familiar old rivals.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Sean's voice rang out. While commanding his Pokémon to meet the challenge, he immediately fired a signal flare into the sky. A brilliant firework exploded. Sean wasn't sure if the flare would draw his teammates, but it would at least put some pressure on Gu Yuan.
"Salamence, Altaria, Mega Evolution!"
This time, Sean did not hesitate and went all out.
"Charizard, Alakazam, Mega Evolution! Roaring Moon, Moltres, you join the battle too!"
Compared to last time, the strength Gu Yuan displayed now left Sean stunned. After Mega Evolving, Charizard became Mega Charizard Y, and its Drought ability took effect, further strengthening Roaring Moon and Moltres. With a flap of its wings, Roaring Moon went after the Mega Evolved Mega Altaria. Moltres continuously released flames, easily suppressing two Leader Rank Pokémon.