Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Breaking the surface, Rio coughed and vomited water desperately. "Kid, you okay?" Gengar’s voice echoed in his mind.

Do I look okay? Rio wanted to snap back, but seeing Gengar’s weakened state, he realized the earlier attack had hurt it too.

Today, everyone’s getting beaten up.

"You alright, old ghost?" Rio asked once he’d recovered.

"Old ghost’s got half a life left," Gengar replied, floating a Master Ball over to Rio. Rio checked his pouch—it was his.

"Thanks, old ghost." He put the Master Ball away. Just then, Giovanni’s Beedrill drifted past him, completely incapacitated.

Rio looked up at the battle above. Lugia was leading Moltres against Zapdos, Raikou, Charizard, Munchlax, and some of Team Rocket’s Pokémon. The Red Gyarados, Greninja, and Annihilape were nowhere to be seen. Rio scanned the area and spotted them to the northwest—also knocked out, floating on the water.

"Good work, all of you." Rio had Gengar carry him over and recalled them. He’d lost his backpack while struggling to surface, so he had no medicine to heal them.

"This battle is pointless. We need to retreat. Lugia’s power is beyond anything I can handle right now—even with Team Rocket’s help," Rio muttered, looking back at the sky.

Above, Munchlax had rolled another divine move—this time, Lugia’s own Aeroblast. Lugia’s eyes widened in surprise, then it fired its own Aeroblast. But Munchlax’s version couldn’t match Lugia’s in level or proficiency. Even with Charizard’s Sacred Fire assisting, they were overwhelmed. The combined force sent both Munchlax and Charizard crashing into the sea.

"Quick—over there!" Rio pointed at the island. "And telepathically tell Raikou to retreat—if it stays any longer, it’ll be floating out here too."

"Got it." Gengar carried Rio toward the island.

On the island, Munchlax and Charizard lay in a crater, battered and barely conscious.

"Ka~" — Little Charizard, you okay? I don’t think I can hold on much longer. Munchlax forced out a weak cry.

"Roaar~" — Barely. Charizard growled back, trying to push itself up, but collapsed again.

"Ka~" — Do you think Rio’s still alive? Munchlax thought of Rio and Gengar being swept into the waterspout by a single glare from Lugia.

"Roaar~" — He’s definitely alive. He said we’d stand at the top of the world together. If something happened to him, I swear—one day, I’ll make Lugia pay.

"Ka~" — You’re right. If something happened to him, we’d get revenge.

A memory flashed through Munchlax’s mind—of a Pokémon that had appeared in Pewter City, just before Team Rocket was about to hurt it. It remembered the promise: if Rio ever betrayed it, burning the feather would summon that Pokémon to take it away and teach Rio a lesson.

Munchlax reached deep into its fur and pulled out a warm, orange-red feather. It stared at it, lost in thought. Rio had never betrayed it, but right now, it wanted to burn the feather—not to escape Rio, but to ask Entei to teach that white bird a lesson.

"Ka~" — Little Charizard—give me a light.

Charizard exhaled a small flame. As the orange-red feather caught fire, Charizard stared at it, a flicker of recognition crossing its face. This felt familiar—like it had happened before. It tried to remember.

"GRA-OOO!" A cry from above interrupted its thoughts. Charizard looked up—Moltres was flying toward them, flames gathering in its mouth. Charizard opened its own mouth, a weak purple flame flickering as it prepared to fight back.

But its Sacred Fire was no match for Moltres’s Flamethrower. After two seconds, Charizard’s flame sputtered out. Moltres’s fire surged toward them. In desperation, Charizard closed its eyes, spreading its wings to shield Munchlax.

Just as its eyes were about to shut completely—

WHOOSH—

The world spun. When Charizard opened its eyes again, it was back in the familiar comfort of its Luxury Ball.

"Gengar—get there now!" On the island, Rio had recalled Charizard and Munchlax into their Luxury Balls and pointed at the now-leveled Mt. Ember. The flattened volcano had exposed a small pool of magma beneath.

Then he turned and glared at Moltres, which was still trying to burn him. "Moltres—if you have any conscience, swallow that flame! I brought my Pokémon to help you when Zapdos attacked. Now your boss shows up, and you turn on your savior?"

Moltres, with Flamethrower still charged in its mouth, hesitated. Then its voice echoed in Rio’s mind: "Human—this is Lord Lugia’s command. It cannot be disobeyed."

"Screw your command! You’re an ungrateful bird! The so-called ’bringer of spring’—and you’d attack the one who saved you?!"

As he spoke, Gengar had carried him to the edge of the magma pool. Rio held a Luxury Ball over the lava and faced Moltres. "Go ahead—kill us if you dare! Kill the one who saved you!"

He pressed the ball’s release button. With a flash of light, Charizard was dropped into the magma.