Chapter 165: The Great Battle Against Articuno
Articuno descended gracefully onto the ice bed. It surveyed the quiet cavern, confirming everything looked as it remembered—well, no, something was off. As it looked around, Articuno’s eyes narrowed. The environment felt different somehow, though it couldn’t quite place it. There seemed to be more ice rocks than before. But that probably didn’t matter.
Then its gaze locked onto a particular ice rock in the northwest. It understood—that was the source of the difference. The ice rock it used as a mirror had been polished even smoother, reflecting its handsome features more clearly than ever.
"Fuu~" — That’s what I thought. Before, the reflection in that ice rock just didn’t capture my full glory—couldn’t do justice to the most handsome of the three legendary birds.
"Fuu~" — Now look at that—that’s me. So handsome. So majestic.
Articuno nodded approvingly at its reflection. It decided it would make a public appearance tomorrow—let the people and Pokémon admire its regal beauty and remind them of its status as one of the three legendary birds. It could already hear their gasps of awe:
"Whoa—it’s Articuno!"
"Whoa—the most prestigious, most handsome, and strongest of the three birds!"
"Whoa—I can die happy now that I’ve seen Articuno!"
"Fuu~" — Satisfying.
Picturing tomorrow’s adoring crowd, Articuno smiled and settled down facing the flawless ice mirror, ready to drift off to sleep. Just as its eyes were closing, it noticed a triangular object descending from above. It looked quite pretty, glinting with golden light.
Wait—from above?
Articuno snapped awake, flapping its wings to escape—but it was too slow. The triangular device dropped over it, unleashing a powerful electric current that made Articuno cry out in pain.
"Fuu~! Fuu~! Fuu~!"
"Brothers—come out and let Articuno see what we’ve got!" Lance stepped out from behind the polished ice rock, beaming with excitement, with Rio beside him. Other Rocket members emerged from hiding spots throughout the cavern.
Articuno glared furiously at Lance and the Rockets behind him. While enduring the electric shocks inside the triangular trap, it used Ice Shard—sharp ice blades materialized around it and shot outward. Some struck the electrified trap, while others slipped through the gaps and hurtled toward Lance.
"Greninja—protect General Lance!" Rio called out just as the ice blades were about to hit. Behind him, Greninja—already in its Battle Bond form and empowered by Geomancy—moved like lightning.
"Gren~" Greninja shot in front of Lance, deflecting each incoming ice blade with precise Water Shurikens. Lance was impressed by its speed and skill, and he turned to Rio with approval.
"Excellent—well done!" Lance loved subordinates with good instincts—always thinking of their leader first. He shot a glare at his other subordinates, who had only bothered to protect themselves. See? That’s what loyalty looks like. Just like Rio’s brother.
The other Rockets released their Pokémon—mostly Fire and Rock-types to counter Articuno’s Ice typing.
"Ninetales—Flamethrower!"
...
"Golem—Rock Blast!"
Under their commands, Fire and Rock-type moves rained down on Articuno. Articuno countered with Ice Beam, freezing some attacks midair—but others still struck its body, drawing pained cries that echoed through the cavern.
"Yes—just like that! Keep attacking! Wear it down!" Lance shouted excitedly.
But the next moment, Articuno let out a piercing cry. A fierce Blizzard swept through the cavern with a flap of its wings, dropping the temperature even further. Many Pokémon were instantly frozen solid. Even Greninja’s arm began to ice over—but fortunately, Lance released a Level 64 Magmortar in time, stabilizing the temperature around them.
However, the momentary pause in attacks gave Articuno an opening. Still trapped in the triangular device, it used Brave Bird, charging headlong into the frozen Pokémon. Lance ordered his healthy Pokémon to intercept, but Articuno plowed through, smashing the frozen Pokémon into a near-death state. The impact also damaged the triangular cage.
Finally, Articuno crashed into the cavern wall, sending ice and rocks tumbling down, burying itself in the rubble.
"Is it over just like that?" Rio muttered in disbelief. Greninja protected him from falling debris.
After a dozen seconds, the cavern grew still. Lance led the group toward where Articuno had fallen.
"Excellent work, brothers!" Lance laughed heartily. He hadn’t expected the operation to go so smoothly.
When they were about four or five meters away, Rio—via Greninja’s shared senses—detected warmth beneath the ice rubble, along with faint orange-red glimmers.
"Not good—Greninja, now!" Rio’s pupils contracted as he and Greninja moved in sync. Greninja grabbed Rio and Lance, yanking them dozens of meters westward in the blink of an eye.
Whether intentional or not, Greninja scraped Lance against an ice spike during the rescue, leaving a gash that made Lance wince in pain. He opened his mouth to curse—
But before he could utter a word, a blinding orange-red burst erupted from the buried rubble. The Magmortar and Houndoom—borrowed from Apollo via Giovanni—were the first to be hit, followed by the Rocket members behind Lance. Two seconds later, Lance looked back to see a field of bodies—Rocket members and their Pokémon alike.
Lance’s heart pounded wildly.
"Th-thank you," Lance said, looking at Rio with genuine gratitude. If Rio hadn’t pulled him back, he’d be among those corpses.
Articuno burst free from the rubble, spreading its wings. Though battered and wounded, the triangular cage was broken—it was finally free. It soared to the cavern’s ceiling and glared down at the survivors.
"Fuu~" — Die, you damned humans!
With a sweep of its wings, Articuno summoned another barrage of ice blades, aimed directly at Lance and the remaining Rockets.