Chapter 168: Time Will Give You the Answer
Then he tossed out another Poké Ball. With a flash of light, the Red Gyarados appeared. Rio climbed onto its back—he wouldn’t be able to command from Charizard’s back during this battle.
"A flying Gyarados? Has it awakened its ancient bloodline?" Articuno was surprised to see the airborne Red Gyarados.
There’s more where that came from, Rio thought, revealing the Key Stone on his chest. "Charizard—unleash the hidden power within you!"
"Roaar~" Charizard’s roar shook the air. The Y Mega Stone on its tail began to glow, and under Articuno’s stunned gaze, Charizard evolved from its normal form into Mega Charizard Y. At the same time, the rising sun suddenly blazed—though it was only morning, the heat was more intense than midafternoon.
Feeling the scorching heat, Articuno’s eyes widened—it hadn’t expected such power from this Charizard.
"Charizard—Sacred Fire!"
Rio struck first, not giving Articuno a chance to recover from its shock.
"Roaar~" A torrent of purple flame—fire capable of burning everything—shot from Mega Charizard Y’s mouth toward Articuno.
Articuno’s eyes widened even further at the sight of the purple flames and the rapidly rising temperature. It recognized this fire—it was Lord Ho-Oh’s flame! Panicking, Articuno used Ice Beam. A blue beam shot from its beak and collided with the purple flames midair. The flames were frozen solid for two seconds, then melted—and surged forward unstoppably, striking Articuno directly. Articuno cried out in pain.
"Sacred Fire! How can a Charizard use Sacred Fire?!" Articuno’s indignant voice echoed in Rio’s mind.
"Charizard—keep it up! Don’t stop!" Rio ignored the question, pressing the attack.
By leaving Articuno puzzled, he made it fight with a divided mind—and increased his odds of victory. That was the strategy: fight with mental baggage.
And it worked. Articuno struggled to figure out the origin of Charizard’s Sacred Fire while fending off attacks. It wasn’t until it was burned that it remembered to use Hail. The sunny sky churned with clouds, and the sun was quickly obscured. Freezing winds blew, and snow began to fall moments later. Articuno had changed the weather. A layer of icy armor formed around its body, and Charizard’s flames—now without the benefit of Mega Charizard Y’s Drought ability—weakened. The clash finally reached a stalemate.
"Good—there’s no way I, a legendary bird, am losing to a mere Charizard," Articuno thought, feeling the momentum shift back in its favor. It had been overconfident earlier, it admitted. This Charizard was no ordinary Charizard—it was incredibly powerful, matching the pressure of a battle against Moltres or Zapdos. But now that the weather was back on its side, things were manageable.
"Charizard—Sunny Day!" Rio’s voice cut through.
"Roaar~" Charizard roared to the sky, and the sun broke through the clouds once more, its blinding rays melting the falling snow instantly. Articuno’s expression froze. It looked at Charizard in disbelief—hadn’t it just overwritten Sunny Day with Hail? How could it counter so quickly? Shouldn’t there have been a delay?
"Charizard—Sacred Fire!" Rio pressed the assault without explaining that the earlier Sunny Day had been from Drought, and this one was the actual move.
Articuno was overwhelmed again. Without weather support, it couldn’t withstand Charizard’s relentless Sacred Fire. It could only burn through its stamina, forced to retreat. Even using Sheer Cold—a one-hit KO move—in desperation was futile. Mega Charizard Y’s evasion was too high, and Articuno couldn’t land a hit.
After half an hour of battle, Articuno finally surrendered.
"I give up! You win—you both win!" Severely burned and near collapse, Articuno begged for mercy. The Sacred Fire clinging to its feathers was agonizing.
"Call off this damned flame!"
"Are you convinced?" Rio asked.
"Yes, yes—I’m not like that sore loser Moltres or that stubborn Zapdos!" Articuno landed and assumed a submissive posture.
Rio looked at Charizard, which was also bearing its share of wounds. Understanding Rio’s gaze, Charizard approached Articuno and absorbed the lingering Sacred Fire.
Articuno sighed in relief. It looked at Rio. "So—how does Charizard use Lord Ho-Oh’s Sacred Fire?"
"Secret."
Articuno shot him a dirty look. "I’ve surrendered—and you still won’t tell me?"
"The reason is a secret, yes. But I can promise you this—if you obey me sincerely, one day you’ll have power rivaling Lugia and Ho-Oh."
"Power rivaling Lord Lugia and Lord Ho-Oh?" Articuno’s beak hung open, clearly imagining the prospect.
Rio continued: "Just like Charizard can use Sacred Fire, you might be able to use Lugia’s Aeroblast."
"If I could use Lord Lugia’s Aeroblast, would I also have the power to control ocean currents?" Articuno’s eyes sparkled.
"Believe it or not—if you’re truly devoted, time will give you the answer," Rio said with a shrug.