The frozen surface encasing Goodra's leg shattered with a sharp crack. Though the Dragon-type reeled from the punch, its anchored position prevented it from toppling over. Goodra, realizing it had been tricked, let out a furious roar. Pivoting on its one still-frozen foot, it whipped its powerful body around, aiming a devastating tail swipe at Weavile. As a Dragon-type, its tail was among its most formidable weapons.
However, having been struck once, Weavile was not about to be caught off guard again. It immediately dropped into a low crouch, and Goodra's thick tail whistled harmlessly through the air just above Weavile's red-feathered head. In that same instant, a faint, fiery aura reminiscent of Blaziken's signature move seemed to emanate from Weavile. It executed a rapid, spinning maneuver, vanishing from Goodra's front and reappearing behind it in a blur of motion. This technique, the Swallow Return, was learned from observing a Vigoroth's agility; if Blaziken could master it, the naturally nimble Weavile could certainly refine it, albeit with its own unique stylistic flourishes.
While spinning, Weavile gathered a mass of freezing energy in its claws, which crystallized into sharp ice. It slammed this Ice Punch directly into Goodra's broad back. The impact was tremendous, launching the heavy Dragon-type into the air and finally shattering the remaining ice locking its leg to the ground with a loud snap. Goodra was sent soaring upwards with no leverage to control its flight. Weavile did not leap to follow. Instead, it raised its claws high, and five massive, sharp icicles materialized in the air directly above the helpless Goodra.
"Icicle Crash!" Weavile seemed to command, its claws slashing downward. The five icicles plummeted like spears, striking Goodra simultaneously and driving it back down to the earth with crushing force. The attack concluded with a resonating boom as Goodra hit the snow-covered ground, creating a deep crater. The icicles dissipated, but Goodra did not rise from the pit. Goodra had lost the ability to battle.
Weavile stood still for a moment, a look of dazed realization on its face as it stared at its own claws. It had not fully comprehended the extent of its own power until now. Utilizing his psychic abilities, Aoki swiftly floated to Weavile's side, a pleased smile gracing his features as he observed the defeated Goodra. He gently patted Weavile's head. "Well done! You must continue to have confidence in your own strength," Aoki commended.
"Weavile!" Weavile nodded firmly, its confidence visibly restored.
Aoki retrieved a new Pokéball from his pocket and threw it toward the motionless Goodra. Although the probability was low, given that the Pokémon was likely still registered to its original Trainer's Pokéball, it was worth an attempt. The potential value of a captured pseudo-legendary Dragon-type Pokémon that had reached Champion-level was immeasurable; many would pay a fortune for it, regardless of its temperament. He watched as the Pokéball struck Goodra, opened, and enveloped it in a beam of red light that drew it inside.
Bang—Crack—
The ball sealed shut. "It can actually be captured?" Aoki murmured, somewhat incredulous as he looked at the now-stationary Pokéball sitting in the pit. He guessed that when Goodra was abandoned, its previous Trainer had at least been decent enough to officially release it, severing the Pokéball's bond. Given Goodra's apparent misanthropy, Aoki knew it would be impossible for him to use it himself; its greatest value lay in being traded for substantial resources. Let the future buyer worry about its hatred of humans. The ball wobbled several times before the indicator light clicked off, signaling a successful capture. Using his psychic powers, Aoki recalled the Pokéball to his hand. This trip to tame the powerful Dragon-type had certainly been worthwhile.
The wild Pokémon watching from the periphery saw Aoki secure the Pokéball containing Goodra, but they were powerless to intervene. A profound sadness filled their eyes. This was the reality for Pokémon: humans could capture them on a whim and abandon them just as easily. The cruel irony was that many Pokémon continued to choose to trust humans, willing to fight for them and sacrifice everything. Those who had been betrayed, like the onlookers, felt they had seen the true nature of humans, yet here was another display of that cycle.
Aoki placed the Pokéball containing Goodra into his pocket and then took out several Potion sprays to carefully treat Weavile's injuries. Although Weavile had emerged victorious, it had only taken a single, direct blow from Goodra. That one attack, however, had inflicted significant damage. Weavile stood patiently, allowing Aoki to administer the treatment, a look of contentment on its face as the healing items soothed its wounds.
The surrounding wild Pokémon watched this interaction between Aoki and Weavile with stunned confusion. This scene was different from what they had come to expect. Weren't humans supposed to treat Pokémon as mere tools? Why did the relationship between this human and his Pokémon seem so… harmonious? And this human was tending to his Pokémon's injuries with evident care.
Just as Aoki finished treating Weavile, a distinctive roar, reminiscent of a steam engine, echoed through the air. Tyranitar and the rest of Aoki's team immediately moved to form a protective circle around him. Hearing this unique sound, Aoki was not surprised; the intense battle with Goodra was bound to attract attention. His gaze turned skyward, where a Pokémon covered in red armor appeared, hovering mid-air. Two cannon-like tubes on its back expelled powerful jets of steam downward, providing the thrust for its flight.
Aoki narrowed his eyes, looking at the Pokémon hovering above them. "It's you, Volcanion," he murmured to himself. He suspected he was one of the few people in the world who could currently identify this Pokémon. His knowledge came from memories of films seen in a previous life on Earth, as Volcanion had not been documented in this world. A Mythical Pokémon, Volcanion! It was classified as a Mythical Beast, but Aoki did not know what specific domain or principle this particular Volcanion might represent, or even if it held any divine status at all. He only knew that a Volcanion resided here on the Nebel Plateau. Its strength, however, did not seem overwhelming, at least not when compared to other known Mythical Pokémon. This wasn't to say its combat prowess or potential was lacking. In Aoki's recollection, the Volcanion associated with the Nebel Plateau wasn't typically depicted as an all-powerful deity. Perhaps this Volcanion was simply one member of a species, much like Moltres, Zapdos, or Articuno, of which there were multiple individuals. Of course, it was also possible that this was a singular, divine Volcanion that simply hadn't yet reached its full maturity. Aoki wouldn't be able to determine the truth without closer inspection. Under normal circumstances, even with this knowledge, Aoki might have avoided the area. But now, armed with a powerful ace and a fully evolved team, he felt confident enough to face it.
BANG!!!
Volcanion descended from the sky, landing heavily and creating a new crater in the ground. The tubes on its back, which had been spewing steam, closed shut. It began to stride purposefully toward Aoki.
"Human! You are not welcome here!" Volcanion's voice boomed, surprisingly articulate in the human common language. "Release the Goodra immediately, and then take your Pokémon and leave the Nebel Plateau. Otherwise, we will be forced to take action against you."