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"Kyaaa!!"
Breaking through the obstacles in its path, Ho-Oh spread its wings and soared over Entei and the boy. The masked man standing on Ho-Oh's back glanced down at the boy with a mocking expression and said:
"The same ending should have repeated itself today… but I don't have time to bother with you right now. I still have important things to do. I'll let you off this time. Don't appear in front of me again!"
As soon as he finished, the masked man ignored Entei and the boy, turned his gaze forward, and with Kaz and Sham—whose presence was nearly undetectable—once again flew toward Silver Rock Isle.
However—
Sitting on Entei's back, the boy looked at the retreating Ho-Oh and masked man without the slightest hint of panic. Feeling Entei's transmitted thoughts, he hooked the corner of his mouth into a satisfied smile.
"Heh… my mission is already complete. The timing is perfect."
"Kuuu!!"
"Raooo!!"
Right as he spoke, two roars echoed from nearby. A massive bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky, descending like a towering wall of thunder that blocked Ho-Oh's path.
"Kyaaa!"
Startled by the sudden obstruction, Ho-Oh halted mid-air and cried out. The masked man stared coldly at the lightning barrier, then turned around, his voice filled with icy anger from beneath the mask.
"Who is it!!"
"Raooo!!"
"Kuuu!!"
Two more roars answered him.
With the roars growing closer, the previously clear sky darkened as thick black clouds gathered. Wild lightning danced through the clouds, casting massive shadows across the land. The violent atmosphere made one's heart tremble.
"ROAR!!"
Seeing that its comrades had arrived, Entei let out a mighty roar. The legendary trio of Johto—the Three Beasts—once again gathered at the same place. And along with them were the three trainers chosen by the Sacred Beasts!
"Ah! Max! So you're Entei's partner! I didn't expect that!"
Delia sat sideways on Suicune's back, Riolu standing on her shoulder. When the Three Beasts approached, she immediately recognized the boy riding Entei and exclaimed in surprise.
"Hehe, why couldn't it be me? Even you, Delia, were chosen by Suicune. Why wouldn't I have a chance? Honestly, I never imagined I'd one day fight side by side with you. It's really…"
Max, riding Entei, looked at Delia with a strange expression. He knew she was challenging the Johto League, but he wasn't particularly confident in her strength.
"Hey! Don't look down on me, okay!? I can be really strong!"
Delia puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"Ahem! Uh… I didn't expect Miss Delia and Mr. Max to know each other! That's great news! Miss Delia, the teammate I told you about earlier—the one who helped stall the masked man and Ho-Oh—is Mr. Max. Since you two already know each other, that saves me the trouble of introducing you! Haha!"
Axu finally reacted, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile.
But just as the three were talking—
Ho-Oh's massive figure suddenly swooped above them, casting a huge shadow. Flames gathered in its beak and erupted downward, blasting toward the center of the three!
"ROAR!!"
"RAOOO!!"
"KUUU!!"
But the Three Beasts had been watching Ho-Oh closely. The instant the flames erupted, all three leapt away, escaping the attack. Positioning themselves in a triangle, they surrounded Ho-Oh in mid-air!
"So these two were the ones you were waiting for? Heh… interesting. I didn't expect the legendary Entei, Suicune, and Raikou to willingly seek out trainers. Truly eye-opening."
The masked man sneered.
"We're partners! Not the kind of relationship you're imagining!"
"Kuuu!!"
Delia immediately corrected him with righteous indignation.
"That's right! Raikou and the others are partners to us! They were revived by Ho-Oh, and they chose to protect Ho-Oh out of gratitude! But you—you're enslaving Ho-Oh and using it to do evil! Raikou and the others will never forgive that!"
"Raooo!!"
Axu angrily shouted, his eyes filled with fury.
"Hmph. I'm honored to be chosen by Entei as its partner. But even without Entei, I would have come for you. I'll defeat you… and settle the score for the scar you left on me!"
"ROAR!"
Max spoke bluntly—he was here for revenge. Whether chosen by Entei or not, this battle was inevitable.
"That's enough! Such disgusting talk! You know nothing! Just a bunch of naive brats with childish fantasies! 'Partners'? Ha! Ridiculous! Tools are tools! Dressing it up in noble words—how revolting!"
The masked man's voice shook with fury.
Then he glared sharply at the Three Beasts.
"Entei! Suicune! Raikou! You are the legendary Pokémon of Johto—messengers of Ho-Oh, walking this land at its command! You are Ho-Oh's subordinates! Now that Ho-Oh belongs to me, you dare rebel against it? Against your master? Isn't that betrayal!?"
His voice echoed with accusation.
"KUUU!!"
But Suicune immediately raised its head and roared furiously.
Riolu's paw glowed blue-white as it translated Suicune's words directly into Delia's mind.
After hearing the translation, Delia's eyes blazed with anger and she shouted skyward:
"You don't know anything, so stop talking nonsense! Suicune and the others were revived by Ho-Oh, yes—but Ho-Oh never commanded them to do anything! They chose to protect Ho-Oh on their own, out of gratitude! To them, Ho-Oh is a sacred and noble existence! How dare someone like you soil it!"
After venting her frustration, Delia turned to Suicune with a gentle smile.
"Suicune, I can feel your heart. For the sake of what's important to you, you must never give up! Let's do our best together—this time, we will save Ho-Oh!"
Her sincerity shone through—pure and unwavering.
"Kuuu."
Suicune listened quietly. Then its bright eyes softened with a faint smile. Its determined gaze sharpened further as it turned toward Ho-Oh in the sky and let out a powerful, echoing roar—
"KUUU!!!"
The piercing cry spread across the land.
And in the next moment—
Centered on Ho-Oh, translucent crystal walls began to manifest across the sky, assembling into a massive barrier resembling the crown on Suicune's forehead. The barrier had two open halves—rapidly closing toward the center!