The true effectiveness of this move lay not in its direct offensive power, but in its ability to raise the surrounding temperature—an invaluable advantage against certain types of opponents.
"Volcarona, use Fire Spin and Solar Beam to attack!"
Right after Volcarona had unleashed Overheat, Nathan's firm voice rang out once again.
In response, the flames on Volcarona's body flared up violently, erupting into a fiery vortex that quickly spiraled outward from around its body. The vortex wasn't static; rather, it continued to expand with a relentless momentum.
Yet, in this world of ice and snow, the chilling environment naturally dampened the effects of the Fire Spin to a certain degree.
However, this did not significantly hinder Volcarona's ability to execute the move. After all, its opponent was none other than a Pokémon possessing both the Dragon and Ice types—a rare and formidable combination.
And when it came to Pokémon bearing the Ice type, any Fire-type move would naturally hold a significant type advantage, often capable of dealing multiplied damage.
As the swirling Fire Spin extended outwards and closed in, it ultimately engulfed Kyurem, wrapping its massive figure in a raging inferno.
Wherever the fire brushed against Kyurem's body, it left behind scorched, blackened burns. Charred marks marred its skin, clearly visible even from a distance.
Then, at that very moment, Volcarona released its Solar Beam.
Normally, the combination of Fire Spin and Solar Beam was already powerful in its synergy, each amplifying the effectiveness of the other.
But with the residual effects of Overheat still lingering—boosting its firepower further—the strength of the Solar Beam was taken to a whole new level.
Kyurem, seeing the searing light blast approaching at high speed, reacted quickly by unleashing its Ice Beam once again.
However, within the flames of the Fire Spin, the frigid Ice Beam had its potency reduced by at least a full tier.
The two devastating moves collided mid-air—Solar Beam against Ice Beam. But rather than resulting in a violent explosion, the clash gave rise to a unique and surreal reaction: a dense cloud of steam burst forth from the point of impact.
The intense cold of the Ice Beam and the extreme heat of the Solar Beam effectively canceled each other out, creating a dense mist in the air.
Volcarona, undeterred, surged its energy once more. Its Solar Beam grew thicker, wider, and more forceful.
In no time, the diminished strength of the Ice Beam was no longer sufficient to hold back the overwhelming force of the Solar Beam.
With a final burst of power, the Solar Beam broke through the resistance of the icy attack and shot directly toward Kyurem.
Kyurem hadn't anticipated that its Ice Beam would be overwhelmed so quickly.
The beam of solar energy struck Kyurem head-on, scorching a large portion of its body. A significant area of its hide turned black from the intense heat.
With a sharp roar of pain, Kyurem twisted its body, and in doing so, several chunks of the charred skin fell off, revealing raw, bloody flesh beneath.
"You dare hurt me to this extent, human?! You've truly enraged me now!" Kyurem bellowed furiously, his deep voice echoing through the frozen landscape as he glared menacingly at Nathan.
Enraged and driven by pain, Kyurem unfurled his massive wings and launched himself into the sky.
A thin layer of white mist began to emanate from his body.
But this was not mist in the conventional sense—it was chilling, bone-piercing cold air!
The moisture in the surrounding atmosphere began to freeze instantly under the influence of Kyurem's overwhelming frost. The frozen particles condensed into ultra-fine ice crystals, forming a fog-like cloud that surrounded him—a deadly, deceptive aura that looked like harmless smoke but carried lethal coldness.
Then, with a sudden roar that reverberated through the snowy landscape, Kyurem dove rapidly from the sky.
Due to his injuries and the violent motion of his descent, fresh blood oozed from the wounds on his body.
However, this blood barely had time to fall from his frame before it froze midair into solid chunks of crimson ice.
On the sidelines, observing the battle unfold with a growing sense of alarm, Xerneas could no longer stand by.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xerneas summoned a radiant, multicolored protective barrier that shimmered around its body.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed as Kyurem landed forcefully back on the frozen ground.
From the very spot where Kyurem stood, an eerie phenomenon began to spread outward—the ground, already cold and slick, started freezing over anew.
Snow and ice that had previously been melted by the Fire Spin, even water vapor and puddles from the heat, now began to re-solidify into thick sheets of ice.
And the zone of this re-freezing continued to expand outward.
"Glaciate!"
Nathan immediately recognized the move Kyurem had just activated.
Due to the vast amount of moisture that Volcarona had earlier evaporated into the air, the current atmosphere held a significantly high concentration of water molecules.
As Glaciate spread, the frozen vapor condensed rapidly, producing thick white fog—a phenomenon created entirely by the freezing water particles.
The freezing mist crept steadily forward and soon reached the area directly in front of Volcarona.
It was the advancing edge of Kyurem's Glaciate.
Before Nathan could even give an order, Volcarona had already responded instinctively—quickly ascending higher into the air while shedding countless burning powder from its wings.
These scorching powder, laden with heat, fell in a shimmering shower.
As they touched the encroaching ice field, loud sizzling and hissing sounds rang out, forming a distinct boundary.
Simultaneously, a stream of flame trailed from Volcarona's body, creating a blazing line that cut off the advance of the Glaciate.
To Nathan's surprise, Volcarona had managed to hold back the spreading cold.
He had originally believed that Volcarona would inevitably suffer under the power of Glaciate, either taking heavy damage or being forced into a corner.
But to his astonishment, after spending so much time with him, Volcarona had developed incredible mastery over its moves—enough to confront even a legendary Pokémon's full-powered attack.
With his partner showing such tenacity and skill, Nathan, as Volcarona's trainer, certainly wasn't going to fall behind.
"Volcarona, use Fiery Dance together with Flame Charge—go!"
Pointing directly at Kyurem, Nathan shouted with conviction.
"Vol!" Volcarona cried out, flapping its wings as it became a spinning ember of fire, spiraling through the air and drawing ever closer to Kyurem.
Kyurem looked at the much smaller Pokémon approaching it directly, seemingly unfazed and even disdainful.
Raising one of its massive claws, it swung with full force, aiming to swat Volcarona out of the sky like an insect.
But how could Volcarona—agile and experienced—possibly let itself get hit by such a predictable attack?
With a swift maneuver, it twisted gracefully in mid-air and evaded the strike with ease.
Kyurem's claw didn't even graze the flames trailing from Volcarona's wings.
The failed attack left Kyurem briefly exposed—and Volcarona immediately seized the opportunity.
It dived in, its wings ablaze, and struck Kyurem directly.
While Volcarona's physical strength was negligible compared to the massive power of a Legendary Pokémon like Kyurem, the flames coating its body were another story.
Moreover, Volcarona had cleverly targeted Kyurem's wounds.
When its burning wings connected with the injured spot, Kyurem let out a loud, anguished roar, retreating swiftly to escape further damage.
But Volcarona showed no mercy, immediately giving chase.
Kyurem had no choice but to shield its wounds and guard its vital areas from further attack.
Volcarona, engulfed in blazing fire, rammed into Kyurem again.
This time, however, Kyurem had adequately protected its injuries and critical points, so the impact did not result in significant damage.
Even so, that earlier blow to the wound had already been more than enough to leave Kyurem reeling.
Repeatedly attacked and humiliated by such a smaller opponent, Kyurem finally snapped.
After a brief moment of calm, it lunged at Volcarona in a blind rage.
Volcarona quickly pulled away to avoid direct confrontation.
Kyurem, now acting like a wild beast, launched into a series of erratic and uncontrolled strikes.
Seeing this chaotic state, Nathan immediately understood: Kyurem had activated Outrage.
But with Outrage, once the initial burst of fury wore off, confusion would inevitably follow.
"Volcarona, don't engage it head-on!"
Even though confusion was likely to occur after the attack ended, Volcarona's relatively fragile body couldn't risk taking a direct hit—it might not withstand it.
Volcarona continued to spiral and twist through the air, dodging every blow with skill.
No matter how ferociously Kyurem attacked, none of its strikes landed.
Then, as the storm of rage subsided, it was time for the counterattack.
"Volcarona, use Fire Blast—aim for Kyurem's wound!"
Just as Kyurem's final blow concluded, Nathan called out his next command.
Volcarona flapped its wings, releasing several flames in the shape of the character "大" a powerful Fire Blast—which hurtled toward Kyurem.
Still dazed and disoriented from Outrage, Kyurem failed to dodge.
The Fire Blast landed squarely on its wound.
The burn wasn't just painful—it tore the wound open even wider.
What was once a modest gash now extended to nearly half a meter in diameter.
Even with Kyurem's immense body, such a wound was simply too severe to ignore.
"Follow up! Use Flare Blitz!"
Nathan wasted no time.
Volcarona transformed into a blazing comet, surging forward like a fireball streaking across the sky.
Trailing brilliant flames behind it, the fiery moth smashed into Kyurem with a deafening impact.
Kyurem, nearly five meters tall, was slammed hard into the frozen ground.
The legendary Pokémon had fallen.
This marked the first time Nathan had pitted one of his own Pokémon in a one-on-one duel against a legendary Pokémon—and won.
It was also the very first time Volcarona had defeated a legendary being.
Although victory was ultimately theirs, the road to that win had been anything but easy.
-------
After the battle, Volcarona was panting heavily, clearly exhausted from the ordeal.
Keep in mind—Volcarona had a natural type advantage over Kyurem.
Even so, the difficulty of winning only underscored how overwhelmingly powerful a legendary Pokémon truly was.
Xerneas could hardly believe its eyes.
As a Pokémon, it didn't think as deeply as humans did.
But witnessing Nathan and Volcarona working in harmony to defeat Kyurem seemed like an impossibility.
What kind of strength did Volcarona truly possess? What about Kyurem?
There was a massive gulf in power between the two Pokémon—spanning an entire level tier.
"You're really strong. And your Pokémon... it's strong too. Are all humans as powerful as you?" Xerneas asked, astonished, floating over to Nathan.
Hearing its words, Nathan could only respond with a wry smile.
If every human possessed a Pokémon as powerful as Volcarona, the Frostline Region would probably have been overrun long ago.
A place where wishing star fragments fall from the sky... who wouldn't want to camp out here and wait?
(End of Chapter)
TN: Guess Kyurem at the Champion level. I remember Lucas was running away from Kyurem even though he have Eternatus and Reshiram lol.