On another ruined street.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Red lowered the brim of his cap slightly, his voice calm but commanding as he directed his partner.
Pikachu darted across the shattered ground on all fours, nimbly avoiding the fiery blaze and icy beam shooting toward it. Its small body leaped high into the air, and a surge of dazzling electricity burst forth from its cheeks with a crackling roar.
Thunderbolt shot upward like a golden spear of light, blasting straight toward the blazing Moltres and the freezing Articuno soaring in the sky!
That's right, those two were none other than the legendary birds themselves, Moltres and Articuno.
And in the distance, the third of the trio, Zapdos, flapped its thunderous wings, its eyes sparking with raw electricity.
Red clenched his fists. He hadn't expected Team Rocket to have gone so far as to capture all three Legendary Birds!
And the one controlling them was none other than Sabrina, the former Gym Leader of Saffron City.
Pikachu's Thunderbolt struck Moltres and Articuno head-on, causing both divine birds to let out pained cries that echoed through the battlefield.
Even though legendary Pokémon had much higher endurance than ordinary ones, Red's Pikachu was no ordinary partner—its Thunderbolt hit with the weight of years of battle experience, the strength of countless victories.
"Give it up. You're not my opponent," Red said coldly beneath his cap's shadow. "Why would someone like you join Team Rocket?"
Sabrina's expression remained as unreadable as ever her eyes devoid of emotion.
She had once been the official Gym Leader of Saffron City, a position of honor within the League. She was young, talented, powerful—a trainer at the level of the Elite Four.
Red couldn't understand it. Why would someone with so much potential, someone with so much ahead of her, throw it all away to join Team Rocket?
"Your strength is indeed remarkable," Sabrina said softly, her voice almost mechanical. "Then I suppose I'll have to use that."
Red frowned slightly. "That?"
Sabrina did not answer his question. How could an outsider ever understand?
Giovanni had given her meaning. He had given her a sense of purpose that no one else had. For Sabrina, serving Giovanni wasn't merely loyalty, it was the only way she could repay the man who had saved her from her own emptiness.
Even if today meant she would be captured, disgraced, or destroyed—she didn't care.
And she was not alone in that devotion. Surge and Koga were the same.
"In terms of sheer power," she continued evenly, "only our Boss, Lucas, and Karen are at the Champion level. The Boss predicted a day like this long ago."
As she spoke, Sabrina's psychic power pulsed. A massive machine floated from the shadows, drawn forward by invisible hands, until it stood before her.
"The three Legendary Birds were captured precisely for this. The Kanto region is where the League's headquarters lies, and within the eight original Badges of Kanto… lies a tremendous energy."
She took out eight shimmering Badges, each one radiating a faint glow and placed them carefully onto the machine's surface.
Lines of light coursed through the device, forming a geometric pattern that pulsed like a living thing.
"Pikachu, stop her!"
Red's brows furrowed. He didn't fully understand what Sabrina was trying to do but whatever it was, he had to stop her before it was too late.
Pikachu shot forward like lightning, sparks flying with every step.
But before it could reach her, Zapdos and a Alakazam leapt into action, launching attacks that cut off Pikachu's path.
"Thunderbolt!" Red shouted.
Pikachu unleashed another surge of power, but it was too late.
The energy amplification device had already activated.
Three beams of light burst from the machine, striking each of the three Legendary Birds squarely in the chest!
"What are you doing!?" Red shouted, his red eyes widening as the three birds screamed in unison.
Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos were engulfed in blinding radiance, their forms began to overlap, melting into each other within a storm of power.
"The energy within the original Badges is mysterious," Sabrina said quietly. "Gene fusion experiments don't only apply to ordinary Pokémon. They can be applied… even to the legendary ones."
Her lips curved ever so slightly. "That's what the Three Birds Project was all about. When the right external energy is applied… even legendary birds can be fused together."
"And what emerges from that fusion…"
Her words were cut off by a thunderous cry.
"SCREEEEE!"
"SCREEEEEE!"
"SCREEEEEEE!"
Three piercing screeches overlapped into one deafening roar.
As the light faded, a massive avian silhouette emerged from the smoke—its presence alone radiating a crushing, suffocating pressure.
Red froze, staring up at the monstrosity. His pupils trembled not from fear, but from sheer disbelief.
"Three Birds… as one…" he muttered.
The fused creature, a hideous hybrid of Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos spread its mismatched wings.
It had three heads, each belonging to one of the legendary birds. One wing shimmered with frost-blue feathers, the other crackled with yellow lightning. Its body burned faintly red with embers from Moltres, and its mismatched tails writhed unnaturally.
Rather than being a product of genetic experimentation, it is more like a patchwork monster formed by piecing together the various body parts of the three divine birds.
It was a grotesque, patchwork abomination.
Sabrina's brow creased slightly. "The Three Birds Fusion… is complete."
Even she couldn't deny it—it was ugly.
This so-called fusion didn't look like a perfect creation. It was more like a creature stitched together from parts, a Frankenstein of the skies.
Red's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"What… what have you done to them!?" he roared. "Is this the result you wanted!? These Pokémon, these living beings—you turned them into monsters!"
His usually calm and collected tone was gone, replaced by raw fury.
To use science like this—to forcibly fuse Pokémon against their will—ignoring their pain, their thoughts, their feelings.
It was unforgivable.
Team Rocket was unforgivable.
"This is indeed imperfect," Sabrina said indifferently. "The Three Birds Project was never flawless. But still… the power it produces is more than satisfactory."
Even if its form was hideous, the fusion's strength was undeniable.
The fused bird radiated the power of a top-tier Legendary Pokémon —something far beyond what a single Legendary Bird could achieve.
"That's… imperfect?" Red exhaled sharply, forcing himself to steady his breath. It was no use arguing—this woman didn't understand. She was beyond reason.
"Then I'll defeat you," he declared. "And I'll save the three divine birds! Team Rocket must be destroyed today!"
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled another Poké Ball into the air.
"Charizard, let's go!"
The fiery dragon landed with a heavy thud, spreading its wings wide.
"You can't do it," Sabrina said calmly. "The Boss and Mr. Lucas power… is something you could never comprehend."
"We'll see about that." Red's eyes flared with determination.
"Once I defeat you, I'll take down Giovanni and that guy, Lucas. Evil organizations like yours that only harms Pokémon shouldn't exist in this world."
He knew that if they weren't stopped today, more innocent Pokémon would suffer tomorrow.
He wouldn't allow that.
…
BOOM!
A loud explosion thundered through another part of the city. Vileplume and Houndoom were blasted backward, crashing into walls that crumbled from the impact, leaving them buried under heaps of rubble.
"Damn it!!"
Archer and Ariana staggered backward, their eyes wide with shock and anger.
Too strong—he was too strong!
Even the two of them together couldn't withstand a single exchange. Their opponent's level was simply… on another dimension.
"So weak," a youthful, mocking voice drawled. "Pathetically weak. And you call yourselves Team Rocket executives?"
A tall, handsome young man stepped forward, his sharp features accentuated by his spiky hair and the confident smirk curling his lips. His black fitted shirt clung to a lean, athletic build.
Blue Oak.
Beside him stood his faithful Arcanine, majestic and proud, its mane flowing even under the rain.
"Pathetic," Blue said, twirling a Poké Ball between his fingers. "As prey, you two are boring."
His tone was casual, almost disappointed.
That was exactly how he felt. So far, every Team Rocket member he'd fought had been laughably weak.
Until now. He'd thought meeting Archer and Ariana would finally be a challenge but even they had fallen instantly.
"Asshole!"
"Arrogant little punk!"
Archer and Ariana's faces twisted with fury, but their pride meant nothing before such overwhelming strength.
"Oh? It seems like you both are quite dissatisfied" Blue tilted his head slightly, smirking. "It's a pity that with your level, you can only be dissatisfied in your heart."
He shrugged, turning away. "Officer Jenny will clean up the rest."
He had bigger fish to fry.
"I wonder where Red is," Blue murmured, thinking for a moment. "He's probably busy taking down more of these Rocket idiots."
He looked around at the ruined streets, listening to the sounds of battle echoing from two distant directions.
"Two hotspots, huh? Guess I'll just pick one."
With a grin, he dashed off toward the nearest clash, the one that sounded the most intense.
He was done bullying the weak.
What he wanted… was a battle against someone truly strong.
…
Rain poured relentlessly from the dark clouds above.
Saffron City, the beating heart of Kanto's economy was now a city of ruin and chaos. Explosions lit the skyline, lightning flashed across the heavens, and the air reeked of smoke and ozone.
"Metagross, Hammer Arm!"
"Hyper Beam!"
Steven's expression was grim, his silver hair plastered to his face by the downpour.
His two Metagrosses lunged forward, one firing a massive black beam of destructive energy that clashed head-on with a roaring Dragon Pulse from Reshiram.
The collision exploded in midair, the shockwave shattering nearby buildings.
Meanwhile, his Shiny Mega Metagross lunged forward, moving faster than the eye could follow.
"It's useless," Lucas said, smiling wickedly beneath the storm. "Haven't you realized yet? A frontal assault will never work against my Reshiram."
"Fusion Flare!"
Reshiram roared, gathering a massive orb of blinding fire even as rain poured down. The heat warped the air—the sheer temperature enough to evaporate the raindrops mid-fall.
"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"
Cynthia's golden hair was drenched, her bangs clinging to her forehead. She brushed them aside, her eyes never leaving Reshiram for an instant.
Mega Garchomp's crimson scythes gleamed as it charged forward, its murderous aura surging like a crimson storm.
Among them, only her Garchomp could deliver the damage they needed against a legendary dragon.
Its two blades glowed red-hot as it launched into the air, a whirlwind of dragon energy surrounding its form.
"Oh?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "A coordinated assault?"
"Haxorus, Dragon Claw!"
Just when Lucas was about to give orders to Reshiram, Iris's voice reached Lucas's ears.
Her Haxorus roared, sprinting straight toward Lucas himself.
"Hm… targeting the trainer?" Lucas laughed softly. "Trying to distract me, are you?"
Of course he saw through it immediately.
If they couldn't defeat his Pokémon directly, then disrupting his commands was the next best move.
But Lucas had already prepared for that.
He flicked his wrist, releasing another Poké Ball.
A flash of blue light burst forth—
"Draaa~"
A beautiful Shiny Dragonair emerged, its sleek body shimmering with azure light. Its tail whipped through the rain like a blade.
It met Haxorus head-on—Dragon Tail against Dragon Claw.
The two dragons clashed, but the difference in power was unmistakable.
Dragonair's tail smashed through Haxorus's guard, sending it flying backward into the mud with a heavy crash.
"Haxorus!" Iris cried out, her eyes wide with alarm.
In the sky, Reshiram's Fusion Flare collided with Mega Garchomp's Dragon Rush, filling the air with blinding light.
Steven's Shiny Metagross seized the moment, slamming its arms into Reshiram's chest.
Reshiram grunted as it was knocked back, only to counter with a massive Overheat that clashed against another Hyper Beam.
The resulting explosion sent both Pokémon flying backward.
"Tch… even that wasn't enough," Steven muttered, frowning.
Cynthia's eyes darted toward Lucas again. Towards the calm, smiling figure standing behind his Pokémon.
Beside him, the Shiny Dragonair floated gracefully, its eyes steady and unshaken.
That Dragonair… was terrifying.
Cynthia and Steven both knew that if even Iris's Haxorus couldn't withstand it, their situation had just become far more dire.
Lucas's voice echoed through the rain, smooth and taunting.
"Excellent tactics," he said with a faint smile. "But even I must admit, Reshiram alone can't handle the three of you indefinitely."
He lifted another Poké Ball, a playful glint in his eyes.
"Well, let's start our second round, but it seems... we have a new friend."
His gaze shifted.
Through the haze of rain, a familiar figure approached—spiky hair, confident stride, and a faint smirk.
Lucas's eyes lit up.
"It's been a long time," he said, lips curling.
"Blue."
Blue Oak—has entered the battle!
(End of Chapter)