Such a perfectly synchronized clash instantly gave both trainers a sense of mutual respect and recognition.
An opponent of this level… truly rare—so rare!
Moltres and Volcarona unleashed Heat Wave against each other at the same time.
The searing winds carrying intense heat collided midair, and at the point of contact, flames actually burst into existence out of thin air.
That alone was enough to show just how terrifyingly high the temperature became when the two Heat Waves collided.
"Synchro!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Nathan activated synchronization with Volcarona.
At present, Volcarona was still only at Champion-level, while Moltres was a full-fledged Legendary-tier Pokémon.
If they tried to compete purely on raw strength alone, it would be absolutely impossible for them to win.
Normally, Nathan preferred using type advantages to overwhelm his opponents.
But this time, for the sake of earning the title of Apex, he had no choice but to choose a Pokémon of the same type.
Without the support of type advantage, what remained to him was only synchronization.
Once it was activated, Nathan's vision became Volcarona's vision.
And at that very moment, the Galarian Moltres spread its wings wide.
An overwhelming wave of psychic energy erupted outward, crashing directly toward Volcarona.
Nathan guided Volcarona to put up a Safeguard.
With Safeguard active, Moltres's psychic-type attack was completely nullified.
Under Nathan's control, Volcarona danced gracefully in midair, its wings scattering shimmering scales as it flew.
Everywhere Volcarona passed, those fiery scales ignited into a blazing path, gradually forming a glowing semicircle.
"String Shot!"
Volcarona opened its mouth and spat out a mass of silken white threads, shooting straight toward Moltres in the sky.
"Moltres, Ember! Burn that web away!"
Seeing the move, Blaze immediately shouted the command.
Before the white silk could even touch Moltres, the tiny flames it spat out had already incinerated them.
Without pausing, Blaze followed up quickly: "Moltres, use Agility! Follow it up with Wing Attack!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Moltres spread its massive wings wide.
The Galarian form of Moltres stood over two meters tall, and when its wings extended, the span reached nearly four meters.
Those vast wings, blazing with black and crimson fire, slashed through the air like an enormous blade aimed at Volcarona.
Behind Moltres's wings, streaks of trailing fire carved a scar across the sky.
It was a visual illusion only achievable at speeds faster than sound.
But with synchronization, Nathan could clearly see through it all.
He guided Volcarona into a rapid descent, drawing closer and closer to the ground.
And right then, Moltres swooped in after them.
Whipping up a roaring gale, the black-and-red phoenix plummeted like a fighter jet, ready to smash into Volcarona.
But before the collision, Volcarona suddenly shot upward in a sharp climb.
Originally, both Pokémon had been battling at a height of nearly forty meters.
Because of Volcarona's steady descent, Moltres had shifted into a full dive.
Now, with Volcarona's sudden ascent, Moltres had no time to pull up in pursuit.
With a deafening boom, Moltres slammed into the desert floor, creating a massive crater.
From within the crater, black and red flames roared upward.
Its attack had missed completely, ending with a devastating crash into the earth.
Yet Nathan knew perfectly well that such an impact wouldn't truly injure Moltres.
After all, it was still a Legendary Pokémon. A simple crash landing could never be enough to bring it down.
Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Moltres rose again, beating its wings as it lifted back into the sky.
"Fire Blast!"
The instant Moltres emerged from the crater, Volcarona's counterattack arrived.
Though Fire Blast was technically a fire-type move, its true power lay in its explosive impact.
Caught off guard midair, Moltres was struck directly. With a thunderous detonation, it was blasted down once more.
"Moltres, Burn Up!"
Seeing his Pokémon fall into disadvantage, Blaze frowned and quickly commanded.
Instead of lifting off again, Moltres ignited itself while still grounded.
The crimson-black flames on its body exploded outward, sweeping across the battlefield.
The corrupted fire surged forward, colliding against the flaming trail Volcarona had left earlier.
In mere moments, the orange flames were smothered, replaced entirely by Moltres's black-and-red blaze.
As the dark fire spread toward them, Nathan directed Volcarona to unleash a Fiery Dance.
Within the inferno, Volcarona burned brilliantly, like a lotus blooming unstained upon a murky pond.
Though surrounded on all sides by Moltres's tainted flames, its own orange blaze remained pure and unchanged.
Through synchronization, Nathan could feel the crushing pressure of those sinister flames.
Under that suffocating weight, he commanded Volcarona to erupt with even greater power.
Its orange flames surged.
What had been a pillar only two meters tall suddenly swelled, expanding beyond three meters, pushing back against the black-and-red fire.
Orange and crimson light battled fiercely against the corrupted blaze.
On the sidelines, Grog and Kelly were left utterly speechless by the scene before them.
It was as though a single spark of hope burned defiantly within endless darkness.
Moltres's dark fire embodied the abyss, while Volcarona's flames shone like the light of the sun itself—hope incarnate.
Every frame of this clash could have been captured as a perfect, breathtaking image.
Before this moment, Grog and Kelly had believed that fire was all the same.
But now, they finally understood. In this world, even fire held countless variations.
The pressure continued to mount. Nathan knew that if this dragged on, it would only end badly for him.
"In that case… then let's do it!"
Gritting his teeth, he commanded Volcarona to use Flame Charge!
The orange fire around it flared violently, and this time, instead of waiting, Volcarona wrapped itself in its own blazing light and charged forward.
When all power converges into a single point, it becomes unstoppable.
The flames coalesced into the shape of an arrow, with Volcarona itself as the tip.
Through the endless sea of black-and-red fire, Volcarona surged straight at Moltres.
Dawn, slicing through the darkness!
Moltres hastily tried to block its advance, pulling flames together to wall it off.
But how could such barriers possibly stop Volcarona's momentum?
Every flame in its way was pierced like fragile paper.
In the span of just two breaths, Volcarona was already upon Moltres.
Though smaller in size, the incredible velocity granted it overwhelming impact force.
With a resounding crash, Volcarona struck Moltres head-on, toppling it from the sky.
"Now!"
Seizing the opportunity, Nathan's eyes lit up.
"Fire Spin! Hurricane!"
Both moves were unleashed simultaneously.
The orange flames twisted rapidly into a vortex, while the hurricane winds drove the spiral to spin even faster.
The acceleration raised the inner temperature rapidly—within seconds, the heat had reached nearly a thousand degrees.
Though both Pokémon were born of fire, the difference in their flames was stark.
The fire of Galarian Moltres was one of corruption and malice.
But Volcarona's blaze was the fire of the sun itself.
And that was why its flames could still inflict immense harm on Moltres.
The vortex did not last long—only twenty to thirty seconds—before dissipating.
When it cleared, Moltres reappeared in the sky.
But this time, its state was clearly weakened.
The flames on its head and wings flickered faintly, as if they could be extinguished by the slightest breeze.
"Moltres, Roost!"
Seeing his partner in such a condition, Blaze's face twisted with worry. He quickly commanded it to recover.
With Roost, Moltres's flames gradually regained their strength.
But even then, compared to its earlier might, it was far from its peak.
"Moltres, use Air Slash!"
The moment it steadied, Blaze ordered again.
Moltres spread its wings wide, spun its body sharply with its talons as the pivot, and unleashed a sweeping arc of compressed air.
The curved blade of wind slashed straight toward Volcarona.
Air Slash!?
Hearing the call, Nathan's heart tightened.
He remembered well how Suicune had once used this very move.
In the hands of a Legendary, it could carve open the very sky itself.
Without hesitation, Nathan had Volcarona raise a Light Screen.
The barrier formed just in time—at the very moment the Air Slash descended upon them.
(End of Chapter)