That blue avian Pokémon had three diamond-shaped plumes on its head, forming a crown that gleamed with an icy blue chill.
Its dark-blue tail feathers trailed behind it like satin.
Its pair of slender talons looked lethally sharp.
It beat its wings and rose into the air.
It was incomparably noble and elegant.
With each flap of its wings, the temperature throughout the arena dropped a little.
Wherever it passed, the air condensed into tiny pellets of ice.
"My god…"
"This is truly unbelievable!"
"Our contestant, Shuzo, actually… actually has a Third-tier Legendary… Articuno!!"
"That's right! That terrifying Ice-type energy, that elegant bearing, it can only be Articuno!"
"No one could have imagined that on the very first day of the tournament, we would witness such a breathtaking scene!"
The announcer stammered through his words, unable to hide the excitement and shock in his heart.
The spectators present were even more shaken than he was.
One after another, they craned their necks and stared blankly at Articuno as it flew overhead.
Who could have imagined that they would one day see with their own eyes a legendary Pokémon that had existed only in books and on television?
The entire arena fell silent.
Articuno gracefully circled the arena once.
Then it calmly descended back onto the field.
"Well done, Articuno!"
Shuzo reached out and stroked Articuno's head.
"Kyah!!"
Articuno gave a high, ringing cry and rubbed its head against Shuzo's hand.
The next second, its body turned into a streak of light and was absorbed back into the Poké Ball.
After putting the Poké Ball away again, Shuzo did not pause for even a moment. He stepped off the battle arena and disappeared into the contestant tunnel.
The audience in the stands kept their eyes fixed on his back. Only after he had vanished did they finally come back to their senses.
"He actually has a Legendary…"
Standing on her own battle arena, Himeko murmured to herself.
She had never imagined that, aside from herself, there was actually another Trainer in this world who possessed a legendary-class Pokémon.
Even if that Articuno was still one tier below WarGreymon and Mew, being only at the level of a Third-tier Legendary, it was still an immensely powerful Pokémon that countless people could only dream of obtaining.
"Fake."
Just as Himeko was sighing in amazement, Shiko's voice suddenly rang out in her mind.
It came as abruptly as a clap of thunder, startling her.
"What do you mean, fake?"
Coming back to herself, Himeko hurriedly asked.
"That Articuno is fake."
Shiko said a few more words.
Himeko was baffled.
What was going on?
Just now, she had even activated her Eye of Appraisal to examine Articuno.
And it had indeed shown that it was Articuno.
"Something's off about its aura."
"The pressure from a Third-tier Legendary shouldn't be this weak. At the very least, it should be twice as strong."
"That Articuno feels hollow to me, like some kind of illusory projection."
After a moment of silence, Shiko explained what he felt.
He had fought multiple Third-tier Legendaries before…
So he understood very clearly just how strong those Legendary Pokémon were supposed to be.
This Articuno clearly had not reached the level of power a Third-tier Legendary should possess.
"I think so too."
The moment Shiko finished speaking, Mew spoke up as well.
"This isn't the Articuno I know. Its aura feels very unfamiliar."
Mew added another sentence.
As an ancient Second-tier Legendary that had lived in this world for a very long time, Mew had naturally had quite a few interactions with Third-tier Legendaries like Articuno.
She had also remembered Articuno's aura clearly.
But the one that had appeared before them now felt especially unfamiliar to her.
That alone made her suspicious.
With both Shiko and Mew confirming it, Himeko also began to speculate inwardly.
But then the question arose.
If that Pokémon was not really Articuno, then what exactly was it?
If it were a Pokémon using Transform, her Eye of Appraisal should have seen through it at a glance.
But the information it displayed had indeed identified it as Articuno.
What exactly was going on here?
Himeko could not help sinking into thought.
"Don't think too much about it. With his strength, you'll naturally run into him in the upcoming matches."
"When that time comes, one fight will tell you everything."
"For now, deal with these small fry in front of you first."
Shiko's voice rang out once more.
Himeko lifted her head, and only then did she notice that while they had been talking, most of the Trainers on the field had already been eliminated.
Now there were only around a dozen left.
And every one of those remaining Trainers was staring at her with openly hostile eyes.
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]