Legendary Pokémon almost never appear in the modern world. Only ancient texts and ruins hold records of their true power. Because of this, there are always a few overconfident people who believe they can simply capture a Legendary Pokémon.
It is not impossible, of course. A Legendary Pokémon can be caught — but only if it chooses to accept its Trainer. In most cases, a Legendary Pokémon follows a person willingly, because it recognizes them as worthy. No amount of force or technology can change that.
Regigigas raised its massive arm, and a golden Hyper Beam tore through the cold air.
Hunter J's Salamence twisted hard to the side, wings angled sharply, just barely clearing the beam's path. The attack struck the frozen ground where it had been a moment before, sending chunks of ice flying in all directions.
Steven watched in silence.
He had already witnessed the raw power of a Legendary Pokémon twice in his life. What he was seeing now was no different. This was not something human technology could overcome. Even a Master Ball — the most reliable capture device ever created — might not be enough to hold one of these beings by force.
A Master Ball could withstand the power of a Legendary Pokémon. That much was true. But if a Legendary Pokémon was fighting with its full strength and had no intention of submitting, even a Master Ball would split apart like any ordinary Poké Ball. And that was before considering that some Legendary Pokémon carried power that went beyond simple strength — forces tied to the laws of the world itself.
"At this point, all we can do is hope that Regigigas calms down once it's dealt with Hunter J," Steven said quietly.
There was nothing else to be done. Regigigas was not like Yveltal, which at least had Xerneas to balance it. And honestly, Hunter J had brought this on herself. Removing her from the picture would simply be Regigigas doing what no one else had managed to do.
"Hunter J, ma'am!"
Below, an off-road vehicle skidded to a stop on the snow-covered road. One of Hunter J's subordinates leaned out the window, shouting upward over the noise of the battle.
"The client has pulled out! The commission's been cancelled — it's gotten too big!"
The shout carried clearly. Steven heard every word. He glanced toward the road and noticed that Snowpoint City's police officers had already begun pushing the crowd back to a safe distance.
"Damn it!"
Hunter J clicked her tongue and stomped her boot against Salamence's back. She gave her Pokémon a sharp signal, turning it toward the tree line. Salamence was fast and agile in the air, which was the only reason she had survived this long. Regigigas's bulk made it difficult to track a flying target at speed, limiting it to long-range attacks. If Salamence had been on the ground, this fight would have ended much sooner.
But Steven had no intention of letting her walk away.
"Cynthia! Cut her off!" he called out sharply.
"On it!"
The two of them moved at once, pressing forward to block Hunter J's exit.
"Flash Cannon!"
Metagross's body shone with a cold, silver light. A concentrated burst of energy fired forward — a Flash Cannon — cutting across Salamence's path just as it turned to flee. The blast forced Salamence to pull up short, wings beating hard.
Hunter J spun around, eyes locking onto Steven.
"You—"
"You started this," Steven said, his voice level. "Did you really think you could just leave?"
Whooooom—
Two more Hyper Beams crashed down from above. Regigigas had not stopped. Steven and Hunter J both scattered, their Pokémon dodging hard in opposite directions.
"Truly indiscriminate," Steven muttered, glancing down at Regigigas. He exhaled slowly, then looked back at Hunter J, who was already repositioning Salamence. "You're not getting away."
"Metagross — Psychic!"
The iron cross on Metagross's face lit up with a deep blue glow. Invisible psychic energy spread outward and wrapped around Salamence, freezing it in place mid-air. Salamence strained against the hold, but could not move.
Metagross turned its gaze upward, reading the trajectory of the next incoming beam, and rose smoothly — carrying itself clear of the attack without breaking its focus on Salamence.
Hunter J assessed the situation in an instant. Another Hyper Beam was already building below. She made her decision without hesitation and jumped.
In freefall, she flung a Poké Ball. It burst open, and a Honchkrow swept beneath her, catching her hands in its talons and pulling her upward in a sharp arc. Within seconds, the two of them were clear of the blast zone.
Salamence watched her go.
Its expression was calm. There was no panic in its eyes, no confusion. It simply watched as its Trainer was carried away to safety.
Maybe it had always known this day would come. Or maybe it was simply glad she had made it out.
"Salamence!"
Hunter J turned her head back. Even with Honchkrow pulling her through the air at speed, she called its name once more.
"Awoo…"
Salamence's mouth curved — just slightly, just enough. A quiet smile, brief and real.
Its Trainer had always treated it differently from the other Pokémon she used. That had always been true.
Salamence turned its head forward. The golden light of Regigigas's Hyper Beam filled its vision.
A moment before Hunter J had jumped, Steven had already released Metagross's Psychic hold on Salamence.
That was why Salamence had been able to turn its head. That was why it had been able to watch her leave.
It simply hadn't noticed that it could move again.
Steven had never been able to stand by and let a Pokémon face death alone. He was not that kind of person. He had sent the previous Hunters to the police — not to their graves. He had never killed anyone, not in any chapter of his life. He simply could not bring himself to do it, no matter the circumstances.
But Hunter J had caused real harm. She deserved to face consequences for that.
The Hyper Beam swallowed Salamence whole. The light was overwhelming — brilliant and terrible.
Red faded into gold.
Hunter J, still gripping a Poké Ball in one hand, was a half-second too slow.
"Kweh!"
Honchkrow let out a sharp, startled cry as something hit it hard. Cynthia had moved without a word. She was already on Garchomp's back, one arm around its neck, and Garchomp's blade-like arm had come down in a clean sweep — striking Honchkrow across the wing and sending both it and Hunter J tumbling toward the ground.
Below, Diancie had not been idle either. A Diamond Storm scattered across the road, the gemstone shards catching Honchkrow midair and flipping the off-road vehicle onto its side in a single motion.
Hunter J hit the ground hard.
As she fell, she turned her head one last time. Through the smoke and the fading light, she watched the scorched shape of Salamence drop from the sky — charred and still — and disappear beneath the haze.
Her expression was unreadable.
Thud. Thud.
Two heavy sounds. Then silence.
The fall was from a great height. Even with the naturally strong constitution that humans in this world possessed, a drop like that was not something anyone walked away from cleanly. Hunter J was deeply unconscious before she even came to rest.
Metagross extended its psychic field gently, catching Salamence's body before it struck the frozen ground. It lowered it down slowly, setting it in the snow with care.
Regigigas stood still.
Crimson spread slowly outward from where Hunter J lay, seeping into the cracks between the ice and stone. The ancient mosaic patterns across Regigigas's body pulsed and flickered — steady, then slow, then quieter.
The frantic energy of battle gave way to a cold, heavy stillness.
Steven could not read Regigigas's expression. He wasn't sure anyone could. But its wrath, whatever had driven it to strike so fiercely, seemed to be settling.
He stepped forward. Careful. Deliberate.
He stopped a few feet away from Regigigas and slowly raised his hand toward it.
A soft green light began to glow from his palm.