Pokemon: Skybound

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Ash sprinted a few steps forward, reaching the shrine and pulling out a glowing orb, filled with flickering electrical sparks. He placed it into the groove in the stone tablet.

Under the watchful eyes of the group, the three orbs sat side by side. However, after several seconds of waiting, there was no sign of anything unusual happening.

"Strange, no reaction?" Ash stood dumbfounded, turning to Melody. "Could they just be decoration? Or maybe they don't have the power to end the battle after all?"

However, Melody remained calm, and with a soft voice, she simply said, "Just wait a moment."

Before anyone could question her, the three orbs suddenly erupted in brilliant light.

The light grew increasingly bright until it fused into a soft green glow, forming a light barrier that quickly enveloped the entire altar!

Then, a strong gust of wind blew out from the stone tablet, scattering the snow nearby!

Suddenly, the flowers bloomed, filling the air with their fragrance, and it seemed as though everything had returned to its original state.

In the next instant, a green glowing liquid began to flow from beneath the stone tablet, filling the lower groove and slowly spilling onto the stone columns around the shrine.

As the liquid spread, the group could see that strange symbols were etched into the stone slabs beneath the altar.

Given the eerie green colour, they all stepped back cautiously, unsure of what was happening.

Could this be some kind of toxic substance?

Luckily, at that moment, Melody stepped forward to the centre of the altar, pulling out her unique flute; she placed it to her lips, closed her eyes, and began to play the first note.

"Huuummmm..."

The melodious music emanated from the flute, and as the sound waves hit the stone columns, it seemed to have some magical effect, causing them to resonate. The sound is then amplified, travelling far and wide like an acoustic signal.

The music had a soothing effect, and Kai, at least, felt his tense nerves relax completely.

The fighting Pokémon on the battlefield also lost interest, with all of them landing and listening attentively. Even Zapdos, who had been unconscious, slowly opened its eyes and began to recover.

"Huuummmm..."

The music continued, and the green liquid sprayed out from the shrine like a fountain, flowing into the sea and spreading rapidly.

Wherever the liquid touched, the ice and snow began to melt.

It was as if adding cleaning liquid to dishwater, the effect was visibly and rapidly working.

At the same time, the flute's melody had completely calmed the rage in the three legendary birds. They flew a few circles, then, almost as if in unison, turned around and flew back to their islands.

Honestly, by this point, they had already used up most of their strength, and even without the flute, they wouldn't have been able to continue fighting for much longer.

In the sky, Lugia seized the opportunity to unleash its power, sending up a massive water tornado, clearing away the remaining storm clouds and revealing the long-forgotten sun.

It seemed that, while things were a little anticlimactic, the conflict had finally come to a close.

Seeing such a rare sight, Kai quickly took out his phone to capture the moment.

At that moment, Lugia flew to the top of the altar, slowly descending, and via telepathy, it expressed its gratitude to the group.

"To the two chosen ones and their followers, thank you for everything you have done. Thank you for protecting this world."

The two chosen ones were, of course, Kai and Ash, who had played key roles in the battle one seeking the treasure, and the other holding off the legendary birds.

Melody lowered her flute, feeling a sigh of relief as the battle truly came to a close. She then placed her hands on her chest, looked up at Lugia, and spoke gratefully, "We should be the ones thanking you. Thank you, Sea God, for your long protection of Shamouti Island and for maintaining the balance of the three legendary birds."

Meanwhile, the television crew, who had been stunned by the appearance of the legendary Pokémon, finally turned their attention to the humans standing nearby.

They immediately recognized Kai. Wasn't he the new Champion from the Kanto Region's Indigo league, was it?!

How did he end up here?

Could this event be connected to him?

Without much thought, the TV crew quickly aimed their cameras at Kai. After all, Champion, Lugia, the three legendary birds, the century battle, the weather anomalies all of these terms tied together would surely be an explosive topic!

Before they could begin filming, however, Professor Oak stepped forward, blocking their view.

"Apologies, everyone." Professor Oak smiled politely, "What happened here is not something that should be spread to the public."

"Huh?" The staff was puzzled "Why not?"

Professor Oak laughed softly, "While it's true this situation is tied to weather anomalies across various regions, it also involves several legendary Pokémon. To avoid unnecessary panic, it's best if we don't broadcast this."

"Professor Oak is right." Professor Ivy added, "Let's just leave it be. As a part of the Orange Islands, I hope the legendary birds remain undisturbed."

The staff exchanged uncertain looks. As news reporters, having a story yet being unable to report it felt frustrating.

However, Professor Oak and Professor Ivy were both highly influential figures in the Pokémon world, and the staff had no choice but to respect their wishes.

Reluctantly, they agreed, though they secretly thought to themselves how much this footage would have boosted their ratings.

Just then, Lugia expressed its thanks again, before flying back into the sky, bidding farewell to Kai and the others.

"Until we meet again, we are bound by fate."

With that, it dove into the sea, disappearing from sight, leaving only its legend in the hearts of people.

Looking at the now-calm ocean, Kai couldn't help but think about catching this legendary Pokémon. However, now wasn't the right time.

Besides, having just fought side by side, it felt wrong to take it now.

"Ah, well. I'm sure I'll meet another Lugia eventually."

"By the way, Kai." Misty, knowing Kai had never met Professor Ivy, spoke up. "You don't know Professor Ivy, do you? Let me introduce you. This is Professor Ivy, a famous Pokémon researcher, just like Professor Oak!"

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