Articuno, Zapdos & Moltres vs. Raikou, Entei & Suicune is a What-If? Death Battle featuring the Legendary Bird Trio consisting of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres from Pokémon Red and Blue and the Legendary Beast Trio consisting of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune from Pokémon Gold and Silver. This page was created by GalacticAttorney in commemoration of Pokémon's 20th Anniversary.
Description
Generation 1's Legendary Trio faces off against Generation 2's Legendary Trio! What better way to celebrate the 20th birthday of our favorite monster-collecting video game than to pit the two original Legendary Trios against each other in a duel to the death? Which trio will win: the Birds, or the Beasts?
Intro
Wiz: The magical world of Pokémon is filled to the brim with hundreds of magical monsters for humans to befriend and battle alongside. For twenty years now these little pocket monsters have amazed and captivated us, but for fans like us...
Boomstick: ...We just love to see them fight to the bitter end! And to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary, we're pitting the original legendary trios against each other in a brutal battle for supremacy!
Edgeworth: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, the legendary birds of the Kanto region...
Morrigan: ...And Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, the legendary beasts of the Johto region.
Papyrus: FOR THIS BATTLE, THERE IS GOING TO BE NO TRAINER INFLUENCE FOR EITHER PARTY - WE'RE GOING TO PIT THEM AT THEIR BEST AS WILD POKÉMON!
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick, and they're Miles Edgeworth, Papyrus, and Morrigan Aensland...
Wiz: ...And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win a DEATH BATTLE.
Legendary Birds
Wiz: The Legendary Bird Trio is made up of Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon, Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon, and Moltres, the Flame Pokémon. Originating from the Kanto region and the Red/Blue/Yellow games, they make up arguably the most recognizable Legendary Trio.
Boomstick: Together with Articuno's ice powers, Zapdos's electric powers, and Moltres's fire powers, they're said to control the flow and currents of the oceans, which is why they're so closely associated with Lugia, the Pokémon guardian of the sea. Maybe I can finally ride a Pokémon with one of these things.
Edgeworth: Moltres stands at 6'7", towering over the other two with Articuno at 5'7" and Zapdos at 5'3", so... it's possible.
Boomstick: HELL YEAH! Where do I catch it?
Wiz: The summit of a volcano.
Boomstick: I have to hike to catch that thing? Dammit!
Wiz: The first of the birds is Articuno, the Freeze Pokémon. Dwelling deep within the icy caverns of the Seafoam Islands, it's the most durable of the trio, possessing above average Defense and Special Defense.
Edgeworth: Articuno is an Ice and Flying type, meaning it is naturally strong against other Flying types, Fighting types, Ground types, Bug types, and Grass types. Legends say it appears before those lost in the icy mountains, and it freezes the water in the air to create snow as it flies, to the point of forming blizzards. Its ability, Pressure, forces the opponents to spend more energy on each attack, and its Hidden Ability is Snow Cloak, which increases its evasion in a hailstorm.
Morrigan: As a Flying and Ice-type, the majority of Articuno's move pool is moves of those types. It uses the power of the winds to its advantage, moves like Gust and Hurricane blowing its enemies away and moves like Blizzard and Icy Wind to chill its enemies into submission. For further freezing power, it has attacks like Ice Beam, Freeze-Dry, Ice Shard, and the dreaded Sheer Cold, a move that instantly KOs an enemy Pokémon if it hits.
Papyrus: BUT THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING OF ARTUCINO'S ATTACKS! IT ALONG WITH THE OTHER TWO BIRDS KNOWS ANCIENTPOWER, WHICH ALLOWS IT TO STRIKE ENEMIES WITH ROCK-TYPE POWER, AS WELL AS SEVERAL SUPPORTIVE MOVES! MIST PREVENTS ARTICUNO AND ITS ALLIES FROM BEING AFFECTED BY MOVES THAT AFFECT STATS, AGILITY AND TAILWIND GREATLY INCREASE SPEED, AND REFLECT DECREASES DAMAGE ARTICUNO AND ITS FRIENDS RECIEVE FROM PHYSICAL ATTACKS!
Wiz: It can also use Roost to restore lost health, and using Hail will cause a hailstorm to begin on the battlefield for a short period of time, damaging non-Ice and Steel-type Pokémon. Hail also ensures that Blizzard will strike the enemy, since its accuracy is normally pretty low. However, Articuno is weak to Fire-type, Electric-type, and Steel-type moves, and it's doubly weak to Rock-type attacks. And without moves like Agility and Tailwind, Articuno is also the slowest of the Bird Trio with a base speed stat of only 85.
Boomstick: Now on to Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon and number two of the Bird Trio! An Electric and Flying-type, it causes thunderstorms with its flying and can freely control electricity, gaining power when hit by lightning bolts! It resides in Kanto's Power Plant to drain electricity from the place!
Edgeworth: Zapdos has the highest Speed of the Bird Trio and is tied with Moltres for the highest Special Attack. Its electricity powers are devastating combined with its speed. Zapdos' Ability is Pressure, just like Articuno, and its Hidden Ability is Static, which can cause an enemy Pokémon to become paralyzed when it comes into contact with Zapdos.
Morrigan: As an Electric and Flying type, Zapdos is strong against Pokémon of Flying, Water, Grass, Bug, and Fighting types. Its move pool focuses on electric power with shocking attacks like ThunderShock, Discharge, Thunder, and Zap Cannon to devastate opponents. Its elongated beak is also perfect for attacks like Peck, Pluck, and Drill Peck.
Papyrus: ZAPDOS CAN ALSO RAISE ITS SPEED WITH AGILITY, PROTECT ITSELF FROM ATTACKS WITH DETECT, INCREASE SPECIAL DEFENSE FOR ITSELF AND ITS ALLIES WITH LIGHT SCREEN, PARALYZE OPPONENTS WITH THUNDER WAVE, AND RESTORE ITS HEALTH WITH ROOST!
Wiz: Charge allows Zapdos to power up its electricity-based attacks, and Magnetic Flux raises the Defense and Special Defense of allied Pokémon with the Plus or Minus ability. It even knows Rain Dance, which causes it to begin raining, powering up Water-type attacks. This allows Thunder to have 100% accuracy while it's active.
Boomstick: Zapdos might be fast and electrifying, but it's not invincible - it's got the lowest Defense of all the Birds! On top of that, it can't hit Ground-type Pokémon with its electric attacks, and it's weak to Rock and Ice-type attacks!
Edgeworth: And finally we have Moltres, the Flame Pokémon that lives atop Mt. Ember. A Fire and Flying-type, its Attack is the highest of the three Legendary Birds and its Special Attack is just as high as Zapdos'. It's strong against Grass, Bug, Steel, Fighting, and Ice-types with its scorching-hot fire attacks. Its intense fires are so hot that it causes early springs in the regions of winter that it visits. And, like the legendary Phoenix it takes its design from, it dips into volcanoes to heal itself in the lava.
Morrigan: Pressure is its standard Ability, and its Hidden Ability is Flame Body, which can cause an enemy to become burned if they physically hit Moltres. Its move set is a tricky one that relies mostly on fire-type power to deal damage. Attacks like Ember, Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, and Burn Up all turn enemies into a charred crisp, whereas other attacking moves stem from its Flying typing. For this criteria, Moltres knows Wing Attack, Air Slash, Sky Attack, and Hurricane.
Papyrus: AGILITY INCREASES ITS SPEED GREATLY AND ROOST RECOVERS LOST HEALTH. SAFEGUARD CASTS A PROTECTIVE AURA AROUND MOLTRES AND ITS FRIENDS, PREVENTING THEM FROM SUFFERING FROM NON-VOLATILE STATUS CONDITIONS SUCH AS POISONING, BURNS, BEING FROZEN, CONFUSION, SLEEP, AND PARALYSIS! AND ENDURE IS A MOVE WHERE MOLTRES BRACES ITSELF FOR AN ATTACK, ALLOWING IT TO SURVIVE AN ATTACK THAT WOULD OTHERWISE KO IT WITH MINIMAL HEALTH REMAINING!
Wiz: Moltres can also use Sunny Day, which causes the sun to shine brighter on the battlefield. This both powers up Fire-type attacks and empowers Moltres' most powerful move: Solar Beam. Normally the move takes two turns to charge, but with Sunny Day in play, it can be used instantly for a devastating beam of solar power.
Boomstick: Moltres is strong, but not infallible. It has the worst Special Defense of the Birds, and it's weak to Electric, Water, and Rock-type attacks. Together as a trio, the Birds managed to take down Lugia, who can cause 40-day-long storms, and they also fought Ho-Oh on top of that! They're all equally powerful, too, as they've fought each other on equal footing before!
Edgeworth: However, the Birds are not a perfect team. In fact, they're more often at odds than allied, and their weather-changing abilities counteract the strengths of each other. However, they are a strong legendary team, and those who dare disturb the titans of fire, lightning, and ice are in for trouble.
Prophecy: 'Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning, lest these Titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's Great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, Alone its song will fail. Thus the Earth shall turn to ash.'
Legendary Beasts
(Cue Burned Brass Tower - Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver)
Wiz: Ecruteak City's Brass Tower stood long as the city's defining landmark, mirroring its twin, the Bell Tower, 150 years before the events of Pokémon Gold and Silver. However, one fateful night, a simple storm changed everything.
Boomstick: First, a huge bolt of lightning struck the tower. Then it was ravaged by flames, and by the time the winds and rain put it out, it was in ruins, a wrecked visage of its former glory. But that wasn't the real tragedy that befell the tower that night.
Edgeworth: Three unknown Pokémon died in the tower as it burned, tragic victims of the forces of nature. But when the legendary Ho-Oh passed over, it revived the three and reincarnated their beings into the Legendary Beast Trio: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune.
Morrigan: Said to represent the three elements that destroyed the Brass Tower, the beasts roam the land in search of powerful trainers. And only the most skilled trainers can prove to be a match for their strengths, as they are all powerful Pokémon.
Papyrus: RAIKOU IS THE FIRST OF THE TRIO, SYMBOLIZING THE BOLT OF LIGHTNING THAT STRUCK THE BRASS TOWER! A PURE ELECTRIC-TYPE, IT HAS THE HIGHEST SPECIAL ATTACK, SPECIAL DEFENSE, AND SPEED OF ITS TRIO, MAKING IT A SPEEDY RANGED ATTACKER!
Wiz: Being an Electric-type, Raikou is extremely effective against Flying and Water-type Pokémon. It and the other Beasts each share Pressure as their main Ability, forcing their enemies to exert more energy per move. Its Hidden Ability is Volt Absorb, which effectively allows it to restore HP when hit by electric-type attacks, the type of which also makes up the strong part of its move pool. It calls upon the electric power of the sky to deliver shocking blasts with ThunderShock, Discharge, and Thunder.
Boomstick: And it can get up close and personal with its electric abilities with Spark and Thunder Fang! It's got its fair share of non-electric attacks too, like Bite, Quick Attack, Crunch, and Extrasensory!
Edgeworth: Raikou can also lower its opponents' defenses with Leer, reduce physical damage dealt to it and its allies with Reflect, raise its Special Attack and Special Defense with Calm Mind, and blatantly scare enemies into retreat with Roar. And it can also use Rain Dance to start a downpour on the battlefield, increasing the power of Water-type moves and increasing the accuracy of Thunder.
Morrigan: Like every Pokémon we've covered in the fight so far, though, Raikou has its faults. It is extremely weak to Ground-type Pokémon and attacks, and it won't do much against another Electric-type, or Grass and Dragon-types. It also has the worst base HP and Defense of the Trio, meaning it is going to be taking the least amount of punishment before caving.
Papyrus: NEXT IN THE BEAST TRIO IS ENTEI! A PURE FIRE-TYPE, IT IS MEANT TO SYMBOLIZE THE FLAMES THAT CONSUMED THE BRASS TOWER! IT HAS THE HIGHEST BASE HP AND ATTACK OF THE THREE BEASTS!
Wiz: Entei's Hidden Ability is Flash Fire, which allows it to convert Fire-type attacks that hit it into extra fire power for its own attacks. Speaking of which, it has an enormous amount of flaming potential in its arsenal. It is even said to cause volcanoes to erupt by barking.
Boomstick: Entei is packin' some serious flaming potential in its move pool with attacks like Ember, Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Fire Fang, Fire Blast, Sacred Fire, Eruption and Lava Plume! Sure, it also knows Bite, Stomp, and Extrasensory, but MY GOD, that's a lot of fire! Think of the size of marshmallows you could toast!
Edgeworth: Priorities, please. Entei learns Leer, Roar and Calm Mind just as Raikou does, and it also learns Swagger naturally. Swagger causes its target to become confused at the cost of drastically raising the target's Attack, which can be a double-edged sword depending on if the Pokémon attacks itself or Entei.
Morrigan: Entei has the lowest base Special Attack and Special Defense, odd for all the ranged attacks it has. It is also extremely weak to Water-types and Ground-types but is effective against Grass, Ice, and Steel.
Papyrus: AND FINALLY, SUICUNE, THE MOST ICONIC OF THE BEASTS! A PURE WATER-TYPE, IT IS STRONG AGAINST FIRE, GROUND, AND ROCK, BUT WEAK AGAINST GRASS AND ELECTRIC! IT IS MEANT TO SYMBOLIZE THE RAIN AND WINDS THAT QUENCHED THE FIRES OF THE BRASS TOWER!
Wiz: Suicune is the bulky one of the Beasts, having the highest Defense and special Defense. Its Hidden Ability is Water Absorb, which allows Suicune to absorb Water-type attacks and turn them into health. It's rumored to have the power to clean filthy waters, and it roams the world searching for impure water bodies for it to cleanse.
Boomstick: Maybe it can stop by my toilet sometime. I get really bad indigestion when I drink too much.
Wiz: That's disgusting. Anyway, Suicune's offensive move pool consists of a wide assortment of moves. Surprisingly it only has two offensive Water-type attacks, them being Bubblebeam and Hydro Pump. It also learns Bite, Extrasensory, Gust, a Flying-type attack, and an assortment of Ice-type attacks, specifically Aurora Beam, Ice Fang, and Blizzard.
Edgeworth: Leer and Calm Mind are two moves it shares with Entei and Raikou, but from there it arguably has the most unique move pool of the three. Rain Dance creates a rainstorm to boost Water-type attacks, Tailwind increases ally speed, Mist protects against stat-lowering effects for a short time, and Mirror Coat is like a Counter for special moves, reflecting ranged attacks back at the user.
Morrigan: Suicune has the lowest Attack and Speed of the Legendary Beasts, and its Special Attack is tied with Entei's. Together, the Legendary Beasts managed to defeat a possesses Ho-Oh on two separate occasions, chased and cornered Zoroark, and defeated the Mask of Ice with the help of Gold, Silver, and Crystal.
Papyrus: HOWEVER, THE BEASTS ARE NOT FLAWLESS EITHER! THEY SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME WANDERING IN SEARCH OF THEIR MASTER, HO-OH, AND THUS HAVE LESS COMBAT EXPERIENCE THAN ONE WOULD EXPECT! THAT ALSO MEANS THEY WORK TOGETHER VERY INFREQUENTLY, MEANING THAT THEIR TEAM COHESION WOULD BE SHAKY!
Wiz: But it takes a lot to take on the reincarnated victims of the Brass Tower's burning. Trainers beware - they will not hold back until you prove your strength.
Eusine: It was a time of constant warring... When the tower caught fire, three nameless Pokémon perished, engulfed by the flames. After the fire finally went out, a sparkling rainbow came down from the sky... Yes, they say it was the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh!
(Ho-Oh flaps its wings and the three Legendary Beasts erupt from the wreckage of the tower. Above the townsfolk, they stand on the wreck with their heads to the sky.)
Intermission
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set! Let's end this debate once and for all!
Edgeworth, Papyrus, Morrigan: IT'S TIME FOR...
Boomstick: ...A DEATH BATTLE!
DEATH BATTLE!
Setting: Unown Dimension
(Cue Dance of the Sacred Beasts - Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver)
It was an endless, sprawling void. It hummed with the presence of the strange alphabetical Pokémon known as Unown, their chattering cries echoing in the space surrounding them. Their raw Psychic power could be felt all around, and all seemed perfectly content in this odd realm until a beam of light shone upon a flat rock.
Two small boys, one holding a puzzle box, stepped into the magical realm. They looked around in awe, the Unown's singular eyes all shifting to gaze upon the new arrivals to their domain.
Boy 1: W-wow... Molly was right! The puzzle box worked!
Boy 2: D-does that mean they'll grant us a wish? What should we wish for...?
The Unown listened to the small humans closely. It was their duty to grant the wish of they who entered their domain, so they paid attention to their words.
Boy 2: I have an idea!
The little boy, no older than seven, whispered into the ear of his similarly-aged companion. The other boy gasped and grinned.
Boy 1: Yeah yeah! *ahem* M-my wish...
The Unown drifted closer in anticipation of his next words. The boy's next words leaped from his mouth excitedly, the puzzle box gripped tightly in his hands.
Boy 1: ...I-I wanna see a fight between the Legendary Birds and the Legendary Beasts!
The Unown tittered for a moment, then began to circle around the boys with great speed, humming their tittering cries. The boys were frightened for a moment before a bright light engulfed their vision, and they found themselves standing on the open plains between Johto and Kanto.
Boy 1: H-huh? What happened? Where did the Unown go?
As he spoke, the other boy noticed a rumbling sound coming from both sides of the border. He shook his friend and pointed to the sky.
Boy 2: Look! Look!!
They both looked up to see barely visible figures soaring in the sky. A glitter seemed to follow them from high above, bright colors coming forth with every flap of their wings.
Boy 2: Is that-
He was cut off by the sound of something coming trampling towards him. The boys turned towards Johto to see the approaching forms of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, majestically bounding towards the border.
Boy 1: T-they're here! Then, up there, is that...
The Beasts stood before the boys and looked up to the skies. Entei barked a mighty roar to the heavens, a volcano nearby erupting after centuries of dormancy. At this challenging cry, the figures in the sky descended, revealing themselves to be Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, the Legendary Birds.
Boy 2: I'm betting on the Beasts!
Boy 1: W-well, I'm betting on the Birds then!
The two teams of three stared each other down for a moment before unleashing loud battle cries and, before the two young manipulators' very eyes, descended into battle.
(Cue Battle! Xerneas/Yveltal/Zygarde - LittleVMills)
FIGHT!
Sparks, flame, water, and ice all flew in every direction as the teams of mythical Pokémon clashed. Breaking away from the other two pairs of battling beasts, Zapdos and Raikou were racing around each other at high speeds, blasting shots of electricity at each other with fierce power. The skies above rumbled as the presence of their electric power in the same place began to attract thunderclouds to them.
Meanwhile, not far to the right of the two electric Pokémon, Articuno cawed loudly as it summoned ice shards with every flap of its extravagant blue wings, sending them flying at Suicune, who retaliated with watery blasts that sent the ice shards off and away from it. Articuno, knowing it would need to keep its distance from Suicune, flew up higher and continued raining icy blasts down at it from the air. Suicune huffed and bolted across the sprawling landscape, making use of its nimble running to dodge the shots of its opponent. The water and melting ice fell to the ground, soaking the grass of the plain and enrichening the nutrients it was taking in.
The grass beneath the two Fire-types, on the other hand, was really feeling the heat of their flaming attacks. Small bursts of the blaze were sent flying in each direction as Entei's attacks met Moltres's, the latter flying in a circle overhead its doglike counterpart.
In a stroke of an idea, Moltres opened its beak and let loose a torrent of flame aimed at the ground around Entei, encircling the Legendary Beast in a circle of fire. Then it spread its wings wide and channeled its control over fire, focusing on the ring it had just torched into the ground. The flames shot up and spiraled around Entei, but it paid the fire no mind and charged straight through it. Its Flame Body ability allowed it to convert the flames into more attack power, but it wasn't expecting to come face to wing with a strong Wing Attack from Moltres as soon as it leaped from the ring of flame.
Entei yelped as the Wing Attack sent it flying through the air, and Moltres crowed at its success in dispelling its opponent. Zapdos, turning for a moment at its ally's call, saw Entei careening away from Moltres and seized the opportunity to blast it with a powerful ThunderShock, which in turn sent Entei crashing into Suicune, knocking the blue beast on its side in the midst of its battle against Articuno with its brown-and-red ally sprawled on top of it. Seeing its golden opportunity to strike, Articuno sent a cascade of snow down at the two with Blizzard, momentarily freezing them to the ground. Then, with two of their three enemies momentarily out of commission, the birds turned their focus to Raikou, who despite his numerical disadvantage was still on his guard, snarling at the opposition.
Moltres unleashed a storm of fire at the electric beast, the flames fanned by Articuno using Gust. Zapdos flew into the air and screeched to the thunderclouds above, rumbles of thunder making a natural cacophony in the sky above. Bright, fast-moving arcs of lightning rippled through the blackness of the clouds.
Raikou howled as it was stuck by Moltres's flames, but stayed strong in holding its ground. It was biding its time, waiting for its moment to counterattack. That moment came when Zapdos let out another cry as it channeled the lightning from above and hurled a huge lightning bolt down at Raikou, using the powerful electric attack, Thunder.
Raikou let the bolt strike it directly in the back, but instead of being hurt by the huge strike, it was healed thanks to Volt Absorb. Then, taking advantage of the surprise that the birds displayed momentarily, Raikou howled and let out all of the electricity that Zapdos's Thunder had bombarded it with, unleashing a mighty Discharge. The current of shocking energy coursed through Moltres and Articuno, as they were within its range, and they went flying back. Moltres landed atop the frozen Suicune and Entei, and the ice surrounding the two thawed quickly as Moltres's flames displaced the chill of the ice. The moment its maw was free of ice, Suicune blasted Moltres with Bubblebeam, harming the phoenix-like Pokémon further. Entei tackled the flaming bird off of it and its ally, and they ran to rejoin Raikou as the birds regrouped from the sudden counterattack.
The two boys who had caused this battle stood beneath a tree, watching the unfolding chaos as legends clashed before their very eyes. High in the air, the birds flew in a circle, evading the shots of water, fire, and lightning that the beasts below hurled up at them. They locked gazes for a brief moment and in that instant, they each knew what they needed to do.
Articuno opened its beak first and shot an Ice Beam down at the beasts. Then, Moltres combined its Flamethrower attack with the Ice Beam, and Zapdos blasted a Thunderbolt attack down toward their enemies as well. The three attacks combined their energy into a makeshift Tri Attack, and the power-infused beam struck the ground amidst Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, erupting in a blast of the three elements that knocked the beasts away from each other.
Zapdos cawed and spread its jagged, yellow-and-black wingspan wide, and the thunderclouds above rumbled again, beginning to precipitate upon the call of Zapdos's Rain Dance. Moltres flew away from the clouds and disappeared above the lip of them, avoiding the rain. Then, Zapdos flew down from the sky and around Raikou, taunting it with quick jabs of its beak by using Peck. Raikou, enraged, barked and chased after Zapdos as it flew away from it.
High in the air, Articuno flapped its wings and let out its cry. With each flap of its wings, it released more and more chilling cold into the air, and with its concentrated efforts the electricity flew from the clouds and the rain began to turn into snow. Zapdos cried out again and the clouds' efforts intensified, and soon it was snowing profusely on the battlefield.
Suicune, sensing danger, came to the aid of Raikou, using Tailwind to give it the speed it needed to catch up to Zapdos. Entei continued to shoot up flame at Articuno, hoping for a hit, but Articuno was so high in the air that it was impossible to hit the icy Pokémon. Raikou's lightning attacks would be needed, but it was so absorbed in catching up to Zapdos that it was ignoring the cries of its allies.
Suddenly, however, Zapdos broke away from Raikou and flew up just in time to avoid crashing into the tree the two boys were underneath. They cried out in fright as the large Pokémon nearly missed them, and they scrambled away from the tree as Raikou rammed into it head-first, the extra speed from Suicune's Tailwind causing it to be unable to stop its momentum in time to avoid the collision. It wobbled away from the tree, dizzy from the impact.
Zapdos called up to Articuno, and the ice bird flapped its wings down at the staggering Raikou. The snow from the sky all poured onto Raikou, and it was followed by a blast of frigid, chilling air. This chill continued until Raikou became slower and slower, eventually freezing solid as a result of the Blizzard attack. Zapdos, seeing its enemy was frozen, pulled a loop in midair and came around from the other direction, beginning to spin like a drill and hurling towards Raikou at great speed.
The two boys wielding the music box were climbing a small rock formation after fleeing the cover of the tree when they were suddenly alarmed by the sound of something shattering and splattering at the same time. They turned around quickly to see Zapdos drilling through the frozen Raikou with a mighty Drill Peck, shattering the electric beast into a thousand bloody shards that scattered across the plain. Suicune and Entei were dumbstruck by the sudden and gruesome death of their companion, and Zapdos swirled around in the air and unleashed a screech of victory.
Suicune's mind clouded with anger, and from overhead it noticed Moltres returning from above the clouds, dispelling them with flaming flaps of its wings. Suicune growled and unleashed a mighty Hydro Pump attack that spiraled up into the air, barely missing Zapdos and Articuno while nailing an unexpecting Moltres directly in the wing.
Moltres gave a screech of pain and plummeted from the sky, falling in a streak of flame before passing over the behind of the volcano that Entei had caused to erupt earlier at the start of their fight. It tumbled down the edge of the mountain, giving squawks of pain as rocks stung its wings, and it vanished from sight, leaving Articuno and Zapdos with shocked looks.
Then, both remaining teams of two faced each other with expressions of ire, each side of the intense, unprecedented, and legendary conflict determined to avenge their downed ally.
(Cue Battle! Kanto Legendary - Pokémon X and Y)
Suicune, identifying Zapdos as its primary threat, charged in with frost-coated fangs bared, nipping at the bird's wings with Ice Fang. Zapdos squawked at it challengingly and returned its offensive jabs with Peck, the two Pokémon circling each other, waiting for the other to make a decisive move.
Entei roared and charged at Articuno, unleashing a blistering Flamethrower attack at the cyan bird. Articuno flew away from the heat of Entei's attack, returning fire with Ice Beam shots. In the background, the volcano continued to erupt with every bark Entei unleashed.
As it became clear that its flaming attacks were not standing well in the odds of hitting Articuno, Entei stopped in its place and closed its eyes, focusing. Its senses sharpened as it used Calm Mind, solidifying its power, and it then attacked Articuno on a mental level with a powerful Extrasensory. Articuno cried out as its mind was assaulted with psychic power, and Entei took this opportunity to leap into the air and come down on Articuno's chest with a mighty Stomp, pinning the blue bird to the ground.
Zapdos noticed that its ally was in danger, and knew it needed to act fast before another of its kin was slain. Zapdos flew backward and away from the challenging Suicune, building up its electric power with Charge. Suicune howled angrily and fired an Aurora Beam, to which Zapdos seemed to be leaving itself wide open. However, its eye flashed bright and it nimbly avoided the attack using Detect, and it fired a small burst of electricity from its beak. Suicune was struck with the Thunder Wave attack, and as lightning coursed through its body it became paralyzed, its movements slowing.
Zapdos then flew at a high speed towards Entei, coating itself in mystic power and striking the fire beast in the side of its neck with Ancient Power. Entei cried out and stumbled off of Articuno at the super effectiveness of the unexpected Rock-type strike, and Zapdos hammered it with a mighty Zap Cannon attack, sending Entei sprawling with the power added to the attack from Charge.
Articuno got up hastily and used Roost, healing itself somewhat from the attacks it had received from Entei. Zapdos continued its attacks against Entei, and Articuno was left to battle Suicune, who was charging towards it as fast as it could.
Suicune channeled its power into a Gust attack, and Articuno retorted with the same move. Whipping winds whirled around the battlefield as the two hammered their air blasts against each other. Then, amping up their clash, Suicune and Articuno shifted from Gust to Blizzard, the winds they were whipping up against each other not only intensifying but becoming colder to the point where a miniature snowstorm was raging around their stalemate. Zapdos and Entei, becoming absorbed in the bright and flashy conflict, stopped attacking each other and watched the cold war rage on.
Suicune roared at Articuno as it continued pushing its full might into the Blizzard, and Articuno screeched in response. The temperature in the air was dropping fast, and in an all-out attempt to finish their mini-battle the two began to use Sheer Cold. The temperatures plummeted further, and the grass around them froze instantly, subzero winds whipping in all directions. It was a battle of whose immeasurable storm would cease first. Articuno's wings beat the air viciously, and Suicune clenched its teeth together.
Then, suddenly, Suicune found itself immobile, small arcs of electricity jolting from its body. Paralysis had stopped it in place, and in that instant of weakness, Articuno's Sheer Cold beat out Suicune's, consuming the blue beast in a hurricane of snow and icy winds. It howled in suffering as the warmth in its body sank below zero and the very fluids in its body froze solid, turning its wails into utter silence as Suicune's throat froze solid. It stood encased in a solid block of ice, a look of terror engraved into its eyes. Activity in its brain slowed to a crawl, then to a squirm, and then to nothing. Articuno spread its wings wide and cried to the heavens in victory.
The rage within Entei's body erupted in a fiery swath of anger. It turned and slammed its body into an unexpectant Zapdos, sinking its flame-coated teeth into its wings with a Fire Fang move. Zapdos screeched in pain as the flames licked its feathers, and Articuno turned from its victory screech to see its ally under assault. Entei tossed Zapdos aside and spat a burst of fire at Articuno as it moved to defend its bird brethren, striking it with a powerful Fire Blast. Articuno screeched and went careening back, its blue plumage aflame.
Entei tossed its head back and roared with intense vigor, the volcano exploding violently in a large-scale Lava Plume attack. An entire sheet of lava cascaded down from the skies, falling straight towards the vulnerable bird duo. Entei roared again both in rage and in victory, knowing this blast would incinerate its enemies into ashes.
Then, seemingly out of thin air, something darted through the stream of falling lava, snatching up Articuno and Zapdos, flying them out of the descending magma's range. It crashed to the ground with a mighty thoom, and when it slowly pooled aside, Entei was the only thing standing around the wreckage, the frozen Suicune and the scattered shards of Raikou liquefied in the scorching heat. Entei shook its head rapidly, shaking the magma in its mane away, before looking around to see if the cooked bodies of its enemies were anywhere to be seen in the surrounding sea of magma.
While it saw nothing of Articuno and Zapdos, it caught a glimpse of movement in the sky above. Turning its gaze skyward, Entei was stunned to not only see Zapdos and Articuno flying overhead, safe and sound, but an alive and well Moltres hovered in the air alongside them. Its flames were huge and burning bright, a stark contrast to how it had been looking when it fell from the skies after being hit by Suicune's Hydro Pump.
While the battle had been raging on the opposite side of the mountain, Moltres had managed to crawl its way up the mountainside and throw itself into the mouth of the volcano, restoring its health completely as the magma had constantly stirred from Entei's barks. Now, it flew alongside its flock of legendary birds, converging upon the final beastly opponent.
Moltres spiraled over Entei and blinded it with its flames long enough for Zapdos to unleash a Thunderbolt attack, hammering Entei with electric power. It, too, swooped past Entei, and Articuno followed up with a mighty flap of its wings, kicking up a Hurricane move that sent Entei flying into the air. It flailed in an attempt to right itself so that it could fight back, but its opponents were moving too fast in every direction around it for it to aim.
Moltres then swooped in, sending razor-sharp gusts of wind slamming into Entei with Air Slash. Then it swooped high into the sky, the sun's rays beating down harshly at its use of Sunny Day. It gathered solar energy in its beak and then descended, coated in bright light. The flaming bird divebombed Entei with Sky Attack, driving it straight down into the gaping mouth of the volcano below. Entei's barks dissipated into gurgles as the lava around it choked it from the air it needed, and Moltres soared out of the lava pool, turned, and threw its head back.
A deafening boom resonated over the battlefield as Moltres unleashed Solar Beam. The immense ray of the sun's power shot through the lava, pierced the submerged Entei's chest, and struck the volcano's core at the very bottom of its insides. The earth trembled, and within moments the entire mountain exploded, sending flaming rock and lava shots in every direction. A shower of molten rain deluged from the sky, and high above the shower, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres all screeched in victory. Nothing physical remained of the slain beast trio.
Safe from the range of the dangerous explosion, the two boys watched in awe as the aftermath of the destructive battle ensued before them. They stared at the distant forms of the legendary birds as they turned and began flying back to Kanto, shimmering light following every flap of their majestic wings.
Then, slowly but surely, the scene of battle faded, and they were left back in the playing room they had first attempted to use the music box's power in. The boy holding the music box dropped it, and it fell to the carpeted floor softly. The boys realized their breaths were heaving from the suspense of the fight, and they returned to normal, steady breaths, slowly turning to look with wide eyes at each other.
Boy 1: That...
Boy 2: ...was...
They both leaped into the air and exchanged a high-five, childish grins on their faces as they relished in the magnificence of the battle they had just witnessed.
Both: ...AWESOME!
K.O.!
(Cue Pokéthlon: Ceremony - Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver)
Boomstick: Woah! Pokémon battles aren’t usually that gory! ...I like it!
Wiz: Both sides of this match had specific advantages that boosted their chances of winning. In terms of who had the edge in typing, the beasts could each exploit the birds’ weaknesses in specific ways that the birds could not mirror. Specifically, Suicune could counter Moltres, Entei could counter Articuno, and Raikou could counter… every one of them.
Edgeworth: But if we’re talking a battle in terms of debating statistics, the bird trio had an overwhelming strength advantage. Entei can cause mountains to erupt with its roars, sure, but Moltres can cause the changing of seasons in the regions it visits, which puts it at a much higher tier than any of the beasts. And given that the birds fight each other quite frequently on equal standing, it’s safe to say they are all much stronger than the beasts.
Morrigan: In terms of speed, each side is fairly equal to the other. But with the birds’ natural ability to fly, they possessed a huge maneuverability advantage over the beasts, being able to get up high and attack from above where it would be easier to dodge incoming attacks.
Papyrus: AND ALTHOUGH RAIKOU’S ELECTRIC-TYPE ADVANTAGE OVER THE BIRDS WAS A HUGE THREAT, THE BIRDS ARE EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO KNOW THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE DOWN A THREAT OF SUCH MAGNITUDE RIGHT AWAY! WITH THEIR POWERS TURNED ON RAIKOU AND ITS LOW HP AND DEFENSE, IT WOULD NOT TAKE MUCH TIME FOR RAIKOU TO BE DOWN AND OUT, LEAVING A 2V3 SITUATION IN FAVOR OF THE BIRDS!
Wiz: Additionally, Entei’s main source of power is its control over volcanoes with its barking. Moltres gains power from taking dips in volcanoes, serving only to strengthen the side of the birds even further.
Boomstick: But Wizard, what about the beasts’ Hidden Abilities!? They would let the beasts just absorb all the attacks of their counterparts!
Wiz: That’s a good point, but the birds still know Same-Type-Attack-Bonus, or STAB for short, moves outside of the move types that would be absorbed. And the beasts might have more experience working as a unit, but when it came down to it they could not hope to compete with the birds when they had the edge in power and maneuverability.
Boomstick: It was a cold loss to bear, but the beasts ended up with a shocking defeat! Man, I’m on fire with these end puns, eh?
Wiz: The winners are Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.
