Volcarona's life had come to an end.
Now, it was simply in its last moments of struggle.
It no longer cared about the presence of Cain and Steven.
The chains continued to break one after another, but Volcarona's energy was beginning to weaken. The speed at which the chains broke was also decreasing. The energy it had previously absorbed from Beedrill and Heracross was limited; for it, it was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
The reason it could break these chains was not strength, but because it had already given up hope of living, releasing all the remaining energy of its life.
Cain's expression was complicated.
Suddenly, he wanted to see what Volcarona would do after breaking the chains. He wanted to witness how this Pokémon, imprisoned for so many years, would display its true splendor in its final moments.
Almost instinctively, Cain took out two fist-sized energy blocks from his storage space.
They were the energy blocks from the unknown island. Though their energy was not enough for Volcarona, it far surpassed what it had absorbed from the other Pokémon.
Under Steven's astonished gaze, Cain threw the two energy blocks toward Volcarona, which was still struggling to break free.
Sensing the approaching energies, Volcarona paused for a moment and looked at Cain, who stood above. Without hesitation, it swallowed the energy blocks in one gulp.
At that moment, its body shone with a dazzling light.
The chains continued to break, and their speed increased significantly.
"Cain...!" Steven exclaimed, confused by his actions.
"This is its final moment. Such a powerful Pokémon should have the right to decide how it dies." Cain looked at Volcarona, whose energy was growing stronger, and responded.
"It's... in its final moments?" Steven murmured upon hearing Cain's response, surprised.
He did not doubt him. Cain was a talented Pokémon breeder and knew far more about Pokémon than Steven. If he claimed that Volcarona's life was coming to an end, it was surely true.
"Yes," Cain replied with a firm nod, his expression now calmer.
Volcarona had shown him that even with immense power, one is not invincible.
In this Pokémon world, technology was incredibly advanced. Even Pokémon like Mewtwo, with the power of a Legendary Pokémon, could be captured by Team Rocket's devices.
Despite being Champion-level, this Volcarona had been imprisoned for centuries.
Had it not been for Cain and Steven's intervention, this Pokémon, revered as the emissary of the sun, would have died in darkness without leaving a trace.
"Still not enough?" Cain noticed that Volcarona was starting to show signs of exhaustion again. He took out three more energy blocks and threw them toward it.
Suddenly, Volcarona's wings burst into flames.
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
All the chains that bound it shattered in an instant.
After centuries of wear, these chains finally succumbed just as Volcarona's life was reaching its end.
Once free, Volcarona remained motionless, as if lost. After being imprisoned for so long, it did not know what to do.
At that moment, Cain shouted:
"Volcarona!"
He pointed toward the top of the ruins. Volcarona's eyes shone with an unfamiliar spark.
It flapped its six wings, scattering fiery scales like tiny meteors that faded into the darkness.
Volcarona ascended rapidly, appearing in front of Cain in an instant.
Its blue eyes locked onto Cain, as if memorizing his face or contemplating something.
Three seconds later, it flapped its wings again and soared into the sky.
Boom!
The ceiling of the ruins could not contain it. A massive hole was left as evidence of its escape.
Cain and Steven looked at each other. They quickly summoned Flygon and Skarmory, recalled their other Pokémon, and flew out of the ruins, carrying Kaya, who was still tied up.
Despite everything, Flygon had begun to grow accustomed to Cain's peculiarities.
Upon emerging into the desert, they saw Volcarona suspended in the air, gazing at the vast, arid landscape with curiosity.
After so much time imagining what the outside world would be like, the first thing it saw was an endless desert.
However, it had no time left.
It closed its eyes, remembering its days as a Larvesta, longing to fly freely in the sky. Now, as Volcarona, that opportunity was slipping away.
In its final moments, it decided to shine brilliantly.
Before Cain and Steven's eyes, Volcarona ascended as its entire body burned with a golden radiance. It looked like a small sun.
It flew higher and higher, consuming itself as fuel.
From afar, many watched that small sun. It was an incredible phenomenon: two suns in the sky, one large and one small.
But the small sun did not last long. In an instant, it exhausted all its light and disappeared, turning into tiny sparks that slowly drifted down from the sky.
One of these special sparks landed in Cain's hand, as if it were Volcarona's final gift of gratitude.
(End of chapter)