(Meanwhile...)

Ray floated in the air, surrounded by dense clouds charged with electricity. The roar of thunder echoed in his ears like a chaotic concert. He couldn't help but admire the spectacle unfolding before his eyes: lightning bolts falling like rivers of light that illuminated the vastness of the dark sky.

"Wow! This is impressive. I even like the place," he thought while his carefree smile remained intact. He landed softly on a small rocky plateau, shaking his wings to clear his head. However, he had barely taken a few steps when a bolt of lightning struck nearby, impacting a rock a few meters away from him and completely disintegrating it.

"Eh... well, that was close," he muttered, backing up a little. More bolts of lightning began to fall around him, each one louder and fiercer than the last, shaking the ground beneath his claws. "Ok, ok... this isn't so fun anymore!"

Searching for a makeshift shelter, Ray found a group of large rocks piled up at the edge of a cliff. He snuck beneath them, panting slightly as he watched the chaos unfold outside. For the first time in a long time, the spark of unwavering confidence that always characterized him began to falter.

"So this is my test?" he thought, looking up at the sky. The storm seemed to be alive, and each thunderclap echoed like a challenge directed specifically at him. "There's no way I can face this with such a relaxed attitude. I need to get serious, like the others..."

He closed his eyes, trying to remember his family's advice, about facing difficulties. But instead of encouraging words, all he could hear were his family's jokes in tense moments, comments that always managed to break the tension and make him feel better.

"Come on, Ray. Stop thinking about that," he told himself, shaking his head. "This isn't a game, I have to be serious... right?"

As the sky continued to roar, Ray settled himself under the rocks, watching each bolt of lightning that lit up the horizon.

"Let's see what's on here then..." he joked lightly.

(Later...)

After hours of sheltering from the relentless lightning that fell from the sky, Ray decided that hiding would get him nowhere. 

"I can't stay here forever... Come on, Ray! You're a dragon of electricity. This is your terrain," he muttered to encourage himself. He left his shelter and began to explore the mountains of Storm Peak, looking for something, any sign of how to overcome this test.

The path to the top was complicated. Rocks slippery from moisture and deep cracks forced him to stay alert, although his distracted gaze was constantly lost in the lightning that danced on the horizon. Finally, after an arduous climb, he reached a clearer terrain, very close to the top of the mountain.

That's when he saw it: a cluster of giant gems, embedded in the mountain walls and ground, glowed with a yellow glow that radiated palpable energy. Every time lightning struck nearby, the gems absorbed the electricity and lit up even more, as if they were alive.

"Wow! What are these things?" Ray cautiously approached, his curiosity piqued as it always did when faced with something unfamiliar. He extended a claw toward the nearest gem, eager to sense its energy.

But as soon as his claws touched the shiny surface, a jolt of energy threw him backwards like a rag doll. 

"Aaaaagh!" he screamed, landing on his back on the rocky ground. His body went numb for a few seconds as he tried to process what had just happened.

"What was that?" he asked out loud, standing up and shaking the dust off his scales. He looked at the gem in bewilderment. "But I'm an electricity dragon. Why did it reject me?"

Not giving up, Ray decided to try another way. He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and, concentrating his energy, launched an electric shock towards the gem.

The result was immediate... but not what he expected. Instead of absorbing his electricity, the gem reacted by expelling a powerful shock in his direction. A beam of opposite energy hit him directly, making him retreat several steps until he fell to his knees.

"This doesn't make sense! Why is electricity attacking me if it's my own element?" Ray slammed his foot down in frustration, his confidence wavering. He stared at the gems, searching for answers in their unwavering glow.

Suddenly, the air around him changed. A low, electrifying roar echoed across the mountain, vibrating the rocks beneath his feet. A massive shadow covered the ground illuminated by the green glow, and Ray looked up just in time to see it.

Emerging from the clouds, a majestic and terrifying serpentine dragon appeared, surrounded by lightning that seemed to be part of its own body. Its glowing gaze locked on Ray, as if it were assessing him. This was the Volticon, a legendary creature, the guardian of these mountains and absolute master of electricity.

Ray gulped, never taking his eyes off the being now floating in front of him. Every movement of the Volticon caused the gems to flicker as if responding to its presence.

"So... you're the boss of this place, huh?" Ray muttered, trying to keep his composure, even though his legs were shaking. The Volticon didn't respond with words, but an even louder roar, accompanied by a bolt of lightning that struck just a few feet away from Ray, made it clear to him that this was no simple encounter.

The mountain-guardian beast was imposing, its every move seemingly synchronized with the thunder and lightning that lit up the sky. But Ray wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

"Fine! Let's see if you're as tough as you look," he said with a shaky smile, trying to keep his confidence intact.

The Volticon roared, and with a sharp movement, unleashed a series of lightning bolts that zigzagged toward Ray. Without hesitation, Ray launched into action, dodging each bolt with his signature speed, leaping between rocks and sliding across the ground like a living bolt of lightning.

"That's all you got! Come on!" he shouted, trying to provoke him.

Determined to fight back, Ray focused his energy into a bolt of lightning that he launched straight at the Volticon's body. However, when the blast hit, it barely caused a sizzle on the giant's electrified scales. The Volticon didn't even blink; if anything, he looked more annoyed than hurt.

"What?" Ray backed away, incredulous. "No way! That should have at least stunned him!"

The Volticon responded with a deafening roar, launching another series of bolts that Ray barely managed to dodge. "Alright, big mouth! If I can't hurt you with my bolts... let's see how you fare in melee!"

Determined, Ray concentrated all the electricity he could into his claws, which began to glow with a blinding intensity. He leapt toward the Volticon, moving with a speed that made him difficult for even the gigantic creature to keep up with. He dodged the attacks with agile movements, zigzagging between the bolts of lightning that crashed to the ground.

Finally, Ray found his opening. With a battle cry, he launched himself at the Volticon, striking it directly in its side with his electrified claws.

The impact resounded like thunder, but what happened next was unexpected. The Volticon's body, like the gems, expelled Ray's electricity back at him. The discharge was so strong that it launched him backwards like a doll, making him bounce several times against the ground before landing heavily.

"Agh!" Ray tried to get up, but his body was unresponsive. His muscles shook uncontrollably, uncoordinated by the discharge. His legs gave way under his weight, and his vision blurred.

Before he could react, the Volticon launched a massive discharge from above. Ray, with all his strength, rolled on the ground to try to dodge it. Although the lightning didn't hit him directly, the shockwave reached him, throwing him down the hill. He rolled and rolled, hitting rocks and roots, until he was finally trapped in some bushes at the foot of the slope.

The Volticon, from the top, roared one last time, convinced that it had eliminated the intruder, and turned around, returning to its post as guardian.

Meanwhile, Ray lay in the bushes, panting. His body was numb, and his muscles barely responded. But at least he was alive.

"Ugh... that... didn't go as I expected," he muttered, trying to laugh at himself, though the pain forced him to stop. He settled himself as best he could among the leaves and branches, closing his eyes to rest. He knew he would need to regain his strength and coordination before attempting anything else.

"Think, Ray... Think..." he muttered under his breath, before falling silent, the sparks of lightning illuminating his exhausted body.

The battle was not over, but he knew one thing for certain now: facing the Volticon would require more than brute strength. For the moment, though, he needed to rest.

(The next morning...)

The first rays of sunlight managed to filter through the dark clouds that covered the Stormy Mountains. Ray woke up with a slight groan, his muscles feeling much lighter. The coordination of his legs had returned, and although some bruises hurt, they didn't seem serious.

He slowly stood up and stretched his wings. His stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten for quite some time. Driven by necessity, he left his shelter and, with his characteristic speed, hunted down a couple of unsuspecting birds. He also found some fruits among the nearby bushes and picked them to supplement his meal.

As he devoured his improvised breakfast, his mind returned to the events of the previous day: the gems, the Volticon, and that shock that had sent him rolling down the mountain. Nothing he had tried worked. He didn't understand why his own electricity seemed useless in this place, or why he was being rejected so violently.

"What am I doing wrong?" He muttered to himself as he chewed on a berry.

Suddenly, thunder roared in the distance, and the sound made him stop. Without knowing why, that vibration resonated in his memory. He closed his eyes, and as if the storm itself had unearthed something forgotten, a memory made its way into his mind.

It was a stormy night in Glowridge, his hometown. Torrential rains lashed the streets, and lightning lit up the sky with terrifying intensity. Ray, still young, watched everything from the window of his home, with a mixture of fascination and fear.

"Ray, get away from the window!" his mother had told him, worried. But Ray couldn't look away from the spectacle.

That's when it happened: a massive bolt of lightning descended from the clouds, straight towards the center of Glowridge. The shadows of the buildings trembled under its light, and the screams of the inhabitants filled the air. Ray felt his heart race.

Before the lightning struck, a golden figure emerged from the streets. His father, Zoltan, rose into the sky with a roar that shook the ground. Ray watched in awe as the lightning struck directly at him. But instead of falling, his father channeled the energy through his body. His golden scales glowed like the sun, and with a powerful sweep of his wings, he redirected the lightning back into the sky.

The thunder that followed was deafening, but the storm began to dissipate. The clouds slowly drifted away, leaving the stars to light up the clear sky.

Zoltan descended to the ground as the townspeople of Glowridge cheered him on in admiration. To Ray, his father had been a hero that night, someone who had not only protected the city, but had shown absolute mastery of his element.

However, as he watched his father being surrounded by the crowd, a small spark of doubt was born within him.

"What if I can never do something like that?"

The memory faded, and Ray snapped back to reality. The echo of thunder still rang across the mountain, as if the heavens wanted to remind him of something important.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the clouds that covered the peak.

"Dad didn't fight the lightning..." he muttered, reflecting. "He redirected it. He didn't try to beat it with brute force... he used its energy to his advantage."

Suddenly, everything started to fit together. He had been facing the Volticon and the gems with the wrong idea, trying to beat them with direct attacks. But electricity wasn't just a weapon; it was something that could flow, something that could be channeled.

"Maybe... I don't need to be like Dad to get through this. But I can learn from him," he said, a spark of determination lighting up his gaze.

With a new focus in mind, Ray stood up, stretched his legs, and flexed his wings. He wasn't sure how he would do it, but he knew that this time he wouldn't face the Volticon like before. Inside him, a spark of hope had begun to burn.

"It's time to head back," he declared with a smile.

The young dragon began to ascend the mountain again.