Above the skies of the Hoenn region.
The lost Jade Orb was raised high, giving off an intoxicating pale green glow. It was pure and flawless, like grasslands, forests, and tall grass. It represented nature itself, and it also represented the energy of the sky.
Rayquaza let out a roar. Its cry caused the Jade Orb to react, and ring after ring of drifting clouds circled around Rayquaza's body.
Although this ritual had not begun at the Sky Pillar...
Right now, there was no need to be so particular.
Rayquaza said, [Retrieve the damaged organ that was lost!]
Hikaru said, "As a special organ that evolved into existence, this is also the fundamental difference between the Dragon God and other Rayquaza. I suspect it was probably because Rayquaza once ate that rainbow-colored meteorite, and with the sun's high-energy rays, along with humanity's wishes, this organ capable of Mega Evolution was born."
"It's also possible Jirachi helped with it a thousand years ago."
"We'll use a large number of meteorites to resonate with the Jade Orb. All these meteorites fell a thousand years ago. They share the same composition as that rainbow meteorite. They are the origin of Key Stones, and they also bear an enormous similarity to the Grand Meteorite."
"The energy of the Grand Meteorite can erase the power of nature, offset intense heat and rainfall, and stop volcanic activity."
Hikaru tossed the Jade Orb into the sky. After Rayquaza swallowed it in one gulp, this offering ritual was complete.
"At a time like this, prayer is required."
"Zinnia isn't here, so as her older sister, I will say this part in her place."
"Of course, Beyond should surely be praying as well. She should have already taken Felicity's other Rayquaza to the Dragonhark Altar at the Sky Pillar."
The deceased Aster, also called This Shore, was a strange girl with a gentle personality and a very soft nature, yet she could also unleash power at critical moments.
She was completely different from Zinnia, also called Beyond, who had a fiery temper and a poor disposition.
Perhaps that was exactly why Zinnia could never surpass Aster and become the rightful Lorekeeper.
Even as a ghost, the girl could still connect her heart with Rayquaza's, because she had originally been the person Rayquaza chose. Only because of her death had the protagonist inherited her work.
However, as a ghost, Aster no longer had "life energy," so naturally she had no way to provide Rayquaza with the power for Mega Evolution.
Rayquaza's Mega Evolution did not require a Mega Stone. It only needed to learn Dragon Ascent to evolve on its own. However, that was merely for gameplay reasons.
It truly did not have a corresponding Mega Stone because the meteoroid organ replaced the function of a Mega Stone. But a Key Stone was still required. That item was carried by the Trainer, not the Pokémon.
Key Stone, prayer, meteoroid organ, Dragon Ascent, hearts in harmony, and sufficient meteorite energy. Not one of those conditions could be missing.
The reason Rayquaza had hung its head in dejection when it was first summoned in the game was precisely because it had exhausted its own strength over the past thousand years.
And now, in order to suppress the battle between Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre two years ago, that power had fallen to its lowest point in thousands of years.
Even after eating large quantities of meteorites over the past two months, it still could not make up for a thousand years of energy loss. It was practically like Super Saiyan 3, constantly gathering energy while also leaking it away at high speed.
Therefore, there was no choice but to stake everything on this.
Aster looked at Hikaru and smiled.
"Our story ends here."
"Even though we are not at the Dragonhark Altar."
Then she looked toward Steven, who had put on a spacesuit.
"[But beneath the world where the stars turn, a new story will begin from here.]"
"[Holy jade and noble soul, please grant me strength.]"
"[I am willing to open this sacred ritual with my flesh and blood.]"
"[May you descend to the mortal world and save all living beings.]"
"There are seven Key Stones gathered from Hoenn for the offering!"
The seven Key Stones were embedded into the spacesuit like some strange kind of medal.
Star... medals?
"Rayquaza! Lord Dragon God, please accept our prayers."
"Let us see your true form! May you display your Mega-Evolved form and reveal your true power!"
Aster's figure gradually overlapped with Steven's. As a backup among backups, the one to ascend into space this time should never have been Hoenn's Champion.
Steven had put on his spacesuit. It was clothing created with Team Magma and Team Aqua's latest technology, capable of withstanding any kind of harsh environment.
"This should do. Although, in truth, the ritual to become the Lorekeeper also requires a battle with me. But I'm already dead."
Aster showed an apologetic expression.
"And time is short. As long as we preserve the element of prayer, the battle portion can be skipped. Even confirming strength would be meaningless now. The intensity of the battle in space has already surpassed the combined total of the previous two millennia."
"If Zinnia were here, she would definitely stubbornly issue another challenge. That child has always been rather obstinate. She caused you all trouble."
Although hearing that from Aster herself was a little grim, it was also an undeniable fact.
[This Shore...]
Rayquaza raised its head and began to roar. Inconceivable energy condensed around its body. After swallowing the Jade Orb, the damaged organ that had originally been withering began to recover. For a short time, the orb had replaced it.
It began absorbing the power of the meteorites and high-energy rays.
Rayquaza's voice reached the hearts of the people present.
[Those who can form bonds with me are the Draconids of old. Your ancestors once joined hands and prayed to me. It was then that I obtained the organ capable of Mega Evolution.]
[This Shore... I originally wanted to fight together with you. You were the only person who could once connect with my heart. At that time, I found it wondrous that among tiny humans, there had appeared another who could walk forward with me. Humanity, in the end, would travel into space by its own strength.]
[At that time, I was truly happy. You were the same, weren't you?]
[But... two years ago, when the Hoenn incident occurred, you were already gone. That was why a young man came to the Sky Pillar and awakened me.]
[To face this world's crisis, to keep the sky we rely on clear, and to answer the wishes of you all who have accompanied me since ancient times...]
[I must set out for the battlefield with a new companion. It did not matter who that companion was. Thus, at the Embedded Tower, I met the boy who once awakened me, and over these two months, I built a friendship with this young man.]
[And because of that, through the Jade Orb, I unexpectedly found the most important people of Sinjoh.]
[As long as we have the people of Sinjoh, the Draconids, the people of Sootopolis, and the outstanding humans of the current age, we can recreate the power of the past. Even if my body is damaged, as long as we have the power of the heart, anything can be done!]
[Pray. Whether toward the universe, toward the world, toward Jirachi, or toward the Millennium Comet. It is said that during the seven nights when the thousand-year star appears, any wish made will certainly come true!]
[This Shore... please watch over me. Please grant me strength!]
"Lord Dragon God..."
Aster's ghost stared blankly at Rayquaza as it soared upward, shining with dazzling light.
She had believed that after her death, her bond with Rayquaza had already ended. To help a later successor successfully form a pact with the Dragon God, her soul had wandered the Embedded Tower, unwilling to leave.
After the Sky Pillar had once been abandoned, after Lord Dragon God no longer returned to the Sky Pillar, Aster's soul had reached distant Johto.
Because there was one thing no one knew...
"The Embedded Tower was the place where you and Rayquaza first met and formed your bond, wasn't it?" Hikaru asked, looking at Aster's ghost.
In Pokémon Adventures, Aster had made Rayquaza Mega Evolve at the Embedded Tower. Although in the main story and the games, Aster's time and cause of death were unclear, and she had not died because of the Rayquaza capture plan, there was no doubt...
As the true Lorekeeper among the Draconids, she had somehow learned of the Embedded Tower's existence, though she did not understand the legends of this place.
In the manga, Aster's death took place nine years before Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, which meant five years before the Hoenn battle.
In the games, the time of her death was never stated clearly, but it was probably not far from the Hoenn battle.
A dragon and a girl. Spirited Away.
"...I didn't know where this place was before. I had only seen it in dreams."
Aster's expression softened.
"Later, Lord Dragon God brought me here."
"There were legendary murals here that even I did not know or understand. Because of that, I felt that Lord Dragon God bringing me here was like making a promise with me that could never be shared with anyone else. I was very happy."
"Ever since I was little, I had always prayed and made wishes to the stars. I wished for the Draconids to be able to form a direct connection with Lord Dragon God. Wishes are invisible and intangible things, but they can resonate with energy that exists in nature."
"When I was chosen to become the true Lorekeeper, everyone said I had a special power that could make wishes come true. Back then, I was truly happy."
"But something like a child of prophecy is uncertain after all. I kept working hard, hoping I could be worthy of the prophecy itself."
Hikaru said, "The child of prophecy will bring change to the world, but no one knows whether that change will bring stability or destruction."
Even that part was exactly the same?
So Hoenn had a Great Toad Sage too.
That thought flashed through Hikaru's mind, but he still said, "A prophecy is just something vague. No matter what the result is, it can be made to fit afterward. That means there can be many so-called children of prophecy. And the prophecy about crossing the boundary between life and death refers to the person who rides Rayquaza into space dying because of it."
"That is where the names This Shore and Beyond came from."
"Of course, death itself is understandable. How could a person move through space with their physical body? That's why they need a spacesuit. Unless that person possesses the Starbeat!"
In Alola's Haina Desert, that bald alien uncle was probably still lost and walking in circles. If someone thought there were limits to being human, they could go catch Solrock and Lunatone, bring them to him, help him awaken his memories and power, and incidentally borrow an alien identity for themselves.
"The Litleo meteor shower is coming too."
Aster looked toward space.
Litleo was one of the Pokémon world's constellations. Naturally, it originated from Leo. Of course, the constellations differed from region to region. For example, in Unova, the constellation representing Leo was actually Braviary.
It was said that the same meteor shower had also occurred twelve years ago, but that was actually an extremely rare circumstance.
Because this meteor shower, like the Millennium Comet, was an astronomical spectacle that appeared once every thousand years.
The month when the meteor shower occurred was November.
The prototype meteor shower's parent comet was Comet Tempel-Tuttle, with a period of about thirty-three years. In the Pokémon world, however, there was no doubt that this constellation's parent comet was the Millennium Comet.
"Mr. Steven... please prepare yourself."
"Meteors are like tears. They are the universe's elegy."
"But I once told Zinnia that if her heart was about to be crushed by unease, if she felt despair, confusion, or unbearable grief over everything around her, then she should look up at the sky."
"The vastness of the universe will wash away all unease. When you lift your head, your tears will never fall."
Aster began humming a strange, sorrowful melody. Sung by her as a ghost, it sounded even more mournful.
[Whether in good times or bad, we were always together.]
[I love you.]
[I loved you with everything I had.]
[But I still lost you.]
[I truly want to see you again.]
[I truly want to be with you again.]
Meteor Elegy. The BGM of the Sky Pillar. The legendary music passed down among the Draconids.
It was generally believed that this was the song Zinnia sang to mourn Aster.
"There is one final step," Aster said, looking at Rayquaza with sorrowful eyes. "I will teach you the final secret technique."
The Draconids preserved an ancient scroll that allowed Rayquaza to release its true power. That technique was Dragon Ascent. After Steven cooperated with the Draconids, the scroll had been entrusted to him so he could send the new Lorekeeper into the sky.
At this moment, through the ancient writing and Aster's heartfelt prayer, the ancient characters on the scroll began to glow.
"Unown script. This fully proves that Hoenn and Johto have a deep connection."
Hikaru took out an ancient bracelet and recorded the move.
Although this was Rayquaza's exclusive ultimate move, and others might not be able to learn it, he recorded it for now. Perhaps it would be distributed more widely someday.
Rayquaza seemed to place great importance on the bond with its Lorekeeper. If the one controlling it was not a Lorekeeper, it would consume a massive amount of mental strength. This was a common trait among Hoenn's three gods, and it could be seen as a representation of humanity's tiny spirit being unable to suppress an embodiment of nature.
Amid the resonance of Aster's heart and the encircling Unown script, Rayquaza let out its third roar.
Rayquaza learned Dragon Ascent!
[Jade Orb, divine stone of prayer. Dragon Ascent shall draw out the Jade Orb's energy. Release the high-energy rays!]
As Rayquaza spoke those words, its roar and its gaze were fixed on Hikaru.
[You are the second person in this world who can speak with me. You are the same kind of person as This Shore!]
[If you did not bear the mission of controlling Groudon, perhaps going into space with you would have been the correct choice. However, I also have my own thoughts.]
Rayquaza's expression was stern, but Hikaru could understand what it was thinking now.
This was a battle they might not win.
Even if they borrowed the power of other Legendary Pokémon, there still had to be a connector and a summoner.
That meant the battle on the surface to seize back Jirachi was equally important.
[In Hoenn, one thousand years is a very special number. A thousand-year meteor shower, a thousand-year comet, a thousand-year Wishing Star, a thousand-year meteorite.]
[The ritual has begun. At dawn tomorrow, the Sky Trainers of Hoenn and the surrounding regions will gather at the Dragonhark Altar.]
[The power of the Millennium Comet is extraordinary. If I, weakened as I am, wish to regain my former power, the wishes of the people must reach the high heavens.]
Hikaru said, "The three wishes are like wishes made to Shenron. They can do anything. Therefore, Jirachi must obtain energy from the comet again, recover its strength, and erase Deoxys's energy."
"Aster, do you want to ascend into space with the Dragon God? Those who form a bond with the Dragon God continue to exist in consciousness even after the death of the body. Rayquaza can sense you and speak to you because of that."
"I've done things like letting the dead act in this world again more than once."
But Aster shook her head. "I no longer have life."
She gazed at Hikaru.
"...The Jade Orb is something that was never passed down in human legends. The fact that it is held by you, a person of Sinjoh, is precisely because you know everything."
"The Embedded Tower, the promised place where Lord Dragon God and I once played. I never knew that it was actually a place used to summon the embodiments of nature with the three colored orbs."
"In other words, you, who hold the Jade Orb, are also a true Lorekeeper. Therefore, the one who can inherit this qualification is not Mr. Steven, nor a Draconid, but the equally ancient people who possessed the Jade Orb and built the Embedded Tower."
"The orb has its own will. What it chooses is correct."
"However, I do indeed wish to soar among the stars with Lord Dragon God. Now that I am a ghost, I no longer have to lose my life because of the ozone around Lord Dragon God."
"So, please send the child of the stars into space before dawn arrives."
"I will become your spirit at your back. Just as you said, one who forms a bond continues to exist in consciousness even after death."
"And Zinnia will come too, won't she? I want so much to see her again."
Hikaru said, "If that is your wish..."
"Then, during the seven nights when the Millennium Comet shines, before the seventh night arrives, your wish will certainly come true."
"Because I also have a reason to go up there. I need to help my partner persuade one of its own kind, or else defeat and seal the other party!"
Rayquaza's voice also sounded deep within Aster's soul.
[This Shore! This is your power. Your soul will stay beside me forever like the stars. For you, I will endure until dawn arrives. No matter what kind of monster the opponent is, I will defeat it!]
[Watch closely: my Mega Evolution!]
[I will fly toward the sun!]
In the light that shone upon the world, Rayquaza began to Mega Evolve.
Wearing the Magma spacesuit, Steven gave Hikaru a thumbs-up.
I'm going.
Although he was a backup among backups, at a time like this, he had to...
Although the one Rayquaza truly yearned for was that girl rather than Steven, and although the shopkeeper might even have been a valid choice, no matter how one looked at it, to Rayquaza, every Lorekeeper after that girl was...
Only a substitute.
[But even if I am a substitute, I have to show what makes me unique. I know that as a substitute, my responsibility is to hold out until dawn.]
[The one Rayquaza truly wants to fight with, or rather, the one who can take the deceased Aster into space with it, is only you, shopkeeper. You are the most mysterious and reliable person I know, a being crowned by legends with legend.]
[So, until dawn comes, I leave the matters on land to you. If I don't come back, you absolutely have to ride a rocket up and collect my body.]
[There is one more spacesuit, developed by Team Aqua. Of course, Devon also developed a third suit. If the battle in the sky goes poorly, give that third suit to Brendan or Zinnia.]
[Of course, if things reach that point, even the later candidates may not necessarily be able to win again. But I think you must have other methods.]
There was a communication device inside the spacesuit, so what Steven said to the outside could be heard by the others. Through the device, people outside could also speak to him.
"Of course I have methods. But the Jade Orb has actually accumulated quite a lot of energy this time. I used a certain technology from the Paldea region to gather a massive amount of natural energy from the ancient past and condense it into the orb."
Hikaru thought that if nothing else worked, he would have to let Giratina come out and tank the meteorite. Arceus had done the same thing anyway. As a child of god, getting smashed was inevitable, right? In short, it could surely be applied next time.
However, this world still had many Legendary Pokémon. Even if one or two could not win, calling for help could always bring in some extraordinary beings.
"Take this with you."
Hikaru tossed Steven a special Poké Ball. Behind the visor, Steven looked a little confused.
"This is a ball designed specifically to suppress Deoxys. I know you brought a Master Ball this time. At this point in time, the Master Ball is still a special-supply product and can't be mass-produced. Although the Master Ball claims it can catch any Pokémon, if the Pokémon's energy exceeds the limit it can withstand, the Master Ball will be shattered instantly."
"At the end of the day, Poké Balls were originally developed to give Pokémon a temporary resting environment. They aren't all that different from glasses cases."
"Starting five hundred years ago, Apricorn Balls were born for the first time and gained specific effects."
"However, humans still understand too little about the power of Pokémon. Because of that, they can only increase the probability of capture, not completely suppress them."
"But this ball is slightly different."
"Use it with confidence. The Item Printer has already witnessed the existence of this ball, and I have also recorded it in the Secret Poké Ball Crafting Manual."
"However, I only have this one on hand for now. For the second one, you'll have to wait for me to make it on-site. So... make sure you choose your timing carefully!"
"If we have to name it, let's call it the Galaxy Ball."
After all, this ball was something Giovanni had made in Pokémon Adventures under Sird's guidance. In essence, it was a product created after Team Rocket replicated Team Galactic's technology.
The ball had "DNA" written on it. That also corresponded to Deoxys's Pokémon category: the DNA Pokémon.
At that moment, Rayquaza's form was changing within the light. Mega Rayquaza's green skin shone like emerald. A Δ-like pattern appeared on its forehead, its teeth turned gold, and the lower pair of horns extended forward around its mouth like a guard.
Its upper horns, lower horns, and tail ends bore long golden ribbon-like structures. The whiskers connected to its lower horns had ∞-like patterns, and the places where its ring patterns had originally been were now embedded with glowing golden jewels.
This was the first time Steven had ever seen Rayquaza like this. Even Aster had never seen it before.
"Lord Dragon God's appearance has become like the ancient murals in Granite Cave."
"It has become like... the legend of the Sky Pillar."
Hikaru said, "The Rayquaza dancing in the air underwent a transformation. Rayquaza's body was wrapped in dazzling light, and its form began to change."
"Mega Rayquaza releases particles through its whiskers, influencing the composition of the atmosphere and controlling the weather."
"In addition, it changes form when using Dragon Ascent, then charges straight at its opponent. Its appearance as ruler of the skies can be said to rival a god."
"Golden light extends from its body. Storms rise in the dark-red sky around it. A wild wind that illuminates the world has begun to blow!"
"Ability: Delta Stream!"
"When a Pokémon with this Ability enters the field, the weather becomes strong winds. Moves of types that would be super effective against Flying-type Pokémon are weakened, causing Flying's weaknesses to disappear!"
"It cannot be removed by Defog and cannot be blocked by Safeguard."
"Electric, Ice, and Rock-type moves can no longer be super effective against Flying-type Pokémon. Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Hail, and Sunny Day fail when used! At the same time, it also strips away the power of Primordial Sea and Desolate Land!"
"However, the sunlight caused by Drought extends from the ground into the sky. Although the sunlight caused by this Ability may not necessarily contain high-energy rays, it can indeed make the sunlight passing through the atmosphere even more intense."
"So Groudon's appearance can also provide Rayquaza with some energy... It should, at least!"
Rayquaza's speed was extraordinarily high. After completing its Mega Evolution, it was like a green blade piercing straight into the sky. In Hoenn's ancient legends, Rayquaza's figure was like a green comet.
Carrying Steven, it broke through the high sky, pierced the atmosphere, and filled the entire world with emerald radiance and roaring storms, as though dawn itself had arrived early.
Groudon's Drought had already turned night into day.
And now...
The light was blazing and without equal.
First came the upper sky.
The temperature began to drop, and the wind grew enormous. Yet although this region was the top of the sky, it was only the beginning of the atmosphere and the lower realm.
It contained about seventy-five percent of the atmosphere's mass and over ninety percent of its water vapor. It was the densest layer of Earth's atmosphere, and within this layer, temperature decreased as altitude rose.
Due to the influence of different terrain on the ground, such as forests, lakes, grasslands, beaches, and mountains, sunlight caused changes in temperature, creating vertical and horizontal winds. In other words, massive atmospheric convection occurred here. Thus, it was called...
The troposphere!
[Fifteen kilometers. Sixteen kilometers. Seventeen kilometers breached.]
Carrying the power of Delta, Rayquaza traveled from the lower realm to the upper realm.
The altitude of the upper realm, meaning the tropopause, varied according to geographic latitude and season.
And this was only the starting point toward higher atmospheric layers.
But to Rayquaza, with its godlike speed, the influence of the five atmospheric layers was practically negligible. It broke through the clouds, pierced through the five barriers, and arrived in outer space.
In that world filled with endless stars and darkness, a gigantic silver comet shone in the distance, releasing radiant sparks of energy.
Human satellites had been utterly destroyed and ruined beyond recognition. Space debris drifted everywhere. Among that debris were two Deoxys whose chest cores had lost their light.
The travelers from Birth Island and the Fiore region...
Among the stars, the Deoxys of the colossal meteorite was laughing and shouting wildly. Its body had also undergone an abnormal transformation, shining with a light of destruction.
At the same time, one of Deoxys's ecological traits was its ability to freely release many physical clones.
They were products similar to Double Team.
This had been shown in both the anime and the manga. It was a special ability written into its basic setting. These physical clones could not use high-powered moves, but they could still use various smaller moves to harass the enemy, and they could form a human wall to block attacks.
Now the entirety of space was filled with those clones.
Rayquaza glanced at the two that had been defeated.
Their scarlet crystal core and pale green crystal core were both shattered.
Red and green...
It seemed they had been mobbed and killed.
Deoxys Belial said, [You finally arrived, former ruler of this space! How is it? Even my own kind cannot stop my power! Next, I will begin the blood sacrifice with you!]
[The power of the Millennium Comet is constantly being absorbed by me. Now my strength has already risen to a level you cannot imagine!]
[First, allow me to give you a taste of this final celestial suppression weapon!]
[And... have you not sensed it? The Millennium Comet's orbit has shifted! In your eyes, there may still be ways to deal with the colossal meteorite. But if I told you that I have already deflected the Millennium Comet's orbit and made it directly strike this planet, what do you think would happen?]
[It is filled with radioactive light and possesses energy comparable to the sun! Its volume is more than sixty times that of the colossal meteorite Delta Δ! Forget this planet. Even the Pleroma would be smashed to pieces!]
Gravitational disturbance could grant celestial bodies entirely new orbits. The Millennium Comet itself was one of the mysterious silver celestial bodies.
Rayquaza stared at Deoxys. The power level of this outsider before it was absurd beyond description.
Level: [???]!
Steven felt Rayquaza's heavy mood. Through his visor, he gazed into the distant universe and recalled what This Shore had said.
When you feel sorrow and misfortune, gaze at the universe.
"At the end of the boundary beyond life and death, between This Shore and Beyond, what is born is the courage to travel toward the stars."
Sound could not travel through space. Even if Steven spoke, his voice could not reach Rayquaza's ears. So he simply patted Rayquaza on the head.
In truth, in this state, there was naturally only one move to use.
"Dragon Ascent!"
"Then I'm going to use the Red Orb and let Groudon fight freely!"
When the dark night blanketed the land, all was silent and still as death.
People sank into their dreams, awaiting a new beginning, or perhaps the end of this world.
There were still several hours until dawn. The contest to decide the king of the sky was also about to begin. The ritual worshiping Rayquaza would bring about something extraordinary in the distant universe and the blue heavens. But on the land, in the unknown place of Forina...
Another eternal soul watched the hearts of humans, turning this sleepless night into a sunrise that shook the soul.
As Groudon crossed the wasteland, the blazing sun that appeared upon its back made the night recede like a tide.
The sun. The sunlight. It was simply radiant beyond measure.
Even the stars overhead dimmed and vanished at that moment. Under the dual effects of Drought and sunlight, mountains melted and trees burned fiercely.
Because of that intense heat, riding Genesect was impossible. Even Miraidon felt its metal shell heating rapidly, despite the fact that this fellow did not have the Steel type at all.
Although it could store energy and unleash Overheat at the opponent, when Miraidon itself overheated, that was not pleasant at all.
Flying vehicles were disabled. In a battle of collapsing mountains and splitting earth, sharp stones bombarded the area from every direction. Because of that, even Volcarona could not casually appear. After all, it was four-times weak to Rock. One hit could cost its life.
Therefore, before Celesteela carried out a manned launch, Aerodactyl temporarily took charge of flight. For Aerodactyl, grabbing Hikaru and flying through the sky was a simple task. It had already done this before.
Although Hikaru had also learned how to float using psychic power, controlling the Red Orb, commanding Groudon, and making himself fly all at once would still consume too much mental strength.
Hikaru said, "In an age long before the present, perhaps during some period when the world lost the sun..."
"Groudon may once have replaced the sun and illuminated the land."
The darker the abyss-like night became, the more one could feel how piercing and dazzling this sunlight was. Although the seven long nights were lit by the silver radiance emitted by the Millennium Comet, no matter how bright starlight might be, it was still far away. It could never compare to the power brought by the sun.
Pokémon Abilities could freely control even sunlight and rain, and even atmospheric monsoons, ocean currents, and high-altitude turbulence. That was the wonder of this world.
"Gurururura!"
"Gugurururura!"
The earth demon still followed its instincts and usual pattern, transforming the spikes on its body into green, slimy tendrils and trying to absorb Groudon into its body. But after eating Herba Mystica, Groudon was surrounded by a dazzling aura and had no fear of such abnormal attacks.
Groudon swung Fire Punch and burned all those slimy tendrils to ash.
Then unparalleled heat condensed around its body.
Eruption!
The meteor volcano turned into blazing-hot meteorites, pouring lava and flames down onto the earth demon like a storm. The latter's body began to burn fiercely, but as a monster shaped from earth energy and star power, it did not waver no matter what kind of attack it faced.
"In other words..."
"The earth demon is basically a Titan Pokémon. This thing doesn't feel pain!"
"It won't be injured. It won't die. As long as natural energy exists, it will keep fighting."
But using Eruption in a place like Forina and setting the forest ablaze caused destruction that was hardly any less than the earth demon itself. Hikaru stared speechlessly at Groudon as it freely unleashed its great power.
As expected, it was ultimately the same type of creature as Godzilla.
The survival of the world was not actually important to it. It only cared about defeating its enemy. Therefore, the destruction around it was unavoidable.
There was no point shouting at Groudon, "What did you protect?" This guy would not listen at all.
"As long as something belongs to this world, it must have an attribute. Even a monster born from a wish has an attribute. It's just not a conventional one."
"The earth demon is a Null-attribute thing."
"A Null-attribute Pokémon does not gain same-type attack bonus when using any move. Even if the move is also Null-attribute, it is the same. At the same time, it has no type matchup with any attribute."
"That is precisely why it does not waver against normal attacks."
"But that does not mean there is no way to deal with it. The answer is fixed-damage moves."
"Use gravity to throw the opponent away, dealing damage equal to the user's level!"
"Groudon, use Seismic Toss!"
The Red Orb shone with light. Groudon, which had been getting pushed back by the earth demon, suddenly flashed its eyes.
An immense power surged through its body, and it directly lifted the earth demon, which was even larger than itself.
In one motion!
Use gravity to throw the opponent away, dealing damage equal to the user's level. At the same time, ignore all type matchups and same-type attack bonuses.
"Gururururaaah!"
Like a wrestler, Groudon hurled the earth demon into the sky. With a roar, the monster smashed through several stone peaks. This monster born from the earth felt shock on an instinctive level. Once the absorption effect of its tendrils was blocked by the dazzling aura, in terms of a direct contest, this thing could not use even a single move.
Hikaru said, "Whether it is the sea or the land, whether it is the sea demon or the earth demon..."
"Although they possess special abilities, their greatest problem is that they cannot use moves. Whether one can use moves is like whether a human can use weapons. Between fighting barehanded and fighting armed, there is a towering wall."
"Speaking of which, Forina's terrain looks like it was carved out by Groudon using some move. Next, use the power of the earth to make the opponent explode."
Hikaru threw out the Red Orb. Drawn by something, the orb automatically merged with Groudon.
Borrowing the natural energy stored within the orb to temporarily change form during battle. This was the great secret technique only two Pokémon could use.
Primal Reversion!
[The sunlight turned extremely harsh!]
The high heat evaporated all water vapor, and even stone melted into magma. However, in the end, Groudon did intentionally control the leakage of its power a little. Of course, this was not because it had suddenly decided this level of destruction was bad, but because if it did not concentrate its power effectively, it would not be able to kill the thing in front of it.
"Ability: Desolate Land!"
"Groudon's roar splits and raises the land. Water sources dry up, the scorching sun hangs overhead, and the surroundings are enveloped in blazing heat. The power of Fire-type moves is multiplied by 1.5. Water-type attacking moves fail. Its type changes to Ground and Fire!"
"Use Precipice Blades!"
Groudon slammed the earth hard. From the ground, sharp stones wrapped in magma erupted like a forest of giant swords.
Once anything touched the tip of those blades...
A massive explosion would occur.
(End of Chapter)
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