"This thing's body can actually get that huge!"
Archie, who had been sent to Forina along with Rayquaza, stood atop a nearby stone spire and watched the fierce battle between Groudon and the earth demon from a distance.
He had no idea what method that person of Sinjoh had used. In any case, Groudon's size had become absurd.
No. It would be better to say that the thing called the earth demon was even more absurd.
"Rather than saying we made it just in time, it was more like we nearly didn't! That former Team Magma scientist was an elite Trainer, after all. Even though that girl brought people to chase him, they still couldn't catch him in one burst."
"If what the person of Sinjoh said is true, then this guy had prepared to activate the machine in Forina from the beginning! Right, of course. That guy has a flying mount. Why would he obediently drive here? He could just fly straight over."
"Jirachi's control device is right in the middle of the battlefield. That earth demon looks like it has no brains, but... all the Pokémon nearby were eaten by it!"
"Jirachi... Jirachi is gone. Was it eaten along with the device, or... I think I saw the wreckage of the device."
"But the comet keeps flashing. That proves Jirachi is still calling out to the comet, though the energy descending to the ground comes and goes."
"We can't get close. Once we get near it, those tentacles will suck us in. Damn it!"
[No brains? Are you really qualified to say that? Still, if the monster did not actively devour the Wishing Star, perhaps it also wants to obtain even greater energy from the comet.]
A man's hoarse and calm voice came from Archie's PokéNav. Archie immediately started cursing.
"Oh! You've got some nerve talking! Team Magma sent out two admins, but you still didn't capture Butler, and you didn't recover the regeneration device either! Maxie, is this what you call a job well done?"
Maxie said, [The regeneration device has already been recovered. Although it's broken. The problem is that Butler made more than one machine. At the beginning, we were also obstructed. The boy with Pikachu and that little girl thought we had come to attack them at first. In short, all of this happened because the situation was too urgent and the intelligence wasn't delivered in time.]
[Of course, during this process, Courtney made another major mistake. Because she became interested in May and the boy with Pikachu, she suddenly said she wanted to analyze them, and that delayed us. I will punish her.]
[Well, Courtney has always had that kind of personality. She always acts on her own. When the AZOTH Project failed, she even planned to directly detonate the rocket at the Mossdeep Space Center. Didn't your team's Matt cooperate with her back then?]
"That guy Matt... He's all muscle and no brain!"
[Speaking of which, has Groudon entered the battlefield on your end? The person controlling it this time...]
"Don't worry. The people of Sinjoh are far more impressive than the people of Sootopolis and the Draconids!"
Archie laughed loudly as he watched the intense slaughter in the distance. The shockwaves it stirred up were almost enough to shatter all the surrounding stone spires.
"That person of Sinjoh earned Groudon's recognition. And it gave one warning: for ritual casters, don't use the orbs recklessly without complete preparation!"
"Maybe because Groudon itself is willing, the orb also didn't show any signs of corroding the user. In other words, the consumption of mental strength may be smaller. Or maybe that person of Sinjoh is just too ridiculous!"
"And that guy, I'm willing to call him an expert of water! Compared to Wallace, Champion and member of the people of Sootopolis, that guy's Water-type Pokémon are absurdly strong too! Although he still doesn't have a full team of six. I should recommend one to him. He could consider catching a Sharpedo, right?"
"This is the first time I've ever seen someone unleash a Water-type move with such ridiculous power under harsh sunlight! It really opened my eyes!"
"After that, I don't know what he fed Groudon, but in any case, the battle is incredibly fierce now! However, I haven't seen Butler. That guy may have been eaten by the earth demon!"
Maxie said, [I understand. If the intelligence is accurate, then this terrifying thing will continue absorbing the vitality of the land. If the land becomes barren, humanity will also lose its ideal home. That is what Butler fails to understand.]
[He has already thrown away everything to take revenge on Team Magma. Perhaps sending Tabitha and Courtney to capture him at the time was the wrong decision. Instead, it provoked his defiance and competitive pride. And now that it has come to this, he brought it upon himself.]
[In fact, this is also Team Magma's fault and responsibility. We should never have recruited him in the first place.]
Archie gave a short laugh. "Don't say that. Only Team Magma understands Butler best. Hoenn is short on manpower, so that's why you were sent. Someone will help with the battle on land. All we need to do is think of a way to rescue Jirachi."
"That's right! I will never allow... anyone to do something like this to Jirachi!"
"And if not for the Millennium Comet and the colossal meteorite, perhaps no one would ever have known about this battle happening in Forina."
"The slaughter on the land has already begun. Next comes the matter of the sky. Although I really want to say, how could Kyogre be absent at a time like this? Let's not bring Kyogre out to make things worse."
"How much longer until you arrive?"
Maxie said, [Once, to show our sincerity in reforming and repenting, we dismantled the large aerial tools we had created. Looking at it now, that was not a wise move.]
[However, even so, Team Magma's technology is still above Team Aqua's. Therefore, we have already arrived!]
At Forina's border, Maxie, Tabitha, and Courtney, who was whistling, were all staring fixedly at the light coming from Forina in the distance.
The light of the blazing sun that illuminated the world turned night into day.
"It's the same as what happened in Sootopolis City. The entire sky has turned into intense sunlight, and the temperature is rising rapidly!"
"This is Groudon's power. Seeing it a second time is still just as shocking. But compared to last time's rampage, Groudon is at least consciously restraining its power this time. Is it trying to concentrate its energy to defeat its opponent?"
Maxie commanded his subordinates while blocking the incoming storm and flying stones. "Hurry! The AZOTH Project is restarting! Prepare to break into the battlefield! Ugh! Is this the shockwave produced by the two monsters colliding? Groudon's body is even larger than when it underwent Primal Reversion!"
"As humans, we must also do what we are capable of doing! Leave the battle on land to us. Recover Jirachi at all costs! Then make the wish!"
"If we cannot do that, Hoenn's history will come to an end! This time, Omega has truly descended."
"Will it be judgment, or salvation?"
Maxie looked toward the people behind him. "You are the key to this plan. Children capable of letting Jirachi hear a clear song and connect with it heart to heart."
"The girl named May. Has there still been no word from that companion of yours, Hoenn's new Champion? Is that so-called Dragon Country truly so far away? They are only some important ancient meteorites. How have they still not been returned?"
"It seems there are some terrifying mechanisms over there..."
May, the game version, was also staying beside Team Magma's members, standing together with Courtney. As for the boy who could connect heart to heart with Jirachi this time...
Since Max was not traveling together with May, the one who had awakened the Star Crystal through song and connected with it had become Ash.
"Um, I don't really understand. What exactly is going on? Team Magma looked like the enemy at first, but now you're acting like you're here to save the world..."
"You are mistaken, young friend."
Maxie pushed up his glasses.
"Because the message was not delivered in time, and because Courtney acted on her own, we failed to capture Butler. You heard the questions and accusations that man hurled at us at the circus before, didn't you?"
Brock, the most knowledgeable and also the one who would not have his memory erased, answered Maxie's question.
"'Look, it is none other than Lord Maxie, leader of Team Magma, personally gracing this magic show! The great Butler will revive Groudon, then take thorough revenge on Team Magma! I will make all of you who once mocked me pay!'"
Maxie pinched the bridge of his glasses again. "Er... There was no need to repeat it quite that completely."
"So, although we were an extremist organization in the past, we are now in a period of cooperating with the Hoenn League under its orders. You have only just arrived in Hoenn. It is normal that your impression of us remains stuck on the public information from two years ago."
"Then Butler... Where is Butler?"
A blonde woman in formal eveningwear, with a long dress, looked toward Maxie with worry. Maxie's glasses reflected the light, and he folded his hands together like Commander Ikari.
"Miss Diane, it is exactly as you heard in the intelligence report earlier."
"Your lover, Butler, has already been devoured by the earth demon."
"When the timing of actions and small incidents differs, the final result can change dramatically. Perhaps Butler originally would not have been devoured, but he was too impatient. When we appeared before him, anger had already completely destroyed his reason."
"If you want to restore everything, then according to the intelligence and instructions given by the person of Sinjoh, we must make wishes to Jirachi. Only those who are connected heart to heart with Jirachi can make those wishes. The number of wishes is three!"
"If Jirachi's energy is drained dry and completely devoured by the earth demon or by the star in the sky, then no one will be able to come back to life!"
"The tragedy in Hoenn... Somehow, I feel as though I saw similar content in a dream."
Maxie rubbed his brow, then stared at Courtney.
"This time, do not do anything unnecessary, Courtney! This is the critical moment that decides whether the world humans live in can continue to exist!"
Courtney, meanwhile, had been watching Groudon display its power the whole time, apparently in an excellent mood.
"...Ahaha... Interesting people..."
But after hearing Maxie's reprimand, she immediately nodded helplessly. "Mm. Analysis failed."
Hearing Courtney's incomprehensible answer, Maxie sighed and turned toward the other admin.
"Tabitha, is the analysis of Butler's machine complete?"
"It is complete!"
The plump, narrow-eyed Tabitha smiled calmly.
"That regeneration device is indeed very impressive, but its core structure is unexpectedly simple. As long as we reverse-install the primal remnants into the device, run the device backward, and then have Jirachi release its power again, the natural energy can be released from the monster's body."
"If we have Jirachi's help, the Pokémon that were swallowed earlier may be completely restored as well. But that is only a hypothesis."
"However, the power Jirachi previously fired toward the comet did not receive a response from the comet, so Jirachi has already consumed a great deal of its strength. The comet's power is likely being absorbed by the thing in the sky. Therefore, once we recover the device and activate it, Jirachi's power may be completely exhausted as a result. It may even become unable to grant wishes."
"Right now, that device is probably still continuously injecting power into the earth demon while also guiding the Millennium Comet's power down. However, the comet's light..."
"Enough! As long as we can do that, it will suffice."
Maxie waved a hand.
"We must make it preserve enough stamina to grant the wishes. Leave the matters in the sky to the more specialized people."
"As long as Rayquaza can defeat that thing, the Millennium Comet's power will naturally return to Jirachi. However, if it fails, then Jirachi must be sent into space."
"The Gym Leaders of every city are standing guard, preparing for falling meteorites while calming the people. However, this incident in Forina was also quite sudden."
"If we allow Groudon to keep fighting like this, Forina will become a sea of fire!"
"Team Magma once obtained special technology from Devon Corporation. The Infinity Drill used on the Submarine Explorer 1 is a drill powered by Infinity Energy. It can let us approach Jirachi's control device directly from underground!"
"However, Flying types are our weak point. That device is in midair, and the powerful Pokémon nearby seem to have all been swallowed. Therefore, after we get close, boys and girls, we leave this matter to you!"
Unlike Team Magma in Pokémon Adventures, where everyone had a Swellow, and all of them were large individuals capable of carrying people in flight...
In the games, the only Flying-type Pokémon Team Magma could bring out were the Zubat and Golbat line. If one really wanted to count it, Koffing could also float.
Er. But in a high-temperature, high-pressure environment, Koffing would explode at the slightest spark. In this situation, it was better not to release Koffing.
As for Zubat and Golbat, their setting was that they hated sunlight. Because their skin was so thin that exposure to sunlight would burn them.
So...
Team Magma was clearly an organization that had tried to control Groudon, yet the Pokémon under their command were actually afraid of light, and some would explode under high heat?
Ecologically speaking, they were practically a suicide squad.
"...Did you hear that? Did you hear it?"
May suddenly clutched her head. Her gaze turned toward the direction of the battle between Groudon and the earth demon. Beside her, Ash had the same reaction.
"The star... the star's voice!"
Because Max had not appeared and was still wandering around Route 1 near Littleroot Town...
The person who heard the voice of the stars had become Ash.
"Mm, that's Ash, May, and Brock!"
Hikaru had inherited eyesight from Skyla. A pilot's vision was extremely sharp. Even from a great distance, he could see what was happening, as well as the people and objects appearing far away. Of course, if he did not actively look, he would not see them. After all, this was merely eyesight, not perception.
Farsight had its own flaw: sometimes, things too close by would be overlooked instead.
"Ash heard the voice of the stars. May is the investigator, and she can sing the lullaby, so she's the awakener. Looking at it this way, Brock seems like the bonus you get for topping up your phone bill. Then again, when isn't Brock like this? In the movies, he mainly plays the role of triggering the plot and guiding things forward."
Brock's greatest function was that without him, the movie could not begin. Without the movie, there would be no corresponding game distribution content. Rounded up, Brock was Arceus's incarnation.
Of course, throughout the movies, Brock often served as a temporary damage dealer as well. After all, as a Gym Leader, his strength was considerable. Like Ash, he could use Agility, take an Explosion to the face without a scratch, and was, in the truest sense, a Super Pewter Man.
However, in the AG-era movies, Brock was basically a supporting presence. Though Ash was actually almost the same. Strictly speaking, in Jirachi: Wish Maker and Destiny Deoxys, the stories were not particularly tied to Ash.
The focus of this period was the two movies afterward, especially Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, which was vital in establishing Ash's character attributes.
And Jirachi: Wish Maker happened before episode 28 of the main series. Ash did not have any strong Pokémon on hand yet. His whole team was still basically a baby squad. Expecting him to deal damage was impossible. After all, every time Ash went to a new region, his build got reset and his old Pokémon were sent away.
Therefore, in the Jirachi movie, the strong Pokémon paired with Ash was a wild Flygon from the Forina region, level 55.
"But this time, there's no Flygon, Absol, or Salamence helping. Butler was also swallowed ahead of time and had no chance to repent. Diane is safe and sound under Team Magma's protection instead. Everything is completely reversed."
"However, although there are no powerful wild Pokémon assisting them..."
Hikaru was being carried by Aerodactyl while commanding the battle in the sky. On Ash's side, because Ash and May had both sensed Jirachi's location, Team Magma's digging machine had already begun work.
Using a super drill powered by Infinity Energy, drilling a hole underground through Forina was incredibly easy. It was even faster than a Pokémon using Dig. After all, while digging, one would encounter hard rocks blocking the way. Unless it was a Pokémon with a built-in drill, like Rhyperior, excavation would be extremely difficult.
But machines did not feel pain or discomfort. That powerful alloy drill was unstoppable.
Ash's expression was serious. "They said we have to get close to the target location and then use Flying-type Pokémon, but the only Pokémon I have is Taillow. Taillow alone can't carry a person up there."
Although Ash's pose while riding Flygon and giving a thumbs-up in that movie was very cool, now that he lacked that partner, he seemed rather powerless.
"I do have Swellow on my side!" May had the evolved form. It was one of the partners in her game team. She had two Pokémon capable of flight. One was Swellow, and the other was Claydol, though she would only have the latter during the Battle Maison period.
Tabitha said, "Taillow and Swellow? No, that won't work. They aren't big enough. Neither of them is built to carry people. Do you have any Psychic-type or Dragon-type Pokémon?"
Ash said, "Um..."
"No! You do!" Brock clapped his hands and looked at Ash. "Do you still have that flute with you?"
"The Eon Flute you got in Alto Mare!"
"Come to think of it, isn't Hoenn the homeland of Latios and Latias? During the great tsunami in Alto Mare last time, the Eon Pokémon of the Hoenn region came to help us. It should be fine this time too!"
"There's still plenty of time. Groudon is fighting that monster, and it seems like the power of Legendary Pokémon won't be depleted so easily!"
Ash said, "Oh! So we still had that move. As expected of Brock!"
"That's the Eon Flute?!"
May was greatly shocked when she saw Ash take out the flute.
Because her friend Brendan also had one of those flutes.
May said, "How do you have that?! It's an ancient flute used to summon Eon Pokémon!"
"You just pulled out a legendary item as if it were nothing. Who... who exactly are you?"
Since the game version of May and Ash had no relationship and did not know each other, this chance encounter had made them friends, but to May, the boy from distant Pallet Town still had many mysteries about him.
He was impulsive and reckless, but sometimes he could say rather philosophical things. As for his strength, May had briefly battled him when they first met. He was not that strong, but May could tell that it was definitely a newly trained team, so being weak was normal.
"This? I got it in the Water Capital south of the Johto region. It seems to have been made by a craftsman I knew before."
Ash held the flute.
"The legend of the Water Capital was... I still remember this. Pokémon who transformed into two children traveled from Hoenn's Southern Island to the Johto region. Latios and Latias."
"My flute is the flute that calls Latias."
After all, not much time had passed since the Alto Mare incident. Ash's amnesia was not yet severe. With Brock giving him a slight reminder, he immediately remembered.
"Supposedly, as long as the flute is played..."
May's expression was serious. "As long as the flute is played, no matter where the flutist is, the Eon Pokémon will immediately come!"
"Only my companion Brendan has one of those flutes. He received it from Mr. Steven. It's a legendary item of the Hoenn region!"
"Whew. Seeing this flute reminds me of some things. Although I also set out from Littleroot Town with him, the gap between us grew wider and wider. He performed incredibly during the incident two years ago, but..."
"Since that time, it feels like we stopped being on the same level. To catch up to him, I have also been constantly working hard and training. When I think of it that way, it sounds a little pitiful, but I'm not actually sad."
That guy Brendan had said something like this too:
[May is cheerful and full of energy. But when she looks up at the starry sky, she becomes very quiet.]
[Whenever a shooting star passes by, her eyes shine brightly. I think her eyes are as beautiful as stars!]
Whenever you become stronger, a certain feeling rises in my heart.
I think that feeling is probably impatience.
Before, all I wanted was to surpass Gym Leader Norman. But now, I have become very conscious of you.
May said, "Right now, he is not in this region, so I must protect this land in his place!"
"Ash, please play the Eon Flute! Although you said it only summons Latias, I remember that as long as one has a bond with the Eon Pokémon, other Latios can be summoned along with her!"
"I never expected that you were also someone who had formed a bond with Latias. Looking at you is like looking at Brendan from two years ago. You said you participated in the Johto League Conference before. Someone like you must already have..."
"Oh, that!"
Ash was a little embarrassed.
"I'm still nowhere near grown enough. At the Silver Conference in the Johto League, I only made it to the top four. And when I first participated in the Kanto League, there were still a lot of things I didn't understand."
"By the time of the Silver Conference, I felt like I had matured a little. Back then, I also battled a Trainer from the Hoenn region. Right, the Pokémon he used was the same as yours: Blaziken!"
Winning a League Conference required not only strength, but also a large element of luck. For the original Ash, the Ash who had experienced the Mount Silver incident was clearly stronger in battle ability and intuition.
The strength to reach the top four was actually already enough to contend for the Conference championship. He had only fallen one move short.
Of course, the quality of the Conference itself and the uneven skill of its contestants were also major issues. Because of that, a Conference Champion and a true Champion were separated by a tremendous gulf.
May said, "I see. Then you'll also participate in Hoenn's Ever Grande Conference, won't you? It's held in a city on an island in eastern Hoenn. Beautiful flowers bloom everywhere there. It's a paradise of flowers, the sea, and Pokémon."
"However, I'd recommend that you challenge Victory Road. A Conference championship is only the starting point. It doesn't represent anything by itself. Only those who pass the test of Victory Road earn the right to face the Elite Four and the true Champion."
"Right now, Hoenn has three Champions!"
As expected, once the subject turned to battles, Ash immediately became excited. However, Ash from the AG era, combined with the personality and intelligence of Determined Ash, plus the field aura buff from movie settings, meant that Ash would not do anything impulsive or nonsensical. Instead, he became extremely reliable.
And so, he played the Eon Flute.
Over the sea at Alto Mare, south of the Johto region, Latios of the Water Capital, who had already been feeling faint unease because of the earth-shaking tremors caused by the Embedded Tower, immediately looked toward his younger sister.
Latias had already heard that boy's call.
Although his younger sister had secretly gone to help him participate in a League match earlier, and Latios had scolded her when she returned, he thought that was not such a bad thing. It could count as seeing a wider world and meeting humans.
What had angered him was only that his younger sister had gone out on her own. But this time was different.
Whether it was the beam of light shooting into the sky from the direction of the Sevii Islands, or the violent tremors in the western sea, both indicated that some danger might have occurred around the border between Johto and Hoenn.
And this time...
Latios did not see those two who could Mega Evolve.
Where had they gone?
[Something terrible must have happened. Although we are the guardian gods of Alto Mare, we owe that boy a great debt. And since the Eon Flute has already formed a contract, there is no reason to go against it.]
Because of the previous matter of transporting the Soul Dew, a new group of Eon Pokémon had settled in Alto Mare.
This was actually something that would inevitably happen at the end of the original movie.
The Soul Dew attracted Eon Pokémon because the heavenly souls of their kind were calling to one another.
[Latias, bring the "stones" they gave us before!]
Stones. That was right. They were special stones given by the two from Southern Island. As long as they carried those stones, and also had someone capable of transmitting their heart and forming a bond, they could achieve the same Mega Evolution as those two.
Although those two had said at the time that Latios and Latias were too young and could not control that power, which could lead to self-destruction, they had still found new stones from elsewhere and given them to the siblings in case of an emergency.
Only after that, they had lost all contact.
In theory, this should have been impossible. According to their ecological traits, even if a companion vanished without a trace, they should still possess telepathy and be able to know where that companion was and what they were feeling.
But now, there was nothing.
Latias hurriedly tucked the two stones away, then repeatedly urged her brother.
Let's go. We need to set out right now. Ash is calling me!
Latias thought this with great anxiety. Under those circumstances, her body faintly began to emit light.
Accelerate. Accelerate. Super-accelerate.
She continuously raised her speed while flying. There was still a long stretch of ocean to cross before reaching Hoenn. Without Extreme Speed, it would be almost impossible to reach that distant continent in one burst.
However, Latios felt that perhaps it was his imagination, or perhaps their training over this period had borne fruit.
His speed and his sister's speed had both increased tremendously.
If they tucked in their forelegs while flying, their speed could surpass a jet plane.
[Traveling from southern Johto to Hoenn by normal flight would take about two hours!]
[However, the sound of the Eon Flute will further strengthen our speed. That is because we can locate the target directly!]
North of Route 131, the Sky Pillar.
This was a place built by the Draconids to worship Rayquaza. It was guarded and sealed by the people of Sootopolis. The murals inside the tower recorded all of Rayquaza's history and all of Hoenn's history from three thousand to two thousand years ago.
The top of the Sky Pillar almost pierced the clouds. Because it was located on a mountain island in the sea, the surroundings were always shrouded in clouds and mist.
In another universe, this tower had fifty floors. Even doing nothing but climbing to the top was already an extremely stamina-consuming task.
At its summit stood the Dragonhark Altar.
Green flames burned fiercely. Rayquaza, which had been forcibly transferred over from the Fiore region, was seeing this kind of formation for the first time and immediately fell quiet.
A country dragon entering the city for the first time was feeling a little timid.
However, the once-violent Rayquaza now understood the gravity of the situation.
The Rayquaza that lived here, or rather the Rayquaza that had once existed here, seemed to be many times stronger than itself.
Yet even a Pokémon that powerful actually needed to find it as a reserve candidate?
Mega Evolution? What was that? Who was supposed to understand something like that?
Zinnia held a Key Stone in her hand.
"No meteoroid organ, and no prior Mega Evolution."
"The person of Sinjoh was right. Only Lord Dragon God is special, because it once swallowed a rainbow-colored meteorite. That happened a thousand years ago. Other Rayquaza have never obtained a special meteorite, so they have no way to obtain that organ."
"Therefore, the meteoroid organ is something that appeared to digest that meteorite's power and accompanied the wishes of the people."
"But since Lord Dragon God obtained that kind of power overnight back then, you can do it too."
There were not many people who currently possessed Mega Evolution. After searching through all the experts who had appeared in the Hoenn region over the past two years, they had only gathered a dozen or so Key Stones.
Among them, seven were given to the Dragon God, and five were given to this Rayquaza.
But the latter clearly had no idea how to use such things.
That was what happened when one's version was outdated.
"Lord Dragon God has already flown into space. I saw green light appear above the Hoenn region. Then the next ritual must begin as well."
"If Lord Dragon God fails, I will ride you into space. With everyone surrounding us and offering prayers, you will surely inherit Lord Dragon God's power and obtain the ability to Mega Evolve."
Zinnia looked at the somewhat helpless and nervous Fiore Rayquaza before her.
"I heard that four years ago, in the ice field, you killed a Deoxys."
"Although that thing apparently didn't really die and merely entered a long period of dormancy, this proves that you already possess the qualifications to fight an alien."
Fiore Rayquaza showed an awkward expression.
Er...
That time, it had actually been suppressed the whole way through. It was only because the alien had curiously stared at the ice, allowing Rayquaza to pop up from the water and pull off a charged Hyper Beam sneak attack, that it had managed to defeat it.
But now, you suddenly tell me to go fight a super alien at level [???]?
If I fight Belial, will I win?
Why don't you find a few more Rayquaza? Can this really be won?
"Even if we wanted to find more Rayquaza... No, do that many Rayquaza really exist?"
"You are already the second individual we were able to find. Therefore, all hope is on you."
"Of course, I will not force you into a deathmatch."
Zinnia's expression became deeply lonely.
"Even if you look very similar, you are ultimately not Lord Dragon God. You have no bond with us Draconids. Therefore, even if you are defeated, you may abandon me and escape on your own."
"For you, who live in the atmosphere, it would not matter even if the ground were completely destroyed. Although saying that is very irresponsible to the people of the land..."
"At that point, we would already have exhausted every option."
"I have heard that other regions also have Legendary Pokémon, and even existences no weaker than Lord Dragon God. But what we face now is a monster that has obtained the power of the Millennium Comet. Therefore, failure is acceptable."
"My mission is to let you know what Mega Evolution is, and then accompany you into space. At that time, the life of the Draconids will also vanish."
Although Devon Corporation had already prepared a spacesuit, Zinnia did not want to wear such a thing.
Because she had long since prepared herself to face death. She wanted to meet her beloved friend, her older sister, in the world beyond. This Shore and Beyond. The time of reunion was near.
"There is someone I love dearly, but she is no longer in this world."
"Therefore, my final attachment to this world ends here. For the sake of fulfilling the mission of the Draconids, and for the sake of fulfilling her mission..."
"Sorry. What I said just now about letting you run away and exhausting every option... Actually, we will definitely not let such a thing happen!"
"Because I have already heard about the Wishing Star. I never expected that Archie made that kind of wish when he was young. If that was also the protection of the thousand-year star, then..."
"We will definitely win."
The sun at the edge of the sky gradually rose. A beam of dawnlight shone upon Hoenn. Or perhaps that was the light of Drought coming from Forina. But no matter what, the Sky Pillar was already illuminated.
The turning stars vanished, as though an established fate was about to be shattered.
This relatively weaker Rayquaza, the one that had once killed an alien in the ice field, returned to rest at the Fiore Temple, and would later appear in the movie Destiny Deoxys, sensed Zinnia's feelings.
They were pure and flawless. Even its violent and untamed self had to quiet down and feel them. Its instincts as a living creature were also warning it that if it did not settle down now, it would never have another chance like this.
And besides, there were actually humans bound so deeply to Rayquaza.
This treatment was even better than what it had received at the Fiore Temple!
If that was the case...
Starting today, I declare that on the Mega Rayquaza side, there is only one crown prince!
"Gaoooaaah!"
Then, O sun, grant me strength!
Northeastern Hoenn, Fortree City.
It was a city of trees, located between Mauville City and Lilycove City, where people played with nature. Its unique cultural landscape was one of a kind even across the entire world.
To the west lay Route 119 and the Weather Institute. To the east lay Route 120 and the Safari Zone.
And Fortree City's Gym Leader was none other than the Flying-type expert, Winona.
Pokémon Sky Relay competitions had originally originated from Crossgate Town, a village skilled with Flying types. Northwest of Fortree City was a canyon terrain, and there were people there who upheld that tradition.
However, this competition was special. It was also the first true competition to unfold in the upper sky. But the Gym Leaders all knew what its true meaning was.
"Dawn is rising... The upper-sky competition is actually a prayer and celebration ritual dedicated to Rayquaza."
Winona took a deep breath. As Fortree City's Gym Leader, she had been entrusted with work related to the Sky Relay competition.
To obtain the secret treasure of the sea, experts skilled in flying had come from different regions. Of course, most of them were still local Flying-type experts from Hoenn, and there were not few of them.
Secret Base Masters, Bird Keepers, Ace Trainers, Psychics, Sky Trainers, and bird users who soared across the world.
"Everyone, please listen carefully! The rules of this competition are as follows: Pokémon will battle in the air and compete to seize rings hanging at specific locations. The contestant who hangs enough rings on the hooks at the finish line will win!"
"And the competition area is the upper sky of eastern Hoenn! Take part in this aerial battle with hearts full of prayer. It is said that the one who becomes Champion, on the nights when the Millennium Comet appears, before the seventh night arrives, can have any wish granted!"
"This is the legend of the Hoenn region: the Wishing Star of Seven Nights!"
"Please send the wishes of the people into the high heavens!"
(End of Chapter)
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