"She's not inferior to the infinite-energy rocket at the Mossdeep Space Center, you know. After all, she has extraterrestrial power inside her!"
Hikaru smiled and waved his hand. "All right. Next, it looks like Groudon will have to keep the land demon occupied for a while longer."
"But after losing Jirachi, the land demon will soon be suppressed by Groudon in return. So the faster we launch, the better. Before Forina burns to ash!"
Celesteela said, [Whoa... It has been so long since I last went to space. I haven't performed a launch on this scale in ages. Fuel. Fuel check...]
[Right! Right! I have the starting energy from an alien spaceship! How did I forget that? I was too scared...]
Ever since Celesteela had crashed down from an Ultra Wormhole, she had not done another launch that took her so far away. Of course, one reason was simply that there had been no need. But Miss Celesteela's rocket control technique and balance really were not very good. That was something she had admitted from the start.
After all, she was a weak individual among her species. Weak, helpless, pitiful, and only a six-meter little rocket. Generally speaking, others of her kind were giant Celesteela around ten meters tall. There were even more exaggerated examples, like something on the scale of a "Saturn V."
Beep, beep.
May's Pokégear rang. From the other side of Forina, Maxie sent a communication.
[The device has been repaired enough to activate! This is the bare minimum operating mode!]
[As we discussed before, reverse the Primordial Remains and place Jirachi in the core of the device. But its current condition should not be good. If we force the device to activate, it definitely won't receive the Millennium Comet's energy. Instead, that energy will be seized.]
[So I imagine you must be searching for spacesuits. In order for the Star Child to hear the voice, it must go into even more distant space.]
[They are a little rushed, but before coming here, we prepared more spacesuits. Of course, these are all contingency products. In terms of maximum protection, they are somewhat inferior to the first three suits.]
[This plan was originally made so more people could go into space and assist. Unlike Archie, I make extra preparations.]
[But if a spacesuit is damaged, the result in outer space will be extremely dangerous!]
[After obtaining the Millennium Comet's energy, return immediately!]
[Of course, these spacesuits also have communication devices! Don't worry about contact!]
Maxie's Crobat, along with a large number of Golbat, brought over the temporarily modified spacesuits. Under this fierce sunlight, it was truly a terrible ordeal for those bats.
"We're going to use these clothes to go into space?!"
Ash was startled. Team Rocket often made all sorts of ridiculous machines for ascending into space, but most of them ended up exploding and failing.
The truly outrageous event where they used "part-time job funds" to build a rocket capable of reaching space in two days would have to wait until the Diamond and Pearl series.
Work for two days in Twinleaf Town and you can build a rocket. If you worked for a whole year, what would happen?
How much did Twinleaf Town even pay per day?
And really, in that episode, they actually ran into Rayquaza intercepting them!
There was even James's Commander Ikari face, along with Brock's famous line when the rocket crashed: "We're definitely done for!"
May turned to look at Ash. "This could really cost us our lives, Ash. You came to Hoenn to travel, right? Helping this far is enough. Leave the rest to me."
Ash said, "That's not right! This is exactly when things are dangerous. Jirachi is my friend too, so let me come with you! I'm a little scared, but it's okay!"
When it came to helping Pokémon and friends, the super true-newbie had always thrown his life away without hesitation.
However, Hikaru's expression turned a little subtle.
Wait a minute. Wasn't this conversation supposed to be from the Manaphy movie, with Ash saying it to May? Why had it flipped around now?
Well, after the senior and junior roles switched, even the way events developed became rather interesting.
"The lullaby and the voice of the stars are both indispensable. And Celesteela is big, so bringing one extra person won't be a problem."
"Once we put on the suits, we'll set out. Also, May, you wear the third spacesuit. Ash and I will wear the others."
May said, "H-How can I..."
Hikaru said, "Of course. After all, you don't have psychic powers."
Suddenly, everyone lifted their heads and looked up at the sky. Even the mindless land demon made the same motion.
High above Hoenn, at some unknown, unreachable altitude, in the place that led straight into space...
An incomparable light erupted. Like the explosion of a supernova, a second sun seemed to appear in the sky.
A light in the silent long night.
A vast wind illuminating the world.
Endless dust sweeping through the universe.
The super-massive meteorite had been destroyed.
But that was only the beginning.
"The stars... The voices of the stars are calling me..." Jirachi weakly opened its eyes. Because it was daytime, the true eye on its belly had already closed. Its strength had been drained dry, yet it could still hear the echo of the Millennium Comet.
The comet's energy had been usurped, and its orbit had also been changed.
"The sun is covering the stars."
"But..."
"The stars are coming here."
Hikaru looked behind him. Before the terrified eyes of the boys and girls, the ghostly Daughter of the Meteor appeared.
"Of course, there are four of us, not three. There is someone here who doesn't need a spacesuit."
Even though her body had already died, her soul remained eternal.
Hikaru said, "Miss Higan, are you ready?"
"Although it's a little late, the sunlight is still intense. Even stronger than dawn!"
"We are setting out. You're ready to meet Zinnia too, aren't you?"
Shigana quietly gazed at Hikaru, then made a gesture of prayer.
"Yes. Please let my will..."
"Go with you, straight to the high heavens."
"What... what is that?!"
The Flying-type experts currently competing all saw the silent light appear in the sky. Though the sky was brilliantly bright, they dealt with the "high heavens" all the time. Naturally, they knew that this silent light had blossomed in outer space, far beyond the sky and atmosphere. That was no longer a place ordinary Pokémon could go.
"Hey, hey, a Pokémon appearing in the atmosphere..."
"The organizers said earlier that we might run into Rayquaza. Could it be...?"
All sorts of voices rose. Some were talking among themselves, while others ignored everything and continued competing fiercely in midair, battling each other as they went.
In a competition, losing focus was the greatest danger.
"Don't worry about what that is! The organizers didn't explain it. In any case, what they mentioned was wishes, right?"
"Take the ring and head to the Sky Pillar! Ah, wishes are just beautiful hopes. They can't actually come true."
"The seventh night? But today is only the sixth day."
The Trainers with fast flying speed and powerful Pokémon had already broken past Pacifidlog Town. Especially for Skyla, a pilot, this was the first time she had ever soared so freely at such high altitude.
The Pokémon Skyla was riding was not her ace and partner Swanna, but the Skarmory she rarely used.
There were quite a few experts who used Skarmory. Of course, the reason they were so widely used was because Skarmory possessed outstanding endurance, flight ability, and powerful carrying capacity.
Unova's Braviary, Mandibuzz, and Swanna were all unsuited for carrying people through high-altitude flight. There was a risk of crashing. As a pilot, Skyla understood that better than anyone.
And the one biting close behind her was naturally Kahili.
Interestingly enough, Kahili was also using a Skarmory.
"Swords Dance!"
"Steel Wing!"
Kahili ordered her Skarmory to attack Skyla. Her goal was not to deal damage, but to make Skyla lose balance and snatch the ring.
However, Skyla merely ordered "Iron Defense" and did not fight back.
Steel Wing was not very effective.
In the next instant, Skyla's Skarmory suddenly accelerated dramatically.
Skyla said, "Its whole body is covered in armor as hard as iron. It can fly through the sky at a speed of three hundred kilometers per hour. But most Skarmory can't reach that level. Do you know why?"
Kahili said, "...Agility! Use Fury Attack!"
"Why can't I catch up? After every attack, its speed gets faster. It's like it's accelerating!"
Behind her goggles, Skyla revealed a smug smile. "That's because my Skarmory's Ability is Weak Armor!"
"When hit by a physical move, its Defense drops by one stage, and its Speed rises by two stages. Each hit of a physical multi-strike move triggers this Ability!"
This was Skarmory's Hidden Ability.
Kahili's Skarmory, meanwhile, had the Ability Sturdy.
In other regions, Pokémon with rare Abilities were not that easy to encounter. Even when it came to a large bird Pokémon like Skarmory, which was often used as transportation, many mysteries remained unsolved for quite a few Flying-type experts.
"Damn it... Its movement speed has shot up to the maximum. And her Skarmory is faster than mine. Its base flying speed too. Why...?"
"It's... it's Tailwind!"
It created a Tailwind on the user's side of the field, doubling the Speed of all Pokémon on that side.
"Oh, you noticed?" Skyla waved at the lagging Kahili. "Then bye-bye!"
Although she had overtaken Kahili, Skyla was still thinking about her earlier communication with Hikaru. After what had happened in the sky, she subconsciously looked toward the western sky.
"The weather is so sunny right now, and there's a strong wind over the sea. It's a good time to take off. But how could there be stars? And the sun setting..."
"Air Cutter!"
Kahili's Skarmory whipped up blades of wind from behind, striking Skyla's Skarmory and making it flinch.
"You're spacing out! What's so interesting in the western sky? Is the Island King going to come from over there or something?"
Kahili was several years younger than Skyla, but because they were competing, both her tone and expression were very serious. She had originally intended to say something like "getting distracted during a competition is wrong," but when she looked toward the western sky...
Kahili froze too.
At this point, the two of them had already entered the high sky near Sootopolis City.
And in the western sky, a sinking sun had truly appeared. Fierce flames and crimson light formed a halo, but the sun was rapidly approaching.
"Ah! What is that this time?!"
But when they looked closely, they realized it was not a real sun. It was merely something like a meteorite, or a shooting star, rising backward from the earth and flying at high speed.
Yes. That was a "meteor."
"The star... the star has risen!"
Skyla stared blankly in the direction the "fire meteor" was flying. Its appearance was so sudden, but when she thought back to Hikaru's earlier conversation with her...
She would definitely see him at the final moment of the competition.
His final goal was not the Sky Pillar, but the sea of stars even higher above.
"Hey, hey! It's Hikaru!"
"What? That's the Island King?" Facing the sea breeze, Kahili narrowed her eyes and stared at the shining meteor. The girl's mind went completely blank. She wanted to say something, but found that she could not even make a sound.
How had the Island King who guarded the sea become a star in the sky?
Kahili said, "This isn't something a normal Pokémon can do, right?! Is he riding a rocket?!"
"A rocket... Wait. The Star Ark?! Alola's Star Ark legend?! How is this possible?"
"W-Wait! He's flying toward the Sky Pillar. That's the right direction, isn't it? The coordinates the organizers gave us. The champion. The champion is going to be stolen by him!"
"Huh? I don't think he's snatching a ring, but he really did enter the competition. And I think I know what that is. It really should be a rocket." Skyla spread her hands. Watching that bright meteor fade into the distance, she remembered what had happened in the Nature Preserve, then patted her cheeks.
"So it was Celesteela."
"Then he's already flying at a completely different altitude from me."
"But in that case, the champion is still me! No, it'll depend on which of us reaches the Sky Pillar first!"
"Come to think of it, wishing is also a very important part of the process. What exactly is going to happen in this sky?"
Expectation appeared in Skyla's heart.
"Miss Kahili, if you had a wish, what would you wish for? If it were me, then flying endlessly with Pokémon would be the happiest moment I can imagine. Free like the open sky, flying wherever I want!"
Kahili said, "A wish... No. I discipline myself strictly every day. I want to become the island challenge champion, defeat the Island King, and compete for supremacy in the world! Then, for Alola, I'll bring in a true new wind! I'll reach the summit of Alola!"
The girls rode their Skarmory and rushed toward the Sky Pillar at high speed. It seemed they had made up their minds about their wishes, even if those wishes were only beautiful hopes.
But those wishes would eventually reach the high heavens.
Only one Flying-type Trainer was an exception.
Larry was riding a Staraptor. For Staraptor, Larry's "middle-aged adult" body was still a little too large, so he basically had not done much work.
A wish, huh? He hoped he could eat more delicious food, get less overtime, and ideally clock out on time.
He really wanted to leave this region...
At the top of the Sky Pillar.
Zinnia stared blankly at the enormous burst of light. Her heart trembled, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest.
The Dragon God. The Dragon God had shattered the super-massive meteorite, but she had an intuition.
"The Dragon God is trapped in a hard battle... But everyone's wishes have already gathered."
"The flames on the dragon-summoning altar are burning so brightly. You can feel it too, can't you, Rayquaza?"
Zinnia's Key Stone was worn on her Mega Anklet, so when she fought, she always half-crouched. And now, she was ready.
To die in the silent long night.
And become the wind that illuminated the world.
[Zinnia, I am here.]
"...!"
Zinnia heard an impossible voice and abruptly turned around.
A starship was cutting through the sky, approaching the top of the Sky Pillar. Its momentum as it pierced the zenith, and its sacred posture, made it look like a green comet rising in reverse.
Emerald green, glittering like a brilliant emerald.
"Higan... Higan?! Sister!"
There was no mistake. The singing coming from the starship was her sister Higan's voice.
That was the Meteor Dirge.
This moment should have been utterly silent, yet tears streamed down Zinnia's face as she stared blankly at the fire meteor in the sky.
Then she looked at the spacesuit she had thrown aside. She walked over and stopped there for a long while.
"Everyone's wishes have gathered at the dragon-summoning altar of the Sky Pillar... Jirachi has also ascended into the sky. That starship must be the Pokémon carrying it!"
"I know it. This must be something done by the Draconids."
Zinnia said, "But this voice... Is it a hallucination, or has the moment of reunion truly arrived?"
"Even if you are not physically here, your consciousness is with me."
"This shore and the far shore overlap. At last, I too will be with another Rayquaza."
"Rayquaza, with me... gather everyone's wishes. A tiny life. That is me. Looking up at the sky, letting my voice fill everything. The song of Littleroot Town. Tiny little me..."
"Higan, after I grew up, I became you."
"Now, it looks like this still isn't the time to die. If you really are still speaking to me, then I must hear you sing one more song of the stars."
"You must be together with the stars in the sky, watching me alongside the Dragon God, never to be parted from me!"
When the people in the Sky Competition arrived near the Sky Pillar, a jade-green light rose from the dragon-summoning altar.
On Zinnia's arm appeared the double-ringed pattern from Mega Rayquaza's tendrils.
And that was the ancient crest of Rayquaza, representing "infinity."
Over the southeastern waters of Hoenn, a large ship suddenly cut through the waves and appeared in Mossdeep City.
A distant voice echoed out. After a brief stop, it transformed into a pitch-black streak of light and raced toward space. Even the high-altitude energy of the entire world seemed to be drawn along with it.
The third one. A pitch-black light.
It, too, was wrapped in the wind that illuminated the world. This unknown existence let out a fierce roar and charged toward space.
After exhausting all means to break into the ruins of the Dragon God's kingdom, climbing to the highest level of the Infinite Tower, crossing countless mechanisms and dangers, even going so far as to fight itself, all of that had been for the sake of battling something in the universe?
Hmph. But judging from appearances, it did seem worth fighting.
Still, breaking into the Infinite Tower had truly been reckless. That tower was not only its own ruin. It was also a ruin of Arceus.
Therefore, that tower was extraordinary.
It had slept for five hundred years. It could have continued sleeping, but it had been awakened instead. It was slightly angry.
The boy riding on the head of the pitch-black Rayquaza wore a spacesuit. Beneath it, his expression was extremely resolute and tense, as well as deeply exhausted.
Even Brendan, as the new Champion, could not withstand such continuous mental strain. He had been trapped in the Dragon God's kingdom for many days before finally finding the way out. Mr. Drake had been the same.
Space was a silent long night. All life seemed incomparably small there.
Only Rayquaza could fight it.
"In the past... five hundred years ago, you seem to have pacified a chaotic age."
"I'm counting on you, pitch-black Rayquaza!"
This was also the first "black Rayquaza" in all the works.
Outer space.
Within the shattered super-massive meteorite, Mega Rayquaza, covered in wounds, stared at the alien before it.
Deoxys, the super-massive meteorite, had an enormous glow swirling in its eyes. That glow caused a strange aura to appear around its body, a vast aura that seemed able to transcend space-time itself.
And along with that, its body was also constantly swelling and growing larger.
All stats plus two, plus three, plus four...
Rayquaza had never seen that kind of aura before.
No, perhaps it had seen it before?
Faintly, in some ancient region?
And in fact, "auras" existed in several regions.
And that intense light might attract something...
Deoxys, the super-massive meteorite, said:
[Delta Stream removed Flying type's weaknesses. But the weaknesses of Dragon remain, don't they? Your Dragon Ascent after Mega Evolution is practically nothing against my Defense Forme and barrier!]
[Look at my abilities!]
[Ice Beam can let me completely crush the power of dragons!]
[Solar Beam can fire instantly in this dazzling sunlight!]
[Hidden Power: Dragon! This is the ability granted by high-energy cosmic rays. Isn't it very similar to so-called Mega Evolution? This unique type! I am a dragon too!]
[Recycle. Even shattered meteorites can keep regenerating.]
[Even Nature Power, which our species normally cannot learn, has been mastered by me. After obtaining the Millennium Comet's power, I understood this move. It is the natural energy of the universe. If it is used here, then it becomes Draco Meteor!]
Among event-distributed Deoxys from past generations, some aliens did indeed possess illegal moves.
Detect. Meteor Mash. They even had things like that.
[In fact, I can even do this! Can anyone else?]
[As for why I obtained this move, I imagine it probably has something to do with the climate and land of this place called Hoenn.]
[Mimic!]
Deoxys assumed a charging posture.
Mega Rayquaza's pupils abruptly contracted.
A violent green light struck Rayquaza with a thunderous impact, smashing it deep into a fragment of the super-massive meteorite. After piercing through the rock plate, it drove Mega Rayquaza toward the depths of the universe in one unstoppable burst of unmatched power.
Toward the direction of the Silver Comet.
[Perish and pass away. Watch the sun and moon rise and fall sixteen times, then be destroyed beneath the setting sun in the energy of the Silver Comet!]
Mimic could turn the last move used by the opponent into the user's own move during the battle. Unlike Copycat, this move was copied within the current battle, and that move would continue to belong to the user.
[And then...]
It looked toward the earth below.
[The power of the Star Child. The wishes made through it. All of them are mine.]
[Three lights have risen into space. They are very fast!]
[But no matter how many come, the ending will be the same!]
Deoxys turned around and used the move against the second emerald-green Mega Rayquaza charging up from the earth.
[Dragon Ascent!]
(End of Chapter)
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