Between the clouds, terrifying shockwaves from the battle erupted again and again.
Sky-blue and emerald light constantly intertwined and collided.
The entire sky seemed to tremble.
It was easy to imagine just how terrifying the battle above truly was.
"Draga?"
(Should we go take a look?)
Dragapult flew over excitedly.
The last time Hoenn's three Legendary Pokémon had fought, it hadn't gotten nearly enough of the spectacle.
This was the perfect chance to watch another one.
Chen Shi rolled his eyes.
"Do you think this is the same as last time?"
"If we go up there, do you believe even a stray shockwave could kill us?"
Dragapult immediately backed away.
Chen Shi, however, was growing increasingly worried.
He had spoken with Rayquaza before.
According to Rayquaza, aside from a handful of beings that existed far beyond normal standards, it was practically one of the strongest Pokémon in the world.
Yet now, some unknown existence was actually fighting Rayquaza to this extent.
That was clearly abnormal.
Giratina, Calyrex, and Zygarde were all unlikely to come into conflict with Rayquaza.
Eternatus probably wouldn't either...
Unless...
The opponent wasn't a Pokémon from this planet?
Chen Shi suddenly remembered something.
If there was another Pokémon besides Groudon and Kyogre that might come into conflict with Rayquaza, then there was one obvious possibility.
The Mythical Pokémon—
Deoxys.
Deoxys did not originate from this planet.
It was a Pokémon from outer space.
And there wasn't only one of them.
If this particular Deoxys was one of the strongest of its kind...
Then perhaps it really could contend with Rayquaza.
While Chen Shi was thinking, Jirachi tilted its little head upward.
"I can see two really powerful beings fighting up there."
Chen Shi's eyes immediately lit up.
Right.
He had already found Jirachi.
He might not be able to see what was happening from the ground—
But that didn't mean Jirachi couldn't.
"Jirachi, can you tell me what the two Pokémon fighting up there look like?"
Jirachi blinked.
"One of them I know. It's Rayquaza."
"And the other one... Mmm~"
Jirachi frowned, clearly struggling to describe it.
"Let me think..."
"Its overall shape looks kind of like a human..."
After hesitating for a moment, Jirachi suddenly added,
"Oh! And just like Jirachi, it uses psychic power!"
"That settles it."
Chen Shi was now certain.
The Pokémon fighting Rayquaza was definitely Deoxys.
Most likely, Deoxys had tried to enter the planet and Rayquaza had refused to allow it.
When Chen Shi had chatted with little Rayquaza before, it had mentioned that one of the Rayquaza clan's primary responsibilities was preventing outside Pokémon from invading the planet.
So if Deoxys tried to enter...
Rayquaza would absolutely stop it.
"What a troublesome era."
Chen Shi sighed.
There was still no sign of Groudon or Kyogre.
Yet Rayquaza and Deoxys had already started fighting.
He took out Jirachi's specially prepared Pokéblocks and placed some in front of it.
"Could you do me a favor and tell me who currently has the advantage?"
Jirachi accepted the Pokéblocks, brought one close to its nose, and sniffed it.
"I don't know."
"But it looks like Rayquaza is going to lose."
"Rayquaza is going to lose?"
Chen Shi's eyes widened.
"How is that possible?"
It wasn't only him.
Dragapult, Metagross, and the others didn't believe it either.
They had personally witnessed Rayquaza completely overwhelm Groudon and Kyogre before.
With strength like that, how could it possibly lose to Deoxys?
"I don't know~"
Jirachi shook its little head and looked up again.
"That's just what it looks like."
"Rayquaza doesn't even dare get close to that Pokémon."
What?
Rayquaza didn't even dare approach Deoxys?
Was this some kind of joke?
Chen Shi stared blankly.
Had he somehow been sent to the wrong timeline?
Had Rayquaza really become this weak?
He would sooner believe he had arrived in an entirely different world than believe Rayquaza was too frightened to even approach Deoxys.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Shi crouched beside Jirachi, who was happily munching away on a Pokéblock.
"Jirachi, could you take me up there so I can see what's happening?"
The instant it heard that, Jirachi shook its head so hard it resembled a rattle drum.
"No!"
"It's really scary up there!"
"Jirachi doesn't dare go!"
Chen Shi's mouth twitched.
You were still a Mythical Pokémon, weren't you?
Did you really have to be this timid?
He was still trying to figure out how to convince Jirachi when—
Before he could put any plan into action...
An enormous flood of green light suddenly erupted across the world without warning.
It surged upward like a raging tide.
Every strand of light converged toward a single point in the sky.
"Disgusting thing."
"Get out!"
From where Chen Shi stood, he couldn't see exactly what had happened.
He only heard that single voice—
And immediately afterward, the intensity of the battle above rose to another level.
"Zygarde?"
Chen Shi stared blankly upward.
That definitely wasn't Zygarde's 10% Forme.
Nor its 50% Forme.
That was—
Zygarde Complete Forme.
Why would it help Rayquaza?
Zygarde couldn't simply assume its Complete Forme whenever it wished.
Both of its Core Cells had to reach the same conclusion before it could gather into its 100% state.
In other words...
When it came to helping Rayquaza fight Deoxys, both Zygarde Cores had agreed?
How was that possible?
Chen Shi was becoming more confused by the second.
First, Rayquaza was somehow losing to Deoxys.
Then Zygarde suddenly entered the battle.
The entire situation could be described with only one word—
Strange.
"Huh?"
"Another Rayquaza is coming~"
Jirachi suddenly pointed in one direction with a puzzled expression.
Chen Shi froze and immediately followed its finger.
All he managed to see was an emerald blur streaking across the sky.
Another Rayquaza?
What exactly was going on?
Logically speaking, Deoxys might indeed be incredibly powerful—
But one Rayquaza should already have been enough to deal with it.
First Zygarde had intervened.
And now another Rayquaza had arrived?
What had Deoxys done to deserve this kind of treatment?
"Ahem... Dragapult..."
Chen Shi turned toward Dragapult and coughed awkwardly.
"Are you scared of what's happening up there?"
"Why don't we go take a look?"
Dragapult very seriously...
Shook its head.
"Draga~"
(I wasn't scared before.)
(Now I'm terrified.)
Was Chen Shi joking?
Did he think the situation above was still just two Legendary Pokémon fighting?
There were four of them now!
Who in their right mind would go up there?
Chen Shi frowned and fell silent for two seconds.
Then his voice became serious.
"Dragapult, this time we really do need to investigate."
"I have a feeling something is very wrong."
"This may be connected to the reason we were sent to Hoenn in the first place."
No.
Absolutely not.
Not even if you beat me to death.
Dragapult shook its head frantically in refusal.
Chen Shi smiled faintly.
"..."
Two minutes later—
Dragapult wore a pair of completely dead eyes as it carried Chen Shi higher and higher into the sky.
My life as a Dragapult truly is like walking on thin ice...
...
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