A heavy splash echoed as the Galactic Bomb plunged into the lightless depths of Lake Verity.
Designed to detonate under extreme pressure, the bomb reached its trigger depth within seconds.
BOOM!
A titanic pillar of water erupted toward the clouds. In an instant, the waters of Lake Verity were practically vaporized, leaving behind a hollow basin containing only a shallow, muddy film. Thousands of Water-type Pokémon lay gasping and struggling on the exposed lakebed. The displaced water ascended into the atmosphere, cooling rapidly and descending back to earth as a sudden, violent torrential downpour.
Through the mist, Saturn spotted a small, pinkish entity floating in the center of the crater. It was the Being of Emotion—Mesprit.
The small, gray, fairy-like Pokémon drifted weakly. It possessed two tails tipped with red gems and four long, drooping appendages. Its face was a soft magenta, with a third ruby-like gem embedded in its forehead. Though Mesprit had the power to project its spirit away from its body, the concussive force of the Galactic Bomb had rendered its physical vessel immobile.
"Found you at last," Saturn muttered. He deployed three high-tech rings from the ship's keel. The rings converged on Mesprit, generating a transparent containment field that hauled the legendary sprite back into the cargo bay.
Saturn checked the status monitor. "Lord Cyrus, Mesprit has been secured."
Simultaneously, the voices of Mars and Jupiter crackled over the comms. Uxie (the Being of Knowledge) and Azelf (the Being of Willpower) had also been successfully captured at Lake Acuity and Lake Valor.
Aboard the Team Galactic headquarters, Cyrus watched the feed, a cold, triumphant smirk touching his lips. His lifelong dream of a "New World" was now within arm's reach.
"Brandon has provided the ritual to summon the Lords of Time and Space," Cyrus noted. "The Three Guardians are in our grasp. Charon, the rest is up to you. You must forge the Red Chain to bind Dialga and Palkia. When that is done, not just Sinnoh, but the very fabric of existence will be mine to rewrite."
Just then, Saiki (a double-agent within the Guild) handed Cyrus a battle report from Celestic Town. Cyrus skimmed it, his expression darkening.
"That old man at the Temple... he hid his hand well," Cyrus hissed. "He had Regigigas all along. Had I known, I wouldn't have wasted resources on the Galactic Bombs. Regigigas was born alongside the Creator; its claws could have shredded the spatial boundaries of the Lake Guardians in a heartbeat."
The thought that the Pope had withheld such a valuable asset while Cyrus worked as his "subordinate" made his blood boil. After a moment, he regained his composure and turned to Saiki.
"Your work within Team Rocket has been exemplary. Giovanni's 'Rainbow Rocket' project is ambitious—he wants to conquer other regions' underworlds—but he's overreaching. He doesn't realize he's building a house on sand."
"As for this Feng Che from Kanto... he is becoming a nuisance. An Elite-level trainer who moves in the shadows." Cyrus's eyes glinted with calculation. "My reports say the Pope has acquired a Jirachi. With the power of the Millennium Comet, he truly might awaken the Creator. I'm going to the Great Temple to 'congratulate' him personally. Secure the base while I'm gone."
The Pope's Despair
In the Great Temple, the Pope clutched the Green Earth Orb, feeling the stolen vitality coursing through his veins. He gestured, and the Ground, Sea, and Electric Orbs descended from their pedestals to hover around him.
The four treasures hummed with a resonance, but because the Dragon Orb was missing, they couldn't fuse into a single, cohesive entity.
"Lord Pope... I have news," a messenger panted, kneeling before the throne. He was drenched in sweat and trembling.
"Give me the bad news first," the Pope said dismissively, his eyes still fixed on the orbs.
"The Crusade has failed. Our forces and the League's units were routed at Celestic Town. Brandon was greivously injured and has been taken prisoner by the Celestic Clan. Furthermore... Regigigas is gone. Its signature has vanished from the planet's surface."
The Pope's eyes flew open, his face turning a mottled red. He stood up, the vitality from the orbs flaring in his anger. "Brandon! I gave him the King of Giants! With Regigigas and the Three Pillars, he should have easily shielded our retreat! How could that fool lose the God of the Mountains?!"
The messenger buried his face in the carpet. The total defeat at the front lines meant the Dragon Orb was now out of reach for good. The Pope slumped back into his throne, the air seemingly leaving his lungs. For a long moment, the Great Temple was silent.