... Everyone's heart seemed to stop at that moment.
Lionel looked up at the colossal, sky-covering figure in the sky, his chest surging with indescribable excitement.
This was the true ocean god, Kyogre! The five-meter-tall model in the anime and games of his previous life was simply a desecration of Kyogre.
The Kyogre before him was nearly a hundred meters long. With just a gentle flap of its fins, the clouds below receded like a receding tide, revealing a patch of sky shrouded in its oppressive power.
At this moment, the sky seemed to transform into an abyss, and Kyogre was the sole ruler of this abyss.
Even Wailord, whose enormous size already made it a behemoth, appeared as small as a child before Kyogre. This transdimensional majesty inspired awe in every creature.
Kyogre's golden, round eyes slowly swept across the area below, finally settling on Lizabeth and Wallace on the altar. It sensed the blue light emanating from the teardrop ornament on Wallace's chest, a light containing the purest reverence and call to the sea god.
Kyogre slowly flapped its fins, its massive body gliding through the air until it reached the top of the altar.
It lowered its head slightly, accepting the baptism of the blue beam of light. The beam flowed into its body like streams of water, making the water around it swirl even more joyfully.
Then, it nodded gently to Juan and Wallace on the platform, letting out a deep and majestic roar.
As the sound spread, a visible blue ripple emanated from its body, spreading from Sootopolis City towards the entire Hoenn region.
Where it passed, the previously raging torrential rain in Hoenn gradually subsided. The sudden downpours slowly transformed into a gentle drizzle, nourishing the parched earth like sweet rain.
The volcanic region of Mt. Chimney, the fields of Cainwood, the streets of Lavaridge…
All the areas covered by the rain felt this gentle power; the air was filled with a refreshing moisture, invigorating the senses.
Juan and Wallace led the people of Sootopolis City in kneeling on the altar, bowing deeply to Kyogre. They knew this was Kyogre's response to the festival, a blessing to the Hoenn land.
Just as Kyogre was about to turn and leave, its massive head suddenly paused slightly, its golden pupils turning towards the lake.
In its close proximity, it detected a scent that bothered it:
It was that annoying creature's scent, always opposing it because of its inferiority complex about not being able to fly. But why was its scent so weak? Was it injured?
Kyogre stopped, a hint of doubt flashing across its face.
It slowly turned its head, its massive form emerging from the dark clouds like a suspended mountain, gradually descending, its gaze carefully searching the crowd below.
Finally, its eyes locked onto a slightly distant area by the lake.
There, a human stood atop a dragon-shaped Pokémon, surrounded by several other Pokémon of various shapes and sizes.
The aura of that annoying creature emanated from one of the small, chubby red bugs.
Kyogre slowly approached, its enormous shadow enveloping the area where Lionel stood.
"Roar!"
The Tyrantrum immediately put Lionel and its companion down, shielding them behind it, letting out a wary growl.
Metagross and Milotic also stood side by side beside the Tyrantrum, protecting their trainer.
Larvesta was no longer the excited creature it had been during the live stream; it kept its head down, trembling, clinging tightly to Lionel's back, its small body shaking slightly with fear.
It could clearly feel the gaze of the colossal creature in the sky fixed on it, and it desperately suppressed the Groudon "Q" symbol mark within its body that was trying to surface.
Since joining its trainer, with the help of a high-level Pokémon's energy pack, the stone bearing the "Q" symbol, which had been beside it since birth, had been completely absorbed and integrated into its body.
It could no longer be removed like it had been with Mt. Chimney.
What to do? Was this giant going to eat it?
Larvesta, terrified, didn't dare to cry out, trembling and shrinking into a ball, too afraid to move.
"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you," Lionel gently reassured the volcano, while simultaneously raising his hand to stop the Metagross, Milotic, and Tyrantrum from resisting: "Don't be impulsive, wait."
Lionel understood the situation now. Larvesta had fused with a stone imbued with Groudon's aura, and Groudon and Kyogre have always been at odds, so their auras naturally resonated with each other.
Just then, the water vapor surrounding Lionel and his group suddenly began to stir. The raindrops that had been floating in the air instantly condensed into an invisible force.
Like a gentle stream of water, it enveloped Lionel and his Pokémon, Larvesta, slowly lifting them upwards towards Kyogre's massive head.
The feeling of being lifted by the water was strange; there was no panic of weightlessness, only a warm, enveloping sensation.
Lionel looked down at the city below. The originally massive buildings now appeared as small as building blocks, and the boats on the lake resembled floating leaves.
Under countless shocked, envious, and worried gazes, Lionel, lifted by the water vapor, gradually reached the same height as Kyogre's head.
At such close range, Lionel could feel Kyogre's imposing presence and majesty even more. Its golden eyes, like two enormous full moons, clearly reflected Lionel and his companions' tiny figures. Each breath it took caused the surrounding clouds to tremble.
Kyogre stared intently at Lionel, or more precisely, at the Larvesta behind him.
Its gaze was filled with doubt, as if it were pondering:
How could such a weak little creature possess Groudon's aura? And so faintly, and it doesn't even resemble it?
Just as Kyogre's curiosity grew, Lionel suddenly extended his right hand.
In his right palm, small green orbs appeared, one after another, gradually coalescing and merging.
Finally, they transformed into a green orb the size of a human head, radiating a gentle life force.
This was the result of Lionel fusing all twenty high-level Pokémon enengy orbs from his system space together.
Without hesitation, Lionel gently extended his right hand and placed it against Kyogre's enormous face.
Kyogre's pupils contracted slightly, but it didn't flinch. The moment the green orb touched its skin, it transformed into a warm current, merging into its body.
A comfortable expression instantly appeared on Kyogre's face, and it let out soft, satisfied groans.
***************************
Thoughts on where the plot is heading? Let me know in the comments! If you're enjoying the ride, please leave a quick review and toss a few Power Stones my way. Every bit of support means the world! 🙌