Rustboro City.
Inside a café, warm yellow pendant lights cast soft halos on the dark wooden tables.
Accompanied by the clinking of customers gently stirring their silver spoons, the aroma of coffee mixed with a hint of cinnamon permeated the air.
"Mr. Hakuya... Mr. Hakuya?"
Roxanne leaned against the soft leather seat, her fingertips gently rubbing the rim of her ceramic cup, her brows furrowed. After calling his name several times with no response, she finally raised her hand and waved it gently in front of him.
Sitting opposite her, the black-haired young man—handsome enough to be a movie star—was staring down at his coffee cup with lowered eyes. His silver spoon stirred aimlessly in circles, while a layer of cold milk film had already formed on the surface of the coffee.
Finally, after Roxanne had called him several times, the young man seemed to wake from a dream and snapped back to reality.
"Ah... sorry. I've been having some insomnia the past few days, so I might have been zoning out a bit just now."
"Insomnia?" Hearing this, the concern on Roxanne's face deepened. "Mr. Hakuya, if you're not feeling well, should we postpone today's ruin exploration?"
"No, that won't be necessary. Taking a few sips of coffee has already perked me up quite a bit." Hakuya took a small sip from his cup, then waved his hand and smiled.
Although he called it "insomnia," the truth was that he hadn't slept much at all over the past two days. He had spent almost all his time diving in the randomized world.
—For some unknown reason, the "anti-addiction" time limit in the randomized world had suddenly vanished over the past two days. This allowed Hakuya, whose goal was to elbow that Wonder Guard Regigigas and specially train Floragato, to choose to stay in the randomized world for much longer.
Although the training of Floragato's [Low Kick] still had a long way to go, their frantic grinding in the tall grass and battling wild encounters wasn't entirely fruitless. Alcremie had learned [Acid Armor], and Latias had learned [Psybeam] and [Shadow Ball].
The results were quite satisfactory, but constantly battling a horde of overpowered monsters inevitably consumed a massive amount of mental and physical stamina.
"I really shouldn't immerse myself in the randomized world for too long next time." Hakuya shook his head secretly, then suddenly remembered something and asked with confusion, "By the way, is Steven not here yet?"
Just this morning, having pulled an all-nighter cultivating his 'immortality', he received an invitation to gather from Roxanne.
The meeting place was this café in Rustboro City, and they agreed to set off precisely at 10:00 AM. Yet, he had been sitting here long enough to order two consecutive lattes, and Steven—the initiator of this ruin exploration—was still nowhere to be seen.
"He might be a bit late."
Seemingly recalling something, Roxanne smiled helplessly.
"Based on the message he sent half an hour ago, he likely ran into some troublesome matters at his family's company. I highly doubt he'll be able to make it here anytime soon... Mr. Hakuya, would you like to try the specialty coffee here with me? I heard they add a bit of Magikarp whisker powder; the refreshing effect is supposedly excellent~"
As she finished speaking, she pointed to a drink on the menu with a face full of anticipation.
"Sure, I'll have that, please."
Hakuya nodded, agreeing to the proposal.
The headquarters of the Devon Corporation just so happened to be located right here in Rustboro City. As the eldest son of the Devon Corporation, Steven had no excuse not to visit it while he was in town. It was perfectly reasonable that he was forced to stay behind to handle some business.
However, the mention of the Devon Corporation naturally reminded Hakuya of the bounty poster he had seen at the Pokémon Center earlier.
Although he wasn't sure how far Team Aqua and Team Magma had progressed, having formed an alliance with Team Rocket, their progress in awakening Kyogre and Groudon was likely moving much faster than the original plot. He wondered how many moves Floragato and the others, at their current strength, could exchange with these two real-world legendary beasts.
"Sorry, sorry! I had to deal with some rather troublesome matters. I'm late."
Just as Hakuya was holding the specialty coffee he received from the waiter and chatting happily with Roxanne about fossils and Fossil Pokémon, a silver-haired young man wearing miner's clothes hurried over, his face full of apology.
"No, Steven, your timing is absolutely perfect." Seeing this, Hakuya downed the rest of his coffee in one gulp and teased him. "Ms. Roxanne and I just finished. We'll be counting on you to foot the bill."
"Ah?"
Hearing this, the Hoenn Champion blanked for a second. Then, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, heartily patting his chest.
"Of course! After making you two wait here for so long, let alone paying for this meal, paying for ten meals wouldn't be a problem!"
"Alright, I've got that recorded. Next time Ms. Roxanne and I go out to eat, I'll be sure to call you." Hakuya naturally seized the opportunity, speaking with utmost seriousness.
Fleecing your rich friends... that's a necessary part of life that must be experienced!
"Hahaha~"
Looking at Steven, who was forced to owe them nine meals because he spoke too casually, Roxanne covered her lips and let out a crisp, bell-like laugh. Even though the number sounded high, for the heir of the Devon Corporation, it was nothing more than pocket change.
"According to my intelligence, the location of the ruin is roughly in the wilderness about eighty kilometers outside of Rustboro City." After paying the bill and walking out of the café, Steven began to discuss the specific details of their upcoming ruin exploration. "The paths along the way are a complex maze, and there might not even be a walkable road at all. Therefore, it would be best for us to ride flying Pokémon there."
As he spoke, he was the first to toss out a Luxury Ball.
Accompanied by the flash of white light from the bursting Poké Ball, the flying mount Steven chose was, naturally, his well-known Skarmory.
Hakuya didn't have much of a choice. After all, in his current party, Latias was the only one who could fly.
As for Roxanne, she released a fierce-looking Aerodactyl from her Poké Ball. Hakuya curiously leaned in to take a closer look.
In the original games, Roxanne didn't have any Flying-type Pokémon on her team.
Judging by the aura radiating from it, this Aerodactyl was likely captured recently, its strength barely reaching the level of Roxanne's secondary team.
"Alright, Hakuya, Gym Leader Roxanne. Just follow closely behind me later. I'll take charge of leading the way." Affectionately patting his old partner Skarmory's head, Steven turned around and said.
According to regulations enacted by the League in recent years, anyone riding a flying Pokémon at low altitudes over towns or cities must first report to the local Officer Jenny's police station. Otherwise, if caught, they would face a fine ranging up to tens of thousands of League Dollars.
However, this regulation had absolutely zero binding effect on the three of them.
After all, the people traveling with Hakuya right now included the Rustboro City Gym Leader and the Hoenn Champion. Their status clearly surpassed the level of ordinary Trainers who needed to file advance reports.
And indeed, it proved true.
A patrolling Officer Jenny riding her police motorcycle saw Trainers preparing to ride Flying-type Pokémon in the city limits. Following protocol, she aggressively marched over with her Growlithe to issue a ticket.
But upon clearly seeing the faces of Hakuya's group, Officer Jenny paused. Then, as if making a firm resolution, she turned around, got back on her motorcycle, and sped off, leaving only a dashing silhouette disappearing down the street.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Is this the power of authority?" Witnessing this scene, Hakuya couldn't help but sigh in awe.
Roxanne's fair cheeks flushed slightly red.
Meanwhile, Steven, who was abusing his Champion status to 'commit crimes', enthusiastically threw an arm over Hakuya's shoulder.
"As Champion, while taking on the responsibility of protecting the League region and managing local affairs, one naturally enjoys certain privileges. If you are ever interested, Hakuya, the doors of the Hoenn League will always be open to you."
Then, this thinly veiled recruitment pitch was ruthlessly rejected.
"I don't have any thoughts like that for the time being. I haven't even collected all the Gym Badges yet. Things like League Champion are clearly far too distant for me." Faced with Steven's enthusiasm, Hakuya smoothly took several steps back, putting on the humble facade of 'I'm just a rookie'. "Compared to those powerful Trainers, I still have a lot to learn on the path of being a Pokémon Trainer."
"..."
Hearing this incredibly humblebrag-esque statement spoken with absolute sincerity, the corners of Steven's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
You can already completely crush the Hoenn Champion, yet you STILL need to learn?! Is your next goal to go elbow Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza—those legendary gods possessing power far beyond ordinary Pokémon?!
Because the ruin was only about eighty kilometers away from Rustboro City, with their Pokémon flying at top speed, the travel time was surprisingly short. Before long, a lush, verdant wilderness forest came into view.
However, after landing and searching the surrounding area, the group couldn't find any trace of the so-called ruins.
"Is the ruin mentioned in the ancient texts really here?"
Stepping on the thick layer of fallen leaves, Roxanne looked at the dense, towering ancient trees surrounding them with confusion.
A ruin capable of hiding the legendary Giant Rock symbolizing the origins of Mega Evolution didn't look like it belonged in a place like this.
"La-woo~"
Previously invisible in mid-air, Latias suddenly semi-materialized and gently tugged on her Trainer's hair with her mouth.
She seemed to have sensed something.
"Hmm... You're saying there's a very distinct fluctuation of Psychic energy here?"
Receiving the psychic telegram by his ear, Hakuya nodded thoughtfully and looked toward the clearing in the forest straight ahead.
—Although the trees and bushes there were noticeably sparser than the surroundings, if one only relied on their naked eyes, they would absolutely never spot the existence of a ruin there.
Unless...
"I'm guessing the ruin is highly likely shielded by psychic power."
Steven, possessing years of experience excavating rocks and ruins, rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and took over the conversation.
According to his exclusive intelligence, the ancient ruin housing the legendary Giant Rock was definitely located here. Therefore, they could temporarily rule out the possibility of being in the wrong place. More importantly, not only Hakuya's Latias, but his Metagross had also sensed that something was amiss.
"Me-ta—"
Possessing the Psychic typing, the Shiny Metagross waved its massive, silver steel fist, pointing straight ahead. Its instincts told it that the area seemed to emit an energy fluctuation it was highly familiar with.
"Shall we try attacking it with Psychic-type moves?"
Hakuya and Steven exchanged a glance, both having the exact same idea pop into their heads simultaneously.
"Latias, use Psychic." "Metagross, you use Psychic as well."
"La-woo~" "Me-ta~"
Hearing their Trainers' commands, both Latias and Metagross's eyes glowed purple.
Under the terrifying power of the dual Psychic attack, visible ripples appeared in the air.
Subsequently, as if some sort of camouflage restriction had finally been shattered, two stone pillars covered in intricate patterns appeared out of thin air on the supposedly empty ground. The pillars stood facing each other, looking exactly like some sort of special doorway.
"This is..."
Roxanne couldn't help but widen her eyes.
This is the 'door'?
According to the ancient texts, to enter the ruins, one must first possess the key to open this stone pillar door.
And the key to unlocking it was a Key Stone possessing Mega Evolution energy.
Hakuya and Steven stood on opposite sides, each pressing the Key Stones in their hands against the circular depressions on the stone pillars.
The moment the Key Stones made contact with the pillars, a dazzling, multi-colored light extended from the bottom all the way up, gradually filling all the patterns carved into the stone pillars. Immediately after, the light dissipated, and translucent steps materialized out of thin air.
"That must be the entrance to the ruin!"
Looking at the translucent staircase leading upward and finally ending at an entrance discovered high up on the cave wall, Steven's eyes shone brightly.
Then, full of excitement and gratitude, he slapped Hakuya heavily on the shoulder.
"Fantastic! If it wasn't for your help, Hakuya, even if I eventually found and discovered this stone pillar door, I probably would have just kept trying to dig a hole straight down right there!" Feeling the heavy impact on his shoulder, Hakuya couldn't help but smile helplessly.
Whenever rocks and ruins were brought up, this Hoenn Champion entered a state of complete fanaticism.
However, to be fair, a normal Trainer would absolutely never guess that while the 'door' to the ruin was in a forest clearing, the actual ruin required climbing this translucent staircase and walking forward for nearly a few kilometers before finding it hidden within a mysterious cave high above.
Falling behind Steven, Hakuya looked at the long, narrow rocky corridor at the entrance, and finally followed Roxanne inside.
Walking deep into the rocky corridor, Steven didn't stop his exclamations of awe from beginning to end.
Using Metagross's [Flash] to illuminate the path, he even curiously pulled out a delicate little hammer he carried with him, tapping and knocking against the ruin walls engraved with bizarre patterns, hoping to find some never-before-seen rocks.
And it didn't take long before he actually knocked something loose.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! There are actually murals of the super-ancient Pokémon preserved here!"
Standing before a massive rocky mural near the entrance, Steven, dressed in his miner's gear, completely lost the elegant demeanor of a Champion. He reached out to stroke the mural—which had remained undamaged for thousands of years—his face flushed with excitement.
At this moment, it wasn't just Steven; even Roxanne, whose personality was usually as steady and calm as a rock, couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes.
The sheer awe of ancient art and legends was fully displayed in this moment.
The rocky mural, spanning over ten meters long, was generally divided into three sections by the carver.
On the left side, Kyogre flapped its pectoral fins, summoning monstrous, towering waves capable of blotting out half the sky.
On the right side, Groudon stood with a blazing sun hanging high above its head, capable of scorching everything beneath its feet to ash.
And circling in the sky, positioned perfectly between these two diametrically opposed super-ancient Pokémon, was Rayquaza, roaring towards the heavens as it gazed at a massive stone radiating brilliant light from its chest.
Kyogre created the oceans. Groudon created the lands. When the two clash over territory, Rayquaza, possessing the authority of suppression, descends from the heavens to save the Hoenn region from the brink of destruction.
For anyone who grew up in the Hoenn region, this was an incredibly familiar myth. The mighty power of Legendary Pokémon to reshape the world, and the overwhelming force of nature they symbolized, had always been revered by the people.
But for Hakuya... not being a Hoenn native, he felt absolutely no sense of the reverence he was supposed to have.
The appearance rate of the "Hoenn Weather Trio" in the randomized world was simply too high.
Right after transmigrating into the randomized world, he saw two Groudon acting as delivery men for the moving company.
Kyogre was the very first Pokémon he battled when he became a rookie Trainer. If the randomizer code hadn't given that guy the [Drought] ability, Floragato would likely have been one-shot by its [Origin Pulse] in her very first battle.
As for Rayquaza... even though his randomized progress had reached the Dewford Gym, Hakuya had to grit his teeth and admit that the [Contrary] + [Iron Head] Mega-green-caterpillar was absolutely one of the most demonic, hellish Pokémon they had ever encountered.
"Wait, this isn't its base form... it's Mega Evolved...?"
Noticing Rayquaza's protruding lower jaw and the golden-yellow tendrils swirling around its sides, Hakuya pondered secretly.
Just as the original lore established, this Legendary Giant Rock was not only considered the possible origin of Mega Evolution, but the powerful light-particle energy it emitted could also cause those three super-ancient Pokémon to undergo Primal Reversion.
"Mr. Hakuya, are you also longing to meet these three Legendary Pokémon?"
At this moment, turning her head and noticing Hakuya staring intently at the mural, Roxanne couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.
This was the first time she had ever seen Hakuya reveal an expression so full of anticipation and longing.
"No, rather than 'longing' for them... it's more accurate to say I want to battle them all." Hakuya shook his head, indicating he simply wanted the thrill of combat.
He had elbowed them so many times in the randomized world that he'd developed a bond with them. Now, just seeing a mural of these three guys made his hands itch to fight.
Not to mention, these were the Primal Reversion forms of the Hoenn Trio. His desire to battle them suddenly surged even stronger.
Hearing this, Roxanne couldn't help but cast a look of profound admiration toward Hakuya.
Is this the innate confidence of a truly strong individual?!
Faced with the super-ancient Pokémon from legends that possessed the mighty power to create oceans and lands, his very first thought wasn't reverence for their immense power, but rather a fierce determination of 'I could absolutely take them on in a fight.'
As expected of Mr. Hakuya—