Chapter 659: The Invincible Dragon Messenger

At the summit of the Sky Pillar.

Remaining in this environment where a faint ozone scent drifted, Xiang Xiang Jiana's restless heart found a rare tranquility.

After releasing Groudon and Kyogre, she did not linger near Mossdeep Island, nor did she secretly influence the unfolding events any further.

Xiang Xiang Jiana immediately mounted her Salamence, accelerating to reach the Sky Pillar, which was also located in the nearby seas.

As one of the Meteor People who had inherited the successor's duties from her elder sister, she knew the Sky Pillar quite well; she had climbed to its top layer alone many times before, praying devoutly for the descent of the "Sky-Sovereign Dragon" and "Lord Dragon God."

The Hoenn region had twice suffered crises originating from beyond the heavens.

Once was the meteor that fell two thousand years ago at Meteor Falls, and once was the meteor that fell one thousand years ago at Sootopolis City.

After a thousand years of peace, Xiang Xiang Jiana's people, the Meteor People, predicted based on murals that in the modern era, a thousand years later, a new meteor would fall upon the Hoenn region once again.

Furthermore, the meteor's sphere of influence would no longer be limited to a specific area; the entire Hoenn region would be affected by that prophesied giant meteoroid, plunging into a crisis of destruction.

Xiang Xiang Jiana was the "Successor," a role passed down through generations among the Meteor People to cope with this crisis, bearing the responsibility of preventing the meteor disaster.

Her mission was one, and only one.

To gain the approval of the "Sky-Sovereign Dragon" they had worshipped for ages, Lord Dragon God Rayquaza.

As long as she obtained its approval and enabled it to evolve into a further form, she would possess the power to shatter that massive meteor.

This condition seemed simple on the surface, but only Xiang Xiang Jiana herself knew just how difficult this seemingly simple requirement was for her.

—Because, in all the years since she became the Successor, she had not once seen Rayquaza.

No, to be precise, although she had attempted to summon Rayquaza using methods passed down through generations of the Meteor People, Rayquaza had never once responded to her call by descending to the summit of the Sky Pillar.

If she could not even meet it face to face, how could she speak of gaining its approval and jointly destroying the massive meteor that constantly threatened the safety of Hoenn and even the world?

This was also the reason why, upon seeing the news from Mossdeep City on her phone, Xiang Xiang Jiana felt as though her very Dao-heart was on the verge of shattering.

Setting aside the black Rayquaza worshipped by the Meteor People for now.

The Hoenn Rayquaza had actually been defeated by that person; even if this was only temporary and its strongest form had not yet appeared.

This reason alone was sufficient to drive Xiang Xiang Jiana to proceed with her own attempt.

After leaving the containment area, she first returned to the Sky Pillar, yet she did not see the Hoenn Rayquaza, which should have returned there to recuperate; helplessly, she could only begin the actions she had already prepared.

—By promoting the revival of the other two Ancient Pokémon, the disturbance in Hoenn's natural energy caused by their conflict would surely attract Rayquaza.

At that time, she would not only be able to meet it, but the "Sky-Sovereign Dragon's" reputation, stained by failing to stop the clash of the two Ancient Pokémon, would also be cleansed.

She knew that by doing this, a single misstep could cause many cities, humans, and Pokémon in the Hoenn region to perish due to natural disasters.

But compared to a future where a giant meteor smashed directly into the Hoenn region, destroying everything, this was far better; cleansing the stain of disgrace was merely a secondary benefit.

She had already resolved to use any means necessary to resolve this unprecedented crisis; everything was for the sake of meeting Rayquaza and gaining its approval.

In that way, a small sacrifice could be exchanged for lasting stability and peace.

"."

Clutching tightly in her hand the item known as the "Keystone," which was still in limited circulation worldwide, Xiang Xiang Jiana stood upon the altar at the Sky Pillar's summit, assuming a posture of devout prayer while murmuring indistinct prayers in a low voice.

Even if she were labeled a hypocrite or base, as long as she could summon Rayquaza, the crisis she had personally created would be resolved.

After experiencing peace once again, the Hoenn region would welcome an even more enduring tranquility.

As for the possibility that Rayquaza would not respond to her summons this time either, she had eliminated that from consideration from the very beginning.

The chaotic natural energy was sufficient to catch Rayquaza's attention; unless the two Ancient Pokémon ceased their mutual struggle, or someone managed to stop them beforehand, Rayquaza would definitely respond to her summons.

Just as Xiang Xiang Jiana prayed at the summit of the Sky Pillar.

Under the "control" of Archie and Maxie, the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre grew even more intense.

By rights, the intensity of their battle should have been enough to turn all of Mossdeep Island into debris floating on the sea.

Yet, under the influence of Groudon's power, not only did Mossdeep Island not sink, but it showed signs of expanding outward.

Refusing to yield, Kyogre continuously raised tsunamis stronger, higher, and larger in scale than the previous wave, while simultaneously expanding the range of its "domain."

Simply put, starting from the seas around Mossdeep Island, thick dark clouds and heavy rain expanded crazily as if without limit; in merely ten short minutes, they were already approaching Mossdeep City, the nearest city in that direction.

On the other side, the terrifying great sun above Groudon's head, which seemed capable of evaporating the entire ocean, completely dispersed the gloom behind it, casting rays of light so intense they caused exposed skin to feel a stinging pain.

It was no longer a case where whoever appeared later would overwrite the other's weather.

With Mossdeep Island as the boundary, Kyogre's "Heavy Rain" and Groudon's "Drought," as if possessing their own wills, collided with each other yet remained distinctly separated into two regions.

If this truly continued to expand without limit, it was only a matter of time before the entire Hoenn region fell into such extreme weather and the various natural disasters brought about by it.

Watching this scene, Lance's heart felt exceedingly heavy.

Perhaps Archie and Maxie themselves had not realized it, but ever since constructing that so-called connection of mind and will, as time passed, their condition appeared increasingly abnormal to Lance, the bystander.

Fearfully, this was the actual example Wallace had told him about: mortals attempting to control the Sea and Land Deities, who perhaps represented the will of nature itself, with mere human will, only to be influenced in return.

Furthermore, based on Lance's observations, both Ancient Pokémon seemed highly interested in the orbs that Maxie or Archie had previously held—those orbs that had now fused into their bodies, matching their respective colors.

Indeed, the struggle itself might even be due to the issue of ownership regarding the orbs.

They both wanted to keep the orb of a different color while maintaining a possessive desire for the orb of the same color, acting just like children who want both lollipops and ice cream.

Seeing the situation grow increasingly complex, Lance did not allow Ash and the other two to remain near the dangerous Mossdeep Island, having already instructed his Gyarados to transport them to a safe area nearby first.

And just moments ago, his Gyarados had returned to his side.

Hearing Hearing Nimo, Shinji, and Shizuka should have already contacted reinforcements on their end.

Although, judging by the current situation, Team Aqua and Team Magma long ago lost the leisure to activate any signal jamming.

Fortunately, Steven and Wallace lived very close to this location; thus, during the time it would take for the two of them, and even more supporters, to arrive, what he needed to do seemed clear.

Regardless of what specific functions the two orbs possessed beyond "controlling" the two Ancient Pokémon.

Lance's task was quite simple.

Stop their conflict, and even, as much as possible, neutralize the two Ancient Pokémon.

And, prevent either side from collecting all the orbs.

Instinct told Lance that if he wished to prevent matters from becoming even more complicated, he must pay close attention to this point.

"Phew! Although it's somewhat dangerous, there's no choice but to do it!"

Even though he was hailed as the "Invincible Dragon Envoy of the World," Watanabe, who was quite clear about his own strength, also understood just how dangerous the task he was about to undertake was.

As a member of the Elite Four and the Champion of both the Kanto and Johto regions, he could have clearly stood by and watched, after all, he had no responsibility to guard the Hoenn region.

But Watanabe still decided to intervene, simply because his sense of justice would not allow him to stand by with folded arms.

After all, right now, only he had the ability to stop Groudon and Kyogre.

At the same time, above the seas near Mossdeep City.

Hearing the response from the other end of the communication, where two male voices solemnly stated they would immediately depart and rush over.

Sitting atop the back of a Wailord, Hearing Hearing Nimo, Shinji, and Shizuka put down their communication devices in their hands and let out a sigh of relief.

Regardless of anything else, the task Mr. Watanabe had assigned them had been completed.

Next was—

The three exchanged a tacit glance, and Hearing Hearing Nimo dialed the phone number pinned to the top of her contact list, noted as "Teacher Luo Mu."

Very quickly, the call connected.

Before the person on the other end of the line could speak, the three of them talked over each other, spilling out the situation here.

On the other end of the line, Luo Mu asked only one question.

"You guys got involved too?"

"Y-yes."

Even though it was only over the phone, the authority belonging to their teacher made the three of them swallow hard, answering nervously.

After a brief yet strangely long silence, Luo Mu said, "Alright, since Watanabe is there, and Daigo and Mikuri will also be rushing over, I won't stop you from returning there."

"My teacher has only one request: pay attention to your own safety."

"—Also, I will be coming over very soon."

"Lord Shizuka?"

Above the surging, turbulent sea, Izumi, who had poked his head out of the exit on top of the submarine, ignored the heavy rain pouring down from above and stared blankly at Shizuka before him, who was riding a flying vehicle as if possessed.

At this moment, Shizuka no longer cared at all about the subordinates he had once Qi Zhong.

His eyes glowed with a terrifying red light; the ideal he once held, which was more concrete regarding what he would do after covering the planet with the ocean, had become blurred, transforming instead into a single, obsessive goal and belief.

"—Expand the ocean!"

Possessed—to be precise, already turned into a puppet of the vast will represented by Kyogre—Shizuka kept shouting these four words incessantly.

On the other side, under the incredulous gazes of Kagari and Homura, Akamatsu, just like Shizuka, was also shouting lines that were slightly different.

"—Expand the land!"

They no longer even cared whether their own subordinates would be caught in the crossfire, instead screaming wildly for Kyogre and Groudon to use wide-area attacks with vast coverage.

Just then, a male voice carrying a Solemn feeling rang out loudly.

"Dragonite, Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"

Watanabe, appearing from who knows which direction while riding a Dragonite, blocked recklessly in front of Groudon, with an erupting volcano as the backdrop.

And his red Gyarados surfaced in the surging, turbulent sea, overcoming its own primal fear to block in front of Kyogre.

Two turbulent water columns slammed into the two Super-Ancient Pokémon.

The intense impact force pushed the "wind-and-wave-raising" Kyogre back several meters, while Groudon's body tilted to one side.

Human-like dazed expressions floated across their faces, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe it as an instinctive reaction caused by pain.

Watanabe's arrival was undoubtedly a ray of dawn that tore through the despairing gloom shrouding them.

But his own expression was serious to the extreme.

How to put it.

The attacks from Dragonite and Gyarados were effective, yes, and they proved that the Super-Ancient Pokémon could be shaken.

—But that was merely shaking them.

One could tell just from the terrifying power of the moves Groudon and Kyogre had just exchanged in a mutual bombardment.

Their stamina could be described as endless; in a battle of attrition, only their side would be worn down.

Fortunately, all he needed to do was merely delay them.

Watanabe's gaze condensed, precisely noticing the simultaneous gazes cast by Kyogre and Groudon, as well as the starting movements of them releasing their moves.

He shouted without hesitation: "Dodge quickly!"

Under the influence of some strange power, even though the distance was extremely far, the Gyarados above the sea surface clearly heard Watanabe's command.

The Gyarados, holding one hundred percent trust in Watanabe, who owed it a debt of rebirth, dove underwater without a moment's hesitation.

As expected.

The very next instant, an overwhelming cyan-white beam swept across the spot where the Gyarados had just been.

The beam, carrying terrifying energy fluctuations, caused the sea surface to tremble wildly merely by passing over it.

—And at the beam's point of impact, that newly exposed land constructed from lava by Groudon, an earth-shattering energy explosion roared upwards.

The Gyarados, which had re-emerged from the sea, swallowed hard, its eyes full of relief at having survived a disaster.

That was close!

If I had been hit by that thing, I would really have to say goodbye to this world.

On the other side, Groudon also raised its head and roared; the volcano behind it erupted once again, and with a sky full of flowing fire as the backdrop, the ground began to tremble violently.

It took a step forward, looking at the Dragonite soaring before it, Groudon's crimson eyes filled with ferocity.

Below the airspace where Watanabe and Dragonite were located, the seawater began to boil wildly as if it had been brought to a boil.

The very next instant.

As the nearby seabed suddenly shook, scarlet blades emitting steam, resembling swords rushing toward the sky, instantly thrust out of the sea surface, carrying malice toward the Dragonite flying in the sky!

(End of Chapter)