Chapter 659: The Invincible Dragon Emissary

At the summit of the Sky Pillar.

Amid the faintly ozone-laced air, Xijiana’s restless heart found rare stillness.

After releasing Groudon and Kyogre, she did not linger near Mose Island or secretly influence events further.

Xijiana immediately mounted Flygon and sped toward the Sky Pillar, located in the nearby sea.

As the inheritor of the Meteor Tribe’s legacy, she understood the Sky Pillar well and had climbed its peak alone many times, devoutly praying for the descent of “Heaven-Subduing Dragon,” the Dragon God Rayquaza.

The Hoenn region had twice faced crises from beyond the heavens.

Once, a meteor fell upon Meteor Falls two thousand years ago; once, another struck Liuli City a thousand years ago.

After a millennium of peace, Xijiana’s Meteor Tribe foretold from murals that another meteor would fall upon Hoenn in the modern era, a thousand years later.

And this time, the meteor’s influence would not be confined to a single region—entire Hoenn would be engulfed by the prophesied colossal celestial body, facing annihilation.

Xijiana was the generations-long “Inheritor” chosen by the Meteor Tribe to confront this crisis, burdened with the duty to stop the meteor threat.

Her mission had only one purpose.

To gain the approval of “Heaven-Subduing Dragon,” the Dragon God Rayquaza, whom her people had worshipped for generations.

Only with its approval—and by triggering its further evolution—could she gain the power to shatter the colossal meteor.

The condition seemed simple, but only Xijiana knew how impossibly difficult it was for her.

——Because, in all the years since becoming the Inheritor, she had never once seen Rayquaza.

No, more accurately: she had used the Meteor Tribe’s ancestral method to summon Rayquaza, yet Rayquaza had never once answered her call or descended upon the Sky Pillar’s summit.

If she could not even see it, how could she hope to earn its approval and together avert the colossal meteor threatening Hoenn—and the world?

This was why, upon seeing the news from Lales City on her phone, her Dao heart nearly shattered.

Leaving aside the black Rayquaza worshipped by her people for now.

The Hoenn Rayquaza had been defeated by that person—even if only temporarily, its ultimate form had never even appeared.

That alone was enough to push Xijiana to act.

After leaving the sealed chamber, she returned to the Sky Pillar, but saw no sign of the Hoenn Rayquaza, who should have returned here to recover. Helpless, she began her pre-planned action.

——Awaken the other two ancient Pokémon; the chaos of natural energy from their conflict would surely draw Rayquaza.

Then, not only would she see it—but the “Heaven-Subduing Dragon” would shed its tarnished reputation by stopping the two ancient Pokémon’s battle.

She knew this act risked the deaths of countless cities, humans, and Pokémon in Hoenn from natural disasters.

But compared to the future where the colossal meteor struck Hoenn and destroyed everything, this was preferable—and washing away the stigma was merely incidental.

She had resolved to use any means necessary to resolve this unprecedented crisis—all for the sake of seeing Rayquaza and gaining its approval.

Only then could she trade minor sacrifices for lasting peace and stability.

“.”

Clutching the “Key Stone,” a rare item still circulating in limited circles, Xijiana knelt on the altar atop the Sky Pillar, whispering an indistinct prayer in devout silence.

Even if branded hypocritical or vile, if she could summon Rayquaza, the crisis she herself had triggered would be resolved.

Hoenn would enjoy one moment of peace, then a far longer one.

As for the possibility that Rayquaza would not answer her call—she had dismissed it from the start.

The chaotic natural energy would surely catch Rayquaza’s attention; unless the two ancient Pokémon ceased their conflict or someone intervened early, Rayquaza would inevitably respond.

As Xijiana prayed atop the Sky Pillar,

Under the “manipulation” of Water Tree and Flame Pine, Groudon and Kyogre’s conflict intensified further.

Logically, the intensity of their battle should have reduced Mose Island to floating debris.

Yet under Groudon’s influence, Mose Island did not sink—it expanded outward.

Undaunted, Kyogre summoned tsunamis stronger, taller, and larger than the last, while expanding its “domain.”

Simply put, thick clouds and torrential rain, limitless in scale, surged outward from Mose Island’s waters—within ten minutes, they neared the nearest city, Green Ridge City.

On the other side, the terrifying sun above Groudon’s head, capable of boiling the sea dry, completely scattered the gloom behind it, bathing the land in blinding, skin-stinging light.

It was no longer a matter of who arrived later and overwrote the other’s weather.

At the boundary of Mose Island, Kyogre’s “rainstorm” and Groudon’s “drought” clashed like sentient forces, yet remained sharply divided into two distinct zones.

If this expansion continued without limit, Hoenn would inevitably be swallowed by these extreme weathers and their cascading natural disasters.

Watching this, Agado’s heart grew heavy.

Perhaps Water Tree and Flame Pine themselves had not noticed, but as an observer, Agado saw their condition worsening with time since forming that so-called mental link.

Likely, this was the very example Micah had described: mortals attempting to control the Sea and Land deities—perhaps embodiments of nature’s will—only to be consumed by them.

From Agado’s observation, both ancient Pokémon seemed intensely drawn to the colored orbs the two men had held—now fully fused into their bodies.

Even their conflict might stem from ownership of those orbs.

They wanted to keep the orb of a different color, yet clung possessively to the one matching their own—like a child demanding both a lollipop and an ice cream.

Seeing the situation grow more complex, Agado had ordered the trio not to remain near the perilous Mose Island, sending them ahead on Gyarados to a safe zone nearby.

And just now, Gyarados had returned to his side.

Nimo, Shins, and Jingxiang had likely already contacted reinforcements.

Though given the current state, Water Team and Magma Team had long since lost the capacity to jam signals.

Fortunately, Da Wu and Micah lived close by—so until they arrived, along with more aid, Agado’s course was clear.

Regardless of the orbs’ exact functions beyond “controlling” the two ancient Pokémon,

Agado’s task was simple.

Stop their conflict—and, if possible, neutralize the two ancient Pokémon.

And prevent either side from collecting all the orbs.

Intuition told Agado: if he wanted to prevent things from spiraling further, he must pay close attention to this.

“.Huh! Dangerous, but I’ve got no choice!”

Even as the “Invincible Dragon Emissary,” Agado knew full well how perilous his task was.

As Elite Four and Champion of Kanto and Johto, he could have stood aside—he bore no duty to defend Hoenn.

Yet Agado chose to act, because his sense of justice would not allow him to stand idle.

After all, only he had the power to stop Groudon and Kyogre.

Meanwhile, above the waters near Green Ridge City,

Hearing the two male voices on the communicator solemnly promise they were en route,

Nimo, Shins, and Jingxiang, seated on Whiscash, lowered their communication devices and exhaled in relief.

At least, they had fulfilled Agado’s task.

Next—

The three exchanged a silent glance; Nimo dialed the number at the top of her contacts, labeled “Master Luo Mu.”

The call connected quickly.

Before the voice on the other end could speak, the three blurted out the situation in overlapping voices.

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

“Did you get involved too?”

“Y-yes.”

Even through the phone, their teacher’s authority made them swallow hard and answer nervously.

After a brief yet strangely long silence, Luo Mu said: “Fine. Since Agado is there, and Da Wu and Micah are coming, I won’t stop you from returning.”

“My only requirement: keep yourselves safe.”

“—And I’ll be there soon.”

“W-Water Tree?”

On the raging sea, Aquan, emerging from the submarine’s hatch, ignored the pouring rain, staring blankly at Water Tree, who rode a flying device as if possessed.

Water Tree no longer cared for his once-trusted subordinates.

His eyes glowed with eerie red light; his once-clear ideal—covering the planet with oceans—had blurred into a single, obsessive goal.

“—Expand the oceans!”

Water Tree, truly possessed—now a puppet of Kyogre’s vast will—chanted those four words endlessly.

On the other side, under the disbelief of Fire Eel and Fire Village, Flame Pine, like Water Tree, shouted a different refrain.

“—Expand the land!”

They no longer cared if their own followers were caught in the crossfire, roaring as they urged Kyogra/Groudon to unleash wide-area attacks.

At that moment, a grave male voice rang out.

“Dragonite, Gyarados—Hydro Pump!”

From an unknown direction, Agado rode Dragonite, charging without hesitation to block Groudon, whose back was lit by an erupting volcano.

His red Gyarados rose from the churning sea, overcoming its primal fear, to stand before Kyogre.

Two powerful water columns slammed into the two ancient Pokémon.

The force pushed Kyogre back several meters; Groudon lurched sideways.

Their faces showed human-like daze—or more accurately, instinctive reactions to pain.

Agado’s arrival was undeniably a ray of light piercing the despair hanging over them.

Yet his own expression was utterly grim.

How to put it?

Dragonite and Gyarados’s attacks worked—they proved the ancient Pokémon could be shaken.

——But it was only a shake.

You can tell from the terrifying attacks just now, as Groudon and Kyogre blasted each other.

Their stamina is virtually endless; only this side is being worn down by the war of attrition.

Fortunately, all I need to do is buy time.

Agatha’s gaze sharpened; she precisely noticed the simultaneous glares from Kyogre and Groudon, and the opening motions of their attacks.

Without hesitation, she shouted: “Get out of the way!”

Under the influence of some strange force, even though the distance was immense, the Gyarados on the sea surface clearly heard Agatha’s command.

Gyarados, who had saved Agatha’s life, trusted her completely and plunged instantly into the water.

As expected.

The next instant, a vast torrent of bluish-white beams swept across the exact spot where Gyarados had been.

The beams carried terrifying energy fluctuations; merely brushing past, they made the sea surface tremble violently.

——At the point of impact, on the newly exposed land formed by Groudon’s lava, a cataclysmic explosion of energy roared upward.

Gyarados surfaced again from the sea, swallowed hard, its eyes filled with relief after narrowly escaping death.

That was close!

If I’d been hit by that, I’d really be saying goodbye to this world.

On the other side, Groudon roared skyward, its back volcano erupting again; against a sky ablaze with falling fire, the earth began to shake violently.

It took a step forward, its crimson eyes filled with fury as it stared at the Dragonite soaring before it.

Beneath the airspace where Agatha and Dragonite hovered, the seawater boiled furiously, as if scalding.

The next instant.

As the nearby seabed jolted violently, steaming crimson blades erupted like countless spears thrusting skyward, brimming with malice toward the Dragonite in flight, bursting instantly from the sea!

(End of Chapter)