Chapter 167: Yo, Isn't That Rayquaza? Is Your Dad Still Alive?

Seeing Steven suddenly faint, Champion Diantha and the others were all startled.

Diantha hurriedly supported Steven, only to find his face extremely pale.

"Steven!"

Wallace's face also changed drastically; he hurriedly tried to rush toward Steven, but because his hands and feet were bound, Wallace could not stand up normally at all.

Seeing Diantha and the others rush over, Caitlin's eyes flickered slightly as she picked up her phone and glanced at it.

Sure enough, Mamen had already sent her a message.

Then, Caitlin had Alakazam control Steven to float up, ignoring his screams, and threw him toward Nemo's Archaludon.

"Altaria!"

Nemo hurriedly had her Mega Altaria rush over to catch Steven.

"So hot!"

Diantha reached out and touched Steven's forehead, startled; Steven's forehead was now scorching hot.

"We must send him to the hospital immediately," Sakaki said in a heavy voice.

"Let's go to Mossdeep City."

Cynthia glanced at the opposite side; Caitlin was smiling as she retreated back in front of Archie and Gladion, obviously having received the message as well.

Cynthia's expression was complex; at this moment, she felt with crystal clarity that a chasm almost impossible to cross had appeared between her and Caitlin.

Sky Pillar.

One thousand years ago, Rayquaza descended to stop the great battle between Groudon and Kyogre, saving the Hoenn region once again.

Therefore, the People of the Sky built the Sky Pillar to provide a resting place for Rayquaza.

So strictly speaking, the Sky Pillar can be said to be Rayquaza's habitat.

And today, this Gao Ta, which had been sealed for an unknown length of time, welcomed its opening once again.

Cynthia descended from her Mega Salamence and slowly walked into the Sky Pillar, ascending layer by layer.

The Sky Pillar had existed for a thousand years; due to long-term disrepair, traces of 'antiquity' existed everywhere inside the tower.

However, Cynthia did not care.

She continued upward, looking at the 'history' left on the murals, until she finally reached the tower's summit.

The summit of the Sky Pillar was an open-view altar; Cynthia arrived at the very front and looked up at the sky, which seemed only an arm's length away.

The smile had now vanished from Cynthia's face; she glanced at the Whismur at her feet, her most important Pokémon.

Its name was Shikana.

"Next, you stay here properly, okay? Don't worry; I will definitely succeed."

Cynthia half-squatted down, gently stroking Whismur's small head, her tone very gentle.

Whismur let out two worried, soft chirps, but it was obedient and slowly retreated.

"Next..."

Cynthia took a large quantity of Mega Stones from her pocket and placed them on the ground.

Then Cynthia slowly stood up, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and devoutly began to pray.

As the successor of the People of the Sky, she mastered the ritual the People of the Sky used to summon Rayquaza; she intended to imitate the People of the Sky from a thousand years ago.

A thousand years ago, the People of the Sky prayed toward the Seven-Colored Meteor, causing Rayquaza to descend once again.

And a thousand years later, the successor began to pray once more.

This ancient ritual has always been full of mysterious color, just like the Heritage Dance inherited by the dancers in the Johto region.

When the prayer ended, Cynthia opened her eyes and raised her arms high.

"Rayquaza!!"

A beam of green light that pierced the heavens and earth fell straight down, landing upon that large quantity of Mega Stones.

Intense winds scattered in all directions, making Cynthia's cloak rustle.

Cynthia blocked her face with her right arm, but the eye she revealed was filled with wild joy.

Because she saw it!!

Within the green light, the shadow of a colossal creature appeared and disappeared; her prayer had succeeded!

As the dense green light slowly dissipated, a Rayquaza hovered in the air, its majestic dragon eyes looking down upon Cynthia below.

"Rayquaza!!"

Cynthia looked at this Rayquaza excitedly; she had really done it!

She had summoned Rayquaza, and as long as she could make Rayquaza Mega Evolve, then she would resolve the People of the Sky's prophesied crisis.

In this way, she would have also fulfilled Shikana's... lifelong wish!

However, in reality, the look in Rayquaza's eyes as it gazed at Cynthia was not very friendly, but rather carried a tone of doubt.

It was true that it had descended because it felt the successor's prayer, but that did not mean it would approve of just any successor.

To put it in her father's words, it was a great Rayquaza of the Rayquaza clan!

Yes, that's right; it was the child of Black Rayquaza, the one that called its dad to save the day in Lumiose City.

But when it saw Cynthia's foot position, Rayquaza's dragon eyes narrowed.

That familiar Mega Ring... caused Rayquaza to recall that accident again; in its memory, that girl's feet had worn exactly such a ring.

"What is your relationship with Shikana?"

A low telepathic voice sounded in Cynthia's ear.

Cynthia's face changed slightly.

"Shikana... is my older sister."

The black-haired Successor pressed her lips together and spoke in a low voice.

"She..."

Rayquaza fell silent, gazing with a complex expression at the Mega Ring; it did not know how to respond.

After Zinnia's death, it had actually considered avenging her.

But Rayquaza was not Groudon or Kyogre; while Rayquaza's nature was indeed arrogant, it would not attack humans.

Moreover, the battle at the Sky Pillar had already made Rayquaza understand that humans were not entirely 'powerless'.

It did not wish for its parents to intervene, for this was its own matter, so it had actually been waiting for a new Successor!

"Zinnia has always been with me! And I will definitely fulfill her dying wish!"

Zinnia's sister revealed her signature fearless smile and spoke with open confidence.

"I will... avenge her!!"

Hearing the Successor girl's declaration and the firm conviction in her voice, Rayquaza was stunned, and its eyes softened considerably afterward.

In truth, upon first seeing Zinnia's sister, it did not particularly like her, for it could see that her heart was not pure.

Zinnia's sister's will to shatter the meteor foretold by her clan was firm, but what supported this will was not entirely her compassion for the Hoenn region and the humans and Pokémon inhabiting it.

Rather, it was because this was the mission she, as the 'Successor', must shoulder and complete; she was the last hope of the People of the Meteor.

Furthermore, shattering the meteor to save Hoenn was also Zinnia's wish.

Therefore, Zinnia's sister wanted to fulfill this vision.

Precisely because it had perceived this, Rayquaza's first impression of Zinnia's sister was not good.

How could proud Rayquaza like someone who seemed to 'live' and move forward merely for the sake of others?

"Then come, Successor."

Rayquaza's telepathy remained low; although its impression of Zinnia's sister had improved slightly, it was not enough.

There was still one trial left!

"Yes!"

Zinnia's sister's expression grew solemn as she looked up at Rayquaza.

What followed was the most critical part; she had to make Rayquaza Mega Evolve.

But Zinnia's sister believed she would succeed!

The Mega Ring she used was the very one Zinnia had used, and the Key Stones she employed were far more numerous than those Zinnia had used back then!

For this moment, she had prepared for far too long; she had reasons she could not fail!

Zinnia's sister took a deep breath, and the Mega Ring on her foot and the vast number of Key Stones on the ground began to shimmer with a faint light.

At the same time, a pale green glow lit up on Rayquaza's body.

Could it succeed?

Zinnia's sister watched Rayquaza with boundless anticipation, yet...

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The green light on Rayquaza's body continued to flicker faintly, but the Mega Ring and the Key Stones slowly dimmed.

Zinnia's sister's face instantly turned as pale as paper.

This... was it a failure?!!

"How could this happen..."

Zinnia's sister stared blankly at the vast number of Key Stones, still unable to believe it, and filled with unprecedented panic.

How could it fail? It shouldn't have, it shouldn't have failed!

Was it a problem with the Key Stones?

Zinnia's sister tried to inspect the Key Stones, but as soon as she took a step, her legs gave way, and she collapsed directly onto the floor.

Her knees scraped raw against the cold floor, yet Zinnia's sister seemed to feel no pain; her trembling hands could barely support her body.

"Wha... t..."

Her head throbbed terribly, her mind stabbing with pain as if pierced by needles, causing Zinnia's sister to instinctively reach out and hold her head; her delicate features twisted in agony.

The clan's legacy and faith, Zinnia's death, the disaster of the meteor...

She bore so much upon her shoulders, but... she had failed.

Everything before her eyes seemed to grow dim, and the Successor girl's eyes gradually lost their light.

"..."

Rayquaza looked at Zinnia's sister, collapsed on the ground, and sighed within its heart.

It could not add the finishing touch itself, so it could only rely on external forces to Mega Evolve.

But as long as it partnered with a human, it could not escape the subtle relationship of 'acknowledgment'.

With the same Mega Ring and the same vast number of Key Stones, Zinnia could make Rayquaza Mega Evolve precisely because Rayquaza itself acknowledged Zinnia, so it accepted Zinnia's use of the Mega Ring and Key Stones to resonate with it without any resistance.

Yet, deep in its heart, it did not particularly acknowledge Zinnia's sister; even though its impression of her had improved, it was still not enough.

This directly caused the failure of the Mega Evolution.

"Successor, pull yourself together, you are..."

But seeing Zinnia's sister in such despair, Rayquaza felt somewhat reluctant, after all, this Successor was Zinnia's younger sister.

But Rayquaza's telepathy had not yet ended.

"Wuu~"

A low, melodious cry echoed from the distant sky.

That cry?!

Rayquaza's eyes instantly became sharp and alert, its body tensed tightly, and it turned its head toward the direction of the sound's source.

Only then did they see, at the horizon, a massive gold-and-blue Pokémon flapping its wings as it flew closer.

It was Primal Kyogre!

Rayquaza's dragon eyes grew incredibly Solemn; how could Primal Kyogre have come here?

Could it be here to cause me trouble? Should I call my dad right now?

Rayquaza still felt somewhat nervous inside; after all, it could not Mega Evolve now, and it was no match for Primal Kyogre.

Moreover, last time Primal Kyogre had taken out its father!

Primal Kyogre slowly flew over, landing atop the Sky Pillar, glanced sideways at the nervous Rayquaza with a cold and arrogant gaze.

Rayquaza's body tensed even more tightly.

But Primal Kyogre had no intention of attacking Rayquaza; after all, it had just stuffed Groudon's belly, so its mood was very good.

Especially after noticing Rayquaza's sense of urgency, Primal Kyogre's mood improved even further.

This was the intimidation power of its, Kyogre! Could that stinking lizard that cannot fly do the same?

Oh, I forgot; that one that cannot fly is probably still 'spouting water'.

Primal Kyogre swayed its tail contentedly.

A mere junior like Rayquaza; it had already defeated Black Rayquaza, so would it even care?

Primal Kyogre even wanted to greet this little Rayquaza.

'Oh~ isn't that Rayquaza? How is your dad doing lately?'

(End of this chapter)