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The moment the Kyogre Crystal unleashed its power, the energy that burst forth was beyond imagination. In an instant, the submarine's entire command room was consumed by a massive explosion, and the vessel itself was completely torn apart.
At the same time, a blinding blue energy beam shot up from the ocean, piercing the clouds. Waves of powerful azure energy rippled outward in all directions.
When the Kyogre Crystal erupted, Sato—who was still inside the submarine—immediately sensed mortal danger. Without hesitation, he grabbed his Swampert and used Teleport to escape.
By the time he and Swampert reappeared in the sea, two hundred meters from the submarine, he saw the vessel violently implode under the crushing force of the crystal's unleashed power, then scatter into countless fragments.
"What terrifying energy… Team Aqua has been toying with a power that could wipe them out at any moment. Truly, ignorance breeds fearlessness."
Encased within an air bubble created by Swampert's Dive, Sato stared at the catastrophic scene before him, feeling a lingering chill of dread.
Honestly, he had never imagined things would escalate to this degree. What he saw now was nothing like the information he'd received from Charlie.
According to Charlie, the Kyogre Crystal would indeed release immense power upon contact with seawater, but at worst, it would only destroy the laboratory—not cause an explosion of this magnitude.
Because of that misinformation, Sato had almost died there himself—luckily, he had reacted quickly.
It was clear Team Aqua didn't fully understand the secrets hidden within that crystal imbued with Kyogre's power.
What Sato didn't yet know was that the terrifying burst of energy had already drawn the attention of something deep in the ocean—something colossal and ancient. It was now racing toward the area with unimaginable speed.
Had Sato known, he wouldn't have hesitated to flee far, far away.
The energy blast created an immense underwater current. Despite wanting to move closer to investigate, Sato and Swampert were helplessly swept away from the blast zone by the surging tide.
Meanwhile, powerful figures on the surface were rushing toward the energy beam's location by every means possible.
Among them, Dragon-type Elite Four, Drake—riding his Salamence—and Team Aqua's officer Hague—mounted on a Sharpedo with the Speed Boost ability—were the first to arrive.
The two faced each other from opposite sides of the glowing blue beam, eyes sharp and hostile.
The Kyogre Crystal had not sunk due to gravity; instead, it floated defiantly in the center of the beam, suspended above the water, radiating pulse after pulse of frightening blue energy.
"So that brat really does have some skill… but that explosion just now was no small matter. I hope he made it out alive."
Drake's weathered face showed rare concern as he looked at the blazing energy column, then at the submarine debris floating on the waves.
On the other side, Hague's expression was grim as the weight of the disaster sank in. He could tell from the wreckage that the submarine was gone—and with it, nearly everyone inside.
Worse yet, the Hoenn League's Dragon Elite stood right before him. Recovering the Kyogre Crystal now would be nearly impossible. One mistake, and he'd die here.
But with their base overrun and the esteemed Dr. Peter missing, if Hague failed to reclaim the crystal, even if he survived and returned to headquarters, he would face a dreadful punishment.
As a die-hard loyalist of Team Aqua, Hague refused to flee in disgrace. He would risk everything to retrieve the Kyogre Crystal and redeem himself.
Minutes later, League members and Team Aqua operatives began to gather behind their respective leaders, glaring at one another with hostility so thick it could ignite the air.
The tension on the sea was explosive—battle could break out at any moment.
Yet from the looks of it, the League held the advantage in numbers and aerial mobility. If fighting started, Team Aqua would clearly be at a disadvantage.
Still, Team Aqua had one edge—the ocean itself. They could retreat underwater at any time, which gave them enough confidence to hold their ground.
But suddenly, both sides were stunned—because a third force had arrived.
From the western horizon, a massive Tentacruel exuding Elite-Four level power emerged from the waves, its size more than ten times that of a normal one. From afar, it looked like a moving island.
And it wasn't alone. From every direction, other powerful wild Water-type Pokémon began to surface.
Ferocious Sharpedo. Savage Gyarados. Ocean-ruling Kingdra.
These monarchs of the sea had been drawn by the crystal's energy surge. Each sought to claim the Kyogre Crystal for themselves—an artifact that promised limitless strength to any who possessed it.
And none of them came alone.
Behind each Elite-Four level Water-type swarmed legions of underlings—enough to utterly outnumber both the League and Team Aqua forces combined.
Everyone's face darkened at the sight. Especially Team Aqua's—many members turned pale, trembling, desperate to flee.
"So it's come to this… Taking that crystal, infused with the primal essence of Kyogre itself, won't be easy after all."
High above the chaos, Sato—clad in black and wearing a mask—hovered in the night sky, sustained by Crobat's help. From a safe distance, he observed the gathering of humans and wild Pokémon around the Kyogre Crystal, murmuring in excitement.
The Kyogre Crystal was merely a fragment containing a trace of the Sea Sovereign's essence. Its power was not infinite.
After releasing so much energy—or rather, once Team Aqua's device had ceased stimulating it—it began to calm.
Gradually, under the gaze of all gathered trainers and Pokémon, the blue energy beam faded from the sea.
Finally, the Kyogre Crystal, once glowing red-hot, cooled and returned to its deep ocean-blue hue… before slowly descending from the sky.