Chapter 310: Shocking News
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Mossdeep City – Mossdeep Space Center]
Far below, nestled on the twin islands of Mossdeep City, the space-age architecture of the Mossdeep Space Center hummed with activity. Inside, a team of dedicated scientists monitored the heavens, their primary directive from the Hoenn Pokémon Association Chairman: track and locate Rayquaza, the Sky High Pokémon.
The Association's history with Rayquaza was fraught with failure and tragedy. They had initially found it at the Embedded Tower, a hidden sanctuary, but their attempt to capture it had cost the life of Aster, the Draconid Lorekeeper, who had fought fiercely to protect her sacred guardian.
The Association's goal was noble in theory – to control Rayquaza, to wield its power as a deterrent against the cataclysmic awakening of Kyogre and Groudon. But their methods had been crude, their artificial Green Orb a spectacular failure, incapable of bending the ancient dragon to their will.
Rayquaza had escaped, retreating to the ozone layer, its whereabouts an enigma until their new, advanced satellites came online. For weeks, the readings had been stable, Rayquaza a faint, predictable pulse on their screens.
But today, something was undeniably amiss. A young technician sweated, announced, his fingers flying across his console, "Director, we're seeing unusual energy signatures near Sky Pillar. Fluctuations. Massive power spikes, unlike anything we've ever seen from Rayquaza."
The Director, a stern woman with a perpetually furrowed brow, leaned closer to the main display as she uttered, "Zoom in. Give me a visual. Is Groudon or Kyogre involved? The PA Chairman will want to know if this is an awakening."
She'd been tracking this creature for years, haunted by the ghost of Aster's sacrifice and the looming threat of the super-ancient Pokémon. The satellite feed sharpened, a pixelated but clear image of the Sky Pillar summit.
The main screen, typically displaying complex topographical maps, snapped to a magnified, thermal-visual feed coming live. The image was grainy, distorted by atmospheric heat, but undeniable.
Rayquaza. The Sky High Pokémon.
It was coiled mid-air, a serpentine behemoth radiating immense power. But surrounding it was an impossible storm. What looked like miniature black holes formed and dissipated rapidly—the kinetic echo of Hyper Beam.
Then, the world shattered. They saw the sky rain down.
The Director felt a cold dread creep up her spine as the scientists around her gasped. The young technician stammered nervously, his face pale, "My word… director, are those… meteors? My god…"
Indeed, the sky above Sky Pillar was being rent by fiery streaks. And then, the image shifted, revealing a spectacle that defied belief. But then…
*Beep*
A new figure arose, alerting the scientist. One of the scientists shouted, his voice cracking with disbelief, "Confirmed meteor interaction! Rayquaza is actively summoning space matter! But wait... the gravity well isn't centered solely on Sky Sentinel."
A secondary, massive energy signature was detected, rapidly approaching Rayquaza's position from above. The Director barked, knew the myths, but she refused to believe the data, "Visual enhancement now! Compensate for rainbow refraction!"
*Beep*
The thermal feed was adjusted. The chaotic storm suddenly focused, revealing an impossible sight. Amidst the green and black chaos of Rayquaza's attack, a being of blinding rainbow light was battling the Sky High Pokémon.
It was massive, avian, and radiating a glorious, almost spiritual heat. A blinding rainbow light descended, coalescing into the unmistakable form of Ho-Oh, the Legendary Rainbow Pokémon. Baffled, the Director whispered, her face draining of color, "Ho-Oh? The Rainbow Pokémon. What in the name of Arceus is it doing here?"
And then, the impossible became utterly unbelievable. Nestled securely on Ho-Oh's back, visible for a fraction of a second against the contrast of the rainbow wings and the dark, smoldering sky, were three small silhouettes.
And perched atop its back, clearly visible despite the grainy feed, was a Trainer, his cap unmistakable, flanked by a Pikachu and an Eevee, engaged in a furious battle with Rayquaza. The Director yelled, leaning dangerously close to the screen, "Zoom! Stabilize! I need identification on that trainer!"
The image held for perhaps three heartbeats—enough time for the scientists to register the unbelievable spectacle of a human riding a legendary phoenix into battle against the master of the sky.
The Director breathed, her voice barely a whisper as this was beyond anything they had ever conceived, "Ho-Oh? And… a Trainer? Battling Rayquaza?"
The Director took a closer look at the video screen as she pondered, 'The mythic Rainbow Pokémon, a Trainer seemingly from Kanto, clashing with Hoenn's Sky Guardian amidst an apocalyptic meteor shower?'
The visual sequence became a blur of impossible violence. Rayquaza plunged, firing a concentrated volley of meteors.
The phoenix banked sharply. One of the small Pokémon on its back—Pikachu, the Director suddenly realized, recognizing the distinct color pattern—unleashed a bolt of golden lightning at point-blank range at Rayquaza.
Before anyone could fully process the impossible scene, a searing flash erupted on screen. A stray meteor, a smaller fragment from what looked like a Dragon Ascent impact, veered wildly, striking the satellite feed's primary sensor.
*BOOM*
The satellite feed, overwhelmed by a sudden, intense spike of energy that momentarily eclipsed even the legendary signatures, flickered violently. The Director roared, "Hold the signal!"
*Beep*
It was too late. A stray piece of accelerated meteoroid, one of the smaller, denser chunks from Rayquaza's attack, had clipped the orbital satellite responsible for the high-altitude sweep. The screen went instantly blank, replaced by the grim message...
[WARNING! FEED SEVERED. SIGNAL LOST.]
One of the scientists cried, furiously tapping at his keyboard. The screen dissolved into static, then black, "No! We're losing the signal! It's gone! The feed is completely cut!"
A deafening silence enveloped the Mossdeep Space Center control room. The scientists, trained to track predictable geological and atmospheric patterns, could not process the impossible event they had just witnessed.
*BANG*
A wave of panicked murmurs swept through the control room. The Director slammed her fist on the console as she cursed, "Curse it! That was our only clear shot!"
She turned, her face a mask of grim determination as she barked orders, "Get a message to the Chairman, immediately! And contact Champion Steven Stone! Tell them everything. The meteors, Ho-Oh, the Trainer… tell them the Sky High Pokémon has been engaged, and the battle didn't go unnoticed."
*BANG*
Slamming the console again, the Director murmured, her worry turning to cold dread, "That capture light… the sheer energy signature… I've only ever seen that in the old, classified Devon reports."
The implications were catastrophic. The Director Moss Deep Space Center stood rigid, her mind frantically processing the three seconds of impossible data. Rayquaza, fighting Ho-Oh, with a trainer directing the battle.
The Director said grimly, rubbing her temples hard, "Forget the satellite loss. Focus. What happened after the cut?"
*Beep*
The seismic analysts, monitoring the ground vibrations at the Sky Pillar, chimed in, their voices sober as one of them declared, "The activity dropped to zero, Director. An abrupt, total cessation of Legendary energy signature."
A beat of silence.
The Director repeated, her voice barely audible, "Zero?"
One of the scientists nodded their head, agreeing as they replied nervously, "Yes, ma'am. It's consistent with... a successful capture. Or incapacitation. But given the fight magnitude, likely to capture."
The Director stared at the dead screen, the image of the Trainer and the rainbow bird burned onto his retina. A trainer from Kanto, she speculated wildly, given the Pikachu and Eevee. A trainer powerful enough to use Ho-Oh as a mount and command enough destructive force to either defeat or capture Rayquaza.
Taking a deep breath, exhaling, the Director ordered, her executive function kicking back in action, "Get the hard copy of the refraction analysis. I want a full spectral breakdown of the secondary signature."
The Scientist got to work, as the Director's eyes widened in grim realization, murmured, "Someone just captured Rayquaza. And they did it while riding Ho-Oh. He didn't just win a battle. He ended the crisis and created a new one."
Rayquaza, already a volatile force, is now embroiled in a cosmic-scale conflict, potentially captured by an unknown Trainer, and with the mysterious intervention of Ho-Oh. Hoenn was on the precipice.
The Director straightened up, seizing the emergency communication device built solely for communication with the highest levels of the PA, and added, "Prepare the full report. Prioritize the visual data we secured. We need to inform the Chairman immediately. And find Champion Stone, wherever he is. Tell him a Trainer has done the impossible, and we need to know who he is, and what he intends to do with Rayquaza!"
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[Galar Region, Meanwhile, Crown Tundra]
Meanwhile, blissfully unaware of the chaos he had unknowingly caused at the Space Center, Champion Steven Stone was far from Hoenn, engaged in his own urgent mission. The premonitions of Groudon and Kyogre's awakening, coupled with the escalating activities of Team Magma and Team Aqua, had necessitated an unprecedented move: gathering Hoenn's Elite Four, scattered across various regions, honing their skills.
Steven, the epitome of calm strength and strategic intellect, had first traveled to the Galar region, its wild, sprawling landscapes a stark contrast to Hoenn's tropical beauty. There, amidst the ancient ruins of the Crown Tundra, he found Phoebe, the Ghost-Type Specialist and Elite Four Member of Hoenn.
She moved with an ethereal grace, her piercing gaze fixed on the spectral trails of a powerful Pokémon. Phoebe's voice was soft but carried a subtle resonance, as if echoing from another realm, "Steven! What a delightful surprise, if a little… urgent, I presume?"
She wore her signature biki, her black hair tied to flowers on the side of her head. Steven replied, a rare smile gracing his usually serious features, "Phoebe, it's good to see you. Yes, urgent. Hoenn needs its defenders."
He nodded towards the ghostly figure Phoebe was observing as he said cheekily, "And it seems you've found quite the addition."
Phoebe's lips curved into a mysterious smile. She said cheerfully to her latest addition to her team, "Indeed. Dragapult. A fascinating creature, bridging the worlds of dragon and ghost, fiercely protective. Exactly what my team needs."
She had just concluded a grueling bout of training, her Dusknoir and Sableye having forged a strong bond with the newly caught Ghost Pseudo-Legendary. With that, the two left to find the next Elite Four member.
/////
[Elsewhere, Later, Away from Unova Region, Nature Reserve]
With Phoebe by his side, her spectral companions floating silently nearby, Steven made their next destination: the Unova region's Hidden Grottoes, specifically the Nature Preserve, a secluded haven for rare Pokémon.
It was there they found Sidney, the Dark-Type Specialist. Sidney, with his perpetually cool demeanor and a mischievous glint in his eye, was deep in thought, his powerful Hydreigon roaring in the distance, practicing its terrifying Dark Pulse against a cluster of ancient trees.
Sidney's Absol sat patiently beside him, its horn keen and sensitive to minute shifts in the environment. Sidney drawled, a smirk playing on his lips as he saw Steven and Phoebe approach, "Well, well, if it isn't the Hoenn dream team."
His dark red, spiky hair and sharp attire were as impeccably unkempt as ever. Sidney asked jokingly, "To what do I owe the pleasure of such esteemed company? Don't tell me the Champion decided to take a vacation?"
Steven chuckled lightly as he shook his head. Steven said calmly, his tone serious now as he stated, "Hardly, Sidney. The storm clouds are gathering over Hoenn. Groudon and Kyogre make their stir, and Team Magma and Aqua are growing bolder. We need the Elite Four, together, prepared for what's to come."
Phoebe simply nodded, her eyes observing the powerful Hydreigon with a respectful intensity. She added whimsically, her voice a low murmur, "The air, it hums with anticipation…"
Sidney's smirk vanished, replaced by a more serious expression. He patted Hydreigon's head as it lumbered back, panting slightly as he said, "Ah, so it's that bad, then. Alright, Champion. You called, we answered. What's the plan?"
*Beep*
Just as Steven was about to outline his strategy, his Rotom Phone buzzed insistently. The display showed the Hoenn Pokémon Association Chairman's priority code.
Steven excused himself, stepping slightly away from his Elite Four, his brows furrowing as he heard the urgent, almost breathless report from The Director at Mossdeep Space Center.
His face, usually impassive, slowly shifted. His eyes widened slightly, then narrowed in disbelief, murmured, "What?! But that's…"
He ran a hand through his silver hair, a rare gesture of unease. When he finally turned back to Phoebe and Sidney, his expression was a mixture of shock and profound concern written on his face.
Seeing they're curious expression, Steven took a deep breath. Exhaling, Steven began, his voice gravelly, "It seems our problems have just become infinitely more complicated. Even I find it hard to believe…"
He paused, gathering his thoughts, trying to reconcile the impossible story he had just heard. Then he continued explaining the situation, "The Mossdeep Space Center just reported a major incident at Sky Pillar."
Phoebe's ethereal calm wavered, knowing the info as she muttered, "Incidents at Sky Pillar are rarely good, Steven."
Steven agreed, his gaze distant, as if seeing the impossible events play out before him, "No. They detected a massive disturbance. Meteors are raining down from the sky. And then… they saw it. The unbelievable happened..."
He took a deep breath. Then he exhaled as he continued in a serious voice, "Rayquaza was engaged in battle, not by Kyogre or Groudon, but by… Ho-Oh. And riding atop Ho-Oh, they had a visual of a Trainer. With a Pikachu and an Eevee."
Sidney, who rarely showed overt surprise, let out a low whistle, his eyes wide, asked in a surprised tone, "Ho-Oh? Are you serious? And some random Trainer just… riding it? Battling Rayquaza? Not gonna lie, that sounds metal as hell."
Phoebe's eyes, usually so distant, now held a sharp, focused intensity. She added curiously, having an idea, "That Trainer… a Pikachu and an Eevee… it resonates with whispers I've heard from Kanto. Azure Sky."
Steven nodded slowly, his expression grim but conflicted expression calmly says, "The feed was cut by a stray meteor before they could get a clear identification. But yes, that's the inference. A Trainer, possibly Azure Sky, with Ho-Oh, fighting Rayquaza. And now… Rayquaza's signal has gone completely silent."
The silence that followed was heavy, pregnant with implications. Sidney finally broke it, his usual confidence undermined by the sheer scale of the news as he said bluntly, "So, not only are we facing a potential war between super-ancient Pokémon and two rogue teams, but now a legendary celestial bird is dropping meteors on Hoenn, and some Kanto hotshot might have just taken down Rayquaza? You know, I was looking forward to a good fight, but this sounds less like a battle and more like… the end of the world."
Phoebe's gaze drifted to the sky, a profound sense of apprehension on her face as she muttered, "The veil between worlds grows thin. This is not merely a regional crisis, Steven. This is a convergence."
Steven simply watched them, the weight of his Champion duties pressing down. The Hoenn he knew, the Hoenn he was sworn to protect, was bracing for an onslaught, and the arrival of Azure Sky, Ho-Oh, and the capture of Rayquaza had just rewritten the rules of the coming storm.
But he calmed himself down, looking at his Rotom Phone, pondering to himself, 'If what I heard is true… then perhaps this isn't as bad as it looks. Plus, with our friendly relationship, he has no reason to harm Hoenn…'
Steven calmed down his own emotions based on his experience and relationship with Azure. He'd have to call him soon to learn of the situation…
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A/N: Reach the goal of 200 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!