Chapter 321: Beginning of the End (2)
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Next Day, Seafloor Cavern]
Deep underwater, where sunlight dared not penetrate, the Submarine Explorer 1 cut through the abyssal darkness like a metallic leviathan. Inside, the air crackled with a volatile mix of anticipation and animosity.
Team Aqua, led by the hulking Archie, occupied the front section, their blue uniforms a stark contrast to the crimson-clad Team Magma, whose fiery leader, Maxie, maintained a rigid posture at the rear.
Beneath them, the submarine's sensors pulsed, painting a mesmerizing map of the Seafloor Cavern ahead. A tremor ran through the vessel—not mechanical, but something ancient, primal. They were close.
Archie's voice, a gravelly rumble, echoed through the intercom, laced with a triumphant sneer on his face, "Feel that, Maxie? The call of the sea, undeniable. Kyogre stirs, hungry for its rightful dominance."
Maxie's retort was curt, his spectacles glinting in the dim light as he countered, "Primitive drivel, Archie. That is the tremor of the earth's core, of Groudon's slumbering might. Its awakening will forge a new land, a new future."
A fork in the cavern path loomed, precisely as their intel suggested. With a final, shared glare, the submarine split, each section veering off into separate, echoing tunnels. Archie's portion plunged deeper into a vast, watery expanse, while Maxie's navigated through a network of volcanic vents and ancient rock formations.
Both leaders, upon reaching the terminus of their chosen paths, found their boasts momentarily silenced by the sheer, overwhelming presence before them. In Team Aqua's chamber, a colossal, whale-like form drifted in the currents, its immense body a tapestry of deep blues and whites, radiating an aura of profound aquatic power.
Kyogre. It slept, a force of nature quiescent, but its very stillness hinted at untold destructive potential. Similarly, in Team Magma's cavern, a gargantuan, reptilian beast lay curled, its rocky hide like solidified magma, radiating intense heat even in its deep slumber. Groudon.
The earth itself seemed to breathe around it, a silent testament to its mastery over dry land. Both leaders stared, astonished, at the legendary titans.
It was Amber, Archie's loyal second-in-command, who broke the spell on Team Aqua's side as he yelled with his Pelipper swooping down, its large beak generating a powerful Hydro Pump that slammed into Kyogre's flank, "Now, boss!"
*SPLASH*
The ancient Pokémon shuddered, then slowly, majestically, its eyes – glowing with an otherworldly light – flickered open. The water around it began to churn violently, a low, guttural roar rumbling through the cavern as Kyogre descended deeper into the ocean's embrace, a massive shadow vanishing into the abyss.
Archie's laughter erupted, echoing off the cavern walls, raw and triumphant, "Ha! Take that, Maxie! The sea rises! Kyogre awakens, and it awakens first! The advantage is ours, old friend! Our legend has the head start, and even if those landlocked fossils were evenly matched, a lead is all it takes!"
He clutched his fist, a manic glint in his eye. He snarled, the name a bitter taste, "Azure Sky, your meddling in Hoenn has come to an end. My vengeance will be tasted when Hoenn is reshaped, and you are powerless to stop the rising tide!"
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Fortree City – Gym]
Miles above, in the verdant canopy of Fortree City, the tranquil afternoon had dissolved into utter chaos. Gym Leader Winona, her elegant flying-type Pokémon circling nervously overhead, stared in horror at the unfolding catastrophe.
From her vantage point atop the highest treehouse, she could see it – not just rain, but an unending deluge. Rivers had swollen into raging torrents, coastal towns were vanishing beneath invasive waves, and even inland cities were succumbing to unprecedented flooding.
The air was thick with the scent of ozone and the cries of displaced Pokémon and panicked people. Winona exclaimed, her voice taut with urgency, "The emergency protocols aren't enough! We need to increase the evacuation orders immediately! Direct all flying-types to assist wherever possible!"
*BEEP*
As if in answer to her dire pronouncement, her TV Screen buzzed with an incoming call. The face of the Pokémon Association Chairman, usually calm and composed, appeared on the screen, etched with grim concern as he said, "It's me!!"
Winona and the other Gym Leaders echoed, her eyes scanning the TV Screen as she asked worriedly, "Chairman! Please give us your orders! We're thinking of splitting up to cover various towns and aid in their rescue efforts!"
The Chairman closed his eyes as he replied grimly to the situation he stating, "Listen carefully… the situation is worse than you think. Our deep-sea monitoring stations have detected… a massive entity. It's moving through the water, causing these tsunamis as it surfaces..."
The Chairman's voice deepened, a tremor of disbelief in his tone, uttered, "We've just received visual confirmation."
*BEEP*
The TV screen flickered, projecting a live feed. What appeared on screen made Winona gasp, her heart seizing in her chest.
*RMBL*
*RMBL*
A colossal, deep-blue Pokémon, its form undeniably ancient, surged from the churning ocean, dwarfing everything around it. Its eyes glowed with furious energy, a primeval force unbound. The Legendary Pokémon Kyogre.
Kyogre, now fully surfaced, moved with an unstoppable momentum, its monstrous form tearing through the ocean. It approached the skeletal remains of the Abandoned Ship, a derelict known for its ghostly legends…
*SPLASH*
… With a single, devastating Water Spout, it cleaved the vessel in two, sending splinters of metal and wood flying. Amidst the chaos, two small, yellow and blue forms — a Plusle and a Minun — who had sought shelter in the wreck, were flung into the air, carried away by the monstrous waves generated by Kyogre's destructive passage. Their desperate squeaks were swallowed by the roaring sea.
Then, Kyogre reared its head, a deep, resonant rumble emanating from its throat. It exhaled, not water, but a thick, dark, metallic-smelling mist that billowed into the atmosphere.
As the substance dispersed, the sky above Hoenn, already bruised with storm clouds, darkened further. Lightning tore across the heavens, thunder cracked like divine judgment, and the rain intensified, driven by winds that screamed with the fury of a nascent, world-altering storm.
The sea levels continued to rise, swallowing shorelines, erasing landmarks. Hoenn was shown to be drowning.
*Beep*
The video feeds end after that. The Chairman breathed, his voice barely a whisper, "Kyogre has awakened. This is an emergency level 9!! Winona, contact all the towns!! This is an emergency from the Pokémon Association!! The Legendary Ancient Pokémon Kyogre has appeared at the sea at point H68 of the Hoenn Region!!! We don't know where it's heading, so every mayor in Hoenn should prepare for the worst!!"
The Pokémon Association's urgent broadcast echoed across Hoenn – through televisions, radio waves, and emergency Rotom Phone alerts. The words 'Kyogre,' 'awakened,' and 'cataclysmic storm' became a mantra of fear.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Seafloor Cavern]
Back at the heart of the crisis, deep within the alternate chamber of the Seafloor Cavern, Team Magma's operation was in full swing. Maxie commanded, his gaze fixed on the slumbering mountain that was Groudon, "Increase the heat, Tabitha! It must awaken! We cannot let Archie's primitive ambitions eclipse our glorious vision!"
Tabitha, Maxie's portly, wild-haired lieutenant, urged his Torkoal forward. The Tortoise Pokémon, its shell glowing crimson, unleashed a furious series of Flamethrowers and Eruption attacks, battering Groudon's massive form.
*Sssss*
*RMBL*
The cavern air grew scorching hot, heavy with the scent of sulfur. Finally, with a tectonic groan that vibrated through the very bedrock, Groudon's eyes, burning like molten gold, snapped open.
*RMBL*
Its immense body stirred, tremors shaking the cavern. With a roar that could split mountains, it plunged downwards, not into water, but into the earth itself, burrowing with incredible speed, determined to surface and reclaim its domain.
Maxie allowed himself a grim smile. He turned to Blaise, another Magma Admin, who stood nervously at the entrance of the chamber, "Archie may believe he has the advantage, celebrating his puny sea-level rise and the premature awakening of his leviathan. But he underestimates true strategy. Blaise, the orbs!"
Blaise, sweat pouring down his brow, presented two ancient artifacts—one, a vibrant crimson ruby, pulsed with an inner fire.
The other, a deep sapphire, shimmered with a cold, watery light. These were the Red and Blue Orbs, recovered from the sacred grounds of Mt. Pyre.
Maxie took them, his fingers brushing against their smooth, charged surfaces. Maxie declared, holding them aloft, "With these, we shall not merely awaken. We shall control. Control both titans, bend them to my will. Groudon will raise the land, and Kyogre will be forced to recede. Hoenn will be reborn, a monument to land, an end to the encroaching seas!"
His eyes narrowed, a cold fire burning within them as he muttered maliciously, "And that meddling Trainer, Azure Sky, who dared to thwart us in our previous endeavors, will witness the true power of Team Magma. His vengeance will be served, a world without the sea to remind him of his failures!"
Maxie and his assembled Team Magma grunts cheered victoriously. But from the shadows hiding in the very stone walls, a shadowy figure remained calm as he coldly smirked, "Good. It seems like those fools are doing the work for me, activating those Orbs just as planned."
Hiding in the stone wall with a Swampert and Alpha Garchomp was a tall figure, clad in a sleek black coat and a fedora hat that partially obscured his face. At his side, a powerful Swampert, its muscles rippling in anticipation shown to have followed them.
And Alpha Garchomp, its scales a dark, imposing grey, its fins extended like wicked blades, and its eyes glowing with raw power. The Alpha Garchomp growled but froze as the man, revealing his feature to be Giovanni, the Leader of Team Rocket, ordered harshly, "Be patient. You'll have your chance…"
Giovanni, his Swampert, and his Alpha Garchomp waited patiently for a chance. His goal was the Orbs in Maxie's hands were his target as he waited for the right chance to intervene, as both Orbs glowed.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Fortree City – Outskirts]
The crisp, clean air of Fortree City, usually scented with tree sap and mist, had become thick and abrasive. High above the forest floor, where the aerial metropolis of treehouses stood, Azure was conducting a dual training session.
His Kanto champions, Pikachu and Eevee, were sparring lightly against Sapphire's Chic and Ruby's mighty Mumu. The training clearing, bathed in sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, was a world of serene green.
Azure, lean and watchful with the calm intensity that defined a two-time League victor, watched his partners weave and dodge. Azure commanded, his voice measured, "Eevee, use Quick Attack, then Shadow Ball! Keep the distance!"
*Zooom*
Eevee, its fur the color of warm cream, zipped past Swampert's massive arm, releasing a burst of dark energy before landing gracefully. Ruby grinned, adjusting his pristine jacket, declared, "My turn! Mumu, Ice Punch!"
*Sssss*
But before Swampert could move, the world changed. It wasn't a slow build; it was an instantaneous, staggering wave of heat.
The temperature soared past reasonable levels, pressing down upon them like a physical weight. The air shimmered, and the fine dust of the forest floor began to smoke.
Sapphire gasped, stumbling back a step. The sudden surge of solar energy made her head spin as she uttered, stunned, "What in the name of—?"
Eevee whimpered, collapsing into a panting heap. Even the usually hardy Pikachu was forced to take cover beneath a low-hanging fern, its cheek pouches sparking erratically from the sudden heatwave.
*SIZZL*
Behind them, a cluster of thick, verdant vines suddenly darkened and curled inward. Before the eye could fully register the phenomenon, they weren't dried—they combusted. A quick, silent puff of flame consumed them, leaving a pile of fine, white ash that immediately blew away on a draft of hot wind.
Sapphire stared at the spot where the plants had been, her mouth agape as she asked, dumbfounded, "Did… did they just instant-fry?"
*Sssss*
The water in the nearby training cistern began to bubble violently, turning into steam that vanished almost before it reached ankle height. All around them, the rich greens of the Fortree canopy took on a sickly yellow-brown hue as the moisture was violently stripped away from them.
Ruby, momentarily forgetting the training, shielded his eyes as he yelled, startled, "This isn't standard weather! This is… cataclysmic!"
Azure, however, did not waver. His eyes, the color of the Hoenn sea, narrowed into slits of sharp, professional realization. He knew this heat, this profound, unnatural desiccation. It felt like the very heart of the planet had begun beating too fast…
*SIZZL*
It was Groudon. The ancient titan had awakened and had plunged deep, pulling the earth's crust inward and radiating core temperature outward. He barely registered the training arena; his focus was centered on the Master Ball on his belt.
*THRUM*
… The Master Ball, reserved for only the most essential partner, began to hum. It didn't vibrate violently, but offered a deep, resonant thrum—like a sleeping giant acknowledging the quarrel of siblings.
Azure thought, a grim certainty settling over him, 'Rayquaza is waking up. It knows the other two are awake…'
/////
[Hoenn Region, Fortree City – Gym (Data Room)]
Meanwhile, the remaining Hoenn Gym Leaders watched the unfolding catastrophe on a series of holographic screens. The Gym Leaders—Roxanne, Brawly, Norman, Winona, Wattson, and Wallace—stood rigid, their usual competitive energy replaced by stark alarm at the crisis occurring.
On one screen, mountainsides were turning to red dust; on another, coastal cities were being swallowed by massive, tidal surges. The Gym Leaders Tate and Liza, exhausted and concussed from an earlier, localized incident, were secured in Fortree City Gym, unavailable for duty.
Roxanne, usually composed, whispered, pushing her unease down as she said in a concerned voice, "The heat signature is unprecedented. Slateport is reporting temperatures exceeding any recorded metric."
Brawly, the Fighting-type expert, slammed his fist onto the console table as he was the first to react, "We must move! Dewford Town is already flooding! I need to get there and help stabilize the shorelines, my Pokémon are ready to—"
But he was immediately halted by the Chairman, "Hold it, Brawly!!"
The voice belonged to the Pokémon Association Chairman, a stern man whose presence commanded immediate respect. He stood before a large strategic map of Hoenn, his face etched with strain. The Chairman stated, pointing a laser at the map in a grim tone, "Your instinct is appreciated, Gym Leader, but unchecked aggression will only waste resources. Observe."
*Beep*
The map showed Groudon's position—a rapidly diving red signature in the southeastern deserts, corresponding perfectly with the drought zones. The Chairman continued, his voice heavy, "We are dealing with a crisis of duality. The incredible heat and desiccation are clearly caused by Groudon, diving deeper, drawing the planet's energy inward. But Groudon only awakened recently, yet the coastal floods began hours ago."
*Beep*
He flicked a switch. A deep blue signature appeared on the map, moving slowly but deliberately through the ocean currents off the western coast. The Chairman revealed grimly to the situation, "We have a second, equally powerful source of energy. An entity moving through the deep ocean, driving the tides into a frenzy, causing the rapid advance of the floods: Kyogre."
A deep dread settled over the room. The Chairman's hand swept across the center of Hoenn, tracing an imaginary line through the jagged peaks of Mt. Chimney and the lush forests of Route 119 as he continued in a dire voice, "Their energies are on the move. They are not chasing each other, but they are following predetermined, opposing paths. If they continue these trajectories, the legendary titans will eventually clash at the dead center of Hoenn. The resulting conflict could shatter the region."
The Chairman turned to the leaders. He began issuing commands with sharp precision, "We must prioritize survival until we can affect the cause. Our mission is twofold: stabilization and evacuation. Roxanne, Brawly: You are our drought relief. Take your teams to the areas hit hardest by Groudon's heat. Use Rock and Fighting types to stabilize collapsing structures and clear paths for civilians. Move them out. Wattson, Flannery, you are flood relief. Use your power types to safely navigate the deluge and extract citizens from inundated areas, particularly around Lilycove and the eastern coast."
The Gym Leaders nodded grimly. But Brawly asked, confused, "But where are we taking them? There is nowhere safe enough on the surface to house millions of citizens away from both fire and water!"
The Electric-type expert's eyes suddenly brightened as Wattson intervened, saying, "Wait! New Mauville! It's an old city built deep underground beneath the currents! It's airtight, stable, and shielded. It's perfect."
The Chairman confirmed Wattson's claims as he explained to each of them, "Exactly, Wattson. All rescued citizens must be directed to New Mauville immediately. Winona, you have the unique advantage of air superiority. You are Commander of this operation. Coordinate the movements and prioritize the evacuation routes."
Winona, the normally ethereal Flying-type master, stood tall, her gaze fixed on the crisis map as she replied resolutely, "Understood, Chairman. We mobilize immediately."
The Chairman then stated, his eyes flicking to a separate communications screen, "Oh, and one more thing. One final, and most crucial, assignment. This requires the resource we only recently acquired."
He addressed the screen, knowing the broadcast signal was being sent to Azure's Arc Phone as he said bluntly, ordering him, "Azure Sky. Groudon is stationary for now, but Kyogre is moving rapidly and was the first to wake. If we can subdue one, we can disrupt the convergence point. You are the only person in Hoenn right now with the power necessary for that task. You must locate the sea titan."
The Chairman confirmed the last confirmed sighting as he said, sending the message to Azure, "Kyogre was last spotted near the Abandoned Ship, somewhere in Route 108. Head there, Trainer."
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A/N: Reach the goal of 200 PS to get a Bonus Chapter! Also, Rotation and Boxes have been updated!