Chapter 322: Beginning of the End (3) [Bonus]
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Fortree City – Gym's Entrance]
Azure, still standing in the dust-choked clearing of Fortree, nodded once at the receiving screen. The clarity of the Chairman's orders cut through the panic as he received the message from his Arc Phone.
His Eevee and Pikachu pressed against his legs, eager yet wary. Ruby and Sapphire found him moments later, sprinting through the ruined landscape, their faces streaked with ash and sweat.
Sapphire exclaimed, grabbing his arm in a stunned tone, "Master! Did you hear that? Groudon and Kyogre! This is the real deal!"
Ruby insisted calmly, his usual bravado mixed with genuine fear for the region, "We need to help."
*Fwp*
The faint sound of massive wings beating the oppressive air grew louder, signaling the arrival of the Gym Leaders descending to the nearby rendezvous point. Azure looked at his two young partners as he stated calmly, "We are helping. Listen to the command structure. We have assignments."
They arrived at the staging area just as the Gym Leaders were pairing up and preparing for deployment. The scene was one of disciplined urgency: Roxanne's sturdy Golems readying for surface transport; Wattson's Manectric crackling with defensive energy.
Winona called out, descending from her Altaria, "Azure, there you are!"
She was already in commander mode, issuing coordinates to her fellow leaders as they all left to action, "We are moving out in pairs, covering vast territory. Sapphire, you are with me. We need fast eyes on evacuation choke points."
Sapphire looked at Azure, a mixture of terror and excitement in her eyes, before resolutely mounting the back of her Troppy. Wallace, the flamboyant Water-type master, announced, already gracefully positioned atop his massive, shimmering Gyarados, "Ruby, you are with me. We'll assist them. Hold tight."
Ruby, awestruck but determined, scrambled onto the sea serpent's back. Winona turned to Azure as she stated, "The Chairman informed me of your current objective. The Abandoned Ship on Route 108. You need a partner for the flight. Norman will accompany you. His Flygon is fast and reliable for long-distance tracking."
Norman, the Normal-type Gym Leader and Ruby's father, walked up, his expression serious as he stated, "Azure. It is an honor to fly point for you. We must move before the seas become too agitated."
Azure simply smiled, a slow, predatory grin that was rarely seen but spoke volumes of his confidence when facing a challenge this immense. He reached down and retrieved the Master Ball from his belt.
Azure said, tossing the Master Ball high overhead, "Route 108 it is."
*Pop*
The ball opened with a brilliant, blinding flash of emerald green energy, far more potent than any standard Poké Ball release…
*RMBL*
The air momentarily stilled. The oppressive heat seemed to recoil, followed by a roar from the heavens, "GAROOO!!!!"
A magnificent serpentine Pokémon, the color of the clear, upper atmosphere itself, erupted from the light. It was Rayquaza, the Sky High Pokémon, a being of unimaginable power and grace, segmented armor plating reflecting the dying sunlight.
Its massive jaws opened in a silent, challenging roar that vibrated through the bones of every person present. Ruby and Sapphire, already mounted and ready to depart, stared back in utter shock.
They had heard rumors about Azure's secret weapon, the Pokémon he carried only for the gravest of threats, but seeing the legendary beast in person was paralyzing. Ruby stammered, pointing a shaking finger, "You… you had… that?"
Azure barely registered the surprise. He hopped nimbly onto the ancient head of Rayquaza, settling just behind its majestic crest.
*Tmp*
Azure commanded, pointing Rayquaza's snout southwest, toward the turbulent sea, "Let's fly, Norman."
Norman, though visibly startled by the sheer force of the Legendary presence, was a professional. He quickly summoned his own partner, "Flygon, maximum velocity! Follow Rayquaza's ascent!"
*Pop*
Flygon, a powerful dragon of desert and wind, took to the air, struggling to keep pace with the swift, effortless rise of the Sky High Pokémon. With a deep thrum of displaced air, Rayquaza vanished into the upper atmosphere, heading toward the coast and the churning waters where Kyogre was stirring…
The simultaneous relief and evacuation missions across Hoenn began immediately. Roxanne and Brawly's teams worked tirelessly in the searing heat of the inner regions, stabilizing cracked highways and extracting frightened families from rapidly deteriorating homes.
The ground beneath them felt like a furnace, but the promise of sanctuary kept them moving. Wattson and Flannery navigated the chaotic coastal floods.
Wattson's electric types cleared debris and charged temporary pumps, while Flannery's fire types used controlled heating to create steam cushions, allowing swift boat transport through precarious waters.
The critical instruction, relayed via every available communications channel, was simple: Head towards New Mauville. On the surface, Hoenn was a map of chaos—half burned, half drowned.
But beneath the earth, a beacon of hope was being established. Citizens streamed toward the single, unmarked access point outside of Mauville City.
The long ramp down felt safe, shielded from the violent extremes above. They were families, travelers, and trainers, carrying only what they could manage, guided by the tireless efforts of the Pokémon Association staff…
/////
[Hoenn Region, Later, Route 123]
Azure, though currently pursuing his own quest elsewhere in the tumultuous region of Hoenn, with Norman, they hurried to they're destination. But here, over the jagged cliffs and tempestuous coast, it was Winona, Wallace, and the younger, scrappier heroes, Ruby and Sapphire, who bore witness to the unfolding catastrophe.
They soared through the gale—Winona astride her majestic Altaria, Wallace perched regally on his massive Gyarados, with Ruby riding along. Sapphire was holding tight to her Troppy, flying low, hugging the coastline that was rapidly being swallowed by the sea.
*Fwp*
Winona shouted, her voice thin against the roar of the wind, clutching her Rotom Phone tightly of the news, "The Chairman's coordinates were right, "Route 123. This is the nexus where they'll meet."
Wallace responded, adjusting his grip on Gyarados's scale, "Nexus is too polite a word, Winona. This is the epicenter of a planetary nervous breakdown."
*RMBL*
The weather, which had been merely violent, suddenly became truly disastrous. The energy fields emanating from the submerged Kyogre and the deep-dwelling Groudon achieved kinetic equilibrium.
*SPLASH*
With a sound that ripped through the air like tearing silk, a colossal wave of pure, churning ocean water slammed head-on into a rising mass of scorched, volcanic earth. The collision wasn't just physical; it was elemental.
The sheer force of the opposing energies caused an instantaneous, localized atmospheric reaction. The resulting tsunami, hundreds of feet high, didn't break conventionally; instead, upon striking the shore several miles away, it evaporated.
A blinding wall of superheated steam shot into the turbulent sky, leaving behind a wide, smoking expanse of barren, cracked seabed where the tidal zone once flourished. Sapphire, gripping the reins of her Tropius, Troppy, gasped, pushing her goggles up to wipe the saltwater spray from her face as she muttered in disbelief, "That wasn't a wave, that was a weapon."
*SPLASH*
As the immediate danger of vaporization subsided, another, equally troubling sight emerged. The unnatural disturbance, the rapid evaporation, and the subsequent withdrawal of the water had violently ejected dozens of sea-dwelling Pokémon onto the scorched land.
*Fwp*
Sharpedo flopped helplessly, Tentacool withered in the dry heat, and Luvdisc lay stranded, their iridescent scales quickly dulling. Ruby yelled, already leaping off Gyarados's back and landing lightly on the steaming rocks, his hands flying to his Poké Balls, "They need water, now! Nana! Mumu! Help me get them back!"
*Pop*
Sapphire nodded grimly, summoning her powerful Relicanth, Relly. The two trainers, momentarily forgetting the magnitude of the legendary crisis, moved with practiced urgency, rushing to push the larger, heavier Pokémon back towards the receding waterline sea.
Winona and Wallace maintained their aerial vigil, watching for the next inevitable wave of destruction. Winona warned, but her voice was lost as the ground beneath them began to vibrate again, "They cannot stay down there! The energy is still unstable!"
*SPLASH*
The ocean, temporarily repelled by the earth's fury, rebounded with vengeance. A shadow fell over Route 123, cast not by clouds, but by water.
The remaining ocean surface rose, silently and impossibly fast, forming a monolithic wall. This wasn't the steam-generating collision wave; this was a massive, conventional tidal surge, approaching at terrifying velocity, poised to engulf the entire coastline and everything within miles.
Ruby, Nana, Mumu, Relly, and Sapphire were trapped between the cliffs and the approaching deluge. Winona screamed, recognizing the lethality of the situation, "We won't escape in time!"
*Pop*
Her eyes narrowed with fierce determination, hurled a Poke Ball out, ordering, "Masquerain! Silver Wind! Aim for the crest!"
Her elegant, winged partner shot forward, a blur of powder-blue wings. It unleashed a powerful Silver Wind, a concentrated blast of sparkling, pressurized air, impacting the leading edge of the tidal wave.
*WOOOSH*
The attack was pitifully small compared to the scale of the water, but it bought precious seconds, slightly disrupting the wave's smooth surface tension. Wallace didn't hesitate as he assisted, "Gyarados! Now! Hyper Beam!"
*PEW*
The massive Leviathan, the backbone of Wallace's team, opened its jaws and unleashed an unparalleled torrent of orange, destructive energy. The Hyper Beam struck the partially destabilized crest where Masquerain's attack had landed.
*BOOOM*
The combination of the two powerful attacks caused the enormous wave to buckle inward tragically, splitting its bulk into two separate, massive surges that roared past either side of the coastline. The resulting downdraft was tremendous, soaking the area, but the core of the destructive force missed Ruby and Sapphire by mere feet.
Without wasting a breath, Winona dove, Masquerain scooping up Sapphire with surprising strength. Wallace did the same, Gyarados expertly snagging Ruby's arm and lifting him high above the turbulent froth.
*Beep*
They retreated to a safer altitude just as the Rotom Phone in Winona's hand blazed to life. The caller ID showed Wattson. Wattson's voice was strained, laced with the crackle of electricity, "Winona, are you there? Can you hear me over the static? Winona!!"
Her eyes widened as she replied urgently, wanting information on their end, "Wattson! We hear you. What's going on?"
Seeing the view from Wattson's Rotom Phone, she could see them battling Kyogre as he exclaimed, "We're on the water—well, what's left of it. Flannery and I used Magmar and Electabuzz's Teleport to get right to Kyogre's location. It's… immense. We've been hitting it with everything we have. Electabuzz's Thunderbolt, Magmar's Fire Blast—none of it is doing real damage! It just shakes the attacks off like raindrops!"
*SPLASH*
A tremendous splash sounded through the phone, followed by Wattson's grunt of effort. Wattson sounded desperate, but still defiant a he continued, "It just launched a Sheer Cold! We barely dodged it. Listen, Winona, you've travelled the world; you've seen things. Give us something! Any advice on defeating this monster if raw power isn't cutting it? We won't give up, but we need an edge!"
*BUZZ*
Winona's mind raced, but before she could formulate a strategy against a legendary behemoth, the line cut out, replaced by sharp, blinding white noise. She whispered, her heart sinking, "He's gone…"
Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the younger trainers huddled near her, explaining to them, "Wattson and Flannery are battling on the water, Brawly and Roxanne are already on the ground waiting for Groudon to surface."
Sapphire said suddenly, pointing toward the distance, "Wait!"
She sounded calmer now, her professional instincts kicking in despite the fear as she continued in a confused voice, "The storm… it stopped. Just like that. The insane wind, the rain—it's gone."
Indeed, the sky, though still bruised, had lost its chaotic turbulence. The only movement was the residual sloshing of the sea.
Ruby added, pointing toward the cliffs behind them, "And look at the earth. It's not just drying up; it's rising. I can feel the heat from here."
*RMBL*
Winona's eyes widened with horrifying realization as she yelled, "The sudden calm! It's the silence before the earth erupts! Groudon is coming to the surface!"
She frantically tapped the screen of her Rotom Phone, trying to reconnect to the grid. She managed to get a weak signal to her fellow Gym Leaders as she yelled, "Brawly! Roxanne! Status update! Groudon is emerging!"
From the other end of her Roton Phone showed Brawly, the Fighting-type master, answered immediately, his voice filled with adrenaline, "We feel it, Winona! The temperature here is rising faster than Torkoal in an oven! The ground is shaking so hard my Hariyama can barely keep his footing!"
Roxanne, the stoic Rock-type specialist, added, her voice clipped and professional, "We're positioned near an ancient fault line. We believe it will surface here. Prepare yourselves, everyone. We must hold the line."
*BUZZ*
The feed ended abruptly with a tremendous, grinding screech, a sound like continental plates tearing apart. Winona watched, horrified, as the distant earth began to literally buckle…
*RMBL*
Fault lines opened into glowing canyons of lava. The cliffs Brawly and Roxanne were stationed on began to crumble like dry clay.
*RMBL*
Then, emerging from the heart of the shattered Hoenn bedrock, radiating heat that shimmered the air for miles around, was the colossal, terrifying form of Groudon. Its roar was a vibration felt deep in the chest, not merely heard by the ears.
Winona lost her signal entirely. The digital connection was shattered by the intense energy spike. She stared at the blank screen, then at the landscape being consumed by fire and ocean.
As the 2 trainers and the Gym Leader hung suspended in the humid, oppressive air, paralyzed by the sheer scale of the battles now raging across the region, a new sensation pierced the silence. It was not a physical sound, but a voice—metallic, ancient, and undeniably telepathic—that echoed simultaneously in the minds of Winona, Wallace, Ruby, and Sapphire.
'Foolish children. Valiant, but utterly misguided.'
The voice was shared, cutting through the fear and the adrenaline. It carried a weight of sorrow and immense age as they heard they're voices, 'The Gym Leaders battle shadows. They fight the consequence, not the source. Even if their combined might were doubled, even if the trainers of Kanto and Johto joined them, the destruction would not stop. These forms are not acting freely. They are driven. The true battle, the crux of the calamity, is taking place not on the surface of the land or the sea, but deep, hidden underground.'
The voices vanished as abruptly as they had appeared, leaving behind a chilling sense of emptiness and doubt. Wallace asked, turning his head sharply, searching the swirling air for a source, "Did you… hear that?"
Ruby muttered, glancing worriedly at his partner, Sapphire, whose face was pale, "A Pokémon? A high-level Psychic?"
Before they could contemplate the enigmatic warning, a delicate, almost comical intrusion occurred. From the direction of the mainland, a small, shimmering bubble of psychic energy drifted toward them.
Inside the bubble were two figures: an elderly woman with silver hair bound in a simple knot, and an old man, frail but with eyes that still held a keen spark. They were the former guardians of the sacred Orbs at Mt. Pyre.
The bubble was created by their faithful Chimecho, which hovered near the top, visibly struggling to maintain the protective sphere against the lingering atmospheric chaos. Suddenly, the residual heat of Groudon's emergence or the psychic strain of the environment proved too much.
*Pop*
Chimecho let out a pained chime, and the protective energy shimmered, then winked out entirely. The old couple plummeted toward the scorched earth.
Sapphire instantly reacted, urging her giant Grass-type Pokémon forward, "Troppy! Glide in to the rescue!"
*Fwp*
Troppy flew low and fast, its massive wings beating the air furiously. Sapphire expertly maneuvered the Pokémon, catching the old couple on Troppy's soft, broad back just above the ground.
She gently helped them slide down, asking confused, "Are you alright? Who are you?"
The elderly woman, leaning heavily on her partner, looked up at Sapphire with immense relief, but her expression quickly hardened into urgency. The old man wheezed, shaking off the shock of the fall, "We are the former guardians of Mt. Pyre… The guardians of the Red and Blue Orbs."
Winona and Wallace landed, concern etched on their faces. The Orbs.
Legendary artifacts capable of controlling the primordial beasts. The old woman explained, clutching her partner's sleeve, "We passed on our roles to Tate and Liza when our age made the ascent too difficult. We knew the power the Orbs held—the power to calm, the power to control."
Tears welled in the old man's eyes as he explained in a heartbroken tone, "But the Orbs were stolen. And Tate and Liza are currently trapped. Trapped in some heinous illusion, unable to act."
Winona and Wallace shared a glance, knowing what they meant, unaware that those two were rescued but are out of commission. He looked around at the chaos, the steam, the distant flicker of lava, and the sound of Wattson and Flannery's battle carried faintly on the wind as the old man continued, "We heard the news reports about the destruction. We knew we couldn't waste time arguing with people who wouldn't listen. We ran."
The woman finished, her voice rising with a frantic intensity, "We had to find someone… someone who understands how hopeless the surface battles are! They are fighting puppets!"
The guardians finally disclosed the terrible truth of the shared voices. The source of the energy clash, the reason for the relentless aggression of the two Legendary Pokémon, was not mutual hatred, but manipulation.
The man declared, his voice ringing with authority despite his frailty, "Someone is holding the Orbs. Someone is directing their power, forcing them to fight! You must understand... fighting the Pokémon is utterly pointless!"
He pointed a trembling finger toward the shattered coastline, not towards the ocean, but down, where the earth had ruptured to allow Groudon's emergence as he explained, "The real opponents, the ones pulling the strings, are at the Seafloor Cavern. That is where the Orbs are being used. You must stop the true enemy. Only then will these titans be freed from their enforced madness."
The crushing weight of their initial mission—to assist the Gym Leaders—dissipated, replaced by a terrifying clarity. They were looking in the wrong direction. The real battle was not a clash of legendaries, but a confrontation with a human power so arrogant it sought to enslave the gods of earth and sea.
Winona looked at Wallace, then at the frantic young heroes. The roar of Groudon split the air again, a terrifying reminder of the clock ticking down to total annihilation. They had their orders.
The surface was lost to combat; they had to go deep. The fate of Hoenn now lay on the desperate journey into the hidden depths toward the Seafloor Cavern. But both Ruby and Sapphire looked at each other, knowing how to proceed as Wallace and Winona were at a loss on how to reach them…
/////
A/N: Reach the goal of 250 PS to get a bonus Chapter!