"——So, so amazing!"
Nemona and the others on Wailord's back stared with wide eyes, mouths agape wide enough to fit an egg. From a distance they had clearly witnessed Lucas and Lugia completely dominating Groudon. Only the word "shocking" could capture their true feelings.
Steven, supporting the injured Wallace—who had received emergency first aid from Shizuka and been force-fed an "egg"—wore a complicated expression, as did Wallace himself. From their viewpoint, it wasn't hard to guess how Lucas had made Lugia unilaterally suppress Groudon. Even they could probably pull off something similar—only their reaction speed and precision might fall short of Lucas's.
With just one read of the opponent's intentions, neither Steven nor Wallace could think of anyone more formidable than Lucas right now. Who in their right mind would, the exact instant Groudon opened its mouth to charge Flamethrower, have Lugia blast Hydro Pump straight into its jaws without the slightest hesitation?
That said, even if the two champions were confident they could somewhat predict Groudon's and Kyogre's movement patterns through experience, predicting and actually handling them were two entirely different matters.
Why could Lucas keep Groudon suppressed? Because Lugia's base stats were simply that high! It stood on the same tier as Groudon and Kyogre—legendary Pokémon whose stamina and energy reserves far exceeded those of ordinary Pokémon by an entire dimension. Steven and Wallace had suppressed Groudon and Kyogre before, but that very "weakness" had caused them to gradually fall behind against the duo's unreasonable physiques.
Now, watching the ongoing clash between Lucas & Lugia and Groudon & Maxie, it seemed Groudon's influence had dulled even Maxie's intellect as its external brain. In contrast, under Lucas's command Lugia fought with increasing ferocity, showing none of the disheveled state it had displayed when hunted by the legendary birds in the Orange Islands incident. Groudon, meanwhile, had only just awakened with an empty stomach. Perhaps victory was truly possible!
The two champions exchanged glances, a spark of hope flickering in both pairs of eyes.
Elsewhere, Lance's attention was split between Lucas's battle and the two colossal Pokémon—particularly Kyogre. He was no stranger to the giant Tentacruel; at the start of the previous year the Kanto region had held numerous meetings, large and small, about the giant Tentacruel incidents. In the end, Chairman Goodshow had overruled proposals to capture the creature for study, deeming its power too dangerous to leave roaming Kanto's seas unchecked. The Kanto League had instead dispatched Lorelei—expert in both Ice- and Water-types—to negotiate, and an agreement was reached.
When the giant Tentacruel appeared, Lance had been baffled about where Lucas had met it and how he had persuaded a Pokémon that, according to Lorelei, harbored considerable hostility toward humans to come and help. But now, compared to the giant Tentacruel, Lance's gaze was completely captured by that massive orange-yellow silhouette.
A giant Dragonite existed in this world?! Not the guardian "Big Dragonite" of the Dragon Sanctuary—Big Dragonite was only slightly larger than a normal Dragonite. This giant Dragonite stood at least a hundred meters tall by visual estimate!
At that very moment the giant Dragonite was locked in fierce combat with Kyogre. More than energy attacks, its greatest asset was its enormous body. Though it inevitably carried the weakness of being an easy target, that same body—bolstered by Victini's boundless energy—could unleash power that would make even Kyogre pale. Neither Kyogre nor Groudon had been allowed to complete Primal Reversion; both had been kidnapped while asleep, awakened hungry in an unfamiliar place, and the natural energy of Hoenn was not yet dense enough for them to revert. The orbs that could bypass that requirement were currently locked onto the opposing external brains.
The situation had grown awkward.
The giant Tentacruel knew full well it only looked gigantic; it lacked the raw power to trade blows with Kyogre. So it played the opportunist—while Kyogre's attention was drawn by the giant Dragonite, it used the cover of clashing moves to send every tentacle surging forward, weaving them into a net that trapped Kyogre for a time. Even though many irreplaceable tentacles were torn away, leaving the giant Tentacruel somewhat disappointed, seeing Kyogre's entire body bubbling with purple toxin—even its pristine white underbelly tinged violet—made every sacrifice worthwhile.
I poisoned the creator of the sea!
Already weakened by hunger, Kyogre now suffered even more under the poison's corrosion. Its proud majesty as ocean sovereign was crumbling beneath the giant Dragonite's might.
"ROOOAAAR——!!"
Empowered by Victini's infinite energy, the ancient giant Dragonite—survivor of countless ages—fought like a war god. Golden Dragon-type aura flared across its body. Dragon Pulse met Origin Pulse head-on; the colliding energies erupted into towering waves across the sea.
Seizing the momentary stalemate, the giant Dragonite lunged forward. Its mountain-rending claws plunged into the churning water and seized the diving Kyogre with perfect precision.
"Wuuu——!" Kyogre cried out in pain as its massive piscine body was hauled bodily from the sea, scales grinding audibly under the crushing grip.
It had never imagined humiliation by simple size disparity. Thrashing desperately, Kyogre seized control of the falling raindrops. Blue-white light blazed once more as an unprecedented barrage of Origin Pulses hammered the giant Dragonite like cluster rockets. At the same time, freezing breath poured from its fanged maw, encasing the giant Dragonite in ice.
The giant Dragonite clenched its jaws, refusing to black out under the onslaught.
"Vimi!"
Victini, safely shielded, poured every remaining ounce of support into its friend—even as its own stamina and focus neared their limits.
In the next instant the two golden antennae and single horn on the giant Dragonite's head snapped upright like antennas. Blinding lightning gathered at their tips; storm clouds across the entire sea were drawn inward, forming a terrifying thunder vortex.
"It's Thunder—don't take it head-on!" Archie's voice cracked with panic.
Kyogre thrashed harder, but before it could break free the giant Dragonite's long-prepared strike descended.
BOOM——!!!
A colossal thunder pillar, wide enough to engulf the giant Dragonite's entire body, crashed from the heavens like divine judgment. Guided by the antennae, the bolt engulfed both the giant Dragonite and the imprisoned Kyogre.
The sea lit up as bright as day. Kyogre convulsed violently, emitting heart-rending screams. When the lightning finally faded, the giant Dragonite released its grip. Kyogre floated belly-up, body charred black, tiny sparks dancing across its scales.
The giant Dragonite stood tall upon the waves, threw back its head, and roared in triumph.
Then its body swayed—about to collapse—only for the giant Tentacruel's tentacles to catch it.
"Bo-wu…"
The giant Dragonite gave its savior a grateful look. The giant Tentacruel blushed and turned away, carefully keeping its tentacles from secreting any poison.
On the water's surface, Kyogre stared blankly at the clearing sky, lost in thought.
I… lost?
The creator of the sea could not yet accept reality.
Archie—face twisted as though he had lost an entire household register—never got the chance to act. Lance and Dragonite struck without hesitation; Archie toppled onto the aircraft, unconscious. The Red Orb fused to him slowly expelled itself.
The sky's haze had vanished. Rain ceased. Temperature began to climb.
Lance retrieved the Red Orb, turned toward Monsu Island under the blazing sun, and murmured, "Now it's up to Lucas and Lugia."
…
The thunderclap had been impossible to ignore. Even while fully focused on commanding Lugia against Groudon, Lucas had glanced back several times. The giant Dragonite truly was something special. Many Dragon-types grew stronger with age; an ancient giant Dragonite with Victini's aid and a perfect finishing blow had been more than enough to fell a weakened, non-Primal Kyogre.
But the early conclusion of that fight suddenly doubled the pressure here.
The root cause lay in the "balance" between Hoenn's two legendary titans. Expansion of Land and Expansion of Ocean were their instincts—the weathers they commanded were polar opposites. They were the two pans of a scale: when one weakened, the other strengthened.
With Kyogre defeated, that balance shattered. Unchecked Groudon began expanding its weather domain at terrifying speed. Scorching sunlight blanketed the sea; air itself warped from heat. The lava patterns on Groudon's shell blazed brighter; its power surged.
"This is bad…"
The spectators' hearts clenched.
Shizuka looked ready to curse like a gamer facing broken mechanics. A stat-monster boss was one thing, but a simultaneous-defeat requirement? How was anyone supposed to win?!
Most trainers would have been helpless. But another "Sea God" stood ready. Even if Lugia lacked Kyogre's mastery, its power could temporarily counter Groudon's influence.
Pure white wings sliced the blistering air. Lucas's command cracked like thunder:
"Lugia—Rain Dance!"
Lugia threw back its head and sang. Mystical blue light flowed along its slender neck. Monsoon winds swept in carrying the sea's salty tang. Deep currents shifted under invisible force. Evaporated seawater reconverged into countless glittering droplets.
"Wuuu——!!"
With Lugia's melodic cry the crimson sky was suddenly drowned in ink. Groudon's sunlight domain tore open; dark clouds gathered like an army, forming a supercell rain cloud tens of kilometers across.
The first raindrop struck Groudon's superheated shell with a sharp hiss. Then the heavens opened.
"Impossible!!" Maxie's disbelieving shriek was swallowed by the downpour.
Silver-white wings spread wide, Lugia hovered at the storm's heart. Heavy rain and blazing sun clashed once more, suppressing Groudon's runaway power.
Groudon's golden eyes narrowed to slits. The volcano on Monsu Island roared. Magma fountained a kilometer into the sky, painting the sea like hell itself.
Against that apocalyptic backdrop, both sides unleashed their ultimate techniques.
"ROOOAAAR——!!!" Groudon's most savage roar yet shook the world. Countless crimson rock blades erupted—not scattered thrusts, but a single colossal lava-wreathed sword of Precipice Blades that hurtled toward Lugia with world-ending force.
Lucas's coat whipped in the heat. Despite the crisis, he smiled with absolute confidence. His left hand stroked the smooth shell of Terapagos—which had somehow emerged—while his right hand thrust the Tera Orb skyward. Blinding crystalline light, brighter than a supernova, erupted.
"Lugia—Terastallize!"
"Shrieeek——!!!"
Lugia's pure white feathers instantly crystallized. Countless hexagonal crystal shields bloomed across its body. Most astonishing of all: the enormous Terastal crown forming atop its head was not Psychic- or Flying-type. It shone with mysterious starlight—an eighteen-attribute special Terastal.
Terastallize.
"And now—Aeroblast!!"
Lucas's voice echoed across heaven and earth. Terastal energy fused perfectly with Flying-type power. Lugia's wings spread to their absolute limit. In an instant the air over the entire sea was sucked into a super-cyclone more than a hundred meters wide that slammed into the oncoming Precipice Blades.
BOOOOOOM——!!!
When the attacks met, time itself seemed to freeze.
Then came the sight that left everyone speechless.
The Precipice Blades—always the one doing the piercing—was itself pierced clean through by the Aeroblast. The undiminished cyclone continued onward and smashed directly into Groudon's chest. Terastal energy detonated in countless brilliant crystal sparks across its body.
"No—this can't be!!" Maxie trembled violently, face drained of color.
Groudon staggered backward. The ground beneath its feet collapsed under the cyclone's impact. Moments later the raging vortex swallowed Groudon completely, slamming it to the earth.
…