"…Among countless ancient records and cave murals excavated by the League, all of them show the same thing—whenever Groudon and Kyogre clash, Rayquaza always appears at the final moment to stop them, forcing both back into slumber. Because of this, Rayquaza is the key."
"The reason Rayquaza intervenes remains unknown. It may believe that both sea and land fall under the dominion of the sky, and that it bears the responsibility of commanding Groudon and Kyogre. Or it may simply be acting to prevent their battle from destroying the world itself."
Norman's voice was calm and deliberate, his words slow but clear. Logan followed beside him, listening silently without interrupting.
"Even Pokémon revered as gods possess minds fundamentally different from humans. Though they wield immense power, they still retain the instincts of beasts—defending their territory is only natural. According to League investigations, the war between Groudon and Kyogre likely lasted for hundreds of millions of years. Countless species and even human civilizations in Hoenn were wiped out during their clashes."
At this point, Norman's brows furrowed deeply. It was obvious he was worried about Hoenn's present fate.
"But in a relatively recent ancient civilization, they encountered a resurgence of Groudon and Kyogre's battle. That civilization did not sit idly by. Using an unknown method, they created orbs capable of controlling Groudon and Kyogre, intending to stop the conflict."
Logan picked up the thread naturally.
During his time in the League's archive, Logan hadn't only researched Latios and Latias—he had also delved deeply into Rayquaza's myths. And Rayquaza's legends were inseparable from Groudon and Kyogre. As a result, Logan was intimately familiar with Hoenn's three super-ancient Pokémon.
Among the chaotic, half-forgotten records in the archive, Logan had even uncovered a secret that perhaps only he now knew.
Those two orbs tied to Groudon and Kyogre were not ordinary artifacts. Nor could one simply obtain them and immediately command the two Legendary Pokémon.
There was a critical process involved in controlling them—one that even the League had never uncovered.
That process was—
Sacrifice.
Humans might lack the supernatural power of Pokémon, but they shared the same fundamental essence: life energy—the source of all living beings. The bond between a Trainer and Pokémon was, at its core, a connection between their life energies.
And sacrifice—by its very nature—was cruel.
Ancient societies were far less civilized than the modern world. And when facing the survival of an entire civilization, there was no atrocity they would not commit.
According to the records Logan had found, that ancient civilization purified the two orbs through ritual sacrifice—offering human life energy itself—before finally gaining control over the two gods.
In other words, even possessing the Red Orb and Blue Orb meant nothing without knowing the sacrificial ritual. Worse still, ignorance of the process could lead to backlash, loss of control—or even death.
Logan kept this secret to himself.
He knew it could be used to great effect.
"As the Champion mentioned," Norman continued, "history shows that civilization ultimately failed. The reason remains unknown. However, based on their final actions, the League believes their failure stemmed from overlooking Rayquaza."
"…Ancient records indicate that after failing to control Groudon and Kyogre, the civilization quickly initiated a new plan—to create a third orb capable of controlling Rayquaza itself."
"But for unknown reasons, the third orb was never completed. Before their plan could be realized, their nation was annihilated by the clash between Groudon and Kyogre, and their civilization vanished entirely."
As they spoke, the two arrived before the tallest ruined building. Vines resembling ivy covered the exterior, and the iron doors were tightly sealed with heavy locks.
Norman was about to throw a Poké Ball to break the door when Logan gently patted Eevee's small head on his shoulder.
"Vee!"
Eevee chirped cutely, leaping down from Logan's shoulder and smashing its head straight into the iron door.
DUANG—!
The center of the metal door caved in. With a screech of twisting steel, the long-neglected gate collapsed inward.
Seeing the door destroyed, Norman silently returned his Poké Ball, merely glancing once at Eevee. That single headbutt was enough to reveal the Pokémon's terrifying strength.
Eevee hopped back onto Logan's shoulder, and Logan scratched under its chin in praise.
After fighting and traveling alongside Logan for so long, Eevee had grown extraordinarily powerful. Logan usually relied on its evolutions for type advantage, but even unevolved, Eevee was already a formidable Normal-type Pokémon.
Stepping over the fallen door, Norman waved away the drifting dust and continued up the stairs.
"…The orb used to control Rayquaza was simply named the Green Orb by the League. We were fortunate to uncover the ruins of the ancient research facility where it was first created, along with a vast amount of data."
"…This institute was built using a fusion of ancient and modern technology. The League hoped to complete the half-finished Green Orb here, then locate the Red Orb and Blue Orb to finally accomplish what the extinct civilization once sought—to end the divine war that began in the distant super-ancient era."
After ascending the stairs, turning twice, and descending again, they arrived in an underground chamber.
"But judging by the state of this place," Logan asked directly, "the Green Orb's creation ultimately failed. Why?"
"You'll understand in a moment, Champion."
Norman wasn't being cryptic—he simply believed seeing it firsthand would be clearer than any explanation.
Entering the underground facility, Norman flipped a switch on the wall.
"…This underground area is the true core of the institute. The buildings above were merely cover and auxiliary structures."
The lights flickered on.
What appeared before Logan was a fully intact research facility—advanced equipment, complete systems, everything in working order. It stood in stark contrast to the ruined buildings above.
"The footage is here," Norman said, pulling up a video on a computer and stepping aside.
"Champion of Kanto—see for yourself."
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