Want to read ahead. You know where
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"Rooaar!!"
The roar echoed through the skies, shaking the clouds apart.
Its voice wasn't just the cry of a dragon, it was a call to hope.
The despair that had weighed down the hearts of people across Hoenn suddenly felt lighter.
High above the gathered crowd, Sam stood on Rayquaza's back, wind whipping through his hair.
"Samuel! Professor Sam!"
"Rayquaza!"
The voices of countless trainers rose in unison, filled with awe and relief.
Among the crowd stood Wallace, Steven, and the other Hoenn Elite Four.
Every eye was locked on Sam, the man who had ridden a legend from the heavens.
Sam could feel the weight of their expectations.
The tension, the fear, they were all looking to him for a miracle.
He glanced down at Cynthia, who stood a few steps behind the front line.
Her calm, golden eyes met his, and a small smile crossed his face.
Taking a deep breath, he faced the sky and raised his voice so that everyone could hear.
"Even if the world itself turns against us… not one of you took a single step back!"
His voice boomed across the field, carried by the wind.
"I believe, if we stand together, if we give everything we have we will overcome this disaster!"
He clenched his fist.
"We will never lose!"
"Roooaaarrr!!!"
Rayquaza's cry followed his words, shaking the very ground beneath them.
The green serpent's scales shimmered like emerald lightning, its presence enough to ignite courage in even the faintest hearts.
A surge of energy swept through the crowd.
Trainers, Gym Leaders, and even ordinary citizens began to shout with renewed spirit.
"We will not lose!"
"We won't lose!!!"
Wallace's voice broke through the cheers as he threw an arm around Steven's shoulders.
"Steven! We're not losing this time!"
Steven's usually calm face was flushed with excitement. He grinned and shouted back,
"You're right! Let's finish this together!"
One by one, the Hoenn Gym Leaders and the Elite Four exchanged determined glances.
The fire in their eyes burned brighter than ever.
From the edge of the crowd, Cynthia watched silently.
Her eyes gleamed, not with fear, but pride.
"Sam…" she whispered, her voice barely carried by the wind.
After rousing everyone's spirits, Sam leapt down from Rayquaza's back, landing lightly beside Cynthia.
His coat fluttered as he turned toward the leaders.
"Rayquaza and I will handle the giant meteorite," he said firmly.
"The rest of you, focus on clearing the debris and protecting the people below."
Wallace frowned, uncertainty flickering across his face.
"Sam… last time Rayquaza tried to stop that meteorite, it failed. Do you really think it'll work this time?"
Sam turned his head slightly, gazing up at the emerald dragon circling high above.
Rayquaza's golden eyes glowed fiercely, locked on the blazing meteor in the sky.
"Yes," Sam said calmly.
"Because this time… I've mastered how to make Rayquaza Mega Evolve."
A stunned silence fell over the group.
They'd heard of Mega Evolution before, rumors, theories, whispers from Kalos, but never had they seen a Pokémon like Rayquaza achieve it.
The idea alone was enough to leave even the strongest trainers breathless.
"M-Mega Evolve?" Steven muttered, eyes wide.
"Rayquaza can… evolve further?"
Sam nodded.
"It's not easy, as long as we're in sync, it can reach that form."
Gasps rippled through the group.
If what he said was true, then their chances weren't just better, they might actually win.
But before anyone could celebrate, Cynthia stepped forward.
Her usual calm expression was replaced with quiet worry.
"Sam," she said softly, "you just said you'll go with Rayquaza. Isn't that… too dangerous?"
Her words made the others pause.
The realization hit all at once.
Rayquaza might be a god among Pokémon, but Sam was human.
The meteorite's energy could destroy mountains.
How could he possibly survive in the middle of that?
Sam met her eyes and smiled gently. He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry about me. Rayquaza can only Mega Evolve when I'm with him. And I trust him, he'll protect me."
Cynthia's fingers tightened at her side.
"Still… there must be another way."
"Relax," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
"I'll be fine."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The noise of the crowd faded, replaced by the distant rumble of the approaching meteor.
The sky burned crimson as if the heavens themselves were bleeding.
Rayquaza roared again, its serpentine body coiling in the storm clouds above.
The air vibrated with energy.
Sam turned his gaze upward, his eyes reflecting the fiery streak in the sky.
"It's time," he whispered.
Cynthia wanted to call out to him, but she stopped herself.
She knew him too well. Once Sam decided on something, there was no turning back.
"Sam… please, be safe."
Cynthia's voice was soft, almost lost in the roar of the wind.
She didn't try to stop him, she knew better than anyone that once Sam made up his mind, nothing could change it.
Still, the worry in her eyes was impossible to hide.
It shimmered like the reflection of starlight on water, fragile, desperate, but full of hope.
Even though Rayquaza would protect him, the thought of facing that colossal meteor made everyone's hearts tighten.
The blazing object in the sky wasn't just rock and flame, it was the wrath of nature itself.
And Sam was about to fly straight into it.
The silence around him carried a mix of awe and fear.
Not everyone could look disaster in the eye and smile.
Yet Sam did, calm, resolute, unshaken.
He turned toward Cynthia, reaching into his coat and pulling out a Poké Ball.
The silver capsule gleamed faintly under the burning sky.
"Take this," he said, placing it gently in her hand.
"It's up to you to command them once the battle starts. Keep everyone coordinated."
Cynthia looked down at the Poké Ball, then back up at him.
"Alright," she said, forcing a small smile. "I'll make sure of it."
"Roaaaar!!"
Rayquaza's cry split the air, its voice filled with primal power.
The massive dragon circled once, then lowered its body, inviting Sam to climb aboard.
Its emerald scales shimmered like lightning under the storm clouds, the very image of a god ready for war.
Sam's coat billowed as he leapt onto Rayquaza's back in one smooth motion. He turned toward the crowd below, raising his fist high.
"Everyone, let's give it everything we've got!" he shouted.
"This time… we will not lose!"
Two simple sentences, but they burned brighter than any speech.
"Won't lose!!!"
"We won't lose!!!"
The crowd's voices joined together like thunder.
Fear was gone, replaced by a shared determination.
They would fight, not because they were fearless, but because they believed.
Sam glanced down once more.
Cynthia was among them, her long blonde hair fluttering in the wind, her eyes following him with quiet strength.
He smiled faintly, then patted Rayquaza's scales.
"Let's show them the sky's true power."
"Roooaaarrr!!!"
Rayquaza's entire body flared with energy.
Streams of emerald light burst from its markings as it spiraled upward, piercing through the dark clouds.
The sky seemed to tremble in response.
Below, Wallace's voice rang out like a command to the heavens.
"Professor Samuel and Rayquaza have set the example! We can't fall behind!"
He turned to the gathered trainers, his eyes blazing.
"Everyone, follow the plan! Prepare for battle!"
"Yes!!!"
The roar of countless voices answered.
Poké Balls opened in a cascade of light as dozens, no, hundreds, of Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield.
Flying-types soared upward, Salamence, Altaria, Swellow, Skarmory, and more, each crying out as lightning flashed behind them.
The skies filled with wings and courage.
From below, trainers barked orders, coordinating attacks, defenses, and rescue efforts.
Cynthia's voice rose among them, calm yet firm as she directed the teams with the authority of a Champion.
Above it all, Sam and Rayquaza climbed higher, piercing the clouds until only the blinding light of the meteor filled their vision.
Thunder rolled through the heavens.
The storm was no longer a threat, it was their ally.
Rayquaza let out another cry, its body gleaming brighter and brighter.
The green light surrounding it began to twist and burn, turning golden-white.
Sam closed his eyes, feeling the surge of energy connect their hearts.
"Alright, partner… it's time."
Rayquaza's roar became a roar of transformation.
Power burst outward like a shockwave, splitting the clouds apart.
Mega Rayquaza had awakened.
From the ground, everyone looked up in awe.
The dragon now radiated divine energy, its form sleek and luminous, its wings trailing starlight.
It looked less like a creature, and more like a legend reborn.
Wallace stared upward, barely breathing.
"So this… this is a Legendary Mega Evolution?"
Cynthia's hand tightened around the Poké Ball Sam had given her.
Her heart was pounding, but her eyes didn't waver.
High above, Sam's voice echoed through the sky.
"Let's end this, Rayquaza!"
The two of them, man and legend, charged straight toward the blazing meteor, leaving behind a streak of green and gold light.
Below, the people of Hoenn lifted their heads.
No one looked away.
No one lost hope.
Because for that moment, the sky itself was fighting for them.