In the records of the Pokémon League, Lucas was already classified as one of the highest-level enemies imaginable, the sort of opponent who warranted the utmost vigilance. After all, during the Celadon City incident, his display of power had even overshadowed that of the famous Lance Blackthorn.
It would truly be strange if the League did not treat him as a dangerous threat.
What made things worse was that Lucas was not confining his movements to just the Kanto region. His figure had been sighted in Galar's Hammerlocke, in Unova's Castelia City, and of course, in Kanto's Celadon City.
In such a short span of time, his traces had spread across three major regions.
Chairman Logi of the League naturally could not continue to hide Lucas's information forever. However, perhaps because he feared provoking Lucas into retaliating, after weighing the risks again and again, Logi still chose not to officially issue a wanted notice for him.
But make no mistake—although the warrant had not been released to the public, Logi had already transmitted Lucas's information to the other regional Leagues.
As for what kind of countermeasures he could provide?
Countermeasures? What countermeasures could there be? When even my own strongest Champion is unable to restrain this man, what sort of instructions can I give you?
If he decides to walk into your region, then… pray for your own safety. That's the best advice I can give. Do not expect anything more.
Even though Steven had already stepped down from the Champion's seat, his relationship with the Hoenn League was still extremely close. The Hoenn League, of course, shared Lucas's information with him as well.
"So that conversation earlier… it was nothing but a test."
Hearing Lucas's calm explanation, Green instantly realized what had happened.
"Worthy indeed of being the former Champion of Hoenn. His composure was flawless, not a single sign of suspicion leaked out." She paused, then added softly, "And more importantly… he didn't attempt to arrest you right away."
Her eyes flicked toward Lucas. This man beside her… right now, he was practically the definition of a terrorist of the highest level. Walking beside him in public from now on, she and Marnie would have to be far more careful.
Even if the League couldn't do anything directly to Lucas, the two of them—his traveling companions—might also become targets of surveillance or suspicion.
Wait…
Since Steven had recognized Lucas, didn't that mean she and Marnie had also been exposed in his eyes?
A sudden realization struck Green. She had not even bothered to use a disguise earlier!
"What could he possibly use to arrest me? And besides, we're right in the middle of Rustboro City."
Lucas, unaware of Green's sudden panic, spoke with his usual relaxed tone.
At worst, he would simply attract the attention of the Hoenn League. That wasn't a big deal.
Steven alone was not nearly enough to make him feel threatened.
"That restaurant looks pretty good. It's got plenty of positive reviews online."
Meanwhile, Marnie, who had been traveling with Lucas long enough to harden her nerves, was unbothered. She casually scrolled through reviews of Rustboro's restaurants, checking which ones might be a good choice for dinner.
For her, the matter was already settled. No problem at all.
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Back in Unova – the Champion's Road
The scene there, however, was entirely different.
The battlefield was in ruins. The once-proud N's Castle was now more than half destroyed, the scars of fierce combat etched into every stone and every fragment of ground.
Ghetsis stood amidst the devastation, his expression twisted into something darker than ever before, his eyes blazing with hatred as they turned skyward.
One after another. Again and again!
His plans, which had once seemed so flawless, had collapsed like fragile glass. The Genesect army, the Black Dragon Zekrom—with such forces at his command, Team Plasma should have been able to stand toe-to-toe against the Unova League itself.
And yet…
The reality was nothing short of pathetic.
They had not even clashed directly with the League yet, and already Team Plasma was left in tatters, riddled with holes.
Zekrom had suffered defeat after defeat. Colress had abandoned him. The Genesect army had been lost.
Now, Lance Blackthorn himself had come knocking at their gates, openly declaring his intent to wipe out Team Plasma entirely.
How was he supposed to accept this?
What enraged him most of all was the overwhelming power Lance displayed.
Of course, Ghetsis despised Lance's arrogance—but when his own ace, Hydreigon, was nearly knocked out in a single blow by Lance's Dragonite's Draco Meteor, how could he protest?
And then there was N…
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Two Days Earlier
"You've held out longer than I expected. Quite impressive."
Recalling his Dragonite No.2 from the battlefield, Lance fixed his gaze on the battered and exhausted Zekrom. A grin—grim, but filled with satisfaction curved across his lips.
The strength of Zekrom pleased him greatly.
Although his Dragonite No.2 and No.3 had both fallen in battle, Zekrom itself was already on the verge of collapse, heavily injured.
Yes, in order to claim Zekrom, Lance had brought with him his absolute strongest team.
The world only knew of his ace Dragonite, but the world had no idea just how many Dragonite he actually possessed.
That's right—Lance owned three Dragonite in total!
While Dragonite No.2 and No.3 could not quite match the overwhelming might of his true ace, they were still extraordinarily powerful.
On top of that, Lance also had two Dragonair that he could deploy in tandem, combining their strength for devastating double-dragon techniques.
It was no exaggeration to say that Lance was perhaps the most fanatical Dragonite enthusiast in the world, and this immense accumulation of dragons was the foundation of his reign as Champion.
The Black Dragon Zekrom, no matter how mighty, was still ultimately just a "wild" legendary that had not yet been truly subdued.
And the time to strike had come.
"I am stronger than your current trainer. My heart for dragons burns with absolute passion, my ideals are pure and unwavering! Black Dragon, Zekrom your rightful trainer should be me!"
His voice rang with unshakable conviction as he stared at the battered Zekrom, his eyes burning with a fiery, almost fanatical glow.
Lance was certain: only he was worthy of standing beside the Black Dragon.
He possessed the resolve to sacrifice everything for a world where Pokémon could truly live in happiness. His ideals were genuine and absolute.
Zekrom's glowing eyes flickered with fatigue, but they remained fixed on the proud human before it. As the Dragon of Ideals, it could feel, with piercing clarity, the sheer force of the ideals radiating from this man.
Indeed, the intensity of Lance's conviction was no weaker than that of the hero it had already chosen.
And in terms of strength… he far surpassed N.
This was a man who could fight it directly with his team, a man standing already at the pinnacle of the world.
If it chose to become his partner, Zekrom knew its chances of triumphing over the White Dragon would be far greater than they were now.
And yet…
Its gaze dropped briefly to N, who was staring back with a complicated expression.
"Roar!"
"You're… rejecting me?"
With his ability to commune with dragon Pokémon, Lance instantly understood. His expression darkened, his features twisting as if struck by a cruel betrayal.
The Black Dragon had refused him.
Why?
He had the most fervent heart for dragons. He carried ideals pure and unyielding.
Why would Zekrom reject him?
"Is it because of this weakling tied to an evil organization? What can he possibly give you, Zekrom? He will never lead you to victory over the White Dragon!"
Lance's fury burned hotter. He could not accept it.
If Zekrom's chosen hero had been someone superior to him, he might have felt only regret.
But this?
N? To Lance, he was nothing more than a fragile, pathetic fool, a rat in the sewer who dared to call himself a king.
"I am the one most suited to be your trainer!"
His voice thundered with rage and obsession.
He had traveled all the way to Unova with his passionate heart, seeking out Zekrom because he truly believed from the start that only he was its destined trainer.
Ideals. Dragons. In every way, he was superior.
Why should Zekrom choose N instead of him? Just because N had reached it first?
Zekrom let out a deep, low growl.
It knew well that the human before it was indeed an ideal candidate, perhaps even more fitting than its current partner.
But Zekrom was not a dragon that discarded its chosen easily.
Since the day it had emerged to follow N, it had endured defeat after defeat, scars upon scars. And yet… through it all, N's ideals had never wavered.
So long as those ideals burned within him, Zekrom would never abandon him. That was its pride. That was its unyielding conviction as the Dragon of Ideals.
Lance's lips pressed into a thin line, his expression so dark it seemed carved from stone. His fists clenched so tightly that the bones in his knuckles creaked.
He had been rejected. Rejected by the Black Dragon itself.
For someone as proud as he was, the wound was almost unbearable.
"…Draco Meteor."
He spat the command through gritted teeth, each word dripping with venomous fury.
If he could not claim Zekrom, then he would annihilate everything standing before him.
His Dragonite and two Dragonair raised their heads as massive energy surged skyward, coalescing into twin spheres of unimaginable power, shimmering with the brilliance of stars and galaxies.
The sky itself trembled.
Draco Meteor.
-----------
Returning to the present, Ghetsis gazed at the ruins of his castle, the memory of that cataclysm still vivid.
Just two days ago, Lance had unleashed his full wrath, and only N's desperate retreat with Zekrom had drawn him away.
Otherwise, Team Plasma would have been erased entirely beneath the falling stars.
"N…"
Ghetsis's voice dripped with venom. This useless failure!
Even after gaining Zekrom, he could not even triumph over a single Lance.
He felt no gratitude toward N for luring Lance away. No, in his mind, that was simply what N should have done.
What burned inside him was rage. Rage that the so-called Hero of Ideals, blessed with the legendary dragon itself, had produced nothing but failure after failure.
How shameful.
To fall again and again, until even their own headquarters had to be defended by sacrificing himself as bait—was that what Zekrom had been reduced to?
With the Black Dragon humiliated to this extent, how could Team Plasma ever rise again?
-------------------
Back in Hoenn
Meanwhile, in Hoenn, Lucas and his companions awoke from their night's rest and prepared for their next journey.
"The People of Sootopolis… and the Draconid People."
Chewing thoughtfully on his breakfast, Lucas mused about his next destination. He had no idea that his cousin had nearly erased Team Plasma from existence just two days earlier.
In the games, the Sky Pillar was never easy to access. Its gates were sealed, and only the help of the People of Sootopolis could break that seal.
The leader of that lineage was none other than the current Champion of Hoenn—Wallace.
And then there were the Draconid People, a clan of dragon-type trainers dwelling deep within the Meteor Falls, revered as the "inheritors."
It was they who had built the Sky Pillar in honor of Rayquaza, whom they regarded as their divine guardian.
Why, then, was it that despite being the builders of the Sky Pillar, it was the People of Sootopolis who alone held the power to unseal it? That much remained a mystery.
In the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire versions, the Draconid clan only revealed themselves when they foresaw the danger of a falling asteroid. To summon Rayquaza, they even went so far as to cooperate with both Team Magma and Team Aqua.
Their reasoning was simple: only Rayquaza could end the asteroid crisis.
But since Rayquaza was so difficult to find, they instead aided Archie and Maxie in awakening Groudon and Kyogre.
For the Draconids believed that the clash between those two titans would inevitably draw Rayquaza out.
"Perhaps I should visit Meteor Falls first. Dragon trainers, hm… that could be interesting."
Lucas's eyes glinted thoughtfully. He was intrigued by this mysterious clan, with their power to foretell events and their long lineage tied to Rayquaza.
At that moment, however, his phone began to ring.
The caller ID displayed just one name—
Steven Stone.
(End of Chapter)