Chapter 275: Groudon and Kyogre, Overwhelmed
Archie stood frozen, his mind struggling to process the scene before him.
He had come here after noticing that the recently awakened Kyogre seemed to have the upper hand against Groudon, suspecting that Team Magma was interfering.
But instead of finding a standoff between the two teams, he was met with this absurd situation.
Who were these two intruders?
How had Maxie been defeated so easily?
A flood of questions filled his mind.
Yet, his hands moved instinctively—without hesitation, he tossed a Poké Ball and took a defensive stance.
Boom!
A massive Walrein bared its fangs and lunged at Asahi.
Asahi sighed.
"…First Maxie, now you. Why do you local gangs never bother with introductions before attacking?"
Shaking his head, he snapped his fingers.
Mega Gardevoir raised a slender arm—
Boom!
A shockwave blasted forward, striking Walrein and sending ripples through its thick blubber.
Asahi's tone shifted.
"But this works too. I was going to come find you anyway—might as well take you both down at once."
As he spoke, Mega Gardevoir gently lifted Walrein into the air with Psychic, then casually tossed it—
Boom!
The massive Walrein crashed into Archie's team.
Archie reacted quickly, throwing another Poké Ball.
A thin Ariados appeared, shooting out a web to catch Walrein, using its strong silk to absorb the impact.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Archie, who had already been cautious of Asahi, was now breaking out in a cold sweat.
He had assumed Maxie had lost due to a sneak attack, but that clearly wasn't the case.
"Since you asked, I don't mind telling you… Team Rocket! Scared yet?"
Asahi flicked his coat open, revealing a Team Rocket uniform underneath.
Sabrina: "?"
Why are you still wearing a Team Rocket uniform on such an important mission?!
Archie's expression stiffened.
Team Rocket?
The criminal organization from Kanto? What were they doing here?
His mind scrambled to connect the dots.
But Asahi didn't give him time to react.
With another snap of his fingers, Mega Gardevoir unleashed a wave of Hypnosis energy.
Archie quickly hid behind Walrein and commanded Ariados to use Sleep Talk.
Behind him, most of his grunts collapsed instantly, leaving only a few standing.
Meanwhile, the sleeping Ariados lunged at Gardevoir using a random attack.
Gardevoir, unfazed, erected a Reflect barrier.
Before Ariados could recover, Gengar emerged from Asahi's shadow, opened its mouth wide, and chomp!
It devoured the dream energy surrounding Ariados, knocking it out in its sleep.
Seeing things spiral out of control, Archie turned to flee.
It didn't matter—Kyogre was already awakened, and Maxie had been taken out by this 'Team Rocket' agent. As long as he escaped, Team Aqua would still emerge victorious.
He grabbed a grunt as a shield and made a break for it.
But before he could take more than two steps—
He froze.
Behind him, Asahi's voice echoed.
"Leaving already? That's a bit rude, isn't it… Mr. Archie?"
Slateport City Outskirts
Amidst the torrential downpour, the sight of Kyogre rampaging in the sea left the gathered Elite Four and Gym Leaders with a deep sense of dread.
Rock Tomb? Ineffective!
Dragon Pulse? Ineffective!
Hurricane? Ineffective!
Thunder? Still ineffective!
…
Regardless of whether the attacks were super effective or not, they had tried everything to damage Kyogre, only to find it nearly unscathed. Instead, it looked back at them with a mocking expression.
"This thing..."
Phoebe, the Dark-type Elite Four member, was infuriated by Kyogre's taunting look and was about to charge in with her Pokémon.
Glacia grabbed her arm.
"Don't be reckless!"
Rushing in now would be meaningless self-sacrifice.
Kyogre's expression turned even more disdainful as it swung its tail, stirring up massive waves that surged toward the airborne trainers.
The group worked together to disperse the waves.
But by the time they looked back, Kyogre had already leisurely swum forward a considerable distance.
Glacia turned to Wallace. As Steven's close friend and acknowledged successor, it was his call to make.
Wallace's expression darkened. "I just contacted Steven. His situation is only slightly better than ours... The power of the ancient Pokémon is simply overwhelming!"
They had already given their all to slow down Kyogre, but they had only managed to slightly reduce its speed. Stopping it completely was out of the question.
Now, with Lilycove City behind them, there was nowhere left to retreat.
"Has there been no response from the Association? Are we really just going to stand here and watch Kyogre destroy Lilycove?" Phoebe asked unwillingly.
Many of the Gym Leaders present were aware of the Association's past attempt to capture Rayquaza...
At this point, what was the hesitation? They should be using every technological advantage available!
Wallace understood what she was implying but shook his head. "The records from back then have been sealed away and can't be accessed in time... Plus, of those involved, That company involved has gone bankrupt, and the Berlitz family is far away in Sinnoh…"
"The League is currently evacuating refugees from Lilycove's outskirts. The Association has already prepared for the worst… If it comes down to it, we may have to abandon the city."
Everyone felt a heavy weight settle in their hearts.
But it seemed like there was no other choice.
—
Meanwhile, in Verdanturf Town
The scorching sun blazed down, cracking the ground into a web of fissures. The temperature had soared to nearly 50 degrees Celsius, evaporating every trace of moisture from the air.
Yet, despite these conditions, a battle raged on.
Compared to the struggle against Kyogre, the situation here was slightly better. With Mewtwo and the newly arrived Steven in the fight, Groudon had been completely stalled, unable to advance.
In the sky, Mewtwo, encased in a blue energy barrier, hurled multiple Shadow Balls at Groudon.
Riding atop Metagross, Steven commanded both Metagross and Aggron to fire Flash Cannons.
Zinnia's Mega Salamence unleashed a Dragon Pulse.
Gary's Venusaur, empowered by the intense sunlight, fired a Solarbeam.
Green's Clefable used Helping Hand to boost the power of their attacks.
All of these strikes landed on Groudon simultaneously, engulfing it in a violent explosion that sent thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Everyone focused intently on the smoke.
"Did we get it?" Gary wiped the sweat from his forehead—sweat that had evaporated almost instantly.
A Mega Evolution expert, Zinnia. Green, personally trained by Asahi. Mewtwo, who had defeated Rayquaza. Steven, the Champion of Hoenn. Plus himself, another Champion...
No matter how strong Groudon was, surely it couldn't withstand a simultaneous assault from all of them?
This thought had barely formed in Gary's mind when a deafening roar erupted from within the smoke.
"ROOOOAR!"
The shockwave blasted the smoke apart, revealing roaring flames mixed with thick black smoke surging forward.
It was Flamethrower!
"Damn it!" Steven's expression changed.
Mewtwo reacted faster.
Raising its hand, it created a Light Screen in front of them.
The flames struck the barrier, causing it to flicker violently.
Mewtwo immediately erected a second Light Screen.
Only then was Groudon's attack finally blocked.
But no one felt even the slightest relief.
As the smoke cleared, Groudon was now fully revealed. Though it bore scorched marks and multiple wounds, its aura was even more ferocious than before.
At that moment, only one thought filled Gary's mind:
Asahi, if you don't get back soon, we're all going to die!
—
Seafloor Cavern
Having subdued Archie, Asahi finally picked up the two Orbs from the ground.
Looking at these items that his system had tried to give him countless times—only for him to refuse each time—he suddenly felt like he had struck gold.
But he quickly shook his head.
The Orbs offered by the system were not the same as the originals.
Take the green Orb he had previously obtained, for example. Asahi had long suspected that Rayquaza's quick acknowledgment of him had something to do with that Orb—though Rayquaza itself would never admit it.
The original green Orb, created by the Pokémon Association to control Rayquaza, certainly wouldn't have had that effect.
As Asahi held the Orbs, Sabrina attempted to probe them with her psychic powers.
"Asahi… these Orbs give me a really bad feeling," she said.
Through her psychic senses, she could feel the Orbs radiating two distinct, violent auras, each imbued with a powerful will.
She had a strong premonition that holding onto them for too long would lead to a disastrous outcome.
"I know." Asahi nodded.
He understood what she meant.
In the original story, Maxie and Archie had tried to control Groudon and Kyogre using these Orbs, only to end up as nothing more than puppets for the ancient Pokémon.
But Asahi was different.
He pulled out a Master Ball from his pocket and tossed it.
Bang!
A flash of white light filled the cavern as Rayquaza, its massive form almost filling the space, appeared before him.
Sensing a familiar energy, Rayquaza's eyes sharpened, and it flexed its claws instinctively.
After scanning its surroundings and finding no trace of Groudon, it turned its questioning gaze toward Asahi.
"?"
Rayquaza, who had been expecting a fight, was utterly confused as to why Asahi had summoned it.
Asahi leaned against Rayquaza, using its presence to suppress the raging wills within the Orbs. Gardevoir stood to his left, while Mew rested on his right shoulder.
Closing his eyes, Asahi used his Aura to establish a connection with the Orbs.
Immediately, two images appeared in his mind.
On the left: a vast ocean. The Hoenn Elite Four and Gym Leaders were desperately attacking Kyogre, trying to halt its advance.
On the right: scorched earth. Mewtwo, Steven, Gary, and Green were struggling to hold back Groudon. Their situation was slightly better, but only marginally.
"As expected, I have to step in myself..." Asahi sighed and infused his Aura into the Orbs.
In an instant, he felt himself linked to two wild, violent consciousnesses.
Unlike his connection with Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre were fiercely resisting, trying to turn the tables and control him instead.
"Don't lump me in with weaklings like Maxie and Archie…"
Asahi muttered as he deliberately feigned weakness, making it seem like his Aura was being overwhelmed.
Silently, he activated the Mewtwo cells embedded in his hand to ensure his safety, then exchanged a glance with Gardevoir and Mew.
Understanding his intent, both Pokémon linked their minds with him.
At Asahi's command—
Empowered by Gardevoir and Mew, Asahi unleashed his full Aura, launching a sudden counterattack that caught Groudon and Kyogre off guard.
Seizing the moment, he forcibly injected his own will into the Orbs.
"Restrain your power. Stop causing disasters. Go to Sootopolis."
The moment his task was done, Asahi swiftly withdrew his Aura and tossed the Orbs away like hot potatoes.
Sabrina was about to ask what was happening when the Orbs flared with intense light, echoing with furious roars from Groudon and Kyogre.
Even from a distance, Sabrina could feel the overwhelming power contained within.
She turned to Asahi, unsure of what he had done to make the two ancient Pokémon so enraged.
Asahi simply shrugged. "Nothing much. I just gave them a command through the Orbs."
He wasn't capable of permanently controlling them—his Aura wasn't strong enough for that yet.
But he didn't need long-term control. All he needed was for Groudon and Kyogre to stop wreaking havoc and head to the designated battlefield.
And Sootopolis was the best place for that.
"Let's go… to Sootopolis!"
Recalling Rayquaza, Asahi boarded the Abyssal One, breaking through the ice and setting course for the final battle!
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