Chapter 276: You're Not Fighting, So Why Are You Looking at Me?
Lilycove City
The Hoenn Elite Four and Gym Leaders were still making their final efforts, trying to stop Kyogre's advance.
But in front of Kyogre, all their struggles seemed utterly futile.
The city was already within sight.
The tsunami had already shattered the coastal barriers.
The surrounding refugees had yet to be fully evacuated. If Kyogre continued forward, it wouldn't just destroy Lilycove—it would endanger countless lives.
Everyone's expressions grew heavy.
However, at that moment, Kyogre, which had been moving leisurely, suddenly stopped. Its aura became violently unstable.
This sudden change made everyone's hearts tighten.
Kyogre—was it about to unleash an even more devastating attack?
"Absolutely not! We can't let it destroy the city!"
Drake's face took on a resolute, almost sacrificial expression.
But just as he was about to command his Pokémon to fight to the death, Kyogre let out a roar—then suddenly dove into the ocean, leaving behind only a massive whirlpool.
"…?"
The trainers who had been preparing to fight to the end were left stunned.
What was going on?
Glacia narrowed her eyes. "Stay on guard! This could be a trick!"
Her warning instantly gained the group's agreement.
That had to be it!
They had already witnessed Kyogre's intelligence and cunning firsthand.
So everyone remained tense, scanning their surroundings, ready for Kyogre's ambush.
However…
As the storm clouds dissipated and the ocean waves calmed, sunlight finally broke through the sky.
A Pelipper flew overhead, tilting its head as it observed the strange group of humans below, unable to understand why they were just standing there.
"…Ahem." Glacia cleared her throat awkwardly. "I may have misjudged… It seems Kyogre has left."
With the weather returning to normal, there was no way Kyogre would go this far just to play a prank on them.
The trainers exchanged glances, feeling as if they were dreaming.
What exactly had happened to make the rampaging Kyogre retreat?
At that moment, the communicator on Wallace's waist vibrated. After answering the call, the expression he had just relaxed tensed up again.
When Wallace ended the call, everyone turned their attention to him.
"Any news from the League?" Drake asked.
Wallace let out a breath and said, "Steven's Groudon has also burrowed underground and disappeared."
Hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with excitement.
However, Norman noticed the seriousness on Wallace's face. If it were just that, Wallace wouldn't be looking so grim.
"And?"
"According to the Association's energy monitoring, the energy signatures of Groudon and Kyogre are rapidly heading toward Sootopolis City!" Wallace said in a deep voice.
Although no one knew exactly what had happened, it was unlikely that Groudon and Kyogre were heading to Sootopolis just to reminisce about old times. A battle between these two ancient Pokémon was about to erupt.
The most crucial part was…
Sootopolis City was where his Gym was located!
After realizing this, the group didn't know whether to feel relieved that Lilycove City had avoided disaster or to worry about the impending catastrophe about to befall Sootopolis.
—
Aboard Abyssal One
Asahi was contacting Steven to get an update on the situation aboveground.
However, before he could even ask a question, Steven bombarded him with a rapid-fire series of inquiries.
"Asahi, are you okay?"
"What's the situation with Archie and Maxie?"
"Groudon and Kyogre suddenly retreated toward Sootopolis—do you know the reason?"
Asahi felt his head throb.
"How am I supposed to answer all that at once…?" he muttered, exasperated.
Still, he patiently answered Steven's questions one by one.
"I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
"Archie and Maxie? They're right next to me, sleeping soundly. I'll send you a photo later."
"As for why Groudon and Kyogre suddenly left… that was my doing."
Steven was stunned.
"You… did what?"
This wasn't just any ordinary Pokémon—this was Groudon and Kyogre. Even handling just one of them had left him completely drained, yet Asahi had managed to control both at the same time?
Did that mean…
Just as Steven was considering a certain possibility, Asahi, as if predicting his thoughts, immediately poured cold water on the idea.
"I just used the Red and Blue Orbs to issue them a temporary command… I'm still far from actually controlling them."
Steven thought for a moment and found that this made sense.
If controlling Groudon and Kyogre were that easy, their status as ancient Pokémon would be far too cheapened.
"Anyway, I'm heading to Sootopolis now. Steven, you should come over to take care of the captives… and bring Gary with you!"
At that, a voice from the other end of the line immediately spoke up.
"Asahi, maybe I should sit this one out…?" Gary said hesitantly.
It wasn't that he was chickening out.
After battling Groudon earlier, he had gained a profound understanding of the gap between his strength and that of a Legendary Pokémon. He really had no desire to get caught up in this mess again.
However…
"You wouldn't want Ash to ask you later if you were part of the final showdown, only for you to admit you backed out because you were scared, would you?" Asahi said.
Before Asahi even finished speaking—
Gary immediately responded, "It's just Groudon and Kyogre, right? Wait for me, I'm on my way!"
A satisfied smile appeared on Asahi's face.
Steven: "..."
Asahi truly lived up to his reputation as the newly appointed head of the International Police Kanto Division. His methods for dealing with subordinates were beyond anything Steven could learn, even in ten years.
Maybe… he really wasn't cut out to be a Champion.
Once again, Steven found himself contemplating resignation.
—
Sootopolis City
The residents of Sootopolis had been evacuated to the safer Mossdeep City early that morning, leaving behind an empty city.
In this deserted city, a submarine surfaced from beneath the ocean, releasing a stream of bubbles.
The hatch opened, and Asahi and Sabrina stepped out.
Looking at the city before him, Asahi recalled the historical records about Sootopolis.
There were two theories regarding its origin. One suggested that Sootopolis was built atop a long-extinct volcano, formed from cooled magma. The other proposed that a massive meteorite had crashed into the land thousands of years ago, creating the enormous crater that later became the city.
"Sabrina, which of these two theories do you think is true?" Asahi asked as he leaped from the submarine onto the dock.
Sabrina tilted her head. "The second one?"
Over the past few days, she had studied many legends of Hoenn, so she was familiar with both theories. Given that Zinnia and the Draconid people were real, she found the second theory more believable.
"Actually, both are true," Asahi said, stepping onto a high vantage point with a good view. "When the meteorite struck, the land cracked open, releasing natural energy. This, combined with volcanic eruptions, created the phenomenon described in the first theory."
After explaining, Asahi glanced around. This spot had an excellent view—perfect for watching Groudon and Kyogre battle.
"Natural energy eruptions…"
Sabrina looked down at the ground beneath them, trying to imagine such a cataclysmic event.
Just then, a figure flew in from the horizon.
Holding a spoon and sporting several injuries, an exhausted Mewtwo landed in front of Asahi.
Behind Mewtwo, Steven arrived alongside his Metagross, with Gary, Green, and Zinnia following closely.
"Asahi!" Steven called out, waving.
After his exhausting battle with Groudon, nothing made him happier than seeing Asahi safe and sound.
However, as Steven got a closer look at Asahi's outfit, his expression turned a bit strange.
Just as he was about to say something, Hoenn's Gym Leaders and Elite Four also arrived.
One Champion, four Elites, and eight Gym Leaders.
Hoenn's strongest Trainers had all gathered in Sootopolis City.
At that moment, they all turned their gazes toward Asahi.
Feeling their stares, Asahi grew uncomfortable.
It wasn't until Blue tugged at his sleeve that he looked down at his own clothes and realized why everyone was staring.
After fooling Archie in his disguise as a Team Rocket member, he had completely forgotten to change out of the black uniform with the red "R" emblem.
Cough, cough…
Hastily stripping off the Rocket uniform, he stuffed it into Gengar's dimensional stomach and changed the subject.
"Uh… Archie, Maxie, and their underlings are in the submarine. I suggest you move them quickly before Groudon and Kyogre start fighting…"
Before he could finish speaking—
A deafening roar echoed through the city.
In the central waters of Sootopolis, the ocean churned violently as a massive blue whale-like figure surfaced.
At the same time, atop the volcano's rim, a crimson, titan-like Pokémon climbed into view.
Suddenly, the sky turned bizarrely chaotic.
To the left, the sun blazed intensely in a harsh drought.
To the right, dark clouds gathered, unleashing torrential rain.
Asahi gazed at this surreal scene. Groudon and Kyogre had arrived even earlier than he expected.
But that wasn't the real problem.
The real problem was…
Instead of fighting each other, Groudon and Kyogre were both staring straight at him.
"...?"
Why weren't they fighting?
And why were they looking at him instead?