Chapter 277: Mega Rayquaza!
What was it like to be stared at by both Groudon and Kyogre at the same time?
Asahi didn't know how others would feel, but he himself felt completely innocent.
Sure, he had briefly controlled them using the Red and Blue Orbs.
But he hadn't attacked them. They were bound to fight once they awakened anyway—he had only accelerated the process a little…
So why did it suddenly seem like he was the villain here?
At first, the others thought Groudon and Kyogre had noticed their presence and were about to wipe them out. But when they quickly scattered to avoid the potential attack, they realized the two ancient Pokémon were fixated solely on Asahi.
They exchanged puzzled glances.
Why was Asahi attracting all the aggression?
Was it because of the Team Rocket uniform?
The crowd speculated wildly.
However, Steven, already aware that Asahi had lured Groudon and Kyogre to Sootopolis, quickly pieced together the situation.
Gary, knowing Asahi well, even gave him a thumbs-up.
He was absolutely certain that Asahi had done something behind the scenes.
He couldn't imagine exactly what, but whatever it was, it had managed to make Groudon and Kyogre—who had been feuding for countless years—set aside their rivalry and turn their focus entirely on Asahi.
That was impressive.
Gary deeply regretted not insisting on joining Asahi at the Seafloor Cavern.
He had missed such a monumental event!
Under everyone's scrutiny, Asahi's face darkened.
He had only given Groudon and Kyogre a simple command: head to Sootopolis and fight—without destroying the environment along the way.
And now?
"ROOOOAR!"
As if coming to an agreement, Groudon and Kyogre simultaneously locked onto Asahi's position.
Then…
Kyogre flapped its massive fins, raising towering waves.
Groudon gathered scorching flames in its maw, preparing to unleash them.
Their targets were perfectly aligned—
Asahi!
Seeing their coordinated attack, Asahi felt a chill run down his spine.
Any hopes of watching from the sidelines and swooping in afterward had been completely dashed.
Realizing this, he no longer hesitated.
Since he had caused this mess—
He would handle it himself!
"Everyone, stand back! I've got this!"
Asahi wasted no time, immediately throwing out a Poké Ball.
The moment the white light flashed, a long tail lashed out, instantly shredding the incoming flames and tsunami into nothingness!
"ROOOAR!"
Rayquaza coiled midair, activating its Air Lock ability. Though the torrential rain and blazing sunlight remained, the trainers watching could clearly feel that the sudden shifts in temperature caused by the weather effects had vanished.
Silently, Steven put away the Poké Ball he had already taken out.
—
The appearance of Rayquaza instantly lifted the spirits of the trainers.
Some had seen Asahi's Rayquaza before, but most had only heard rumors that he had captured it. Regardless of which group they belonged to, seeing the legendary Pokémon with their own eyes filled them with newfound confidence.
Legend had it that Rayquaza had intervened multiple times to stop Groudon and Kyogre's battles. And now, here it was, standing with the League—at the very least, standing with humanity. That alone was reassuring.
Unaware of the Gym Leaders' thoughts, Asahi remained fully focused on the battle against Groudon and Kyogre.
After breaking through their attacks with a single strike, Rayquaza let out a fierce roar, warning them to stop fighting and return to the Seafloor Cavern to sleep.
But Groudon and Kyogre clearly weren't buying it.
Not only did they refuse to back down, but the fighting spirit in their eyes intensified.
Part of it was due to their lingering fury from Asahi's earlier use of the Orbs to briefly control them—only to release them just as quickly, leaving them with no outlet for their rage.
The other reason was historical.
Groudon and Kyogre had long held a grudge against Rayquaza.
Every time they fought, Rayquaza would show up and put an end to their battle. And now, just as they were about to teach this human a lesson, Rayquaza had appeared to interfere yet again…
Today, for once, they had reached a rare moment of agreement—Rayquaza needed to learn to mind its own business!
After dealing with Rayquaza, they could settle their own score.
With that, the two ancient rivals found common ground and launched a synchronized ambush!
Kyogre slapped its fins against the ocean, sending a water attack infused with special energy straight at Rayquaza—Water Pulse!
Seeing that these two weren't backing down and even dared to fight back, Rayquaza was furious.
It opened its jaws and fired a purple energy beam—Dragon Pulse—directly at Kyogre's attack.
The two moves collided midair and detonated, creating a dazzling yet deadly violet shockwave of water vapor and Dragon-type energy.
Rayquaza was clearly stronger. Dragon Pulse easily overpowered Water Pulse, pushing straight toward Kyogre.
Just as it was about to land a direct hit—
Groudon, having climbed over the ruined walls of Sootopolis City, stood atop a pile of collapsed buildings and launched a flurry of mud at Rayquaza—Mud Shot!
Though Mud Shot wasn't powerful enough to deal real damage to Rayquaza, it was undeniably annoying.
The muddy projectiles were about to splatter all over Rayquaza when, unwilling to get covered in filth, it abandoned its pursuit of Kyogre.
With a flick of its tail, Rayquaza conjured a whirlwind, swallowing up the incoming mud and dispersing Groudon's attack.
On the other side, Kyogre had regained its footing.
Its massive body stirred the seawater, and suddenly, it slammed the ocean beneath it, creating a towering surge that carried it straight toward Rayquaza—Aqua Tail!
Not to be outdone, Groudon, having gathered flames in its mouth for some time, unleashed a Fire Blast!
The two attacks charged forward simultaneously.
Rayquaza didn't dodge this time—mainly because behind it stood Asahi and the people he needed to protect.
Twisting its body, Rayquaza unleashed two Air Slashes to cut through the Fire Blast, while its dragon-clawed hand, enveloped in a purple glow, slammed down on the approaching Kyogre—Dragon Claw!
Ssssh!
Despite taking a hit from the remnants of Fire Blast, Rayquaza's Dragon Claw struck Kyogre's glossy forehead, leaving three deep gashes.
Kyogre: "?"
Ignoring Groudon and choosing to take a Fire Blast head-on just to focus on attacking it?
Furious, Kyogre tanked the Dragon Claw and fired a Hydro Pump straight at Rayquaza!
—
"Lord Rayquaza… is so strong!"
Watching Rayquaza fight against both Groudon and Kyogre simultaneously, Zinnia trembled with excitement, instinctively squeezing her thighs together.
She wished she could replace Asahi, commanding Lord Rayquaza to defeat Groudon and Kyogre, becoming Hoenn's hero—and then using that fame to drive Devon Corporation into bankruptcy.
However, no one noticed Zinnia's odd behavior, as they were all too focused on Rayquaza's dominance in battle.
Seeing the legendary Pokémon hold its ground against the ancient titans left them in awe.
Unconsciously, their gazes shifted toward the man standing atop the high platform behind Rayquaza.
A bitter realization settled in.
They were all Pokémon Trainers, yet the gap between them and him was overwhelming.
But before they could dwell on their feelings—
They were interrupted.
Not by a shift in the battle—
But by Gary's voice.
"This is Indigo League Champion Gary Oak, bringing you live coverage of Rayquaza vs. Groudon and Kyogre from Sootopolis City!"
Everyone turned in unison.
Gary stood there with a camera stabilizer, broadcasting the battle to the world.
"???"
They had been watching with solemn intensity—why was this turning into a live commentary now?
Asahi also noticed Gary filming, but he didn't stop him. This battle needed to be documented. As for Gary's narration… that could be muted in post.
For now, Asahi had a more pressing concern.
Rayquaza was under immense pressure fighting both opponents at once.
If this dragged on, things wouldn't be in his favor.
He had two options.
One—call in Mewtwo for backup. Even in its normal form, Mewtwo's assistance would tip the scales, securing a definitive advantage.
The downside? Ancient Pokémon had absurdly high stamina. A prolonged battle could last for days, which Asahi had no time for.
That left the second option.
—
"Rayquaza!" Asahi called out.
Rayquaza fired a Dragon Pulse, shattering Kyogre's tidal wave, then dodged Groudon's Fire Blast before hovering slightly in front of Asahi.
With a leap, Asahi landed atop Rayquaza's head, pulling out a scroll from his pocket.
"My scroll!"
Zinnia, connected via telepathy through Mew, let out a mental cry.
Clutching her chest in anguish, she felt her heart twist painfully.
What was more painful than watching someone ride atop Lord Rayquaza?
Seeing them use her artifact while riding Lord Rayquaza!
Agony.
Pure agony.
Asahi, hearing her distress through the telepathic link, inexplicably felt a rush of satisfaction.
…I really hope I'm not awakening some weird new preference.
Suppressing the thought, he swiftly unfurled the scroll.
The ancient document, crafted by an unknown civilization, emitted a brilliant light as it shone into Rayquaza's eyes.
Instantly, a surge of power responded within Rayquaza's body.
BOOM!
A radiant glow illuminated all of Sootopolis City.
As the light faded—
A sharper jawline.
A more intricate pattern on its body.
Four golden energy streamers extending from its fins.
Mega Rayquaza had arrived.
As it emerged, the Air Lock effect faded, replaced by chaotic, swirling winds that erased both the heavy rain and scorching sun.
Delta Stream!
The entire sky above Sootopolis was now covered by the powerful air currents.
Below, Groudon and Kyogre exchanged glances.
"Still want to fight?"
"…Maybe we should just surrender."
They both took a step back.
But before they could retreat—
Rayquaza tilted its head, grinning wickedly.
....
To read an advance 170+ chapters before public release
And
Support me at [email protected]/NahinS77