"Zinnia!"
Steven looked up at the black‑haired girl seated astride Salamence, his expression grave and solemn.
The Draconid girl—Zinnia. Steven had already learned the whole story of his and Zinnia's grudge from Joseph Stone.
"Champion Steven, huh. How's it feel, losing your father?"
Zinnia watched him leisurely, her smile growing more and more brazen.
"That Joseph Stone guy did have some guts, I'll give him that—turning himself in and rotting in cell all on his own."
It sounded like praise, but anyone could hear the mockery buried in her tone.
Cynthia and the others all fell silent. There wasn't much they could say about this.
From a moral standpoint, Joseph Stone had absolutely wronged her—badly. Using machines to forcibly capture Rayquaza, causing an innocent girl like Aster to die… those were major crimes, through and through.
"Zinnia, I know everything now. You have my word—I will get justice for your sister."
Steven drew a deep breath and spoke firmly.
Even though Joseph Stone was his father, Steven understood he'd been in the wrong—terribly wrong.
"Justice? What justice?"
Zinnia let out a cold laugh.
"I can go with you to round up everyone involved, one by one. But, Zinnia… I want you to leave Team Rocket."
Steven locked eyes with her.
"I get why you want revenge for your sister, but Team Rocket is absolutely the wrong way to go."
"What would you know?"
Zinnia actually laughed—a sharp, bitter sound.
Then her eyes flicked, the curve of her lips turning even more wicked.
"Champion Steven, since you want me out of Team Rocket, since you wanna 'help' me… then do two things for me, and I'll agree to quit."
Arms folded, the smirk on her mouth was exactly like Damian's.
"Name them." Steven could feel where this was going, but he had no real choice.
In his eyes, Zinnia was the most pitiful of all. She should've had a beautiful future.
With her talent, she could've had a brilliant path ahead—but because of his father and some greedy men, she'd been dragged into the abyss.
Steven genuinely wanted to help her.
"Besides your father Joseph Stone, the ones involved were Sinnoh's House of Berlitz, Johto's Pokémon Association, and Greater Mauville Holdings."
Zinnia's expression darkened.
At that, Cynthia's face shifted slightly. Berlitz?
"Greater Mauville Holdings went under back when they were competing with your Devon Corporation, but Berlitz and the Johto Pokémon Association are still around."
"Steven, didn't you say you'd help me? If you help me wipe out those two forces, I'll walk away from Team Rocket. How's that deal sound?"
Her words echoed in everyone's ears, leaving Steven and the rest silent.
"…"
Steven's expression flickered. With his strength, could he "take down" Berlitz and the Johto Pokémon Association? Of course.
But how could he ever do that?
He wanted to save Zinnia because he didn't want her to destroy her own future with extreme actions.
If he did what she was asking… how would he be any different from the Zinnia standing in front of them?
"Zinnia, if House of Berlitz really was involved in this, then as Sinnoh's Champion, I promise you—
I will see justice done."
Cynthia spoke solemnly.
She truly hadn't known about this. She'd always had a decent impression of House Berlitz.
She even thought very highly of their current young lady, Platinum Berlitz (Dawn)—a very talented, hard‑working girl.
But if House Berlitz had really taken part in the 'Rayquaza Capture Plan,' she would absolutely handle it by the book, no matter who they were.
"As for the Johto Pokémon Association, I'll report this to Indigo League as well. Kanto will give you an answer."
Giovanni's tone was low, though inside he was practically amused.
Once this came to light, with the Johto Association's people exposed, Lance and Lorelei—those two "lunatics"—would never let it go.
Who knew what extremes they'd go to; Goodshow was in for a world of headaches.
"Hehe～" Zinnia gave a short, mocking chuckle. She'd mostly been toying with them anyway.
"Throw them in a cell for me? I don't need that kind of 'help.'"
"And as for you lot…"
Zinnia glanced over Steven and the others, the grin on her face stretching wide.
"Damian told me to give you all a proper welcome today."
"Salamence!"
Roar!!
Salamence's draconic bellow split the air as the seven‑colored light of evolution flashed—Mega Salamence took shape.
In the next instant, Mega Salamence snapped its head and blasted out a concentrated Dragon Pulse.
"Flamethrower!"
Charizard surged up with a powerful beat of its wings, answering with a roaring Flamethrower.
Dragon Pulse and Flamethrower slammed together midair and detonated, a shockwave ripping outward.
"…Hn?"
Zinnia narrowed her eyes. Her ace Salamence, after Mega Evolution, was insanely strong.
And this Charizard's Flamethrower had matched it head‑on.
"Galar's Champion Leon, huh? Not bad at all."
She glanced at the tan‑skinned young man. She hadn't seen him at Rustboro City, which meant—
This was Galar's Champion Leon.
"Zinnia, I still hope you'll wake up from this. Hatred never ends. If you try to drown it in blood, your life will just spiral into a bottomless pit."
Steven kept trying to reach her. In his mind, hate only bred more hate—endless, unstoppable.
"Letting them rot in a cell for life… that's not enough?"
"It's not enough!!"
What answered him was a Lorekeeper's shriek so sharp it was almost painful.
Her voice, full of rancor and grief, made Steven pause.
Her eyes were red, and though she stared at Steven, it felt like she was seeing someone else—
The girl named Aster, dead on that broken land.
An ancient tower, shattered ground, and… a lifeless girl.
"My sister is dead! Why did she have to die?!"
"Rooar!!"
Mega Salamence threw back its head as pure Dragon‑type energy condensed into a brilliant sphere, Draco Meteor surging straight up toward the sky.
Boom!!
At its zenith, Draco Meteor exploded, breaking into a rain of blazing meteors trailing fiery tails across the sky.
Boom! Boom!!
Meteor after meteor slammed down. Those that crashed into the sea sent up pillars of spray and shockwaves, turning the calm surface into violent, churning waves.
Charizard strained to intercept each falling meteor, but even it was getting overwhelmed.
Cynthia quietly sent out Garchomp to help; otherwise, a few of those meteors would have landed dangerously close.
Nemona looked at Zinnia with a complicated, sympathetic gaze.
Honestly, Zinnia's situation left her totally at a loss. She didn't dare imagine what she'd become if her sister had died like Aster.
She'd never even considered that the world could hold something like this.
"Blood… has to be repaid in blood!"
Zinnia's pupils refocused, her gaze going ice‑cold as she stared down at them.
The last few falling meteors were finally stopped by Charizard and Garchomp.
"I'll make every last one of them regret what they did back then."
The Lorekeeper's chilling declaration made Steven take a deep, steadying breath.
"I'm sorry, Zinnia."
He felt lost himself. Was a girl who only wanted justice for her innocent sister wrong?
Steven didn't know—especially when his own father had been one of the culprits.
But he did know this: today, as a member of Team Rocket, Zinnia had become someone he had to defeat.
"Metagross!"
Steven sent out his ace. The Key Stone lit up; seven‑colored light flared around Metagross.
Moments later, Mega Metagross floated before them.
"So you've mastered Mega Evolution too?" Zinnia wasn't particularly surprised.
"Maybe nothing I say can get through to you now. In that case, how about we settle this with a battle." Steven said quietly.
"I'll beat you—and bring you back to Ever Grande City."
"You can?" Zinnia sneered.
Mega Salamence roared at Mega Metagross; Mega Metagross' cold eyes locked onto it in turn.
"Then come on."
Zinnia's gaze swept the area and settled on a nearby island. She patted Mega Salamence's neck.
Mega Salamence banked and flew toward the island.
"Everyone, I'll have to leave this to you for now."
Steven looked to Cynthia and the others.
"No problem," Leon answered solemnly.
"Champion Steven, need backup?" Nemona still felt she had to offer.
Zinnia was very strong.
"No. As Hoenn's Champion… I owe her. One way or another, this is my responsibility. I'll defeat her myself."
Steven's voice was low but firm. He mounted Mega Metagross, which rose into the air and sped after Zinnia.
Watching Steven and his Metagross disappear onto the island, Nemona suddenly felt like sighing.
She'd never had this many tangled emotions before.
"Senior Leon, was Zinnia… wrong?"
She couldn't help asking the three Champions beside her what had been weighing on her mind.
Cynthia stayed silent.
"The human heart… that's the hardest thing to grasp. What a mess of karma…" Giovanni murmured.
"She's not wrong," Leon frowned. "But she's not right either."
He shook his head. That was all he could really say.
"The ones who are truly wrong are those who committed sins for their own selfish gain.
This world has no need for people like that."
Cynthia spoke quietly. Hearing Zinnia scream, "Why did she have to die," Cynthia couldn't even tell what she was feeling anymore.
The corners of this world were still far too dark.
"Champion Cynthia, careful." Leon whispered helplessly.
He felt a bit of the same thing, but as a man, he was still a little more used to forcing himself to stay rational.
The Pokémon League preached benevolence, but Leon was suddenly unsure if that was completely right.
Cynthia lapsed back into silence.
Nemona still looked lost. Giovanni watched the three of them out of the corner of his eye, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Very interesting.
Ooo～!!
Just then, a deep, ancient‑sounding call rolled in from the distant sky.
"He's here!"
Leon's eyes sharpened as he looked toward the horizon, where a massive shape with spread fins was flying in.
The deep‑sea king—Kyogre—had arrived.
And almost instantly, Giovanni felt one of the Ultra Balls on his person start to tremble.
~~~
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