Just as Wallace and the others were about to "go west to invite the Buddha"… ahem, no—go and fetch Aiden Flint, a calm, leisurely voice suddenly rang out across the battlefield.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
High above the sky, an enormous green divine dragon roared as it swept past, its massive body cutting through the heavens.
The instant this godlike dragon appeared, the raging storm, the torrential rain, and the suffocating heat all vanished without a trace. In their place came absolute stillness.
This was none other than the effect of the dragon's innate ability—Air Lock.
As long as it was present, all weather phenomena were completely nullified.
And standing atop that colossal dragon was a young man in flowing clothes.
Who else could it be but Aiden Flint?
"Holy—!?"
"What is that? Rayquaza?!"
"Why do Steven, Wallace, and Drake look like this is completely normal? Don't tell me they already knew this guy had Rayquaza and could command a Legendary?"
"Norman, you look like you know something—say it already!"
"Winona, why are you this excited?"
"That's Aiden Flint?! The rookie Trainer who just debuted this year?!"
As they stared at the youth descending from the sky atop a godlike dragon, everyone present was utterly shaken by Aiden's presence.
Champions? Elite Four? What did those titles mean before a Legendary Pokémon's master?
After all, among everyone there, only Lance, Glacia of the Elite Four, the two Gym Leaders from Mossdeep City, and Juan didn't know Aiden's true background.
Everyone else had crossed paths with him before.
Especially Norman and Winona—both of whom had personally battled Rayquaza.
And others like Roxanne knew very well that just a few months ago, Aiden had still been a newly registered Trainer.
Back then, his strongest Pokémon had been nothing more than a Pidgeotto and a Grovyle.
So how in the world had he suddenly obtained Rayquaza, the strongest Legendary of Hoenn?
Was this even remotely reasonable?
The world had changed far too fast.
Even Kyogre and Groudon, upon sensing Rayquaza's aura, immediately stopped fighting and locked their gazes onto the green dragon and the human standing upon its head.
Confusion filled their massive minds.
Rayquaza… had chosen a human Trainer?
How was that possible?
"ROOOOAR!"
With Rayquaza's thunderous roar, the battlefield fell silent.
Seeing both Kyogre and Groudon forced into stillness by Aiden and Rayquaza's overwhelming presence, everyone from the Pokémon League felt a chill run down their spines.
Lance was seeing Aiden for the first time, but Professor Oak had already told him that a terrifyingly powerful Trainer had emerged in Hoenn.
Now that he saw Aiden riding Rayquaza like a god descending from the heavens, even Lance was deeply shaken.
"I… am not his equal."
"No wonder Oak said even Drake wasn't his match. A Dragon Trainer who commands an actual divine dragon… this is on another level."
"But still… I really want Dragonite to fight him. Just to see the gap between me and a god."
While Lance was silently screaming inside, Steven and Wallace exchanged glances and smiled.
As expected.
They had both lost to Aiden before, but aside from Lance, everyone else here was weaker than them.
And look—Lance was already dumbfounded by Rayquaza.
That alone made them feel much better.
Meanwhile, Tabitha of Team Magma and Courtney of Team Aqua were also completely stunned when they recognized Aiden.
The kid they had once threatened…
…was now riding Rayquaza.
Their brains simply shut down.
…
A handsome youth riding a divine dragon—this scene shook everyone to their core.
"Hahaha! A true prodigy! Hoenn really has a bright future!"
Juan, the Sootopolis Gym Leader and Wallace's mentor, laughed loudly to break the stunned silence.
Aiden smiled.
"I sensed the strange changes in Hoenn's climate earlier. Rayquaza became restless too, so I guessed that Team Magma and Team Aqua had succeeded."
"I've fought them before. I knew they were trying to revive Groudon and Kyogre."
"And sure enough, here we are. It seems Maxie and Archie tried to control them… and ended up being controlled instead."
Hearing this, everyone finally understood how Aiden had arrived so quickly.
With Rayquaza, of course he could sense the movements of Kyogre and Groudon.
Wallace coughed lightly and said,
"Aiden Flint, Hoenn is in grave danger. Groudon and Kyogre have been further influenced by Maxie and Archie's will and have grown even more violent."
"Right now, you're the only one who can stop this. We're counting on you."
Lance added solemnly,
"If you truly command a Legendary Pokémon, then only you can resolve this conflict. On behalf of the Kanto Pokémon League, I ask for your help."
Champions, Elite Four, and Gym Leaders alike all bowed to Aiden.
Aiden waved it off with a smile.
"I came here to solve this problem anyway. You don't need to do that."
He gently patted Rayquaza's massive head and met its gaze.
In the next instant, man and dragon soared into the sky together.
The battlefield changed completely.
Groudon stood on the land it had created, Kyogre ruled the sea—but now, both of their attention was focused entirely on Rayquaza.
They no longer attacked each other.
Because they remembered all too well—
Every time their ancient war erupted, this green bastard always showed up to ruin everything and force them back into slumber.
Their hatred for Rayquaza ran deep.
So now, their common enemy became one.
The moment the three gods faced off, with everyone below watching in tense silence, Groudon suddenly roared and opened its massive jaws.
A terrifying green-white beam of energy blasted toward Rayquaza.
It was Solar Beam.
Seeing this, Aiden couldn't help shaking his head.
"You're a Ground-type god. After Primal Reversion you even gained Fire type… and you still insist on using Grass moves?"
"Where's your Precipice Blades?"
"Don't tell me you can't hit Rayquaza because he's flying?"
Groudon: "You—!!!"
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