"Groudon and Kyogre, you say."
Just as the Chairman (of the Pokémon League/Association) was starting to despair, Ace suddenly spoke up: "I did read in some ancient texts that those two Pokémon created the land and the sea. But didn't those texts also mention that Rayquaza can quell their conflict?"
"Rayquaza..."
The Chairman shook his head. "We don't know its whereabouts. Hoping for Rayquaza to resolve this crisis is a little unrealistic."
As he spoke, the Chairman had already issued orders for the various Gym Leaders to converge and begin to obstruct the movements of Groudon and Kyogre.
Simultaneously, the elderly couple from Mt. Pyre, with the help of two Chimecho, arrived aboard the airship and reported the enemy's location.
"The Marine Cave..."
The Chairman was dumbfounded. Could there not be a single issue among all these that would give him a break?
"Chairman, you don't need to worry about the enemy underwater."
Ace stood up and addressed the Chairman: "The most important thing now is to prevent Groudon and Kyogre from meeting. Even if we can't stop them, we must minimize the destructive aftermath of their battle."
"You are right," the Chairman pondered for a moment and nodded.
"As for the matter of Rayquaza,"
Ace looked at the Chairman. "Leave it to me. Zinnia and I will be responsible for finding Rayquaza. As for suppressing Groudon and Kyogre, that task will have to fall to you for now."
"You can find Rayquaza?"
The Chairman looked at Ace, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Ace replied. "It's better than doing nothing at all right now."
"Very well, then I'll trouble you."
The Chairman nodded. In the present circumstances, every bit of help counted, and even for a long shot, they had to try everything possible.
Ace and Zinnia quickly departed, heading toward the Mt. Pyre with the help of the Tao Dragon .
"Lord Ace, is it about time?"
After the two reached the Mt. Pyre and landed on the somewhat desolate structure, Zinnia asked Ace.
Ace nodded. Zinnia immediately pulled two tablets from her bag. When activated, the screens displayed the live feeds of Groudon and Kyogre.
Both Pokémon were currently being cornered by two Gym Leaders each. Thanks to the seamless cooperation of their opponents, the advance of the two legendary Pokémon was temporarily halted.
Ace looked at the gradually agitated Groudon in the picture. His consciousness gradually settled down, and a faint connection, bridging the distance, linked Ace and Groudon.
On the other side, Zinnia performed the same action, successfully linking with Kyogre.
"What is the situation?" Ace asked Groudon.
"I have already used that thing to control the idiot."
Groudon did not conceal the truth. In Groudon's view, Maxie (leader of Team Magma) was just a mere insect. The moment Maxie attempted to control it, Groudon had already counter-controlled him.
"Very good. Now, follow my command. Do you know Precipice Blades?"
"...It's still a little rough."
"What good are you? You haven't even mastered Precipice Blades. Just block for now. Stone Edge."
In the footage, Groudon looked at the Machoke and Golem charging toward it. It suddenly raised both arms, and numerous sharp stones burst from the ground, blocking the attacks of the two Pokémon.
Roxanne and Brawly, the two Gym Leaders, were visibly stunned by Groudon's sudden counterattack.
Before, Groudon hadn't shown any sign of fighting back, allowing them to attack, only occasionally blocking blows. Its goal was clearly fixed on one direction.
Groudon's sudden shift to counterattacking left the two momentarily unable to react.
The same thing happened with Wattson and Flannery. However, unlike Groudon's defensive block, Kyogre's eyes flashed with a hint of murderous intent. A gigantic Hydro Pump blasted toward the two.
Faced with the attack, Wattson and Flannery quickly scrambled to escape. Only now did they truly understand how immensely powerful the Pokémon left over from the ancient era were!
Back with Groudon, after Stone Edge blocked the two Pokémon's attacks, Groudon set its sights on Roxanne's Nosepass.
Nosepass was currently using Block at full power, preventing Groudon from moving any further.
"Deal with that obstruction first."
Ace and Groudon were in complete agreement, immediately setting their target on Nosepass.
"Boom!"
Without any apparent movement from Groudon, a fissure instantly formed beneath its feet and rapidly spread toward Nosepass with terrifying speed!
"It's Fissure!"
Roxanne was a highly knowledgeable scholar, with a vast reserve of knowledge about various moves.
Upon identifying this one-hit KO move, Roxanne's Golem did not hesitate, directly placing itself in front of the Fissure.
"Crack!"
In an instant, a burst of energy slammed into Golem, immediately shattering it into pieces, reducing it to a pile of rubble.
However, such damage was not fatal to Golem. It would be back on its feet and leaping about after a month of recovery.
Having blocked Groudon's Fissure, Roxanne was about to sigh in relief, when Groudon suddenly opened its mouth, and a torrent of fire jetted out, aimed directly at Nosepass.
"Block it! Machoke, Close Combat!"
Brawly's Machoke rushed forward. A dazzling flurry of rapid attacks held off Groudon's Flamethrower. As a cost, Machoke was severely burned all over and was unable to continue fighting.
"Boom! Boom! Boom..."
But Groudon's attack showed no sign of stopping. Successive sharp stones shot out, rapidly attacking Nosepass.
"Cradily!"
"Hariyama!"
The two Gym Leaders threw out their Poké Balls, preparing to continue stopping Groudon. But at that moment, Groudon stomped the ground, and a powerful Earthquake instantly swept across the area. The intense tremor made it impossible for Roxanne and Brawly to remain standing, and they both collapsed to the ground.
Just as the two struggled to get back up, they saw Groudon burrow into the ground once more.
"This is bad!"
Roxanne, seeing this, immediately looked at her Nosepass. Nosepass had undoubtedly lost the ability to battle after taking the force of Groudon's Earthquake and had collapsed on the ground.
With the Block skill no longer interfering, Groudon could continue its advance toward the final battleground.
Meanwhile, at sea on the other side, Wattson and Flannery both lay on the ground, having fallen unconscious.
Kyogre roared, ignoring the two of them, and with a flick of its tail, rapidly swam toward the final battleground.
The goal of both legendary Pokémon was clear: Sootopolis City, far out at sea!
Only there could the real show officially begin!
Chapter 282: Sparring
"Boom! Boom!"
With two shattering sounds, Groudon and Kyogre, under the control of Ace and Zinnia, finally arrived in Sootopolis City.
The civilians of Sootopolis City had already been evacuated, leaving it a ghost town. Groudon and Kyogre were free to unleash their full power!
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
The moment the two Pokémon saw each other, they immediately lunged, engaging in a physical brawl.
"Are we really just going to brawl like this?"
"What did you think? You stupid lizard."
"What did you just call me, you stinky fish?"
"I called you a stinky fish, what about it?"
"That's it, you've gone too far!"
"Come on! Let's hurt each other!"
"Take this claw!"
"Take this slap!"
Watching the two Pokémon trade blows, Ace and Zinnia disconnected their mental links with them.
"Lord Ace, is it okay for Groudon and Kyogre to just brawl?" Zinnia asked, a strange look on her face. "Shouldn't we have them use some moves or something?"
"And then what? Turn Sootopolis City into ruins?" Ace rolled his eyes and said helplessly. "Don't forget, our target isn't them; it's those guys."
"...I understand."
Zinnia acknowledged. Ace then took the Dragon-crested Ball containing Rayquaza from the lining of his trench coat and handed it to Zinnia. "I'm going over first. You watch the time."
"Understood."
Zinnia agreed. Ace leaped onto Tao Dragon 's back and, guided by the Legendary Dragon, flew toward Sootopolis City.
Just as Ace was heading for the city, the Seafloor Cavern collapsed. Two figures, carrying vast energy, burst out of the cavern and transformed into two streaks of light, rapidly flying across the sky toward Sootopolis City.
These two were none other than Maxie and Archie, who had been co-opted and manipulated by Groudon and Kyogre, respectively.
They had drained the life energy of all their followers who had entered the Seafloor Cavern with them. Carrying this power, they were rushing back to Groudon and Kyogre to inject this energy into their bodies, nourishing the rigid forms of the two Pokémon that were stiff from years of slumber.
Currently, Maxie and Archie were each gripping Ruby and Sapphire by the neck, dragging them along to the Final Location.
The two looked at Groudon and Kyogre battling below. Without a word, they threw Ruby and Sapphire aside and then descended toward Groudon and Kyogre's heads.
"Aerodactyl! Crobat!"
Ruby and Sapphire quickly fell toward the ground, but just before they could crash onto the rubble, two black shadows swiftly swooped in. In the nick of time, Aerodactyl and Crobat caught them, carrying them away from the dangerous area.
"Ace!"
Instantly rescued, Ruby and Sapphire looked toward their savior and spotted Ace standing on Tao Dragon 's back.
"What are you two doing here?" Ace frowned slightly. "This is no place for you. Get to the side."
Ruby and Sapphire looked slightly indignant at Ace's command, but they had no choice. Aerodactyl and Crobat carried them toward the outskirts of Sootopolis City, distancing them from the main battlefield.
"Be careful, Big Brother Ace!" Sapphire warned Ace. "The Red and Blue Orbs have been absorbed into their bodies! You have to force the Orbs out first!"
"I know."
Ace waved his hand at the two, then rode Tao Dragon into Sootopolis City.
Groudon and Kyogre were now fighting with intense rage. Though they refrained from using moves, they had each erected a thick layer of energy over their bodies.
If not for that thick energy layer, Maxie and Archie would likely have suffocated and died instantly upon entering the two Pokémon's energy fields due to the lack of oxygen.
"Fusion Flare! Fusion Bolt!"
Ace waved his hand. Tao Dragon immediately unleashed a burst of electric fire, which landed right between the two Pokémon, interrupting their fight.
Groudon and Kyogre instantly ceased battling. Then, the energy coating Maxie and Archie rapidly flowed into Groudon and Kyogre's bodies at a visible rate.
The next moment, both Pokémon fixed their target on Tao Dragon and unleashed an energy blast toward it.
Tao Dragon did not dodge. It raised its claws, and a combined blast of Cross Flame and Cross Thunder roared out, colliding with the incoming energy blast.
"Boom!"
A fierce explosion erupted. The powerful shockwave instantly flung Ruby and Sapphire, who were observing from the periphery, away.
The intense energy spread outwards. At this moment, it felt like a natural disaster!
"Ruby!"
"Sapphire!"
Wallace and Winona, Ruby and Sapphire's mentors, rushed in, catching the flung Ruby and Sapphire.
Seeing this, Aerodactyl and Crobat didn't linger. They dashed toward the battlefield.
"Master, please hurry and help Big Brother Ace!"
Ruby and Sapphire both pleaded with their mentors to help Ace fight the enemies.
Wallace and Winona exchanged a look and nodded. Then, taking Ruby and Sapphire with them, they flew back toward the battle zone.
When they reached the edge of the battlefield, they froze in place.
In the center of the battle, all of Ace's Pokémon had appeared around him.
Genesect, flanked by Ninetales, Blastoise, and Victreebel, formed a battery of cannons, unleashing a frenzied barrage on Groudon and Kyogre.
Especially Genesect's oversized cannon. Every Techno Blast forced Groudon and Kyogre to take a step back.
The rest of Ace's Pokémon protected the four offensive Pokémon. Chansey relentlessly healed the four, ensuring that no matter how enraged Groudon and Kyogre became, they couldn't overcome Ace's team.
"That guy... he's suppressing Groudon and Kyogre?!" Winona said, utterly disbelieving, her eyes wide with shock.
"His strength is impressive, but the suppression is only temporary."
Wallace, a Champion, had a broader perspective. He immediately pointed out: "Groudon and Kyogre are currently only seeking to win through pure physical combat. But with outside interference, they will abandon this battle mode. Don't forget what happened to Wattson and the others."
Reminded by Wallace, Winona instantly realized the danger.
Groudon and Kyogre's sudden attack back then had caught them completely off guard. The current situation was practically identical.
Remembering this, Winona immediately shouted a warning to Ace: "Be careful! If Groudon and Kyogre go berserk, they will attack you!"
"Understood."
Ace nodded in response, but an inner smile touched his lips.
This is exactly what he was hoping for!
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