Want to read ahead. You know where
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Then a sharp, furious voice cut through the gloom.
"That damned meteorite still hasn't fallen yet!"
"We still have time!"
"We can prepare explosives, launch them, blow that thing to pieces!"
The one shouting was Flannery, the fiery Gym Leader from Lavaridge Town.
Her voice echoed off the walls, full of desperation and anger.
Everyone turned to look at Steven Stone and President Stone of the Devon Corporation.
Both men looked worn, shadows under their eyes betraying days without sleep.
Steven's lips parted, but his voice was dry and heavy.
"We're… running out of time. There's only one day left. Even if we have enough explosives, we don't have a way to launch them. We can't build a rocket in time."
As he spoke, his usual calm, confident face crumbled. It was as if he'd aged ten years in a moment.
Flannery slammed her fists against the table.
"So that's it? We just watch the Hoenn Region get destroyed?!"
"No… no! There has to be a way!"
Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked around the room, searching for hope on anyone's face.
But no one answered her. The silence returned, heavier than before.
"Flannery…"
Cynthia stepped forward, her voice soft but steady.
She gently wrapped an arm around the trembling Gym Leader, pulling her close.
"It's okay," she whispered, though her voice quivered too.
Flannery buried her face in Cynthia's shoulder, sobbing.
"Hoenn… It's my home…"
Cynthia's heart clenched.
She wasn't from Hoenn, but she understood too well.
The destruction of a single region meant countless lives, humans and Pokémon alike, snuffed out.
And if Hoenn fell, Sinnoh would soon feel the aftershock.
The room was on the verge of breaking when a sudden bang startled everyone.
Wallace, who had been silent until now, had slammed his hand against the table.
His sea-blue eyes burned with determination.
"If we can't stop it," he said firmly, "then we'll save as many lives as we can."
He straightened, voice echoing like a commander on a battlefield.
"According to the trajectory, Slateport City will be hit first. Evacuate the people immediately!"
He took a deep breath. "We'll deal with the meteorite later. For now, move!"
That was the moment Wallace truly looked like the Champion of Hoenn.
His voice reignited a spark in everyone's eyes.
Even in despair, his resolve gave them something to cling to.
Outside, far from the conference room, the world was already trembling.
When Rayquaza fell from the skies, Sam had been watching.
Without hesitation, he sprinted out of the command center and leapt onto the back of his partner, Silver.
"Let's go! Sky Pillar!"
The young Pokémon cried, sensing the urgency in his partner's heart.
The wind screamed past them as they tore through the storm-filled skies.
Through the bond they shared, Sam could still feel Rayquaza.
The Sky Guardian wasn't dead, not yet.
He had been struck down, wounded, but his presence still pulsed faintly somewhere near the Sky Pillar.
Sam's jaw tightened.
'Maybe this is what Rayquaza meant by fate.'
The wind roared in his ears, cold and violent, but he didn't care.
All that mattered now was reaching the pillar in time.
As they approached, the once-brilliant energy towers surrounding the Sky Pillar flickered weakly, their light dim and broken.
The once-sacred site now stood like a dying beacon in the storm.
Silver landed with a heavy thud on the island, wings folding close.
Sam jumped off and rushed inside without a second thought.
The air inside the Sky Pillar was thick with the smell of ozone and stone dust.
Faint light filtered through the cracks in the walls, revealing the massive green serpent lying motionless on the floor.
Rayquaza.
The mighty Sky High Pokémon, once the living symbol of Hoenn's power, now lay broken, its body covered in scorched scales and deep gashes.
The faint hum of its energy barely stirred the air.
Sam froze, chest tight.
For a long moment, he couldn't move.
Then he took a slow step forward.
"Rayquaza…" he whispered.
The great dragon's eyes flickered weakly open, meeting his gaze.
Even in that shattered body, Sam could still feel its power, the same power that once ruled the skies.
But now, it was fading.
And time was running out.
The Sky Pillar was silent except for the faint, labored breathing of the dragon that ruled the heavens.
Rayquaza's massive body trembled with every breath.
Its emerald scales were dim, its wings limp, its serpentine form barely recognizable beneath the battle scars.
Its golden eyes were shut tight in pain.
"Rayquaza…"
Sam stepped closer, his heart pounding.
He didn't hesitate; he placed both hands on the dragon's scarred body.
A surge of energy flowed from his palms, golden light bursting to life as the divine powers within him stirred.
Three lights, blue, red, and gold, spiraled together, fusing into a radiant aura that poured into Rayquaza's wounds.
The air around them hummed with power, like the world itself was holding its breath.
The warmth of that energy seeped into the dragon's form.
Slowly, the great eyes fluttered open, dim light meeting Sam's gaze.
Despite the pain, a faint glimmer of recognition and expectation flickered in them.
"Inheritor…"
The voice echoed not through the air, but inside Sam's mind.
Deep, ancient, and filled with both pride and sorrow.
"Our fates… have begun to intertwine."
"Go… seek the complete inheritance…"
The words resonated through his soul, heavy with meaning.
And then, the light faded from Rayquaza's eyes once more.
Its head lowered, the mighty dragon fell silent again.
Sam's breath hitched.
"Rayquaza!"
But there was no response.
Only the faint pulse of life, fragile but still present.
Just then, a shimmer of movement flashed in the corner of his vision.
A figure emerged from the shadows, swift and graceful.
It was a young woman in a dark cloak, the insignia of a meteor embroidered across her chest.
Her amethyst eyes glimmered in the dim light as she bowed deeply.
"Master Inheritor," she said, voice steady yet reverent.
"Its me Zinnia of the Meteor Clan."
Zinnia nodded.
"The Dragon God has chosen you. For Rayquaza to recover, you must obtain the complete inheritance."
Sam frowned slightly.
"The complete inheritance… You mean in Meteor Village?"
"Yes." She straightened, her gaze firm.
"The heritage of our clan lies deep within Meteor Falls. Only there can the ancient bond be awakened again."
Sam looked down at Rayquaza one last time.
The dragon's breathing was faint but steady.
Whatever this inheritance was, he could sense it was the only chance to save it.
"Alright," he said, his voice calm but resolute.
"Let's go."
Zinnia gave a brief nod.
"Understood, Master Inheritor."
She released a Poké Ball from her belt, and with a burst of light, a majestic Salamence appeared, roaring as its wings unfurled.
The air around them rippled with raw draconic energy.
"Follow me!"
Sam turned to his partner.
"Silver, let's move."
The small Lugia let out a cry and spread its wings.
Together, they took to the skies, following Zinnia's Salamence as they soared over the rugged cliffs and misty mountains that surrounded Meteor Falls.
The journey was long and quiet, the sound of rushing waterfalls echoing through the canyons.
Finally, Zinnia pointed ahead.
"Master Inheritor, that's the entrance to Meteor Village."
Sam looked down and saw it, a dark pit hidden beneath the cliffside, almost invisible to the untrained eye.
The entrance seemed to breathe, like the mountain itself was alive.
"This is it?" Sam muttered, narrowing his eyes.
He'd heard of the Meteor Clan before, mysterious descendants of dragon tamers who once served Rayquaza.
But seeing this hidden place for himself made him realize just how secretive they truly were.
Zinnia landed first, guiding Salamence into the shadowed cavern.
"Please, follow me," she said softly.
Sam nodded. "Let's go, Silver."
They descended into the darkness.
The passage wound deep underground, narrow at first, then opening into a vast space lit by glowing crystals embedded in the rock walls.
When they finally emerged on the other side, Sam's breath caught in his throat.
Before them stretched a massive valley, a secret paradise untouched by time.
Soft sunlight filtered down through gaps in the cavern ceiling, bathing the land in a faint golden glow.
Lush grass swayed in the gentle wind, and clusters of rare berries grew wild among the rocks.
Dozens of Pokémon roamed freely, Dratini gliding through streams, Gible tumbling playfully down the hills, and Bagon leaping between the cliffs as if chasing the sky itself.
It was a land where dragons lived without fear, a cradle of ancient power.
Zinnia smiled faintly.
"Welcome, Master Inheritor. This is Meteor Village."
Sam couldn't help but feel a strange pull in his chest, as though the air itself was alive with destiny.
As they walked deeper into the valley, figures began to appear from the mist, men and women dressed in robes patterned with stars and comets.
Their eyes held a mix of awe and reverence.
When Sam and Zinnia finally reached the center, an elderly woman stepped forward, her white hair flowing down her back, her staff carved with dragon motifs.
Her voice was strong despite her age.
"The Meteor Clan welcomes the Inheritor of the Sky!"
At once, everyone bowed deeply.
Sam blinked, caught off guard.
"I'm… not used to this kind of welcome," he admitted quietly.
The old woman smiled faintly.
"You carry the mark of the Dragon God. The bond between you and Rayquaza has already begun. That alone makes you worthy."
Her eyes shimmered with emotion.
"For generations, our clan has awaited this day. The day when the Sky Guardian's chosen one would appear again."
The wind stirred, carrying a faint echo through the valley, a sound that reminded Sam of Rayquaza's distant roar.
He clenched his fists.
"Then let's not waste any more time."
The old woman nodded, her expression solemn.
"Very well. Prepare yourself, Inheritor. What comes next will test not just your strength… but your soul."
As her words fell, a strange energy rippled through the air.
The sky above the valley darkened, the stars seeming to shimmer even in daylight.
And Sam knew.
The covenant between him and Rayquaza, the fate that bound them, was about to be revealed.