Want to read ahead. You know where
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Slateport City.
The sky above shimmered in an unnatural light as the giant meteorite continued its silent descent.
There was no need for telescopes.
Anyone who simply looked up could see it, a massive, burning rock tearing through the upper atmosphere, its outline becoming sharper by the minute.
At first, it had looked like nothing more than a flicker of light, a speck no bigger than a grain of sand.
Then it grew, to the size of a pebble, then a coin, then a ball.
Now, it filled up like an wound in the sky.
Even though it was still morning, two-thirds of the sun was already swallowed by the meteorite's shadow.
The sea, once sparkling under Hoenn's warmth, had turned cold and gray.
Gulls screeched and fled inland.
At this rate, the moment the sun disappeared completely would be the moment that meteorite crashed into the world.
On the shores of Slateport, the air was thick with tension.
A command center had been set up, packed with the strongest trainers in the Hoenn Region, Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and senior investigators from the Pokémon League.
Among them stood Wallace, Steven, and Cynthia.
Cynthia's golden hair fluttered in the salty wind as she stared at the darkening sky.
Her voice was calm, though her eyes reflected the burning star overhead.
"Wallace, how's the evacuation going?"
Wallace exhaled, his expression heavy.
"Only about thirty percent of the citizens have been moved. The rest… they refuse to leave."
Cynthia's shoulders tensed.
She didn't blame them.
This city, their homes, their families, their memories, was everything to them.
Even if they fled to other regions, the fallout from a meteorite this size would change the entire world.
No place would truly be safe.
Wallace forced a faint smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"Still, thank you for being here, Cynthia. Most people would've left by now."
She shook her head.
"No one with a conscience would run from this. Not when the whole region's at stake."
But deep down, she couldn't stop thinking about Sam.
He had left suddenly, without a word, just vanished into the chaos of preparation.
Still, she trusted him. He wasn't the type to abandon anyone.
Wallace's gaze swept across the gathering.
Steven stood nearby, his Metagross floating beside him like a silent guardian.
All around them, Pokémon trainers were giving final commands, checking equipment, calibrating scanners, and preparing Poké Balls.
The League had gathered every ounce of its strength here.
Wallace stepped forward, his voice clear and commanding.
"We have two hours before the meteorite makes contact!" he announced.
"Everyone here knows what that means. We may not be able to destroy it completely, but we can fight for our home!"
The gathered trainers clenched their fists.
Pokémon roared in unison, Blazikens, Gardevoirs, Salamences, and Metagrosses filling the air with energy.
Wallace's words cut through the rising wind.
"We attack together, moments before it hits the atmosphere! Every strike counts, every bit of damage we do could change the outcome!"
It was a desperate plan, but it was all they had left.
Even if the meteorite couldn't be completely shattered, breaking it into smaller fragments might be enough to save lives, enough to give Hoenn a chance.
Steven placed a hand on Wallace's shoulder, his lips curving into a brave smile.
"If this is how it ends, then it's been an honor fighting beside you, Wallace."
Wallace chuckled softly, his voice trembling just a bit.
"Same to you, my friend. When I took the Champion's seat, I never thought I'd be defending the region from the sky itself."
Steven grinned. "Guess life always finds a way to surprise us."
For a brief moment, their laughter mixed with the distant roar of the waves, a fragile sliver of humanity under the shadow of the falling star.
"But at least I'm not unworthy of the title, right?" Wallace said quietly, his voice almost lost to the rising wind.
Steven smiled faintly.
"Of course not. You've done far more than I ever could."
The two stood side by side, facing the sky that had turned completely black.
The meteorite now dominated the heavens, the sun vanished behind it, swallowed whole.
Daylight was gone.
Slateport City, once alive with ocean shimmer, was now a world of shadows and trembling air.
The temperature dropped.
The only light that remained was the faint, fiery glow reflecting off the incoming meteorite, like the last heartbeat of a dying star.
Wallace clenched his fist, then drew a Poké Ball from his belt.
"That's close enough…" he muttered.
"Let's do this, my friend! Come out!"
With a burst of white light, his Milotic appeared, elegant even in the darkness.
Steven followed, his Metagross emerging beside him, hovering silently with a metallic hum.
Around them, other trainers stepped forward, Gym Leaders, investigators, League officers, all summoning their partners one by one.
Cynthia released her Garchomp, the dragon's eyes flashing with fierce resolve.
They stood in formation, the last wall between the meteorite and their world.
Slateport's streets were empty now, the waves eerily still.
The only sounds were the cries of Pokémon and the distant rumble of the sky splitting open.
Someone whispered, "Is this it? Is Slateport… going to be erased?"
Another voice answered, barely audible, "If Hoenn falls today, we fall with it."
The air grew heavier, so thick with pressure that even breathing felt like a struggle.
Sweat ran down foreheads. Palms clenched Poké Balls tighter.
Even the bravest hearts faltered before the enormity above them.
And then..
A sound broke through the tension.
A dragon's roar, high and clear, echoed across the heavens like thunder made of life itself.
Heads snapped upward.
Trainers and Pokémon alike froze, eyes wide.
Far in the distance, through the sea of shadow, a blinding point of light appeared, small at first, but growing rapidly brighter.
It streaked across the darkened sky like a green comet cutting through despair.
Steven's eyes widened.
"That… that's"
The light burst open, revealing a massive emerald serpent coiling through the heavens.
Its golden eyes blazed like twin suns.
Rayquaza.
The Sky High Pokémon. The guardian of Hoenn.
The legend was back.
And riding on its back, standing tall against the wind, was Sam.
"Professor!" Winona's voice rang out from the crowd, breaking the silence.
"Professor Samuel!"
"It's Rayquaza he's back!"
Shouts of disbelief turned to cheers.
For the first time since the sky went dark, hope flickered again in everyone's hearts.
If Rayquaza had returned… if the legend of the skies had not fallen… then Hoenn still had a chance.
Rayquaza let out another roar, its body glowing with emerald light as it sliced through the air, leaving trails of energy behind it.
The storm clouds above churned violently, scattering like dust before its might.
Cynthia's breath hitched. Her heart, which had been so heavy moments ago, finally eased.
Tears glimmered at the corners of her eyes as she whispered, barely audible, "You came…"
Her fingers brushed against the pendant she wore, a small keepsake Sam had given her long ago.
For a brief moment, she smiled, the fear in her chest replaced by fierce pride.
"As long as he's here," she murmured, "we still have hope."
Up above, Sam's coat whipped wildly in the gale as he stood on Rayquaza's back, one hand gripping a support fin.
His gaze was locked on the descending meteorite, eyes reflecting its crimson glow.
Rayquaza responded with a thunderous roar that shook the heavens.
Down below, trainers shielded their eyes as a brilliant light surged from Rayquaza's body, an aura of pure emerald energy, spiraling and expanding outward.
The main core still burned, but its descent had slowed, weakened.
Cynthia wiped her tears, a soft smile tugging at her lips. Her voice trembled, full of pride.
"My husband… truly, a hero without equal."
Wallace stared at the sky, speechless for a long moment.
Then, quietly, he laughed, the first genuine sound of relief since the nightmare began.
"Hoenn's not done yet," he said.