Three times riding the dragon.
Baimu was already accustomed to the fierce winds at high altitude.
He looked down at the Alternate-colored Rayquaza immersed in soaring and glanced at the far-off, churning Hoenn Rayquaza. Both had long since dispelled their Super Evolution forms, yet they were still awe-inspiring.
Waiting all morning and still not seeing this guy return, the disappointment and regret in his heart were evident.
Though he only had a brief encounter with the Alternate-colored Rayquaza for a day and a half, Baimu undoubtedly longed to establish a closer bond with it. Witnessing the former and the Hoenn Rayquaza harmoniously countering the two Super Ancient Pokémon, he felt a bittersweet sensation similar to when Ash Ketchum sent off Butterfree.
There was no doubt that the Divine Heart affected not only the Alternate-colored Rayquaza but also him, the releaser.
So when the Alternate-colored Rayquaza again lowered its head, wishing for him to ride, Baimu didn't hesitate to recall Dragapult and leap aboard, regardless of why this creature sought him or whether there might be danger.
Thinking back, he was probably no different from Shui Jing (Minajun) who was always chasing the "North Wind Incarnation" Suicune, except in one case, Pokémon and humans drew close mutually, while in the other, there was no reciprocation from the outset.
So at this moment, Baimu was content.
But after feeling content, he inevitably began considering practical matters and thought about attempting a spiritual exchange, yet worried about affecting the Alternate-colored Rayquaza's flying state.
"Where do you plan to take me?"
He bent down and shouted to ask.
The Alternate-colored Rayquaza slightly tilted its head, responding to him with an inexplicable screech.
...He couldn't understand.
Baimu took out his phone to ask Porygon II, which indicated that the Alternate-colored Rayquaza hadn't said anything, and opened the GPS for prediction.
The skill of reading expressions and body language had its limits. In such complex situations, when there were no corresponding assumptions in his mind, no matter how well he understood the personality of the Alternate-colored Rayquaza, he couldn't imagine what it intended to do.
Hmm.
It really wasn't chasing the submarine. Was it heading to the Pillar of the Sky? Could it be?
He stared dumbfounded at the positioning red dot on his phone constantly moving closer to the Hoenn East, and through a special channel in the earpiece, Porygon II also confirmed via the flight trajectory prediction that it was indeed the Pillar of the Sky.
Baimu: "..."
Was the Hoenn Rayquaza planning to bring the Alternate-colored Rayquaza over for a visit, or was the Alternate-colored Rayquaza uninvitedly approaching it?
Beep.
The soft notification of a message interrupted his thoughts.
—Laisa had completed the Super Bracelet and was asking when he needed it.
Baimu: "Sorry, I'm a bit tied up at the moment, but I'll come by when I have the chance."
Laisa: "Tied up? Didn't you all return already? It should be over by now, right?"
Baimu: "It is over, but you might not believe it, I'm sitting on the black Rayquaza, overlooking the Hoenn land."
Laisa: "...Huh?"
She sent an emoji of a Slowbro scratching its head, full of question marks.
Baimu: "Literal meaning, not kidding with you, I'll check if Rayquaza sheds any dragon scale, and if it does, I'll get you some."
Laisa: "Huh???"
This girl's mental resilience was really too weak, unlike Shanren, who readily accepted the fact that he was mingling with two Legendary Pokémon.
Baimu clicked his tongue as he turned off his phone and had some expectations for Flop and Liu Ge who were about to take action.
With Da Wu and Jiaxi Jiana, and counting in these two professional individuals, if time allowed, he'd also get involved a bit. No matter how he thought about it, Fladari would unlikely succeed in executing the original plan.
Besides, it was necessary to recruit the Fire Celestial King, Pachira.
The portrayal of Pachira in the animation wasn't as steadfast as in the special edition, being a sentimental person moved by battles between Ash Ketchum and Ailan, presumably reasonable to talk things over.
It was a pity Ailan's prolonged fainting earlier provided a chance for evidence gathering; who would have thought the Alternate-colored Rayquaza would suddenly whisk him away... which was fine, could either be used for himself or gifted to someone.
It wasn't some counterfeit of the Super Bracelet, just lacked the black technology from Lysandre Labs.
As Baimu mused, the Alternate-colored Rayquaza beneath him let out a prolonged roar, descending from the high altitude.
"Hiss roar—"
Arrived at the destination.
He watched as the majestic silhouette of the Pillar of the Sky began to emerge, thinking that the Alternate-colored Rayquaza indeed followed the Hoenn Rayquaza to its home. What kind of relationship did the two establish within these few short hours?
On the mysterious Triangular Altar.
The Hoenn Rayquaza circled in the center, gazing at the Alternate-colored Rayquaza landing in front of it, and the human dismounting from its head.
The smell on this person was familiar to it.
The long life had not brought Hoenn Rayquaza too many unique memories, especially being in such an exceptional environment at the moment, it instantly understood the identity of the young human before it.
The individual bowed slightly and spoke, "It is an honor to meet you. I am a descendant of the Meteor People, Baimu. I recently passed the test of the Inheritor within the Pillar of the Sky and hope you can grant me the status of the Inheritor."
Sure enough.
The eyes of the Hoenn Rayquaza did not reveal any emotion. The Meteor People were the human group it interacted with the most. They often revered it beyond imagination, not only establishing different resting places for it worldwide but also entrusting it with the decision-making power regarding the hereditary lineage.