Regirock stood imposingly, its entire body radiating an indomitable presence.
The sheer shadow cast by its massive form was immense, its size nearly matching the [Evil Mountain].
Its two thick, rocky arms—composed of enormous gray boulders—contained immeasurable strength.
Its shoulders were formed from towering, jagged orange rocks, connected to its arms by smaller fragments.
Compared to the [Evil Mountain], whose body was tainted by a dark aura, Regirock exuded a far more awe-inspiring pressure.
Suddenly, two completely different energies erupted from the opposing forces.
The vast Aura dyed the entire cavern, and the violent clash of energies sent tremors through the surrounding walls.
The engraved patterns on the walls began to waver, their crimson glow slowly fading.
In the next moment, the two boundless auras collided.
The dense, earthen-yellow Aura intertwined with the sinister, dark-tinged energy of the [Evil Mountain].
The terrifying shockwaves from their clash stirred a tempestuous storm across the battlefield.
Then, as if evenly matched, their energies gradually formed a clear dividing line between them.
But in an instant, this boundary surged toward the [Evil Mountain] at blinding speed.
Clearly, the first round of this battle of auras had ended in Regirock's overwhelming victory.H's eyes flickered incessantly as Regirock emitted an eerie sound.
Instantly, a massive stone arm composed entirely of rock shot forth, wreathed in intense orange-red Aura.
When ordinary Pokémon use [Hammer Arm], their limbs typically become enveloped in a layer of light.
Even Tyranitar merely intensifies this glow, making it several times thicker and more radiant.
But the mountain-sized Regirock was different.
When executing the same [Hammer Arm], its skyscraper-like arm became instantly engulfed in an immense surge of Aura.
Blazing orange-red Aura intertwined wildly across Regirock's arm.
The amount of Aura required was astronomical—beyond imagination.
Such terrifying expenditure translated into devastating destructive power.
Facing Regirock's erupting energy, [Evil Mountain] felt a surge of terror, as if death itself loomed.
The dark energy around it contracted abruptly, and a stone pillar more formidable than before came crashing down!
A visible, jellyfish-shaped shockwave erupted from the collision point, radiating outward in all directions.
The terrifying force sent rubble flying across the ground.
[Evil Mountain] staggered slightly, while Regirock stood unshaken, not a hint of wavering.
This alone revealed the disparity in their strength.
In an instant, the stone pillar exploded with a deafening roar.
As if struck by high explosives, it shattered from the palm outward, countless fragments raining down.
Fragments and dust swirled in the air, forming a thick, choking haze of stone.
Most of the debris crashed to the ground, piling into chaotic heaps of rubble.
Regirock's arm lacked fingers, ending instead in a flat, cylindrical cross-section.
Not a single crack marred its surface—it remained utterly unscathed.
In contrast, [Evil Mountain] bore fractures across its stone pillar and body.
A few more strikes like this, and it would crumble into scattered rubble, no longer the dreaded [Evil Mountain].
A low, resonant hum filled the air—a sound so deep it induced dizziness.
The darkness around [Evil Mountain] swelled abruptly, while its rocky body inexplicably shrank.
In that moment, an overwhelmingly sinister aura spread, and the surrounding stone walls trembled violently.
Even the air seemed to distort.
Then, [Evil Mountain] began to move, collapsing toward Regirock with crushing force.
Its entire form radiated a malevolent energy, accompanied by a biting wind pressure.
A single impact would gouge a massive crater into the earth.
Regirock stared coldly at [Evil Mountain], striding forward step by step as its Aura surged skyward.
The ochre Aura dyed the heavens, as if the world had been submerged in a sandstorm.
Its body was a pillar of rugged stone, with two orange patches on its left chest and right leg.
Its stubby legs supported a back adorned with three vertically aligned orange spikes.
The orange rocks composing its form harmonized with the scene, as if the god of stone had descended.
Boom!
Regirock stomped the ground with tremendous force, causing the earth to cave in as a surge of Aura plunged underground.
The terrain quaked violently, like a dragon upheaving the land, as immense energy surged beneath [Evil Mountain].Ground-type move—Earth Power!
The ground beneath [Evil Mountain] suddenly erupted, its terrifying power compressed in an instant before being unleashed all at once.
Countless earthen-yellow Aura bursts surged through the earth, shooting straight upward.
In the blink of an eye, [Evil Mountain] was engulfed by this force, its body fracturing in multiple places.
The battlefield was instantly filled with shattered dust and scattered debris.
The colossal [Evil Mountain] was completely obliterated into rubble and clouds of fine powder.
As the dust settled, [Evil Mountain]'s figure had vanished without a trace.
Only Regirock remained standing, its aura as steady as ever, completely unaffected.
Steelix emerged on the battlefield and, without hesitation, began voraciously chewing on the remnants of [Evil Mountain]'s rocks.
Fortunately, [Evil Mountain] had already been shattered—had Steelix tried to bite into it directly, it likely wouldn't have been able to.
After all, Steelix was only at SS- rank for now.
But [Evil Mountain] offered more than just excellent experience points—it also provided an abundance of rocks.
All of these could be left for Steelix to consume.
By devouring so many rocks that were originally SS-rank, Steelix would gain a massive amount of experience.
It would likely reach SS rank soon.
Thus, the battlefield was left with only the sound of Steelix's chewing.
Meanwhile, Akira took the opportunity to move behind where [Evil Mountain] had stood.
Previously blocked from view by [Evil Mountain], the area behind it was now finally visible.
With a casual wave of his hand, Akira cleared away the piled debris, revealing what lay beneath.
There, placed on a pedestal, was a pitch-black rock about the size of a basketball.
Its surface was smooth, almost reflective, with a texture resembling jade.
Faint wisps of black gas coiled around it, though they seemed weak, as if they might dissipate at any moment.
"A rock?"
Akira raised an eyebrow, certain this wasn't just an ordinary stone.
Unlike [Evil Mountain], this rock clearly wasn't a fragment of it—it had been deliberately placed on this pedestal.
[Ominous Rock]: Any being tainted by its aura will undergo unimaginable mutations.
However, these mutations can go either way—they may bring benefits or misfortunes.
Benefits could include gaining supernatural abilities or extended lifespan…
Misfortunes could mean instant death or losing a part of one's body…
A single organism can only trigger its effect once.
After one mutation, the aura will no longer be stripped away, and the effect will cease.
...
Ominous… Rock, huh?
Akira rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
The vibe of this rock felt distinctly different from [Evil Mountain]'s.
Its ability truly lived up to the "ominous" in its name.
It was indeed unpredictable.
Like flipping a coin—no one knows if it'll land on heads or tails, forced to gamble on that fifty-fifty chance.
But there was no guarantee the odds of good and bad outcomes were equal.
It might lean toward good fortune—or it might lean toward misfortune.
Only experimentation could reveal the truth.
Yet Akira had a hunch that the chances of disaster were higher.
Because this Ominous Rock exuded an unmistakably sinister aura.
Hmm…
Best not to touch it for now.
Normally, when encountering rocks with special abilities, Akira would have Steelix eat them.
But this time was an exception—he had no intention of letting Steelix consume that bizarre object.
Lost in thought, Steelix was voraciously chewing on rocks, which first turned into powder before being completely digested.
Ultimately, it became nourishment for Steelix, transforming into experience points.
Just as Akira had anticipated, Steelix indeed advanced to SS-rank, becoming a cornerstone of his team.
That's right—now only SS-rank could be considered a true cornerstone for him.
SS- rank was merely passable, while anything lower in the S-rank range hardly counted.
As for his top-tier fighters, they were few and far between—Kyogre and the complete form of Zygarde.
Ding!
"Pokémon incubation complete!"
Akira had barely snapped out of his thoughts when a familiar notification chime rang out...
Another incubation bar had reached completion?
But all the incubation bars he'd recently obtained had already finished.
Could it be...?
Akira's breath hitched, his eyes widening involuntarily as he recalled an incubation bar he hadn't paid attention to in a long time.
The one he'd obtained after setting foot on the Dark Continent!
That was also the incubation bar in his mind that had stubbornly refused to progress.
After so much time had passed, he'd nearly forgotten about it.
Yet without any warning, it had silently reached the halfway mark—and now, the Pokémon had emerged.
This was exactly what had happened when Kyogre appeared.
Which meant...
Akira immediately immersed his consciousness into his mind, desperate to see if this Pokémon was the one from legend.
Sure enough—
When Akira saw that towering crimson figure standing proudly against the heavens, joy overflowed in his eyes.
The God of the Earth!
Also jokingly referred to by people as "The One Who Doesn't Fly"—
Groudon.
Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza were collectively known as the Hoenn Trio.
All three were terrifying Legendary Pokémon.
Each wielded formidable authority.
They were also so-called Ancient Pokémon, having existed since time immemorial.
Groudon was a Pokémon entirely encased in red, plate-like scales.
The undersides of its body were gray, with massive spikes protruding from its head, torso, and tail.
Each of Groudon's hands bore four claws, and four bulldozer-like teeth jutted upward at the end of its tail.
Its feet each had three claws, with gray markings on the soles.
Blue spikes could also be seen within the seams of its scales, visible when Groudon gathered power.
Primal Groudon's scale seams glowed with a molten orange-yellow hue.
On the circular sections at the base of its arms was an "Ω" symbol—the same pattern that appeared on the Scarlet Orb.
"It really is Groudon..."
Akira murmured in awe.
Ever since Kyogre had emerged from Mobius Lake, he'd suspected that this incubation bar would most likely yield Groudon.
One corresponding to the ocean, the other to the land—it made perfect sense.
Groudon was no ordinary being—it was said to be the incarnation of the earth itself.
Throughout mythology, it had been described as the Pokémon that created land and expanded continents.
It shared a sequential relationship with Regigigas.
Groudon forged the earth, while Regigigas transported it, shaping the continents.
It possessed the power to disperse rain clouds, evaporating moisture with intense light and heat to expand the land.
It had once appeared as a savior to people suffering from catastrophic floods.
Legends said that in its quest for natural energy, it had repeatedly clashed with Kyogre.
One could say it was a battle between land and sea.One was the God of the Earth, the other the God of the Ocean.
Due to their respective natures, they were also mockingly called "The Flightless One" and "The Fathead Fish" by people.
Finally, it was Rayquaza that mediated the conflict between them.
After the life-and-death battle with Kyogre, it had been slumbering deep within the molten magma underground.
It is said that whenever it awakens, volcanoes erupt.
Through the energy of nature, Groudon undergoes Primal Reversion, returning to its original form.
Its power can generate magma and expand the land.
Name: Groudon (Primal Reversion)
Ability: Drought
Type: Ground
Strength: SS+ — SSS- (Ascending)
Moves: Precipice Blades, Earth Power, Eruption, Fissure, Scorching Sands...
Like Kyogre, Groudon is also undergoing Primal Reversion.
This means they will gradually transform into their Primal forms, at which point their power will become even more terrifying.
Similarly, while Kyogre possesses its signature move [Origin Pulse], Groudon wields [Precipice Blades].
[Precipice Blades]: Harnesses the power of the earth as a blade to strike enemies.
Groudon can freely manipulate the land, for it is the god of the earth.
With a single step, it can summon towering stone pillars from the ground, sharp as swords, to impale its foes—forming massive mountains in an instant.
This is the might of the Earth God. As long as it stands upon the land, it is an invincible force.
As Akira focused intently on Groudon, the eerie Ominous Rock beside him began to glow.
The light grew increasingly intense, as though something was about to descend...