"Dragon Pulse!"
Before the enormous wave—towering more than ten meters high—Drake ordered his Pokémon to unleash a combined attack.
Seven Dragon Pulse attacks merged into one, releasing an overwhelming force.
It was as if a massive cannon had fired, piercing a gigantic hole through the center of the wave and revealing Kyogre beneath, thrashing the sea in fury.
Drake wasted no time and mounted his Salamence again, leading all his flying Pokémon straight toward the enemy.
Two Salamence, one Altaria, one Flygon, and a Kingdra that darted swiftly across the ocean's surface.
Kingdra, with its Sniper ability, unleashed considerable offensive power.
On land, on the island, stood a Haxorus and a Garchomp—both ready to provide long-range support.
Cain also summoned every Pokémon he could use, attacking relentlessly with the sole purpose of distracting and restraining Kyogre.
But the difference in power was far too great. Their offensives barely managed to leave a scratch on Kyogre's body.
The only one who could make Kyogre show even a hint of caution was Drake's main Salamence—whom Kyogre preferred not to face directly.
Even so, this battlefield was the sea. Here, Kyogre had an endless flow of energy to draw upon. Drake could only hold his ground and keep up the pressure.
Cain had already sent an emergency message to the League the moment Kyogre awoke, but so far, no response had come from Juan.
...
While Drake and Cain fought with all they had, another catastrophe was unfolding deep within the Hoenn region.
Sidney and Glacia had done everything in their power, yet they failed to stop Team Magma.
In a sudden move, Maxie activated all the infiltrators he had planted within the League, plunging the organization into chaos and preventing them from reacting in time.
Unlike Team Aqua, Team Magma operated on land, which normally made it easier for the League to track them. But Maxie, ever the cunning strategist, had placed fanatical followers in key positions.
Those members—who for years had posed as loyal and competent—had earned great trust within the League.
And now, their betrayal struck at the worst possible moment.
By the time the League managed to restore order and tried to send reinforcements to Sidney and Glacia, it was already too late.
Maxie, sacrificing nearly the entirety of Team Magma, had succeeded in awakening Groudon, dormant in the depths of the earth.
Like Kyogre, Groudon was driven purely by instinct upon awakening—and thanks to that, the League managed to prevent greater destruction... for now.
But its full resurgence was only a matter of time.
Juan personally arrived at the site where Groudon had emerged, ready to act himself.
That was when he noticed Cain's message.
"Kyogre... has awakened."
Juan's expression hardened as he read it. One of those Legendary Pokémon alone already pushed them to their limits. With both freed at once, Hoenn stood on the brink of collapse. He even considered calling for support from the League headquarters.
However, before doing so, he sent a brief reply:
"Groudon... has awakened too."
Cain, who at that moment was still assisting Drake in containing Kyogre, smiled faintly upon seeing the message.
A single Legendary Pokémon was almost impossible to handle—but with both active at the same time, the situation changed.
He immediately called Juan, interrupting the president just as he was about to take action.
"Cain?" Juan's voice was grave.
Cain spoke quickly and firmly: "President, I know how we can resolve the chaos caused by Kyogre and Groudon."
"How?" Juan asked without hesitation.
Through the communicator, the sound of rain and crashing waves could be heard—proof that Cain and Drake were still locked in battle with Kyogre.
"I've read in ancient texts," Cain said, "that Kyogre and Groudon are natural enemies. Whenever they meet, their clash brings forth the dragon of the sky—Rayquaza—who descends to stop them."
Juan frowned. "Cain, this concerns the entire Hoenn region. We can't base our hopes on a legend that may not even be true. Even if the tale is real, what if Rayquaza doesn't appear?"
Cain replied with conviction, "I know, President. We can't rely solely on that. But there's another way—if we can lure Kyogre and Groudon to the same place, they'll inevitably fight each other."
"Kyogre seeks to flood the entire world, while Groudon wishes to cover it in land. Their ideals are completely opposite."
"If we let them clash, even if Rayquaza doesn't intervene, they'll wear each other down. All we'd need to do is endure the aftermath of their battle."
Juan fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke gravely: "If those two fight near the coasts, the collateral damage could destroy entire cities."
"Then we can guide them out to sea," Cain proposed. "If you gather all available Ice-type trainers, they can create a frozen path over the ocean—enough for Groudon to cross."
"After that, we just need to lure it. With its mind still clouded, it'll easily fall for the provocation."
"When that happens, we'll let these two ancient deities unleash their full power against each other."
Would Kyogre prove to be the mightier... or Groudon the more terrifying?
Very soon, the entire Hoenn region would find out.
(End of chapter)