"Currently, ninety-five percent of the people in LaRousse City have completed evacuation!"
Hearing the report from her subordinate, Officer Jenny—who was still aboard a ship near the cross-sea bridge—showed a slight change in expression.
No. According to the emergency evacuation plan drawn up by the city management AI, the people on the train just now should have been the last batch. The number of people still stranded in LaRousse City should have been reduced to single digits.
So where did that remaining four-plus percent come from? Had there been a problem with evacuation somewhere?
Officer Jenny trusted the statistical data completely. After all, LaRousse City used access cards to achieve precise population counts down to the individual, except for a few trespassers.
Frowning, she instructed her subordinate: "Have the technical team quickly analyze the data and find out where the problem occurred. Professor Lund and the others are still inside the city, but they have that Champion-level Trainer who defeated Elite Four Drake with them, so their safety should be assured."
As she spoke, she prepared to turn the ship back toward LaRousse City's port. She decided to prioritize handling the issue of the people who had not yet evacuated. In this situation, everyone else could flee LaRousse City, but she could not. As long as there were still citizens stranded inside, she had a duty to resolve the problem.
But the ship hadn't even traveled one nautical mile before it seemed to hit an invisible wall and could not advance an inch.
At the exact same moment, all communication between Officer Jenny and the inside of LaRousse City was completely cut off!
Fortunately, at the last second she received the analysis report sent by her subordinate.
"The cross-sea bridge scheduled to be constructed by Block Robots near Port No. 3 did not transport a single person out of LaRousse City for unknown reasons."
Muttering the summary, Officer Jenny immediately headed toward Port No. 3 without hesitation. Even through the barrier, she had to confirm the safety of the personnel.
"What on earth is—wait, what is that?"
Officer Jenny was slightly stunned. Then she noticed that in the distant sky, two figures—one black and one green—were entangled as they approached LaRousse City. Those were exactly the two Rayquaza that had been detected earlier by the air defense system!
One of the black Rayquaza slammed the green one against the barrier with its tail, and a Hyper Beam with enough destructive power to easily slice through buildings surged out, striking the green Rayquaza.
At that very moment, perhaps because of the powerful thrust from the Hyper Beam combined with the green Rayquaza's tough and thick hide, from Officer Jenny's perspective, accompanied by a crisp cracking sound, the barrier that had perfectly isolated the outside world from LaRousse City was pierced with a single strike!
The green Rayquaza immediately plummeted into the city, and the black one flew straight through the gap.
It seemed that realizing the barrier could not stop the two Rayquaza at all, the barrier isolating LaRousse City from the outside world began to collapse after only a short while!
At this time, Officer Jenny, who had come back to her senses, stared in the direction the two Rayquaza had entered and her expression changed drastically.
Oh no—that place is Port No. 3!
Anxiety appeared on Officer Jenny's face. Fortunately, at that moment, the ship's internal communication—which she had been continuously calling to check on Professor Lund's safety—was finally connected!
Officer Jenny instantly realized that the barrier had indeed been blocking signals. Anxiously, she said to the other side: "Finally connected! Professor Lund! Can you contact the Trainers still inside the city? Is that Champion-level Trainer still with you? Something's happened at Port No. 3!"
Professor Lund's voice sounded intermittent, as if he was engaged in intense movement. A series of footsteps could be faintly heard in the background. He seemed to be climbing stairs, and quite a few people were with him.
"If it's Port No. 3… Lucas headed there more than ten minutes ago. He should arrive very soon."
"Huh?"
Because of Professor Lund's words, Officer Jenny was momentarily stunned.
Not long ago, inside LaRousse City.
Lucas, Yuko, and Professor Lund, who had just experienced an unexpected blackout, had already reunited with the movie-version Ash and his group.
To open the doors that had sealed shut due to the power outage, he had no choice but to have his Swampert smash them to pieces.
Because of the precedent in the movie where Poké Balls temporarily stopped working, after entering the city Lucas had not used LaRousse City's management network at all. Therefore, his Poké Balls could still be used normally.
Lucas had wanted to complain about this for a long time. LaRousse City was supposed to be a high-tech city. Yet in the movie, once it was sealed by Deoxys's barrier and could no longer generate wind power, the entire city had no backup power or stored electricity, and it even disabled normal Poké Ball usage. That was truly ridiculous.
It was even more absurd than the weather in a certain basin back in March before he transmigrated.
The reason Lucas had directly brought Professor Lund and the others to meet up with Ash's group was because the plot had already gone completely off the rails. He could no longer hold onto the mindset of just muddling through and everything will end happily.
As for trying to steer the plot back on track—he wasn't stupid. Why would he do something so thankless?
Because of the sudden appearance of the black Rayquaza, and the possibility that it might also be coming for him, he probably couldn't slack off even if he wanted to.
"Two Rayquaza are about to arrive, and there's also a Deoxys in the city. Everyone, don't move around randomly. Try to evacuate first."
At this moment, Professor Lund was earnestly advising Ash's group, whom he saw as children who needed protection. In a situation where danger could descend at any moment, escaping was not the correct choice. At the very least, he had to watch over the safety of these children who hadn't managed to evacuate in time.
Compared to Professor Lund at this moment, Lucas was standing by the window, gazing at a certain spot in the sky with a slightly grave expression.
A moment later, he walked directly in front of everyone, his gaze landing on Ash among the group, and said, "Ash, I have a task for you."
"Yes! Master Lucas!"
Ash reflexively straightened his body and even changed how he addressed him. There was even a hint of anticipation in the way he looked at Lucas.
Lucas didn't waste any words. After glancing at everyone, he spoke directly.
"I'll have Moltres, Politoed, Ninetales, and Milotic protect your safety. Your job is to take Victini to the research lab and awaken the Deoxys inside. I won't explain the details. Professor Lund will explain everything to you later. I'll just ask you one thing. Can you do it?"
"Yes!"
Ash answered without the slightest hesitation. Even though he didn't know what Deoxys was, nor why his Master Lucas wanted him to specifically bring Victini to awaken it, he only knew that he would definitely complete this task!
Looking at the boy's unwavering expression, Lucas seriously suspected that if he told him to try jumping off a building, Ash would leap from the twentieth floor with an expectant look on his face and then act like nothing had happened.
What a natural workhorse… Wait, why am I having such evil thoughts? I must have been infected by Geeta!
Shaking his head, Lucas met Professor Lund's hesitant gaze. Giving him a reassuring look, Lucas patted Ash on the shoulder and slipped out through the shattered glass doors.
Ash, on the other hand, looked like he had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility and was completely fired up. Even Pikachu was startled by his fighting spirit.
Seeing that Lucas had already left, Professor Lund took a deep breath. He knew this was not the time to be indecisive.
"Everyone, follow me!"
While running ahead to lead the way, Professor Lund also had his assistant Miss Yuko briefly explain what the Deoxys they were going to awaken actually was.
After the short introduction, the person with the most knowledge on the subject among the group—little Iris—pushed up her glasses and summarized, "In short, to awaken that Pokémon that came from outer space, we need a large amount of energy, right?"
"Yes, but right now I haven't even had time to design the conversion device, let alone build it."
Professor Lund nodded, his gaze falling on the Moltres circling protectively beside them and on Victini. His expression was somewhat conflicted. He still didn't quite understand what Lucas's sudden arrangement meant.
At this time, Ash, who had been listening and growing more confused, raised his hand and voiced his question.
"Why do we need to design that conversion device?"
"Because the enhanced flames cannot be used directly as energy."
Professor Lund answered patiently toward his son's first friend.
Ash's expression became even more puzzled. "But… whether it's my Pikachu, or the Armarouge, or Pokémon of other types, they can all be strengthened and have their stamina and energy replenished by Victini, right?"
As soon as these words came out, Professor Lund was stunned. Although his stair-climbing movements could stop, his breathing instantly became disordered.
The phone in his pocket vibrated at that moment.
On the other side.
Lucas, who had separated from Professor Lund's group, had already been advancing through the powerless city for some time. At this moment, he was riding on Luxray's back, getting closer and closer to the direction indicated by the arrow in his eyes.
The reason Lucas had hurriedly given Ash and the others their task and then immediately set off was naturally because there was something he had to do. Otherwise, an irreversible situation might occur next.
"…We're almost there. Luxray, get ready. And you two as well."
The surrounding buildings had begun to decrease, and a faint scent of the sea was already lingering at the tip of his nose.
Lucas narrowed his eyes and instructed the two Poké Balls he was holding tightly in his hands.
At that moment, a loud dragon roar came from the sky, accompanied by a massive boom. A crisp shattering sound echoed through the air.
From Lucas's perspective, he could clearly see the shiny Rayquaza slam the other one—which should be the Hoenn Rayquaza—against what was probably Deoxys's deployed barrier, then fire a Hyper Beam, instantly shattering the barrier.
There seemed to be a similar scene in the movie. The green Rayquaza had used moves to spray at the barrier for an entire day without breaking it, but when it finally decided to ram it with its head, the barrier broke easily. This also meant the barrier resisted special attacks but not physical ones.
Noticing this, Lucas's expression lifted. He urged Luxray to speed up even more.
…
Meanwhile, at Port No. 3.
The stranded people watched in horror as the massive body of the Pokémon called Rayquaza crashed down not far in front of them. Who knows what they had just gone through! First they were blocked by a Pokémon that looked like an alien, then the bridge to escape LaRousse City collapsed into the sea because of the barrier the other had released. Now two terrifying giant dragons with overwhelming auras had broken through the barrier and flown in!
Was the heavens really trying to destroy them?
"Jessie, James, let's just jump into the sea, meow. Otherwise, we'll never see the Boss again, meow!"
Among the crowd, Meowth—who as a Pokémon understood just how dangerous Deoxys and the two Rayquaza were—had already decided to retreat. Capturing them to give to Boss Giovanni could wait until they were prepared and their lives were not in danger!
The Hoenn Rayquaza that had crashed to the ground was clearly very tough. After taking a close-range Hyper Beam from the shiny Rayquaza, it merely shook its head and stood up again as if nothing had happened.
—Then, its gaze locked onto Deoxys, which was standing expressionlessly on a streetlamp watching it.
The moment their eyes met was the signal for a Pokémon battle to begin!
Confirming with a glance—it was the fish that had slipped through the net four years ago, the one it had chased by scent! ()
"Shiiiiaaaang—!!"
The Hoenn Rayquaza let out a powerful roar, completely forgetting that it had just been entangled in a fight with the shiny Rayquaza it had accidentally encountered while tracking Deoxys's scent.
Its unfriendly gaze immediately turned toward Deoxys, the outsider that had once invaded its territory.
Deoxys instantly became alert.
At the same time, the shiny Rayquaza that had entered LaRousse City's range through the still-not-completely-dissipated gap in the barrier. While it was feeling speechless at its rude junior's extraordinary durability, it also watched the scene with interest and unhesitatingly decided to join in.
Seeing it getting restless, the Hoenn Rayquaza immediately huffed at it, asserting dominance. This guy is my prey. You're not allowed to touch it!
The shiny Rayquaza roared back without showing weakness. So what? When I was beating up those two idiots, you hadn't even been born yet! Although I came here for another purpose, if you're going to act like this, I really will step in!
For the shiny Rayquaza, although it was very persistent about its revenge target, if there was something that could amuse it, it would show up uninvited.
The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.
In the tense expressions of the crowd—who could neither retreat nor advance and were unconsciously surrounded by the terrifying auras of the three Pokémon—bright, dazzling light began to glow on all three Pokémon as they prepared to release their moves.
It was foreseeable that if their moves really collided, every single person present would be going to meet Arceus!
The conflict was on the verge of erupting!
At that very moment, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Everyone, stop!"
Lucas, who had come to save the citizens of LaRousse City from fire and water, arrived at the last possible second!
What? You ask who put them in fire and water?
Too many questions!
Lucas, who had burst onto the battlefield at the critical moment, locked his gaze onto the shiny Rayquaza, the Hoenn Rayquaza, and Deoxys. A string of commands shot out as if using high-speed divine speech.
"Luxray, Wild Charge!"
"Swampert, Ice Punch!"
"Mimikyu, Shadow Sneak!"
…