Grey thought of Hoenn's current top idol, Lisia!
With Lisia's fame, if he asked her to post a message on her account about searching for a meteorite, the efficiency would probably go way up.
Once Grey thought of that, he immediately got to work.
He sent Lisia a text.
Dojo Annihilape: Lisia, I need a small favor. Is this a good time?
Idol Master: starry-eyes.jpg
Idol Master: Grey, just say the word! As long as it's something I can help with, I'll do my absolute best!
Dojo Annihilape: I need you to post a search video on your account. Your uncle might have to post one too. So I wanted to ask whether it would be convenient for you. We can discuss the price.
Idol Master: No problem! It's just one video. No need to pay me or anything~ Let me think…
Lisia's name changed to "typing…"
Very soon, she sent another message.
Idol Master: How about this? If you're still in Hoenn these days, have one meal with me every day. I'll treat you~ You just have to show up and keep me company!
Dojo Annihilape: Huh? Just eat a meal with you?
Idol Master: Yep! Something that simple should be easy for you, right?
He could do it, of course.
Grey was just a little surprised. He had not expected Lisia's price to be so cheap.
In fact, saying he was taking advantage of Lisia would not be an exaggeration.
Dojo Annihilape: No problem. Then I'll shamelessly mooch meals off you for the next few days.
Idol Master: Mhm! Mooch as much as you want. Any number of meals is fine! It just so happens that I don't want to attend those business dinners, so I'll use you as my shield. You don't mind, right?
Lisia also made the situation clear to avoid any unpleasantness afterward.
On the other end of the phone, Grey saw that and did not care.
Dojo Annihilape: I don't mind. It's not like it conflicts with my interests anyway.
Lisia was a Contest Trainer, while Grey was a Gym Trainer.
The two fields were far too different, so there was almost no overlap in their interests.
Because of that, Grey felt these meals were safe to accept.
Besides, he currently had four top-tier Legendary Pokémon with him.
Even if he really did touch certain people's interests, what could they do to him?
Surely there wasn't anyone with Champion-level strength who would be helpless against ordinary people's petty gossip, right?
After finishing his online chat with Lisia, Grey arranged to meet Wallace in person.
Once the time was set, Steven also prepared to leave Meteor Falls.
"Steven, are you going back to Rustboro City, or are you heading somewhere else?"
Seeing Steven pack up his things, Grey could not help feeling a little curious.
"I have to go to Mossdeep City first, then return to the League headquarters in Ever Grande City. Once I'm done handling things, I'll properly show you around Hoenn."
Steven's face carried an apologetic look.
No one could have imagined that Hoenn would face a meteor crisis of this scale.
Steven's head was also starting to ache.
He had to hurry and gather the League's elites to organize countermeasures against the meteor.
Relying on the League's Trainers alone would not be enough.
Steven was thinking of bringing his family's Devon Corporation into this as well.
He would try to build a rocket or missile capable of blasting the meteor apart within a month.
They had to minimize the damage as much as possible.
"No problem. Things are urgent right now, so we'll split up and act according to the situation."
The three of them being together would actually make it harder to get things done.
Grey had also completely come to believe that Zinnia was one of the good ones. It was just that her way of doing things was a little too extreme.
And definitely not something to imitate.
"Zinnia, behave yourself these next few days. You can help if you want, but don't do anything especially extreme. Otherwise, Steven and I will have no choice but to lock you up for a few days first so you can calm down."
Grey was worried Zinnia might be holding back some outrageous plan again.
Being evaluated like this by Grey, Zinnia helplessly rolled her eyes.
However, she did not argue back.
After all, she knew very well that her style of action did indeed carry a certain obsessive streak.
Now that things had come to this, the three of them immediately decided to split up.
Grey, Steven, and Zinnia each made their own plans, striving to keep the effects of the meteor crisis within the smallest possible range over the next month.
If they could completely resolve this disaster, that would naturally be best.
…
…
Hoenn region, Lilycove City.
Grey returned here again.
As the city dedicated to the Master Rank Contest stage, it was also the city where Lisia and Wallace had been living recently.
Grey arranged to meet Wallace at a café.
After finding a secluded and quiet spot, Wallace sat there with an unusually serious expression.
When Grey had called him, his tone had been solemn, so Wallace had instantly understood that this was no joke.
Because of that, Wallace did not joke around. Instead, he sat upright with proper seriousness.
"Wallace, what I'm about to tell you is real. You have to take it seriously. Do not dismiss it."
"Relax. I'll definitely believe you."
Wallace made a firm promise.
Hearing that, Grey solemnly told Wallace, "One month from now, a giant meteor will strike the Hoenn region."
"What? A giant meteor? It's going to strike Hoenn in a month?! Are you serious?!"
Wallace's first reaction was still disbelief.
But when he saw Grey's serious expression, he quickly realized this was not a joke.
"So… what do we do next?"
"See these two meteorites? Take out your phone and take a photo of them. Then post a video online, calling on Trainers across Hoenn to help search for similar meteorites."
Grey paused and carefully considered his wording before continuing. "Don't tell them anything about the meteor crisis. Just say this is to help Steven look for beautiful stones. Any Trainer who finds one will be heavily rewarded."
Grey's move immediately became reasonable.
After borrowing Wallace's influence, they would say that Steven wanted this kind of beautiful meteorite.
That way, with Steven's reputation as a stone maniac, everyone would find it believable.
"Good. Then we'll do as you said. I'll post a few videos later. I'll handle the wording myself."
Wallace also knew the matter was urgent.
Grey nodded gently.
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
People like Wallace and Lisia lived off the internet side of things. Grey admitted he could not compare to them when it came to grabbing people's attention.
Right now, he also had to search the area for information related to the meteorite.
The only problem was that he did not know where to look…
"Why not ask Rayquaza?"
Inside the Master Ball, Groudon made a suggestion to Grey through telepathy.
"Rayquaza? At a time like this, what's the point of going to it?"
Grey frowned slightly, feeling somewhat confused.
"Maybe once Rayquaza eats these two meteorites, it'll recover some ability to move. Then, if you have it search for meteorites too, I think the efficiency should be much higher."
Kyogre's voice came through.
Grey fell silent.
After thinking it over for a moment, it was indeed as Kyogre said.
If Rayquaza could recover the ability to move freely, then having it search for meteorites with them would be much more efficient.
After all, Rayquaza ate meteorites.
Once again, professional work should be left to the professionals.
When the time came, Grey would just sit on Rayquaza's back and fly around everywhere.
Thinking that, Grey decided to have dinner with Lisia first, then go find Rayquaza.
It would only take half an hour anyway. Once he finished eating, he would have Riolu use Teleport to send him there. Simple and convenient.
…
…
By evening, Lisia and Grey were sitting in a high-end restaurant for dinner.
"Grey, this restaurant's food is really good~ If there's anything else you want to eat, just order whatever you like~"
Lisia still did not know about the meteor crisis.
Grey had only told Lisia that Steven wanted the meteorite and that posting a video would be enough.
"It's fine. This is already more than enough. I've really made you spend a lot, Lisia."
Looking at the huge spread of dishes on the table, Grey did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Lisia had ordered far too much. If he were not an Aura Guardian who normally ate more than ordinary people, they might have had to pack this meal up and bring it back as a late-night snack for Rayquaza.
"Hehe, it's not expensive! Don't be fooled by how young I am. I already earn tens of millions a year!"
Lisia proudly puffed out her chest.
The phrase "tens of millions a year" fell into Grey's ears, and he could not help applauding.
"Impressive. I only make a few hundred thousand a month running the Gym. If I earn over a million in a year, that's already pretty good."
Grey felt a little envious.
Of course, that was his salary from before the Fighting Dojo became one of the eight official Gyms.
Ever since the Fighting Dojo became Kanto's number-one Gym, the salary and benefits had become extremely high.
It had truly reached the level of earning millions a month.
Adding in his salary as an Honorary Elite Four member, plus the miscellaneous rewards from catching members of evil organizations here and there, his annual income might really have a chance to reach a billion.
If he caught all the wanted criminals in other regions, Grey felt he could retire early and live comfortably.
When the time came, he would bring the previous two Gym Leaders back.
Then he would buy a large luxury apartment in Saffron City, chat with his stream viewers every day, and live a wonderfully comfortable life.
That feeling would be amazing!
Unfortunately, now was not the time for him to enjoy himself.
Hoenn's situation was urgent. Once he finished this meal, he really did have to go find Rayquaza!
"Then how about you become my private meal buddy? I'll give you a hundred thousand a month. All you have to do is make time to eat with me!"
Lisia wanted to invite Grey.
Grey thought about it, but still politely refused. "Forget the money. If you want to eat with me later, just tell me directly. If I'm free, I'll come eat with you."
"Mhm! Then we'll talk about it later."
Lisia did not force it. After they finished the meal, she thanked Grey over and over again.
That made Grey feel a little awkward.
He was obviously the one who had mooched a meal, yet Lisia insisted on thanking him.
"Then I'll head out first."
Grey waved goodbye to Lisia.
Then, with Riolu's help, he directly Teleported back to the Sky Pillar.
…
…
Rayquaza was coiled at the top of the Sky Pillar, resting and recovering. When it sensed Grey's return, a look of anticipation appeared in its vertical pupils.
However, when it saw the two figures following close behind him, it suddenly raised its dragon head, its face full of shock.
Groudon and Kyogre had actually appeared at the Sky Pillar at the same time!
Groudon was the first to let out a deep rumbling laugh. "Well, well, look who it is. If it isn't Rayquaza, the Sky High Pokémon that can't even catch a meteor."
Kyogre swayed its tail fin and mocked it as well. "Looks like you spent too much time in the ozone layer and couldn't even protect your own territory."
"…"
Hearing their mockery, Rayquaza's expression rapidly shifted between green and red. Even the clouds around its body began to churn uneasily.
"Ohhh? You still call yourself Rayquaza like this? You might as well call yourself Caterpie, Mega Evolved form."
Groudon snorted out a wave of scorching breath without the slightest care. The magma on its back armor flashed wildly from excitement.
Kyogre's eyes carried undisguised teasing. "Caterpie? Don't insult Caterpie. This guy might not even compare to Caterpie. I had a dream before, and I think some dragon got beaten by Caterpie's Electroweb. Who could it have been? So hard to guess~"
These two ancient enemies showed rare teamwork as they continued to strike at Rayquaza's nerves.
"Damn it! You two had better not go too far!"
Rayquaza flew into a rage, and the dragon pressure around it surged.
"Oh, really? Then look at this and say that again."
Groudon walked forward, seeming to hold something in its hand.
Kyogre did the same.
Rayquaza frowned. It felt that these two idiots definitely had bad intentions and were definitely thinking about how to mess with it.
But when it clearly saw the objects held in Groudon and Kyogre's claws, its anger instantly turned into shock.
That was right. What Groudon and Kyogre were holding were meteorites!
Those two meteorites flowed with starlight and emitted a special energy. They were exactly the nourishment Rayquaza needed most!
Seeing that, Rayquaza could only immediately restrain its angry expression.
"You two, we've known each other for so long. You could count us as old friends. Right now, I really need those two meteorites. Why don't you feed them to me first?"
Rayquaza slightly lowered its dragon head, and its dragon eyes revealed a rare look of flattery.
But Groudon and Kyogre deliberately gripped the meteorites even more tightly. Magma and water respectively coiled around their claws.
With amused expressions, they admired the old rival's embarrassment. Clearly, they were enjoying their current advantage very much.
Giving them over directly was impossible.
If they simply handed the meteorites to it, what if Rayquaza recovered and turned hostile?
The memories of being beaten up by Rayquaza in the past were still vivid. Kyogre and Groudon absolutely had to vent their anger.
Otherwise, Rayquaza could forget about recovering to its peak!
At this moment, Rayquaza also felt completely dumbfounded.
It turned its dragon head toward Grey and asked stiffly, "Grey, didn't I ask you to look for meteorites? Why did you bring them here? And putting aside the fact that you brought them here, why are the meteorites in their hands?"
"Ahem… Well, that's a bit of a long story. I'll keep it brief."
Grey gave a light cough. "Groudon and Kyogre said that if I handed the meteorites over to them, they would each owe me ten favors."
Rayquaza: "???"
Rayquaza stared hard at Groudon and Kyogre.
It had never imagined these two could be this shameless!
You shameless Groudon! You shameless Kyogre!
Just to embarrass me, you'd even sell out your own freedom?!
Damn it!
"Hehe, Rayquaza. We've known each other for ages. Don't worry. The pain will only last for a moment…"
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