The day of Deoxys's impending invasion arrived.
Inside the observation hall of the Mossdeep Space Center, Wallace and Steven were standing before the panoramic screen, staring at the images of outer space.
A researcher pointed at the fluctuating data chart and reported, "We've detected a large number of meteorites moving toward the planet. The scale far exceeds any previous records!"
On the display, countless points of light were streaking through the starry void with flaming tails.
The monitoring map kept marking new trajectories one after another, so many that it was almost impossible to keep up.
Deoxys had arrived with the meteorites.
Grey stood quietly off to the side. Mewtwo Two was currently communicating mentally with Deoxys in outer space, trying to see during this first wave whether they could reach an agreement with it.
Faint energy ripples drifted through the air.
Mewtwo slowly opened its eyes and gently shook its head at Grey.
The psychic negotiation had failed.
"What did it say?"
Grey was curious about what Deoxys in outer space had said.
Seeing this, Mewtwo answered, "It said, 'You don't seriously think restoring my little brother to his original state is enough to calm my anger, do you? When you attacked him back then, why didn't you think about what would happen today? Now you know to restore my little brother? It's too late for everything!'"
"Tsk. Looks like this Deoxys's anger really is burning pretty hot..."
Grey could hear Deoxys's fury from Mewtwo's words.
Putting himself in its shoes, if it had been him, he probably would not easily let the Hoenn region off either.
Thinking this, Grey quickly walked to the observation platform and said to Steven in a low voice, "Negotiations have broken down. We have to act immediately."
He looked up at the data chart covered in meteorite trajectories, then continued, "We need to enter space and intercept them as soon as possible. Otherwise, these meteorites will strike the Hoenn region within twelve hours."
Steven nodded gravely and immediately issued orders to the control console. "Activate the space interception plan. All units, enter maximum combat readiness!"
"Yes, sir!"
Every facility in the Mossdeep Space Center began operating at high intensity. Warning lights painted the entire command hall red.
Technicians rapidly typed at the control consoles, and the giant screen continuously updated the meteorites' orbital data.
What appeared before their eyes was a dense barrage of meteorites.
Grey only took one look before feeling his scalp go numb.
Good grief...
If all of that fell on the Hoenn region, even other regions would probably be dragged into it, right?
By then, it would not only be the Hoenn region suffering disaster.
On Wallace's side, he picked up a communication device and issued emergency orders to every city and town. "All cities, immediately activate air defense protocols. Evacuate residents from coastal cities! Trainers from every major League, take your positions and defend according to the previous drills!"
"Let's go. We can't just sit here and wait for disaster either."
After calming his nerves, Steven said to Grey, "Mm."
The two quickly arrived at the launch platform, where Metagross was already waiting.
"Metagross, Mega Evolve!"
Steven gripped the Key Stone brooch. As the Key Stone bloomed with light, Metagross revealed a brand-new form within the radiance of evolution.
After Mega Evolving, Metagross raised its four arms, forming something like a streamlined aerospace construct.
If its limbs were folded together, it actually looked quite a lot like a missile.
Mm. Very intimidating.
Steven lightly leaped onto it, and Grey followed right after.
"Metagross, we're counting on you. Go!"
"Meta."
Metagross nodded gently and pushed its power to the limit.
Rumble...
Accompanied by a roaring sound, Metagross went from fast to faster.
In just a short while, it broke through the clouds.
"Grey, this is a spacesuit. Put it on now. Even if your body is very strong, without a spacesuit, I'm afraid..."
Steven took out a spacesuit, planning to have Grey change into it here before going up.
"That isn't necessary."
Grey waved a hand and said, "With little Riolu here, none of that matters."
"This..."
Steven was still a little worried.
After all, there had never been a precedent of a Trainer going into outer space without wearing a spacesuit.
If something happened to Grey, Steven would have no face to show the people of the Kanto region.
"Relax, just trust me."
Grey waved a hand and said, "With me here, nothing will go wrong."
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayquaza also arrived at the scene.
Its dragon eyes glanced at Steven, and the meaning was obvious.
"All right... I'll wait for you to come back."
Steven could not say anything more. All he could do was offer Grey his blessing.
"No problem."
At that moment, Grey leaped from Metagross's back and landed steadily on Rayquaza's broad dragon head.
"Roar!!!"
With a dragon's roar, Rayquaza carried him straight through the heavens and into the vast starry sky.
The deep darkness of the universe instantly enveloped them, and Rayquaza swam through the meteorite belt.
Its dragon tail swept past, and several smaller meteorites instantly turned to dust.
At this moment, the truest form of the meteorite swarm appeared before Grey's eyes.
Countless rocks of various sizes stretched out across his field of vision, forming a star ring so vast that he could not see its edge.
These meteorites each followed their own trajectory, slowly moving against the backdrop of deep space. They were far more spectacular than the data he had seen on the star map earlier.
If the star map had only shown him rough data and merely made his scalp tingle, then what he was seeing now brought a heavy sense of oppression, so intense it almost made it hard to breathe.
It was this scene that made him truly understand the vastness of the universe.
There were many powerful Pokémon in space.
Deoxys was only one of them.
Even Kyurem and Eternatus had come from outer space.
Who knew how many beings like them existed out there?
"As expected of the universe..."
Grey sighed in admiration, then said to Rayquaza, "Have you found any trace of Deoxys?"
"No. I'll keep searching."
Rayquaza shook its head.
Then the Deoxys on Grey's side fixed its gaze on a place not far away.
"My... brother... is ahead..."
"Then go negotiate with it."
Grey chose to let Deoxys go over. He would not blindly stick his nose in.
"Mm..."
Deoxys flew over and chose to negotiate with its older brother.
No one knew what they said.
Half an hour later, a rumbling explosion echoed.
Countless meteorites shattered into dust.
But many meteorites still continued slowly forward.
There just were not as many as before.
Soon after, the space beside Grey distorted for an instant, and Deoxys returned to his side.
"How did it go?"
Grey quickly asked.
"My brother said... you still have to pay some price..."
"If you have the ability... then attack it all you want... and stop it... Otherwise, none of you should expect to have an easy time either... Those were its exact words."
"I'm sorry... I really did everything I could..."
Deoxys felt rather guilty.
"It's fine. You already did very well. Leave the rest to me."
Grey signaled for Deoxys to stay where it was.
Then his gaze shifted toward the distance, and he slowly let out a breath.
"Hah..."
A Key Stone appeared and was held in Grey's hand.
At the same time, Reshiram, Kyurem, Lugia, Jirachi, Zekrom, Mew, and Mewtwo appeared. The group of Pokémon unleashed all kinds of moves at the remaining meteorites, clearing the obstacles for Grey.
"Rayquaza!"
Grey suddenly shouted.
"Roar!!!"
Rayquaza roared in response.
"Mega Evolve!"
The Key Stone in Grey's hand bloomed with dazzling light. Pure energy poured into Rayquaza's body like a raging torrent.
The primal power within its mikado organ fully awakened, and its emerald dragon body completed its transformation within a brilliant rainbow radiance.
After Mega Evolving, Rayquaza revealed a brand-new appearance. A golden "Δ" mark appeared on its forehead, its gums turned a brilliant gold, and a pair of dragon horns extended forward along its snout like guards.
Golden streamers of flowing light drifted around its body, and the ring patterns on its tail became golden ornaments inlaid with glowing jewels.
Between its tendrils, the symbol of eternity, "∞," appeared.
Mega Rayquaza!
"Dragon Ascent!"
The moment Grey spoke, Rayquaza was wrapped in Flying-type radiance and instantly charged toward the meteorite where Deoxys was located.
In only a few breaths, the massive rock body shattered with a crash.
Deoxys had already switched to Defense Forme and blocked the impact. After retreating to a safe distance, its eyes burned with fury as it locked onto Mega Rayquaza.
"You're the one who left my little brother gravely injured!"
When enemies meet, rage burns even brighter.
Deoxys let out a roar, and bone-chilling Ice-type energy condensed around both of its arms.
An ice-blue beam tore forcefully through the void. Wherever it passed, even cosmic dust froze instantly.
Mega Rayquaza twisted its long body, its emerald dragon scales brushing past the Ice Beam without taking much damage.
Then red light surged.
Dragon Dance!
After completing Dragon Dance, Rayquaza used Extreme Speed and turned into a silver-white streak of light, slamming into Deoxys at astonishing speed.
The terrifying force carried its opponent through several giant meteorites in succession, carving a broken trail of meteorite fragments through space.
Although Deoxys maintained its defensive stance, under Rayquaza's storm-like assault, a trace of shock still flashed through its eyes.
Noticing the hesitation in Deoxys's eyes, Rayquaza immediately raised its dragon head.
Dragon-type energy rapidly gathered in its mouth, turning into a blazing beam of light that roared out.
The distance was too close. This Dragon Pulse slammed directly into Deoxys's face.
"Tsk... Still as troublesome as ever..."
Deoxys was knocked back several yards by Dragon Pulse, but its figure flashed while it was still flying backward.
As ripples spread through space, it suddenly appeared behind Rayquaza. Its right fist, wrapped in biting cold, had already struck toward Rayquaza's spine.
Crack-boom!
Deoxys's Ice Punch hit its target, but the chill failed to seep through the dragon scales as expected.
Rayquaza abruptly turned its head, and a second Dragon Pulse had already gathered in its throat.
"Strange... How did this guy's strength become so ridiculous?!"
As Deoxys thought, it instinctively deployed a Protect barrier and barely blocked the attack.
However, the moment the energy shield dissipated, Rayquaza's green-glowing Dragon Claw had already torn through the stars and came slashing down with overwhelming force.
"If Ice-type moves don't work, then try this!"
Deoxys borrowed the force to retreat, and blue light blazed in its eyes.
The surrounding meteorite swarm surged in under its psychic control like a tide, forming an airtight cage of stone that surrounded Rayquaza from every direction.
"Heh. Cheap tricks!"
Through the gaps in the cage, increasingly bright green light leaked out. With a dragon's roar that shook the stars, every meteorite exploded at once.
Rayquaza twisted its body. Energy stardust still swirled around it as it proudly emerged from the storm of broken stone, looking down on Deoxys with disdain.
Deoxys's entire body was drenched in sweat, and it had no choice but to continue using Teleport.
Its figure flickered repeatedly through space. Each Teleport stirred up a new wave of meteorites.
The first wave had not yet settled when the second wave, pulled in by its psychic power, had already formed an encirclement. When Rayquaza shattered the rock cluster on the east side, dozens more meteorites howled in from the west.
Under Deoxys's precise control, these meteorites seemed like an army that had been given life, launching a relentless offensive against Rayquaza from every angle.
And Deoxys itself hovered behind the meteor shower, both arms constantly drawing new trajectories as it brought even more drifting meteorites under its control.
Facing the endless torrent of meteorites, Rayquaza's breathing gradually grew heavier.
After smashing rock after rock with Dragon Claw, its claws had begun to tremble faintly. Each swing could still crush several meteorites, but its movements were no longer as sharp as they had been at the beginning.
The rainbow light around its body dimmed slightly as its energy was consumed. When it used Dragon Ascent, the flashing golden patterns flickered unsteadily amid the stardust.
When another round of meteorites attacked from the side, Rayquaza's turn to block them was clearly half a beat slower, and several dragon scales burst with tiny sparks under the impact.
"Grey, now!"
"Rayquaza, you've done very well! I'll help you!"
Just as Rayquaza began to show fatigue, Grey rode Reshiram into the battlefield.
Reshiram spread its pure white wings, and its turbine-like tail burst with blue-green light.
Blue-white flames poured out in a raging torrent. The moment they touched the meteorites, they vaporized every last one of them.
The appearance of the blue flames not only cleared the threats around Rayquaza, but also built a blazing barrier before Deoxys, preventing it from drawing closer.
"Roar!"
Reshiram raised its head and roared. Fire swirled in its dragon eyes, as if warning Deoxys that if it dared continue attacking, Reshiram would stop holding back.
"Hah..."
Deoxys hovered within the broken meteorite belt, its eyes reflecting the surging blue-white flames ahead.
"You forced me to do this!"
It slowly brought its arms together, and unprecedented energy fluctuations began erupting from its body.
A psychic field wrapped around it layer by layer like a boiling nebula, shaking even the cosmic dust into rippling circles.
"Haaah!"
Deoxys fully unleashed all of its power.
A purple-crystal energy storm swept outward, transforming into a thousand-meter-long psychic blade.
This attack, condensed from all of Deoxys's energy, violently split open the blue-flame wall created by Reshiram.
Rumble!
In the next instant, Deoxys turned into a razor-sharp arrow and broke through the flame barrier.
It was like a purple comet piercing the stars, dragging a shattered energy trail behind it as it lunged toward Rayquaza at a speed that surpassed the laws of physics.
The meteorite fragments along its path turned into basic particles the instant they touched this energy, flowing into Deoxys's surroundings and contributing their share of power to the strike.
The Psychic-type Psycho Boost, also Deoxys's signature move.
Its power was extraordinary, terrifyingly so.
Even Grey could not help breaking into a cold sweat when he saw this move.
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