Lilycove City.
This city, praised as the place where "the land ends and the sea begins," no longer held its usual leisurely charm as a tourist paradise.
Under the influence of Primal Kyogre, the entirety of Lilycove City was being swallowed by the surging floods.
Above the sea level, the department store that once stood tall like a sword was now being cleaved head-on by mountain-shattering waves.
The crests were thirty meters high, a curtain of slate-gray water carrying ice shards and foam, smashing into the building's midsection with the force of an avalanche. The concrete cracked under the immense pressure, and steel rebars snapped and burst out like broken violin strings.
Along the roads, trees as thick as bowls were uprooted, their trunks tumbling in the turbid current, sparks flying as branches struck power poles.
Hundreds of cars still parked at intersections were instantly overturned by the waves, their chassis denting and deforming under the massive impact.
Fortunately, under the timely coordination of Steven and the Hoenn League, all the residents of Lilycove City had been completely evacuated.
"WOOOO——!!!"
Amidst the terrifying, ten-thousand-foot-high tsunamis, a piercing whale song echoed across the sky and the sea.
Gazing at the massive black shadow streaking through the waters, Wallace's expression shifted abruptly as he roared at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone, begin the battle!"
"Understood!"
To a god, tactics and complex strategies were nothing more than decorative toys.
Only the most primitive method—a relentless onslaught of human-wave tactics—could hope to contend with it.
At this moment, Brawly's Medicham gathered blades of light in its hands, unleashing a sharp Psycho Cut.
The Slowking duo belonging to Tate and Liza glowed with a pale purple hue, firing a combined Psychic toward the behemoth's abdomen.
Sidney sent out Sharpedo while Phoebe sent out Banette; the two Pokémon used Crunch and Shadow Ball respectively. Terrifying fangs swirled with black mist alongside dark orbs of energy, converging on the target.
As the leader of the combat team, Wallace swept his long sleeves wide. Bathed in the torrential rain, his Milotic unfurled its silver tresses. A Hydro Pump capable of stirring the very ocean floor slammed into the Primal Kyogre as it prepared to surface.
"WOOOO——!!!"
However, the Primal Kyogre, knocked over by the combined assault, simply rolled its body over and snapped its golden, winged eyes wide open.
The world seemed to freeze for a split second. The psychic twins, Tate and Liza, stood frozen in place, staring blankly into Kyogre's eyes.
What echoed in their ears was the cold, mocking laughter of the God of the Sea, as if it were looking at mere insects.
"Quickly, use Protect!!"
Tate and Liza sensed the opponent's intent ahead of time and shouted simultaneously to their comrades.
No sooner had the words left their lips than Kyogre opened its gargantuan maw.
Surging fluctuations erupted. In an instant, the sea surface boiled with violence, like cliffs of stone crashing into the water. Beams of light whipped up waves hundreds of feet high!
Origin Pulse!!!
Several pillars of energy slammed collectively into the energy shields that the Slowkings had deployed in advance.
Thanks to the twins' timely warning, this sudden Origin Pulse failed to achieve the crushing effect the opponent expected against the Pokémon's Protect moves.
But before Wallace and the others could breathe a sigh of relief for blocking the attack, the deafening explosions rang out again. Massive clouds of steam engulfed their Pokémon, sweeping across everything on the land and sea.
This creature, the so-called God of the Sea...
Without any regard for stamina consumption, it had fired off six consecutive rounds of Origin Pulse in a mere matter of seconds!!!
The battle was decided in an instant.
Amidst the sound of shattering shields and the mournful wails of Pokémon being blasted away, the leaping Primal Kyogre bared its mocking fangs at the shocked crowd. It then plunged back into the water and continued swimming toward the far south.
Its goal was singular: to reach Rustboro City at maximum speed.
As for these ants daring to intercept it, a brief 'training' session was enough. Once it reached Rustboro, absorbed the energy of the Seven-colored Meteorite, and crushed that damn Groudon, it could come back to finish them off at its leisure.
"Dammit! Why the hell is this thing so strong?!"
Even for the once-rebellious and arrogant Sidney, the Dark-type Elite Four member, facing Kyogre's Origin Pulse forced him to admit defeat. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
His Sharpedo had been completely knocked out after taking only three of those pulses.
At this moment, Wallace had already boarded a pre-prepared vessel.
Relying on Water-type Pokémon to cross the ocean would inevitably drain their stamina before the real fight began. Thus, the optimal solution was a high-performance modern warship.
"Don't stop! The next location is Fortree City! We must intercept it there!"
Lightning tore through the sky, illuminating Wallace's frantic, roaring face.
The Contest Master, usually known for his elegant and gorgeous battles, had completely lost his refined poise, leaving only the grim determination of a man with his back against the wall.
Standing on the deck of the ship as waves crashed against the hull, Wallace pointed toward the silhouette of Primal Kyogre in the downpour.
He could still fight.
His ace partner, Milotic, could still fight.
If they couldn't stop it at Lilycove, they would go to Fortree! If Fortree couldn't hold, they would go to Slateport! Even if it took every last ounce of their strength, they had to buy precious time for the other battlefield!
Inspired by this resolve, the sailors who had been panicking moments ago instantly found their center.
Set sail! Break through the waves!
The boundaries between land and sea blurred in the storm, as if heaven and earth had been kneaded into a ball of chaos.
Deep within the black clouds, it felt as though a massive dam had burst. A silver waterfall of rain poured down. Every droplet condensed into a freezing silver chain, twisting into water tornadoes in mid-air that speared into the ocean with thunderous roars.
The water pillars struck the surface, erupting with the sound of a mountain collapsing. The waves were torn into spray like shattered jade, and the mist instantly obscured all vision. Even the thunder was drowned out by the roar of the rain.
If not for the ship's powerful navigation and positioning systems, the sailors wouldn't even have been able to find the exact location of the next intercept point, Fortree City.
Everything in the surroundings was a nightmare landscape that only the Primordial Sea could create.
Wallace chased the rapidly advancing Primal Kyogre. His once-magnificent performance outfit was soaked through, and his white hat had been lost to the wind. On his face, framed by wet hair, a look of deep worry unconsciously surfaced.
Though he had acted firm to encourage the others, he was terrified deep down.
The reason was simple: the combat power Kyogre displayed was just too overwhelming.
As a member of the Sootopolis people and a guardian of the Cave of Origin, Wallace had a profound understanding of the myths of Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza.
Under the influence of the Primordial Sea ability, Kyogre could amplify its control over the ocean's power to the absolute limit.
This was why, even when facing a combined assault from three Gym Leaders, two Elite Four members, and himself—who possessed Champion-level strength—the God of the Sea not only tanked everything but also swept away nearly half of their main teams with a barrage of Origin Pulse.
He simply couldn't imagine how they were supposed to defeat a Primal Kyogre possessed of such horrifying power.
But a moment later, as Wallace gazed at the distant Fortree City and saw Glacia and Drake also roaring and doing their best to intercept the beast, his gaze hardened again. His heart was filled with trust for his comrades.
The Coordinator once again released his ace, Milotic. After a brief recovery with Aqua Ring, he led the Elite Four and Gym Leaders behind him back into the fray.
Rustboro City was currently experiencing a similar, perhaps even more arduous battle.
Steven, Lance, Roxanne...
And Hakuya, whom he had met briefly at the Wallace Cup but never got the chance to battle...
"All we can do is try our best to delay this monster."
"Until then... we're counting on you to handle Primal Groudon——!!!"
Inside the "Submarine Explorer 1."
"Boss, the target is locked. The next manifestation point for the Seven-colored Meteorite will be in the skies over the Rustboro sea area."
"Hmm..."
Listening to the ecstatic report from the researcher, Lysandre nodded slightly. Though a trace of joy flashed in his eyes, he maintained an emotionless facade.
They had still underestimated the sheer power contained within this Seven-colored Meteorite.
Not only did its activation force the two super-ancient Pokémon to wake from their slumber, causing an unnecessary catastrophe, but it also possessed the ability to actively teleport via energy activation. Upon sensing the researchers' attempt at emergency containment, it had actually vanished directly from the massive glass vat meant to hold it.
Fortunately, now that they had relocated the Giant Rock's trail, they only had to wait for it to re-crystallize and stabilize before recovering it.
Whether it was the crisis of the Hoenn Dual Gods or the future Ultimate Plan, everything could be properly resolved once it was back in their hands.
Until the plan was complete, Lysandre did not want to engage in needless conflict with the regional Leagues.
"Hurry up and develop a method to shield its energy. I don't want to see any more 'surprises' in the near future."
"Yes, Boss!"
After giving the cold order to the researchers, Lysandre turned to look at the two men behind him.
"My Team Flare does not have enough manpower right now. Notify your people and prepare to take action. Whether it's your plan or mine, this meteorite is an indispensable component."
"Sigh..."
Archie and Maxie looked at each other and sighed in unison.
The people Team Flare had brought were mostly researchers. Now that they had to focus on shielding the Giant Rock's energy, the workload was massive and time was tight; they naturally had no spare hands for combat.
Furthermore, letting those two super-ancient Pokémon absorb the meteorite's energy was out of the question. Not only would it make it nearly impossible for Team Magma and Team Aqua to control them later, but Lysandre himself—who desperately needed to study that energy to awaken Xerneas and Yveltal—would be the first to object.
Before being forced to issue orders, the leaders of the two organizations felt extremely conflicted.
Their goal was to control the two super-ancient Pokémon, but because of the meteorite's teleportation and for the sake of the 'big picture', they now had to join the League in intercepting Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon.
Team Aqua Admin Shelly led a team toward Lilycove and other areas to intercept the Primal Kyogre coveting the Giant Rock.
Team Magma Admin Courtney headed toward Rustboro City to disrupt Primal Groudon's movements before the meteorite could finish crystallizing.
Everyone was ordered to stall these two gods at all costs to ensure the safe recovery of the final Giant Rock.
Shortly after, having received the order from Maxie, a young girl's flat, monotone voice responded over the phone.
"...Yes... Yes, Leader Maxie..."
Courtney had never been one for words.
Even when facing the world-destroying power of Primal Groudon, her voice carried no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.
Hanging up the communicator, this Team Magma Admin—possessing exceptional operational efficiency—quickly arrived at the mission site.
The once-bustling Rustboro City port was now entirely deserted.
Upon learning that a massive drought in the form of Groudon was about to make landfall, the local Gym Leader and the Officer Jennys had issued a maximum-level disaster alert, evacuating the residents to the unaffected Petalburg City and Oldale Town.
Standing there, Courtney could already faintly see the seven-colored light constantly condensing in the sky over the ocean.
Soon, the high-energy Seven-colored Meteorite would fully materialize here. Whether it was the Groudon appearing momentarily or the Kyogre rushing here from Lilycove, their goal was to seize this Giant Rock.
While Courtney was still watching the sea, an anxious female voice called out from nearby.
"Citizen over there! Please leave this area immediately!"
The signature ribbon hairstyle, the academy uniform, and a pair of red pantyhose clearly identified the newcomer.
"Primal Groudon is about to reach the Rustboro port. Unless there's an emergency, please—"
Roxanne ran toward the port, panting. Just as she prepared to pull the girl standing by the shore toward safety, her gaze shifted, and she noticed the conspicuous red uniform Courtney was wearing.
"Wait a minute... you're a member of Team Magma?"
Backing away several steps, Roxanne furrowed her brow, her fair, slender hand already reaching for the Poké Ball at her waist.
Her previously gentle and urgent tone turned as cold as ice water.
"Appearing in Rustboro City at a time like this... what kind of conspiracy is Team Magma plotting now?!"
Roxanne glared coldly at the girl in the red uniform, questioning her loudly.
It wasn't her fault she was so reactive. During the previous battle in the cave ruins, besides Team Aqua, she and Hakuya had also encountered members in these red uniforms claiming to be from Team Magma.
Now, appearing suddenly in Rustboro at such a critical juncture, Courtney inevitably drew Roxanne's suspicion and alarm.
Faced with this interrogation and even the threat of immediate arrest, the Team Magma Admin's face showed not a hint of panic.
Courtney placed a single finger against her glossy, moist lips and whispered a soft response.
"Shh... It's coming..."
As her voice trailed off, a roar that shook the very heavens swept in from the horizon.
"What?!"
Roxanne followed Courtney's gaze toward the sea, her pupils contracting instantly.
"ROOOOOO——!!!"
Golden-red sunlight tore through the haze of the horizon. A behemoth over thirty meters tall pressed a deep, dark dent into the sea's surface.
A crimson sun hung high overhead. Fierce sunlight poured down from the clouds, staining the once-dull sky a scorching copper-red. Even the foam on the crests of the waves evaporated into white mist, scattering in the wind.
Beneath its feet, a blackened, smoking lava path generated faster than the beast could walk, as if to ensure that this legendary Pokémon symbolizing the land could firmly step upon the earth it created with every stride.
Desolate Land. It truly lived up to its name!
"So this is the legendary Pokémon that created the continents..."
Riding on the back of his Dragonite, seeing this scene caused Lance's brow to furrow tightly as he murmured under his breath.
If he had only seen it on recorded broadcasts before, the realization hadn't been this visceral. But now, facing this super-ancient Pokémon capable of expanding the continents head-on, he could feel a terrifying heat and a massive pressure crashing over him like a tidal wave.
At this moment, the voice of the intelligence monitoring staff crackled through his headset.
"Outdoor temperatures have exceeded 60°C and are continuing to rise! Champion Steven and G-Man Lance, please maintain your flight altitude and watch your personal safety during the battle!"
For the two battlefields of Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon, Steven had formulated an incredibly detailed plan.
Against Primal Kyogre, the focus was on stalling. Wallace, the Elite Four, and Brawly (along with five other Gym Leaders) were stationed at the three coastal towns. They didn't need to force a victory, only use human-wave tactics to harass and intercept in waves.
The Primal Groudon battlefield, however, required a decisive strike to crush the opponent. It was manned by the two strongest regional Champions present: Steven, Lance, and Hakuya as the main force.
Flannery, whose Fire-type specialty was disadvantageous against Kyogre; Winona, whose Flying-type specialty perfectly countered Groudon; and Roxanne, who was already in Rustboro, acted as the support crew for coordinated combat.
Lance and Steven quickly exchanged a look, both understanding the most crucial task before them.
—No matter when the supporting Gym Leaders Winona and Flannery arrived, or how long it took Hakuya to rush over from the Sky Pillar, they had to resolve this Primal Groudon together before Primal Kyogre arrived.