Lake Acuity—one of Sinnoh's three great lakes, alongside Lake Verity and Lake Valor—was said to be home to a legendary Pokémon, shrouding it in an air of mystery. But now, it had become the battleground for Summer's team against the rampaging Regigigas. They had to put an end to this before it was too late.
"We've arrived. So, Summer, what exactly is your plan?" Irida asked, staring at the vast, glistening lake before them.
"I agree with Rei's analysis—the Plates are the key to controlling that Pokémon. They're also blocking our attacks, which means there's no way around dealing with them first." Summer embedded a brilliant blue crystal into his Z-Ring, its light pulsing faintly.
"Yeah, when Glaceon attacked earlier, it didn't even leave a scratch," Irida said, glancing at the towering white giant that steadily approached.
Each of Regigigas's steps made the ground tremble, and along the way, Pokémon were fleeing in panic, abandoning their homes—just like the Pearl Clan had been forced to.
"Milotic, use Misty Terrain."
Milotic let out a soft, melodic cry, a delicate mist spreading across the battlefield. As the Mist Master, this terrain would enhance both its Special Attack and evasion.
"A move I've never seen before... So, what's next?" Rei asked. He could tell Summer had already devised a plan.
"Ice-type attacks are being resisted by both Steel and Ice, and the Plates glow in response to attacks of matching types. That means we need to find out if the Plates can be forced into a cooldown period."
"If there's a delay between activations, we can exploit that gap to hit it with moves that counter its remaining Plates," Summer explained.
"Type matchups… Just tell me what to do," Irida admitted sheepishly. "Honestly, I've just been going off instinct in battles."
Summer was at a loss for words. Right, this was an era where structured battles were still new… He couldn't expect too much.
"Glaceon will focus on Ice moves, Espeon on Psychic moves, and have Flareon hold back for now—let it build up power."
"Oh! Now that makes sense. Alright, you guys, let's give it everything we've got!" Irida called to her Pokémon.
Then, Summer turned to Rei. "What about you?"
"I've got it. Dawn taught me well—Flying and Normal moves, right?" Rei smirked. "Summer, which Plate do you want to break first?"
A deep roar echoed as Regigigas finally reached them, raising its massive arm to attack.
"Rock first. Here it comes—Corviknight, Hurricane!"
Corviknight's wings whipped up a violent storm, sending powerful winds crashing toward Regigigas. The Stone and Iron Plates immediately glowed, and the moment the attack struck, it vanished into thin air.
"Now it's our turn! Glaceon, Ice Beam! Espeon, Psychic!"
Glaceon launched a beam of intense cold, while Espeon's gem glowed, unleashing a swirling burst of psychic energy at their opponent.
This time, only the Iron and Icicle Plates lit up—but Summer caught a crucial detail: the Iron Plate's glow was dimmer than before.
"Something's changing! Staraptor, Giga Impact! Pikachu, Swift! Mr. Mime, Psychic!" Rei commanded.
A storm of golden stars and psychic waves crashed into Regigigas, while Staraptor's entire body radiated an intense aura of power, diving forward in a devastating tackle.
Even the colossal titan hesitated for a moment, and the Iron Plate completely lost its glow.
Then, Regigigas's red markings flashed ominously—it had been angered. Its enormous arm swung down, but a shimmering barrier appeared in front of Staraptor, dulling the impact just enough.
Still, the force sent Staraptor rolling across the snow, only stopping when Mr. Mime raised a Light Screen to absorb the momentum.
Rei clenched his teeth, recalling his fainted Staraptor.
"Milotic, Ice Beam!" Summer didn't let the battle pause for a second.
A frigid blast shot from Milotic's mouth, and this time, only the Icicle Plate reacted. The attack overwhelmed its defense, causing its glow to fade entirely, freezing Regigigas's legs in place.
"Amazing… That's the same move as Glaceon's?" Irida marveled.
With the first phase complete, Summer took a deep breath. "Alright, now for the final push."
"Milotic! Ready yourself!"
Milotic let out a sharp cry as Summer performed a peculiar, rhythmic dance. Irida and Rei watched in confusion, but their eyes widened in shock as his Z-Ring ignited with brilliant blue energy.
"Guardians of the lake… Spirit of Acuity… Lend me your strength! Super Whirlpool Maelstrom!"
Milotic felt the overwhelming surge of water energy, diving gracefully into Lake Acuity's depths.
The once-still lake erupted into chaos, the air thick with mist as an enormous whirlpool began to form.
"This kind of power… Even Overqwil would need help to pull this off!" Rei exclaimed.
The raging vortex roared to life, towering into the sky, ready to consume anything caught within its grasp. This was the ocean's wrath—destruction at its purest.
At the heart of the swirling waters, Milotic emerged, its elegant form guiding the unstoppable force downward, crashing onto the immobilized Regigigas.
The titan was swallowed whole.
Milotic wove through the chaos, whipping up relentless waves that hammered Regigigas's massive frame. The Stone Plate flickered, cracks forming along its surface.
Sensing the danger, Regigigas pounded the ground with its fists, summoning jagged spires of stone to push back against the raging whirlpool.
"That's enough, Milotic," Summer called, noticing the Stone Plate on the verge of shattering. He had prepared for this moment.
"Rillaboom!"
Milotic leaped out of the vortex, sending a final beam of ice to create an icy path back to Summer. Meanwhile, Grassy Terrain spread across the battlefield, empowering the next attack.
"Drum Beating—Wood Lance!"
Rillaboom pounded furiously on its drum—but this time, it wasn't for a shockwave.
A massive spear of pure wood burst from the ground, vines tightly coiled to harden its tip to the strength of steel, its entire length radiating pure life energy.
The force of impact sent Regigigas staggering backward. The Stone Plate gave one final shimmer—before exploding into dust.
The first Plate had been destroyed.