Mt. Pyre, also known as the Sacred Resting Mountain.
This place serves as the Pokémon cemetery of the Hoenn region, located on a small island southwest of Lilycove City.
Within its confines rest the souls of deceased Pokémon, making it a peaceful and sacred place. However, today, the tranquility of Mt. Pyre was abruptly shattered.
At the summit of Mt. Pyre, an elderly couple resided there. They seemed ordinary, but they were the guardians of two extraordinary orbs.
"No, we cannot give these to you."
The elderly woman trembled in fear, continuously retreating while shaking her head at the group before her.
"We have come for the future of humanity, ma'am. I hope you can understand and hand over the orbs to us."
Maxie's voice was calm as his gaze, hidden behind his glasses, fixated on the two boxes in the old woman's arms.
Behind him stood Dylan, along with Tabitha, Courtney, and several other Team Magma members.
Indeed, upon learning from Dylan that the Red Orb might be at Mt. Pyre, Maxie had wasted no time rushing to the location.
To awaken Groudon, the orbs were necessary. Moreover, Maxie knew well that the Red Orb contained a portion of Groudon's dormant power.
No matter what, the Red Orb was essential!
"I cannot. These orbs are of immense importance."
The old woman still refused. Though she was terrified, she knew these orbs were deeply connected to Hoenn's ancient legends. And since Team Magma was a criminal organization, how could she possibly hand them over?
"Indeed, they are of great importance. I admire your bravery, ma'am, but I do not wish to harm you."
"Or… do you not care about the countless peaceful Pokémon resting here in Mt. Pyre?"
Maxie's voice remained indifferent.
"You..." The old woman trembled all over.
"I do not wish to go that far, so please, hand over the orbs."
"...I understand."
Left with no choice, the elderly woman conceded. Compared to everything else, the resting souls of the Pokémon in Mt. Pyre mattered more.
Tabitha stepped forward, about to take the two orbs, when suddenly—
"Hold it right there!"
A thunderous shout echoed across the summit.
Everyone turned their heads to see a group of Team Aqua members in blue uniforms rushing onto the scene. Leading them was a burly, middle-aged man—Archie.
Maxie narrowed his eyes behind his glasses.
"Tsk, almost too late. Don't worry, old man and lady, with me here, these scrawny Magma goons won't be laying a finger on you."
Archie grinned widely, attempting to reassure the frightened elderly couple—though his grin only made them more terrified.
Dylan adjusted his non-prescription glasses, immediately spotting Zinnia among Archie's group. The mischievous girl playfully winked at him.
Well, it was hard not to notice her. One side was entirely clad in red, the other entirely in blue, while Dylan's group and Zinnia stood out as anomalies.
"Brainless fool. Never seen you do anything good, but you sure are a natural at being a nuisance."
Maxie coldly glared at Archie. The two were longtime rivals, well-acquainted with each other's antics.
Under normal circumstances, Maxie would have found Archie's interference troublesome. But this time was different.
Because he had Aizen with him!
"Hahaha! Maxie, if you don't want me to beat you into the dirt, you'd better scram!"
Archie's boisterous laughter rang out as he taunted Maxie. He had no interest in unnecessary chatter—his goal was clear. The Blue Orb was his.
And if he could snatch the Red Orb from Maxie while he was at it? Even better.
"Heh…"
Maxie let out a dry chuckle.
There was nothing to say—talking to this muscle-brained idiot was an insult to his intelligence.
Then there was only one option—battle!
Without hesitation, Team Magma and Team Aqua clashed, launching into an all-out war!
"Aizen, please retrieve the Red Orb." Maxie said in a low voice to Dylan.
He had complete confidence—if Dylan wanted to take it, no one could stop him.
"Leave it to me." Dylan nodded.
"Maxie, you bastard! Come fight me already! Hahaha! I'll knock the crap out of you today!"
Archie's raucous laughter boomed across the battlefield. Maxie adjusted his glasses, his expression unreadable.
The skirmish between Team Magma and Team Aqua had erupted into a full-scale brawl, a fierce and chaotic battle.
Their rivalry ran deep. The very ideologies of the two organizations were fundamentally opposed, making any peaceful coexistence impossible.
Whenever they encountered each other in the wild, a battle was inevitable.
And now, with both sides competing for these legendary orbs, Maxie and Archie had also joined the fray. But their strength was evenly matched—neither could gain the upper hand quickly.
"Ma'am, could you please hand the orbs to us?"
Dylan, accompanied by Leaf and Lillie, approached the elderly couple with a gentle smile.
A few oblivious Team Aqua grunts tried to interfere, only to be swiftly "persuaded" by Zoroark.
"Alright, alright…"
The elderly couple, terrified by the chaos around them, quickly handed over the two boxes to Dylan.
"Here, take them and leave quickly."
"Don't worry, we only came for the orbs. We won't touch anything else here." Dylan reassured them with a smile.
Opening the box on the left, he was greeted by a radiant red gemstone. Embedded in its flawless surface was a golden "Ω" symbol—the Omega mark.
"So this is the Red Orb?" Leaf and Lillie peered curiously.
"That's right. This holds the dormant power of the ancient Groudon." Dylan confirmed. With this, Groudon could undergo Primal Reversion.
But at that moment, a powerful gust of wind surged through the battlefield.
Dylan "accidentally" let go of the other box, which flew into the hands of a caped girl behind him.
"The Blue Orb is ours!"
Zinnia beamed as an Altaria hovered above her—the very Pokémon responsible for the sudden gust.
"Hahaha! Well done, Zinnia!"
Archie, still locked in combat with Maxie, burst into laughter as he praised her.
"Boss! We've got trouble! The League is here!"
A panicked Team Aqua grunt shouted from the stairway entrance.
"What?!"
Archie's expression darkened. On his way up, he had wiped out the Team Magma grunts stationed below and left his own men to guard the path.
Now, realizing the situation, he had no choice but to abandon his fight with Maxie. The Blue Orb was already in their possession—there was no point in staying.
"Matt!"
Archie called out. Matt, standing near Zinnia, took the Blue Orb from her and confirmed its authenticity before giving Archie a firm nod.
"Hahaha! I'll let you off this time, Maxie! But once I awaken Kyogre—"
"Team Magma! Team Aqua! You dare defile this sacred place?!"
Before Archie could finish his arrogant proclamation, a commanding voice interrupted.
Several figures had arrived at the summit, their eyes blazing with fury at the battlefield before them.
Mt. Pyre was Hoenn's largest Pokémon cemetery, a place where Pokémon found eternal rest—yet these two criminal organizations had dared to turn it into a battleground!
"Damn it! It's Steven and Wallace!"
Maxie's heart sank.
Standing at the forefront of the League enforcers were none other than Steven and Wallace—Hoenn's former and current Champions.
This was a disaster.
And when he saw Steven's Metagross and Wallace's Milotic at the ready, he knew things were about to get much worse.
"Boss, what do we do now?"
Sweat poured down the forehead of Team Magma's admin, Tabitha. This was no joke.
It didn't matter that they had more people—this wasn't a battle of numbers. Wallace alone could wipe them all out without even breaking a sweat.
"..."
Cold sweat trickled down Maxie's forehead as his mind raced for a solution.
But there was no way around it. The power gap was simply too great—even if Tabitha and Courtney stayed behind as a distraction, it wouldn't be enough.
Meanwhile, Wallace's gaze locked onto Dylan. A tall man in a pristine white coat, handsome features, and glasses—his appearance was unmistakable.
Wallace's expression turned serious. So, he's here too. But then, as he glanced at Steven beside him, his worries faded instantly.
Great! I've got my bro Steven! Dylan, you're finished today!
"Gentlemen, you should leave. I'll hold them off."
Dylan stepped up beside Maxie, handing him the Red Orb.
"Aizen?!" Maxie was taken aback.
"For the dream of expanding land, we cannot stop here, can we? Take to the skies with your Pokémon—I'll handle this."
"I see… I'm counting on you, Aizen!"
Maxie quickly made his decision, nodding solemnly at Dylan.
He knew this was their best option. Dylan was at a Champion-level of strength—only he could act as their last line of defense.
On the other side, Zinnia was also instructing Archie and Matt to retreat while she stayed behind.
There was no time for sentimentality. Though Archie didn't want to leave one of his own behind, at this moment, he had no choice.
"I won't let you escape!"
Steven, now clean-shaven and dressed sharply in his suit, commanded his Metagross.
"Psychic!"
Metagross's eyes gleamed with a deep blue light as an invisible force attempted to lock onto the retreating Maxie and his team.
But at that moment, a black shadow flickered toward Metagross.
A Dark-type Sucker Punch!
"Metagross!"
Steven's eyes narrowed.
Metagross reacted quickly, raising its massive claws in defense.
Bang!
A claw, wreathed in dark energy, struck heavily against Metagross's arms, forcing the Steel-type Pokémon backward with a muffled grunt.
Darkness overpowers Psychic—this Sucker Punch dealt a solid blow.
"Please don't interfere with Maxie's retreat, Mr. Steven."
Dylan's voice was calm, his smile polite and refined.
"Who are you?"
Steven's expression darkened as he studied the white-clad man before him, along with the Zoroark that had just struck his Metagross.
That Zoroark is strong!
Steven frowned. His Metagross was his current ace—his Shiny Metagross had yet to be fully trained.
But even with the element of surprise, this Zoroark had forced Metagross back. That alone proved its immense power.
"After all those artistic photos I sent you yesterday, Mr. Steven, have you already forgotten?"
Dylan's smile deepened.
Steven's expression shifted slightly as he glanced at Wallace beside him, whose face twitched in realization.
So it's him…
"AIZEN!!"
Wallace practically spat the name through clenched teeth.
Nearby, Zinnia, already mounted on her Salamence, watched the scene with curiosity. What happened between Dylan and Wallace yesterday?
"Aizen! We had an agreement! You weren't going to send those photos anywhere!"
Underneath Wallace's elegant white cloak, his fists clenched tightly. His normally composed and graceful eyes burned with fury as he glared at Dylan.
"How could you go back on your word?! You call yourself a Champion-level Trainer?! And stop calling me 'Teacher'!!"
You're the teacher! Your whole family are teachers, damn it!
"Wallace, I may need to reassess your intelligence level."
Dylan sighed in disappointment.
"I never sent those artistic photos to the outside world, did I? I merely shared them with your dear friend, Mr. Steven."
Wallace: "…"
Steven: (ˇ﹀ˇ)
"Aizen, you took artistic photos of Wallace? Send them to me."
"Sure, I'll send them to you later."
Zinnia immediately chimed in, and Dylan had no hesitation.
"No!!"
Wallace was furious. Those were his photos, damn it! Shouldn't his opinion matter?!
At this rate, all the grace and poise he had cultivated over the years would be completely lost in front of Dylan.
This man is truly despicable!
"Wallace, those are my spoils of war. I have full ownership over them. And I never broke our agreement."
Dylan's tone was still gentle, his logic flawless.
Steven found himself unable to get a word in. His best friend and Dylan's grudge was getting too complicated for him to keep up.
"Don't get cocky, Aizen! Today, I will personally see you locked up!"
Wallace took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as he addressed Dylan sternly.
"Oh? Less than a day has passed, and you're already this confident, Wallace?"
Dylan chuckled, glancing at Steven.
"I see—having Mr. Steven by your side must be a great source of confidence."
Steven: "…"
He had a feeling this guy's tone was extremely disrespectful.
"But unfortunately, Wallace, today is still a two-on-two battle. And Zinnia is quite strong herself."
Dylan adjusted his glasses, standing tall with perfect composure—his posture eerily reminiscent of someone else.
Ah, right. It was a stance he had learned from Archer.
Much respect, Mr. Archer. This really does give off an air of superiority.
"She's with Team Aqua—why are you two…?"
Wallace frowned, eyes narrowing at the girl atop her Altaria. The sheer intensity of her Salamence's aura sent a chill down his spine.
But wasn't she part of Team Aqua?
"Oh, that's another secret. If you and Steven can defeat our first wave of battle, I might tell you."
Dylan tilted his head slightly, flashing Wallace a teasing smile.
"Of course, if you lose today, then Wallace—you'd better be prepared."
"I'm really looking forward to your photoshoot with Steven, dressed in full women's attire. The whole world will love it."
Steven froze. Wait, what?!
"AAAAAH!! Steven! Hurry up and take him down!!"