Both Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon were advancing, each following the other's aura.
Meanwhile, Wallace had contacted Steven and Cynthia, and the group had agreed to meet in Sootopolis City.
With the awakening of the two ancient Pokémon and their unchecked expansion of their abilities, the weather patterns across the Hoenn region had become incredibly bizarre.
Especially within Sootopolis City.
"Half the sky is blazing sun, the other half is pouring rain. The world just keeps getting weirder," Leaf muttered as she observed the stark contrast in weather to the west and east.
Indeed, at this moment, Sootopolis City itself seemed like a dividing line. To the west, the sky was dark and stormy, while to the east, the sun blazed intensely—so intense that it defied imagination.
"Just like in the games," Dylan remarked with interest as he observed the split in weather. He was genuinely curious about what would happen in reality when Primal Groudon's Desolate Land clashed with Primal Kyogre's Primordial Sea.
But just like in the game's cutscenes, one side was heavy rain, the other was scorching sun.
According to battle mechanics, Desolate Land, Primordial Sea, and Delta Stream—these three supreme weather abilities—could override each other.
It all depended on speed: the faster Pokémon would set its weather first, but if the slower one activated its ability afterward, it would override the previous one.
These three abilities were far superior to ordinary weather conditions, which couldn't override them—only the three could cancel each other out.
But judging from the current situation, since Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre had activated Desolate Land and Primordial Sea simultaneously, neither could suppress the other.
No wonder in the Pokémon XY anime's Giant Rock arc, the two didn't even bother using their weather abilities—they must have realized it was pointless.
"I wonder if Mega Rayquaza can suppress their weather effects. It should be able to, right?"
Dylan pondered. Delta Stream, Mega Rayquaza's ability, transformed the battlefield into turbulent air currents, removing its Flying-type weaknesses.
Rayquaza was the natural counter to Groudon and Kyogre. Even in its base form, its Air Lock ability negated all weather effects, showing its dominance over the two.
Just like Zygarde's Aura Break, which nullified the abilities of Xerneas and Yveltal, Rayquaza was naturally designed to suppress Groudon and Kyogre.
But after Mega Evolution, Air Lock changed to Delta Stream—could it still counteract Desolate Land and Primordial Sea in reality? In the games, all three abilities simply overrode one another.
Not that it really mattered—Mega Rayquaza was already strong enough. It was undoubtedly superior to Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.
"Steven, how's your side?"
Before long, Steven and Cynthia arrived in Sootopolis City, and Wallace immediately inquired about their situation.
"Apologies, we were intercepted by Aizen. Primal Groudon has already emerged," Cynthia said, somewhat ashamed.
Despite being two Champion-level Trainers, she and Steven had failed to stop Team Magma.
"Aizen again… Did you manage to capture him?" Wallace frowned slightly.
"No, he was too strong and managed to escape," Steven sighed.
However, they did manage to capture Maxie and some Team Magma elites, which was at least a small consolation.
"And you?"
"Our submarine got caught in a sudden undercurrent while descending, which cost us precious time. We were just a bit too late to stop Archie," Wallace replied with a helpless sigh.
"And somehow, Zinnia managed to slip away as well. We weren't able to capture her."
Zinnia...
Steven's expression grew complicated—he no longer knew how to face her.
"Forget it. The worst has already happened. Let's focus on how to deal with Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre," Steven said, rubbing his temple as a headache began to set in. The top priority now was the two ancient titans.
"According to legends, Groudon and Kyogre are ancient rivals. They must be heading straight toward each other for battle."
Dylan observed the chaotic weather and didn't even need to think—both Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon were dead set on finding each other and fighting to the death!
After all, they were sworn enemies: land versus sea, destined to clash.
Throughout Hoenn's history, they had fought countless times over natural energy, making them long-time adversaries.
After sharing all their known intel, the group reached a consensus.
"We can't just stand by and watch. Whether it's Primordial Sea or Desolate Land, the longer this goes on, the worse it will be for Hoenn's people."
"Even if people can take shelter indoors to avoid the heavy rain or the scorching sun, the environment itself won't last," Steven said gravely.
Sootopolis City was already being affected.
Primal Kyogre's Primordial Sea had created relentless, torrential rain, causing sea levels to rise and the waters to grow dangerously turbulent.
At the same time, Primal Groudon's Desolate Land was blasting the area with intense sunlight, evaporating large amounts of water.
In a way, it was kind of balancing itself out.
But in reality, the evaporation rate of the sunlight couldn't keep up with the downpour.
If either of these conditions persisted too long, they would cause catastrophic environmental damage.
"Agreed. We don't know if we can stop them, but we have to try," Cynthia said firmly.
Wait… Did that mean they were going to confront Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon head-on?
Lillie froze in shock. She fully understood how terrifying those two ancient Pokémon were—their mere abilities alone caused such devastating effects.
She genuinely felt that Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon were far stronger than Reshiram and Zekrom.
And yet, Cynthia and the others were planning to face them directly?
"Wallace, besides you, is there anyone else who can break the seal of the Draconid people?" Steven suddenly asked.
He knew that Wallace was actually a descendant of the People of the Water.
"I have no idea," Wallace replied, startled. His ancestors had passed down the knowledge to unseal the Sky Pillar, but whether others could do the same, he wasn't sure.
"…Dylan, the person you mentioned earlier—was it Zinnia?" Steven turned to Dylan.
"You figured it out, huh?" Dylan didn't deny it. He sighed and admitted, "My mother was part of the Draconid people, but I didn't grow up among them. I know Zinnia, but we're not particularly close."
His words contained a loophole, but as long as no one probed too deeply, no one would associate him with Aizen.
After all… How could Dylan be running around with Wallace chasing Team Aqua while simultaneously battling Steven and Cynthia elsewhere? What, did he have a Shadow Clone Jutsu?
This was a perfect alibi, completely erasing any possible connection between him and Aizen.
"So, Zinnia can also unseal the Sky Pillar?"
"That's right. The Sky Pillar was built by the Draconid people to worship Rayquaza. Naturally, they can open its seal—especially Zinnia, as their chosen successor," Dylan affirmed.
"In that case…" Cynthia glanced at Wallace meaningfully. Wallace's eyelid twitched.
"Champion Wallace, you might actually be a descendant of the Draconid people—perhaps those who remained behind when the meteor fell a thousand years ago and later rebranded as the People of the Water," Dylan suggested.
After all, Sootopolis City was the very site where the meteor landed a thousand years ago—also the battlefield of Groudon and Kyogre.
"If Zinnia's goal was to summon Rayquaza, then now that Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre have emerged, she's likely already at the Sky Pillar praying for its arrival."
"If she can actually summon Rayquaza… then I suppose that's not a bad thing," Wallace muttered helplessly.
Wallace sighed helplessly. While it was indeed Zinnia who had triggered the emergence of the two ancient titans, if she could summon Rayquaza and put an end to their battle, then so be it.
"But we can't put all our hopes on Zinnia. Even if the Draconid successor can summon Rayquaza through prayer, there's no guarantee that Rayquaza will acknowledge her."
Dylan shook his head. He knew all too well—Zinnia's chances of gaining Rayquaza's recognition were slim.
"If we have a chance to stop Groudon and Kyogre, we need to take it ourselves."
"Dylan is right. We can't rely entirely on an opponent. No matter what, we need to try," Cynthia agreed.
After all, they were League Champions and Gym Leaders—there was no way they could leave everything in the hands of their enemy.
"Then let's go!"
"Right!"
With their fighting spirit ignited, Dylan and the others set off.
Meanwhile, on the vast open sea, the rain poured relentlessly. Primal Kyogre lowered its massive body slightly, its icy golden eyes locked onto the enormous red figure approaching step by step.
Ahead, the dark storm clouds abruptly ended, giving way to blinding, scorching sunlight. With every step Primal Groudon took, charred black land formed beneath its feet.
"Uuuhh!"
"Roooar!!"
Primal Kyogre let out a deep, resonant call, but it was answered with a violent, thunderous roar.
A thousand years had passed!
And yet…
"Uuuhh! (You flightless red lizard! You're still alive?!)"
"Roooar!! (Fat-headed blue whale! Even if you died, I'd still be kicking just fine!)"
"(Who the hell are you calling fat-headed?!)"
"(Who the hell are you calling flightless?!)"
The tension in the air grew heavier. The so-called "flightless" and "fat-headed fish" glared at each other, their eyes blazing with fury.
There was no natural energy to fight over this time, but it didn't matter. Their battle didn't need a reason anymore.
(I swear I'll turn you into dried fish today!)
(You can't even fly, and you think you can take me on?)
Primal Groudon turned red-hot with rage. If there was one thing it hated most, it was being called flightless! Didn't they know it could leap into the air like a Swallow Reversal?! Damn it!
Primal Groudon's entire body began to glow with an intense red light. With a mighty slam of its claws against the ground—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Molten red blades of earth erupted from the ground, surging toward Primal Kyogre at high speed.
Precipice Blades!
Primal Groudon's signature Ground-type move!
"Uuuhh!"
Primal Kyogre let out a deep rumble that echoed through the sky. Its colossal purple-blue body ascended high, and in front of it, four glowing blue energy spheres formed.
RUMBLE!
A magma-covered blade, towering dozens of meters high, shot up from the ocean floor, slicing straight toward Primal Kyogre in midair.
But with a swift, elegant rotation, Primal Kyogre barely dodged the Precipice Blades, showcasing its aerial agility flawlessly.
Seeing this, Primal Groudon's rage flared even hotter!
Showing off? You like showing off, huh?! Fine! Fine!
Precipice Blades—again!
With another forceful smash of its claws, molten blades of earth surged toward Primal Kyogre once more.
But Primal Kyogre was not about to sit idly by. The four energy spheres in front of it condensed further, reaching their peak power.
The next moment, four enormous torrents of water shot toward Primal Groudon!
Origin Pulse!
Primal Kyogre's signature Water-type move!
Perhaps because Primordial Sea and Desolate Land were constantly colliding at such close range, their effects were temporarily weakened.
The most obvious proof? Primal Kyogre could still use its Water-type moves.
Primal Groudon, instead of dodging, opened its mouth wide, gathering blinding white energy.
Solar Beam!
A Grass-type move powered instantly by the intense sunlight!
The blinding beam of light clashed head-on with Origin Pulse, triggering a massive explosion.
The shockwave from the impact was so strong that the ocean beneath them dented inward under the pressure.
On a small island near the battlefield, away from the two warring titans—
"Holy hell, that's one intense fight."
'Dylan' clicked his tongue in amusement.
Ah, right—he was back to being 'Dylan' again.
"Alright, it's time to move in, everyone."
Steven unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt, releasing Metagross.
Wallace and Cynthia nodded seriously, summoning their Milotic and Garchomp.
"Reshiram."
'Dylan' tossed out a Poké Ball, revealing the majestic white dragon.
"Reshiram, I'm counting on you. Go stop Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon!"
'Dylan' smiled as he gave his command.
Reshiram hesitated, glancing at the raging titans locked in battle. Its draconic eyes suddenly widened in disbelief.
Wait… hold on.
Sure, Dylan said he'd back him up…
But was he seriously expecting a majestic, elegant white dragon like Reshiram to take on those two brutes?!
Did he think Reshiram was Mega Rayquaza or something?!
And wasn't fighting supposed to be Zekrom and Kyurem's job?!
Wasn't Reshiram just supposed to stay home and look pretty?!
(Original Author's note)
PS: I debated for a while on how to handle the "flightless fat fish" battle and ultimately decided to stick with the half-sun, half-rain scenario from the games. After all, their power levels are equal.
Also, to balance the mechanics, I'm making it so that Primordial Sea and Desolate Land temporarily cancel each other out in close range. Hope that works for everyone!