Chapter 288: Then I'm Counting on You, Emperor
However, when Lorelei reached for her Poké Balls, she found them gone.
They must have been knocked away during the impact.
Lorelei wasn't worried about her other Pokémon. They were safe inside their Poké Balls, and they could release themselves if needed.
She was only worried about Froslass.
"Lorelei!"
Steven, in the sky, turned his head and saw Lorelei fall into the sea.
But he was helpless.
His Steel and Rock-type Pokémon couldn't fight in the ocean; they would sink like stones.
"Dewgong! Cloyster! Go save Lorelei!"
Helpless, Steven shouted to the two battling Pokémon, then directed his Skarmory to swoop down toward Froslass.
Unfortunately...
The raging storm and turbulent sea were deafening. His voice didn't seem to reach them.
The ocean was chaotic.
Every move Kyogre made caused turmoil in the waters—waterspouts, currents, whirlpools...
Because of this, even though Lorelei was an excellent swimmer, she couldn't control her body in the water. She could only drift with the currents.
She watched helplessly as the light dimmed, and the surface grew further away.
It was terrifying.
Lorelei felt an endless loneliness dragging her into the abyss.
If possible, she hoped her Pokémon would never experience this feeling. Especially Piplup.
"Hehe, Piplup is a Water-type. How could he sink?"
Lorelei smiled wryly.
"The bottom of the sea... must be cold and lonely."
Lorelei's eyes fluttered, and she exhaled two bubbles. She reached out weakly toward the surface, but there was nothing to grasp.
Just as Lorelei was about to give up and close her eyes...
A surge of unwillingness rose in her heart.
Since childhood...
No matter what difficulties or dangers they faced, she and Piplup had never given up. They always persisted until they succeeded.
Today... could not be an exception.
"I want to go back with Piplup."
Lorelei's eyes snapped open. She clenched her fists and kicked her limbs with all her might.
Suddenly...
At a certain moment, Lorelei's heart trembled violently. A strong resonance came from within.
Her eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth to shout, regardless of the consequences:
"Piplup!! I'm here!! Gurgle..."
Seawater rushed into her mouth, causing immense pain.
But in that moment, all fear vanished from her heart.
"Hmph!!"
A strange but familiar voice rang in her ears.
Lorelei felt herself being pulled into the embrace of a large creature.
She closed her eyes and felt around.
Soft flesh and feathers, but some parts were incredibly hard and cold, like... steel.
"Hm?!"
Lorelei opened her eyes abruptly and froze.
She had imagined it countless times. If her little penguin evolved, would he stop being cute? Sometimes she even dreamed about it and woke up startled. Lorelei had treated Piplup's evolution as a nightmare countless times.
But sometimes she also thought... a tall, mighty, domineering Empoleon might be handsome too?
Until now.
Lorelei was certain.
It was true.
Evolution was a trade-off. Lorelei preferred cute things, but Piplup's evolution didn't seem as bad as she had imagined.
The Empoleon in front of her...
With the crown-like golden horns on his face and the calm, cool ice-blue eyes... he was so handsome Lorelei blinked rapidly, feeling like she was meeting her crush.
She couldn't take her eyes off Will. She even reached out with both hands, touching him all over.
Lorelei decided. Her future husband had to look like an Empoleon. Even if he wasn't as strong as her, it didn't matter!
"Haven't seen you fangirl over me in a long time."
Will looked down at Lorelei's expression and couldn't help but grin.
He seemed to see the little Lorelei from twenty years ago, meeting him for the first time. She had roughly the same expression then.
Lorelei kept her mouth shut and blinked at Will.
But then she started.
Shouldn't she have drowned by now?! Why was she still breathing?! Wasn't she underwater?!
"Try talking."
Will held Lorelei and "flew" toward the surface, communicating with her.
Manaphy followed behind like a ghost. It had used the opportunity of returning to Samiya to hide Phione's egg. Now, Manaphy could act without restraint.
"Piplup?? Why can I talk underwater?"
Lorelei spoke and found it felt just like being on land. But when she reached out, she grabbed seawater.
"Because I obtained the Sea Crown. From now on, you must respectfully call me Emperor Napolean. Then I might grant you special permission to breathe underwater."
"Look at you being all smug! Even evolved, you're still as childish as ever."
Lorelei slapped Will on the shoulder.
Bang!
"Ouch, that hurt. It was soft just a moment ago." Lorelei rubbed her hand.
"I can control my muscles and feathers." Will smiled and explained.
He remembered that in his last life, Meowscarada could also control the softness of her fur.
"Is that so? That's great, hehe." Lorelei snickered. She liked the feel of his downy feathers and didn't want to lose it.
"Alright, get ready for battle."
Will looked up at the approaching surface, his expression turning serious.
"Your Poké Balls were scattered. When we get up there, find a foothold first."
"Foothold? There are plenty."
"Hm?"
"Look behind me." Will pressed his lips together and signaled.
Lorelei turned to look down into the ocean, and her eyes widened instantly.
Behind Will and Manaphy was a torrent composed of thousands upon thousands of Water-type Pokémon!
This torrent connected from the dark depths of the sea, and more Water Pokémon were constantly joining from the surrounding waters.
And Lorelei could tell.
Not all of these Pokémon were attracted by Manaphy. Many were attracted by Will.
In this moment, Lorelei truly understood what kind of existence her little penguin had become after wearing the Sea Crown.
"Then I leave the protection of Alto Mare to you, my Emperor."
A strong sense of pride surged in Lorelei's heart.
She wrapped her arms around Will's neck and kissed the horn on his cheek.
Will smiled slightly but didn't speak.
Actually...
Through the Sea Crown, Will could give Lorelei the ability to fly using water currents; she didn't need a foothold.
But...
He was worried that once the battle started, he might not be able to look after her. He wasn't fully proficient in controlling the Sea Crown yet. If the ability cut off accidentally, it would be bad.
So it was better to send Lorelei to another Water Pokémon and have her watch from a distance.
The moment they broke the surface...
Will gently pushed Lorelei aside, sending her onto the back of a wild Lapras.
Then...
SPLASH!
Will burst out of the sea, soaring into the dark sky.
Kyogre, who had been toying with the Eon Duo, immediately shifted its attention to Will.
"Kyogre, how about you retreat now?"
Will tried to communicate.
But unfortunately...
Kyogre had no intention of retreating. Instead, it seemed eager to fight. It seemed very interested in Will, who possessed the Sea Crown, and was full of fighting spirit.
"Lios!"
"Lias."
Latios and Latias arrived at Will's side immediately.
Although surprised by the huge change in Will, their attention was mainly focused on Kyogre.
"That's... Lorelei's Piplup? Finally evolved? That cold metallic luster is intoxicating."
Steven, in the sky, saw Will too. And he saw Lorelei reappear on the surface, which made him sigh in relief.
"Did Empoleon obtain the legendary Sea Crown? The King of the Sea recognized by the Prince of the Sea? It seems we have to leave the situation to him."
Steven stared at the hovering Will, muttering to himself.
On the other side.
"It won't stop until we beat it."
Will stared at Kyogre, rubbing his wings together.
"Maaa."
"Mm. Go all out. Buy me a little time first."
Will nodded slightly.
The next moment...
The Eon Duo and Manaphy attacked Kyogre together, joined by the mass of Water Pokémon covering the sea.
Will, meanwhile, began a spirited Swords Dance in the air.
ROOOAR~
Kyogre opened its mouth and let out a long roar.
A slap of its tail sent monstrous waves crashing in all directions. Water Spout.
Used by Kyogre, the move looked like it would drown the entire world.
Countless Water Pokémon were engulfed by the endless tide. The lucky ones who emerged from the wave probably numbered less than a thousand.
Then...
Kyogre gathered countless shining blue-white beams of light in front of it, firing them at Manaphy and the Eon Duo.
Origin Pulse, the signature move of the Sea God.
The Eon Duo and Manaphy countered with Dragon Pulse and Hydro Pump.
But even combined, their moves couldn't block Kyogre's attack. They could only slow down the Origin Pulse to buy time to dodge.
Just then...
BOOM!!
A figure fell vertically from high in the sky, stomping squarely on Kyogre's head.
A powerful shockwave radiated from Kyogre.
The hundred-meter-long First-Tier Legendary was instantly smashed into the sea.
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