"Xiaoshi, what are we doing next?"
Above the waters near Meteor Falls, Jirachi nestled in Chen Shi's arms and looked up at him curiously.
"Nothing, I guess. We've already done what we needed to do, so we can leave now."
Chen Shi shrugged, looking rather pleased with himself.
"But we shouldn't go too far just yet. Let's stay nearby and keep an eye on things first."
With that, he climbed onto Dragapult's back, intending to find somewhere farther away to watch over the Giant Energy Stone.
But before he could get far—
A green figure suddenly came diving down from the sky at terrifying speed, stopping directly in front of him.
"Rayquaza? Why are you here?"
Chen Shi stared at Rayquaza in surprise.
Rayquaza was practically dying of rage.
You still have the nerve to ask why I'm here?!
Why don't you take a look at what the hell you just did?!
You actually carried the Giant Energy Stone all the way out over the ocean!
You'd need at least ten years' worth of brain damage to come up with something this stupid!
"I should be asking you that," Rayquaza said, doing its best to suppress its anger. "Why did you bring the Giant Energy Stone here?"
"Oh, that."
Chen Shi smiled and casually explained.
"I found this Giant Energy Stone inside Meteor Falls, right? I was worried it might attract Groudon and Kyogre."
"If those two started fighting inside Meteor Falls, wouldn't all the nearby Pokémon and humans get caught in the disaster?"
"So I figured I'd move the Giant Energy Stone out over the ocean."
"That way, even if Groudon and Kyogre were attracted here, your battle wouldn't endanger the nearby Pokémon or humans."
Chen Shi clearly had no idea just how serious the situation was.
Rayquaza painfully closed its eyes.
"Do you have any idea that the Giant Energy Stone was perfectly fine while it remained inside Meteor Falls?"
"It's only after it's taken out that Groudon and Kyogre can sense it."
The instant those words fell—
Silence.
Absolute, suffocating silence.
The smile on Chen Shi's face froze.
His mouth slowly fell open, disbelief filling his eyes.
"Y-You mean..."
"It's because I took the Giant Energy Stone out that Groudon and Kyogre are going to wake up?"
Rayquaza said nothing.
It simply stared coldly at him.
Its silence was deafening.
After learning the truth, Chen Shi's toes curled tightly inside his shoes.
His body temperature steadily climbed.
He was practically turning red from embarrassment.
Dragapult lowered its head in shame.
It was over.
It had actually believed its trainer's nonsense.
It had genuinely thought they were doing something good, which was why it had flown so damn fast earlier.
This was humiliating.
Could it get a new trainer?
This one was beyond saving.
Jirachi scratched its head, then grabbed Chen Shi's white robe and quietly hid itself beneath the fabric.
You can't see me.
You can't see me.
Victini was even more decisive.
It went straight back into its Poké Ball.
"..."
"Well... I didn't know things worked like that."
"I thought that as long as the Giant Energy Stone appeared, Groudon and Kyogre would be able to sense it."
Chen Shi bit down hard on his lip, utterly mortified.
His reputation—
Ruined!
How the hell was he supposed to know the Giant Energy Stone couldn't be removed from Meteor Falls?!
Nobody had told him!
He was going to die of embarrassment.
Rayquaza took a deep breath.
"There's no point talking about that now."
"At this point, it probably isn't just Groudon and Kyogre. Every awakened Legendary Pokémon in the world has likely noticed this place."
"With me here, the others won't dare come and fight over it."
"But those two idiots, Groudon and Kyogre, will definitely come."
"A battle is unavoidable."
Chen Shi hesitated.
"Is there really no way to fix this?"
"What if I take the Giant Energy Stone back?"
Rayquaza glared at him.
"Do you really think there's still time for that?"
What good was shutting the barn door after the horse had already bolted?
Groudon and Kyogre had undoubtedly sensed the Giant Energy Stone already.
They might even be on their way right now.
And speak of the devil—
While they were still talking, a gigantic whirlpool suddenly formed across the ocean.
At the same time, a thunderous roar echoed over the sea.
Chen Shi's entire body went numb when he heard it.
Wasn't that Kyogre's cry?!
That fat-headed fish got here way too damn fast!
"We can't stay here. Move!"
Rayquaza wrapped itself around the Giant Energy Stone, grabbed Chen Shi, and immediately flew toward land.
Chen Shi looked completely baffled.
Wait.
Why were they running?
Couldn't Rayquaza just beat the hell out of it?
Just after they left, another earth-shaking roar came from the distant mainland.
At the same time—
The earth began violently trembling.
Deep cracks split open across the ground, and scorching magma surged upward from within them, spreading in every direction.
Everything the magma touched was instantly devoured and reduced to charred ruin.
An enormous, terrifying beast slowly advanced across the land, each heavy step radiating overwhelming pressure.
Then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the ocean.
Towering waves surged into the sky, sending enormous sprays of seawater flying in every direction.
Immediately afterward, Kyogre's massive body burst from the sea.
Its gaze instantly locked onto the retreating Rayquaza.
Without the slightest hesitation—
It gave chase.
Rayquaza glanced toward Groudon in the distance and silently cursed.
That brainless idiot was so damn slow.
"Why don't you just take the Giant Energy Stone and fly straight into the sky?" Chen Shi asked curiously from inside Rayquaza's claw.
"What would that accomplish?"
"Do you think Kyogre wouldn't dare chase me up there?"
"I already told you. There's going to be a battle today no matter what."
"Those two won't give up otherwise."
Chen Shi glanced back at the pursuing Kyogre.
He immediately shut his mouth.
After calculating the distance, Rayquaza suddenly tossed the Giant Energy Stone down onto a certain location, then immediately carried Chen Shi high into the sky.
Its goal was simple.
It couldn't allow Kyogre to obtain the Giant Energy Stone first.
Instead, it wanted Groudon to keep Kyogre occupied.
After all, thanks to a certain idiot named Chen Shi, Rayquaza had been given absolutely no time to prepare.
Its injuries hadn't even fully healed yet.
If it recklessly fought both Legendary Pokémon at once in its current state, it might end up at a disadvantage.
Better to let those two fight each other first and exhaust some of their strength.
Then Rayquaza could swoop in afterward and reap the benefits.
And the result didn't disappoint.
Just as Kyogre was about to reach the Giant Energy Stone—
Five colossal stone blades suddenly erupted from beneath the ocean, soaring toward the heavens before slamming directly into Kyogre.
Precipice Blades—five in a row!
Groudon might have been slow to arrive, but the moment it attacked, it went all out.
Clearly, it had absolutely no intention of allowing Kyogre to obtain the Giant Energy Stone.
BOOM—!!
Terrifying explosions thundered endlessly across the sea.
The great battle had begun!
High among the clouds, Chen Shi remained silent in Rayquaza's grasp, his emotions complicated.
So this was the truth.
The battle between Groudon and Kyogre in this era...
Had actually happened because of him.
If he hadn't taken the Giant Energy Stone out of Meteor Falls, perhaps none of this would have happened today.
But then again—
If he hadn't taken it out, history itself might have changed.
Events could have veered off in an entirely unpredictable direction.
In the end, there was only one explanation.
Perhaps...
All of this had been destined from the very beginning.
...
Just Fish Up Anything
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