Chapter 26

Clash of the Titans

We were on our way from Lumiose to Laverre City to the north. But, by a sudden last request from Lysandre, we were sent to the Hoenn region to find the Megalith, the alleged source of Mega Evolution. With the assistance of Hoenn League Champion, Steven Stone, and mutual friend/relation, May Powell, we located the Megalith rather swiftly, but shortly after, something else found us.

Rayquaza
The Sky High Pokémon
A Dragon and Flying-type
It is said to live in the Ozone layer, flying eternally where none can see with the naked eye. It consumes meteors for sustenance.

"It looks angry…" Magearna muttered, clinging to Serena's leg. "...but why?"

Almost in response, Rayquaza roared. Light seared from the Megalith in robbins, searing up to him. We all watched in horror and amazement as Rayquaza changed before us. He looked to be twice as long, and more rugged. Its red-lined fins were now gold-lined, and its horns were longer. What looked like tusks grew from his mouth, and what looked like streamers of pure energy protruded from them, almost growing to Rayquaza's length.

"The Legend was true!" May muttered. "Rayquaza CAN Mega Evolve!"

Rayquaza let out a massive roar as a form of energy began to charge from its mouth. "Take cover!" Clemont shouted. We all scrambled for the nearest shelter we could reach. A Dragon Pulse was fired, tearing through all the machinery nearby, including the plane from which it was unloaded.

I was heavily concerned. "Were we… not supposed to find this place…?"

"Mairin, stand back!" Alain told her. She hurried under the ruins, while Charizard emerged, ready for battle.

"We've got to appease him!" I turned to my partner, who nodded and hopped next to Alain's partner.

Misty turned to Brock. "Let's help out, too!" Brock nodded, and they both sent out their Gyarados and Steelix.

"Metagross! You, too!" Steven then pulled a PokéBall out to reveal what appeared to be a robotic entity with four large legs. Dexter quickly analyzed the Champion's partner.

Metagross
The Iron Legs Pokémon
A Steel and Psychic-type
Metagross has four brains in total. Combined, the four brains can breeze through difficult calculations faster than a supercomputer.

The picture on Dexter's screen looked different from Steven's. I was later told that it was a Shiny Pokémon, a rare specimen with a different color variation. I took a brief look down. Attached to one of its forelegs was an anklet with a Mega Stone. It quickly became apparent to me that Metagross could Mega Evolve.

Five Mega Evolved Pokémon against one Mega Evolved Legendary… it was a stretch, but we all have to push the envelope sometimes. "Mega Evolve!" We shouted. Our partners roared as they transformed.

It was the first time I had seen Metagross Mega Evolutions. Its gigantic body began to levitate. It looked as though Metagross itself was magnetically combined with a few of its pre-evolved counterparts - specifically, a Metang and two Beldum. It looked powerful, especially for a Champion's partner. Hopefully, it would be the power we needed.

"Flamethrower now!" Alain shouted.

Charizard flew up over Rayquaza and unleashed a powerful stream of fire. But Rayquaza was quick to dodge and retaliated by slamming into the attacker. Rayquaza twisted around, glowing an emerald green light. It then rushed into Charizard and Metagross at a blinding speed.

"Metagross, catch Charizard!" Steven shouted. His partner flew up and grabbed Charizard. Rayquaza roared and rushed towards them once again.

"Give them time to move, Solsol! Psycho Cut!" Serena called. Solsol then released a large beam of energy from its horn into the air, which struck Rayquaza in the face.

The now furious titan roared, shaking his head, and unleashed a sphere of gold light from its mouth. It rushed into the air then exploded into a bunch of smaller ones.

"It's Draco Meteor!" Brock shouted in shock. Large meteors rushed all over the place. Everyone attempted to dodge the attacks, but one of them exploded near where Mairin was hiding. Alain then dove for her and caught her, landing on his back and protecting her from the fall.

I looked at Cocoa, who nodded. "You're gonna regret this!" Cocoa and I then jumped at Rayquaza, launching a Thunderbolt and a Secret Power at the green one. But just like before, Rayquaza weaved around the oncoming attacks. Worse was to come, as it dodged, it swooped down and snagged us both in its claws. We both screamed as Rayquaza carried us off to who knows where.

*Ash's POV*

James and I were pushing away the rubble that seemed to bury Alain and Mairin. Soon, we could hear a groan.

"Alain?" Mairin asked as she looked at his shoulder.

"Just a scrape. I'll live," Alain told her. Then he looked at the center of the room. It seemed that all that was left was a giant hole in the center. "Where's the Megalith?" Alain asked.

"Forget the stupid rock!" Meowth snapped. "Rayquaza has Brianna and Cocoa!"

Serena looked to the skies in concern. "Brianna… what do we do?"

Steven then pulled up a tablet and tapped the screen a couple times. "Hmmm… if these readings are accurate, something's happening along the coast of Rustboro City. They match the wavelengths emanating from Rayquaza when it Mega Evolved."

"Could that be where Rayquaza is?" asked Jessie.

"It may be our best shot. I'll make the arrangements to have us picked up." Then he looked at May. "I think now is the time to use it…"

I looked at my native friend. "May? What's he talking about?"

She did not answer me right away. Instead, she signaled us to follow her outside.

Once we were in a clearing, she reached into her satchel and pulled out what at first looked like a grappling hook. Then I noticed a bunch of holes on one side. It was a flute.

"Steven told me only to use this for emergencies… I don't think they can get more urgent than this…" She placed the reed in her mouth and played a brief melody.

There was a brief silence afterwards… then I saw two familiar shapes fly toward us. The Eon Twins! I did not know how, but May had summoned them. Dexter briefly analyzed the Twins.

Latios and Latias
The Eon Pokémon
Both are Dragon and Psychic-types
These Pokémon are highly intelligent and understand human speech. They can fly faster than a jet plane by folding their forelegs to minimize air resistance.

May then turned to us. "This is the Eon Flute, a gift I earned from helping Steven," she explained. "With it, I can summon Latios and Latias no matter where I am, and with their help, we should be able to catch up to Rayquaza." She then clambered onto Latias' back. "They can only carry so much weight though."

I raised my hand. "I'll go with you. I want to help in any way I can."

"Daddy, no!" Magearna argued in concern. "This is too dangerous!"

"Brianna and Cocoa are the ones in danger!" I rebutted. "We gotta save them from Rayquaza!"

Latios then approached me, and lowered itself in front of us. "Looks like Latios already trusts you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Latios. I'll try to be worthy of your trust." I then clambered onto his back. And with that, we set off to Rustboro City.

*Brianna's POV*

Meanwhile, Mega Rayquaza was moving at a tremendous speed, headed for where I would later learn was Rustboro City. But I was too scared to think about where we were. All I could think about was my present situation. For all I knew, Cocoa and I could be his next snack.

I slammed my fists into Rayquaza claws, trying to break free. But it was no use. Legendary Pokémon are strong enough, but this is the only one I knew who could Mega Evolve. "Listen to me!" I shouted. "If you eat us, you're dooming every living thing, including yourself!" Rayquaza just seemed to ignore me. "I'm not kidding! Listen! You need to put us down!"

The Titan began to slow down. He then pulled us closer, holding us tighter. I pushed against his serpentine chest, trying to force myself away. But then, I felt something… a familiar sensation. This felt different from Mega Evolution.

"Brianna…?" asked Cocoa in concern. "What is it?"

"I can feel it…" I replied. "Rayquaza has one of the Pure Hearts!"

Cocoa was understandably surprised. "You're kidding…"

Rayquaza then held us up to his face. Though it was difficult to read, I was beginning to understand. Maybe Rayquaza was not angry at all. Maybe he came seeking our help. But for what? I began to speak to him in a more calming tone. "Why are you doing this? What do you need us for?"

The Titan then turned our gaze down below as though to say, "That!"

There, walking in the direction from whence we came, was a large red mass. It looked like the Groudon I saw in movies and storybooks, but this one was different. It was significantly larger in size, its thick hide were deeper colors than normal, and its black outlines, as well as its eyes, were a sizzling lava yellow. In its wake, I saw a great mass of magma and smoke that seemed to grow with every step it took.

"Primal… Groudon?" I muttered.

"Over there!" Cocoa pointed in a different direction.

Not too far away, I saw the waters begin to bubble and glow. Within moments, I saw something big and blue emerge from the sea. It looked like Kyogre I saw in forms of media, though it had taken a form similar to Primal Groudon's.

"Primal Kyogre!"

I then looked to my left, to where the Primal beasts were moving. There was the human settlement which I would later learn was Rustboro City. The Megalith was now the least of my concern at this point. "I understand now… We have to stop them before they level the Hoenn region!"

Seeing that we now figured out the situation, Mega Rayquaza carefully placed Cocoa and I on the nape of his neck. We both held on tightly to his horns, yet simultaneously ready to fight.

Kyogre let out a screech, and blue light quickly sparked and moved around it. Beams of water suddenly surged out and slammed into Groudon. In response, the Continent Pokémon snarled and unleashed what looked like a Stone Edge attack that struck Kyogre's underbelly. The resulting explosion was enough to push us away for a brief moment, while Kyogre fell into the water dazed.

"Now's our chance! Rayquaza, use Dragon Pulse on Groudon!" I commanded. The Sky Titan then unleashed a powerful attack as instructed, landing a direct hit in its forehead.

It looked dazed, but still focused enough to acknowledge our presence. In anger, Groudon launched multiple fiery rocks up into the air from its mouth. Rayquaza maneuvered swiftly to evade the attack. At the same time, Cocoa and I were doing all we could to counter the Eruption.

While Groudon had his attention on us, Kyogre re-emerged from the sea. A light blue aura engulfed it and expanded in radius like a shockwave, engulfing its counterpart, but barely missing us. When it settled, Groudon was encased in ice.

"Rayquaza, Hyper Beam! Cocoa, use Thunderbolt!" Both of them made their attacks at the Sea Basin Pokémon, greatly decreasing its stamina.

But not decreasing it enough. In retaliation, Kyogre jumped into the air, and multiple blue orbs appeared all around it. It then fired a beam of blue energy from each orb at us. We tried our best to evade, but one of them struck Rayquaza close to where we were. To make matters worse, the force was enough to knock my partner off Rayquaza completely.

"NO, NO, NO! COCOA!" I leaped off after her. Meanwhile, Rayquaza was held back by Kyogre's attack.

As Cocoa and I fell to the sea below, all I could think of in the spur of the moment was trying to save my partner. While it was very last minute, I had an idea to do so. I thought back to Azura Bay, and my sudden transformation into a mermaid. I thought of the fact that Rayquaza held one of the Pure Hearts. I closed my eyes and focused. 'Oh, please, be something with wings…' I thought to myself.

*Cocoa's POV*

I was knocked off Mega Rayquaza by Primal Groudon's attack. Brianna was strong enough to hold on for herself, but realizing my fate, she jumped off after me. As we both fell, a bright light engulfed Brianna, blinding me for a moment. Yet I could still tell that she was transforming midfall.

When the light subsided, I saw what became of my Trainer. She now had a plumage of feathers all over her body. Her feet turned into talons, her arms wings, and a large beak formed over her mouth area.

I saw it, but I could not believe it.

She dove toward me, wings tucked into her sides. Once she got close enough, I grabbed onto her shoulders from behind, and she spread her wings out to regain her altitude.

"Brianna," I shouted. "Your superpowers are my new best friends!"

"I like them, too!" she replied.

As we regained altitude, I saw something flying our way, or rather, two things. It was Latios and Latias, the legendary dragon twins, and Ash and May were riding on their backs. They had apparently come to my rescue.

I smiled. "Here comes the cavalry!"

May's eyes widened. "Is that Brianna?"

Ash laughed. "Always full of surprises…"

Before long, Groudon had broken free from his icy chamber. Brianna then explained the situation. "Rayquaza's trying to stop Groudon and Kyogre, but he can't do it alone!"

"And he won't! Let's do this!" May added. All three of us charged down at the clashing titans, Rayquaza retreating to safety. "Dragon Pulse!" May called out.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash and I added at the same time. Latias and I fired their attacks at Primal Kyogre, while Latios and Pikachu struck Primal Groudon. Naturally, they were enraged and charged their retaliations.

"Uh-oh…" Brianna muttered. "Secret Power!" She began flapping her wings hard and fast, and she created a strong cyclone of wind around us. Thanks to her ingenuity, the tornado shielded us from the oncoming attacks.

As she was protecting us, the Eon Pokémon beneath my friend were starting to glow. They roared as beams of light surged through the air between each other. From right under their feet, Latios and Latias transformed. Their arms seem to grow a larger pair of wings, and their blue and red parts turned a pale purple. There were only two differences between them now - their sizes and their eye colors.

"They Mega Evolved!" Ash cheered.

"I didn't know they could do this!" May smiled.

More was to follow. Not too far away, something began to light up. I could feel energy build up as something was starting to solidify. We could also see that reinforcements were arriving in the form of two large planes. One door opened to reveal Steve, Brock, James and Clemont, the other one showed us Misty, Serena, Jessie, and Alain. From what I was told, Bonnie, Magearna and Mairin were left at Devon Corporation for their own safety.

"We're going to stop them!" Alain shouted. "Let's go, Charizard!" he shouted, throwing his Pokéball. His partner appeared, and their stones flashed. Charizard instantly turned into Mega Charizard X and roared with extreme might. Groudon unleashed a powerful Solar Beam, but Charizard was able to twist around it and avoid any damage.

Kygore took this as an opportunity to try and grab the Megalith. But Steven had other ideas. "Metagross, use Flash Cannon!" He shouted as he released his partner. It landed a direct hit, forcing Kyogre away. It was only afterward that Metagross Mega Evolved.

"Dragon Pulse!" May commanded. The two Eon Dragons then unleashed their attacks, striking both Groudon and Kyogre.

Groudon unleashed another Precipice Blades attack, and Charizard flew as fast as he could, dodging all the rocks. He even used Dragon Claw on some of them to cut through.

Meanwhile, Metagross dodged an Origin Pulse from Kyogre "Use Meteor Mash!" Steven shouted. Metagross glowed brightly and slammed into Kyogre at full speed, slamming him into the sea As Metagross was moving away he looked back to see Kyogre swing his tail. Instantly, Metagross was seen flying across the ice Kyogre created previously. He dug his large claws into the glacier to break the fall.

With our attention on Kyogre, Groudon made an attempt on the surging energy. Rayquaza rushed forward, slamming into its body and flying away. Groudon roared, rearing back and Rayquaza suddenly saw a barrage of fiery jagged stalagmites rushing towards him. He could barely dodge then a ruby colored one struck him in the gut.

"Rayquaza!" Ash shouted in fear.

Rayquaza crashed onto the ice sliding, bashing his head into a large block. As he lay there, he regained his original form. "Take us down there now!" Steven shouted. "We need to help Rayquaza!"The planes tried to land nearby, but the ice shattered, preventing the plane from landing.

As the planes retreated, Groudon and Kyogre clashed forces once again. Groudon threw its counterpart into the glacier, and then tried to land a Solar Beam attack on it. But Kyogre was able to counter with an Origin Pulse.

At then instant, the spot of energy began to glow brightly. It pulsed a powerful shockwave as it solidified into the familiar shape.

The Megalith had appeared right above us. Groudon and Kyogre leaped to the Megalith at the same time, each trying to obtain the giant rock.

"ENOUGH!" Brianna shouted.

As she shouted, a white wave burst from her person, like an explosion. She unintentionally shoved us away and knocked me off her back, but Charizard caught me. It seemed that everything around her froze on the spot. Not like ice froze, mind you, but stunned by what they saw.

Brianna hovered over the Megalith, or at least I thought it was her… but she looked different from any form I saw previously. Her clothes were a bright white, with the normally white parts being a glimmering gold. Her hair seemed longer and more voluminous, brighter even. Lastly, one of her hands held a long scepter with her most recently used Pure Heart resting atop.

"Please…" she began, "this senseless conflict has to stop. The Megalith doesn't belong to you… it doesn't belong to me… it belongs to everyone. Please, listen to me. I need you to know what's at stake… What I'm doing… WHO I AM!"

As her energy pulsed around, Groudon and Kyogre stood there in stunned silence. I swore I could almost hear them talk once…

(It can't be…)

(This aura…)

The light emanating from her slowly subsided and she descended to the glacier below. As she did so, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre approached slowly. At the same time, Rayquaza slowly regained consciousness and rose from the glacier between the other two Titans.

We watched in concern for a moment. But then, the three titans bowed in respect, with the Primal Titans returning to their familiar shapes.

Then I saw more familiar light form on the glacier beneath Brianna's feet. The three Titans then glowed a soft light, and they each produced a form of energy which solidified in the air. It was not one, not two, but three Pure Hearts. The Titans then bequeathed their gifts to the princess and shortly afterwards, they began to leave. Groudon trekked across his trail toward the volcano from whence he came, Kyogre sank to the depths of the ocean, and Rayquaza, regaining his strength, started to soar above the clouds, back to the stratosphere.

Brianna closed her eyes and smiled… "Everyone… thank you…" Then Brianna summoned her FLying-type strength, regained her avian form and returned to us in the sky.

The two planes began to encircle the giant rock which started this clash. "The Megalith is under our control," Steven said with a grin. "I propose we put it to good use." The rest of us agreed.

But the only thing that is truly predictable about life is its unpredictability. From directly underneath the Megalith, we saw something emerge from the waters. It was not Kyogre… it was something man-made. Hatches upon it opened and launched several blasts, which blinded all of us.

"Champion! The signal from the Megalith has disappeared!" a voice cried out from one of the planes.

"WHAT?!" Steven yelled in surprise.

When the light finally disappeared, the Megalith was gone. Ash looked down at the machine that emerged. They could see a shape standing atop it… "Team Flare!" he snarled.

That shape, Xerosic, laughed maniacally. "Hasta la vista, Suckers!" Then he entered through a door nearby. Brianna dove down to catch them, but it was already too late. The submarine had sunk into the sea, and then it cranked its gears to full speed and slithered away.

Brianna landed, turning back into a human, and watched as the sub retreated with the Megalith. The rest of us landed close behind her and looked at her in concern. She was silent for a moment… then for the first time since I evolved, I watched her lose her composure…

"WHAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH!"

The rest of us looked at one another, and then back at her. "We can get it back!" May assured her.

"This wasn't your fault," Steven added. "Team Flare caught us completely off guard."

But Brianna still felt grim. "Regardless of who's to blame, the source of Mega Evolution - maybe even the most powerful relic in the world - now rests in Giratina's claws…"

*Brianna's POV*

The next morning, at Devon Corporation, Alain, Steven and I contacted Lysandre and told him what became of the Megalith. Though it did not show on his face, I could tell he was disappointed.

"It is unfortunate that the Megalith slipped right through our fingers…" he told us, " but rest assured, we will find the Megalith once again. Its energy signature is unique and vast. I am certain we will track these thieves down as though we were tracking down a hurricane."

"We understand," I replied. "If you happen to find the Megalith, please contact us. We will assist you in any way we can."

"Thank you…" And with that, the transmission ended.

We returned to Steven's office where everyone else was waiting. Mairin ran to embrace Alain out of concern, and he surprisingly returned the gesture. Then Steven addressed all of us. "I have no words to express how grateful I am for your help…" he began. "If it weren't for you, the Hoenn region would probably have sunk into the ocean, or burned under a fiery eruption, and that would've been the good news."

"Well, it worked for our benefit in one way," Ash pointed out. "Thanks to our coming here, we managed to get three Pure Hearts."

"And now," Serena added. "Brianna can turn into a mermaid, and a harpy, whenever she needs to."

I smiled, a little confidently. "I guess you could say that was three stones with one bird?"

But everyone else grimaced. "No! Ugh! No, that was a terrible joke! Oh! Dude!" I heard someone say.

I giggled awkwardly. "I really do have my mother's sense of comedy…"

"In any case, would you all like a ride back to Kalos?" Steven offered. "It's the least I can do for those who saved our lives."

Many of us agreed to Steven's offer… though only two decided against it - Misty and Brock. "You're not coming with us?" I asked.

"The main reason we stayed for so long was to help you hone your abilities," Brock explained. "And after you tamed those Titans, we can tell how strong you've become."

Misty nodded. "Brock speaks for both of us. You only need seven more Pure Hearts now. I know you can do it."

I smiled. "Thank you, Misty, Brock. You both have done more than we could ask for." Over the next few minutes, we said our goodbyes through a series of handshakes, hugs, and high-fives. They promised us they would come back again to visit soon as we boarded the plane back to Kalos.

The mysteries of Mega Evolution is a tale of people and Pokémon - for those who battle, for those who care, for those who study, and for those who want to change the world. Someday soon, all of our bonds with our Pokémon would be put to the ultimate test. But for now, we had a struggle in Kalos to return to, as the journey continues…

MEANWHILE, ON THE HOENN MAINLAND…

Slateport City.

People from many different regions gather and mingle in this bustling port city. The clean water made the food abundant in the area, so a local market grew over the course of many years. This open-air bazaar, known simply as the Slateport Market, featured items that cannot be easily found anywhere else.

On this day, a Gallade had wandered into the market. No one knew much about this mysterious Pokémon, as he seemed unable to remember his life beforehand. All they truly knew was every day, he made trinkets out of discarded wood and exchanged them for food, or at least money for food.

After a hard day's work, he was browsing a stall of Berries run by an elder man. He spoke to the man via Telepathy. "How much for the Sitrus Berries?"

"One hundred credits each," he replied.

"I'll take five of them, and three Leppa Berries." He placed the money on the counter. "Keep the change."

The man laughed. "Lemme crate that up for you, buddy. Pleasure doing business with you."

On his way back to the wild, he passed by a nearby electronics store with a series of televisions on display. They were broadcasting the local news network. "The Hoenn League Champion confirmed that the Legendary Titans have been tamed, and the potential disaster to Hoenn has been averted, all thanks to the valiant efforts of Team Bellerose."

As soon as the Gallade heard that name, he dropped his crate of Berries.

"Our Hoenn League Champion, Steven Stone, confirmed that the soon-to-be Kalosian Princess, Brianna Bellerose, appeased both Groudon and Kyogre in their Primal states. In the process, she collected one of the remaining Pure Hearts from each of the Titans, including Rayquaza. The status behind the mysterious source of energy which caused the incident, dubbed the Megalith, remains unknown, but we will follow up on this case. In other news…"

The Gallade watched the story in awe. As he saw the video footage of the Princess, a switch went off inside his mind. "Sweet mother of Arceus… THE PRINCESS!" Before anyone could even notice his presence, he disappeared, leaving his mess behind…

STAY TUNED…