This story was heavily inspired by Wolflyn's Final Gambit. I was inspired by the "no player character" feel of that work, and wanted to put my own spin on a story like that. Consider this an homage, to a fantastic writer. Sorry that I originally didn't have a disclaimer here, Pano!
Fate's Design
Sootopolis City, Hoenn
The city was gone. The crater it had been housed in was shattered, one of the walls obliterated by the primordial Sea God's escape. Kyogre itself was gone, but Steven knew where it was heading. Mount Chimney had exploded the day before, wiping out Lavaridge in an explosion that had been clearly visible from the lip of Sootopolis' crater. Groudon was slowly working his way towards the coast, Flannery harassing the God every step of the way. It would never be enough to stop it. The two ancient Gods were fated to meet in battle, humanity be damned.
The angular crest of a gyarados breached the waves above the sunken city. A pair of waterlogged kids clung desperately to the ferocious pokemon, fear and despair etched on their faces. Their world was gone, erased by the fury of a caged god and the rush of cold seawater.
Delicate feelers broke the surface beside the gyarados, Wallace and his milotic appearing from the deep. Wallace's chest was heaving and blood was slowly leaking down the side of his head. He pulled himself onto the lip of the crater beside the waiting champion.
"Kyogre goes to meet Groudon," Steven started breathlessly. His skarmory stood on the lip of the crater, breaths sharp and ragged. "They appear to be moving towards Lilycove. We have to stop this madness."
Wallace looked longingly back down at the water. "There are still people trapped down there. I can't leave my city like this."
"Sootopolis is gone," Steven retorted. "All of Hoenn will be next if we don't stop this madness." He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "The League will do what they can for those still buried, but we are needed right now."
Wallace finally turned and looked back at the champion. "What can we do against that thing? It destroyed my home without even trying. Groudon wiped out Lavaridge with a yawn. With all due respect, we're dealing with something beyond even you."
Steven raised a pair of pokeballs and showed them to his friend. "I may have something," he replied. "Titans from a long dead age. But I'll need your help to raise them. I have the relicanth. I have the wailord." He opened his hand, showing Wallace the pale scar carved into his palm. "I have the anchor."
"The Regi trio?" Wallace gasped. "They're a myth. They aren't actually real, are they?" He had learned much since he had met Steven three years prior. He had learned of Kyogre's slumber under the city and of the ancient myths of Hoenn's people. Still, knowing of a God's existence was much different than watching it destroy your home.
Steven sighed. He gestured over his shoulder at the drowned city. "Neither was Kyogre before today. Groudon was but a myth before it levelled Lavaridge. The Gods are real and they are here." He sighed and massaged his temples. "I have nothing left but this. Nothing I can do, but this."
"What about Rayquaza? The legends say that it stopped the fighting before." He folded his arms across his chest. "You can't possibly hope to control all three Golems alone."
A sad frown crossed his face. "I have tried, Wallace. I am no draconid. The Sky God does not answer my pleas. I am out of options and we are out of time." He looked back at the raging storm as it followed Kyogre out to sea. "If Hoenn has any chance, we must go now."
Wallace looked back at his gyarados, at the half-drowned children on her back. "My pokemon will stay here to help the rescue efforts."
Steven raised a strange flute to his lips. He blew into the flute, a long and haunting note echoing clearly out over the choppy water. Though the storm was still roaring in the distance, the wind seemed to calm ever so slightly.
Steven pulled the flute away, a far off look on his face. Wallace stepped back, perturbed by the distant stare in his friend's eyes. "Steven, what are you doing?"
The silver haired champion sagged on his feet, slumping against Wallace before he could catch himself. "They will aid us," he started hopefully. "They have to." Though his voice threatened to crack with exhaustion, he maintained the hopeful tone as best he could.
"Hoenn's guardians will aid us," Steven continued, forcing himself to his feet as the glowing scar on his pal throbbed with pain. He needed to be strong. His home was counting on him. "The Eon Duo will help us."
Wallace gasped as a flash of blue in the distance drew his gaze. A second flash of pink light confirmed his suspicions. Wallace turned back to his friend as a pair of stars burned their way through the sky towards them. "Let's go save our home, then."
Lilycove City, Hoenn
They were losing. That much was clear. Humanity was losing a war that they weren't even a part of. Lilycove was practically gone, just a few grievously damaged skyscrapers the only reminder that this had once been the largest city in Hoenn.
Sidney and Phoebe were gone, lost in the chaos of the dying city. Glacia had been with him at some point, but the ice trainer had been swept away by the storm. The remaining gym leaders had been there to help evacuate the city, but Drake hadn't seen a single one since Kyogre had arrived and flooded the city. He was, as far as he could tell, the only one left.
Steven had asked him to buy time, contain the battle as much as he could. The champion had promised that he would arrive with aid, but the old sailor didn't know how much more time he had left. He didn't see how Steven could stop this either, but Drake kept that doubt to himself. He'd learned long ago to discount Steven Stone at his own peril.
Groudon roared as a colossal wave bowled over it. The ancient God of the Earth crushed through one of the few remaining skyscrapers, sending the remains of the steel superstructure crashing down on the city.
Drake roared alongside his salamance as a hyper beam glanced off Groudon's shoulder. The God slipped under Drake's assault as another hyper beam from his altaria carved a burning furrow into its leg. One of his flygon darted in, glowing with draconic energy as he charged the falling God.
A spear of rock shot from the earth, impaling a building as Groudon willed it forth. Drake's flygon was swatted from the sky with barely an afterthought, tumbling lifelessly away from the stone spear.
The Sea God pressed its advantage, seizing on Groudon's weakness. What seemed like half the ocean seemed to empty from Lilycove's harbour as Kyogre swept out to sea. Drake had been a sailor nearly his whole life. He had practically lived on the water. He could see water types thrashing on the dry ocean floor and he knew what was coming.
"Climb," he growled to his salamance. He turned his head. "Climb!" he roared to the rest of his dragons.
His altaria shrieked an answer through the storm, and he heard the telltale hum of his remaining flygon's wings. His salamance roared and beat his wings, carrying them higher into the sky.
They had to get higher, he'd seen tsunamis in his day. He had no doubt that a tsunami summoned by the ocean god would dwarf anything he'd ever seen.
Then he saw it. He gasped in terror, looking out at what seemed like half the ocean rising up to meet him. It was two, maybe three-hundred meters tall, a wave that would wash across Hoenn's mainland and leave nothing behind it but death. Kyogre itself rode the wave, bellowing a cry that shook Drake's weary old bones.
"Climb!" He roared, straining to be heard over the deafening wave.
His salamance redoubled his efforts, wings beating madly in a desperate effort to gain height. But they were going too slowly, they would never be able to get above the Ocean God's vengeance.
"Brace!" He roared as he held fast to his dragon's back. There was nothing he could do, nothing anyone could do.
A rush of cold air cut Drake down to the bone, but the crushing power of the wave never hit him. He opened his eyes as the titanic wall of water froze solid in moments. He could hear the ice cracking, rumbling as Kyogre's momentum ground to an icy halt.
Kyogre crashed through the frozen tsunami, a pair of steel fists battering it through the wave. A metal Titan followed, hammering into the fallen God with wordless fury. A stone Golem was already there, hammering the deity with a spear of stone that thrusted from the earth.
"Drake!" shouted a familiar voice. "Rally to me!"
Drake spun on the air, his salamance expertly pivoting on blood-red wings. The champion was here, silver hair streaming astride a bolt of blue light. A maelstrom of green power swirled around his outstretched fist, linking each of the legendary golems back to the Champion. The blue dragon beneath him roared their arrival, his pink-hued sister echoing him a half-moment later.
"The Eon Duon," Drake muttered as the Champion and his friend soared past him. "And the Regi trio… Hoenn's guardians come to save us all." He bowed his head with instinctive respect, watching atop his dragon as Registeel pounded Kyogre across the face.
He locked eyes on Kyogre, watching the Sea God crash to the earth and plow through half of Lilycove. One of the few remaining skyscrapers toppled over, crashing heavily into the frozen surf. Drake cursed for all he was worth, mourning the lives of those who had still been trapped in the building.
"For Hoenn!" he roared. He was the last Elite, one of Hoenn's greatest defenders. So long as the champion still stood, so did he. His remaining dragons followed his lead, altaria and flygon taking their places at his side and echoing a deafening roar.
The stone Titan leapt up and landed on Kyogre's back, crushing a grunt of pain out of the god. It wailed mournfully, willing the ocean to aid it. The tide stormed forward, but a blizzard that stretched further than Drake dared to imagine roared to life as Regice landed at its side. The ocean froze solid in moments, adding to the ice wall that Kyogre's tsunami had formed.
"Hyper beam!" Drake roared over the titanic snap-crack of the ice breaking up. They had an opening now, one glorious opportunity to rip the damned Ocean God from the sea and trap it inland. Hoenn was not especially densely populated west of Lilycove, mostly just disparate wilderness pockmarked by stretches of farmland. They could force it westward, keep it away from what was left of the city. Maybe they could isolate Kyogre inland and kill the beast.
His salamance opened his maw, a brilliant ball of swirling energy gathering in the dragon's razor-toothed jaws. It erupted with violent screaming light, another hyper beam joining him from each side. Steven and Wallace were there with him, psychic light surging from their mounts.
They smote Kyogre from above, driving it back into the earth. A chasm opened up beneath the Ocean God, the bedrock literally tearing itself apart as Groudon reshaped the earth at will. Drake could see the hellish glow of molten rock bubbling in the deep and could not help the reverent awe that he felt. Their plans meant nothing, less than nothing to these primal beings.
They were battling Gods, creatures with enough immense power to literally reshape the planet. The chasm slammed shut as Regirock leapt away, swallowing the Ocean God whole as it shrieked in godly panic.
Drake warily glanced back at Groudon. The God of the Earth was unconcerned with an old man and his dragons. It turned towards the Regis, massive footfalls leaving puddles of liquid fire in the God's wake. Steven sat tall atop Latios, his silver hair shining brightly as harsh sunlight began to clear the storm clouds.
"Get over there!" Drake shouted.
His salamance roared, crimson wings pumping desperately for speed. He could hear his flygon's wings buzzing behind him, could see his altaria effortlessly keeping pace alongside him.
The earth shook below him. Drake glance down, worried that Groudon was bringing some fresh hell up to the surface. The ocean surged forward, putting that idea to rest as the ruined city was washed away by a swell of water. Storm clouds began to gather once again, swirling around one spot in particular.
He sucked in a breath. The fissure had sealed, leaving a gargantuan scar through the earth. Drake watched in abject horror as the earth bucked violently and the fissure widened ever so slightly. Water rushed down through the crack and his eyes widened in terror.
Drake looked up, shouting across the ruined city with all the strength he had left. "GET AWAY! GET AWA-"
The earth simply exploded. Thousands upon thousands of tons of molten rock were thrown into the air, steam exploding out of the fissure and flattening what little of Lilycove was still standing. The last remaining skyscraper twisted and toppled down onto Groudon's shoulder, the God shrugging it off effortlessly. Wallace held desperately to Latias as the wall of ash and steam slammed into them, knowing that losing his grip meant certain death.
Drake was gone, lost in the violent plume of steam and ash as the ocean boiled on contact with the molten earth. Kyogre rose from the maelstrom like a demon from the deep, letting out a long and furious cry as its eternal foe turned to face it.
"Steven!" he shouted, straining to be heard over the eruption. Latias drew closer to her brother, nervously letting out a whimper. "What do we do?"
The silver haired champion turned atop the blue dragon, his expression grim. He looked like he had aged a decade since the start of the battle. His eyes were ragged and sunken. Dark circles had appeared under his eyes and his cheeks had none of their usual meat to them. "Protect Hoenn," he said calmly. Steven stone met his eyes and Wallace saw the pain in them. He knew what he was doing. "Promise me you'll carry on when it's done. Someone has to rebuild after this all."
Wallace shook his head. "There's got to be another way!" He couldn't allow the Champion to do this, couldn't allow his closest friend to die.
"There isn't," Steven replied. He pointed at the kaiju as Groudon raised a sheer wall of earth that blunted a titanic wave of water. "Their battle will consume the whole world unless they are stopped. Someone has to do something."
"You'll die," Wallace said simply.
A strange calm seemed to come over Steven. He nodded slowly. "Then I die in service to Hoenn," he replied. "There is no greater cause than service to others. I want you to remember that, Wallace." He smiled and Wallace thought for a moment that he saw tears starting to form in Steven's eyes. "You'll need to remember that when you're Champion."
Wallace opened his mouth, whether to protest or demand that he stay and help Steven, he couldn't tell. Steven reached across the distance between them, touching his friend's hand as Kyogre raised another wave of titanic proportion. Green light shone from Steven's palm, sucking the life from him to fuel the Regis covenant with humanity.
"It's ok, Wallace. I want this," Steven looked away, down at the three Titans awaiting his command. He closed his hand, doing nothing to dim the anchor's light. "I need to do this."
Wallace found himself nodding. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't." He grabbed hold of Steven's hand. "Go then," he said weakly. "Go save the world."
Steven looked back at him, stormy grey eyes churning with conflict. His cheeks we thin and sallow, and the colour seemed to drain from his face. "I… I never told you," he stammered. "Now I'm out of time."
"It's ok," Wallace replied, trying to hold in a sob. "I already know… I love you too."
They sat there for a long moment, hands clasped in a desperate vision of what might have been. Ancient gods reshaped what had once been a thriving city before them, but nothing could break their embrace.
Steven pulled his hand away, a stern expression crossing his face. "Latias," he started, looking down at the pink dragon. "Take him somewhere safe."
Wallace opened his mouth to protest, but the dragon rocketed away. He twisted around, trying to get one last look at the man he loved. He caught a glimpse as he soared away, green power swirling around the grey-haired trainer atop a bolt of blue light.
Latias swung low over the ruined slope of Mount Chimney, slowing only long enough for Wallace to slip gracefully off her back. He looked back up at the sky as she rocketed away, watching the streak of pink light tear across the sky.
Then the earth shook with fury and Wallace watched armageddon come to Hoenn.
He was as close to a God as any human could ever claim to be. The legendary Golems were his. The Eon twins were his. He had more raw power at his disposal than even Grand Champion Shirona could have ever dreamed of. And yet, it still was not enough. He could feel his strength flowing through the anchor on his hand, keeping the legendary Titans tethered to him. He was growing weaker by the moment, his life fading away to fuel the terrible power in his hands.
Regirock led with its fists, but Kyogre's ire brought the wrath of the ocean down upon it. Its frozen kin was there, encasing the Ocean God in a frozen casket before it could end the stone Golem. Regirock burst from the ice as its frozen kin sealed the Sea God away, charging towards Groudon at Steven's urging.
Groudon batted aside Registeel like it was nothing more than a nuisance. The steel Titan skidded to a halt in the frozen muck, carving deep furrows as it tried to stop itself. Deep dents covered its armoured shell, green light leaking haphazardly from inside the Golem.
Regirock was there, leaping atop a spear of stone spear aimed at Groudon's heart. Steven felt his strength flagging as yet more of his life flew through the anchor, and he knew that he didn't have long left. He had to end this now.
Latios surged forward, a blast of psychic fire carving into the earth God's jaw. A pink bubble streaked through the battlefield as Regirock impaled the earth god with its final act, painting Groudon's throat with psychic fire.
The stone Titan buried itself deep in Groudon's chest, spearing it through with a suicidal stone edge. Groudon shrieked as it doubled over the stone spear, white-hot fury rolling off the wounded God in waves.
The ocean flash froze as Regice whipped a howling blizzard into existence. Groudon toppled backwards, snow and ice piling up as the Earth God roared in frustration. Registeel landed atop Groudon's chest, pounding metal fists into the toppled God.
The snow began to melt, sloughing off the earth God's body in great streams. Steven's eyes widened as Groudon's baleful golden eyes seemed to settle on him. Fire danced in the God's gaze and Steven knew that he had lost.
The earth opened beneath Groudon, a geyser of molten lava spewing into the sky. Regice simply ceased to be, boiling into steam as the lava engulfed it. Registeel stumbled backwards, legs bending under its weight as the heat began to melt them. Groudon righted itself on the lava floe, swinging around to face the melting Titan.
Steven reached out, tossing out a ball. A shining silver shell appeared, four limbs stretching out from his metagross. The steel-type shone with psychic light, powerful barriers springing into place around it.
"Meteor mash!" Steven roared as the anchor went dark, Registeel melting into nothing as the lava overtook it. He felt the strength returning to him and knew that the Golems had failed. It was down to him.
His metagross fell like a stone, fist outstretched and wreathed in power. He followed it down, Latios wreathing itself in a psychic aura. The dragon's sister surged ahead of him, encased in her protective psychic bubble.
His metagross landed a blow on Groudon's jaw. Latias slammed into the Earth God's chest, forcing it back off balance. Steven and Latios drove directly into Groudon's chest, sending it tumbling back into the lava.
A thunderous crash tore through the air as Kyogre burst through the weakened ice, a vengeful cry erupting across the ruined city.
Steven's eyes widened as a wave larger than either of the other ones that Regice had frozen swelled to life behind the massive Sea God. He had nothing to stop this.
His metagross leapt up, fists glowing as it rocketed towards Kyogre. It defended him without thought, his starter's loyalty bringing a tear to his eyes.
Kyogre opened its maw, spewing a torrent of water that blasted his metagross into the earth. The levitating tank bounced through the ruined city and Steven lost his starter in the rubble.
He held tightly to Latios, praying for a miracle.
His eyes shut as he heard Groudon rise to its feet behind him. He'd failed. Both Gods would tear the world apart in their endless war. Then the wave crashed over him as Kyogre smote Hoenn's stubborn Champion under an ocean's worth of water.
Steven held on for dear life, the wave smashing Latios off the ground. A shimmering barrier held strong over them, though Latios could do nothing to stop them from being tossed upon the wave along with half of Lilycove.
They broke the surface of the water for a single moment and it was all that the dragon needed. He soared into the air, Steven throwing up an arm to shield himself from the salty spray beneath them. A pink stream of light tore through the spray, splashing harmlessly against Kyogre's side.
Latias spun off a clumsy attempt at retaliation, almost effortlessly avoiding Kyogre's hydro pump. She carved a bloody path along the God's side, a roaring pulse of purple energy piercing into blubber.
Latios swooped low to aid her sister, Steven still clutching desperately to his back. He saw it too late to do anything, watched Groudon open its maw and the fire boiling in its throat.
Latios pulled a psychic barrier up at the last moment, throwing everything he had into a last ditch effort. Steven felt the air grow thin and the searing heat seeping through the barrier as Latios whined in effort.
Then the flames ended and Groudon's tail was hurtling up to meet him. He sucked in sharply and the earth god made contact. He heard a high pitched psychic pop, and his world spun to pieces.
Latios desperately tried to right himself, but the dragon was wounded now and Steven was far too heavy a burden. They hit the ground, bouncing twice before Latios lost consciousness and Steven was thrown hurtling from the dragon's back.
He skidded to a halt, rolling uncontrollably and smashing violently off of rubble strewn across the field. Steven Stone came to a halt in the frozen muck, trying and failing to draw a breath.
He lay there in awe of the duelling Gods, limbs stubbornly refusing to move. He could see Latias still harassing the primordial foes, but knew that she was doomed like everyone else had been. She couldn't defeat these two alone, not where their best efforts had fallen short.
A spear of golden light tore through the storm, driving Kyogre into the earth with practiced ease. A twisting, writhing dragon rose from the crumpled body of the Sea God and Steven felt his heartbeat quicken in his chest. Rayquaza was here.
Groudon roared fearfully, scrambling backwards as the Sky God slowly advanced upon it. Then the flying dragon began to glow with golden light. Steven's eyes widened as he watched Hoenn's saviour drive relentlessly into Groudon's heart.
He felt the rumble of the earth as Groudon smashed off the ground. The earth rumbled and protested, but Rayquaza was stronger than the Earth God could ever hope to be. Hoenn's ancient protector reared back and Steven knew that it was over.
His vision began to fade, dark shadows starting to creep in at the edges of his sight. He felt a solemn presence touch his mind and realized that his metagross was still alive.
Tears streamed freely down his face. He had known that he was sending his starter into an impossible situation. Knowing that his stubborn old metagross had survived anyways was all the peace that his body needed.
He felt something lumber over him, and blankly watched his Metagross lift him off the ground with its mind. He tried to turn his head to watch Rayquaza savage the rising Kyogre, but found that his head refused to turn.
Calm acceptance washed over him as his metagross confirmed his suspicions. He was broken. There would be no miracles for him. Not even Jirachi's wish would have been able to save him now. He felt himself fall to the ground and looked helplessly up at the sky.
Steven Stone faded away. He didn't fight the end. Hoenn was safe. The world was safe. Wallace was safe. That was all that mattered to him.