Pokémon Soul Generations – Hoenn Saga

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Chapter 7: Making A Special Delivery! Discovering The Ruins In Granite Cave

After having caught Regice, Michael and the girls had finally arrived at Route 206.

? - "Hey!"

Michael and the girls looked along the beach, seeing AJ and Bea waving at them. The party then finally washed ashore, with Michael being the first to greet the female pair.

Michael - "AJ. Bea. so good to see you both again."

Applejack - "Likewise sugarcube. Bet you guys had an eventful time getting here."

Pinkie - "Oh you two have no idea."

While Applejack and Bea were catching up with the others, they were quickly approached by three guys, two of which Michael quickly recognized.

Michael - "Chuck? Bruno? What are you guys doing here?"

Chuck - "Good to see you too Michael. And Bruno and I are here to mostly support Brawly during your Gym Battle with him."

Bruno - "No questions that Bea will be cheering for you."

Bea - "Of course I will. He's my shared boyfriend after all."

Michael then noticed the guy standing between Chuck and Bruno who was wearing surfer gear.

Michael - "I take it you're Brawly then."

Brawly - "That I am. Nice to finally meet you in person Michael."

Michael - "Likewise."

Brawly - "I've heard a bit about you from the others already. But I rather meet a person in the flesh before making a good opinion of them."

Michael - "Hey we think alike when it comes to that."

Brawly - "That's good to hear. So then. What say we get this Gym Battle underway then?"

Michael - "Can that wait a second actually."

Chuck - "How come?"

Michael - "Well I promised Stuart, Devon Corp. President, that I'd deliver this letter to his son Steven, who is Hoenn's Pokémon League Champion. Along with the fact that Steven's supposed to be in Granite Cave."

Brawly - "I see. Very well then. I'll let you go and do that errand first. But after you get back, I do expect you to challenge me and my Pokémon Gym."

Michael - "Oh I intend to."

Brawly - "Good to hear. Now get going and deliver that letter."

Michael - "Right away!"

As Brawly, Chuck, and Bruno returned to the gym, Michael and the girls, now with Applejack and Bea in tow, headed towards Granite Cave. Once inside the cave, Michael brought out Delphox, Espeon, and Swampert.

Rarity - "You sure about just needing these three Michael?"

Michael - "Of course Rarity. Since Makuhita AND Sableye are weak to Fairy-Type moves, I'll have Delphox and Espeon working together against the both of them. Meanwhile, Swampert can pretty much handle the rest. You don't mind big guy?"

Swampert - "No problem. As long as it's fine with Delphox and Espeon, of course."

Delphox - "I don't mind this plan either."

Espeon - "Same here. Makes battling against five different Pokémon much easier to do."

Soon they came across two of the Pokémon they were looking for in Makuhita and Sableye.

Michael - "Get out there girls!"

Delphox/Espeon - "Right!"

Both Psychic-Types quickly got ready to battle.

Michael - "Double Dazzling Gleam!"

Dazzling Gleam's Current Power: 80 + 16 = 96 x 2 = 192 (x2)

The combined Dazzling Gleam completely overpowered Makuhita and Sableye, knocking them out easily.

Michael - "Go Ultra Balls!"

Michael then threw a pair of Ultra Balls at the duo, watching as they were sucked into them. The Ultar Balls then shook three times before clicking.

Michael - "Two down and three to go."

Bea - "Michael. Can I ask you something before we continue?"

Michael - "Sure Bea. What is it?"

Bea - "Can I have a 1-v-1 battle with you at the Gym before you challenge Brawly?"

Michael - "You want to test my strength before we reach your home region of Galar, right?"

Bea - "Yes. Iono and I were talking about it on the ship ride over here, and we both agreed to have the 1-v-1 battles with you at the Gym of our respective Type."

Michael - "I see. Very well then. I look forward to the challenge."

Bea - "Thank you."

Soon they continued their way through Granite Cave. Along the way to finding Steven, Michael easily caught Aron and Nosepass, the latter of which Rarity also caught. However, upon coming across a Mawile, Michael noticed that there was something "different" about this Mawile.

Michael - "Earth Fall Swampert!"

Swampert struck Mawile with enough force to knock her out. But surprisingly, Mawile stood back up and struck back with a Bite, shocking everyone.

Michael - "Ok. This Mawile's a lot stronger than I gave her credit for."

Mawile - "Take this Bite attack!"

Michael - "Dodge it!"

Despite his size, Swampert easily dodged Mawile's attack, causing her to stumble. Michael then quickly saw that as his chance.

Michael - "Go Ultra Ball!"

Michael threw the Ultra Ball, which hit Mawile square in the head and sucked her into it.

One shake.

The Ultra Ball then opens up and Mawile breaks free.

Michael - "Rats. Better try again."

Mawile - "Now try a Headbutt!"

Michael - "Dodge it at the last second!"

Michael watches as Swampert swiftly dodges Mawile's second attack easily.

Michael - "Go!"

Michael threw a second Ultra Ball at Mawile, once again hitting her squarely in the head as it sucks her inside it.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes. And Mawile breaks out again.

Michael - "Damn. So close that time."

Mawile - "I'm not... Done yet..."

Michael - "Surrender Mawile. You're fighting a losing battle here."

Mawile - "Never! I refuse to let someone like you and your Swampert beat me!"

Michael was surprised, as well as amazed, at Mawile's fighting spirit. He then had an idea.

Michael - "How about a challenge then Mawile."

Mawile - "A challenge, you say?"

Michael - "That's right. If you can hit Swampert with a hard enough hit that makes him stagger, you win the challenge and I'll let you go. But since you're pretty much on your last legs, I'll take you getting knocked out as a loss, and thus upon losing you have to let me catch you."

Mawile - "Challenge accepted."

Mawile rushed at Swampert, trying to catch him off guard. She then charged headfirst at him. Sadly, in a bitter twist, not only did Swampert NOT move an inch, but the force of the impact also knocked Mawile out.

Michael - "Well that was bittersweet."

Michael then slowly approached Mawile, then crouched in front of her.

Mawile - "Well I lost our challenge. Time for me to keep me end of our deal."

Michael saw the look of bitter defeat on Mawile's face. He then reached into his backpack.

Michael - "Here. Take this."

Out of Michael's backpack came not an Ultra Ball, but a pre-made berry pouch.

Mawile - "What's in here?"

Michael - "An Oran, Sitrus, and Leppa Berry. Use them to regain your strength."

Mawile - "But I thought you were gonna catch me?"

Michael - "I was. But you still don't wanna join me willingly. It's only when you truly make that decision will I catch you or not. My friends and I will be staying in nearby Dewford Town until tomorrow afternoon. You have until then to make your decision."

Mawile silently watched as Michael and the girls silently walked around and away from her. Once out of ear shot AND view, Ruby silently caught her own Mawile.

Clair - "Are you sure about letting Mawile go Michael?"

Bea - "Clair's right. You never know when you'll get another chance."

Michael - "I know that you two. But the choice is entirely on Mawile. Whenever she wants to join me or not is up to her."

Soon the party reached the deepest part of the cave. On the back wall of the room they walked into was a mural, which Steven was examining.

Steven - "...Mm-hmm. So in the ancient world, their Primal Forms once held this much power...? The super-ancient Pokémon... What terrible strength... But this appearance here... Is seems somehow different from Mega Evolution... Hmm. It seems my questions won't be answered today."

Michael - "Then perhaps I could help you with the answers you need my dear Steven."

Steven quickly turned around to see who was talking to him.

Steven - "Ah. Michael. It's good to see you and the girls again."

Ruby - "Same to you Steven."

Steven - "So you can help with the answers I need Michael?"

Michael - "First off. Hand you this now before I forget about it."

Michael reached into his shirt pocket and took out the letter, then handed it to Steven.

Steven - "What's this?"

Michael - "The girls and I are helping your dad, and Devon Corp., with making a delivery to Slateport's shipyard. And since we're passing through Dewford Town along the way, Stuart asked us to deliver this letter to you."

Steven - "I see."

Steven opened the letter from his father and read it.

Michael - "So what questions do you have for me then?"

Steven - "Well, for starters... If you don't mind me asking... Do you feel anything in particular upon looking up at this wall? A primal world, lost thousands of years in the past... A pair of Legendary Pokémon with tremendous power became humanity's greatest threat... The terror created by that power is clear to see in this ancient artwork."

Michael - "That's true. However. Not ALL power is terrible. Yes, it's true that some people believe one thing over another. But when it comes to the one TRUE thing needed, humanity has a habit of forgetting about it."

Roxanne - "What is that one thing Michael?"

Michael - "Quite simple my dear Roxanne. Balance. You try to force the power of a Legendary Pokémon to your will, balance gets thrown completely out of whack. And because there's no balance, you have nothing but chaos in your wake."

Steven - "And what do you say about forms said Legendary Pokémon here have obtained?"

Michael - "Well first are the Legendary Pokémon themselves. On our left is the queen of the sea, Lady Kyogre. And on our right is the king of the land, Lord Groudon. As for their current forms on the mural, they're both in their Primal Forms, which means they were at their true power during the times these events took place."

Whitney - "What was done to stop them?"

Michael - "At first, when Lady Kyogre and Lord Groudon were in their original forms, they were constantly fighting with each other, trying to expand their respective territory. To try and quell them, two orbs, one red and the other blue, were used. But sadly, all this did was cause the legendary duo to suddenly go into their Primal Forms, and thus the sudden power increase was too much for them to handle. This mural is what happened when the orbs were used."

Clair - "No way..."

Weiss - "But then cause we're all here. That means they were finally stopped."

Michael - "That correct Weiss. They were finally stopped."

Rarity - "But how?"

Michael - "Simple. Most people tend to forget that most legendary duos are actually a trio. And in this case, the third, and final, member of Hoenn's Weather Trio, the Sky Goddess Lady Rayquaza, is the only one with the power to stop the fight between her brother and sister. But there's a major problem."

Steven - "What's that?"

Michael - "If Lady Kyogre and Lord Groudon were in their normal forms, they'd listen to Lady Rayquaza no problem."

Bea - "But due to being in their Primal Forms, Lady Rayquaza now needs a way to match or surpass them."

Michael - "Exactly. That in turn bring us to the Draconoids."

Ruby - "Draconoids?"

Michael - "Yes. A race of people that have a special connection with Dragon-Types that have been around since long ago. When Lady Kyogre and Lord Groudon were going berserk in their Primal Forms, the Draconoids went to a location known as the Sky Tower. Upon reaching the Tower's summit, the Draconoids praying for Lady Rayquaza to end the conflict between her siblings."

Weiss - "So what did they give Lady Rayquaza as an offering?"

Michael - "Well that's the thing. Now as we all know, Pokémon can Mega Evolve with two things: A strong bond with their Trainer, and a Key Stone. Right?"

Steven - "Obviously."

Michael - "Well Lady Rayquaza's method to Mega Evolve is VERY different from the rest."

Roxanne - "Different how?"

Michael - "While the rest of the selected Pokémon need a Key Stone, including the only other Legendary Pokémon that can Mega Evolve in Lady Mewtwo, Lady Rayquaza needs to know a certain move to do it."

Ruby - "What's the move called?"

Michael - "Dragon Ascent."

Applejack - "So let me make sure we all have this right so far. To help stop the combined rampage of Lady Kyogre and Lord Groudon's Primal Forms, the Draconoids begged Lady Rayquaza for her help. And upon teaching her the move Dragon Ascent, she gained the power to Mega Evolve and finally put an end to the conflict. Correct?"

Michael - "You hit the nail on the head AJ. So does that answer your questions for now Steven?"

Steven - "Yes it does. Thank you for the history lesson Michael."

Michael - "Not at all."

Being satisfied with the answer given, Steven walked towards the cave's exit.

Steven - "Also I think I'll stay here in Dewford Town overnight and watch Michael's gym challenge against Brawly tomorrow."

With that last message, Steven left the cave. Michael and the girls soon did the same. As they were leaving, a group of wild Pokémon attacked them. Once the horde was dealt with, Kirlia and Hatenna came out of their Ultra Balls and began glowing. Soon the glowing stopped to reveal a Gardevoir in place of Kirlia, and a Hattrem in place of Hatenna.

Michael - "Alright! Kirlia and Hatenna finally evolved!"

After showering the Psychic-Type duo with praise for their hard work, the party finally exited Granite Cave, and saw that it was getting late outside. As they were walking towards the Pokémon Center in Dewford Town, Michael suddenly stopped on the beach.

Ruby - "Something wrong Michael?"

Michael - "It's fine Ruby. I'm just gonna take in the view on the beach as day turns to night."

Weiss - "Don't be too long then. We'll see you in the Pokémon Center for dinner."

Michael - "Ok."

Michael sat down on the beach as the girls continued to the Pokémon Center. He watched as they were soon out of sight.

Michael - "They're gone. You can come out now."

Michael didn't have to turn to see who it was that came out from the palm trees behind him. It was the same Mawile he had let go back in Granite Cave. Mawile then walked over and sat down next to Michael.

Michael - "So have you made your decision?"

Mawile - "I have."

Michael - "And your choice is?"

Mawile - "I'll admit it took me the rest of the day to dwell on it. But I've decided to join you."

Michael - "So what drove you to make your choice?"

Mawile - "Mostly wanting to travel the world with you and fight strong opponents. And... I may have developed a crush on you."

Michael turned to face Mawile with a look of shock on his face.

Michael - "You're kidding, right?"

Mawile - "Afraid not.~"

Michael blushed a bit as Mawile playfully winked at him. He then laughed a bit.

Mawile - "What's so funny?"

Michael - "Nothing. Just loving how fun having you with us will be."

Michael then pulled an Ultra Ball and held it in front of Mawile, who lightly tapped the button and got sucked into it. Soon the Ultra Ball shook three times before clicking, signaling that Mawile was caught.

Michael - "Welcome to the family Mawile. Glad to finally have you with us."

Michael took one last look towards the night sky, then headed towards Dewford Town has he finally decided to join the girls for dinner.