The atmosphere atop the Sky Pillar was thick with tension as Zinnia turned towards Ash, settling the weight of responsibility squarely on his shoulders.
"...I guess...it falls to you now..." her voice carried the gravity of a momentous decision. "That settles it, then...Ash, you should even be able to beat that meteoroid that's approaching the planet. You and Rayquaza...together. I am leaving this task to you, our new Successor. Successor Ash. You and Rayquaza must protect nature...Pokémon...the people..."
"Mum..." Whismur's timid voice murmured in the background, a soft reflection of the collective concern.
"But it's still up in space...how is he supposed to help Rayquaza?" Serena's question cut through the tension.
"Good question…I can't exactly breathe in space," Ash responded pragmatically to Serena's question. However before anyone could answer, May suddenly stirred from her unconscious state, moaning softly, and Ash's attention shifted to her. "May?!"
"Oh!" Serena gasped, looking at the girl that still lay in her arms. May slowly opened her eyes, finally awake after her harrowing ordeal. Ash bolted over to her side, the worry evident in his eyes as he grasped her hand in his.
"A…Ash...?" May's voice was soft, filled with a mix of relief and concern. Attempting to move, she yelped in pain, prompting Serena to intervene.
"E-Easy! Those cuts are still open...!" the blonde insisted as she held May gently to prevent her from moving too much. But with Ash, now by her side, she ignored Serena's warning and still forced her body to move, shifting towards him and moving into his arms. Ash held her close as she clung to him and spoke in a soft voice.
"I thought you didn't make it out...that you were..." she whispered, shaking slightly from the whole experience.
"I'm alright," Ash reassured her, the emotional undercurrent of the moment palpable. May clung to him, shaking slightly, her vulnerability laid bare. At that moment, May's Pokénav suddenly rang in her bag, breaking the emotional tension. Ash retrieved it for her and answered the call, "Hello?"
"Ash? Did you find May?!" Steven's urgent voice came through.
"We did, but she's been really hurt! She needs medical attention!" Ash replied, the urgency mirrored in his tone.
"Are you still at Sky Pillar?" the Champion wondered.
"We are."
"Alright stay put. I think we have a way to end this once and for all." Steven instructed them. "First, tell me what you've found there."
"Zinnia told us that Rayquaza has the power to stop the meteor. And we've gotten Rayquaza to agree to help us." Ash explained.
"Then you know the legend of the Draconid people?"
"We do," Ash confirmed.
"Good, then I can skip the explanations. We found the same legend and read it though. The only problem is we're calculating the meteor is even bigger than the one in ancient times." Steven explained.
"No way...what does that mean...?" Serena gasped.
"It means on his own, even Rayquaza may not be able to take it down completely." Steven acknowledged the unspoken answer.
"Then what can we do?" Ash asked.
"We're going to be providing help from the ground this time to make sure," Steven answered.
"Help? How?" Serena wondered.
"Through everyone working together." As he spoke, everyone suddenly felt a slight tremor in the ground.
"Huh?!" Zinnia exclaimed, echoing the group's surprise. Ash, Serena, and May looked toward Mt. Chimney, where a colossal Pokemon that looked a lot like Groudon emerged from the volcano with a powerful roar. Along with his larger size, Groudon's skin color was now a deep crimson with his underside, spikes, and teeth a pitch-black color. The blades on his tail were more separated from one another than before and the Ω symbol was etched on his arms. His eyes, the inside of his mouth, and the now-enlarged openings between his armor plating glowed bright yellow, and his irises were now red.
"That's Groudon?!" Serena gasped.
"No…" Ash answered, remembering what they had learned from Archie about the ancient Pokemon. "That's Primal Groudon…"
"Over there!" Zinnia announced, pointing towards the ocean near Sootopolis City. The ground trembled again as she spoke, and a Pokemon that looked similar to Kyogre burst forth from the sea. His main skin color was a darker shade of blue, and the red markings along his body were light blue. His eyes glowed yellow with orange irises and orange-red pupils. The markings on his pectoral fins formed α symbols, which connected to his outer nails with red markings connecting the inner nails. His underbelly skin was clear and translucent, with the large ovals on his head, now connected to clear markings stretching from his tail to his forehead, where another α symbol is formed. The trailing parts of his tail were longer and gained translucent webbing, and the areas between his pectoral fin markings were also clear. The translucent parts of his body revealed organ-like structures that glow with a mysterious light inside the body.
"Then that must be…!"
"Primal Kyogre…" Ash finished Serena's thought for her.
"Right. Archie and Maxie told me that they successfully awoken and joined forces with Kyogre and Groudon. With their power behind Rayquaza's, that should be enough to destroy that meteor." Steven clarified.
"Alright then. Though, there's one problem we still have. I can't get to space with Rayquaza…" Ash pointed out.
"And if I played my cards right, you'll have the answer to it in just a minute," Steven added. Suddenly, as if waiting for his cue, a Skarmory appeared, flying towards them. Serena, intrigued, took out her Pokédex, identifying the Pokémon.
"Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon. Skarmory's body is covered with a steel-like armor, and can fly at speeds of over one hundred miles per hour." the small device explained.
"He's holding something in its talons!" Ash realized, looking closely at the incoming Pokemon. The Skarmory arrived after another moment and gently laid down two full-body suits—one red and one blue.
"Space suits to be exact," Steven explained. "Clemont worked with my team to make sure we built them to withstand both space and Rayquaza's power. With them, you should be able to safely accompany Rayquaza all the way to the meteor."
"That's awesome!" Ash grinned. "But why did you send two?"
"That's all we had time to prepare," Steven revealed.
"Guess it'll have to be a backup for me then," Ash said. As everyone processed this information, May, who had gleamed enough off the conversation to figure out what Ash was planning to do, clenched her fist.
"... I'm going with you." she suddenly declared, immediately drawing everyone's attention to her. Ash's shock at May's determination in particular was mirrored in his expression.
"May no! You're too injured to come with me!" Ash protested, concern etched on his face. May, however, gripped his hand tightly
"You're not going up there by yourself...partners in everything, remember...?" she asserted.
"Yes but not this time! You need medical attention!" he insisted.
"I'm fine...! I'm going with you...!" May stubbornly retorted. Ash hesitated, torn between the urgency of the situation and May's unwavering resolve. Zinnia observed the unfolding scene off to the side until she noticed Aster approaching the arguing couple.
"Hm?"
"Whis!" Whismur announced, presenting May with a Sitrus Berry. May and Ash blinked in surprise as Aster offered the healing berry to her. That was when Zinnia realized what her little friend was doing.
"Oh sweet girl...to recover your strength," Zinnia remarked with a smile.
"Oh...!" May realized as she gently accepted the Sitrus Berry. "Thank you…"
"May…" Ash whispered. May carefully bit into the berry and let the healing effects begin to take effect. The juices within rejuvenated much of her strength and healed some of the puncture wounds on her torso. They were not perfect, but enough to improve May's overall condition. May took a deep breath, sitting up on her own with renewed strength.
"Let's do this..." she declared. Ash, still grappling with concern, watched as May squeezed his hand and assured him, "You and me...till the very end..."
"...Ok…" he finally relented. With determination in their eyes, May and Ash began preparing for the space mission. May, with a little help from Ash, donned the blue suit, and Ash took the red one. Serena, witnessing the unfolding events, approached Ash with a hint of sadness in her expression.
"Ash, are you sure about this?" Serena inquired with genuine concern.
"Not really, but I can't stop May when she's like this..." he admitted, torn but unable to deter May's determination.
"Please be careful," Serena implored, her worry palpable.
"I will," Ash reassured her with a nod, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. May, now in her suit, began putting on the helmet, signaling the imminent departure. Ash followed suit, the seriousness of the mission etched on his face. Rayquaza, their mighty ally, flew to the edge of the tower, ready to embark on their journey.
"Ray." he alerted them. Ash approached Rayquaza and boarded his back, with May doing the same and wrapping her arms around his torso tightly to hang on. Pikachu, looking up at Serena with sadness in his eyes, mirrored the emotional weight of the impending departure.
"Let's go Rayquaza." Ash commanded him. Rayquaza roared, signifying the beginning of their journey, and took off towards the sky. May held onto Ash tightly, as Serena and Pikachu's sorrowful gaze followed their ascent into the cosmic unknown. The stage was set for a daring adventure, with the fate of the world resting on the shoulders of a determined duo and their legendary ally.
Rayquaza soared through the atmosphere and into the vastness of space, May and Ash holding on tightly. As they gazed ahead, the sight of the approaching meteor filled them with a mix of awe and trepidation.
"Oh my gosh..." May exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the celestial threat.
"Oh boy..." Ash muttered, recognizing the magnitude of the task before them. Rayquaza growled, a primal acknowledgment of the impending challenge. Meanwhile, Steven's voice crackled through the radios in their suits, establishing a crucial connection.
"Ash, May? Can you hear me?" Steven's voice rang out.
"Loud and clear, Steven," Ash responded.
"Me too," May added.
"When you're ready have Rayquaza use Dragon Ascent. That'll be the cue to Archie and Maxie to launch their attacks as well. With all that power the meteor should be destroyed, but we only get one shot. We're all counting on the two of you." Steven relayed the plan. Ash and May took a deep breath, steeling themselves for the crucial role they were about to play.
"Understood. We won't fail." Ash declared.
"Good luck," Steven replied. May prepared herself, taking a deep breath as the critical moment approached and tightened her grip on Ash. Ash, determined, pressed on May's Mega Bracelet's Keystone.
"Let's go Rayquaza! Mega Evolve!" Ash commanded. Rayquaza roared and underwent the transformation once more, becoming Mega Rayquaza, a formidable force ready for the impending attack.
"Quaza!" Rayquaza roared as Ash and May held on tightly, bracing for the challenge ahead.
"Use Dragon Ascent now!" Ash commanded as Mega Rayquaza roared, enveloped in energy, charging toward the meteor like a powerful comet. The coordinated assault began as Archie and Maxie both saw the light from Rayquaza's attack, taking it as their signal.
"That's the signal! Groudon use Precipice Blades!" Maxie yelled.
"Grou! Don!" Groudon roared as he launched a blizzard of sharp rock fragments into the sky.
"Time has come Kyogre! Use Origin Pulse!" Archie followed suit on the other side of the region.
"Ky!" Kyogre screeched before firing off powerful water blasts into the sky. The two ancient Pokemon combining their powers with Rayquaza's. The spectacle unfolded in the cosmic expanse, a synchronized dance of legendary forces converging to annihilate the celestial threat.
"We're about to hit it...!" May warned, holding onto Ash tightly.
"Hold on tight...!" Ash responded, the intensity of the moment palpable. With all the power of Kyogre, Groudon, and his own strength as well, Mega Rayquaza crashed through the meteor with immense force, shattering it into fragments. Both trainers held on tightly as they were pelted with debris. Rayquaza slowed down with the attack completed and turned around, watching with the trainers as the fragments of rock gently floated in all directions.
"We…We did it...!" May gasped.
"We sure did!" Ash echoed the sentiment. However, their celebration was short-lived. Rayquaza growled, sensing something amiss within the debris field. "Rayquaza?"
"Something's not right…" May realized, sensing an off feeling in her stomach.
"What is it Rayquaza?" Ash asked their steed, trying to get an answer.
"Ash over there!" May pointed at an anomaly—a small black triangle that began moving erratically through the debris field.
"Huh?" Ash questioned, following May's gaze. As the triangle turned red and transformed, a sense of foreboding gripped them. May gulped, and Rayquaza growled as the triangle finally revealed its true form—a Deoxys, breaking free from its confinement.
"A Deoxys?!" Ash exclaimed, realization dawning on them as a new challenge emerged in the vastness of space. Deoxys had tapering legs with a segmented, vertical, blue stripe on the upper portion. The abdomen was black with vertical lines, while the majority of his skin was reddish-orange. The arms were a pair of red and blue tentacles coiled in a double helix-like shape.
"No way!" May gasped. Rayquaza roared, asserting his dominance, as Deoxys retaliated with a formidable Hyper Beam.
"Look out!" Ash exclaimed
"Dodge it!" May yelled, urging Rayquaza to move. With swift maneuvers, Rayquaza evaded the incoming attack, showcasing his agility. However, Deoxys wasn't easily deterred. Shifting into Speed Form, he pursued Mega Rayquaza relentlessly.
"Crap!" Ash muttered, realizing the challenge they faced. Deoxys cunningly cut them off, transforming into Attack Form and launching a potent Psycho Boost, landing a significant hit. Mega Rayquaza roared in pain as they were thrown backward, prompting screams from Ash and May as they held on for dear life. Shaking off the impact, Mega Rayquaza faced Deoxys once again, a growl of determination emanating from the legendary Pokémon.
"Ash we have to fight back...!" May urged Ash.
"Right!" he responded with a resolute command. "Dragon Pulse, Rayquaza!"
"Quaza!" Rayquaza unleashed a Dragon Pulse at Deoxys, who swiftly changed into Defense Form, using Protect to ward off the attack.
"Drat!" Ash exclaimed, recognizing the challenge of breaking through Deoxys's defenses. Deoxys shifted back to Normal Form, using Cosmic Power to raise his stats. Ash countered with a strategic move, commanding, "Use Dragon Dance!"
"Ray!" Rayquaza spiraled his body, enhancing his stats as well.
"Now, use Extreme Speed!" Ash directed. Rayquaza flew at Deoxys with incredible speed, but the cunning foe transformed into Speed Form, deftly dodging the attack. "Keep going after him!" Ash urged, determined to maintain the offensive.
"Oxys!" Deoxys cried out as he outmaneuvered them, speeding around behind and switching to Attack Form. Another Psycho Boost landed, and Rayquaza roared in pain. May yelped as the blow threatened to dislodge her grip on Ash and Rayquaza.
"Ash!"
"Hang on!" Ash exclaimed, concern etched on his face. Deoxys, seizing the opportunity, fired Hyper Beam once again, scoring another powerful hit before they could react.
"RAY!" Rayquaza roared and writhed in pain, and the force of the attack caused the entire group to fly backward by several yards. The force was enough that May finally lost her grip and was thrown from Rayquaza's back completely, prompting her to scream out.
"MAY!" Ash gasped. That was when the cosmic struggle took a dire turn as Deoxys, in his relentless pursuit, noticed May being thrown off Mega Rayquaza. Swiftly, he transformed back into Speed Form, charging straight for her. "No! Rayquaza! Extreme Speed to May!" Ash urgently commanded, desperation in his voice.
"Quaza!" Mega Rayquaza responded, using Extreme Speed to catch up, but Deoxys had a head start and swiftly reached May. She yelped as Deoxys grabbed her, restraining her in his tentacles. Ash's anguished cry echoed through space.
"No!" Ash exclaimed, his heart sinking at the sight of May in Deoxys's grip. She screamed and struggled against the alien force that held her captive. Deoxys, relentless in his assault, wrapped its tentacles around May's helmet. Ash, fueled by determination, commanded, "Let her go! Dragon Pulse!"
"Ray! Quaza!" Rayquaza unleashed a Dragon Pulse, but Deoxys transformed into Defense Form, using Protect to block the attack. Frustration etched across Ash's face as his attempts to break through Deoxys's defenses proved futile. Undeterred, Deoxys tightened his grip, wrapping his tentacles around May's helmet so tight that the glass started to break. May gasped in fear, her screams piercing the void of space.
"May, no!" Ash's desperate cry reverberated through the cosmic battleground.
To be Continued...