Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

"Yeah."

With a short, powerful shout, the gray bear leaped to the side of the two men, landing with a punch and palm strike like thunder.

boom.

After a muffled, drum-like sound, the boulder was shattered in mid-air by Xiong's apprentice, who sat upright and delivered a simple, unadorned punch.

Although there was still some force left in the subsequent rubble, Nan Yin skillfully deflected and dispersed it, raising her arm to block it outside the barrier formed by her mental energy.

"Are you alright?" The girl glanced at the teddy bear, but didn't say much. She simply nodded slightly to it in approval.

"Thank you." Letting out a sigh of relief, Ruby was still shaken. He was about to try again when the unexpected happened faster than he had anticipated.

This minor commotion seemed to have disturbed the tranquil will of this place, or perhaps it had disrupted some delicate balance.

A fierce wind arose, its oppressive force like a waterfall.

The cumulus clouds were torn apart by the cyclone, and a massive, winding outline, like a mountain range, slowly coalesced and appeared.

Its jaws gleamed with golden light, its body adorned with unicorn whiskers, and its armor was not a uniform emerald green, but an incomparably deep dark green. A fierce wind swept through the valley, and its enormous body moved through the swirling clouds and mist, sometimes revealing its sharp claws, sometimes wiping its long tail.

The sparse sunlight blocked it, the summer heat was swallowed up, and as the air currents subsided, a pair of sharp angles forced open the view, towering towards the sky.

With an indifferent gaze upon all living beings, and a profound understanding of the vicissitudes of time, Rayquaza, the sky god of Hoenn, manifests his true form here.

A different colored Rayquaza?

Before the thought could get any closer, the dragon lowered its head slightly, suppressing all its terrifying dragon might. It silently watched the tiny intruder nearby, showing no restraint in its domineering presence.

With a pale face, Shafie instinctively reached for the sphere at her waist, but was stopped by the boy beside her, who shook his head in denial.

It's different; the Rayquaza they sought help from before wasn't this excessively enormous dragon before them.

Yes, it is unique to the gods of the high heavens, but it is not unique to Lie Kongzuo.

The airspace is vast, and it is not something that one person alone can control.

Since the beginning of chaos, when the light and thin became the sky and the heavy and stagnant became the earth, it was quietly born.

The latter, though legendary, were never called gods.

Therefore, they possessed strong foundations, and thus far surpassed their own kind.

Under the dragon's might, powerful enough to crush mountains, only one person could stand tall and remain unmoved by the winds and clouds.

Of course, that would only be Nanyin music.

An invisible force of thought stabilizes the airflow, the accompanying blue flames provide warmth, and the protection of the poisonous dragon extends upstream, turning the tables on the enemy.

Without retreating, she slightly raised her head and calmly met those dragon eyes that looked down upon the mortal world.

Time seemed to stand still. The ancient dragon god snorted and exhaled a fierce gust of air, causing his silver hair to flutter in the wind.

It seemed somewhat unexpected.

Was it those two little devils holding the precious orbs? Or that extraterrestrial visitor (Mutana) that instinctively displeased it? Or perhaps the human girl before it, with that 'aura' that was entangled with multiple legends?

Finally, the Dragon God's gaze settled on the girl before him, and he asked her question without question.

"Humans, burdened by the filth of aliens (Eternal Tana), and tainted by the breath of reality (Reshiram). You disturb my slumber... What do you seek?"

For thousands of years, this airspace has been managed by its own kind and its descendants. Therefore, it is completely unaware of the current situation and thus needs to ask questions.

This dragon's roar was not a physical sound, but rather a whispered thought that acted directly on the mind.

Amidst the buzzing in her ears and eyes, Nan Yin took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing her surging blood and qi, and responded using waveguide.

Even though she wasn't in charge of this operation, Ruby and Safia were in poor condition, so she, as an adult, had to shoulder the burden.

Meeting Rayquaza's gaze, the girl responded with neither humility nor arrogance.

"Not for any personal gain, but simply to make a public announcement."

"A meteorite from outer space, carrying the 'virus' (Deoxys), is approaching along its trajectory. We cannot stop it halfway, so we come here to ask for your help."

Without any extra words, explanations, or requests, Nan Yin simply showed the other party the orbital model and energy spectrum that Daigo had previously transmitted to the terminal.

The light curtain unfolded before the dragon's eyes, ignoring the intersecting trajectory lines and the darting digital grids. Deoxys's iconic physique and external features came into view, enraging the god of the heavens.

That was the cosmic 'virus' it utterly loathed. The last time this external entity attempted to invade its territory and pollute the sky it protected, it tore it apart and expelled it along with its host. The memory of that battle was still etched deep within its consciousness.

"It's that filth again?"

Rayquaza roared, no longer concealing its rage, and the violent sound waves instantly crushed the shattered stone pillar into dust. Fortunately, the psychic barrier still protected everyone behind Nanyin.

Seeing this, the Dragon God instead restrained his aura and looked at the girl beneath him with a scrutinizing gaze, asking inquiries.

"So, this is humanity asking me for help?"

"Yes, or no. Deoxys is an easy enemy to deal with for you, but for us, he is a huge problem, and we have no choice but to rely on you."

Lengthy explanations are unnecessary; the clear truth and a touch of flattery are enough to win initial favor.

“Interesting. You are much smarter than those humans who call themselves the Meteor Clan. I will naturally deal with that filth, but a thousand years of slumber have made me forget the speed of piercing through the clouds and I can no longer find my ancient form.”

"Everything in the world has its price; what you give and what you receive should be equal. I agree, but what about you?"

Clearly, the black dragon in front of him possessed extraordinary wisdom and was using this to seek reward.

In the context of the entire story, "Piercing Through the Clouds" is likely Rayquaza's signature move – "The Finishing Touch." Once Rayquaza learns this move, it can Mega Evolve in a broader sense.

Norman looked at Ruby and Shafie, who, as the inheritors in the special episode, should have relevant information.

However, perhaps having glimpsed Nan Yin's thoughts, or perhaps because the young man and woman were also struggling to find an answer, Rayquaza never took its gaze off the former.

"The successors all make decisions on a whim. If they find something pleasing to the eye, then it is; if it is useless, then it is not."

"Since they can't give me an answer, what about you who have explained so much to me?"

My thoughts drift back to the screen I once savored, to the essence of the film, and perhaps, now that I'm here in person, with years of accumulated knowledge, I can indeed deduce this from my own observations.

"Judging from your expression, you must have found the answer. In that case, the so-called successor is no longer just an empty title."

"You are."

Chapter 273 Refusal to Associate with the Meteor Dwellers

The roar of the dragon, a god of the heavens, echoed between the cliffs. Its body, as winding as a mountain, was merely suspended still, yet it completely froze the surrounding airflow.

"You are."

Upon hearing this acknowledgment, his molten gold-like vertical pupils fixed on the girl, leaving no room for doubt, and even carrying a hint of interest, as if he had seen something precious.

“I…” Nan Yin pursed her lips, trying to understand the sudden identity of the ‘inheritor’.

This was by no means a ritual passed down orally among the Meteorites; it was more like an arbitrary determination by an ancient dragon god. All she sought was communication and assistance, yet Rayquaza suddenly imposed this heavy and vague title upon her.

Ruby and Shafia exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with the same shock and confusion. The crimson and indigo orbs in their hands dimmed one after another, their connection seeming so insignificant compared to the will of the god of the heavens at this moment.

Just as this delicate silence was shattered by the Dragon God's promise—

"absurd!"

A sharp, angry, and incredulous female voice suddenly came from behind a leaning stone pillar at the edge of the cliff.

A blood-red, ferocious dragon shadow, accompanied by a piercing shriek that seemed to tear through the gale, swooped down. It was a crimson crescent moon, a Pokémon hailed as a pseudo-legendary.

The wind suddenly picked up, and the swift, dark brown figure, as fast as a falcon, braced itself on the shoulder of the Salamence and leaped down, landing steadily in the center of the platform, just between Nanon and Rayquaza.

The person who came was a young girl.

Her short, jet-black hair reached almost to her neck, and her tattered, fitted clothing accentuated her agile and wild figure. Her face was sharply defined, bearing the fortitude honed by time, making her seem less like someone who had experienced the trials of civilized society and more like a solitary female leopard.

More striking than the exposed skin were the tightly pursed lower lip with its stubborn curve, and a pair of red eyes burning with anger.

"The destiny of the Meteor People, awaited for a thousand years, is to awaken the Dragon God, ward off disaster, and protect this land!" She raised her arm, pointing at Nan Yin's nose, her gaze piercing and burning the former.

"How dare you, an outsider tainted by alien filth and of unknown origin, steal it?"

"Higana?" Ruby exclaimed in surprise, unable to hide her astonishment. Shafia also clenched her fists instinctively, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

They clearly recognized the uninvited guest.

"She is the last inheritor of the Meteor Dwellers," the girl added softly, her tone heavy. "She has been pursuing Rayquaza's power, for her former friends, for that prophecy..."

Higanbana ignored their calls, her entire focus was on Nanon, on Rayquaza's declaration of 'You are.'

That announcement was like the most jarring death knell before the collapse of her pillar of faith.

Higana?

Gazing at the other person's face, memories of the past flooded Nan Yin's mind.

Both the main story and the side stories contain prophecies about the Meteor People. They wrote inscriptions describing the disaster of the third meteorite a thousand years later and passed them down through generations in the hope of saving the land when the disaster struck.

The so-called Meteor People are not extraterrestrial visitors; they are a tribe from primitive times who witnessed Rayquaza's descent and felt its power to calm the celestial phenomena, thus adopting it as a totem and passing it down through generations. However, generational gaps and cultural differences have created a significant gap between them and modern people.

The prophecy was true, but the one who upheld this mission was not the girl before them, or rather, that title belonged to another girl with the same name, Xi Jiana. She was the recognized successor among the Meteor People, possessing exceptional talent in every aspect. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the heavens were jealous of her talent, or perhaps it was a man-made disaster, but she died in an accident, a result of the mistakes made by the Devon Corporation.

Upon learning this devastating news, Higana, a childhood friend, was heartbroken. However, knowing that the prophesied calamity was about to befall her, she suppressed her hatred and voluntarily took on the responsibility of the successor, even though she was not recognized by the people of Meteor Village.

She attempts to forge a bond with Rayquaza, instructing the High God to shatter the meteor, while simultaneously opposing Devon Corporation's ∞ Energy Project and harboring hatred for the Zvouchi lineage of trainers.

The ∞ Energy Project was proposed by Zuvuki Hibiscus, the father of the Hoenn Champion. As the name suggests, the project was also designed to resolve this crisis. Its main purpose was to use near-impossible energy to teleport and deflect the meteorite off its near-Earth path. While the desired goal was sound, its cost was the loss of countless Pokémon lives.

It is a method that cannot be made public.

Unfortunately, Rayquaza's chosen successor was never this girl, but her deceased friend. Therefore, Rayquaza was never recognized by the High God, whether in the game or the special episode.

"Lord Dragon God!" The thoughts returned, and the black-haired figure, filled with sorrow, questioned, "How could you be so rash? The people of Meteor have watched over the Pillar of the Sky for generations, praising your greatness in writing and festivals, just to ask for a little help when disaster strikes."

"And what right does she, a mere passerby with no connection to Hoenn, have?"

She picked up the scroll in her hands, knelt on one knee, and buried her face in her hands, intending to show her piety.

"This is the symbol of the Meteor People, the inheritor. It records your magnificent feat of piercing through the clouds and depicts the secret of the finishing touch... Today, I return it here, only to receive a promise from ancient times."

The scroll fluttered in the wind, the edges of the parchment worn smooth, yet the ink remained clear, depicting Rayquaza's majestic golden form. However, this devout posture, this desperate questioning, contrasted sharply with the indifferent gaze of the heavenly gods.

"Orthodox, worshipped?"

Rayquaza's thoughts exploded in everyone's minds. Its molten gold pupils swept over the scroll held high by Sienna, revealing a hint of mockery, even weariness.

"A slumber of millions of years, long enough for oceans to turn into mulberry fields, for vows to be tarnished, for bloodlines to fade like smoke. Do the empty titles that mortals bind themselves deserve to be called orthodox?"

"The covenant of the past was for protection, for offerings, and for the price you paid for seeking shelter. When... did it become the basis for your attempt to control me?"

"You insignificant descendant, your persistence and your anger are no different in essence from the wind-eroded rocks on this cliff. You are nothing more than foolish people who admire a little bit of glory and then consider themselves worthy successors."

An invisible pressure suddenly intensified, causing the girl's kneeling body to sag, the rocks beneath her feet groaning under the weight. Yet, she stubbornly raised her head, clenching her teeth, resisting the oppressive force emanating from the depths of her being.

"And what about her?!" She forced herself to sit up, ignoring the loss of blood, desperate for an answer, for proof. "This outsider, who has never even heard of the inherited artifact, never even heard of the name of that shooting star, what right does she have?"

The Dragon God's gaze returned to Nan Yin, his enormous head tilted slightly, as if examining a novel but insignificant toy.

“She stood before me without flinching an inch.”

"The tangled aura within her is 'interesting' enough."

"As I... so wish."

The three seemingly casual reasons each struck Higana's foundation of faith like a hammer blow. The heritage she had carefully protected, the mission she regarded as the meaning of her life, were, in the eyes of the ancient dragon god, nothing more than a speck of dust glimpsed in the gaps of slumber, their value even less than a fleeting whim.

"No! This isn't right!" Higana suddenly stood up, the scroll slipped from her hand and fell to the ground, instantly swept away by the gale and disappeared below the cliff.

Like a cornered beast, she erupted with a frenzied aura, not the battle will of a trainer, but a desperate, suicidal ferocity on the verge of collapse. "Shiokana...she is! She should be the one who gave everything for this prophecy, while I..."

The words caught in his throat, turning into broken sobs. The Salamence beside him sensed the trainer's turbulent emotions and let out a low, anxious growl.

It spread its wings angrily, its scales rubbing together with sharp sounds, and its scarlet dragon eyes locked onto the silver-haired girl, its intense hostility almost tangible.

The atmosphere was tense, ready to explode at any moment.

"Higana!" Ruby called out urgently, trying to dissuade her, "Calm down! This isn't the time..."

"Shut up!" Higana interrupted sharply, her gaze sweeping over Ruby and Safia like a poisoned dagger. "You guys who are entangled with Devon... what do you know? You have no idea what loss feels like! You don't understand that suffocating sense of fate weighing on your shoulders!"

She suddenly looked at Nan Yin, her hand and eye movements already controlled by her emotions, completely swallowed by indignation.

"It's all because of you! Your unexpected arrival has thrown the prophecy and the established facts into chaos!"

Enraged, Higana swung her arm down with a fierce thud.

"Salamander! Dragon Dive!"

"hold head high!"