The Team Aqua members fled in a panic.
It wasn't just the speedboats they used for the landing; even the two submarines they and Team Magma had arrived in were caught in the previous explosions and had since sunk.
This operation had undoubtedly resulted in severe losses for both organizations. Fortunately, they still had Water-type Pokémon to ride, and since they were all competent swimmers, they weren't at risk of drowning in the open sea.
Natsui didn't have the energy to worry about them. His gaze was fixed once again on Groudon and Kyogre. Although the Orbs were lost, there was at least some good news: with Maxie and Archie out of the picture, he didn't have to worry about anyone else interfering.
"What I said earlier about their return is a problem for later. It won't happen until Maxie and Archie show their faces again, and we just need to keep an eye out. For now, we have to stop Groudon and Kyogre. We can't let them keep fighting until Rayquaza notices this place!"
Natsui's concern about Rayquaza wasn't baseless.
Eons ago, Rayquaza had stopped the legendary clash between Groudon and Kyogre, an act that led the Draconid people to worship it. Although neither of the two titans had undergone Primal Reversion yet and their impact was relatively limited, Rayquaza was intimately familiar with their aura. If it sensed them again, it wouldn't remain indifferent.
The situation had to be defused before Rayquaza discovered them.
Shelly clearly agreed. She turned to Natsui and said, "Then it's up to you. We can't help with this. You've kept Deoxys hidden until now just for this moment, haven't you?"
Although Shelly's tone was teasing, she was right. Natsui had kept Deoxys as his trump card, even sitting out the earlier battles. The goal was to save its energy and use it for a decisive surprise intervention.
However, now wasn't the perfect time to release it yet. After signaling Dragonite to fly out of the water, Natsui helped Shelly and Courtney climb onto its back. He then had Dragonite fly to a safer distance in the sky before pulling out Deoxys's Ultra Ball and waiting for the right opening.
Carrying three adults made even the sturdy Dragonite less agile than usual. That was the reason it hadn't been able to escape the shockwave in time and had been knocked into the water earlier. Still, simply hovering in the air wasn't a problem.
Dragonite circled the fractured island slowly at an altitude of several hundred meters.
In the center of the battlefield, Groudon and Kyogre charged at each other again. Compared to before, their condition had declined slightly. The scars on their bodies and their labored breathing showed that the battle was taking a toll on their stamina.
However, the decline was marginal. At this rate, they would likely keep fighting through the night and into the dawn without a clear winner.
As the two titans collided once more, Natsui finally made his move.
He opened the Ultra Ball, and Deoxys materialized in the air. While inside its ball, it had used its psychic powers to sense the situation. Now that it was out, its gaze naturally fell on Groudon and Kyogre without needing a single word from Natsui.
Natsui pointed downward. "See that blue Pokémon? That's Kyogre. Focus on it. Help Groudon take it down!"
When he said that, not only did Deoxys turn its head, but even Courtney, who was sitting in front of Natsui, couldn't help but look back at him in surprise.
Shelly's voice drifted from behind. "I have to ask... did Kyogre offend you personally? You said you wanted to stop the fight. Why are you helping Groudon?"
"You don't get it?" Natsui huffed. "The best way to stop a fight between two monsters isn't to try and knock them both out at once. That's exhausting and just makes you a target for both of them. The smart move is to pick a side. Once one of them is down, the fight is over!"
"Even so..." Shelly couldn't help but ask, "Why not help Kyogre? It's a Water-type, and Groudon is Ground-type. It already has the type advantage. Wouldn't it be faster to knock Groudon out?"
She didn't mention that as a former member of Team Aqua, she still felt a natural affinity for Kyogre. Helping it felt more "right" to her. She assumed Courtney felt the same way about Groudon, but since Courtney was now an ally, Shelly didn't want to bring up old rivalries.
Natsui sighed as if he were dealing with a slow student. "I used to think you were the smart one. I can't believe you're being this dense!"
"Excuse me!?" Shelly's brow snapped up.
Before she could snap back, Natsui explained, "We are in the middle of the ocean. Kyogre is the avatar of the sea; it can manipulate the water with ease. If we help it beat Groudon and then it decides we're the next targets, we're in serious trouble. We have to take it out first! And besides..."
Natsui paused for effect.
Seeing that both Shelly and Courtney were listening intently, he grinned. "Besides, Groudon can't fly. That's the most important part!"
"Wait..." Shelly blinked, confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything!" Natsui said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Think about it. If Kyogre loses, it will dive into the sea and flee. Groudon can't fly or swim well enough to catch it! once Kyogre runs, we just pull back. Even if Groudon still wants to fight, it won't have an opponent. It can roar all it wants, but the battle will be over. Simple, right?"
Shelly was stunned by the logic. She opened her mouth, but after a moment, she could only say, "Fine. You actually have a point. After that explanation, I almost want to thank you on Groudon's behalf..."
While they were talking, Groudon and Kyogre traded several more blows. Seeing the opening, Natsui didn't hesitate.
"Deoxys, Attack Forme!"
The moment the command was given, Deoxys's body shifted. Its normal form vanished, replaced by the four-tentacled, triple-horned silhouette of its Attack Forme.
Without waiting for another order, Deoxys locked onto its target and dove straight toward Kyogre!
The distance of six or seven hundred meters was covered in a heartbeat. As it fell, Deoxys began gathering a terrifying mass of energy. The moment it reached Kyogre, it unleashed the blast directly into the titan's back!
The attack was so sudden that Kyogre didn't realize it was being ambushed until the energy detonated. Even Groudon was startled to see Deoxys suddenly appear.
The lack of warning wasn't surprising. Unlike Groudon and Kyogre, who caused earthquakes and tsunamis just by showing up, Deoxys had been released from a Poké Ball. It had entered the fray silently, without alerting anyone. Combined with its extreme speed and the fact that the two titans were occupied with each other, the sneak attack was perfectly executed.
In its Attack Forme, Deoxys possessed incredible power. The strike forced a painful, enraged roar from Kyogre.
The sea titan whipped around, trying to slam its massive body into Deoxys, but the alien Pokémon was ready. It dodged the counter-attack with ease. Simultaneously, Deoxys struck again, hitting Kyogre with a powerful Psychic.
Kyogre was so massive it was impossible to miss. However, it wasn't about to take the beating lying down. Realizing the new interloper was too agile for simple physical strikes, Kyogre began preparing a wide-area attack.
But Groudon saw the opening. With Kyogre distracted and its back turned, Groudon launched its own offensive.
Groudon swung a massive, heavy claw, swatting Kyogre from the air and slamming it into the water. The energy Kyogre had been gathering dissipated uselessly.
For these two ancient legends, although they used internal energy to fight, they didn't rely on Trainers calling out moves. They fought entirely on primal instinct. Instinct allowed them to tear the earth and manipulate the weather; it was how they vented their overwhelming power.
For those who didn't understand them, this made them unpredictable. They weren't limited by set patterns, which was why anyone who had faced them throughout history had suffered greatly.
Archie and Maxie recognized some of the techniques, but most of the raw, instinctual attacks were completely new to them. It was like watching Gengar's chaotic fighting style, but on a god-like scale.
Fortunately, Deoxys was an extraterrestrial Pokémon from deep space. Like the titans, it didn't strictly follow the "move" logic of the human world. Its use of energy balls and barriers was fluid and spontaneous, shifting according to its will. This was the biggest difference between Legendary Pokémon and regular ones—not just physical stats, but an entirely different way of thinking.
Before Kyogre could recover, Deoxys moved in for another strike. But this time, Groudon attacked it as well!
Deoxys dodged nimbly, but it lost the chance to hit Kyogre. Despite being attacked, Deoxys followed Natsui's orders perfectly. It didn't retaliate against Groudon. Instead, it repositioned itself, attacking Kyogre from an angle where Groudon couldn't easily interfere.
Kyogre was becoming increasingly frustrated.
Compared to its massive size, Deoxys was less than half its height. This relatively tiny opponent was buzzing around it like an insect—impossible to hit, incredibly fast, and its attacks stung. With Groudon still looming, Kyogre was at a loss.
Worse, it couldn't understand why the newcomer was only targeting it and ignoring Groudon entirely.
Under the pincer attack, Kyogre grew more irritable and anxious within just a few minutes. Finally, pushed to its limit, it let out a final roar and dove into the sea, swimming away at high speed.
With its departure, the legendary clash that should have lasted until both sides were exhausted came to an abrupt end.
Groudon looked around, baffled. It wanted to give chase, but its swimming speed was no match for Kyogre's. With another roar of frustration, it turned its attention to Deoxys.
But the stranger just hovered in the air, watching Groudon with a cold, detached gaze for a few seconds before turning and flying away.
ROAR!!!
Groudon screamed at the departing Deoxys, but the strange Pokémon didn't even look back.
...
High in the sky, Natsui sat on Dragonite's back as Deoxys returned. He could still sense the lingering battle spirit radiating from it.
Looking down at Groudon—who was still roaring helplessly below—Natsui smiled. "What's the matter? Feeling unsatisfied because you had to leave? Still want to keep going?"
Deoxys let out a series of strange, distorted sounds.
Natsui couldn't understand the language, but he knew the Pokémon wasn't finished. For a creature of its caliber, that clash had been little more than a warm-up. It had only left because it was following his orders.
As a Pokémon that had once clashed with Rayquaza, it had clearly sensed a kindred strength in the two titans.
"Don't worry," Natsui said meaningfully. "Leaving now just means a better meeting next time. Trust me—the next time we see them, you'll get your wish. You'll get to fight them to your heart's content."
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