With the star map in hand, Carl was confident. Not only could he locate Deoxys's habitat, but he could also sense its emergence immediately. He just needed to wait for it to awaken, then activate the meteorite again.
Just as he was about to turn away, a new image unfolded in his mind. The star map displayed a red dot and a purple dot.
"This is..." Carl paused, quickly piecing it together. "The red dot is me, and the purple one must be Deoxys?"
The purple dot was rapidly approaching, suggesting Deoxys was on its way. Carl stopped in his tracks, watching as the purple dot moved closer. At this pace, it would arrive within minutes.
"Carl, where's that mythical creature you mentioned?" Lusamine landed gracefully on Dragonite, her voice tinged with urgency.
"It's almost here," Carl replied.
"Almost here?"
"Yes, it's already on its way."
"You can sense that?"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Are you sure you're not just showing off?" Lusamine asked with a teasing smile.
Carl glanced at her, answering calmly, "Even if I explained, you wouldn't get it."
Lusamine's smile faltered. She prided herself on her vast knowledge, having studied even the most obscure legendary creatures. She was particularly familiar with Hoopa, a legendary Pokémon she had read about in ancient texts. Yet Carl's dismissive attitude irked her.
"Tell me its name," she persisted.
"Deoxys."
Caught off guard by his straightforward answer, Lusamine found herself repeating the unfamiliar name quietly.
"Have you heard of it?"
"...No." She admitted, slightly frustrated. She couldn't recall ever coming across that name in any text. It made her wonder if Carl was making it up. But since Carl had already mentioned the creature was about to appear, she chose not to doubt him.
"What are its characteristics?"
"Psychic-type, an alien being from outer space."
"And its strength?"
"They're a species, with varying levels of power. Most can rival Groudon and Kyogre, and some even surpass their primal forms."
"A species of mythical creatures on par with legendary Pokémon?" Lusamine's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's not that simple." Carl began to explain, but a sudden loud crash interrupted him.
Both looked up to see a figure diving down from the triangular meteor's glowing screen. Recognizing the newcomer, Lusamine couldn't help but laugh. "This is the mythical creature you mentioned? Deoxys? It looks more like a giant green caterpillar!"
In the sky above, unmistakably, was the legendary Rayquaza. Though sometimes called a cosmic entity, it didn't match Carl's earlier description. Feeling deceived, Lusamine remarked, "Calling it a giant caterpillar seems more fitting than your description."
Carl remained silent. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to continue, especially with Rayquaza hovering above them. Who knew if it could hear their exchange?
Kyogre, often dubbed the "big-headed fish," and Groudon, teased for its inability to fly, would at least begrudgingly acknowledge the truth in those jibes. But comparing Rayquaza to a caterpillar? That was blatant disrespect. If overheard, it might provoke a catastrophic Dragon Ascent.
Unexpectedly, Rayquaza had arrived first, complicating matters. Carl's brow furrowed.
"Arrived first?" Lusamine caught on quickly. "Are you saying that when Deoxys appears, Rayquaza always follows?"
"Something like that."
"Like Kyogre and Groudon?"
"That's a good analogy."
"Are they rivals?"
"Not exactly," Carl shook his head. "Rayquaza just has a one-sided dislike for Deoxys, maybe because it didn't pay a toll."
Lusamine was speechless. How could she take such outlandish explanations seriously?
Just as she was about to argue, Carl suddenly exclaimed, "It's here!"
Lusamine looked up to see a purple meteor streaking across the sky, hurtling towards the island. Before she could get a clearer view, Rayquaza, wrapped in a green aura, charged at it.
A deafening explosion shattered the silence of the night, lighting up the sky as if it were day. And this was just the beginning.
The scene that unfolded left Lusamine in awe: the green dragon and the purple comet clashed fiercely, colliding and releasing abilities in a breathtaking aerial duel. The shockwaves scattered the clouds, and a torrential rain began to fall.
Lusamine swallowed, captivated by the spectacle.
In the sky above, Rayquaza was locked in a fierce battle with a mysterious creature, lending credibility to Carl's claims.
So, there really were creatures bold enough to challenge Rayquaza? It seemed Carl hadn't been bluffing. His tale of a cosmic, psychic being pursued by Rayquaza over unpaid dues might actually hold some truth.
"Can you see how they're fighting?" Lusamine wanted more details from Carl, but he was entirely focused on the sky.
The battle unfolded near the clouds, which are classified as high, medium, and low. High clouds float between 8,000 and 13,000 meters, like wispy veils; medium clouds, between 2,000 and 8,000 meters, cast expansive shadows and bring prolonged rain; low clouds, below 2,000 meters, resemble rapidly expanding cotton candy, often accompanied by thunderstorms.
Though the night would've obscured their view, the brilliance of the battle illuminated the cloud layers, clearly revealing low clouds. Yet, with the fight occurring around two kilometers high, ordinary observers would struggle to make out anything beyond the intense flashes of light. Lusamine didn't expect that with Deoxys and Rayquaza's astonishing speed, most people couldn't track their movements. But Carl claimed he could grasp the situation and predicted Deoxys was on the verge of defeat.
Utilizing his unique abilities, Carl could observe the battle details from afar. By analyzing the trajectory and energy fluctuations, he deduced that Deoxys was clearly at a disadvantage.
The data confirmed that Deoxys, despite its considerable power, paled compared to this particular Rayquaza, a shiny variant recognized as the leader of its kind.
This Rayquaza wasn't just powerful; it had faced multiple legendary Pokémon single-handedly. Now, without even exerting its full strength, Deoxys was struggling.
"Is it about to lose?" Lusamine asked, astonished.
Lusamine had a newfound respect for Carl. His words, though seemingly exaggerated, proved accurate. She decided to trust him this time.
"Didn't you say Deoxys could hold its own against Rayquaza?" she questioned.
Carl explained, "It depends on which Deoxys and which Rayquaza. In terms of base stats, Deoxys is a secondary god tier, a notch below Groudon and Kyogre, let alone a Rayquaza that can mega evolve."
"However, it has a unique ability that can elevate its power beyond the primary god tier, which is why it can sometimes stand its ground against Rayquaza."