All of Lin Yu's Pokémon had lost the ability to battle… except Latias.
This was the second time Charizard had fainted.
Even its powerful regeneration had failed to save it this time.
It was the worst defeat Lin Yu had suffered since becoming a Trainer.
If not for Latias's Legendary physique, she wouldn't have held on this long.
Lin Yu was drenched in sweat, barely standing.
He was pouring every bit of his newly awakened Green Aura into healing.
"Gardev…"
Only Gardevoir stirred awake.
"You little brat! Arbok, Poison Sting!"
Latias's Light Screen shattered in an instant.
A storm of poison needles slammed into her, while a few slipped past and raced straight for Lin Yu behind her.
"Gardevoir!"
Gardevoir saw the attack.
Using her last shred of energy, she Teleported in front of Lin Yu to take the hit.
"Gardevoir!"
Lin Yu's chest tightened, a sharp, hollow pain shooting through him.
Gardevoir was already on her last legs — she couldn't survive this.
The poison needles passed straight through her body…
and she drifted slowly toward the deck.
Athena stared in surprise.
"A Gardevoir this tough? Unheard of."
There was no denying it — every single one of this kid's Pokémon amazed her.
A sad, mournful song rang out. Manaphy sang its summoning melody in the sky.
It was the third time it had called,
but far fewer Water-type Pokémon answered than before.
Its energy was running dry.
Without those sea Pokémon distracting Athena, Lin Yu would never have lasted this long.
While the water types held the enemy back, Lin Yu checked Gardevoir's status.
He let out a relieved breath.
[Purple Entry (Illusory) — Exclusive to Psychic-type Pokémon: Become intangible for 3 seconds, immune to all damage. Cooldown: 23:59.]
This Entry had saved Gardevoir.
"Manaphy, that's enough…"
Sensing a familiar ripple in the air, Lin Yu finally relaxed.
"Mana…" (Latias, I'm sorry… I'm useless.)
Latias gently patted Manaphy's head.
"It's okay. We'll count on you now, Manaphy…"
Another wave of Water-types was wiped out. Athena had finally had enough.
Capturing a few Gym-tier Pokémon had taken her nearly half an hour!
She'd never live it down if the other Elite Four found out.
Watching Lin Yu, who seemed to have given up, Athena pulled out several dark Poké Balls again.
But at that moment, the world shifted. The entire ship shook violently, and the dusk sky turned pitch-black.
It was the calm before a catastrophic storm.
Then,
a torrential downpour crashed down.
Through the clouds,
a massive sky-blue Pokémon with wings, tail fins, and a sleek, flat body appeared on the horizon.
"Kyogre?!"
Kyogre had appeared once before in this world,
clashing with Groudon!
Even hundreds of kilometers from the Cherry Blossom islands, that battle had triggered an 8.0 tsunami,
wiping entire coastal cities off the map.
That was when humanity learned:
some Pokémon held power equal to gods.
Athena gasped.
Kyogre hovered in the sky, its gaze sweeping the deck before settling on Manaphy and Lin Yu.
They shared the same oceanic essence as a fellow Legendary — it felt an instant, warm kinship.
But…
which of them had called out to it so strongly?
It fixed its gaze on Lin Yu.
A strange human.
It felt inexplicably drawn to him.
"Kyoooo!" (Manaphy! Human!)
"Mana…"
The moment Lin Yu saw Kyogre, he knew the crisis was over.
"Mana!" (Mean lady hurt Lin Yu, Latias, and me!)
Bolstered by Kyogre's presence, Manaphy flew to its side, nuzzling it affectionately and complaining.
Athena stared in utter shock.
What kind of creature was this little thing, that it could summon a Legendary?
She glanced down.
Arbok, Victreebel, and the others were frozen stiff under Kyogre's divine pressure, unable to move an inch.
This was the overwhelming might of a Legendary.
"Kyoo."
Kyogre glanced at Lin Yu again, and four towering pillars of energy swirled around it, condensing wildly.
Power enough to evaporate the entire ocean gathered at its core.
Origin Pulse!
"Wait!"
Lin Yu forced his exhausted body to stand.
There were thousands of people on this cruise ship — one Origin Pulse would kill half of them.
Kyogre paused.
"Whoosh…"
In that split second, Athena and her Pokémon snapped out of their daze.
The chill of death washed over her.
As an Elite Four Trainer, she knew she was beaten.
Her only thought was to run.
"Weezing!"
Thick black smoke burst from Weezing, shrouding the sky. Honchkrow grabbed Athena and darted toward the horizon.
Lin Yu shouted instinctively: "Kyogre, redirect Origin Pulse!"
Kyogre turned, and the already charged Origin Pulse shifted course, blazing across the sky and leaving a searing trail.
It only grazed Athena's retreating form.
"Team Rocket, you're done for! I'll tear your whole organization apart!"
Lin Yu yelled at the fleeing Athena,
even if she could no longer hear him.
But these words were not for her — they were for himself.
Two crises.
Team Magma, then Team Rocket.
These two organizations…
they'd pay.
He'd settle the score someday.
Boom!
The deafening roar woke many passengers on the ship.
When they opened their eyes, they witnessed a sight they'd never forget.
The legendary Kyogre — taking orders from a human?
"Mana~" (Yay!)
Manaphy cheered as Athena was driven off.
"Kyoooo!"
(Human, your trouble is gone. I cannot stay long — he will come for me.)
Kyogre did not understand why it felt so fond of this human, but it had answered the call all the same.
"Thank you, Kyogre! You saved us!"
Lin Yu sighed in relief.
He used his Inspection Eye on Kyogre.
[Pokémon: Kyogre]
[Ability: Drizzle]
[Gender:???]
[Talent: Tier 1 Legendary]
[Level:???]
[Moves: Origin Pulse, Ancient Power, Water Pulse, Aqua Tail, Calm Mind, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Water Spout, Muddy Water…]
He couldn't see its level — was it over 100?
Having a bodyguard like this felt incredibly safe.