Lapras: Awakening

As soon as Yuga's Lapras emerged, it dove straight into the water, only to reappear riding a massive wave, crashing toward the Wailord and Archie.

Because they were at sea, with the environment perfectly suited for Lapras, this Surf attack was at full power, as if Lapras had unleashed a tsunami, looking as though it might crush both Archie and Wailord.

However, Wailord wasn't so easily defeated. Under Archie's command, it used Heavy Slam to charge into the wave Lapras had created.

Heavy Slam is a move that becomes stronger the heavier the user, and with a massive creature like Wailord, the power was extraordinary. The towering wave was shattered by Wailord's collision, sending water splashing everywhere. The sunlight reflected off the spray, forming a brilliant rainbow bridge over the sea.

Yet no one had time to appreciate this beautiful scene. As Wailord smashed through the wave, Dusknoir appeared right in front of it, delivering a powerful Thunder Punch to its head. Golden lightning surged through the water, instantly spreading across Wailord's entire body, causing even Archie on its back to let out a scream.

But that wasn't the end. With the wave shattered by Wailord, countless droplets of water were still suspended in the air, not yet falling back into the sea. Hidden among these droplets, Lapras radiated an intense chill. In an instant, all the seawater transformed into solid ice, freezing half of Wailord's body within.

Crash...

Countless chunks of ice fell back into the ocean, while Lapras swiftly dove into the water again.

Just when everyone thought that Wailord had to be seriously injured, the golden glow around its body suddenly hummed, shattering the ice and dispelling the lightning.

Seizing the opportunity, Wailord used Aqua Ring, surrounding itself with a large, blue water ring that slowly healed its injuries.

Seeing this, Yuga frowned deeply. He called out Florges and Chimecho once more.

Florges, carried by a giant Mantine from the Shep family, joined Chimecho in entering the battlefield. Together with Lapras and Dusknoir, they surrounded Wailord from four directions, leaving it no chance to escape Apart from Absol, who was still in the Distortion World, all of Yuga's main Pokémon were now in play.

Seeing the four Pokémon surrounding him, Archie was furious. He thought Yuga, as a Gym Leader of the League, was completely breaking the rules by orchestrating this four-on-one, showing no martial honor at all.

But poor Archie, with his own lack of strength, couldn't summon a single Pokémon capable of withstanding any of Yuga's four Pokemon.

It wasn't clear who made the first move, but Dusknoir's Thunder Punch struck forward, while Chimecho unleashed its most powerful attack, Psycho Boost, both heading straight for Wailord.

Wailord responded by using Heavy Slam, charging toward the attacking Chimecho and Dusknoir from the left and right.

Boom!

The purple-glowing Chimecho and Dusknoir's electrified golden fist clashed fiercely with the enormous Wailord. Chimecho's small body was immediately sent flying, while Dusknoir was also knocked into the sea.

However, despite appearances, Wailord wasn't unscathed either.

While Chimecho often acted as a healer for Yuga, that didn't mean it lacked offensive capability. Its Psycho Boost, inherited from Deoxys, was something that few Pokémon could withstand.

As for Dusknoir's Thunder Punch, its power spoke for itself, especially since Electric-type moves have a natural advantage against Water-types!

After Chimecho and Dusknoir's attacks, Florges' long-prepared Solar Beam and Lapras' Dragon Pulse followed closely behind.

However, it seemed as though Wailord had eyes on its back. Its tail slapped the water's surface, creating a swirling vortex that completely absorbed Lapras' Dragon Pulse, dissipating it.

This was Whirlpool!

Yet Florges' Solar Beam pierced through the Whirlpool, its golden beam like a sword, striking Wailord with precision.

This Wailord was unbelievably resilient!

Even after taking so many hits, it still showed no signs of falling. Yuga couldn't help but think this to himself.

However, the main reason Wailord was holding on was due to the golden light surrounding it.

"What exactly is that golden light?" Yuga couldn't help but voice the question in his mind.

Shep, hearing this, replied, "I guess that might be the legendary Sea God's Blessing from the Sea Crown!"

"Sea God's Blessing?"

"Yes, according to legend, it's a power bestowed by the Sea God upon the Sea Crown and given to Manaphy. A Manaphy blessed by the Sea God is said to be unharmed while in the ocean." Shep explained the legend passed down among the people of the sea to Yuga.

The Sea God?

Yuga had always thought that the Sea God mentioned in the Sea Crown referred to Manaphy since this place was the sacred site for the legacy of successive generations of Manaphy. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

Was the Sea God referring to Lugia, or was it Kyogre?

Yuga guessed that Kyogre was the more likely candidate. Although Lugia was called the God of the Sea, it wasn't a Water-type Pokémon, so blessing Manaphy with Water-type powers would probably be more difficult.

In myth and legend, Kyogre didn't have the best reputation, at least not as good as Lugia's. Even though it created the oceans, people rarely referred to it with the respectful title of "Sea God." However, calling it a Sea God wouldn't be wrong either!

But Yuga wondered, if the Sea God's Blessing was a power left by the Sea God for Manaphy, how did Archie and Wailord manage to use it?

Pondering for a long time without understanding, Yuga had no choice but to continue commanding his Pokémon to attack Wailord and Archie.

Just as Shep had said, the Sea God's Blessing did indeed provide some protection in the sea, but it wasn't absolute.

As the attacks from Yuga's four Pokémon grew fiercer, Wailord gradually started to struggle. If not for its Water-type recovery move, Aqua Ring, the Sea God's Blessing wouldn't have protected it for this long.

Seeing that Aqua Ring's healing effects were becoming less effective, Archie started to panic. He had originally thought that with the power of the Sea Crown, he could act arrogantly. Little did he expect that Yuga's strength would far exceed his imagination. His earlier ambition to capture Yuga now seemed laughable, like the foolish plan of a clown.

Facing the relentless assault of four Champion-level Pokémon, neither he nor Wailord could hold out much longer!

As the situation became more and more dire, Archie began to look for an opportunity to flee.

After enduring another round of attacks from Yuga's four Pokémon, Archie quietly crawled into Wailord's nostrils, and Wailord dove headfirst into the water, hoping to escape in the chaos.

However, just as it entered the water, a series of chains suddenly shot out with a clatter, instantly dragging Wailord out of the water.

However, the chains weren't very sturdy. Just as they pulled Wailord out of the water, they snapped with a loud clatter.

The one responsible was none other than a Dhelmise that had quietly been lurking in the water nearby. Though its Elite-level strength wasn't enough to last long against Wailord, it was sufficient to deal with Yuga's Dusknoir and the others.

At that moment, Dusknoir appeared above Wailord, its golden fist moving swiftly. In the blink of an eye, it landed dozens of punches. Golden currents of electricity spread through the seawater, enveloping Wailord entirely. Archie, hiding in Wailord's nostrils, felt his entire body go numb, convulsing along with Wailord.

By the time Dusknoir stopped its assault, Wailord was floating on the water's surface, belly up.

Seeing Wailord successfully subdued, Shep's family couldn't help but rejoice. They even began to silently pray, "Thank the heavens, the great Sea God has blessed us!"

With Wailord defeated, Yuga and the others managed to pull Archie out and found the Sea Crown on his person.

Although it was called the Sea Crown, it didn't resemble a traditional royal crown. Instead, it was made of crystal rods, each thicker and longer than Yuga's arm. If someone were to actually wear it on their head, their neck would probably snap from the weight.

Of course, the Sea Crown only looked like crystal. As for the actual material, none of them could tell.

The Sea Crown they recovered had already been dismantled. Yuga and his team couldn't discern its original form, so they decided to bring it back to the Temple of the Sea and deal with it later.

No one was more excited about the Sea Crown's recovery than Manaphy. If it weren't for its small size, it might have hugged the crystal rods and refused to let go!

In addition to the Sea Crown, something else shocked Yuga: they found an indigo-colored orb on Archie as well.

If the Temple of the Sea was truly connected to Kyogre, it wouldn't be surprising that Archie was able to wield the Sea God's Blessing with the Indigo Orb in his possession. After all, the Indigo Orb was said to be powerful enough to control Kyogre itself.

Yuga recalled how, a thousand years ago, the emperor of the Vante Empire used the Crimson Orb to control Groudon in a war that destroyed the Arus Empire. It made sense that the Indigo Orb could control Kyogre as well.

Both Jack and Shep's family had heard legends about Kyogre and the Indigo Orb. The group exchanged glances, unsure of how to handle such a powerful artifact.

Only May and Max remained oblivious, not understanding why everyone was fixated on a single orb.

Finally, Jack broke the silence. "It's probably best if Gym Leader Shimizu keeps this for now."

Shep's family didn't object to Jack's suggestion. After all, Yuga had escorted them and Manaphy safely to the Temple of the Sea and helped them retrieve the Sea Crown. They were filled with gratitude toward him.

"Alright, I'll hold onto it for now," Yuga said, not bothering with false modesty as he put the Indigo Orb away. However, he had no intention of keeping it for himself, planning to hand it over to the League upon his return. Although the orb was incredibly valuable, he wasn't interested in it.

He wasn't about to use the Indigo Orb to control Kyogre—how dull would that be? Besides, once his Cosmoem matured, it might even surpass Kyogre in strength (Although it's just his wishful thinking!)

But then Yuga noticed something strange about his Lapras. It seemed to be zoning out repeatedly, staring blankly, and no matter how many times Yuga called it, there was no response.

"Lapras, are you alright?" Yuga asked with concern, fearing that it might have been injured during the battle.

"Lapras..."

Lapras suppressed the restless power within its blood and affectionately nuzzled Yuga with its neck, reassuring him that it was fine.

After confirming that Lapras was indeed unharmed, the group tied Archie up and tossed him into the depths of the ghost ship, leaving him under the guard of the Ghost-type Pokémon. They also used a Heavy Ball to recall Wailord. Then, aboard the ghost ship, they returned to the location of the Temple of the Sea.

At that moment, the shattered Temple of the Sea was floating lonely on the ocean surface, like a small island. The protective energy barrier that once shielded it had vanished without a trace.

Yuga and the others carried the Sea Crown upward until they reached the highest palace of the temple. All the waterways within the palace had dried up, and the entire Temple of the Sea seemed like a lifeless place.

In the center of the palace was a pool, and in the center of the pool was the spot where the Sea Crown had originally been placed. However, the pool was now completely dry.

As they inserted the crystal rods of the Sea Crown back into place, Shep anxiously remarked, "I wonder if the temple will still function properly. If anything goes wrong, we won't know how to explain it to our ancestors!"

Fortunately, the fears of Shep and his family did not come true. Though the temple's structures were in ruins, its core functions were still intact. As soon as all the crystal rods were returned to their original positions, the Sea Crown emitted a soft blue light. Immediately afterward, trickling streams began to flow from the pool, and in no time, it was filled to the brim.

Splash...

The thousand waterways that crisscrossed the Temple of the Sea were revitalized, bringing the temple back to life. Even the energy barrier that had disappeared earlier was restored.

However, the damaged buildings and destroyed plants could not be repaired.

Rumble!

With a loud noise, the Temple of the Sea began to sink into the ocean once more.

Seeing the temple restored, Shep joyfully urged, "Manaphy, quickly, go receive the legacy!"

"Manaphy, Manaphy!"

Manaphy excitedly leapt from May's arms and dived into the pool beneath the Sea Crown, beginning a mysterious dance in the water.

As Manaphy danced in the pool, even Lapras, who had been in the waterway, was drawn to swim over unconsciously.

As the dance neared its end, a golden beam of light suddenly descended from the Sea Crown. The group realized that Manaphy's inheritance had begun.

But to everyone's surprise, the light split into two beams—one landing on Manaphy and the other on Lapras.

"What...what's happening?" Even Shep couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

It was then that Yuga remembered his Lapras had Kyogre's bloodline. If the Temple of the Sea was related to Kyogre, then this situation wasn't entirely unexpected.

As Lapras and Manaphy bathed together in the golden light, a phantom of Kyogre suddenly appeared above Lapras' head. The phantom circled endlessly, and the group could feel an overwhelming sense of majesty emanating from it.

But the change wasn't over yet. A blue orb slowly emerged from Lapras' body, floating above the Kyogre phantom. As soon as the blue orb appeared, the once proud Kyogre phantom froze in place. It seemed to struggle but was firmly bound by the orb.

Buzz...

After a tense standoff, the Kyogre phantom suddenly shattered into fragments of light, which were absorbed by the blue orb. Moments later, the blue orb also crumbled into a mist of blue vapor, which flowed into Lapras' body.

Once Lapras had absorbed the blue mist, the group noticed that its blue skin had become even more radiant, a deep and brilliant blue!

Outside the Temple of the Sea, an enormous creature had arrived unnoticed. At the exact moment the Kyogre phantom shattered, the creature seemed to sense it and a look of confusion flickered in its eyes.