1004 Rising to Fame

After a period of madness, Rayquaza finally regained its composure from the chaotic state. It endured the pain and looked around, not finding Deoxys. It then directed its attention towards Chimecho.

This guy was unforgivable!

Roar!

Rayquaza roared angrily at Chimecho and swung its long dragon tail toward it.

Chimecho was terrified by Rayquaza's roar. And in the moment of dragon tail swung over, it used Reflect, and not just one but multiple layers of it.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The transparent Reflect barriers shattered one after another, and Chimecho once again was sent flying. Immediately after, a beam of light fell on Chimecho, and its injuries started to heal rapidly.

This was the power of Florges's Wish move.

At this moment, Florges was standing on the back of Lapras, and upon seeing Chimecho getting attacked, both Florges and Lapras unleashed Moonblast and Ice Beam simultaneously.

Rayquaza's attention was entirely on Chimecho, so it didn't notice Florges and Lapras behind it. The silver beam and the icy ray hit Rayquaza's abdomen.

Whether it was the Fairy-type Moonblast or the Ice-type Ice Beam, they severely countered the Dragon-type Rayquaza, and with Rayquaza already heavily injured, the additional damage made it let out a dreadful howl.

Boom!

Rayquaza was knocked down by Lapras and Florges and crashed onto the street in front of a building. The impact caused the road to crack like a spider's web, and it sent dust and debris flying.

Chimecho used Teleport to appear above Rayquaza, and then immediately activated Gravity. Rayquaza was suddenly pressed down by the increased gravitational force.

Compared to previous uses of Gravity, Rayquaza struggled much harder this time. Its injuries were worsening, and it didn't have the regenerative abilities of Chimecho and Florges. The fatigue and pain weighed it down.

Rayquaza was now locked in place. Dragonite's Thunderbolts, Charizard's Fire Blast, Lapras's Ice Beam, and Florges's Moonblast all rained down upon the Legendary Pokémon.

Roar!!!

Rayquaza let out a roar of agony that reverberated through the skies of Rustboro City, and the citizens who were taking refuge and the trainers who were watching the battle were all shocked and their hearts beat wildly.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on this epic battle.

They witnessed the legendary Rayquaza repeatedly suffering at the hands of ordinary Pokémon. They also saw the young man standing on the bow of the ghost ship in the distance.

Some had already recognized Yuga and were astonished by his strength, while others felt a certain level of apprehension about his power.

It was clear that after this battle, Yuga's name would become well-known throughout the Hoenn region and perhaps even beyond.

As the dust cleared, people could see Rayquaza lying in the ruins. It was motionless, except for its wide-open mouth, panting heavily, looking utterly battered.

Just when everyone thought Rayquaza was about to fall, something unexpected happened.

Rayquaza suddenly raised its head, and a blue-purple dragon-shaped energy erupted from its mouth, soaring into the sky. Its target was none other than the nearby Dragonite.

Caught off guard, Dragonite was hit by Rayquaza's Dragon Pulse and instantly lost its fighting capability, plummeting from the sky to land next to the fallen Rayquaza.

Rayquaza raised its tail and aimed to strike the unconscious Dragonite. If it landed, even the Elite level Dragonite would have no chance of survival.

At this moment, Dusknoir appeared in front of Dragonite, spreading its arms to block Rayquaza's attack. However, it was sent flying and collided with a building behind it, causing the already unstable structure to wobble.

Seizing the opportunity, Florges's vines rapidly pulled Dragonite from the ground and swung it toward a nearby Haunter.

Yuga watched Dragonite being moved onto the ghost ship by Haunter, he muttered in low voice and saying to Haunter and Mismagius, "You two, go and help!"

Haunter and Mismagius were primarily responsible for Yuga's protection. They hesitated briefly upon hearing Yuga command but eventually obeyed and left.

At this moment, Rayquaza had managed to break free from Chimecho's Gravity, but it was now ensnared by Florges's vines. The densely woven vines wrapped around Rayquaza like a rice dumpling.

However, Rayquaza was putting up a fierce struggle. It kept breaking free from one set of vines after another, and new vines sprouted from the ground continuously, as if determined to restrain Rayquaza completely.

In reality, despite the continuous growth of new vines, Florges was not at ease. The energy consumption within her body was taking its toll.

With Rayquaza's increasingly severe injuries, its resistance became more intense. As it struggled and writhed, it spewed countless flames from its mouth.

Soon, this section of Rustboro City was transformed into a sea of flames, casting a crimson hue over the city. The city's fire brigade, already busy, had to initiate emergency firefighting operations.

Seeing this, Yuga immediately commanded Lapras to use Rain Dance. Soon, a heavy rain covered the entire Rustboro City. Lapras's Rain Dance was genuinely potent.

Apart from Lapras, other Water-type trainers in the city also began assisting with firefighting, focusing on what they could manage. While they refrained from intervening in the battle against Rayquaza, they could contribute to these smaller tasks.

With the collective efforts of trainers, the city's fire brigade, police station, Gyms and the others, the massive fire was brought under control.

Amid Rayquaza's continued struggle, Florges was forced to relinquish her control due to energy exhaustion. In that very moment, Dusknoir finally seized its opportunity. As Rayquaza attempted to ascend to the sky, Dusknoir flew over and embraced Rayquaza, and creating opened Trick Room.

Dusknoir's speed was slow, and it struggled to keep up in the previous battles. This made it challenging to act, but now, it had finally seized its chance.

After Rayquaza use Dragon Dance, its speed had strengthened to the extreme. However, within the Trick Room created by Dusknoir, it became a liability, constrained and unable to break free. Rayquaza's every move seemed restricted, despite its fierce attempts to escape Dusknoir's control.

In this Trick Room, Dusknoir resembled a true specter, haunting and elusive, occasionally striking Rayquaza with Ice Punches.

It must be said, a Master level Pokémon was in a league of their own, and the damage Dusknoir inflicted on Rayquaza was on a different level compared to the other Pokémon like Lapras and Florges.

Due to Rayquaza's ferocity in close combat, none of Yuga's other Pokémon dared to approach it. They could only watch from a distance as Dusknoir displayed its power.

Watching the battle within the Trick Room between Rayquaza and Dusknoir, Yuga marveled at the incredible resilience of the Legendary Pokémon. Despite the grievous injuries it bore, Rayquaza still had the strength to stand against Dusknoir.

Numerous citizens and trainers silently watched the fight between Dusknoir and Rayquaza. While Rayquaza was considered the Guardian Pokémon of Hoenn region, they still hoped that Dusknoir would emerge victorious.

Because Rayquaza has caused immense damage on the Rustboro City!

It wasn't clear how much time had passed, but the heavily wounded Rayquaza finally couldn't hold on any longer. And Dusknoir's punch sent it crashing to the ground.

Of course, Rayquaza hadn't lost consciousness. It lay on the ground, its mouth agape, continuously inhaling and exhaling, but it had no strength to move. Its eyes, however, were filled with resentment as it stared at Dusknoir.

Rayquaza couldn't understand why these outsiders would help that Chimecho to attack it.

As they watched Rayquaza fall, many citizens of Rustboro City breathed a sigh of relief. The disaster had passed.

However, there were some sinister elements lurking in the shadows, wondering what might happen if they can captured the fallen Rayquaza?

For a time, Rustboro City became undercurrent.

But Yuga paid no attention to these matters. He quickly recalled his Pokémon that were still outside and hastily left Rustboro City along with Pokémon on the ghost ship.

Of course, Rayquaza was also taken away on the ghost ship by Yuga.

Once Yuga left Rustboro City, news of the events that happend there began to spread through various channels, including videos of Rayquaza's battle with Deoxys, Yuga leading his Pokémon to fight against Rayquaza.

The name Shimizu Yuga spread rapidly throughout the Pokémon world.

If Yuga was only slightly famous before, but now he was a worldwide sensation! Defeating Rayquaza was a remarkable achievement that astonished the world.

As for whether Yuga and his Pokémon ganged up on Rayquaza or if Rayquaza was already severely wounded, those details didn't matter. Rumors always tend to be exaggerate!

In any case, the news that Shimizu Yuga had defeated Rayquaza became the headline of all news outlets.

Even before Yuga returned to Verdanturf Town, various forms of these rumors had already reached back there. The folks at the YoYo Day Care and Mr. Ishida, Liliana, and Joyka were also informed about what happened in Rustboro City.

Even Mr. Kuni'o in Mauville City received the news almost immediately.

Looking at the messages sent over by Ryuichi, Mr. Kuni'o chuckled and shook his head: This apprentice of mine, usually so well-behaved, but when he takes action, he stirs up quite a commotion!

At this moment, the protagonist of the events, Yuga, was unaware of what was happening in the outside world. He was currently on the ghost ship, negotiating with Rayquaza.

"Rayquaza, I hope you can return the energy core of Deoxys that you has been swallowed," Yuga calmly said to Rayquaza.

According to the information he received from Deoxys, digesting the energy core wasn't easy for Rayquaza, and it required a significant amount of time. Therefore, the energy core inside Rayquaza should be still intact.

Hearing Yuga's words, Rayquaza turned its head away in a haughty manner, not even giving Yuga a glance. It seemed to be saying: Why should I?

However, this slight turn of its head tugged at its wounds, and Rayquaza winced in pain.

During the previous battle, it had mustered the strength to endure the pain. Now, feeling the pain without any adrenaline rush, it realized the extent of its injuries. It was covered in wounds, and many of its scales had fallen off. Any slight movement caused fresh blood to ooze out.

Damn it, What are you doing!

In particular, Rayquaza was annoyed by the ghost-type Pokémon surrounding it, who catching its blood in bottles. Rayquaza was on the verge of exploding in anger: I'm Rayquaza! Can't you show me some respect?

Noticing Rayquaza's gaze, Yuga awkwardly rubbed his nose and explained, "Recycling, you know? Your blood going to waste is a pity, so we decided not to let it go to waste."

After all, the blood of a Legendary Pokémon was quite valuable!

Not only did the ghost-type Pokémon collect Rayquaza's blood, but they also gathered all the scales that fell off Rayquaza during the battle. Not a single scale was left behind even in Rustboro City.

Seeing that Rayquaza wasn't cooperating, Yuga spoke to it again in a friendly tone, "Rayquaza, there's no benefit to you from digesting that energy core. Why go to such lengths? They mean no harm to this place!"

Rayquaza was a dragon-type and flying-type Pokémon. Even if it digested the psychic-type Deoxys's energy core, it wouldn't provide much advantage. Otherwise, Yuga wouldn't have attempted to negotiate for the energy core's return.

As Yuga said, he also took out another energy core. Yuga and Deoxys continued their persuasive effort. However, Rayquaza remained stubborn, and even in its current captive state, it retained its pride.

Yuga, seeing that Rayquaza was unyielding, had no choice but to say, "You're aware that you're going to die, right? You've sustained such heavy injuries, and you won't recover from them. Once you're gone, you won't have the chance to protect this world anymore!"

Hearing Yuga's words, Rayquaza's body tensed up, clearly affected by Yuga's words. Despite its pride, it didn't want to lose its life. It could feel that its life force was slipping away.

Yuga's Pokémon didn't inflict any critical damage on Rayquaza; they mainly exacerbated its existing injuries. What was truly life-threatening was Deoxys's damage to Rayquaza. As a Legendary Pokémon, Deoxys had the potential to kill Rayquaza.

Seeing a change in Rayquaza's expression, Yuga continued, "If you return the energy core, I can help you heal your wounds. I can also assure you that Deoxys won't pose any threat to the Pokémon world in the future."

Yuga used his special abilities to ease Rayquaza's pain.

Feeling the pain in its wounds lessen, Rayquaza's expression became conflicted.

Yuga continued, "Don't you want to continue soaring freely in the vast sky? Look at the endless blue sky and the pristine clouds. Are you willing to lose all of that?"

Rayquaza looked up at the sky, lost in thought for a moment. Indeed, as the Sky High Pokémon, the boundless universe and vast sky were its true home.

Yuga whispered in Rayquaza's ear, "How about it? Doesn't the feeling of soaring freely in the sky sound fantastic? Do you want to experience it once more? If you do, then return the energy core."

Unconsciously, Rayquaza obeyed Yuga's words, slowly exhaling a pale purple crystal, which was Deoxys's energy core.

The energy core Rayquaza returned was indeed slightly lighter in color, and its energy fluctuations were weaker compared to the one Yuga had. It was clear that there was a difference in the strength of the two Deoxys.

Successfully retrieving the energy core, the consciousness of the Deoxys within it emitted waves of joy and relief.

Rayquaza, upon realizing it had been somewhat deceived when it expelled the energy core, was about to get angry, but Yuga had already swiftly embraced the energy core into his arms.

Sss...

The movement caused the wounds to reopen, and Rayquaza winced in pain as blood gushed out once again.

The ghost-type Pokémon, collecting the blood in bottles, urged its companions: Hurry up, everyone! Collect it! Don't just stand there!

Rayquaza exclaimed in frustration: What the heck!

Seeing Rayquaza nearly passing out from anger and pain, Yuga quickly comforted it, saying, "In the end, you've returned the core. Just accept reality. Now, shall I help you heal your wounds?"

Rayquaza glared at Yuga for a moment but ultimately nodded reluctantly, feeling too tired to argue further.

"Alright!"

Yuga happily took out a Max Revive, ready to feed it to Rayquaza when he suddenly asked, "We agreed that once your wounds are healed, we're even, and all our previous grudges are settled. We won't cause trouble for each other in the future, right?"

Rayquaza, with little energy left, nodded to signify its understanding.

"Very well!"

Yuga handed over the Max Revive, but just as Rayquaza was about to consume it, Yuga quickly withdrew his hand.

"You're not going to back out of our deal once you're healed, are you?"

Rayquaza: ... Are you serious? You want me to die from blood loss or what!

Seeing Rayquaza genuinely angry, Yuga chuckled and reassured, "Alright, alright, you're a Legendary Pokémon, of course, you won't go back on your word."

After eating the Max Revive and benefiting from Yuga's special abilities, the visible wounds on Rayquaza's body began to heal at an astonishing rate.

Yuga was surprised that a single Max Revive couldn't fully cure Rayquaza's severe injuries. He had to reluctantly bring out a second one, which shows that Rayquaza's injury was very serious!

Once Rayquaza regained its vitality, it glared fiercely at Yuga, startling him to the point where he didn't dare to breathe. He stammered, "What... What are you doing? You're not really thinking of going back on your word, are you?"

Roar!

Rayquaza roared angrily, then swung its tail and soared into the sky without a single glance back.

Yuga wiped off the saliva Rayquaza had left on his face and consoled himself, saying: Well, Not many people can say they've been spat on by a Legendary Pokémon!

Watching Rayquaza disappear into the distance, Yuga finally breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the jovial interactions he had with Rayquaza earlier, he had genuinely feared that the Legendary Pokémon might change its mind.

Thankfully, Rayquaza did seem to take their promises seriously.

"Thank you!" Deoxys's consciousness sent its gratitude from within the energy core.

The other energy core, housing a more heavily injured Deoxys, had already fallen into a deep slumber. It would take more time to recover.

Yuga shook his head, replying, "You've been a great help to me as well. I haven't thanked you yet for assisting me in training Chimecho!"

After a brief conversation with Deoxys, Yuga realized he had left Rustboro City in quite a hurry. He hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to Roxanne and the others or meet with the street vendor they'd arranged to see.

However, the circumstances had forced him to leave urgently. He'd have to contact them once he returned to Verdanturf Town. He couldn't help but worry if something had gone wrong during his absence.

It was easy to anticipate that the events in Rustboro City would cause a massive stir, and Yuga, as the central figure of the incident, would likely have many responsibilities and troubles awaiting him.

Only by getting back to Verdanturf Town quickly could he finally find peace and relaxation!