A Call to the Sky: Rayquaza's Arrival[373]

That day, they had left in such a hurry. There were still so many things Dragonite and its friends hadn't had the chance to tell Rayquaza-senpai.

Not only that, but Rayquaza had mentioned it lived in the sky all alone.

When they heard that, Dragonite and the others felt a deep pang of pity for their senior.

A Pokémon living by itself in the sky—no food, no soft bed, exposed to the harsh winds and blazing sun, and enduring the bitter cold of winter. When hungry, it could only chew on meteorites floating in space.

After much discussion, Dragonite and Ogerpon decided to invite Rayquaza-senpai to visit the ranch.

They planned to host a grand feast in Rayquaza's honor.

On the grassy expanse of Snorlax Park, they laid out a blue checkered picnic blanket. On it was an array of colorful berries and food lovingly prepared by Naoki.

The spread included sweet Pokéblocks, crispy Poffins, buttery cookies, and cakes made from fresh eggs and Moomoo Milk.

The picnic blanket had been borrowed from Indeedee brother, who managed the kitchen supplies.

The berries were handpicked by Dragonite from the orchard.

The Pokéblocks and Poffins had been retrieved from the refrigerator by Pawmot.

The cookies and cakes were brought over by the Garganacl after a request from Alcremie.

Everything was ready. All that was left was to summon Rayquaza-senpai.

With that thought, Pokemon turned their eyes to the jet-black scale in Dragonite's claws.

Dragonite held the scale carefully, staring at it with intense focus. It tried to sense something within the scale, attempting to mentally call out to Rayquaza-senpai.

One second… two seconds… three seconds…

Half the day passed, and still, there was no response.

"Awoo…" (It's not working…)

Dragonite's disappointment was evident. When Rayquaza had handed over the scale, it hadn't explained how to use it.

Seeing this, the other Pokémon exchanged uncertain glances.

They turned their eyes skyward and murmured, "Pamo?" (Do you think Rayquaza-senpai will come?)

"Pon…" (I'm not sure…) Ogerpon replied.

Pawmot sighed wistfully. "Pamo." (It would've been amazing to meet the hero who saved the world.)

Meanwhile, in the Hoenn Region, at the Mossdeep Space Center.

The center's satellite system suddenly detected a strong magnetic field fluctuation in the upper atmosphere.

To both protect the satellite from potential damage and observe the anomaly, the system activated its onboard energy camera to capture real-time images of the area.

As soon as the fluctuation was detected, the operator at the console pulled up the live feed.

On the monitor, an image appeared.

The backdrop was deep space, a vast expanse of stars stretching into the unknown. Below was a stunning view of Earth, its oceans glistening like sapphire.

Suddenly, a shiny, serpentine figure appeared in the frame.

The creature floated effortlessly through space, moving toward a meteorite before beginning to feed on it.

The operator's eyes widened in shock. "That Pokémon… is it…?"

Senior officials quickly gathered around, their eyes glued to the screen.

"That silhouette… could it be the legendary Pokémon, Rayquaza, the Sky Guardian?!"

"It has to be. Living in the ozone layer, capable of traversing space at will—that's Rayquaza!"

"It's incredible! What a majestic sight!"

"But… what is it doing? Eating a meteorite?"

In space, Rayquaza continued to absorb the meteorite's energy.

Its golden eyes glanced briefly at the satellite in the distance, aware of its presence.

It knew exactly what that machine was.

It was something made by humans, launched from the Earth into the vastness of space.

At first, Rayquaza had been intrigued by the object, mistaking it for an enemy encroaching on its domain in the skies.

However, it quickly realized that the machine posed no threat to it whatsoever. With its curiosity satisfied, Rayquaza had chosen to ignore these human devices, allowing them to venture freely into the universe.

Now, as Rayquaza continued absorbing energy from the meteorite, it suddenly froze mid-action.

A faint sensation coursed through its body, drawing its attention downward to the blue planet below. The scales on its body trembled, vibrating softly as though responding to a distant call.

It hesitated briefly, its golden eyes narrowing, before turning away from the meteorite. With a single motion, Rayquaza shot toward Earth, descending with incredible speed.

At the Mossdeep Space Center in the Hoenn region, a tense silence fell over the monitoring room as the staff watched the live feed.

"It stopped eating!" one of the technicians exclaimed.

Another leaned forward, squinting at the screen. "Does it sense something?"

"What could possibly make Rayquaza stop feeding?" a third muttered.

A senior officer, frowning in thought, broke the silence. "Track its movements immediately!"

The Mossdeep Space Center served a dual purpose. While its primary mission was to explore the mysteries of space, it also acted as a critical security hub for the Hoenn region.

Unlike other regions, Hoenn had a long history of natural disasters intertwined with legendary Pokémon.

The threat of Groudon and Kyogre's ancient rivalry had led to the creation of a dedicated department within the Space Center to monitor seismic and environmental activity across the region. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and other disturbances were tracked in real time, allowing the Hoenn Alliance to respond quickly to potential disasters.

If the legends of Groudon, the God of Earth, and Kyogre, the God of the Sea, ever came true, the Space Center's role would be pivotal in detecting their awakening, deploying a response strategy, and summoning the region's champions to intervene.

Now, the satellite focused its instruments on tracking Rayquaza's movements.

On the radar detection map displayed on the large central screen, a small red dot marked Rayquaza's position. The technicians watched in awe as the dot zipped across the map, moving at an extraordinary speed.

"It's crossing the Hoenn region…" a monitor reported.

"It's entered the Unova region…" another added, voice tinged with disbelief.

But Rayquaza did not slow down.

"Report! Rayquaza has reached the edge of the radar's detection range!" a technician called out.

A tense pause filled the room as the red dot blinked once before disappearing from the screen.

The senior officials exchanged uneasy glances.

"Rayquaza is gone…" someone murmured.

For a moment, no one spoke. The air was heavy with shock and confusion.

According to recorded legend, Rayquaza rarely descended from the ozone layer. The Sky High Pokémon was known to reside far above the Earth, appearing only under extraordinary circumstances.

"What could be compelling it to move like this?" an official finally asked, echoing the question that hung in everyone's mind.

Rayquaza was known to descend to Earth only under extraordinary circumstances—specifically, when Groudon, the God of Earth, and Kyogre, the God of the Sea, awakened and began their destructive battles. Its role as the arbiter of the skies was to quell their raging conflict and restore balance.

But now, Rayquaza had left the ozone layer.

"What could be drawing Rayquaza down this time?"

Paldea Region, Kosaji Town, Naoki Ranch

On the grassy plains of the ranch, a fierce Pokémon battle was underway. Dragonair and Cyclizar faced off in an intense sparring match.

The air was electric as the battle reached its peak.

Dragonair opened its jaws wide, and swirling purple energy began to gather. It roared, unleashing a powerful Hyper Beam, aiming to overwhelm Cyclizar and claim victory.

But Cyclizar's combat experience is obviously richer than that of Dragonairs. With fluid precision, it used its signature maneuver—Dodge—evading the attack entirely. Then, with a swift motion, its tail glowed brightly as it executed a well-timed Dragon Tail, striking Dragonair with remarkable force.

"Nicely done, Cyclizar! That Dragon Tail was executed perfectly!" Naoki cheered, clapping his hands.

"Come on, Dragonair! Don't give up! You've got this!" he added, encouraging both Pokémon equally.

The two Pokémon squared off again, their determination evident in their postures, while Naoki stood at the sidelines, rooting for them enthusiastically.

At that moment, a sudden shift disrupted the battle.

Naoki noticed a figure flicker into view nearby—Calyrex appeared with a grave expression.

"Huh?" Naoki turned toward it, puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Calyrex's gaze was fixed on the sky. Its voice was calm but laced with urgency as it replied, "I sense a powerful presence approaching."

Naoki froze, confusion clouding his face. "A powerful presence?"

Behind him, Cyclizar and Dragonair paused their sparring, both turning their heads toward the sky. The other Pokémon in the area began to murmur amongst themselves, their attention drawn to the sudden tension in the air.

Koraidon moved closer to Naoki, its eyes narrowing as it too looked skyward. "Raao…" (Something is coming…)

The stillness was broken as the sky itself began to change.

The once-serene sea of clouds churned violently, and the winds picked up with a sudden, ferocious intensity.

The sunlight dimmed as a massive shadow appeared in the heavens, growing larger and darker by the second. The air was filled with the sound of rushing wind and the ominous roar of a descending force.

Then, with a mighty gust that sent grass rippling across the field, an enormous, pitch-shiny black figure descended from the swirling clouds above.

.....

Next Bonus Chapter@800PS