"You didn't seriously catch Kyogre just to fight me with it, did you?"
Hearing Wallace's incredulous question, Dylan smiled pleasantly, his tone light as air.
"Take a guess."
Wallace almost choked on his own breath. Guess your—!
But… had Dylan really caught Kyogre?
His lips went dry. Despite himself, curiosity gnawed at him like a cat pawing inside his chest.
As a Water-type artist, Wallace prided himself on his deep love for Water Pokémon. And if there was one thing that fascinated him most—it was the Water-type legends.
"Swampert, use Earthquake!"
Wallace struck first, wanting to see just what kind of "surprise" Dylan had for him.
Swampert roared, slamming its massive fists into the ground.
Rumble—!
The entire arena trembled as shockwaves rippled forward.
A Ground-type Earthquake!
Ground was weak to Water—but Water didn't resist Ground either.
"Jet it."
Dylan chuckled softly.
Walking Wake's draconic eyes flashed with violent energy, its body glimmering with flowing water before it shot forward like a bullet.
Water-type priority move—Aqua Jet!
Bang!
The speeding torrent smashed into Swampert before the quake could connect, knocking it backward several steps. Swampert roared angrily, glaring at Walking Wake.
Walking Wake roared back, louder, fiercer.
"Steam Eruption!"
It opened its jaws wide, unleashing a blast of boiling vapor straight at Swampert.
Walking Wake's signature Water-type move—Steam Eruption!
As a Paradox Pokémon, its ability was Protosynthesis—which only triggered in harsh sunlight. Under sun, Water moves were usually weakened…
But Steam Eruption defied that completely—its power increased by 50% in sunlight instead of decreasing.
Not that it mattered right now. Even at normal power, it was terrifying.
"Swampert, dodge it!" Wallace's eyes widened.
That scalding, bubbling torrent looked anything but safe!
Swampert tried to sidestep—but the blast was too fast.
Boom!
Steam Eruption slammed straight into Swampert, sending boiling spray flying. Swampert howled in pain as the searing water tore across its body.
When the blast finally faded, Swampert lay sprawled on the field, completely knocked out.
"Swampert is unable to battle! Walking Wake wins!"
The referee's voice echoed as gasps rippled through the stands.
Sure, Swampert wasn't resistant to Water—but going down in just an Aqua Jet and one Steam Eruption? That was brutal.
Wallace wasn't too shocked, though. He calmly recalled his partner. Walking Wake was one of Dylan's core Water-types—it'd be stranger if it didn't hit that hard.
"Good job."
Dylan recalled Walking Wake with a small nod of approval.
Wallace sent out his third Pokémon—a shiny Greninja, a gift Steven had once given him as a "token of friendship."
"All right, all right. You leave me no choice."
Dylan was just about to throw out Palafin when he noticed Wallace staring at him with bright, eager eyes that clearly screamed: Well? Where's my surprise?
He couldn't help but laugh. Still, he swapped Poké Balls, drawing out a deep red Luxury Ball instead.
After all, this was Wallace—a dear friend deserved something special.
"Then… let the world see you." Dylan smiled, flicking his wrist.
"Kyogre!"
"Guuuuu—!"
A deep, ancient cry rumbled across the entire Indigo Plateau.
From within a burst of light, the deep-sea sovereign of legend unfurled its great fins like wings, golden eyes cold and regal as they locked onto Wallace.
The oppressive pressure was so immense it felt like the air itself froze.
Gasps filled the entire stadium.
It was true—Dylan had caught Kyogre.
Just last month, his Primal Groudon, full of pride after mastering its power, had begged him to take it to find its "old rival, the fat-headed fish."
With Hoopa Confined's help, Dylan had tracked down Kyogre, slumbering peacefully in an uncharted underwater cave.
The rest… well, the memory of Groudon's thunderous laughter as it watched its rival get flattened still made Dylan's face twitch.
After that, Kyogre had agreed to be caught—its one condition surprisingly simple.
"So it really is Kyogre…"
Wallace stared blankly at the familiar-yet-terrifying sight. He'd once seen it during the Hoenn land-sea crisis years ago—
and it had been terrifying.
But never—not in his wildest dreams—did he expect to see it again here, on a battlefield, as his opponent's Pokémon.
Now that was what you called a surprise.
Up in the stands, Steven and Cynthia—both veterans of that same ancient disaster—wore the most complicated expressions imaginable.
"How about it, Wallace? You know this one, don't you? An old friend, you could say," Dylan said cheerfully, smiling at the massive creature.
"Oh, I'm thrilled. Absolutely overjoyed. Thanks a lot, Dylan."
Wallace's grin was tight and trembling.
"Come now," Dylan said lightly. "We're friends—don't be so formal. And we're not done yet."
He lifted a hand. "Kyogre—Primal Reversion."
"Guuuuu!"
Kyogre's body erupted with blinding golden light as its form expanded, growing massive beneath the thunderous sky.
The low, resonant cry of a god filled the air as Primal Kyogre emerged in full.
Dark clouds churned overhead, pouring sheets of heavy rain. Primordial Sea activated!
Bathed in shimmering blue light, the leviathan hovered beneath the storm, every inch radiating divine power.
Majestic. Overwhelming. Godlike.
The entire arena fell silent.
'Ding~ Primal Kyogre, pure Water type, Sea Basin Pokémon.
Ability: Primordial Sea.
Moves: Origin Pulse, Water Spout, Double-Edge, Sheer Cold...
Description: The awakened ancient form of Kyogre, said in legend to expand the seas by submerging the earth in torrential rain and massive waves. A living god of the ocean depths.'
"No matter how many times I see it, Primal Kyogre's presence is terrifying," Leaf murmured from the stands, staring up at it in awe.
The mythical trio of ancient titans—Mega Rayquaza might be the most powerful, Primal Groudon couldn't fly, but Primal Kyogre was by far the most awe-inspiring.
Maybe because they could never forget the sight of that endless storm, that apocalyptic sea when it first appeared—dark skies, towering whirlpools, and Kyogre soaring through chaos like a god of the deep.
"Looks way cooler than Primal Groudon, honestly," Lillie whispered—quietly, because Groudon's Poké Ball was on her belt.
Can't fly: (︵)
"Come, Wallace. This is my Water-type ace. Let's have ourselves a proper Water battle."
Dylan extended a hand invitingly. Indeed, Primal Kyogre was his ace—he'd assigned Origin Forme Palkia to his Dragon team instead.
Rain poured, but not uncontrollably—Kyogre maintained perfect precision, limiting the downpour to the battlefield alone despite clouds covering the entire plateau.
Wallace stared up at it, every muscle tense under that golden, godlike gaze. It felt less like a Pokémon and more like the apex of the food chain itself staring straight through him.
A "pleasant" Water-type duel, huh?
He looked from his shiny Greninja to the towering Primal Kyogre.
Yeah… pleasant. Sure.
"Greninja!"
He clenched his fists. He was Wallace—if he was going to lose, he'd lose standing tall!
"?"
Shiny Greninja turned to him, expression blank. We're actually doing this? Against that?*
"Come on, you've got this!" Wallace said solemnly. "It's just Kyogre—believe in yourself!"
Greninja stared at him with dead eyes.
Wallace ignored it. Whatever—he was going down anyway. Might as well go down in style.
Later, when people asked what Dylan used to beat him, he'd get to say:
"Oh, me? I was beaten by his Primal Kyogre."
"Go, Greninja! Use Night Slash!"
The shiny ninja frog inhaled deeply, eyes sharpening with resolve as it sprinted toward Kyogre—ready to die a hero's death if needed.
At least it could say it tried.
Dark energy flared along its arm as it lunged forward—Dark-type move, Night Slash!
"Excellent spirit," Dylan said with an amused smile.
"Kyogre—Origin Pulse."
"Guuuuu—!"
Multiple orbs of pure blue energy formed before Kyogre before blasting outward in massive intersecting beams.
Boom—!
The Origin Pulse slammed into Greninja mid-leap, sending it flying like a rag doll. It crashed to the ground as the energy exploded in a flash of light.
When the rain settled, Greninja lay motionless, completely spent.
"Greninja is unable to battle! Kyogre wins!"
The referee swallowed hard, stealing a glance at the still-glowing Primal Kyogre before announcing the result.
Wallace didn't even flinch.
So what if it was Primal Kyogre? It still beat his Greninja in one hit, didn't it?
If you round that up, that's basically a fifty-fifty fight.
(End of Chapter)