It had to be said—James was far more handsome in person than one might expect, and while Jessie's hairstyle was definitely unconventional, there was no denying she was a bona fide beauty.
As for Meowth, walking on two legs and speaking fluent human language, he remained an outright oddity in the Pokémon world.
Just then, the main cast stepped onto the podium, announcing the identities of Team Rocket to the gathered crowd.
"Only something truly beautiful should be used by someone as beautiful as me. Only then can it shine with its full brilliance," Jessie sneered down at the group of officers and the main characters standing ready below.
"You should know… Evil deeds bring the wrath of the Sea God," said Maya calmly, completely unfazed.
And why would she be nervous? Sitting right beside her were two top-tier trainers—Volkner and Juan. There was no need to panic.
Of course, as the Priestess of the Sea, she had to uphold her divine presence. The wicked must learn to fear the Sea God.
"Tch. If we were scared of punishment, we wouldn't have joined Team Rocket in the first place…" Jessie scoffed and threw out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Totodile!"
"Go, Poliwhirl!"
The heroes followed suit, releasing their Pokémon. It looked like things were about to unfold just like in the original tale—justice battling evil.
But then, everything changed.
Suddenly, Maya's Sea Soul Staff burst into a brilliant blue light.
"Hm?" Lucius raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Wasn't this supposed to be the scene where Team Rocket gets blasted off again?
What was this sudden twist?
A violent gust surged across the arena, darkening the skies. The ocean-linked battlefield churned as waves began to rise.
Lucius and Juan stood from their seats simultaneously, both sensing an immense and overwhelming power rising from the depths below.
A beam of silver-blue light shot out of the ocean, forming a massive sphere of cascading water in the sky.
It shimmered like crystal—no, like diamond—as sunlight streamed through the clouds and reflected off its surface, making the scene look sacred and untouchable.
"What… is this?" Maya whispered, mouth agape. As the priestess of the ocean, it was the first time in her life that she had truly felt the Sea God's presence.
The sphere shattered into countless crystal-clear droplets that rained down over the arena, casting a dazzling, dreamlike shimmer over the entire stadium—as if it had been transported into an otherworldly mirage.
From within the broken sphere, a massive Pokémon revealed itself.
A slender neck, an elegant body, and wings that stretched over a hundred meters across blocked out the sun.
Lugia, Guardian of the Seas.
"It's Lugia—it's the Sea God Lugia!"
"The Sea God…"
In that instant, after a moment of stunned disbelief, the entire audience erupted into joyous cheers.
Though both Lugia and Kyogre were said to wield dominion over the seas in mythology, in the Johto region, Lugia was the far more revered figure.
Unlike the ferocious and stormy Kyogre, Lugia was a gentle deity, one known for saving humans lost at sea.
And what an entrance—grand, mysterious, and spectacular. The illusions alone would give Coordinators studying for the Contest Spectaculars years of material to work with.
Seeing Lugia appear, the once-arrogant trio of Team Rocket immediately huddled together, trembling.
A whirlwind rose, sweeping up their Meowth-shaped balloon and launching them sky-high.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried, fading into the sky as twinkling stars.
The Sea God had arrived—personally intervening to stop the villains trying to steal the Sea Spirit Orb.
Cheering echoed across the ocean.
Was that all? Just blowing them away with a little whirlwind?
Lucius looked at Lugia's measured response and understood.
As a mythical Pokémon, Lugia needed to maintain a certain image. Pulverizing evildoers into paste wouldn't exactly match the divine vibe.
"L-Lugia…" Maya's eyes brimmed with tears as she looked up at the majestic being above.
She had just warned that evildoers would incur the Sea God's wrath—and then, He appeared.
He stood with her. How could she not be moved?
Lugia lingered only for a moment. Letting out a long, resonant cry, it circled the arena once, then turned and soared away.
Lucius noticed several silver-white feathers drifting down from the sky.
Two of them fluttered gently onto the podium—one landing before Maya, the other before Ash.
A show of divine power and poise—classic Mythical Pokémon theatrics.
But Lugia hadn't done this for show alone. There was a purpose.
Lucius glanced at Juan. His expression made it clear—even he hadn't expected Lugia's appearance.
Right now, aside from the Hive and the Mythical Pokémon appearing to be on the enemy's side, Juan and Goodshow clearly represented a neutral third-party force.
Lucius still didn't fully understand their goal, but there was no rush.
Whatever Goodshow was planning, everything would become clear once the events in Unova reached their conclusion.
The appearance of the Sea God had undeniably pushed the Whirl Cup to its climax. Every single trainer and spectator present felt their journey had been worth it.
The event organizers were practically ecstatic—Lugia's full appearance had been captured on film. With such a powerful promotional tool, participation in the next tournament was bound to exceed expectations.
They were already considering whether to make it an annual event instead of every three years.
With that extraordinary interlude, every contestant seemed to believe they had received the Sea God's personal blessing. As a result, they fought with renewed passion, giving the audience much more to cheer for.
Such is the power of inspiration. It's a vital skill every leader must master—not just through words of encouragement, but through a look, a gesture, a simple action. All of it can uplift spirits.
For a being known as the "Guardian of the Sea," Lugia's very presence was inspiration incarnate. That's the same reason Ho-Oh occasionally manifests at the Bell Tower—to rekindle faith.
Stay away too long, and those with weak conviction may falter. Appear too often, and the mystique begins to wear off. Knowing when to emerge and inspire—that, too, is a skill every true leader must wield.
Of course, Lucius didn't believe Lugia appeared just to put on a show. There had to be a deeper motive behind it.
As expected, Brendan soon secured victory in the match.
"Misty, your last battle was beautifully fought," Lucius suddenly said, turning to Misty, who had arrived at the podium during the Rocket Syndicate commotion.
"Ah…" Misty stiffened slightly, caught off guard by Volkner speaking to her so suddenly. "Th-thank you, Mr. Volkner."
"You have a deep understanding of Water-type Pokémon, and you know how to leverage your team's strengths effectively. You already possess the qualities needed to become a Water-type Master," Lucius said with a warm smile.
Though most people viewed Volkner as a master of Electric-types, no one would question his understanding of Water-types either—after all, he was the one chosen by the Ocean Emperor.
"Yes! I'll keep working hard!" Having witnessed firsthand the strength of her idol, Elite Four Lorelei, Misty was well aware that Volkner—also one of the Four Elite—was at least equally powerful.
There were even rumors that the two had once been romantically involved…
"Mr. Volkner! I'm Ash Ketchum, and I want to challenge you! Please, let's battle!" Off to the side, Ash—suddenly hearing Volkner mentioned as an Electric-type master—couldn't help but let his middle-school edginess flare up. He rushed up to Lucius and issued his challenge directly.
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/Madbot635 [remove the parentheses ( )]