Pokemon: Spiritual Master-Chapter 463: Steven, Call for Reinforcements!

Viridian City, Kanto—Team Rocket Base.

Buzzz—

Inside a secret underground laboratory belonging to Team Rocket, red warning lights flashed as the power fluctuated chaotically, illuminating the darkened research facility.

Yet, despite the disturbance, the researchers in white lab coats remained unfazed—calm, even.

Small matter.

Lab explosions were a regular occurrence. A mere power outage? Child's play.

Besides—

Mewtwo's psychic energy fluctuations were unstable, suggesting it was close to waking up, though not fully conscious yet.

"It's Porygon2."

A researcher holding a tablet pinpointed the source of the anomaly.

"Porygon2?"

The head of the lab looked slightly surprised upon hearing the answer.

Since when... did Porygon2 have the ability to cause "chaos" like Mewtwo?

"Run a recovery protocol," the head researcher ordered in a calm tone.

"Well... that might not be possible."

"Hm?"

"Porygon2... isn't accepting commands right now."

Not accepting commands?

Unlike Mewtwo—whose genetic origins remained shrouded in mystery—Porygon had been meticulously designed and programmed with extensive resources dedicated to its development, from its genetic structure to its behavior and personality.

Calling it a Pokémon was a bit of a stretch.

It was more like a highly advanced AI—a multifunctional, mobile supercomputer.

Though, due to certain... special circumstances, Porygon2 had developed a degree of intelligence.

But even so, that intelligence was supposed to be limited.

"What about a system reset?"

"Uh..." The researcher hesitated before turning the screen of their tablet toward the lab director.

Displayed on the screen—

The usual control interfaces had completely disappeared, replaced by an image of Porygon2...

Surrounded by a swarm of Gastly.

The lab director: "..."

—

"Ka-kaah~~"

Gengar shoved the last chunk of ore into its belly and patted its now-round stomach, feeling satisfyingly full.

Sure, it had access to a personal dimensional storage, but carrying all this ore was still quite a task.

Then again...

Each of these mineral chunks was worth at least several hundred Pokédollars. Every piece it stuffed inside felt like shoveling in cash—Gengar was very pleased.

Who didn't love free money?

"Yoji~~"

Larvitar, its belly just as round, trailed closely behind Gengar, never leaving its side.

At this moment, Gengar was nothing less than a walking food supply, and Larvitar had to guard it with its life.

Though they had "accidentally" unearthed Deoxys' green core crystal, Johan wasn't in a hurry to head to Mossdeep Space Center just yet.

Instead, they took their time mining, stocking up on supplies for Larvitar before finally preparing to leave.

Mossdeep City was located on an island in eastern Hoenn, much like Sootopolis City and Pacifidlog Town.

And since it wasn't far from Slateport City, it was even closer to Johan and Steven's current location.

The only obstacle was crossing the sea.

Johan firmly held Gengar in place.

Without its interference, Rotom had a much easier time steering the speedboat, eliminating the nauseating, weightless swaying.

Johan held his phone while sitting near the meteorite and Deoxys' green core crystal.

Meanwhile, Tinkaton was attempting to separate the core from the meteorite, hammering away with clink-clank sounds.

Johan focused his Aura, trying to communicate with Deoxys.

But no matter how much he attempted, the core remained unresponsive.

All his phone displayed was—

"Friend, friend."

...Okay.

As long as it didn't add "Friend, delicious", this was still manageable.

Whoosh—

The ocean surged, waves rolling suddenly.

The commotion was noticeable but not particularly violent.

"Yoji! (Д)σ"

Larvitar leaned against the boat's railing, eyes wide, pointing at the massive figure rising from the sea.

Such... a big fish!

As the surface of the ocean broke apart, a colossal Wailord emerged, creating rolling waves.

From Johan's vantage point, it looked like a giant submarine surfacing from the depths.

Before Dynamax Pokémon were discovered, Wailord had been the largest non-Legendary Pokémon.

Following its appearance, several Wailmer, bobbing like balloons, surfaced around it.

"Wailord and Wailmer are a well-known sight in the waters around Mossdeep," Steven explained casually.

Pssshh—

Wailord noticed Johan's speedboat and sprayed a burst of water from its spout.

The water arched high before cascading down in shimmering droplets.

The Wailmer followed suit, spraying smaller fountains.

As the sunlight hit the falling droplets, a vibrant rainbow formed in midair.

There was no hostility—this was simply Wailord and Wailmer's way of greeting them.

"Yoji..."

Larvitar gulped.

Such big fish...

It turned to Johan.

"Yoji?"

How about salt-grilled?

Johan: "??"

Wailord: "??"

Wailmer: "??"

Glug-glug—

Wailord and its pod promptly dove back into the ocean.

They were out.

"Ka-kaah~!"

Still being held in place by Johan, Gengar gave Larvitar a thumbs-up.

Great minds think alike!

...Oh no.

Larvitar was starting to pick up Gengar's bad habits.

"Your Pokémon never change, do they, Teacher?" Steven remarked with a chuckle.

Johan: "..."

—

Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh—Godfrey Estate.

Gentle music floated through the garden.

Darkrai lay on the grass, having recently learned to enjoy the warmth of sunlight.

Suddenly—

It opened its eyes. Black-and-white wisps of shadow energy flickered around its body.

"Darkrai?"

Alice, who had been playing a grass flute surrounded by Pokémon, looked at it in surprise.

"He needs my help," Darkrai said solemnly.

Alice's expression grew serious.

"Then... be careful."

Darkrai's eyes gleamed faintly with amusement.

"In Hoenn? As long as it's not Rayquaza, I can handle it."

—

Mossdeep City Gym Training Grounds.

Two young children—clad in nearly identical robes resembling those of monks—simultaneously opened their eyes.

Floating beside them were Solrock and Lunatone.

They were Tate and Liza, the twin Gym Leaders of Mossdeep.

"There's trouble," Liza suddenly said.

Tate nodded. "Not far now."

"But... it seems..."

"...Someone strong is coming, too."

"If the sky collapses..."

"...The tall ones will hold it up."

Their conversation flowed smoothly, almost as if they shared a single mind.

"Should we go meet them?" Tate asked.

But before the words had fully left his mouth, they both responded simultaneously—

"No need. They'll come to us."

Then, they closed their eyes again.

Faintly—

A soft psychic energy flickered around them.

—

Mossdeep Space Center.

Originally part of Greater Mauville Holdings, the facility had been acquired by Devon Corporation after the former went bankrupt.

Now, it was a key asset of Devon.

Inside the space center's lobby, Gengar curiously examined the advanced technology, glancing around.

"Johan, Steven."

A familiar voice greeted them—Professor Cozmo.

In addition to his role at Rustboro Pokémon Academy, he held an important position at Mossdeep Space Center.

Since Johan and Steven had requested a visit, he was the one assigned to receive them.

"Sorry for dropping by unannounced," Johan said apologetically. Steven nodded in agreement.

"No, no, it's fine." Professor Cozmo waved it off with a laugh. "Honestly, your timing is great. Now I have an excuse to take a break. Haha—"

"You sound like work here is tough," Johan joked.

"You have no idea."

Professor Cozmo sighed, and he and Johan simultaneously turned to glance at Steven.

Steven suddenly looked embarrassed.

It sounded like they were blaming Devon Corporation for overworking him.

—

Johan's eyes widened at the screen.

Never mind the reports...

"Steven," he said, voice dead serious.

"Call for reinforcements."

Steven immediately picked up on Johan's shift in demeanor.

"...What did you see?"

Johan's expression remained serious as he fixed his gaze on the massive screen.

Displayed on it was an image taken from a space observation station—a rare, radiant purple aurora.

At first glance, it seemed like a breathtaking celestial phenomenon.

But Johan knew better.

"Professor Cozmo," he said, his voice steady. "Where was this aurora observed?"

Professor Cozmo frowned slightly but quickly pulled up additional data on a nearby terminal.

"This was recorded by one of our external observatories in Hoenn," he explained. "More specifically, over Fallarbor Town."

Fallarbor Town?

Johan's fingers tightened slightly around his phone.

That wasn't just any aurora.

That was Deoxys' energy signature.

The purple-core Deoxys.

If the green-core Deoxys—the consciousness that had entered his phone—was here...

Then the other one was already looking for it.

Johan turned to Steven. "I need you to contact someone for me."

"Who?"

Johan exhaled.

"If we're dealing with Deoxys, we may need someone who can stand on equal footing with it. Someone who's fought it before."

Steven's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on him.

"You mean...?"

Johan nodded.

"Call Rayquaza."

Steven: "..."

Professor Cozmo: "..."

Even Gengar and Larvitar, who had been distracted by the space center's displays, turned their heads in stunned silence.

"Ka-kaah?"

"Yoji?"

Steven rubbed his temples. "Johan, you make it sound so easy."

Johan shrugged. "Well, you are Hoenn's former Champion. If anyone can get a direct line to Sky Pillar, it's you."

Steven sighed. "You do realize that Rayquaza doesn't exactly pick up the phone and say, 'Hello, how can I help you?'"

"But someone can reach Rayquaza," Johan countered. "Someone who communicates with it."

Steven's face darkened. "Wallace..."

Johan nodded. "Exactly. Get in touch with Wallace. Now."

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

As much as Steven disliked dealing with Wallace's dramatic tendencies, he understood the urgency.

He pulled out his own phone and stepped aside, making the call.

Johan, meanwhile, turned back to Professor Cozmo.

"Do we have any real-time monitoring on Fallarbor's skies?"

Professor Cozmo hesitated before shaking his head. "The aurora readings are recorded, but we don't have constant surveillance over that area. However... if you want more information, there's someone else you should talk to."

Johan raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Raizoh Cozmo."

Johan's gaze sharpened.

Raizoh Cozmo—Professor Cozmo's father.

A legendary scientist known for his research into meteorites, Raizoh had devoted his life to studying the connection between space and Pokémon.

If anyone in Hoenn understood what was happening, it would be him.

"Where is he now?" Johan asked.

Professor Cozmo sighed. "He's in Meteor Falls."

Meteor Falls—a place where countless meteorites had landed over the ages.

And the same place where Team Magma and Team Aqua had once fought over a meteor fragment containing unknown cosmic energy.

Johan's instincts flared.

Something was pulling all these events together.

Deoxys... Rayquaza... Meteor Falls...

This was no coincidence.

At that moment, Steven returned from his call. His expression was unreadable.

"What did Wallace say?" Johan asked.

Steven sighed. "He said... he'll take care of it."

Johan's eyes narrowed. "Does that mean—?"

"He's already on his way to Sky Pillar," Steven confirmed.

Johan exhaled slowly.

Good.

Now, there was only one thing left to do.

"Let's move," he said. "We're going to Meteor Falls."

Powerstones?

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