I, Gary, Want to Become a Pokemon Master

"Is this really Rayquaza's power?!"

It was the first time Gary had witnessed Rayquaza's true might in person. He'd seen the Sky High Pokémon in the anime before, but experiencing its overwhelming presence firsthand left him utterly powerless.

When facing a top-tier Legendary Pokémon, humanity was undeniably insignificant.

"ROOOOAAARRR!!"

A thunderous draconic roar ripped through the air. The smoke clouding the Aether Marine Platform began to disperse, revealing Rayquaza hovering high above the chaos, eyes locked onto the ground below.

Rayquaza surveyed the burning structure and the Pokémon it had effortlessly defeated. The fire in its gaze dimmed slightly—only to flare again with renewed fury as it recalled its recent imprisonment. The insult was unforgivable.

It resolved to obliterate the entire facility from existence.

"Is it not over yet…?"

Gary looked up at the unmoving Rayquaza, feeling helpless and cornered.

Of his Pokémon, only Blastoise and Charizard remained conscious. The rest had been knocked out in the earlier clash. And even together, Blastoise and Charizard didn't stand a chance against Rayquaza.

"We need to retreat…"

There was nothing Gary could do now—his only option was escape.

Rayquaza… wait for me.

Once I catch Deoxys, I'll settle the score.

Just as he moved to recall his fainted teammates, a deafening crash sounded behind him.

Gary spun around. The round observation tower had collapsed into a pile of rubble. From within the smoke rose a Salamence, its blood-red wings stretched wide. A lone rider sat on its back.

[Lv. 45 Salamence – Champion-level Potential]

"That's Zinnia's Salamence!" Gary gasped.

Her Shelgon had evolved—well before the standard evolution level of fifty.

"It evolved early," he muttered, surprised. "No way she pushed it that far in the middle of all this…"

But evolution wasn't the only thing on his mind.

He wasn't sure if Zinnia could actually communicate with Rayquaza. If she couldn't, she might be flying to her death.

Still, Groudon and Kyogre had shown intelligence—Rayquaza had to be the same. Surely, it understood that some humans revere it.

Rayquaza made no move to attack. Instead, it silently watched as Zinnia guided Salamence closer, stopping within a dozen meters of the Legendary Dragon.

"Lord Dragon God," Zinnia called out, bowing low atop Salamence, "I am the current Lorekeeper of the Draconid Tribe. This is the Rainbow Meteorite our people offer to you!"

She reached into her cloak and pulled out a glowing stone—the very Meteorite she had stolen to begin with.

Rayquaza's glowing pupils locked onto the object in her hand.

Moments later, cracks on the surface of the Rainbow Meteorite began to glow, emitting multicolored light that intensified with every passing second. The outer rock crumbled away, revealing a smooth, radiant gem that shimmered with every color of the spectrum.

"It really is the Rainbow Meteorite…" Gary murmured from below, catching a glimpse of the prismatic glow.

The jewel disintegrated into particles of light, which floated upward toward Rayquaza's body and were absorbed. The golden rings circling its form blazed with brilliance.

"ROOOOOAARRRR!!"

Rayquaza's body erupted with raw, radiant life energy. It shone brighter and brighter until its form transformed—ascending into Mega Rayquaza.

"M-Mega Evolution?!" Gary gawked. "So the Rainbow Meteorite unlocked that power?"

If that were true, it was terrifying. Unlike Groudon and Kyogre, who reverted to their Primal Forms through natural triggers, Mega Rayquaza required no external device. It had achieved the form independently—and willingly.

Zinnia remained composed and continued her plea.

"Lord Dragon God, many of the people below were unaware of your captivity. They were manipulated by evil men. I beg you to show them mercy."

Rayquaza's gaze drifted across the wreckage of the Aether Marine Platform—humans unconscious, Pokémon scattered across the deck, the scent of scorched metal and burning plastic still thick in the air. The fury behind its eyes slowly faded.

Then, without a word, it shed its Mega Form. The intense glow dimmed, and with a powerful sweep of its long tail, Rayquaza soared upward—disappearing into the heavens.

Zinnia pressed her hands together and bowed her head, offering a prayer as the Dragon God vanished into the clouds.

"It's finally over…" Gary whispered.

Just minutes ago, he'd been planning to dive into the ocean with Wallace and flee underwater. Had Zinnia not arrived when she did, they wouldn't have made it out.

"Gary!" Zinnia called as she dismounted Salamence. "I did it! The trial's complete!"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. It was the first time she'd met the Dragon God she had worshipped her whole life—and passed the sacred trial.

"Celebrate later. Help rescue the others first!" Gary barked.

"Oh! Right!" she said quickly and ran off to assist.

Gary tended to his unconscious Pokémon, spraying them with Potions and returning them to their Poké Balls. Then he helped Wallace do the same with his own team.

Rayquaza's earlier Draco Meteor had devastated the platform. Many Aether Foundation staff were injured—some seriously. Whatever reputation the organization once had, it was now in shambles. Not only had they illegally detained a Legendary Pokémon, but their actions had led to massive casualties.

There would be consequences.

A groan caught Gary's attention. Wallace had woken up.

"Gary… what happened while I was unconscious?" Wallace asked groggily.

The Pokémon Contest Master looked around—Rayquaza was gone, his own team had been recalled, and Gary was standing nearby, directing Blastoise and Eevee to put out lingering fires.

"Mr. Wallace! You're awake—thank Arceus. Are you alright?" Gary asked, kneeling beside him.

"I'm fine. Just got knocked out by the shockwave, I think. But tell me—what happened?"

"Zinnia delivered the Rainbow Meteorite to Rayquaza," Gary explained. "Looks like the Draconid Tribe really can communicate with it. Once Rayquaza received the offering, it forgave us and left."

Wallace let out a relieved sigh. "That's good… but I need to head to Lilycove City right away. Can you take charge here?"

"Are you sure you're up to traveling?" Gary asked. "You and your Pokémon need time to recover."

"I'll be fine," Wallace said, pushing himself up and releasing Ludicolo to assist with the fire suppression efforts. "There are things I need to confirm."

Before departing, Wallace had already contacted the Hoenn League. Within minutes, an emergency response team arrived on the scene and joined the ongoing rescue efforts.

They brought with them some much-needed good news.

The crisis on Route 124 had ended. Groudon and Kyogre had clashed, but the fight hadn't escalated. Thanks to Lance's intervention, both titans had retreated.

Gary wasn't surprised. He'd suspected that was how it would end.

Three Legendary Pokémon rampaging in a single day—it was almost too much for one region to bear.

But for now… the worst was over.