Steven led the Hoenn League trainers in an effort to contain the aftermath of Groudon and Kyogre's attacks.
Meanwhile, Luo Yuan stood atop Rayquaza, looking down at Groudon and Kyogre, who glared up at the Sky Dragon Pokémon with open hostility.
"Seems they aren't too impressed by you," Luo Yuan commented, using telepathy to speak to Rayquaza.
A wave of indignation emanated from Rayquaza's consciousness, and Luo Yuan could almost sense its embarrassment.
Rayquaza had always considered itself the elder sibling of the trio of Hoenn legendaries.
Now, as the supposed big brother, it couldn't keep its "younger siblings" in line and had even been attacked by them. To make matters worse, this humiliation was playing out in front of Luo Yuan.
"Roar!"
Irritated, Rayquaza let out a deafening roar and opened its maw, unleashing a radiant Dragon Pulse.
The brilliant beam of energy shot forth, piercing the clouds and striking the ground below.
The scene was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, captivating the Hoenn trainers who watched from a distance.
Of course, Groudon and Kyogre were far from impressed.
As Rayquaza launched its attack, Groudon and Kyogre sprang into action.
Groudon plunged its sharp claws into the earth, tearing out a massive boulder, larger than itself, with a loud rumble. With a powerful swing, it hurled the boulder at Rayquaza.
Rock Tomb!
Kyogre was quick to follow. Rising from the water with the currents forming a pedestal beneath it, Kyogre opened its massive jaws and fired a high-speed Hydro Pump.
The twin attacks streaked toward Rayquaza, converging mid-air.
Rayquaza's Dragon Pulse shattered the incoming boulder into a rain of debris, but the attack lost momentum in the process. When it collided with Kyogre's Hydro Pump, it was quickly overpowered.
Shards of rock and sprays of water rained down from the sky, creating an unusual rocky downpour.
The trainers below could only stare in disbelief, their hearts pounding as they directed their Pokémon to intercept the falling debris to protect Sootopolis City.
Even as they scrambled to minimize the destruction, they couldn't help but glance back at the sky with conflicted expressions.
Though the Tech Hunter was their enemy, they couldn't deny their hope that he would triumph—for humanity's sake.
"You can do it!" one trainer muttered under their breath.
In the air, Luo Yuan watched calmly as Rayquaza began to lose the beam struggle.
There was no surprise on his face; this was exactly as he had expected.
Rayquaza was undoubtedly powerful—one-on-one, neither Groudon nor Kyogre was a match for it. But expecting it to dominate both at the same time was unrealistic.
And so, Luo Yuan decided to intervene.
"Mewtwo," he said, glancing at the Pokémon hovering beside him. "Show them what you've got."
Earlier, Mewtwo and Deoxys had deflected Groudon and Kyogre's attacks, but the two titans had simply assumed they were unusually strong Pokémon.
Neither Groudon nor Kyogre recognized Mewtwo and Deoxys as legendaries. To them, these two unfamiliar Pokémon were just strange newcomers.
When Mewtwo, wielding its psychic spoon, charged at Groudon, the Continent Pokémon was unfazed. It lazily swung an arm to swat the attacker away.
A mistake.
Brick Break!
With a sharp whoosh, Mewtwo's psychic spoon extended, smashing into Groudon's face with devastating force.
Bang!
The blow reverberated through Groudon's body, causing its hardened face to visibly distort from the impact.
Staggering under the weight of its massive body, Groudon tipped to the side, crashing into the ground with a thunderous boom.
For a moment, Groudon was dazed.
Its head rang from the strike, and the humiliation of being toppled twice in a single day only deepened its confusion.
It couldn't help but wonder:
I've only been asleep for a thousand years—how are humans this strong now?
Nearby, Kyogre had been relying on Groudon to capitalize on Rayquaza's momentary weakness.
But when it glanced over, it saw Groudon sprawled on the ground.
Kyogre froze, unable to process what had just happened.
And in that brief moment, Luo Yuan seized the opportunity.
"Rayquaza," he commanded telepathically.
Though still resentful toward Luo Yuan, Rayquaza didn't hesitate. Its body lit up with golden energy, the patterns along its frame glowing brilliantly as the clouds above thickened.
A bolt of golden lightning crackled within the storm, growing in intensity.
With a resounding clap of thunder, the lightning streaked downward.
Thunder!
The attack struck Kyogre squarely on its reflective blue forehead, eliciting a sharp crackling sound as arcs of electricity danced across its body.
Zap! Crackle!
Steam rose from Kyogre's trembling form as it convulsed under the electrical assault.
Being a Water-type, Kyogre was particularly vulnerable to the Electric-type move.
And the attack didn't stop there.
The surrounding water, now electrified, created a wide arc of crackling energy that continued to shock Kyogre while also preventing its escape.
This sudden shift in momentum, initiated by Mewtwo's intervention, left the Hoenn trainers below in stunned silence.
They stared, slack-jawed, at the battlefield.
The same Groudon and Kyogre that had left the entire Hoenn League helpless were now being handled so decisively.
"How is this even possible?"
"Why is there such a gap… between trainers?"
Rumors about the Tech Hunter's exploits began circulating among the trainers. Wasn't he being hunted down just a year ago? How could he have grown so powerful in such a short time?
Steven, too, was struggling to process the rapid turn of events.
The seemingly hopeless situation had been flipped on its head.
Where he had braced for a desperate struggle, Luo Yuan had turned the tide effortlessly.
The sheer number of reversals in a single day left Steven feeling drained, even entertaining, for the first time, the thought of stepping down as Champion.
But the battle wasn't over yet.