Chapter 271: The Dragon's Blessing Scroll
Zinnia stood at the gate, feeling incredibly anxious.
This time, she had brought out her most treasured possessions—Mega Stones she had collected over the years, originally meant to impress Lord Rayquaza.
Surely, no one could reject this many Mega Stones… right?
Yet, as she watched the still-closed gate, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
What if Asahi still refused?
She wasn't under any kind of restriction, yet she felt like a criminal awaiting judgment.
She hated this feeling.
If not for Rayquaza, she wouldn't have stayed here another second!
"Damn you, Asahi!"
The moment she grumbled, a familiar voice spoke from in front of her.
"You seem to have quite the opinion of me."
Zinnia looked up to see Asahi standing in the now-open doorway, watching her.
"…"
Her vision darkened.
She was doomed. He had definitely heard that.
Now he definitely wouldn't let her in!
Asahi, amused by her dejected expression, let her stew for a moment before saying, "Alright, come in."
Zinnia's head snapped up, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
Without sparing her another glance, Asahi turned and walked back inside.
Zinnia scrambled to follow—terrified he'd change his mind.
---
Back inside, the base felt completely different to Zinnia now.
Before, it had seemed like a den of League enforcers.
Now?
It felt… oddly like home.
Every breath carried a faint trace of Rayquaza's presence.
"…"
Asahi stared at Zinnia, who had closed her eyes and was sniffing the air.
What the hell was wrong with this woman?
Shaking his head, he led her to the lounge, where Gary was already waiting.
Asahi took a seat and looked at Zinnia, who had suddenly become very nervous.
"You're really that desperate to join?"
Zinnia's expression firmed. "Yes!"
Asahi scrutinized her carefully, making her squirm under his gaze.
Finally, he said, "Alright. You have five minutes. Convince me why I should let someone who hates the League join us."
Zinnia immediately pulled out her Mega Stones and piled them on the table.
The dazzling gems sparkled beautifully.
Gary's eyes lit up.
But Asahi merely glanced at them before looking back at her.
"…And?"
"...Huh?"
In Zinnia's view, after she revealed the Mega Evolution Stone, Asahi should have been overwhelmed with excitement, eagerly begging her to join him.
But why was the situation playing out so differently from what she imagined?
"This is a Mega Evolution Stone!" Zinnia exclaimed in disbelief.
Mega Evolution Stones were incredibly rare items, with only a few currently circulating in the Hoenn and Kalos regions... yet Asahi remained completely unfazed.
Unbothered, Asahi simply pointed to the timer beside him. "You have four minutes left."
"You… I…"
Zinnia's mind was in complete chaos, unable to find the right words.
"Stammering still counts as time~" Asahi reminded her warmly.
Zinnia was at a loss for words. She had no idea what to say to convince Asahi. As she watched the timer tick down, sweat beaded on her forehead from nervousness.
As the countdown neared its end and Asahi reached out to reclaim the timer, Zinnia panicked. In a moment of desperation, she blurted out, "I can make Lord Rayquaza undergo Mega Evolution!"
The instant those words left her mouth, Asahi's hand, which had been about to take back the timer, froze mid-air. With a sharp click, he pressed the pause button.
Raising an eyebrow, Asahi responded, "Oh?"
Hearing his reaction, Zinnia suddenly calmed down and realized what she had just revealed…
She had just spilled the most closely guarded secret of the Draconid people—something passed down for generations—to a mere lackey of the Pokémon League!
In that moment, a strong urge to die surged within her.
Hesitation flickered across her face, but after an intense internal struggle, she ultimately convinced herself: Asahi was recognized by Lord Rayquaza.
Finally, Zinnia reached into her robes and pulled out a scroll.
"This is an ancestral secret of the Draconid people! It records the legendary technique—Dragon's Brushstroke… A Trainer recognized by Lord Rayquaza can use this scroll to awaken its true form!" Zinnia declared.
Bracing herself, Zinnia clenched her teeth and, with great reluctance, shut her eyes before handing the scroll over to Asahi.
Asahi accepted the scroll, which still carried a bit of warmth from her grasp. He toyed with it for a moment before opening it for a quick glance.
The contents were filled with ancient, indecipherable scribbles.
Feeling the Poké Ball containing Rayquaza tremble slightly in his pocket, Asahi confirmed its authenticity.
This was like getting a free draw in a gacha pull…
Could he directly choose a reward between the Dragon Slate and the Red Chain now?
He had only been testing Zinnia with some pressure, and he didn't expect such a significant gain…
Under Zinnia's watchful gaze, Asahi set the scroll down.
Meeting her nervous eyes, he acknowledged the scroll's value first. "This scroll is indeed useful to me. It might even come in handy in the upcoming battle against Team Magma and Team Aqua… Making an exception for you isn't entirely out of the question."
"So…"
"Welcome to the Kanto Division!" Asahi extended his hand to Zinnia.
After shaking hands with Asahi, Zinnia didn't feel as excited as she had expected. Instead, she was overwhelmed by an intense sense of loss.
She had given up a scroll that allowed Lord Rayquaza to learn Dragon's Brushstroke, along with her stash of Evolution Stones, in exchange for the opportunity to stay close to Lord Rayquaza in the future…
Was it truly worth it?
---
Before joining the Kanto Division, Zinnia had assumed she wouldn't be able to tolerate working alongside the League's lackeys. However, once she officially became a member, she found the experience unexpectedly pleasant!
There were no overly complicated tasks, state-of-the-art training facilities, an unlimited supply of sweets, and complete freedom over her schedule…
Even the so-called "League lackeys" were surprisingly friendly to her.
Zinnia felt like she was being gradually corrupted by the League's honeyed temptations.
Zinnia, Zinnia, you must not fall into depravity! Have you forgotten your true purpose for joining this place?
Stuffing another small cake into her mouth, making her cheeks puff up like a Pachirisu, Zinnia mentally scolded herself. Chewing it down, she told herself that this would be her last one.
Then, unable to resist, she grabbed another small cake.
Why were these cakes so delicious?!
"..."
Asahi glanced at Zinnia's appearance and, for the first time, began to doubt his previous judgment.
Had he been wrong?
Did Zinnia come here not for Rayquaza, but for the desserts in their division?
Not understanding what was going through Zinnia's mind, Asahi shook his head.
Looking over at Green, who was happily fiddling with a Scizorite, Asahi was just about to help him get familiar with Mega Evolution.
Suddenly, his communicator at his waist buzzed.
The caller was Steven.
Had Steven already dealt with Team Magma and Team Aqua? Had he crushed them before they could act?
Asahi thought so, but when he opened the video call, Steven's expression was grim.
A bad feeling welled up in Asahi's heart. "What happened?"
If Steven had achieved victory, he wouldn't be making that face.
Did they fail?
Hearing Asahi's question, Steven quickly explained the situation.
From Steven, Asahi learned what had just transpired…
In short, the signal beacon had been located inside Team Aqua's base. When Steven arrived, Team Magma, aboard the Abyssal One, was in the middle of negotiations with Team Aqua.
A fierce battle broke out between Steven, Maxie, Archie, and their key subordinates. Although a large number of Team Magma and Team Aqua members were arrested…
The most crucial figures—Archie and Maxie—managed to escape in a submarine.
For the Pokémon Association, headquartered in Mossdeep City, this was a humiliating disaster.
Steven had seized a base and captured a group of grunts.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a significant achievement.
But in this situation, it was utterly useless.
Yet, what Steven was most concerned about wasn't this. "With Team Magma and Team Aqua working together, I believe they are now fully committed to awakening Groudon and Kyogre. I've already placed every city on high alert…"
"Asahi… I need your help!"
---
Under the Ocean, Aboard a Submarine
Maxie, his face bearing fresh wounds, took a flashing red signal transmitter from Tabitha's hands and smashed it onto the ground, crushing it underfoot with a scowl.
He never imagined he would be tracked!
Beside him, Archie, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, showed no frustration at the loss of their base. Instead, he openly mocked Maxie. "To think you had a tracker planted on your submarine without even noticing. Team Magma is getting more and more pathetic."
Maxie was furious at this humiliation, but with Team Aqua present, he couldn't afford to vent his anger at his subordinates. That would only make them appear internally divided. He could only swallow his rage.
Laugh while you can. Once I successfully control Groudon and Kyogre, you'll be the one crying!
Thinking of the two orbs he had seized from Mt. Pyre, a sinister smile crept onto Maxie's face.
Although Team Magma and Team Aqua had temporarily allied, they still looked down on each other.
The submarine continued its journey beneath the waves.
After a long wait, it finally came to a halt.
"Boss, we've arrived!"
The pilot reported to Maxie.
Stepping out of the submarine, they found themselves in the Seafloor Cavern. Despite being deep under the ocean, the cavern had breathable air.
Before them lay two diverging paths.
From them, Maxie and Archie could sense the scorching power of the land and the icy vastness of the ocean… Evidently, these paths led to Groudon and Kyogre.
Exchanging a glance, both men could see the challenge in each other's eyes.
Would the land claim the sea, or would the sea devour the land?
Without further words, they each chose their respective paths.
"Groudon/Kyogre, I'm coming!"
---
Team Rocket – Battle Airship
Aboard the airship, Giovanni watched as his researchers busily worked around the incubation chamber containing Deoxys. His mood was exceptionally good.
It reminded him of the early days of the Mewtwo Project, filling him with anticipation for the future.
Just then, Athena approached. "Boss, we just received word—Steven led an assault on Team Aqua's base while they were negotiating with Team Magma…"
"Team Aqua's base was breached, and a large number of their members were captured. However, Maxie and Archie managed to escape with their elite forces in a submarine."
Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Looks like I underestimated those two… Escaping from Steven's grasp means they're more capable than I thought."
Even Giovanni himself had to be cautious when facing Steven's Metagross.
For Maxie and Archie to successfully escape…
And as for what they were planning next, it wasn't hard to guess—they were undoubtedly heading to awaken Groudon and Kyogre.
Athena hesitated. "Boss, what should we do next? Should we…?"
As the legendary Pokémon of Hoenn, Groudon and Kyogre wielded immense power, capable of directly influencing the planet's climate.
Now that Team Rocket had accomplished its goal, should they retreat?
If Hoenn plunged into chaos, the consequences would be unpredictable.
Giovanni pondered for a moment. While he was curious to see how Asahi would handle the crisis, the airship carried something far too important to Team Rocket—Deoxys. He couldn't afford any risks.
So…
"Return to Kanto. It's time to deal with Sird."
Sird had been a constant thorn in his side, an ever-present reminder of the influence of Team Galactic.
With Asahi occupied in Hoenn, Giovanni would use this chance to eliminate this hidden threat once and for all.
Athena's eyes gleamed. "Understood!"
As a loyal member of Team Rocket, she had long wanted to take down Sird, the infiltrator sent by Team Galactic.