As both guardian of Hoenn's Sky Pillar and keeper of its ancient myths, Wallace's grasp of regional legends—especially Rayquaza's cosmic lore—redefines academic consensus, with the Champion's expertise on stratospheric phenomena standing peerless.
Rayquaza...
Not that Wallace vilifies Rayquaza. While the Sky Pillar guardian undeniably acts more restrained than Primal Groudon and Kyogre—those ancient titans who rouse only to clash in world-sundering duels—its divine role as Hoenn's aerial equilibrator remains bound to primal protocols, no true volition elevating it beyond necessary intervention.
Rayquaza isn't exactly known for its gentle temperament.
Once it detects a territorial breach in its ozone domain, Rayquaza will launch an assault on the intruder without hesitation.
In eras past, humanity's cosmic endeavors faced untold resistance from Rayquaza, until they ultimately breached the blockade of this 'Deity of Celestial Order,' carving a forcible path through the firmament into outer space.
Unfiltered battlefield feeds now confirm the unthinkable: Hoenn's celestial sentinel Rayquaza—ancient leviathan whose very breath quells primal cataclysms—has not merely tolerated a human partner, but actively channels its draconic fury through their commands. Even more shockingly, the chosen Trainer has been witnessed standing astride the Legendary's jade crest mid-flight, an act of trust no Frontier Brain dared theorize.
Wallace could only conclude the world had gone mad.
"Hoenn never ceases to produce remarkable individuals..."
With weariness etched across his features, the reigning Hoenn Champion slumped in his chair—a look of existential fatigue permeating his posture—yet made no move to challenge Steven's hypothesis further.
Wallace understood his dear friend's temperament all too well.
Had there been any alternative avenue, Steven would never have resorted to presenting this theory—let alone approach him specifically regarding Rayquaza's circumstances.
"Decades prior, the Pokémon League clandestinely pursued Project Jade Genesis—a hubristic attempt to reverse-engineer the Crimson and Indigo Orbs' primal wavelengths into an artificial Emerald Resonance Matrix. Their goal? To subjugate Rayquaza's Delta Stream capability. The prototype destabilized upon first activation when unaccounted Z-power harmonics from Mt. Chimney's magma column triggered a continent-scale terraforming pulse, forcing the League to bury both blueprints and hubris beneath Ever Grande's archives."
Steven, noticing Wallace's tacit approval of his hypothesis, proceeded to dredge up the League's past failures—specifically referencing the ill-fated Jade Orb Project—with clinical precision.
"Well... Let's entertain the hypothesis that Rayquaza does indeed have a Trainer."
Here, the debonair heir fell silent for a measured beat.
"My point is—regardless of whether this individual subdued Rayquaza through sheer trainer's prowess to earn its recognition, or achieved what the League failed by forcibly controlling it... this person undoubtedly surpasses both Maxie and Archie in capability. Even you and I might pale in comparison."
Wallace, absorbing Steven's words that demonstrated champion-tier strategic calculus, nodded in measured concurrence.
Acknowledging another's superiority carried minimal weight within these Hoenn Champions' operational parameters.
Moreover, given their demonstrated incapacity to subdue even one of Hoenn's Legendary Titans, any individual capable of legitimately harnessing Rayquaza's power undoubtedly operates on a tier beyond their own.
"But even if we confirm the Rayquaza Trainer theory, panic's unwarranted."Steven remarked pragmatically, eyes fixed on the shadowy figure in the photograph. "Their intervention to repel Groudon and Kyogre during the Hoenn crisis suggests this individual lacks the malicious intent of Maxie or Archie—no signs of exploiting ancient Pokémon power for chaos."
Steven, in fact, harbored a measure of respect for this enigmatic figure who had temporarily quelled the Primal Clash.
Thus, even now, Steven intends to maintain an amicable approach toward this individual, fully acknowledging his presence.
"If we can locate this enigmatic figure, perhaps we could enlist his aid to resolve the Groudon and Kyogre predicament once and for all... Though even should he refuse assistance, we can't exactly press the matter."
"True enough." Wallace conceded in agreement with Steven's proposition.
"Even should this individual decline further involvement, his prior act of dispelling Groudon and Kyogre still solidifies him as Hoenn's unquestioned hero."
Both Wallace and Steven had a crystal-clear grasp of this calculus.Moreover, neither champion was one to rely solely on external aid—resorting to Rayquaza's Trainer represented a last-resort contingency, a deus ex machina to be contemplated only when all conventional solutions had collapsed.
As Hoenn's Champions, they would exhaust every conceivable measure to safeguard the region..
"A Trainer who can genuinely command Rayquaza? I must admit, I'm intrigued to learn what manner of person that might be."
Gradually acclimating to this paradigm, Wallace's eyes gleamed with intrigue. "If circumstances permit, I'd genuinely relish befriending that individual.."
"Likewise."
Exchanging a knowing smile, Wallace and Steven found themselves finally easing somewhat—the tension of cosmic calculus momentarily lifted.
"Incidentally, how many are privy to this matter?"At this juncture, Wallace—still swamped by his duties—finally caught his breath and posed the pivotal question to Steven.
A Rayquaza with a Trainer is no trivial development.
After all, with Teams Magma and Aqua's reckless awakening of Groudon and Kyogre still fresh, news of Rayquaza's harnessing could plunge Hoenn into pandemonium.
Tucking away the photograph, Steven met Wallace's gaze with a reassuring look. "Rest assured—beyond the journalists and analysts I consulted, only fellow Champions and select Elite Four members are privy to this. I've requested they discreetly monitor the Trainer's activities. Allies across each region have been alerted; our priority is locating him to determine his allegiance before any information leaks."
With matters settled, Wallace and Steven saw no reason to linger in the conference room—they had pressing duties demanding attention across Hoenn. This brief exchange had been strictly necessary, yet they'd barely managed to carve out this strategic breather to address critical intel.
"Return, Metagross."Steven recalled his Pokémon and dispelled the psychic barrier preventing eavesdropping to conclude their discussion. With a pat on Wallace's shoulder, the two Champions exited the conference room in practiced succession.
Little did they know—the very Trainer they had mythologized as some omnipotent ace, this so-called 'Rayquaza's acknowledged chosen'—was in reality far more anxious than either Champion could have fathomed.....
...
"Caterpie, our Dragon Ascent drills are finally showing results. Keep this momentum, and we might actually outmaneuver those titans."
"Mee!"
In the warmth of their home, Alex stood poised before the specialized Pokéblock crafting station. With practiced flair, she continued hyping Caterpie about their 'grand strategic roadmap' while deftly portioning choice Berries into the whirring Berry Blender.
With precision, the steel gears engaged a juicing mechanism—crushing the Berries into pulp before homogenizing the mixture. Through the blender's centrifugal force, glistening cubic Pokéblocks gradually coalesced within the crystallization chamber.
While maintaining the machinery's rhythm with one hand, Alex kept up his verbal strategizing. "Also, mindlessly drilling moves isn't optimal. I'm planning an expedition back to Hoenn—we'll be venturing into hazardous zones en route. Perfect opportunity to hone actual combat skills. Far more effective for strength progression than isolated training."
"Mee!"Caterpie clambered up to Alex's feet and nodded in earnest affirmation of its Trainer's statement.
"Hmm... But with Hoenn-bound flights still grounded for now, we can utilize Unova's wilderness hotspots for field training until routes reopen."
Alex's hands never faltered as he multitasked with practiced efficiency. Within moments, the Berry Blender under his masterful control began extracting nutrient-rich essence from the Berries, its industrial-grade filtration system gradually purging impurities into the waste compartment while the rotors whirred at optimal RPM.
"Click!"
As the crafting cycle concluded, the high-speed rotors whirred to a halt. Resting atop the Berry Blender's dispensing tray gleamed ten crystalline Pokéblocks—their pristine facets refracting light like cut gemstones while exuding a crisp, botanical fragrance.
"Mee!"At the first whiff of the aroma, Caterpie instinctively widened its eyes to saucer-like proportions, antennae quivering with visceral anticipation.
With a wry smile tugging at his lips, Alex retrieved the freshly crafted Pokéblocks and deposited them into Caterpie's bowl. He watched the eager larva plunge headfirst into the feast—antennae still twitching with residual excitement—before settling onto the adjacent couch to observe the feeding frenzy unfold.
Objectively speaking, even the culinary regimens of Elite-tier Trainers' Pokémon pale in comparison to the nutrient optimization Caterpie receives under Alex's meticulous care.
Alex currently harbors no intentions of capturing new Pokémon, instead channeling every ounce of his focus into Caterpie's development. He spares no expense in procuring premium-grade Pokéblocks tailored to its physiology, even liquidating personal savings to acquire Silver Powder—a coveted Bug-type enhancement item—which he now meticulously blends into the larva's nutrient regimen.
What level of care is this?
This is the ultimate treatment befitting the world's foremost Caterpie!
"Bled my savings dry for your sake."Recalling the exorbitant price tag of that Silver Powder, Alex instinctively winced at the memory—his face momentarily contorting into what Pokémon Center nurses might classify as acute fiscal distress syndrome.
But as Alex watched Caterpie's blissfully satiated form radiating contentment, the financial sting of that Silver Powder investment began to fade—its worth validated by the Pokémon's thriving vitality.
Afterward, Alex accessed the system interface again, carefully scrutinizing the mission log displayed on the panel.
The allure of rewards had tempered Alex's aversion to the system's tasks—truth be told, apart from that preposterous initial assignment, the missions issued were proving surprisingly manageable.
Now housing several new entries on his task list, Alex zeroed in on the most low-effort objective through the system interface.
[System Task: Secure the Rookie Cup Championship.]
[System Task: Execute a Trainer Physique Enhancement.]
Yikes, feels like I'm veering onto some bizarre path here..