Crack!!
The ground beneath them suddenly split with a thunderous crack, a massive fissure spreading rapidly.
Johan and Steven leapt back just in time.
Boom!
A colossal figure, heavy as a falling boulder, descended with a shuddering impact, standing between them and the path ahead.
Its body was an amalgamation of gray and orange stones, humanoid in shape with thick arms and legs. On its head, an "H"-shaped pattern of glowing red dots pulsed ominously, like warning lights.
This was one of the guardians of the Tree of Beginning—the Rock Titan, Regirock, a member of the legendary Regis!
Even standing still, its overwhelming presence radiated an intense pressure that weighed heavily on the two trainers.
"That's..." Steven's voice was filled with awe as he stared at the towering figure. "The Rock Titan—Regirock!"
As an avid enthusiast of all things geological, Steven had encountered his fair share of ancient inscriptions and ruins. Though not as renowned as Cynthia, he was a respectable amateur archaeologist.
The Regis—especially Regirock and Registeel—were legendary treasures of his interest.
His gaze at Regirock was not one of fear, but of admiration, as if beholding a flawless masterpiece.
Johan gave him a side glance, his expression calm.
"Yeah, just a two-meter-tall giant."
That observation allowed him to breathe a small sigh of relief.
The Regis were originally created by Regigigas to act as its guardians, and countless of them were scattered across the regions in ancient times.
Among them, the strongest Regis would one day awaken under Steven's command to join a battle against Groudon and Kyogre, lasting 22 days straight.
The Regis slumbering beneath Hoenn's ruins were larger and presumably more powerful.
But the two-meter-tall Regirock before them...
Steven might just be able to handle this one, Johan thought, albeit with some doubt.
"Reeegi!!"
The glowing red lights on Regirock's "face" flared as it roared, swinging its massive arms. The stone limbs morphed into sharp, jagged spikes that hurtled toward Johan and Steven with unrelenting force.
It was Stone Edge!
"Metagross!"
Steven didn't need Johan's command. With a shout, Steven's shiny Metagross surged forward, its metal claws glowing a brilliant silver as it intercepted the attack head-on.
Clang!
The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
"Steven's really come a long way," Johan murmured.
Although pseudo-Legendaries were notoriously difficult to train, once fully evolved, their power skyrocketed.
Steven's ace, his shiny Metagross, had reached a level that surpassed most gym leaders' main Pokémon.
At this rate, Steven might soon have what it takes to challenge the Elite Four.
Looks like I'm not the only one making progress, Johan thought.
Regirock and Metagross separated after their clash, though Metagross was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Luca!"
Nearby, Lucario hurled a glowing blue Aura Sphere at Regirock.
Sensing hostility and unable to communicate with the guardian, Lucario had chosen to fight.
Johan wasted no time, releasing three Poké Balls in quick succession while Gengar floated to his side.
"All four, let's go!"
This marked Johan's first time commanding all four of his main Pokémon simultaneously.
"Use Toxic! Set up Reflect! Sword Dance, and Water Gun!"
Although Johan issued four commands at once, each Pokémon immediately knew its task. Their mutual trust and understanding shone through.
Lucario watched in awe as it sensed the strong bonds of Aura between Johan and his Pokémon.
"Ka-kah!"
Gengar emerged from Regirock's shadow, its mischievous grin widening as it hurled a burst of venomous toxins at the stone giant.
Vulpix's eyes glowed with psychic energy as shimmering Reflect barriers layered over their team.
Tinkatuff set down its hammer, its entire body radiating a metallic clanging as it performed Swords Dance.
"Driii~~"
Dratini inhaled deeply before unleashing a high-pressure torrent of water at Regirock's face.
Whoooosh!
"Reeegi..."
Regirock staggered as the Water Gun drenched it.
If it had the capacity for thought, it would surely be complaining: Who's the one not playing fair now?!
"Metagross, one more Meteor Mash!" Steven commanded.
Boom!
As Regirock reeled, Metagross's mighty steel fist delivered another blow.
It was a seamless sequence of teamwork.
Vulpix froze Regirock's legs with ice, allowing Lucario's Aura Sphere to strike unerringly.
Dratini's Water Gun obscured Regirock's vision, setting up Metagross for a direct hit.
"Almost ready?" Johan asked, glancing at Tinkatuff.
The pink Pokémon stood confidently, hands on its hips.
"Chu! s(｀ヘ´)ゞ"
Swords Dance had maxed out its attack power.
Gripping its hammer, it locked eyes with Johan.
"Perfect," Johan said with a grin.
"Vulpix, Helping Hand!"
"Oowu~~"
Vulpix's aura surged, bolstering Tinkatuff's power.
"Dratini, lend it some speed."
"Driii!"
Dratini nodded, inhaling deeply once more.
As Tinkatuff braced itself, a silvery frost danced along its hammer, combining with Dratini's Water Gun to accelerate its charge.
The icy barrier reduced friction, propelling Tinkatuff forward like a bullet.
In an instant, the tiny Pokémon was at Regirock's feet, its hammer raised high.
BOOM!!
The hammer came crashing down with devastating force, colliding simultaneously with Metagross's Meteor Mash.
Regirock was sent hurtling backward, smashing into the ground.
"Chu!"
Tinkatuff landed with a wince, rubbing its back. The high-speed impact had taken a toll.
Still, its grin returned as it subtly slipped a palm-sized gray stone into its hammer's compartment.
"Hurry back!" Johan called.
"Chu?"
Tinkatuff paused, then scrambled back to his side.
"Are we even making progress?" Steven asked, frowning.
Johan shook his head, watching as Regirock slowly rose again.
"Not really," Johan admitted.
While they had landed several good hits, Regirock's immense endurance and the energy supplied by the Tree of Beginning made it nearly indestructible.
"This is just the first line of defense," Johan muttered.
Steven scowled. "What about the other two? Regice and Registeel?"
Johan smirked.
"Don't worry, I've called for reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?" Steven blinked.
Just then, a distant roar echoed through the air.
"Chomp!"
"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!"
A blue-purple blur streaked across the sky. With a thunderous roar, Garchomp descended like a meteor, slamming into Regirock and sending it flying once more.
"Made it in time?"
Cynthia stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the battlefield.
Her eyes lingered briefly on Johan, ensuring he was unharmed, before shifting to the toppled Regirock.
"Just in time," Johan replied with a nod.
Standing beside Cynthia, though looking less enthusiastic, was a blonde-haired girl with a sharp glare—Caitlin.
With Cynthia's expertise and Caitlin's unparalleled psychic abilities, Johan finally felt like they had the upper hand.
One guardian for each: Cynthia, Steven, and Caitlin.
As he watched them prepare, a thought crossed Johan's mind.
When they all become Champions or Elite Four, maybe I can just call them up whenever trouble arises.
He grinned at the image.
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Powerstones?
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