Want to read ahead. You know where
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Sootopolis City.
The once-crowded conference room now sat in silence, the echo of hurried footsteps still lingering in the air.
Most of the gathered elites from the Hoenn Region had already dispersed.
Wallace and Steven had all gone their separate ways, so to reassure the shaken citizens of Sootopolis, others to track the paths carved by the rampaging Kyogre and Groudon.
The two titans were moving inexorably toward their destined eting point: right here, in Sootopolis City.
Even Champions like Cynthia and Alder had stepped in, lending aid wherever they could, coordinating relief efforts, and maintaining order.
And now, only one person remained in the room.
Sam.
He stood slowly, brushing nonexistent dust from his coat.
He was just about to leave when the doors creaked open.
A figure stepped inside.
Cloaked and quiet, their footsteps were almost soundless against the polished floor.
At first glance, Sam assud it was a man, with a tall, confident stride and a presence that carried weight.
But as the person approached, sothing shifted.
The shape, the movents, the air about them… more feminine than masculine.
Then the figure pulled back the hood.
Long, slightly ssy hair fell over her forehead, shadowing her eyes.
Her expression was complex to read through the fringe.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"And you are?"
The outfit was strange, definitely not sothing anyone from city hall would wear.
Not a League official either.
Before he could say more, the woman dropped to one knee.
Sam blinked. "...Huh?"
Is this how people greet each other in Hoenn?
He froze in place, utterly thrown off.
"You are?" he asked again, more cautious this ti.
The woman lifted her head slightly and swept her hair aside, revealing a striking, determined face. Sharp eyes t his.
Sam's expression changed instantly.
Recognition clicked into place.
"You're... Zinnia. From the Draconid people."
Zinnia's eyes lit up with a flash of understanding.
So he knew.
Her certainty deepened.
This man had to be the inheritor—the one chosen by Rayquaza.
Zinnia bowed her head once again, this ti with unmistakable reverence.
"teor Clan's Zinnia, at your service," she said clearly.
"Inheritor… please accept the sacred treasure of our people."
With both hands, she lifted a small, fist-sized stone toward him.
Sam stared at it.
"A sacred treasure?" he muttered.
"Inheritor? What are you talking about?"
Zinnia remained kneeling.
"Please, take it. The sacred relic of the teor Clan. You… you'll understand."
Still frowning, Sam accepted the stone, letting it rest in his palm.
It looked ordinary.
Unimpressive, even.
But the mont his skin touched it, sothing within him stirred.
A quiet hum began in his chest, no, deeper than that.
The three divine forces within him pulsed faintly, reaching out to the stone like they recognized it.
Then, without warning, the stone ignited in a burst of radiant light.
Colors burst forth, brilliant and vivid, filling the conference room in a shimring kaleidoscope.
It was like a rainbow had been trapped inside, finally freed.
Zinnia gasped, overco with emotion, and pressed her forehead to the floor.
"It's real...!"
Sam narrowed his eyes at the glowing stone in his hand.
'That's... not normal.'
Focusing, he activated the system's probing ability to analyze it.
[Rainbow Stone (Incomplete)]
[Contains: High concentrations of ancient energy.]
[Function: Serves as a key to open the Sky Pillar.]
[Note: Currently incomplete. Full power cannot be accessed.]
Sam exhaled slowly.
Things were moving faster than he expected.
He looked down at the woman still kneeling before him.
"You can stand now," he said, voice calm but firm.
Sam glanced at Zinnia, still kneeling respectfully on the floor, and waved a hand.
"So this is the key to enter the Sky Pillar?"
Zinnia imdiately rose to her feet upon receiving his signal.
She bowed slightly and replied with solemn reverence, "Yes, Inheritor."
"You're with the Draconid Tribe, right?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Then you should know exactly where the Sky Pillar is."
Zinnia placed both hands neatly at her sides and gave a slight bow.
"Reporting to the Inheritor," she said with crisp formality, "we do know."
"The Sky Pillar is a sacred place, built long ago by our ancestors to honor Lord Rayquaza, the Dragon God. It's where we pray for his blessing and protection."
Sam frowned slightly at the formal title.
"Hold on. 'Inheritor'? Why are you calling that?"
Zinnia raised her head slightly, her gaze earnest.
"We were guided by the Dragon God's will. The signs were clear, you carry an aura. The one destined to awaken Lord Rayquaza."
Sam remained quiet for a mont, trying to process it all.
Zinnia, seeing his hesitation, began recounting everything, the visions, the ons, the ancient texts.
Everything the Draconid people believed pointed to him.
And while her explanation was passionate and full of conviction, Sam only grew more confused the longer she spoke.
'Why would Rayquaza choose ?'
Was it because he looked good?
He glanced at his reflection in a polished wall.
Sure, he wasn't exactly hard on the eyes.
And yeah, he carried the power of the three forces in him.
But co on, did Pokémon even share human standards of beauty?
Maybe it was because he was a transmigrator?
He ran through the possibilities in his head, one after another, but none of them made sense.
Eventually, Sam just gave up trying to understand it.
With a light sigh, he looked over at Zinnia, who stood quietly by, awaiting his command.
"In that case," he said, slipping the Rainbow Stone into his pocket, "let's head to the Sky Pillar."
Zinnia bowed her head.
"Yes, Master Inheritor. Please follow ."
Sam climbed onto Silver.
Zinnia called out her own Salance, the dragon's wings unfurling with a powerful gust of wind.
Together, they took off, soaring southward from Sootopolis City, the sea stretching endlessly beneath them.
They flew for hours.
Eight, to be exact.
Even the mighty Lugia and Salance showed signs of fatigue by the ti the ocean finally broke its monotony.
A distant silhouette erged from the horizon.
Zinnia pointed ahead.
"Master Inheritor! That's it, Sky Pillar is just ahead!"
Sam nodded, squinting toward the island now taking shape below.
The landmass wasn't large, maybe 30 acres at most, but at its center stood a massive stone tower that pierced the clouds above.
Despite the erosion of sea winds and the passage of ti, the structure remained whole.
Unshaken. Eternal.
A gentle glow surrounded the island, as though so ancient force guarded it still.
Sam felt the hair on his arms rise.
"The Sky Pillar," he murmured.
"Rayquaza..."
The thought of eting the Legendary Dragon, face to face, tightened his chest.
No matter how many lifetis he'd lived, so monts could still shake him.
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