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She was already prepared.
May had already taken off her Magma Suit and was catching her breath. She had no intention of facing it in heavy, hard-to-move armor. If she was going to do it, she was going to fight fair and square. She wanted her opponent to see her clearly.
She caught sight of it from behind the rocks - the awakened ancient Pokémon, Groudon, didn't even look at her, and seemed to be absorbing energy for Primal Reversion. If she was going to stop them, now was the time. If she let them, who had returned to their primal form, go to the surface, the world would surely end.
Everyone would vanish.
She felt a surge of excitement at the challenge before her. She was determined not to fail.
At first, she wondered why it was me. Shouldn't Maxie and Tabitha of Team Magma take responsibility? Shouldn't the grown-ups deal with it? Was this a problem that a child like myself could handle? But it didn't matter anymore. She didn't have the slightest idea that she had to do it. She just thought she had to stop them, so she did, and that's all.
She thought this was a very simple and naive way of thinking. After successfully riding Groudon through the magma, she was thrilled at her ability to take on any challenge.
Suddenly, she looked at her PokéNav. It was no longer useful in the depths of the Hoenn region. Her connection to the outside world had been severed... As she stared blankly at the black screen, May realised that she could only rely on herself and her Pokémon now.
There was no point in staying here and taking deep breaths forever. With a surge of determination, May took a deep breath, steadied herself, and took a step forward.
Her heart pounded with excitement. Sweat gushed out from the heat of the magma, and her eyes and mouth were dry and parched.
When she jumped out from behind the rocks, Groudon didn't even notice her, which was just as well because she needed to get a move on. She knew she had to get closer, much closer.
With each step she took, she felt like the ground was shaking. She didn't know if it was really shaking, or if she was just hallucinating because her heart was beating so loudly.
Although her eyes were wide open, Groudon's figure was blurred and the faces of everyone waiting outside flickered in her mind. Brendan, Steven, Wallace, Maxie, Tabitha, Archie - and the people she had met and the scenery she had seen flashed through her mind. Professor Birch in Littleroot Town, Wally in Petalburg City, the sea at Dewford and Slateport and Mr.Briney...her father and mother. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't told her parents at all, she realised. But perhaps that was for the best. Because it might have shaken her resolve.
Maxie bowed her head and asked her to save the world. Steven smiled and told her that she would be fine. Brendan, with a tearful, crumpled face, told her to do her best. There was no lie in their words or their hearts. They must have trusted May with everything, believing she could do it. But May was prepared for a possibility they didn't want - death.
No, maybe the adults didn't expect her to come back alive. Maybe they only said they were waiting outside and had run away, using her as a distraction. But May didn't want to think like that. She believed in everyone. That's why she made up her mind. To die here as a sacrifice. Even if she defeated Groudon, it would be difficult to escape from this magma-filled land.
She was already prepared.
She wasn't afraid of death. She didn't understand it. She couldn't be afraid, but - but she didn't want to never see everyone outside again.
Then the Poké Balls on May's waist shook slightly, as if to encourage her. Had they prepared themselves, too? Prepared to fight with death and responsibility on their shoulders?
As she crept closer and closer to the edge of their presence, May finally stopped.
How much easier it was when she was walking. She felt like she would fall over if she didn't put strength into her legs.
She looked up at the pitiful ancient Pokémon that had awakened. The opponent seemed to finally recognize her, and turned its shining eyes towards her.
"Groudon."
As she called out to them, they opened their mouths as if to respond.
Their roar sounded like the earth screaming. May felt they are crying. Groudon curled up, and suddenly they were enveloped in light and Primal Reversion began. Had they recognized her as an enemy? In the blinding light and intense hot wind, May braced herself more than ever, putting power into her hands and feet. She put so much strength into her hands that her nails dug into her palms and blood oozed out, and her running shoes, which she had kicked on the ground, were burned and had holes in them. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and her eyes sparkled and she couldn't see. Yet May stood.
Eventually, the Groudon that had achieved Primordial Reversal manifested as if in bloom. At the same time, the heat that had been there disappeared as if it had been a lie, and her vision became clear.
Primal Groudon felt many times larger than Groudon. It wriggled its black, raw, shining belly, raised its sharp claws and tail as if threatening, and roared again. It would be easy for the Primordial Groudon to blow May away with a single sweep of its large hand. Primal Groudon raised her hand, and May moved almost at the same time.
*****
Outside the Cave of Origin in Sootopolis City, it was quiet. The glaring sun was robbing everyone waiting outside of their energy and will to talk.
It was nothing compared to her fighting in the underground, Brendan thought. Still, he was disgusted with himself for being so exhausted by the heat.
"...Thinking too much isn't good, Brendan."
Steven, sitting next to him, called out. Brendan just gave a blank stare and kept his frown on. He didn't like him. Even in this situation, he spoke in a way that annoyed Brendan and smiled in a way that seemed fake. Wasn't he the one who sent May to the underground? He wanted to grab Steven by the collar and punch him. He wanted to scream at him to do something.
Even though he was the Champion.
He had never felt so bad in his life. He didn't want anyone to notice, so he kept his face down and sat with his head in his hands.
"I know how you feel."
I doubt it. Brendan thought, but he didn't say anything.
"We made her face danger alone. If something happens to her, I'm going to take responsibility."
"...Take responsibility?"
The words came out of his mouth unintentionally. Steven was silent for a while, but then replied.
"We have a responsibility to her and to this world."
"We? I'm NOT like you -!"
He ;ooked up and raised his voice, but then gasped in the middle sentence. As he spoke, he realized something.
Brendan knew that May had been doing something lately, but he didn't try to interfere. He thought it was for her own good, but was he being hypocritical? Was he just protecting himself? Was he looking away, thinking that it had nothing to do with him?
"I'm sorry."
How pitiful. Brendan put his head in his hands again.
"No, it was my fault. I've been nervous, and it's not good."
Since then. It had been about three hours since he saw May leave for the Cave of Origin. It was almost evening, but the setting sun was shining redder than at noon.
"She," unable to bear the silence again, Brendan spoke up.
"May is that kind of person. Once she decides to do something, she does it right away. I know that she won't listen to anyone who tries to stop her. That's why."
That's why he didn't stop her. He couldn't stop her.
"I wondered why it had to be May. I wanted to stop her so badly at that time. I wanted to tell her to leave it to the adults and not to push herself. But I guess she doesn't realize that she's pushing herself."
The last half was almost a monologue.
"...Brendan," Steven didn't have much to say, but he just asked.
"Do you think May will fail?"
"No way," he raised his face. He could say this with confidence.
"I believe that she will come back safe."
"I see. Then we're the same. Let's wait here until she comes back."
The other person smiled softly. When Brendan saw that, he suddenly thought that this person, too, probably wanted to put his head in his hands like he did, but couldn't. Because of his position.
Suddenly, a voice came from the sky. He had never heard it before, but it sounded like a Pokémon's cry. As Brendan looked up at the sky in wonder, Steven opened his mouth in surprise.
"Latias...?"
As if in response to the voice, a crimson Pokémon appeared.
"Why is she here...? I see, Latios, who is with May!"
"What do you mean?"
Brendan stood up and approached the Pokémon and Steven, who was running towards it.
"Well, it would take a long time to explain. This Pokémon, Latias, has a strong bond with Latios, who is with May right now. They have a special power called Sight-sharing...hey look!"
Steven pointed at Latias with an excited voice. Latias' golden eyes lit up and suddenly the view changed.
"Huh...? Where is this...?"
It wasn't Sootopolis City, where they were supposed to be. Brendan and Steven were standing on a small island surrounded by a sea of magma.
"What the hell...? May!"
Brendan shouted when he found a small figure confronting a large creature. It's May. May is facing Groudon...!
But no matter how many times he called out to her, May didn't respond to his words. And - Brendan noticed. Even though they were in this magma, they didn't feel the heat. They couldn't hear the sound of the surrounding rock walls collapsing.
"This is just an image. We're seeing the scene that Latios, who is next to May, is seeing through Latias."Steven's face was stern as he said that. He must have been worry about the situation May was in now.
"You knew where May and the others were going, and you flew here."
But that was only for a short time. He stroked Latias's neck, who was delivering the image, and smiled gently.
*****
"May!"
May jumped up, feeling like she heard a voice nearby. It was just her imagination... but it was too clear to be her imagination.
She had to concentrate. She knew that if she lost her concentration now, she would lose consciousness. She couldn't feel the heat anymore. She had almost no feeling in her hands and feet. May nodded to the faceless voice, giving instructions to her Pokémon.
All of them were close to their limits. Still, they fought desperately. Among them, Latios stayed close to May, protecting her with Mist Ball. If they could just subdue her a little more, or... She looked at her opponent, who was getting weaker just like her.
Groudon.
They were crying because they were worried about the present, where they didn't belong. May understood that very well.
She was also worried when she moved to Hoenn, and she missed Johto. But now she loved this green Hoenn and its people.
So surely. This child will also come to accept this place. She wanted to teach them that they had a place here, too.
May clenched the Poké Ball and threw it with a wish.
*****
Feeling the weight of her new friend, however, May was at a loss. She had no idea how to get back. She was reluctant to release Groudon again, and the magma tunnel she had gone through to get here seemed to be about to collapse... Ah, am I going to die here after all?
"May!"
Then she heard a voice again.
"...Brendan...?"
It wasn't her imagination, she could clearly hear his voice.
"May! This way!"
"Steven."
Their voices could be heard from somewhere. May ran as if guided by them. Inside the crumbling cave, she could see a passage like a staircase in the gap between the rocks. The faint breeze made May hope that it would lead to the outside. But even taking one step at a time was painful for her.
She lost her strength and was about to fall, but a blue light supported her in an instant.
"Thank you."
Latios urged her to get on his back. May held back her tears and straddled him.
"Thank you, guys."
She thanked the Pokémon and the faceless humans. She was sure they had been watching her the whole time.
Now was not the time to cry. She had to smile as she went outside. Feeling the cool breeze, May smiled.
Now let's all return to the surface of Hoenn.