The crisis on the eastern front had been temporarily resolved, but Julian did not leave. Instead, he stayed with the officials to help escort the evacuees.

  As the sky gradually darkehe stars were obscured by thick clouds, and the salty sea breeze stirred up sand and dust on the ground.

  "That's strahe weather today doesn't suggest it should rain tonight"

  An old fisherman muttered, puzzled by the unusual ditions.

  Julian checked the time. There were thirteen minutes left before Kyogre arrived.

  The ominous ges in the sky were a sign of Kyogre's immi approach.

  In thirteen mihe legendary Pokémon—the Sea God Kyogre—would arrive in Haitian City.

  "Hoeople have not been evacuated yet?"

  Julian asked one of the officials beside him.

  "Over five million, many elderly people have difficulty moving, and there are tless patients in the hospitals. Their families are unwilling to leave them behind," the official said with a bitter face.

  Haitian City had a popution of ht million, and evacuating everyone in such a short time was an impossible task.

  Even though more than two hours had passed sihe evacuation order was issued, the majority of the popution had yet to leave.

  The sudden evacuation order, bined with the attacks from Water-type Pokémon, had throwire city into chaos.

  "May I ask what exactly is happening in Haitian City?"

  The official, notig the solemn expression on Julian's fad the t, fearsome Aggron standing beside him, summoned his ce to ask.

  What could Julian say?

  Should Julian expin that in just over ten minutes, Kyogre would arrive in Haitian City, and with a single Surf, the legendary Pokémon could obliterate the ey?

  Julian didn't respond. He didn't know how to answer.

  Right now, the priority was to locate whatever was attrag the swarm of Water-type Pokémon—and Kyogre.

  With only a few minutes left, there was no way to relocate five million people in time.

  Although the president of the Drakorian Trainers Association and the nation's stro Champion, Duke, was on his way.

  He was still too far from Haitian City.

  Kyogre would reach the city a full twenty minutes before Duke, more than enough time to devastate the city dozens of times over.

  Even trainers like Wade and others with peak Elite-level strength would be no match for a first-css legendary Pokémon. To a being like Kyogre, even a peak Elite trainer was merely a slightly bigger ant.

  The immense power of a first-css legendary Pokémon was beyond the scope of ordinary human uanding of Pokémon.

  Most ordinary citizens in Haitian City had no idea what was happening.

  However, some of the looble families had mao glean bits and pieces of the truth through various els.

  ---

  The Miller Family Estate

  Derek was attempting to calm a small blue Pokémon fined within an isotion box.

  The Pokémon's fragile and i gaze stirred a powerful urge in Derek to release it.

  Erick had just finished a call. As he hung up, his face was filled with disbelief. He walked over, staring bnkly at the small blue Pokémon fined in the isotion box.

  "What's wrong, big brother?"

  Derek asked, notig his brother's unusual expression.

  "Kyogre is ing to Haitian City," Erick said absentmindedly.

  Derek froze for a moment before his face mirrored his brother's shock. Realizing something, he suddenly turned his gaze to the small blue Pokémon.

  "Big brother—you're not saying—"

  "Yes," Eriodded. "Kyogre must be ing for it."

  This unassuming little Pokémon had somehow mao attract the attention of the legendary Pokémon, Kyogre.

  Though it appeared so weak, it had drawn tless Water-types, and now even Kyogre was on its way.

  "What do we do now, big brother?"

  Derek panicked immediately, this was Kyogre they were talking about—a being so powerful that even champions would flee in its presence. How could the Miller Family possibly stand against it?

  "We keep it of course, if Kyogre truly is here for this Pokémon, then it must be incredibly important to Kyogre. If—if—we could seize this opportunity, perhaps we could trol Kyogre."

  Erick's inally absent-minded eyes suddenly burst into a wild, ambitious gleam, his sudden madness making the small Pokémon in the isotion box shiver.

  'He's lost his mind. Big brother has gone mad!'

  This was Kyogre, a first-css legendary! The very thought of trolling it was insanity.

  One sneeze from Kyogre could obliterate the entire Miller Family.

  Watg his brother's crazed expression, Derek was thteo speak.

  It wasn't until Erick's expression gradually calmed, though his eyes still burned with ambition, that Derek cautiously asked.

  "Big brother, are you serious about this?"

  Erick abruptly turo him, his posed face sending a chill down Derek's spine.

  "Third Brother, do you want the Miller Family to remain nothing more than a stepping stone for families like the Walker and Drakes?"

  "I've had enough of this. Enough! The deaths of your son and my son—they caused it. Have you fotten that hatred?"

  "Kyogre—this is Kyogre we're talking about! If we trol it, the Walker and Drake families will be nothing. Even Drakoria itself, no—the entire world—will bow to the Miller Family!"

  Erick's heart was ed by hatred, anger, and a thirst for power.

  Derek's reasoning, however, remained intact. Though the mention of his son stirred a deep hatred in his heart, his rationality suppressed it.

  A first-css legendary might just be trolble, but if they failed, it wouldn't just be the Miller Family that faced destru—it would be all of Haitian City.

  Though Derek wasly a good man, he couldn't ighe fate of the millions living in Haitian City.

  Above Haitian City

  Juliahe Dowsing Mae in his hand, sing the area in hopes of finding the cause of Kyogre and the tless Water-types' unusual behavior.

  Perhaps the cause of their movement was a certain treasure.

  If it was some kind of treasure, the Dowsing Mae should be able to locate it.

  The s dispyed ten red dots, but none of them were particurly rge.

  For something capable of attrag Kyogre, the treasure would have to be incredibly rare and precious—something the tiny dots on the Dowsing Mae couldn't possibly match.

  The range of the Dowsing Mae was fifty kilometers, so he would o sweep around Haitian City multiple times to plete a thh search.

  While nothing signifit had been fou, Julian remained hopeful that the area might reveal something.

  There were six minutes left before Kyogre arrived.

  The rain begun to fall, and the winds were growing stronger.

  "Jiggly... puff..."

  Julian's ph.

  "Hey, Dad"

  "Julia out of Haitian City immediately!"

  His father, Jake, ordered with a mix of sternness and worry.

  A sed ter, his mother, Tina, took the phone.

  "Little Julian, please e home! Mom's begging you, e back!"

  "sob...sob.."

  Her voice trembled before dissolving into sobs.

  Julian fell silent.

  A first-css legendary was a force even champions couldn't stand a ce against, let alone Julian, who was not even ae.

  For Jake and Tina, the fate of Haitian City was sedary. Although they were trainers, they were parents first. And to any parent, their child's safety came above all else.