Groudon is said to be the personification of the land itself. Legends tell of its many clashes against Kyogre, as each sought to gain the power of nature.




Groudon is only L45

If you beat Groudon and head back, everyone acts like you caught it, down to giving you the orb for primal evolution. And it is very, very easy to beat Groudon.

Catching it is a lot more difficult because they’ve changed it so Groudon now learns rest twenty levels earlier and so has a healing move for the fight. It’d have been much better to have a tougher Groudon without a healing move for epic battle stakes.

Anyway, Groudon only knows a fire move and two ground moves, so Latios either took little damage or was immune. I had him whittle down and paralyze Groudon over and over. On my third reset, I stalemated long enough that Groudon ran out of moves and started struggling. On my fourth reset I used the damn masterball.

A greenish beam of light shoots into the air, the golden sky turns blue again, and then green sparkles float down all over the world.

Lucki heads back out to see the crowd.

Lucki! So it’s all over… says Failrival

Lucki, we owe you great thanks, says Steven. He then stares up at the sky that’s still snowing green energy. Look above you. The sky over Sootopolis has returned to normal. “Even our nightly radioactive snowfall has come back!”

Somehow, it’s…so warm… says probably Archie over on the bridge, because it’s time for my favoritest thing, NPCs I don’t even particularly like to start with chatting among themselves.

Is the energy that had been amassed deep within the Cave of Origin now flowing out to pour over the greater world? wonders Maxie. Which suggests that having it pile up in there may not be the best solution either.

It’s as if the uncertainty and fear from moments ago never even existed, says Tabster. I’m actually a lot more uncertain and fearful about radioactive snow. Glowing sky was just pretty. Resembles sunset or an aurora. (Hm – what if the intense sunlight effect is actually an alteration in the earth’s magnetic field, so that the solar wind is no longer being redirected away from us?)

My heart feels like it’s been softly set at ease…


Why? And why are we spending time listening to you anyway?

Back to Archie, who continues the “why is this even a thing” with a solid … The sea or the land… Pokemon or humanity… All this time we’ve just been trying to grab onto happiness for one of them, even if it meant destroying the other…


Only that really wasn’t gotten across very well. Maxie referenced helping humanity but Team Magma didn’t articulate a “fuck everything else” ideology as clearly as they could have, and Aqua’s been a cipher this whole game.

Look at how things have turned out, now that the world’s got its natural balance back…


Okay so even ignoring RADIOACTIVE SNOW, I’m otherwise just seeing status quo. Whatever problems made you think humanity needed to all drown for the sake of pokemon still exist.

Now, looking at the total clusterfuck of Maxie’s attempt to use Groudon, I can understand you realizing that the basic plan of waking up the apocalypse isn’t a good one and that everyone’s better off if neither is active. But that doesn’t prove that the world needs a balance of humans and pokemon, it just proves neither group wants a massive change in the basic environment. Pokemon (and possibly humans) might still be better off with the other group eliminated.

We’ve got to rethink this thing from the start… We’ve got to redo everything we’ve done from scratch–and get it right this time.


Of course, I suppose it’s also possible Archie means that wow, wow if your calculations were this off with Groudon, better make the whole Kyogre Doomsday team do all their work over again. Only then can plan kill all humans proceed in a manner safe for pokemon happiness!

Whaddaya say? Maxie…


Why do you even want him helping you think about things? He’s just proven he has some stupid, stupid thoughts.

… says Maxie. I suppose…you may be right…


About what? All he did was remark that radioactive snow somehow proves doomsday plans wrong.

However… Personally, in my case… Some wrongs cannot be atoned for, no matter how you try to right them. And I have committed wrongs so great as to bring the whole world to its knees. It may be that I… It may be too much to assume that I should deserve the chance to start anything over.


MAY BE? Maxie, you were okay breaking a few billion eggs here, you’re going to jail.

Leader… says Casual Friday. Without a doubt, you have committed an offense that can never be forgiven.


It’s a lot simpler than that. He committed a crime. He goes to jail now.

You have wronged not only Team Magma but all living things on this planet, whether great or small.


And most of that was intentional. Which is why he goes to jail now.

However, that is precisely why you must now set things right.


No! No it isn’t! It’s why he goes to jail now!

You must continue to atone for the sins you have committed, even at the risk of your own life… To set right the wrongs you’ve done, without running away in fear– isn’t that how an adult accepts responsibility?


AN ADULT GOES TO JAIL BECAUSE THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO BE LEGALLY HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS

…

Yeah you better shut up.

Should you find the resolve to do so inside yourself, then I… Team Magma Admin Tabitha… I will serve at your side as counsel forever.


YOU’RE ALL HORRIBLE PEOPLE AND YOU DON’T GET TO DECIDE HOW YOU FEEL LIKE HANDLING THIS, THE JUDGE DOES.

T-Tabitha… … Thank you.


Why is no one else intervening? Where are the police officers? Do I have to do everything?

Archie, clearly sulking about how Maxie doesn’t even care about what they used to have and is all “T-Tabitha” instead, walks away to where I am.

Y’know… Someday we adults are gonna have to hand this world off to this little scamp and the rest of her generation. But what kinda world are we adults gonna make? What kinda world do we wanna pass to these kids?


Global warming metaphor maxed.

If we haven’t even figured that out ourselves, we’re never gonna get anywhere. So are we gonna make a world where everyone can coexist together? Or, after all, is it gonna be a world that we claim by force? One that we fight and scrabble over… I don’t know, but I think we can at least start by giving it some time and thinking it over. All of us can do that, whether we’re Team Aqua or Team Magma or whatever…


And then Maxie comes over.

You were able to use that Blue Orb to great effect, so I imagine you will also be able to handle this. Have Groudon hold it, and you should be able to control its Primal Reversion for at least a short period, such as during a battle.


Yes. Give me that. Nothing bad will happen.

And that’s it from me! Later, scamp! says Archie despite the fact there’s no reason to wait for someone else to talk to me before finishing his own conversation,

Farewell, says Maxie, and he walks off first.

Steven …s. Team Magma and Team Aqua are made up of people with completely opposing ideals and goals. Would’ve been nice to see more of Aqua if the idea is contrast. But perhaps even they can learn to meet halfway…one small concession at a time.


Really, the only agreement I was seeing there was a mutual refusal to do prison time.

I know it’s too much to expect that everything will change at once, but… I hope this crisis might at least help them take that first vital step forward.


Why do we care about them? One or both are evil and committed a whole bunch of crimes. At least, I assume the pokeworld considers the stuff they do criminal. If not, wow, they desperately need me as god-dictator.

I imagine that many changes are happening now all across Hoenn.


Why would they be?

I hope you will be able to travel this world and see its richness with your own eyes–


I’m most of the way through the game, Steven. Already been doing that.

–and revel in its newness in your own heart.


IT’S A REMAKE.

But for the present, you may first wish to challenge this city’s Pokemon Gym. There, you’ll find the very same Wallace who helped us so much waiting for you.


How did he help, exactly? He stood in front of a door, he said he and everyone else native to the place couldn’t enter, we entered.

He’s strong.


Steven I literally just caught something strong enough to kill everybody in the world.

But the way you are now, you should be capable of battling him on an equal footing.


STEVEN I LITERALLY JUST CAUGHT SOMETHING STRONG ENOUGH TO KILL EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD.


And when you travel the world, you should try to use this. This flute is one of my favorite items. This EON FLUTE is proof of the bond between you and your Latios. No matter how far you may be from one another, play that flute and Latios will surely fly straight to you.


But how does that actually work? If I stick him in a box, is he teleporting out? Can all pokemon do that? Are pokemon actually just hanging out somewhere in the real world and the boxes are just a representation of them so I can pick which to swap? And how can this be proof of my great bond with Latios if it’s an item that only has use if I’m not keeping him out with me?

Then it can take to the sky, soaring above the land with you astride its back. Yes, just like when we first encountered Latias and Latios at Southern Island…


Admittedly, it would be convenient, especially since I don’t have other flying types I need to raise.

The screen changes to focus on this giant tree which used to have bare branches but is now leafed out and with flowers on it.

People, Pokemon, nature itself… Our survival in this world depends on all of us living together in harmony.


It really doesn’t.

I feel I have just begun to understand that. And I’m wondering how the world will continue to change from this point on… It fills me with an inexplicable excitement.


So my guess is, volcanic gases have everyone somewhat high.

Lucki.. As you and your Pokemon live and grow in this changed world, I wonder what effect it will have on you. What will you think about? What ideals will you believe in?


N for god king.

If we do get the chance to meet again, I hope you will be able to show me and my team the answers you’ve found. Until then…


And he leaves, meaning it’s Brendan’s turn. Dammit, Brendan.

Phew! It feels like we can finally relax, huh?


Not until you leave too, sadly.

I guess now’s the time to say thanks for all you’ve done, Lucki. You know, we set out from Littleroot at the same time, but… It seems like you’re just dashing ahead by yourself and leaving me behind… I feel like we’re not even on the same level anymore, you know? … It’s kinda lonely thinking like that… Or it would be if I really thought that! But…well, you did do something pretty amazing. So take it easy for a while, OK, buddy?


There’s no way I’m complacent enough to let you snag Kyogre, Brendan. Don’t embarrass yourself like this.

Later!


I’d prefer never.