(A/N: 2 Million views!!! Thank you all so much for the support, comments, reviews, and powerstones! To celebrate this milestone, here’s a well-deserved bonus Chapter!While you’re at it, feel free to check out my other stories and give them some love too, every bit helps. Now, enjoy the Chapter! You’ve earned it.)
John stood at the entrance of Sky Pillar, watching with curiosity as his treasure detector pointed directly at the ground beneath his feet.
"Underground?" he wondered aloud, reaching for a Pokeball.
He summoned Garchomp, instructing it to use Dig. A minute later, the Dragon Pokemon emerged from the freshly excavated hole with something remarkable, ten orbs similar to the Red Orb and Blue Orb that John already possessed.
Picking one up, he examined its attributes:
[Jade Orb: Created by scientists to control the Lord of the Sky, then purified so that those who hold it can understand Rayquaza’s thoughts and even wield power from Rayquaza itself!]
"Jade Orb..." John whispered, recognition dawning.
This was an item that casual fans wouldn’t recognize. It had never appeared in the games or anime, only in the "Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire" arc of the Pokemon Adventures manga.
If John remembered correctly, the organization that created it was...the Pokemon Association itself!
The official Pokemon Association, after witnessing super-ancient Pokemon like Groudon and Kyogre with their continent-destroying powers, naturally developed a Covet for creatures even stronger than these legends.
They actually succeeded in capturing Rayquaza. But one day, a Salamander broke into their facility, using Thrash to liberate the captive Rayquaza and destroying the Association’s laboratory in the process.
Yanase, the scientist responsible for creating the Jade Orb, subsequently abandoned the project and threw the orb core into a lake. Later, Norman used equipment from the Association’s research building to re-purify the orb core, creating the Jade Orb as John now knew it.
John hadn’t expected to find it here at Sky Pillar’s entrance. Why it appeared here, he couldn’t say, nor did he particularly care. What truly intrigued him was that this Jade Orb wasn’t under the effects of Imprison.
"’The creatures who hold it can understand Rayquaza’s thoughts, and even have power from Rayquaza’?" John read again, keenly aware of the specific wording. It mentioned "creatures" holding the Jade Orb, not just Pokemon.
Could it be that even a human like himself could possess Rayquaza’s power by holding the Jade Orb?
The moment this thought crossed his mind, the Jade Orb in his palm suddenly felt lighter.
John watched in astonishment as the Jade Orb began melting into his hand.
"No!" his mind screamed. Once the orb sensed "desire," it merged with the body that desired it, just as had happened with Maxie and Archie!
But he didn’t want to end up like them, controlled by ancient Pokemon, stripped of consciousness, reduced to mere puppets in an endless battle!
After a tense moment, John realized he felt no discomfort.
Instead, he felt an endless surge of power flowing through him. From his chest came a core of energy, pulsing outward toward his limbs and head!
Unbuttoning his shirt, John discovered a black sphere embedded in his chest, with dark stripes extending toward his extremities.
The image of Maxie and Archie immediately came to mind. If the lines on their bodies hadn’t been glowing, they would have looked exactly the same.
Almost instinctively, John raised his hand.
His body, all 160 pounds of it, immediately rose from the ground, defying gravity!
No, not defying gravity. John could clearly feel the "wind" flowing around him, supporting his weight!
"I can control wind?" he marveled, disbelief written across his face. Wind was the domain of Flying-type Pokemon. Did this mean he now possessed Flying-type abilities?
He’d previously envied Psychic types, how people thought he might be psychic when he checked Pokemon stats through his Gameboy. But what John truly desired was to battle alongside his Pokemon, not just command from the sidelines!
And now, incredibly, he had gained control over Flying-type, an ability exclusive to Pokemon!
John began to understand what it meant to possess Rayquaza’s power.
"Rayquaza is Dragon plus Flying type. I can control flying powers, but what about dragon powers?" John extended his arm again, watching as dark green energy enveloped it. Sharp, emerald claws materialized at his fingertips, looking capable of tearing through steel with minimal effort!
He wondered if he could also use Draco Meteor!
But this wasn’t the time for celebration. The Jade Orb’s integration into his body had granted him Flying and Dragon-type abilities, but it also posed a hidden danger.
He hadn’t "run away" or lost his mind yet, possibly because Rayquaza wasn’t present.
Maxie and Archie hadn’t immediately lost their minds either. They were counter-controlled when attempting to command Kyogre and Groudon, eventually swallowed by their own desires and transformed into "slaves" of the ancient Pokemon.
"So when facing Rayquaza, I can’t harbor any desire to control it, or I’ll end up like Maxie and Archie," John concluded, muttering to himself.
"I’ll have to suppress any thought of capturing Rayquaza."
After failing to capture Groudon and Kyogre, John had set his sights on Rayquaza. Compared to the other two legends, Rayquaza was far more appealing to him.
But that didn’t mean he could never attempt to capture Rayquaza in the future.
In the manga’s special Chapter, the protagonist Ruby also had a precious orb integrate with his body. By strengthening his will and spirit, he eventually learned to freely control the orb, even making it leave his body when necessary.
With sufficient mental strength, perhaps John could—
"Huh?" John watched in surprise as the Jade Orb emerged from his palm.
"It seems my mental strength and willpower already meet the standard to control the Jade Orb!" John smiled with embarrassment and relief.
If the green orb had remained permanently lodged in his body, he wouldn’t have dared approach Rayquaza at all.
In the future, if he wanted to use the Jade Orb’s power, he’d just need to ensure Rayquaza wasn’t nearby.
Placing the Jade Orb in his backpack alongside the Red Orb and Blue Orb, John prepared to ascend the tower.
Then he paused, a new thought occurring to him.
If the Jade Orb could be absorbed into his body...what about the Red Orb and Blue Orb?