Gary jumped onto Latios's back with Eevee in his arms.
"Latios, Eevee—use Psychic to lift everyone. Head straight for the mountainside!"
Latios and Eevee's combined Psychic wrapped Zinnia, Ash, May, Brock, and Max in a pale-blue light, carrying them safely through the open cable car door and toward the mountainside.
"Hey! Don't leave us behind!" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝
"Me-e-ow! You little brats!"
Only after Gary's group was a speck in the distance did Jessie, James, and Meowth realize they were still stuck inside the stalled cable car.
"You're on your own," Gary called back with a wave.
Thanks to Latios and Eevee, everyone reached a ledge halfway up Mt. Chimney in seconds—well clear of danger.
"Flying Pokémon are amazing!" Max exclaimed, eyes shining.
Even though he'd met Latios once before, seeing a Legendary Pokémon was still a thrill.
"Let's hike up and find out why the cable car stopped," Gary said, recalling Latios to avoid drawing a crowd—plenty of tourists used this trail to gather the mountain's nutrient-rich edible plants.
"Okay, let's head up the mountain."
Now that they had skipped the steepest section, the rest of the path was relatively easy. Keen to check out the situation, they quickened their pace.
Not long into the hike, a shout rang out from ahead.
"Help! I can't stop!"
A middle-aged mountaineer came barreling down the slope in front of them, barely keeping his footing.
A blue aura enveloped the man, bringing him to a gentle halt.
Realizing he'd stopped, the man looked up at the teenagers who had rescued him and immediately said, gratefully, "Thank you! I thought I was done for."
Eevee then released him from its Psychic hold.
"Sir, what happened just now?" Ash asked.
"Oh no—there are bad guys chasing me!" the man said suddenly, remembering he was still being pursued by Team Magma.
"Don't worry, sir. We're here. Even if the bad guys show up, we'll drive them away," Ash said confidently.
The middle-aged man stared at the young boy in front of him, full of doubt. He looked far too young—and there was even a little kid among them.
And those thugs were in groups. The man didn't dare to gamble on a bunch of kids.
"Let's take cover and figure things out first," Gary suggested.
Between them, they only had a few battle-ready Pokémon: Gary's Eevee, Latios, and Rhyperior; Ash had only his Pikachu; Brock had Forretress (his Lotad and Mudkip weren't strong enough); May had her Beautifly; and Zinnia had Shelgon and Tyrunt.
"Okay, do as Gary says," Brock agreed.
Everyone quickly hid behind a large rock at the side of the path.
They ducked behind a rocky outcrop just in time. Two men and a woman in Team Magma uniforms sprinted past.
Once the coast was clear, the mountaineer introduced himself as Professor Cozmo, a meteoriticist.
He had come to Mt. Chimney to collect a meteorite sample but was ambushed by Team Magma.
Naturally, they were after the meteorite in Cozmo's hands. Alone and not a fighter, Cozmo had no chance against them.
Fortunately, Team Aqua had intervened, giving him the chance to escape—a narrow escape that had ended with him tumbling down the mountainside.
"Do you know why they want the meteorite?" Gary asked.
"No, but given Team Magma and Team Aqua's reputations, it can't be anything good," Cozmo replied.
"This meteorite belongs to the Dragon God," Zinnia said suddenly.
Everyone froze, startled by Zinnia's unexpected declaration.
Gary was stunned too. He didn't know whether the meteorite in Cozmo's possession was the same kind as the meteorite shard Zinnia carried.
But if Zinnia claimed that this meteorite belonged to the Dragon God… could it be the same?
"The Dragon God?" Cozmo echoed. "Who do you mean?"
"Rayquaza, of course," Zinnia answered.
Cozmo was shocked. He couldn't understand why Zinnia was so certain.
Before anyone could press her for more, Eevee's ears twitched. His eyes flashed blue, and a Confusion blast sent an incoming Golbat crashing into a boulder—instantly knocking it out.
At that moment, a squad of Team Magma grunts appeared on the slope above.
"Team Magma!" Professor Cozmo gasped. Had they already defeated Team Aqua?
"Rhyperior, Latios—battle positions!" Gary called, releasing his Pokémon in twin flashes of light.
[Lv. 65 Latios ♂ / Legendary]
[Lv. 60 Rhyperior ♂ / Elite]
"You guys, help out too!" Ash said, throwing a Poké Ball and sending out Taillow and Corphish.
(As for Treecko, this rocky and fire-prone terrain wasn't suitable for it.)
[Lv. 22 Taillow ♂ / Elite]
[Lv. 30 Corphish ♂ / Elite]
"Beautifly—help us out!" May called.
[Lv. 23 Beautifly ♀ / Gym]
Brock released all three of his Pokémon—Mudkip, Lotad, and Forretress.
[Lv. 20 Mudkip ♂ / Gym]
[Lv. 17 Lotad ♂ / Gym]
[Lv. 35 Forretress ♂ / Elite]
Zinnia also sent in Shelgon and Tyrunt.