Three days after the village was attacked, Shadowsong returned to the village with a group of refugees and settled down.
The number of refugees within the Arus Empire's territory was increasing.
A month later, Yuga and Shadowsong received news that the Emperor of the Vante Empire had gained control of the Ultra Ancient Pokémon and launched an attack on the Arus Empire's army.
The Arus army, along with Emperor Rode, was defeated by the Ultra Ancient Pokémon, and Emperor Rode had retreated from the border.
Based on the information received, Yuga finally confirmed that the Ultra Ancient Pokémon controlled by the Emperor of Vante was indeed Groudon.
It was also confirmed that the mastermind behind the destruction of Arus was Groudon.
The fact that they could control the legendary Pokémon Groudon, who was said to have created the Hoenn region, indicated that the Red Orb was in the hands of the Emperor of Vante.
Even Celebi himself would not stand a chance against Groudon, let alone Emperor Rode, who possessed only half of Celebi's spiritual form.
His defeat was inevitable.
The reason the inscriptions on the stone tablet were vague might have been because Emperor Rode feared revealing the location of the Guardian Orb, so he prohibited access to the underground labyrinth.
With limited access, information naturally wouldn't be widely known, and recorded details might have deviated from the truth.
Yuga had never considered searching for the Guardian Orb of this era because it would be meaningless. In any case, it would eventually come into his possession, and if he were to seek it now, unforeseen trouble might arise.
In the village's council chamber, Yuga, Shadowsong, and some village leaders gathered.
"It's time for us to visit the capital."
Yuga held a sealed letter from the capital and spoke to Shadowsong.
Although they had been staying in this remote village, they were not completely cut off from the outside world. They had connections both in the capital and on the border.
Shadowsong asked, "What's the current situation in the Arus Empire?"
"According to the news from the capital, Emperor Rode has been retreating steadily in the previous battles. It won't be long before the Vante Empire's army reaches the vicinity of the capital, and at that point, Emperor Rode should also retreat to the capital."
Yuga's implication was straightforward: they could seize this opportunity to capture Emperor Rode, and if necessary, they could use the Vante Empire's help.
Initially, Celebi had given them two tasks: to rescue the common people of the Arus Empire and to eliminate Emperor Rode.
Now that Groudon's destructive actions had begun, its power was too overwhelming. Even if Emperor Vante didn't intend it, Groudon, controlled by the Red Orb, had lost its sanity.
Wherever Groudon went, it turned the land into a barren wasteland, transforming forests, grasslands, towns, and villages into deserts.
If Emperor Vante's forces continued their advance from the Arus border all the way to the capital, it would effectively signal the end of the Arus Empire.
But at this time, the Emperor Vante may not be able to care so much anymore.
This war has lasted for too long. If it continues , the Vante Empire will become the same as the Arus Empire.
Emperor Arus probably didn't care much about the innocent people within Arus's borders, but Emperor Vante did care.
So, even if it meant sacrificing all the innocent people within Arus's borders, he would end this war.
As for the message on the stone tablet claiming that Groudon was destroying Arus to avenge Celebi, it was pure nonsense.
"It seems we should prepare to go to the capital. Given the distance from here to the capital, by the time we arrive, the Vante Empire's main army should be close."
Shadowsong pondered for a moment before responding.
"First Master, Second Master, are you going to the capital? Can I come with you?"
Upon hearing that Yuga and Shadowsong were leaving the village, young Ruby expressed his desire to join them.
"No, it's too dangerous. With your current strength, you can't protect yourself. It's better to stay here and guard the village."
Yuga firmly rejected the idea.
The village where Yuga and the others were located was far from the Arus capital and close to the ocean. It seemed unlikely that the Vante Empire would easily advance to their location, and the possibility of Groudon arriving there was even smaller.
Ruby was obedient to Yuga, so when he saw Yuga's opposition, he could only reluctantly agree.
"During our absence from the village, please make sure to take good care of it."
Shadowsong addressed the other leaders in the hall, saying, "Rest assured, First Master. We will wait for your return in one piece. Be careful on your journey."
"Yes, indeed. You can trust us to take care of the village."
"First Master and Second Master, have a safe journey."
The next day, Yuga and Shadowsong quietly left the village and headed for the capital.
Yuga rode his own Charizard, while Shadowsong rode a Tropius.
This Tropius had been tamed by Shadowsong under Yuga's guidance and had developed considerable strength over two years.
The green leaf Celebi had givent to Shadowsong before had the ability to enhance Shadowsong's special abilities, which had led to rapid progress over the past two years.
As for the green leaf pattern on Yuga's right hand, he had discovered one of its functions.
It allowed him to establish a strong mental connection with Grass-type Pokémon, making it easier for him to communicate with them.
Thanks to this pattern, Yuga and Venusaur were finally able to achieve Mega Evolution.
Using their successful experience with Mega Venusaur, he and Gengar also achieved Mega Evolution.
Furthermore, not long ago, Yuga's Charizard and Dragonite both reached the Elite level.
All of this was made possible by their extremely rare indigo potential. Without it, breaking through in such a harsh environment would have been impossible.
Moves: Scratch, Ember, Hidden Power (Electric), Dragon Dance, Outrage, Smokescreen, Iron Tail, Flamethrower, Fire Fang, Scary Face, Sunny Day, Fire Punch, Fire Blast, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Claw, Steel Wing, Shadow Claw, Iron Tail, Overheat, Inferno, Heat Wave, Flare Blitz.
Moves: Rain Dance, Twister, Thunder Wave, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Brick Break, Roost, Outrage, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Hurricane, Dragon Claw, Stone Edge, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch.
Breaking through to the Elite level was not easy, and even with Yuga's Pokémon having indigo potential, it took two years for Charizard and Dragonite to achieve it.
In this remote location, Yuga's Pokémon received less attention and even ran out of Pokéblocks they had brought with them.
There were no conditions to produce more.
If they were in the modern world, Yuga wouldn't be lacking in high quality Pokéblocks, Incense, and Attribute Gem. With these resources, his Pokémon's progress would likely have been even faster.
The success of Charizard and Dragonite in achieving their Elite level was closely related to the Red and Yellow Gems they had on them.
After two years of nurturing, the effects of the Gems on them were unimaginable.
In the Pokémon anime, the Red Orb controlled Groudon, while the Blue Orb controlled Kyogre, but in the games, the Red Orb corresponds to Groudon, which is the approach taken in this book, following the game's logic.