Rayquaza

“It lives in the ozone layer far above the clouds and cannot be seen from the ground.”

Little is known of Rayquaza’s creation or birth. Not even Rayquaza knows of its true origins. Rayquaza’s formative memories are of it roaming the ozone layer performing its duties – to defend the world from debris or other items that could threaten it. Rayquaza goes around the world, extracting impurities from the ozone layer and destroying or eating meteorites or other rocks in orbit, occasionally even snacking on Minior. Overall, it was a lonely affair, but it was all that Rayquaza knew at the time. Even when Rayquaza did encounter others that wished to spend time with him in the world above, Rayquaza maintained his duties while granting hospitality and grace to all curious of him. Despite all of this, it never crossed the dragon’s mind to be curious of the world below, as the ozone was all it could think of. 

Then, everything changed with a great wish.

60,000 years ago, Rayquaza suddenly had a strong feeling – like something was calling him from below. This break in thought allowed Rayquaza to become curious of the world below and of the strange feeling. Rayquaza decided to investigate and descend from the heavens to greet the creatures that called him. What type of life would truly want an audience with him? What type of life was even out there in the world? The dragon wished to know. Rayquaza descended to the earth and was greeted by large groups of humans. They were starstruck by his appearance. They praised and worshiped him. They made offerings to him. They sang and danced to his name and idea. Rayquaza felt welcomed and loved by all of the creatures that he spent his time with, no matter how little or much of it was with a specific individual. Rayquaza loved the attention and loved the people that loved him. 

However, duty still calls.

Rayquaza wished his people farewell and ascended back to the skies. He returned to the heights of the Ozone layer. For thousands of years, the dragon continued to tend to his duties while occasionally descending to the earth to meet various people and creatures within. He saw a beauty in its ferality and fell in love with its harmony. This only made him love his work to protect the ozone even more.

Then, Rayquaza found himself involved and intertwined with the tales of a region.

Every 1,000 years, a meteor shower would appear above the Hoenn region and, every 1,000 years, a meteor would crash into the earth. 2,000 years ago, during Rayquaza’s duties, a group of meteors fell and crashed into a waterfall, creating what is now Meteor Falls. Remembering the humans that Rayquaza had met long ago, the dragon descended from the heavens to check on the world below. Rayquaza appeared to the people who looked at him in awe, who have long forgotten his name or his existence. Rayquaza helped a few of the people to safety as he assessed the damage of their destroyed home. Finally, he noticed as Kyogre and Groudon ran rampant and attempted to fight each other to the death without any regard to the safety of the environment around them. Rayquaza intervened, fought the two beasts, and drove them back from whence they came. Finally, after checking the people once again, Rayquaza returned to the ozone once again, knowing that he had helped the people.

1,000 years later, a bigger meteorite struck the region, but hitting the seas and opening a bed of energy below. Rayquaza felt drawn to that energy, but was instead worried for the people that he helped all of those years ago. Then, when he sensed the wishes and calls of the very people, Rayquaza knew that he needed to go into action. Rayquaza flew from the heavens and down to the fallen meteorite, where Kyogre and Groudon battled for the Primal energy. The people begged for Rayquaza and wished for him to put an end to the fighting once and for all so that the people and Pokémon could live in peace. To show their sincerity, the leader of the village offered herself and a special shard of the meteoroid that broke off and shared a special glow.

Rayquaza accepted both.

Rayquaza ate the meteorite and allowed the leader to hop on his back. With the power of the shard and the wishes of the leader, the dragon transformed into an even greater being. This new power allowed him to approach the two behemoths and drain the energy from them both, sapping them of their power. Kyogre and Groudon, weakened from the interaction, fled from the scene, not to be seen again for another 1,000 years. Rayquaza returned to the people as they rejoiced and worshiped Rayquaza. Pleased with his actions, Rayquaza felt fond of the people and of the leader. He returned the leader and asked for her hand in marriage, claiming that he will return for her in her time. She accepted and Rayquaza returned to the skies once more. 

A witness to the events states: “It is the Δ (Delta), born of the great disturbances in this world. By the bonds born of mankind’s wish and the power of the stones, it will calm the troubles that plague the world.”

Rayquaza did eventually return to the people many years later as they began work on the great tower. Rayquaza met the leader, who, in fact, did trust and waited for his return. Rayquaza, took the woman’s hand in marriage and the two bonded closer than before. The Delta learned of the culture of the people through the woman and further fell in love with the world below. In between his duties, Rayquaza frequently spent time with his love and his people, and even raised children with her. Many years later, the leader passed away and Rayquaza gave a few final lessons to his people before ascending to the heavens once more to tend to his duties.

For the next 700 years, Rayquaza would occasionally descend to the world below to check on his people. Sometimes, he would come as himself, but sometimes, he would disguise as the leader from long ago. He bonded with several of the descendents and settled with other local Pokémon. However, despite the assistance, Rayquaza started to become depressed as several descendents disappeared or perished under his care in a row. Distraught and ashamed, Rayquaza ascended back to the heavens and disappeared from his people’s lives, blaming himself for the incidents.

250 years later, Rayquaza finally decided to descend once more. He was greeted by an elder leader of the people from before. She called herself Lorekeeper Ayame, and wished to grant Rayquaza’s favor. She told Rayquaza of the tale of the people since he had left and challenged him to a Pokémon battle to prove herself to him. Rayquaza accepted the duel, but defeated her without a second thought. Defeated, Lorekeeper Ayame wished him well and returned to the village. Years later, a second Lorekeeper ascended and called him. Lorekeeper Aster spoke with him and quickly befriended him. She and Rayquaza grew a close bond, but she ultimately died in a fire. Rayquaza became depressed once more and ascended to the heavens, wishing to not be seen once again.

Eventually, Rayquaza would be called once again, and, after many attempts, descended unto the earth; however, he did not have the power as before to Mega Evolve as the Lorekeeper wished. Zinnia was left distraught, with the region doomed to destruction. However, as Rayquaza had sensed before, he noticed a presence from the child that Zinnia brought along. Rayquaza dug into the bag, ate the meteorite in the bag, and restored his power! As a reward, Rayquaza chose the child to journey with him to destroy the meteor hurling towards the Hoenn Region. The child agreed, caught him, proved their bond, and journeyed with him to space, where the child used Mega Evolution to allow Rayquaza to destroy the meteor and defeat the alien within. The child then caught the alien.

The Lorekeeper departed the scene and left the region, but Rayquaza and the child champion remained together. For several years, Rayquaza journeyed with the child as they bonded and worked together; however, over time, Rayquaza started to miss the Lorekeeper and the people that he guided in the past. The child, understanding his plight, released the dragon, allowing Rayquaza to return to Sky Pillar once more in hopes that Lorekeeper Zinnia, or any other Lorekeeper, would return….

Zinnia did eventually return to Sky Pillar. The two chatted and challenged each other. Zinnia’s newfound passion and determination caused her to win the battle, and earn Rayquaza’s trust. Zinnia thanked Rayquaza for his lessons and time and wished for him to join her in her journey to protect the world. Rayquaza agreed, became Zinnia’s Pokémon, and took her under himself as his new daughter. The two now work together to do anything that they can to maintain the beauty of the world and to keep it safe at all costs.