They waited from noon until afternoon, then from afternoon until evening, and from evening until deep into the night. They had eaten twice, and Xia You had groomed all his Pokémon before the moment Zinnia had spoken of finally arrived.
Stretching, Xia You recalled every Pokémon except Gardevoir and Dragonite, then walked over to Zinnia.
The sky was now full of stars. As it happened, countless meteors streaked across it, trailing long tails through the night in a spectacular, beautiful display.
"So beautiful..."
Watching the sight, Misty murmured to herself. Such scenery was rare even on her travels. Though she was only accompanying them, seeing this after climbing such a tall tower made the trip feel worthwhile.
The meteors were indeed beautiful, but Xia You and Zinnia were clearly focused elsewhere.
"It's time."
Zinnia took a deep breath, then stood in the center of the altar, looked up into the deeper reaches of the starry sky, and raised her right hand high!
Almost simultaneously, the Key Stone strapped to her leg shone with green light. The light traveled up her calf and finally gathered around her arm!
Whatever she had done, the power caused the green flames in the braziers in the corners to surge over a meter high!
Her cloak and hair stirred without any wind. As Zinnia opened her palm, several rounded Key Stones lay quietly upon it.
The green light enveloped the Key Stones in an instant. The next second, Zinnia clasped them in both hands, raised them above her head, and shouted toward the sky, "Rayquaza!!!"
This was her so-called Sacrificial Stone summoning method, which Zinnia had developed by incorporating the Draconids' unique Secret Art.
The green light in her hands resembled a beacon. Almost at the same moment, a thick pillar of light suddenly descended