Summary

• Pokémon's Mega Evolution Specials showcase epic battles between Groudon and Kyogre in the anime, with advanced animation quality.
• Alain, Steven, and Lysandre discover a powerful Giant Rock that triggers a cataclysmic battle between the Legendary Pokémon.
• As specials, these episodes have been omitted on streaming services, leaving fans unable to easily watch these episodes.

Kyogre and Groudon are two incredibly popular Pokémon anime more than once. While their first meeting occurs in the relatively accessible Ruby & Sapphire season, a much more epic face-off occurs in the Pokémon XY Mega Evolution specials, which are almost impossible to watch legally.

The Mega Evolution specials, as they're officially called, make up a miniseries of 4 episodes, following a trainer known as Alain, rather than Ash, and his quest to battle and gather research data on every Mega Pokémon that exists. In Mega Evolution Special II, Alain's quest takes him, his traveling partner Mairin, and his boss Lysandre to the Hoenn region, where legendary pokémon mayhem soon ensues.​

They run into Steven Stone, the region's champion and a of Mega Evolution himself. Lysandre and Steven both happen to have part of an ancient wooden tablet, which leads the group to a ritual site. They're able to activate the site, revealing an enormous crystal (referred to simply as the "Giant Rock") which is radiating massive amounts of Mega Evolution energy that soon attracts unexpected guests.

Groudon and Kyogre Battle it Out for the Ultimate Mega Evolution Power

Pokémon Mega Evolutions Special, Act III, produced by OLM

In Mega Evolution Special III, it's revealed that the immense amount of energy it's generating is drawing in both Kyogre and Groudon, and the eternal rivals are ready to fight for it. Kyogre and Groudon undergo Primal Reversion and begin having a cataclysmic battle, with Groudon trailing magma that rapidly solidifies behind it, and Kyogre freezing the very ocean solid. Alain and Steven try to intervene, but even Mega Charizard X and Mega Metagross are no match for the Legendary Pokémon's incredible power. The battle draws the attention of Rayquaza, who Mega Evolves again, and now all three Hoenn legendaries are fighting it out.

The animation throughout the special is quite impressive for the Pokémon anime, giving the showdown a truly epic feel that it deserves. It blows the Kyogre and Groudon confrontation from Ruby & Sapphire out of the water in of quality. Technology in animation had simply advanced so much in the ten or so years between the two confrontations that they could do the battle justice. Unfortunately, their status as specials has meant they aren't included in the collections on streaming services, making it near-impossible for viewers today to check out.

Groudon and Kyogre originally clashed in "Groudon VS Kyogre!", the 97th episode of Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire, and the 371st episode of the Pokémon anime.

Ultimately, their battle ends without a clear victor, as Lysandre manages to secure the Giant Rock and take it away, causing the Legendary Pokémon to grow calmer and return to their ordinary states. Had the battle gone on much longer, Rustboro City (and perhaps the entire Hoenn region) may well have been destroyed, so it couldn't have ended a moment too soon. It's a shame that modern Pokémon fans don't have an easy way to watch these Mega Evolution specials, as their quality is among the best the anime has ever released.