End of a Legend
Salutations, greetings, and many great hellos!
In honor of the long-awaited release of Pokemon Sun & Moon, I've published another oneshot! This is the sequel to "Beginning of a Legend" and takes place a significant amount of time after Volan arrived in Alola. Unlike its successor, this story is packed with action, so I hope you enjoy!
I must first say, though, that I do not own Pokemon or anything associated with it.
Let's begin!
-.-.-.-.-.
It was dark, and the moon provided no relief in the middle of the thick forest. But Volan chased after his enemy nonetheless, dodging trees and leaping over gnarled roots as confidently as if it were the middle of the day. His uncanny night vision could be considered by some to be unnatural, freakish even, but he wielded it without regret.
The Z-Ring made it all possible. The Z-Ring, a tool that bonded person and Pokemon closer together, allowed them to share in their combined power and work on a level more intimate than ordinary Trainers couldn't even dream. As always, Volan could feel its energies circling his wrist and flowing down his arm to merge with his core, and it filled him with a sense of calm and strength.
He wasn't alone. Nor would he ever be.
Vaulting over a fallen tree, Volan hit the ground and kept running. He heard the rustling of leaves somewhere up in the trees as his partner followed him from above. Up ahead, there was movement as the creature they chased flitted back and forth, the occasional beam of moonlight illuminating its skin with a flash of blinding white. It was these sudden flashes that made Volan wince and shake his head in an attempt to keep up the pace. He couldn't afford to let it outrun him.
But it still could, he realized. It could be miles ahead of me by now, if it wanted. It must be leading me somewhere.
The trees stopped.
Moonlight slammed into Volan's eyes, temporarily overwhelming his enhanced vision before it eventually adjusted. A forest clearing bathed in the silver light of the full moon was where he stood, deceptively peaceful in how the breeze stirred the long grass. And standing directly opposite him was his quarry, the bone-white insectoid that posed much more of a threat to Alola – and the rest of the world – then its fragile form otherwise assumed.
Glowing softly in the light, it narrowed its slanted eyes and tauntingly crooked a spidery finger. Inviting him to attack. But Volan knew it was a trap. He knew this creature's power.
"To me, Decidueye!" he cried, raising his left hand. When the moonlight struck it, his Z-Ring glinted noticeably.
A black shadow launched out of the trees, silhouetting itself against the silver-white orb in the night sky for a brief second before coming down to earth with wings spread. Volan's companion, Decidueye the Arrow Quill Pokemon, landed gracefully beside him, folding her wings so that they hung by her sides like a tawny cloak. Fierce, intelligent eyes glowed from underneath her leafy hood.
"Keep it on the run!" Volan commanded. "Razor Leaf!"
With a shrill hoot, Decidueye whipped out her wings in one smooth motion, letting loose a flurry of sharpened leaves as if they were a ninja's throwing stars. However quick they were to fly, though, the frail insect was quicker.
Its form was reduced to nothing more than a blur as it darted left and right through the storm of projectiles, advancing with every movement. It stopped for only a microsecond, its body becoming clear again before blurring into motion again. Its elegant knee smashed into Decidueye's stomach like a white lightning bolt, sending the bird stumbling back.
"Peck," Volan ordered next, his voice only a murmur.
Decidueye's superb hearing caught the remark, and she jabbed her beak forward in retaliation. But still, the insect was faster, zipping gracefully out of the way to reappear at a safe distance. Volan could see the expression on its face – disappointed, bored, like the duo were barely a challenge for it.
"We have to stop these Ultra Beasts," hissed Volan, frustrated. "Our very existence is endangered if they continue to roam free."
A low trill was Decidueye's answer, tilting her head to glimpse her Trainer from the corner of her eye.
"It's faster than anything I've ever seen, so be ready," Volan continued. "Get ready to bind it next time it gets clo–"
That time turned out to be before he had even finished his sentence. The dainty Ultra Beast's eyes flashed, antennae giving a single twitch before it was off again. It flew forward at the speed of a racecar with a push from its legs, its fist drawn back and prepared to strike at them once again.
However, Decidueye was used to its speed, and so made her move early. Within a tenth of a second, a quill was aimed and fired. It swirled with ghostly energy as it twirled through the air, and suddenly spun in a corkscrewing arc around the creature, trapping it in chains of purple haze. The energy released by the arrow was enough to hurt the Ultra Beast, and the bonds it left behind remained in place.
"Excellent Spirit Shackle!" Volan complimented his partner. Raising his hand so that the Z-Ring was exposed once more to the light, he announced, "Now let's end this while we still have the chance!"
The Ultra Beast's futile struggles stopped abruptly, and its eyes flicked to something over Volan's shoulder. At the same time, Decidueye stiffened and launched another of her quills, the reflexive motion taking almost no time whatsoever.
The arrow struck the tentacled being that had been lunging for Volan with metallic fingers spread wide to ensnare him. It hit right below the head, where the tentacles joined, driving it back with an angry buzz. Its fingers snapped shut, sending bolts of electricity crackling through the air as it unwittingly released the charge it had intended for the teenaged Trainer.
"UB Beauty and UB Lighting," muttered Volan, drawing back so that he was standing in exactly the middle of the clearing, between the two antagonists. "These Ultra Beasts don't know how to play fair, do they?"
Decidueye hissed, reaching for another of her quills.
"Then let's even up the odds! Incineroar, GO!"
A massive blast of fire tore from out of the dark forest, ripping the serene and picturesque midnight background to shreds. The electrical creature, UB Lighting, was caught in the blast and pitched forward with a screaming whine, tumbling past Volan and hitting the ground in a steaming heap. Although it got up with little to no difficulty, Volan's eyes were trained on what the thinning smoke had revealed.
His sister Thrin leapt out of the bushes, landing on her feet with a cat-like grace. She smirked confidently at him, an expression that was mimicked perfectly by her partner, Incineroar the Heel Pokemon.
"We finally caught up to you!" she exclaimed, placing an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "Now let's do this together, alright?"
Volan smiled at the sister he never even knew he had until recently. Ever since he had woken up on that beach all those weeks ago, with nary a memory left in his head aside that of his name, he had thought himself alone. But no – the revelation that that there was a whole family out there he didn't know about was a heartening one. He wished to meet them one day.
Which was part of the reason why he could not let the Ultra Beasts run rampant.
Thrin had not come alone. Their friend Hau was close behind, stumbling out of the bushes with his own companion, Primarina the Soloist Pokemon. Alongside him was Gladion, the one who up until recently had been giving them grief as part of Team Skull. With the threat of the Ultra Beasts looming, however, the team of thugs had volunteered to help save Alola – it was their home, too, and therefore it was their duty to protect it.
"Eat this!" Hau cried. "Primarina, Bubblebeam!"
"And you, Incineroar!" yelled Thrin, throwing her arm out to the side. "Flamethrower!"
Releasing a guttural roar, Incineroar belched out a stream of fire that spread out toward the Ultra Beasts. UB Beauty darted out of the way, but UB Lighting was far slower and took the hit dead-on. Its buzzing scream tore through the humans' minds as the flames seared its vulnerable rubbery skin.
A white streak of light flashed through the night as UB Beauty attempted to get Incineroar back for what he had done to its ally, but in its rage, it didn't look before it leapt and ran straight into a high-pressure torrent of bubbles courtesy of Hau's Primarina. The Water-and-Fairy-type hummed with delight when her attack hit its mark.
The slender insect's impact with the ground was almost inaudible. It let out a soft murmur as it struggled to overcome gravity's hold. UB Lighting was also taking a while to recover, its tentacles waving like branches in a wind as if it had fallen asleep.
"The time to strike is now," Volan decreed. "Decidueye, use –"
Then came the sound of thin air being sliced in two. An ivory blade swept through the night, and Primarina flopped to the ground with a squeak. The third Ultra Beast landed lightly on its papery limbs, brandishing its swords with unmistakable defiance despite its lack of a recognizable face.
"Out of my way," growled Gladion, his complexion like that of a skull in the moonlight that saturated the clearing. "Crush them, Silvally!"
A Poke Ball was hurled from his fist, clenched with unparalleled anger, and from it emerged the Synthetic Pokemon, its bird-like talons clawing at the air as it screeched out the rage it shared with its Trainer.
"Multi Attack!" the Team Skull enforcer snarled, curling his fingers before him as if they were claws.
Silvally let out a keening wail as its crest flared bright red, streaks of energy blazing out from the drives on its head. It lunged at the newest Ultra Beast, talons bursting into flames as it prepared to rend its enemy's paper-like body.
And that was when UB One struck, falling from out of the sky to slam its glassy bell into Silvally's back. Knocked off balance, the chimaera was momentarily helpless to prevent the intruder's forest of tentacles from wrapping around its body, and by then it was too late. Silvally's mouth parted in a strangled gasp as UB One tried to crush it to death.
"Darkest Lariat!" Thrin shouted.
Roaring furiously, Incineroar pounced with both his hands spread wide and crackling with dark energy. He slammed his open palms directly into UB One's bell, producing an explosion of black lightning from under which the *craaaaack* of breaking glass could easily be heard. The jellyfish-like Ultra Beast whimpered in a ghostly voice and retreated, freeing Silvally.
All at once, the Ultra Beasts struck as one, and it was all the humans could do to defend themselves.
"Crush Claw!"
"Spirit Shackle!"
"Darkest Lariat!"
"Sparkling Aria!"
The Pokemon and Ultra Beasts met in the middle. Silvally smashed its claws upon UB One's bell as revenge for what it had done previously, a predator's grin upon its muzzle as it felt the glass cracking under its feet. Decidueye fired an ethereal quill from her wing to strike UB Beauty, who had closed the distance between them remarkably fast and was thus too close to avoid the arrow. Incineroar caught the blade-wielding Ultra Beast by the edges of its sword-like arms and hurled it away with a guttural growl. UB Lighting's coppery fist streaked toward Primarina, only for a multitude of watery bubbles to simultaneously appear and explode all around it, showering the living mass of wires with damaging liquid.
As one, the four humans glared at their otherworldly foes. The Beasts were not surrendering, but fighting back with everything they had, unleashing the full extent of their ostentatious abilities. It made one wonder what they were fighting for, whether for something as simple as their own survival or something more complex than that.
But as far as Volan was concerned, it didn't matter. He knew that if they were allowed to roam free, irreparable harm would be brought down on his world. This was a fight for his survival, and that of everything else that depended on this world to give them life.
He solemnly raised his Z-Ring, the single crystal embedded inside flaring brightly when the full moon struck it. A surge of energy pulsed through him and out into his surroundings, stirring the grass around him. The Ultra Beasts felt it, and backed away warily. Even they felt fear as the energy crackled across their senses, being most concentrated around Volan and Decidueye.
It was this energy that bound Trainer and Pokemon together, melded them into one by some supernatural alchemy. This was the power of the Z-Ring.
In a clear, carrying voice, he announced, "I am the silent assassin, the watcher in the night! We make strong the weak, mend the broken, and vanquish evil! SINISTER ARROW RAID!"
Decidueye's body exploded with yellow light at the same time she sprung high into the air, so high that she was a mere speck of black against the moon. She spread her wings, calling upon all of her arrow quills to form a pointed ring around her. And then she dove, streaks of disturbed air trailing from her wings and tail as she and her ring of arrows plunged down toward her target. UB Beauty tried to dodge it, but for once, it was too slow. Decidueye slammed into her and kept going, rising back up toward the stars – and then the arrows rained down on the Ultra Beast, exploding into mystic purple fog whenever they struck. The insectoid screamed, brought to its hands and knees that quivered badly with the effort of keeping their owner up.
Thrin saw how effective the Grass-and-Ghost-type's Z-Move was, and decided to follow her brother's lead. Punching the air so that her own Z-Ring shone brightly, she summoned her own rush of energy that pooled around her and Incineroar, bonding them like never before.
"This battle is a test of our fiery courage!" she cried. "We meet it head-on, crushing it under our awesome might and resolve! MALICIOUS MOONSAULT!"
A pulsing yellow glow running over his form, Incineroar bent down to slam his palms into the ground, sending out a visible shockwave across the grass. The ground shook violently, then erupted directly underneath UB One. An immense wrestling ring made up of fire and semi-solid magma rose up from the earth to trap it within, startling the ethereal Ultra Beast as evidenced by how its tentacles writhed. Leaping to the top of the fiery ring, Incineroar gave the creature a cocky smirk and gathered a mass of shadowy energy in his palms before taking off with a tremendous spring of his heels. He came down with arms and legs stretched wide, body-slamming into his foe with such tremendous force that his flaming construction exploded in a massive, ear-shattering blast of fire. When the smoke had cleared, UB One struggled to get up in the middle of a barren crater scorched into the otherwise pristine lawn.
The blade-wielding Ultra Beast saw the destruction that had befallen its two comrades and seemed to quiver violently with anger. Regaining its balance from the shockwave generated by Incineroar's Malicious Moonsault, it flicked its blades back and ran at the Heel Pokemon with speed belying its unimpressive build – but it soon stopped when it saw a scowling Primarina suddenly appear in front of it.
Hau raised his arm, preparing to unleash his Z-Move. "The ocean's song becomes a storm!" he shouted. "Its melody is the crash of waves and the howl of the hurricane! OCEANIC OPERETTA!"
Shining with the same yellow glow as Decidueye and Incineroar had previously, Primarina flicked her tail powerfully to shift into a standing position on her single fin. Her wild braid of ocean-green hair unwound and spread out like the arms of a sea anemone as she raised her head and sang a single, pure note that echoed out across the forest. A sphere of water began to form over her head, massive enough to hold a Snorlax within. While its surface was calm, wild currents could clearly be seen roiling inside. The sheer enormity of its impending doom holding it captive with fear, the papery warrior had no time to dodge as Primarina unleashed a soulful wail that disturbed the surface of the giant water bubble and dumped its contents directly on top of her enemy. As she stood in the rainfall that showered down on the battlefield, the Water-and-Fairy-type bowed elegantly even as the Ultra Beast crumpled in on itself, unable to move or even stand as its papery body grew soggy and limp.
A crackling scream of anger rippled through the battlefield from the sole remaining Ultra Beast, UB Lighting, whose form wriggled spastically in a dangerous tantrum of fury. All at once, electricity burst from its body in the shape of a deadly dome, a forward-marching onslaught of lightning bolts snapping and fizzling as they advanced toward the Trainers and Pokemon.
"Look out…!" Volan cried, bracing himself even as a cold wave of terror swept through his body.
The discharge hurt. It really, really hurt. By the time it was over, UB Lighting was the only one still standing, its tentacles jerking and twitching as if the voltage it produced ran through its veins as well. The Pokemon were scattered around the clearing as haphazardly as the Ultra Beasts were, covered in electrical burns and struggling to stand. The humans were even worse off – Hau let out an agonized moan as he sat up, while all Gladion could do was roll from side to side and arch his back as if the pain was still surging through his system. Thrin was half-crushed underneath her Pokemon, groaning lowly as she brought a scorched arm up to rub her head.
Volan could tell all of this was going on even as he fought through his own pain. It was difficult to sit up with his head feeling empty and dizzyingly light, and his muscles still tingling from the electric blast. His every movement prompted a sizzling sting to course through him, like pins and needles but worse.
Feathers brushed against his neck and cheek and an earthy scent filled his nose. Decidueye cooed gently, comforting her Trainer as best she could in her less-than-prime condition. Volan managed a strained smile for her sake, reaching up to rub her head the way she liked. The Arrow Quill Pokemon wrapped a wing around him, holding on tight with her wing-fingers, and allowed him to use her as a support as he struggled to rise on uncertain feet.
"Thanks, girl," he whispered. Decidueye trilled happily in response.
When Volan looked around, he could see that the others were getting up as well. Incineroar was holding onto Thrin's hand supportively as she got to her feet, and Primarina was nudging Hau with her snout to help him stand. Gladion was leaning on Silvally, who stayed as still as necessary so its master could lean on its shoulder.
UB Lighting buzzed with outrage when it saw that its enemies had not yet fallen, a sound that the other Ultra Beasts responded to. They, too, rose to the challenge with some difficulty.
"They're not giving up," Volan murmured.
"Then we crush them," Gladion vowed, fingers scarred red with burns clenching into shaking fists.
"Thrin, can you still go on?" Hau asked worriedly.
"Against four Beasts? Sure," she replied. Her gaze trained on something behind the Ultra Beasts, she pointed and added, "But not against five!"
Shattering the silence with an sky-rending roar, the final Ultra Beast smashed its way into the clearing by knocking down a pair of trees with its flailing pincers. Writhing and snapping like they had minds of their own, UB Glutton's claws grabbed the splintered trunks and shoved them down its gaping gullet in a matter of seconds. Spitting leaves and branches as it gnashed its teeth, the monstrous mouth was already gaping wide and ready to receive its next meal. It stomped forward with another hollow roar, tearing out chunks of grass and dirt in an attempt to stave its never-ending hunger.
"I-I don't think we can take that thing!" cried Hau.
Their four Pokemon leapt in front of their Trainers and emitted fearsome battle cries, daring UB Glutton to come near. It met their challenge without hesitation, shuffling forth another few paces before opening up and delivering a roar that made the earth itself shake.
A tingle ran through Volan's body. It wasn't the leftover electricity this time – it was despair, mixed with a generous amount of terror.
We can't win… he thought, gulping at the sight of their newest, hungriest foe. Not without…
"CHREECHEEEERRHH!"
Darkness fell across the clearing as something blotted out the moon. Every pair of eyes looked up to see a pair of starry wings spread wide to quench the great celestial body of its light. A couple of brilliant crimson lights blinked down on the battlefield, followed by a ring of yellowish-gold stars and two gleaming scythes.
"Lady Lunala!" Hau gasped, almost falling to his knees. "Emissary of the Moon!"
All along the mystical bat's wingspan, the points of light began to increase in intensity, until they were shining bright enough to rival the moon itself. Trails of energy swirled from them to meet at Lunala's chest, creating a concentrated point from which the energy could be focused.
"Get down!" called Volan, throwing himself onto the ground with his hands over his head. The others did the same.
The Legendary Pokemon fired her Moongeist Beam, a ray of beautiful and destructive blue light that encompassed her full wingspan. The Ultra Beasts were scattered in its wake, with only UB Gluttony holding its ground against the destructive might of the Moon's Emissary.
Every blade of grass had withered and crumbled to dust by the time Lunala dispelled her Moongeist Beam, having been killed through overexposure to Ghost-type power. Lunala floated down from the sky to a point just above the newly-formed wasteland, hovering at a height that was level with the tops of the trees. While four of the Ultra Beasts did not get up, UB Gluttony raised its head and snarled at its challenger.
Wisely, Volan and his friends backed away, their Pokemon companions kept close to their sides.
So Lillie was successful in summoning the Legendary at the old temple, Volan observed, eyes widening as he took in the beautiful sight of Lunala in all her glory. We've done our part – now, it's time for the Moon's Emissary to finish the job.
He watched Lunala face off against the gluttonous and deadly Ultra Beast, no doubt preparing for a conflict that would either save Alola and the world beyond its shores, or doom it for all eternity. No matter how it ended, it was certain that one of the two combatants would not make it out alive.
Either way, it will be the end of a legend.
-.-.-.-.-.
Pretty much everything in this story is based on official, not leaked or rumored, information. However, I have taken some creative liberties, listed below:
- Ultra Beasts are a threat to life as we know it.
- Team Skull has joined with the protagonists for their own survival.
- Lillie has a connection to the title Legendary (in this case, Lunala).
- The Z-Ring works by adding the Trainer's power to the Pokemon's, allowing for the use of a Z-Move. Since they share in the power, the Trainer gains some traits of the Pokemon as well.
- A hammy announcement precedes every Z-Move. Because it's hella awesome.
None of these things were taken from the game itself. This is the product of my own imagination, with a few outside influences acting as inspiration.
If you squint and tilt your head, you may notice that the characters appear closer to their Pokemon than normal. The idea is that because of the Z-Ring, they share a much tighter bond than normal. For opposite-gendered partnerships, this could eventually result in a closer relationship.
Also, I'm aware that the origami-looking Ultra Beast is actually exclusive to Sun, and that I should've used the Zelda-Kaminoan-rocket launcher one instead.
Enjoy Sun & Moon, readers! And please send some reviews my way!