No, I will not talk about the recent news…mostly because my opinion is quite plain over Twitter. Instead, let's focus on the realization that the last 9 chapters all took place in 24 hours. On to Chapter 10!
Chapter 10
A Recovery
A guttural scream tore from Plumeria's throat, and Clemont was barely able to lean back, away from her fierce uppercut. Unfortunately, the strike made him lose his balance and he began to fall down the stairs, caught by Bonnie and Squishy holding him up (with Rotom attempting to for all of a second, but failing). He grinned at them with some exertion as his sister tried to push him up carefully. Hau bounded forward, throwing his hand out to grab ahold of Clemont's hands. He then pulled him further upwards, but the clear distraction from the chaos that was going on around them was enough for Plumeria.
"Crobat, Air Cutter!" she snapped, flipping her legs straight up into the air. This woman just doesn't give up, does she? Clemont found himself thinking. Blades of air came cutting through the surroundings, revealing that Crobat had been flapping high up above and now descended. Those blades cut straight through the string binding the Skull admin, freeing Plumeria's legs. Lillie stood on the steps, mind clearly wavering between helping with Plumeria or continuing on a mad dash to the top of the altar. She decided fairly quickly.
"Komala, use Wood Hammer," she commanded. Like always, Komala detached from Lillie's arm, swinging his green glowing chunk of wood around to slam Plumeria in the back and send her tumbling back down the stairs. "Sorry, but I can't let you stop us."
"You go, Lillie!" Hau cheered, pumping his fist, though his eyes were shifting downward, showing where his mind was truly focusing. Clemont finally regained his balance in time for Plumeria to tumble down at his feet. Behind him, Bonnie had dug into her bag, taking out the Sun Flute. Clemont felt like they were encapsulated in that little space for a moment, despite everything going on around them. He briefly looked back to see Serena flipping to the side, her skirt flaring out while Braixen whacked a grunt on the head with her wand and Greninja dashed through with his white blades. Gladion also seemed to be involved, gripping his Z-Ring, which was changing colors alongside Silvally. It was something the inventor cataloged for later.
"Lillie, go!" Bonnie screamed. Clemont barely stepped out of the way, in time for his sister to take the object in her hands and toss it right for Lillie. He had to admit that she had a pretty great amount of arm strength. Plumeria groaned and pushed up, making a lunge for the twirling Sun Flute. She also had an insurance policy.
"Crobat, grab it!" she shouted as she dove for the object. Clemont grit his teeth and moved forward, patting Luxray. It was going to hurt, he knew, but Plumeria was being beyond persistent. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon sparked all over his body and blasted forward, knocking into Plumeria and sending the Team Skull admin off the side of the stairs where she was forced to grip the edge with both hands, slowly pulling herself back up.
"Vikavolt, go! Take Crobat down!" Clemont yelled out. Like a sudden shot that appeared to be little more than a flash of shadow, Vikavolt was in front of Crobat, tangling with the poisonous flyer. They grappled in midair. The Sun Flute finished spiraling and Lillie reached out for it, clasping with her hands and pulling it tight.
"On it! Komala," Lillie cried, beginning to dash up the stairs carefully. Plumeria finally pulled herself up, flipping with more alacrity than Clemont had expected. She dove for Lillie, but her hands barely managed to rake through the blonde's hair, pulling at the tie on her ponytail. Clemont dove now, locking himself around Plumeria's ankles.
"You need to stop this, right now!" Clemont roared at her. She didn't listen, tossing a punch at him, but that was caught by Hau, who sent all three of them rolling to the sides and nearly falling off the stairs again. "Bonnie, go with Lillie! We have no idea how long she'll need to be unprotected, so protect her!"
"I'm on it, big brother!" Bonnie said, quickly placing herself on top of Squishy, who gave a single bark and bounded up the stairs in great leaps. Rotom immediately zipped after her with a light "Aye, aye, Captain Clemont!".
"Why do you little brats have to keep getting in our way? !" Plumeria snapped angrily. Her free hand snapped out, battering both Clemont and Hau's cheeks, forcing them off of her. Yet again, she flipped up, and Clemont had to wonder whether or not she had been someone that once aspired to the position of the Ali'i ka Leilani. She certainly showcased the movements. It was only a brief moment of consideration, though. His mind first returned to the battle.
"Because you're being selfish. I already told you, Plumeria," Clemont said, shifting his body to the side in order to prevent Plumeria's advance up the stairs. He'd throw them all off if that was what it took to settle this fight once and for all. "You're not going to find your perfect world on the other side."
"Yeah," Hau agreed emphatically. "Your boss might like you, but I don't think Lusamine does. She just cares about herself, from the way she's treated someone as nice as Lillie."
"Like you-"
"Grow up!" Clemont yelled. He was done with this. For her being older than him, she was certainly more childish than even Bonnie could be, believing in her selfish ideal without considering the consequences or who she was really doing it for. His fist snapped out, nailing Plumeria on the side of the face. She fell backwards, hitting the stairs away from the edge and beginning to roll downwards, towards the bottom. Clemont looked to Hau and the two began to give chase. There was no doubt she'd get back up if they gave her the chance to. Sure enough, before they'd even reached the bottom, Plumeria had used her hand to stop herself from rolling and was getting back on her feet once again.
That was when Clemont finally broke out of the insular world that the stairs had put them into. Plumeria's order had not gone unheeded. The Skull grunts were all rapidly closing in on the stairs, some of them stepping on to its base, only to be yanked back by Lionel's Banette with an eerie grin on its face. The only positive about the sea of grunts, was that all of Clemont's friends were there, too. Kahili had cut an entire swath around her, while Hapu and the other woman from earlier stood back to back as Mudsdale kicked powerfully into the mess, ending with an explosion of pollen all around. Even Team Rocket was destroying the competition, with Crabrawler riding a spinning Bewear as he fired off Bubblebeams and Paybacks in turn.
Clemont's quarry, however, was Plumeria, who was making another bid for the side of the stairway without a shred of remorse. He looked to Hau, who was busy staring off into the crowd at the site of Pipi and his Incineroar cutting through other large groups of enemies together. The boy quickly noticed him looking and grinned, clapping his hands together.
"Incineroar, Pipi! I need you guys up here!" he yelled out jubilantly, despite the intense battle going on around them. Though, Clemont did note the slight edge to his voice. In any case, the sun was almost up now, leaving their window horribly short at that moment. However, Clemont decided to ignore it for the time being to focus in on Plumeria. A sudden Flamethrower made of powerful blue flames slammed into the crowd of Skull grunts, making sure to avoid any friendly individuals. Clemont took that as a chance to strike.
"Luxray, block her with Swift!" Clemont called, His Pokémon whipped around, sending the golden stars colliding right with Plumeria's path. It allowed Clemont just enough time to reach her and tackle her. She punched up in seconds, but he turned his head, allowing her to only slam into his cheek. He grabbed downward, suddenly grappling with her hands as they began to roll. The loud roar of two separate Charizard pierced the air, and Clemont felt a little embarrassed; it was possible Korrina would see him in this state, if what he guessed was true. Either way, he and Plumeria were on a rolling collision course, yet again, for the bottom of the stairs.
They had barely hit the bottom, the dust pluming around them and surrounded by the mess of Skull grunts, when the entire canyon felt as though it were shaking. Clemont sat up, practically straddling the admin as the whole entire place was sent off kilter.
"Yo! What's this, bro?" asked one of the Skull thugs, indicating that they had no idea what was going on either.
"Maybe it has to do with that black Charizard, yo. Totally unfair bringin' somethin' like this to a street fight," said another one. Clemont shook his head, especially when the grunts in question were suddenly knocked aside unceremoniously by Silvally, flying halfway across the open space. The creature took a moment to breathe, seeming strained, but Clemont took that and the shaking of the canyon to his advantage.
"Now, Hau!"
"Incineroar, knock her out!" the bright boy ordered of his Pokémon. Plumeria's eyes grew wide, and Clemont stood, stumbling backwards amidst the trembling. He was caught by Gladion, who nodded wordlessly, as Incineroar ignored the shaky ground and simply punched Plumeria across the face. It wasn't nice, but it got the job done as she fell and collapsed on the ground. "Well, there's one thing done! Rest should be easy!"
"How…optimistic of you," Gladion said with a sense of almost disdain (or so Clemont felt it would be if they weren't all on the same side together). Either way, Clemont was shaking his head, wondering what all the trembling was from. In the time it took him to clear that, Serena, Team Rocket and Lionel had approached, while Kahili and the others seemed relatively pinned down by the glut of foes that were encroaching on them.
"Optimistic or not, we need to get to that altar," Lionel snapped. "Serena, you have the Moon Flute, right?"
"Yeah…we have a problem with that," Serena chuckled out, but she didn't have the time to explain what it was. One of the grunts suddenly leapt forward, a Yungoos snapping its teeth angrily on her shoulder.
"Yo! Don't turn yo back on someone when yer battlin' them!"
"Frenzy Plant!" A sudden plant erupted from the ground, slamming into the enemy and knocking them and plenty of those surrounding the group away. Clemont looked around for the source of the voice and saw Sawyer landing carefully from off the back of his Salamence. Landing right next to him was Alain. In fact, lots of people were dropping into the battlefield in the first place. Clemont could see Champion Steven and Gary; even Cynthia was fast approaching, with her Garchomp flying alongside the flirting Professor Sycamore. Everyone was really here. "Sorry we're all a little late, but the League just got the signal from the Aether Foundation."
"You still got here fast…whoever you are," Gladion said, passing his eyes along all of their old friends. It was really remarkable the extent to which the League had managed to get people here. Their chance for a preemptive strike was truly possible, after all.
"Serena!" called the voice of Mairin, who ran over to join the person she was calling to, slipping her arms in a hug around her. There were still the sounds of battle all around, but it appeared that the arrival of reinforcements had dulled the battle, at least for the time being. Clemont flicked his eyes upward, his eyebrows raising. Bonnie and Lillie seemed to almost be at the top of the altar (which, with a gulp, he realized was a very long way up, now that he thought about it), while all around, more reinforcements were falling from the sky.
"Mairin, you're looking well! A little taller, too, it seems!" Serena exclaimed happily, taking the girl's hands and briefly separating themselves from one another. Clemont continued to watch the sky as more and more familiar faces fell from ropes that draped down the helicopters. In particular, he noticed Dawn and Piplup along with Brock and May sliding right on down. Then there was the quartet floating in midair with a blue glow as an even brighter one consumed the Alakazam controlling them.
"Catch up later, twerpette! Don't we have somewhere to be if we want to stop these idiots from destroying the world and that whole thingamajig?" Jessie asked, pointing with her thumb, up towards the altar. Clemont had to admit that Jessie had a very strong point, especially as Luxray nuzzled against his side.
"He's right. We'll all talk later, when this is over. Give the others our regards!" Serena yelled out, throwing a hand up, just as Braixen cried out. That cry was the signal for them to get moving, mostly because the enemies around them were closing in again.
"Gourgeist, Leech Seed!" Jessie yelled, flicking her hair a little. Gourgeist reared back and spat the seeds out, trapping those new, jumping Skull members in the gnarled plants. Naturally, Jessie cackled maniacally.
"Yo, we totally got beat by a giant pumpkin…"
"Not…cool…bro…" Clemont shook his head and decided to walk forward, not letting any fatigue from the day slow him down in the slightest. They had a task to do, and right now it meant reaching Lillie and Bonnie.
"Everyone, let's go!" he called, waving them over. Lionel nodded, though he didn't move from his spot, as though that meant he planned on staying behind in order to hold back the tide of their enemy. Clemont accepted that just fine, his gaze swiveling over to Sawyer and Alain, both of whom nodded. For a brief second, he was surprised at how roughly similar Sawyer and Hau looked next to each other, but since neither gave the appearance of knowing each other, he laughed it off.
"We'll provide backup," Alain said, placing a hand on his Charizard, who roared loudly. Its call was responded to by another Charizard, which Clemont took to mean that Kiawe and some of the captains had probably arrived, as well, but he couldn't be entirely sure. All he had to do was accept that they were all here to help, and they had their ultimate job to do. "Mairin, are you ready?"
"Ready as ever, Alain!" Mairin cheered. Chespie also seemed ready for action, flexing almost unnecessarily. Clemont looked back to Serena, who nodded. Greninja rushed forward, almost like he was imbued with extra energy to move forward. Some of the grunts were standing in his path, but then they weren't, blasted apart by the toss of his liquid shuriken.
"Well, let's get moving, old chums!" James cried out. Jessie was already ahead of him, placing her feet on the stairs as she ran forward like usual, as the leader. James, Meowth and Wobbuffet were right behind her, while Clemont, Hau, Serena, and Gladion took up the rear, making note of any of their enemies that would try approaching them. All of their Pokémon were at their side, preparing for any more of the fight that was ahead. Clemont glanced up, hoping to catch a sight of Vikavolt, but seeing only specks as he dueled with Crobat and fired a Charge Beam somewhere in the distance.
That alone made it obvious that there would be more of a fight, especially because Team Skull was now going airborne, it seemed. Quite the amount that had yet to have been defeated were rising now, aiming for the altar with all speed, carried by Golbat. Worse than that…they sounded like they were rapping about it, which drew Clemont's face into one of utmost revulsion.
"Yo, we're Team Skull, we're the baddest around, and now we ain't even limited to the ground!" they were calling out. Clemont's face now started to twitch from the sound of it. If Team Skull could kill someone with sound alone, this would be the way for them to do it. "We got Golbat, Zubat and Rattata, too! You mess wit' us, we make you some foos!"
"Please make dem stop…I taut nails on chalkboard was bad!" Meowth complained loudly.
"Wobba…Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet clearly agreed. Clemont was forced to agree as well, simply from how utterly wrenching the sound of them rapping was. Team Skull may have had some modicum of skills…somewhere…but a career in the music industry was not one of them. Clemont shook his head yet again, attempting to shake the horrible rapping from his ears as he and the others continued to run forward, avoiding crumbled areas of the stairs.
Light burst over the horizon, illuminating the very tip of the construct at the top in brilliant hues of red and gold. It really made it seem the ancient and majestic structure that the Altar of the Sunne truly was. To Clemont, it was also a sign of their very impending deadline. They had to hurry. Knowing that, Clemont pushed his body, forcing himself to not give in to poor cardiovascular fitness and push onward, right up the stairs with Serena and Gladion next to him.
"Yo! Golbat, use yo Air Cutter!" A gaggle of the Skull grunts at the side were pointing forward, making their weird hand gestures, even in midair. The Golbat that were holding them beat their wings mercilessly, sending out the opaque blades of air for the proceeding group.
"Braixen, Psyshock!" Serena shouted, almost placing her hands on the steps. Braixen swiped her claws out as she backed up against Greninja. Both attacked at the same time, one sending out purple streaks of light that slammed into the Golbat, while the other tossed the liquid blades forward. Like that, the Pokémon holding up some of Team Skull lost their strength and let go of the trainers. Clemont would have grimaced at the group of them falling, but chose to not worry about it. Even if they were screaming in a high-pitched manner, he was certain they would be fine thanks to all their comrades below. Right now, he had to deal with the comrades above.
"Yo! You can't be hurtin' our bros and Big Sis that way! Ariados, use Poison Sting!" one of the grunts yelled. The large spider emerged from a pokeball, dropping right in between Team Rocket, Hau and themselves.
"Keep going, idiots," Gladion snapped at the trio of bumbling thieves. They shared a look, and soon saluted randomly. Hau just shrugged with a little grin and ran on, clearly eager to reunite with Lillie and Bonnie at the top. Clemont continued facing forward with Luxray at his side as the Ariados that had dropped seemed to have surrounded all of them. "Silvally, Multi-Attack!"
"Huurrrrah!" Silvally roared. Its claws glowed a multitude of colors, constantly shifting until it decided on the color that matched its current red body and the glow from Gladion's Z-Ring. Then, it ran forward and began swiping aside with them, flames seeming to appear. The Pokémon's strength was more than aptly demonstrated from the attack, large swaths of Ariados being pushed aside as though they were nothing. Clemont looked to Serena, who also seemed to be acknowledging the strength of Ash's rival. They weren't going to stand around and do nothing, though.
"Luxray, Thunder Fang!" Clemont commanded, throwing his hand forward. Luxray charged forward into the same mess as Silvally, fangs charged up with lightning before it sunk down onto a group of Ariados. Braixen and Greninja, meanwhile, were cutting into the group behind them. At the same time, the Golbat holding their opponents airborne were also moving into action. The Air Cutter sliced through the air, aiming right for the trainers and their exposed bodies.
"No, you don't!" Clemont snapped his gaze upwards in time to see a slew of Aura Spheres come flying through the air, knocking into the Golbat and driving them wildly off course. He didn't need to see in order to know just who had managed to do that, though it became remarkably obvious when he saw a rope descending from one of the helicopters. Seconds later, a Lucario dropped, clearly in a Mega Evolved form.
"Korrina, I didn't expect you to come to Alola," Clemont remarked, hiding the slight lie with his little grin, before his girlfriend could actually appear. Serena flashed a smile, though Gladion appeared to not really care, ordering a Crush Claw from Silvally. Clemont turned his head to Luxray's electricity transferring from his fangs to his whole body as he began charging through the Ariados to cut a small path. They were really stuck in the thick of it, though. Especially since Clemont noticed some of the Ariados climbing up the sides of the stairs. When he turned back, he suddenly found his girlfriend's arms around him giddily.
"Like I'd miss the chance to see you!" she said. He couldn't see her face fully, but that was fine with him as he quickly hugged her back. She got the message and pulled back, offering him a wink. Lucario's fist burned a bright orange and then slammed into some of the Ariados behind them, sending them flying. They were quickly replaced.
"Th-that's nice, but doesn't the Shalour Gym need to be run?" Clemont asked in order to get himself out of any embarrassment at his girlfriend's actions. Serena waved to Korrina, who was momentarily distracted by it, but she soon turned her attention back to her boyfriend, hands on his shoulders.
"They wanted a representative from the Kalos Gyms that wasn't you," Korrina pointed out. Clemont frowned; he'd never heard of anything like that before…Still, he shrugged regarding it, figuring that there was no point in complaining about her presence there. He had expected her to show up in the first place, anyway.
"Well, either way, it's good to see you. We just don't have time right now," Clemont admitted to her. She took her hands off his shoulders and pumped her fists with enthusiasm.
"Don't worry about a thing, Clemont!" she called out, pulling away and coming to stand close to Lucario with her usually giddy grin. "The League is here to support, and as a Gym Leader, that's exactly what I'm here to do! Lucario, Bone Rush!"
Clemont had to shake his head at Korrina's unending energy. Sometimes he had to wonder if one day he'd be unable to keep up with her…but at the same time, he liked it that way. As if possessed by something, bolstered by confidence, he closed the distance, taking her into a hug and then briefly hesitating before putting his lips on hers. When he pulled away, he was blushing like crazy, as was she. Serena laughed at that, while Gladion was kicking at an Ariados that ensnared his leg. Lucario came in and beat the Pokémon away in order to free him. Then Clemont adjusted his glasses and faced forward. The Ariados that had been scuttling up the sides had now gathered to block their progression. He cracked his knuckles as Serena and Gladion joined to his side.
"One more push to the top," he breathed. They nodded. Korrina was slapping her cheeks, recovering from his move with a grin. Lucario changed direction to launch behind into that mess of clustering enemies while Braixen and Greninja flanked them at their sides. "Let's do this!"
"Silvally, Tri-Attack!" Gladion cried, placing a hand to his face. Silvally hunkered down, three rotating colors appearing, blue, red, and yellow. They fired out into the Ariados while Clemont and Serena commanded their own attacks. They struck home, blasting a small and narrow path aside for them to traverse. Needing no words, the three and their Pokémon dashed forward, though they soon found themselves being hemmed in by the forces around them.
"Stone Edge, let's go!" It sounded like both a familiar and unfamiliar voice, but Clemont wasn't about to take the obvious support for granted. Stones flew forward, jagged in their edges, as they struck upon the Ariados. Some chunks of the ancient stairs also crumbled inward, but their own trio managed to skirt them. Clemont threw his gaze back, as did Serena, who happened to hesitate at the sight of the familiar purple-haired boy, standing atop a Torterra that had landed in the middle of the Ariados below.
"P-Paul…" Serena gasped out. However, she was obviously able to realize it wasn't the same Paul that they had known from their battle with DARC, but the one that had battled with Ash what could have been a lifetime ago. This was only evident from the small spark of respect in his eyes.
"Just go," he said brusquely. The three watched him a moment longer, and then seemed to decide to heed his advice. They dashed up the stairs once more, growing ever closer to the altar at the top. Up above, Clemont caught sight of Vikavolt once more, still tussling with Crobat before sending another Charge Beam at it. That happened to clip its wing, forcing Crobat to spiral downward without stopping. Vikavolt, as a result, whipped around to join back up with him.
"I guess Ash really does influence a whole lot of people," Serena noted. Clemont could hear a slight sense of exhaustion in her voice, and it was starting to settle into him just how long they had all been going, as well. The sun was rising quicker now, leaving their window closing all the more. There was another soft glow, and Clemont noticed Serena's Z-Ring glowing, as was Gladion's. The closer they got to the top, the brighter it was. "I mean, there was a really clear difference with that Paul. I can't have ever imagined the other one helping anybody out with something like this for no clear personal gain."
"Well, Ash is just that kind of person," Clemont laughed out, still keeping his eyes fixated on the rings. Gladion seemed to snort loudly at his statement.
"He is…" was the breathed-out answer. "Speaking of, where is he anyway? We could really use his help right about now."
"He'll be here. I'm sure of it," Serena said with conviction. It was clear she believed it and had faith in him with all her heart. Clemont decided to share in that faith as their feet made the final push for the top of the altar. In seconds, they had stepped upon it, each of their Pokémon racing for the sides, as if to protect it carefully. Clemont almost slumped, now really feeling the exhaustion as his hands fell to his knees from the strain. Once he'd taken a few breaths to get himself going again, he turned and looked out over the battle against Team Skull.
With their reinforcements, things had most definitely turned in their favor, even if some of their enemies were attempting to still reach them. It was an encouraging sight. Now they just had the ultimate battle to take on. It was time to open the Ultra Space. Heaving in one more breath, Clemont stood and ran to where Serena and Gladion were approaching. Naturally, they weren't alone on top of the large structure. There appeared to be an ancient dais, emblazoned with the same symbol as that on the Sun Flute. Standing there were Team Rocket, Hau, Lillie and Bonnie (as well as Rotom, too). They had taken Nebby out, still in its inert form and placed it in between that dais and another, emblazoned with a moon-like sigil. Clemont stopped.
"Your Z-Rings…they're glowing like crazy now," he observed. His scientific mind was already whirring with the possibilities.
"Uh…mine isn't," Hau pointed out, lifting his wrist as well. Sure enough, his was the same as it always was. Team Rocket was blinking rapidly, looking swiftly between the three glowing rings that were clasped about Serena, Gladion and Lillie's hands. Clemont's hand flew to his chin, practically stroking it with interest and contemplation.
"Do we really have time for this?" Bonnie asked, folding her arms impatiently. "I mean, the sun's almost in the sky completely, which means we'll lose our chance to open the Ultra Space, right?"
"Bonnie's right," Lillie said, trying to pass off the issue. She gripped the Sun Flute tighter and held it out. "All we need to do is perform the ritual, I think, to restore Nebby's power with the flutes. You got the Moon Flute, right, Serena?"
"About that," Serena noted, swinging her bag off and digging into it. As her bag dropped to the ground, she had pulled out an object that looked extraordinarily similar to the other flute, only blue, and snapped almost cleanly in half. Clemont practically lunged forward to take the object from Serena's hands. It felt warm to the touch, like a nighttime breeze during summer, and Clemont could almost swear it was glowing…almost the same glow as they were all currently seeing from the Z-Rings. Suddenly, he had to wonder if they were connected. "We found it like that on Exeggutor Island. Maybe it just broke naturally."
"Or maybe it has to do with this 'other Cosmog' that Lillie saw," Gladion spat out. "Either way, this is a real issue. If we can't restore Cosmog's power, then we cannot enter the Ultra Space safely, and take down Guzma and Lusamine before the Day of Stars."
"Well, there must be some way to fix it," James said, holding a finger up in the air. Clemont wanted to agree with him, but he had no knowledge of such a thing. He looked up towards Lillie, wondering if all her research could have led her there, but from the way she was biting her lip in worry, it was all too obvious that she had no idea. Nor did Bonnie or Squishy, and they had spent a month alongside Lionel.
"If there is, we can't figure it out before dawn," Clemont stated, holding the flute gingerly in his hands. All of them deflated, looking disappointed, even Hau (although, he looked more contemplative than disappointed). Clemont's lips twisted a little, trying to figure out if there might be any way for him to help fix the problem at hand before their time was up. He looked around, seeing if there was some sort of clue about the area.
Then he saw Nebby, lying there in its unresponsive state, glowing. In fact, now that he looked closer, Nebby was glowing with the same kind of light that eclipsed the Z-Rings, and seemed to be doing so for the flute in his and Lillie's hands. At this, he walked forward, looking right at Lillie before he reached his hands out and clasped hers. Lillie looked surprised, but let him take the Sun Flute, feeling its familiar warmth. His other hand touched to the Z-Ring and could likewise feel the same kind of energy. Releasing Lillie's hands, he bent down, touching them to Nebby. It was a slightly different energy, either because it was waning or because it was a receiver instead of a giver.
"I think…we might have a shot," he finally said aloud, willing to put his hypothesis to the test. All eyes turned to him, desperate for that hope. He lifted the broken Moon Flute up a little. "I know it's all very unscientific of me, but I really do think that the flutes and the Z-Rings share the same power with Nebby. I can't really explain it or why; they're different, but the same. I think, too, that all of your Z-Rings are glowing because you received them from the Tapus."
"That makes…kind of sense…" Gladion said, folding his arms as he seemed to be trying to figure things out. Team Rocket, especially Jessie, already looked lost.
"Rotom cannot say for certain, but Rotom does detect an eighty percent chance that Clemont is correct," Rotom said in support of Clemont's theory. It also acted like it was nodding its head.
Gladion thought a moment, and then produced his own query regarding the hypothesis. "But then, why haven't they glowed like this before? And what would it have to do with Cosmog?"
"Nebby comes from the Ultra Space, right?" Lillie suggested, glancing down to their unresponsive friend. "Maybe it's possible, since the Ultra Space seems to absorb things, that it and the power of the Z-Rings and the Tapus are connected!"
"That's my thinking exactly! This place obviously has a close connection with both Nebby and the Ultra Space; that's the reason for the barrier, and must explain why it's glowing within such close proximity. So, if we can combine the power of the four Tapus through all of your Z-Rings, then it's possible that we can do something to open the Ultra Space or restore Nebby. I can't be sure of how well it'll work though. We did decide that we needed the flutes for a reason."
"I say try it, whether it works or not," Hau told them. He was tapping his own ring with a slightly bemused smile. "I mean, mine's not glowing, so Clemont's probably right. Nothing bad can really happen, right? If it fails, we're right back to where we started, and if it works, then heck yeah!"
"Heck yeah!" Lillie said, though it sounded beyond strange coming from her lips. She and Hau met in a high five while Serena nodded positively.
"Let's give it a shot, then! We'll join our Z-Rings together over Nebby and hopefully that all can do the trick," she said, holding her own brightly glowing ring out. Gladion was the only one that looked displeased with the notion. Rather, he looked more apprehensive. Thankfully, he decided to share his thought rather than keeping it to himself.
"We need Ash, then." Clemont would have grimaced at the thought of where his best friend could possibly be in such a crisis, but his mind was prevented from doing so by the sharp outcry of Braixen. All of them turned around, their Pokémon bristling with the ferocity of battle. Hau ran forward, too, Pipi and Incineroar with him as a huge group of enemies arrived, flapping on the air. Clearly, some members of Team Skull were more than persistent in getting past their protectors. Especially Plumeria.
"Aw man, don't you ever just stay down?" Hau asked, sounding just a little annoyed. Plumeria wasn't looking too good, nor did Crobat as it held her up. Either way, the forces that had reached the top of the altar didn't look ready to back down, which left their assault group with nowhere to run atop the space.
"I would…ask the…same…" Plumeria gasped out. It was the clear sign of a woman who had been defeated, but in her madness and desperation to be with her boss, to "save" their family, was pushing herself beyond her limits. It would have been commendable, if it wasn't insane. "We can't…let you…have our…future reality…"
"When will you learn, Plumeria?" Clemont shouted up at her, but she was done paying attention to him. Gladion stepped forth with a snarl upon his face.
"Just stand down, already, Plumeria!" he snapped up at her. "There's no need for us to do this. Team Skull lost the moment reinforcements arrived. If you don't want to be caught in the-"
"Attack them now! We can't let them get to the boss!" Plumeria yelled. She was beyond gone, twisted with a sense of loyalty to the man that had saved her without realizing how lost that man was, himself. They were all just being what everyone told them they were. Clemont turned to Vikavolt, ready to battle one last time despite the creeping exhaustion. Gladion, likewise, was gripping towards his Z-Ring.
"Yeah? Well, we'll get there! Because we have to! Greninja, full power, now!" Clemont turned to where Greninja was standing, and his eyes widened as water blasted forth in a towering torrent. It was a beacon for everyone there to see as that torrent moved inward, forming a giant shuriken. Serena's eyes shined with happiness, and Bonnie jumped up and down.
"It's Ash-Greninja! Ash-Greninja!"
"Denenene!"
"Rotom is most pleased to see, Ash!"
"Greninja, let's go! Use Water Shuriken!" They couldn't see him yet, but wherever he was, Greninja could feel him, grabbing ahold of his giant shuriken and tossing it forward. It traveled in a wide arc, one the Skull grunts didn't see coming. It slammed into them, knocking them from their flying steeds. "Go, Toucannon! Catch them before they drop!"
"Toucah!" Toucannon cried out. That's when they saw him, blazing forth from above, Toucannon letting him go. Ash dropped, Pikachu on his shoulder and Decidueye on his side as he landed nimbly on the ground of the altar, some small distance away. He rolled forward into a crouch. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder, cheeks sparking dangerously.
"Ash!" Lillie said with a blossoming smile. Clemont could practically feel the elation all around them, especially when he looked to see his best friend's Z-Ring glowing brightly. Then he looked to Plumeria, who looked a mixture between shocked, angry and altogether fearful. It wasn't hard to see why: Ash looked different. He still held the same confidence as always, but there was a clarity there, and a purpose that kept him driving forward.
"Long time, no see, man!" Hau cheered, throwing his fists in the air. Even Team Rocket appeared to be crying from it, hugging each other with cheers of their own. Ash smiled at it, drawing back up to his full height. Decidueye landed next to Pikachu and Greninja, ready to take on the remaining forces around them. Serena, Clemont noticed, was staring at him with tears of happiness blooming in her eyes.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone. Hope it didn't cause too many problems," he laughed out, rubbing the back of his head. Then his eyes grew stern as he stared at Plumeria a moment, facing her down. Her upper lip was twitching angrily from it. Once Ash seemed to have delivered his silent declaration, he looked to Clemont. "I could hear your idea on the way over, Clemont! Let's try it! Though…guess we should get rid of these guys first, huh?"
"You won't get rid of us so easily!" Plumeria shrieked. Crobat began to dive, carrying her forward on a sudden attack. Ash snapped his head back to their opponents while Hau muttered something of being well aware they couldn't get rid of her so easily.
"Decidueye, Spirit Shackle. Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash cried out. He reached behind his back as Greninja did so, and the two of them heaved the giant shuriken together, letting it fly furiously. Decidueye was on the move faster, flinging arrow after arrow at the now fleeing Skull grunts. Ash's arrival had turned the tide of battle once more in their favor.
"Chuuuuuu!" Pikachu called out, sending a massive Thunderbolt into the air that sparked and caused some of the remaining Skull members to drop. Those that were left behind either couldn't move, or clustered around Plumeria fearfully.
"Big Sis, what do we do? This guy's like major strong!"
"I…We…" Plumeria had genuinely lost it now, the battle having turned far away from her favor. She was almost snarling. "Finish them! Finish them before they-!"
"Sorry, but there's no way that's happening!" Ash called and his fists came up, the brightly glowing Z-Ring crossing over his other wrist. It was now tinged with a ghostly green as Decidueye began to glow powerfully. Then Ash made new hand movements that Clemont had never seen before, though Serena seemed to recognize them as he lifted up like a ghost. "Sinister Arrow Raid!"
"Kooroo!" Decidueye called powerfully. He shot up into the air, circling around as the air around them grew dark, almost like a dark and spooky night. Plumeria's eyes widened even more, and the rest of her subordinates all looked appropriately freaked out. Decidueye spread his wings wide, and a large multitude of arrows appeared in the air. They circled around, floating of their own accord, and then they fired forward with a sweeping of Decidueye's wing, practically homing in on every single remaining grunt. Then Decidueye shot forward, right at Plumeria and ripped through Crobat.
An explosion followed, causing Clemont's shirt to ripple and Serena to tamp down her skirt. There were some screams, though they were cut off by the sight of Toucannon swooping over to catch them and place them on the ground far below. Plumeria, however, flew forward, bouncing along the ground and then rolling until she'd landed at Ash's feet. Seconds later, Decidueye had returned like a vanishing specter, right at Ash's side. They instantly slapped wing to hand with a grin. Likewise, Greninja's form faded, no longer being needed for battle. Once all that happened, everyone looked down at the battered Plumeria. She was gripping at the ground, like she wanted to crawl forward, but lacked the strength to do so.
She was crying as well, as though seeing some long sought after dream vanishing before her very eyes.
"Ash," Serena said, being the first to step forward towards her boyfriend. Clemont wanted to have a proper reunion with him, too, but in the midst of everything, he knew that would have to wait for a little later. They were, however, able to lock eyes and nod at one another, both glad at their small reunion after a month of being away. "You look like you found it."
"I did," Ash said, grinning at her. Clemont wasn't quite sure what they were talking about, but he had a fairly decent idea; Ash's eyes gave away everything that needed to be said. The raven-haired trainer looked down at Plumeria, the woman's usual aloof veneer completely broken. He seemed to want to say something, but decided against it for the moment. "Decidueye, watch her."
"Koorai!" Decidueye said, lifting a wing in salute. His job became even easier with Toucannon returning to his side. Ash stepped away, over towards Nebby and Lillie. He wasn't alone, as all of them did the same, even those without Z-Rings on their wrists. Ash then took in a deep breath.
"It's been a long time, huh?" he laughed out, as though they were catching up over tea, even if that wasn't the case. He dropped his arms, looking at all of them with his usual ecstatic grin. "We've all grown a lot. I can tell. So…let's complete the journey. Let's save Nebby as best as we can!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" Bonnie cheered, herself almost looking like she had been crying her own tears of joy. Clemont didn't bring it up, choosing to save his sister's sense of stubborn pride. So, Ash stepped forward, throwing his ring out over the unconscious form of Nebby. Clemont continued to grip at the Moon Flute as he watched Lillie, Serena and Gladion also move forward.
Their rings were even brighter than before, like having all four of those chosen by the Tapus, their "champions", made them suddenly more powerful. With a slight jolt, Clemont realized that it had to have been the first time in a very long time that the Tapus' Champions were all together in one place, sharing their power with one another. Each stuck their fists out, like they were going to fist bump or do something similar to that. They didn't, instead crossing their wrists right over one another on top of Nebby. From Lillie's hands, the Sun Flute dropped, caught by Bonnie.
The light began to pulse powerfully around them, but nothing was happening quite yet, and Clemont had to wonder why. Surely his theory was strong enough for at least something to happen. The flute in his hands felt warm, and it was pulsing as well. Clemont nodded; it made complete sense. Perhaps they couldn't actually complete the ritual, but it was possible to at least do something to get it all started. He looked across to his sister on the other side.
"Bonnie, play the Sun Flute," he said. She held no hesitation in doing so, and Clemont attempted to hold the Moon Flute together as he raised it to his lips. He blew into it, but no sound came out, utterly broken beyond belief. Yet when Bonnie blew into hers, it was a beautiful sound; a single, crisp, clear note that resounded around the entire altar. Squishy burbled, transforming back into his usual, small form and returning to Bonnie's bag, along with Rotom, who appeared to scream that it was blinded. Team Rocket held on to one another, and the light from the Z-Rings burst out.
Clemont almost fell back, while Hau ended up doing exactly that, caught within his growling Incineroar's arms. Plumeria looked up from the ground as Decidueye loomed over her threateningly. It was no surprise that everyone was reacting. There was a large bubble suddenly forming around the stage, swirling with celestial and cosmic energy. Things like stars and galaxies appeared in the air, cutting those on the altar off from all other manner of reality. Clemont swallowed, and then he looked to Nebby, who was pulsing. Strangely, he seemed to be flickering between that inert, corporeal form and a larger, more ethereal form that looked like a lion.
He also seemed to speak in a booming, loud voice that took every single one of them off guard.
Lillie…Thank you…he spoke kindly. Lillie's eyes seemed to begin watering, while Ash and Serena stared in absolute awe at the aura of this majestic beast. I do not have much strength…not from this, but I do have enough to speak.
"Nebby…is that really you…?" Lillie gasped out. The ethereal lion nodded its head, fading in and out. It was clear to Clemont that they had both succeeded and failed at the same time. His idea of the Z-Rings and the flutes sharing a common property had been correct, but there was no way they were making it into the Ultra Space. Not today, at least.
It is, Nebby spoke kindly. I want to thank you, Ash and Serena for trying to help me. I love you very much! But…as I am now, I can't help you. I can't save you.
"That's okay, Nebby," Ash spoke clearly. The lion briefly turned its head. "We're not asking you to save us. We wanted to help you."
Yes, I'm aware. Yet with the threat from beyond, from the Dread Sovereign, I could not stand by. But my power is too little, half of it was stolen and locked away, Nebby told them. Clemont found it fascinating. Perhaps the little one (if the lion could even be deemed as little) didn't know every scrap of detail, particularly regarding the rings and the flute, but he seemed to know something. My counterpart is waiting. Only together can we offer safe passage. Lusamine, she took a most dangerous route, and I can only imagine the state of her mind now.
"So, what you're saying is that we're on the right path, correct?" Serena asked simply. Nebby returned with a simple nod in return. They all breathed in some relief at that. "That's a start."
I am sorry…I don't have much time now. My power, until my majesty is returned, I cannot hold it for long, Nebby said, sounding sad and crying over his lamentable state. Lillie looked like she wanted to reach forward and hug it, but couldn't, due to holding her position. Please, free me. Free me and our combined power, that of equal and opposite sides, will open the way for you.
On the Day…free…her…
Free…from the…one in black…
Then just like that, the energy provided by the Z-Rings vanished. The cosmic swirling completely disappeared, leaving them all there, staring at the once more inert Nebby. The glow still remained on the Z-Rings, obviously still affected by the altar they were standing on. However, the form of the lion had completely vanished now, leaving behind nothing but air. As the sunlight returned to graze upon their skin, the sobering truth settled in: they had failed.
Gladion kicked at the ground. "So, all this was for nothing."
"Not nothing," Hau said, keeping up his cheerful attitude, as usual. Incineroar was doing the same, if sneaking glances at Decidueye, like he was measuring his rival. "Nebby told us, right: we gotta find a way to fix the flutes and save the other one. Then we can come back and win."
"On the Day of Stars, maybe, but how much will that put others at risk?" Gladion demanded. Clemont stepped between them, putting a hand onto Gladion's shoulder with comfort.
"If we all work together, we can prevent casualties, all of them. Nebby gave us a clue, something to work with. We just need a little more information about everything that's going on. Our preemptive strike may have failed, but we still have another chance."
"Information…" Serena breathed out. Clemont slid his eyes over to her and realized she was thinking about something intently. He was almost certain that it regarded around her father, and with Clemont allowing his mind a chance to breathe, he could imagine how that would actually benefit them in the long run. Though, that kind of thought or discussion was best tabled until they were somewhere safe, like the Foundation. Or at least until they could hear their minds actually think over Plumeria's sudden sobbing.
"The Ultra Space…isn't safe? Does that mean…? Is Guzma…?" Plumeria was sobbing out, almost choking upon her words as she did so. "Does that mean our world…our reality…is Guzma's mind going to leave him entirely?"
No one could answer her, being so unaware of what Nebby's words meant. All Clemont knew was what the Ultra Space seemed to comprise of, from Burnet's research; in the end, he figured it was plausible that one could be driven mad from that, even if he couldn't say with certainty. Regardless of it all, Ash split away from their group, walking right up to Plumeria and grabbing her by the straps of her tanktop. "None of us know. But what we do know is that this world is in danger because of it. Now, you can either keep fighting us and cause this world to fall apart, or you could help us and find a way to save both it and Guzma, too. Those are the only options."
"Only…?" Plumeria sounded so lost. Then again, Clemont figured that was what she was: someone who was lost and abandoned a long time ago, and was clinging on to that last shred of hope and light, even if it was all tangled up in the darkness until now. Finally, she looked up at Ash. "Can you save him? Can you save that dumbass boss of ours?"
Ash drew back a moment, and then he grinned, placing a hand across his heart. "I will."
There was a brief moment in which the sounds of battle below were heard and Plumeria hung her head. Then she raised it, and her voice along with it. "Stand down, Team Skull! The fight is over!"
Her voice echoed around the space of the canyon, and Clemont believed it would be entirely ineffectual. However, when he rotated his body to look out over the space from their high perch, he instead saw red lights, and the Skull grunts pulling away into a squat, like they were done fighting entirely and just wanted to sit and wait. Ash let go of Plumeria and held a hand out, which she clasped. It was a promise in that moment to work together, all to save the ones they loved.
The sun finally covered them entirely, and a loud breath was exhaled from all of their lungs simultaneously. The preemptive strike had failed, but, for the moment, their long war with Team Skull was over, and they could begin to prepare once again.
Author's Note: So, every time I seem to say it will be short it turns out this length…oh well. A rather action packed chapter with a lot of little things happening. I really wanted Ash's return to the battle to feel triumphant, and I hope that came off well! Other than that, the battle with Team Skull is finally over, and how that will go, you'll just have to see. But there was some stuff about what our heroes need to do. Naturally, the preemptive strike failed, but at least they know when to strike next!
That all aside, I need to thank everyone sticking with me so far: Randomreader1739472849 for following; and that usual big thanks to Amourshiper35, The Aura Gardian, Omegaz, Vivian Gray, ultimateCCC, FantasyLover88, Tenzalucard123, Gehatik, micro0951, AdvancedAlto, jimbo4273, Alexandria Prime, SinVallie, ChE clarinetist, RWBYSanctum, thatsmybusiness43, Nega Mewtwo, XDiamondX90, TheShapeH31, AmourshippingCanon, potat lasaro, jlogan2748, aliensinnoh and 2 guests for reviewing. We're in for a little bit of quiet now, so please stick around and enjoy. Until next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.