While Ruby and the others were trying to escape the Distortion World, Mewtwo was fighting off Giratina in the middle of Haven City. Mewtwo was almost evenly matched with Giratina until Salem revealed Giratina's powered up form, and Mewtwo had struggled to keep fighting since. Thanks to Giratina's powerful Shadow Force, Mewtwo kept taking severe amounts of damage. Every time Mewtwo would Recover their health back, Giratina would just knock them back down. Mewtwo was down on one knee in the middle of the destroyed street, barely having any strength to form another attack as Salem shook her head at the sight of Mewtwo on the brink of defeat.
"You disappoint me, Mewtwo," said Salem. "A Pokémon of your abilities could have easily overpowered humanity, and yet you throw it all away because of your feelings for some wretched human. Before I end this battle once and for all, I want to know: Was it all worth it?"
"If this is truly the end," said Mewtwo, "even if I failed to save Ruby...it was all worth it! I was never meant to be born in the first place; I can at least die knowing I fulfilled a greater purpose!"
"It's time to end this, Giratina!"
"EEERRAAA!" shouted Giratina, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke into an unknown dimension, ready to strike Mewtwo one final time. Mewtwo knew there was nothing they can do to avoid or survive the attack, closing their eyes and remaining still as they thought back to all the memories they had with Ruby.
"I'm sorry I could not fulfill your promise, Ruby. Hopefully one day, I'll get to see you again on the other side."
As Mewtwo contemplated what they believed to be their final thoughts, they heard what sounded like a galloping noise off in the distance, quickly getting louder as if it was coming towards them. Before Mewtwo could find out what was causing that noise, the plume of purple smoke appeared once again as Giratina emerged from the shadow world and charged towards Mewtwo with its powerful Shadow Force. Just as Giratina was about to hit Mewtwo, a flash of beige and red suddenly came running from the side and pushed Mewtwo out of the way, causing Giratina to miss.
"Now what?" said Salem, angry that someone else decided to enter the battle. Salem looked over to where Mewtwo and the thing that saved them were standing. Seeing the flowing red hair and the giant blue horn, Salem couldn't believe it was the youngling Sword of Justice she had thrown into the Distortion World.
"Surprised to see me again, Salem?" asked Keldeo.
"Impossible!" yelled Salem. "How were you able to escape the Distortion World?"
"You'd be amazed by some of the new tricks I've learned!"
"Keldeo?" asked Mewtwo. "If you're here, does this mean Ruby...?"
"Look up and see for yourself!"
Everyone looked up and sure enough, Ruby and her friends arrived on the various Pokémon they used to fly back to Haven City, dropping down next to Keldeo and Mewtwo.
"Ruby!" said Mewtwo. "You really came back!"
"Sorry we took so long, Mewtwo!" said Ruby. "Looks like you took a heck of a beating, but we'll take it from here!"
"Be careful, Ruby! Giratina is more powerful than anything we've ever faced! Even my powers were hardly a match!"
"I'd listen to your genetic abomination," said Salem. "You may have somehow escaped the Distortion World, but what chance do you have in defeating me?"
"Because the Swords of Justice did it once before!" said Keldeo. "And we can do it again!"
"But this battle isn't like last time. Giratina and I are far stronger than ever before, not to mention I have my loyalists to back me up!"
Salem's trio of loyalists showed up as well; Tyrian calling out his Drapion, Hazel calling out his Pangoro, and Watts calling out his Porygon-Z. Leo had run off to hide somewhere, but the cult didn't seem to care about the lack of his presence.
"Just say the word, my queen!" said Tyrian. "I'll take down anyone you wish!"
"Hold on," said Watts. "Where are the other stallions?"
"Maybe they didn't escape," said Hazel. "Or maybe they're too cowardly to fight."
"A Sword of Justice is anything but, human!" declared Cobalion. Salem's loyalists turned around and saw the remaining Swords of Justice finally arrive; Cobalion was noticeably catching their breathe.
"Apologies for being late!" said Virizion. "It seems we've lost a bit of our step since helping Keldeo unlock their Secret Sword!"
"Kid's gotten a heck of a lot faster thanks to that upgrade of theirs!" said Terrakion.
"Masters!" said Keldeo. "Let's defeat Salem together again!"
"I'm afraid we cannot, Keldeo," said Cobalion. "We used up so much power to bring out your Secret Sword that we barely have the strength to form our own. It's up to you and the humans to defeat Giratina!"
"Got it!" said Keldeo. "We won't let you down, masters!"
"It sounds like they're already giving up!" laughed Tyrian.
"Hardly!" replied Cobalion. "The Swords of Justice never retreat from a battle!"
"Even at our weakest we're tougher than you!" said Terrakion.
"You can tie my front legs together and I'd still outmatch all three of you," said Virizion.
"What do you say, my queen?" asked Watts.
"Keep them busy," said Salem. "Giratina and I will deal with the others."
"Mewtwo, you and Sylveon find a place to rest!" said Ruby. "We've got this!"
Drapion, Pangoro, and Porygon-Z turned their attention to the Swords of Justice, while Sylveon and Mewtwo quickly left the area as Weiss' Hydreigon, Blake's Greninja, and Yang's Celica got ready to aid Keldeo in defeating Salem and Giratina once and for all.
"Ruby! Masters! Everyone!" exclaimed Keldeo. "Let us defeat Giratina and Salem together!"
"EEERRRRAAAA!" shouted Giratina, blasting everyone back with an Ominous Wind. Celica charged full force into Giratina with her Dragon Rush, nearly pushing Giratina back. Giratina countered by slashing Celica with a Dragon Claw, causing Celica to back off. Greninja quickly rushed in and slashed back at Giratina with his Night Slash; Giratina blew its Dragon Breath on Giratina to try and paralyze the speedy frog. Hydreigon then stood in front of Greninja and fired several Dark Pulses with its three heads; Giratina withstood the attack and slashed Hydreigon with a powerful Dragon Claw. Keldeo jumped towards Giratina and smacked them in the head with their Aqua Tail.
"Giratina, blast them all back!" commanded Salem.
"EERRAA!" yelled Giratina, using Ominous Wind once again to push all their foes back and boost their strength greatly.
"That thing really is a powerful Dragon," said Weiss.
"But I bet our Dragons combined can take it down!" said Yang.
"Hydreigon, Celica, Dragon Rush!" said both to their respective Pokémon. Celica and Hydreigon stood by each other and rushed towards Giratina at the same time. Before they can reach Giratina, both were suddenly frozen in place by a Psychic force, allowing Giratina to use Dragon Breath on both, nearly paralyzing them.
"What gives?" yelled Yang.
"Giratina is not the only one you're fighting," said Salem, having used her own powers to stop the pair of Dragons.
"If you wish to fight yourself, so be it!" said Blake. "Greninja, fire your Water Shuriken!"
Greninja quickly jumped in front of Salem and launched a giant Water Shuriken at her; Salem used her Double Team to suddenly disappear before the ninja star can hit her and reappeared behind Greninja, blasting him with a Shadow Ball.
"Anyone else dare to attack me?" asked Salem. Salem turned around and saw Keldeo suddenly charging towards her, keeping their head down and aiming their horn straight at her. Salem tried to use her Psychic to grab Keldeo, only for Keldeo to somehow be unaffected. As soon as Keldeo got close, Keldeo suddenly transformed into Zoroark and lunged at Salem with a Night Slash. Salem quickly backed away before getting slashed.
"I'll focus on Salem!" said Ruby. "The rest of you take down Giratina!"
Zoroark formed a Dark Pulse and fired at Salem; Salem used her Double Team to avoid the blast and fire her Shadow Ball; Zoroark likewise dodged the attack with her own Double Team. Both kept firing their attacks from a distance while using their after-image illusions to avoid each other. As Salem reappeared to attack again, she was suddenly punched in the face by Hitmonchan's Ice Punch, catching her off guard. Salem quickly grabbed Hitmonchan with her Psychic attack and threw him hard into the pavement. With her mind focused on Hitmonchan, she didn't notice Scizor flying in and slashing her with his Fury Cutter.
As Ruby's team of Pokémon kept Salem distracted, Keldeo and the others were still fending off Giratina, who barely appeared to take any damage no matter what they threw at them.
"Anyone got a plan to hurt this thing?" asked Yang.
"Sounds like it's time to break out our most powerful attack!" said Weiss. "Are you ready, Hydreigon?"
Hydreigon nodded as Weiss pointed up to the sky, signaling for the most powerful Dragon attack: Draco Meteor. As devastating as the attack was, it also had the drawback of seriously draining the energy out of the user, so Weiss knew they needed to make this attack count because it was likely the only chance they'd get. Seeing Hydreigon slowly fly up to the sky, Giratina knew Hydreigon was going to unleash a powerful attack and chose to focus on Hydreigon.
"EEERRRAAA!" shouted Giratina, flying up to Hydreigon to release a Dragon Breath until Celica flew up in front of them and fired an Ice Beam at point blank range. Despite the sheer cold of the attack, it didn't stop Giratina from using its Dragon Breath on Celica instead, doing some heavy damage and causing Celica to fall to the ground.
"Distract them, Greninja!" commanded Blake. Greninja propelled themselves into the air and got on top of Giratina's back. Giratina shook their body around to knock Greninja off, then tried to swat them in mid-air with a Dragon Claw; Greninja used Substitute to dodge the attack as the Poké Doll in his place got completely obliterated.
Even with the distractions, Hydreigon still needed some time to power up for the Draco Meteor. Left wide open, Giratina charged towards Hydreigon with a Dragon Claw. Seeing Hydreigon in trouble, Keldeo used their Quick Guard and their newfound speed to jump in the way and take the brunt of the Dragon Claw, sending them crashing back down to the ground.
"Are you okay, Keldeo?" asked Weiss.
"I'm fine!" said Keldeo. "What matters is if Hydreigon is ready!"
Hydreigon let out a loud roar, letting his master know he was ready to fire away.
"Show them the true power of Dragon Pokémon, Hydreigon!" said Weiss. "Draco Meteor attack!"
Hydreigon launched the giant balls of energy that turned into burning rocks down onto Giratina. With barely anywhere to run in the crowded street, Giratina couldn't escape the onslaught of meteors raining down on top of them. The street was soon covered in smoke from the wreckage brought upon by the meteors as Weiss smiled to herself, thinking that not even Giratina could still be standing after that full-on assault.
While the humans were battling Giratina and Salem, the Swords of Justice had chosen to fend off Salem's followers. Even if they weren't fighting at their fullest strength, the Swords were not going to surrender no matter the odds. The Swords charged into battle without hesitation.
"Drapion, Cross Poison!" commanded Tyrian. Drapion slashed at Virizion with its poisonous claws; Virizion created a Leaf Blade and slashed Drapion in return.
"Pangoro, Hammer Arm!" said Hazel. Pangoro ran towards Terrakion and pummeled the top of their head with a giant swing of his arm.
"Not bad!" replied Terrakion. "Let's see how strong my arm is!"
Terrakion stomped the ground with all their might, causing a stone pillar to burst out and striking Pangoro with a critical Stone Edge.
"Porygon, Discharge them!" ordered Watts. Porygon-Z flew up to the Swords and shot an electrical burst that damaged all the Swords at once. Cobalion charged into Porygon-Z and used their Close Combat technique to buck Porygon-Z with their legs as hard as they could, sending Porygon-Z flying several feet back.
"Drapion, poison them all with your Toxic!" said Tyrian. Drapion raised their stinger high and released a large amount of poisonous liquid. The Swords quickly dodged the attack by jumping into different directions.
"Swords, Close Combat maneuvers!" commanded Cobalion.
All the Swords of Justice used their Close Combat techniques on the opposing Pokémon at once. While Terrakion and Virizion had dealt some moderate damage, Cobalion had tried to attack Porygon-Z but was moving noticeably slower this time.
"Porygon, Conversion 2!" said Watts. Porygon-Z reprogrammed its body so that it was now a Bug type Pokémon, making it resistant to Fighting type attacks. By the time Cobalion reached Porygon-Z and attacked, it barely did any damage as Cobalion began to breathe heavily. Terrakion and Virizion noticed Cobalion not looking well.
"You feeling all right, Cobalion?" asked Terrakion.
"I'm just fine!" yelled Cobalion.
"You clearly are not!" replied Virizion. "You look as if you're about to faint at any moment! If you can't battle-"
"I will not surrender!" said Cobalion. "I fight down to my last breath!"
"We'll see about that," said Watts. "Porygon, Signal Beam!"
Porygon-Z quickly fired a Signal Beam that struck Cobalion in the forehead. The attack caused Cobalion's head to spin, unable to tell where they were and barely stand still. Seeing Cobalion in their confused state, the other Swords knew they were going to be the target of the witch's minions' next attacks.
"Pangoro, attack Cobalion with Sky Uppercut!" said Hazel. Terrakion used their Quick Guard to jump in front of Cobalion and take the Sky Uppercut attack instead, sending them flying back several feet.
"Drapion, Fell Stinger the Cobalion!" said Tyrian. Drapion lunged their stringer at Cobalion; Virizion used their Quick Guard to get in Drapion's way and take the attack instead, dealing a severe amount of damage that caused Virizion to topple over.
All three Swords of Justice were now knocked down and were all down to low health. Cobalion was barely hanging on; in fact, they entered this battle barely able to fight to begin with because of their skirmish with Ruby in the Distortion World, and not wanting to run away like a coward, tried to gut it out and keep fighting. But now their actions had caused not only themselves to fall in battle, but the other Swords as well.
"My comrades...I'm sorry," said Cobalion. "I haven't had time to rest from my battle against Ruby, and I came into this battle barely able to fight! I've let you two down!"
"Don't be ridiculous," said Virizion. "Terrakion and I would have kept fighting regardless of the odds!"
"That's right!" said Terrakion. "Swords of Justice fight to the bitter end!"
With all the Swords down and barely able to get up, Watts was ready to take out all the Swords at once and go back to aiding Salem.
"Porygon, finish them off with a Discharge," commanded Watts.
As Porygon-Z was charging up their electric attack, Sylveon suddenly jumped into the fray and stood in front of the Swords of Justice. Porygon-Z fired its electrical attack, only for Sylveon to create a Light Screen and block the electricity, protecting the Swords of Justice from getting knocked out. Cobalion was shocked to see Sylveon, as Sylveon was in no condition to fight either after their scuffle in the Distortion World.
"Sylveon?" said Cobalion. "Why are you here? You can barely fight yourself!"
["To help you of course!"] replied Sylveon.
"Ooooh!" said Tyrian. "Another prey to annihilate! Drapion, Fell Stinger that pest!"
Drapion chased after Sylveon and lunged its tail at Sylveon; Sylveon jumped around to avoid Drapion and fired her Swift stars at all the other Pokémon. Porygon-Z quickly hovered over Sylveon and fired its Signal Beam at them; as Sylveon dodged the beam, they ended up bumping into Pangoro who struck Sylveon with a Hammer Arm, stopping Sylveon in her tracks. Now Sylveon was the one on the verge of getting knocked out. Drapion got up close to Sylveon as Tyrian laughed at seeing the pixie Pokémon struggling.
"Finish it off with Cross Poison!" exclaimed Tyrian. Drapion lifted its pincers high and thrust down on Sylveon, only to suddenly be parried by a Leaf Blade from Virizion.
"Not on my watch!" exclaimed Virizion as they and Drapion kept dueling each other with their blades.
"Porygon, end this already!" commanded Watts. Porygon-Z hovered over Sylveon ready to attack, only for a Stone Edge pillar to suddenly shoot up underneath and nail Porygon-Z right in the gut, dealing a severe amount of damage that caused Porygon-Z to fall to the ground fainting.
"Not so tough now, are you?" laughed Terrakion.
"Pangoro, Crunch her!" yelled Hazel. Pangoro opened his fangs and lunged at Sylveon, only for Cobalion to push Sylveon out of the way. Pangoro Crunched down on the shoulder blade of Cobalion, thinking he can still deal damage to wipe out Cobalion at least.
"That was a fatal mistake!" replied Cobalion, quickly heating up his shoulder blades and firing his Metal Burst, causing hot shrapnel to pierce Pangoro's entire body as he fell to the ground in severe pain. Sylveon was surprised to see the Swords go out of their way to help her, especially when all of them were hanging on by a thread.
"It appears the tide has turned in our favor," said Cobalion. "Ready to keep fighting, Sylveon?"
["Not really,"] said Sylveon. ["None of us should be fighting in our current state, but I'm not going to run away!"]
"Same here!"
Sylveon and the Swords regrouped as they planned their next move, only for the fight to pause when they heard the rumblings of Hydreigon's Draco Meteor strike Giratina and cover the nearby area in smoke. Everyone battling stopped to turn and see the fate of Giratina. When the smoke cleared, Giratina had clearly taken some heavy damage, but was still standing and able to fight.
"EEERRRRAAAA!" screamed Giratina.
"Darn it!" said Weiss. "That thing truly is too tough!"
"It was still a big help!" assured Keldeo. "We'll take them down in no time!"
"One good attack and you think you've gained the advantage?" said Salem. "Giratina, it's time we stopped playing and ended this!"
Salem quickly got on top of Giratina's back as the pair suddenly vanished in a plume of purple smoke, catching all the trainers and Pokémon off guard. Knowing what technique Giratina was using, the cultists stood back to not get in their master's way.
"Where did they go?" asked Ruby. "Did they Teleport?"
"Hydreigon, fly up and search for them!" commanded Weiss.
"It must be some kind of sneak attack!" said Keldeo. "Everyone stay close!"
Everyone gathered around near each other, looking in every direction to keep an eye out for Giratina to re-emerge.
"I can't sense their presence at all," said Cobalion. "It's almost as if they don't exist on this plain of existence anymore."
As Cobalion looked around, the smoke suddenly reappeared behind Cobalion. By the time everyone noticed the smoke, Giratina had already reappeared and tackled Cobalion with their Shadow Force. Cobalion tumbled across the ground like they had been run over. Sylveon and the Swords gathered around Cobalion to make sure they were still breathing.
"They attacked Cobalion!" yelled Keldeo.
"Where did that thing even come from?" asked Virizion.
"Talk to us, Cobalion!" said Terrakion.
Cobalion opened their eyes and tried to talk, but even talking was causing them severe pain. Salem laughed at seeing the leader of the Swords of Justice writhing in pain.
"Even with all your new allies," said Salem, "you're still no match for Giratina's true power! This is the end, Swords of Justice!"
Before anyone can try to stop Giratina, it already disappeared from using its Shadow Force.
"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Yang.
"We have to get Cobalion out of here!" said Ruby. "Giratina is likely going to try and finish them off!"
"Forget about me!" said Cobalion. "All of you get out of here so she doesn't target one of you!"
"Now what kind of talk is that for a Sword of Justice?" asked Virizion.
"If one of us goes down, we all go down as one!" said Terrakion.
"We still need to figure out how to counter Giratina's attack!" said Blake.
"And by the time Hydreigon can get ready for another Draco Meteor, it'll be too late!" said Weiss.
As everyone panicked about coming up with a plan, Keldeo simply stood by their masters with their eyes closed and in total silence.
"Keldeo, what are you doing?" asked Cobalion, but Keldeo didn't respond. It was as if Keldeo was in deep meditation.
"Keldeo? Are you all right?" asked Ruby, but again Keldeo didn't respond. Keldeo remained still and breathed slowly through their nose, ignoring the noise around them as they remained focus on their concentration.
Soon the purple and black smoke appeared besides the Swords of Justice. As Ruby figured, Giratina was targeting Cobalion, and with the other Swords gathered around them, Giratina could be taking them all down in one shot.
"Here it comes!" exclaimed Terrakion. The moment Giratina appeared, Keldeo jumped into action. Using their newfound speed, Keldeo created their Secret Sword and slashed through Giratina, lobbing off one of Giratina's tentacles, causing Giratina to suddenly come to a halt.
"EEEERRRRAAAA!" screamed Giratina, a scream so ear-piercingly loud that it nearly caused the trainers' ears to ring.
"What just happened?" yelled Weiss.
"Keldeo just sliced one of Giratina's arms off!" yelled Ruby. The others couldn't believe it, but it was true. Giratina kept shaking wildly and screaming in pain as its detached arm laid in the street.
"Whoa!" said Terrakion. "The kid really did it!"
"I doubt even our Sacred Sword could pull that off!" said Virizion.
Even the cultists who stood back to watch were shocked to see Giratina take such a devastating blow.
"How?" yelled Salem. "How could you have possibly known where we going to attack?"
"With my speed and your predictable cowardice," explained Keldeo, "it was easy to know where you would attack next. I just needed to focus on the right time to strike."
"You think you can outsmart Giratina and I?"
Before Keldeo could reply, Giratina was already trying to disappear again with its Shadow Force, only for Keldeo to slash Giratina with their Secret Sword again.
"EERRRAAA!" yelled Giratina, crying in severe pain from Keldeo's second slashing, stopping them from using their Shadow Force.
"That was amazing, Keldeo!" cheered Ruby. "That Secret Sword is unstoppable!"
"So you've come up with a new technique!" yelled Salem. "Giratina and I are still more powerful than all of you combined!"
"You really don't get it, do you Salem?" said Keldeo. "We're going to win because we resolve to save our friends, humans and Pokémon alike! I may be a Sword of Justice, but without the help of people like Ruby, I wouldn't have the strength to defeat you!"
"Humans and Pokémon can be strong on their own," said Ruby, "but when humans and Pokémon work together, they become unbeatable!"
"As a Sword of Justice..."
"As a Pokémon Trainer..."
"We're going to defeat you together!" they shouted at the same time.
Salem was livid beyond belief that her and Giratina were possibly outmatched. After centuries of being trapped in the Distortion World, they were not going to be defeated by weaklings claiming their friendship would give them the strength to win.
"ENOUGH OF THIS!" yelled Tyrian. "You won't lay another finger on my queen and her Giratina!"
Tyrian and the others called out their Pokémon to fight by Giratina's side. Ruby's friends all stood by Keldeo and Ruby ready to fight back.
"Swords of Justice!" said Cobalion. "Leave me be and help Keldeo and Ruby fight off the witch's minions!"
"Don't die on us now, old friend!" said Terrakion.
"We'll be sure to do the same," said Virizion as they left Cobalion's side to fight alongside the others.
"Keldeo! Ruby!" said Weiss. "We'll take out the sidekicks! You better defeat Giratina!"
"I'm not the Pokémon Champion for nothing!" said Ruby.
"Sylveon!" cheered Sylveon, choosing to stand by Ruby and aid Keldeo.
"Then what are we waiting for?" said Yang. "Time to end this once and for all!"
"DESTROY THEM!" commanded Salem as everyone charged in to fight.
With everyone else fighting each other, Giratina charged towards Keldeo and slashed them with their Dragon Claw; Keldeo parried the attack with their Secret Sword and countered back. The two kept slashing at each other with neither gaining the advantage. The two clashed into each other and tried to overpower one another; Giratina then shot a Dragon Breath to try and paralyze Keldeo. With Keldeo caught off guard, Giratina went for another Dragon Claw, only to be struck by a Moonblast from Sylveon, dealing some moderate damage.
"EEERRRAAA!" shouted Giratina, releasing an Ominous Wind to power itself up.
"Sylveon!" cried Sylveon, creating a Light Screen to protect herself and Keldeo from the attack.
Giratina charged after Sylveon with their Dragon Claw; Sylveon dodged the attack and fired her Swift stars to keep damaging Giratina. Seeing itself somewhat outmatched, Giratina tried to fly away in order to have time to use Shadow Force, only for Keldeo to swiftly strike Giratina down with their Secret Sword, once again preventing them from going anywhere.
Seeing Giratina in trouble, Salem tried to enter the fray, only to suddenly be blocked off by Terrakion and Virizion.
"Going somewhere, witch?" asked Terrakion.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Salem, using her Psychic to push the two aside, only for Celica to land in front of Salem and fire an Ice Beam at her feet, causing her to be frozen in place.
"You're not going anywhere!" said Yang.
With Salem and the others constantly blocked off by Ruby and Keldeo's friends, Giratina was stuck fighting Sylveon and Keldeo at the same time. No matter what moves Giratina used or how powerful it had become, Keldeo was able to keep fighting thanks to their lightning fast speed and Sylveon was unaffected by all their Dragon moves. Every time Giratina would attempt to escape and use Shadow Force, Keldeo was right on top of them, using their divine Secret Sword to damage Giratina.
All the while, Cobalion watched the young stallion fend off Giratina, smiling at seeing Keldeo go from a young apprentice in training to saving the world thanks to achieving their true resolution.
After several more minutes of fighting, Giratina showed signs of slowing down and not putting as much force into their attacks.
"It's weakening!" said Keldeo. "One more strong attack should do it!"
"And we've got just the move, don't we Sylveon?" said Ruby.
"Sylveon!" said Sylveon, getting themselves ready to use her Last Resort attack.
"EEEEERRRRRRAAAAAA!" yelled Giratina, vowing to destroy these two with every bit of strength they had left.
"Let's finish together, Ruby!" shouted Keldeo.
"Sylveon, LAST RESORT!" commanded Ruby.
Sylveon and Keldeo charged towards Giratina together, tackling into Giratina with the combined strength of their Last Resort and Secret Sword attacks. The power was enough to send Giratina flying several feet into the air, landing on the pavement with a loud thud that nearly shook the entire street. Everyone ceased fighting as they turned to Giratina, who laid prone and unconscious on the street, finally defeated.
"Imp...impossible!" said Salem. "Giratina is too powerful to have been defeated! Giratina, get back up!"
"It's over, Salem!" said Keldeo. "Surrender the orbs or you'll end up like Giratina!"
With Giratina down, the cultists were worried that this was going to be the end of them. The trainers and Swords expected Salem and her minions to try and make one final stand, but instead, Salem started to laugh.
"Giratina has actually lost," said Salem. "Then perhaps it's time for plan B."
"Plan B?" said Ruby.
"Watts! The orbs!"
Salem used her Psychic power to remove the Griseous Orb from Giratina's forehead. Watts opened his briefcase as Salem quickly took the two other orbs. Channeling the power of the Orbs, Salem held her arms to the sky as a rift suddenly began to open far above them. One look at the rift and everyone could tell it was a portal to the Distortion World.
"She's creating another rift!" said Ruby. "How is that possible?"
"Did you forget I share traits with Giratina?" said Salem. "As long as I have all three orbs, I can create rifts wherever I please!"
Salem suddenly held one arm towards Ruby and grabbed her in a Psychic hold. Ruby tried to struggle out of the hold, but it was no use.
"And if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!"
"Not on my watch!" yelled Keldeo, charging towards Salem with their Secret Sword. Before Keldeo could strike Salem, Salem bolted to the sky, taking Ruby with her.
"Stop her, Celica!" yelled Yang.
Celica chased after them, but Salem and Ruby were already getting close to the rift in the sky.
"You and I will suffer the Distortion World for eternity!" yelled Salem, ready to launch Ruby inside and close the rift. Salem and Ruby were inches away from the portal when Salem suddenly stopped short, leaving them both floating in mid-air. Salem was trying to move her body, but for some reason found herself completely paralyzed.
"What's going on?" thought Salem. "Why can't I move? It feels as if my body-"
"Is frozen in place?" said another voice in her head.
Salem shifted her eyes below to see Mewtwo right below them, using their own Psychic power to entrap Salem.
"I said I'd tear you apart myself!" said Mewtwo, using their Psychic power to twist Salem's arm until it snapped out of place, causing Salem immense pain and forcing her to let go of Ruby. Ruby was quickly caught by Celica and landed safely back on the ground. With Ruby out of harm's away, Mewtwo dragged Salem back to the ground, this time without any other means of escape.
"Now, Keldeo!" commanded Mewtwo.
With Salem held still by Mewtwo's Psychic, Keldeo charged at Salem with their Secret Sword and pierced through her body. Mewtwo let go of Salem as her body went limp on Keldeo's horn. Even after losing all her strength, Salem laughed and looked into Keldeo's eyes.
"Do you really think this is the end?" said Salem. "I can't never be killed. Even if you send me back to the Distortion World, I found my way out before. The humans you love to protect will find a way to summon me once again."
"And I'll be there to stop you over and over," replied Keldeo.
Salem simply laughed off Keldeo's response as she fell to the ground unconscious. Shortly after Salem fell, Giratina suddenly awoke and stood up, sensing something terrible had happened to Salem. Giratina turned and saw their master lying limp on the ground.
"EEERRRAAAA!" screamed Giratina, causing everyone to go on guard, ready to keep fighting.
"Your master has been defeated, Giratina!" said Keldeo. "Stand down or else you will suffer the same fate!"
Keldeo stood tall and got their Secret Sword ready to counter whatever move Giratina was going to attempt next. Instead of attacking, Giratina instead wrapped their limbs around Salem's body and held her close to their chest.
"EEEERRRRAAAA," said Giratina, only this yell seemed more toned down than usual, almost with a hint of melancholy in it. Giratina took another look at the trainers and Pokémon surrounding them, then slowly flew into the sky, heading for the rift leading to the Distortion World.
"Is Giratina...running away?" asked Yang.
"Watch out!" said Weiss. "It might be pulling a trick on us!"
"No," said Keldeo. "Giratina is returning home, possibly for good."
The others got ready to fight in case Keldeo was wrong, but the closer Giratina got to the portal, the more likely it seemed that it was really running away.
"Ruby, you heard it in their voice too, right?" asked Keldeo.
"Yeah," said Ruby. "Giratina is definitely leaving."
"Heard what?" asked Yang.
"That last scream sounded slightly different," explained Blake. "It sounded as if it was...sad."
"That thing was sad?" asked Weiss. "How can that monstrosity understand anything but destruction?"
"Because no Pokémon is ever truly evil," said Ruby. "Giratina was simply following the orders of Salem. It's returning back to the Distortion World in order to protect her."
"You think Giratina even knows the difference between right and wrong?" said Yang.
"It doesn't matter," said Keldeo. "Being alone in that Distortion World for nearly its entire existence, Salem was the only thing that ever gave it company. Salem may be pure evil, but their bond was as strong as a human and Pokémon can be."
Everyone kept looking on as Giratina retreated into the Distortion World along with its master. As soon as Giratina was out of sight, the rift began closing. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the rift closed, finally putting an end to this nightmare.
There were still three people however who weren't pleased by this outcome, especially a psychopathic poison lover.
"NOOOO!" cried Tyrian. "My queen...SHE'S GONE! You...YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
Tyrian took out a needle full of his poison, only for it and him to be swatted away by Keldeo. Yang took out her handcuffs and arrested Tyrian as she called for the other Pokémon Rangers. Seeing Salem and Giratina defeated, Watts and Hazel had already tried running away.
"What do we do now?" asked Hazel.
"I already have a plan," said Watts. "All we have to do is-"
The two were suddenly ensnared by Tangrowth's Vines. Realizing only one person could have a Tangrowth around here, the two saw Lionheart finally make his presence known again after backing out of the fight like a coward.
"What do you think you're doing, Leo?" asked Watts.
"Making up for my mistakes!" said Lionheart.
"You just made the WORST mistake, coward!" yelled Hazel, trying to break free and wanting to strangle Lionheart. Tangrowth quickly sprayed the two with Sleep Powder, putting the two asleep.
As the Pokémon Rangers arrived to clean up the wreckage and help all the injured Pokémon, Lionheart's Tangrowth approached the Rangers with the other two cultists to have them arrested alongside Tyrian. Knowing how much he was hated by everyone, Lionheart had planned to run away without anyone seeing him, hoping to avoid any repercussions for allowing the Cult of Salem to nearly destroy Haven.
His plan was dashed as soon as he tried to leave when he ended up bumping into the Swords of Justice sans Keldeo.
"And where do you think you're going, traitor?" said Terrakion.
"Please forgive me!" said Lionheart. "I swear I was only siding with them because I wanted to protect the academy!"
"You thought helping bring back Salem was going to protect your academy?" yelled Cobalion. "Look at the damage she has caused to your city!"
"I realize that! But the cult said she was bound to be summoned no matter what! I figured if she was going to come, I would at least save everyone here by helping the cult and gaining their favor to not destroy Haven!"
"So you betrayed your own species to protect yourself," said Virizion. "Not to mention all the Pokémon that ended up harmed because of your cowardice."
"I was only trying to protect my students and the people! I admit I was scared, and I made a horrible decision! Please spare me!"
Lionheart got on their hands and knees, praying the Swords wouldn't harm him. While everyone else was busy cleaning up the streets and watching over Salem's minions, Ruby and Keldeo noticed the Swords surrounding Lionheart. Knowing how much Cobalion hated the humans, Ruby and Keldeo were worried they were going to seriously hurt Lionheart. Cobalion lifted one of their front legs, causing Keldeo to get ready to jump in to prevent Cobalion from harming Lionheart.
Cobalion gently pressed their leg down on Lionheart's back and laid him flat on the ground so he couldn't get up to escape.
"Humans!" said Cobalion. "Arrest this man for his heinous crimes!"
Surprised and relieved by Cobalion's order, Yang called for Coco and Pyrrha to come over and take Lionheart into custody. The Swords made sure Lionheart remained where he was until the Rangers arrived and took Lionheart away.
"You know," said Yang, "I don't think any of us would have minded if you gave him a couple licks for good measure."
"But that would not be the right thing to do," said Cobalion. "He has given up and will pay for his crimes."
"You really mean that, master?" asked Keldeo.
"Of course...and it's because of you that I do."
Cobalion went up to Ruby and bowed their head in shame.
"Ruby, I've made many assumptions about you and the humans that have been proven wrong. I know I'm not deserving of your forgiveness for everything I've said and done to you, but-"
"I forgive you!" said Ruby. Cobalion was taken aback by how quickly Ruby forgave Cobalion.
"You mean that?"
"Of course I do! Because I know deep down, you're not some heartless jerk, Cobalion; just misguided. After all, you guys are the ultimate Pokémon heroes: The Swords of Justice!"
Keldeo, Virizion, and Terrakion cheered upon Ruby complimenting them, but Cobalion shook their head in disgust.
"We are no heroes," said Cobalion. "We allowed our hatred of humans to blind us to truly bring justice to the world. The only true hero here is Keldeo. Keldeo was willing to sacrifice themselves for a species that could easily turn their back on them. Whether Pokémon or human, deserving or undeserving, Keldeo was willing to lay their life down on the line to protect those in need. Keldeo did what I never would, and that is why they were able to achieve something we never could for centuries: Learning the art of Secret Sword."
The Swords of Justice surrounded Keldeo as Cobalion stood in front of them.
"Keldeo, from this moment forward, you are no longer our student, and we are no longer your masters. You have surpassed us Keldeo, and therefore, I hand over the title of leader to the Swords of Justice to you."
Cobalion laid flat on their stomach and bowed their head towards Keldeo. Virizion and Terrakion both did the same, acknowledging Cobalion's decision. Keldeo was at a loss for words seeing their masters not only change their ways, but crown Keldeo the new leader of their group.
As Cobalion was getting back up, they suddenly felt a sharp pain in their abdomen and fell back down.
"Are you okay, Cobalion?" asked Keldeo.
"I'm still exhausted from our battle, but I can manage," said Cobalion.
"Not in that condition. I think we should spend the night at one of the Pokémon Centers!"
"Keldeo!" said Terrakion. "I know we've made peace with the humans, but..."
"Peace or not," said Virizion, "we are NOT getting put into Poké Balls!"
"As your new leader, I have to do what's best for us," said Keldeo. "We need the humans' assistance!"
Despite Keldeo being the new leader, the others waited to hear what Cobalion had to say about Keldeo's decision.
"Very well, Keldeo!" said Cobalion. "We'll go under the condition that none of us are put into Poké Balls!"
"I'll make sure of it!" said Ruby, helping Cobalion get back to their feet and taking the Swords of Justice to the nearest Pokémon Center.
#
The next morning, the reconstruction effort for the demolished parts of Haven City were quickly underway. While everyone else was helping in the repairs, Ruby and Allison Church went to the Pokémon Center to check on the Swords of Justice. The four heroic stallions were all waiting in the lobby, all looking to be in perfect shape after a night of rest and recovery.
"Good morning, Swords of Justice!" said Ruby. "How are you all feeling?"
"I have to admit it," said Cobalion. "These centers of yours are remarkable feats of human achievement."
"What's the latest on the cult?" asked Keldeo.
"All the cultists are arrested and rotting in prison where they belong!" said Church. "Leo tried to go for a plea deal but got denied. You should have seen him crying like a baby!"
"As for the orbs?" asked Cobalion.
"Got them all right here!"
Church pulled out a suitcase containing all the orbs. Church sighed as it was likely going to be the last time she'd ever get to marvel at such legendary artifacts.
"As much as I'd love to keep them in a museum for everyone to see, I take it you want them all back."
"I would much prefer it that way," said Cobalion. "However...that isn't my decision to make."
The Swords turned to their new leader Keldeo, awaiting their judgment. Keldeo had been thinking over what to do with the orbs all night, and after much deliberation with themselves, was confident with their decision.
"Miss Church," said Keldeo, "I want you to give us the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs."
"What about the Griseous Orb?" asked Church.
"I leave that in the hands of the humans. We'll keep one of the orbs on ourselves at all times, and the third orb will be buried somewhere almost no human or Pokémon can get it."
"But what if one of the humans tries gathering the orbs again?" asked Virizion.
"I trust Ruby and the others will be able to stop them. If they can't, then we will."
"One orb in the hands of humans," said Cobalion, "one orb in the hands of Pokémon, and one left in the wild. You've made a wise decision, Master Keldeo."
Church handed the Adamant Orb to Keldeo as Cobalion took the Lustrous Orb.
"What are you going to do now, Keldeo?" asked Ruby.
"What else?" said Keldeo. "We're going to keep traveling to find Pokémon and humans that need our help! After all, it's part of our oath!"
The Swords of Justice gathered around as they created their Secret and Sacred Swords, crossing them together as they exclaimed their oath.
"We will bring Justice to those who harm innocent Pokémon and humans! To protect all Pokémon and humans who can't protect themselves! That is our resolution!"
"Still so cool," muttered Ruby.
"And we'll make sure nobody gets their hands on this orb ever again," said Church. "Take care, Swords of Justice!"
"Farewell, humans," said Cobalion. "And Ruby...thank you."
After saying their goodbyes, the Swords of Justice left the Pokémon Center and ventured off into the wild. Before Ruby can go back and help the others, she was suddenly interrupted by Mewtwo speaking from the Master Ball.
"Wait, Ruby!" said Mewtwo.
"Mewtwo, what's wrong?" thought Ruby.
"There's something I need to do."
#
The Swords of Justice were in the forest outside Haven City, discussing their plan to how to hide the Lustrous Orb.
"Now the only problem is where exactly to bury the orb?" asked Keldeo.
"We can always throw it back into a volcano?" suggested Virizion.
"Perhaps we can ask a Water Pokémon to bury it in the ocean depths," suggested Cobalion.
"Maybe we should just blast it into space!" said Terrakion.
"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Cobalion.
"That's not exactly a bad idea," replied Keldeo.
As the Swords pondered what to do, they all sensed a powerful force closing in on them. The Swords turned around and were surprised to be suddenly greeted by Mewtwo.
"Mewtwo?" said Cobalion. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to say my farewells personally," said Mewtwo, "and to thank you and the others for all you've done."
"We couldn't have done it without your help!" said Keldeo.
"Indeed," said Cobalion. "While your origins may not have been natural, you are truly a noble Pokémon, Mewtwo. Which is why I must ask of you...why stay by Ruby's side?"
"Why stay?" said Mewtwo. "What do you mean?"
"Your strength is like that of some of the most powerful Pokémon of legend! Your power may even rival Arceus themselves! You can possibly do more to help this world than us, and yet you choose to stay with Ruby. Why not be your own Pokémon like us?"
"Because despite what you think," said Mewtwo, "I am not truly a noble Pokémon. I still have much to learn and atone for before I can truly be what you consider noble. That is why I wish to remain with Ruby. She is an innocent soul that brings out the best in humans and Pokémon, and I feel the need to protect her at all costs."
Mewtwo looked over to Keldeo and smiled.
"To put it another way...she's like a human version of Keldeo."
"A human version of me?" replied Keldeo.
"You do share a lot of traits with her," said Virizion. "I'd almost dare say you were cut from the same cloth."
"But I bet Ruby doesn't run off as often as you do!" said Terrakion.
"All right, knock it off!" said Keldeo, feeling embarrassed.
"I see what you mean," said Cobalion. "Well then, let us not keep you here longer. Farewell, Mewtwo. Perhaps next we meet, we will fight alongside each other as Pokémon in arms."
"It will be an honor to fight with you, Swords of Justice," said Mewtwo.
The Swords of Justice and Mewtwo quickly parted ways as the Swords ran off in search of a new hiding spot for the orb.
And so, the world was once again saved from total destruction, all thanks to Ruby and her friends along with the bravest four Pokémon the world has ever known: The Swords of Justice.
#
Save Complete.
A/N: Thanks for reading this way overdue fanfic that I was on the verge of quitting for years had it not been for the feedback telling me to keep writing. I thank you for your support and your patience.
Here's to RWBY Volume 8!