Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.
…
After receiving a psychic command from Serena, Jeanne was more than happy to vacate the battlefield currently occupied by the gargantuan Nimue and allow herself to be pampered by her gorgeous fiancé, who was more than happy to shower her with affection, cover her in kisses, and heal her wounds, all the while gushing about how brave she had been and how spectacular she had looked battling Snowy.
Steadfastly trying to ignore them, Serena considered her options. If she remembered correctly, artificially-induced Dynamax only lasted for about three minutes. So, the safest bet would probably be to send out a Pokémon that could evade the Hatterene's attacks long enough to wait out the clock and bring her back down to a more manageable size to fight her on even footing-
My lady, may I offer my assistance?
Startled, Serena glanced over her shoulder at the hilt of the Aegislash attached her back. "Durendal?"
The possessed sword rattled with purpose. Ages ago, I fought against such fell creatures as this alongside many of your ancestors, my Queen, in our endless wars with the hated Galarians. I know how to combat this witch, for I have slain many of her ilk in the days of yore.
Serena frowned. "Durendal, we've talked about this. Lethal force is prohibited in Pokémon battles."
I can defeat her without slaying her, the Aegislash bragged. As formidable as she appears, trust me when I say that her power dims in comparison to her brethren whom I have vanquished in those long-gone battles. Now, THEY truly earned the title of Raging Goddesses. This stripling is naught but a novice who thinks too highly of herself, hence why she has chosen the name of that infamous hag who betrayed the great enchanter Merlon. She does not deserve such a title.
Serena nodded, processing this. "Very well," Serena resolved. "You can fight her. I suppose it's been a while since you've got a chance to truly test your edge, hasn't it?"
Indeed! Durendal agreed, rattling eagerly. Send me forth, my Queen! Allow me to battle for glory in your name!
In response, Serena gripped his hilt. Doing her best to ignore the almost orgasmic sigh of delight from the Aegislash, she removed him from her back and raised him into the air, the light gleaming off of his blade and shield. "Go, Durendal!" She proclaimed, spinning around and flinging the Aegislash at Nimue.
The Hatterene flinched and shielded herself with her hair as the Aegislash flew towards her, but Serena's throw didn't carry him quite as far as she'd hoped (she was going to do start working out one of these days, honest), and instead he landed point-down in one of the platforms. Durendal didn't seem to mind, however, gripping his hilt with his free hand and pulling himself out of the ground, clanging his shield against his blade as he cried, Foul witch! Know that I am Durendal, the sacred sword of Kalos! I shall be your opponent on this day, and I shall be the one to vanquish you in the name of my lady, the true Queen of Kalos, Lady Serena Yvonne Gabena!
Nimue hissed, her hair undulating and the platforms shaking as waves of psychic wrath emanated from her. Durendal?! I know that name! You have slaughtered countless of my kindred!
And I would slaughter them again, to spare my beloved Kalos from your perfidious sorcery! Durendal retorted without shame. I know not what plans your treacherous Unseelie masters have for the fair Lillie, but on my honor I swear that they shall not come to pass!
Selene blinked in confusion and glanced at Serena. "Uhhhh… What are they talking about?"
"I am… Not entirely sure myself, this is kind of new to me as well," Serena confessed, embarrassed.
"Nimue!" Lillie called up to the giant Pokémon. "You have less than three minutes now before your Gigantamax wears off! Hurry and fight before you run out of time!"
Trust me, I won't even need that long, Nimue sneered, eyes glowing with psychic power, her hair billowing around her.
That's right, Durendal agreed, narrowing his eye. You won't!
"Use Max Strike!" Lillie commanded.
"King's Shield!" Serena countered.
Tendrils of hair extruded from the main mass making up Nimue's cloak, hardened into spikes, and thrust themselves at the Aegislash. Durendal quickly switched into his Shield stance, a barrier of blue interlocking hexagons forming in front of him. The tendrils slammed into the barrier, pummeling it over and over again, inflicting dozens of rapid, bolder-pulverizing blows per second, but it held firm, much to the Hatterene's consternation.
You cannot hide behind your shield forever, she snarled as she kept up her assault. Eventually your barrier will fail, and your King's Shield loses its efficacy with each consecutive usage!
I am well aware of that, Durendal replied calmly. Fortunately, thanks to my comrade, I won't need to hide much longer!
Nimue narrowed her eyes. What do you-
And that's when an orb of rainbow-colored energy slammed into her eye. She shrieked in agony and recoiled, tiny hands rushing to her face to cover her eye, her hair tentacles falling apart.
Selene gasped. "Future Sight?! But Aegislash can't use that move!"
"You're right, they can't," Serena agreed, flashing the referee a winning grin. "But Jeanne can, which is why I had her cast it just before she left the field!"
Diana gasped in delight and looked down at Jeanne in adoration. A brilliant strategy! Just what I would expect from you, my love!
The Delphox blushed as the Gardevoir kissed her on the forehead. Well, you know, it wasn't exactly my idea…
"Quickly, while she is distracted! Use Sacred Sword!" Serena commanded.
As you wish, milady! Durendal replied, shifting into his Sword stance. His blade started glowing a light blue and extended to a truly colossal size as he swung himself at Nimue.
"Defend yourself with Max Guard!" Lillie shouted.
Grimacing in pain and anger, one eye swollen shut, Nimue quickly crossed her arms before her chest, causing a large blue energy shield to materialize before her. Durendal's blade slammed into the shield, sparks flying and an ear-splitting grinding noise filling the air as the Aegislash pressed against it with all his might, trying his hardest to slice through it…
And his energy blade shattered, the recoil sending him flying back, smashing through several of the floating crystals before burying himself point-first in the side of one of the platforms.
"Durendal, get up!" Serena cried in alarm, realizing her loyal weapon was vulnerable.
"Before he can, use Max Mindstorm!" Lillie commanded.
A cruel smirk on her face, Nimue raised her arms, a massive spark of energy flying into the air before firing a beam made of gigantic rainbow-colored rings at Durendal, shattering every crystal and platform in its path.
"Durendal, use Iron Defense!" Serena quickly cried.
Durendal's body took on a metallic sheen (more than it already was, anyway). The ring attack slammed into the platform he was embedded in, shattering it and sending him flying…
Which was just what Serena had counted on, the bolstered defense from Iron Defense having protected him from the brunt of the damage without having to waste a King's Shield, which might have protected the platform as well while leaving him stuck.
"Use Max Mindstorm again!" Lillie commanded as Nimue growled, angry that the Aegislash had managed to survive her attack.
"Metal Sound!" Serena ordered.
As Nimue started charging up her attack, Durendal raised his shield… And slammed it into the flat of his blade, a ringing, metallic clang echoing across the stadium. He slammed his shield into the blade again, and again, and again, the sound growing louder with each successive strike, until pretty much everyone was flinching in pain and covering their ears.
Nimue gasped and winced, the energy she'd been gathering dissipating. St-stop that! I can't concentrate with that ghastly noise!
Serena laughed triumphantly. "That's the idea! Durendal, Sacred Sword!"
"Nimue, Max Guard!" Lillie cried, realizing what Serena was up to.
What? Nimue shouted, turning to glance at her trainer and confusion. I can't hear you, I think that Metal Sound gave me tinnitus-
Durendal swept his body through the air, his extended, glowing blade slicing right through Nimue.
Nimue froze.
The entire stadium seems to hold their collective breath.
And then the Hatterene blinked, realized she was undamaged, and started laughing hysterically. You missed! She Murkrowed. It seems the legendary blade Durendal has gotten rusty and dull in his dotage! Why else would you think using a Fighting-type move would possibly have any effect-
A large cut suddenly opened on her face, blood running down from it.
Behind her, several of the crystals and platforms suddenly fell apart.
Most of her hair abruptly collapsed into a rather sizable pile on the "ground," instantly turning ashen gray as the magic faded from it.
I am a literal sacred sword, made from enchanted steel, Durendal said smugly. Whoever said that was a Fighting-type technique?
Nimue blinked once, twice. She slowly raised a paw to touch the sizable cut on her face, staring in disbelief at the blood coating her appendage. She looked down, seeing that most of her hair had been shorn off, and while what was left – including most of her hat, though the tentacle growing from the top had been significantly truncated – was still longer than her (comparatively) tiny body was tall, she no longer resembled a statuesque beauty to rival even a Gardevoir, and more like a Jirachi cosplayer in bad need of a haircut.
My… Hair… She whispered slowly.
Selene's jaw dropped. "Holy shit."
Lillie turned even paler. "Oh no."
Both Jeanne and Diana cringed. Oh dear.
"What? What is it?" Serena asked in alarm.
Well, on the one hand, cutting her hair like that was a smart move – it's drastically reduced her power, most of her species' magic is tied up in their hair, Jeanne explained. But…
Nimue's eyes turned blood red. A roiling, chaotic aura formed around her, the skies grew even darker, and the stadium started trembling. You… Ruined… My… HAIR!
Yeah. They really don't like their hair being touched, Diana agreed, stating the obvious.
Roaring furiously, Nimue telekinetically grabbed every platform and Crystal and pulled them into her orbit. I'll kill you! She screamed, hurling all the projectiles at Durendal at once.
Better than you have tried and failed! Durendal replied, bracing himself.
"Durendal, cut through all of that with Sacred Sword!" Serena ordered.
As you command!
Blade glowing, Durendal swished and sliced himself through the air dozens of times, leaving trails of light in his wake. After a moment, all the platforms and crystals broke into tiny pieces which flew past him, though the Aegislash had to bat away some of the larger chunks with his shield.
Roaring in fury, Nimue fired a Max Mindstorm at Durendal.
"King's Shield!" Serena called.
Durendal quickly changed stances just before the psychic blast slammed into him, shoving him backwards. He grunted, his barrier flickering, not as strong as before. That flickering grew worse as she continued bombarding him with one Max Mindstorm after another, cracks beginning to form in the shield.
"Shift to Iron Defense!" Serena called.
Durendal quickly dropped his barrier before could break, his body taking on a metallic sheen. The absurdly powerful psychic attack slammed into him and sent him flying, causing him to slam into one of the far walls. His metallic coat flickered and vanished, revealing he was scuffed and scratched up, but not out of the fight yet.
And then Nimue started charging up another Mindstorm… Even though there were people in the stands right above Durendal, who panicked and started scrambling to get out of the way when they realized they were in the line of fire.
Eyes wide, Selene quickly interposed herself between Nimue and the stands. "Wait, stop, cut it out!" She cried in warning. "If you fire that, you'll hurt a lot of people!"
I don't CARE! Nimue shouted, firing off her attack, not particularly caring whether or not Selene got out of the way in time.
"King's Shield!"
Durendal suddenly appeared in front of Selene, raising his barrier just in time to shield her from the attack. Flee, quickly! He grunted, his barrier even weaker than before, more cracks forming in it.
"Just for the record, I didn't need the help, but thanks anyway!" Selene shouted, quickly maneuvering her platform out of the way. "Lillie! She's lost it, call her back!"
"Nimue, return!" Lillie cried, pointing her Pokéball at the Hatterene. A beam of red light shot from it…
Only for it to bounce off of a Max Guard shield. Lillie gasped. "What?!"
I'm not going back into that prison until I've made this Aegislash PAY! Nimue shouted, raising her hands into the air as she cast Max Starfall.
Three colossal star-shaped objects plummeted from the sky, smashing through the overhead rings and sending piece of debris flying everywhere, slamming into the ground hard enough to shake the entire stadium. Three bolts of energy struck them, the ground between them lighting up before a single MASSIVE blast lanced down from the heavens, barely missing Durendal, who evaded just in time.
The lights flickered and the power stuttered, and for a heart-stopping split second, the engines cut off. Serena's feet didn't leave the ground for more than a millisecond before the power came back on, but the abrupt shift in gravity hit her hard in the stomach, and she stumbled and nearly fell over once her feet touched the platform again. "This is insane!" She cried, horrified. "At this rate, she'll destroy the stadium!"
She glanced at the four guardian deities, who were watching the debacle with mild interest. "Aren't you going to do anything about this?!"
The four Legendary Pokémon glanced each other, then shrugged. We honestly kind of want to see where this is going, Tapu Koko confessed. His siblings nodded in agreement.
Serena facepalmed.
Selene grimaced. "Typical… Okay," she muttered, eyes glowing and hair rising as her Aura flared up. "Looks like I'm gonna have to take care of this myself-"
Hold! Durendal interjected. I started this, allow me to finish this!
Selene gave him an incredulous look. "What? You seriously want to keep fighting? This has kind of gotten a bit beyond a sanctioned match!"
Durendal scoffed. I am a living weapon, honored Guardian! Battle is all I live for! I have fought far more perilous adversaries then this honorless cur in the wars of old… He glanced at Selene. And besides, this is an honor duel. Surely as an Aura Guardian, you can understand the importance of such things?
Selene hesitated, then glanced at Serena. "Serena? Are you good to keep going, or should I step in?"
Serena considered for a moment, then shook her head and smiled. "No, Durendal is right. I have faced worse than this! This fight shall go to the finish!"
I wouldn't have it any other way! Nimue cackled, summoning another Max Starfall.
Lillie glanced up in worry as the three stars shot down from the skies. "I don't think the stadium can take much more of that move…"
"It won't have to! Durendal, knock one of those stars into Nimue!" Serena ordered.
By your command!
Durendal flew up to intercept one of the falling stars, switching stances and slamming into it with King's Shield. His barrier, weakened by the attacks inflicted on it by Nimue earlier, flashed an angry red and shattered, hurling the Aegislash back…
But his collision managed to knock it off course, towards Nimue instead of the ground. The Hatterene's eyes widened, and she quickly shielded herself with Max Guard. The falling star smashed into it, and the Fairy-type smirked cruelly as her barrier held…
And then it started cracking.
Her eyes widened in alarm. No… No!
Selene clucked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment. "It seems you've forgotten Max Guard also gets weaker from repeated use."
Lillie sighed despondently. "It seems I've failed her as a trainer…"
"It's not the fault of the teacher if the student refuses to learn," Selene told her sagely.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Nimue shrieked in horror as the barrier shattered and the star slammed into her, exploding spectacularly and throwing her back, howling in agony, her hat losing its shape and breaking down into more hair.
"Durendal! End it with SACRED SWORD!"
For Queen and country! HAVE AT THEE!
Something long and hard and brilliant flashed through the air, faster than the eye could see, all the smoke and flame from the exploded star dissipating in a second as it blurred past Nimue. The object abruptly came to a halt inches away from Lillie, revealing it to be Durendal, the glow of his blade ebbing.
Behind him, another cut formed on Nimue's face, crossing over the one from before to create an X. As blood started flowing from the fresh cut, and most of her remaining hair abruptly fell off, she wailed in anguish and collapsed to the "ground" atop a heap of her severed hair, where she laid still.
After a stunned silence, the stadium started cheering.
Durendal bowed elegantly. My lady. Forgive me if I've disciplined your treacherous servant too harshly.
Lillie sighed and shook her head. "No, it's my fault for not disciplining her enough. I really thought she'd been improving, but… It seems like I didn't do a good enough job training her."
Do not blame yourself, gentle lady, Durendal told her, leading down to kiss her hand, or at least, as much as a sword with no mouth could kiss anything. You are a fine trainer. Hatterene are wretched creatures. There is no shame in having been deceived by such treasonous ilk. And the fact that you blame yourself anyway speaks volumes of the purity of your heart, and how truly unworthy of you that witch was.
Lillie smiled faintly at that, not entirely sure she believed him. "Thank you, Durendal. Serena is lucky to have a weapon as loyal and brave as you at her side."
Serena chuckled. "I am, aren't I?"
"And it looks like Nimue is unable to battle!" Selene declared. "Durendal wins the round!"
The stadium cheered harder.
Diana frowned. Wait…
What is it? Jeanne asked.
If she were defeated, why hasn't she shifted back to her original size? Diana wondered in concern.
I…
The stadium started trembling. Bits of debris started floating into the air.
Serena groaned. "Oh, what now?!"
I… Will…
Behind me! Durendal proclaimed, quickly switching to his shield stance and positioning himself before the alarmed Serena.
With considerable effort, Nimue managed to lift her head, face contorted into a bloodstained mask of hatred.
I… Will… Not… BE BEATEN!
Eyes glowing, she managed to lift an arm into the air, gathering all the power she had left. If I fall, then so does the stadium! Behold, my ultimate attack! G-MAX SMI-
And then, rather abruptly, she shrank back to her original size.
The skies cleared. The menacing aura around the Hatterene dispelled completely.
Nimue blinked. -te? She finished rather anticlimactically.
Selene checked her Rotom phone. "Huh. What do you know. Three minutes on the dot."
Abruptly, Nimue found the point of Durendal's blade touching her throat. Yield, he said coldly. And prove to me that there is at least a scrap of honor in your Unseelie soul.
Nimue shook with hatred, frustrated tears streaming down her face. She clenched her teeth, every muscle in her tiny body tensing…
And then she sagged and nodded once.
A collective sigh rose from the throats of everyone in the stadium.
Durendal glanced at Serena, who nodded to show she had accepted the surrender. The Aegislash withdrew…
And Nimue spat out a phrase that caused the sun to dim and stole everyone's breaths from their throats, casting a bolt of roiling darkness blacker than the Renegade's heart at Serena, the air tearing asunder in its wake. The future Queen reeled back, horrified-
And Diana caught the bolt in one hand.
She regarded the writhing, shrieking mass for a moment, dispassionately, then squeezed, snuffing out the spell as easily as a candle's flame. I think that is quite enough.
Serena stared at the Gardevoir, shaken. She hadn't even seen her Teleport. Coughing, she quickly regained her composure and said, "Thank you, Diana."
I saved you from more than you realize, the Gardevoir said gravely, not glancing at Serena, instead fixing her gaze at the prostrate Nimue, the Hatterene shaking with anger… And terror. That curse wouldn't have killed you. It couldn't, since you are immortal. She narrowed her eyes. It would, however, have made you wish you could die.
Serena swallowed. She did not inquire further.
Thank you for saving her, Diana, Jeanne whispered, tears of gratitude welling up in her eyes.
Diana smiled at her fiancé. She is dear to you, and so she is dear to me.
The Gardevoir glanced at Lillie, who had an ashen look on her face as she stared at her Pokémon despondently, seeming more saddened and disappointed then angry. I know you are her trainer, but as the future Queen of the Fairies, I ask that you remand her into my care. That curse she cast was extremely dark magic… And should have been beyond her capabilities. I would like to know how she picked up such a forbidden spell, and why.
I do not recognize your authority! Nimue snarled furiously. You are not fit to rule over us! You are nothing more than a half breed mongrel-
Diana gestured, and suddenly the Hatterene didn't have a mouth. Nimue frantically patted her face. From the look in her eyes, if she had a mouth, she would be screaming.
Lillie closed her eyes and shuddered, unwilling to Beartic this sight. "Take her. I have failed her as a trainer. Maybe… Maybe you can do better." She shot Nimue an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Nimue. I'm sorry I couldn't make you a better Pokémon."
You cannot help one who does not wish to be helped, Diana pointed out, gesturing at the Hatterene, who disappeared in a shower of sparkles. She bowed respectfully to Durendal. Thank you for defeating her, sacred sword of Kalos. I would have interceded sooner, but I did not wish to disrespect the rules of this battle, or interfere with your honor duel.
Durendal bowed back. I thank you for that, milady, and for saving my Mistress. Hopefully, the next few rounds will not require such intervention.
Lillie blinked, and looked confused. "The next…?"
"Wait, you guys want to keep fighting? After that?!" Selene asked in astonishment.
"Why, of course! Why wouldn't we?" Serena asked, genuinely perplexed.
"The whole stadium almost got destroyed by a rampaging giant Pokémon!" Selene pointed out.
Serena shrugged. "And?"
There was a smattering of laughter from the audience at that.
Jeanne groaned and facepawed. Should've seen this coming.
"I don't understand. You still want to fight?" Lillie asked, bewildered.
Serena laughed. "Of course I do! That was incredible! First you threw an angel at me, then a giant Galarian witch… I can't wait to see what the rest of your team is like!"
"But… I couldn't control Nimue," Lillie protested.
Serena waved dismissively. "Please, she was clearly part of some nefarious Galarian conspiracy aimed at me, there's no way you could have anticipated that."
We have absolutely no evidence that any of that is true, Jeanne pointed out.
"She was a member of a species that are part of a hostile group of fairies hailing from my country's greatest rival, and tried to curse me with a spell which apparently should be impossible for someone of her capabilities to learn. That sounds like a conspiracy to me," Serena argued.
Lots of people have tried to curse you, it's not necessarily because of a conspiracy, Jeanne replied.
"That doesn't mean there isn't one," Serena countered. She glanced back at Lillie. "Anyway, is it likely for that to be a problem with your remaining Pokémon?" She pressed.
Lillie hesitated. "Well.. I suppose not…"
"Come on, Lillie, you know every that Pokémon on your team, in Aether Paradise, and maybe all of Alola unequivocally adore you," Selene pointed out to her lover. "There's no way any of them would go berserk like that! Or be part of some nefarious conspiracy." She hesitated. "Probably."
Lillie glanced at her fiancé in surprise. "Then… You think we should still continue? The stadium almost crashed! Hundreds of people could've been killed!"
Selene raised an eyebrow. "Lillie? Let's get real here. This isn't exactly the worst damage the stadium has taken during a match. You've seen what it looks like after I go all out."
There were plenty of laughs from the crowd at this.
Lillie smiled faintly, somewhat mollified. "Well… I suppose that's true…" Raising her voice, she shouted, "What do you all think? Should we continue the battle?"
"YES!" Was the overwhelming response.
More! More violence! More fighting! More bloodshed! Tapu Lele squeaked adorably. Your gods demand more carnage!
Serena blinked. "That one disturbs me…" She muttered to Jeanne.
The Delphox nodded. From what I've heard, the guardian deities of Alola can be a bit… Bloodthirsty…
Selene shrugged, smiling ruefully. "The people have spoken. The battle continues!"
The crowd cheered enthusiastically at this.
Lillie smiled, conceding to the will of the audience. "Very well. In that case, I believe I know who my next Pokémon will be." She fixed Serena with a steely glare. "Serena, I can see that Durendal considers himself your guardian, your literal sword and shield. Allow me to introduce you to my own guardian!"
She threw out a Pokéball. It popped open, and in a flash of light, a Pokémon Serena had never seen before appeared. It was a quadrupedal creature with a mammalian head with mechanical parts, a thick, silver mane that extended down over its chest, a blunt snout that was metallic on the bridge of its nose and upper jaw, a triangular black nose framed by three red lines, pointed ears with bright pink and black insides, one visible fang on each side of its lower jaw, and a slight overbite. Its eyes were bright silver, had no visible pupils, and appeared to be surrounded by an empty, black space. On each side of its head was a circular, metallic drive, with a white circle crossed by a metal line. On top of its head was a large, axe-like fur or feather crest. The tip of the crest had a hooked, metallic piece, while the back has three white feathers.
Its lower body was mostly covered in short, black fur. The lower half of each front leg was insectoid and green with spikes along the back, while the rear legs had thick purple scales on the flanks, shins, and on the top of the foot. All four of its feet had three toes, but in the front two toes faced forward and one backward. Additionally, the hind paws had a short, gray claw on the back of the ankle. Its fishlike tail consisted of two dark blue spines with a white fin stretched between them. The top spine had a line of short, gray spikes.
Utterly baffled, Serena glanced at Jeanne and Diana, who shrugged, equally puzzled. Brow furrowed in confusion, Serena stared at the unfamiliar Pokémon and murmured, "Who's that Pokémon?"