"What do we do?" Cerea asked. I shrugged, helpless. The six of us had hidden in the poke mart while Neo Plasma wreaked havoc outside. Myself, Cerea, some guy named Ron, Bianca's friend Mary, a guy named Corban, and his friend named Duke. I couldn't do much of anything without my pokemon. After Colress' display of Gigalith, not many people wanted to go up against them. I wondered if Skyla was okay. I should've done something. I should be doing something.

"I don't think there's anything we can do," Ron said. He was sitting on the countertop. The clerk gave him an angry look.

"We can fight them!" Mary insisted. Cerea looked at me.

"Hey, what happened to you?" I shrugged. She frowned. I didn't have any of my stuff. I couldn't even call Bianca or Cheren. Corban looked out a window.

"Hey, that guys coming over here." Everyone perked up.

"What guy?" Mary asked.

"The weird-looking one." Everyone moved to the window. Zinzolin was crossing the street towards the poke mart. He threw a poke ball. A Golurk came charging towards the building. "Uh oh." Golurk crashed through the wall. I dove to the side. Mary reacted fast, sending out her Gigalith. Gigalith slammed into Golurk, knocking it back. An Archeops flew through the hole. It circled the shop, knocking shelves over. The clerk started yelling.

"Why is he attacking us?" Duke covered his head, barely avoiding Archeops. Archeops spotted me and lunged. A Stoutland appeared tackling it. A Serperior wrapped around me, yanking me into the air.

"Andrew!" Cerea waved her arms. Duke sent out a Heatmor. Serperior moved fast; the world blurred around me as it dodged Heatmor's attacks. I spotted Sigilyph and a Cryogonal floating outside.

"Fire blast." I felt the heat of the flames hitting Serperior. My leg screamed in pain. Serperipor's grip loosened. I pulled free, landing on a potion shelf. Ron was there, helping me up. Serperior attacked Heatmor, wrapping it up and throwing it through a wall. Cerea sent out her Tepig. The poke mart was alive with combat. Pokemon everywhere, battling each other. Golurk was ripping the walls apart, throwing pieces at Gigalith. Archeops was trying to get away from Stoutland. Cryogonal was whipping up a blizzard. The standing walls were shaking. A Gothorita was attacking the Sigilyph. Heatmor and Tepig were burning Serperior. There had to be something I could do. The blizzard was getting intense; I could hardly see.

I'm coming.

I froze. Staring at the wall.

"Watch out!" Ron yanked me out of Golurk's path. We ran, dodging Archeops. "We have to get out of here!" We escaped through one of the collapsed walls. The battle was slowly getting out of the poke mart. The blizzard only continued to grow. Archeops came flying out after me. Stoutland lunged at it, barely missing. Archeops grabbed my shoulders and lifted me into the air. "No!" Ron yelled. Mary was just coming outside with Cerea. I struggled against Archeops. I planted my feet firmly against its stomach and pushed as hard as I could. I managed to pull free and landed hard on my back. Zinzolin approached me. I could see the others still battling. The blizzard continued to expand.

"Good to see you," Zinzolin said. I scowled at him. "How did you escape?" I started to get up; he pushed me down. I noticed the odd metallic headband he was wearing.

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard me."

"That shadow guy, he teleported me." Zinzolin cocked his head. Archeops landed on my stomach, hissing at me. I cried out.

"Don't lie to me." He warned. Archeops dug its claws into me. I winced; tears ran down my cheeks.

"I'm not lying!" He shook his head. Archeops mimicked the head motion. I blinked, confused. "A-are you connected?" Zinzolin smiled and tapped the headband. His tone softened. Archeops withdrew its claws.

"Yes. I'm almost like you."

"Like me?"

"It's almost like I'm speaking to them. They're not responding, of course. But it's the thought that counts." I had to keep him talking.

"W-why are you people doing this?" I asked. "Why are you attacking us?" Zinzolin narrowed his eyes.

"Leave him alone!" Cerea shouted. "Tepig!" A flaming Tepig slammed into Archeops. Archeops spun in the air and took flight. Tepig landed beside me, flaring its nostrils at Zinzolin. Archeops fired a stone edge, stone bullets ripping apart the ground around Tepig and me. I cried out, rolling away. Cerea ran over. "Ember!" Tepig was knocked out. "Oh no!" Archeops landed on Cerea. I grunted, getting up.

"Zinzolin! You're an idiot!" Zinzolin looked over at me. Cerea struggled under Archeops.

"Are you trying to distract me?" Zinzolin asked. He scoffed. Cerea sent out a Durant. It knocked Archeops aside. "This is getting old." He closed his eyes. His other pokemon came charging towards us. The blizzard had vanished. The poke mart was surrounded by snow.

"Hey!" Mary shouted. Ron and his Stoutland chased after them. Duke and Corban hung back with the clerk. Cerea gave me a desperate look. Golurk's foot swept her away. She seemed to float in the air for a moment, suspended. Her arms stretched out. Her face twisted in pain. She landed hard on a nearby bench. I stared at her limp body for a moment. Durant scurried over to her. Zinzolin's pokemon swarmed me. Golurk picked me up. I struggled violently against its iron grip. Mary ran over to Cerea. Stoutland lunged at Golurk. Archeops intercepted it.

"Do you see powerful this technology is?" Zinzolin asked. "No matter how much damage they take, they won't go down! They're invincible!" That's impossible. I recalled Gigalith's explosion. There had to be a drawback. I looked closely at Golurk. Its body seemed to be trembling. The realization came suddenly.

I made it!

Fire. I saw it in the corner of my eye. Golurk stumbled, dropping me. I landed on my side.

"What?" Zinzolin scowled. Golurk recovered, reaching for me. Pignite was between us. Its body was engulfed in flames.

"Pignite!" I called out.

I've been looking for you.

I smiled sadly. Golurk attacked. Pignite moved fast. Smashing into Golurk with a heat crash. Golurk stumbled again. Serperior and Sigilyph moved in. Cryogonal wasn't far behind. I looked over my shoulder at Cerea. She was moving. Mary's Gigalith was attacking Golurk.

"Stop resisting," Zinzolin warned. Pignite's nostrils flared. I was done being useless.

"Pignite!" Cryogonal whipped up a blizzard. Serperior slammed its tail into Pignite. Pignite grabbed it and spun it around. Sigilyph fired a psybeam. Pignite barely managed to dodge and threw Serperior at Sigilyph. Pignite seemed stronger. Its body started to glow and grow. I watched, stunned. Emboar emerged from the light, growling.

"Knock that thing out!" Zinzolin yelled. All of his pokemon converged on Emboar.

"Emboar, move!" Emboar didn't dodge. Emboar attacked. It slammed into Serperior with a flame charge. Speeding up, it dodged Sigilyph's psybeam and brought a heavy fist down onto Cryogonal. Archeops' volley of stones pummeled Emboar but had little effect.

This is because of you.

Emboar grabbed Serperior and slung it around at Golurk. Archeops dove, clawing at Emboar.

Our strength together!

Zinzolin was stunned. Everyone was stunned. Emboar was singlehandedly fighting them off. Then the pain came. An explosion contained within my skull. I clutched my head, attempting to keep it from breaking apart. Emboar faltered. But the pokemon didn't attack. Zinzolin was on his back. Skyla's grandfather was standing over him, holding the headband. One by one, his pokemon collapsed. It was as if all of their injuries caught up with them at once. Emboar approached me. I slowly recovered from the pain. Skyla's grandfather snapped the headband in half. I looked up at Emboar.

"Thank you."