Draco: #OvertookTheSeries means never having to apologize for #SequelEscalation.

Pokémon and protagonist © Nintendo. Character designs © Koei. Ransei © somewhere in the middle.

Shining Ruins: Ransei's Darkest Day

A blast of light ripped through the air, not an inch from Benkei's arm, and struck the earth behind him.

A good quarter of the forestry that surrounded the Swarming Cove was already set alight by the attacks of the legendary Pokémon that had come from the Scar in the Earth. Benkei and Gardevoir had been fighting for a solid twenty-four hours, to little progress; the Time Traveller had been freed by a well-aimed Psychic on Gardevoir's part, but there was no sign that the damage had been lasting, and Celebi had not stuck around after her failed attempt to inhibit the titan, vanishing through time without even a passing blow.

His armour was starting to feel heavy on his body; he was leaning against his naginata, and nearly felt that if he were to lift it, he would fall to earth. But he didn't dare to flee - he would keep this legendary Pokémon's attention on him for as long as he could draw breath, and buy the Warriors who had departed as much time as he could. And Gardevoir shared his every thought, his every intention - his every ache. They would stand at one another's side, until such time as their bodies gave way.

Their bodies were nearly there, and as Gardevoir unleashed another Psychic to strike at the legendary Pokémon, Benkei suspected it would be the last. The titan recoiled from the blow, but again did it seem that there was no lasting damage to its body; Oichi had claimed this Dragon had Poison, and the super-effective blow merely earned a reaction no different than a human touching the sharp of a blade by mistake. It turned to face Benkei, and he had one desperate hope left - one that he knew, if he were mistaken, to have danger far greater than simply showing opposition in combat.

He raised his shield hand towards the legendary Pokémon, and made to initiate a Link.

His vision went white, pain tearing through his body as the legendary Pokémon felt him try to connect, and denied him anything resembling. Benkei's roar of pain could be heard from clear across the Scar - at least until the titan roared with a fury to drown him out. His arm went slack, his naginata the only thing keeping him upright as he tried to see through the pain... and when he had the slightest bit of clarity, he saw the legendary Pokémon taking aim at him, its power welling up within it.

Gardevoir knew her Warrior was in no condition to evade, and desperately tried to defend him. She charged to the edge of the Scar and leapt forward, and when gravity began to pull on her she gathered the crystals of the Scar to form a platform beneath her feet - for just a moment, for just long enough for her to propel herself forward. Another leap, and another; by the time the legendary Pokémon was about to unleash its attack, she stood between it and its destination.

The titan loosed its blast, and it slammed into Gardevoir at point-blank range.

She opened her mouth and screamed, and the pain resonated through her Link to earn the same scream from Benkei - but the light did not disperse as it blast out around her. It swirled around her, rushing through her body, and as gravity started to pull on her it denied her the blissful sleep of unconsciousness. Her body glowed... and then, as she fell, her body grew. Benkei's vision began to fade out, the sensation of his naginata vanishing in his grip, as the Dynamax sent a terrible, torturous force through his Link.

And he felt the dark claws of Animatter pull on his soul.

+x+x+x+

There was a safe route through the Volcano from the Striker's Barrens - though a much more haphazard and uneven one than anyone would willingly take by cart, if not driven by desperation and terror. The Zebstrika had been running almost non-stop since they had departed from the Scar in the Earth a full day ago; though carefully-offered food and water, and sporadic healing from Oichi, had reinforced the adrenaline, they were still on the verge of collapse as they approached the colosseum that stood in the midst of the Shining Ruins.

Hanbei and Kanbei ended up detaching the cart while they were still in motion. The moment the Thunderbolt Pokémon had a lead on their passengers, they veered aside just enough to let the cart pass them before they came to a stop and fell to the earth, bodies worn and battered. The Warriors and their Pokémon all dismounted the cart without letting it stop, landing into rolls to kill off their momentum somewhat safely; the cart collided with the wall of the colosseum, not quite hard enough to shatter into pieces, but enough to damage it beyond immediate usefulness.

Evia and Espeon were already marching into the colosseum as Oichi began to instruct the others. "Tend to them as best you can!" she commanded Naotora and Audino. "I don't know how much good we can do them, they chose this - but if you can do anything to pull them back from the brink, don't hesitate!"

"Of course!" Naotora assured her. "Naomasa, bring me the berries!"

"Yes, Mother!"

Wigglytuff started after Evia as Oichi turned to the others. "The rest of you, be on your guard. We have no idea how much time Benkei can get us - we can't get blindsided!"

"Can do!" Nobuyuki assured her.

On hearing that affirmation, the healer turned around and dashed after her wife; Evia, as it turned out, had marched straight through the Colosseum, though one of the berry bushes had signs of recently being picked that suggested she had needed a pick-me-up after how long they had been riding. A concerned Oichi redoubled her pace, finding Evia standing not far out the other side.

There was a pyramid on the other side of the colosseum - just large enough to cast an imposing figure but not large enough to be visible with the colosseum in the way. At each corner of the base stood a figure that seemed to be a diamond upon a sphere; its entire surface was deep black, but covered in golden patterns, and in the center of the side facing them, there was a familiar pair of doors.

They matched the doors of Infinity.

"Evia..."

Without a word, Evia slowly stepped forward, approaching the pyramid that stood there. Oichi remained at her side, close enough to offer comfort the moment she would need it, and their Pokémon flanked them, ready to come to their aid if need be. Once she was within arm's reach, the Auroran came to a halt; then, with a deep breath, she reached her right hand forward and set it upon the doors.

They did not open.

Oichi was about to object - but then she saw Evia bow her head, and realized that she had seen this before. When she had accompanied Mitsuhide to the peak upon which the Winterbird did roost, he had entreated Articuno the same way; coming to its domain, not finding it there but calling out to its absence. Sure enough, Evia closed her eyes, and with shaky words, she spoke.

"Alpha, hear me. You know I would not call upon you, if I believed I had any sort of choice. But this land you have created faces a threat it should never have suffered. I will do anything to save this land I love. This beautiful region of Ransei... Please, I beg you. Help us unmake this."

For a moment, there was nothing... and then a burning pain ignited in Evia's right hand. The patterns on the doors - no, all the pyramid - began to illuminate as she cried out, her body shaking, and Oichi moved forward to support her as the illumination reached the ruin's peak.

Evia of Aurora.
I will answer your call.

The words came to all those who stood before the pyramid, shaking them to their core, a terrified Evia pulled her hand from the door, and found - engraved in her palm, as it had been so long ago - the rings and strike of the Alpha.

The titan has been pulled away from the land of chaos whence it came.
It is Eternatus, the Bringer of Galar's Darkest Day.
The cruel Warlord's wish upon crystal has severed it from the land it once knew.
If set free upon Ransei, it will rampage, desperate to remake this land to become its own.
I cannot overcome Eternatus alone.

The light that shone upon the pyramid began to intensify, such that the dark surface beneath the patterns became all but unseen; as Oichi watched, it began to evaporate, leaving only a deep indentation in the earth where it had once stood.

If you will oppose it, I will heed your call, as I did atop the Tower of Infinity.
Call upon me, when the Darkest Day arrives.

A trembling Evia closed her fingers around the mark in her palm, and then opened them again. "...Thank you..."

They had only a moment's silence - one that was split by a disastrous cry.

Evia forced herself to stand on her own feet as she heard it - the roar that had sounded within the Scar in the Earth. She, Oichi, Espeon, and Wigglytuff all turned to make their way back into the colosseum; sure enough, the others came in in a panic, their Pokémon trailing behind them.

"Evia!" Naomasa came to a stop at the fore of the group, Togekiss at his side. "The legendary Pokémon - it's coming! Dark Storms are appearing in its wake!"

"Where?" Oichi asked.

"Everywhere," Naomasa insisted. "The Pokémon are being afflicted as it passes!"

Oichi's gaze fell. "Is this what it meant by the Darkest Day?"

Evia stepped forward. "We can fight this," she proclaimed. "But we all need to stand our ground. I need your word that you will fight alongside me - no matter how grim it might look. Can you do that?"

Naomasa turned to Naotora.

Hanbei and Kanbei met one another's gaze.

Ina faced Nobuyuki, who nodded quietly.

And all of them turned back to face her, proclaiming at once, "Yes, Lady Evia!"

Evia nodded. "Then let's go save Ransei."

She started forward with Espeon at her side, Oichi and Wigglytuff only a pace behind them, and the others followed suit; the army marched through the colosseum, ready to fight the moment their opponent encroached upon them.

Eternatus reached the Shining Ruins as they were emerging through the colosseum gate - it snaked through the air like the Sky Demon, its poisonous form a stark contrast to the land around it. In the distance, they could see the Pokémon affected by the Dark Storms that had brewed in its wake, and Evia prayed that the Warriors around them could hold off the attackers until such time as the source ended.

The Auroran closed her eyes, and took a deep breath - still terrified of what she was about to do.

Then she opened them again - and the voltaic blue of her eyes had turned novalike, glowing golden with the power of her sacred Link.

"Eternatus!"

Her voice had a terrifying power to it; the bringer of the Darkest Day halted at a battlefield's length, loosing its ominous cry down at them.

"You do not belong in Ransei. You were brought here by forces beyond your control, but you cannot be allowed to continue as you are. If you will not depart peacefully, I will deliver you home, by force!"

For a moment, nothing happened; then Eternatus's body began to condense. Its trident claws closed around its torso, and its spine seemed to condense, bringing its head closer to its chest. Its body looked like a cannon - and then the light in its chest began to intensify, power welling up and preparing to be unleashed.

"...Very well."

Evia raised her hand, and the mark on her palm began to shine.

"Come forth! Arceus, shining bright!"

A brilliant light manifested before her, a giant ring of shining light - and Eternatus' blast slammed into it to no effect, protecting the Warriors and their Pokémon. The moment it faded, something began to emerge from it; an equine figure that shone as though a star had been given solid form. Its underside was shining black, its hooves brilliant gold; around its midsection was a golden ring, with two narrow spikes reaching forward across its body and four great spikes extending in an X whose strikes were not quite perpendicular. A half-ring linked the spikes on each side, just below the tip of the blade, and each intersection was marked with a radiant garnet. Its head trailed back behind it, waving eternally like a flag caught in a wind that wasn't there; two horns rose up on its sides, a golden point rested upon its brow, and its face was a void of black, broken by a pair of novalike golden eyes.

The portal from whence Arceus had come vanished into the air, and it beheld Eternatus with a firm gaze.

An instant of stalemate; then Eternatus' power began to well up again. Naomasa was the one who reacted first, thrusting his hand forward in a silent command; Togekiss soared forward, and Eternatus didn't react before she was near enough to unleash a Dazzling Gleam that forced it to divert. Arceus leaned away, drifting to the side as the blast soared past it, slamming into the colosseum behind them and bringing down a portion of its wall.

Evia swung her hand out as the blast faded.

"All you have!"

In my every action!

Light gathered above the Alpha's head, a light that could illuminate Distortion; Arceus reared, and the light burst, ascending heavenward and then raining down upon Eternatus. The bombardment stunned it just long enough for the other Warriors to command their Pokémon forward; Empoleon was the first one near enough, unleashing a Hydro Pump that slammed into Eternatus head-on, breaking around the mask of its head but preventing it from acting in retaliation.

Chandelure and Raichu charged it from opposite sides; the Mouse Pokémon collided with a ferocious Volt Tackle that sent a shock through Eternatus' system, and the Luring Pokémon wrapped its body in a spiral of flame that could consume eight lesser Pokémon, bombarding it repetitively. No sooner did the flames subside than Emboar charged forward, flames whirling in his arms until he unleashed them into a Fire Blast that washed over Eternatus' entire form; then Wigglytuff and Lopunny charged forward, and the Balloon Pokémon presented her body like a springboard to launch Lopunny into the air.

Togekiss soared into position to provide a point in midair for Lopunny to swing about, throwing her towards Eternatus in a rush; the Rabbit Pokémon righted herself at just the right moment that her Dizzy Punch connected with maximum momentum, leaving Eternatus reeling away from the blows. As she descended, the titan made to gather its power for another attack - but this time Espeon rushed forward, striking with a Psybeam from the side opposite where Togekiss had struck, and again was the blast diverted enough for Arceus to evade, though the colosseum suffered more destruction for it.

Arceus reared again, invoking another rain of light - and this time it was enough to knock his opponent out of the air. Eternatus gave a terrifying cry as it began to fall, and the Pokémon all pulled away as the titan slammed into the earth hard enough to shake it. The dust kicked up was enough to blind everyone - but Arceus, who could see everything, and Evia, who shared its vision.

"Is it defeated?"

No... it is empowered!

As the dust began to clear, the Warriors cried out in terror - for Eternatus' trident claws had been driven into the ground, and the titan was supporting itself upon them as it glared at its opponents. The light in its chest began to intensify, and everyone was on their guard - not because it looked to be at an angle that would strike any of them, but because that light was permeating through its entire form.

Get behind me!

The Alpha's command had Warriors and Pokémon alike retreating in terror as Eternatus' light became blinding. Of a sudden, it erupted, and Eternatus rocketed into the air in a rush of terror; the light of Dynamax trailed beneath it as it ascended, until it vanished into the clouds above - and then the light pierced the clouds, shining across the entirety of what would one day be the Aurora Trigram.

What descended from the clouds was Eternatus - but it looked like it couldn't be Eternatus. Its body was a massive, serpentine length, one that looked much less skeletal than the dragon it had once been; and yet its entire body was covered with the same ominous spikes that had lined the dragon's spine. That length was mostly coiled in on itself, surrounded by the same crimson clouds that surrounded the Pokémon affected by the Dark Storms; the core of light that had once laid in the dragon's chest lay within the coil, letting its power course through its entire body. But that body did reach forward, a good length before it began to split, and at the end of it was a titanic hand - five terrible fingers that looked like the horns of the dragon's mask, perfectly symmetrical as though there were any illusions that it were a human hand.

Five crystals were arrayed in the center of its palm, and now they began to glow; the Warriors and Pokémon could only watch, terrified, as power began to gather from the core of the titan, a thousand times more fierce than before. Arceus stood between its allies and Eternatus, its body shining, and when that attack began to advance, the Alpha's light manifested in an attempt to divert the blow.

A single, powerful beam, larger than any before it, flew from Eternatus' palm... and seven more surged out of the coil behind it. The attack soared down at the gathering until it collided with Arceus' defense, and then split in every direction to raze the earth around them, not harming the Warriors or their Pokémon but straining the Alpha as it endeavoured to protect them.

When the beam finally subsided, the Alpha was left kneeling, its form heaving as one would when they struggled to catch their breath. Oichi realized it was wounded, and struck the earth with her staff; her own soft light washed over Arceus' body, and it slowly managed to right itself, all of them knowing that they couldn't keep this up long enough to matter.

Eternatus cried out.

The Alpha screeched in retaliation.

And a Roar of Time answered.

Draco: When I was doing my play-by-write of Conquest during the Legend of Ransei, I tried to fight the final battle on Infinity with just Evia and Oichi as I wrote it, and realized that even the Alpha can only do so much. #GameplayAndStoryIntegration