We stared in horror as Garchomp's powerful dragon type attack didn't even buffet Giratina. I thought of all the tricks and traps of the Distortion World. "Is it an illusion?"

Giratina roared, sending us skidding across half of the island. Garchomp drove one of his claws into the ground, forming a deep gouge in the red dust.

"That," Cynthia said in a low voice, "is no illusion."

"Then why didn't Draco Meteor affect it? If anything, a dragon type move should be super effective!"

Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "Kirlia, we need your Trace ability! Find out what Giratina's ability is."

Kirlia's musical cry contrasted Giratina's monstrous roar. As he spun around, I scanned the familiar Pokémon on my Pokédex.

"Kirlia. The Emotion Pokémon. Ability: Omnitype—base ability, Trace. Omnitype grants the user the weaknesses and resistances of all other types such that the user will be immune to eight of the eighteen types. It is the signature ability of Primal Giratina."

So that's what we were up against.

The rest of Primal Giratina's long, massive body emerged from the void. The golden spikes on his sides curled to resemble legs creating metallic clacks when they moved. The sound grated my ears.

Giratina roared, warning us before releasing an attack like a thousand blue cranes flying toward us. Cynthia and I leaped in opposite directions, hopping along red spurts of dust in the void until we sent out our flying Pokémon. Lucario and Garchomp stayed on the island to defend Ace, Riley, Typhlosion, and Weavile. Lucario twirled his bone staff, creating a temporary shield to deflect Giratina's attack, while Garchomp slashed at each individual crane with precise movements.

As I rode on Togekiss, I scanned the attack with my Pokédex. "Draco Jet. A rare dragon type move that almost always goes first."

As far as I knew, Cynthia's Garchomp didn't know it.

Balancing beautifully on her Braviary, Cynthia sent out an unfamiliar Pokémon that could hover in the void. It resembled an ornate sword and shield. "Aegislash. The Royal Sword Pokémon. It recognizes good leadership, so it is said that they choose trainers destined for kingly positions."

"A Pokémon fit for a Champion," I murmured, gazing at Cynthia with admiration as she commanded her Pokémon into Blade Form.

Time for my Pokémon to join the fray, too. "Piplup, use Whirlpool!"

The strange gravity in the Distortion World turned Whirlpool into a ring of water slowly pressing in on Primal Giratina. Aegislash rode its shield on the water, spinning round and round. Togekiss and Braviary joined in, with me and Cynthia holding on tightly as we whipped around the legendary Pokémon, darting in and out to attack. Braviary's Brave Bird and Togekiss's Air Slash dealt normal damage, as did Piplup's water type attacks. We were whittling down the mighty legendary.

But we still had to contend with Draco Jet. The thousand blue cranes returned with full force, unbound by the ring-like gravity that the rest of us were riding. They flew at us with piercing shrieks.

"Togekiss!" I cried out. "Wash them away with Dazzling Gleam!"

Togekiss's serene cry triumphed over the dragons' demonic screeches. Fairy light bathed the Distortion World in radiant white-and-pink light for a few seconds. When the light dissolved, returning us to the void, Cynthia and I had a lot more allies.

Ace rode Crobat, and Riley crouched on Corviknight. Kenny waved at me from Staraptor while Aaron swooped in with almost inhuman athleticism, leaping from Noivern to Talonflame to pick up more speed. When he was faster than anyone else in the battle, faster than winds, he sent out Heracross. "Use Stone Edge!"

Heracross cried out in delight as he got to battle. Jagged pieces of surrounding red islands were ripped out with a violent force. They accelerated at a breathtaking speed, slicing apart Primal Giratina's platinum armor, causing the legendary Pokémon to bellow in rage. I did a quick calculation with the help of my Pokédex. With an ability like Omnitype, a Pokémon's only weakness would be the rock type.

"Coordinated Brave Bird, friends!" Aaron called, Heracross's Poké Ball landing back in his hand with a satisfying smack. "Let's do this!"

Talonflame, Crobat, Staraptor, Corviknight, and Braviary lunged from different sides like a star, striking at Giratina in succession. Having been the last person to attack Giratina, Cynthia turned around on her Braviary and kicked an Ultra Ball at the weakened legendary.

I urged Togekiss back to the island, where the Ultra Ball landed. Garchomp, Lucario, and Typhlosion leaned forward to get a better look at the trembling Ultra Ball before it clicked in place. We cheered in celebration. The Champion of Sinnoh, catching Sinnoh's notorious legendary, the Hegemon of the Distortion World—Primal Giratina himself! I held the Ultra Ball up to Cynthia with both hands.

She examined it with a smile, turning it over and over in her pale hand before attaching it to her belt. "For research purposes."

Aaron laughed. "Yeah, right. Don't tell me you won't use it to punish a challenger like Tobias."

Tobias had won the Sinnoh League after defeating Ash, and he'd given the Elite Four a hard time but was ultimately crushed by Cynthia's Spiritomb and Garchomp.

Cynthia laughed. "Of course not. Now," she continued, gesturing to the shadow, where Conway and Cheryl were trying to free Cyrus, "what will we do about that?"

Slowking and Chansey patted Conway, who wheezed from exertion. "It's no use. He's stuck. And now that you've caught Primal Giratina, it appears that we're getting pulled out of the Distortion World," he added, adjusting his glasses. A white hole appeared between us, its gravity tugging us.

"We'll come back for him," I declared, "someday."

Cheryl lay down in the dust and slid toward the white hole, looking up at me as she passed by. "He might not be here next time, Dawn."

Riley cradled the Poké Ball that Lucario had salvaged from Cyrus, the one that was so corrupted it couldn't open and we had no idea what was inside. "It was meant to be this way, I believe. Whoever next chances upon the Distortion World will have an immense task."

"I'll be back," I repeated. I am a girl who keeps her promises.

I closed my eyes as the white hole pulled me in. When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on soft grass, a shimmering pool beside me. Cynthia crouched nearby, dipping her fingers into the water. "This is Sendoff Spring. Perhaps we will find healing here."

Weavile had warmed up – she was no longer shivering – but she stayed curled up, her eyes unfocused. She might be alive, but all her energy was sapped, and she found no healing in Sendoff Spring. She might have to live in a Pokémon Center for a long while.

Ace and Aaron kicked off their shoes, rolled up their pants, and waded into the pool. Cheryl undid the laces of her tall boots and lifted her long skirt to join them. Kenny splashed water into his face with a delighted sigh. Meanwhile, Conway bent over like a Lillipup to lick the water.

Riley submerged the corrupted Poké Ball in the pool and tried to send out the Pokémon inside. Nothing happened.

He sighed. "It was worth a try," he said with a sad smile at me. "I'll bring it to Byron and Roark and see what they can do."

Cynthia sent out Cyrus's Gyarados and Houndoom, who fled without looking back. She lay their Poké Balls in a sheltered spot of grass. I placed Sylveon's empty Poké Ball next to them. After a few moments of respectful silence, we heard a friendly voice call out.

"Hey, everyone!" Steven flapped his arms in a dramatic wave. "Skarmory guided me here. So what did I miss?"