Chapter 33: The Fate of Kalos

Giovanni snarled as his Rhyperior and Nidoqueen dragged Mewtwo out of a wrecked tower.

"Get up! You don't know what I paid for to get you!"

"Giovanni." The daimyo almost trembled when he turned to see Felix and his Lucario standing over five dead shinobi and two samurai, his Nodachi sheathed.

"You!?" Giovanni backed up and grabbed the hilt of his katana.

"What happened to your vow of silence? Or have you accepted that killing me won't bring your precious wife and sons back!?" Giovanni laughed.

Felix didn't respond. However, to Giovanni's surprise, the overwhelming sense of hatred he'd expected from him wasn't there.

"Giovanni, you're right. Killing you won't bring Delia back. However, you've brought so much death and suffering to countless innocent people that I cannot simply let you continue to do so. Look around. Your side won't win this fight."

"Surrender? And then what, have my head shaved and live as a monk? I'd rather die! Besides, I don't need my Kalos ally or his minions! I have all the power I'd ever need right here. Behold a legendary mega evolution!" Felix and Lucario's eyes widened when they saw Giovanni touch a keystone.

Mewtwo's eyes shot open, and he began to transform until he looked almost completely different violently, appearing smaller and almost alien.

"I give you, Mega Mewtwo Y!" Giovanni laughed.

"Lucario, brace yourself!" Felix touched his keystone, and Lucario quickly completed his own Mega Evolution.

"Grouuu!"

Samurai and Pokemon both inhaled together before their eyes glowed blue.

"For Delia!"

"Grouu!" Felix drew his nodachi and charged Giovanni.

His Rhyperior and Nidoqueen tried to attack first, but Mega Mewtwo Y nearly sent them flying with his Psystrike and Psychic. Luckily, Mega Lucario evaded both with a tell-timed Detect, then closed the distance slamming Mewtwo Y across the face with multiple strikes from Bone Rush.

"Enough."

"Grouu?" Mega Lucario heard a strange voice in his head and saw Mewtwo Y's eyes glow before shattering Bone Rush with Psychic.

"I will not be made a fool of by one who fights with brute strength instead of psychic power!" Mewtwo Y ensnared Mega Lucario in Psychic, holding him in place with a crushing grip of psychic power.

"Feel true power, insect! Feel-" Mewtwo Y had to cover his eyes as a blinding blue light overtook his senses.

"Gaaah!" Mega Lucario glowed blue like a bright star and broke free of the Psychic.

"Feel the power of aura!" Mega Lucario snarled back before using extreme speed to practically teleport behind Mewtwo Y, who only had enough time to turn and see Lucario's steel fist via Meteor Mash.

Mewtwo Y became embedded into another crystal tower and grunted. Meanwhile, Felix unleashed a relentless but masterful assault on Giovanni, who, despite his immense skills, struggled just to stay alive.

"Ima!" The daimyo roared. Felix didn't even turn his head but managed to block and counterstrike three shinobi who appeared from clouds of smoke behind him, killing them all.

"Gaaah! More!" Four shinobi leaped down from a higher parapet and joined the fight. Yet their presence merely slowed Felix down, and after a punishing kick to Giovanni's chest, he dealt with all four with ruthless efficiency.

Upon doing so, he saw a pair of samurai rush to Giovanni's side.

"Face me, you coward!" Giovanni roared.

His attempts to irritate the samurai master and distract him proved fruitless, as Felix pressed on and fought all three without breaking stride.

Giovanni yelped when he saw his first samurai fall, then a second. Finally, with a swift strike inward, Felix disarmed Giovanni and kicked him onto his back.

Giovanni now hyperventilated and appeared utterly terrified. He frantically looked around for more of his or Lysandre's men, as well as his other Pokemon.

Unfortunately for him, Mewtwo Y suffered another Meteor Mash and skidded across the battlements while attacks from Kalos Flying Pokemon kept them back.

Felix's eyes met Giovanni's, and the daimyo threw both hands up.

"Wait! If you have any honor, you'll at least allow me to die on my own terms. Grant me the dignity of seppuku." Felix slowly sheathed his sword and nodded.

"Very well." He took out a tanto blade and tossed it in front of Giovanni.

"Felix, no!" Both men turned to see none other than Red, who'd reached that battlement with Charizard Y and Mega Sceptile. Felix hesitated when he saw his oldest son remove his helmet with the same look of forgiveness he'd given Sir Mercer.

"Aka, this man is responsible for your mother's death." Felix muttered, making Giovanni's eyes widen as he looked at Felix and then Red and remembered Felix only mentioning his daughter.

"It couldn't be."

Red stared at Giovanni intensely before exhaling.

"Maybe, but even he doesn't deserve this-" Felix's eyes went wide when he saw Giovanni stand up and hurl the tanto straight for Red's exposed face.

"Aka!" Felix threw himself in front of Red and convulsed.

"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario howled as he'd never howled before.

Red's eyes widened, and his face turned pale when he saw the front of the tanto sticking out of Felix's stomach in a gap between his armor plates.

Red had become so distraught that he didn't notice the Rocket samurai attack him from behind and pin the chevalier onto his knees.

"Grauuu!"

"Tile!" Sceptile and Charizard Y found themselves attacked by Giovanni's other Pokemon and unable to help.

"Kill him!" Giovanni laughed as he recovered his sword and approached Felix, who now lay on his side with Mega Lucario racing over on top of him.

Red fought off fiercely, but the samurai had him pinned and drew a tanto.

"Oi!" A metal fist struck the samurai's masked face and sent him stumbling backward. Moments later, the samurai's Crobat similarly went flying after a Meteor Mash made impact.

Red almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw none other than Sir Mercer, now wearing the Reduka Pendant, fighting off the samurai with Metagross beside him.

"Go on then!" The Galar knight roared as he brought the samurai down.

"Grouuuu! Grouuu!" Tears streamed down Mega Lucario's face as he knelt over Felix, who held his bleeding stomach and struggled to breathe.

Giovanni laughed sadistically as he loomed over them both, and katana raised.

"Kill me, will you! Join your wife in the Sanzu river!" Mega Lucario refused to get up but heard a clang of metal.

"Grouu!?"

"Nani?" Giovanni, Mega Lucario, and Felix all looked up to see Red now holding the nodachi, blocking the daimyo's sword.

"Get away from my father!" Red pushed Giovanni's sword up and kicked him backward before extending his hand to Mega Lucario.

"Grouu, grouu!" Mega Lucario stood up beside Red as Charizard Y and Mega Sceptile similarly joined them.

Giovanni grit his teeth for a moment but then laughed.

"Mewtwo!" Mewtwo Y soon floated over Giovanni, whose other Pokemon flanked him.

Red took a deep breath, and upon exhaling, Giovanni saw his eyes flash blue. At the same time, Mega Lucario, Charizard Y, and Sceptile's did the same.

Red stepped forward, and despite being trained with the broadsword his entire life, he took to the nodachi surprisingly well. Giovanni found himself steadily pushed backward by the young chevalier, and his Pokemon fared little better.

Mega Sceptile and Lucario both easily overcame Ryhperior and Nidoqueen, while Charizard Y dueled Mewtwo Y.

"Stand still! I will show you the ultimate power of a legendary Pokemon!" Mewtwo Y attempted a combination of Psychic and thunderbolt, but Charizard Y moved too fast for him to lock on.

After dodging another attack, Charizard Y blasted Mewtwo Y with Inferno before following up with an Air Slash.

"You talk too much!"

Red kept up his own assault, pushing Giovanni closer and closer to the edge while steadily breaking down his stance. Finally, after a crushing elbow strike to the head.

"Gaaahh!" The daimyo's sword went flying, and Giovanni fell to his knees.

"Mercy! Mercy! Your codes of chivalry dictate you spare me!" Giovanni pleaded.

Mega Lucario snarled with a feral expression and looked ready to tear Giovanni limb from limb. However, he remained steadfast beside Red, who hadn't moved.

Giovanni gave a puzzled look.

"What are you waiting for? Accept my surrender!" Giovanni snarled, but Red still didn't move.

Giovanni had slowly moved his hands behind his back, and Red kept the nodachi raised.

"You can't sit there forever, chevalier-" Giovanni didn't finish speaking and sprung up, dagger in hand. However, rather than try and block him, Red simply moved aside.

Giovanni only saw a flash of metal soaked in blood before the tanto blade sliced clean through his neck. The daimyo reached for his throat, but Red soon heard something hit the ground, followed by an armored body.

"...It's finished." Felix muttered, the tanto blade dropping from his grip before holding his stomach.

Red dropped his nodachi and desperately tried to hold the samurai upright with Lucario, but Felix soon collapsed back onto his back, where he stared up at the sky.

"Non! Non! Onegaishimasu! Chichioya!" Red pleaded as tears filled his eyes.

"Grouu!" Lucario sobbed.

Felix slowly exhaled, no rage or sorrow on his face, only peace. The samurai slowly reached up and touched Red's cheek.

"Aka. It's alright."

"No! It's not alright! I can't lose you again!" Red sobbed.

"You never did, Aka." Felix's eyes glowed blue one last time as he touched Red's forehead.

"My aura is with you, and always will be, my son." When the blue lights faded, Felix's eyes shut, and he lay still.

Red didn't move, his Charizard and Sceptile both trying to comfort him.

"Grouuu!" Lucario wailed, tears streaming down his face before he wrapped his arms tightly around the chevalier.

"Red." A soft voice reached his ears, and he barely saw Korrina through the tears. Korrina didn't speak. Instead, she offered him her warmth with a tender embrace.

Elsewhere, Ash nearly seized up for a moment as he and his other Pokemon felt a sharp pain in their aura.

"Gaah!" Ash held his heart and struggled to remain upright.

"Gre." Ash-Greninja didn't want to, but he pointed down to a lower battlement.

Ash couldn't breathe when he saw Red kneeling beside the body of a familiar samurai.

"Pika."

"Grouuu."

"Grauuu."

"Allez! Ash, we need to keep moving!" Alain shouted.

Ash remained still for another moment as a tear fell down his face. Despite this, he grit his teeth and furiously stared back up at the spire.

"I'm coming, Serena!"

"Pika!"

"Gre!"

"Grouuu!"

"Grauuu!"

Ash and Alain continued their battle up the castle, fighting through men-at-arms, knights, and shinobi like something out of a legend. With some help from nearby flying Kalos/Galar knights, of course.

They passed lady Bryony who lay dead via shrapnel from a cannonball, before finally reaching the pinnacle. There, the two chevaliers and their Pokemon stared down Lady Malva and a monstrous Duke Lysandre.

"Baron Alain and Prince Consort Ash. Bienvenu." Lysandre's voice sounded no less corrupted than his appearance.

"Bienvenu indeed, bienvenu to our new world. Unfortunately, you two hedonists aren't invited." Malva chuckled while covering her mouth.

"Where's Serena!?" Ash snarled.

"It matters now. She will perish along with the rest of you. All those corrupted and unworthy of this world! My new world of everlasting beauty!"

"Greeeeee!" Ash-Greninja yelped when he pointed to a particularly unique red gemstone embedded into the center of Lysandre's breastplate.

"Ash, what is that?" Alain muttered.

The chevalier grit his teeth while Ash-Greninja explained it to him.

"It's the source of his power, how he's controlling the legendary Pokemon."

"Pika!"

"Grouuu!"

"Grauuu!"

"Grauuu!" Alain's Charizard X joined in.

Both chevaliers drew their swords and slowly approached the Duke.

"You can't be serious." Malva chuckled again.

"Fear not, my dear. This ends now." Lysandre held his hand up to all three Legendary Pokemon over them, who cried out in unison as the same red aura from the stone overtook their eyes while both crystal spires beneath them surged.

"Gree!" Ash-Greninja hurled himself forward, only for a Mega Houndoom, Mega Gyarados, and normal Pyroar to block his path.

Ash and Alain tried to join in, but the surging power shook everything around them.

"All those unworthy will perish-"

"Enough!"

"Quoi!" Lysandre and Malva jerked backward to see none other than AZ behind them.

"Tu!?"

"Gaaaaaaah!" With his superhuman strength, AZ shattered both spires with his fists.

The surging energy bounced off him with no clear effect, and all three Legendary Pokemon hesitated.

"Why you!" Malva snarled.

"I'll tear down this damned castle and you with it if I have to!" AZ roared.

Lysandre, however, merely chuckled.

"And then what? You think you're worthy of forgiveness after everything you've done!?" AZ staggered as if he'd been struck with a sword, and Ash saw tears fill his eyes.

"Non, I'm not worthy of forgiveness. But I can still stop you!"

"Destroy him-" Lysandre pointed to the legendary Pokemon, Zygarde in particular.

Ash, Alain, and their Pokemon could only watch as he transformed into an almost humanoid form, even larger than before.

AZ lowered his head in acceptance, only for the castle to shake again.

"Grauuu!"

"Not today!" Leon cried. His gigantimax'd Charizard now reached the pinnacle and body-slammed Zygarde, bringing him all the way to the ground.

"Ehhh!?" Malva yelped as she saw the titan Pokemon clash beneath them.

"Allez!" Not a moment later, Daniel flew in on his Charizard Z, who blasted Xerneas and Yveltal backward. The legendary Pokemon tried to recover, but he quickly followed up with Dragon Claw against them both.

"Tch, only a delay. No matter, I still have one more." Lysandre's gemstone lit up again, and moments later, Mewtwo rose up behind him, Mega Evolved. However, this time, he took a bulkier form that almost made him resemble a brawler.

"Tremble before me!" Mewtwo X roared.

A pair of Lysandre's knights raced up from a lower level and flanked Malva before drawing swords with Lysandre.

"You won't stop my world of eternal beauty!"

"Pour Kalos!" Alain roared.

"Pour Alexandre!"

"Pika!"

"Grouuu!"

"Grauuu!"

"Gre!" Alain reached his opponents first and fiercely battled the two chevaliers while Charizard X slashed Mega Houndoom back.

Ash's heart raced like never before, yet he didn't slow down and clashed blades with Duke Lysandre.

"Pika chu!"

"Roar!" Pyroar blasted at the electric mouse with flamethrower, only for him to dodge and hurl him backward with electroball.

"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario dodged or parried incoming blows from the chevaliers' mega Medicham, finally striking back with a pair of Power-Up Punches.

"Grauuu!" Charizard Z and Mega Gyarados sparred in the sky, both attempting to overpower the other until Charizard Z landed a crushing Dragon Rush, sending Gyarados tumbling down.

Ash and Ash-Greninja moved together in perfect synchronization, their blade movements matching each other as they battled Lysandre and Mewtwo X.

Despite this, they fought themselves, unable to progress against them. Lysandre fought with almost unmatched talent and tenacity, the gemstone undoubtedly enhancing his already considerable skills.

Ash braced himself as he brought his sword up and endured a heavy murder stroke, stumbling backward and narrowly avoiding Lysandre's kick.

Ash-Greninja similarly evaded incoming psychic and fighting moves from Mewtwo X.

"For one as old as yourself, I expected more wisdom! To think you could challenge the Mew!"

Ash-Greninja narrowed his eyes before lunging inward and slashing Mewtwo X's arms back with Night Slash, then lit him up with a Shadow Sneak from below.

"Gaaaah!" Mewtwo X howled in pain from the super-effective attack.

"I'm not sure what you are or where you came from, but you're not Mew."Mewtwo X's eyes lit up in a fiery rage.

"I am Mew perfected!"

Ash and Ash-Greninja's eyes lit up blue together, and as one, they resumed their offensive. Both trainer and Pokemon backed each other up in a masterfully coordinated attack that pushed Lysandre and Mewtwo X back but didn't break them.

Malva carefully approached Ash from behind, a dagger in hand, when suddenly a powerful grip lifted her up.

"Ehhh?"

"That's enough." AZ's eyes met Malva's, and she scowled at him.

"Put me down, you barbarian!" Malva slashed at AZ's hand, forcing him to let her go.

However, in doing so, she stumbled backward and tumbled over the edge.

"Ahhh!" AZ tried to grab her again but was too late, and lady Malva fell uninterrupted.

Further down, Tori and Diance tried to tend to wounded soldiers on a lower battlement before hearing someone scream for a moment.

"Eh?" They looked around but saw nothing.

"Hmmm, must've imagined it."

Diance, however, pointed up at the sky.

Tori's face turned pale when she saw Xerneas yelp in pain when Daniel's Charizard Z pinned her to the ground.

"Xerneas!" Tori cried in anguish.

She almost tried to race down the castle, but Diance blocked her, emphasizing Xerneas's glowing red eyes.

Tori's eyes swelled with tears, as did Diance's.

"Mon Seigneur, please don't hurt her!" Tori pleaded with Daniel.

Back on the pinnacle, Ash found himself thrown back by Lysandre, who nearly landed a blow to the chevalier's helmet with the pommel of his sword. However, the younger man parried it at the last moment and threw all of his weight into Lysandre. The blow managed to knock him off balance just enough for Ash to sweep his left foot behind Lysandre's right and grapple him to the ground.

"Gaaah!" Lysandre fought Ash off with a feral tenacity, his sword no longer in reach.

Ash's Pokemon, including Ash-Greninja, had overcome their opponents, Mewtwo X hitting the ground unconscious beside the others.

Ash reached for his dagger, but instead of going for Lysandre's head, he stuck it in the center of his breastplate.

Lysandre shrieked like a demon and channeling the Tear's power. He threw Ash off him.

However, by then, the damage was already done, and the Tear began to fall out of its slot.

Lysandre fumbled for a moment but caught the gemstone with a sadistic smile.

"Kill them all!" The Duke laughed hysterically as Zygarde, Xerneas, and Yveltal cried out in pain. The Tear's power forced them to contribute to it from a distance, causing all three to collapse in the effort.

"Xerneas!" Tori couldn't restrain herself anymore, and riding Diance, she raced out to her while Daniel and Leon tried desperately to get back to the spire.

Lysandre laughed as the sphere of destruction formed over them.

"Thus begins my new-" Lysandre's hands got cut clean off by a single sword stroke.

Ash panted heavily while pulling his sword back.

Lysandre didn't even care that his hands were gone, his eyes merely lingered on the Tear as it rolled away from the severed limbs.

"Ash!" Alain screamed in utter terror as he and the others stared at the ball of destructing descending upon them.

"Gre!"

"No." AZ muttered.

Daniel and Leon's Charizards blasted it, but to no effect, even when Ash and Alain's Pokemon joined in.

"Non!" Lysandre chased after the Tear and tried to grab it with his stumps for wrists, but Ash proved too fast and dove forward ahead of Lysandre. The Duke tripped over his back and tumbled out of control over the spire's edge.

"My beautiful world!"

"Ash, no!" AZ shrieked with Ash-Greninja when he saw him grab the Tear of Reduka.

It came like a blink of an eye. Ash was no longer on the crystal castle. He was no longer in Geosenge Town, Kalos, or Earth.

Ash saw himself floating as if submerged in water, though he could still breathe. All of his bodily senses vanished as he gazed upon the planet earth with a feeling of awareness he'd never imagined possible.

"What? What is this? Where am I?"

Ash suddenly felt another presence, they didn't speak to him, but he knew they were there. The young man turned and gasped to see Felix, Alexandre, and a very familiar woman with long brown hair and matching eyes all smiling back at him.

He knew it was them, but somehow, all three looked different somehow. As if transformed into perfect versions of themselves.

"Mother, father, Alexandre. I don't, I don't understand." Ash struggled for words, but they didn't speak. Instead, all three took him by the hand and guided him on a flight through the cosmos. Ash saw more than he imagined was possible.

The very fabric of the universe, space, time, reality, all of it laid out before him with legendary Pokemon among them. Even though he'd never seen them, Ash instantly knew their names.

"Dialga, Palkia, Arceus, Rayquaza, Mew." The list went on until they appeared on another plain. There, Ash found himself before a tree.

A strange light, almost like a living fire, enveloped the tree but didn't burn it. The image was almost indescribable and overwhelming, but Ash couldn't look away.

Alexandre, Felix, and Delia all knelt as one would to a King.

"What's happening? I don't understand?"

That's when Ash felt it. A wind of pure warmth overcame him. The breeze came not like a force of nature, but a presence, a someone, not a something. At that moment, Ash experienced a feeling of being loved as he had never imagined possible.

Nothing on earth compared to this presence. It was infinite, everlasting. Just then, something emerged from the burning tree. The young could only watch in awe as the person emerged and stared past any deception, seeing Ash for who he was.

"What do you seek?"

Ash's tongue became tied, and he possessed no ability to deceive. The person already knew the answer to this question from Ash's heart, a heart he knew greater than Ash did himself.

"Peace for my home, an end to the fighting, my loved ones safe." Ash answered.

"Go, my child. Your faith has saved you."

Ash couldn't move and continued to tremble.

"Who, what are you?"

"I am who I am. I am the existing one."

At that moment, Ash fell to his knees, unable to comprehend who he stood before.

"Are, are you Reduka?"

"You say that I am."

Ash couldn't move. He didn't want to. He never wanted to leave the presence. He wanted to remain with him forever.

"I'm not done with you yet, my child. I have seen the bloodshed between my children. It will end now, through my love."

Ash bowed his head again.

"I am yours to serve."

"Then I give you this command, which you will deliver unto the lands. Love one another, as I have loved you."

Ash saw himself on the grassy fields of Geosenge town, holding the Tear in his hands. The gemstone was now blue once more, and the castle gone.

"Quoi?" Alain muttered as he looked around with Charizard X, utterly baffled.

"Pika?" Pikachu and the others looked similarly bewildered as to what had just happened.

"Quoi!?"

"What the bloody Hell?" Kalos and Galar soldiers looked around. All of their injuries healed, even those on the inch of death.

"It's a miracle from Reduka!" A Kalos knight cried.

However, rather than cheering, the soldiers gazed upon Lysandre's remaining forces with murderous intentions. Not only that but several thousand of the Kalos troops felt a renewed bloodlust for the Galar among them.

Calem and the other Counts/Dukes, including Daniel, tried desperately to maintain control of their soldiers, but the fire was spready.

"Pika!" Pikachu soon joined Ash's remaining team as they jumped onto him.

"Everyone." Ash exhaled, embracing them all.

"My, my perfect world." Their eyes shot open together, and all turned to Lysandre, who lay beside Malva. Both alive but unable to rise up.

"My beautiful world." Ash grit his teeth and slowly stood over the Duke, who'd gone numb to the world around him.

Ash stared down at the man responsible for the war, for Alexandre's death, for countless others, and Serena. Yet even as he stared down, the chevalier relented and exhaled.

"I forgive you."

AZ watched this and wiped tears from his eyes.

"Ash!" The chevalier dropped the Tear and looked up as Charla, now a Charizard, flew down towards them.

No words left his mouth, and he merely extended both arms out, catching Serena as she leaped off Charla's back. The couple embraced as they'd never done before, their lips meeting even as tears streamed down their faces.

"Grauuu!" Charla flew into Charizard's arms with similar tears of joy as she nearly pounced him onto his back. Charizard no longer resisted and nuzzled her back with similar enthusiasm.

Red, Korrina, Bonnie, Shauna, Clemont, Pierre, Meyer, and Rokusho quickly joined Ash/Serena.

Calem saw this and wiped away a few tears himself.

"Gre!" His Greninja shrieked before pointing to AZ.

"Merde! It is him! The first brother!" Tens of thousands of eyes turned to AZ. All hatred and resentment fell upon him as both sides came forward with murderous intentions.

"He's responsible for all this!"

"He's our common enemy!"

"Oui! Oui!" Lysandre laughed.

Calem's eyes fixed upon Lysandre, with Victor doing the same.

Both Kings drew their swords and approached.

"We take our time." Victor growled.

"Oui." Calem nodded with similar hatred.

AZ had begun walking and reached down where Ash had stood.

"AZ!" Serena and the others shrieked when they saw him pick up the Tear of Reduka in his hands.

Both sides now collectively paused in terror. However, AZ remained still for a moment, then fell to his knees.

"I'm done running, done hiding." With a look of utter remorse, he gazed up at the sky, tears in his eyes.

"Reduka, here I am!" AZ lowered his head again.

"I killed my brother, and I killed his Bunnelby. I killed them out of jealous rage. I brought death and destruction to your children. I betrayed your trust, your love... I'm sorry." AZ resigned himself to judgment in utter humility.

"AZ." Serena muttered.

Calem, Victor, and all the others watched in similar awe.

Just then, the Tear lit up, and a very familiar wind filled the air around them.

A light shined down from the heavens, and something danced along the wind.

"Floet." AZ gasped and slowly raised his head as a fairy Pokemon slowly descended while riding a flower, stopping directly in front of AZ's face.

"Floette." AZ choked on his tears and very carefully held his hands out. The Pokemon before him was no ghost, for AZ felt him.

"Floet." Floette came closer and caressed AZ's face.

"Aorzorka."

The army all jumped upon hearing this voice, one only Ash, Greninja, Lysandre, and AZ had heard before.

"Ehhh?" AZ muttered. He looked up as another person emerged from the light.

Ash instantly fell to his knees, and Sycamore did the same. It didn't take long for the rest of the army/Pokemon to follow their example. Even the legendary Pokemon bowed their heads in submission.

"Aorzorka, fear not, for I have redeemed you." The presence now directly stood before AZ.

"I have called you by name." The presence embraced him.

"You are mine." AZ and Floette were both carried off in the presence along with the Tear. Yet the presence didn't leave just yet, and upon seeing this, his spirit descended upon all those who witnessed.

Calem stared down at Lysandre again and dropped his sword.

Moments later, Victor followed his example. A collective series of thuds overtook the area as every soldier or knight dropped their weapon. Any man wearing a helmet removed it, and each looked upon each other as they hadn't before.

Galar, Kanto, Kalos, and Lysandre's troops embraced each other, offering comfort to the frightened or distraught, their Pokemon doing the same.

Daniel and Leon slowly shook hands, with the Earls and Counts doing the same.

Red's eyes met Sir Mercer's, and after several moments, they embraced, tears in Mercer's eyes.

"Gaaaaaah!" Lysandre moaned in lament, yet none heard him.

Ash embraced Serena and his Pokemon again before he and the Princess turned to Greninja.

"Gre." Greninja touched his chest and felt something he hadn't for millenium.

"Gre." Greninja muttered, now understanding what this meant. He was mortal again. He had resumed aging. Tears of joy filled Greninja's eyes, and he embraced the married couple.

Music began to play as men, and Pokemon laughed and cheered together. Tori and Diance had reached Xerneas before embracing her.

The war was over.

Author's note

Thus peace has returned to Kalos,

For those wondering, yes that was Reduka

Serena and the baby are both unharmed, and AZ was forgiven

Lysandre and Malva are also still alive

As for Greninja, he's still going to live a long life, just sort of picking up where he left off.

Quite a lot to digest and only one chapter left.

So until next time,

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