Well, here we are. What the site says is the hundredth part, though not the hundredth numbered chapter. Still, by sheer coincidence, this really crazy chapter gets to take the spot. A lot of elbow grease went into this one, so I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 84: Running Out of Time
~Northeast Coastal Pass~
The Rem Canyon expedition team and their escorts continued their trek along the windy dirt road. Their cliffside path descended toward a sandy beach running right beside a shallow part of the Midnight Sea. About a mile away, the beach ended and the path sloped upward.
According to my positioning sensilators, once we reach the top of that hill, we'll begin our approach to our destination, Magearna announced, pointing her right arm forward.
"That's good. Then I'll get to give the ol' tootsies a rest. At the very least, all this walking's been good practice for learning how to move on two legs instead of four," Hakamo-o said, putting his hands on his back and arcing it to stretch out. Totem Kommo-o stomped up beside him, a brow raised curiously.
"You're not tired, boy? You complained about your feet hurting so often back home, that I lost count years ago," Totem Kommo-o said, brushing dust and sand out of the gaps in his armor plates.
"I'm doing pretty good, thanks," Hakamo-o said, walking toward Team Go-Getters with his arms crossed.
"Must be the evolution high. You remember it, don't you?" Blaziken said, smirking at Totem Kommo-o.
"Of course I do! After I evolved, I beat down six foes at once in a battle royal," Totem Kommo-o said, thumping his chest with his right arm.
There will be time to reminiscintillate later. We should make haste to Circadian Coast. Team Radiance is expecting us, Magearna said, walking past all the dragons. They looked toward their Totem expectantly.
"Well, you heard the No-Scale. Move out!" Totem Kommo-o said, grabbing his axe and marching along in-step behind Magearna. His tribe followed suit, leaving Teams Go-Getters and Paradox to walk along the shoreline.
They made it about halfway across the beach when the ground violently trembled. Luxeira and Seraph both collapsed on one another, the former barking in surprise. Swampert grabbed hold of Blaziken and sat him on his back. Dusk dug her paws into the sand and grabbed Magearna's left arm in her mouth to keep her upright.
"What's going on here?" Sticky gasped, watching the grounded dragons struggle to keep their footing. "The landscape… it's losing all its colors. And the foliage is dying!" He floated up to the top of a rock wall, only to back off as the green dissolved off the grass. Even the sand's tan colors faded.
"No, it can't be," Blaziken said. The earthquake died down, so he hopped off his partner's back and jogged up to the Midnight Sea. He stuck his leg into the water, only to find it completely solidified. "It's completely frozen!" Blaziken shot a despondent look at Swampert. "The planet's been paralyzed!"
Swampert's eyes bulged. "B-But that would mean—"
"Temporal Tower's collapsed," Comfey whispered. "Oh, gods, were we too late? Did Necrozma somehow get to it?"
"Whoa, time out a second. Planet's paralysis? Temporal Tower? The hell are you terrestrials yammering about?" Seraph said, holding one paw over another in a T-shape.
"The proper flow of time in our world is tied to a big tower that Dialga lives on. If it gets damaged, Dialga apparently loses his sanity and brings the flow of time screeching to a halt," Blaziken explained, running talons through his feathery crest.
"Are you freaking kidding me? What kind of asinine system is that?!" Seraph barked, whispers sparking.
"You think we like that system?" Blaziken said, glaring back at Seraph. "It's not up to us!"
"And fighting over it won't fix anything, Seraph," Luxeira said, walking into Seraph's personal space. "The best thing we can do is keep going to Circadian Coast, right?" She looked expectantly at Magearna.
Yes. Despite my surging shockification levels, we must press onward, Magearna said. I'll see if I can contact Team Radiance and get them to meet us halfway now that our present situarion has experienced a five-hundred percent increase in urgitude! She opened up her chest compartment turning on her Gear-Com unit.
However, before she could place the call, an alarm blared. Everyone looked up at Sticky, who had his trembling hands placed against his visor. "E-Everyone needs to scatter… now!" he shouted. Sticky hurled a rainbow-colored tile down. It hit Totem Kommo-o on the head. He and the rest of the group vanished in a flicker of light. A massive pink blast swallowed up the spot they were standing in.
The expedition team reappeared a few yards away. Totem Kommo-o stumbled forward, hand gripping his head. "Nrrgh. What sort of unholy sorcery was that?" he groaned.
"Sticky!" Luxeira cried, looking back to find her partner lying in the sand. Shards of his visor and helmet dug into his skull. Purple liquid trickled onto the colorless sand. She was about to run toward him, when Magearna's mechanical arm blocked her.
Don't. We've got a big problem, Magearna said, shooting a blue Aura Sphere from each arm. Pink rings destroyed them the moment they passed over Sticky.
"The hell? Were we being followed?" Seraph growled. She got her answer as Metagross descended from the sky, his eight limbs glowing with multicolored light.
Hourglass. Give me… Hourglass. There's no time, he said, right eye twitching.
"G-Good heavens," Comfey gasped. "The Guildmaster, he's—"
"Everyone down!" Blaziken shouted, leaping over them with bursts of fire from his legs. He spewed a flamethrower at Metagross, who snuffed it out in a flash of pink light.
"Zweilous! Hydreigons! Turtonators!" Totem Kommo-o called, pointing toward Metagross. From the group of dragons rose a volley of black beams and flamethrowers.
"No, wait, don't!" Blaziken said, holding up his hands. He cut the flames from his legs just as Metagross caught the attacks in balls of pink light.
Return to sender, Metagross said. Totem Kommo-o's eyes widened. He grabbed as many dragons as he could in his arms and dove to the ground. But a pair of Druddigons couldn't escape. Fire and Dark Pulses rained onto them from above. When the smoke cleared, there was no sign of either of them.
"Magearna, you have to flee," Luxeira whispered. "Call Team Radiance. Tell them what's happening! We need them here ASAP!" She looked at Seraph, who was still frozen in shock. "Seraph. I need you to cover us. Can you do that?"
"Huh? U-Uh… yeah. Sure. Whatever," Seraph said, not even noticing her paws shaking. Luxeira frowned, but knew she didn't have the time to snap Seraph out of her stupor. She beckoned Magearna to follow, hoping the rest of the group could keep Metagross occupied.
Totem Kommo-o got to his feet, eyes narrowing at Metagross. "Heathen! They were innocents!" he roared.
No one is innocent. You are all guilty! Guilty! Guilty-y-y-y-y! Trying to stop me. I must flee. This world is dying. I must flee. I must survive. No one else can! Metagross shouted, his pitch fluctuating wildly. Additional action. Barrage. Petrify power.
Totem Kommo-o released a large, blue Dragon Pulse beam. Several dragons backed him up with beams and dragonfire of their own. Metagross punched the air repeatedly with his fists. Pink rings snuffed out each beam. A final pink ring struck two Exeggutors, two Salamances, and Totem Kommo-o. They all froze, the Salamances plummeting from the sky and landing atop several of their cohorts.
Seraph gasped. "What the hell? How did that oversized table fire off so many attacks in succession like that?" She blasted lightning in Metagross' direction. Dusk slung rocks toward him, while Blaziken and other dragons added Flamethrowers.
Guard boost times three, Metagross said, spawning a pink barrier. Dusk's rocks shattered his Light Screen. Fire and electricity struck Metagross from either side, but didn't faze him.
"Everyone, keep attacking. We have to overwhelm him!" Dusk shouted. In response, fire, ice, dragonfire, and electricity streamed toward Metagross.
Whirlwind. Mobility, Metagross said. Blue and yellow light flickered in his arms. A twister whipped up in front of him. It sucked in all the attacks heading for him and exploded, filling the area with smoke.
"Agh! Where did he go?!" Swampert shouted.
Seraph sprang into action. Arms covering her face, she dashed in Sticky's direction. She barely managed to scoop Sticky up and lightning-dash away when Metagross shot up from the ground.
Futile. I can sense all your movements. You cannot escape me! Metagross declared. Seraph prayed she could outrun whatever attack Metagross had in store, but it never came. She skidded to a halt. Far behind her, Metagross had a barrier shattered under the combined weight of several flamethrowers. Blaziken had leaped up and driven a fiery leg into Metagross' arms.
Seraph turned to Sticky. "What the hell were you thinking doing something so boneheaded huh?" She sighed. The situation must've put her on edge if she was stooping to talking to Sticky when he was out cold. Seraph scanned the battlefield for any signs of Comfey. With Sticky's harness destroyed, she was the only one who could help him.
"Come on… come on…" Seraph reflexively curled and uncurled her paws in frustration. She could barely make out what was happening through all the chaos. Fire, ice, wind, lightning, and beams of all different colors raced about in every direction. All the while, Metagross hovered around, deflecting some blasts while others struck one of his arms.
Nrrgh. You are all… infuriating. I just want… the Hourglass. Why must you… resist. Why must you… try to kill me? Metagross said, multiple colors flashing inside his body.
Seraph finally caught a glimpse of Comfey, guarding Luxeira and Magearna on the far side of beach. She lifted Sticky up and ran toward the water. Like Blaziken did before, Seraph stepped onto the frozen sea and sped off, trying to steer clear of Metagross. Seraph broke into lightning-dashes, praying Metagross wouldn't notice her while she couldn't keep her eye on him.
Her wish went unanswered, however. Metagross' eyes gleamed. Enough! Petrify orb! Metagross pointed his upper limbs at the dragons. Nearly all of them froze in place. Metagross whirled around, firing liquid metal beams at Seraph. Blaziken, Swampert, and Dusk turned the Flash Cannon aside with a combination of fire, dirt, and rocks. Metagross' eyes gleamed once more, but a small dragonfire stream pelted him from behind. His hind limbs released retaliatory pink rings. Hakamo-o lunged behind a petrified Sneasel to keep himself safe. In the process, he restored Sneasel's movement.
"Seriously? Using me as a meat shield? Is that any way to treat your partner," Sneasel growled.
"I had to improvise. You're a dark-type, so I figured you'd be safe," Hakamo-o said, scratching his head. "Sorry, I'll warn you next time."
"Nngh. It's whatever," Sneasel dismissed. "At least you're not hurt. But what are we supposed to do now?"
"Try to keep our butts alive," Hakamo-o said. "We'll start by unfreezing the others. Either help me with that or go after the big, crazy guy. Your choice." Hakamo-o turned and ran through the pack of dragons, smacking them with his arms to free them from the petrification.
Blaziken saw Metagross turning his attention toward the dragon crowd and shot toward him, legs igniting for Blaze Kicks.
Invisify, Metagross said, vanishing into thin air. Blaziken sailed through open air. A pink glow surrounded him and suspended him in midair. His eyes bulged out.
"No! Blaziken!" Swampert shouted, hurling water blindly from his fists. It sailed harmlessly through the air. Time practically slowed to a crawl for Swampert. He was convinced his partner was going to be psychically ripped apart in front of his eyes. Then electricity streaked through the air. Blaziken reappeared on the ground, Seraph firmly clutching him in her arms. Behind her, Comfey tended to Sticky's injuries, while Magearna's Gear-Com retracted into her chest.
A garbled grunt drew everyone's attention. Metagross floated high, flinging bits of slime off his arms. Below him, four Goodras whipped their heads forward, launching slime at Metagross. This kept him distracted enough for a group of Salamences, Flygons, and Garchomps to blast him with flames and dragonfire.
"Th… thanks for the save," Blaziken wheezed, clutching his chest with his talons.
"Don't thank me yet. It doesn't look like we're doing a damn thing to this guy," Seraph growled. She glanced at Magearna. "Do you really think those other guys can help us in any way?"
Yes. If we can assemble the Dawn Hourglass, we can use its power to placatify Metagross, Magearna said. I just hope we can stall him long enough to figure out a solid plan of acticification.
"Stalling, huh?" Seraph said, electricity crackling in her fists. "What we need is to blast him with so many attacks that he can't go on the offensive. It's the only way." She looked at Blaziken. "Think you can get to the dragons and tell them to start attacking in waves?"
Blaziken nodded, then sprinted toward the dragon tribe. Seraph shot blue lightning from her paws to keep Metagross off him.
~Circadian Coast, Daybreak Beach~
Team Radiance was in a state of shock. When the tremors faded, a wall of white light raced across the beach. Colors dissolved into nothingness before their eyes. A wave in the distance froze in place. Water receding from the shoreline paused. The palm trees froze in the midst of swaying with the ocean breeze. Even the wind itself stopped.
Then, once the surrounding area was nothing but varying shades of gray, the palm tree leaves shriveled up. Bushes turned into ash, then faded into oblivion. The sand solidified beneath the team's paws. Espy shuffled backward, ears and tail drooping. "W-What's going on? Why's everything shriveling up?" she squeaked.
Silvally glanced at Latias. "Didn't Latias mention someone stealing a Time Gear?" His glowing parts turned dark blue. "You don't think… the Prism Virus got all of them, do you?"
"Guys," Tessa squealed, pointing a paw skyward. Her teammates followed her gaze. An overwhelming sense of dread filled the team. The calming orange sunset that had filled the sky moments ago was gone. In its place lay an endless stream of purple clouds. Tessa slowly turned around. Off in the distance, a red and black vortex spiraled around. Distorted pulses rippled through the air. Tessa's aura feelers shot up in alarm.
Shane's gaze fell to the ground. He pressed his paw firmly against the sand, but he couldn't make it budge. "The planet's… paralyzed." Shane lifted his head up, eyes wide. "It's not the Time Gears. It's Temporal Tower! Someone made it collapse and now time has completely frozen!" Shane looked about frantically. "But I don't understand. I thought… but Necrozma… nrraaaagh!"
He doubled over in pain. His head throbbed. His vision flickered. One moment, he was looking at the lifeless sand. The next, Necrozma's three eyes stared back at him. And then, a single, violet eye flashed across his field of view. Shane jerked himself upright. His left foreleg tingled. Shane looked down. The gem in his looplet twinkled, despite the lack of sunlight. Shane's brow furrowed. His looplet looked fine, so why did his leg hurt?
"Shane? Shane, are you okay?!"
Tessa waved a paw in front of his face. Shane jumped to attention. "I-I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm just… in shock."
"What were you saying earlier… before you cut yourself off?" Silvally asked, exchanged a concerned look with Espy.
"Hmm? Oh, right." Shane paused to recollect his thoughts. "Necrozma was after the Dawn Hourglass, wasn't he? Why did he go to Temporal Tower, then? Were we duped? Were the Dawn Shards nothing but a big diversion?"
"I don't know," Espy said, her gaze faltering.
"What are we supposed to do now?" Tessa said, looking at the frozen ocean and shivering.
"Isn't it obvious? We can't let this deter us from reassembling the Dawn Hourglass," Silvally said, hoisting the unconscious Latias onto his back. "Well, first things first, we need to get Latias healed up. She's clearly in rough shape. Shoving a Reviver Seed down her throat while she's like this won't accomplish anything. We have to find Florges." He walked toward his teammates. "Then, we have to set out and find Magearna's group. Even if time's frozen, Necrozma hasn't attacked us."
"But you heard Latias. Necrozma has the Dusk Hourglass. We've already failed!" Espy said, gritting her teeth.
"That's all the more reason to reassemble the Dawn Hourglass. We need its power now, more than ever!" Silvally said, fixing a stern gaze on Espy.
Espy shrank back. "Y-You're right. I'm sorry, that was stupid of me to say."
"It's okay. You're not the only one thinking things look bleak. But we can't give up yet. Even if the odds are now a million to one, they'll only get worse if we do nothing," Silvally said. "Now, less talking and more running!" He took off, Latias flopping against his back as he ran. His teammates followed behind him.
They made it halfway across the beach when Espy's Gear-Com unit sounded. She levitated it out of her bag with a worried look on her face. "I'll bet that's Magearna." Espy activated the Gear-Com. "This is Espeon."
We've got a crisis on our hands! We're under attack! Magearna shouted. Wincing, Espy levitated the Gear-Com away from her. Panicked looks overtook her teammates' faces.
"The stories about Team Poképals mentioned 'mons losing all reason and going berserk in the dark future. Don't tell me that's already started," Tessa said, clasping her paws to her chest.
It's the Guildmaster! He's after our Dawn Shard and— Static cut Magearna off.
"You're going to have to repeat that. What's the Guildmaster doing? Isn't he supposed to be in jail?" Espy said, quickening her pace. The team remembered their last encounter with Metagross, as well as Latias' explanation about his actions. The very thought of him getting the Scalebound Shard's power and using it like Primarina did terrified all of them.
He escapulated and tracked us down. He's Mega Evolved… emitting a bizarre aura. I think… powers. There… lot of us… not… hold him off, Magearna said, bursts of static interrupting her explanation.
"Where are you right now?" Shane shouted. The group had made it back to the resort. Unfortunately, the streets were lined with Pokémon of all different shapes and sizes. They collectively stared up at the sky, many pointing and others shouting in a panic.
"Ungh, how are we supposed to get through this?" Tessa growled, her aura feelers throbbing.
We're… beach… fifteen minutes…
"Copy that. We'll be there as soon as we can. Just hold out until then," Espy said. The Gear-Com deactivated. Espy focused on the ground. "Hey! Move aside! We've got a 'mon here that needs urgent medical attention!"
"Urgent medical attention? Forget that! The world's ending! We're all gonna die!" a Quilladin cried, throwing his hands up and running away from the resort.
"Can anyone spot Kahuna Raichu? I'm sure he's in the thick of this somehow," Shane said. "Hell, where are Gallian and Zoroark? If we're going to fight Metagross, we need all the help we can get."
"It's no good. There are too many 'mons here. I can't get a solid read on anyone's energy," Espy said, biting her lower lip.
Growling, Silvally shifted to his fire memories. He narrowed his eyes. His cheek bolts whirred, producing streams of embers. "Everyone… shut up!" Silvally screamed, belting a stream of fire into the air. Startled gasps sprouted up through the crowd. Everyone turned toward Silvally. Many of the onlookers muttered to one another in surprise. There were scattered comments about Silvally's bizarre appearance.
"My team and I are with the Horizon Guild. We're aware of this situation and we know how to stop it," Silvally said, ignoring the bewildered looks from his teammates. "But before we can start doing that, our friend needs Florges' help!" He pivoted to show off Latias. More murmurs rose up from the crowd. "I said quiet!" Silvally barked, his red eyes flashing in a warning.
The crowd abruptly went silent. "Good. Now, where's Healer Florges?" Silvally said. In response to this, Florges floated above the crowd and waved her arms at Silvally. He nodded. "Okay. My team's going to bring Latias to Florges, then we're leaving to go and fix this problem. In the meantime, I want everyone to calm down and wait for your Totem to come give you directions. Understood?"
More worried murmurs rose up. Flames gathered in Silvally's mouth. "Do you understand? Yes or no!"
Amidst a few surprised squeaks, the crowd nodded.
"Good. Then, stand aside and let us pass," Silvally said, stomping toward the edge of the crowd. The Pokémon squished to either side of the street. Team Radiance walk through one-by-one until they reached the infirmary. Kahuna Raichu levitated Latias off Silvally's back and passed her to Florges. "Be careful with her. We tried to heal her and wake her up, but she looked about ready to burst into tears. She blacked out again after a few seconds," he explained.
"I think she might be in shock," Espy said, ears drooping. "And I don't blame her."
"Yeah. This is nuts! What's going on, anyway?" Kahuna Raichu said, gazing up at the sky.
"We don't have a lot of time to explain. Short version is the monster we've been trying to stop got to Temporal Tower. And now our guild mates are under attack. So, we have to go help them before their Dawn Shard is taken," Silvally said, arcing his back and letting his joints pop. "Where are Gallian and Zoroark?"
"Right here," Zoroark said, waving at the group from around the corner of Florges' infirmary. Team Radiance all nodded at him.
"Can you get everyone to calm down and head inside?" Silvally asked, turning to Kahuna Raichu.
"I'll do my best," he replied, nodding.
"Okay. If we can help our friends out, we'll try to come back and see how Latias is doing. But if she's up for it, tell her we went north," Silvally said. Before he got a response, he walked over to Zoroark with his teammates following. "You guys catch all that?" They nodded. "Good. Then hop on. We don't have a moment to spare." Silvally bent down. Zoroark climbed aboard his back.
Team Radiance pushed through the crowd until they had exited the Circadian Kabana and passed Kahuna Raichu's house. Once they were in the clear, they ran past dead palm trees until they found a dirt road leading up a hill. Silvally sprinted up it, with the rest of his team trying to keep pace.
Shane glanced at Tessa, trying to get a read on what she was thinking. "Hey, are you going to be all right?"
"I don't know. It's hard to think about Metagross. One part of me is afraid and another part is, like, ready to tear him apart for what he did to Dad," Tessa said, pausing every so often to take a deep breath. "I guess my big worry is he'll say something to set me off and I'll lose control again." The memories of her morning accident still stood fresh in her head's, as well as Shane's.
"Yeah. I, uh, guess that is something to be worried about." Shane's brow furrowed. He glanced around at his teammates, wracking his brain for some sort of idea about how they could approach Metagross. After a minute of running in silence, he looked at Silvally, "Hey, big guy, listen. I think we need to figure out some kind of plan."
"Are you seriously suggesting we leave the others hanging for a strategy session? You guys made it sound like they're on the brink of death," Gallian growled, his scythe flickering.
"I'm not saying we stop. In fact, I already have an idea. Just, y'know, hear me out while we keep running," Shane said, making his way toward the front of the group. "So, like, Metagross' whole schtick is that he's always trying to think, like, ten moves ahead of us, right?"
Espy nodded. "Plus, he's psychic. He might try to read our minds to figure out what we're going to do. Gallian and Zoroark should be safe. Silvally could be, too, if he channels dark memories." She looked expectantly at Silvally's looplet. The gem turned pitch-black. Seconds later, Silvally's glowing parts darkened.
"Exactly. But even that might not be good enough. I'm pretty sure Metagross is capable of learning Miracle Eye, which would remove their immunity to his psychic attacks," Shane said, his brow furrowed. "That's where my idea comes in. We can't hesitate and second-guess ourselves, here. We have to act on instinct and strike whenever possible." His expression fiercened. "But I know that's risky, so I was thinking we hit him in two ways: physically and by playing mind games."
"Big guy, can you buff yourself up at all? Like, do you know Calm Mind or Swords Dance or something?" Shane asked, head tilted to the side.
Silvally's eyes widened. "Yeah. I guess I could use them, but they might wear off after a while. Still, I see your point." Despite weaving in between tree roots, Silvally concentrated. Flickering images of swords appeared around him. His leg muscles bulged. Silvally's pace quickened, to the point where he easily outran his teammates and reached the top of the hill. While waiting for them, he used two more Swords Dances. Steam rose from his legs and cheek bolts. Zoroark had to hop off his back. He rubbed his thighs with his claws.
The group paused when the reached the top of the hill to catch their breath. "Can anyone sense the others?" Tessa asked. She closed her eyes, focusing her aura sense. Immediately, she was hit with a sea of aural energy, forcing her eyes open. Tessa grabbed her aura feelers with her paws. "Oh, gods, they're all at the bottom of this hill."
"Magearna was right. I'm sensing a really weird spirit," Espy squeaked, tail falling between her legs. "And it… it…" She shuddered. "It makes me think there's a giant pile of emeras sitting down there."
The group exchanged confused looks. "Okay, we need to be ready for anything, then," Shane said, stomping a forepaw on the ground. He looked at Tessa and Gallian. "You two have to keep Metagross talking. I know you don't want to hear this… but you've got to keep pressing him about Incineroar's death. Even if his answers don't make sense, ask more questions."
Tessa's aura feelers shot up in the air. She and Gallian exchanged frowns, only to look away. "Is… is there really no other choice?" Tessa whispered.
Shane's eyes narrowed. "Look, I know you guys don't like my plans and I certainly don't like what I'm saying, either. But we can't afford to screw this up. I need all of you to keep Metagross distracted. Like I said, the guy thrives on things he can predict. But we've got something he knows absolutely nothing about." He glanced at his looplet and shuddered. "We've got the moves I've learned from the Dawn Shards."
"If I can hit him with some Heat Waves… hell, if I can use that crazy light ball attack I accidentally hit Latias with, then I think we can win this thing!" Shane continued. His teammates responded with uneasy looks. Shane's left foreleg tingled so strongly that, for a moment, he thought he'd fall over. However, the sensation faded.
"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You were really shaken up after touching the Seaside Shard," Espy said.
"We can worry about that later. We have to stop Metagross. I just need you guys to trust me on this, okay?" Shane said. He shakily lifted up his right foreleg. "Please… I think we can do it."
Tessa grabbed Shane's forepaw and shook it. "All right. I'll…" She gulped. "I'll try my best."
~Northeast Coastal Pass~
"Damn it! Where are those slowpokes?!" Seraph shouted, glancing over her shoulder while blasting lightning in Metagross' direction. Opposite her, Totem Kommo-o signaled some of his dragons to launch a volley of fire, ice, electricity, and dragonfire.
Purple and red light flickered in Metagross arms. Barrage. Distance dodge time tw—
Blaziken's flaming leg and Swampert's glowing fist batted his rear arms out of the way. Metagross spun out. He tried to launch retaliatory psychic blasts, but only succeeded in snuffing out some of the dragons' attacks. A pink-eared Noivern caught Blaziken and carried him back into the air. Swampert hit the ground and rolled away. A Thunderbolt hit Metagross' side. He turned to strike, but got distracted fending off Flamethrowers from Luxeira and a second wave of dragons.
Magearna fired dual Aura Spheres while Pink-Ears prepared to drop Blaziken onto Metagross for another strike. Metagross conjured multiple pink Light Screens to deflect the projectiles. Intimidator times four, he said, just as Blaziken was diving toward him. The flames disappeared from his legs and he abruptly lost his momentum. Blaziken flailed about, staring down the barrel of a pink blast.
Two purple Dark Pulse beams snuffed out Metagross' Psychic. He shot toward the source: two Hydreigons, one with gray necks and the other with a green tail. They panicked and flew in different directions, but Metagross reach them first. Power boost X times two. Power boost Y times three. Excessive Force, he said. Metagross hammered both Hydreigons. He knocked one into Pink-Ears and the other into a group of dragons below.
Miracle Eye, Metagross said, eyes deep purple. All eight limbs launched pink balls forward. The dragons scrambled to dodge, but Pink-Ears and Green-Tail were too disoriented. A pink explosion disintegrated them.
Below Metagross, Totem Kommo-o stumbled to stop. His breath came in ragged gasps. He spotted Lycanroc crouching behind a rock for cover. "What do you think you're doing, you pathetic No-Scale?" he shouted.
"What does it look like? Waiting for the opportune time to get the hell out of here!" Lycanroc barked. Above him, dragonfire and pink rings zipped through the air.
"I think not! Your continent needs you!" Totem Kommo-o shouted. With a surprising burst of speed, he snatched Lycanroc up.
"Put me down, you bloody drongo! I ain't some deadweight you can just throw around!" Lycanroc snarled, thrashing in Totem Kommo-o's iron grip.
"Last I heard, you are my captive. I'll do exactly what I see fit with you!" Totem Kommo-o said. He hurled Lycanroc through the air. Metagross caught him in his psychic grip and swiveled him around. Lycanroc served as a meat-shield against Dragon Pulses and Dragonbreath. Metagross unceremoniously dropped him to the ground. Hakamo-o and Sneasel winced.
They were about to make a mad dash and snatch Lycanroc up when an Aura Sphere flew in from the distance. Metagross snuffed it out, but had no answer for a speeding Silvally charging in and slashing him across his already-damaged face with his blackened talons. "That's quite enough out of you, Guildmaster," Silvally barked, cheek bolts whirring in their sockets.
You! Metagross's eyes turned purple again, only for a barrage of fire, ice, and wind to strike him from behind. He sputtered toward the ground, but put up Light Screen barriers to deflect Espy's Shadow Ball, Tessa's Aura Sphere, and Shane's pink psychic rings. Metagross spun around. The barriers threw off fire, water, and lightning from Blaziken, Swampert, and Seraph.
"Now, fire again!" Totem Kommo-o shouted. An Exeggutor, Flygon, and Drampa launched blue Dragon Pulse beams while Totem Kommo-o lumbered toward Metagross.
Such nuisances. Out of my w—
"Not until you answer to us!" Tessa shouted, slinging another Aura Sphere ahead of her. Gallian and Zoroark backed her up with purple Dark Pulse beams. Espy added a Shadow Ball for good measure.
Mobility times three. Metagross lifted himself into the air. The attacks sailed underneath him. Metagross canceled his levitation. He looked to crash into Silvally from above. Silvally sprinted out of the way, snagging Lycanroc in his beak in the process. He tossed Lycanroc to the ground. Lycanroc rolled to a stop by Gallian and Zoroark.
"You! What the— when the hell did you two get back together? And what are you drongos doing helping out Snowy! He's a bloody prick!" Lycanroc growled, staggering to his feet.
"Wow, you're right. He really has become a surly asshole," Gallian said, watching Metagross punch Totem Kommo-o back with two glowing-pink arms. Sneasel tried to hit Metagross from the shadows, but got knocked toward Hakamo-o, who helped him back up to his feet.
"Forget Midnight! We've got bigger fish to fry," Shane said, sprinting past the two of them. "Hey, Guildmaster, why'd you kill Tessa's dad, huh? We deserve a straight answer!"
A vein bulged out of Lycanroc's head. "Bigger fish? This whole bloody mess is your fault, Snowy! You probably knocked your damn Guildmaster off his rocker with that big mouth of yours!"
Zoroark rolled his eyes. "Gallian, you help the others. I'll tend to our, ahem, old friend." He jerked his head in Lycanroc's direction. Gallian opened his mouth to retort, but ultimately nodded. He'd rather Zoroark stay back from the worst of the fighting, given his injuries. Gallian dashed off, scythe bristling with black energy.
"Well, isn't that a sweet sight. Cowering behind your mate like the timid pup you are. I thought he ditched you. You're really that much of a sucker that you'd just go crawling back to him?" Lycanroc scoffed. Sneasel came to a stop behind him, a confused look on his face.
"What my mate and I choose to do is none of your business," Zoroark said. "Unlike some Pokémon, we actually made an attempt to settle our differences and ended up back together because of it. Funny how it works out, huh?"
"I can hear the sass in your voice, mate," Lycanroc snarled.
Explosions interrupted the conversation. Ice and static electricity rushed across the sand. Zoroark flinched. "Yeah, well, if you've got nothing else to say, we're done here. Either help us take this creep out or don't," he said. Zoroark shook his head. "Y'know, Dusk still thinks there's someone salvageable in there. Why not use this opportunity to make up for your mistakes?"
"Mistakes? I ain't made no bloody mistakes! It's you all who screwed things up! You freaks ruined my life! You hear me? Ruined it!" Lycanroc barked, crimson eyes glowing. He ducked underneath a Flamethrower redirected by Metagross. "That bitch Dusk made me evolve into the wrong form. And then you have to come in all… all…" Lycanroc bared his fangs. "You had to go throw those hips of yours around and make things all bloody complicated!"
Zoroark stepped back, brows raised. "What are you saying? That you had some sort of crush on me? Because things would've ended a lotdifferently at that party, don't you think?"
"Uh, guys?" Sneasel said, tugging on Lycanroc's arm. Lycanroc swatted him away.
"Fine! Yes! You got me, mate! Happy? Because I'm not. I didn't want a crush on you! I wanted to love Dusk!" Lycanroc barked. Dusk skidded to a halt in front of them, her eyes widening. "But thanks to this arse-backwards evolution, I stopped feeling anything around her! No attraction! None! And it's all your damn faults!"
"Duck and cover!" Shane shouted from several feet over. Zoroark turned. His eyes widened. He threw himself to the ground. Lycanroc wasn't fast enough on the uptake, however. A Goodra struck him. Slime splattered across his fur. He fell to the sand, the unmoving Goodra lying atop him. It evaporated in a stream of light.
Zoroark staggered to his feet. "Well, I've got nothing to say to you. I'm sorry things went badly, but there's nothing anyone can do to change it. You could've tried to make the best of a bad situation, but from what I can tell… you never did."
"Stay back," Shane shouted, firing an Ice Beam in a desperate attempt at halting a charging Metagross. Luckily, Tessa, Seraph, Swampert, Silvally, and Totem Kommo-o all rammed Metagross from his right side. Metagross skidded through the sand. Silvally launched a Flamethrower, backed by two Salamences and a Garchomp. Metagross disappeared into the ground.
Tessa's aura feelers jumped. She flung an Aura Sphere to her right. It whizzed by Gallian. Metagross phased out of the ground, ready to hammer Gallian. Tessa's Aura Sphere exploded. Gallian barely dodged the swipes of Metagross' fists. Instead, they met Blaziken's fiery legs. The same Garchomp from earlier charged Metagross down, only to get halted and flung aside. Hakamo-o jumped out of the way. He spewed a mouthful of dragonfire at Metagross.
"Answer us, damn it! What did our dad ever do to you, huh? He was as kind and trusting as anyone could be," Gallian spat, shooting several pink Psycho Cut blades at Metagross' arms.
Futile. I will not fall for your petty distraction attempts, Metagross said. He conjured Light Screen shields to deflect the attacks, then fired psychic orbs with his other six arms. Silvally leaped into the air and sliced one of the blasts apart with shadowy-black talons. He deflected the attack back into Metagross, who froze up with a static warble.
Your actions are nothing short of recklessicity. Do you not understand how many lives you'd ruin by taking the Dawn Hourglass? Magearna said, shooting two Aura Spheres out. Tessa added a third to the mix. Seraph punched the ground, sending electric columns after the Aura Spheres.
I don't care. None of you matter. I must survive! I must persist! Metagross shouted. His eight arms shimmered with light. He spun around. Metagross destroyed the attacks. He abruptly stopped spinning. Now, slumber!
Metagross raised his front arms. Save for Totem Kommo-o, the remaining dragons fell asleep. Metagross sped toward them, arms glowing purple and red. Go for broke. Excessive force. Follow through, he said, pink energy swirling around his face.
Totem Kommo-o saw Metagross heading right for Hakamo-o. Without even thinking, he lunged for his son and tossed him as far from the other dragons as he could. Metagross slammed into Totem Kommo-o. Blinding pink energy encased him, then overtook the slumbering dragons. His pained roar echoed throughout the beach. The cry woke Hakamo-o up. He turned toward the explosion, eyes wide.
"How's he still moving so fast?!" Shane cried, shielding his eyes.
The light faded. Totem Kommo-o tumbled to a stop by Hakamo-o. Only a few plate-like scales remained on his body. Metagross' attack had shredded the others, leaving bloody stumps and burnt patches of flesh. Hakamo-o staggered backward, jaw dropping but no words escaping him. Totem Kommo-o uttered a single, rasping wheeze. Blood trickled out of his snout.
"H-Hey! I need that healing lady over here," Hakamo-o shouted, kneeling down by Totem Kommo-o's side. He put a hand on his father's back. However, it phased right through him seconds later.
"S-Son. Remember. A dragon… never backs down," Totem Kommo-o wheezed. His belly disappeared in a stream of light. "He fights on… no matter… the odds…"
Before Hakamo-o could say anything, the rest of Totem Kommo-o's body dissolved before his eyes. The Totem Crystal dropped to the ground, completely grayed out. Hakamo-o tried to grab it, but it crumbled into dust.
He looked up. None of the other dragons were left. Metagross had vaporized all of them. Even worse, Metagross had recovered from the damage everyone had inflicted to him. Hakamo-o clenched his fists. His gut squirmed. Flames licked at the back of his throat.
"No. This is supposed to be my chance… for a new lease on life," he mumbled. "And you… I'm not letting you ruin this for me!"
Hakamo-o charged forward, giving the best roar his squeaky voice could manage. Red energy gathered in his fist. He launched into an uppercut, only to freeze in midair. Metagross levitated him around. Seraph and Team Go-Getters backed off their attacks, fearing they'd hit Hakamo-o.
Futile. Illogical. Your emotions cloud your judgment. All of you are slaves to your emotions. You're all dangerous. You must be removed, so I can escape this cursed world, Metagross said. He moved Hakamo-o aside. White spheres gathered around his front arms.
"Those look like blast wand bursts! Run!" Espy shouted, turning a sphere aside with a pink Psychic wave. It exploded over the sea. Shane and Tessa deflected more blasts, while the rest of the group scattered. Bright white explosions filled the area with smoke. Luxeira, Blaziken, and Swampert used the smoke as a cover to launch dual Flamethrowers and a wad of packed earth toward Metagross.
Pitiful. You will only harm your compatriot, Metagross said, levitating a struggling Hakamo-o around to take the attacks. Two purple Dark Pulses raced in from Metagross' right. He formed up two pink Light Screens with two of his rear arms and deflected the Dark Pulses.
However, Metagross wasn't prepared for a shadowy black blur to lunge out of the smoke. Silvally crunched his blackened beak down on one of Metagross' rear arms. With a hearty tug, he yanked the arm out of Metagross' body. Rainbow light spewed out of the empty joint and evaporated. Metagross sputtered. He lost his grip on Hakamo-o. Silvally dropped to the ground. The severed arm landed beside him and exploded.
Silvally scooped Hakamo-o up and ran away before metal shards could pepper his hide. Metagross struggled to maintain his levitation. Sparks shot out from the frayed remnants of his rear arm. Nnghh. Y… you cr-rr-rr-rr-retin. What are you doing-ing-ing? I am… I must survi-vi-vi-vive. I must.
"You say emotions are clouding our judgment, but what about you, huh? You're so blinded by fear, you can't see any reason!" Silvally snarled. He dropped Hakamo-o off beside Comfey and the injured Sticky. Silvally slung a purple Shadow Ball at Metagross. Espy added her own. Luxeira bolstered it with a purple ray. Shane forced an Ice Beam into the growing ball.
T-Tough… n-n-n-nesss. Guard-d-d-d boost times f-f-four, Metagross said. His limbs sparked as he summoned multiple Light Screens and pushed back against the giant multicolored energy ball. Blaziken added his Flamethrower to the mix. Rocks materialized around Dusk and she hurled them into the ball. Metagross' shields cracked.
Exp-p-p-plosion guard… tim-m-mes three, Metagross shouted right as the Light Screens broke. He shielded his face with his arms. The energy blew him into the rock wall on the eastern end of the beach. He bounced off it, emitting static.
"Don't let up, guys!" Shane barked. He was ready to launch a Heat Wave, but needed to make sure Metagross was totally off guard. "Hey, Guildmaster! How does all this bull fit into your 'greater good' schtick, huh? Was killing Incineroar working for the greater good? Because, from what we experienced, you're a miserable excuse for a Guildmaster… and it showed!"
Sparks shot out of the giant crack in Metagross' face. W… why you… He shakily raised his arms. There's… that's… He launched multiple waves of white energy balls. The group split, Team Radiance running off to the right while the others ran left. Incineroar-oar-oar was a fool! He was t-t-too trusting! You can't help-p-p everyone. You can't trust any-y-y-one. This world… trust is useless… ess… ess! The only gr-r-r-reater good is survival… by any means nece-ce-cessary! Metagross shouted, unleashing so many white energy balls his front arms cracked.
Dark memories active, Silvally snarled. Eerie black energy raced across the beach, vaporizing several of the spheres. Tessa skidded across the sand, blasting an energy ball apart with an Aura Sphere.
"Is that why you sent us off to the Temple of Body? To get rid of us?" she barked, already charging another Aura Sphere.
Of course I di-did! You were go-go-going to kill me. Your dumb, id-id-idiotic, bleeding hearts were not doing-ing good. They were doing harm! Harm to me! You were destab-stab-stabilizing the world! I had to rid myself of you,Metagross shouted. Look at what's hap-p-p-p-pened. The world's end is upon us. I must persis-is-ist. I must find a new home. And I will not allow any of you to come alo-o-ong and ruin my chance at peace.
Shane saw his opening. Blaziken, Seraph, and Swampert combined a Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and water jet into a crackling vortex. Metagross turned to meet the attack. Shane unleashed the superheated air he'd gathered. His Heat Wave caught Metagross by complete surprise. It scorched his rear arms, leaving black streaks across them. Metagross cried out in pain. The other attack enveloped him. He slammed against the rock wall again. Two of his rear arms blew up. The glow in his eyes faded. Metagross hovered erratically, light and sparks jumping off his backside.
Im… poss… ible… A crack splintered through Metagross' right eye. He stared Shane down. You… you can't… fire… breathe…
"Give it up, Metagross. It's time to answer for the lives you've ruined!" Tessa barked, Aura Sphere at the ready. She hurled it at Metagross.
"You don't get to float there and judge us, you bastard!" Gallian snarled, bolstering Tessa's Aura Sphere with a black beam from his scythe. "Dad was kind-hearted and worked for the good of others! He viewed you as a friend and you turned on him for no reason!"
Metagross struggled to maintain his levitation. Erratic pink beams caught the siblings' combined attack and snuffed it out. Silvally dispelled a couple of the lasers with a well-placed Shadow Ball. Team Go-Getters and Seraph launched fire, water, and lightning toward Metagross. Dusk added rocks to the mix. Metagross cut off his levitation. The attacks sailed overhead.
Incineroar's kindn-n-n-ness… was worthless… less… less. When people were panick-ick-icking during Dark Matter's attack, he was only concerned about your mother. He was… ineffec... ineffective in a crisis. If he were alive… Necrozma would've… wiped this guild out, Metagross grunted.
"That's a lie. You're the one who led us right into his claws!" Tessa snarled. She and Gallian again combined an Aura Sphere and Dark Pulse. This time, Zoroark added his own Dark Pulse to the midst. Silvally snarled, releasing more eerie black energy. Metagross spun around. The energy leaking from his body vaporized the attacks. Metagross struggled to get himself back in the air.
All for… the greater good. Found him… struck deal. Your spirits… in return for my… my… my safety, Metagross sputtered. Gray liquid seeped out of cracks on his face.
"And I reckon that's why you done tried to off Lucario, too, ain't it?"
Team Radiance abruptly stopped charging their attacks, all of them recognizing the new voice in the conversation. Seconds later, black chains burst out of the sand. They wrapped themselves around Metagross' remaining limbs, suspending him in midair. His garbled static echoed across the beach.
Ah, good. Seems my distressitude signal actually reached you three, Magearna said, turning around and bowing toward Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini. Braviary stood perched atop the former, half his body still crystallized from Necrozma's attacks.
"How did they get here?" Tessa said, aura feelers tensing. She wondered if it was even safe for Braviary to be out like this, but kept that thought to herself.
Tapu Fini pointed an arm toward Metagross. More ley line chains burst out of the ground. They snuffed out the psychic energy he was gathering. "We were trying to survey what had happened to the landscape when we sensed the Dawn Hourglass' energy," she explained.
Forgive me, but I used my Geartronic Energy Amplifier in the hopes I'd be able to draw their attention, Magearna said. Team Radiance exchanged confused looks. No one was willing to challenge how or why such a device existed.
Across from the newcomers. "W-What the— Snowy's friends with the bloody Tapus? Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Lycanroc spat. "C'mon, Sneasel, we're blowing this dump."
"No." Sneasel walked over toward Hakamo-o. "You do whatever you want, but I ain't going nowhere. Besides, it's bad form to walk out on the Land Spirits." He jerked his head in the Tapus' direction.
Lycanroc growled at Sneasel, but said nothing. He turned around, ready to storm off, when Dusk jumped into his path, fangs bared and eyes turning red. "You're not going anywhere," she snarled. Lycanroc shuffled backwards. He crossed his arms and scowled.
"Bulu ready to rip angry dinner table into bits." Tapu Bulu glanced at his counterpart. "Can Bulu crush him with ley lines, now?"
"Not before he done answers my question," Braviary said, limping toward Metagross. "The night Lucario had her meltdown, I saw you walking out of the guild. You told me you were taking care of important business… and I believed you. Just like I done trusted you when you went after Incineroar and told me to let the rest of the guild know you'd been in yer office the whole night."
You… always were… a stub-b-b-born, gullible fool, Metagross said, between bouts of static.
"Wait." Tessa turned to Braviary. "Are you saying Metagross tried to kill my mom, too?"
Of course I did. She was… a threat. Obsessed… with Ho-Oh. Always mut-t-t-tering… about fixing mistakes. She needed… to be purged… so I could plan my escape in peace, Metagross said, eyes twitching and flickering erratically with light.
"You're the reason she had a meltdown in the first place!" Braviary cawed, pointing his good wing at Metagross. "I know we both had our misgivings about Lucario and what Incineroar thought of her, but you done took it to far!" He limped closer to Metagross. "That's why I'm here. To make sure you know that I think yer the scum of the earth!"
"Okay, is anyone else totally lost here?" Swampert said, earning nods of agreement from Blaziken, Swampert, Luxeira, and Seraph. "We've got him pinned, now let's finish the job already!"
"Bulu agree. Angry dinner table try to take Dawn Hourglass' power. His offense deserves punishment," Tapu Bulu said, smacking his stubby, bell-like limbs together.
No. I refuse… to let it… end here. I will… escape! Metagross glowed bright white. He trembled violently. Light seeped out of the cracks on his metallic body.
"Everybody get back!" Shane shouted, fearing a devastating attack from Metagross. Without any hesitation, he spat out a gold energy ball. It struck Metagross right between his eyes. A massive golden light geyser erupted. White light raced across the beach, swallowing everyone up and drowning out their surprised cries. The force of the blast blew everyone back toward the water.
"Ungh. Sh-Shane… what was that for?" Espy groaned, rubbing her face with her forelegs.
Just as the light began to fade, a surprised howl rang out across the beach. Everyone jumped to their feet, trying to blink the stars out of their vision.
"H-Hey! My bag! Where's my bag?!" Espy cried, circling around in a panic.
Ah! The Scalebound Shard was knocked loose! Where is it? Magearna's mechanical eyes darted about.
Another flash of light drew the group's attention. On the opposite side of the beach, Lycanroc stood atop the unconscious forms of Dusk, Sneasel, and the Tapus. He had Espy's bag slung across his shoulder and the Scalebound Shard in his right paw. His mane now ended in streaks of rainbow fur instead of white.
Tessa hurled an Aura Sphere at Lycanroc. Silvally sprinted toward him, cheek bolts whirring so fast they left behind trails of sparks.
"Ha! Thanks for the parting gift, mates! I hope Necrozma kills the whole lot of ya!" Lycanroc jeered. The Scalebound Shard glowed in his paw. An Ultra Wormhole opened beneath him, carrying him and his victims away. Tessa's Aura Sphere passed right over the portal and exploded right as it disappeared. Silvally skidded to a halt in the sand.
"No! No! After all that work… the Shards are gone? Just like that? And to Lycanroc of all Pokémon?!" Silvally said. His fighting memories shifted on, turning his glowing parts orange. He smacked the ground with a foreleg. "How could this happen? Damn it! We were so close… so close!" Silvally thrashed his head about, hissing.
Shane stood opposite Tessa, staring down at the ground blankly. A lightning bolt struck him in the rear. Shane jumped forward with a yowl. He whirled around to find Seraph staring him down, a sparking paw raised.
"Nice going, dumbass! This is all your fault! What the hell was up with that kooky magical energy ball, huh? You almost blew us to smithereens!" Seraph fumed, plasma crackling around her fur.
"I… I… Metagross was about to unleash something horrible! I had to stop him! This was the best thing I could think of!" Shane said, tails curling up against his waist. He knew what he did was reckless, but he never imagined things could've gone this way.
"Well, if you had that technique then why the hell didn't you use it from the get-go? We could've avoided all of this garbage!" Seraph spat.
"Because I've never really used the attack before. I didn't know what it was capable of. But we were in a bind and I panicked, okay! Can you honestly blame me? Metagross looked ready to, like, use some sort of modified Self-Destruct," Shane said. He glanced at his teammates, but even he wasn't sure if he wanted them to back him up or simply try to understand his reasoning. His heart sank when none of them met his gaze.
N… not… capable.
Shane's tails shot into the air. Everyone turned back toward the rock wall to find Metagross lying in a crater at its base. His Mega Evolution had worn off, but his body was charred black as opposed to its usual dark gray. All of his limbs had been blown off. Sparks and gray liquid seeped out of his exposed joints and the numerous cracks on his body.
"How the heck did that guy survive that blast?" Swampert said, shaking his head in disbelief.
It's… like… I said. You can't… save this world. The only hope… was to escape… Metagross' voice descended into static. Too… damaged. Can't… move. Y-You… you ruined me. Now… we're all… going to die…
"… tch. Even on death's doorstep, you're as blind and irrational as ever, Guildmaster."
A pained squawk made everyone look up. Zero stood at the top of the rock wall, her free paw clutching Braviary's throat. The colors dissolved off his body and into Zero's mask. Zero finished crystallizing Braviary's body, then dropped him to the ground. He landed next to Metagross and shattered.
Tessa's aura feelers shot up. Her heart leaped into her chest. Beside her, Gallian crouched low to the ground, his eyes flickering pink. "W-We have to flee. We can't fight her. It'll be—"
"A disaster? Oh, please." Zero turned her gaze on Gallian. "To think… in spite of my teachings, you've been reduced to a sniveling, cowardly wreck. I'd say I'm disappointed, but at this point, I don't really care."
Gallian shrank back, a mix of pain and anger in his eyes. Tessa sensed the shifts in his aura and took a step forward, putting her right arm up in front of Gallian protectively. "Stop this, Mom! You can't let Necrozma control you like this. You have to fight him!" She looked down. "Please…"
Zero's paws flickered with bursts of static. "The only thing I'm fighting is a world that's fundamentally flawed. But I'm on the cusp— no, the brink of fixing it. All you need to do is stand down and cease your asinine tirade."
Shane shot a pink energy ball at Zero. She swung her staff around to counter, but the energy ball exploded, shattering it. Zero wrung out her left paw as it distorted at bizarre angles.
"Yes! That's it! I broke her evil scepter thingy! Now she's gotta be free from Necrozma." Shane looked at Tessa, tails wagging.
"My scepter?" Zero said, staring at her staticky paw. "You mean… this scepter right here?" She brought her paws together, then spread them apart. A new staff formed, identical to the one Shane had destroyed.
His jaw slackened. "But that's… that's…"
"This…" Zero slammed the staff against her knee, breaking it in half. It dissolved into thin air. "… is nothing more than a fancy-looking Bone Rush club, designed to trick gullible would-be heroes into thinking it's the source of my power." Zero nudged up her mask. "Evidently, it worked."
Shane's ears and tails drooped. "Damn it, why can things never be easy?" he whimpered.
"Mom… please, listen to me! You're not thinking straight. You can't possibly expect to kill all the gods and have the world stay peaceful," Tessa said. Zero's eye fell on her. "Look, my friends and I have seen a lot of problems for ourselves, but killing the gods won't solve anything. We all have to compromise and find a path forward together."
Zero rolled her eye. "That will solve nothing. And I can tell you why. The gods are worthless and petulant. They're the most selfish, short-sighted people in the entire world… and they're the ones who are supposed to be running it!" Static rippled through her bodies. "You really think they'll stop and listen to you? You… a meek girl so utterly incapable of holding her own in battle that she cheated and co-opted Necrozma's power so she could know what's it like to feel big and strong."
Roaring, Silvally sought to bathe Zero in flames. Zero snuffed them out with a wall of black cubes. "I won't let you talk to Tessa that way! She's done more for us than you could possibly realize, but Necrozma's warped your mind so badly, you've lost sight of your family!" Silvally revved up his cheek bolts and clawed at the ground.
"That girl is not my daughter," Zero said. "I have a daughter… many worlds away. She was taken from me… by the gods you want to 'compromise' with." She hovered into the air. Ley line chains burst out of the ground. One by one, they punctured Metagross' body and wrapped around him. Then, Zero compressed the chains. The glow faded from Metagross' eyes seconds before he shattered like a glass figurine.
Zero raised her left paw. The chains wrapped around a ball of light flittering into the air from Metagross' remains. They swallowed the light up whole, then dissolved away. "Hmph. Good riddance," she growled, lowering her paw. Zero turned back to Team Radiance. "You think Necrozma's somehow blinded me? You're wrong. He was never in control of me. And now… he's no longer an issue."
"What's that supposed to mean, huh?" Tessa said, crouching lower to the ground.
"It's probably a trick to throw us off," Shane said, snorting tufts of ice. He was trying to draw forth energy to use the golden light ball again, but it wasn't working. Shane sought to keep Zero talking to stall for time.
"It's no trick. Necrozma's gone. I dealt with him," Zero said. "Everything I've done has been deliberate. Because this world's made me suffer— made countless humans suffer. Don't believe me?" Zero shakily reached a paw up and removed her mask. She turned to show the right side of her face.
"Oh, that's so gross," Seraph said, cupping a paw over her mouth.
Luxeira's jaw dropped. "Those glowing triangles, they kind of look like…" Her voice trailed off. She shuddered.
Tessa staggered back, clasping a paw over her chest. "M-Mom. Wh-what happened to you?"
"Metagross didn't like me asking so many questions about Incineroar's death. He tailed me out to Glyphic Falls and pushed me off a cliff. That should've been in the end, but a rainbow comet collided with me in midair," Zero said, putting her mask back on. Rings of distortion spread through her body. "Necrozma was in full control for a while, until I forced the central part of his core into Lunala and regained my free will. I snuffed his consciousness out, so now his power is mine to use as I see fit."
Three pillars of fire descended on Zero. She extinguished them by trapping them in a sphere of cubes. "Necrozma knocked the Hidden Land into the ocean… and took Giratina and Palkia down, too," she continued. "Look around you. Time and space are unraveling. Soon, gravity will, too. But I have the Time Gears. And I have Dialga's power. I can rewrite all of history… and make it so that none of the gods ever existed."
"But if you blame them for you ending up here, won't you just erase yourself in the process? C'mon, you're not thinking logically! Your plan makes no sense. You're tampering with powers you can't control," Shane shouted. He felt golden embers deep inside his spirit. All he needed was a few more seconds.
Zero's eye flashed purple. "I know damn well what I'm doing. I'm not about to sit here and listen to a dimwit who doesn't even realize that his mere existence here is one gigantic contradiction."
Shane shuffled backward, tails shooting between his legs. "A… contradiction?" He looked at the ground, blinking slowly. Did Zero know something about the visions the Dawn Shards had given him?
"I'm going to fix a system that was broken at its inception. And I need you mongrels out of my hair," Zero said.
She snapped her digits. Six of her black Beast Balls appeared in the air. They dropped to the ground and snapped open. Milotic and Serperior emerged from the first two, glaring at Team Radiance. However, Espy looked right and her jaw dropped.
"H-Haxorus? Raichu?! No! She can't have gotten you, too!" Espy squealed, tail shooting between her legs.
"Ah, Blaziken! She got Team Poképals, too!" Swampert cried, tugging on his partner's arm. Blaziken tensed up, digging his talons into his feathers.
"You monster! Let them go, now!" Silvally snarled.
"Or what? You're gonna go all rageaholic God Killer on our asses?" Serperior said, smirking. "Ha! I'd like to see you try!" She brandished her tail-blade. Flames danced across it.
Zero raised her paw up. A dome of black cubes formed up across the beach, blocking out Comfey, Magearna, and Sticky.
"Don't disappoint me this time," Zero hissed, before disappearing into a black, jagged portal.
"H-Hey, what's going on here?" Tessa squeaked, aura feelers trembling. Red cubes burst forth from the ground. Tessa dove to the sand to avoid them. They stretched up to the ceiling, cutting Team Radiance off from Gallian, Zoroark, and Hakamo-o.
"Damn it, she's boxed us in!" Shane huffed, looking at an identical wall on Team Radiance's left.
"Exactly. You've got nowhere to run, punks!" Serperior said, giggling. "This time, nothing's gonna stop me from torching your furry hides!"
She and Milotic raised their tails, then lunged.
Maligned Malefactor, Metagross Deluxe
Born, like the rest of his kind, without the capability to process emotions in spite of his typing, he sought to gain notoriety with tactical acumen and battle prowess. But when his teammates reached their final states before he did, impatience drove him to Voltaic Crater, where he attempted to fuse with another of his kind. He realized all too late his chosen target's mind and spirit had been irreversibly damaged by ever-present lightning. His fusion partner steadily eroded his mind and spirit until not a trace of the original explorer remained.
I think it's safe to say this was easily the most chaotic chapter of the fic to date. Any comments would be greatly appreciated, even if you're reading this long after it was published.
Anon Omega: There's still more to his situation than meets the eye, if you catch my drift.
SuperOmegaGuest: Well, this wouldn't be a Mystery Dungeon fic if I didn't fill it with mysteries, right? Aha ha... ha...
Neptune: I can't think with portals. My brain's made out of cottage cheese.
TractorsAreCool: World ain't dead yet. Otherwise the fic would be over!
Another guest: I think you were mistaken. Now everything that could've gone wrong for the heroes has gone wrong. Guess you spoke too soon.
Next time: a clash of explorers young and old!