Divide

by The Vilified

Aaron takes in a typhlosion with low self-esteem and a crippling disability: she can't make fire. As it turns out, though, there is far more to her than he expected, and with the arrival of a new group – one that believes humans are no longer fit to rule themselves – a global conflict forces them to question what they are willing to fight for. Human x Pokémon.

49. Chapter 49

A/N: Please refrain from any super-specific spoilers in the review section.

---

Chapter Forty-Nine: Radiance

The alarm woke all three of them in the room. Aaron reached back and grabbed the phone, groggily looking at the time. Eight in the morning – two hours to go. Aster yawned and slowly blinked awake, tilting his head as he noticed the two of them there. "Really? Couldn't just get a room? And the couch for Arceus' sake…"

"Shut up," Aaron replied. The serperior uncoiled and flipped the switch on his heating pole. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough."

"Yeah, I'm sure Marcus did, too…" the trainer murmured under his breath.

"What was that?" Aster asked.

"Nothing." He walked into the kitchen and started the coffee while Aster went to the bedrooms and woke the others. Pouring the water, Aaron stopped when he realized his hand was shaking. Gotta calm down… But that was easier said – or thought – than done.

They were about to face off against the most powerful team the world had ever known. That was a fact; Kyurem had confirmed such. But there was still a chance. All point-eight percent worth…

Aaron had to pull himself together. The last thing his team needed right now was for their trainer to be less optimistic than they likely were. Conversation was kept to a minimum as they picked at breakfast, but Aaron did his best to keep a smile on – even though everyone likely knew better. Marcus and Nora at the very least did.

No one was sure what to say. Words felt unnecessary at this point as they waited for the inevitable – to walk into that arena and face off against their opponents, billions of eyes upon them all the while. A knock at the door broke Aaron out of his thoughts. Rather than wait for the answer, Sofia slowly opened it and peeked inside. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," Aaron murmured. As she walked in, he realized that the trainer wasn't alone. His parents had stopped by as well.

"Figured we'd stop by before… well, you know," Sofia said. Robert folded his arms and nodded before speaking up.

"We're proud of you. All of you. Can't imagine what all this team's gone through over the past year, but you made it this far. Further than anyone else in the world. Whatever happens out there, you can be proud of that." Aaron smiled. His father wasn't a man of many words, but he always found a way to say just enough.

And there wasn't much else that could be said. Their presence, though, helped as the hour drew near. Robert was right; they had come far. Both Aaron and his team had developed so much in their fight against Omega. It had made them stronger, bringing them closer together as they faced the challenges in front of them – and even the threat of death itself. Numerous times. Each and every time a new champion took the place of the former, this was what must have led up to that moment. That was why they were so strong. It was those shared experiences, that impenetrable bond between a trainer and his pokémon, that even made such feats possible to begin with.

That was why his team was stronger than Sofia's. Aaron had no doubt that, as time went on, her team very well could rival his own. So in that sense, Aaron's group really was the greater of the two teams. What remained to be seen is if it would be enough to counter Nathan – a team that was family in every sense of the word. Their bonds went back way further, and there was no doubt that they had been through just as much – if not more – than Aaron's team.

A truck door slammed shut outside and caught everyone's attention. Marcus went to the window and pushed a few of the blinds up, his aura sensors shooting up as he did so. "What's wrong?" Aaron asked. "Who is it?"

"…Clay." Everyone jumped up, ready for the worst, but Sofia shook her head as a hand went to her belt.

"You'll need every ounce of strength," she said. "Leave this to us." The lucario's sensors lowered and he tilted his head. Aaron joined him at the window and saw what was likely confusing him.

The Alpha leader's belt was clearly exposed, devoid of firearms or pokéballs.

"What on earth…" Aaron mumbled. What was he planning? The trainer hurried to the door and stepped outside, followed by the others. For a moment, no one said anything. Clay stood on the road, a cowboy hat adorning his head. This time, though, it lacked the red "A" and instead seemed to be the one he'd worn years ago as a gym leader. There was a stillness in his eyes, each with bags underneath. His unkempt, white hairs were cleanly shaven, glistening in the morning light. Sofia broke the silence.

"Well you look like shit." The older man exhaled a silent laugh at the statement.

"Yeah, 'spose I do," he answered before his eyes fell on Aaron. "Reckon I slept less than you last night."

"Really? I wasn't aware there was anything that could make you lose sleep anymore." Aaron's bitterness, though, faded away as the team leader stood there in silence. Unlike last time, there was no rage, no resentment. No fire underneath him. There wasn't much of anything.

"I was… sitting outside the medical station after the fight. Half my team's in critical condition. They… had to cut Bruce's chest open and manually restart his heart. Even now they're still piecing Rhett's guts back together…" It was difficult to think of Clay as someone who loved his team just as much as Aaron did his, but it was always hard to see even the most minute amount of good in someone you disliked. Aaron and the others listened quietly. "As they were putting his innards back inside him… Zekrom came to me. I…" Clay looked down. For a man who had always been so outspoken, so certain of his causes, he was awfully jittery. "He told me there was a way back – a way to be good again. I've spent half of my eighty years fightin' this fight. We've only ever wanted what's best for decent folks. Or… so we thought. I thought we were doing what the legendaries would want – removin' all manners of evil from the world. Turns out, we were only adding a different flavor of it."

This didn't seem right. There was only half an hour before the fight and one of the most outspoken, radical politicians in the world was walking back on everything his team had said and done over the past decades? "I don't… get it," Aaron said. "You and your team were ready to destroy Unova if it meant ending the left. What happened in a single day that made you rethink all of it?"

"I guess… there are just those moments in life that force you to reconsider. My garchomp might not even make it for all I know… and my ambitions are what brought him to that point. And then Zekrom shows up and tells me that everything I've fought for had displeased the legendaries. Maybe the people we took down weren't good, but… I reckon that didn't make us much better, either." He shook his head. "It's pretty damn pathetic, too. Nathan warned me all those years ago… and I didn't listen. I didn't listen because I thought I knew better than the legends. And now, the very same person who was supposed to take my place… is probably going to take over everything."

"So Zekrom told you that too." Aaron imagined such a revelation had hit Clay just as hard as it had him. After all, Clay had played a direct role in turning Nathan towards this path. "You mentioned something about there being a way back?"

"He wants me to end it. To denounce everything I've fought for – for all the world to see."

"End Alpha?" Sofia asked in disbelief. Everyone else was equally shocked. "Do you even have that in you?" Clay sighed.

"I don't know… but I need to. I'm done being my own god. Nathan's right about all that stuff. We fooled ourselves into thinkin' we were fighting for the legendaries… but we were really fighting for our own interests. Whether or not he's right in doing all this – that much I'm not so sure about. There's not much I am sure about at all anymore." Aaron looked down. He had known that feeling all too well, even until recently. They knew their reason for fighting now, but there was no getting around the fact that this conflict had made them question everything.

And that made what would happen in less than an hour hurt all the more. These were their friends they were going up against. But it had to be done. This disagreement was far too great to ignore. Nathan wished to lock away autonomy along with the darkness, and that autonomy was something worth defending.

"Best of luck, son. You're the only other person to beat my team, so I reckon that gives you a fightin' chance. I hope y'all hold onto that when you're out there." The last person Aaron expected encouragement from was Clay, but he would take it. Nora nodded as the older man turned around and headed for his truck. But before he got there, a roar split across the sky. This time, the dragon slowed his descent, mindful of the car alarms.

As a soul-freezing chill was carried across the wind, Kyurem touched the ground in front of his chosen trainer. "The time has come."

"…Yeah." A glance at his phone told him that much with only half an hour to spare. Something glimmered in Kyurem's right hand – a master ball. One of few left in existence. Everything was set; all the arena was missing was them. "Well… let's get this over with." He took the ball from Kyurem and strapped it onto his belt. "Well… I guess we should get this over with." The dragon lowered himself to allow Aaron to climb on. "Any last-minute tips before we head over there?"

"There is little to say that has not already been said." Kyurem shifted under Aaron's weight, though surely a creature as large as him barely felt it. A single golden eye met the trainer's gaze. "It is good that Nora did not accept Bael's offer, though. That much I am certain of."

"Why's that?" the typhlosion asked.

"The darkrai that approached you hates Nathan's team. His judgement was clouded by that."

"Yeah, I got that much from our little conversation…"

"Did it not occur to you why that might be?" the dragon asked. Before she could offer a negative response, he continued. "Celeste offered her assistance as a matter of principle. Bael, on the other hand, did so as an act of vengeance. And that is because the King of Avalon has already killed an archdemon – the one who Bael answered to. At least with the gift of the moon you may offer a challenge they have not yet faced."

"Of course," Nora said while rolling her eyes.

"As I have said before, your team has the greatest chance of success against them. Clear your minds; retain your focus. Take them down quickly for you cannot withstand prolonged fights. But the greatest advice I can offer you is this: relinquish the self-imposed burden that you carry. You may be my champions of chaos, but the blame will not be upon you should Omega prevail. Do your best, and should that not be enough, let it go." Everyone nodded.

"I'm ready," Nora said. "Let's give it to 'em." The team gathered at their trainer's side, looking up with a mixture of determination and anticipation. He returned them to their balls.

"Boy." Aaron looked at Clay. "They've taken good care of you. Do the same for them. Don't make the same mistakes I did."

"If you can beat us, you've got this in the bag." Aaron smiled at Sofia's optimism, false as it may have been.

"As long as I've known you, you've never been one to give up," Robert stated. "So go out there and be just as much a pain in their asses as you've been to your mother and I these past twenty-two years." The encouragement was certainly a good note to leave on; dwelling on the upcoming battle would do nothing more for him.

Instead, as they took off, Aaron dwelled on their single contention with Nathan. Their one reason for fighting.

For the first time in what had felt like years, Unova felt alive. They soared over the Desert Resort, all the wreckage from the battle two months ago shrouded by the sand. Hydreigons swarmed the city skylines in preparation for any sort of attack; among them were legendaries of every shape and size, landbound and skyward. As the sand gave way to crushed pavement, he recognized the ranks of which most people would be lucky to even catch a glimpse of. And here they all were, gathered around in one place. What struck Aaron as odd was that they all seemed to surround a large area around the stadium, roughly creating a perimeter with decent space between each. Eyes looked up towards him. Maybe they judged him for opposing their chosen trainer. Maybe they already knew what would happen.

"A lot of your kind here…" he murmured as the wind shrouded his words. Kyurem understood them anyways.

"Today will mark one of the most significant event to transpire in your world in millennia. I wager that, like me, they would not miss it."

"Yeah… seems like it."

"But we also will prevent anything from getting in… or out." What the last part of that meant, he wasn't certain, but Aaron decided not to press the matter. There was enough on his mind right now.

They touched the ground in front of the elaborate stadium. Sleek metal arches crowned the sky, curved bleachers supported by mountainous concrete pillars. It was every North American trainer's dream to battle within this very stadium – but certainly not like this. Aaron's legs were sore from clenching so hard during the abrupt flight, his heart pounding as the entrance lay ahead of him. Camera drones kept their distance but had captured enough; the whole world knew he was here now. Dozens of guards stood by, a few parting ways for him.

"The hopes of billions are upon you. For better or for worse, seize ahold of your cause. Let it drive you forth. I will return for you once the battle has concluded." Aaron nodded. Before the legendary could fly off, though, he reached out and touched Kyurem on the back.

"Hey… thanks for everything."

"This was always destined to happen," Kyurem said. "…But you are welcome." Aaron watched as he took to the sky, leaving him alone in front of the massive stadium.

He checked his phone. The minutes were counting down. The eyes of all of heaven and earth were upon them now, and with nowhere left to turn – no time left to stall – Aaron walked forth, accepting their fate as the final dissenters.

The soldiers stood motionless, clutching their rifles as he passed between them into the tunnel. A bright light could be seen from the corridor, a path traveled by only the best trainers in the world. Maybe he could be counted among them. Thoughts of what they had been through – of what they had seen and done – flooded the trainer's mind as he took those final steps. All those fights, all those instances where they had nearly died, had led to this very moment. And that one meeting in the bar years ago had been the very spark that had started it up. Now, the world would either transition into iron-fisted stability… or live to burn itself down another day.

Upon entering the arena, Aaron realized that this fight was about to be much different than the other two. There was a pair of circular, metal platforms on either end of the battlefield, though their purpose was unclear. Twin roars stretched across the sky as the black and white dragons, standing on either side of their chosen trainer, stared at Aaron. They weren't the only legendaries present, either: Necrozma's wings slowly flapped as he floated over the center of the arena.

Nathan turned around, fully in his exosuit. Reshiram looked down at him and nodded, and without another noise, both of them flew out the stadium. The morning sun had just begun to rise over the edge of the metal arches, perfectly in the center and giving no side a disadvantage. It paled in comparison to the light Necrozma radiated, though.

Omega's leader walked towards the center of the field. Aaron hesitated but felt that he should do the same. They appeared on the big screen located behind Aaron's side, camera drones focusing on their every move. There was no referee today. They approached the line in the center, a heavy weight in Aaron's chest as he walked towards his friend. It didn't feel real, but here they were. They stopped a few feet away from one another.

Nathan reached up. Unlatched the helmet lock behind him. Aaron froze; he had preserved his identity this entire time – and he was going to toss that away now? But Omega's leader removed the helmet, tucking it under his left arm and looking at Aaron with his own two eyes. He looked better than the last time they had seen him; his features had definition and determination.

"You've come a long way over the past year," Nathan said. "As I said before, I regret that you stand on that side of the field… yet I am proud that you have mustered the courage to do so." He folded his arms. Five luxury balls and a single regular pokéball were fastened in place. The latter was the one he was most concerned with.

"You know… for the longest time, I didn't know why we were even fighting you. But I do now…"

"Is that so?" Aaron nodded in response.

"I think you're right. About us – about everything. And if my team loses today, it won't be the end of the world as far as I'm concerned. Surely the legendaries are qualified to rule us. So I guess I'm not the hero that Unova wanted. Certainly not what Alpha or Delta had in mind." Aaron dropped his head slightly. "But I think you missed something. You want to make everyone submit. For their own good, sure, but you're forcing it all the same. But… if Arceus wanted robots, he wouldn't have given us free will. We shouldn't do the right thing because there's no choice – we should do it in spite of the choice to do wrong."

"People can learn to do what's right, no matter how bad they've been before," Nathan replied. "It just takes time."

"Then they can learn it on their own – without Omega's foot on their throats." Aaron paused, closing his eyes. "And if we can't be better without someone forcing us… if we're damned to destroy ourselves if left to our own rule… then maybe that's just what we deserve. If my unlikely victory will start that fire… then so be it."

"You know we cannot allow that to happen. If billions of souls can be spared from the flame, then that's worth fighting for until our last breath. But I suppose we'll just have to let fate decide what the will of the legendaries is." He glanced towards Necrozma. "I take it you recall the rules of the fight." Aaron nodded. "Good. He will oversee our battle today."

"…Alright." Nathan nodded, turned around, and headed towards the large, circular platform. Aaron figured that he should do the same. He wondered what all those people were thinking. Probably disappointed that he hadn't come to forward their narratives, or maybe annoyed that he hadn't come with some snappy comeback. But that was fine. He wasn't there to appease them.

He stepped onto the platform, and pretty quickly it became apparent just how different this fight was about to be. It rose into the air, levitating a good six feet over the ground before stopping in place. As Aaron was trying to figure out what was going on, Necrozma craned his neck back and roared. A golden barrier solidified in the distance, creating a massive dome over the arena and sealing everything out.

This was it.

Necrozma flew to the top of the stadium, perching on one of the arches. The trainers each grabbed their first ball, Aaron clutching the PDA in his other hand. No matter what happened, the world would never be the same. Friend and enemy stood against one another, ready to defend their vision for the future. Nathan brought his right hand over his chest before dropping his gaze. Calm gave way to determination in his golden eyes.

"If we cannot make you see the light… then we'll make you feel the heat."

Brooke immediately scanned her surroundings as she landed on the field. She, unlike the others, had come into the battle with a distinct disadvantage: she had not fought anyone from this team before. As such, it was smart for Aaron to use her first; Brooke could chip away at her opponent, weakening them for Aaron's next pokémon should she fail.

The only issue was that her opponent was floating in the air.

Trina didn't sport her usually disinterested expression. Nathan had similarly started with a speedster; the difference was that the espeon was an absolute nuisance to even hit. Aaron glanced at his PDA. Level ninety-four to Brooke's eighty-three.

"Don't suppose you wanna come down here and fight," Brooke said while lowering her knees. She prepared to make a run for the water, but Trina predicted this and put herself in Brooke's way.

"Not particularly. But feel free to join me up here." Silence stretched across the battlefield. A glint raced across Trina's eyes. Brooke darted to the side, rolling as a psybeam faster than anything she'd ever seen blew a crater into the ground. As she cast a terrified glance towards the espeon, ready to either dodge or strike, she stared in disbelief at the dozens of illusory copies in the air.

"Shit," she murmured to herself as a violet aura began to surround them all.

"Ice beam!" Aaron yelled. "Top right!" True to her trainer's words, that copy had started the move a fraction of a second prior. Brooke shot the frigid blast as Trina finished using her move, dipping under the attack and swooping close to the field.

Her front paw struck it lightly as a blue grid swiftly encompassed the arena. Tiny particles leapt from below, stinging Brooke's skin as they impacted and headed skyward. It was disorienting, blurring the ground ahead of her and making Brooke's body sluggish and unbalanced. Aaron realized this must have been one of her two unique moves: quantum field.

"Move!" he yelled as Trina formed the particulates into jagged crystals. Projectiles whizzed by, Brooke ducking and dodging in order to avoid them. She felt one scratch her back as she neared the edge of the moat, snatching up water and hastily freezing it into sharpened icicles, pivoting around and launching them towards Trina. The espeon flew towards her. The icicles quickly orbited her body and were hurled right back towards Brooke. She leapt back as they shattered into pieces.

And as soon as she looked back up, the floatzel realized that Trina was buffing herself once more. "Stop her! Blizzard!" Aaron snapped. No shit! Brooke planted her feet and forced water towards the dozens of illusory copies, phasing through most of them. One stood out again. Trina's gem glowed vibrantly amidst the frigid winds. As the field seemingly warped in front of her, a blinding light caught Brooke's attention.

She rolled to the side as a hyper beam cut across the ground, scorching it red as Brooke snatched up water and hurled a series of hydro pump attacks. Trina's body was blurry, appearing to phase in and out of place as the last aquatic blast dissipated into mist. A psychic blast shook the earth around her. The floatzel lunged to the side, rolling under jagged crystals as Trina assaulted her without cease.

"Brooke! Hydro pump and swift!" She came to a skidding stop and launched the attacks. Trina swooped down underneath the beam while psychic crystals orbited around her, catching each of the projectiles formed by the floatzel. But that split second gave Brooke all the time she needed to go on the offense. "Focus blast!"

An orange blast split across the field and smashed into Trina, causing the espeon to fall towards the ground. She only barely managed to catch herself before looking up. Brooke slammed into her with a quick attack. Trina rolled over and shoved herself off the ground, telekinetically slicing the air in front of her. Brooke jumped back as a shallow gash formed down her front, orange fur drifting in the wind. Trina grasped the opportunity, leaping into the air once more as Brooke flinched.

"You'll need a lot more than that!" the espeon shouted. Her eyes glowed as shimmering particles began to rotate around the field.

"Blizzard! Stop whatever she's doing!" Ice shredded the sky, parting as it contacted a hastily-formed barrier. A sliver of water solidified behind her; Brooke hurled it through the shield, piercing it. Trina dodged it, and just as the floatzel prepared another attack, she felt something snake up her ankles.

Her balance was quickly taken as the vines squeezed shut, holding her in place as the espeon flew behind her. "L-let go!" Brooke snapped, trying desperately to break free.

"She's buffing herself!" Aaron shouted, though there was nothing he could do. His floatzel grasped water, forming a blade quickly and slicing the roots, but it was too late. Trina shoved her to the ground, a vibrant aura flaring off her body as her eyes narrowed.

"That's more than enough to take you down." The psychic's words rang throughout the stadium.

"Not gonna happen!" Trina levitated over the seating area, well beyond Brooke's reach and sent a barrage of crystals towards the ground. Brooke yelped as one struck her leg. She dove for the water – her only possible shelter as jagged projectiles threatened to pelt her unconscious. Emerging fast, Brooke blasted herself forth with aqua jet, launching out of the water and towards her opponent as ice solidified around her fist.

"Ice punch!" Aaron's words called out into the void. But as she neared her target, Brooke's eyes were drawn to the slightest light between the tips of Trina's tails.

An arc of electricity.

The jolt hit her directly. Brooke wanted to scream as the current burnt across her entire body, falling and slamming into the concrete stairs. Her muscles locked up, twitching uncontrollably, and through foggy vision she saw her blood staining the ground. Then and there, as Trina refused to let up, she hoped for death – or Aaron's recall. Whichever came first.

Aaron clenched his fist as he was forced to return Brooke. He should have known. Her second unique move – ionization. It was extremely rare, but not entirely unheard of, for a member of her species to learn zap cannon. And Brooke had given her a point-blank target.

He selected his second pokéball, releasing Krista onto the field. The medic latios promptly collected her. He thought of his next move and settled: if they couldn't burst Trina down, perhaps they could tank whatever she could dish out and tire her out that way.

Krista closed her eyes as the golden light materialized around her. As her mega evolution concluded, she hurriedly used dual screen, forming barriers to protect her from all manners of attack. Now it was a matter of whether or not Trina could break through that. She wasn't about to give the espeon time to find out.

A thunderbolt cut through the air. The electricity was absorbed by the dozens of purple crystals orbiting Trina, redirecting the attack right back towards her. Krista jumped as the ground beneath her was shocked, hurling a quick ice beam before landing. She pivoted – another thunderbolt. Trina drifted aside, dodging or blocking everything she did.

"We need her on the ground!" Aaron said. The audino nodded, getting the message. Gravity. She hurled a signal beam, and knowing that Trina favored her right, hurled a shadowy orb there. The direct hit did no damage but forced her out of the sky, giving the espeon barely enough strength to stand let alone fly. Right where I need you.

But she quickly learned that the espeon was just as deadly there as she was airborne. "Dazzling gl—"

"Not this time!" Trina snarled, using the move herself. The blinding light caught Krista by surprise and she stumbled back. The next thing she felt was the impact of numerous particles against her body, shredding the barriers she had formed and trying to break through.

Krista thrust her hands forward and blindly launched a flamethrower, flailing the attack around the field in an effort to hit Trina. Vision returned slowly, and in her frantic motions and the calls of her trainer, a purple blur overtook Krista's view. Her feet left the ground and she was telekinetically hurled into the air; in those few seconds of terror, the audino watched as Trina braced herself for another hyper beam.

"Protect!" Aaron yelled. She formed a barrier just as the beam connected with her. It pierced the shield, burning through the dual screens on the half of her body impacted. The ground was even less forgiving. Krista pushed herself up, a few droplets of blood visible amongst the stained soil, and growled.

"Alright bitch," she murmured to herself. Her gravity attack would nearly wear off; Krista needed to act now. Without warning or command, she hurled a flurry of shadow balls, sprinting forth as Trina dodged and rolled between each attack. The golden fabric fluttered in the wind as she drew near to Trina, paws flailing wildly as Krista continued her onslaught. A blast of fire impacted her chest, singeing the parts not covered by the protective screen. A taste of iron filled her mouth when she reached her target.

The espeon ducked under a head-level sweep. Heavy pants came as the audino threw her right foot towards Trina's front legs. Leaping over her, Trina went for another electrical shock, blasting her just as she had Brooke – but to nowhere near the same effect. Now! Krista thought as she telekinetically seized ahold of Trina's hind leg. She spun and slammed her onto the ground, a satisfying crack rewarding her quick thinking as the espeon rolled over with bared teeth.

"You… you broke my gem!" she snarled.

"Cry about it!" Krista retorted as she charged forth, using the same electricity pumped into her body for a wild charge attack. Trina thrust her body forth, ramming her head into Krista's face and hurling her onto her back. The audino's mouth filled with the taste of her own blood as she reacted, barely in time to roll away from an iron tail attack. Trina sliced through the clay, pivoting around and lunging for Krista once more.

"Throat chop!" Aaron commanded. Trina reacted before the attack could connect, ducking low as she slammed her body into Krista's. She found herself on the ground again, moaning as she clutched her stomach. Each breath was a struggle, but in those fractions of a second where another attack may come, she couldn't afford to hesitate. A glimmer caught the corner of her eye. "She's healing!" her trainer cried out.

"L-like… hell!" Krista spat as she thrust her hand forth. An ice beam caught Trina off guard, freezing her feet in place. The espeon hurled a psychic blast as Krista struggled to her feet, only for it to be deflected by a hastily-prepared shield. She found her second wind. With what strength she could muster, Krista closed the distance between them with her fist cloaked in flame. Turning her body with the strike, she caught Trina behind the jaw with a fierce hook.

The psychic's body folded up.

"There you go!" Aaron shouted. With heavy panting, she took advantage of those few seconds and used heal pulse on herself. It was far too early for optimism – that much both her and Aaron knew – but taking down anyone on that team was an achievement to be proud of.

Now for the other five…

Nathan retrieved his espeon, passing her off to the latios before releasing Aiden onto the field. He stretched his wings back and folded his arms, the charizard's muscular physique contrasted by his docile grin. Aaron knew better than to be fooled by that, though – especially with an estimated level of ninety-seven. This damn charizard was just as threatening as the ho-oh Clay had faced. "Hey there – looks like it's time for a rematch!" Krista rolled her eyes as she readied for a fight, knowing that despite his demeanor, Aiden wouldn't be pulling his punches this time. "Hey… no hard feelings, right? We're still friends?"

"Whatever, Aiden. Friend or not, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Alright – we'll see!" She reformed the dual screens as the bright flash emanated from his body, bones contorting and scales becoming black as onyx. A twin set of flames huffed from either side of his mouth and died down just as quickly.

"Metal claw," Nathan said. With a heavy thrust, he propelled towards Krista. Her eyes went wide as she hugged the ground as the swipe cleaved through the air, followed by another that she barely avoided with a roll. Aiden's wing slammed into the ground, kicking up dust and forcing her to shield her eyes. The next swipe connected, shredding through the barriers on her side and drawing slim red lines through her fur. Krista squealed, throwing a thunderbolt towards his face and scampering away – an attack which he blocked with a single arm, letting the current dissipate as he walked towards her.

"It looks like someone's certainly gotten stronger!" His hefty leg slammed into the earth, causing the entire stadium to rattle. She scrambled for her footing when Aiden threw his body into her smaller frame, uppercutting her with a fire punch. As Krista tried to regain her bearings, the charizard took off and drifted over the stands.

Aaron watched helplessly as he used dragon dance in rapid succession. Krista clutched her side, the hairs still smoldering from the brutal jab, and stumbled back onto her feet. A weak thunderbolt was managed but did little more than make him flinch a bit. Aiden impacted the ground again, and in that brief moment as he slid to a stop, she healed herself the best she could. Breath returned, albeit with a minor struggle, and the audino grit her teeth.

"You know… this would be a lot easier if you just… kinda stayed down…"

"Like hell!" She touched her hand to the ground, spreading a pink mist over the field and strengthening her own element. Aiden squinted his eyes shut just in time for the dazzling gleam, his body impacted by shreds of light. He ran forth, the ground shaking with each step, and Krista prepared for another round of close quarters combat.

She watched the wings as they took on a silvery glint, dodged back, then rolled under a low sweep. His forearm brushed her front, knocking her back a small distance, and the charizard thrust himself off the ground, pulling off a surprisingly nimble front flip – only to slice downwards with an iron tail. Aaron clenched his fist as direct contact was made. Had it been anyone else, he could have stomped her then and there. Instead, Aiden waited until she rolled over, grabbing her forearm and lifting her level to his face. "Bone seeker," Nathan stated.

Krista's struggle was in vain. Aiden snorted, exhaling a blue, draconic aura which seeped into her mouth. She sputtered and coughed before he dropped her onto the ground, then scurried back, a look of anger and disgust plastered on her face. "What the fuck, Aiden?! That went into my mouth!"

"Yeah, it's kinda supposed to…" His claws shone with a similarly blue flame. What the hell was that?' Aaron thought. There was no time to dwell on it, though.

"Use icy wind and thunder wave!" The audino hurled a flurry towards her opponent before a crackling electrical current. Both impacted Aiden, who made little attempt to dodge either, and he shook off the effects of both. She doubled down, refusing to let him go unscathed, when his trainer gave the next order.

"Dragon pulse." The blue blast engulfed her completely, shredding through her dual screens as a burning pain seared across her body. Krista felt strength leaving her as the blue flames pierced her frame. Her flesh was not physically damaged, but an indescribable pain spread throughout her as his cobalt fire raged on. She couldn't withstand this for long; she had to act now.

The audino jumped away from his attack and used dazzling gleam before anyone could react. "Ah!" Aiden cried as his hands instinctively went to his eyes. Krista took advantage of that brief opening.

"Ice punch!" She leapt over the tail sweep and collided her fist under his jaw, swiftly wrapping her arm around his neck as he frantically pivoted in an effort to throw her off. The audino tried to get him into a choke hold, flinching as his wing swung up and slammed into the back of her head. Beads of ice began to freeze over his scales as Aiden snarled.

"Let… go!" he snapped, stomping the ground. Sparks flew as the lights died, fragments of the stadium shaking in place as his earthquake rippled through the concrete and steel. Aiden opened his eyes and glared at his opponent who backed away on her hands and knees. He lunged.

"Dazzling gleam!" She shot another flash of light. The charizard flew away with a frustrated roar, spiraling as he ascended in his blindness. A loud crash echoed across the stadium as Aiden impacted one of the metal arches, digging his claws into its surface and shaking his head as he regained sight in safety.

"Alright," Nathan murmured. "We'll play the distance game. Aiden, use fusion." Heat swarmed the field; there was no escape. Krista looked towards her trainer, both knowing there was little he could do to advise her in this situation. Nothing other than trying to endure it.

"Light screen! Hurry!" She coated herself with a new barrier as the fire leapt from the ground, scorching clay around her as a swirling vortex stretched into the air. Krista knew what was coming next: he was going to starve her of oxygen, just as he had done to Marcus. She had to charge through the walls. Cobalt fire contracted to her location as she braced herself.

"Dragon rush!" Nathan called out over the roaring flames.

Aiden thrust himself from the arch, metal creaking as it rocked from his sheer force. He charged through the vortex and slammed into Krista full force. Her body crumpled and the flames died down.

This was bad. The second weakest pokémon on Nathan's team had already made a pristine stadium look worse than the results of yesterday's battle. Sparks shimmered from lighting poles as he trudged towards his fallen foe.

But in a last act of defiance, Krista pushed herself up. Everything hurt in her small body, and even a gentle strike would threaten to take her down now. So whatever she did next had to count. "Don't… don't you want a better world?" the charizard asked as he drew near.

"N-not… like this," she spat, blood trickling down her bit lip. A limp was unhidden in her step.

"There's really no need for this. You're finished," Aiden said with a frown. "Please… just stop."

"Never." Thrusting her arms forth, Krista hurled the strongest blizzard attack Aaron had ever seen. Water rippled violently as the surge of ice enveloped Aiden, pushing him back a few feet before he braced himself, claws digging into the ground. Aiden pulled a single wing in front of him, shielding himself from the frigid winds as crystals of ice formed along its surface.

"Earthquake!"

Krista's stance was broken, her exhausted body flung to the ground. Dirt caked her face, mixing with blood and tears. A loud impact could be heard directly in front, causing her to weakly look up as Aiden slung the ice from his wing. A sigh escaped her chest.

Not like this. Not while she was still conscious.

With the last ounce of strength in her body, Krista sprung forth and landed an ice punch in his midsection, throwing all of her weight behind the strike. Aiden didn't so much as flinch, his body reacting accordingly. A swift front kick sent her back, and this time, she was unable to avoid the swift iron tail.

Aaron watched in horror as her body finally came to a stop across the field. His heart fell as he heard her scream, a hand shooting to her hip and clutching it as though she'd been shot. Something was definitely broken. The audino was surely done now.

Aiden looked down, ashamed of having hurt her. As Aaron's hand found its way to his belt, the sound of creaking metal caught their attention once more. The cracked arch gave way, falling forth onto the field.

Its shadow loomed over Krista.

"FUCK!" Aaron yelled as he swiftly withdrew the ball, finger trying to find the button as the colossal steel beam fell to the field. Krista shut her eyes, tears escaping them as she accepted the inevitable.

A loud creak made her open them again, followed by a heavily strained grunt. Aiden had thrown himself in the way, catching it as it bent under its own weight, leaving it mere inches over her. "H-hurry!" he stammered. Aaron immediately recalled her. No later had he done so did Aiden drop it, launching dust in all directions. The trainer's heart still pounded as he gradually came to terms with what had just happened.

Aaron had been a split second away from losing one of his pokémon. He handed the latios her ball, then tearfully looked back towards Aiden.

"…Thank you," was all he could manage that second. The dragon swallowed before giving a brisk nod.

It took him a moment to come back down to reality. Aaron steadied his nerves, knowing that there was still a battle to fight. Even if Aiden had saved Krista's life, he couldn't afford to let that get in the way of winning. Deciding on his next course of action, Aaron released Marcus onto the field.

The lucario glanced around, noting that there was a massive steel arch in the middle of the field. 'What the hell happened here?' he asked his trainer telepathically.

'Krista damn near died. Had it not been for Aiden, she would have…'

'Holy shit…' Marcus said. 'How much did she do to him?'

'…Pretty much nothing.'

'Ugh. Of course. Looks like I get to do everything.' He felt energy course through his veins – that primal surge bordering bloodlust – as his body took on the mega form. A rolling growl escaped his throat as the bone construct formed within a clenched fist. 'Anything else I should know?'

'He got three dragon dances off…'

'Fantastic.' Marcus decided that waiting for Aiden to make the first move would be a mistake. Fast as lightning, a blue sphere shot from his outstretched hand and impacted the charizard's chest. He stumbled back a few inches, then thrust himself upwards, shielded by the rising sun. Marcus had to shield his eyes but knew where his opponent was, feeling his aura draw close. He jumped back just as Aiden impacted.

"Close combat!" He swung towards Aiden's face, only for the bone staff to meet a clawed arm. That small opening was what he had hoped for. Marcus pivoted and brought the spike on the back of his hand into Aiden's side, waiting for a glimmer of red on steel. But his scales proved durable, a flinch being his only reward, and a swift fire punch at head level forced Marcus to dodge and pull back.

"Flare blitz." Aiden slashed his hands outwards, blue fire encompassing his body as he charged.

"Aura sphere!" Marcus' attack seemed to have no effect as Aiden spewed blue flames at him. Then his mind went blank as the weight of a truck impacted him.

"Shit…" Aaron muttered as his lucario rolled over.

"Blaze kick."

Aiden instantly capitalized on his opponent's stunned state and closed the distance fast as the eye could see. Marcus' body soared helplessly into the stands, impacting the seats a few hundred feet underneath Necrozma. An animalistic growl escaped his maw as his pupils dilated. Blood dripped onto the concrete beneath and he stared up with bared fangs. Fuck… Aaron tried reaching out for his friend but felt nothing there.

Not even Aiden was capable of avoiding what came next. A silver beam impacted him, hurling him back until he fell towards the moat, barely kept out of the water by hastily flapping his wings. He worriedly looked up only to see two aura spheres closing in fast, turning his body in mid-flight to drift between them. A third blue blur was another story.

Marcus brought his knee to Aiden's face. Blood. Upon hitting the ground, he instantly went for the leg. Aiden allowed for that hit to connect and snatched up his smaller opponent. Marcus was lifted and swiftly slammed onto the ground. Pain didn't register though. He rolled over, catching Aiden's clawed hands as he tried to shove him back down. Ground began to cave there as Aiden's far more powerful body was quickly winning out.

He snarled, ducking and rolling beside the charizard, thrusting himself up and flipping over a low sweep of Aiden's wing. A bone staff materialized in midair and he brought it down. Aiden stumbled for a split second before slamming his head into Marcus'. As the lucario shook his head, trying to regain balance, Aiden took off.

"He's trying to heal!" Aaron yelled, though he wasn't sure it could do Marcus any good. Nevertheless, his lucario wasn't about to let Aiden get away. He used extreme speed to get to the wall, leaping on top of it and sprinting as his target circled around, a glowing aura surrounding the dragon all the while. Aiden's eyes went wide as he leapt into the air.

Despite his primal surge, there was a moment of strategy as he went for a weak spot: Aiden's wing. Marcus wielded the bone staff with both hands and slammed it downward, impacting his target and grounding Aiden. And then there was a snap.

The following roar could have been heard for miles.

Exhaustion finally taking its toll, Marcus regained his senses. It was not his strike that had done the damage but rather Aiden's own body weight upon crashing. A jagged bone jutted out from a limp wing, spewing dark blood onto the field.

Nathan hastily recalled his charizard and handed him to the latios. At that moment Aaron saw a brief trace of annoyance – or was it anger? But he quickly composed himself and his features lessened. Back to calculative.

'What did I..?' Marcus trailed off.

'Welcome back,' Aaron said telepathically. 'Whatever the hell that was, it seems to have worked…'

Marcus stood up. He knew damn well what it had been: a power that his kind rarely used. One that they couldn't willingly utilize, and one that they feared. But he didn't have that in him again. Whatever came out next, he would have to make do with what he normally had at his disposal. He quickly healed himself the best he could in preparation for his next opponent.

He felt bad for having done such a thing – to Aiden of all people. But this was little short of war and there was no time to dwell on it. Nathan withdrew another pokéball, staring at the lucario. "I cannot blame you for an accident," he said. "I can feel Valerie fighting the temptation to come out of her ball right now… but this fight belongs to another." Nathan looked down at the ball. "Take him down, Zakiel."

A flash of violet light overtook their surroundings as Marcus braced himself. Shimmering like amethysts, crystals formed from sediment and raced towards a shrouded a figure on the field. Eventually it became calm enough to see what Marcus was up against, and when he did, the lucario released a heavy, dreadful breath. "…Fuck."

Zakiel tossed his mane theatrically with outstretched arms and an exuberant expression. The only difference was that he had put on a bit more muscle since their last meeting. "Hello pup."

"…Couldn't have possibly made a more dramatic entrance."

"Are you kidding? If I'd had my way, there'd have been a full orchestra announcing my presence." The zoroark's wolfish grin appeared. "After all, what else would be fit for your king?"

"As if."

"Oh, but it's true. I united both of your tribes along with our own. Lucarios and zoroarks, rivals turned allies against the moral sickness of Unova!" He swung his ponytail around, catching it right above the bead. "See, the others had their doubts, but ever since our little fight at the power plant, I knew you'd be a part of my story again. And what better way to prepare for that than by spending the past year learning everything about how your abilities work?"

"…What now?" It was impossible to know when the zoroark was serious or not, but even the thought was concerning. Zakiel went on as though he hadn't heard Marcus.

"And looking back, I cannot for the life of me figure out just why our groups ever fought to begin with." He took several steps towards the lucario, swinging his bead as he did so. Its red, white and black colors were overtaken by a blue glow tracing along its card-suit shapes. "I mean look at all we have in common. We abide by strict codes of honor. We've always been sought by for humans for our amazing abilities, each of us possessing diverse movesets. Warriors and mages. Unfortunately for you, I just so happen to be the greatest in both categories."

'Marcus, he isn't kidding. Says here he's level one hundred three.'

'Holy shit…' He was ready for any challenge, unwilling to back down, but that part would have been better left unsaid. That put him at a twenty-level deficit.

"Before we begin our little dance, I'll say this much: believe it or not, I do respect you. You've tackled every threat that's come your way, never backing down – even if you have no chance of winning. Just like right now." He narrowed his eyes. "I've waited quite some time for our grand finale. Patience is certainly one of my virtues, and I was very patient when it came to learning just how lucarios function. I developed a new trick – one that, unfortunately, keeps me from being able to use my illusions. But I'm sure you'll find this little performance just as exciting."

It felt like a bullet cut through Marcus. He stumbled back and growled in pain, clutching his throbbing head and glaring towards the zoroark, only to be met with that wide smile. He reached out to form a bone staff.

Nothing.

"What the—" He reached out to his trainer but couldn't feel a mental link. Instead, Marcus turned around and gave him a wide-eyed look.

"Marcus? What's wrong?"

"My… my powers… they're gone!"

"What? Which ones?!"

"All of them!" Marcus snapped. The fight was just beginning, and just like that, it had pretty much ended.

Blue sigils leapt from the surface of Zakiel's bead, one for each of the four card faces, and orbited around him until he placed a clawed hand on one – the heart. The other three vanished; a red surge of energy rushed into Zakiel's body, an image of a moltres flashing briefly. "But respect or not, I believe you and I have a bit of a score to settle." Marcus' expression further dropped as an energy gathered around the zoroark's free hand, one that lucarios were very familiar with. Zakiel hadn't been making it up; he had really learned their ways. A bone staff formed in the zoroark's hand.

He tossed it to Marcus, who caught it without understanding what was going on. Throughout the air, crystals solidified once more, forming a glowing amethyst scepter in his left hand. Marcus took a step back, then froze as another construct formed in Zakiel's right. A sword.

"What the fuck?!"

"Oh calm down. I dull the edges for friends." Zakiel laughed. "But that doesn't mean it won't hurt." Marcus steadied his breathing, trying to figure out how he could fight without any of his powers. Both his sword and scepter glowed like coals in a furnace. "Alright pup… let's dance!"

A slice of his sword sent a rolling wave of flame that overtook the entirety of the field. Aaron flinched back before a golden barrier formed over his platform, shielding him while Marcus wasn't so lucky. The lucario grit his teeth as heat washed over his body, searching for Zakiel and finding him on the opposite side of the field. His constructs floating on either side, the zoroark placed his right hand to his chest and concentrated. "Shit! He's buffing himself!"

As soon as Marcus charged, Zakiel laughed and hurled a massive flamethrower towards him; he rolled aside and threw his bone staff, only for a sword to telekinetically bat it aside. With a sliding kick, the lucario picked it up and swung for Zakiel's ankle. Something hard impacted the back of his head and sent him rolling. "Come on, pup! You didn't seriously think you could get away with that again, did you?" He leapt up and swung with a flurry of blows, each deflected almost effortlessly. Marcus swiftly brought his construct up and barely managed to block a head-level swipe. Zakiel leapt back and pointed the scepter towards him.

Fire engulfed the fighting-type and he hurriedly blocked his eyes. It was over just as fast – fortunately for Marcus – and as he smelled the putrid scent of singed hair, he looked immediately for his opponent. A vibrant glow had simmered down towards the center of the arena. Dammit! That was his strategy: to create those brief opportunities to consolidate his power. All Marcus could do was stay on him and try to prevent that from happening. He sprinted towards the other side.

"Back off!" Zakiel snapped, waving his scepter as a fiery wind picked up. Marcus was almost blown off his feet as the whirlwind overtook him, bending at his knees and bracing himself as the heat brushed over his body. 'Say your team does manage to win,' the zoroark's voice said within his mind. 'What then? The same crap that happened before? Moral abominations and political violence? Is that really the world you want?'

"Get out of my head!" His eyes darted around until he found Zakiel standing on the edge of arena wall. A glow died down from between his claws, each of the constructs floating in place beside him. Zakiel snatched up his scepter, waving it in the air as fiery crystals began to form in its wake. Marcus hardly had time to think before they were shot towards him. One hit its mark.

Marcus howled out in pain and stumbled for his footing. Blood matted fur. He snarled as he batted another crystal away and ran towards his opponent, ducking another shot before striking. Zakiel hurled a wave of flame and launched Marcus to the ground. He groaned as he got up, looking towards his trainer as if Aaron could help him at all. But there was nothing that could be done. Not without his powers.

Smoldering embers along his forearm were quickly put out as the lucario stood back up. "Aww… can't take the heat, pup?" He glared at Zakiel. "You just need to chill out!"

Another sigil floated in front of Zakiel – Marcus faintly made out the suit of clubs – and he threw his hands up, slamming his two constructs together as their crystals spiraled around. His body was coated with a layer of them, writhing and taking shape over his form as a single weapon emerged from two. A faint image of an articuno shrouded his transformation, but a flurry whipped around the field and forced Marcus to brace himself rather than witness it.

Zakiel struck the ground with a heavy thud. He stood tall, a glistening armor covering his torso and wrists as he positioned a greatsword over his left shoulder. "I'd stay light on my toes if I were you, pup – this one hurts." Marcus grit his teeth and tightened his grip on the bone staff. If this fox wanted to fight close quarters, that was fine by him. The zoroark grinned as he slashed upward, shaking the ground as a stream of frozen crystals shot up from below.

Shit! Marcus leapt to the side as he felt the jagged surface slash along his foot. From the corner of his eye, he saw the stream continue forward until it shattered on the wall. Zakiel ran forth and thrust a frigid bolt towards the lucario, lifting his sword and leaping towards him as he dodged.

"Look out!" Aaron shouted. Marcus barely had time to roll as the sword slammed into the ground, a frigid blast shooting in all directions and making him flinch. Zakiel swung around haphazardly and followed with a low sweep. Marcus jumped. His fist went for the zoroark's face, only to find that he was still agile despite a change in form. Zakiel dodged two blows, jumping back and responding with a blast of freezing air. Ice clung to Marcus, clawing at his skin as though it were trying to penetrate into muscle. With a swift spin, he launched a blizzard in all directions and shrouded himself from sight.

'And what do you think would happen afterwards? That you would be celebrated as heroes? Maybe for some time, but the miserable little animals that live in your cities will turn on you. All because you aren't in bed with their agenda!' That annoying laugh echoed across his mind as Marcus hurriedly searched the misty battlefield for his target. 'Not like you are with that floatzel, anyways. Don't think I didn't pick up on that little detail…' His muzzle wrinkled as he let forth an irritated growl. Had he not done so, maybe he would have heard the footsteps behind.

Marcus' body lurched forward as Zakiel dropkicked him from behind. A howling laughter rang across the blizzard. He pushed himself up from the frozen ground, rage plastering his face. Before Zakiel could react, he spun around and slung his bone staff, clipping the zoroark's jaw. In a flash, Marcus lunged forth and ran his shoulder into Zak's midsection, the armor's hard surface standing firm. He went for his leg – his only opening – and threw his own behind it in a hasty takedown attempt.

Zakiel instead headbutted Marcus, throwing a roundhouse kick to his steadfast leg and sweeping the back of his knee out. The ground barely had time to register to the lucario before he was swept up again, this time by his foe's telekinetic grasp. He struggled to no avail. "C'mon pup, I've already told you – I learned your tricks." A concussive blast claimed Marcus' senses as he was hurled towards his trainer.

Aaron clenched his fist as his lucario was tossed around – toyed with. If Zakiel was taking this fight seriously, it wasn't showing. But all the same, the lucario got up with a vicious growl, making a run for his bone staff. Sword hoisted over his shoulder, Zak leapt into the air and attacked with a downward slice. Marcus dodged, finding himself ducking and weaving as the massive blade was swung with far more speed than he thought possible. In the furious exchange, his fist finally met its mark.

The lucario dashed towards his fallen bone staff while Zakiel stumbled back, a quick jab having met his muzzle. "There we go, pup! I knew you wouldn't disappoint too much!" He spun around just as Marcus sliced towards him at head level, parrying a strike with his gauntlet before bringing his knee upward. Breath was forced from Marcus' lungs as it connected with his stomach. The world went upside down as he was blasted away, ice trailing over his body more with each hit. A flash broke through his blurry vision. Marcus felt the massive sword impact his ribs, folding over as warm blood filled his mouth.

"Marcus!" Aaron yelled. It was on deaf ears.

'Say, that was a really hard hit you took there. I think you should sit this one out, champ.'

'Like… hell…' His muscles screamed for him to stop, feeling like lead with even the smallest of movements. But Marcus still found the strength to stand back up.

'Speaking of which… does it even bother you that Giratina himself roots for your success? Do you even care that your victory would bring more people to him?'

'That's their problem!' He eyed the bone staff, somehow still intact after all it had been through. Zakiel shrugged as if daring him to go for it.

'I guess that's the difference between us, pup. I make other people's problems my own – I stand for my kind and for others. But you… you ran away.' Aaron couldn't tell what was being said between the two, but in seeing Marcus' eyes narrow, he knew the zoroark had gotten to him somehow. 'Oh yes, I know your past. So desperate to feel loved and accepted, you couldn't accept the mediocracy you held within your hierarchy – so you set out to find what you lacked in a human. And you've done well, sure. I've faced many of your kind before, and none have withstood me this long. But you fight for the right to damnation.'

'I fight for their choice.' Marcus sprinted for the bone staff, surprised when no freezing blasts followed him there. He spun around to face off against his opponent once more – only to watch as Zakiel thrust himself high into the air. He spun theatrically and hurled his sword.

'Fetch!' Marcus jumped aside it stuck right about where he had been standing. With no time to hesitate, he lunged for the zoroark.

Nobody had time to react when it exploded. Icy crystals sprung forth like chains, shackling Marcus' wrist and pulling him back as ice encompassed his legs. He tried to break free to no avail as another greatsword formed in Zakiel's open hand. The zoroark slowly stepped towards Marcus.

Gripping it like a baseball bat, he swung, shattering through Marcus' bone staff and hurling his body into the air. Zakiel laughed maniacally as he flew up, holding Marcus still as he swung with all his might. Aaron's hand trembled as he gripped the ball, watching as his lucario was beaten mercilessly with one heavy blow after another. Zakiel smiled at a look of pain and desperation, flying over Marcus and gripping his sword with both hands. With a swift downward thrust he slammed it into his midsection.

Zakiel impacted the ground first, telekinetically catching Marcus' limp body without looking back. He smirked towards Aaron, savoring his silent stare as he released his hold on the lucario, who didn't move a muscle upon hitting the ground. "Fuck…" This wasn't good; Marcus had barely laid a finger on him. As he held up his ball, ready to return the downed lucario, he found himself at a loss for words.

"Come on, pup – the night's still young. I know you aren't tapping out on me yet…" A bright beam leaped from his claws, encompassing Marcus. His vision, having almost reached the threshold of darkness, snapped open as energy poured into him. Thoughts were still blurry, but there was no longer pain throughout his body. At a loss for words, even Aaron failed to notice Zakiel buffing himself twice more in rapid succession. "See? Aren't I nice?"

Two remaining sigils revolved around him and Zakiel placed his hand on the spade. As crystals morphed into yet another shape, the zoroark formed another bone staff and threw it towards Marcus. He caught it face-level, eyes peering above its translucent surface as he watched an image of a zapdos leap out.

In place of a blade there was a sleek arch. Thin tendrils weaved between the points, floating in place and not truly anchoring, and it was when a plethora of small crystals had combined to form dozens of arrows that he realized what he was up against. An electrical current leapt from one projectile to another, each of which floated around Zakiel. 'Say, your bones are coated in metal, aren't they?' Zakiel said through their telepathic link before leaping away, well out of Marcus' reach as his body floated weightlessly into the stands. A steady stream of crystals followed him, forming arrows on their own accord as he loaded the first several. 'Oh, by the way, I'd start running if I were you…'

He hardly struck the bow, which almost seemed more cosmetic than anything. Arrows loaded themselves and rapidly fired; Marcus kept low to the ground, juking between shots before swatting one away with his construct, drawing closer to Zakiel and leaping over the moat. Muscles went rigid as a burst of electricity leapt from his claws, letting up only as Marcus began to fall back. In haste, he clenched the wall and pushed off of it, swinging upwards and throwing his bone staff. The zoroark struck it aside with his bow, swiping with his free hand and snatching Marcus' balance away before launching into the air with a spiraling flip, knocking an arrow in place before firing.

Marcus cried out as the arrow lightly pierced skin on his back and shattered, spreading electricity throughout his body. Every nerve and muscle fired off, clenching his body up, and if he had felt a sharper pain in his life, he couldn't recall it. It ended after what felt like an eternity had passed. By that point, Zakiel had already found his next position – the top of the big screen – and quickly winked at the nearest camera drone before knocking several arrows at once. 'I think I've figured out your issue, pup. You're too focused on the here and now rather than the bigger picture.' He let loose a barrage of arrows into the sky, projectiles immediately replacing those released and building up a greater volley. For a split second, the sun was blotted out.

He thrust himself back onto the field, a glimmer catching his eye, and he rolled underneath one arrow, jumped and narrowly avoided another. Back to the sky – and it was clear that he had no time left. Zakiel aimed at him, then immediately towards the descending barrage, firing a supercharged arrow.

Lightning crackled and spewed over the field as Marcus was caught within its storm, one wicked bolt after another hurling their burning current into his body. He fell to one knee, trying to push himself up as static coursed along his limbs. Every nerve within him fired off, searing pain being all that the lucario could comprehend as his trainer yelled for him to move. And he did; another arrow whizzed by, scratching Marcus' wrist and bouncing off his spike. Zakiel readied himself with a wide grin as the distance between them closed, near enough to where Marcus could almost reach out and strike him before bounding into the air with a great backflip, firing multiple arrows like a shotgun and forcing the lucario to roll aside. A split second was all it took. Marcus snapped to attention, his glance seeing a great arrow poised and ready to strike.

This one knocked him onto his back. Marcus released a guttural cry as breath was forced out, struggling to regain it as he faintly made out the sight of Zakiel buffing himself again. Grunting, he tried to get up – but failed. After all his exertion – and having taken many hits – Marcus fell, his body refusing to obey him anymore. As his consciousness began to fade, he heard Zakiel's voice again.

'A few years back, everything went to hell. I made… a really hard decision to protect this region. I spent many nights praying that Zekrom may come to my aid. I wondered why he never did – and why things ended the way they did. But then it hit me. It wasn't the legendaries fault for how things turned out. It's ours. We make our own demons. After I slayed mine, I dedicated myself to slaying the rest. And what better way to do so then by striking down the corrupted worm himself?!'

Marcus rolled onto his stomach in an effort to push himself up. An effort that utterly failed. Zakiel walked over him, pointing a clawed hand towards his chest. "Three strikes and you're out – right, pup?" Zakiel said aloud. To Aaron's shock, Zakiel hit Marcus with another heal pulse, walking right past the recovering lucario as a final sigil – a diamond – glowed on his bead. Pain became dulled, minor injuries quickly healing themselves as his stamina replenished. Marcus pivoted around, enraged that this was being treated like it was some sort of game.

Zakiel's bow dissipated into nothingness, the crystals composing it joining an ever-growing group circling him as more formed from sediment below. "Now I'm sure you're wondering why I've allowed you to be my little plaything for the past five minutes."

"Enlighten me, asshole."

"Oh, there's no need for that sort of language. I've been nothing if not nice during this fight." All of a sudden, Marcus felt the iron walls around his mind lower, his senses returning to normal. He looked towards Aaron who was just as confused.

The zoroark's mental grasp over him had lifted.

A crystal storm blotted out Zakiel's body, encompassing him and forming a cocoon-like structure. The lucario hastily launched an aura sphere only for it to dissipate upon contact. From within, his voice emanated. "Most pokémon can only get off three major buffs before diminishing returns. I, on the other hand, can manage ten. As fun as you are to have around, pup, those heals weren't for free. I learned how to counter lucarios just for you – all so I could build up what I need to sweep through the rest of your team! Your trainer should've let you sit this one out!" Aaron froze, realizing he was right. The very thing Kyurem had warned them of had now come to pass. "You have a few moments to buff yourself. No tricks, no drawbacks. If you're going to be humiliated for all the world to see, what better way to do so than at your peak strength?"

"Kiel!" Nathan said, not amused by the fact that his zoroark was even entertaining the thought of giving Marcus a chance.

"Hush now – everyone here knows how this ends. I've been waiting for this fight for a year now. As far as I'm concerned, I paid premium price for these tickets. I'm getting my money's worth." Marcus doubted there wasn't a catch, but right now they were left with little choice. He used swords dance several times, doing what he could to hopefully match the overcharged zoroark in his final form. For the first time in the fight, he formed his own bone staff.

A lugia flew overhead and faded. The cocoon violently unfolded into two separate halves, each being pristinely symmetrical and connecting at Zakiel's shoulders. A pair of massive, angelic wings stared back at Marcus; in each of his hands was a short sword, and behind him, three floated on either side. He levitated in the air, the crystalline wings fluttering slowly as he laughed.

"…Holy shit," Aaron murmured. Though hope was something in short supply, his lucario was ready to tackle it; there was nothing left to lose, and Marcus had never been one to quit.

"Say, you might want to use swords dance one more time," Zakiel said with a laugh. All of a sudden, his swords went flying, slicing violet gashes within the air as they approached Marcus in an offset timing. He batted the first two away, dodged and leapt around the rest while hurling aura spheres. Zakiel carelessly dodged before slamming into the ground in front of Marcus, his swords returning as he did so. Even Marcus' reflexes were far too slow for what came next.

Zakiel's arms moved in a flash, far faster than Marcus' eyes could register. One blade struck his leg, another the side of his head before a harsh front kick sent him stumbling back. There was no hesitation, no break in his pace. Zakiel slammed into him again, disarming the lucario before spinning in place and nailing him with one of his heavy wings. He rolled over as a sword slammed into the ground where he had just been and formed a bone staff in each hand as Zakiel swooped in for another assault.

All eight swords slammed into Marcus' bone staffs, locking them together as Zakiel looked down with a vicious grin. "Come on now! Give me a good show!" He threw a left kick towards Marcus' head, who moved his right arm to catch it before going for a low sweep. Before his foot could connect, Zak jumped and twisted, connecting his other foot to Marcus' jaw, then jumped up and slammed all eight swords down in unison.

Marcus took the blows, each of which hurt far more than before, and hurled his body into the zoroark with an extreme speed. Zakiel telekinetically lifted him, slamming him into the ground twice before lifting him into the air. 'Enjoy your flight.' Before he knew it, Marcus was thrown hundreds of feet away, fear and panic setting in as the ground grew further away. His back slammed into one of the spotlights, shattering it and sending sparks flying everywhere. His hand clutched the broken structure as Zakiel soared in front of him. Marcus couldn't fight here; he had to jump for it.

He landed an aura sphere on the incoming zoroark before thrusting himself off, aiming for a moat which seemed like it was miles away, preparing to slow his descent with the little bit of psychic power he could manage. One thing finally went right as Marcus safely impacted water. He struggled to swim up, surfacing only for Zakiel to land ahead of him. "Fuck!" Marcus said as a psychic blast was hastily released. For a moment, things went dark, the concussive wave rocking his entire body. But everything began to move immediately afterwards, the very water that had been his savior now bringing him with it. Zakiel thrust one of his swords upwards as lightning struck it. He stabbed the water.

The lucario howled in pain as electricity claimed his body again, not noticing amid the fiery current as heat was speedily removed from the water and into his blades. A frigid slurry encased Marcus, freezing around him as Zakiel formed a fiery vortex and blasted him. His body went flying, one of his hand spikes embedding itself into the wall. Shit shit shit…. Marcus repeated in his head as he tried to pry himself free. Zakiel walked along the water's surface and readied another attack.

Marcus kicked the wall, throwing his legs over his head and shoving off, finally managing to free himself as he crashed into Zakiel, who threw him off and back onto the field. Marcus persisted, leaping back over the moat and swinging his bone club. Impact. Zakiel recoiled from it, crystals flying off his wings as he was submerged waist-deep before freezing water beneath him and thrusting off of it. His wing immediately repaired itself as he soared overhead, hurling his swords towards Marcus once again.

'Not bad! Dare I say, I'm even impressed! Of course, that little move won't save you.'

'Whatever!'

'Marcus!' Aaron said telepathically. 'The crystals – he's using them like conduits to channel his attacks!'

'Do you honestly think I haven't realized that?!'

'Then target them!' The lucario nodded. Such a tactic might just salvage this fight. He wasn't given much time to formulate a plan, though, as Zakiel switched his own strategy. He landed on the opposite side of the field, his back to Aaron as a fiery aura encompassed his swords, nostrils flaring as his pointed teeth curled into smile.

'Ever played 'the floor is lava,' pup?' He thrust his blades into the ground.

Jets of flame, rolling and churning, overcame the field as Marcus hurriedly used protect. He could see nothing, and heat threatened to eat through his barrier any moment as he kept close to water. Marcus leapt into the stands as the ground near where he had been exploded, leaving a smoldering crater in its place.

'Watch out!' Aaron snapped. He spun around and parried a quick slice, slashing his bone staff in frantic motions to block the fury of swords. Zakiel moved quick as lightning, erratic and unpredictable, smacking Marcus' construct aside before pelting him continuously. Again he took the hits in an effort to get close – to try and capitalize off of the one advantage that he did have. But Zakiel wouldn't let him, snatching Marcus by his throat and lifting him into the air.

The zoroark tossed him and batted him back down with a sweep of his wing into concrete. Pain began to catch up to him. Something in chest not felt off as Zakiel flew back. The eight swords floated ahead of himself, conically angled towards Marcus as a purple aura spewed from them.

Marcus ducked as the beam tore through the stadium and into the ground far below, his eyes wide and frantic as the desire to win was superseded by one to survive. "What the fuck?! That would've killed me!"

"Would have," Zakiel said with a shrug. "So I guess you'd best not get hit, right?" He responded with another blast that blew through concrete like it was cardboard. Marcus leapt to his feet, adrenaline overpowering his strained body as he sprinted on the seats, terrified to turn around lest he get hit. Fiery debris was raining with each shot; Aaron's finger rested on the button, ready to recall Marcus at a moment's notice, realizing that Zakiel was purposely aiming his shots ever-so-slightly behind.

The lucario's pace faltered. Zakiel snatched him up, telekinetically strangling him in midair before flinging him towards his trainer. He barked out in pain as that same spot on his side was hit, rolling back onto his feet, hoping that this would be over soon – whatever the result. He couldn't take much more; it was a wonder his mega evolution had lasted this long.

'I know why,' Zakiel said. 'I know why you left. It's because you're enslaved to the vice that grips most of your kind. Heck, the same vice that made our tribes rivals to begin with. Pride. You couldn't bear the thought of not being at the top of your pack, so you found a new one. And look where that pride has gotten you now! Your loss is being watched by billions!'

Crystals were everywhere, formed from debris created during their fight, violently spinning as Zakiel took his place in the center once more. He shot a hand up and they all stood still. "Had I wanted you dead, pup, you'd have been gone in the first ten seconds. And even if I did want to kill you, you're just too much fun to have around. That said… I think our little dance has come to an end." With a twist of his hand, Zakiel forced the countless projectiles to face Marcus.

He stumbled onto his feet – a final act of defiance despite knowing there was no escape. Nathan uttered the words though it wasn't necessary. "Zakiel… use bombardment."

"Mhm." In the blink of an eye they all shot towards their target. Marcus' hands went to his face, instinctively guarding it as he was pelted from all sides, pounding his frame into submission. Aaron closed his eyes, realizing that he had given Nathan's team exactly what they needed to win.

Marcus had gone fetal on the ground. The numerous crystals dissipated into the sediment they had been composed of, leaving him sprawled out amidst the pile. Zakiel strutted over as the lucario fought unconsciousness, a violet flow emanating from his left hand as the swords floated behind him. He stood over Marcus as the mega evolution reverted and aimed for the lucario's head. "Well now… something about this seems familiar." A wide grin and piercing icy eyes were the last thing that registered to Marcus.

"Shit…" Aaron whispered to himself. Throwing his mane back, Zakiel walked over his defeated opponent, forming the illusion of a cigar between his claws. A puff of smoke was released with a satisfied exhale.

"Tell me, pup, did you enjoy that as much as I did?" Aaron returned Marcus, not as humored by Zakiel's remark as the zoroark seemed to be. With only two members of Nathan's team down, there had already been significant destruction to their battlefield. Holes had been blown in the stands. Slight fissures had appeared among a scorched field while chunks of ice floated in the moat. Zakiel cast a glance towards his trainer. "See? No problem."

There wasn't much of a question as to who to use next. Both Nora and Mewtwo needed to be saved for Nathan's aces, so Aster was all he had to hopefully catch them up. Against a zoroark who had been boosted nearly a dozen times, though, that seemed overly optimistic.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Aster said upon being released.

"Nice to see you again, too!" Zakiel said, reclining in midair and propping one leg over another. "Seeing as to how your trainer and Marcus were kind enough to let me stack the deck in my favor, I don't expect us to be here for long."

"You talk too much." Aster slung razor leaves towards Zakiel. Swords sliced each projectile from with surgical precision, and in that split second, the serperior formed a dual screen.

"Oh no – none of that!" Aster's body lurched forward as Zakiel crashed into him. He planted his foot and spun. Mighty wings slammed into the grass-type, cutting through both protective barriers effortlessly before a sword struck him on the cheek.

Zakiel laughed and vanished as a vine went straight for his neck. "Now that the pup is out of the picture, I'm free to use my illusions again. Isn't that great?" Aster's eyes scanned his surroundings as he remained on guard. Crystals floated in the air and scattered around, poised and ready to strike. One struck Aster on his side. He spun around and sliced the air with a vine whip. "Behind you!" A sword of ice cut across his back.

"Leaf blade!" Zakiel flipped over Aster just as he spun around, shoving his foot off the serperior's head and vanishing once again.

"Coward!" Aster hissed.

"Oh?" Zakiel appeared a respectable distance away. "Would you prefer that I do something like this?" A purple fog enveloped him, an illusion of a milotic taking the place of the zoroark. Aster hissed angrily as the façade looked at him, tilted its head and slowly batted its eyes. Even the voice was perfectly on par. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?"

"HOW DARE YOU?!"

"Aster!" Aaron called out in vain. The serperior went on a rampage, speeding towards his opponent with murderous intent. He shot energy balls in rapid succession as the false milotic writhed around, dodging each before aiming with an ice beam.

Aster cried out as a crystal underneath him exploded and sent a spiteful current through him. Zakiel thrust his wing into the serperior's head, shaking his entire world before blasting him with freezing water. He pivoted and slung his tail towards the foe. Two swords formed a cross and blocked their wielder as he spun the rest around his body, slamming them into Aster's side before finishing off with a knee to the face.

"And you call yourselves the 'champions of chaos?' And I thought I was funny!" Aster launched a solar beam, hearing a sound like shattering glass as a hole was blown in Zakiel's wing. Swords danced within a jet of flame, heat blotting out Aster's senses, and he sliced towards each blade, trying to fend them off. A swift kick to his tail. He spun around only to be met with the edge of Zakiel's intact wing. Blood fizzled out in the fire and he disappeared again. "You're predictable. You and the pup. Your moves are almost perfectly choreographed – like a dance you've performed hundreds of times! I can see your moves coming from a mile away!"

Aster ignored him and lashed out again. Flaming razor leaves cut across the field, searching for an unseen opponent while forming projectiles around himself.

"Leaf tornado!" Aaron called out through the confusion. His vortex mixed with flames as it spread across the field. A gap appeared; Aster shot at it with a solar beam but hit nothing. A sword hit Aster in the back of his head and he was flattened. His senses became dulled, a throbbing pain in his skull overpowering him.

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Zakiel said, leaping away before a vine could wrap around his torso. "You just take the bait every single time…"

"How about I rip out your tongue?!"

"That's not very gentlemanly of you. What would Naomi say to such a statement?" the zoroark replied. His laugh made the serperior hiss in anger, fully meaning his comment. Her figure appeared towards the water, eyes wide and mouth agape. "Aster! I don't think I could ever love someone so cruel…"

Razor leaves stuck in the wall where the illusion had once been, one having pierced the milotic's neck. Though he knew it wasn't real, the sight of blood spraying, almost dancing like a scarlet ribbon from her opened throat, made him freeze up.

Zakiel appeared in front of him and shot him point blank with a blizzard. Aaron watched as his serperior was flung away, bouncing off of the wall and into icy, churning waters. He slithered out. Ice had started forming between his scales, greatly impeding movement, and he whipped his tail to try and rid himself of it. "Synthesis!" Aaron called out.

The zoroark let Aster do so. "Yes, yes – use up your healing moves now. Surely you won't need those later…" Instead of intervening, he formed a greatsword between his hands, angling it downward. "Stop me if you've heard this one, Aster." He ducked a razor leaf while laughing. "What do you get when you cross a snake with permafrost?" He stabbed the ground, sending a rippling frost over the entire battlefield as jagged boulders of ice shot up. Falsehood merged with reality, weather becoming violent with gusts and flurries that tugged at Aster's scales. It was then he heard the voice inside his head. 'Actually… I'll let you figure out the punchline in due time.'

Aaron couldn't see his pokémon; the illusion clouded his own perception and made him little more than a useless bystander. "I can't see you Aster! But play it smart – don't let him get to you!" But his voice drifted out into the ferocious winds.

A pair of aurorus slowly trotted towards a distant glacial mountain, passing a group of nestled piloswines in the process. The cold was unforgiving. Trees were coated in thick blankets of snow, and as he cautiously slithered forth, eyes frantically darting around for any sight of Zakiel, he approached a fallen tree and accidentally nudged it with his body. Though the illusion persisted, he felt a cold metal surface within. The arch that had nearly killed Krista.

'The Crown Tundra of Galar,' Zakiel said telepathically. Aster pivoted around and shot a solar beam at the zoroark, watching as his attack passed through without him so much as budging.

"What is this?"

'You're a clever snake – you know this is an illusion.'

"What are you doing?" Zak's false figure walked past him, casually stepping over the disguised arch and into a clearing.

'Think of it as our own little snow globe. I wanted to see what you would say. Not the Aster who's scared of what his trainer might think – or those billions of other people.'

"Well too bad. Now get out here and finish this!"

'Oh I intend to. How I do so depends on you, though.' Zakiel's façade crossed its arms, glistening wings shimmering through snowfall. 'I could have ended this fight the second it began. Just like with the pup. But I'm too nice for that, and besides, I wouldn't want to explain to Naomi why her favorite earthworm is missing his top half.' Aster went silent, still keeping his guard up for a surprise attack. It was coming; he knew it. Somewhere amid this sea of white, Zakiel was plotting his next move, ready to capitalize on the smallest weakness or moment of insecurity. 'I couldn't have written a sadder story myself,' Zakiel continued. 'You fell for her – and she for you. And she loved you enough to not want you to have to betray your trainer, your ideals – if they are even yours – over her.'

"Stop…"

'What could have been a romance ended in tragedy. Nay – something worse. Wouldn't it have been better to be denied outright than to know that she feels the same? To know that, despite the longing, neither of you could bear the thought of leaving your trainers. To have everything you want right in front of you… and it may as well be a million miles away.'

"Be quiet!" Aster snapped as he sliced the air with a solar beam, blasting nothing in particular despite his best efforts. He knew it was true.

'How rude – you didn't even let me finish.' The zoroark's image appeared in the limb of an upright tree, realistic enough to where snow gently fell off from what appeared to be his shifting weight. 'Thing is, your story doesn't need to end like that. We're playing for all the marbles, you see. Did you ever consider what would happen if we win?'

"I know damn well," Aster spat. "You think you can change them? Make them better? You're only fooling yourselves. They have to want to change – it can't be forced on them! And if you've lived among them for as long as I have, then you know they'll never turn from their ways."

'That's where we must disagree. Build a dam and you reroute the flow of water. A little force, a little direction, and you would be surprised at what may result. They can be better. They just need the right stimuli.' The false zoroark laughed, jumping off the tree and vanishing. His figure reappeared in front of Aster. 'But I can see it in you. You really don't care about winning or losing this. In your mind, the end is the same either way. Nothing would really change for them according to you, right? They'll be damned either way.' Aster remained quiet. That much he could agree with. 'Well, one thing will change. Obviously if we did happen to lose, Nathan and the rest of the team wouldn't be able to stay here, now would they? But should we win…' The serperior looked down.

"I…"

'He's planned the grandest of redemption arcs. The most wicked region in the world will be our capital – turned into a shining beacon, one that will serve as a reminder of how we can all be better. Sodomites turned to saints. You see? We don't exactly plan on moving. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?' The zoroark slowly walked behind him, trailing his claws along Aster's back. It was real; maybe nothing else around them was, but Zakiel truly did stand behind him at that moment. 'You know I'm telling the truth. Reshiram doesn't choose liars. This is the future Naomi hopes for. One you can share together once all of this is over. All you need to do is take a convincing hit. I'll even pull the punch just for you.' Beads of moisture stung Aster's eyes in the cold.

He sliced at Zakiel with a leaf blade and was blocked by a pair of frozen swords, following it up with a fury of cuts, each of which were deflected with masterful movements from Zakiel. The zoroark spun around and brought one of his blades to Aster's neck. He fell over as cold seemed to consume his body and spread across fracture scales. 'Hmm. Well, your persistence is admirable, but it's also a shame…'

"So what?!" Aster snapped. "We have almost no chance of winning anyways! So I might as well beat some respect into you while I'm here!"

'Maybe.' Zakiel seemed to warp into the sky, bisecting the ground with a harsh beam of ice that spread sharp crystals in its wake. 'But what will Naomi think, knowing that you chose your dedication to the 'right to depravity' over her? I imagine it would break her heart…'

The wind picked up and stripped warmth from Aster's body. His labored breaths came with dense clouds of fog as snow blurred his vision. There was a shimmer of light. He ducked as swords flew by, curling through the air back to their unseen owner as Aster slithered underneath the metal arch, not stopping as a sword construct shattered into countless pieces behind him. 'In any case, our little chat gave me enough time to prepare for our grand finale. Perhaps I may fall to one of the others, but not after I've depleted most of their resources.'

A flash overtook them, momentarily blinding Aster while the scenery changed again. He couldn't identify up from down, reality itself seeming to distort. Innumerable lights pierced the darkness of space, swirling galaxies making their presence known amongst the wreckage of a supernova. Comets streaks across the sky as Zakiel's wings spread wide, each of the crystals composing them glowing with a vibrant light. 'I wanted to do this the easy way,' he said. 'But unfortunately, you have chosen pain.'

Aster cried out as a psychic laser engulfed him. Scales worked their way loose and flew away as flesh was exposed, coiling up and leaping towards an opponent who disappeared just as quickly. He stayed low to what he assumed was the ground, struck over and over by the crystal swords as he attempted to escape, pillars of starlight piercing the heavens and raining down on him. All of a sudden a vicious electrical current exploded through him, Aster groaning as his body contorted. 'Oh – looks like you found one of my wards. I took the liberty of placing a few of those during our little talk.' Zakiel pivoted and connected his wing with Aster's side, rolling the serpent over. His senses were overwhelmed as the zoroark's psychic grasp held him in the air. In his defenseless state, Zakiel went on the offensive again.

He spun and batted Aster away with his wing. It felt like being hit by a truck, followed immediately by swords that threatened to break bone with each hit. Scenery morphed once more, constantly changing, living and breathing chaos as Aster tried to regain his bearings. Something struck him from behind, but he didn't trust it. He couldn't trust anything anymore. A blurry glance revealed a darkened sphere in the midst of the cosmos, consuming the light without hesitation or mercy. Yet in front of it, the zoroark's wings were outstretched.

The serperior spun around and released a solar beam, holding the green ray of energy as he turned against everything, piercing illusion with nothing to show for it. He slung out a vine as far as he could reach, trailing it far lower than the beam. And then, in the heat of his desperation, he hit something solid. "Oh shi—"

Aster snatched Zakiel from the air, his body bouncing upon contact as the vine secured its prey. All the scenery faded away. "Wrap!" Aaron yelled, finally able to get through to his pokémon. Aster thrust his momentum into Zakiel, body coiling around the zoroark and squeezing just as fast, shattering the wing constructs as his eyes went wide. One arm was between layers of the coil, sending a spreading ice into Aster's body as his face came inches away from Zakiel's.

"Submit! NOW!" he snapped. "Or I'll crush the life out of you!" His eyes narrowed, rage plastering his face as air was violently forced from Zakiel's contracting chest. Finally. It had only been luck, but luck was enough. He felt the zoroark's ribs tightening in as the ice refused to spread any further, a strained gasp escaping his maw as his blue eyes showed fear.

"I'd do it, Zak. He can stay like that all day. You can't." Aaron glanced towards Nathan. The older trainer released a barely-visible sigh, his hand lowering to his belt. One last feeble attempt was made as he weakly squirmed, a pitiful move which only served to give Aster a better angle as he compressed even tighter. Just before his eyes could roll back, Zakiel's hand weakly tapped the serperior in rapid succession.

He released Zakiel and slithered away, leaving a zoroark who heavily gasped for breath, claws embedded in earth as he sucked down precious oxygen, almost choking on it in the process. Aster glared at him once more before shattering the ice along his body. He then looked at Aaron. "Well done, bud. You did it." As Nathan raised his ball to return Zakiel, the zoroark quickly shook his head, motioning for him to wait.

"No… no… th-this isn't… how it was… supposed to end…" He said every few syllables between heavily labored breaths.

"Too bad," Aster spat.

"All that work… all that setup…"

"You'll get over it. Now leave." After using synthesis to heal himself up, Aster was finally able to see his true surroundings. The stadium had been totaled. Ice clung to everything – battlefield and seating area alike – and fragments of concrete and bent steel were strewn about. For all intents and purposes, the field would have been considered completely unusable, but that didn't matter now. Necrozma was still perched in his spot, not having budged an inch, and somehow the big screen still functioned.

Despite his predicament, Zakiel laughed, pushing himself onto all fours before somehow finding the strength to stand up again. "Frostbite."

"What?" Aster asked.

"That's what you get when you cross a snake with permafrost."

"…That's not even that funny," the serperior retorted. Zakiel just shrugged.

"Eh, you're right. Best I could come up with on the spot." He limped back towards Nathan while clutching his chest. "But you know what is funny? Guess who you get to fight next?" Aster squeezed his eyes shut as the zoroark released a pained laugh, bearing his pristine pointed teeth once more. "Ah… I may have lost, but you're sure about to wish you had." With that, Zakiel was retrieved.

Even with their lucky break, the results of the fight were anything but good. Aster had only ever managed five usages of synthesis per battle – and most of those were gone now. And that was only the third strongest member of their team…

Aster looked towards Nathan, then towards the ground. He knew what was about to happen. So when an icy wind resumed, perfectly set up from the prior fight, he wasn't surprised. Just hurt. The levels were much closer with this matchup; even still, she held a tremendous advantage: ninety-nine to his ninety-four. That was saying nothing of the emotional one.

She looked away as gentle streams began to run down Aster's face. He had hoped for any other outcome, but he should have expected this. Reality had been nothing if not cruel to them. He didn't want to do this. Naomi did not move, but he could see in her eyes that she felt the same. "…Do what you came here to do." Clouds had blotted out the sun and the temperature dropped to well below freezing.

"I love you…" he whispered. As snow began to grace the field, they both accepted their cruel resolve – their position in this fight. They obeyed their trainers.

Nathan was the first to give an order. "Icy wind and atomic shield." A bitter wave of frost cascaded and forced Aster to slither behind a frozen chunk of concrete; Naomi formed a bright barrier over her body. Particles of ice orbited her, slowing to a halt as an icy armor was formed over her body.

"Energy ball!" A glowing orb of energy shredded across the field, impacting her directly and doing nothing else. Naomi immediately leapt into the water, skimming the surface as she made her way towards their side. "Solar beam!" Aaron yelled as she leapt from the water.

"Mirror coat!" Aster failed to halt his attack before it released. He dodged quickly as his beam was reflected right back, doubling in strength and blowing a crater in the ground. "Mist." Naomi swept her tail outwards. Vapor began to rise from the few spots not coated in white; a dense fog overtook their surroundings to the point where Aster had trouble seeing what was right in front of him.

The mist rushed around, joining the snow in a whipping vortex. Aster released a frosted breath which immediately was swept away. His eyes raced around for any sight of his unfortunate opponent, and though there was no sight of her, a single order made him wary. "Confuse ray." Fog parted as Naomi stood in front of him. A disorienting pulse came from her antenna and encapsulated Aster's body, overwhelming his senses and balance. He lashed out at Naomi. A vine whip was easily dodged as he sped away, crashing into a boulder of ice and slicing his side open, earning a strained hiss as blood immediately began to seep out.

"Fuck…" Aaron said. He could see little more than shadowy figures racing within the mist, but it was clear that Aster was hurt. And with that, the serperior used synthesis again, ducking behind the metal arch and mending his wound as best as he could.

"Weather ball." Nathan was still calm despite half of his team being down. And he had every reason to be. A scalding blast impacted Aster as he tried to regain his bearings, melting ice around him and only contributing more to the fog around them. Things couldn't go on like this.

"Aster! Use twister and leaf storm to clear the mist!" Nodding quickly, he did as he was ordered. He aimed for nothing in particular, sending the whirling vortexes out as vapor joined in, finally giving some clear vision in his immediate surroundings. Part of him wished it wasn't so. That he couldn't see her sorrowful expression, loathing this fight as much as him. As strength flowed into his body from his previous attack, he aimed a solar beam while she swung her tail.

"Protect and swift." A barrier of ice shards formed in front of her and blocked his attack. Shreds of light beamed in every direction; she spun around and hurled the projectiles towards him, each striking like bullets, stinging as two of them exploded on impact despite his attempts to dodge.

"Razor leaf!" Aster darted out, readying the projectiles, but then hesitated. The image Zakiel had made flashed in his mind and he couldn't bring himself to follow Aaron's command. Instead, he went in close, slinging his tail around violently. It crashed into her armor of ice, fracturing chips of it away as she snaked around and hit him with a hydro pump.

His cheek felt snow. Aster's eyes slowly opened as Naomi fled towards the moat; he got up and readied a solar beam, far stronger than his previous ones, and attempted to intercept her. "Blizzard!" Nathan commanded. Naomi skimmed the surface, forming a wave which froze instantly as her body coiled over and dodged Aster's solar beam, shooting a blast of frigid snow towards him. The serperior felt energy leaving his body, wanting nothing more than to coil up and preserve his body heat at that moment. Weakness began to overtake him; things couldn't continue to go on like this.

He sprung forth and hit Naomi with a dragon pulse, knocking her back towards the edge. "Grass knot!" With the few strands that remained alive, he formed swift vines that wrapped around her midsection and kept her rooted. She struggled, quickly exhaling a chilled breath and freezing her constraints solid before twisting her body. Fortunately it had been enough for Aster. "Solar beam!"

Impact. Naomi was knocked down, her protective down fractured and strained. "Surf!" She slung water around and intercepted his follow-up attack, cascading waves rising and slamming onto the field and washing everything away. Chunks of ice and debris slammed into Aster as he was mercilessly tossed around. Something struck his side and he cried out, mouth filling with water as blood swiftly leaked from a gaping wound.

Eventually it ended. He was looking up at the sky, snowflakes falling on his face while the morning sun's rays barely permeated thick clouds. Aster looked at his tail. Dark blood dripped onto ice, a sliver of fractured white being visible amongst red. His final usage of synthesis closed the wound but did little to remedy that.

Aster groaned as he rolled himself upright again.

"Please…" he heard her say. "Don't get up. I don't want to hurt you…" A thin layer of water circulated her vibrant scales, innumerable colors visible over each and every scale. Beautiful and dangerous. She had recovered every trace of damage he had done – but that armor was gone. He would need to end this swiftly.

"Aster…" Aaron was concerned, knowing that his pokémon was in pain. But he was still moving. Without warning, Aster lurched forth with another leaf storm, feeling his strength return as his attack overtook the field. Hardened leaves impacted her, slicing through water and crashing into her body. It did little to actually harm her, but as she fell her side brushed against a jagged icicle. Blood tarnished her scales. "Dragon tail!" He closed the distance between them as she was stunned.

"Depletion!" Nathan ordered. Again a golden barrier formed around both trainers as her attack initiated. Everything was shrouded within an icy hurricane. The winds snatched Aster up, throwing him mercilessly as everything began to freeze, snow and ice shredding at his body. Something hit him. A chunk of ice bounced off his body and forced a pained exhale. He saw her in the eye of the storm, buffing herself to finish him off – and he couldn't afford that. His vine shot out and grasped the glacier, threatening to slip as it wrapped around. He spun and launched it towards her.

It bounced off her head. Naomi dropped like a rock and the storm immediately subsided, giving the exhausted serperior a single opening. Aster hurried towards her, ignoring the sight of blood as he readied an energy ball. "Hydro pump!" Dazed, Naomi looked up as water pooled around her, blasting it towards Aster just as he released his attack.

A concussive force snapped Aster's head back, causing him to flail over. Steam rose. His eyes opened and he groaned as he slowly got up; upon looking around, he realized that he was the only one. Naomi laid on her side, eyes only barely open, unmoving, as blood trickled down the side of her head. He sniffed, nearly collapsing as sobs escaped him. Any pain he had acquired over the fights paled in comparison to what he felt looking at Naomi. He'd hurt her.

Nathan recalled the milotic and looked at her ball with concern. Her injuries weren't life-threatening, but a concussion was guaranteed, maybe even a minor fracture. He was just as distraught as Aster, but right now, there was little more that he could do other than continue onward. This was far greater than any one of them. The latios placed his hand on Nathan's shoulder, and upon receiving the ball, took her away for swift medical treatment.

Aster tried to compose himself to no success. It wasn't fair that he had to do such a thing, going against her of all people – looking pathetic in front of the entire world. Right now he didn't care about that, though. Through blurry eyes he met Nathan's gaze, watching as he held out another luxury ball.

The golden barriers formed once again; this time, they solidified in place, sealing both trainers off for good. Aaron looked questioningly at Necrozma only to see him fly off the stadium edge, flapping his sunlit wings slowly and hovering well over the arena. Several questions raced through his mind – all of which were answered when Nathan's fifth pokémon was released.

"Oh fuck…" Aaron said. He didn't need to check his PDA to realize how bad this was. He had already anticipated that Valerie – the so-called Behemoth – would be menacing. What he didn't expect was to see the same flygon from their Desert Resort embarrassment.

Valerie glared at them. The trainer of this pathetic sight of a serperior – and the pokémon who had hurt her mate. She pointed a claw towards Aaron. "He saved your audino's life… and that was how you repaid him?"

"It was an accident," he said, though Aaron doubted that mattered to her. This was bad; Aster could do nothing against her. Hell, Nora had done next to nothing to harm her during their fight. If he kept Aster out, who might just land a single, negligible hit on her, then she would be able to buff herself to the max. And if Zakiel was threatening to an entire team upon doing so, he hated the idea of what a flygon with an estimated level of one hundred forty-two could accomplish.

Now he understood why Necrozma didn't want to be so close to the stadium.

"Aster, you're done." The serperior nodded slowly, having come to the same realization. Or maybe he just didn't want to risk getting ripped in two. As he was returned, though, it forced another question: which of his last two pokémon needed to be used against her? Mewtwo needed to be saved for Adira – or at least, he thought. But Nora had already trained under her. She knew at least some of the latias' moves and methods. Not to mention she hadn't done very well against an opponent who could shred through earth, stone and steel like they were paper. He decided that Mewtwo was their best bet; hopefully he would be able to take her down swiftly and deal significant damage to Adira – enough to allow Nora to finish her off.

Saying that Mewtwo was surprised to find himself against a common foe was an understatement. He turned and looked at Aaron with a mixture of surprise and anger. "It was agreed that I would strike down the latias. Yet you throw me out against this… overgrown lizard."

"Mewtwo, she's extremely fucking dangerous," Aaron said, trying to mask the fear in his own voice. "She leveled both my team and Sofia's… at the same time. Says here she's level one hundred forty-two and she hasn't lost a match in over twelve hundred battles."

"Whatever." He turned to face an opponent of equal height – something he wasn't used to, especially for a female of her species. "I've killed plenty of flygons in simulations. One more will be of no difficulty."

"Sounds like a threat to my life," Valerie said, turning her head only slightly. Nathan folded his arms. "And it looks to me like you have taken the mark of the damned… so your wellbeing is of little concern to me." The claws of her foot dug through the ice, finding the clay underneath.

"He can no longer be saved, so do whatever you must."

"It will do you no good," Mewtwo said. "My healing is instant."

"You better hope so." With the highest estimated level on the team, he was still at more than a thirty-level deficit. Valerie walked around, casually circling him while her eyes drifted throughout the ruined stadium, Mewtwo ready to lunge at the first sign of an opening. But he could feel it; whatever this thing was, she was strong. Far stronger than she should have naturally been – stronger than all but a handful of legendaries. Whatever was about to happen would be catastrophic. "I've been called many names over the years. We went overseas… toppled the heretics' evil governments. They tended to call me 'Al-Qayameh.' Roughly translates to 'The Apocalypse.' And you, abomination, are about to find out why."

The insult made Mewtwo spring into action without warning. A purple flash streaked across the field, faster than the naked eye could detect. A sharp pain hardly registered to him as he was slammed down, sending a shockwave that shattered ice. Valerie stomped him and blew a crater in the ground, kicking him up before grabbing his ankle, pivoting and slamming him face-first back down. Aaron watched in horror as she kicked him hundreds of feet away, shattering concrete in the stands with his body. Holy shit…

Mewtwo felt his bones popping back into place, pain having been an accomplice for his entire life. The world began to shake violently; she planted her foot into the earth, fracturing it underneath her. Fissures exploded everywhere and cracks formed along the stadium as it began to crumble. He flew in for another ice punch.

This one landed. Valerie slightly recoiled before bringing her hand back around, striking him with the force of a freight train. Blood spewed from his mouth as his body came to a rolling stop. Sand began to rise from the fissures and flowed freely, shoving aside and shattering all remnants of previous fights. Some of it began to glow, smelting in front and forming granule-sized crystals which coated her body. "Fuck this," Mewtwo murmured, rushing her a third time with a psychic blade he had formed. He swung it just as she raised her arm. Contact was made with her wrist and a few sparks were sent flying. "What?"

Valerie slammed her head into his. Mewtwo fought his descent, pushing himself up and uppercutting her stomach. Another jab – her face. The flygon snarled and spun, hooking him with her wing before claws made their way down his chest, opening deep gashes that revealed his metal ribcage for a split second. A roundhouse kick sent him flying to which she straightened herself up. "And here I thought I might actually get a challenge after all these years."

He charged again, intercepted as she stomped the ground and sent a large boulder in his path. "Fission." Sand snaked its way around him. Mewtwo spread his arms and blasted it away just as she impacted, throwing her arm into his throat and making him taste blood. The psychic clutched her arm, swinging his body around and planting his right foot to her wing, momentarily taking them out of the air.

Aaron hoped the barrier would hold as sand whipped around, shredding sparks off of metal as both of them slammed into one another. Mewtwo released a furious barrage of slashes, each absorbed by the glass-like barrier racing along her body. "Is this the best humans could come up with?!" she snarled, blocking his punch and landing one of her own. His head snapped back as blood flew upwards. "All their knowledge, all their technology, and you are the pinnacle of their efforts?!" Mewtwo's fist was deflected as she punched him towards the other side of the stadium. "How utterly disappointing!"

Mewtwo quickly regained control of his flight, telekinetically grabbing the steel arch and swinging it. It impacted Valerie, bending at the point of contact as she continued flying towards him. He ducked her punch, throwing a kick at her leg that did nothing aside from hurting his own, leaping back as she spun around and brought her wing down. A fissure formed where he just stood, dozens of feet deep.

Mewtwo reached back and snatched seats from the stands, hurling them towards the flygon. She swatted her hand, flinging them aside without so much as touching them. He didn't dwell on the confusing action, instead hurling another and flying right behind it, throwing his weight into her. A swift slash to his throat – more than enough to kill any other pokémon – was her answer. He dropped to a knee, clutching the wound while releasing a strained snarl. It mended itself, but Valerie was quick to point out the obvious. "Heal all you want, monster – you've only got so much blood!"

"I have more than enough to cut your fucking head off!" Valerie ducked his psycho cut and threw her shoulders into his midsection, flying him through the stadium wall, kicking his face through concrete before flying back. Aaron could only watch in horror as she landed in the center of the field, stretching her hand back and slamming it down. An orange energy spread throughout the earth, sending cracks throughout everything around them. A stadium that cost over a billion dollars to build began to fracture.

Pieces of debris large as vehicles began to float in midair. With a flick of her wrist they collapsed on his location, blowing a third of the stadium wall apart, dust and debris falling everywhere and clouding their vision. From underneath the pile, Mewtwo groaned as his body mended itself back together. S…status… update… The computer attached to his cerebrum buzzed. Multiple spinal fractures detected. He rolled his eyes. No shit. As they healed themselves, he blasted the rocks away, finally seeing light.

His optical scanners located Valerie in the dust almost immediately. The energy surrounding her was daunting; she had buffed herself in the few seconds he had been buried and seemed on edge – ready to crawl out of her own skin. He needed to play things smarter.

Mewtwo closed the distance, his speed far exceeding her own, dodging each boulder and blast of sand she threw. Valerie slammed her foot down and caused a jagged rock to launch from the ground, throwing him towards her. She flew up and collided, embracing him tightly as his fist flew, crashing into her face several times in quick succession. They crashed, bodies plowing up dirt as they both swiftly regained their bearings, Valerie instantly throwing a blast of sand towards him. Mewtwo dodged as it eroded concrete behind him. A slim glint shone from the red lens covering her eye. A crack. She was far from invincible.

Shock waves formed each time she struck. Mewtwo flew back, putting some distance between them before responding with a psychic blast, shattering stone around her as Valerie protected herself. "Mewtwo!" Aaron yelled. "Don't—"

"Be quiet!" he yelled, not needing a human's help in doing what he was built to do. He took a heavy blow to get in close, aiming for the same spot as before when she caught his fist, claws crushing into his wrist and piercing into bone.

At that moment he felt a sharp pain unlike any others. His mind was racing, trying to put together what had happened. Mewtwo pushed himself up from the concrete wreckage, seeing her hundreds of feet away. Blood surrounded him, still falling down.

It was when his vision focused that he realized she was still holding his right arm.

"Heal from that!" Valerie roared, snapping it in half at the elbow, throwing each fragment away. She thrust herself off the ground and pursuing him again. Mewtwo spat blood and took aim with his remaining arm. A psychic orb nailed the flygon and threw her off course; she crashed not far from him, pivoting and snatching up a boulder. He rolled underneath as it slammed into the crater where he had just been, darting off towards the other side. He found the fragments of his arm, spinning in midair and snatching them up telepathically. As quickly as they had been removed, they found their way back, flesh and bone reattaching themselves. "Not bad," she stated. "Might even give you a chance!"

The two clashed again. Aaron had never seen anything like this – not on television, not in video games. This wasn't battling; this was nothing short of war. Valerie's hand grasped Mewtwo's head, snatching him down and throwing her knee into his face. He pushed off her body, launching himself back while forming hundreds of psychic crystals, collapsing them inwards before she could react. Valerie swatted most of them away, taking a few shots before continuing her assault.

His blade met that hard surface again. Every attack, every cut, was somehow mitigated by that sleek coating. Mewtwo dodged her tail swipe and flew off in an effort to buy himself a few seconds. Analyze. The computer ran its calculations, took its measurements from the data his visual cortex had received. It wasn't anything he was familiar with – not even terastalization despite its slight similarity in appearance. Amorphous silicon. Appears to be concentrating around points of impact. Maximum thickness of 2.5 millimeters. That explained it. She manipulates silicon, Mewtwo thought as he dodged a boulder. An element significantly harder than steel.

Unfortunately, the element was in practically everything.

Aaron also made a realization of his own. Valerie hurled a wave of sand massive enough to rival tsunamis and pulled Mewtwo back towards herself. Claws dug into flesh again, this time with her lifting him up and flinging him towards the human. "Mewtwo!" he yelled. "All her attacks – they're all to get you up close! Keep at a medium range!"

"One more fucking word from you and you're next!" he snapped. Aaron stood still, realizing that this battle didn't include him at all. If Mewtwo wanted to do this on his own, then that was on him.

He heard her heavy wingbeats, spinning around and slicing her with a psychic blade. Mewtwo dodged the flygon's strike, her fist embedding in concrete, and struck her side. Fragments of the silicon shot off as he landed one slash after another, redirecting his focus as a clawed hand shot towards his face. A swift cut batted her away, and taking the opening, Mewtwo thrust his hand forth and blasted her with an ice beam.

Valerie guarded herself with a wing before thrusting herself forth, batting him aside before releasing a jet of flame. Mewtwo's skin seared as he guarded his eyes. She struck his jaw, fracturing bone before leaping back. "Precipice blades!" Nathan called out over the commotion. Tremendous spikes jutted from the ground, piercing and shattering what remained of the stands. Mewtwo weaved between the rising stones, narrowly avoiding impalement several times as everything around them was destroyed. He looked up just in time to see her shadow descending.

A claw penetrated his back and he cried out, skin shredded away as she dragged him down a jagged spike before hurling him away. Valerie looked at the broken piece of machinery in her hands. Hydraulic regulator five is offline. She crushed it between her claws and shook her head. "You're no legendary. Hell… you're barely even a pokémon." The wound sealed shut as he stood back up.

Valerie sent a wave of sand flying as he blew through it, colliding with Mewtwo and spinning around, hurling him into the big screen, shattering its surface. He nearly pushed himself out when she punched, blowing him through the colossal device and splitting it in two, both pieces falling as their fight left the destroyed stadium.

Aaron now realized why there had been an evacuation.

Mewtwo's felt the window shatter. Papers flew everywhere as an office was destroyed, raining down as he tumbled through cubicles. Eventually he pushed himself. Without immediate sight of her, Mewtwo formed several layers of barriers over his body, finally having the opportunity to do so – knowing that she, in her temporary absence, was probably doing something similar. He didn't have to wait long. The whole building began to shake; windows on all floors shattered and steel creaked. She flew from above, collapsing the skyscraper as she snatched him by the neck and drove him through each floor.

Impact after impact dulled his senses and prevented him from reacting. They hit ground level in seconds, a stomp to his face stunning him before she flew out, letting the full weight of the building fall upon him. Mewtwo formed a shield, forcing the debris from crushing him. "Is this what you traded your soul for?!" he heard her yell from outside. "For power that didn't make a difference?! It seems the humans also failed to give you a brain!"

He shattered his constraints, rushing outside and landing a brutal punch to her midsection, causing the flygon to recoil back before landing a front kick of her own. Mewtwo grunted as a piece of rebar impaled his shoulder; Valerie got the idea quickly and reached out, snaking it and the other fragments through his body. He screamed out as metal writhed within him, locking him in place as she leapt back, spinning around and launching a colossal wave that shattered windows throughout the block. She grabbed ahold of the glass shards – like trillions of diamonds shimmering in the morning sun. Mewtwo clenched his teeth as he forced himself to stand, shoving the intrusive steel from his body just as she sent the storm of glass towards him.

Mewtwo used protect. Both his shield and personal barriers were shredded in the flurry of razor projectiles, cutting through flesh and organ like butter. He sped off, flying through another skyscraper in an effort to escape her attack and minimize his tremendous blood loss – an effort that failed as soon as she crashed that building as well, kicking him into the ground and flying forward, holding his neck as she kept low.

Asphalt ground away skin and muscle, painting a red streak along the abandoned roads. He pushed his hand down and launched a psychic blast, thrusting them upwards for enough time to spin around and land a hyper beam, sending Valerie flying into another skyscraper. He dropped to a knee. Excess organic supply at thirty-seven percent. Caution advised. Mewtwo exhaled heavily, the taste of blood finally leaving his mouth as his body healed. Fuck… He looked up at the sky as a taxi flew towards him.

He caught the vehicle and threw it aside, eyes darting around for any sight of her. Again, the ground began to shake. The street exploded as she flew up from underneath, grabbing his tail and slinging him into the subway below. Valerie held the psychic in a vice grip as they flew through pillars, collapsing the railway behind them before flying through a train, splintering metal with his body as a shield. He spun around and grabbed her wing, a psychic blade quickly landing a cut before her silicon shield absorbed the rest and protected her. Nevertheless, it was enough to stop their flight, landing them there for a moment. His optical scanners and natural night-vision gave him an advantage in the pitch-black tunnel.

Mewtwo threw an ice punch into her neck, kicking the flygon back before finishing with an ice beam. Valerie shook her head just before he brought his knee to it, slamming her into the wall. She dodged a punch aimed at her face, spinning to the side and throwing her tail into his shins. Her claws sunk into his shoulder, shoving him through the wall; with a heavy punch, she drove him through stone, stepping back and building her momentum before flying him through countless tons of rock.

They broke into an old rain sewer, ankle-high water in brick waterways, scant illumination coming from the grates above. Valerie trudged towards him. Mewtwo turned and caused water to rise and freeze, blasting her with as much force as he could muster, tearing apart the sewer with every passing second. She laughed.

"You couldn't help what you were born as – but you could help what you became! You could have been better, but instead you chose this!" She lashed out, catching his torso with a heavy blow. Bricks shattered as Mewtwo's body impacted; she grabbed his head, slamming it into the wall several times. "You could have let it go – I certainly did, and I suffered just as you! But you embraced wrath instead! You cast your lots with Bael – well guess what?! You'll see him for all eternity!"

He was hurled upwards, breaching the dust-filled surface once again. Mewtwo spun around and launched a psychic blast towards the flygon, blocked when she ripped up massive chunks of asphalt and stone to defend herself. His balance was stolen for a split second as her foot thrust into the ground. Castelia itself shook as fissures formed everywhere, slabs of earth shattering and separating as the city itself began to crumble. He leapt into the air and aimed another hyper beam. Valerie shielded herself with a silicon-coated wing, reaching down and grabbing a manhole before flinging it through his attack. The world went dark.

Mewtwo quickly woke up somewhere else, not sure how far he had flown. Optic sensor damaged.He didn't need the computer telling him that, not with a fractured piece of machinery in his peripheral. Fire and ash began to spread amongst wreckage, blotted out by the shear amount of dust floating around. Valerie walked over just as he pushed himself up. She reached out, claws wrapping around the pole of a parking meter and ripping it from the ground along with its massive concrete anchor without effort. "You could have been better…" she repeated. Mewtwo failed to defend or escape before she swung.

This time consciousness returned to him in midair. Mewtwo crashed back into the arena, body refusing to obey as his electrical systems tried rebooting themselves. There were objects in his throat; once Mewtwo's healing factor kicked in, his jaw not fitting together as it had before, did he realize he had swallowed several of his teeth. A loud crash redirected his attention. She swung the metal pole, batting him aside before thrusting it through his midsection.

Mewtwo cried out as it pierced his spine, falling to his knees as his hands clutched the metal. Valerie drove it through the dirt, pinning him to the ground, then turned around and took off, soaring well above the city. He mustered whatever strength he had to pull it free. Blood coated its sleek surface, inch after inch rising from his body as the sky grew dark.

Aaron stared in disbelief as the world began to tear apart. Wreckage from the fight began to levitate, hundreds of millions of tons of rock and metal soaring over her. Mewtwo frantically tore at the pole, ripping it out and throwing it aside before taking off. Though she was far too distant to hear him, Nathan still gave the command. "…Armageddon."

Everything rained down at once. Mewtwo dodged countless projectiles, flying through some until a massive I-beam collided with his chest and threw him back towards the ground. Aaron ducked for cover, not trusting the golden barrier as a third of Unova's capital was destroyed. A deafening boom stretched across the region. Somewhere in the midst of it all, Mewtwo crashed into the ground and rolled over, forming a shield to withstand her onslaught. It almost immediately failed.

Craters dotted the ruined landscape. Valerie fell, her hand striking the ground where a stadium had once been. Clouds of dust and sand blotted everything out. She panted heavily, exertion finally taking its toll on her. Aaron was dumbstruck. Things were supposed to get worse than this – but how could they get worse? A third of Castelia was gone. And Mewtwo was somewhere underneath it all.

The psychic blasted himself out of the pile, flying into her before she could react. His psychic blades flew with menace, trying to sever flesh wherever they could. Valerie deflected his blows; his functioning scanner analyzed the movement pattern of silicon over her body. A fury of cuts towards the head – sparks flew. And then, before she could react, he sliced through her wing. Finally he was rewarded with blood.

Valerie growled and pulled her wing behind her, its skin torn. "No more flying." With that, he finally had an advantage. Without her mobility, the flygon was far slower than him, evident when Mewtwo flew towards her, connecting his knee with her face. Blood spewed from her nose.

She lunged towards him and slashed. Mewtwo's stomach opened up, entrails flung outside of his body; he caught them, blasting her back with psychic before they were forced back inside, the cut mending shut like it had never been there to begin with. But he knew better; anyone paying attention could see the sheer amount of weight he'd lost. Excess organics critically low. Immediate evacuation recommended. He snarled.

This was it. There was no time left – nowhere to run. In the midst of the hellscape, Valerie slammed her foot into the ground, launching stone projectiles everywhere before charging. Mewtwo dodged and brought his psychic blade to her knee. Sparks flew. He had to time it right.

Valerie swung her wing around and he levitated back, dodging each swipe in rapid succession before landing a focus blast. She stumbled back, and in that second, Mewtwo launched his final strike. His fist found her midsection with enough force to impale most pokémon, his arm flying with blinding speed and accuracy. She recoiled, swatting his arm away before landing a blow to his jaw. Blood and bone shattered, but he kept going. A strike under her arm caught her off guard. That flinch was his only break – a split second of opportunity. Mewtwo pivoted around, throwing a roundhouse kick to her face, and no sooner had it landed did the ice appear around his fist, forming a sharp, pointed spear.

He threw it into her abdomen.

The flygon roared, catching his forearm before it could go further inside. Warm blood spewed forth as he tried to drive it into her organs, attempting to stab a kidney and end this for good. Claws sunk into his arm, threatening to tear it, but her stance began to falter.

A blur flew by Aaron; he couldn't tell what it was – only that it was speeding towards them. "Look out!" he yelled. Mewtwo managed another inch, dark visceral fluid seeping onto his forearm when a drawn-out cry was forced from his mouth. He froze, trembling as he looked down. A rock peaked out his chest – right where his heart had been.

Valerie responded with a heavy punch, launching his body into concrete wreckage. Mewtwo struggled to move as his rapid healing factor began to fail. Cardiovascular functions critical. Immediate evacuation-.He cut the system off, nearly toppling over as he stood up, blood filling his mouth as he took aim for one final shot.

A hyper beam tore through the air. Valerie ran to the side, forcing a boulder up and shielding her from his blast, spinning around before hurling it at him. It connected with his head.

Aaron froze as it exploded. Shards of stone and dust flew everywhere, a sickening crack sounding in the midst of everything. Mewtwo fell forward with no attempt to catch himself. And when the dust settled, it was clear why. Aaron nearly threw up.

Half of Mewtwo's skull had been opened; brain matter clung to stone and leaked from the gaping hole. One portion lay in front – a mass half the size of Aaron's palm – and contained a warped computer of sorts that shot a final few sparks. Mewtwo's hand twitched in place as though he were reaching for it.

And then he went still.

"Holy fuck…" Aaron's arm shook as he recalled Mewtwo, looking down at the master ball's central button. Black. He looked over his shoulder as the latios approached. He similarly hesitated upon seeing it.

'There… is nothing we can do for him…' Aaron paused, not knowing what to make of this situation as the shock still remained. He glanced at Valerie, then Nathan, knowing that the psychic had done this on his own accord, but the reality was horrifying all the same. The latios touched Aaron's wrist. 'I can still take him if you wish…' The trainer nodded, passing the deceased Mewtwo's ball to him.

"Giratina has claimed his prize." Valerie clutched her wound, turning around and walking back towards Nathan. "He chose this." Aaron swallowed. Their situation was really bad. Nora could easily finish off the flygon in her current state, but that wasn't the main issue now.

"Val… are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," she replied. Nathan knew that it would take more than that to kill her, but she needed medical attention all the same.

"In any case, you're also done." Valerie met Aaron's gaze again. A heavy sigh, then an eventual nod.

"Looks like my rematch with Nora will have to wait." The flygon glanced at the bloodied mess where Mewtwo had died, then back at her trainer. With that, the field was empty.

Against all odds, Aaron's team matched Nathan's up until this point. But that meant nothing with Adira being his ace – completely untouched by the strain of battle. Nora would now have to attempt to take her down by herself. As Valerie's ball was flown outside the battle zone, Nathan's fingers closed around his final pokéball.

Aaron's hand fell to the one remaining pokéball, feeling a warmth along its surface. She was ready to go. The end was near, but Nora was steadfast and willing to face it. "It's all in your hands now," he said before releasing her.

Nora looked towards Nathan, his suit gleaming within the golden barrier, holding a regular pokéball in an outstretched hand. From within her own, she wasn't able to determine what had happened. 'What's going on?' she asked Aaron.

'You're it…' he replied. 'Valerie… she was the flygon.' The typhlosion closed her eyes. That explained the destruction around them. '…She killed Mewtwo.'

'What?!' It was no secret that everyone disliked him. But such a fate wasn't what anyone had wished for him. Quickly she realized what was going on: she would have to deal with Adira on her own. The thought was enough to make anyone reconsider.

Anyone but her.

They had suffered and fought to get to this point. If this was how it ended – with her facing off against her own mentor and friend – then so be it.

"Your team's done well. Luck or not, nobody's ever made it this far against us." That much was true. Both Zakiel and Valerie's removal from the battle had been less attributed to skill as opposed to things going just perfectly for them. But now that wasn't going to cut it. Nathan surely didn't expect things to go this far, but even still there was a distinct lack of grave concern. They would need to incite that within him. "In a way, it's fitting that things would end like this." He met Aaron's gaze. "Just as they began."

A blinding flash encompassed the field, forcing Nora to close her eyes. Adira stretched her golden wings as particles of light drifted towards her body. Reality itself seemed to warp in her very presence. The latias opened her hazel eyes and stretched one hand towards the heavens, instantly causing the world around to calm. Aaron, against his better judgement, looked at her PDA description. Over the countless moves, many of which belonged to various other legendaries, a single daunting phrase stood out. Estimated Level: Undefined.

They remained motionless for a moment. Adira took it upon herself to speak first. "Hello dear. This is not how I had wished to see you next."

"Well I guess we don't always get what we want," Nora retorted.

"I suppose not. One way or another, countless people will be displeased with the results of today. An Omega victory will put our ruined planet on the right course, but there will always be those who resist. For each of you, dear, there are twenty like Mewtwo." She looked at the spot where he had fallen and closed her eyes. With a slow motion, Adira forced sand to cover the few gruesome remnants that remained. "We have only sought to alleviate suffering. In this world… and the next."

"It won't work, Adira," Nora replied. "They have to make that choice."

"I know. But we can minimize just a few of the bad ones." The latias came closer. Nora's knees were slightly bent, her hands ready to conjure flames at any sight of aggression. But there was none at that moment. The world silently watched as Adira slowly floated over until she was just a few feet from the typhlosion. "I saw it in you then as I do now. You want what's best for them, too. You just think they can accomplish that on their own – without our guidance. But if such a thing could happen, why have they never done so? Why must they always disappoint?"

"…Because that's who they've chosen to be," Nora said. "And as right as you two are… about everything… you don't have the right to take that from them." Adira closed her eyes. Whether she was saddened by such an answer, Nora couldn't tell.

"You and I are all that remain to defend our positions. Whether we were molded by our trainers… or influenced them into becoming who they are today… one of our visions will claim the dissenters." The latias reached up, touching Nora's cheek as the typhlosion closed her eyes. "You've come so far. I'm proud of you, dear." Those words somehow stung given what was about to happen. Adira turned around and backed away. There was, after all, still a job to do.

She held her hands outstretched and looked to the sky. For a moment, the morning sun permeated the dark clouds, beaming them with gold as wind began to pick up. Ancient runes circled around the latias' wrists as light radiated from her body. Nora prepared herself.

'Here we go,' Aaron said to her. With the world's eyes upon them, a voice smooth yet powerful carried across the land.

"Come, daughter of chaos. Witness our light."

Nora broke into a run as bright rays crashed into the ground, dodging several blasts and jumping on a boulder, propelling herself towards Adira. A beam of golden light impacted her. Scorching heat spread through her body. Nora pivoted, hurling a shadow ball on her way down. The latias drifted to the side in a blur, far too fast to be hit at distance. With a graceful motion, fire and lightning coursed along her form, hurling both towards Nora and connecting.

Her muscles tensed up, locking in place, and Adira capitalized on it. She said something, quoting an unfathomable tongue to mortal ears as energy swiftly poured into her, covering her down in a radiant glow. The typhlosion shook off the electricity and formed a violet flame, thrusting both hands forth and loosing a scorching blast – yet Adira made no effort to avoid this one.

It stopped in midair, siphoning into her wrists which glowed like burning coals. Adira flew away, a sonic boom in her wake. Nora was dazed by the concussive blast and stumbled back. Aaron watched as the latias swiftly changed directions in midair, almost instantly returning overhead with a celestial ray that cut across the battlefield. Nora sprinted on all fours, barely avoiding the beam as it scorched sand into glass.

'We can't dodge her forever,' Aaron said. 'We have to figure something out – and now!'

'Working on it!' Nora replied as she continued to run. Pillars of flame fell from the heavens and came crashing down. Fire spread among the ruined city as Nora shielded herself, a purple barrier coursing along her body and protecting her from the blunt of it, instantly recovering once the attack let up. She launched a psychic blast which Adira dodged.

Her movements were faster than the eye could detect, swaying between each attack Nora threw her way before responding in kind. Adira formed a barrier of light in front of herself before closing the distance between them in an instant. Nora cried out as she was slammed to the ground. Adira was ruthless in her movements as attacks together with surgical precision. The typhlosion struggled to breathe one strike landed after another, elements of every kind pouring into her body.

'Cataclysm!' Aaron said. Nora snapped up and lashed out, releasing psychic energy just as the latias shot an ice beam towards her. Adira was forced back as contact was made, a few feathers slowly drifting downwards due only to the recoil. Breath came with difficulty as Nora stood up. The strongest attack in her arsenal – one that could shred people apart and shatter stone – had done almost nothing against that shield. 'Try rock slide!' She grasped at the countless fragments of rock around them as Adira caught onto what she was doing. A wave of light shot in every direction from the latias, blowing them to dust. Nora shielded herself and charged.

A thunder punch nearly brushed the legendary's chest as she drifted aside, her hand going to Nora's back in a fraction of a second and blasting her back down face-first. Aaron placed his hand on the golden barrier protecting him. This wasn't the final stand that they hoped for – every one of Nora's efforts dodged or rebutted by a nearly invincible opponent. Adira flew back, putting some distance between them, then casting a fiery vortex around her. Aidan's 'fusion.' She had likely taught them all of their unique moves. Oxygen became sparse as the whirling flames swiftly closed in, rapidly decreasing the pressure inside and forcing air from her lungs. Nora clawed at the ground and thrust her hand into the vibrant flames – an impulsive attempt at something she had done one other time.

Heat redirected around Nora and collapsed the vortex. With heavy gasps, she glared towards Adira and launched a flamethrower hundreds of feet in length, illuminating the sky like a second sun. Adira flew away before it could hit. Nora's barrier reformed itself as she stood again. The ground beneath her began to quake. Fissures from the previous fight grew in size and depth, changing their battlefield drastically. She was trying to trap Nora here.

The typhlosion leapt over a fissure and ran towards Castelia. Streams of fire engulfed everything; Nora ran through them recklessly. Her feet struck the ground with rapid motions, jumping onto one of the few standing arena walls and running along its surface, jumping up before Adira could predict her movement and intercept her with a solar beam.

She couldn't overpower Adira – and she surely couldn't outsmart her. Nora had to embrace the one thing she could do, and that was to become unpredictable in every sense of the word. 'Nora! The shield!'

'What?!' she thought back while hurling another flame, easily dodged.

'I don't think she's all that bulky – she's just avoiding or redirecting your attacks! I think that shield is all she really has! If you can hit her up close…'

'Then I knock the bird out the air.' It was true; members of her species were great at dealing with so-called special attacks – but their bodies didn't look like they could take much physical punishment. Getting through the shield was still a matter of question – one that she barely had time to consider while running for her life. Aaron would need to come up with something.

"You cannot dodge forever," Adira said aloud. "You cannot outrun our light."

"Then I'll just have to blot it out!" Nora yelled. She took an opening – a slight turn by the latias to aim another beam – and attacked. Flames encapsulated Adira who made no movement to avoid them, not even her barrier being scathed. Nora's foot impacted earth, sending a boulder into the air and launching it with her psychic powers. The latias forced it aside as Nora closed in, a shadow claw attack connecting with her wing. A parallel series of cuts was made in the shield, thin streaks of red following in that split second as they fell from the sky. But both wound and barrier healed with nothing to show. Nora grappled with Adira, struggling for her neck as the latias calmly lifted her off with an overpowering telekinetic grasp.

Nora was hurled towards the ground hard enough to bounce on impact, rolling as sand fell from her barrier-covered skin. It had protected her from the harshness of her crash, but everything within still hurt as Nora slowly pushed herself up. Aaron's mental voice was clouded as her senses began to return – only in time to see a wavering blue fire building up around Adira.

A stream of cobalt flames brushed against Nora, shredding through her protective layer and sending unfathomable pain through her entire body. Reshiram's attack. Nora cried out in agony, feeling as though her very soul was being burned away, only ending when she scurried behind a massive piece of concrete for relief. Adira continued the attack, pinning her down in that very spot – and Aaron realized why. The latias' arm moved rapidly, magical sigils appearing and vanishing just as fast, repairing her barrier and fortifying her strength as she continued to keep Nora behind cover.

'Nora! She's buffing herself!" Her eyes went wide as a realization dawned on her. There seemed to be little she could do to prevent it, but she couldn't just let it happen. The typhlosion lifted a rock with her mind, jumping over her cover and into the immense flame before launching it. Adira shattered it a few feet before it hit her. Nora thrust herself off the ground and hurled another shadow ball, but her target disappeared from sight.

Nora was hit from behind, driven into the earth. Adira lifted her up with a clawed hand, reaching back as a golden aura surrounded her other fist, planting in Nora's stomach. The typhlosion was sent flying, hundreds of feet away until she crashed into Aaron's barrier, cracking it with her impact. "Shit…" Aaron looked down, seeing Nora roll onto her side.

She looked down. Celeste's barrier had a hole – one that wasn't patching itself up. Adira had found a way to break through her one advantage. Stone spikes jutted from the earth, surrounding her and closing in overhead. Aaron glanced towards the latias, realizing that she was trapping Nora for the purposes of buffing herself again. 'Nora!'

'I know!' With psychic energy pooling around her wrists, she blasted the stone away, sprinted towards Adira and unleashed a hyper beam. The movement of her hand was fluid; with grace and calmness, she deflected it aside. Dust and stone scattered in the distance.

Pieces of sediment began to rise, forming into compacted projectiles, a fiery glow radiating from each of them. Adira swung her arm and launched them, homing in on Nora's location. She dodged and rolled, jumping some and ducking others, sparks and chips of rock exploding all around her as she was pelted without hesitation. Nora swept up a wave of sand, catching some before launching it away.

Adira was relentless. Everything began to move, sand flowing along the ground as a massive vortex began to form, chunks of concrete whisking up. Nora thrust herself onto one, holding tightly as it swirled around, desperate to avoid a churning sea of sand below as she began to spin faster and faster. Adira stood in the middle of the storm, stretching her hand forth and aiming.

Nora sent the rock flying towards Adira right as she released a ray of light, propelling herself afterwards and impacting right as the boulder was destroyed. She clawed at the latias' wings, bringing them towards the ground as rocks fell around them. A swift blow to her gut threw her off, but not before both of them impacted. Adira levitated up, quickly scanning her surroundings for Nora – and found her when the typhlosion ran up, slinging sand from below towards her eyes.

Adira writhed as she tried to remove it. In that moment of confusion, Nora pursued, her fist slamming into the latias over and over. Shadowy claws danced among the light. Feathers were torn free of her body, the barrier finally breached, and Adira lashed out, catching Nora's hand and jerking her down, swinging around with a steel wing attack and catching the back of her head. Flying back a few paces, she reached up and brought another fiery pillar onto Nora's body.

"I can see you with far more than eyes." Aura pooled around her, compiling around her fists into the very spheres Marcus utilized. They stretched as they flew towards Nora, blasting her in rapid succession as Adira soared higher and higher, well out of reach as she recovered.

'Nora, you need to match her buffs. Calm mind – as many as you can manage!' The typhlosion got back onto her feet and shook her head.

'On it!' She collected energy, ready to move at the first sign of trouble. Adira wasn't about to let her build any stacks or heal. And yet nothing came.

Nora clenched her fist. Silence overcame the wasteland that had once been Castelia, wind whipping through shattered buildings. A few camera drones whirred, distant and respectful of the fight. But the fight had seemingly left. And when she managed her final buff, it came rushing back.

Adira slammed into Nora, an invisible wing clipping her, throwing her in the air. She spun several times before landing. Sand kicked up as Nora groggily got onto her hands and knees. 'Behind you!' Nora rolled aside without looking, a shimmering glow slicing the sand where she had just been. The typhlosion jumped up and reached out, shoving sand in all directions, looking frantically for any sign of Adira, compacting grains into stone projectiles that circled around her.

Movement to her side. Nora spun and launched the rocks like bullets, shredding through nothingness in an attempt to hit her. A scorching blast of light crashed from above, surrounding Nora and tearing through her barrier. She dashed away only to be for the ground to grow distant. In front of her, Adira materialized, a single hand holding the typhlosion in place. Wings shone like slivers of the sun above. "This grows tiresome, dear. You have accomplished nothing aside from exhausting yourself." Air around the legendary began to heat up, Nora positioned firmly in place as Adira held her hands forward.

'Nora?!'

'I can't… I can't move!' She fought Adira's grasp with all her might, but just as the legendary had said, it had only served to tire her out more. "Sorry Nora," Nathan said. "Adira?" The latias didn't budge. "Prismatic laser." Panic began to set in. There was nothing she could do but watch – watch as Adira closed her eyes, summoning an orb of light that grew with every passing second. She released it.

Nora screamed. It felt like her body could incinerate, the barrier fading as her body took the blunt of Adira's attack. Her hair, fire resistant as it was, did nothing against heat like this. Fortunately the latias ended a few seconds later, Nora's form drooping after such a brutal attack, eyes flickering open as she groaned. Adira still held her there, charging the attack again. The typhlosion looked at her trainer in fear.

Again.

Aaron's heart began to race, sinking each and every time Nora cried out in agony. Adira was going to keep her there, pelting her with a brutal attack – no chance of escaping or fighting back. This was it. All their sacrifices, all their resolve – and this was how they lost. He imagined the world was looking in silent horror, his typhlosion burned over and over again. "Please…" Adira's voice carried out along the wind. "Please just stop. It hurts me to do this to you…" But Nora, weak as she was, continued to struggle against her. The latias sighed and readied another beam.

Nora's mind went numb as fire crawled along her skin. She wanted to curl into a ball – to make it stop. Another beam and she cried out again. Tears squeezed from the typhlosion's eyes, instantly evaporated upon contact with Adira's scorching ray of light. All those people she had failed – her team who she had pushed towards this path, her trainer… and herself. The final dissenter: a failure for all the world to see.

No. It couldn't end this way. She turned just as Adira pelted her again, gritting her teeth as overwhelming pain filled her body, every muscle tensing up, feeling like it would melt under the heat of the sun. But she rebelled. Before Adira could end her attack, Nora used cataclysm again.

This time, having been buffed, it blew Adira back, ending her constant assault as she was forced to regain her composure. Steam and smoke rose from Nora's body as she reached for Adira, grabbing ahold of the latias with her mind and jerking her down, impacting in midair as they fell. This was her chance – she had to end this now.

She dug into Adira's down, her fist coated in moonlit darkness as she struck like lightning. A few drops of blood sprayed upwards as the ground grew closer and closer. Their fall was almost immediately broken as Nora was flung off, sand filling her scorched wounds and making her wince. "That is enough!" Adira stated. Light came from all around, consolidating towards her as she stretched her wings. Nora ran towards her but was forced to back up from the unapproachable heat – like touching the surface of the sun. "I wished to refrain from this, but you have left me with little choice."

A wave of fire shot in all directions. Nora only had time to dive behind a rock as it laid waste to the area around them. Loose sand and rock became molten as the light died down. Readying herself again, Nora got back to her feet and dared to look at Adira. And she froze.

Six wings stared back at her. Two covered Adira's face, two she gave the appearance of flying with, and the final two seemed to be what were once her lower fins which had grown to match the others' size and shape. Nora found herself struck with a carnal fear that she had never known before. Words failed to come to her.

"W-what kind of…" Aaron was similarly dazed.

"What? Did you think she was about to mega evolve?" Nathan asked, laughing to himself. "No. Unfortunately for you, you're about to wish this was mega evolution. We've been working on this ever since Necrozma joined us. And then, after that, she gets chosen to be the bearer of the mantle. This is more than even I had hoped for when we started this whole thing." This was it. This alone was why Aaron's chance of victory was so low. Nothing else that had happened mattered. "Adira, let's finish this. Use radiance." Heat began to concentrate around her. Adira's wings were covered in fire as she tucked her arms, closed her eyes and pulled in all excess energy from around herself. The temperature dropped, and as Nora released a frosted breath, preparing to either attack or flee, the latias unleashed.

The latias unfolded her wings. A wave of fire shot in all directions, consuming everything. Nora slid behind a rock just as the edge of her body was hit, burning the flesh of her shoulder almost instantly. She cried out, hand shooting to her wound and quickly healing herself as the world was consumed in hellfire. Magma oozed throughout the fighting area and filled it with smoke.

Adira reached out, raising the boulder Nora was behind as well as those around it, slinging them high into the air. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The typhlosion stood her ground, forming a violet flame on her hand before thrusting it forth. Her flamethrower dissipated in midair, joining the rising energy which coated the boulders. With a flick of her wrist, Adira launched them back towards the earth, flaming meteorites which crashed into the ground with tremendous shockwaves.

Nora ran on all fours, jumping to the sparse regions that lacked magma as craters were formed in the earth's surface. Her ears began to ring. Explosions were nulled, barely registering as heavy blasts rocked her frame, spewing drops of molten rock everywhere. She looked into the sky just in time to see Adira release another prismatic laser, freezing as a blinding beam came just feet away. But it didn't hit.

It tore through everything, incinerating ground and stone alike as it bored deep into the earth. It would have instantly killed her had it hit. Her heart began to race – but Adira had not been aiming for her. Instead, the beam persisted and swiftly moved, drawing a flaming fissure around her. 'She's trying to trap you!' With nowhere to run, Nora would be an easy target – the battle would conclude as it almost had earlier.

She ran as Adira continued, needing to outspeed the laser and get to the other side before being isolated. The latias sped up, realizing that Nora was trying to escape, and as she drew near to the spreading channel, Nora pushed herself off the ground, turning around in midair and throwing all of her psychic power towards Adira, grasping ahold of her and violently snatching her from the air. It was unexpected – and it worked. She stumbled for balance in a rapid descent. The typhlosion propelled herself from the ground, ready to intercept her in midair.

Adira reacted. Her body spun around, all six wings snapping outwards as she formed golden blades of energy, fire lancing through them as Nora drew near. Psychic energy glowed from the tips of her claws as she began to slash for Adira, impacting her and shredding through the latias' shield. Nora was forced back down, nearly crashing before she reached out and slowed her fall, turning quickly to face her foe again.

Hands moved with graceful motions. Ancient characters – a magic mortals couldn't comprehend – danced around Adira as golden constructs began to form beside her, writhing into large circular shapes. On either side, a pair of rings stood with glowing gems, each shining at her like miniature stars, almost staring at her like eyes of coal. One ring twisted and spun within the other. Hundreds of beams of light shot forth, claiming the ground as Nora shielded herself swiftly. Adira flew through the light, hurling fire at Nora as she tried to defend herself from the vicious barrage.

One managed to pierce her barrier. The typhlosion cried out as her body was filled with an indescribable pain, the arrow going in one side and coming through the other. In her split second of faltering the barrier broke. Golden rays shot through her without fail, thousands of arrows cutting through her without wounds to show for it. But the pain was not something could stand. Her energy was rapidly depleted. First Celeste's barrier failed, then the buffs she had formed. Everything was stripped away as her consciousness began to drift.

Nora reached into the ground and forced rocks to shoot up, shielding her temporarily. The wheels changed their attack and swiftly began eroding it away. Those had to go if she wanted to remain conscious for the next few minutes; Nora kicked on segment loose, launching it with a psychic attack and nailing one of the two constructs. A segment of the outer ring shattered and it stopped firing. But just as soon did it begin to mend itself did Adira appear behind her. Aaron wasn't able to warn Nora in time.

She was thrust into the air and slammed on the ground. The typhlosion released a strained gasp, her ribcage feeling like it was about to burst open as Adira picked her up again, arrows of light piercing her as before. Her strength was failing fast. "Let… go!" Nora yelled, hurling a flamethrower. It did nothing but distract the latias – but that was all she needed, spiking her psychic powers to escape Adira's grasp. She hit the ground running. Her target was gone well before Nora could make contact.

She spun around, grabbing fragments of stone and sending them flying. With both constructs down, she could focus on recovering what had been lost. But Nora was quickly running out of options. Though her healing was incredibly effective, it was far from unlimited – and she was approaching that limit. 'I don't know what to do,' Nora admitted. Adira was a blur, easily able to counter or avoid anything Nora could throw her way. 'I can't… all she has to do is fly off and heal. I can't match her…'

'Yeah, you can. I know you can.'

'How?!' Another prismatic laser cut across the fiery field, spewing molten rock and flames as Adira sealed off another massive portion. Now she was trapped in an area roughly the size of the original stadium. Smoldering remnants of Castelia churned black smoke.

Aaron knew what needed to be done. A hard decision – one that they had claimed to accept. But action was different than words. 'You'll need to… take her flight.'

'What?!'

'Her wings – she can float without them, but you need to make sure she can't fly off. We'll have a chance then.' This time, though, she would have to hit them with concentrated force. Nora would have to sever or shatter bone. To inflict an injury that couldn't be instantly healed.

Adira appeared with her back to the sun, rays of gold permeating around her. The typhlosion stood on her hind legs, a violet flame forming at her fist as the world around them seemed ready to end. Celeste's barrier was beginning to fail, and without it, any hopes of withstanding Adira. If this was how it ended – with fire raining from the heavens, removing this immoral city from the planet – then so be it.

But Nora was willing to do what it took to win.

"The Legends have deemed this world unworthy," Adira said. "But we can change that, Nora. Things don't have to stay the way they are."

"For there to be light, there has to be darkness." She released a solar beam, a speeding ray of energy that Adira's shield seemed to absorb. With that, the latias unleashed a golden flurry, splitting the ground beneath Nora into fragments that rose and violently whirled and compacted. This was it; Adira was going to shred the battlefield apart and shower what remained with meteors.

This was all the time Nora had to make something happen.

She leapt onto one of the giant rocks - a second attempt at the same risky move - grabbing tightly as she was whisked away. Adira narrowed her eyes from the eye of the storm. She charged another prismatic laser as Nora ascended higher and higher. 'Nora! What are you doing?!'

'I've got one shot at this! We're out of time!'

'She's calculating where to aim! She'll hit you!' Surely the latias was capable of predicting where Nora would be at the desired moment.

'Then I'll have to hit her first!' The fiery vortex tore at what remained of her shield, forcing Nora to grit her teeth as burning pain spread consumed her. Realizing what Nora was trying to do, Adira dropped the projectiles prematurely, and instead of abandoning her attempt, Nora threw caution into the wind and went for it. She propelled herself towards Adira from behind.

For her, time slowed to a halt. Adira spun around with a golden construct – a thin blade of light. She slashed just as Nora's claws pulled back, ready to aim for the latias' wing. Ready to take her out of the air for good. Nora went for it but froze in the middle of her swipe, powerless to stop Adira's blade as it drew close to her neck. A million thoughts raced through Nora's head in that fraction of a second. Her gamble had not paid off – and now she would lose both the match… and her head.

But there was hesitation in Adira's eyes, unable to follow through. The latias couldn't do it. She thrust herself back instead of finishing Nora off in such a way, and with that, everything changed. Nora's claws missed their intended target and instead raked across her face.

A shriek carried across Unova as Nora fell. Slowing herself before contact, the typhlosion turned around quickly, seeing Adira descend unwillingly. A clear, gelatinous fluid coated her hand. Adira failed to completely halt her descent and hit the ground. When she looked up, clutching her face, Nora almost vomited.

Nathan struck his barrier with his fist. Cracks formed and quickly healed as Aaron realized that Nora had accidentally clawed out Adira's right eye. "Adira!" Nathan yelled. She sent a vigorous flurry towards the typhlosion, all six wings spreading and forcing heated wind to blow her back. Nora kept low, claws digging up scorched earth as tears stung her eyes.

Whatever it took.

She lunged at Adira. Her moonlit claw found its mark, slicing through Adira's right wings, nail against bone. The latias released a sharp cry. Nora sliced again, but this time failed to hit anything significant, lifted off her feet and slammed into the ground. Nora groaned as her body became weightless again. Impact. Adira slowly secured Nora, blood seeping down her face as her one remaining eye wept. She slammed Nora into the ground.

Aaron swallowed. Nora was sprawled out, blood seeping from her mouth as she failed to get up. It was simple and brutal – and effective. Time after time, Adira lifted Nora up and brought her back down, resorting to the easiest method of ending this available to her. When the typhlosion could no longer move, Adira paused, light pulling into her body as she charged the attack. 'Nora…' Her body felt broken, refusing to move. And Adira was going to finish this fight because of that.

To have come this close, only to fail like this, was unbearable. After all they had risked in getting to this point… but her body gave out. A scorching heat engulfed her. Nora lacked even the strength to make a sound.

Adira held the laser for several seconds before it died down. The smell of burnt flesh drifted across the battlefield, both trainers horrified by what had transpired. The latias panted heavily, wings on her right side drooping lower than the others. The violet barrier that had served Nora so well over their fight was now gone. Now she would be just as easy to defeat as any other pokémon.

Nora slowly twitched. Despite all that had happened, she sobbed, tears evaporating from the intense heat around them. "I…I didn't… mean to…" Adira's remaining eye showed neither malice nor judgement. That's what made it worse. She simply levitated there in silence, exhaustion finally having affected her.

The typhlosion pushed herself onto all fours, knees scraping the smelted earth as she did so – and that was all she could manage. Nora met Adira's gaze. They were both hurt. Tired – maybe even at death's door. She couldn't speak for Adira, but she wasn't able to manage another move. Not without healing. But maybe, despite her upright stance, Adira was in the same state.

For a brief moment, the smoke on the horizon faltered. Sunlight beamed through and the molten battlefield shone like a ruby. There was an unspoken moment between the two – a look of hesitation, of reluctance and sorrow. And in that moment, Nora fully understood. How hard it must have been to have witnessed so much evilness, to watch as so many people followed their own vices to eternal destruction when all of it was preventable. When things could be so much better.

But they were still owed their choice. That itself was sacred.

Both of them just doing the best they knew how, each weapons and driving forces of their trainers. Their wounds overcame them, and when they locked gazes, there was a silent agreement. Adira slowly brought her right hand over her heart, a shimmering light overcoming her body just as Nora did the same. Even still, as energy rushed back into her, she looked down at her wrists. Celeste's barrier was gone. Aaron uttered no commands, no guidance. This battle belonged to her alone.

Adira was the first to move. A wave of blinding light continued to break the field, cascading towards Nora in the blink of an eye. Hastily forming a barrier, the typhlosion was blown back, feet digging into earth as she readied an ethereal pulse, throwing both hands into it. As what remained of the latias' golden shield fizzled, Nora closed the distance and threw her weight into Adira. Her hand was deflected by a swift wing, feet taken by another.

She rolled aside and slung a shadow ball upwards, hitting Adira in the face as a blistering golden beam singed the ground. The following psychic blast felt like it would blow Nora's head off her shoulders. But as blood clouded her vision. The world watched silently as light and dark clashed, flames dancing and shrouding the field as they began to gravitate towards Adira. Nora was shoved far away from her as the light began to shine once more. With no cover, she swiftly buffed herself and sent a shadow ball flying into her, breaking into a swift sprint propelled by her psychic power.

This time the gift of the moon wasn't there to help. Fur was charred, muscle was scorched, but she kept running, squeezing her eyes shut and looking down to avoid losing sight completely. She lunged towards Adira who dodged back, swinging her golden wings and thrusting an arch of light that sliced Nora's side, cutting through the stone underneath as she leapt.

Her ethereal flame met its mark. Adira flinched as her shield was compromised. An eternity seemed to pass as Nora drew near. She exhaled. Adira's wings spread wide as a final prismatic laser was let loose, blowing Nora onto the ground and mercilessly tearing at her body, shattering through any protective layers she had formed. One last effort.

Nora slung sediment at Adira's remaining eye, rolling out from the scorching beam and jumping on her. Aaron watched as she struck with every ounce of remaining strength, silently whispering the word to himself.

Cataclysm.

Adira was violently flung away as the psychic blast impacted her. She impacted the ground several times and finally landed against a jagged boulder.

Her body went still.

Nora struggled for air as she fell to a knee. A faint glow escaped Adira, her body resorting back to its regular form. Everything was silent. The typhlosion pushed herself up, stumbling for balance, but managed to stand tall despite everything. She looked down. It was over.

Neither of the trainers said anything, their platforms finally descending. Nathan's foot touched the ground; he slowly walked towards Adira, gingerly bringing his hands under her body and raising her. He closed his eyes for a moment, then kissed her cheek. Nora opened her mouth but had no words. He looked at her and Aaron, a heavy sigh escaping him. Necrozma quietly lowered himself along with Reshiram and Zekrom, and behind Aaron, Kyurem's presence was felt by a cool breeze. All three dragons stared at each other, but no moves were made. The fight was finally over. Adira was returned to her ball, and with that, he turned around, mounting Necrozma and flying off.

Aaron briskly walked towards Nora, embracing her before she could fall over. "Arceus… you did it…" A weak smile came to her face, forced as it was. She wasn't proud of what she had done, accident or not. But they had won all the same – that was what mattered. The typhlosion buried her head into his chest and they stood there for a moment. As smoke rose around them, fire finally dying out, Aaron made his way towards Kyurem. On his way, though, his eye caught something.

Somehow, despite all that had happened, one of the many Unovan flags that had decorated the stadium survived, its colors barely distinguishable from halfway under debris. He bent over and picked it up. Dust fell as stars and stripes made their presence known. He carried it with him to Kyurem. The great dragon gave a solid nod, and after allowing Aaron on, they flew away from a destroyed city.

---

A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.