A/N: It's time we got back to Wyndon There's going to be a lot of action in the next two chapters, so hopefully I've gotten it right and it all makes sense. Enjoy the chapter!
I didn't know what it felt like to be lightning, but I assumed it was something like this. Zacian and Zamazenta bounded through the trees in the Weald at speeds even Sneasel couldn't hope to replicate, with Hop and I riding on their backs, holding on for dear life. I had my head pressed up against Zacian's fur, which was wiry and rough, almost like the frayed end of a rope. It was not exactly what I had been expecting when she first stepped up to me, but it was hardly the biggest off-putting surprise of the evening, all things considered. As Zacian continued to pick up speed, I noticed that the wind did not seem to bother me the way it did riding on Flygon or Corviknight, though I could hear it whipping around the two of us. I glanced over to Hop on Zamazenta, and found that the two were ever so slightly blurry, as if a thin layer of glass were separating us from each other. "Are…are you doing that?" I asked, bewildered.
A soft chuckle escaped from her as she answered. "It has been some time since I had a man or woman riding me, but I recall them asking the same question. Yes, I am redirecting the winds away from us, otherwise I would not be able to see as I run." Her voice was calm, as if she were only expending the energy one would use from a leisurely stroll around the park.
I felt a smile start to form on my face; despite it all, I couldn't hold back the giddiness that came from the ride. "This is so bloody cool," I giggled.
We burst out of the Weald and if I had thought the two wolves had reached their top speed, I was sorely mistaken. Instead, Zacian took the lead and began to sprint even faster. The glossy film that protected us from the wind grew thicker, and as it did, it took on a powder blue tint. Sparks and bolts of energy shot out of the follicles along Zacian's mane, and as I chanced another look to Hop, I saw that Zamazenta had done the same, only the energy he emitted with a brilliant pink, similar to Dynamax Energy yet still completely different. Despite the dark skies and low temperatures of a late autumn evening, I was completely warm, almost too warm. And still, Zacian ran faster and faster, until her golden wings spread wide and we left the ground entirely.
"You can do all this? Like it's nothing?" I asked, mesmerized by the blue sparks surrounding us. "Eternatus should be a cinch to take care of with you two!"
"Do not be so confident," Zacian warned. "The Black Hand's power is unlike anything you have ever experienced. It almost killed us in our first confrontation, and would likely try even harder in this one."
"Right," I said, feeling my good mood start to sour yet again. As Postwick faded into the distance and we sped low over the rooftops of Wedgehurst, I pulled out my Rotom phone, hoping for an update from anyone. There was none. No news is good news, I told myself, though looking ahead to the North, I dreaded thinking that it might not be the case. The sky ahead was darker than I had ever seen it before, so dark it seemed as if nothing were there at all, and Zacian was charging directly into this void. The blackness seeped across the horizon and the wind began to grow louder. Was it from our increasing speed, the expanding storm, or both? A crash of lightning lit the world around us in the familiar icy pink of Dynamax energy, and it gave me my answer. In the fleeting moments of light, I could make out the Wedgehurst train station and the winding tracks leading North to Motostoke through the Wild Area. Then the world grew dark again, save for the faint light around Zacian and Zamazenta as they flew forward, deeper into the abyss.
"So this is what the Darkest Day was like," I muttered. I felt my nerves bubbling inside me.
"Yes," Zacian said. Her voice was strained from the effort of keeping this speed up. So much for a walk through the park.
"Was it this dark during the daytime as well?"
"Yes," Zacian repeated. "The skies remained dark even after we killed the Black Hand, for a time. But the clouds receded in less than a week's time. If we stop the madness quickly, it may be even shorter for you."
"And we're going to have to kill it?"
"It seems the methods your Rose had to rein in its power were not sufficient enough. If you truly wish to stop the Black Hand, I see no other way."
I frowned. It had occurred to me that I couldn't just catch Eternatus in any old Pokéball and it would behave like any normal Pokémon, but it was not anything I had spent much time thinking about beyond the abstract. Even seeing all the destruction and havoc it had wreaked in just a few hours' time, I wondered if I had it in me to actually kill something.
"I sense your hesitance," Zacian said, her voice softening ever so slightly. "Killing is a brutal punishment no matter the crime, and it is a punishment that few find easy to administer. But I know you, Gloria, and I know you and Hop will make the right decision when the time comes."
I opened my mouth to respond, but she had ended her sentence with a finality that I found I was thankful for; I certainly didn't want to open up an ethical discussion when she was using the majority of her strength just to get us back to Wyndon. Instead I sunk further into her fur and looked to the void ahead of us, afraid of what I'd be able to see when we passed Motostoke and Hammerlocke again.
I didn't have to wait long. The bolts of Dynamax lightning began to grow in frequency and intensity, and some fires were left in their wake. I grimaced with each strike, afraid to see what would happen if that lightning struck a person or their Pokémon. Instead I kept my head forward, trying not to notice any of the calamity happening around us. After a few minutes, I began to see the forms of trees that flew by underneath us. The leaves had long since fallen, so the branches looked like red spindly fingers reaching out to grab us, to pull us back down to the ground, but they never got close enough. But I began to see more. Pathways became more visible, and so did the occasional building and set of winding train tracks below us, all taking on the same unearthly red sheen. Eventually that redness spread to the sky, growing over the horizon in place of the black void. I gulped. Somehow this seemed even worse. Then Zacian rounded a large hill that dipped into the Wild Area proper, and I was able to confirm that was the case.
I believe the proper term for this would be "hell on earth." The bright beams of light still shot straight into the sky, radiating intensely and lighting up the landscape around us. What had once been lush grassland was torn and ripped. Great chasms spread across the hills. Boulders and trees alike were overturned and cast aside like toys on a playmat, and nothing seemed to be in its correct place. The waters of Lake Axewell and Lake Miloch were rollicking as every sort of storm imaginable sped over the water without rhyme or reason. Sand whipped around hail, only to be washed away by a brief rainstorm and then it was all overturned again by a bold of Dynamax lightning. I looked closer at Lake Axewell just in time to see a Gyarados that was well over one hundred feet in length, emerge from the waters, aiming a Hyper Beam directly at us. Zacian noticed as well, dipping at the last moment. After a moment, there was an explosion of Dynamax energy from behind us. As the Dynamax Detector spiked on my wrist, I twisted around to see a wild Unfezant falling from the sky and shrinking back to its pre-Dynamaxed size. I turned away, not wanting to see its limp body crash to the ground from hundreds of feet in the air. As I did, I shrank back into Zacian's fur and saw that the Gyarados had company; lurking ahead of us and staring us down with brilliant red eyes and sharp tusks the size of a city street was a Mamoswine. It roared the second it discovered us. At its feet, ice shot up like glossy weeds from all angles, sending smaller Pokémon who were on the brink of Dynamaxing themselves into the sky in surprise and terror, and I felt an icy wind start to flow toward us, cutting through Zacian's own impressive body heat.
"Zacian!" I cried. Zacian's eyes snapped ahead of us and she barked valiantly. As she did, her golden sword began to glow, and the blue energy that surrounded us began to shift, concentrating itself around her blade instead, making it look like it was Dynamaxing itself. Finally, I felt the wind hit me like a brick wall. Somehow, I managed to hold onto Zacian, and buried my face in her neck. There was a twist and snap of her neck as she swung her mighty blade, and then we careened off course, avoiding another, much closer explosion, the shockwaves almost sending Zacian rolling as well. I felt like we were about to fall ourselves when the warmth of her shielding aura began to come back and the wind died down. I peeked one eye out and saw the Mamoswine shrinking, the cloudy Dynamax energy releasing itself back into the sky. "Th-thanks," I shuddered, my voice barely louder than a squeak. Zacian said nothing, but instead pushed herself to fly faster. The sky was no longer black at all, due to all of the chaos, and instead, everything was coated in that same awful red light. The entire ground looked to be coated in a layer of blood, and I desperately hoped it was just a trick of the light. Behind us, I saw that Zamazenta's path was also zigzagging. Hop and I were so lucky to have had a straight shot south to the Weald, narrowly outrunning the storm, but we were really in the thick of it now, and somehow, I knew it would only get worse from here. I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath, tried to lower my heart rate, thought of anything I could have to try and not break down right then and there.
"Motostoke!" Zacian cried. I opened my eyes, and sure enough, the dark red bricks of the city loomed ahead of us, its skyline a silhouette ahead of the now vibrant red skies. Any hope I had from progressing our journey North was quickly dashed as Zacian and Zamazenta banked to the right, and I began to see the happenings of the city. There were even more Dynamaxed Pokémon, and while the ones we passed only had trees and boulders to destroy, these were wreaking havoc on scores of buildings. A Meowth, with an impossibly long and almost snake-like body, was swiping ferociously at two bulbous Togedemaru, who in return were slinging bolts of yellow lightning at Meowth, missing as often as they hit. Smaller explosions and Pokémon attacks lit up small sections of the streets, as the lights from any streetlamps must have been extinguished. People and Pokémon alike were running in every direction. I grabbed at Zacian's haunches, as if to aim her back to the city, to help somehow, but she sighed. "Your valiance is commendable," she said morosely, "but our fight is not here. If we stopped to help every creature we saw along the way, we would never reach the Black Hand."
"But…"
"We treat the sickness, not its symptoms," she said simply. I could hear the remorse in her voice. "It is shameful we could not put an end to this sooner."
"Great, guilt me too, why don't you?" I groaned.
"We asked so much of you," Zacian said, "more than we had any right to ask. And yet, you did what you could. You can be proud of that much, and you can be proud of what we must accomplish. They will understand."
"I hope they live long enough to come to that understanding," I said.
"People have the capacity to be good, just as they have the capacity to be evil," Zacian explained.
"Interesting choice of words coming from someone who shut herself away from all of them just because of the evil ones."
Zacian did not speak for a few seconds. "I will…think on those words, Gloria," she said finally. "Choosing whose cause to bring aid to may be a difficult task, but it is my burden to bear, and it is not an easy one."
"That's something I sure can agree with," I said, giving her shoulder a scratch. With Motostoke behind us, we flew forward together.
If the stretch of space between Wedgehurst and Motostoke was hell, I could not begin to quantify whatever the rest of the journey became for us. The North Motostoke Bridge lay entirely in ruin, with not one but two Gigantamax Snorlax lying at the base of the single pillar left standing. They pounded the ground wildly, with each one causing a visible tremor, shaking up the ground and uprooting every plant in a twenty yard radius. In the sands of the dusty bowl, we could see a Rhydon and a Rhyperior duking it out with a pinkish Gastrodon, who was sending powerful water bursts in every direction before getting swallowed entirely by a Gigantamaxed Gengar. The airspaces were clogged with Braviary and Mandibuzz that had grown to the size of fighter jets. Zacian and Zamazenta deftly maneuvered as best as they could, but the chaos was growing worse and worse, and even Zacian's steady breathing began to get more and more strained. Soon, they also had to join the fray. Hop and I clung to them for dear life as they attacked, Zacian slinging her lengthened blade in every direction and Zamazenta spreading his shieldlike mane as wide as it could go and plowing through Pokémon like a battering ram.
Even with our slowed speeds however, Hammerlocke eventually loomed ahead, though it was almost impossible to tell apart from the ruins that lay to the north of the city. Many of the buildings were entirely leveled, and the once proud spire that stood in the heart of the city was nearly completely gone, shattered from Eternatus' escape. Fires dotted what was left of the skyline, and giant Pokémon roamed the streets recklessly, just as they did in Motostoke. Here, however, there seemed to be fewer of them, as if only the strongest of the beasts were left. All but confirming this was a pair of two dragons, a sleek black Noivern and an even sleeker blue Dragonair, circled the city, firing blasts at any Pokémon that came near them. I closed my eyes and desperately tried to block out the noise of screaming coming from the city, but it was to no avail. Zacian must have sensed my anguish, because she veered a bit further off course, drowning out the sounds with the whines of the still powerful gusts of wind. I squeezed her tightly and thought of Marnie and Victor, who I still hadn't heard from since we entered the Weald. They were strong, they were survivors, I told myself again and again, hoping to give some of the protection Zacian was giving me to them despite the distance between us.
As we passed over a less damaged piece of Hammerlocke, I couldn't help myself. I looked down and saw a group of people in the streets, tending to a downed Pangoro. It seemed to still be moving as everyone surrounded it, but everyone jumped up suddenly as a Dynamaxed Vespiquen flew onto the street. I was about to turn away in fear, but before I did, I saw three trainers run in front of the Pangoro and throw out Pokéballs of their own. I could see the unmistakable stripes of a Growlithe, a Boltund, and a Manetric, and somehow it seemed like the Dynamax storm around them had less of a vicious effect. "The power of the storm ebbs and flows," Zacian said, to answer the question I hadn't even formed in my mind yet. "I remember these moments now, of man and Pokémon alike coming to each other's aid despite their own despair. We are remarkably resilient creatures at times."
"Yeah," I agreed.
"Your friends and family," Zacian continued. "You are thinking of them now, I presume?" I nodded. "If they are anything like you, they exhibit this same resilience. Your brother, he bears the armor of the Isle, does he not?"
"You know?" I asked.
"Of course," she replied. "I have been watching you your entire journey, in case you forgot."
"Right."
"I have no doubt that he is out there with the Armor, protecting all who are near him. He shares your strength. And so does the girl you love."
"She is a stubborn one," I said with a smile.
"Interesting choice of words," she said wryly.
"Hey now, I'm the funny one here," I joked. Zacian chuckled and sped away from the street just as the Vespiquen was felled. I watched the trainers surround her as well, with hands stuffed with berries and potions, until the remains of another large building blocked them off.
Once we had fully eclipsed the Wild Area, things began to grow quieter, as far as Dynamaxed Pokémon were concerned. There were small towns causing a commotion here and there, and I could see smoke rising from Spikemuth and Circhester, but the wooded area was so dense and thick that we were able to avoid almost all confrontation just by flying well above the trees and mountains. The weather itself was another story. The winds were much heavier than before, and with it came hail and sleet and so much Dynamax lightning, it was almost as constant as the pillars of light that dotted the Wild Area. The shield that Zacian had summoned to protect us from the elements was holding strong, but it was bending and billowing at the effort, making the whole of Galar look surreal and underwater. I tried to check my Rotom-phone. There were still no updates, but I clocked the signal on the corner of the screen, signaling a lack of any service. I could only hope that that was the reason I still didn't know where Marnie or Victor were.
Hop and Zamazenta flew next to us, and through the two billowing shields, I could just barely see his face, but I could tell it was wracked with worry. His family was in Wyndon too, and Leon would have been chasing after or battling Eternatus for the better part of two hours now. And if the Dynamax storm was still going strong…I felt a lump in my throat and I forced that thought out of my head as well. I wished that I could reach out and comfort him, or that he could do the same for me, and as I did, he turned his head and looked at me. Though shield and storm and nearly thirty feet of distance separated us, I could understand his heart, and he mine. He was exhausted, afraid, nervous, and shaky, yet the longer we looked at each other, the more confident his gaze be. His eyes hardened and his face froze into a look of determination, as if to say that we could do it, as long as we stuck together. With Zacian and Zamazenta, maybe this wouldn't end so badly after all.
I hoped he was right.
"We are approaching Wyndon!" Zacian roared, and as she did, the weather immediately silenced. The winds died all around us, and for a moment, it seemed like the storm itself had stopped. Zacian and Zamazenta closed in on each other and dropped their shields. Ahead of us was Wyndon, massive in size and every inch of it had something going on. Beams of ice and fire flew in every direction as giant star-shaped aura blasts crushed into buildings and ground alike. Deep cracks in the land slowly spread outwards, like water spilled on the ground, and some of them seemed deep enough that it would expose the molten under surface of the planet itself. I could see specks flying around the city, smaller than a Joltik, and between them were massive Dynamax and Gigantamax creatures, and at the center of all of it, I could see the bony skeleton of Eternatus itself, writhing around the North side of the city. My heart began to beat faster. That's where the stadium was. That's where everyone was.
I pushed the fear down as deep as it would go. "Should our Pokémon help out as well?" I asked as we sped towards the city.
"I hesitate to include them but would welcome the help," Zamazenta roared. I looked over at Hop and he nodded, pulling a Pokéball out. I took Flygon's out and glanced at the band around my wrist. Dynamax powers were higher than they were at the stadium, but they were not as strong as they were during the Dynamax storm that Eternatus was reborn in. It would be rough on my team, but I knew they could handle it.
"Zacian," I said. "I'm going to hop off and ride on Flygon now. If you're gonna fight that thing you'll need all your power and mobility; I'd just be holding you up."
Zacian nodded, and I released Flygon. I hoped he had gotten enough rest after his flight to Circhester, and I gestured downwards, where the city limits were. Hop released Corviknight, and all of us flew down, landing on what we hoped would be sturdy enough ground. We collected ourselves as we listened to the sounds of screaming and twisting metal inside the city.
"We must straight to Eternatus," Zamazenta said.
"What about our families?" I asked, looking at over at Hop, whose eyes were trained on the scene above the city.
"There is no time!" Zacian barked, readying her sword.
"Gloria, get out of the way!" Hop yelled. He reached out and grabbed me, just as Zacian pushed off the ground and shot like a bullet towards Eternatus. Zamazenta soon followed with a howl as well.
"What the hell, they make a big stink out of us finding them and they just leave?"
"Gloria, come on!" Hop yelled, rushing to Corviknight. As he did, a powerful beam struck the earth where Zacian and Zamazenta had stood, breaking the ground below me. I was thrust backwards, and just before I hit the ground, I felt Flygon's claws wrap around my shoulders and hoist me into the sky with a sharp tug. I lost all vision and hearing for a moment as my blood rose back up into my body, and when I finally came to, Flygon was fifty feet in the air, and the ground we had been standing was a pile of brown powder. I screamed as Flygon continued to fly up and out of the way. Flygon released me and for a moment I was floating and slowly turning around. I was facing Wyndon again and I saw that Eternatus had instead come to us and was now barreling toward me. Then I began to plummet.
I barely missed Eternatus' jaw as it sped past me, and only when I realized that I was picking up speed, I felt Flygon's neck slip under my legs. He gave me one second to grab back onto his neck before careening off in the other direction, breathing dragonfire at the receding beast.
"Thanks, Flygon, I really owe you on—LOOK OUT! ROLL!"
Flygon dipped upside down just as the red bullet that was Zamazenta rocketed past us, and then dropped about a dozen feet further so Zacian could pass by right after before righting himself and flying over to where Hop's Corviknight was hovering, watching the battle unfold. With him was a familiar-looking green dragon, similar to the one I myself was riding.
"Raihan!" I screamed, my voice already cracking from the strain. I urged Flygon forward until I was level with him and Hop.
"Blimey, is it good to see you two," Raihan said with a weary smile. He and his Flygon looked positively exhausted. Flygon in particular looked like it had been flying full speed from the moment I left Wyndon with Leon hours ago, which very likely could have been the case. "Who're your friends?"
"The sword and shield of Galar and Soan," Hop said proudly, "Zacian and Zamazenta."
"I think I heard Sonia mentioning something about them," Raihan said. "Bloody strong, by the look of it." We pause a moment, watching Eternatus writhe around the blue and red lights. Neither side seemed to have the advantage just yet.
"Sonia!" Hop said suddenly. "Where is she? Is she safe?"
"As far as I can tell," Raihan said. "Last I checked, Piers and all of Team Yell are keepin' the whole stadium locked down and secure."
"Marnie too?" I asked.
Raihan winced. "She and the other gym leaders ran out when I did." I must have looked horrified because he quickly caught himself. "Look, Marnie could probably kill Eternatus with her bare hands, that girl can handle herself, don't worry."
"I know, but I will," I replied. "Come on, we gotta take care of Eternatus before it gets even worse."
"It gets worse?" Raihan said. Now it was his turn to make a crestfallen expression, but he shook his head and replaced it with a stern look instead. "Alright, but we gotta be smart about this. Leon is back at Rose Tower. We were so close to pacifying it when you brought your mutts. We get it back there; we can knock it out and re-catch it."
"Will that work?" Hop asked.
"He's your brother," Raihan said. "He's never lost before, and I don't think he's planning to tonight." He patted his Flygon's flank and urged it forward, and I followed suit. Hop brought up the rear, and the three of us flew as fast as we could to Eternatus.
"Zacian!" I yelled as loud as I could.
I am with you, Gloria. We fight as one! Her voice echoed in my head again. I welcomed an opportunity to not shout anymore and instructed her to follow us to Rose Tower to the north. With a nod, Zacian sped to the Northern side of Wyndon. Eternatus reared its head and, seeing its newest target making a break for it, screeched.
The sound was comparable to an aircraft, and with it came a fresh pulse of Dynamax energy. It was getting angrier, releasing more energy, and I could feel the sting of it on my wrist. But the pain on my wrist was nothing compared to the pain Flygon felt. He shuddered mightily and we dropped about ten feet before he righted himself. The air was thick and Flygon was losing his focus. "I know you hate to do it," I said, rubbing his head, "but we gotta go after it. Stay low to the ground, at least until we get to Rose Tower. If it's too much, stop and we can go on without you. I can't have you overexerting yourself in this." Flygon nodded and we descended into the damaged streets of Wyndon. Just a dozen feet above smaller apartments, we encountered an unfortunately familiar problem; Dynamaxed Pokémon running left and right. Flygon and Corviknight behind him dodged between giant flailing arms, hastily flung boulders and chunks of building, and beams of energy, all while struggling to maintain control of their own bodies. I could feel the Dynamax energy pulsating around us, so I leaned into Flygon's neck and held on tight. "Stay with me, Flygon," I repeated, over and over. I could feel our connection, and I could feel that my presence was calming him enough to stay focused. To my right, I knew that Hop was doing the same with Corviknight.
Zacian, Zamazenta, and Eternatus flew much faster than Raihan, me, or Hop, but we were not that far behind, and soon we had crossed the river and were in the financial district of Wyndon again. Raihan's Flygon, despite its weariness, had taken the lead but I kept hot on their tail. Suddenly, to my right came a bright flash of white light, paired with a powerful wave that I immediately recognized as a Dazzling Gleam. Both Flygons reeled, sinking to the left. "Come on, come on, come on!" I yelled, reaching out to Flygon the same way I had with Zacian, and with a groan, Flygon righted himself and changed course, heading towards a now-rapidly glowing Gardevoir, who seemed to be readying a Moonblast next.
"I got this one!" Hop yelled from behind. "Steel Wing!" Corviknight shot ahead like a bullet, and as he passed us, Hop leapt from his spot. I reached out and grabbed his hand, and with a heave to the left to point us to the tower, Flygon managed to give him the momentum to slide on to his back behind me.
"Hell of a night, right?" Hop asked, just as Corviknight connected with the Gardevoir, causing an explosion that rocked us with Dynamax energy. Flygon shuddered again but sped towards Rose Tower to catch up with Flygon. "Keep us covered, Corviknight!" Hop yelled. "Do whatever you can! Gloria, hope you don't mind me bummin' a ride with you."
"Not at all," I said, and though Flygon was beginning to buckle from the stress, I urged him forward. All he had to do was get us to the tower. We'd figure it out from there.
As we flew neared the tower, we shot past Rose stadium. At first, I marveled at the fact that it seemed to be largely untouched, and my surprise turned into elation as I saw why, as a Dynamaxed Torkoal slowly turned a corner and lobbied an intense fireball at the stadium. Immediately intercepting it was a familiar looking Gigantamax Centiskorch, and from behind it, a shimmering Butterfree sped to the Torkoal, blustering a huge payload of Sleep Powder on top of it. And standing on top of Butterfree's head were the figures of Victor and Kabu. He was still alive! I felt my heart soar, and if the moment couldn't get any better, the now sleeping Torkoal was hit in the side by a Dynamaxed Scrafty, and at its feet, nimbly avoiding the falling debris, Marnie was standing next to Piers and what looked like the entirety of Team Yell, as they escorted waves of people away from the stadium.
"Damn, our friends are cool as hell," Hop laughed. Content with it the scene in front of us, we turned our sights to the tower, where Eternatus had arrived and was circling around the tower, dodging and deflecting powerful blows from Zacian and Zamazenta. Raihan waved to get our attention and pointed to the top of the tower. As I focused in on it, the glass rose atop the tower burst into a thousand pieces, thanks to an impressive fireball. The flame had not yet died out, so I could not see who made the blast, but I knew exactly who was responsible for it. Raihan and Flygon shot upwards, missing Eternatus by a wide berth. I sent a message to Zacian that we'd all meet at the top of the tower and turn the tides there and did the same. With the last of his strength, Flygon shot up the side of the tower, dodging falling glass and legendary Pokémon, but I could feel his wings giving out. I held on tight, and Hop held on to me, and just barely, we reached the top of the tower and Flygon crashed to a halt on the tiled floor, throwing us off his back.
I landed on top of glass and heard it rip the fabric of my sweater. Fortunately, it was thick enough that my back did not get cut up, but my arms, wrist, and legs were a different story. I ripped Hop's arms off of me and staggered to my feet, wincing from the dozen or so minor scrapes across my arms and hobbling over to Flygon. He was breathing heavily; he had exerted far too much energy for one night, but he weakly held his head up and smiled at me as I fell on top of him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much," I repeated, feeling tears welling in my eyes. Flygon grunted. He also was sporting a fair few cuts but beyond that and fatigue, he was not harmed otherwise. "Take a long, long rest, Flygon," I said, shakily pulling out his Pokéball and returning him to it.
"Gloria, I gotta hand it to you," a voice said, and a black gloved hand appeared in front of my tear-blurred vision. "You really know how to make an entrance."
I laughed and wiped the tears from my eyes. "Thanks, Leon," I said, grabbing his hand tightly and letting him pull me up to my feet. "Thought I'd pop by, see if you needed anything."
"I think you can call me Lee, after all this," he said with a smile. He brushed a couple pieces of glass off my shoulder. "And thanks for takin' care of my brother."
"Don't…don't thank her yet," Hop groaned, pulling himself up on his own. "We also brought company. No time to…think." He limped toward us, and I could see a nasty looking cut on his leg, already starting to darken from blood.
"Hop, your leg…!" Leon said, but Hop held up a hand to silence him.
"Not the focus here, now," Raihan said with a grimace, recalling his Flygon in exchange for a Torkoal of his own, who stood stiff and stoic as a space heater, warming the lot of us as we all gathered round, and just as the words left his mouth, Eternatus had appeared in its horrifying, skeletal glory. There was a flash of blue and red, and Zacian and Zamazenta both appeared.
"Is this where we make our stand?" Zamazenta asked, looking warily at Eternatus.
"Gloria," Leon asked, eyes wide, "are these…"
"Oh yeah," I grinned. "I think we're going to have a champion time, Leon." Leon returned the grin, and as he did, a heavy thud behind him announced the arrival of his Charizard. Eternatus roared, and I looked at Hop and Leon. Hop pulled out a second Pokéball and tossed it out, revealing Rillaboom, who roared right back at him. I tucked Flygon's ball safely away and reached for Boltund's. And then the biggest Pokémon battle of my life commenced.
"Zamazenta!" Hop roared. "You gotta keep Eternatus focused on you!"
"Of course," Zamazenta replied, as if he had thought up the idea himself. He rushed forward, his golden shield sparkling brilliantly in the light of the Dynamax lightning that was now circling around Eternatus.
"Do something about the skies!" Raihan roared at Torkoal. Torkoal nodded and let out a cry that just barely was heard over the roaring winds. Above it, storm clouds started to dissipate, being replaced by what looked to be a miniature sun, and at least on the top of the tower, the rain, sleet, and winds calmed enough to give us all a fighting chance against Eternatus.
"Boltund, slow it down with Nuzzle!" I ordered Boltund, and she sped forward, just behind Zamazenta, sparks flying as she tried to get close enough to do anything.
"Full power now; Blast Burn!" Leon yelled to Charizard, and I nodded at Zacian to attack as well. Charizard took a deep breath and blew another massive ball of fire, just barely missing Zamazenta as he rushed past but catching Eternatus in full. Eternatus reeled back and lowered itself lower to the ground, and Zacian full advantage by swinging her sword straight down on its head. Despite its incredible sharpness, no wound was opened, but Eternatus' head crashed onto the floor, cracking the tile and shaking the entire building. It writhed a bit on the ground, just as Boltund hopped into position, sending a shock of electricity straight into it. Eternatus seized up in shock but quickly spun in a circle, knocking into Zacian and Boltund and sending them tumbling back onto the glass near the edge. Boltund yipped in pain but righted herself well before she reached the edge.
"Rillaboom, Grassy Terrain!" Hop ordered, and instead of going in for the attack, Rillaboom beat its chest mightily. As it did, beyond all logic or understanding, little sprouts of weeds and fungus grew up through the cracks in the floor, emitting glowing green spores that seemed to heal everything they touched. I felt a tingle on my leg and saw that one had even attached itself to my leg, and I got to see one of the cuts on my leg start to stitch itself up in real time. I shook my head and instead held Boltund's Pokéball up to return her. I couldn't depend on a Pokémon that only used attacks on the ground, especially if the ground was able to heal wounds like this, but as I watched the jerky movements Eternatus was making, I was thankful to slow it down with some minor paralysis.
"Thanks, Boltund. You never disappoint," I said, and reached instead for Sneasel's ball. Eternatus was a dragon, and if I learned anything from my time with Flygon, it was to keep them away from ice. "Ice shard!" I roared.
Sneasel appeared, took stock of the situation, and looked at me like I was crazy, but as all of our Pokémon began their second volley of attacks, she joined in just as well. Zacian and Zamazenta came from the side this time, knocking Eternatus into a central location, in time for another round of fireballs from Charizard and Torkoal, with a Wood Hammer from Rillaboom for good measure. Their attacks didn't do much, but with each attack came an icicle lobbed with precision accuracy by Sneasel. Eternatus responded by wildly shooting a blast of pure Dynamax energy wildly in every direction. Zamazenta appeared in front of Hop, me, and Leon, shielding us from the attack, but taking a great deal of damage himself. "Find better protection!" he yelled gruffly, and Hop and I quickly skirted to a pile of rubble. Leon, however, stayed where he was, and when Charizard rushed to him, he hopped on and took to the skies, ordering attacks from right there.
Hop, from his new spot behind the rubble, ordered Rillaboom to attack as he could, all while clutching his leg tightly. It was still bleeding, despite the grassy spores of the terrain slowing it down. I offered my sweater to help act as a makeshift tourniquet, but he waved me away. "We need to focus on the…battle," he wheezed. I nodded uneasily and grabbed him anyway, pulling him back down behind the rubble to avoid another powerful blast of energy from Eternatus.
The battle raged on, and I could tell that our partners were getting weary. First down for the count was Sneasel, who took a blast of energy to the head and crumpled. I quickly returned her, and as I was fumbling with Bewear's Pokéball to take her place, Rillaboom and Torkoal fell as well. Corviknight, back from patrolling the skies around us appeared again, but even it was too weak from all its fighting and flying, and once it fell, the only Pokémon left to fight Eternatus were Zacian and Zamazenta, who looked bruised but sturdy, and Leon's Charizard, who looked like it was close to fainting. But so, it seemed, was Eternatus. As powerful as it was, even it had its limits, and it was reaching them.
Charizard crashed down into the grassy terrain just as it started to recede back into the floor and Leon tumbled off. "How did it get so much stronger?" Leon gasped. "It wasn't anything like this when we were keeping it at the power plant."
"Maybe the Master Ball was holding back its power?" I suggested.
Leon's eyes lit up the second I said it. "That's it!" he cried, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two Ultra Balls. He fumbled one but caught the other. "Gloria, tell them to give me a clear shot," he said, a brazen gleam in his eye.
"You heard him!" I shouted as Zacian zipped past me, narrowly avoiding another burst of energy. She looked at Leon with a scrutinizing glare, and then nodded, coming around and forming a wide berth so that Eternatus would look away from the rubble pile. Leon took the chance and with all his might, threw the Ultra ball at Eternatus. It hit its mark, clashing with the tiniest of clinks between the white fires that seemed to be its eyes, and as Eternatus reeled back, the ball clicked open and started to pull it inside. Eternatus struggled mightily, but it was no match, and was sucked inside the ball, which fell to the ground, bouncing once on the floor and rolling to a stop. Zacian and Zamazenta stood poised, ready to strike the moment anything happened. Charizard floated down to us, landing just a few feet away from Eternatus in the ball. Everything became silent as all of us stared at the Pokéball warily. The storm itself seemed to freeze in spot, as if waiting for the outcome. Leon took a tentative step forward, stepping around the pile of debris.
The ball shook once. I flinched, expecting the worst, but it held shut.
"Ball," Leon said, reaching out to me.
"What?"
"That other Ultra ball," he said, his voice urgent. He was taking no chances. Eternatus shook inside the Ultra Ball a second time as I bent down to pick up the one that Leon had just dropped. Leon took another tentative step forward, coming up next to Charizard.
"Stay back!" Zacian growled, but Leon ignored her. He was now standing next to Charizard, eyes trained on the Ultra Ball. The ball shook a third time, this one weaker than the first two. I realized that I was no longer breathing. It was as if I had willed my heart to stop beating as well. But still, it seemed the Ultra Ball was holding firm, trapping Eternatus inside. Leon took another step forward. A grin started to form on his face – had his idea worked? I pocketed the second Ultra Ball nervously. Suddenly, Charizard moved, picking up on some sensation no one else could. He moved in front of Leon, wings spread wide like a shield. I didn't even register what was happening yet.
And then everything turned brilliant white.
I felt the floor fall out from underneath me. Or had I been thrown off the ground? I couldn't tell, but I was moving backwards in slow motion. Then came the sound, the horrid sound. Pieces of metal ripping apart, the telltale sound of a Pokémon escaping capture, gave way to an earsplitting screech, one of pain and fury. The light faded to pink, to deep crimson. I realized that I was falling from the tower. I realized that the tower itself was falling. I twisted my body left and right, trying to see where everyone was as the wind picked up again. Hop was near me, eyes wide with fear, and Leon and Raihan were to my left, both unconscious. Charizard was still awake, but horribly battered, trying to right himself as he too fell. I could not find Zacian or Zamazenta anywhere. I looked back to where the tower had been standing. As it crumbled and fell in on itself, I watched in horror as Eternatus was struck by, and shooting out, bolt after bolt of powerful Dynamax lightning. It began to change shape, writhing and coiling in on itself, and then it began to grow. Despite everything, Hop and I had failed in our mission. As I fell to almost certain death, Eternatus, now hundreds of feet long, unfurled itself, its draconic body now long and slender, snakelike. Its head split apart into five pieces spread out like a spindly black and red hand, ready to grab on to anything that dared come near and throttle it. I was out of its reach for now, but it didn't matter. Time snapped back to its regular speed, and Hop, Leon, Raihan, and I hurtled toward the cement below.
A/N: One last cliffhanger for you before I end the story. See you in a week.
NEXT WEEK: THE BLACK HAND