Hello all.

I am no officially done with all my travels for the summer and have settled back in at college. Also, I am taking a Creative Writing course, so expect a dramatic improvement in my writing style. Also, please, please, please tell me if in this chapter breaks apart the 'dream' of the story. In other words, if something reminds you that you are reading and breaks the 'movie' that the words paint in your head, point it out. I may not really have time to go back and change things, but it will be very helpful going forward.

Also, for those of you who like to listen to music while reading, might I suggest a Hoenn Legendary remix of your choice? You'll know when it should begin.

Chapter Eight:

The Main Event

"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!" -Smaug

Medi grumbled under her breath as she made her way through the dark streets. Why in the world the visiting noble had summoned her to see him, she had no idea. It it was a 'stomachache', he probably wanted Cotton, since the jumpluff was much more skilled with medicine. But no, he had asked for her by name, and her full name too, Medira. How had he known that?

She muttered various curses against him for rousing her out of bed after a day like this. First Eona came, and that had been a surprise, and next the news that Rayquaza was probably going to attack! It had kept her up for hours with worrying. Then, when she had finally gone to sleep, a messenger came and asked her to show up pronto at Jasper's mansion to treat Lord Sable for some ailment! She was in a very bad mood when she finally arrived and made no effort to disguise it.

She burst into the visiting lord's bedchamber with a scowl on her face and claws twitching. It was an old habit from when she had been in a lot of dangerous situations. Though she hadn't been in danger for a long time, her claws were always ready should she ever need them. "Alright," she snarled at the Sableye sitting propped up in bed, "What do you want? Is it a cough? A sore stomach? Did you eat too much rich food? Maybe if you didn't engage in gluttony, this sort of thing wouldn't happen, hmm?"

Behind her, the emolga messenger closed the door with an unobtrusive click and stood in front of it. Medi stiffened slightly. The flying rodent was right in the way of her exit. It struck her as odd. Her claws flexed agitatedly. This reminded her too much of a kidnapping, but it made no sense to her. What use would it to them to trap or try to capture her?

The sableye was studying a sheet of paper, occasionally glancing between it and her. She shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to sneer at him. His scrutiny unnerved her. "You know," he said after a few tense moments had passed, "For a town that had a member of the cult of Darkrai in it, there have been a surprisingly few amount of murders and none of them attributable to you. Care to tell me why that is?"

Medi stiffened in surprise. "Oh I see what this is," she said, acid in her voice, "I'm a Dark-type, right? So I must be a member of that bloody cult! Is that it, huh? Well let me tell you something, your highness, I am…"

The sableye grinned. "Mortally offended? Scandalized? Lying through your teeth? You must have known that someone would find you eventually."

Medi's eyes narrowed and her claws twitched. The emolga didn't look like she'd stand up to much. If it came to that, one good cut across the throat ought to put her down. "Look pal, you have the wrong weavile…if there are any former members of that cult, I know of a much more likely choice!"

"Oh yes, the mysterious Shadow. Interesting name, isn't it?" Sable replied, "That's all he is, really. Other than the name on the guild-roster, there is hardly any evidence of his existence. There are stories, rumors, and legends in the criminal underworld about him, but very few have ever seen him." A grin spread on his face in response to Medi's stunned expression. "Surprised? I will admit, bureaucracies do move very slowly, but they tend to keep impeccable records. If you know what to look for, you can find almost anything."

"And why do those records lead you to believe I am a cultist?" Medi snapped bitterly. The situation was quickly getting out of hand. Her eyes constantly wandered toward the room's one exit.

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?" Sable said. He pulled a sheaf of papers from under his blanket and presented them to her. "Here we have a compiled list of all the cult members, including their locations when the Wigglytuff Guild and Cresselia defeated Darkrai himself. And here's a list of which ones were apprehended. You will notice that, in a town but a few days' journey away, there is an entry for a female weavile surgeon who was never apprehending. And now, if you look here, you will see a list that the mayor has kindly provided for us detailing the movements of travelers into and out of the town. As you can see, you first entered town a mere week after the cultist escaped. You can imagine how I would be suspicious."

"But it doesn't prove anything," Medi snapped, folding her arms across her chest and glaring, "And what about Shadow?"

"Ah, yes. Well, no cultists near his level of prowess are currently at large. In fact, the only member of the cult capable of performing half the feats he is credited with would be…" Sable pursed his lips, musing a bit, "Hmm, it would have to be Darkrai himself, wouldn't it? But according the Wigglytuff Guild, Darkrai escaped through an unstable portal, which could lead to…complete and total memory loss." He grinned at her. "Is there…something you'd like to tell me about Shadow?"

"Never met him. And as fascinating as that is," Medi snapped, "It has nothing to do with me. I've had enough of your ridiculous claims. I'm going back to bed." She turned to go.

"Ah, but do you think that the police will find them so ridiculous?" Sable asked, pulling Medi up short. A sly grin grew on the Sableye's face. "After all, it is very suspicious and you know how quickly rumors spread in small towns like this. And Rumor, once started, is nearly impossible to get rid of."

"What do you want?" Medi demanded, voice shaking with impotent rage.

"Right now? Only your cooperation with a small matter that's come up," Sable replied with a soothing voice, "I seem to have neglected to bring a Shift Orb, the one's that duplicate a zoroark's power. Bring me one from the guild's stash."

"Is that all?" Medi chuckled humorlessly, glaring over her shoulder at him. "Seems like a lot of trouble for one trinket!"

"For now, that will be all," Sable replied coolly, "Now go. You have a busy day ahead of you, I believe."

Medi's baleful eyes could have curdled skimmed milk.

The next day, the Starchasers broke the news to the entire town. Even with their best efforts, they barely managed to quell the quickly ensuing panic with promises that they would do their best to protect them.

Work on the town's defenses began immediately. Team Tremor quickly organized teams of excavators to dig a tunnel network below the city into the stone of the cliffs so that the townsfolk would have some shelter during the battle. Chief Pyre turned out every last member of the police force, calling upon the few retirees to bolster his ranks. Ten pokemon in all stood ready to help. They set to work chopping down trees from the forest which Team Firestrike hauled back to the town for use in fortifications. Even Lt. Cascade refused to stay bedridden, despite Pyre's protests.

"Sir," she said firmly, "With all due respect, you need me to watch your back."

"Please, Lieutenant, sit this one out," Pyre begged, "I can't have you overexerting yourself."

"And I can't let you out of my sight," Cascade replied sardonically, "Who knows what trouble you might get yourself into?"

Pyre blustered a bit, but he really had no response to that.

Team Snowpaw busied themselves with planning out exactly how they were going to make the most of their type advantage. Emerald and Slicer had agreed to act as back-up attackers, but it was primarily Team Snowpaw's responsibility to bring him down to the ground. The Starchaser's hoped that their ice would slow the Sky Emperor down some as well as damage him.

Bolt and Kachi, being the two electric types, were also tasked with paralyzing him if possible. If the combined forces of electricity and ice could bring Rayquaza to the ground, then a full-on assault from all directions was the next tactic. There would be casualties, but with luck they would be minimal. Keski, however, wondered to himself whether there is such a thing as luck when a giant dragon is attacking you. That seemed a very unlucky thing in the first place.

The only Pokémon who weren't helping were those in the mayor's mansion. Jasper, Malik, his two bodyguards, and their visitors from the capitol were quite content to let the work of defending the town fall on the shoulders of others. This did nothing to endear them to the hard-working Pokémon and many angry glares fell upon that house.

It was mid-afternoon when it began. A storm appeared over the sea, heading their way and going against the wind. It was massive, towering hundreds of feet into the sky and black as night. All work stopped. Everyone just stared. Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled, faint echoes coming to them across the sea. The waves began to stir as the wind picked up, whipping them into a frenzy against the rocks.

Jasper took one look at that storm and immediately sent word Chief Pyre telling him that he wanted at least five of the police assigned to defending his home and that one of them should be 'that electric mouse, whose typing should discourage Rayquaza from attacking me'.

"Giratina take him…" Pyre muttered, crumpling up the message, "Kachi! Go defend the mayor. His imperial majesty apparently doesn't like the look of those clouds!"

"Yes sir!" Kachi said with a smart salute, "Should I take anyone else?"

"No," Pyre growled, "He can whine about it later. I'm not diverting more of our forces to defend his house than I need to."

Cascade came up beside him. "So…it looks like this is happening after all."

Pyre glanced over, following her paw to where it pointed. The storm was drawing closer at a remarkable rate. "That it does," the quilava said grimly. He took the Dewott's paw. "Come, we should keep working."

Final preparations took place in a very hurried fashion. The townsfolk hurried down into the tunnels with Ryke, Cotton, Medi, and Mina guarding them. Team Snowpaw took up their place on the top of the guildhall, where a hastily erected parapet shielded them from attacks in every direction. Evenly spaced little slits allowed them to see and fire out but weren't wide enough to leave them exposed. Majyk floated beside it, quietly focusing his mind on the battle ahead. Emerald, Bolt, and Slicer were scattered through the town, ready to light up Rayquaza's underside should they get the chance. Keski stood near to Bolt, ready to defend him, though he didn't much like the prospect of rain. The other defenders also assumed their positions and a period of tense, fretful waiting ensued.

Kachi stood on the roof of the governor's mansion, his assigned post. He didn't much care for it because it was very exposed, though it did offer a good vantage point. He gazed uneasily up at the swift-moving storm. It was almost on top of them now. It was getting dark to. He could barely see the edge of town. He squinted. Lord Sable was standing out on the balcony below. The sableye lord from the capitol wasn't alarmed at all. It was very odd, but he almost seemed…excited.

Then came the rain and it washed all thoughts of him out of Kachi's mind. It pounded the earth with furious strength, barraging and drenching the defenders of Seaside Bluff. It burned too, ever so slightly, leaving the skin wherever it touched reddened and raw after even a little exposure. Kachi shivered. It was cold too. He glanced down at Lord Sable and sighed. "It's going to be a long day…"

All across the town, the defenders sought shelter from the rain. Mendigo was especially vulnerable. He immediately had to take cover or his frail form would have dissolved entirely. It was a heavy downpour. They all hunkered down and scanned the skies, waiting for something to happen.

Down by the ocean, the collapsed portion of the cliff lay quietly, as it had ever since it fell and buried its unfortunate occupant. But as the rain ran down it, trickling in between the stones and permeating every crevice, something stirred. The rocks began to shift, to fall away, slowly at first, but with increasing speed. With one, overpowering movement, an enormous hand thrust its way up through them, sending boulders flying into the air to land in the sea. Slowly, the tremendous form that Bolt and Keski had worked so hard to imprison sat up, shaking off the dust and rubble, and stood.

"Hahahaha!" the ogre laughed, "That was a nice nap! Now it's time to work!" He set off towards the docks with big, stomping strides.

A ways into the forest, a dead tree stood unmoved by the rain trickling down its rotting wood. The limp, dry corpse of the evil cacturne hung on it, rain trickling down its face. Among the dead roots, however, a green flower bloomed and blossomed in response to the rain. It drew the water into itself, swelling and growing, sprouting limbs and shaping itself into a duplicate of the form pinned to the tree but without any of the injuries. Its yellow eyes scanned the woods and a wicked smile spread across the scarecrow's face.

"New orders acknowledged," it said, "Proceeding with the mission." Turning toward the town, it set off to cause even more chaos and havoc than before.

Up above the town, Sunsoarer flew in a wide circle trying to get a glimpse into the storm and discover just where in it Rayquaza was. The rain kept getting in his eyes, however, and so the flygon had to look down frequently to wipe it out. His eyes narrowed. He thought he could see the massive bulk moving up the beach towards the harbor and the hunched over scarecrow headed for the gate. He blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he was actually seeing things correctly. He was. Alarmed, he banked hard and dove for the guildhall.

"Master Majyk!" he called as he swooped down and landed beside him, "The cacturne and the hariyama! They're back!"

The alakazam stared at him. "Are you absolutely certain?" The flygon nodded in affirmation. After a moment, Majyk's mind touched the hariyama's. He shuddered. "So they are." Immediately, he sent out a mental link to all members of the guild, the police, Keski, and Bolt. "We have a new problem," he said via telepathy, "It seems the other two are less dead than we thought."

"How less dead?" Mendigo replied.

"Alive and coming right for us," Majyk answered.

"That's pretty not-dead," Mendigo muttered.

"Gee, thank you, Mendigo!" Corona snapped, though there was an edge of fear to the flareon's reply.

"Okay," Pyre broke in, "Response teams! We need to send response teams."

"Well, we have to stay up here!" Cia said nervously.

"Yep!" Yuki agreed.

"We must be ready for when Rayquaza descends!" Cyon added, "We can't go gallivanting off and face that cacturne again!"

"This rain puts a damper on our fire," Rafasa added. The monferno, although apologetic, made it clear with that one utterance that there was no room for argument. "The hariyama, he is purely physical, but we would be outclassed by the cacturne."

Majyk sighed, a bit disappointed. "I understand. Firestrike, you three will engage the hariyama. Team Snowpaw, stay where you are."

"I can go fight the cacturne!" Bolt offered, "I can move very quickly! He won't even hit me!"

"No!" Keski interjected, "Master Majyk, allow me. I am quite experienced with fighting dark-types. I will make short work of him."

Naila scoffed. "Alone?"

"Yes, alone," Keski said, "As I said, I know how to fight his kind."

"Go, but are you sure you don't want any help?" Majyk asked.

"I could send a few officers with you," Pyre offered, "We have a fighting-type or two."

"No, I've got it," the lucario said with a growl, "A warning for the hariyama, though. Any attack against his body will fail. It's practically invulnerable."

Majyk sighed. "Then that leaves the mind. Emerald, I must stay here and guard Team Snowpaw. Will you go and face this monster instead?"

"Master, it would be my genuine pleasure," she responded, "Team Firestrike! Meet me down by the docks!"

"Roger that," Blitz growled, "We're on our way."

"I'm on my way too," Cascade said coolly, "I want another crack at him."

"Sure you don't want any help, Keski?" Stuffy offered.

"No," Keski replied confidently, "I can handle myself."

A dark shape landed on the roof of the guild next to Majyk, alarming Team Snowpaw. "Master," he said, "I will go. I failed to kill the cacturne the first time. I will finish the job now."

"Who's he?" Cia asked shakily.

The shape straightened and revealed himself to be a zoroark. "Team Snowpaw I presume? My name's Shadow," he said, smiling at them, "Nice to meet you in person."

The name sent a flood of recognition through them. "Oh!" Cia exclaimed.

"So you really are a…" Yuki began, but trailed off.

Majyk was slightly disgruntled at his public appearance, but did not make an issue of it. "Go then, but only intervene if your help is needed," he said, "And may Arceus speed your steps."

Shadow bowed. "Thank you, master." And then he was off, bounding across the roof-tops.

Lightning flashed inside the clouds overhead. A long, serpentine shape wound its way through them, like a lion weaving through the grass as it approaches its prey. A faint echo of a roar came right behind the rumble of thunder. However, Keski barely paused to look up. He marched down the middle of the streets, headed right for the North Gate. Alone. After all, he didn't want anyone to see the true color of his fur once the rain washed the dye out.

He reached the gate ahead of his opponent and carefully scanned the area. After finding no sign of anyone watching him, he sat down under the shelter of the small guard station and closed his eyes, extending his second sight as far as it could go. There was a slight flicker of life approaching from within the town, but it was so faint he disregarded it. Soon, though, he sensed his opponent.

He was moving hastily, though not quickly, toward the gate. Keski concentrated, using his extra time to study its aura more carefully than he did with the hariyama. It seemed…incomplete, as if half of it was missing. No, not missing, shrouded. A stifling black overwhelmed part of the colorful spectrum that normally made up an aura. Keski felt slightly disconcerted, seeing that unnatural color mix and mingle with the other, normal ones he had memorized as a riolu.

The cacturne spotted him shortly. A questioning note entered its aura and it cautiously approached. When it was within hailing distance, it shouted, "You are not a registered member of the Starchaser Guild or the police. I memorized their profiles before coming here."

"Yep," Keski replied, "Officially, I'm a prisoner."

"Prisoner, eh? Then I will give you a choice," the cacturne stated. More of the purple mist flowed out of its arms, forming into the deadly spikes. "Move or die."

Keski focused all his attention on those two spikes, straining to predict where they would go. "I really hate only having two options…"

"Then you won't be bothered long." The cacturne flung its hands forward and sent twin spikes whistling through the air. In response, Keski sent a burst of energy to his legs and rocketed forward. He ducked low and barely managed to slide right under the spikes' path. Instead, they buried themselves in the town wall.

"Heh, slippery, aren't you?" the scarecrow muttered, "But I've dealt with slipperier."

Keski came in low. His fist shot up, but the scarecrow leaned sideways and avoided it. Dark energy enveloped its left arm and it delivered a ringing blow to the side of Keski's head. The lucario stumbled backwards and managed to evade a swiftly thrown spike more by luck than skill. A trickle of blood from a cut over his eye fell into his vision and he moved quickly to wipe it out. Even that small delay was too much, however. He opened his eyes just soon enough to see the cacturne right in front of him. An instant later, the scarecrow's fist passed easily through his clumsy block and slammed into his stomach. He doubled over and felt another crushing hit strike the back of his head. He fell to the ground.

"You're much too slow," the cacturne said mockingly, "And you've delayed me long enough." It summoned two spikes and held them above Keski's body like knives, prepared to drive them into his back. Yet as they came down, the lucario rolled over and seized both of his opponent's wrists. With a simple twist, he sent the grass-type hurtling over him. The spines gouged wounds in the pads of his forepaws and he winced.

They both rose slowly, each taking stock of the other. Keski raised his bleeding fore-paws and crouched into a fighter's stance. The cacturne summoned two more spikes and held them ready to be thrown or wielded as weapons. For a moment they stood still. Then, a burst of aura raced through Keski's legs and he leapt high into the air. The cacturne fired, but undershot him. The scarecrow took a step back, trying to avoid him, but the lucario's iron fist slammed into its face.

Keski landed heavily, only to shoot upwards with a stunning uppercut the cacturne's chin. The scarecrow fell backwards off-balance, but he was too sturdy to knock off his feet. Its spiny arm came up and slammed down, delivering a crushing blow to Keski's left shoulder. The lucario retaliated with a right hook with an explosion of aura thrown in for good measure. The cacturne's head spun a quarter turn left, a nice scorch mark on the cheek.

The scarecrow backed up a bit, summoning more spikes to its grip. Keski's foot lashed out and slammed into its chest. Head-spinning, the cacturne fired wildly, barely missing Keski's ears. A spinning kick straight to the mouth later and the lucario knocked him flat on his back.

The cacturne spat. "This body is too swollen," it muttered, "It is affecting my speed."

"Oh don't make excuses," Keski snarled, "I know how to deal with your kind. You may not have real organs, but if I destroy that head of yours you'll still be dead. Now get up. I wasn't finished with you."

The cacturne smirked evilly at him and didn't move. Keski growled. "If you think I won't attack you just because you are on the ground…" He frowned. He couldn't be certain in the darkness, but it looked as if there were roots growing out of the grass-type's legs. A quick check with his sixth-sense confirmed that a network of roots was quickly burrowing deep underground. "Thinking to heal yourself, eh? Think again!"

He leapt for the cacturne, intending to pummel him into submission. Suddenly, the ground under him erupted into a mess of writhing roots. One immediately wrapped around his middle and hoisted him into the air. He growled and neatly sliced it off with a swipe of the spikes on his paws, but another one coiled around his wrists. It was easy to snap, but it held him in the air just long enough for the others to tangle themselves around his body. The cacturne slowly stood up, a smug grin on his face. All the while, more roots sprouted out of its legs and wrapped around the lucario. They bound his arms, legs, torso, and a few even went around his neck.

"Ingrain, such a useful move," the cacturne said, "Such fast-growing roots can easily be turned to other purposes than just absorbing nutrients and enough of them will restrain the strongest tauros. Now…" He summoned another spike and leveled it at Keski's stomach. "You are neutralized." Keski snarled in response, but the cacturne did not fire. He stared at Keski, frowning, fascinated by him all of the sudden. "Gold…" he muttered.

Keski did not hear him. He strained against his bonds, making the tendons on his arms and legs bulge. He couldn't break free. A tidal wave of panic descended upon him, irrational and irresistible. Words ran through his mind like jeering imps. Chained, bound, restrained. Get out. Get out. Break free. Get out.

The world began to blur as time slowed down. The blood vessels in his eyes expanded dramatically, turning them almost to a glowing gold. The tendons in his arms and legs tensed, straining against his bonds with primal ferocity. A deep growl rose in the lucario's throat, a warning to back off quickly. "Let go of me," he ordered, surprisingly quiet, "Now."

"You have gold fur," the cacturne stated, still processing that.

Keski didn't notice, but the rain had been working at an alarming rate to wash away the dye in his fur, revealing his shoulders and most of his hips to be gold, not black. "I said," he snarled, "Let. Me. GO!"

An explosion of aura came from both his forepaws, withering the roots holding him within seconds. The cacturne shrieked in pain. It felt as if the life had just been torn right out of part of him. Alarmed, the scarecrow fired, but the seed inside of the spike met the same fate as the roots and Keski's skin, fur, and tensed muscles blunted the spike itself. The lucario shredded the dead plant-stuffs binding him, tearing them apart with hate-filled vehemence. He landed in a crouch, a snarl on his face and flares of aura radiating from both his paws.

"I hate being tied up. I hate being imprisoned," he said as he advanced on the cacturne with rage in his glowing eyes, "And I hate, hate, hate Dark-types!" With a howl, he charged. His eyes missed nothing, the way the rain pounded the muddy ground, the wind whipping the grass and making it bend and bob like waves on the ocean. He even saw exactly where the spikes were aiming an avoided them with contemptuous ease. But everything was red, red as blood. The world was drenched in it and Keski found himself relishing it. He was in his element. He ducked, twisted, side-stepped, all without breaking stride. Roots erupted from the ground, but they withered the instant they touched him. With a flying tackle, he rammed into the cacturne, tearing its legs out of the ground with an audible 'crack!'

Keski grinned. His normal vision and aura vision were perfectly overlapping each other now and he watched the flows of aura emanating from the pinned cacturne. There was no fear, but there was a quite large amount of alarm and another portion of anger. The scarecrow's spines dug into his body as it struggled to get free again and it hurt. Their eyes locked, displaying no pity or mercy for the other. There was only one way this fight could end. Keski decided to finish the scarecrow off permanently.

Viciously, he grabbed its head with both paws and forced it to look right into his eyes. Then, with a devilishly delighted grin, he said, "Wither, monster." A pulse of blue flame went through it and Keski felt his own aura latch onto the cacturne's twisted and distorted one. His ate into it like acid, burning all traces of life right out of the scarecrow's body in under a minute. It convulsed in silent agony. Its spines gouged his legs and left long gashes, but shortly it fell back and moved no more.

Keski stood, remarkably calm. His eyes returned to their normal color and the world around him regained its regular hues. However, he shuddered suddenly and fell to his knees, retching. He felt exhausted, as if he had just run two hundred miles across rocky terrain with the sun beating down on him. He fell to the ground and lay there. He caught a glimpse of the growing patches of gold in his soaked fur, but not even that was enough to stir him to action. All he could think about was the overwhelming need to sleep…

"…" Shadow watched the lucario in astonishment, standing a good distance away to avoid being detected by his sixth sense. He was, quite frankly, stunned. All he had seen was Keski tackled the cacturne, grab him, and then the cacturne just collapsed, struck dead as if Arceus himself had leaned down from above and smote him. But then, inexplicably, Keski had been violently ill and then immediately fallen to sleep. In the middle of a rainstorm. There was also the curious matter of his gold fur, but Shadow did not know what that could mean. He reflected ruefully that, if he had his memory, he would probably know. But he did not and Master Majyk had told him that pursuing it would only bring him great pain.

It was then that there was a sound of rushing wind and a tremendous explosion. Shadow whirled and saw that the general store was completely obliterated and the rubble of it was still raining down on the town. He glanced back at Keski and decided he just couldn't leave him out in the middle of the storm. Swift as an arrow, he scooped the lucario up and carried him back to the guildhall.

Yet just because Keski was out didn't mean the battle was over. Far from it. The clouds parted overhead, drawing all eyes upwards. At the docks, where Emerald stood triumphant over the monstrous hariyama, the victors turned their attention upward. At the top of the Starchaser Guild Team Snowpaw looked up nervously. And on the roof of Jasper's mansion, where Kachi concerned, brown eyes and Lord Sable's gleaming eager ones peered into the clouds, all attention was inexorably drawn towards the serpentine figure that descended from the clouds. A roar echoed across the town.

Black scales with yellow, glowing runes emblazoned on the sides shone in the darkness. Claws flexed. Teeth gnashed together. It was indeed Rayquaza, the Sky Emperor, and his wrath was terrible. "WHERE IS SHE?!" he demanded. A bright light appeared in the dragon's jaws. "TELL ME!" A blast of orange energy obliterated a house down by the docks, raining splinters and rock fragments on the surrounding area. For an instant, all courage deserted the defenders and they quailed. But then, somehow, Cyon swallowed his fears and turned to his sisters.

"Center stage, girls," he said, smiling weakly, "Our act is up next and we're the main attraction. Let's give them a show, shall we?" Cia and Yuki exchanged glances and slowly nodded. "Right! This storm will blow away any wind we create, so it's ice-only attacks for the most part. Ready? Fire!"

Triple beams of ice shot up into the sky. Rayquaza didn't see them until they were almost upon him as his gaze was on another part of the town. "GAAAAAH!" The dragon recoiled from the ice, twisting and convulsing to break off the little that had formed on his flanks. "WHO DARES TO ATTACK ME?!

The three glaceons bravely replied. "We're the sensational, celestial siblings of Team Snowpaw!"

"That's right!" Yuki added.

With a roar, Rayquaza coiled and dove towards them, but now the battle was joined. The others quickly responded. Slicer catapulted rocks into the air. Emerald reached out and gathered the light of the moon to herself, sending out great blasts of it and lighting up the sky just as well as the lightning did. From the roof of the mansion, Kachi reached into the skies, redirecting the bolts of lightning to strike the legendary dragon while at the station the police force unleashed a concentrated barrage of whatever was at hand, even some of the loose stones from the road. They held nothing back, knowing that if they did they stood no chance.

The assault from all sides bewildered and confused the great dragon. He turned every which way, roaring and bellowing in rage, and found himself under attack from every direction. Even though they mostly bounced off his scales without leaving any noticeable damage, the very fact that these impudent mortals dared to attack him sent him soaring to new heights of rage. He cast his eyes about the town, searching for a target. Then, he spotted the closely-grouped police, standing on top of their station and firing volleys of attacks at him. A great blast of energy built up in his mouth. With a striking motion like a serpent, he fired an attack with enough force to flatten the entire building.

And it would have if Emerald hadn't appeared, arms outstretched and eyes glowing. The energy struck an invisible shield and detonated, but the force of the explosion shattered Emerald's concentration and threw her backwards with a scream of pain.

"Emerald!" Majyk called. Very much alarmed, he reached out and teleported her to safety beside him. She appeared more frightened and stunned than hurt, to the Guildmaster's relief.

"That…" she said, "Was…terrifying. How…how are we supposed to fight that?"

On the other side of the town, Kachi's attention was divided between Rayquaza and Lord Sable. The ghost type was leaning forward, watching excitedly with a wicked grin on his face. It was hard to be sure because of the darkness, but it was very hard to miss this. The sableye didn't care, though, for the moment. It was all he could do not to burst out cackling as Rayquaza unleashed yet another devastating attack on the city. Boom! A warehouse down by the docks was splinters and rubble. It was all just too perfect! Now he would find out for sure whether or not the Guildmaster was a Seal-bearer. And if he was, well then, a special fate awaited him and the entire guild!

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Rayquaza roared, "I WILL NOT BE DENIED!" With another attack, someone's house became a pile of splinters.

"Will you stop blowing up the town?!" Majyk was surprised to hear Bolt's voice shout up at the Emperor of the Skies. "Do you know how rude that is? Imagine if we blew up Sky Tower!"

Rayquaza's head whipped around and glowered down, searching for the source of the voice. " WHO SAID THAT?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"I'm right here! Sheesh, are you going blind or something? Maybe if you got rid of this nasty rain, you could spot me more easily! What do you say?"

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Maybe you could take a minute to think it over?"

"I DEMAND YOU SHOW YOURSELF!"

"I'M STANDING ON TOP OF THIS ROOF! WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Bolt huffed in annoyance. "Now, why don't you calm down?"

"NEVER!" Rayquaza roared.

."Wow," Bolt said, "Whatever did this to you certainly didn't do much for your conversational abilities, did it?" He brightened suddenly. "Hey! I know! Why don't I tell you a joke? That'll help you feel better! I know this really good one about a minccino and a muk!"

Rayquaza frowned, straining whatever shackles were on his mind to try and find a response to this. Lord Sable ground his teeth. The attack was slowing to a standstill If that jolteon ruined another one of his plans, he was going to strangle him personally. The ghost was in such a rage that he didn't even realize he had voiced his opinions out loud.

Kachi stared at him with wide eyes. Suddenly, he felt very alone up on top of Jasper's mansion…

Rayquaza roared, shaking the entire cliff-side. "I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

"That seems a little excessive!" Bolt shouted up at him.

"SILENCE!"

"No! If I'm going to be destroyed, I'm going to do it talking!" After a moment, Bolt added. "And singing! Like this! Midnight over the Oceanside! It appears Rayquaza is blind!"

Rayquaza's rage reached new heights. He dove down, catching sight of Bolt on a low rooftop, and came for him, teeth bared and claws ready. Bolt's ears drooped and he gulped.

"Um…" he muttered, "Exit stage right! You've been a marvelous audience, but I think it's past my bedtime!" He leapt clear just as Rayquaza smashed into the home he had been standing on, turning it to matchsticks. Bolt rolled to his feet and took off running, Rayquaza hot on his heels. The great, serpentine body smashed against the buildings on either side of the street, sending tables and chairs through a café window, the porch through a textile store, and completely sheering off the front of the 'Adventurer's Supplies: Your local branch of Kecleon Bros. Inc.'

"I don't think these streets were designed with someone of your…girth in mind!" Bolt shouted back at him, "Maybe you should lose some weight first!"

Whether or not Rayquaza understood that Bolt was calling him fat is debatable. The dragon was so enraged that he was not capable of coherent thought. He chased on, oblivious to the damage he was causing and to the attacks that rained down upon him from the desperate defenders of Seaside Crest.

Then disaster struck. In the hasty evacuation, some unfortunate child had left or dropped a toy in the middle of the street. Bolt, once again looking over his shoulder and not where he was going, stepped on it and went tumbling head over paws. With a roar of triumph, Rayquaza seized him in his claws and shot up into the air with Bolt struggling in his grip.

"Hey! Put me down! I'm not designed to go this high! Four legs, no wings!" Bolt protested. Rayquaza roared in his face. "Okay, stop! Just stop! You're the Emperor of the Skies, but you're acting like a feral beast! I know your temper is legendary, but this is just… hey, what are you doing? No! Wait! AHHHHHH!" With one, swift motion, the dragon threw Bolt down, intending to watch him get dashed against the ground below.

"I'm dead," Bolt thought, "Dead, dead, dead. Falling, falling, and wow that is a lot of air moving past me. What now?" It occurred to him he should probably make peace with Arceus before he met him personally, so he closed his eyes and began muttering prayers about how he was sorry he had stolen an extra cookie when Keski wasn't looking and any other minor offences he could think up. However, just when he was sure he was about to hit the ground, there was a bright flash and someone grabbed the scruff of his neck. His eyes shot open and he yelped in surprise.

"I have you," Majyk said, keeping a tight grip on him, "I'm going to teleport you down to the ground now that you are at a safe velocity." Without waiting for a response, he sent the jolteon to safety. Then he turned to face Rayquaza.

"YOU WILL ALL DIE! WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS LATIAS?!"

"That's enough!" Majyk's commanding voice rang across the town, "Even if you had a legitimate excuse to be searching for her, your wanton destruction undermines any weight it might carry. Now leave! You have caused enough damage today. Leave or I will destroy you!"

These words penetrated the dragon's skull. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, sizing up the alakazam. He scoffed at what he saw. "You would not make more than a mouthful."

"That is the first real thing you have said this entire battle," Majyk stated, "An actual observation, not just a barely articulate demand or a threat. But I repeat, leave now or face me in single combat."

A sinister grin slowly spread across the black-scaled dragon's face. He bared his teeth and flexed his claws, putting on a vicious, barbarous display. Master Majyk watched impassively. "I CHOOSE TO FIGHT!" the dragon declared, plunging down toward the psychic. His claws met air and his jaws closed on nothing, though a great flash blinded his eyes.

Lord Sable leaned forward in interest. This was it, the critical moment. "Come, Master Majyk," he said under his breath, "Let's see just how powerful you are."

Rayquaza blinked rapidly and cast his gaze about, searching for Majyk. A sharp pain stabbed into the back of his head and he whipped around, jaws wide. A blast of energy nailed him in the throat and exploded. The dragon roared in pain and rage, but was not visibly slowed or damaged.

"Strong as you may be, you will never catch me," Majyk stated.

Rayquaza wheeled and leered. "You think your attacks will stop me?! HA! I AM INVINCIBLE! YOUR ATTACKS WILL BOUNCE OFF MY HIDE! And when you are tired, I WILL DEVOUR YOU!"

There was a moment of silence.

"Allow me to show you something," Majyk said flatly, "The situation has become desperate enough, I think. As you said, you are practically invulnerable, even to the attacks that should affect you, and further conflict will only injure my subordinates and the valiant police. Behold!" He stretched out his hand and a burst of psychic energy shot out from it, forming into the shape of a curved sword that stretched much farther than any normal sword ever could. He leveled it at the dragon's head as Rayquaza turned to face him.

The dragon fired a molten blast of energy from his maw, but one swing of the oversized blade sent it shooting off harmlessly into the distance. Angered, Rayquaza charged only to be met with a full-force stroke to the head. Though the dragon's scales blunted the edge of the blade, the force of the blow knocked him aside.

"You have pushed me past the limit, Lord Rayquaza," Majyk stated, parrying another attack and delivering a crushing blow to the dragon's chin, "It has been ages since I fought personally. But I would be in the wrong if I did not use this power I wield when no other option remains! Now, fall to me!"

All eyes were on the sky, watching in awe as the two fought. Not once did Rayquaza even draw near to Majyk. He always found himself batted away and his attacks deflected. The giant sword flicked back and forth, parrying, slashing, stabbing, and hacking. It was everywhere at once, reappearing wherever Master Majyk teleported. "What is that?" Cyon asked no one in particular.

"I…have no idea," Emerald replied, stunned.

But though all the spectators were very glad to see this, none of them were nearly as delighted as Lord Sable. He cackled with almost insane amounts of glee. He had been right! That attack was clearly the power of a Sealbearer! Now granted, there was nothing spectacular about a very powerful psychic using a tremendous Psycho Cut, but there was one thing that set Majyk's apart: it was damaging Rayquaza. No regular attack would do that due to his natural defenses and the Reprogramming.

Sable cackled. That jolteon hadn't spoiled the whole thing after all! Plus, now he could move forward with some of his other plans. Tonight, however, he felt like celebrating. He turned away from the battle. The shadows around him darkened and twisted. Some unheard signal passed from him to the legendary dragon above.

Immediately afterwards, Rayquaza stopped attacking. He glared murderously at Majyk once more. Then with one parting roar, he turned and fled over the ocean, taking the storm with him. The battle was over for now, but Kachi, who had stopped paying attention to the battle altogether and had observed Lord Sable, alone suspected that something else was going to happen very soon.