Wanderer

by Renaerys

Disgraced and ashamed, Alain drifts in self-imposed exile in the wake of a personal failure. But not all those who wander are lost, and those who listen may find something they never knew they were searching for. [Realistic Pokemon AU, post-Mega Evolution Specials]

10. Chapter 10

Wanderer
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon
Notes: This is a long-ass chapter even for me, but I found that the fights needed to be in one place to preserve the chaotic and stressful atmosphere I want to convey. I've heard that long chapters bother some people (?), but I strongly felt that splitting this in two would disrupt the flow too much. So I guess...sorry for giving you so much story content? There are plenty of POV shifts to make it easy to take breaks if you want to do that, but I encourage you to read it all in one go to get the most out of it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the events of this final chapter before the epilogue, woo!

---

Malva's Pyroar was fast and strong. Her Flamethrowers were devastating in reach and power, and even the slippery Heliolisk was having trouble dodging her attacks. The small pseudo-Dragon had already sustained a boiling burn on her haunches that slowed her down, but Heliolisk was full of energy and indignation as she zipped about the cavernous laboratory, collar flared, and fired off Thunderbolts and Dragon Pulses in rapid-fire succession.

Nearby, Calem was in the midst of his own battle against Malva's underlings and their motley team of Pokémon. Alain was too busy running around avoiding Pyroar's relentless Fire attacks to pay him much mind, but from what he could tell, Calem had managed to take out one of the two Flare Agents with Bisharp's help. Alain only caught a glimpse of Calem wielding Aegislash like a puppet on strings, slashing through Meowstic's rippling Psychics, while Bisharp attacked from behind and Night Slashed the Flare Agent's back, butterflying him like a fish fillet.

A blast of fire caught Alain in the leg, and he dove and rolled, afraid of the searing heat. His snow pants now had a hole in them and smoked, but luckily his skin had been spared contact with the flames this time. On his hands and knees, he looked around for Heliolisk, who was actively running down Pyroar, hissing and spitting and sparking in vengeance for the cheap shot.

Alain was about to get up as he reached for his remaining Pokéballs when he saw strange movement out of the corner of his eye. Calem's Staraptor was wearing down a Swoobat with her superior stamina and size, but Swoobat was fast and right at home in the enclosed cavern, able to swerve and change trajectory more efficiently and accurately than Staraptor. He was emitting some kind of invisible waves from his nose that hit the walls and cut cracks in the stone that creeped along the cavern in all directions. One crack opened like a smiling mouth against the glass ceiling above.

What the hell?

"If you're going to fight me, then fight me!" Malva shouted, brandishing another Pokéball at Alain.

He couldn't call Tyrantrum in here unless he wanted to decimate the cavern with Calem and him still inside, and Charizard couldn't fly in here. If Malva released more Pokémon in here, he'd be in major trouble.

"Calem!" he shouted. "Get out of here!"

Calem looked around when called, and the Swalot he'd been fighting took advantage of the distraction to lob a Gunk Shot at him directly. Aegislash's shield moved with a mind of its own and spun Calem around to block, but a glob of poison hit Calem on the thigh with a hiss. Alain paled at the sight. Swalot sludge burned as hotly as any fire and could corrode skin and stone alike. Calem's pants smoked as the acid rotted a hole in them in seconds, but unbelievably, he was still moving like he'd been splashed with hot water instead of deadly sludge.

"Metal Burst!" Calem shouted.

Bisharp, her bladed fists slick with the dead Flare Agent's blood, leaped high into the air and burst with silver light that momentarily blinded Alain and everyone else in the cavern. Only the crack of steel on stone could be heard as the light dissipated as suddenly as it had appeared. Swalot—what remained of him—was reduced to a boiling black puddle full of metal shards steadily seeping through the cracks in the floor.

"The fuck..." Alain rubbed his eyes as his vision readjusted to the dim cavern and his heart leaped into his throat as he remembered Malva.

"Enough of this," Malva spat. "If you won't get serious, then I will."

A man's scream filled the cavern. The other Flare Agent Malva had brought along was wounded—some of Swalot's sludge had splashed his shoulder and hip, and he was attempting to make a break for it.

Meanwhile, Staraptor's Brave Bird collided with the cavern wall, drawing a huge crater in the stone, but even the elusive Swoobat could not get out of the way in time to avoid the reckless attack. Swoobat's wing got caught up in the attack, and the bat shrieked in pain as his wing ripped off and he fell to the ground, unable to fly. Staraptor, her huge talons embedded in the stone, fluffed her feathers and shook off the recoil damage she had taken without issue. She cocked her head and searched for Calem below with a piercing squawk.

But Alain was more concerned with Malva and the Charizard she had just released. Pyroar was worn down, her creamy hide charred black in places from Heliolisk's lightning attacks and dripping blood on the ground. Her muzzle was red with bloody lather, and she was limping. Heliolisk was in similar shape, her burns having slowed her down considerably. She limped to Alain's side, still hissing and spitting but unwilling to face Malva's Charizard.

"Look, we match," Malva said as she moved to stand safely behind her Charizard.

He was a large specimen and practically salivating for a taste of battle. Charizard were known to be violent in the wild, reveling in a chance to shed blood both for food and for sport. Even under the care of a skilled trainer, Charizard could be obstinate and even disobedient. Malva's Charizard didn't look like he wanted to disobey her when the thrill of the hunt was in sight. Alain reached for his own Charizard's Pokéball.

What choice do I have?

If he was limited in this cavern, then Malva would be, too. Calem had been pursuing the fleeing Flare Agent when Malva released her Charizard, and he stopped now.

"Alain," he said, the warning clear in his tone as he brandished Aegislash.

"Get out of here, Calem," Alain said, releasing his own Charizard.

The huge orange lizard landed with a thud in front of Alain and Heliolisk. Where Malva's Charizard was snarling to taste blood, Alain's Charizard had always been rather phlegmatic for his kind. In the presence of the opposing Charizard, however, he sensed a primal threat and poised to charge, head low and jaws smoking.

The sound of stone cracking had been easy to ignore before, but now it was deafening in the acoustic space. The cavern was slowly collapsing, crack by crack, thanks to Swoobat's efforts. The glass above had begun to fracture as the walls holding it up began to crumble.

"But the cave," Calem protested as Staraptor and Bisharp landed beside him.

"Just go!" Alain shouted.

Calem decided that he ought to listen for once in his life, recalled Staraptor and Bisharp, and took off toward the exit where Grace had disappeared earlier. Heliolisk hissed as she noticed the cave starting to lose its stability all around them. Anything could set it off. All it would take was one well-placed Thunderbolt or Flamethrower, and the whole structure could collapse in on itself, burying Alain and Malva and their Pokémon with it.

"Ever played chicken?" Malva taunted as she twirled a knife in her hand.

Before Alain could respond, she sliced open her hand, touched her bloody palm to Charizard's flank, and initiated a Mega Evolution. Her Charizard began to transform, and even as he saw it, he couldn't quite believe it.

Malva's Charizard grew a couple feet in height, and a wicked horn crowned his head. Everything about him became sharper, more magnificent, but by appearances he hadn't much changed at all. He was still that same sunburst orange, blue wings and all. But the air in the cavern suddenly became stiflingly hot, thick with heat as though every breath was liquid fire. Alain felt drunk just breathing the torrid air in here, and his knees began to wobble.

"Mega Charizard," Malva commanded, her palm dripping blood that evaporated before it ever hit the ground. She pointed a finger at Alain. "Blast Burn."

Malva's Mega Charizard began to smoke at the jaws. The smoke filled the already asphyxiating atmosphere with the acrid stench of sulfur as Mega Charizard conjured heat in the pit of his belly. Alain was speechless with incredulity. If that Mega Charizard set off a Blast Burn in here, it would incinerate everyone and everything in here.

No, he thought in horror, remembering that open flame Malva held close over her mortal wounds the last time they had fought. No, the fire can't kill her, only me.

He thrust a hand at Malva's Mega Charizard and channeled all the strength he had into controlling it.

"Stop!" he commanded the beast.

But Mega Charizard did not stop, deaf to his commands and oblivious to his control. There was no reaching him. But Dragons and their descendants were not supposed to be able to defy a fully-realized Titan. Unless...

He's not a Dragon, not anymore. She burned the Dragon's blood right out of him!

Whatever this Mega Evolution was, it had transformed Malva's Charizard into a creature born of fire, and he was beyond Alain's control. Mega Charizard's brilliant orange scales were beginning to glow with power as flames slowly licked at them, superheating the air around him. Alain scrambled with the sleeve of his heavy jacket that now felt like a wearable furnace in this heat. Sweat stung his eyes, and his hair was already heavy and damp in the scorching heat. He was lightheaded, and if he didn't know better, he would have wondered if his brain was boiling in his skull.

Under the sleeve of his jacket there was a sweatband with a small razor concealed in the folds, courtesy of Korrina. Alain hastily slashed his hand across it, but in his sloppy stupor he tore his fingers to ribbons. No matter, he just had to get to Charizard. Heliolisk was shrieking in distress at the hostile temperatures permeating the cavern, but all Alain could think of was getting to Charizard. He threw himself at Charizard's back and dragged his bleeding fingers over his scales while fumbling for Heliolisk's Pokéball with his free hand to recall her. Orange bled to black, but he was seeing double now. Was this what hell was like? Some people believed that sinners were doomed to spend eternity in an inferno for their transgressions. Alain could not imagine any sin so terrible as to merit even five minutes of this demonic heat.

"F-Fly!" he stammered, barely cognizant of his own body as he threw his arms and legs around the body underneath him.

The world moved, jostling him around, and impossibly it got even hotter. All he could see through the haze was brilliant orange, pennons of fire that swallowed the stone and the lab equipment and Malva herself. They swallowed Alain, too, and the scream along with him.

---

Korrina felt Lucario's impact with Mega Pinsir as if she'd collided with the Bug herself, and it knocked the wind out of her. Aura Sphere buffeted the huge Bug back and sent him crashing into the kitchen table, but Mega Pinsir's carapace was as hard as iron and would not break easily. This was no ordinary Bug.

How the fuck is a skuff doing this?!

Korrina was no scientist and honestly, right now she didn't exactly give a damn when there were more important things to worry about, like killing that Mega Pinsir before he could kill Lucario and her. Pangoro stomped the ground angrily, ready to fight, too, and Wulfric Mega Evolved his Abomasnow into an even bigger and meaner-looking owl bear thing that made even Pangoro wary. The temperature in the cavern plummeted upon Abomasnow's Mega Evolution, and frost began to form and creep along the stone walls and furniture. The TV screen cracked under the cold, and Korrina felt her ears pop.

"You're outnumbered, Laevus. This is your final warning," Wulfric said magnanimously. "Now, Korrina and I here got two Mega Pokémon, and between you and me, that's two more than you're going to want to deal with today. Why don't you just stop all this so nobody else has to get hurt?"

"Shut up!" Laevus shouted. "I will not be patronized by the likes of you!"

"Give it up, Wulric," Korrina said. "This guy's asking for it, and I'm ready to let him have it."

"You Tamers think you're so special because of your powers. But what's so special about just being born?" Laevus went on. "You're not special, you're freaks!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, this freak's gonna break your ass." Korrina took off running directly at Laevus, but Mega Pinsir had recovered from Lucario's earlier attack and descended in a frightening cacophony of buzzing wings and spinning pincers ready to cleave. Korrina gasped and was forced to lunge to the side to avoid instant death by Guillotine, just barely. Mega Abomasnow came to the rescue with an Ice Punch that caught Mega Pinsir in one of his spinning pincers and knocked him away, but even that wasn't enough to deter the powerful Bug. Covered in frost, Mega Pinsir spun his huge tusks and shook himself out, ready to go again.

Laevus was absolutely furious at what had nearly been a direct hit on him personally. "How dare you! You think you're so much stronger and better than me just because you were born a Tamer? Well, guess what? You're the rejects, not me. Skuffs and plebs vastly outnumber Tamers the world over! I don't care if you can punch hard or freeze things! The only reason you're allowed to live is because you keep everybody afraid, afraid of what you'll do to them if they defy you. You're all the same, scaring me and threatening me and burning me whenever I so much as look at you wrong!"

Korrina got to her feet. Wulfric and Abomasnow were close, but Mega Pinsir was between Mega Lucario and her. The other Flare Agent and his Gumshoos had not moved yet, but Korrina did not like the pair of chompers on that Pokémon. One bite from a Gumshoos could grind human bones to dust. Laevus had worked himself into some kind of frenzy in his tirade as he shook his sausage hands at Korrina and Wulfric, like they might understand him better if he moved.

"But get you in a corner, and you're just the same as me," Laevus said. "Just a sack of meat nobody'll miss when you're gone."

"Those're some harsh words," Wulfric said. "You don't even know us. And if I remember right, we're here to stop the bad guy. From where I'm standing, that's you, I'm sorry to say."

"I said shut up!" Spittle flew from Laevus's wet pink lips as he shook with anger. "I know you! You're all the same, just like that slut sister of mine. You think you're so special, but there's nothing special about you anymore. Now, I can do what you can do, and I'm gonna make sure every last Tamer knows it. I'm going to change the world!"

"Like I said," Korrina said, one eye on Mega Lucario, "you haven't seen what a real Mega Pokémon can do. Whatever science fiction you're playing at here will never make you anything more than the murderer and kidnapper you are."

Laevus was positively seething. He dug around in his pockets for something—two more Pokéballs clenched in between his meaty fists. "A real Mega Pokémon?" he said. "I'll do you one better!"

He tossed the Pokéballs, and Korrina was for the second time left speechless. After the flashes of light died down, Korrina and Wulfric found themselves facing not only Mega Pinsir, but also Mega Aggron and Mega Gallade, all surrounding Laevus like knights protecting their sovereign. Mega Aggron was a fortress of iron, a gargoyle given life. Nearly fifteen feet tall, he towered high above even Mega Abomasnow and gleamed in the fluorescent lighting. Mega Gallade was emaciated and small next to his companion, and tattered capes draped his bony shoulders like a true knight's mantle. But the wicked blades that extended from his arms were frightening to behold, wicked ruby red as though he had been slaughtering foes before appearing here and had not bothered to wash himself clean. Mega Pinsir hovered over them on those infernal buzzing wings, the sound of which now made Korrina's skin crawl.

"Impossible," Korrina said. "Three Mega Pokémon?"

Wulfric was uncharacteristically silent as he observed the three Mega Pokémon before him. Those piercing blue eyes reflected nothing in their depths, and Korrina was reminded of the day she and the others had first confronted him in his Gym, his immutable and eerie presence that was so out of place with his normally good-humored and simple personality. Wulfric's deathly seriousness now scared her more even than the unimaginable odds of confronting three Mega Pokémon all at once. He was afraid, too.

"Korrina," Wulfric said. "I'll take Mega Aggron. You focus on Mega Pinsir."

"What? But you have a type disadvantage," Korrina protested, hating the way her voice shook.

"That monster'll crush Mega Lucario in one fist. Can Pangoro distract that Mega Gallade?"

Korrina felt numb, and not because of the cold Mega Abomasnow exuded. Laevus was clutching at his limp left arm and breathing heavily, but he was also smiling.

"What's the matter?" Laevus taunted, out of breath all of a sudden for no apparent reason. "You're Gym Leaders, aren't you? A mere skuff like me should be no problem for you."

"What have you done?" Korrina said, unable to keep the quaver out of her voice.

Laevus heard it and laughed. "I've evened the playing field! Now, have a taste of three real Mega Pokémon!"

He lifted the hand he'd been cradling with visible difficulty, and the three Mega monsters attacked. Korrina barely had time to think when Mega Gallade lunged lightning fast and cleaved the ground where she'd been standing just a split second ago. If not for her naturally fast reflexes, Korrina would have lost more than the end of her ponytail to Mega Gallade's blades.

Mega Lucario yipped and leaped to her aid, while Pangoro barreled through the cavern intending to Hammer Arm anything that got in his way. Wulfric was busy with Mega Abomasnow and commanded him to Wood Hammer a slowly charging Mega Aggron. The two behemoths collided with an earth-shattering crash, but neither fell.

Three Mega Pokémon, Korrina thought as she ran. This can't be happening!

But it was happening all around her. Whatever Laevus had been working on had clearly borne fruit as he commanded three Mega Pokémon all at once. A Tamer could only Mega Evolve a single Pokémon at a time, and then only a Pokémon with the same nature affinity. Mega Gallade, Mega Aggron, and Mega Pinsir were all as different as night and day. None of it made any sense at all, and yet it was happening.

"Metal Claw!" Korrina shouted.

Mega Lucario crashed into Mega Pinsir and managed to climb onto the Bug's back, where he began to slash at Mega Pinsir's carapace with Metal Claw. Mega Pinsir screeched in pain and began to buzz around the room erratically, trying to shake off his assailant. Pangoro was doing his best to land a hit on the agile Mega Gallade, but so far the smaller Fighter was doing an excellent job of dodging, attacking, and dodging again. Pangoro was bleeding from several gashes in his belly and flanks where Mega Gallade had Slashed him savagely. Korrina swore and tossed out Blaziken's Pokéball.

"Help Pangoro!" she commanded her Pokémon.

Blaziken quickly assessed the situation and leaped high to Blaze Kick Mega Gallade, but again the Mega Fighter was incredibly agile. Facing two Fighters, however, Mega Gallade was now on the defensive and wary of Blaziken's fiery kicks and punches.

Mega Lucario was still clinging to Mega Pinsir's back as the Bug raced around the cavern in a desperate attempt to shake him off. Korrina looked for Laevus. If she could take him out, then his Mega Pokémon would go down, too. Mega Evolution was a double-edged sword, and there was no reason it wouldn't be the same for Laevus. If she could just get by Mega Aggron, she might have a shot.

But all of a sudden, Gumshoos and his Flare Agent trainer attacked her directly. The Stakeout Pokémon Tackled her hard and sent them both crashing into the kitchen counter. His jaw was glowing white as he tried to Hyper Fang Korrina's arm, but she reacted fast and kicked the Pokémon as hard as she could in the side. Gumshoos fell and Korrina rolled, seeing double. She'd hit her head pretty hard against the stainless steel counter, and her vision swam. Something heavy fell to the ground not far away, and Korrina realized with dread that it was Mega Lucario. He had felt her pain and lost his focus long enough for Mega Pinsir to throw him off.

Furious, Korrina lunged at Gumshoos and punched him with everything she had. The overgrown mongoose writhed in pain where she had broken his ribs, but she punched him again and again and again until she heard a satisfying crack that made him go limp. Her head was pounding and her back ached like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it, but Gumshoos was no longer a threat. The Flare Agent that had trained him came at her with a metal beater stick, and Korrina had barely enough time to get to her feet and get out of the way.

Mega Pinsir, bleeding from Mega Lucario's vicious attack earlier, nevertheless went after Mega Lucario with a vengeance now. An X-Scissor would have ripped Mega Lucario's belly open if not for his quick block with his paws. Mega Pinsir's brutal tusks ripped into Mega Lucario's forearms, but Mega Lucario's steel-plated bones kept the damage shallow and superficial. Korrina, however, felt it bone-deep.

"Ahh!" she cried out as she staggered to avoid the Flare Agent's relentless assault. Her arms were on fire and wet with blood where they'd been slashed up as though by magic. The weight of the wet blood was making her jacket heavy, but there was no time and this jackass was coming after her with his beater stick like he had a horror movie fantasy.

"Die!" he shouted behind his stupid red sunglasses.

Korrina clenched her jaw and grabbed the beater stick with her hands mid-swing. Her vision flashed white with agony, but she fought through it; she'd felt worse. She swung around with her leg and toppled the guy before he knew what hit him and wrenched the beater stick from his hands. He was on his back with the wind knocked out of him and barely had time to blink before Korrina brought her foot down on his face with all her might. His skull crunched under her boot. He was dead instantly. The beater stick clattered to the ground.

"You first," she spat.

Nearby, Mega Abomasnow was bleeding from his belly where Mega Aggron had gutted him, but the cut must not have been too bad because the abominable Pokémon was still pummeling Mega Aggron with everything he had. The chill in the room was becoming almost unbearable as Mega Abomasnow unleashed a concentrated Ice Beam attack that hit Mega Aggron square in his plated chest and threw the behemoth off balance. Frost bloomed over Mega Aggron's armored hide and froze him in place. Mega Aggron roared, a nightmarish sound from another dimension that could have probably been heard clear across the White Mountains, and incredibly broke free of the ice with brute strength.

"That's it! Crush them!" Laevus shouted.

Korrina spotted him farther away than he'd been before safe from the worst of the fighting and could not quite understand what she was seeing. He was panting and having trouble standing as he leaned on a table for support, but he was standing all the same. And then it hit her.

"He doesn't feel their pain," she said, hardly believing her own words. "But how?"

Impossible, she thought yet again.

The ability to command Mega Pokémon without the drawback of sharing pain was unimaginable. It would be a power far beyond anything even a Tamer could accomplish. Korrina could not believe it, and yet it was happening.

Pangoro and Blaziken were still fending off Mega Gallade, but Pangoro had slowed down considerably due to his injuries. A beefy Pokémon capable of smashing through stone and iron alike, Pangoro's stout and imposing stature was also his weakness. Against a foe like Mega Gallade, he would face death by a thousand cuts without ever getting a hit in edgewise. Blaziken was faring better as he focused on keeping Mega Gallade on the defensive, but Mega Gallade's Psycho Cuts spooked the Fighter parrot and kept his fire at bay. If Pangoro were to go down, Mega Gallade would have no qualms about rushing Blaziken with everything he had without having to worry about the big panda waiting to pummel him when his back was turned.

"Damnit," Korrina said.

Wulfric was favoring his left side, the same place Mega Abomasnow's injuries had afflicted him. If Laevus truly was impervious to his Mega Pokémon's pain, then this battle would be over far sooner than it should be, and not in Korrina and Wulfric's favor. They had to do something.

Mega Pinsir screeched all of a sudden, and Korrina whirled around just in time to see a blurry Mega Lucario slam into him with full-body Extreme Speed. Mega Pinsir went flying and crashed into the same kitchen counter Korrina had crashed into before.

There was a terrifying crack behind Korrina, and she turned just in time to see Mega Abomasnow hit the wall courtesy of Mega Aggron's tail. The Stone Edge attack was not strong enough to take Mega Abomasnow out of the game, but Wulfric went to one knee as he clutched his ribs and breathed heavily. Unguarded, he was in Mega Aggron's sights, and the Steel behemoth advanced on tree-trunk feet ready to smash him underfoot. Mega Abomasnow scrambled to get to Wulfric, but he was slow and hurting.

"Wulfric!" Korrina screamed.

She ran, shedding her bloody jacket as she went to lose the weight, uncaring that her arms were in pain and still bleeding. She had to get him out of the way. He was heavy when she slung his arm around her shoulder, and it took every ounce of strength she had in her to move him just as Mega Aggron came crashing by with an Iron Head attack aimed for Wulfric. Korrina barely made it in time, and Mega Aggron's polished hide grazed her roughly as she got out of the way, sending her falling down on her rear. He plowed on by and crashed into the wall, injuring only himself in the process. Mega Abomasnow unleashed another hellish Ice Beam on his back and froze him solid against the wall under several inches of pure ice.

"Goodness," Wulfric said, wincing. "You've got some good timing, Korrina."

"Another one? Agh! Mega Gallade, kill him!" Laevus said.

Korrina and Wulfric were stunned to see Calem, of all people, suddenly here and intervening in Pangoro and Blaziken's fight against Mega Gallade. Where he'd come from, Korrina had no idea. But he and Aegislash were suddenly embroiled in a duel of swords with Mega Gallade and matching him blow for blow.

"Calem!" Korrina said.

Aegislash glowed and hit Mega Gallade with a Shadow Claw that Mega Gallade miraculously survived by parrying with Psycho Cut. A bone-chilling scream, like a dying animal's last cry, echoed through the room as Psychic and spectral energy collided and buffeted them both back. Calem's dark eyes, wide with adrenaline, found Korrina's.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he shouted.

Damn, but she was glad to see him. Pangoro limped toward Korrina, and Blaziken slowly extricated himself from Calem's fight with Mega Gallade, though reluctantly. With Calem here, maybe Korrina could get to Laevus himself now.

Korrina was about to respond to Calem when Laevus screamed, "Enough! Kill it, Mega Pinsir!"

It happened so fast that Korrina hardly realized what had happened, what she'd done. One moment Mega Lucario was dealing the finishing blow to Mega Pinsir, and the next Mega Pinsir found some remaining strength somewhere and caught Mega Lucario's arm and torso in between his spiked tusks. Korrina felt the squeeze on her own body as Mega Pinsir's Guillotine began to crush Mega Lucario. Even Steel-plated bones could not defend against such a merciless attack. At some point, she must have let go of Wulfric and gotten up to run toward Mega Lucario, and each step was agony in her chest as she felt her bones bend under the invisible Guillotine crushing her as it was crushing Mega Lucario. Mega Lucario yelped in pain and convulsed as Mega Pinsir squeezed. It was so cold in here.

"No!" Korrina screamed.

But death never came, and the pain was soon abating with every step she took to reach Mega Lucario. Except he wasn't Mega Lucario anymore, just Lucario, and Mega Pinsir was still crushing him. Lucario, now reverted to his normal state, bent his head back in agony and let out a shrill bleating sound before Mega Pinsir's Guillotine snapped his spine in two. Tears filled Korrina's eyes, and she lost her balance on the uneven rocky floor. She fell and landed on her injured arms, the agony blinding. But she could breathe again, and her chest wasn't crushed. Her spine was not snapped. She was alive, but Lucario... Lucario was...

Mega Pinsir lay dying, his belly opened where Mega Lucario had ripped him apart piece by piece. Lucario's broken body slipped from between his crushing pincers like a ragdoll, just a heap of fur and meat, and crumpled to the ground, dusty and dirty. Korrina struggled to her feet, ignored the pain in her aggravated arms, and staggered toward Lucario. His tongue lolled in his mouth, which was bloody and missing a few teeth. he was so small in her arms, smaller than she remembered, and his body bent at an unnatural angle. Blood matted his paws where he shared her injuries.

Korrina's hands shook as she cradled her Pokémon. "Lucario," she said, almost a question.

Calem and Mega Gallade's storm of swords raged in the background, clinking and clanging.

Korrina shuddered. "Lucario," she said again. "Why...?"

Why am I still alive?

Korrina had always known she would not die alone. It would be fighting alongside Mega Lucario, and they would go together. With the great power of Mega Evolution came a high personal cost of shared pain. But to share pain was to grow together, as she had done with Lucario after her father's death. Whatever Lucario felt, she felt. Together, they overcame her fears and her weakness, and together they became stronger. Together, they would die, a union of souls that could transcend any other bond.

But she was still here.

Korrina shook with grief and anger. "Why?" she demanded as her tears fell and matted Lucario's fur. "Why?"

Why did she let go? Why did Lucario? Had it been one of them, or both? One moment, they were tethered together in the bond that enabled Mega Evolution, and the next it was severed, just gone. Had she withdrawn? Had she let Lucario die alone? Or had Lucario withdrawn from her? Did it really matter now that Lucario was gone?

"Oh my god," Korrina sobbed as all the strength left her body and she felt like a little girl again cowering in fear from her father's abusive wrath. "Please, no..."

Pangoro and Blaziken joined her, the former worse for wear while the latter remained very alert to the battle that continued all around. Mega Aggron had managed to pry himself free from his ice prison against the wall, but he was hobbled badly after the beating Mega Abomasnow had dealt him and moving sluggishly, his joints still frozen in places. Calem and Aegislash moved as one, elegantly parrying Mega Gallade's fast slashes and jabs in a way that was almost beautiful to behold.

"Korrina!" Wulfric said, back on his feet but clutching his side.

"Just die already!" Laevus shouted, having noticed Mega Pinsir's demise and Mega Aggron's deterioration. He was nervously watching Calem fight Mega Gallade and sweating even more profusely, if that was possible. Why was he so hot in this freezing cold cavern?

"Sir! We've secured the Magus!" said one of the Flare Agents who had been with Laevus here when Korrina arrived.

Laevus blustered. "About time! Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

The two Flare Agents that had returned led Laevus back the way they'd come, deeper into the mountain laboratory. Korrina's despair over Lucario was soon tainted with rage at the person responsible. She got to her feet with some effort.

"Laevus!" she shouted. "Stop right there!"

Laevus ignored her and waddled out of the cavern after his two Agents, leaving a failing Mega Aggron and Mega Gallade to deal with Korrina and the others. Korrina wiped the tears from her face, not caring that she smeared a little blood on her face. Lucario's broken body lay at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Lucario," she said. "But I have to keep fighting."

Calem's Bisharp was now helping him against Mega Gallade, and the Blade Pokémon had his hands full fending off two jousters instead of just one. Aegislash defended a mighty Psycho Cut with a well-timed King's Shield that sent Mega Gallade flying into Bisharp's waiting razor blade arms. But Mega Gallade was lithe and fast, and he twisted in midair to meet Bisharp's blades with his own. Calem and Aegislash ran after him, not giving him an inch.

Pangoro sniffed at Lucario's carcass and nudged him, as if he were sleeping and might wake up. Korrina felt fresh tears in her eyes at the sight, and averted her gaze. She patted Pangoro on the shoulder.

"Good job, Pangoro. You fought well," she whispered before recalling him to his Pokéball to rest.

Only Blaziken remained, and he looked down on Lucario's carcass with solemn judgment like he always did. Korrina's breath hitched when Blaziken touched her shoulder with a clawed hand, almost reassuring, almost human.

But Korrina wanted no sympathy or reassurance. She wanted to hurt the ones responsible for this. Mega Aggron seemed like a good place to start.

"Blaziken," she said. "Kill that Mega Aggron."

Mega Abomasnow and Mega Aggron were still struggling, and it was amazing that Mega Abomasnow had put up such a good fight in the face of a severe type disadvantage. Korrina could only imagine how well Wulfric had trained him for him to do so much damage and last so long. But Mega Aggron had been frozen several times over and beaten relentlessly with Wood Hammer, and he was finally wearing down. Blaziken squawked and took off running.

Wulfric saw Blaziken coming and got out of the way. Mega Aggron roared as he saw Blaziken lunge at him with a Blaze Kick aimed at his neck, but he was too slow and bulky to dodge. Blaziken's fiery foot collided with Mega Aggron's head and sent him crashing to the ground. The force of the attack popped a plated scale clean off and exposed some tender flesh beneath. The fire did the rest of the work melting Mega Aggron's iron armor and burning the bit of exposed tender flesh beneath.

Mega Abomasnow raised his fists and smashed Mega Aggron's head with another Wood Hammer attack. The huge Armor Pokémon convulsed and tried to swat his assailants away with his tail, but to no avail. It was over in a matter of seconds, and Mega Aggron fell still. He slowly shrank as his reinforced outer shell dissolved, the Mega Evolution canceled, leaving a still enormous and formidable-looking Aggron in his place, dead to the world.

Korrina tossed out her remaining Pokéball, and Hawlucha appeared with a harried squawk. She pointed at Mega Gallade. "Hawlucha, give him a Flying Press."

Hawlucha took off at a low swoop and got right in the middle of Calem's battle with Mega Gallade, who had already sustained several deep gashes from the protracted fight against Aegislash and Bisharp. Hawlucha swooped in out of nowhere and smacked Mega Gallade's head, knocking him down. It was just the opening Calem needed to send Aegislash in for the finishing blow, a Sacred Sword that lopped off Mega Gallade's head.

Calem's ragged breathing was for a moment the only sound that filled the cavern as he leaned on Aegislash's pommel to catch his breath. "I had it under control, Korrina," he said at length.

Hawlucha swooped back around and landed near Korrina and Blaziken, feathers ruffled like it was a huge inconvenience to be in such a cold and dirty place. Blaziken looked down on him like he was the inconvenience here, not the surroundings.

"This isn't a contest," Wulfric said gently. "We're here to help each other and to help Serena no matter what happens."

Wulfric's hand on Korrina's shoulder almost made her crumble. She'd forgotten how cold it was in here without her jacket, and his icy touch made her shiver.

Calem and his Pokémon joined them. Aegislash's creepy eye swiveled to see Korrina and Wulfric better, but Korrina found that she did not have the energy to feel creeped out. Blaziken was so warm standing next to her, and she leaned into him.

"Korrina, your arms," Calem said. "Wulfric, you're hurt, too."

"Be a lad and help me with my pack," Wulfric said, wincing as he shrugged off his backpack. "I'll need to see to Korrina's arms before we continue."

Calem looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, but decided against it and did as he was told. Soon, Korrina's arms were being bandaged and the bleeding had stopped. Calem surveyed the cavern.

"We should follow him. I bet he'll lead us right to Serena," Calem said. "We can't waste any more time here in case Grace hasn't found her yet."

"Korrina? Are you feeling up to it?" Wulfric asked.

"Yes," Korrina said readily.

Calem looked like he wanted to say something when he saw Lucario's and Pinsir's bodies lying dead together in the kitchen area. "...Oh, shit, Lucario."

Korrina did not want to hear it. "Let's go. Wulfric, I'll help you with your pack."

Calem was staring at Lucario's carcass. "Korrina, I'm... I didn't know. I'm so sorry—"

"We need to keep moving," Korrina interrupted him. "Serena's still waiting."

"Yeah, but... Korrina, your Lucario is..."

Korrina retrieved her jacket and tried not to make a face at the feel of the wet sleeves on her skin. "Lucario fought to help Serena. He wouldn't want us wasting time here when she still needs us."

Calem did not know what to say to that.

"Blaziken, Hawlucha, let's go." Korrina signaled to her Pokémon to get moving.

Wulfric, Calem, and Mega Abomasnow were not far behind. Wulfric gulped down a Super Potion they'd brought to help with his broken ribs. Korrina took one last look at Lucario's body, wishing she could hold him one last time. But Serena was still waiting, still alive, from what Laevus had implied. Lucario could not be saved, but she could be. Korrina bit her lip hard as fresh tears threatened to fall.

A hand in hers startled her. It was Calem's, and it was just for a moment.

Serena can still be saved.

Hell if Korrina would let anything else stand in her way after Lucario's sacrifice. If she had to live on, then she would make sure Serena did, too.

---

Serena was already wide awake when they came for her. Trevor was out like a rock, still passed out even days after Malva's emergency surgery, waking only briefly to sip on broth to keep up his strength. But Serena could not sleep, and when she heard the frantic voices and footsteps earlier this morning, she knew something was wrong. Still, she sat tight and waited. It wasn't until she felt the tremors, like an earthquake was threatening the mountain base, that she really began to worry. And to hope.

Can Calem's Pokémon use Earthquake? I don't remember...

She had always imagined that Calem would come after her, knowing him. But this felt bigger than anything Aegislash could do. This felt like a concussive rearranging of the earth, and whatever it was had the Flare Agents keeping her here very nervous. She banged on the door and called for the guard, but no one came. Where was everyone? Was she wrong? Was it not a rescue attempt like she'd dreamed about every time she closed her eyes, but instead some other new terror come to take her away and bury her in an even deeper hole than the one she was in? Would she ever see her loved ones again?

But no, she couldn't give in to doubt and fear. She had to be strong for Trevor's sake. He was just sixteen, just a kid, and while Serena was no paragon of wisdom and sagacity herself, she was an adult and a Tamer and the whole reason Trevor was here. If not for Laevus's experiments, he never would have needed her. And without Serena, he never would have needed Trevor to test his theories. It was her fault, her responsibility. And now, it was all coming crashing down, for better or for worse.

For worse, as it turned out. When they came for her, she was expecting them.

"Get up," said one of the two Flare Agents that had come to get her. "You're coming with us, Magus."

"Why? What's going on? What's all that noise?" Serena said.

"No questions, just get moving." One of the men, the one she knew as Ricardo, grabbed her roughly by the elbow and forced her to follow. His heartstrings, faint as they were, were erratic and pulsing.

He's afraid.

But why?

"You're hurting me! I'll go, but just tell me why," Serena said as she struggled to keep up.

"Boss wants you," Ricardo said. "Just shut up and do what you're told."

Serena tensed as true fear caught her in its icy grip. Laevus terrified her. Not because of the pain he inflicted, but because of the way he didn't seem to realize or care about it. It had no effect on him. He'd tortured Trevor for days until Malva put a stop to it, never once giving a damn about the poor kid. And he'd tortured Serena, too, all for some crazy experiment he'd been working on for years. That was what all this was about, she'd learned. It was something to do with Mega Evolution, but she didn't really know much beyond that. Non-Tamers couldn't achieve Mega Evolution, Serena knew that from her time spent with Sycamore. And Laevus was no Tamer, not like his sister.

Tamer or skuff or whatever, Laevus was not a good person. He was terrible, numb, possibly psychotic, though she was no doctor and could not hope to know what was going on with him. Whatever he was doing, it had to be just as awful as he was. And now he was in need of her again. Serena resisted Ricardo unconsciously, like her body knew what lay ahead and would have rather died fighting than suffer it again.

The other Flare Agent, a bald man with one eye called Jacques, was one of the meaner ones around. He rarely spoke, and he always looked suspicious. Maybe if Serena had lost an eye, she'd be suspicious of other people, too. Jacques gave her a hard smack on the face to shut her up, not even speaking, and hauled her along like chattel. They locked the door behind them, leaving Trevor alone.

At least they're done with him, Serena thought.

Her cheek stung. She might get a black eye after that smack, it was very hard. Jacques was a hard man.

If I had my strength and my Pokémon, they'd be sorry.

But she didn't have her Pokémon. Malva had them. She was just a girl, skinny and alone and exhausted, lost somewhere and possibly dead to the world. And now she was back in the same torture chamber she'd come to fear the way some children fear the dark or closets or the space under the bed, the places where imaginary monsters rule. Except this monster's kingdom was real and full of needles and gurneys and dim lighting. Serena struggled against the two Flare captors, already dreading what was coming. There was only one reason they would drag her back to this room.

"Let me go!" she screamed as she flailed.

She managed to rip free of Ricardo's grip and ran, to where she had no idea, just away. But a flash of light later and something grabbed her from behind with meaty fists. Serena struggled desperately, but her compounded sleepless nights, malnutrition, and near-constant anxiety over her situation and Trevor's made her slow and sloppy. The Gurdurr that had grabbed her was as tall as a man and thick as a tree; there was no way she'd break free of his grasp. The Fighter tossed her over his veiny shoulder like a sack of potatoes and hauled her back into the room where Jacques was waiting to strap her into an all-too-familiar gurney.

"Please continue to resist," Jacques said. "I would love a reason to break your leg next."

Ricardo didn't meet her gaze as he dutifully held down Serena's legs so Jacques could strap her in. The gurney was propped upright nearly at ninety degrees, so Serena was forced to balance on a small step and look down on her captors. The shackles were cold iron that she felt through her clothes, enervating to the touch as though they were sucking the life slowly out of her. Jacques' Gurdurr had her by the shoulders so she could not sit up, and soon Serena's hands, feet, and waist were shackled to the metal gurney. Ricardo locked the manacles with a key from the ring Laevus usually carried. Why did Ricardo have it? Where was Laevus?

The Flare Agents and Gurdurr released Serena, but she was strapped in tight and could hardly move except to look around. Her breathing had escalated, and she didn't know when she'd started perspiring. Cold sweat slicked her forehead and bangs, and she was shivering.

I'm afraid, she realized.

More than she'd ever been before in her time here. Something about today was different. Those pounding noises in the distance were intermittent and muffled, but she could still hear them. Something was happening, and she had no idea what part she would be playing in it. The lights flickered ominously just then, and Ricardo looked spooked.

"We should get back to the boss," Ricardo said. "Gurdurr can keep an eye on her for now."

"Yes," Jacques agreed. "But Gurdurr is coming with us." He recalled the beefy Fighter to its Pokéball.

"What? We can't just leave her unguarded," Ricardo protested. He was a small man, short with shifty eyes like he was always afraid someone would jump him.

"She's locked up. She's not going anywhere. Malva doesn't want any Pokémon around her," Jacques said, already heading back out. "Let's go."

Ricardo didn't look so sure, but he had no choice but to follow, and soon Serena was alone. She tried to break out of her restraints, but to no avail. She could not bend iron or break locks all on her own.

"Damn them," she said, her voice shaking with the urge to cry.

But she didn't even have the strength for that now. If only they'd left Gurdurr here, maybe she could have convinced him to help her.

Malva's too smart for that.

Whatever Malva's flaws, Serena could not deny that much. It was easy for Serena to read a Pokémon's emotions and coax it into doing what she wanted as long as she could see its heartstrings. Even people were easy to read as long as she paid attention. Malva couldn't know any of that, but she'd been on the receiving end of Serena's uncanny empathy enough times now to know something.

"So stupid," she berated herself.

Maybe if she'd kept things to herself more, she wouldn't be in this situation. But then, maybe Trevor would be dead. Was her own death her reward for helping Trevor? How was that fair? She'd already died once and been brought back to life by a Pokémon that hardly anyone even believed existed. She doubted she'd get a second chance.

The lights flickered again, and something boomed in the distance, much louder than the sounds she'd been hearing before. Serena gasped as she felt the earth shake, like part of the mountain was caving in. It passed in a few seconds, but the lights continued to flicker until soon they went out completely. Trapped alone in the dark, all Serena could hear was her own labored breathing.

"Please," she said.

Please what? No one was listening, no one was here. All this power she'd been given, and for what? All she'd gotten for it was pain and suffering for herself and for everyone around her. She thought of the people she'd left behind when Malva took her, Sycamore and everyone at the lab in Lumiose City. She thought of Alain, the first friend she ever made, and Calem, the last. She thought of Grace, who had hated her for what she'd become but had tried to love her again as best she could. Grace, who had lost her daughter once only to lose her again, who was probably home worried sick and feeling just as helpless as Serena did now. And for what? Maybe Malva was right. How could Serena think about helping them, about helping Trevor, when she couldn't even help herself?

The lights came back on courtesy of a backup generator, pale and yellow but mercifully no longer flickering. Footsteps approached, and the source of Serena's fears appeared in all his 350 pounds of glory. Laevus waddled in after Jacques and Ricardo looking like he'd just run a marathon instead of the few yards he probably walked to get here. He was out of breath and very pale, sickly even, and he was tugging at his immense parka in an attempt to get it off.

"...show them," he was saying to himself more than to his subordinates. "I'll kill them all! They think they can come in here and take what's mine? I worked my whole life for this! I won't stand for it, I won't!"

His heartstrings, a feeble orange that paled in comparison to Malva's, nevertheless pulsed brightly now. Serena watched him, forgetting her despair for a moment as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. The heartstrings were laced with orange like they'd always been, but threads of auburn intertwined with them, then silver, then blue, green and yellow and red and pink. Every color ebbed and flowed within Laevus's pulsating heartstrings, turgid and swollen as though diseased with something. Serena had never seen anything like it before. It was like he was somebody else, or many somebodies all crammed into one body.

"You! Get that IV prepared. I need the Magus's blood hot and fresh," Laevus ordered Ricardo.

"Y-Yes, Boss, right away." Ricardo scrambled to do as he was bid, while Jacques kept an eye on the way they'd come, like he was concerned that someone might be following them.

What's going on?

Laevus got his parka off, and sweat stains drenched his long underwear in the collar and armpits like he'd been working out for hours. He cradled his left arm to his chest as though it were broken. The sleeve was caked with old dried blood. Ricardo soon finished preparing an IV.

"Now what, Boss?" he asked.

"What do you think? Use it!"

"Uh, you mean, on her?" Ricardo glanced at Serena. "I dunno, Boss, I'm no doctor..."

Laevus sputtered. "Imbecile! Give it here, I'll do it myself, like I do everything else."

Serena remembered her fear all of a sudden and began to struggle as her body recoiled at the sight of the thick needle Laevus now wielded like an executioner wields an axe. He looked pained, stressed out more than usual, and he was sweating profusely as though he had a fever.

"Don't just stand there," Laevus snapped. "Roll up her sleeve and find the vein!"

Ricardo complied, and soon Serena had a rubber strap pulled tight around her upper arm to make her veins bulge. The skin on her forearm was raw and bruised and full of needle holes, old IVs Laevus had stuck her with. She began to panic.

"What do you need my blood for?" she said. "You took plenty already! Look at all those jars full of it!"

There was indeed a refrigerator in the room that contained multiple jars and vials of Serena's blood, drawn and saved for test purposes.

"Quiet! You will not speak, Magus," Laevus said as he jabbed the needle into her arm.

Serena yelped in pain and jerked violently, but the manacles kept her in place. Her arm felt like someone had scraped the skin off it with a rusty knife, peeling back the layers like strips of jerky. The area around the newest needle was red and swollen and surrounded by blotchy bruising that would only get worse, she knew. How much blood would Laevus have to draw before she lost too much to survive?

"Good, good," Laevus said. "This will give me the power I need, yes."

Serena was dizzy and lightheaded as she felt her lifeblood slowly seep out of her. The many colors staining Laevus's heartstrings danced like a kaleidoscope.

"You're sick," she said. Her tongue felt heavy and thick in her mouth.

Laevus glared up at her. "I told you to be quiet," he hissed.

"Your heartstrings," she pressed. "There's something...different about you. You're not...you."

At this, Laevus perked up. "Ah, so you noticed. Yes, I'm not me anymore. I'm so much more. And soon those entitled freaks will see it, too. I'll show the whole world!"

"Boss," Jacques said, "I heard something. I'll check it out."

"Be quick about it! I need more time," Laevus said.

Jacques headed off down one of the corridors and disappeared around a corner. Laevus, meanwhile, snapped at Ricardo to take the IV tube and hold it just so, while he struggled with the sleeve of his uninjured arm.

"Damnit, help me with this!"

Ricardo jumped to oblige, wary of Laevus's temper. The sleeve wouldn't roll up over Laevus's fleshy arm, so Ricardo ripped it open. The sight that greeted Serena made her remaining blood run cold.

"Oh my god," she said. "What have you done?"

Three shards of the Mega Stone were embedded in Laevus's right arm, the clear cause of his tarnished heartstrings. Blood stained his left sleeve, and peeking out beneath it Serena could see the edge of another Mega Stone shard. She felt the overwhelming urge to vomit, but her stomach was empty. How many shards had Laevus implanted in himself?

"Boss, your left hand," Ricardo said.

"What?" Laevus looked at his left hand and tugged at the sleeve. Sure enough, Serena could make out another Mega Stone shard and the beginnings of a second embedded in the skin, which had turned black with rot. The shade was spreading down his wrist to his hand, the source of Ricardo's worry. But most worrisome of all was the pitch black hue of the visible shards in Laevus's left arm. There was nothing there, no heartstrings, no light, nothing at all. Just a vacuum full of rot.

What the hell did he do?

She remembered the way one Mega Stone shard had crippled Trevor before Malva ripped it out of him. Laevus carried multiple shards in his body. What effect would they have on him?

"Stop this," Serena said. "Those Mega Stone shards are poisoning you, just like they did to Trevor."

Laevus had had enough of Serena's insolence and slapped her hard across the face, the same cheek Jacques had abused earlier. Serena saw stars as her head whipped around, and she tasted blood on her lips. Her vision danced, a whorl of colors as Laevus's diseased heartstrings roiled like so many snakes, hissing and squeezing.

"I said quiet!" Laevus screamed.

Serena's head swam, and all she could do was cough pathetically.

"Do it now," Laevus commanded Ricardo.

"Boss, I-I dunno about this. Your arm..."

There was a short scuffle, and Ricardo was knocked down and hit his head on the table hard enough to knock him out. The key ring was strapped to his belt and clattered on the stone when he fell, far out of reach. Laevus grabbed the IV tube and opened it over his exposed right arm directly onto the Mega Stone shards embedded in his skin. Serena could only watch as the Mega Stone shards' vampiric appetites drank up her blood and the pink heartstrings that surrounded it. The shards exploded with light in every color, ravenous heartstrings that coiled around Laevus's right arm and snaked over his body, mummifying him in poisonous color.

"Now," he said, his voice strained. "Now, I'll show them!"

He produced three Pokéballs from his pocket and released them all. There was a fearsome Pidgeot, a tall and muscular Loppuny, and a bulky blue Swampert.

Something crashed not far off, but Laevus didn't seem to care. The three Pokémon looked distressed at the sight of each other and of Laevus, and for a moment Serena thought they might attack him or each other. But Laevus held out his bloody right arm to them.

"I'm your master now!" he said. "Obey me!"

Serena watched in awe and terror as the Mega Stone shards' heartstrings only she could see took on a life of their own, entrapping the three Pokémon in invisible silken cocoons.

"Stop!" she screamed, but it was too late.

---

Grace ran after Klefki through the sprawling subterranean Flare base, never knowing which way was the right way and completely lost. Klefki alone seemed to know where to go, and she hoped that he hadn't taken a wrong turn somewhere. As she went, she could still hear the sounds of Calem and Alain fighting Malva and her underlings, ominous booming that echoed like distant thunder. She could only imagine what they were doing, and prayed that Korrina and Wulfric were all right wherever they were.

Grace and Klefki came to a three-way fork in the corridor and paused. "Damnit, which way? Klefki, do you know?"

Klefki jingled as he peered down the branching corridors, which was very little help in this situation. He seemed most interested in the middle path, but all of a sudden something drew his attention down the rightmost path. Excited, Klefki jingled loudly to get Grace's attention.

"What is it? Is it Serena?"

Something roared not so far away down the leftmost path, a carnal bellow unlike Grace had ever heard before. She clutched her heart and backed up against the nearest wall, breathing fast as an otherworldly fear took hold of her. What the hell had made such a racket? She did not want to find out.

Klefki took off down the rightmost path, leaving Grace to follow if she chose. She nearly tripped over herself running to catch up with the exuberant Fairy, wondering if whatever had roared so loudly had frightened Klefki, too. What if whatever it was had Serena? Grace could not entertain the thought. She had to trust that Klefki knew where he was going and that they would find Serena.

All the corridors looked the same to Grace, marked by the same fluorescent lamps hammered into the stone. There were iron doors, all closed, that she passed every once in a while, but Klefki did not seem interested in them, so neither was Grace. Whatever these Team Flare scientists were doing here, she didn't give a damn. All she wanted was to find her daughter alive and well.

When they reached a dead end, Grace nearly broke down. Her body shook with the effects of adrenaline coursing through her veins, and she was starting to question if this was really the right way.

"Klefki, where are we? Where's Serena?" Grace said.

Klefki paused at the last door on the right and jingled at Grace like he wanted her to do something about it.

"In there?" Grace asked, trying the handle. It was locked, of course.

If Serena's in there, no door can keep me out.

Grace stood back and released both Rhyhorn and Fletchling. Fletchling tweeted excitedly and flapped about the narrow corridor, curious about these unfamiliar surroundings, while Rhyhorn seemed at once on his guard. Rhyhorn was as big as a motorcycle, and these corridors were clearly built for people to navigate, not Pokémon. Nevertheless, Rhyhorn looked to Grace for direction. Fletchling tweeted incessantly at Klefki, who answered with an annoyed jingle.

"Rhyhorn, break down that door," Grace commanded.

Rhyhorn growled and slowly ambled into place in line with the door. He was not used to this whole battling thing Grace was doing lately, but like any Pokémon, fighting was in his nature in the right circumstances. Once he was properly lined up, Rhyhorn charged the iron door and smashed clean through it. The door swung open on its hinges, bent and dented, and nearly fell off. Rhyhorn backed out of the room on his thick stubby legs, and Grace all but climbed over him to get inside, Fletchling and Klefki close behind.

It was a bedroom, but there was no sign of Serena. Grace looked around and threw back the covers, checked the armoire, but no luck. Frustrated, she balled her fists and turned on Klefki.

"She's not here," she said. "I thought you could find Serena."

Klefki was too distracted by something on the desk to be afraid of Grace's ire. Fletchling landed on the desk, curious about whatever Klefki had found, and chirped. Rhyhorn looked on from the hall.

"What is it? Serena's not even here," Grace said, though she went to the desk to see what the big deal was.

On the desk were three Pokéballs Grace recognized instantly from the little pink heart stickers taped to them. Her anger forgotten, Grace scooped them up as though they were precious gems.

"Serena's Pokéballs," she said, awestruck. She never thought she would see these again.

Klefki jingled excitedly as he hovered closer to get a better look at them.

"You sensed them here?" Grace said, feeling a little bad for her earlier frustration with Klefki.

Serena loved her Pokémon. She would want them to be safe. Grace hurriedly pocketed the three Pokéballs, amazed that they had been left in here. Whose room was this, anyway?

Outside, Rhyhorn growled all of a sudden and stamped the floor. Fletchling flew out of the room to see what all the ruckus was about, and Grace and Klefki followed. A small red Pokémon the size of a volleyball was rolling around in between Rhyhorn's short legs, spooked by the larger Pokémon but not fast enough to get out from underneath him. He must have escaped this room when Rhyhorn broke down the door.

"What on earth?" Grace kneeled down and snatched the small Pokémon before Rhyhorn could step on him.

It was a Darumaka, red and furry, and as soon as Grace picked him up, he latched onto her jacket and would not let go. Fletchling landed on her shoulder and chirped angrily at Darumaka, offended that he would dare to touch Grace's jacket. Darumaka was doing his best to burrow into Grace's neck.

"What the— Hey, let go." Grace pried Darumaka off her jacket and held him out in front of her.

Darumaka squirmed and slipped out of her grip to roll down the hallway. Grace got up and jogged after him.

"Hey, wait!"

Darumaka rolled right into the last door on the left at the end of the hall and began to ram it unceremoniously. Grace had no idea what to make of the strange Pokémon's behavior.

"S-Serena?" a small voice said on the other side of the door.

Grace paled at the sound of her daughter's name. "Hello? Who's in there?"

There was movement on the other side of the door, then a thud like something soft had fallen on the floor. Someone began to cough. Grace was beside herself at the thought that Serena might be inside.

"Rhyhorn, break it down," she said. "Stand back from the door!" she called to whoever was inside.

Darumaka continued to Rollout the door to little avail, and Grace scooped him up before he could hurt himself. Darumaka squealed in distress, and Fletchling tweeted angrily at him like he was such a bother rolling around like he owned the place. There could only be one small annoying red Pokémon in this group, and it sure as hell was not Darumaka as long as Fletchling had anything to say about it. Rhyhorn smashed the door down, and when he got out of the way Grace rushed inside. A young boy wrapped in blankets lay sprawled on the floor, and for a moment Grace was sure he was dead. But then he spoke.

"W-Who're you?" he managed.

Grace covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my god."

Darumaka wriggled free again and rolled to the boy's side, grunting excitedly. The boy laid a hand on Darumaka's back.

"Maru? What're you doing here?" he said.

Grace rushed to the sickly boy's side. "What happened to you? Do you know my daughter? You said her name just a minute ago. Is she here?"

The boy blinked bleary eyes up at Grace. He couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen, just a child, but he was as weak and sickly as an old man.

My god, what happened to you?

"You mean Serena?" the boy said. "You know Serena?"

Grace could have cried. "Yes! She's my daughter. You know her? Where is she?"

The boy's eyes went wide. "You're Serena's mother? What're you doing here?"

She could not leave this poor boy here. From the looks of it, he was a prisoner here. Maybe they'd experimented on him as they most likely had on Serena. For what purpose, Grace could not even begin to imagine.

"What's your name?" Grace said, trying her best to sound calm and reassuring.

The boy did his best to look alert. "Trevor," he said. "S-Serena, they took her, I think. I was asleep."

Grace took Trevor's shoulders in her hands gently and searched his eyes. "Who took her? She was here? Where did she go?"

Trevor's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tried to form the words. "I'm... I don't..."

Grace did not have time for this. If someone had taken Serena, then she had to be nearby. Trevor began to weep softly.

"S-She promised we'd get out of h-here," he sobbed.

"Well, it's your lucky day, Trevor. I'm Grace, and I'm getting you out. Come on now, let's get you up."

Grace hauled him to his feet, and he cried out and leaned his weight on her. He could barely walk. If this what they'd done to Trevor, what had they done to Serena? Grace felt her fears taking over again, threatening to cripple her, but if she gave out now, Trevor wouldn't make it on his own. He needed her help.

"Come on, up you go," Grace said as she hoisted Trevor onto Rhyhorn's back. "Have you ever ridden a Rhyhorn before?"

Trevor looked like he might pass out at any moment. "No."

She did her best to look encouraging. "I've raced Rhyhorn my whole life. This one's a smoother ride than any Skiddo, so you can just relax and let him do all the work, okay?"

Trevor laid his shaking hands on Rhyhorn's shale hide. They were mottled with bruises and old scabs, and Grace felt a fresh wave of tears threatening to fall. "Okay," he said.

Darumaka rolled and ran into Rhyhorn's back leg. he jumped and tried to climb up onto Rhyhorn's back, but his stubby arms and legs did not get him far. Grace scooped him up and handed him to Trevor.

"This little guy yours?" she asked.

"No," he said. "But Maru really likes Serena. We both do."

Darumaka grunted and bared his teeth in what could have passed for a goofy smile as he clung to Trevor's blanket.

"Is my mom here, too?" Trevor asked.

"No, I'm sorry," Grace said. "But I promise I'll get you out of here so you can see her again very soon. Just hold on, okay?"

Trevor blinked and a few tears fell down his cheeks. "You sound like her," he said. "Like Serena."

Grace did not know what to say to that, so she just nodded. Trevor would probably slow her down, but there was no way she could just leave him. His mother would be worried out of her mind for him, just as Grace was worried about Serena. No, Grace would make sure Trevor got out of here along with Serena and everyone else.

"Klefki, let's go," Grace said. "Find Serena now."

Klefki jingled and zoomed down the hall the way they'd come. Fletchling tweeted excitedly and flew after him, and Grace and the others followed. Soon, they were back at the three-way fork in the road, and this time Klefki took the middle road. Grace had to wonder just how intelligent Klefki and Serena's other Fairies really were. It was almost as if Klefki had planned to gather Serena's other Pokémon and Trevor before tracking down Serena. She put the thought out of her mind and raced after the odd Keychain Pokémon.

They didn't get far when the power went out all of a sudden for a few seconds, and Grace felt her heart leap into her throat. The outage lasted only a few seconds, though, and a backup generator powered up. The lights were dimmer than before, but Grace could see well enough. She turned back to check on Trevor, but he was still riding Rhyhorn and stared back with a haunted look like he'd recently been brought back from the dead.

"Are you okay back there, Trevor?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

Satisfied, Grace continued on with Klefki and Fletchling in the lead, but they didn't get far before the Pokémon spooked. Someone was coming. Grace put her hand back to stop Rhyhorn from getting any closer.

"Who's there?" a man's voice demanded.

He was around the bend in the corridor up ahead. Grace had no idea what to do. She'd never fought in a real Pokémon battle against a trainer before. Someone came around the corner, or rather, something. A Gurdurr as tall as she was appeared with a wiry one-eyed man, his trainer. Fletchling tweeted obnoxiously, unafraid of the big Fighter for no good reason. Klefki was more wary.

"Who are you?" the man demanded.

"I'm here for my daughter," Grace said, unwilling to show this man any fear. He wore the red and white colors of the Team Flare Agents that had attacked Calem and her when they first arrived.

"So, you're with the Gym Leaders," the man said. "But you don't look like a Gym Leader to me."

Gym Leaders?

He must have meant Korrina and Wulfric. Were they fighting somewhere? Oh god, were they still alive? Grace had no idea, and that roar from before... She couldn't think about it right now. This guy was in the way, and she'd be damned if he stopped her from finding Serena.

"Get out of my way," she said.

The man and Gurdurr did no such thing, and Gurdurr cracked his knuckles in warning as he approached.

"Stop," Grace said, backing up.

"You're an intruder," the man said. "Which means I have leave to do with you as I please."

Gurdurr growled and revealed a mouth full of flat yellowing teeth. The purple veins in his muscled arms bulged like leeches gorged on blood.

"I said stop!" Grace said.

"Gurdurr, use Dynamic Punch," the man commanded.

"Grace, look out!" Trevor said.

Gurdurr clenched a fist, which began to glow with power. He advanced, his trainer close behind with a metal beater stick. Grace backtracked in fear.

"S-Stop right there!" she screamed.

Gurdurr pulled back and prepared to lunge straight for her, but Klefki scintillated with bright pink light and the punch never connected. Fletchling tweeted manically as he flew in circles, and Grace could only wonder at this new magic Klefki had pulled out from his tiny body. Gurdurr and his trainer both had frozen as if time had stopped all around them. They could barely move as pulsating pink strands of light as fine as thread trapped them like chains. The threads extended from Klefki's jeweled core and pulsed in tune with his little heartbeat. Grace stared, unsure what to make of this.

"H-Heartstrings?" Trevor said, equally shocked at the sight.

"What?" Grace said, still marveling at the sight.

"Serena said she could see them," Trevor said, reaching out a hand toward the softly shining threads of light suddenly made visible with Kelfki's Fairy Lock attack. They undulated as they came into contact with Trevor's fingers, alive.

"What is this?" the Flare Agent demanded mid-stride.

Grace remembered herself and her mission. She didn't care who this guy was or what Pokémon he had. There was no way he was keeping her from getting to Serena.

"Fletchling, use Peck!" she commanded.

Fletchling happily gave in to his inner angry bird and attacked the Flare Agent. The tiny bird viciously pecked out his remaining eye, and he screamed, unable to move to defend himself. Grace grabbed the metal beater stick from him.

"Go to hell," she spat before smacking him in the back with all her strength.

The Flare Agent fell, and Kelfki's spell was broken. Gurdurr tripped over himself, and his powered-up fist landed in the wall up to his elbow. Rhyhorn lowered his head and barreled on through past Gurdurr, clipping his backside and causing the Fighter to howl in pain. The Flare Agent was out cold and bleeding from his ruined eye socket.

The pink heartstrings Klefki had summoned to bind the enemies unfurled and faded from sight again as they looped back around Klefki.

Is this what your world looks like, Serena? Grace wondered.

Klefki took off again down the corridor where the Flare Agent had come from, and Fletchling went after him.

"Trevor, let's go," Grace called back to the young boy riding Rhyhorn.

"Y-Yeah," he said, urging Rhyhorn along.

---

Korrina led the others in search of Laevus once the three Mega Pokémon had been taken care of. Calem could hardly believe what was happening. One Mega Pokémon was fearsome enough, but to face three? He'd arrived late to the party and still had no idea how it was even possible except for Wulfric's rushed explanation that Laevus was behind it all.

"I bet he's got Serena with him," Calem said as they followed the corridor deeper into the base.

"Might be you're right," Wulfric said. "Best to keep moving before he can call any other Mega Pokémon to help him."

"You can't be serious," Calem said. "How could he possibly have more?"

"Ever since I met you guys and gals, 'possible' became a heckuva lot more flexible in my book, I tell you."

Korrina had her Blaziken out with her, and the thing still freaked Calem out even though Blaziken was on his side. He could imagine what she must be feeling with Lucario gone. When Escavalier died right in front of him at Malva's hand, he'd felt the loss so acutely that he'd let his guard down, and Malva had the opening she needed to roast his arms. For Korrina to lose her best Pokémon was a blow that cut deeply. She was silent as they searched for Laevus, and Calem wasn't sure that was really a good thing.

When they finally caught up to Laevus, he was holed up in a cavern almost as vast as the one where Calem and Alain had been ambushed by Malva. Like the ceiling in that cavern, this one was also made of glass to cover a natural opening in the rock above, though much smaller than the other one. Laevus was there, and Calem arrived just in time to see the fruits of Laevus's experiments unfold before his eyes.

His right arm was exposed and bloody, and he stood behind three big Pokémon that writhed as though they were being squeezed by invisible strings. Laevus was shouting something at them, and they began to transform. In a matter of seconds, Calem and his group were facing a fresh Mega defensive team in Mega Lopunny, Mega Swampert, and Mega Pidgeot.

"Well, that's not a good sign," Wulfric said.

"Oh my god," Calem said, his stomach twisting in fear. "You have to be kidding me!"

Mega Swampert roared. He was as big as Korrina's Pangoro with enormous arms and upper body strength. One Earthquake could surely tear down this entire mountain, Calem was sure of it. Mega Lopunny, though roughly proportionate to a very fit human, boasted long muscular legs that looked even more fearsome than a Hitmonlee's. But Mega Pidgeot had to be the worst of them. Towering taller than a Charizard, Mega Pidgeot was a predator in every sense of the word with a curved beak and talons as thick around as Calem's arms. She let out a piercing cry and took to the air in a magnificent flurry of blue and gold feathers, as beautiful as she was daunting.

"You again!" Laevus shouted at Calem's group. "Back for more, eh? Behold, the power of science! This is my Mega Evolution!"

He held up his right arm, and Korrina gasped.

"No way," she said. "Those're Mega Stones in his arm!"

Calem did not really know what that meant or what was going on, only that there were three new Mega Pokémon facing them and they only had one. Mega Abomasnow bellowed in challenge as he got a whiff of Mega Swampert, but he was still favoring his side after the hard battle against Mega Aggron.

And that was when Calem saw her. Way at the other end of the room behind Laevus, there was a woman strapped to a raised gurney. It was hard to see her face from here, but there was no way it could be anybody else.

"Serena!" he shouted.

The woman stirred and her head lolled. She was alive. Calem could have cried.

It's her! She's alive!

"That's enough! The Magus belongs to me!" Laevus cried. "Kill them!"

Laevus's little army of Mega Pokémon attacked, and soon Calem was fighting for his life all over again. Or running, as it were. Mega Pidgeot swooped and made to snatch him up like dinner, but Aegislash's shield quickly flew in between them, and Mega Pidgeot hit the King's Shield barrier she created.

"Calem, take out that bird!" Korrina said as she ran at Mega Lopunny herself.

"What the—Korrina!" Calem shouted.

But Korrina did not hesitate as she jabbed at Mega Lopunny ruthlessly. Blaziken was close behind, and the two of them engaged the overgrown Fighter rabbit together. Wulfric and Mega Abomasnow faced off against Mega Swampert, and Wulfric released his Avalugg to help. It was just in time to catch a monstrous Hydro Pump. Avalugg took the attack head-on, and the water froze instantaneously. The frost raced along the column of water toward Mega Swampert, who was forced to disengage to avoid being frozen. Mega Pidgeot swooped around for a Sky Attack.

"Oh crap!"

Calem ran and swung around with Aegislash. Bisharp ran the other way, narrowly avoiding Mega Pidgeot's dive-bomber attack, but Aegislash's blade missed Mega Pidgeot in turn by mere inches.

I have to get to Serena!

But as soon as he took a few steps, Mega Pidgeot was back, this time with a Hyper Beam that cut across the cavern floor, tearing up lab equipment and stone alike. Avalugg was hit as the beam passed by and lost his footing, which gave Mega Swampert a chance to attack with Muddy Water spewed from his wide flat mouth. The dirty water slammed into Mega Abomasnow and Wulfric himself, and Wulfric went tumbling. The water began to freeze all around him as he struggled to his feet. The Hyper Beam was headed straight for Korrina next.

"Korrina, look out!" Calem shouted as he ran and swung Aegislash in a Night Slash he prayed would wound Mega Pidgeot.

The Hyper Beam interrupted the fist fight between Korrina and Mega Lopunny, and the latter used her powerful hind legs to jump to safety. Korrina was blown back by the blast and skidded across the floor until Blaziken caught her and kept her from slamming into a table.

"Blaziken," Korrina groaned.

Aegislash's Night Slash sent a dark claw of energy at Mega Pidgeot, but the bird was quick and dove before the attack could connect. The dark energy hit the wall just below the glass ceiling and opened up a sizeable crack in the stone. As long as Mega Pidgeot could Fly and Aegislash could not, Calem was at a severe disadvantage, and so was everyone else.

Mega Abomasnow began to conjure a frigid Blizzard at Wulfric's command. The aging Gym Leader had pulled himself from the semi-frozen Muddy Water, filthy but still fighting, and had his eyes on Mega Pidgeot. Good, Calem thought. There was nowhere Mega Pidgeot could hide from a Blizzard. However, there was still Mega Swampert to contend with.

"Stop that Blizzard!" Laevus shouted.

Mega Swampert intended to do just that as he took off at a mighty lope for Mega Abomasnow. Above, Mega Pidgeot squawked in distress as the temperature in the room plummeted and frostlings rose from Mega Abomasnow like reverse-falling snow. For a precious moment, the path to Serena was clear as the enemy was distracted. If Calem made a break for it, he might be able to reach her now. Everything he'd been fighting for, everything could be realized in this moment.

Mega Swampert closed in on Wulfric and Mega Abomasnow, and Avalugg, slow and ungainly as he was, did his best to intercept despite his leg injury. Calem knew his decision was made even before he could weigh it. His feet moved of their own accord, nearly slipping on the frozen stone. It was freezing in here, and every breath was a stab to the lungs as he sucked in the stale air and willed himself to move faster. Mega Swampert was nearly upon them, those huge fists poised to Hammer Arm Wulfric and Mega Abomasnow to a bloody pulp.

Calem lunged with his left hand, his shield hand, and skidded on the ice. "King's Shield!"

Mega Swampert collided with Aegislash's shield in a devastating impact. The bright silver light barrier that had always protected Calem shattered under Mega Swampert's sheer force, and through their shared connection, Calem felt his mighty shield crack.

"Back off!" he screamed as he punched with his sword hand.

Aegislash's blade came in fast and hard with an Iron Head that connected with Mega Swampert's thick arm, and the beast cried out in pain. Calem felt himself falling, slipping on the ice and under the force of Mega Swampert's brute strength. But Aegislash's aim was true, and the demonic sword ran red with Mega Swampert's blood as she withdrew.

Calem barely had time to catch his breath when out of nowhere, Mega Lopunny, taking advantage of the chaos, came down hard with a High Jump Kick meant to bash Calem's skull in. Bisharp skidded in front of her trainer to defend despite the severe type disadvantage, blades poised. Calem stared in horror as he envisioned yet another of his Pokémon falling to the enemy's violence. He could not even find his voice to warn off Bisharp.

A blur of red and black slammed into Mega Lopunny and knocked her off course just then, and Calem almost lost control of his bladder in the split second during which all of this happened and he was sure he and Bisharp were both dead. A hand grabbed his and hauled him up.

"K-Korrina!" Calem found his voice.

One of her eyes was swollen shut and she had a bad cut in her head from the latest bout with Mega Lopunny, but Calem followed her gaze to where Mega Lopunny was now fighting Blaziken, or what had once been Blaziken.

"Is that...?"

"Yeah," Korrina said. "Lucario wouldn't have wanted us to give up no matter what."

Mega Blaziken was a sight to behold as he fought claw to paw with Mega Lopunny, two expert Fighters beyond even the capabilities of a Bellatrix like Korrina. Mega Blaziken was taller and even more terrifying to behold than his normal form, like some hellish chimera that had emerged from the darkest pits of the underworld. He moved so fluidly that Calem couldn't even distinguish between his moves. Ribbons of fire laced Mega Blaziken's kicks and punches, and somehow Mega Lopunny was still able to dodge and parry and jab as though they had rehearsed it all before. Fighting Mega Gallade had been a dance Calem knew, a dance of swords. This was something else entirely.

"I didn't think you could do that with Blaziken," Calem said.

"This is the first time," Korrina said. "But it sure as hell won't be the last. Can you move?"

Calem could move, though his hip was on fire from the fall he'd taken. Mega Swampert was in worse shape with a hole in one of his arms courtesy of Aegislash, and Aegislash's shield was cracked.

"This is crazy. Nothing's ever broken Aegislash's King's Shield," Calem said, studying the cracks. "I can't defend anymore."

"Then focus on attacking," Korrina said.

"I s'pose I'll be the first to admit I was not prepared for what just happened," Wulfric said, joining them. "Thank you, Calem."

He was clutching his side and hunched over, and Calem worried that the fall he'd taken had exacerbated his earlier injuries. Mega Abomasnow's Blizzard died down prematurely when he realized the danger Wulfric was in, and Mega Pidgeot was still airborne. Only Hawlucha faced her now, and the Flyer's small size advantage was waning fast as Mega Pidgeot made it her mission to rip him to shreds. Korrina swore as she followed their erratic trajectory.

"I've still got Staraptor," Calem said. "She'll help."

He was about to release Staraptor when something flashed across the cavern. A beam of bright pink light singed Mega Pidgeot's tail feathers and bought Hawlucha enough time to get clear of her talons. The strange beam struck the wall just above the crack Aegislash's Night Slash had opened up earlier, and the glass ceiling shattered. Laevus shouted something that sounded frantic, and Calem watched as a thick shard of glass struck him in the leg. It was not enough to kill him, but he was now on the ground and struggling. A few shards hit Mega Swampert, but the huge beast barely felt them even as some of the larger ones embedded in his back.

"I don't think we'll need Staraptor anymore," Wulfric said.

Calem followed his gaze up and up where a large avian creature was now pursuing Mega Pidgeot, one that looked a little familiar under all downy white.

"What the hell?" Korrina said. "What is that?"

"It's her," Calem said, spying her on the beast's back as he chased Mega Pidgeot out of the hole in the glass ceiling and outside into the night. "That's Serena!"

---

When Grace and Trevor arrived at the place where Klefki thought Serena was being held, it was just in time to witness some macabre ritual. A very fat man was emptying blood onto his exposed arm, where three shimmering jewels had been wedged into the skin. Three big Pokémon surrounded him, ones Grace wanted to avoid at all costs. But it wasn't the man she was concerned with. Serena herself was strapped to some sort of gurney, and the blood the man was pouring onto his arm was coming from her.

Grace nearly lost her composure right there and screamed for her daughter. She was so close, and it hurt to see her like this. It was Trevor who stopped Grace from making a huge mistake.

"Grace, wait," he said in his exhausted tinny voice. "That's Laevus, the s-scientist who's been experiment on Serena and me."

Laevus.

This was the man Alain had told them about. He was the reason for all this, Serena's kidnapping, Calem's subsequent disfigurement, this entire harrowing journey. It was all for this man's twisted ambitions, whatever they may be. Grace had not wanted to see someone dead so much since Malva.

The Pokémon surrounding Laevus transformed as though by magic, growing into grotesque caricatures of themselves as whatever power he'd awakened took hold. Klefki was eerily silent as he watched, perhaps as terrified as Grace was furious. It was not a good sign. Only Darumaka seemed eager to act and hopped out of Trevor's arms. He rolled into the cavernous laboratory before Grace could snatch him up and went right to Serena like nothing was amiss.

Before Grace could do anything about it, the sounds of battle broke out, and she peered around the wall hiding Trevor and her to see what was happening.

Calem. And Korrina and Wulfric!

They were here, and they were fighting Laevus's Pokémon now.

"Serena!" she heard Calem shout, as desperate as she felt.

Grace clutched a hand over her heart.

"You brought friends?" Trevor asked.

"Yes. They're here to help." She turned back to Trevor. "Trevor, stay here with Rhyhorn out of sight. I'm going to free Serena."

Trevor looked like he did not like that idea. "B-But Laevus'll see you."

"No, the others will keep him busy. I'll be careful. I just need you to stay safe and watch the door. Can you do that for me?"

Trevor nodded numbly. Grace left Fletchling with him, instructing the tiny bird to watch the hall and alert her if anybody came. Fletchling chirped and perched on Rhyhorn's head to keep a lookout. Slowly, and with great trepidation, Grace emerged from the exit and quietly made her way around lab tables and chairs to Serena. Laevus's back was turned as he screamed at his Pokémon to kill the intruders, and Grace saw her chance.

She made a run for Serena, and Klefki was hot on her heels. In the commotion of the battle, Laevus was too distracted to hear her.

"Oh, Serena!" Grace reached her daughter and took her face in her hands.

Serena was dazed and a little dirty. Her hair was a tangled ponytail, unwashed, and her clothes were not hers and a few sizes too big. But she was Serena, plain as day, and for a moment she didn't recognize Grace.

"What?" Serena mumbled.

Klefki got in her face and jingled excitedly. This was no time for sleeping, silly human!

"Serena, it's me. It's Mom. Come on, wake up sweetie," Grace said.

Serena blinked bleary blue eyes down at Grace. "...Mom?"

The tears broke free and streamed down Grace's face as she nodded. Her throat tightened with emotion as she saw the recognition in Serena's eyes. "Yes, it's me. I'm here to take you home, baby."

Serena just stared like she could not believe her eyes. "Mom? What... What're you doing here? Why are you here?"

"I came to get you."

"You... You came for me?"

Klefki jingled and jangled, happy to be reunited with Serena at last. Serena struggled against the restraints holding her in place. They appeared to be locked.

"Yes. I have to get you out of these. Damnit, where's the key?" Grace looked around.

"Klefki," Serena said. "Go find the key. Over there." She nodded her head, and Klefki immediately moved to obey. He began poking around an unconscious Flare Agent several yards away.

Grace, meanwhile, tore the IV hose out of Serena and gasped at the state of Serena's arm. It was riddled with bruises and swollen red and ugly. A number of needle marks peppered the skin. Grace shook with rage at the evidence of her daughter's mistreatment. Serena's cheek was an unhealthy shade of red, too, and looked like it would bruise in time.

"Who did this to you? That Laevus guy?" Grace demanded.

A loud crack sounded somewhere above where something bit into the stone. Grace winced at the vicious sound and hoped Calem and the others were okay.

"Who is that?" Serena asked. "I thought I heard Calem, but I was dreaming."

"It's not a dream, sweetie. Calem's here. He helped me get here. And there's the Snowbelle Gym Leader, Wulfric, and Gym Leader Korrina from Shalour City. Alain's here, too. He's fighting Malva."

Serena was quiet for a moment. "...You brought all of those people?"

"I'm going to get you out of here, Serena. Save your strength, okay?"

Klefki returned with the key ring and handed it off to Grace. There were several keys on the ring, and Grace's fingers fumbled with each one as she tried them. A cold snap made her knees buckle all of a sudden, and unbelievably, snow began to flurry about the cavern. Grace's teeth chattered and she hastily unlocked the manacles holding Serena in place one by one.

"Mom, you have to help my friend. He's just a kid, and they have him locked up," Serena said.

"You mean Trevor? I've already got him. He's with Rhyhorn over there."

The last shackle was unlocked, and Serena all but fell into Grace's waiting arms. Grace wept silently as she held her daughter for the first time in weeks. There had been nights when she'd feared Serena was lost forever, dead somewhere, never to be heard from again. But here she was, real and solid and warm and very much alive. Just like that day so many years ago, Serena had found her way back.

"Oh, Serena," Grace sobbed into her daughter's shoulder. "I was so afraid for you. I was going crazy imagining what could have happened to you, and I came all this way hoping to find you. Oh god, Serena, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

Serena's hands clutched at Grace's jacket as Klefki jingled above them and the sounds of battle raged on behind them, far away. Darumaka tugged insistently at Serena's pant leg, wanting a hug of his own. Grace felt Serena hug her back, and after a moment they parted. There were tears in Serena's eyes, blue eyes just like Grace's.

"Mom, you came all this way for me?" she said.

Grace sniffled. "Of course. Serena, I love you."

Serena laughed through her tears and hugged Grace again. "I love you, too, Mom."

"What is this?!"

Laevus had noticed them finally. Grace saw him coming and positioned herself in front of Serena.

"Who are you? What are you doing with my Magus?" he demanded.

Grace clenched her fists and Klefki jingled angrily. "Take another step toward my daughter and I swear to god I'll make you sorry."

Laevus was taken aback at Grace's forcefulness and paused.

"Serena! Grace!"

Trevor and Rhyhorn emerged from the doorway nearby, and Fletchling flew to Grace's shoulder protectively.

"Trevor!" Serena said.

Laevus eyed the large Rhyhorn with a wary eye, and his jowls shook with rage. "No, no, no! You can't defy me, I own you! You Tamers think you're so perfect, but I'm the one with the Mega Pokémon now! Mega Pidgeot, kill them!"

A truly fearsome bird far larger than any Pidgeot Grace had ever seen swooped around, but a dogged Hawlucha pestered her like an annoying insect.

"I'm not a Tamer," Grace said, advancing on Laevus. "I'm a mother you pissed off."

Grace lunged and punched him in his many chins with all her might. His head spun and he lost his footing, and he crashed to the ground in a heap, a blob of sweaty flesh and fat. Laevus groaned as he rolled and shielded his face, and Grace spit on him where he lay. Fletchling tweeted loudly down at him for good measure.

The conjured snow was getting worse, and Grace heard Calem shout something before a devastating crash racked the room. Grace covered her ears to the noise, and Laevus took the opportunity to scramble away from Grace as he shouted for Mega Pidgeot to come down here and slaughter them. Grace saw the danger as Mega Pidgeot turned the tables on Korrina's Hawlucha and swooped around with an eye on Serena and herself.

"Serena, here!" Grace fished the three Pokéballs from her pocket and shoved them toward Serena.

"My Pokémon!" Serena said.

She quickly selected one of the Pokéballs and released Altaria in a flash of bright white light. The regal blue Dragon stretched his wings and honked in warning as Mega Pidgeot flew by and powered up a Hyper Beam. When Serena climbed onto Altaria's back, Grace began to panic again.

"Wait, where are you going? We have to get out of here!" Grace said.

"I'm going to fight, Mom."

"But you're weak and injured," Grace protested.

"Serena, don't go," Trevor pleaded with her.

Serena pulled up her sleeve and exposed her ravaged forearm. A thin trickle of blood seeped from the still-clotting wound where Grace had removed the IV. "I promised you I'd get you out of here, Trevor. And I'm tired of sitting by while other people get hurt." She smeared blood from the IV wound on her hand.

"Serena," Grace said.

Serena smiled down at her. "Mom, you're the strongest person I've ever known. You've always done your best to protect me all my life even when it was hard for you, and I love you for it. Now, it's my turn to protect you."

Mega Pidgeot released a Hyper Beam that began to tear up the floor of the cavern. Rhyhorn pawed the floor in distress.

"What're you gonna do?" Trevor asked.

"Laevus wanted my blood for his Mega Evolution experiments. It's time I did an experiment of my own."

Serena pressed her bloody hand to Altaria's back, and the blue Dragon began to transform. The downy white feathers that covered his wings sprouted on his back and head, and he grew a foot taller. The Pokémon standing before Grace now, Mega Altaria, was a wholly different creature than his normal form.

"Stop Mega Pidgeot!" Serena said.

Mega Altaria reared up on his taloned feet, opened his beak, and let loose a pink blast of raw energy as powerful as any Hyper Beam. The bird sensed the danger and swerved to dodge, but only barely. The Moonblast shaved a few feathers off of Mega Pidgeot's tail and hit the wall near the glass ceiling, which shattered under the pressure. Laevus, who had made a break for Mega Swampert for protection, was struck with one of the thick shards and fell again. Mega Pidgeot, spooked, flew out of the new hole in the ceiling into the night.

"Whoa!" Trevor said.

Serena handed Grace her remaining two Pokéballs, one for Rhydon and one for Sylveon. "Get these to Calem. They'll listen to him."

Grace grabbed Serena's hand in hers and squeezed. "Just come back safe, please."

Serena nodded. "I always do."

Mega Altaria let out a piercing cry, almost melodic, and took to the skies on downy wings. He raced after Mega Pidgeot with Serena on his back, and soon disappeared through the skylight.

---

Alain had never felt heat so intense before. It burned from the inside out with every shallow breath he sucked in, half delirious and half dead, or near enough to it. It was all he could do to remember not to let go no matter what, for if he fell all would be lost. He had the vaguest sense of falling backwards even as he held on, and he would have thrown up if his body didn't feel like it was melting in his parka.

But all of a sudden, the heat receded abruptly and something cold and sharp smacked him in the face, nearly throwing him off. He wasn't falling backwards, but rising high into the twilit sky. Pinpricks of cold siphoned the heat from his body as they drew invisible cuts in his cheeks.

Snow, he realized.

He tightened his grip on Charizard, now in his black Mega form, as he fought the bracing winter winds to climb higher off the mountainside. It was snowing hard as a maelstrom brewed, and even the light of the full moon was diffused and grey behind the clouds, offering little light as the sun dipped below the horizon to the west. The cold served to snap Alain out of his near heatstroke, and he breathed the frigid air in like a starving man. His sweat froze in his hair and on his face, and he rubbed his eyes. Heliolisk's Pokéball was safely in his pocket, thank god. Nothing could have survived that inferno.

Mega Charizard swooped around, and Alain looked down at the hole in the mountain, one of several scattered around the area. Was Korrina down there somewhere? He had no idea. The hole he'd escaped from was nothing but a boiling nest of fire now. He could hardly believe he'd made it out before being prematurely cremated. But just as he was getting his bearings back, something burst through the flames and drew them out of the mountain behind it like a magnificent orange cape.

The orange Mega Charizard roared as he emerged from the mountain and, unbelievably, Malva rode on his back unburned and practically glowing under Mega Charizard's light. Her clothes were charred, but her person looked as healthy and fit as ever, better than before even. It was with a sinking feeling of trepidation that Alain decided the flames really could rejuvenate her.

"Still alive?" Malva shouted to be heard over the whipping winds as she tailed Alain through the skies.

Alain lowered himself over Mega Charizard's neck. "Let's go, Mega Charizard. We have to take that other Mega Charizard out fast."

The black Mega Charizard snorted blue fire and spread his wings to catch an updraft, and soon Alain was speeding straight for Malva.

"Dragon Claw!" he commanded.

Mega Charizard's black-scaled claws glowed a baleful red as he raced toward Malva and her mount, ready to gut them both to entrails. But the orange Mega Charizard did not swerve or slow, and his sunburst scales glowed brilliantly with shimmering heat as he powered up a devastating Overheat attack. If Alain could just reach them before they could release the Overheat, he could throw them out of the sky.

Without warning, the black Mega Charizard swerved sharply, his Dragon Claw grasping at nothing but air as the orange Mega Charizard exploded with heat and flame just above. A killer wave of heat hit Alain in the back as the black Mega Charizard dove as fast as he could, and the back of his neck and cheek screamed in pain. Alain cried out and shrank away from the heat, but even as the heat receded, the burning in his face did not. His fingers came away bloody when he touched his cheek, where the proximity to Mega Charizard's Overheat had left him with a bad second-degree burn rash. Blisters welled on his skin and had started to bleed and sting. He was shaking with a fear he had not known in a long time.

I can't get close to that thing, he realized. He's too hot even for my Mega Charizard!

Alarmed, Alain touched his hand to Mega Charizard's neck, where his glossy black scales steamed and smoked with a surface burn of his own—the pain he shared with Alain. Above, Malva and her Mega Charizard released the Overheat attack and were making their way back around.

"If we can't hit her head on, then we'll attack from a distance," Alain said. "Let's go! Dragon Pulse!"

The black Mega Charizard roared in challenge and spewed a bolt of red draconian energy at Malva. The orange Mega Charizard responded in kind with the hottest Flamethrower Alain was sure he'd ever seen. Orange met red as the two long-range attacks collided and detonated under their combined heat and pressure.

"Again!" Alain shouted.

The black Mega Charizard fired off another Dragon Pulse, and its orange counterpart launched another Flamethrower. Alain squinted to see through the darkness and the veil of falling snow, and held on as Mega Charizard dove and swooped and spun, all the while attacking almost without pause. Pennons of fire and sparks of deadly draconian energy popped and streamed down around him like some hellish snowfall as the two Mega Charizard chased each other in this deadly dance.

Alain's stomach was slow in keeping up with all of Mega Charizard's aerial maneuvers, and his head spun as he did his best not to get sick with vertigo. The fire that rained down on him whenever the two Mega Charizard got too close to each other stung like a thousand knives in his back, his shoulders, burning through his thick winter parka to the skin beneath. They were soft licks, little tongues that tasted his flesh and disappeared as soon as they had landed, but they kept coming, and even the howling storm winds could not keep them all at bay. Alain shook embers from his hair and hoped the cold would keep him numb to the blistering tendrils of heat that might just be the death of him if this kept up.

If that orange Mega Charizard were still a Dragon descendant, then I could control him, he thought forlornly.

But he wasn't. Mega Evolution was a tricky thing, and this one had caught him completely by surprise. He had heard rumors, but he'd never given much credence to the idea that a Pokémon to have multiple Mega forms. He had only ever heard of Titans Mega Evolving Charizard, and even then, it was not a common phenomenon by any means. All questions Sycamore would probably be delighted to expound upon, but not at the top of Alain's list of priorities right now. All he wanted to do was figure out a way to stop Malva.

There was a moment in between attacks in which the black Mega Charizard flew right past Malva and her orange Mega Charizard, and Alain reached out with his hand and clawed the air. The black Mega Charizard mimicked his movements and tore into the orange Mega Charizard's thigh with a vicious Slash attack. Alain hadn't even realized he'd overridden Mega Charizard's autonomy to force him to move, it happened so fast, but it worked, and Malva and her orange Mega Charizard dove to get away as fast as possible. He thought he heard Malva cry out in pain, but the storm winds drowned her out and soon the orange Mega Charizard had put considerable distance between them.

Alain stared at his hand. "So we can get close to them...just as long as they're not Overheating."

But damn that heat...

If he timed it wrong, if Malva figured out what he was doing, if anything at all went wrong, Alain would probably spontaneously combust when he got too close to the orange Mega Charizard.

That's reassuring, he thought bitterly.

The orange Mega Charizard was still flying and coming in for another attack, this time a Fire Blast tinged with white-hot blue flames that hurtled straight for Alain.

"Fire Blast!" Alain commanded.

The black Mega Charizard spewed its own Fire Blast, a ghastly blue and black column of fire that met the oncoming attack with a roar. The night sky lit up like morning as the Fire Blasts connected and entwined, each trying to consume the other. The streams of fire crescendoed into a great twister, black and blue and orange, that sucked in the blowing snow and glowed like a self-contained sun. Alain shielded his face from the heat to little avail, and still the twister grew larger as neither side let up.

"You wanna play chicken, Malva? Let's play," Alain said. "Hit 'em with Hyper Beam!"

Mega Charizard's black and blue flame breath transformed seamlessly into a scintillating orange bolt of light that crackled as it zigzagged toward the fiery tornado. It cut through the fire and burst through the other side, where Malva and the orange Mega Charizard were still feeding the vortex with fire. Alain could not see what was happening on the other side, but he heard the orange Mega Charizard roar.

He was in the midst of steering Mega Charizard in a deep dive when the winds suddenly picked up and churned even more fiercely than they'd been just a moment ago. The change was so unexpected and violent that Alain was flung from Mega Charizard's back and hurtled to the ground below, twisting and turning. A piercing cry like a bird's cut through the howling winds, and Mega Charizard dove after him. Alain tumbled over himself, hardly able to see which way he was falling as the winds tossed him about.

Something bright cut through the darkness, a flash of something pink, and then he landed on the familiar rough surface that was Mega Charizard's back. The wind was knocked out of him as he clung for dear life, scrambling to stay on Mega Charizard's back with the crazy gale winds doing their best to shake him off again. There was another terrible squawk, definitely a bird, and Alain looked up and caught a glimpse of a Mega Pidgeot, of all the things, in the midst of a super-powered Hurricane attack. The winds were so fierce that they wrested control of the flaming vortex the two Mega Charizard had conjured and dispersed the flames in a devilish rain of fire in every direction.

"Oh, shit!" Alain screamed. "Go, Fly!"

Mega Charizard flew, but even his superior power could not withstand a Mega Pidgeot's Hurricane winds. It was all Mega Charizard could do not to lose control and plummet to the ground or crash into the mountainside. Alain could not even begin to fathom what the hell a Mega Pidgeot was doing out here, but he had to assume that whatever the reason, she was not here to help him out.

Mega Pidgeot screeched and took off flying at a speed unfathomable in this weather, spooked by another blast of pink light that tore a rift through the night sky. Hot on her tail was another Flyer, a Mega Altaria that moved as a blur of cottony white and sang with a soprano scream so bone-chilling that it was almost haunting. He fired off another Moonblast after Mega Pidgeot and soared through the dispersing flames, unbothered by the heat under all those fluffy feathers. Despite the overall desperation of the moment, Alain momentarily lost his grip on this dangerous reality when he saw that there was someone riding Mega Altaria.

"Serena!" he shouted, not quite believing his eyes.

She heard him over the winds, and they locked gazes briefly for the first time in years. She shouted something back, but he couldn't hear her as Mega Charizard spun with the wind. Before Alain could help himself, he laughed.

She's alive and fighting!

He couldn't believe it. Grace and Calem must have found her, which meant they had to be okay. He could only hope.

"Okay, Mega Charizard," Alain said, feeling invigorated at the sight of Serena alive and well. "It's time to ground Malva. Fly!"

Malva and the orange Mega Charizard had also suffered whiplash in the wake of Mega Pidgeot's surprise Hurricane and were blown way out, but they were steadily making their way back now that the Hurricane had subsided. They were thrown off course again, however, when Serena and Mega Altaria fired off a Dragon Pulse attack intended for Mega Pidgeot, and it was stopped by the latter's Hyper Beam. The ensuing explosion buffeted Malva back, and Alain had to change his course.

One wrong move and Serena or that Mega Pidgeot could take us out as collateral, Alain thought.

Malva seemed to have the same thought and gave them as wide a berth as she could while steadily making her way back toward Alain. There was little chance he would catch her off-guard this time like he had with the Slash attack earlier. He took a deep breath, and the ruined skin on his face flared with pain.

Mega Charizard snarled, perhaps feeling Alain's pain with him. It was the curse of Mega Evolution: phenomenal power beyond imagination tethered to the mortal limits of a mere human. Even if Alain and Mega Charizard could get in range of Malva, his comparative susceptibility to injury would remain a danger to them both.

"Mega Evolution is merely the manifestation of a deep bond between Tamer and Pokémon. It is proof that we are stronger together than alone," Gurkinn had counseled him back at the Tower of Mastery. That seemed a lifetime ago now as frost coated his skin and howling winds jostled him like punches coming from all sides. "As long as you embrace your bond, you can do extraordinary things."

Malva and the orange Mega Charizard were closing in, and Alain could see that he was firing up a Blast Burn attack that would cloak him in flames. He swallowed hard.

"Hey buddy, you ready to do something extraordinary together?"

Mega Charizard roared and spewed blue embers as he raced unafraid straight for the enemy.

Alain grinned. "Okay, then." Hands shaking, he scooted back on Mega Charizard's back and dug his feet into the grooves between his legs and torso for leverage. "Let's take 'em down. Outrage!"

Mega Charizard's midnight scales flared with a sinister red aura as his Dragonsblood quickened. The red haze enveloped Alain as though drawing his strength out of him from somewhere deep inside, and he felt Mega Charizard's fury as if it were his own, the will to tear and rend, to win at all costs together. The mist rose off his shoulders like wings, no longer invisible in this moment as he and Mega Charizard hurtled toward Malva.

He could see her clearly now, crouched low on the orange Mega Charizard's back and framed in fire that invigorated her, eerily beautiful. She shouted something at him that was lost to the winds and the roar of blood in Alain's ear's. The black Mega Charizard roared and charged at his foe without fear, driven by draconian rage, and Alain sat up and pushed with all the strength in his legs.

The crash was bone-crushing and fiery hot as the two Mega Charizard entwined in a tangle of claws and color. The heat was everywhere, but the Outrage aura shielded both Alain and Mega Charizard from instant incineration just long enough for Alain to jump from Mega Charizard's back and make a grab at Malva. The last thing he saw was her shocked face as she recoiled from him, deeper into the fire, but Alain grabbed her jacket and yanked her hard.

And then, they were falling together.

Malva screamed incoherently as she pawed at his chest to get him off, her fiery touch burning through his jacket as she tried to get at his face, but Alain had her in a chokehold from behind and trapped her legs with his as they plummeted. If he was going to die, then he'd sure as hell take her with him. The snowy mountainside rushed to meet them, a downy blanket of white, and for a moment Alain almost fancied it would be soft and warm, welcoming, when they hit the ground. Malva had other plans.

There was a flash of bright white light, and suddenly Alain was no longer falling, but rather drifting on the winds. Blue light engulfed both Alain and Malva, still held together in the chokehold, and when they hit the ground it was at an angle tumbling over each other in the deep powder. Alain lost his grip on Malva as they rolled, and he skidded alone who knew how far. When he finally came to a stop, he was half buried in knee-deep powder and somehow, some way still alive.

Panting and shaking from the cold—there was snow in his pants, down his shirt, in his hair, everywhere—Alain ungracefully staggered to his feet, struggling in the deep powder. How the hell had he survived that fall? He looked up and saw both Mega Charizard still dueling, now rider-less, in a dance of fire and fury. They tumbled together, black on orange, and clawed and ripped and burned each other in an effort to get the upper hand. Alain cried out and hugged his flank where a fresh gash opened up courtesy of his bond with Mega Charizard. He could only hope his Pokémon was giving Malva's just as difficult a time.

Malva herself had landed several yards away, also still alive. The reason why soon became apparent. Her Delphox, glowing blue with Confusion, helped her stand with one paw and held a flaming torch in the other. She must have saved them both when Alain wouldn't let go.

Ironic much. He could have laughed.

Malva, however, did not look to be in a joking mood as she glared daggers at him across the snowdrift. "You have a death wish, Alain?" she said.

"Believe me, you bring it out of me," he said.

"What's the point of all this, anyway?" she shouted to be heard over the storm. "What are you even risking your life for? You're not with Team Flare anymore, so why bother?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Alain said. "Why bother kidnapping an innocent girl? You've already mastered Mega Evolution, clearly." He gestured to the sky above, where their Mega Charizard were still engaged in a bloody aerial battle.

"You're dodging the question," Malva retorted.

"Oh, yeah? And what're you doing?"

Malva bared her teeth in a snarl and produced another Pokéball from somewhere. Talonflame materialized in a whorl of light and fire and hovered just over her, impervious to the snow that melted when it came within a few inches of his shimmering red wings.

"I'm repaying a debt," Malva said. "Too bad you'll have to die along the way. Fire!" she ordered her Pokémon.

"Shit!" Alain dug around in his snow pants pocket for Tyrantrum's Pokéball, but he was too slow to avoid Delphox's Mystical Fire. It took the shape of a snarling Dragon's maw and crunched down on the snow Alain had buried himself in, knowing he would not escape unscathed. The snow around him melted as he scrambled to safety, but the fire bit into his calf and sent lancing pain up his leg that made him stumble and cry out. Above, the black Mega Charizard roared in agony, but Alain was too preoccupied with his own situation to observe what was happening up there.

He managed to find Tyrantrum's Pokéball and threw it, and the enormous dino-Dragon appeared with a low thud in the powder-soft snow beside him. Talonflame screeched at the new threat, and Tyrantrum answered with a full-bellied bellow of his own that would have sent lesser men running for the hills. Malva, of course, was neither a man nor lesser in any sense of the word. She was just fucking pissed.

"Tyrantrum!" Alain shouted.

The prehistoric Pokémon did not need much encouragement to locate the enemy and wreak havoc. Tyrantrum lowered his head and flared with red draconian energy as he Dragon Rushed Malva and her Pokémon. Delphox protected herself by Teleporting, but Malva was a bit too slow and was knocked sideways when Tyrantrum grazed her. Talonflame flew high and avoided the attack altogether, and Alain took the opportunity to position himself behind Tyrantrum, who shook out his massive head and shed a ton of snow from his feathered collar, unfazed. If Alain could just get to Malva himself, he could subdue her and take out her Mega Charizard all at once.

"Serena's my friend," Alain said, resuming the previous conversation. "You kidnapped her. It's that simple."

"Oh, how noble," Malva spat. She was clutching her left shoulder, and her arm hung useless at her side where Tyrantrum had hit her. "A chivalrous Dragon. It's so ironic that it's just sad."

"Talking about chivalry," Alain said, "why are you helping Laevus? I know he's your brother, but the Malva I remember had standards."

Malva had always been a powerful Ignifera and proud of her power, both when Alain was her ally and now as her enemy. He could not imagine a Malva who risked her life for anyone she deemed lesser than herself, especially a skuff. After what she'd done to Serena and Calem, he could not imagine her having even a shred of compassion for anyone but herself. No, it had to be something else. There had to be something in it for her.

"You would never risk yourself for a skuff," Alain taunted her. "Even if he is family. I know you, Malva. You're not a good person."

Malva did not like this line of questioning, and it showed. "Fuck you, Alain! You know nothing! Talonflame!"

Talonflame swooped in aglow with embers as he prepared to Flare Blitz Alain into next Tuesday, but Tyrantrum was there to intervene with a Head Smash and rammed the poor bird. Talonflame squawked in agony, and Malva recalled him to his Pokéball before he could hit the snow.

It was one on one now, and Tyrantrum was more than ready to chow down on Delphox as soon as he got the chance. He was already salivating and dripping thick globs of drool into the snow that froze on contact. There was a moment of hesitation, silence before the fall, and then Malva screamed, "Psychic!"

Delphox waved her flaming stick and unleashed a terrible wave of telekinetic energy capable of crushing bone and twisting innards without ever laying a finger on the foe.

"Dragon Pulse!" Alain shouted.

Tyrantrum unleased a devastating bolt of red draconian power that cut through the Psychic attack and set off a chain of explosions as the energy mingled. Alain ran straight into the middle of it all, his sights set on Malva. She was not expecting him to join the fight himself, and she turned to run. But Alain lunged and tackled her to the ground in a flurry of snow and let loose with his fists. He landed one, two, three punches to the gut and face before Malva caught his gloved hand in hers and squeezed his wrist. Alain screamed as her heat seeped into him like venom, and she threw him off her. He landed in the snow, clutching his burned hand to his chest, and Malva groaned beside him as she tried to get away.

Tyrantrum was busy trying to Crunch Delphox in half, but the wily vixen was quick with her Teleports and just a little too fast for the big dino-Dragon. Alain rolled onto his side and tried to sit up, but the pain in his wrist was otherworldly. Was this what it had been like for Calem, except a thousand times worse? Tears blurred his vision as the agony overwhelmed him, and he almost blacked out.

He thought he must have blacked out momentarily, because the next thing he knew, Mega Altaria had landed in the snow beside him glowing red with draconian energy, and Serena was helping him up.

"Alain!" she said. "Oh my god, are you okay? Please say something!"

"Ughhh," Alain groaned.

She helped him stand up straight, and his vision adjusted. The falling snowflakes chilled his eyelids and got stuck in his lashes as he blinked. Malva had gotten to her feet a few yards away, bleeding and hunched as she clutched her middle like she might break in two. Her Charizard, no longer Mega Evolved, had landed near her, also looking worse for wear as he absorbed her pain, and shielded her protectively with his leathery blue wings.

Alain's own Charizard, also back in his natural state, was also on the ground and snarling as he eyed Mega Altaria warily and cradled his claw to his chest, the same one Malva had burned on Alain. Just having him here gave Alain a surge of energy, and he reached for him. Charizard was warm to the touch and still standing, the bastard. Strong as a Tauros. He bared him teeth and leaked black smoke from his nostrils as he circled protectively around Alain in spite of his obvious pain.

"Serena," Alain found his voice. "Look at you, all grown up."

Serena looked worse for wear and terribly gaunt, but she was in better shape than Alain at this point. Over her shoulder a ways off, Alain saw a dark heap in the snow that he assumed must be the remains of Mega Pidgeot. She was no longer moving. Serena's eyes shone with unshed tears as she took Alain's good hand in hers after so long.

"We have to get you to a doctor," Serena said. "And I have to help Calem and the others who came here with you. They're still fighting inside."

"I..." Alain trailed off as he noticed Malva still standing. She was trying to back away discreetly. "No," Alain said. "I have to finish this."

"What? Alain, it's over," Serena said.

"No, it's not." Alain tore out of her grasp and advanced on Malva. "Charizard!"

Alain's Charizard was quick to follow him and snarled in warning. Malva's Charizard crawled in front of her to defend, and Alain smirked as he held out his hand. As a regular Charizard, he could easily control the beast.

"Stop," he commanded.

Malva's Charizard froze where he stood, jaw opened where he had prepared to fire off a Flamethrower at Alain in defense of his master. Malva gasped and backed up.

"Alain!" Serena entreated him.

"Hey, Malva," Alain said, ignoring Serena. "Wanna play a game of chicken?"

"Titan scum!" Malva spat.

Her own Charizard rose and turned on her, bending to Alain's will, and snarled aggressively. This was it, victory in his grasp. He could end Malva now with her own Pokémon and get revenge for Serena and Calem both, set things right. He raised his hand, and Malva's Charizard spread his wings.

"No!" Serena screamed, jumping in between Alain and Malva.

What happened next was something Alain would never forget, for he'd never experienced anything like it before. One moment, he had complete control over Malva's Charizard, the beast's Dragonsblood quickening as he called to it, just like with all Dragons. No Dragon or Dragon descendant could defy a fully-realized Titan, after all. But the next moment, that control was gone, severed as though cut with a knife. Serena's hand was fisted around thin air, and the harder she squeezed, the more Alain could feel his control over Malva's Charizard waning until there was nothing left.

"I said, no," Serena said, squeezing her fist tight.

"What're you doing?!" Alain demanded. He tried reaching for Malva's Charizard again, but it was as though there was an invisible wall separating them that he could not penetrate. Malva's Charizard regained himself and bowed his head to Malva as he positioned himself in a defensive stance to protect her.

"I can see your heartstrings," Serena said. "I can see you trying to control Charizard, but I won't let you."

Alain could not believe it. In just a simple act of defiance, Serena had severed his control over a pseudo-Dragon that by rights could not defy him when he gave an order. It was unconscionable, and yet it was happening.

"Magus," he said, as if in a daze.

Of course, he remembered from those lessons he'd learned as a child growing up under the Apep Dynasty's tutelage. Beware the Magi, they'd said, for they alone have the power to break a Titan's control. But Alain had dismissed it along with all the others. After all, there were no Magi left, not for hundreds of years. The Magi, who had once threatened the Titans as the superior race of Tamers on earth had long ago died out, never to be seen again. Until now.

"I won't let you kill her," Serena said. "I'm sorry, but I won't."

Alain stared at his hand, the hand that had stopped a rampaging Goodra, that had calmed Tyrantrum in his blackest fits of rage, that had given him the power to Mega Evolve Charizard into his ultimate form—completely useless against a Magus's power.

Malva didn't waste the chance, and when Delphox slipped away to join her, she recalled her Charizard and laid a hand on Delphox's shoulder.

"...I'm sorry, Serena," she said.

But before Serena or Alain could respond to that, Delphox Teleported both Malva and herself. They were gone, vanished into thin air.

Alain stood there in the falling snow, dumbfounded and furious and hurting, and fell to his knees as he stared at his dominant right hand.

Useless.

"Alain," Serena called to him, sinking down into the snow and placing her hands on his shoulders.

He looked up at her, those endless blue eyes he remembered as if in a dream. She'd always been special, Serena. Lonely, like him, but different. More.

"It's okay to be different," he'd confided in her all those years ago.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I couldn't let you kill her."

What did it matter, really? There was so much in this world that Alain didn't know, so much he'd gotten wrong. Maybe it would always be like that. Maybe he would never really know, never really be right. Maybe that was okay. Serena was alive and here and talking to him. Maybe that was enough. Whatever she'd done to him, maybe it was just tomorrow's mystery to solve.

"Serena," he said, touching her face with his good right hand.

She leaned into his touch, and he realized she was crying. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Despite himself, Alain smiled. "Oh, come on, now. We both know you could always find me so easily."

She laughed through her tears and embraced him. She was so small in his arms, so frail, and yet so much stronger than she looked. She'd defeated him, after all.

"You really are different," he said.

Mega Altaria cooed, a light and lofty note that was somehow beautiful even in this bleak winter night. He lowered his head between them and nudged Serena affectionately.

"Come on," Serena said, helping Alain stand. "We have to help the others. They're still fighting Laevus's Mega Pokémon."

So that's what happened.

Sycamore's theory had been right. Somehow, Laevus the skuff had figured out how to use Mega Evolution. Mega Pidgeot's corpse half buried in the snow was proof enough of that.

"Yeah," Alain said. "Let's go get them and get the hell out of here."

Serena smiled and mounted Mega Altaria, but Alain didn't let go of her hand.

"Hey," he said, squeezing gently. "I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye."

She shook her head. "You can make it up to me all you want later."

She really has grown up.

"Right, yeah. We should go."

Alain recalled Tyrantrum, who was starting to complain about the cold and snow as he paced uncomfortably, and mounted Charizard. He had seen better days, but he could still fly without any problems. Deciding to cut his losses, Alain soaked his hand in the blood still seeping from the gash in his side and Mega Evolved Charizard once more. When they were all ready, Alain and Serena took off into the night sky and headed back toward the mountain lab, afraid of what might be waiting for them.

---

Calem was on the ground and gasping for breath in the wake of Mega Swampert's Earthquake. It seemed that the gloves were off, and Mega Swamper did not care about the damage he did to the mountain base anymore. Laevus, limping as he fought off the pain of the glass shard that had taken him in the leg, shouted for him to kill them all, unconcerned about the structural integrity of the base. He was ready to bury them all, himself included, if it meant the deaths of his enemies.

We have to get out of here!

Serena had broken a hole in the glass ceiling and chased off Mega Pidgeot, much to Calem's relief, and now the storm raging outside raged in here, as well. It was also a way out if only Calem and the others could Fly out. Staraptor could carry him, but she could not carry Wulfric and Korrina, too. Korrina, in any case, did not seem to want to leave just yet as she left Mega Lopunny to Mega Blaziken and went after Laevus. Only Mega Swampert's Earthquakes kept her from her target, and only Hawlucha kept her from getting buried alive as he smashed through rocks flying through the air that would have otherwise hit Korrina.

"We have to go!" Calem shouted at Wulfric. "This whole cave is gonna collapse!"

Wulfric had recalled Avalugg and watched as Mega Abomasnow fought Mega Swampert, firing off Ice Beams to keep the beast at bay. "You're right about that. I reckon we don't have much time left."

Way to be helpful, Calem thought bitterly.

Aegislash's shield was cracked and no longer viable as a defense mechanism, something that had never happened before. These Mega Pokémon were a power beyond anything reasonable, without a doubt. Bisharp remained close to Calem's side, but she too looked nervous as the cave was beginning to collapse.

What the hell are we supposed to do?!

"Calem!"

Calem whirled at the familiar voice and found Grace racing toward him with Rhyhorn in tow. A boy Calem didn't recognize was riding Rhyhorn and looked like he might fall off at any moment.

"Grace!" Calem said, rushing to meet her. "You're okay!"

"Yes, I found Serena," Grace said, out of breath.

"I saw. That was her on Altaria, right?"

Grace nodded. "Mega Altaria now, apparently."

When did Serena learn Mega Evolution?

She never ceased to amaze him. But she was alive and okay, and that was enough. Klefki was with Grace and jingled happily to be reunited with Calem.

"Serena went after that Mega Pidgeot," Grace explained.

"I saw. Grace, we have to get out of here. You still have Professor Sycamore's Pidgeot, right? Flying might be our only option, and Serena gave us a way out."

Grace was very pale with fear, but she nodded resolutely. "Yes, I do. And you have Staraptor."

"Yeah, the only problem is Wulfric and Korrina. We can't carry them both," Calem said. "Damnit!"

Mega Blaziken was finally wearing down Mega Lopunny in what looked like a cornering tactic, but Mega Lopunny jumped suddenly and kicked Mega Blaziken with all her might, lightning fast. Mega Blaziken screeched in pain and recoiled, and Calem watched as Korrina lost her footing and fell, clutching her shoulder where Mega Blaziken had been hit.

"Take out that goddamned Mega Swampert already!" Korrina shouted back at Calem.

She then hauled herself up and ran to help Mega Blaziken.

"I..." Calem said.

Mega Swampert roared as he beat his mighty fists together and prepared to initiate yet another Earthquake.

"Crap, she's right," Calem said. "But I only have a sword and no way to defend myself!"

Grace shoved something at Calem, and he took it instinctively. They were two Pokéballs with heart stickers on them, ones he recognized instantly.

"Serena sends her regards," Grace said.

Calem clutched the Pokéballs in hand, already thinking of a strategy that might not end with his death. "Thanks, Grace."

Klefki hovered just in front of Calem ready for his direction as he faced down Mega Swampert, and Calem tossed out Serena's Pokéballs. In a flash of light, an aloof Sylveon and a beastly Rhydon coalesced on either side of Klefki, who jingled excitedly at being reunited with his companions after so long apart.

"Sylveon, Rhydon," Calem said.

The two Pokémon eyed him askance like they did not like what they saw.

"I know I'm not your trainer, but Serena needs your help, and so do I. So help me, please. We have to take out that Mega Swampert!" Calem entreated the two Pokémon.

Rhydon growled low and guttural, but he was quick to comply. Rhydon had always liked Calem since he was just a Rhyhorn. Sylveon, however, flicked his pink tail dismissively.

"Sylveon, please!" Calem said. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't for Serena."

"Sylveon, you better help us or I swear to god, I'm never cleaning your litter box again," Grace threatened.

Sylveon just stared at Grace blankly like he didn't recognize this peon making idle threats. Bisharp moved to stand with Rhydon and brandished her bladed fists at Mega Swampert. Calem poised Aegislash's blade to strike.

"Okay, guys, give it everything you got!" he ordered.

Klefki jingled a war tune, and Rhydon bellowed as he smashed the ground in an Earthquake of his own. The ground split and a fissure opened up under Mega Swampert. The huge mud fish struggled to stay above ground and spat out a Hydro Pump at Rhydon, who took the attack head on like a champ. Rhydon roared as he was pushed back under the water pressure and dug his claws into the ground to try to stop. Bisharp took advantage of the moment and jumped to Night Slash Mega Swampert to ribbons. But out of nowhere, Mega Lopunny leaped to the rescue and High Jump Kicked Bisharp in the face. Bisharp when down hard.

"Bisharp!" Calem said, running to her aid.

He came in swinging with Aegislash, but Mega Lopunny was agile and smart, and she jumped clear of Aegislash's Sacred Sword attack. Calem bit through his tongue and tasted blood as he cleaved the ground, completely missing his target, only to look up and see Mega Lopunny closing in with another High Jump Kick that would shatter his spine. He tugged at Aegislash, trying to pry her free from the stone ground, but it was taking too long. He screamed.

A dazzling blast of pink light shot forth and rammed Mega Lopunny as she came crashing down, knocking her off course and into the far wall. Sylveon, smoking pink, landed next to Calem as silent as the grave, his claws bared and his tail a pink lash that sliced the air like he was personally offended that he had been forced to intervene.

"Damnit, Sylveon," Calem said as he finally pried Aegislash out of the ground. "A little warning next time."

Sylveon crouched down ready to attack again as Mega Lopunny recovered, but Korrina's Mega Blaziken ran across the room and smashed Mega Lopunny's face in with a vicious Sky Uppercut that sent the overgrown rabbit flying until she crashed into a stainless steel lab table. She did not get up again.

"Calem!" Grace called.

"Stay back!" Calem said as he wielded Aegislash once again and ran to help Rhydon.

Rhydon was engaged in a battle of brute strength with Mega Swampert as the two of them arm wrestled each other to the ground. Calem leaped with Aegislash and came down hard.

"Iron Head!"

Mega Swampert saw what Calem was doing and unleashed another Hydro Pump and point-blank range. Rhydon roared in distress as he was blown back and swept away by the powerful jet of water, but Calem managed land a hit on Mega Swampert's back that cut deep.

"Calem, stand back!" Wulfric shouted as he and Mega Abomasnow ran to help.

Mega Abomasnow unleashed an Ice Beam that coated everything in the vicinity in a thin layer of frost, including Calem. Only Klefki's Crafty Shield at the last minute protected him from the worst of Mega Abomasnow's attack, and Calem fell to his knees as he watched the icy bolt rip into Mega Swampert. The huge mud fish began to freeze where he stood and struggled to break the ice, but Bisharp was there on her last hurrah to beat him down again with a well-aimed Night Slash to the back. Bisharp's bladed fists moved in a blur of silver as she pummeled Mega Swampert from behind, slashing and gutting as the ice spread like a cancer. Mega Swampert roared in agony, and in one final push, he slammed his meaty fists into the ground and set off another Earthquake.

Grace screamed as the ground gave out from under her, and Sylveon had to Tackle her to safety before she was buried alive. All around Calem, the cavern was beginning to collapse after so many Earthquakes. The hole Serena had opened up was growing larger as chunks of rock fell from above. This place would soon be buried.

"We have to get out of here!" he shouted back at Grace and Wulfric.

Grace was in shock, but she recovered quickly and released Sycamore's Pidgeot. The bird was startled as he took in his perilous surroundings and squawked in distress.

"Korrina!" Calem shouted.

But Korrina was traversing the rapidly deteriorating cavern on unsteady legs. Laevus saw her coming and turned tail to run. Calem swore and ran after Korrina. Whatever she was doing, she needed to stop so they could get the hell out of here.

"Korrina!" Calem shouted again.

Korrina had caught up to Laevus, who was limping pathetically as he tried to escape. His arms had turned black with rot, and the Mega Stone shards embedded in them pulsed with darkness. He was drooling profusely.

"Not so fast, asshole!" Korrina said.

Laevus grabbed the nearest object to him in his defense—a centrifuge—and flung it at Korrina. She was forced to duck to avoid it, but it didn't slow her down much. She caught up to Laevus, grabbed him by the back of his collar, and slugged him hard in the jaw. He went down hard and squealed like a stuck Grumpig.

"You bitch!" he shrieked.

"Yeah, that's right," Korrina said, "I'm a real bitch. And this bitch is gonna smash your face in, you fucking psycho."

Laevus cried out as he attempted to get away, but Korrina stomped her foot over his wounded leg where the glass shard had struck him, and he convulsed in agony.

"You killed Lucario!" she spat. "I'm going to crucify you!"

"Korrina!" Calem shouted as he finally caught up with her.

She put out a hand. "Not now, Calem. This asshole's gonna pay for what he did. There are consequences to his actions, and I've got them right here." She grabbed Laevus by the collar and got right in his face.

"Tamer bitch!" he spat in her face. "You're not better than me! I'm the greatest scientist who ever lived! I made Mega Evolution possible for everyone!"

"You're nothing," Korrina snarled. "All you did was hurt people and Pokémon. You think you're so oppressed because you're a skuff? My mother was a skuff, you fucking shit stain! And she fought every day of her life to protect me even though she knew she wasn't strong enough in the end! What the fuck have you done to help people, anyway?!"

Laevus sputtered as he tried to get away. "I will show the world my discovery! You Tamers are not invincible! You can be beaten at your own game, and I can prove it!"

Korrina punched him again and dropped him on the floor. By then, the cave was really coming down.

"Korrina, we have to get out of here now!" Calem entreated her.

"Calem!"

Serena swooped down on Mega Altaria. Alain and his black Mega Charizard were not far behind.

"Serena!" Calem said, on the verge of tears at the sight of her.

Serena landed and leaped off Mega Altaria's back. She ran to Calem, and they embraced as the walls fell around them.

"Oh my god, Serena," he sobbed, unable to hold back his tears.

"There's so much," Serena said, gasping for breath as she choked on her own tears. "So much to say, but we have to get out of here."

They parted, and Grace and Trevor and Wulfric joined them. Alain dismounted from Mega Charizard and ran to Korrina's side.

"Korrina," he said, holding her close.

She said nothing as she hugged him back. Mega Blaziken hovered beside them, his fiery mane magnificent and terrible all at the same time as he looked down on them.

"Folks, I think it's high time we said a-doo," Wulfric said.

"What?" Alain said.

"He means we need to leave!" Grace said, climbing onto Pidgeot's back. She helped Trevor and Darumaka on after and seated them in front of her so they would not fall.

"Come on, Korrina," Alain said, dragging her toward Mega Charizard.

Calem recalled all his Pokémon and released Staraptor, while Serena helped Wulfric climb onto Mega Altaria behind her.

"Goodness, a man could fall asleep on this bird!" Wulfric said as he settled into Mega Altaria's downy back feathers.

"Let's just get out of here already!" Calem shouted as he urged Staraptor to Fly.

Serena and Mega Altaria took off first, followed by Mega Charizard, then Pidgeot and Staraptor. Calem looked back as Staraptor gained altitude and saw Laevus crawling over the floor toward the back of the room, still alive.

I hope you get buried alive, you sick fuck, he thought.

He didn't stick around to see it, though, as Staraptor's powerful wings pulled him free of the collapsing cavern. Dawn was breaking by now, though the storm raged on. Calem ducked low on Staraptor's back and trusted the bird to follow the group to safety, wherever that was.

When they finally touched down in the snow to the east, Calem could hear crashing sounds in the distance—the underground lab was caving in on itself and burying everything inside it. The storm was going strong, and the winds were cruel and cold out here. Snow stung his cheeks like needles in his skin even when he pulled up his hood. A column of snow burst like a geyser as another cavern in the mountain collapsed, and Staraptor squawked in alarm.

"It's over," Grace said as she joined him.

She was watching the destruction with wide eyes, almost sad, and he wondered what she thought of all this.

"Yeah," he said.

Grace laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "Calem, thank you."

"I... What?"

"You never gave up," Grace said. "Even when I...when I blamed you for what happened, you never gave up. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I was so wrong." She took in a shaky breath and forced herself to look him in the eye. Fresh tears glistened in her brilliant blue eyes, blue like Serena's. "Thank you for helping me find my daughter."

Calem did not know what to say to that, and he still did not know what to say when Grace hugged him. He was freezing cold with a Ghost sword strapped to his back and weary like he'd never been before, and he did not know what to say to this woman. All he could do was hug her back, that seemed like the right thing to do.

"None of this would've been possible without you, Grace," Calem said softly. "This was your victory."

She shuddered, and when they parted, he saw that she was smiling and laughing.

"Hey!" Serena jumped on them both, an arm around each, and hugged them close. "Oh my god, I missed you both so much!"

"Serena," Calem said.

"Thank you for coming for me," she said as she pressed her cold face into his neck and smiled. "I knew you'd find me."

Calem felt his face heat in a blush.

"Calem was very brave," Grace said.

Klefki crashed the party with his infernal jingle-jangle and buzzed around Serena's and Calem's heads, wanting attention. Serena laughed, and Klefki was dazzled by the sound.

"Hoi!" Wulfric shouted, drawing everyone's attention.

Something was coming from the east through the storm, flapping and floundering in the winds. Calem squinted to make it out.

"Is that...?" he said.

"Delibird!" Grace said. "She made it!"

"Hooooi! Over here!" Wulfric shouted.

Delibird flew to them through the storm, and close behind were people, a lot of people. And Pokémon, too. There was Piloswine and Beartic and Crabominable, even the smaller Glalie and Jynx, and all carried supplies or cleared the path for the humans to make safe passage. A big man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Wulfric led the charge.

"Hooooi!" he shouted, waving.

"Looks like our backup's here, guys and gals!" Wulfric said.

"Un-fucking-believable," Korrina said. "Remind me never to say a bad word about Crystallos ever again."

"Duly noted," Alain said.

Calem didn't let go of Grace and Serena even as the rescue team arrived. It was over, finally, and he wasn't about to waste another minute of his life without the people who mattered most.

---

I am aware that Tyrantrum does not learn Dragon Rush, but in the same way that Wigglytuff doesn't learn Moonblast, I'm vetoing Game Freak's stupid logic and doing what I think makes sense for the Tamerverse.

Also, there will be an epilogue to wrap things up after this. Remember to review if you read and enjoyed this crazy fight chapter. I really love hearing from you guys, and it's so easy to do!