But, things were going to take a turn for the worst when they went back to the Claw Patroller and arrived back in town; after returning from Auntie Mahina's cabin, the heroes noticed nearly everybody left cutting and running after selling much of the property they had despite Reuben and Molly's efforts to get the remaining tourists and locals to stay in the island which was not helped by their growing fear and discomfort as well as their unbridled fury over nothing being done to compensate for or stop the efforts of the Wiki-Tiki.
Little Jim (who had by now heard about Manu's disappearance by the Wiki-Tiki) spoke for everybody when he couldn't take it anymore and finally made his full opinion of the matter known to Molly when they arrived at the Hanahuna Town Hall when she gave a speech, "We warned you and now look what's happened! Listen, this has gone far enough! Apart from the Alolan Royal Family and the princess' friends, you must ban the mainlanders from Big Kahuna of Hanahuna Surfing Contest!"
"Now, Little Jim, uh, you know why I can't do that," Molly tried to pacify even though it did her no good and the former's opinion hasn't changed a bit.
"You were responsible for all that's been happening as well as what happened to Manu and Snookie! And, whatever happens tomorrow if this madness isn't stopped, will be your fault, too!"
And, with that, Little Jim went off in a huff to cool off while the other locals and tourists dispersed, leaving the poor mayor in distress as she didn't know what to do. The heroes now couldn't help but feel bad and deeply concerned for her being in the predicament she was in after being put down so harshly by Little Jim of all people when he flew into a rage in her face and decided to do something to comfort her before things could continue to go from bad to worse.
"...Hi, Molly," Ash and the Pokemon School Gang greeted awkwardly on their behalf. "We deeply apologize for what's happening," Delilah sighed sympathetically.
"We can't imagine how horrible you must feel over what's been going on lately. But, don't worry about Little Jim, I'm sure he'll feel better and apologize for his harsh words once he's got himself together. We can't condone what he said but he does make a point on one hand," Doug soothed.
"Oh, it's alright, Your Majesties, children. But, what am I going to do? I was going to run for governor and if this keeps up and the Wiki-Tiki isn't stopped until then, I couldn't get through to be elected tollbooth operator," she replied, fretting what would happen next.
"Don't worry, Molly. We got ourselves a new lead regarding the case and we're going to do whatever we can to get to the bottom of all this and save all of Hanahuna," Sarah reassured.
"Even if it meant having to rescue Manu and Snookie," Phanpy quipped.
"Island Girl and her little elephant are right; as they always say, 'where there's a will, there's a way'," agreed Race.
"And, we still have a chance to help you put things right and find out who's really trying to terrorize you all before the contest tomorrow," put in Tsukumaro reassuringly.
Molly couldn't help but smile softly from what she was hearing despite her despair as she replied, "Okay, my friends, you do what you can. In the meantime, Reuben and I are dead on our feet but we'll try and do everything we can to keep everybody afloat despite this disaster."
"You do whatever you guys can while we look for the Wiki-Tiki, Molly. Come on, everybody, there's no time to lose!" Sarah said, knowing what she, her family, and her friends must do.
That night, the heroes prepared themselves and left the hotel with whatever supplies they had at hand and returned to the mountains and Mount Pulanana to hunt for the evil spirit they were looking for. They decided to search the lagoon for any traces of the Wiki-Tiki, knowing that it was the last place they saw him after he attacked them and where he disappeared after they were done dealing with the mad villain.
"Okay, now let's go over what we knew the day before yesterday; as we were fighting with the Wiki-Tiki after he finally showed up, we all saw him coming into this lagoon after crashing into the rocky reef around it and he disappeared without a trace," Mizuara recalled as everybody looked around with flashlights and lanterns at hand to help see in the dark.
"And, even if he could disappear, he couldn't surf to here even if he wanted to because the reef breaks the waves and the waters calm down when we entered," Aqua added with Primarina nodding in agreement.
"So, if he had to paddle here after crashing into the reef, that means the entrance to his lair that Auntie Mahina mentioned must be around here somewhere," Sarah nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah? Well, I vote for us bagging the whole thing and hanging back to the hotel until our favorite buffet opens!"
"Me, too!" Fishlegs and Rubble suggested fearfully.
"Where's your sense of adventure, dudes?"
"Yeah, don't you want to help us find Manu and Snookie as well as save Panthangle and Angistus?" Zuma and Sophocles asked the pair.
"Back at the hotel," Fishlegs answered with a reluctant sigh.
"We've got to find the Wiki-Tiki before the contest tomorrow or he'll have the whole island deserted down to the last local!" Mallow reminded everybody just as Ryan looked at the waterfall and became curious about it before he got everybody's attention.
"Hang about, everybody! I just realized something; I'll bet you a million pounds back in my old Britannia that waterfall we were close by that day must be hidden behind that waterfall," he suggested, pointing at the waterfall and shining his flashlight at it.
"Hey, he's right! That bumbling bag of muscle and wood must've snuck away through there when you least expected it coming in," Terrakion concurred.
"Hidden in plain sight is one of the oldest tricks in the book but a very effective tried and true method at that."
"Very true," Angel and Lana nodded.
"You could be on to something, Master Ryan. Come on, everybody, let's get up there and find that entrance," Tsukumaro replied before the group climbed up the rock wall and looked behind the waterfall, only to find rocks in the way.
"There's nothing behind that waterfall but rocks, rocks, and more rocks."
"Yep, that's all I'm seeing from here."
"Well, that was a bust," Hiccup, Kiawe, and Snotlout remarked doubtfully.
Sarah hummed as she looked closely at the rocks, quickly taking out some X-ray glasses and putting them on before she looked around, eventually seeing a hidden door through them. Then, carefully feeling for a rock-like switch with her feet as she looked at the ground, she blinked in surprise when she found the switch and whistled for one of her Pokemon to join her, the Pokemon being Chien-Pao before she pointed him to an odd rock that she found which was rounder and smoother compared to the rest. Nodding in agreement and trusting her judgment, the Sword of Ruin stepped on the rock which then opened a hidden door hiding a tunnel leading inside the volcano.
"Well, I'll be," the Ruinous Pokemon blinked in surprise.
"Found it," Sarah called to everybody else as they turned to her and Chien-Pao.
"YAY!" the Poms cheered.
"Way to go, Sarah! You found the Wiki-Tiki's lair entrance!" Astrid smiled.
"That's our ticket to the next part of the mystery!" B-Dawg added ecstatically.
"Please, it was Chien-Pao who opened it. I was the one who found the switch and pointed it out to him."
"Well, cool cats, let's go," Angel announced as the group entered the cavern together with Nebby and Nebula using Teleport to bring everybody else inside.
"Wow, I wonder how long this tunnel goes to the Wiki-Tiki's headquarters," breathed Nano in awe.
"We'll be on the home stretch to closing the case and capturing the Wiki-Tiki, guys," Budderball reassured.
"And, not a moment too soon!"
"I just want to be home," Mini and Splattertail admitted as they walked.
"I only hope this tunnel's not a one-way ticket," Fishlegs whimpered.
Carefully making their way inside the cavern, Tsukumaro pulled out his wand and used Lumos to help light the way and Tracker brought out a claw from his Pup Pack and snagged one of the torches to add more light for them to see as they went deeper in. The group looked around for any sign of Manu, Snookie, and the Wiki-Tiki as well as Panthangle and Angistus' current location but with Fishlegs, Rubble, Sophocles, Togedemaru, and Vikvolt, despite having all the light they have, they ended up being spooked when they saw some cave drawings including carvings of people falling into a totem's mouth and a torch lit up in their faces and then a skeleton that nearly fell on them and they rushed to catch up with the others.
"Uh, Sarah, could we make a suggestion?" Fishlegs requested.
Sarah just sighed as she deadpanned at him, "Let me guess, you guys want to leave and never come back, right?"
"Wow! Yeah, it's like you read our minds!" the brainiac Viking teen admitted with a grin.
"I know how you feel but we've come too far to give up now. Now, everybody stick together and don't get lost," the little princess replied as they moved forward before Toothless and the other Night Furies sensed something from above them and gave gentle yet cautious snarls at what they found.
"Toothless, buddy?"
"What's the matter, Stryka?" Hiccup and Zenna asked, allowing the Night Furies to point upward with their tails as everyone saw what looked like bats and bat-like Pokemon hanging above them including Zubat, Noibat, Golbat, Crobat, Gligar, Gliscor, Noivern, Woobat, and Swoobat.
"Uh-oh, those look like bats and bat-like Pokemon up there," gulped Lillie, realizing they had wandered into their territory.
"Noivern, Noibat, Woobat, Zubat... Astounding, it's like all of the known Pokemon based on bats have made the interior of this volcano their home along with what you humans call 'Pteropus'," Virizion marveled.
"It looks like they've taken a fancy to the darkness of this cavern despite the torches that had been set up," Braviary theorized as Sarah saw a path that would lead them to the Wiki-Tiki's lair and out of the cave.
"That looks like the way out and where we'll find the Wiki-Tiki which means Snookie, Manu, and Spherialla's boys might be there, too. Let's go but be very quiet, those Pokemon and the bats living in harmony with them could be easily spooked by loud noise or heavy vibrations of some sort," she warned as the heroes quickly moved out of the bat cave before they decided to go over the circumstances of the mystery.
"Even though what Auntie Mahina said is true, everybody, there's still one thing bothering me If the Wiki-Tiki hates the mainlanders so much for coming to Hanahuna, why not kidnap one of them to make the point of a human sacrifice such as Molly, Reuben, or Jared?" Nikki puzzled.
"Yeah, why did he end up taking the island locals such as Snookie and Manu?" Lana quizzed in agreement.
"Way too weird, if you ask me," added Sandy, sharing Lana and Nikki's sentiments.
"Maybe starting off with the locals would be to show the mainlanders what happens if they continued to do as they please coming here," Tsukumaro theorized.
"Or, planning to do it later if he's not satisfied with having them as his sacrifices."
"Or, show everybody what happens if you ignore his unbridled fury."
"He might even kidnap one of us to be his next sacrifice since he now knows we're onto him," Mallow, Kiawe, and Ryder thought.
"Maybe he doesn't care who he kidnaps as long as he's got a sacrifice to appease him. You never know, he might even go after a dog," Ash interjected, adding his own two cents into the mix.
"Maybe," Pikachu agreed.
The Dragonstone Patrol, the PAW Patrol, the Buddies, and the Junion Patrollers didn't take too kindly to that as they barked angrily at the Kanto trainer and Pikachu, "Hey!"
Eventually, the heroes came to a narrow pathway up ahead but knowing they had to cross to get to the Wiki-Tiki, find Manu and Snookie, and save Spherialla's eldest sons, they had to press on with Sarah having the youngsters (including the Junior Patrollers) climb aboard Nebby to have them avoid falling down to the bottom of the chasm in front of them which was littered with jagged stalagmites.
"Now, whatever you do, until we get to the other side, don't look down," she warned everybody, only to get the opposite reaction from everybody as they looked down and saw how high up they were as well as the stalagmites.
"ZOINKS/ZOINKS!" shrieked Fishlegs, Sophocles, Pikachu, Ash, Vikavolt, and Togedemaru fearfully as they held each other, taking it to another level.
"I told you not to look down, didn't I? I should've known you would do that instead of heeding my warning," Sarah insisted rhetorically before Doug heard a crackling noise from above and saw a stalactite preparing to fall on top of the frightened humans and Pokemon.
"Ash, Fishlegs, Sophocles, look out!" he shouted, forcing them and the Pokemon with them to scramble to the rest of the group as the stalactite broke free and destroyed part of the pathway they were all on, cutting them off from the way back.
"What happened?!"
"That was close!" Ash and Sophocles cried, they, their Pokemon, and Fishlegs panting heavily with relief.
"Well, it looks like going back is out of the question now that we're cut off from the bat cave and the entrance," admitted Nikki.
"Then, it's best if we keep moving forward and be careful. There may be more unexpected surprises coming our way if we're not alert," Cobalion stated as everybody continued on their way, exiting the cavern and entering an area that was heated up with hot steam from the heart of the volcano.
"Phew, this place looks more like a steam bath if it's this hot."
"I wonder what's making it so hot in here," Race and Asha remarked, wiping their brows.
Arcanine's mate sighed happily as she took in the heat and it soothed her, "Ahh... Now, this feels like home."
"You've been in a place like this before?" asked the male Legendary Pokemon to his ancestral mate in surprise.
"Of course; in the days of Hisui, while many of us lived in many different parts of the region, our people's island home of Firespit Island is a whole island coated with lava rivers with a large volcano being at the center of it all. I was once an Alpha myself living here before being brought to your era."
"Boy, now that's hot living for you big dogs," admitted Kaji in awe.
"I've read about this before; we must be above an underground river here. Combining that cold water from the river with the hot air in this volcano's core creates all this steam," Lillie explained.
"Hey, guys! Look over there, steps!" Lana gasped, pointing everybody to a curved flight of steps leading upward before they went up the stairs to the next area in their path.
"Gee, I wonder how long it must've taken the ancient Hawaiians, if any of them lived here, to carve these steps out of this volcano mountain stone," Rotom-Dex pondered curiously.
"They must've had plenty of time to do that, Rotom, and you have to admire them for such an achievement. I once read that the first Hawaiian people arrived in Hanahuna and the other islands in this state as early as 700 A.D.," Lillie put in again.
"Hey, guys, where exactly is the elevator for this joint? I can't go on..." Fishlegs breathed as he, Rubble, Sophocles, and Ash panted heavily from the climbing they were doing before they and the three Pokemon with them heard a familiar noise and bolted behind Ryan and Ryder in fear and worry.
"Uh, guys, are we the only ones hearing something familiar and scary coming behind us?" Sophocles fretted.
"It's coming from upstairs, too!"
"Yeah! But, what is it?" Andres and Whisker cried as Sarah used her lion hearing to hear what sounded like the Hohona Lohavas.
"You and Andres are right, Sophocles; it's the Wiki-Tiki's Hohona Lohavas, they probably know we're here by now," she explained just as the evil Tiki spirits finally appeared and surrounded the heroes from both sides as they prepared to fight.
"They're everywhere!"
"They got us cornered!"
"There's too many of them for us to fight back!" Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ryan realized, seeing the odds stacked against them and the others this time.
"We're trapped!" exclaimed a shocked Skystorm.
"Now, what'll we do?!" Rosa asked fearfully just as Sarah brought her X-ray glasses back out and found a hidden exit through some nearby bushes.
"Quick, in here!" the little princess called as everybody scurried into the cavern and she, Race, and Tsukumaro brought out their wands and cast Stupefy, Expelliarmus, and Bombarda to push back, stun, and destroy some of the Hohona Lohavas before joining the others.
The remaining Hohona Lohavas gave chase as the heroes quickly made a sharp left turn and the evil Tiki spirits ran past them, thinking they were still up ahead and leaving the heroes to go in a different direction, relieved that they made out of their latest encounter with the Wiki-Tiki's servants unscathed.
"Come on!" Sarah whispered before they continued on their way again, praying that the Hohona Lohavas wouldn't jump them again at the eleventh hour on the way to their master's liar.
"Sarah, when you came back to us in the jungle, you mentioned you made a particular development in the case. What kind of development were you talking about?" Chase asked, deciding to broach the topic of what she was telling everybody in the jungle earlier in the day after Manu's disappearance.
"Island Girl, I remember... You did mention that earlier when you pulled that disappearing act on us," Race concurred, recalling what went down in the jungle.
"You shall know soon enough but only until we finally capture the Wiki-Tiki and bring him to justice," Sarah alluded to the pair.
Going further down the cavern, the heroes soon noticed what looked like more cave drawings or statues that had been carved from the volcanic stone on both sides of them, making them gasp in awe and wonder at them.
"Wow, this is amazing! Look at all these cave drawings!" gasped Zenna.
"I'm not sure if they are cave drawings, they look more like statues. And, giant ones at that-bzt," corrected an awestruck Manteon.
"If everything Lady Mahina is true, then we must not be too far from the sacrificial altar of the Wiki-Tiki," Tsukumaro informed, having a feeling that they were getting closer to the Wiki-Tiki's lair.
With Rubble, Ash, Sophocles, and Fishlegs, they, Pikachu, Togedemaru, and Vikavolt followed from behind but a burst of steam from a nearby geyser shot out and spooked them, causing them to run and stop for a breather. But, it was short-lived as they came face-to-face with the head of a destroyed statue and they made a run for it, shooting past the group before they were quickly stopped by Blaze, Falcon, Tsareena, Turtonator, Breezeon, Talonflame, and Amber before they ran off the edge of a cliff and into a river of lava.
"Stop, guys!" Talonflame screeched as she and the other six Pokemon with her managed to stop them in time, making them run back to the group and hide behind Mallow and Astrid.
"Okay! Guys, don't you think, it's time, to rethink the whole thing and split?" Fishlegs begged.
"Yeah, can we?" Rubble nodded, frightened as Ryder went to comfort him.
"Not before we find Snookie, Manu, Spherialla's sons, and stop the Wiki-Tiki for good, come on," Astrid replied firmly as the group went on their way yet again.
"I'm sorry, Rubble, but Astrid's right. We've come too far to stop but I promise, this will all be over soon," Ryder soothed his pup, getting a nod from Rubble as they rejoined their team and friends.
Soon, the group finally arrived at the site of the Wiki-Tiki's sacrificial altar and were just about to enter the chamber when...
"Shh, I hear something inside the altar. And, it sounds like a whole pack," Sarah hushed, prompting everybody to keep themselves hidden over the side of the cliff.
They looked down over the edge (but not too far ahead so as to expose themselves to who was already at the altar) and to their shock as well as the horror of Rive and her sisters, the altar inside the underground chamber was overrun by Gabi, Reiner, Bertholdt, and their hyenas along with Scar and his lackeys and the new members of his crew, the wild Exploud and Hariyama that kicked the female Pyroar pack out of their home and cruelly separated them from Rive's mate.
"It's them..."
"Scar and his posse," Race and Rive hissed quietly, the latter doing so with a hint of sorrow while Kion and Totem Luxray growled quietly at their old foes.
"Gabi and her crew, too," Arrietty noted, glaring at the hyenas.
"Hey, what's that down there with them? In the middle of the chamber, at the center of the altar," Rosebud blinked in surprise, directing everyone towards what looked like two restrained Pokemon in chained crystal pods, a deer-like Pokemon and an eagle-like Pokemon that were both asleep in a state of suspended animation.
Spherialla's heart skipped a beat as she was taken aback and came close to crying, immediately recognizing who the two Pokemon were, "…..My boys...…"
"Is that them, Spherialla?"
"Are they really Angietus and Panthagle?" breathed a stunned Blossom and Sokka as everybody eyed the sleeping Pokemon.
"I could never forget them and how they looked; even now, seeing them in such a state because of Lothor's treachery tears away at my heart... I've got to help them before those monsters set them free!"
"Wait! Who's that Pyroar over there, surrounded by those funny-bone cats?" Zorro replied, halting the Vitality Spirit Pokemon as he took note of a second scarred male Pyroar who was mortally wounded and surrounded with no chance of escape provided by his tormentors.
This time, Rive and her sisters were shocked and horrified by what they saw, immediately recognizing her mate and their leader as the eldest female quietly cried, "That's him, my mate! The one who helped me and my sisters to escape from that horrid creature!"
This prompted Sarah to take out her binoculars again and zoom in on the wounded male Pyroar, seeing him trying to hold himself together and stay strong against his tormentors and captors as they had him trapped from all sides while he glared defiantly at them, particularly Scar and his crew. He looked as though he was on his last legs but because of his will to live and the fact that he was still fighting for the safety of his mate and her sisters, he knew he had to keep going until his enemies could be defeated should help arrive.
"That's your mate, alright. And, he looks like he's put through the wringer which suggests to me that he was tortured while in their grasp," she admitted, feeling queasy about his condition.
"Don't worry, Rive. We'll get him and Spherialla's sons back but we need to be careful, we can't rush in and attack. They could get hurt or be killed," Blitz replied soothingly to the distraught Rive.
"But...… But, my babies!" Spherialla interjected beggingly, still fearful for her sons.
"Somehow, they must've known about their power after they were kicked out thanks to Kion. Now, that fiend is planning to use them for his own nefarious purposes, possibly to get revenge on the boy and I for humiliating him and not surrendering our and Kiara's pride to him," Totem Luxray frowned.
"But, the ssssssssseal holding them in place makessssss them unable to touch them."
"And, Lothor's corruption is still trapped from within them,"
"They'll be making a big misssssssstake if they free them the hard way," Medusa, Beautifly, and Seviper put in.
"Gabi, Reiner!" Bertholdt shouted frantically as he rushed into the chamber.
"What is going on out there?" Gabi snapped, frowning.
"The princess and her posse! They're back and they're here, inside the volcano! I saw them just as they were entering the secret passage!"
The hyenas gasped in shock and Scar and his crew turned to him in disbelief while Reiner recomposed himself and demanded, "Where are they now?"
"I don't know! But, I think they're on their way here to this chamber and the altar right now!"
While Reiner's face twisted in disgust and annoyance as he gave off an angry and exasperated groan, Gabi seethed as she paced back and forth as she tried to weigh her options, "Damn it! They probably know the Wiki-Tiki is here along with us and that includes these chained popsicles, too! And, if I'm not mistaken, that blasted Rive and her juvenile sisters are also on their way as well given they still have a score to settle with us. If they come barging in here and take the Pokemon we found here for themselves, it's over!"
"What'll we do now, Gabi? Do we take them on when they come?" Reiner asked his and Bertholdt's co-leader and best friend.
"No, we got what we came for but the brute we've captured there has now outlived his usefulness. There's no need for us to keep him anymore, prepare to move out," she called to the other hyenas before she turned to Scar and his crew. "Scar, come on! We're out of time! Let's go before they or this Wiki-Tiki creep find us but don't forget about those two we found! Once we're out, they're all ours!"
Scar snorted before he turned to Exploud and Hariyama and bellowed, "Break those fossils out and wake them up, now!"
"Right!" Exploud and Hariyama saluted as they turned to the sleeping Angietus and Panthagle.
But, before they could do anything, the sealed Pokemon soon snapped open their eyes (which are as black as night no thanks to Lothor's corruption) as the seal holding them finally lost power and broke, the two of them roaring and screeching proudly as their combined power caused the lava underneath them to explode but in two large tubes.
The heroes gasped and yelped as Sarah, Race, and Tsukumaro tapped into their magic and conjured up a shield that protected them from the flakes of lava flying everywhere while the hyenas yowled as they scattered around the altar, trying to avoid the flakes the hard way. Scar and Gabi watched in devilish awe and fascination at the sight of Angietus and Panthagle regaining their power as the seal broke little by little despite them still being corrupted but Exploud, Hariyama, and the former's lackeys along with Reiner and Bertholdt were shocked, horrified, and thunderstruck as they didn't share their amazement at them.
"They're beautiful... I've got to hand it to you, Scar. You didn't do too bad with this one," Gabi remarked.
"You didn't do so bad yourself. And, now, with these mighty powerhouses in our hands, the princess and her family will be dead and revenge will be ours," Scar sneered proudly.
But, their hopes were immediately dashed as the corrupted Angietus and Panthagle continued to roar and screech as they finally broke free of their prisons, the former stomping his hooves and cracking the ground underneath the evil animals as he landed in front of them, causing them to scream in panic and horror as they fell into the lava below (realizing too late that the two of them, as they are now, had no interest in listening to anyone).
"They're gone!"
"Zoinks!" Marshall and Rubble yelped fearfully, seeing the pair's sheer power.
"Panthangle! Angistus, NO!" shrieked Spherialla as she tried to float over to her eldest sons but was held back by Mizuara, Tschowl, and Houratta who were worried for her own safety.
"No, Mother! Don't!" pleaded Mizuara.
"But, my babies-!"
"We'll save them, Spherialla! But, we have to stop them before they cause an eruption for real and if that happens, we'll never find Snookie and the Wiki-Tiki!" Sarah shouted to the frantic Pokemon. "The only way we can save them is if I purify them so we'll have to fight them head-on!"
"Are you crazy?!"
"We never fought anything like them!"
"They're nothing like Lothor, Team Eclipse, Venjix, or the other villains we faced!"
"We don't even know what Pokemon Types they are! How are you going to get close to them to purify them without them attacking you in plain sight" Kiawe, Mallow, Ash, and Lillie snapped back, thinking Sarah was bonkers with her ideas this time.
"Actually, there is a chance regarding Pokemon Types!" Houratta quickly informed.
"What do you mean?!" inquired Asha.
Mizuara then explained, "We and Mother know that Angietus is a Fire/Ghost Dual Type and Panthagle is an Electric/Dark Dual Type! But, that's not the problem; the trouble starts when they activate their signature moves known as Inferno Oversight and Dismal Volt! If that happens, they'll achieve their own type of Mega Evolutions called Feral Evolutions!"
"Feral Evolutions/Feral Evolutions/Feral Evolutions?" nearly everybody echoed, balking in disbelief.
"Feral Evolution is a phenomenon from 500 years ago, similar to this new-fangled Mega Evolution phenomenon youngsters such as you have been touting around these days including Sarah and her betrothed! Compared to that, it allows a Pokemon capable of using such an unknown power to connect themselves with the forces of nature and absorb energy from it, changing their forms to something suitable for Pokemon such as the Island Tapus' ancestors depending on their signature moves and their own abilities!" Doug explained as best he could.
"Oh, great! So, what are we gonna do now?!"
"Yeah, it's bad enough we're already dealing with two powerful guardians but now we're dealing with two SUPERCHARGED guardians!" Pikachu and Glaciel grumbled.
"But, my mate! We can't leave him!" Rive begged, seeing her mate who was unknowingly yet surprisingly spared by the two corrupted guardians as he remained in his spot, being forced to lay back down so he wouldn't find himself falling into the lava like his tormentors.
"I got this! You kids take care of those power-chocked timebombs before they blow!" Thunderailer volunteered before he dashed off to Rive's mate.
"Thunderailer!" Race shouted as the powerful Electric/Dragon Type dashed forward and weaved through each of the
"That's one way of ending that little conundrum. Now, while he's busy, let's try and pin Panthangle and Angistus down so I can strip Lothor's corruption out of them!" Sarah shrugged before she jumped down to the shrine to confront the corrupted guardians.
"Princess, wait!" Tyson spluttered.
"And, she's gone again," Race signed knowingly before he followed her along with the rest of his Pokemon.
"They're nuts."
"Damnit..." grumbled Sandy and Turtonator.
"I guess we got no choice," Ash admitted.
"You're right, Ash. Alright, everybody, let's go!" Kiawe declared as everybody all gave out battle cries before they came after Sarah, Race, and his Pokemon to help.
Their war cries caught the attention of the corrupted guardians as they turned to the heroes coming up to the altar to confront them. In response to their assault, the two of them charged back at them while using Brave Bird and Flare Blitz at full blast to try and take them down in one fell swoop.
"Glastrier, use your Double Kick to cancel Panthangle's Brave Bird!" Sarah shouted to her Wild Horse Pokemon.
"Turtonator, used Dragon Tail against Angietus' Flare Blitz!" Kiawe added, pointing Turtonator towards Angistus.
"Let's get it on!"
"CHARGE!" roared the two Pokemon as they rushed toward Spherialla's corrupted sons and landed their hits, the Ice Type turning his back to Panthagle as he bucked into him and stopped his Brave Bird attack and forced him to fall back a bit with his second buck (making him screech in fury) and the latter tanking Angietus' Flare Blitz before he struck him with his tail as it glowed with orange energy, also sending him back as he skidded across the altar.
The two corrupted guardians weren't going to take it lying down as they roared and screeched in fury, charging at Turtonator and Glastrier this time with Flame Charge and Steel Wing but not without Sophocles, Lana, Ash, and Mallow and their Pokemon (with Ash calling the rest of his team out) intervening in time, "Togedemaru, Zing Zap on Panthangle! Vikavolt, Zap Cannon!"
"Primarina, use Sparkling Aria! And, Sandy, use Double Edge on Angietus!"
"Pikachu and Lycanroc, use Thunderbolt and Stone Edge on Panthagle! Torracat, Meltan, Rowlet! Use Ember, Flash Cannon, and Leafage, let's go!"
"Tsareena, use Trop Kick on Angietus! Shaymin, use your Energy Ball! Go!" Heeding their friends' calls, their Pokemon unleashed their attacks at once on the two guardians and while they did do some more damage to Angietus and Panthagle, the two of them were far from done.
Not wanting the heroes to stop them from unleashing their rampage, the Shadow Guardians decided to go big or go home and make use of their signature moves: Inferno Oversight and Dismal Volt with Angietus making the first call, charging his horns with pure energy from nature before he struck Pikachu and the other Pokemon with no mercy, shocking the heroes. Pikachu, Lycanroc, Rowlet, Meltan, Torracat, Primarina, Sandy, Tsareena, Turtonator, Shaymin, Vikavolt, Togedemaru, and Glastrier did manage to get up but the damage done to them by Inferno Oversight was more than enough to inflict them with the burn effect as they all burned a little.
"Oh, no!"
"Our Pokemon!"
"They must've gotten the burn effect!"
"I didn't think Angietus was that strong with Inferno Oversight!"
"And, who knows what Panthangle would do using DIsmal Volt?" Ash, Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, and Sophocles all gasped.
"I was afraid of this! If your Pokemon are to be hit by Angietus' Inferno Oversight, there's a definite chance they will get burned," Houratta replied grimly as he then saw Panthagle preparing to unleash Dismal Volt. "WATCH OUT!"
But, it was too late; after charging himself with pure energy from nature as well, Panthagle unleashed his signature move, launching a powerful sphere of black and blue rays as each of them hit the attacking Pokemon, dealing them more damage than ever as they screamed in agonizing pain and were thrown back once more. It was only about to get worse because after they used their signature moves, both Panthagle and Angietus screeched loudly together as they began to glow amidst a bright white.
"Oh, boy..." gulped Race quietly as he saw this.
"Uh, Tsuchowl, what do you and your family call that aside from what you told us?" Sarah whimpered quietly, starting to feel terrified as the Shadow Guardians activated their Feral Evolutions.
"...It's too late, they've done it," breathed Tschowl in shocked horror as his eyes widened with fear over seeing his, Houratta, and Mizuara's brothers take on their feral-evolved forms.
Through Feral Evolution, Angietus was now larger in size as he stood a whopping 15' tall with his horns greatly extended, nearly matching his body size and his tail was much larger than before in its stubby state. As for Panthagle, he was just as frightening in his Feral Form as he shared his brother's size and his wings were now gigantic, having a dark blue and gray pattern on the interior while his black feathers that are usually behind his eyes puffed up into a mane around his neck.
"They're here, my boys! They've become: Feral Angietus and Feral Panthagle!" cried Spherialla, stricken with terror as David held her close to keep her safe.
"...Mommy."
"Oh, by Arceus' menacing Judgment...!"
"The resemblance to Mega Evolution is uncannily frightening," gulped a fearful Cinderace, Noctowl, and Rapidash.
Even Thunderailer couldn't believe it as he reached Rive's mate, grabbed him, and jolted back to her and her sisters before he handed him to her and urged the reunited pride to scramble back into the cave and hide.
But, that was only the start of it; roaring once more, Feral Panthagle and Feral Angietus prepared to unleash their signature moves that had also evolved from Inferno Oversight and Dismal Volt. With Feral Evolution, they are now Underworld Disruption (a powerful Fire/Ghost Type move used by Feral Angietus to unleash intense bursts of black and red flames) and Grumbly Storm (an Electric/Dark Type move that allows Feral Pathagle to fire a much more powerful discharge of yellow and black rays).
"What are they doing now?!" Astrid demanded, not liking what she was seeing.
"Their signature moves, they're much more powerful with Feral Evolution compared to Inferno Oversight and Dismal Volt alone!" shouted Mizuara just as his eldest brothers were primed and ready with their attacks.
"Run for it, you guys!" Sarah screamed to the Pokemon fighting the pair, forcing them to retreat as Feral Panthagle and Feral Angietus fired their attacks.
However, despite their efforts as they made a break for it, it was already too late. Feral Panthagle and Feral Angietus Underworld Disruption and Grumbly Storm combined were an absolute torrent of unbridled power and once the combined attacks hit the Pokemon running away, not only did they deal terrible damage to them but they also knocked them out cold after they were sent flying back again, rendering them unable to battle anymore.
"PIKACHU, LYCANROC, MELTAN, TORRACAT, ROWLET, NO!"
"PRIMARINA, SANDY!"
"OH, NO! TSAREENA, SHAYMIN!"
"VIKAVOLT, TOGEDEMARU!"
"TURTONATOR!"
"GLASTRIER!" screamed a devastated Ash, Lana, Mallow, Sophocles, Kiawe, and Sarah as they rushed over to their downed Pokemon.
"NO!" the Poms freaked, terrified.
"They're all taken out from that combined attack!"
"I guess we now know why those powerhouses got their championship titles of being the original Island Guardians!" Nikki and James spluttered in unbridled shock.
"Lothor, you fool!"
"Lothor, what have you done?!" cried Doug and Delilah.
Everybody watching the fight didn't know what to think let alone do as Lillie (holding on to a terrified Snowy who was shivering with a growing fear of the original Island Guardians in her arms) fearfully stated, "They've got so much destructive power because of Lothor..."
Angietus and Panthagle screeched violently and aggressively toward the heroes as they waited for them to make their next move against them. The sight of them in their Feral Forms and the demonstration of their terrifying power left Greta and Cookie the most horrified out of everyone as they whimpered and shook violently and hid behind Goodra who tried to shield them while putting on a brave face.
However, the next ones to attack them came as an unexpected surprise; horrified by what they were seeing and fearing that Glastrier and their family's friends could potentially be dead, an unbridled rage soon began to boil within Fennekin, Phanpy, Cyndaquil, Buneary, Piplup, Frosmoth, Altaria, Skiddo, and Appletun as they slowly stepped out and walked past the downed Pokemon with Sarah and her friends quickly tending to them as best they could. Drying their eyes as they wiped their tears away, they stood face to face with the corrupted guardians as the two of them stared at the baby/younger Jungle Pokemon that were now itching to take revenge for their loved ones and their friends.
"YOU BIG MEANIES! WE'RE NOT LETTING YOU HURT OUR FAMILY AND OUR FRIENDS EVER AGAIN!"
"You'll pay for what you did to them and us!"
"You mess with Mommy and her friends, you mess with us!"
"We'll make sure you're sorry for every hurting Uncle Glastrier!"
"Not to mention possibly killing him and our other uncles and aunties from Momma's friends!"
"You'll regret this!" Fennekin, Phanpy, Cyndaquil, Buneary, Frosmoth, and Altaria vowed valiantly.
"YEAH!" agreed a vengeful Skiddo, Piplup, and Appletun.
Without another word, the baby/younger Jungle Pokemon rushed to attack as they all screamed, "CHAAAAAAAAARGE!"
Everyone else was shocked and beyond horrified by what they were seeing out of the nine Jungle Pokemon as Donna (former queen), Ryder, Angel, and Ryan called out to them in vain, "No, children! Don't do it!"
"Come back!"
"Babies, no!"
"Pathagle and Angietus are way too powerful!"
But, the baby/younger Jungle Pokemon didn't care as, with vengeful war cries, they attacked the corrupted Island Guardians with all of their might with revenge being the only thing on their minds. Piplup, Phanpy, and Frosmoth attacked first using Bubblebeam, Ice Shard, and Fairy Wind at Pathangle, the combined assault hitting him in the face and making him falter while Altaria shot at him Dragon Rush, giving him an additional smack in the face which made him falter a bit.
In their fight with Angietus, Fennekin, Skiddo, Cyndaquil, Buneary, and Appletun went toe-to-toe with him as the Fox and Fire Mouse Pokemon jumped the powerful Shadow Guardian Pokemon, knocking him to the ground.
"You'll pay for threatening our Mommy!" Fennekin spat spitefully.
"URGH! GET OFF ME, YOU MEDDLING LITTLE INSECTS!" Angietus raged before he was whomped by Appletun as he unleashed a hate-filled Headbutt to his face and Skiddo struck him using Rollout and Vine Whip while his flames and the lava down below raged on.
Then, Cyndaquil used the only move she knows that's most effective against a Fire/Ghost type which is Extrasensory and Buneary used Bounce at full power to push him back, making Angietus skid on the ground away from the quintet in pain before he got back on his hooves and seethed with fury at his attackers.
"NO! GET BACK!" screamed Spherialla as she dared herself to watch the next battle, blaming herself for what was becoming of everyone because of her eldest sons under Lothor's corruption.
"I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!" Pantagle screeched with rage toward Piplup, Frosmoth, Altaria, and Phanpy as they glared back at him defiantly, unwilling to surrender and still wanting their revenge.
"Guys, wait!"
"Come back here!"
"Have you all gone cuckoo?!" Chase, Cadence, and Liberty screamed in panicked exasperation at the baby/younger Jungle Pokemon as they were seen being thrown and knocked about for the Shadow Guardian and Shine Guardian Pokemon continued to be relentless, only to be met with more force as their tiny attackers stubbornly pressed on.
"Fennekin, you guys can't fight them alone!" pleaded Mallow as she and her friends watched as they continued to tend to their fallen Pokemon.
"Be careful!" fretted Kiawe, seeing the two baby/younger Jungle Pokemon groups continue their assault as some of them switched places with each other to take on Pathagle and Angietus from different angles and use different battle tactics against them.
This time, Phanpy and Fennekin tackled Angietus to the ground but much harder compared to the last time the latter and Cyndaquil tackled him before the angered Shadow Guardian Pokemon threw them off just as Buneary and Skiddo used a Bounce-Dizzy Punch combo and a Razor Leaf at Panthangle before they switched opponents again. With Phanpy, he rushed back to Panthagle before he unleashed a powerful Head Smash to send the Shine Guardian Pokemon flying into one of the altar's pillars and disorientate him.
Then, acting as a trampoline, the Long Nose Pokemon launched Fennekin into the air and at him after she got a running start and jumped on his trunk, swiftly using Scratch with all the strength she could muster and slashed the right side of Panthagle face, barely missing his right eye before she dropped back down to the ground. Pathangle screeched in pain as she rushed back to Phanpy just as blood started to trickle down from the veins underneath his right eye from where the Fox Pokemon got her hit in.
Everybody was left shocked and surprised at what they were seeing now as despite being smaller and inferior in terms of their stats compared to their opponents, the baby/younger Jungle Pokemon were holding their own.
"Unbelievable...!"
"Those kids, they're not giving up against our brothers!"
"Where did they ever get such immense strength?" Mizuara, Houratta, and Tsuchowl remarked, astounded.
"Okay, I wasn't expecting that from those little jungle rugrats, honestly," Silvally blinked.
"Uh, Slurpuff, what exactly have you been teaching them behind our backs lately?" added Tou-Tou as he looked at Slurpuff who just giggled while she proudly watched her pupils fight.
"Only the most effective battle tactics," was all she gave the two Synthetic Pokemon brothers.
"Check it out, Ms. Spherialla, the kids are really hurting them! But, how are Fennekin and her brothers and sisters able to stand their ground against Pathangle and Angistus despite them being in their Feral Forms?! It doesn't make sense, not even for us since our final war against Lothor and Team Eclipse before we met you and your family!" Blitz gasped as he and Curly watched in total astonishment from atop David's shoulders with the Vitality Spirit Pokemon.
"I-I don't know! I didn't think it'd be possible!" Spherialla replied, completely taken aback herself.
"THAT DOES IT! I've had it with you filthy little mites!"
"Same here! Since you all don't know your place, you meddlesome kids will die right here and now!" Panthagle and Angietus roared at the baby/younger Jungle Pokemon who sported bruises and scrapes themselves but were still alive and ready to continue fighting.
"Nobody's ever managed to take us down yet, you two! We're not like most Pokemon under a trainer's wing or some wild ones thanks to Momma and our family!" Phanpy retorted defiantly.
"You won't be able to beat us that easily!" added Buneary with a taunting sneer.
"We've learned some things from Big Sis Slurpuff and the trick you saw us throw at you is one of them!" agreed Skiddo.
"You won't win!" vowed Altaria, Appletun, Cyndaquil, Frosmoth, and Fennekin.
"Want us dead, do ya? You're welcome to try it!" Piplup finished.
At that moment, a miracle happened as Fennekin, Piplup, Phanpy, Cyndaquil, Buneary, and Skiddo began to glow through a familiar bright blue, the light forcing nearly everybody to shield their eyes as the six baby/younger Jungle Pokemon (apart from an amazed Appletun, Altaria, and Frosmoth as they watched) started to change shape right before the heroes and the corrupted guardians.
"GYAAAAHHH!"
"WHAT IS THIS LIGHT?!" Angistus and Panthangle screeched, not liking the light as they tried to avert their eyes from the glow.
"That light!"
"Issssssss that-?!"
"They are!"
"Fennekin, Piplup, Phanpy, Cyndaquil, Skiddo, Buneary!" gasped Ghost (Dragapult), Medusa, Brawleon, and Veneon as the light dispersed and the six Pokemon had changed while their items had been retained but altered to suit their new forms.
With Fennekin, she turned into a bipedal fox-like Pokemon that retained her yellow fur but now sported black legs, white arms as well as white paws that had three small digits acting as her fingers, a white face with a tiny nose and eyes that matched her orange fur color, and a dark orange tail tip. Above her legs, her fur now sweeps out to either side in the shape of a skirt or shorts with the fur on her cheeks having grown longer while having a small mane of white fur covering her shoulders and chest. Long wavey and dark orange tufts sprouted out of her larger ears and on top of that, she even had a stick sticking out of her tail.
Phanpy instead gained a thick black band of hide that ran down his entire back and up to the tip of his new trunk. He even grew a pair of sturdy white tusks that extended from the corners of his mouth while his new ears are long and elongated, hanging out in a perpendicular fashion to the rest of his body, His four short legs are now encircled with a broken black band and they each had three toes.
For Piplup, while he retained the lower light-blue half of his body (which grew along with the rest of his body), the top half of his body is now dark blue while also having light-blue facial markings and wing tips matching the coloration of his lower body. Speaking of his wing tips, his flippers are now a little larger with a wing-like look to them and his torso now sported four white spots (two on either side). His feet are now more webbed with a golden-yellow coloration and his new dark blue tail is now in the shape of a fin.
Skiddo grew taller to a height of 5'07", now having larger horns coupled with a mane of bush-like shrubbery that extended on his back and went straight to his tail and he now had a sturdier and somewhat fat body.
Cyndaquil now gained a longer and slender body with her top half being a dark blue-green coloration with five red spots on his back, two of them being arranged vertically on her forehead and the remaining three lined up horizontally on her rear. Her underside retained her cream coloration but she now had new triangular ears with dark red interiors, a rounded snout, and triangular red eyes while each of his paws now had three toes.
And, as for Buneary, she grew to a height of 3'11" while retaining her brown body and having golden-yellow fluff hanging from her larger ears along with the rest of her new body. In addition, she also had the same fluff on her arms and her shins and feet and she now sported red eyes with black-white coatings.
The six Pokemon in question had actually evolved into a Braixen, Donphan, Prinplup, Gogoat, Quilava, and Lopunny respectively. Everybody was astonished by this but for Altaria, Frosmoth, and Appletun (all of whom had previously evolved to their final forms), they were ecstatic as it personally meant one thing to them.
"You guys...!" Altaria gasped, completely stunned.
"Alright!" cheered Frosmoth.
"Now, we're all fully evolved!" Appletun squealed happily for his fellow jungle siblings.
Braixen, Donphan, Prinplup, Gogoat, Quilava, and Lopunny all took a moment to celebrate their long-awaited evolutions along with them but their happiness was cut short as Angietus and Panthagle screeched again which got them to remember they still had a battle to finish as they stood together and prepared themselves for their next rumble.
The nine evolved Pokemon charged at the corrupted guardians again and this time, with their new strength and forms, they were able to stand a better chance of fighting against their more powerful adversaries with Prinplup going first again by using a stronger Bubblebeam on Angietus which was dealing him super-effective damage before he was rushed by Gogoat as he went into a gallop and smacked him with a more powerful Vine Whip attack and he blind-sighted him from behind with Rollout.
Donphan unleashed his new (and yet, ironically named) Horn Attack as he then plowed into Angietus with his enlarged and energized tusks, sending him flying into Pathangle before he used Horn Attack again and they both took damage. The Armor Pokemon then acted as a trampoline again for Lopunny as she jumped off of him and landed a Dizzy Punch on Pathangle before Gogoat fired a little seed and placed it on Angietus, releasing some vines that ensnared him and started to drain him of his energy (confirming that he learned Leech Seed after evolving).
Taking her new branch from her tail and twirling it, Braixen unleashed a powerful Heat Wave with Quilava combining her attack with Flare Blitz, streaking towards the ensnared Angietus and knocking him into the ground, the two corrupted guardians little a little worse for wear despite their power.
"I don't believe it!" gasped a stunned Spookeon.
"You better believe it!" Seleneon remarked, looking just as astonished.
"Those kids, they've evolved and they've become stronger!"
"And, Fennekin and Piplup had only reached their second-stage evolutions!" put in an amazed Guardeon and Tai Lung as they watched.
"How did they do it?"
"I don't know, they're incredible!" balked Mizuara and Houratta in total disbelief.
"Ah, unbelievable! Because those children loved the very same family that took them in and the friends they made since they first met the princess, constantly watching her and her friends along with their Pokemon fight their own battles and taking part in them in addition to their own training we've heard so much about in the time we had with them... Not only did six of them evolve but they've all improved two or three times faster than any normal Pokemon would've!" Tsuchowl deducted, feeling just as amazed by what he bore witness to.
"They're amazing!"
"So cool!" Sophocles and Lana said, gobsmacked at Sarah's Jungle Pokemon before them.
"And, they're starting to bring Pathangle and Angietus down to their knees!" Ash cheered.
"But, they won't last long if those two go back on the offensive and they can only last for so long!" Mallow reminded just as Race, Kaji, Candy, Star, Tou-Tou, Silvally, Calyrex, and Spectrier joined Sarah and Glastrier.
"That means we'll have to weaken them long enough for me to purify them while we have a chance!" Sarah grunted grimly.
"You'll need a hand with that, Island Girl. That's where I come in," Race stated.
"Let us have a shot at them, Mother!"
"Yeah...! ...We can take them!" Silvally and Tou-Tou requested.
"Let's make this a Master Triangle Battle with a full team of six between you and Race, Mom! Three with you, three with him, each team of three squaring off against those two in their Feral-Evolved forms!" added Star.
"But, we'll have to be quick or else they'll restore all their power!"
"And, before he can take a shot at Fennekin, Piplup, and their brothers and sisters!" Kaji and Candy noted in agreement.
Sarah nodded, seeing no choice in the matter as she turned to Race and held out her hand. He nodded knowingly and took her hand, pulling her up on her feet as they braced themselves.
Steeling themselves for their hardest battle yet as a couple, Race brought forth Kit and Ella to join him and Tou-Tou while Sarah had Silvally, Kaji, and Candy take their places. They knew they had to make their gamble of a Master Triangle Battle between Angietus and Pathangle work and to do that, they'll have to tap into Kaji, Candy, Kit, and Ella's true power once more and choose the right Memory Discs for Silvally and Tou-Tou to use against their respective adversaries.
"Let's Mega-Rocket, Kit, Ella!"
"Time to spark and turn up the heat, Kaji, Candy!" they bellowed, activating their respective Keystones, their bonds and feelings with their chosen Pokemon having the power of Mega Evolution reaching out to them as four familiar strands of power connected with their own from the Keystones.
"For Hanahuna, Alola, and the entire planet...!"
"Unleash your might to bring back the true Island Guardians!"
"IT'S MORPHIN' TIME, MEGA EVOLVE!"
Through Mega Evolution, Kit, Ella, Kaji, and Candy regained their Mega-Evolved forms (shocking Spherialla and her entire family as they bore witness to their true power and new forms) but Sarah and Race weren't done yet as they quickly brought out two Memory Discs for Silvally and Tou-Tou, the former's disc being a Psychic Memory against Angietus and a Ground Memory for Tou-Tou against Pathangle.
"Now, our Silvally, accept our Psychic and Ground Type Memories...!"
"And, become the beasts that answer to the mystics and make the earth tremble with your combined might!"
Race and Sarah threw Silvally and Tou-Tou their chosen memories and the pair accepted them as they were inserted into their RKS Systems with Silvally's head scales, tail fin, and eyes regaining their magenta color and Tou-Tou's head scales, tail fin, and eyes becoming a rich bright brown.
"Amazing!"
"Phenomenal!"
"What power and a shocking change!" Houratta, Mizuara, and Tsuchowl breathed in shocked wonder while Spherialla was left in awe.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
"WHAT IS THIS MAGIC?!" bellowed Angietus and Pathangle in shocked confusion.
"You obviously didn't know if you've been sleeping for too long! This is the transformation inspired by the power of your Feral Evolutions and what happened to our Silvally is only made possible because of the people who made them in my home region! Now, we're even!" Sarah answered.
"Four of our Pokemon have Mega Evolved and our Silvally are given Memory Discs that allow us and them to change their appearances depending on the type of battles we face! And, since you're both Electric and Fire Types aside from being Ghost and Dark Types, equipped with Psychic and Ground Type memories, they've become a Psychic Type and a Ground Type, just for you!" Race added.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT POWERS YOU HAVE CAN DEFEAT US!"
"WE WILL STILL DESTROY YOU AND REIGN SUPREME!"
"I wouldn't bet on that, you two! Kaji, Candy, use Twin Dragon Pulse on Pathangle!"
"Kit, Ella, attack Angietus with Mist Ball plus Luster Purge!"
"FIRE!" With that, Race's Eon Pokemon, Kaji, and Candy made the first call as the four of them charged up their attacks and blasted the Shadow and Shine Guardian Pokemon at full blast.
The two corrupted guardians were sent skidding back as they screeched in pain and held their ground, roaring once more as they fired Flamethrower and Thunderbolt at full blast, forcing the four Mega-Evolved Pokemon to dodge and Tou-Tou tanking one of the Thunderbolts being fired thanks to his Ground Type memory.
"Kaji, use Scorching Sands! Candy, use your Focus Punch on Pathangle! Silvally, use Air Slash on Angietus! Go!" Sarah shouted.
"Kit, Ella, use your Aura Sphere to attack Pantangle while he's distracted!" Race added.
Now, Kaji took the lead as he used Scorching Sands on both Pathangle and Angietus, making them scream in pain before Candy then blind-sighted Pathangle with Focus Punch while Silvally unleashed his Air Slash attack on them. Then, while the Shine Guardian Pokemon was distracted, and before he could have a chance to recover, Kit and Ella took aim with their Aura Spheres and fired them at him which left the wounded guardian wide open for Tou-Tou to finish the job.
"He's open! Now, Tou-Tou, use Multi-Attack!" Race called to his Shiny Silvally.
"YEAH!" Tou-Tou cheered as he was coated in a glowing brown aura and he charged at Pathangle, slashing him twice with his front claws and rendering him unconscious as he returned to his normal form.
"Alright! Pathangle is down and out and he's returned to normal!"
"Sick moves, man! Now, Angietus is the only guardian left standing!" cheered Rotom-Dex and Rotoscope.
"Oh, Pathangle, thank goodness!" breathed a relieved Spherialla.
"It looks like the damage he took from the younglings and his and Angietus' new opponents was too much for him to handle. He couldn't hold on to his Feral Evolution after all that," David breathed in awe, seeing a light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel the heroes are in.
"But, Dad, Angietus will need a few more hits for him to finally fall," Delilah reminded.
"It'll be alright, Delilah, dear. Our baby and her betrothed have got this," Donna (former queen) reassured.
"Good job, Tou-Tou! Now, let's join forces with Island Girl and her crew for the final push!" Race called to Tou-Tou as he brought out a Ghost Type memory for him to use and threw it to him. "Use your Ghost Type memory and transform into the beast that stalks its prey from the shadows in the dead of night!"
Ejecting the Ground Type memory from his RKS System and returning it to his master, Tou-Tou now accepted the Ghost Type memory, his head scales, tail fin, and eyes becoming a dark lavender color from his Ghost Type power.
"Don't let him escape!" Kaji shouted, seeing Angietus preparing to make a getaway as he prepared to fire a powerful Flamethrower while he was still in his Charizard-X Form.
"You can't get through here!"
"Not while we're around!"
"Stop right there!" spat Kit, Candy, and Ella as the four Mega-Evolved Pokemon cornered the corrupted guardian from all sides and unleashed Flamethrower, Thundershock, Focus Blast, and Mystical Fire that blasted and immobilized him.
"Now, while we have the chance!" Kaji shouted to Race, Sarah, Tou-Tou, and Silvally.
"Right, Kaji!"
"Let's go!" Sarah and Race nodded as they pointed their Synthetic Pokemon to Angietus for one final attack and shouted together, "Use Twin Multi-Attack, now!"
Coating themselves in dark lavender and magenta auras, Silvally and Tou-Tou rushed at Angietus and unleashed their power one last time, making the corrupted guardian screech in pain from the super-effective attacks fueled by their Psychic and Ghost-Type memories. The damage he took from the two Silvally, Kit, Ella, Kaji, Candy, and the Jungle Pokemon was too much for Angietus to bear and so, all he could do was fall to the ground alongside his defeated brother, knocked out cold as he returned to his normal form.
"They did it! Now, both Pathangle and Angietus are back to normal!" Bella cheered.
"But, Lothor's corruption is still in them!"
"We've got to draw his darkness out of them before they recover and go for another fight!" Falcon and Permafrost reminded.
"We did it, Sarah! They're down, now how do we draw your crazy uncle's darkness out of them?" Race quizzed his girlfriend just as Rotom-Dex realized something and called out to them as best he could.
"Hey! Race, Sarah! Use your Move Cards from Ming Wu; they worked on Pokemon before so it should work for them, too! Hurry!"
Race and Sarah's eyes widened before they turned back to Rotom-Dex and either nodded or gave him a thumbs-up as Sarah said, "Thanks, Rotom!"
Bringing out their Dino Gadgets and Dino Bracers, the pair each pulled out a Move Card from their Dino Gadgets and slashed them through their Dino Bracers' card slots before they pointed them at Angietus and Pathangle and shouted, "Ability, activate: Power Drain!"
The Move Cards glowed and the front portions changed into the Power Drain ability as Kit, Ella, Tou-Tou, Silvally, Kaji, and Candy opened their mouths and pure while balls appeared from them before they fired bright energy beams at Spherialla's sons, allowing them to drain the corrupted guardians of their energy, the two of them screeching in pain as they quickly came too and they fell back on the ground.
"What the devil was that?!" gasped a baffled Tschowl as he, Mizuara, and Houratta joined the young couple.
"A Move Card from a friend. I realize now we got to catch you guys up on some long stories but I got to purify your brothers, like now," Sarah replied.
"How are you going to do that, Princess?" puzzled Houratta as Sarah brought out her Element of Hope and placed it back on her head.
"Just watch," she answered simply as her Element glowed and she transformed back into her Alicorn Form while hovering over the downed Pathangle and Angietus, leaving Spherialla, Mizuara, Houratta, and Tschowl flabbergasted as their jaws dropped before David, Kaji, Candy, and Ella humorously shut them back upright.
"Spirit of Hope, I bid thee! Awaken! Shine thy light down on these two Pokemon before us! Destroy the wretched fie from within and restore the Sons of Spherialla to the waking world!" Sarah recited in a prayer, her Element unleashing a rainbow beam of light that struck them both.
The corrupted guardians screeched and thrashed about as they tried to resist the Element's power but it was no use; from within them, wisps of darkness from Lothor's corruption were forcibly extracted and destroyed as they screamed and exploded, the pair purified and back to their normal selves, forever and for all time.
"They did it!" Braixen cheered as Kaji, Candy, Kit, and Ella returned to normal once the battle was over.
Sarah removed her Element and returned to her human form while Rive and her sisters, with her mate in tow, came over just as the wild pride leader finally woke up and noticed his pride with him.
"...R-Rive..." he groaned to his mate, feeling relieved but also drained of his strength as he attempted to smile.
"Darling..." Rive sniffed, relieved that he was still alive before Mew used Psychic to lift him up and gently place him on Nebby's back after Seth, Audino, Danny, Danielle, and Ponyta used Heal Pulse and Aromatherapy to heal him.
Then, wanting to know that she was not in a dream and what she saw was real, Spherialla floated out of David's arms and over to her eldest sons. The Vitality Spirit Pokemon was at a loss for words as she looked over the original Island Guardians and felt them, no longer sensing the darkness Lothor corrupted them with and realizing that they were back to their normal selves. Eventually, they started to groan quietly after feeling her touch them and hearing her voice with Angietus opening his red eyes and Pathangle opening his blue eyes before they were greeted by their mother.
"...Pathangle, Angietus..." Spherialla sniffed, starting to cry before she tearfully nuzzled her sons. "...I'm so sorry!"
"...M-Mother...?"
"...Y-You're, here...?" they growled in quiet pain as they looked their mother in the eyes and began to feel a sorrowful pain in their restored hearts before she looked back at them.
"No, we're sorry, for everything..."
"We've let you all back home down!"
Spherialla shook her head, her tears still streaming down her cheeks as she told them, "It's okay, what happened back then wasn't your fault-"
"But, we nearly sent all of Alola 500 years ago into a hellfire and killed too many innocents, forcing you and our brothers to do the impossible!" cried Angietus.
"You and our brothers were forced to seal us away on this island after Lothor got the jump on us with his hatred for his former home and family and we weren't prepared for it!" agreed Pathangle, remembering his and Angietus' sins from 500 years ago clear as day.
"Yes, we did! But, even so, despite my shame at not helping you more than I should've when he got to you, I never gave up hope that your brothers and I would one day see you again and save you. I was sure that one day, a miracle would come for us in the end and it did," Spherialla argued, not wanting her eldest sons to be ashamed of what happened in the past anymore.
But, Panthangle and Angietus wouldn't let go of their shame and disgrace as they protested, "You had to because of what we had become thanks to Lothor, we didn't have any other choice! Ever since you brought us into this world over 500 years ago, we've been watching over all of Alola and everybody in it for years and we've had each other to rely and count on while keeping to the spirit of family the region and this human island preached. But, when Lothor played us for fools and we lost control of ourselves because of his ploy, we ended up attacking you and everybody else in turn!"
"We've killed Arceus knows how many innocents, humans and Pokemon alike, because of what that monster did to us and we've become nothing more than fallen legends in the process! The blood of all those who died in the Great Battle of Nature is forever on our talons and hooves and that's something we can't look past no matter how many years went by. Even the next 500 years in our prisons only serve to remind us of our crimes and no matter what we thought despite Lothor's corruption, we can't help but realize we've done the world too much wrong to prove ourselves!"
Spherialla tried to hold back her sobs for her sons as Pathangle broke down and snapped, "How could we possibly show our faces to the descendants of their dead ancestors after all this time?!"
"Stop whining like a bunch of louts, you hopeless ninnies!" Tsukumaro tearfully barked as he, Doug, Delilah, David, and Donna (former queen) along with Mizuara, Houratta, and Tschowl rushed over to the Tapu Guardians' ancestors to try and make them see sense and help them let go of their tragic pasts, all of them unable to hold back their own tears as well.
"Spherialla told us that all she wanted was to see you two again with her own eyes and she told the rest of our family and our friends everything that happened including Lothor's first crime against us all including you. What he did back then before the Ultra Beast War following his exile from Alola affected us, too! We were devastated to find out what he had done to you and we also held out hope that one day, you will be freed and you will be saved and that wish of ours became a reality!"
Doug nodded as he shed tears of angered sorrow for Pathangle and Angietus as he added to the distressed guardians, "If you're thinking of running away from Alola forever because of your killing nearly everybody and destroying all of Alola, you're more pathetic than we thought! Do you really think you're the only one who's got a horrible past that can't be erased by what you can do today in the present and in the distant future to atone for it all? Lothor was the one who made you both fight and nearly kill our subjects when he corrupted you so what happened before the Ultra Beast War was all on him and him alone!"
"Your lives are worth more to us than you think just as they will be to you now that you're back to normal. It's only when you understand the weight of them you can truly learn to live again and be who you are! You're more than just monsters; you're the original Island Guardians of our home region! You're responsible for bringing balance to our region and through your successors after Spherialla created them, that never changed because a part of you lived in them!" Donna (former queen) proudly and knowingly declared.
"But, unlike them, all we've wrought upon you all is destruction and death!"
"What kind of Pokemon allows themselves to be corrupted by a heartless monster whose only reason for living is to destroy all who had ruined him?!" Pathangle and Angietus denied as they cried and shed tears in self-loathing as they turned away from their old friends and family.
"Will you stop making such fools of yourselves because of your guilt over the past, you idiots?!" barked Mizuara tearfully as angry tears trailed down his cheeks, his outburst shocking the pair as they faced their younger brothers now with Tschowl and Houratta also crying for them.
"Lothor was the one who wrought destruction and death in Alola all those years ago and he used you as scapegoats after he corrupted you two!"
"We've held out hope that you'll be saved by a miracle after sealing you away and leaving Alola with Mother and we never gave up on you! That's why Master Doug and Miss Delilah's only daughter, the Sun Princess, was able to do that with them, the rest of the royal family, and the friends they have with them even when you two were on the verge of destroying everyone while you're still under the effects of that foul human's trickery!" Houratta and Tschowl added firmly.
Pathangle and Angietus were left completely astounded by what they had heard as Sarah came up to them and she joined Spherialla before the pair looked between her and their mother, "M-Mother, this...…t-t-this child!"
Spherialla nodded warmly as she introduced Sarah to her sons, "Boys, meet Doug and Delilah's only daughter and heir to Alola's throne. And, I may add, your savior: Princess Sarah Tomoe...…"
The two guardians looked at each other before they drew themselves closer to Sarah and examined her before they spoke up, "...So, it's true. This is the result of the Last King and Queen's marriage...…"
"She has both a good soul and a strong heart, and her mother's eyes...…."
Sarah nodded as she spoke to the original guardians, "I know you may not know me as much but after hearing what Lothor has done to you from your mother, I couldn't help but feel for you. You may feel like you don't deserve a chance to live in this world because of what happened in the past but you couldn't be more wrong; Lothor is the one who used you to destroy my home and my family's people all those years ago but Spherialla and your brothers saved your lives by stopping you before he could finish the job."
Pathangle and Angietus didn't know what to think as they listened to what Sarah said to them from her heart, "You are more deserving a second chance than you've ever known because a big part of life is knowing when to live it to the fullest regardless of what happens to you, both the good and the bad. You may have done horrible things that are out of your control but there's still a chance for you to forge a new path, one that my family and I have built since I first met up with Ash and the rest of my friends back home two years ago as we gained new additions and more friends."
They were still speechless over this but eventually, Pathangle did speak again yet he was still reeling over his and Angietus' grief and regret over the past, "…..Well, yes, you say that but-OW!"
"AGH!" The two guardians grunted as the Shine Guardian Pokemon was given a hard slap to the face and the Shadow Guardian Pokemon was given a bonk on the head before they saw Sarah looking unimpressed by their continued guilt-tripping.
"If you two are done falling over yourselves, would you mind letting me finish?" she asked, getting only silence from them which allowed her to continue. "You might not think of yourselves deserving a second chance for your so-called crimes but I already know another or two who can relate to you on that."
Now, Pathangle and Angietus were taken aback, the two of them feeling completely stumped as the latter asked, "But, who could know how we're feeling?"
"Me..."
The pair saw Silvally joining his human mother along with Race and Tou-Tou as he revealed his and his brothers' darkest secret, "When my brothers and I were created to destroy some creatures we came to know as Ultra Beasts after a certain incident he and a few others went through, we didn't make a good first impression on humans. We were labeled as Type: Null but upon our completion, we've rejected a battling system they've built into us and as a result, all of us went completely out of whack..."
Tou-Tou sighed heavily as he picked up where his brother left off with a heavy heart, "In the chaos that followed, 25 humans were lost and we were given control masks that limited our powers. Our eldest brother was rescued by a human boy named Gladion and my Ani and I escaped before we could be frozen in ice but we were separated as Ani was saved by one of your successors and I barely managed to swim to an island near Melemele Island. None of us thought we could ever let go of our cruel and horrible past, mostly Ani when my father's mate learned about us from a few friends of hers..."
Spherialla and her family were left in shock as they were told everything but Pathangle and Angietus were completely floored by Silvally and Tou-Tou's confession; they now realized that there were a few somebodies who could understand what they were feeling and they began to see that they and the Synthetic Pokemon brothers actually have some things in common with them than they thought.
"Hearing how we've killed those innocent scientists hit us hard, particularly me when I finally learned about our origins. But, it's alright now because we had family and friends who helped us fight through the pain and come to terms with who we are as Pokemon now," Silvally finished.
"But, those control masks...?" Pathangle inquired.
"Don't need them anymore; after accepting the love given to us by our friends and families and helping those who are in need, we broke free of them."
"Whatever they're telling you, they're right, you know," Ash concurred as he and the others along with their recovered Pokemon (now joined by Lillie and Snowy) smiled warmly at them after hearing and seeing everything happening before them.
"You're not alone anymore."
"You don't have to bear the guilt alone as long as you have family and friends by your side."
"Please come with us back to Alola, you two."
"Even while you're corrupted, the true fires that are burning deep inside of you will grow from the love your mother and brothers have for you and the friendships you make with other humans and Pokemon along the way to help you and pick you back up whenever you're down."
"If you forgive yourselves and not let your mistakes and stupid things that have been out of your control by someone else, you can become stronger and the battles that follow may be hard...…"
"...…But, the friends and family that'll always be there for you will be forever real and more. What do you say?" Lana, Mallow, Lillie, Kiawe, Sophocles, and Race smiled, wanting to help Pathangle and Angietus in every way they could.
The two Island Guardians were unsure of what to do now after they were told all that they heard. They looked between each other for answers and then they eyed their mother who nodded lovingly to them as she said, "It's just...…what I've always wanted for you, what the princess and her family want for you...…."
Sarah decided to help them by putting out a welcoming hand as she closed her eyes and let them decide what to do. They didn't know what to say as they solemnly looked at each other before they turned back to the princess and their mother. The others and everybody else all gave the pair reassuring nods and smiles with their mother's nod to them (showing them her wish to be with them again for the rest of her life) finally giving them the push they needed, coming close to Sarah and nudging her hand and chest in acceptance of her and her family's love and help.
Occurred Events
Scar and Gabi meet their end
Angietus and Panthagle reveal their Feral Evolutions
Sarah and Race reveal the power of Mega Evolution again Feral Evolution
Skiddo, Piplup, Fennekin, Cyndaquil, Buneary and Phanpy all evolve
Sarah purifies the pair with her Element of Hope
Panthagle and Angietus agree to reunite with their family despite everything they've done
