Polaris-Ponyta, Mia-Alolan Marowak, Marin-Primarina, Lunick-Midnight Lycanroc, Twine-Lurantis, Hachi-Mimikyu, Zetty-Rotom Dex

Mewtwo, Lily-Mom Mewtwo, Twilight-young Mewtwo, Chanti/Nebby-Lunala

Chapter 23: Daybreak

Lily's body fell, limp as a rag. Twilight and I cried out as she dropped farther and farther from us.

Twilight threw out a hand. Blue energy crackled around him. Lily was far, but his power caught her before she hit the ground. She came to rest gently on the city sidewalk.

The two of us exchanged anguished looks. We wanted to go help her. But we couldn't. Not yet.

Overhead, Necrozma had turned his attention to the drones. The Ultra Recon Squad tried to pilot them away, but Necrozma was too fast. With a sweep of his wing, one drone shattered and the Z Crystal glimmered like a grain of sand as it fell to the ground. Necrozma watched it go, confused to find something so small and potent inside. Then he turned toward the next drone, as though expecting to find something different. He didn't try to go for the Z crystal yet. I thought of using the crystal in battle. But I didn't want Necrozma's rage focused on any of my Pokémon. If Lily couldn't take his hits, there was no chance for the others. We'd have to try something else.

None of my team was suited for aerial battles. Many of them didn't even have good distance attacks. Mia could throw her bone. Lunick could throw rocks. But those seemed pitiful next to Necrozma. Maybe Polaris with her fire, or Marin with his bubbles.

Bubbles.

I watched Necrozma as he smashed another drone. He'd taken a lot of hits. Powerful ones. His brightness made it hard for me to judge, so maybe I was imaging that he seemed sluggish and ragged.

Twilight looked at me, sensing the plan forming in my mind. "I can do it," he declared.

"I know you can." I hugged him, hating that I had to send him into battle. Part of me wanted to give him a life of peace. But what did I expect when his dad so often helped me battle? And Twilight also had power to do great things. "There's nothing you can't do." My voice choked.

Twilight gave me a reassuring grin and patted me on the head. I laughed. He deposited me on top of the Megalo Tower. I took a deep breath as I watched him fly away. "Be safe." I sent out Polaris and Marin, filling them in on the plan.

Marin started to send out bubbles. Dozens filled the sky. He began to sing, his voice sending the shimmering orbs across the city. Necrozma smashed the next drone, and a bubble burst against his wing. He flinched and turned, confused to find so many bubbles suddenly filling the air. Another one burst, this time against the side of his head.

Necrozma screamed in frustration and swept his wings. Bubbles popped all around him, each one stinging, but doing little damage. They only made Necrozma mad. He turned toward us and charged.

Polaris let out Fire Spin. Necrozma got a face full of flames and veered away, crashing right into a wall of bubbles created by Marin. Polaris intensified her attack, focusing her flames on the dragon's wings.

Necrozma turned and for the first time, his eyes locked onto me. A shiver ran down my spine. He opened his mouth, preparing Prismatic Laser. There was nothing we could do. Polaris, Marin and I had no defense against such a powerful attack. He would take off the top of the tower, and us with it.

But nothing happened. He remained with his mouth gaping open, expecting something. Nothing came.

Twilight. After his mom got knocked out, he'd used Disable. Necrozma couldn't use his most powerful attack anymore.

"You're the best, Twilight," I whispered.

In Necrozma's bewilderment, he didn't notice that one of the bubbles looked different than the others. It was bright blue, and was drifting up behind the glowing dragon. Marin used Moonblast, right in Necrozma's face. Necrozma yowled and backed away. The blue bubble touched his back and Twilight emerged from it, landing between Necrozma's wings. Twilight's attack hit point-blank on the back of Necrozma's head.

The great dragon folded and fell. He crashed onto the tower roof. The structure buckled and cracked from the impact. Marin, Polaris and I backed away, unsure whether Necrozma would rise again. Twilight drifted down to land beside us, breathing heavily.

Necrozma's shining dragon body shrank and darkened. The glowing parts of him liquified and pooled on the rooftop. The glow started to evaporate into sparkling mist, which rose into the sky.

"It's the sunlight!" Twilight exclaimed. "The sunlight is going back to Alola!"

Marin stood upright on his tail, singing a note of joy. Polaris kicked her heels into the air.

"You guys were amazing." I hugged each of them in turn. We watched as the gold sparks rose and faded away, drawn back to our own world. But when the last of the light faded from the sky, there was still a glowing puddle on the rooftop.

"Oh," I whispered. I stepped forward, keeping a wary eye on the motionless form of Necrozma. I knelt and touched the gleaming pool. "Nebby? Chanti?"

The light shifted and rose up. I backed away as it took form. Chanti reappeared, her wings drooped to the ground. I threw my arms around her neck. She raised her head, blinking blearily.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She took a deep breath, and wrapped one wring around my shoulders. "I feel drained. But I think I'm okay." She spotted Necrozma and shied away from him.

A shape rose up to the rooftop.

"Mama!" Twilight shouted. He shot toward her. Lily landed, wincing. She kept weight off one leg, and cradled an arm. The way she was leaning to the side showed where the attack had hit her. Twilight stopped short from his planned hug. "You're hurt!"

She winced. "Those people down below gave me something to revive me. It does hurt. But it's not lasting." She saw the motionless Necrozma. And through the look of pain on her face, pride shone through. "You did it."

"He was amazing. I wish you'd seen him." I coaxed her to raise her arm so I could examine her side. But there was little I could tell by looking. And I didn't want to touch it when it hurt so much.

"We all did it," Twilight insisted. "You tired him out."

We turned to the angular black heap, which rose and fell with each breath.

"It will take some time before we can fix Necrozma," Lily said. "We need to gather all of the Z Crystals, yes? I don't think Necrozma will calmly wait for us. He will either flee, or fight again. I… I had better hold him." She spread her arms, and a blue dome formed around him. "He will sleep, as long as I hold this bubble in place. Then you can go and gather the crystals in peace. If I leave, the bubble will disappear."

"We can't leave you!" Twilight cried.

I nodded. "We won't leave you here alone."

"I will go to Alola," Chanti said.

"Are you sure?" After all she'd been through, I didn't want to send her off on her own.

She nodded. "It's not his fault. He's… broken. And we can fix him. And, honestly. I'd rather not be near him right now. I don't want him to take me again."

I grimaced. "I understand that. Thank you, Chanti. I'll write a letter to Lillie, Ben and Hari. Lillie and Gladion can get the Aether foundation to track down Z crystals. And you can talk to the Tapus. With their backing, people should hand their crystals over. Ben and Hari can talk to Professor Kukui, and the Kahunas and Captains." I hesitated. "Lily, you don't have to stay here the whole time, do you? Keeping Necrozma contained? You need to rest!"

"As long as I don't go too far away, my shield should stay in place." Twilight took over the health check, scanning Lily for broken bones. Luckily there were none-just fantastic bruising. Mewtwo were certainly sturdy.

"You know," Chanti said. "Time is kind of… wobbly in ultra space. It may take a few weeks to gather all of the Z crystals. But if I plan it right, I can return so that only a few days have passed here. I've never tried it before, so I can't guarantee the results But that way you won't have to hold Necrozma as long."

We'd be losing an entire month back home. But it would be so much easier on Lily. And I didn't want to live that long in a world with no sun. "It won't go the other way, will it? We get home and find that years have passed?"

Chanti laughed. "No, I should have more control than that."

I gave a somewhat nervous grin. "Okay. Let's try it. I guess we'd better meet with the Ultra Recon guys."

Lily backed away from Necrozma's bubble. She lowered her hands, releasing her focus and testing to make sure the bubble would hold. It did.

"It's good?" Twilight asked.

She nodded. "It should be fine. But I'll stay here for now."

"I'll fly Cara down," Twilight announced. He grabbed my hand and stepped off the edge of the building. Even though I have full trust in him, it's still weird jumping off of a tower. I returned Marin and Polaris. Chanti followed us as we drifted down.

Phyco and Zossie were waiting at the bottom of the tower. So were many of the other Ultra Recon members. They watched with renewed awe as Chanti hovered beside us.

"It's Lunala!" They whispered.

"The other half of the light!"

"Lunala has returned!"

"Oh, the sun beast will be so pleased!"

Phyco stepped up to me. "It is done?"

We nodded.

He bowed. "This world owes you a debt. You have saved Lunala from Necrozma. And you have brought us information about how to return Necrozma's light."

"Lunala says she'll return to Alola and gather the Z Crystals," I said. "The rest of us will wait here to keep an eye on Necrozma. He's contained for now."

"Solgaleo should go with Lunala!" Zossie exclaimed.

Phyco stroked his moustache. "Yes, that should be so. Would you go and bring him?" Zossie dashed off.

"Lunala could use some healing before she leaves," Twilight said.

Phyco gestured for some of his people to fetch food and medicine. Others went to gather the Z Crystals I'd loaned them. Luckily they had that machine, because Necrozma had sent some of the crystals scattering around the city.

I got a pen and paper and started writing a letter, telling my friends what we had to do.

Chanti ate and took some medicine. When she felt strong enough, everyone gathered in the park to see her off. There was already a Pokémon there. A great white lion. His forehead was glimmering like the night sky. Just like Chanti's. This was the sun beast. If Lunala was the beast of the moon, this must be something like her brother. Lunala and Solgaleo froze when they saw each other. Chanti glided forward, and Solgaleo took a couple steps toward her. They examined each other in fascination. Everyone watched, breathless, as the two touched noses.

Once the two had finished meeting each other, I stepped forward and gave Canti one last hug. "Good luck. I'll see you soon."

She crooned and nuzzled me. I tied a ribbon around her neck, fastening my letter in place. I hesitated, then placed a hand on Solgaleo's forehead. He huffed a greeting to me. Then he stepped back, turned his head to the sky, and roared. A third eye appeared on his forehead. A wormhole split open in the air above him. He leapt through. Chanti gave us one last nod, then dove into the wormhole after Solgaleo. It faded shut after them.

,,,

I never really knew how long we were in that world. I suppose it was a few days. But with no day or night, it was hard to tell. I didn't bother asking. It seemed easier not to know. The Ultra Recon Squad set up shifts to keep an eye on Necrozma, so Lily could rest and recover.

The dark world seemed to be taking its toll on all of us. Lily, Twilight and I remained on the edge of anxious, like we could never relax. But we tried to make the most of our time on another world. Everyone was eager to show us around. We saw some of their Pokémon, and I ended up giving one of my lectures about understanding Pokémon even if you can't speak to them.

Despite our unease, everything was fascinating.

It was in the dining hall that Lily, Twilight and I all looked up and grinned at each other. We'd sensed the same thing. Abandoning our food, we hurried outside. Confused, Zossie followed. We arrived in the park just in time to see Chanti emerging from the Ultra wormhole. Then Solgaleo appeared and closed it behind them. Chanti came to us, looking pleased. Both she and Solgaleo had satchels full to bursting.

"You've got them!" Zossie exclaimed. "That's amazing! I'll tell the others." She dashed off.

"How did it go?" I asked, peeking into the satchel around Chanti's neck. The Z Crystals glimmered inside. Hundreds of them.

She butted her head against me. "It took a while, but we got almost all of them. We think some were taken out of Alola. But this should be enough. Necrozma can recover the rest of his strength on his own." She hesitated, and her face fell. "We should finish quickly though. They need you back home."

Before I could ask what she meant, she started flying toward the tower. Solgaleo fell into step next to me. He examined me, Lily, and Twilight.

"Nice to meet you," I said to him. He nodded back.

"Would you like us to take you to the top of the tower?" Lily asked.

Solgaleo considered this, then nodded again. Lily took hold of him with her psychic powers, and the two flew up to the rooftop, following Chanti. Zossie and Phyco met Twilight and I at the bottom of the tower. A small crowd had gathered. They waited in hushed anticipation.

"Does this mean you're going home?" Zossie asked as a group of us stepped onto the elevator.

I nodded. "Yes. Thanks for everything!"

"We have a suit for you," Captain Phyco said. "It's what we wear if Solgaleo ever takes us between worlds. That will make the journey much easier on you."

"That sounds great." I glanced at Twilight.

"Momma says she should be able to protect me and her with her own power. Now that she knows what it's like."

The elevator opened and we stepped out. Lily had removed the bags full of Z crystals. I added mine to the pile. Lily faced the bubble that still held the sleeping Necrozma. She began to pour the crystals out, spreading them on the ground. Chanti and Solgaleo stood behind her, ready to help if needed. Silently, dozens of the Ultra Recons lined up to watch. We were all holding our breath.

Lily turned toward us with a confident smile. Twilight stood at her side. The two of them began to glow. Their energy harmonized, and the Z crystals floated into the air and formed a sparkling dome above Necrozma. Lily let her barrier drop. Necrozma shifted, coming awake for the first time in days. The crystals burst, crumbling into dust. The dust sank towards Necrozma's body. He stood as the light soaked into him. His body stretched and shifted, the darkness melting away. He let out a strange, rippling call. Three sets of wings appeared, lifting the brilliant dragon off of the tower roof and into the sky. Light from his body shot up into the sky. The night shattered, cracking away to reveal the blue of daylight. A blue bright enough to dazzle the eyes. I'd forgotten the feel of the sun, after just a few days. What must the others feel? To see light on their world for the first time in their lives? The city gleamed, as though coming to life. Again Necrozma cried out, stretching his wings and his talons.

I could sense his emotions. He couldn't quite believe what was happening. The never-ending pain was gone. He was no longer a twisted husk. He flew higher, feeling the power flow through him. In a show of joy, his energy radiated from him. Sparks of it began to trickle into the gaps between worlds, lighting up those places it had once reached long ago. Everyone was cheering. But Necrozma didn't even notice those of us standing below. With one last joyous cry, he arced away and soared into the blue sunny sky.

In a dreamy trance, we all headed back down the tower. As I walked, I felt like dancing. I sang "I am made of love" as I pulled on the suit the Ultra Recon Squad gave me. When I rejoined Twilight and Lily, I really did start dancing. They did too (they're better dancers than me, but it helps when you can fly). Lily, Twilight and I joined Lunala and Solgaleo in the park. The Ultra Recon Squad gathered to bid us farewell. Phyco saluted, and Zossie hugged each of us. She wore a big smile even as she cried. Solgaleo and Chanti nuzzled each other in farewell. Then Chanti turned to me and offered her back. I climbed on, holding Twilight. Lily created a shimmering aura around us, as an extra layer of protection during the flight. I waved to everyone one last time. Chanti opened a wormhole, and she and Lily dove through.

I watched the strange, swirling nebulae and galaxies. Thanks to the special suit, this time my head remained clear. The beautiful colors were hypnotic. I felt like I could watch them forever. Our strange party flew through space, and I saw an occasional glimmer of Necrozma's power swirling nearby. Eventually Chanti opened a wormhole, and we emerged into Alola. We were back at the shrine on Poni Island. Three figures waiting for us. I slid off of Chanti's back, grinning to see Ben, Hari, and Lillie. Chanti went to greet Lillie. I stepped toward Ben and Hari, beaming. But the smile froze on my face as I saw my friends' faces. Hari looked like he was about to burst into anguished tears.

Ben's eyes were shut tight. "Cara!" He choked, but continued speaking. "Cara! It's Mewtwo! They've stolen him!"

My knees buckled and hit the cobblestones. My head rang and I clapped a hand over my mouth. All that time in the other world we'd been feeling uneasy. But it hadn't been because of the dark world. It had been because Mewtwo was in trouble. Lily and Twilight were speaking to Ben, panic rising in their faces. But my ears were buzzing, and I couldn't make out their words. They'd stolen him. Mewtwo was gone. I hadn't protected him.

When the first moments of horror ticked past, I heard Twilight was crying. Lily's voice was bordering in hysterical. I slowly forced myself to my feet. "Lily, Twilight. I'll get him back. I'm leaving now."