The land surrounding distorted in its presence, as if reality itself trembled from the power held within its glossed-over, beady eyes. The Master Ball tier pokemon watched in horror as unfathomable bursts of power twinkled on the horizon like stars given life for a mere instant before collapsing in on themselves, over and over and over.
Miles below the ground, all of the civilian pokemon took shelter in an old, previously abandoned shelter held within the heart of the earth itself. Even then, each blast shook the foundation of the bedrock surrounding them, raining dust down on the tremoring pokemon. A particularly potent shock ran through the ground and the previously blank screens that lined the walls flashed red as a blaring siren sprang to life.
WARNING WARNING WARNING, the screens read
"What is it this time?" Alakazam demanded, gaze bouncing between his Ultra Ball-tier allies for an explanation.
"This alert," Kadabra said, eyes going wide with horror, "It's…"
TheAla screens changed. DECONTAMINATION SYSTEM ACTIVATED FOR ALL SECTIONS OF THE BUNKER.
"A nuclear attack," Kadabra finished.
On the surface, the distant flashes of power grew larger by the second. Soon, each flash was as bright and as large as the sun itself, illuminating the dark landscape as if it were day.
"Those…" Hatterene muttered to herself, "Are they the same as Torkoal's eruption? No, they can't be, they're so much stronger."
In that moment, the ground seemed to erupt with power, the very landscape tearing up and thrown into the sky. Amidst the cloud of dust, steaks of movement and blasts of white-hot flame could be seen, mere afterimages of whatever was going on inside the dust cloud.
"W-What on earth is fighting in there!?" Urshifu Single-Strike shouted over the din.
Only one pokemon in the crowd knew the truth. "Sensei…" Finizen breathed.
Mere moments later a shock wave slammed into the group of Master Ball tier pokemon, faster than any of them could brace themselves for. It was all they could do to simply attempt to stay on their feet as a white light brighter than any sun swept the landscape and a distant mushroom cloud rose into the heavens.
"Ugh!" Rillaboom grunted. "It's brighter than daytime!"
"Could this be someone's signature move too…!?" Incineroar added.
"Huh!? N-no way," Scizor said, tone thick with disbelief in their own statement.
The blast of air let up as the light started to fade, but quickly following the momentary reprieve a series of grunts resounded through the group as a half-dozen pokemon stumbled to their knees, holding their heads.
"Splitting headache…" Flutter Mane moaned, eyes squinted shut.
"Can't…breathe…" Dragonite huffed.
Then, it arrived. One moment, the hill directly in front of the group was empty, the next moment, the creature was there.
Unlike anything any of the nearby pokemon had ever seen, the newcomer was a bright orange and red fish. Ancient-looking ceramic rings framed its unseeing, beady black eyes. Within its pupils shone the twinkling lights of the cosmos. On its head it bore a red-glass candelabra that twinkled in the light of the artificial sun that hung in the sky above it, beating down on the group with an inescapable, almost unbearable heat.
At that moment, all of the Master Ball pokemon present knew beyond a doubt that the source of the distant, massive explosions of energy was this pokemon.
Only one in the group seemed to recognize the creature in front of them. Limbs too weak to even open his mouth, Urshifu Rapid Strike could only think of the name.
"Chi-yu…!?"
"Is that really a pokemon?" Farigaraf asked, disbelieving.
"It's clearly a fire type! I'll stop this!" Walking Wake shouted, gathering power at its mouth for a powerful, sun-boosted hydro steam. The attack never connected, because as soon as the super-heated water released from the pokemon's mouth, it evaporated in the harsh sunlight.
"Desolate land?" Blissey asked, stepping forward. At the movement, the fish's blank gaze fell on the nurse pokemon, and the dominating pressure filling the area seemed to intensify.
"That pressure…", Chien-Pao said weakly. "Beads of Ru-"
It never got to finish its sentence before a blast of energy erupted from Chi-Yu, streaking towards Blissey in an unforgiving torrent.
"252+ SpA Choice Specs Beads of Ruin Tera-Fire Chi-Yu Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Blissey in Sun: 388-458 (107.1 - 126.5%) - guaranteed OHKO," the fish said flatly.
The energy cleared, and in the spot where Blissey had once been, the bedrock below her feet had melted into a bright orange magma. Blissey's blackened corpse reeked of charred flesh as it tottered over, breaking apart into a pile of ash upon impact with the destroyed ground.
Ogerpon-Wellspring screamed in horror.
"It used overheat! Ursaluna-Bloodmoon bellowed, running forward as fast as its legs could take it. "Its Special attack has gone down! Quick, get on it now!"
Ursaluna-Bloodmoon took two steps before it ceased to exist.
"+2 252+ SpA Choice Specs Beads of Ruin Tera-Fire Chi-Yu Overheat vs. 244 HP / 12 SpD Ursaluna-Bloodmoon in Sun: 1382-1628 (631 - 743.3%) - guaranteed OHKO."
"That one was more powerful than before!" Iron Hands yelled. "Don't tell me it's…"
"Contrary." Serperior hissed.
"But that's…that's impossible! It already has desolate land!" a meek voice from the crowd said.
"Don't tell me it's unlocked the potential to hold multiple abilities."
There was a scream of terror in the back of the group as Indeedee-F attempted to run away, clearly seeing the futility of attempting to fight.
"+4 252+ SpA Choice Specs Beads of Ruin Tera-Fire Chi-Yu Overheat vs. +1 252 HP / 4 SpD Indeedee-F in Sun: 950-1118 (536.7 - 631.6%) - guaranteed OHKO."
Indeedee-F evaporated along with three other pokemon caught in the path of the attack.
"This is bad…I can feel it in my skin.' Annihilape muttered.
"Running away is useless," Regieleki agreed.
The remaining pokemon started to fall, one by one, as the weakening effect of Beads of Ruin took its toll on their vitality. Some screamed, some called out for family members in terror, some attempted to confer with one-another to create a game plan.
All knew, however, that it was futile. Because in front of them stood the symbol of fear that brings all pokemon to despair. Absolute evil.
The remaining pokemon that hadn't yet fainted due to exhaustion went still when the fish turned its attention away from the crowd. It stood still, peering off into the distance at something the rest of the pokemon could not see. In fact, Chi-Yu could not see it either, but the approaching power, it was familiar. It could sense the distant threat approaching.
Approaching quickly.
"+6 252+ SpA Choice Specs Beads of Ruin Tera-Fire Chi-Yu Overheat vs. +6 252 HP / 252+ SpD Assault Vest Unaware Tera-Water Unknown Entity in Sun: 34-40 (16.4 - 19.3%) - possible 6HKO."
An unfathomably powerful blast of fire ripped out of the fish and streaked across the horizon. The ocean boiled in the presence of the blast. The average air temperature of the entire planet rose by three degrees from the mere presence of a flame so potent.
And whatever was approaching shrugged the attack off like it was nothing.
Moments away from fainting, Finizen's eyes brightened. "Sensei!"
The figure slammed into the fish with an explosion of water and power. The blowback from the attack sent the creature careening across the horizon, out of view within milliseconds. A lone, blue figure stood atop the hill where the fish had once been.
"Jet Punch," Palafin said, cracking his knuckles. "Guaranteed knock-out."