"Prismatic Laser!"
"Down!" Bulu cried. "Grassy Surge: Gaia's Grasp!" At the Tapu of the Land's command, the earth rose up above the four Tapus from all sides, forming a stony barrier between them and Necrozma's barrage of attacks.
But at the first impacts, impacts which sent rocks and dirt tumbling down from the sheer force of them, all four Tapus knew the barrier would not hold.
"Psychic Surge: Defense Enhancement!" Lele cried, raising up both hands; Mind blazed across Bulu's construct, reinforcing it against the blasts. Koko turned to Fini and nodded; with her own nod of acknowledgement, Fini dove backwards, raising her own hands to the sky as well. As Koko leaped into the air, Fini cried out, "Misty Surge: Oceanus's Fist!"
Bulu's construct finally collapsed, not even Lele's reinforcement enough to allow it to stand against the sheer power Ultra Necrozma was outputting, but a flash of Mind told Koko that Bulu and Lele had gotten out. Turning his gaze back towards Ultra Necrozma, Koko sailed upwards above Fini's rising watery fist, Lightning coursing across his body. Ultra Necrozma's multicolored eyes swiveled towards Koko. "Neuroforce," the interdimensional conqueror snarled. "Pain."
Wincing in anticipation, Koko arrested his own flight and allowed himself to fall. As he passed Fini's rising fist, a second before his entire body lit up with agony, Koko bellowed, "Electric Surge: Tribocharge!"
Lightning coursed from Koko's body into Fini's watery fist, and through the onset of pain Koko beheld the crackling Lightning and Torrent-formed punch, enhanced with Fini's Life as well, coming at Ultra Necrozma with a titanic haymaker. Koko turned his gaze upwards as he fell, watching as the fist came closer, closer…
"Neuroforce: Reflex."
Ultra Necrozma ducked the swinging fist with impossible speed; as the fist came around for another pass, Ultra Necrozma reached out with one hand. "Photon Geyser." A colossal outpouring of light lit up the sky; Fini's Lightning-enhanced Torrent-formed fist crumbled, Necrozma's power once more too much for even the combined strength of two Tapus.
Fini caught Koko in a grasp of Torrent, arresting his fall; even as Koko landed beside Fini, Lele and Bulu materialized next to them. Ultra Necrozma spread his hands and drew yet more light from the surrounding sky; by now it was as dark as night, even though the sun still hung high above.
"All together!" Koko cried. "Nature's Madness: Power of the Sky!"
The other three Tapus joined in. "Nature's Madness: Power of the Land!" "Nature's Madness: Power of the Sea!" "Nature's Madness: Power of the Beyond!"
Life blazed around the four Tapus as they stood together, unified in a pink aura that lit up the world around them. Ultra Necrozma's gaze turned back towards them; wrath filled his expression as he reached out with both hands. "Photon Geyser," he snarled; another massive beam of light blasted out from Ultra Necrozma's outstretched hands, plunging down towards the gathered Tapus.
"NATURE'S MADNESS!" the four Tapus roared as one. "POWER OF ALOLA!"
A spear of Life, twenty feet in diameter, shot upwards from the Tapus, its point slamming into Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser with enough force to send light scattering everywhere. The spear held, shattering the Photon Geyser before it; Ultra Necrozma's attack could not prevail, and though the spear could not advance, it would not break before Ultra Necrozma's assault. No, the Tapus would make sure of that; all four reached out, and around them the landscape began to shrivel and die as they pulled more Life from their surroundings and into their titanic spear.
Ultra Necrozma was the first to give out. His reserves of light were finite; so much of it was going to just keeping him together that he simply did not have enough light for such a prolonged clash. The Tapus' spear broke through the remnants of Ultra Necrozma's Photon Geyser, shattering the light like glass, and flew upwards straight at Ultra Necrozma's face.
"Neuroforce: Reflex!" Ultra Necrozma bellowed, making ready to dodge out of the way.
"Now!" Lele cried. "Detonate!"
All four Tapus willed their concentrated Life to erupt, and even as Ultra Necrozma twisted to the side of the spear it exploded in his face.
Ultra Necrozma's agonized bellow both heartened and disheartened the Tapus - it confirmed he was in pain, but it also confirmed he was still conscious. And indeed, flying out of the dissipating cloud of Life came Ultra Necrozma, his form flickering; for a moment, the Tapus could have sworn they saw his Dawn Wings form as Necrozma fought to keep his Ultra Form up.
And then his voice sounded once again. "More."
Ultra Necrozma reached up to the sky, and the darkness grew even darker; the stars, visible in the sky, began to wink out one by one as Necrozma drained the light they were bequeathing upon the world and took it for himself. His form reassumed, even brighter than before, and his eyes glared down upon the Tapus once more, fury in his gaze.
"This ends now," Ultra Necrozma growled. His wings flared outwards as a sphere of light began to form above his body, a sphere that grew larger and larger; in a few seconds it was as large as Ultra Necrozma, and it didn't stop there. Twice, three times, four times as large as Ultra Necrozma, and still it grew and grew; somehow, even though it blazed with light like a miniature sun, the surrounding world still was consumed in the grip of darkness.
"Light That Burns The Sky!" Necrozma shouted, the words echoing across Alola; with a gesture, the sphere of light, now ten times as large as Ultra Necrozma, began to descend towards the Tapus, seeming to grow even larger as it did so, its light near-blinding in the darkness that otherwise persisted. At a glance, the Tapus knew that it was moving so slowly they could easily escape, using Lele's abilities to retreat into the Beyond. But such a large blast would obliterate Poni Island at least, and as the Guardians of Alola, the Tapus would not let that happen.
"How do we stop that?" Fini cried.
"There's only one option," Bulu growled.
"Agreed," murmured Lele. "Even though us losing stamina is exactly what Necrozma wants."
"There is no alternative," said Koko. "Nature's Madness…"
Again, the other four Tapus echoed his words. "Nature's Madness…"
Their voices rose up in defiance of the artificial sun coming down upon them. "GUARDIAN OF ALOLA!"
Once more the gigantic form of the Guardian of Alola came into being, and once more it lunged upwards. The blazing sphere fell upon them, hungering; the Guardian of Alola met it head-on, a four-throated yell of rage emanating from its form as it slammed its fist into the epicenter of the sphere, and light and energy exploded outwards from where the two attacks clashed, a thunderous sonic boom emanating from the area. The Guardian of Alola was tiny compared to the sphere, its fist comparable to a pinprick, and yet the Guardian held, neither attack able to prevail over the other. The Tapus strained, pouring more and more energy into the creature's form.
But this time, Ultra Necrozma would not be beaten.
For the Light That Burns The Sky was still swelling in size, and even as it grew it pressed the Guardian Of Alola backwards, or rather downwards; now it was fifteen times Ultra Necrozma's size, and growing still as Ultra Necrozma pumped even more stolen light into his Z-Move. All four Tapus knew, deep inside, that even this last defense would end in failure.
But they fought. The Guardian of Alola's feet touched the ground; they had been borne all the way back down to earth. But with a roar of effort, the Guardian of Alola braced itself upon the earth; like Atlas holding up the sky, the Guardian of Alola crouched, palms pressed against the still-descending sphere of light, refusing to give in even as the earth cracked and bowed beneath it.
A burst of Mind flashed within the sphere.
"Searing Sunraze Smash!"
And as that new voice sounded, Ultra Necrozma's Z-Move exploded upwards and outwards; a warm wind buffeted the Guardian of Alola as the full force of the Light That Burns The Sky was propelled away like a geyser. The sky lightened a little, the stars popping back into existence as the light Ultra Necrozma had drained for the attack was gifted back to the world. And in the center of what had once been the massive Z-Move, a Pokemon floated, four-legged and wreathed in Iron, Mind keeping it suspended in midair as it glared up at Ultra Necrozma.
"Solgaleo…" Ultra Necrozma's voice was filled with hatred.
Solgaleo? Koko glanced at Lele, whose eyes were noticeably wider. I thought Nebby was stuck as Cosmoem - when did he regain his former power?
"Let us settle this once and for all, Necrozma," Solgaleo growled in response. It was definitely Nebby's voice - much deeper, older, and not exclusively telepathic, but still recognizably Nebby's voice.
"Cease your resistance." Ultra Necrozma's tone was almost pleading. "Come back to me, Solgaleo. You are me. You are mine."
"You have no right to demand that of me or Lunala," Solgaleo snarled. "Release her, Necrozma, and I will consider mercy."
"Mercy?" Ultra Necrozma's bellow was unexpectedly vehement. "I am in pain, Solgaleo. Pain so unspeakable that I could spend a thousand years torturing you and you would not even begin to understand it. All I ever wanted was to be free of that pain! Being consigned to eternal agony…that is no mercy!"
"I will not say what they did to you was right," Solgaleo growled. "But you have caused untold death and destruction across hundreds of timelines. You and your compatriots have slaughtered billions. And all to kill me…no, erase me. To consign me to the same kind of agony that you wish to avoid for yourself, the same agony you have inflicted upon Lunala for so many years."
"Your pain doesn't matter to me!" Ultra Necrozma roared. "Your opinions don't matter! You are part of me!"
"We are not part of you," Solgaleo retorted. "We are living beings, and I will not allow you to hurt us anymore. I will ask one more time, Necrozma. Release Lunala."
"You will have to pry her from my corpse!" Ultra Necrozma cried. "Prismatic Laser!"
"As you wish," Solgaleo snarled. "Full Metal Body: Sunsteel Strike!"
Light blazed around Solgaleo's body; unlike Necrozma's Z-Move, this light was warm and calming, a trail of it illuminating the sky as Solgaleo, his entire body wreathed in Iron, shot into the air towards Ultra Necrozma. Ultra Necrozma's Prismatic Lasers filled the sky as well, but Solgaleo avoided some and ripped right through others through sheer brute force, continuing to ascend through the polychromatic storm.
"We must aid him," Lele intoned, watching Solgaleo rise.
"Agreed," Koko growled. "Tapus, let's finish this!"
And so all four Tapus rose into the air, Bulu and Fini on constructs of Overgrow and Torrent while Lele and Koko were propelled by their own power, charging after Solgaleo with renewed hope filling their hearts.
Zacian charged Primal Dialga head-on with blade at the ready. "Intrepid Sword: Behemoth Blade!" she cried, swinging it in an arc towards Primal Dialga's neck.
Primal Dialga let out a furious snarl, and time froze around Zacian, locking her in a petrified state.
"Dauntless Shield: Behemoth Bash!" Zamazenta charged Primal Dialga from behind, only for another snarl from the creature to freeze him in time as well. But Zacian was already concentrating, for she could still think, even if her body was locked in place. Intrepid Sword, she thought. Executioner's Blade.
A gigantic sword materialized straight through the center of Primal Dialga's body, slicing the creature in two. Primal Dialga screamed; the petrification shattered, and Zacian immediately launched herself forwards, knowing that being cut in half wouldn't be enough to stop Primal Dialga.
Indeed, the blade was rusting away even as time rewound around Primal Dialga's body, bringing its two halves back together. "Intrepid Sword-" Zacian began, but in that moment Primal Dialga let out another reverberating roar; in the next moment, Zacian was standing in midair where she'd started her charge, and so was Zamazenta on the opposite side. Primal Dialga, restored to full vitality, gave a snort and narrowed its eyes, readying for further combat.
Zacian locked eyes with the grimacing Zamazenta. "Can you maybe block his time travel somehow?" she asked telepathically.
"If I could I would have done it already," Zamazenta responded. "It's like a raging storm of Eterna constantly flowing around him - you can't stem a tide with a barrier, it'll just flow around!"
"Storm of Eterna…" Zacian murmured out loud. "Zamazenta," she said telepathically, "I've got an idea. Distract him - I'm going in."
"No problem." On the opposite side of Primal Dialga, Zamazenta let out a loud growl and leaped forwards. "Dauntless Shield: Barrier Crush!" Two translucent barriers formed around Primal Dialga, one above and one below, and the two of them shot downwards and upwards respectively even as Zamazenta charged Primal Dialga - a three-pronged attack, each prong of which needed to be answered.
Primal Dialga was more than up to the task. Another loud roar froze the barriers and Zamazenta in time, but they had done their job; now Primal Dialga was boxed in and distracted.
And Zacian would not let that go to waste. Gathering her haunches, she sprang forwards, only this time she didn't form a sword in her mouth or conjure one through part of her adversary. Instead, she opened her mouth, extended her claws, and flared Life all across her body.
Play Rough was what Trainers called it. For most Fairy-types, it was a desperation attack, a violent close-quarters option for when ranged attacks and trickery failed. For Zacian, it was rarely used; in close-quarters combat, her blades were almost always enough.
But in this situation, Play Rough was exactly what she needed.
Primal Dialga twisted and roared again, unleashing a wave of Eterna at Zacian; whatever the creature intended to do with it, it came to naught as the Eterna washed over Zacian's Life-wreathed body and dissipated uselessly. Primal Dialga looked absolutely shocked, but reacted irritatingly quickly; it reared backwards, Iron playing across its own body as it readied to take Zacian's attack and retaliate with its own.
Steel was super-effective against Fairy, true. But Zacian would not have been one of the Dogs of War if she did not have countermeasures against such a weakness.
Zacian barked as she dove at Primal Dialga, and Aura flowed forth from the gaps in her armor, mingling with the Life still surrounding her to create a reddish-pink flow of energy around her form. Aura was Zamazenta's specialty, but Zacian was no slouch in its usage herself, and she poured all of it that she could muster into her charge as she slammed headfirst into Primal Dialga.
Primal Dialga fought back with battering Iron-wreathed hooves, kicking at any part of Zacian's body it could reach, but Zacian's charge was too ferocious, and without its time-bending abilities Primal Dialga was much less dangerous. The kicks hurt, but Zacian ignored the pain as she sank her teeth into Primal Dialga's metallic skin and raked her Aura-infused claws across its body. Primal Dialga vibrated in her grasp as time reset around it over and over again, still keeping it in midair as it let out a bellowing roar, trying to shake Zacian off. The female Dog of War held on tight, refusing to let go.
Gathering Life in the back of her throat, Zacian clamped her jaws around Primal Dialga's neck and unleashed a point-blank Moonblast into the thin armor. Primal Dialga screamed, its voice terrifyingly high-pitched. It tried to shift backwards, but slammed into Zamazenta's barrier; Zacian could see out of the corner of her eye that Zamazenta, realizing what she was doing, had created a box of barriers around the locked-together duo, preventing Primal Dialga from escaping Zacian's grasp even if it did shake her off.
And he didn't escape. As Zacian bit and tore, Primal Dialga's struggles began to weaken, its strikes growing less painful. Zacian did not let up until Primal Dialga stopped hitting back altogether; only then did she finally lift her head and let go of the creature.
Primal Dialga was barely stirring (aside from the continued vibrations as time constantly reset around it) and was covered in wounds, piercing the skin and exposing blood. Zacian stared at the creature closely, waiting for it to make another move, not releasing the veil of Aura and Life from around her body just yet.
A shaft of light abruptly pierced out of Primal Dialga's left side. Another emanated from its right front leg, a third from its left eye. Primal Dialga screamed, an echoing scream that reverberated around Zamazenta's box of barriers as yet more streams of light burst out of its body, more and more forming until Primal Dialga's entire being was consumed in light.
There was a shattering sound, like glass, and Primal Dialga fell to the 'floor' of the barrier box with a loud thump. The light faded, leaving Zacian to stare at the creature's fallen form. The orange highlights were gone, changed back to light blue, and the malevolence and rage had faded from its eyes. As they blearily opened, Zacian realized she wasn't looking at Primal Dialga anymore.
"Ow…" Dialga murmured. "What…"
"Dialga?" Zacian asked.
"Yes," said Dialga, looking up at Zacian. "You…I remember you. Just now…"
He sighed, collecting himself. "Give me a moment," he said. "You should go help your allies." He glanced upwards at the darkened sky. "If Necrozma's drained this much light, likely he's assumed his final form. Your allies won't be able to beat that without your help."
"And we're supposed to just leave you here by yourself?" Zamazenta growled from outside the box.
"Do not worry, the madness has been broken," said Dialga. "I must rest for a few moments - when I am recovered, I too will join the fight."
"You can get out?" Zamazenta asked.
"When I wish to," said Dialga. "I apologize for what I did to you in my madness. I hope that I can make things right."
"You can make things right by getting all your 'friends' back to their proper timelines when all this is over," said Zacian.
"Believe me, I will," Dialga growled. "Go quickly, Zacian. And good luck."
With a nod, Zacian turned; Zamazenta dissipated one of the barriers, and Zacian leaped out of the box. Replacing the barrier, Zamazenta turned to follow, and together the Dogs of War raced off through the sky in search of Necrozma, leaving the former Primal Dialga to recover his bearings inside Zamazenta's barrier-formed box.
Marcus had wasted no time in beginning to recall the unconscious members of his team, though it had taken a bit more effort than Kriesh would have liked to find all of them amidst the sheer destruction that filled what had once been Kukui's house. Emma, meanwhile, had at once made for the fallen forms of Lusamine and AZ; several members of her team knew Wish, and that combined with Mimi's Heal Pulse - the same technique she'd used on Marcus - ensured that the wounds on AZ's Pokemon, as well as the man himself, had been healed, though they remained unconscious.
Lusamine, too, was still unconscious, and Lillie barely raised her head to acknowledge Emma's presence, a silent nod of her hand her only answer to Emma's offer to heal her team members as well. Kriesh wasn't sure exactly why the girl was so distraught - from what she could tell, Lusamine had been nothing but horrible to her - but she also understood that it was not her place to pry about such things.
"Would you like me to heal your Pokemon as well?" The telepathic voice of Emma's Aromatisse filled both Kriesh and Marcus's minds. Marcus nodded; Aromatisse wasted no time in reaching out, trickling a stream of mingled Normal and Fairy energy out of her hands and into Marcus's Luxury Balls one at a time.
Kriesh found herself looking around, searching for any further possible threats. There was still fighting outside, from the sound of it, and she could see glimpses of the ongoing battle through the holes in the walls, but no further enemies were attempting to get into Kukui's house. She felt a sudden warmth and turned to look at Aromatisse as the Fairy-type sent a Wish her way; Kriesh smiled, and Aromatisse nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to the rest of Marcus's Luxury Balls.
"Marcus, how in Distortion are you still alive?" Gladion asked; Kriesh hadn't even noticed him come over.
"Luck." Marcus touched his neck. "What happened here?"
"Nihilego," said Gladion. "To be honest…I thought we were finished for a good couple minutes, but then Nebby-"
"Marcus?" Emma spoke up. "I apologize, but I must go outside to help against Necrozma's horde. It seems my allies need me."
"Sure," said Marcus. "I'll…stay here. I've only got one conscious Pokemon, and-"
"No need to justify, you've done more than enough fighting," Emma interrupted again. "Those of us outside can take it from here."
Gratefully, Marcus stepped back as Emma called her team to her. The team charged outside after the Fairy-type Elite Four member, already firing off blasts of Fairy energy at every enemy they could see; cries of consternation arose from outside as the enemies quailed at the sight of reinforcements.
Marcus smiled slightly, looking past Lillie at the Alolan Ninetails and Ribombee standing behind her. "Congratulations on the evolution."
"Thanks." Lillie's voice was muted and emotionless; she was already looking back down at Lusamine.
"Best to leave her," said Gladion.
Marcus nodded in acceptance. "So, you were saying about Nebby?"
And then darkness erupted from nowhere in the center of the room.
Kriesh sprang back, instinctively flaring her wings as an instantly recognizable creature emerged from the dark portal that closed just as quickly as it had opened. Kriesh recognized the white smoky crest, the predominantly black floating body with red highlights, and the twin blue eyes of Darkrai. But the malevolence, the sheer fury glinting in those eyes, told Kriesh that this was not their Darkrai.
Only now did she recall Medicham's warning, the warning that had brought Marcus to Alola in the first place. Warnings about Necrozma's agents, one in particular that would be gunning for both Medicham and Marcus, the very same one that was now floating before them.
The Aberration. The highly dangerous and very evil alternate-universe Darkrai that effectively served as Necrozma's second-in-command.
And if he was here, what did that mean for the still-missing Medicham? Kriesh pushed that thought away - survival was the only thing that mattered here. Worries about Medicham, as much as it pained her, needed to come later.
"MARCUS!" the Aberration screamed, the sound so loud that Kriesh was certain somebody had to have heard it from outside. A black hand reached out towards Marcus, but Gladion swiftly shoved him out of the way. The hand grasped him, lifted him off the ground, and threw him to the side in one smooth motion.
"Gladion!" Lillie cried; behind her, Snowy and Buzzy leaped into action. "Shining Blast!" "Buzz Wave!" A Moonblast and a Bug Buzz burst out from the two Fairy-types at the Aberration. Kriesh let loose with a Beam Impact as well, hoping against hope at least one of the three attacks would land.
"Roar of Time!" the Aberration bellowed; time stopped, and by the time it started again the Aberration was standing right behind Buzzy and Snowy; the three attacks struck each other and exploded uselessly in midair. "Dark Void!" the Aberration snarled; Oblivion burst out from his claws, grasping Buzzy and Snowy and consuming them in its embrace. As it faded, it left no trace of their presence; Kriesh knew they were both fine, simply transported to the Dream World, but it was still nerve-wracking to see them both just disappear like that.
"Leave us alone!" Lillie shouted.
"I don't care about you," the Aberration retorted. "Stay out of my way and I won't tear you apart where you stand." His gaze swiveled to Marcus as he began to shift towards him. "You, on the other hand…your Medicham has cost me far more than I care to admit. So I am going to take quite a bit of pleasure in slaughtering everyone she cares about, starting with you and your Pokemon." Oblivion rippled from the Aberration's upraised claws as his eyes shone with anticipation.
Kriesh shifted between the Aberration and Marcus, fully aware she was horrifically outclassed.
"Oh, please," the Aberration growled. "What is it with this reality and pointless self-sacrifice? You're going to die anyway - it doesn't matter to me what order it happens in."
"Then I'll die protecting my Trainer," Kriesh snarled defiantly.
"No," said the Aberration. "You won't. Spacial Rend."
Eterna erupted around Kriesh, and in the next moment she was on the opposite side of the house. The Aberration lunged for Marcus, Oblivion flaring across his body as he reached out with terrifyingly sharp claws.
Kriesh cried out desperately as she lunged, hurling herself forwards with all the speed she could muster, but it wasn't even close to enough. She was only halfway across the room as the Aberration's claws streaked towards Marcus's stomach, aiming to slash him open.
And at that very moment, darkness pulsed between Marcus and the Aberration, and a black blade of Oblivion met the Aberration's claws as Bringer-Of-Visions materialized, horn-blade radiating the base form of Dark energy, Seeker-Of-Endings and Medicham standing on either side of her, and behind them five more strange Pokemon - a Froakie, a Riolu, a Grovyle, a Totodile, and a Chimchar.
Kriesh's heart leaped as she saw Medicham; her friend looked exhausted and injured, but was very clearly alive, and she launched into action immediately. "Pure Power: Aura Blast!" she cried; the other Pokemon were swift to back her up, unleashing their own attacks upon the Aberration's form.
"Spacial Rend!" the Aberration snarled, drawing back and unleashing a wave of Eterna that dissipated all of the attacks. Undaunted, the new arrivals were already spreading out, coming at the Aberration from multiple directions, moving with shocking speed for non-fully-evolved Pokemon.
Bringer-Of-Visions teleported right behind the Aberration and lashed out with a swipe of her horn-blade that the Aberration barely parried with a burst of Oblivion. The Grovyle and Seeker-Of-Endings charged in as well from other directions, blades glowing green and black respectively. The Aberration unleashed a rapid Dark Pulse, blasting the Grovyle and Seeker-Of-Endings away, but Bringer-Of-Visions teleported again, reappearing on top of the Aberration; her horn pierced into the Aberration's shoulder, eliciting a snarl of pain from the evil Darkrai. As the Aberration thrashed, trying to throw Bringer-Of-Visions off, other attacks flew once more from the four first-stage Pokemon and Medicham, an Aura Beam joining two Hydro Pumps, a Flamethrower, and a smaller version of Medicham's Aura Beam from the Riolu; distracted, the Aberration took all of the attacks, and another agonized howl escaped the creature's throat as he disappeared in a cloud of energy.
Kriesh finally stirred herself from her stupor. There was no reason she couldn't help as well. "Beam Impact!" she cried, unleashing another powerful Hyper Beam at the Aberration even as the other combatants opened fire with another wave of attacks.
"Roar of Time!" the Aberration bellowed; Eterna pulsed outwards, ripping through the cloud of energies still hanging over the Aberration, and all of the attacks coming at him froze in place. As time unfroze, a Dark Pulse rippled outwards from the Aberration's form, slamming into the various combatants and tossing them away. Kriesh twisted and dove downwards, managing to evade the Dark Pulse as it slashed through the air above her; most of the others weren't so lucky, slamming into the walls and, in Bringer-Of-Visions' case, the ceiling, but all rose quickly, energy playing around their bodies as they readied to launch another assault on the Aberration.
But the Aberration, clearly wounded and panting with tiredness, was nonetheless alone for a moment, and his blue rage-filled eyes once more settled on Marcus. "I'm not going down until you go with me!" he screamed. "Roar of Time!" Eterna blasted outwards as time froze in a small radius around the Aberration, locking all of his assailants save Kriesh in frozen time; thus relieved of pressure for the moment, the Aberration launched himself at Marcus, claws outstretched once again.
But before Kriesh could even cry out, no matter how useless it might be, the roof shattered above the charging Aberration, and a titanic Iron-wreathed hoof slammed down from on high into the crown of the Aberration's head.
The Aberration slammed into the floor with enough force to crater it; time unfroze as he lost concentration, releasing the immobilized group of Pokemon from their imprisonment, but they all stayed where they were anyways, eyes turned upwards towards the new hole in the roof. The Aberration was quick to scramble upwards, eyes upturned as well. Kriesh's eyes widened as the owner of the hoof stepped through the hole he'd made; she'd recognize the distinctive form of Dialga, Lord of Time, anywhere.
But the only Dialga here is that Primal Dialga creature Necrozma summoned. Is this that same Dialga, purified somehow? Or has the real Dialga shown up to help fight?
"You?" the Aberration snarled. "You…how?"
"How disappointing," growled Dialga. "All that power, all those plans, and it comes down to a desperate, mad attempt to kill a single Trainer. A Trainer whose very presence here seems to have ruined all your plans. I have scoured the timestream, Darkrai. I know exactly what that Trainer's Medicham did to your plan."
"Shut up!" the Aberration roared. "Roar of Time!"
Time stopped for a split second, and both Dialga and the Aberration moved in that split second; in a flash the Aberration was on the ground, its face being pressed into the stone floor by Dialga's hoof. "You think you can overpower me with my technique?" Dialga's voice radiated cold fury. "You had the advantage of surprise last time; your stolen power over time is only a fraction of mine, Darkrai. You cannot defeat me without that surprise advantage, especially not weakened as you are."
"If you think this is over-" the Aberration snarled.
"Over?" Dialga queried. "This was over before you even launched your attack. Let me ask you something, Darkrai - did the defenders of this reality not seem suspiciously well-prepared for your arrival? Surely you realize that such defenses could not have been permanently maintained?"
"What are you saying?" the Aberration growled.
"I am saying," said Dialga, "that before I even bothered to come here to finish you off, I transported myself twelve hours back in time to warn this reality's Darkrai of your and Necrozma's assault. And I told him to have this Trainer-" Dialga indicated Marcus with a wave of one hoof "-come to Alola: firstly, so that he could warn those already in Alola of Necrozma's impending invasion, and secondly, to put him and his Medicham in the positions they needed to be for you to end up in this specific position at this specific time. A stable time loop, if you will - perfectly created to ensure the events leading up to this moment played out how they were supposed to."
"But…but…" the Aberration stammered, "...you can't do that! Traveling back in time to accomplish that should just create a Splinter Timeline! It shouldn't have any effect on this reality! That's not how time works!"
"I am Dialga," said Dialga. "I decide how time works."
In the blink of an eye, Dialga slammed his hoof down, crushing the Aberration's head against the stone floor. The Aberration reached upwards, Oblivion pulsing from his fingertips, but Dialga's eyes blazed with Eterna and the Aberration froze in time, the attack fizzling out. Rearing up, Dialga wreathed his twin hooves in Iron and Eterna before bringing them down with an almighty crack upon the Aberration's prone, immobilized form.
As the noise from the impact faded, Kriesh beheld the Aberration slacken, his upraised arms falling limply to the ground. Dialga let out a satisfied growl, glancing around the room at the group of Trainers and Pokemon. His eyes settled on the five mysterious Pokemon that had accompanied Medicham and the two Heralds. "It is done," said the Lord of Time.
The five Pokemon each nodded. "Is he actually finished this time?" the Totodile asked.
"He is," Dialga confirmed. "Along with all of the other monsters Necrozma brought here from our reality."
With that confirmation, Kriesh quickly flew over to Medicham, wings spread wide. Medicham smiled widely at the sight of Kriesh; spreading out her own arms, she caught Kriesh and hugged her tightly, a hug that Kriesh reciprocated with her wings.
"It's over," Medicham whispered, her voice muffled as she buried her head in Kriesh's feathers.
"It's over," Kriesh echoed softly, not wanting in the slightest to let go.
"Full Metal Body: Iron Bullet!"
"Photon Geyser!"
Ultra Necrozma's radiant beam of light shot straight at the oncoming Solgaleo, who rolled out of the way, twisting so that his paws skimmed the edge of the Photon Geyser as he lunged for Ultra Necrozma. "Neuroforce: Reflex!" Ultra Necrozma snarled; Solgaleo's charge met empty air as Ultra Necrozma dodged to the side. Twisting again, Solgaleo lunged at Ultra Necrozma once again, who responded in kind, reaching out with both clawed hands to catch Solgaleo's charge.
But Solgaleo was above Ultra Necrozma now, and his weight and speed told; both of them fell, Solgaleo on top. "Sunraze Shaft!" Solgaleo bellowed; light, tinged with Overgrow, gathered in his mouth, and the telltale form of a Solar Beam lanced out of Solgaleo's jaws into Ultra Necrozma's face.
Ultra Necrozma grunted in some discomfort as the Solar Beam struck the interdimensional conqueror, but as the Tapus watched the battle Ultra Necrozma opened its mouth and seemed to inhale the Solar Beam; the creature's form began to glow brighter and brighter, and as the two battlers neared the ground Ultra Necrozma's body erupted in an explosion of light, blasting Solgaleo away. Ultra Necrozma landed with both feet on the ground, the impact enough to form a crater, and immediately launched itself upwards again, one clawed arm drawn back as it rushed the twisting form of Solgaleo.
"Electric Surge!" Koko cried. "Guardian's Smite!"
Ultra Necrozma had focused too much of its attention on finishing Solgaleo; the swift bolt of Lightning struck the creature in the back, and Ultra Necrozma staggered in midair as it hit. In that moment, Lele teleported into view beside Koko, one hand outstretched. "Psychic Surge: Sliver of the Beyond," she snarled, clenching her fist; his Psychic defenses momentarily disturbed by pain, Ultra Necrozma let out an agonized howl as Lele drove a mental spear into the center of its brain.
Below, Bulu and Fini took full advantage of the opportunity. With twin cries of "Grassy Surge: Gaia's Grasp!" and "Misty Surge: Oceanus's Grasp!", several gigantic tendrils each formed of mingled Overgrow and Torrent burst up from the ground, wrapping themselves around the momentarily stunned Ultra Necrozma and binding the creature in place. Ultra Necrozma and Solgaleo recovered at about the same time; the former shook its head, tearing through Lele's mental attack, and roared, furiously struggling against its bindings, while the latter lunged, head bowed. "Full Metal Body: Iron Missile!"
But Ultra Necrozma was still not finished. An exertion of Mind burst forth from the conqueror, overwhelming Lele's swift counter-exertion in an instant, and the force of gravity once more increased dramatically in the space of a few seconds. The Tapus and Solgaleo dropped like stones; Lele grasped Koko and teleported them both to the ground, ensuring they didn't suffer any damage from the drop, but the others weren't so lucky, slamming into the earth in a trio of dust clouds while the bindings around Ultra Necrozma crumbled under their own suddenly-increased weight. Ultra Necrozma, unaffected by its own gravitational increase, rose up into the air, hands spread wide, pulling all of the light Solgaleo had released into the world back into itself.
"I am light incarnate!" Ultra Necrozma roared. "I will not be denied!" The conqueror's roar filled the air as a shuddering eruption of Mind exploded out of its body. "Psychic Surge: Wail of the Beyond!" Lele cried; her own Mind lanced out, a cone-shaped blast unleashed to try and counter Ultra Necrozma's attack.
But Ultra Necrozma's power once again overwhelmed Lele's own. The world around the Tapus and Solgaleo was pounded by the expenditure of Psychic power, the entirety of Poni Island shaking under a sudden Psychic earthquake. All four Tapus staggered as their minds were assailed, but Lele got it the worst; unable to escape into the Beyond in time, her telepathic scream echoed across Poni Island as she fell to the ground, hands clutching either side of her head as her attempt to blunt Ultra Necrozma's attack ironically left her own mind completely defenseless.
In that moment, Solgaleo leaped upwards again, his own body surrounded with Mind - clearly he had some measure of power in that regard, for he seemed not too badly affected by Ultra Necrozma's Psychic attack. "Full Metal Body: Iron Bullet!" he snarled, launching himself once more at Ultra Necrozma.
"Enough!" Ultra Necrozma cried, lunging for Solgaleo; Solgaleo's Iron-wreathed head slammed into a Mind-infused punch thrown by Ultra Necrozma, stopping his charge dead in its tracks. Ultra Necrozma's other hand flared with Oblivion; In the blink of an eye, the creature twisted and raked its claws across Solgaleo's cheek, the force of the Oblivion-enhanced blow enough to send Solgaleo staggering. "Photon Geyser!" Ultra Necrozma roared; even as Koko shook his head, shaking off Ultra Necrozma's Psychic influence, he saw Solgaleo take the Photon Geyser head-on, and saw the expulsion of light propel Solgaleo out of the sky. The Legendary that had once been Nebby plummeted, his body tearing through one of the few still-standing cliffs on Poni Island before falling out of sight. The cliff crumbled, obscuring where exactly Solgaleo had landed from Koko's view.
Lele was still down, gasping for breath as she tried to recover from Ultra Necrozma's Psychic assault. Koko grimaced. Even with Solgaleo on our side, Ultra Necrozma is still too powerful…and it doesn't help that Solgaleo isn't fighting smartly. His attacks are clumsy, his mind overwhelmed with anger. Maybe at our full strength, we could have helped him out…but we've been slowly getting weaker and weaker from all this fighting.
Whereas it feels like Necrozma is only getting stronger.
Ultra Necrozma made as if to follow Solgaleo, then paused unexpectedly; a pained grimace crossed the conqueror's face as it reached up towards the sky with one hand, drawing more light into its body. Hope began to spring forth once more in Koko's heart. I forgot…without Solgaleo absorbed, he has to constantly drain light from the world to retain that form. By now, there can't be that much more light left to drain in this world. If we can stall him for long enough that he runs out of light before he absorbs Solgaleo, he'll be forced to power down. And once he's powered down, we might be able to finish him.
It's nowhere near concrete. But at least it's a plan.
"We've got to stall Necrozma!" Koko called to the other Tapus. "Force it to expend all its light reserves!"
"How?" Fini asked, panting as she did so. "We've expended our strongest techniques and they've barely slowed it down!"
"I…have a plan." Lele's voice was weak and trembling, but she stood tall regardless, finally shaking off her mental pain. "It's risky, and it'll mean I'm probably done for the rest of the battle, but it just might work."
"'Just might work' will have to be good enough," said Bulu.
"Right," said Lele. "On my signal, hit Necrozma with everything you've got." She spread her hands wide, playing Mind across her arms, her eyes glowing pink and purple. Her voice reverberated outwards, echoing, the air itself thrumming as she spoke.
"Nature's Madness. Call of the Beyond."
The world tore open as Lele summoned forth the full power of what lay beyond the mortal world. What emerged was a thing - that was the only way any of the Tapus could describe it - formed entirely of otherworldly energy, two blood-red objects that might have been eyes burning in what might have been its head. Mind, Distortion, Life, Oblivion, and other energies none of the Tapus even knew the name of filled the air. Uncountable tentacles swept across the sky, some dangling from the thing's torso and others from what was probably its mouth, and a chilling roar burst forth that threatened to send stabs of agony into the other Tapus' minds once more.
Lele threw out both arms, and the energy-formed creature surged forth, letting loose with a shrieking bellow as it lashed out with its many, many tendrils at Ultra Necrozma. The Tapu of the Beyond fell backwards, her physical form dissipating as she did so, all of her power expended in order to unleash the full force of what lay beyond the mortal realm at her nigh-untouchable foe.
Ultra Necrozma was clearly taken aback, for the creature stumbled momentarily, shaking its head as it flinched from the power behind the thing's roar. In that moment, it was too late; Ultra Necrozma's enhanced reflexes enabled it to duck a swing from the thing's first collection of tentacles, but its possibly-mouth tentacles reached out and grasped Ultra Necrozma around the neck. Ultra Necrozma let out a choking cry; the conqueror's body flared with light as it twisted in the thing's grasp and unleashed a point-blank Photon Geyser into its face. The thing howled, a howl that rattled the world, but though it staggered it kept its grip upon Ultra Necrozma.
"Now!" Lele cried, her energy form already floating up from where her physical form had fallen.
Koko launched himself upwards, and once more Fini and Bulu followed on constructs of Torrent and Overgrow summoned from the earth. All the way there, Koko felt a nagging urge to run, to get away from this thing that did not belong in this world. But he pushed it back; this was their last and best chance to do anything to Ultra Necrozma.
The conqueror's body was veritably ablaze with Mind; a strained look was present on Ultra Necrozma's face as he was clearly struggling to fight off the thing's influence. Ultra Necrozma let out a furious snarl, tearing at the tendrils holding it in place with its Oblivion-infused claws, eliciting further screams from the thing's maybe-throat. Koko launched himself upwards, pointing one arm at Ultra Necrozma. "Nature's Madness: Guardian's Light!"
Distracted, Ultra Necrozma was struck full-force by the Moonblast Koko unleashed; the conqueror shrieked in agony, and Bulu and Fini wasted no time in launching their own Moonblasts at Ultra Necrozma. Its screams grew louder and louder, more and more piercing, as the two further attacks hit home; Koko could tell the pounding was breaking Ultra Necrozma's mental defenses, allowing the thing's influence to worm its way into the conqueror's mind.
As the thing reached out, wrapping yet more tentacles around Ultra Necrozma's body, for a good few moments Koko was sure that this was it, that Ultra Necrozma was actually finished this time.
And then Ultra Necrozma stopped screaming; the conqueror's next five words came out strained through gritted teeth. "Light…That…Burns…The…SKY!"
It was the thing's turn to scream, its howl seeming to come from everywhere at once as Ultra Necrozma's form erupted in a sphere of light. Ultra Necrozma did not bother to form its Z-Move above itself this time; it simply unleashed the move all around its body, searing the thing with every scrap of light and power it could muster. The thing fell back, its tentacles seared off, its body disintegrating as it fell, its energies ruined by the sheer raw power of Ultra Necrozma's Z-Move.
The sphere launched itself at the three remaining Tapus, all of whom swiftly leaped out of the way, Koko upwards and the others to each side. But even as they scattered, even as the sphere of light passed harmlessly between them, it erupted into a colossal omnidirectional explosion, too fast for any of the Tapus to react. An unstoppable wave of force buffeted Koko's body, and his entire form exploded with pain; only his centuries of mental training stopped him from blacking out right then and there, and for a good few moments he was too stunned to even catch himself as he began to fall out of the air. Then his eyes flashed open and he stopped himself, floating shakily in midair; swiftly, he looked around to see Bulu and Fini plummeting downwards, their physical forms disintegrating around them.
They'd been too close to the exploding Z-Move, and taking an even greater amount of force and agony than what it had inflicted on Koko had been too much for them.
In what had been the Z-Move's center, Dawn Wings Necrozma rose, wings spread wide. Blue shadowy light radiated from Necrozma's body as it glared down at Koko. "Did you really think," it thundered, "that I wouldn't learn from my mistakes? I seem to recall you used the same trick on me - I would have thought you would be expecting at least some semblance of a trick. I will admit this - no one in all of the countless realities I have decimated has given me even close to the fight that you and your fellow Tapus have. But your resistance is over. Moongeist Beam."
Three beams of shadowy light blasted out from Necrozma's wings. Koko raised his arms. "Electric Surge: Lightning Storm!" he shouted, unleashing all the Lightning he could muster at the Moongeist Beams.
But weakened as he was, it wasn't enough. Yet as the Moongeist Beams punched through his last meager defense, Koko did not flinch. He stared down the incoming beams with Lightning pouring from his body, refusing to allow fear to take him even in these final moments.
"Sunraze Storm!"
And just as the beams were about to strike true, Solgaleo teleported right in front of Koko and unleashed a blast of concentrated sunlight in all directions. Now the Tapu flinched, if only to shield himself from the blinding light; the Moongeist Beams were blunted, their energies dissipating, and Necrozma was only able to deflect the blast by activating Shadow Shield, forming a barrier of pure shadow in front of it that intercepted the remnants of Solgaleo's attack.
"You have no right to take her form!" Solgaleo snarled. "You have no right to use her power as your own!"
"Her power is my own!" Necrozma bellowed. "As is yours!"
"Then come and take it!" Solgaleo roared. His body blazed with power, light radiating off him, illuminating the surrounding world as he reared back, still in midair.
Necrozma, too, began to flare power, shadows spilling off its form as it spread its glowing wings. "Submit!"
"NEVER!" Solgaleo retorted, crouching in midair, readying to spring. Necrozma floated backwards a little, the glow from its wings reaching a fever pitch.
Both their voices shouted out into the air, mingling together. "Searing Sunraze Smash!" "Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom!"
Sunlight emblazoned Solgaleo's body, forming a sort of glowing armor as he leaped straight for Necrozma, head lowered. Moonlight unleashed itself from Necrozma's body in half a dozen concentrated beams, beams that twisted towards each other, gathering in the center to form one massive beam that shot at the charging Solgaleo.
Moonlight met sunlight, Z-Move met Z-Move, and light and dark clashed as Solgaleo slammed headfirst into Necrozma's attack.
Once more Koko had to shield his eyes to avoid being blinded by the outpouring of light. As he opened their eyes, looking back at the clash, it became instantly clear that the two Z-Moves were evenly matched in power. Solgaleo was making no headway, unable to move forwards against the power of Necrozma's Z-Move, but neither was he being pushed back as he strained against Necrozma's attack.
I have to help. Koko reached out, drawing on whatever vestiges of power he could still command. "Nature's Madness: Guardian's Light!"
The blast of Life struck true, slamming into Necrozma's face, barely visible through the eruption of light caused by the clash of the two Z-Moves. Necrozma roared out its refusal to relent; more stars winked out in the sky as Necrozma drained yet more light from the world, restoring its own vitality even in the face of Koko's assault. "You will not overcome me!" Necrozma snarled defiantly. "I am Necrozma, light incarnate, and I will not be felled-"
And then a building-size sword materialized straight through Necrozma's stomach.
"NYAAGH!" Necrozma's strangled scream erupted from its throat as it doubled over backwards. Zamazenta's charge caught the conqueror in its head mid-scream, sending Necrozma staggering forwards. The Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom fluctuated, and Solgaleo surged forwards, his sunlight beating back Necrozma's moonlight.
"Finish it!" Zacian cried, ripping her sword free of Necrozma's midsection.
She didn't know why she was able to think. For as long as she could remember, she had merely been a part of the Blinding One. She existed through him. He drew upon her power. She was him in every possible way.
And yet, as she stared out through the Blinding One's eyes, she thought.
She thought about the face. About the voice. About the technique she recognized, though she could not remember where from.
"I am coming for you, Lunala!"
He spoke again. He was unrecognizable yet recognizable, his face dancing in her mind, yet just like the technique, she could not place a name to that face. And who was Lunala?
Lunala.
The name stirred in her mind.
Lunala.
He came on, ripping through the Z-Move, her Z-Move, in spite of the Blinding One's attempts to keep it up. She should have felt scared. After all, she was the Blinding One; the Blinding One's defeat was her defeat as well. And yet instead of fear she felt an inexplicable relief.
Lunala.
He impacted, and with his impact came memory.
Memory that had been lost for so long, memory that she knew at once was her true self, buried under years and years of serving the Blinding One's - Necrozma's - will.
I am Lunala.
Lunala reached out for Solgaleo - Leo - and as Necrozma fell, a last scream exiting his mouth as he topped, Solgaleo took her hand.
Brightness burst out like an endless tide from Necrozma's body as all of the conqueror's stolen light vented outwards. It was so unbearably bright that all present and watching had to squeeze their eyes shut for a good fifteen seconds, until the light finally ceased to be blinding and they were able to slowly, blinkingly, open their eyes again.
By the time Koko, Zacian, or Zamazenta were able to see clearly, Necrozma's body had landed. In its base form, Necrozma looked strangely small, its black body plainly visible amidst the crater it had made with its final descent. And floating above it were Solgaleo and Lunala, locked in a tight embrace. Lunala looked almost exactly like Necrozma's Dawn Wings form, though with gold highlights crisscrossing her entire body, and a dominantly indigo color instead of the blue-black color scheme Necrozma had utilized.
Smiles came from all around, smiles of exhausted relief. "We won," Koko murmured.
"It appears we did," said Zacian. "Let us descend - I have been fighting in midair for quite a while, and I do wish to get my paws back on solid ground."
Lunala looked up. "I am so very sorry, everyone," she said telepathically. "I have no excuse for my actions as part of Necrozma. It-"
"Lunala." Solgaleo's voice was as firm as it was calm. "You have nothing to apologize for. You weren't in control. That was all Necrozma, and now we're rid of that monster for good."
"Agreed," said Zacian. Zamazenta nodded beside Zacian; the Dogs of War were already lowering themselves to the ground, and Koko followed them exhaustedly, as did Solgaleo and Lunala.
As they landed, Bulu, Fini, and Lele could be seen, their energy forms barely visible as they watched Solgaleo and Lunala with grateful happiness in their eyes. "Thank you for your assistance, Dogs," said Lele.
"Thank you for holding Necrozma off as long as you did," said Zacian.
"I wish we could've gotten there sooner," Zamazenta growled. "Stupid time-bending mutant Dialga…"
"You got here in time, and that's all that matters," said Koko.
Smiles and nods came from all around as the eight Legendaries - five in their physical forms, three in their energy forms - relaxed as it finally sunk in that the battle was truly over, that Necrozma had finally, truly fallen.
"So…" Bulu was the one to float the question they were all thinking. "What do we do with-"
And then inky black Distortion burst forth from all around.
"Pressure."
The voice, and the accompanying wave of force, struck the unprepared Legendaries like a mental thunderbolt. All of them flinched as a terrifying visage burned itself into their minds, a visage they all knew and recognized. But recognition did not mean instantaneous action - with their mental defenses lowered and their minds and bodies still weak from the battle, release from the Pressure was slow. All told, the gathered Legendaries were immobilized for a good several seconds.
All the time Giratina needed.
It didn't matter which of the swarming undead Pokemon, rushing from every angle to pounce, had been the one to finish Necrozma off. All that mattered was that as the Dogs of War, the Tapus, and Solgaleo refocused, they beheld Necrozma's dead body sinking into a pit of Distortion; before any of them could do anything more, Necrozma disappeared fully from existence, leaving only his killers and their master.
"What is the meaning of this, Giratina?" Zamazenta snarled.
"Necrozma is dead," Giratina growled in response. "As such, he is mine now, and so are the hundreds of others slain in this war. Any attempt to seize any of them from my grasp will be treated as a violation of the Rei Accords."
"There is no way the Rei Accords allow this," Koko protested.
"It is true the Rei Accords prohibit me from influencing events in this world," said Giratina. "However, as I recall, the Dogs of War agreed to allow me and my forces to intervene in this war."
"And as I recall, we promised retribution if you put even a single toe out of line," Zacian growled. "There will be consequences for this."
"What are you going to do, Zacian?" Giratina asked. "Have me killed for the simple crime of aiding you in a war? You know full well that Arceus will not go to war over this. He is too softhearted, too married to his so-called 'Accords'. He will not act unless I violate them…and, again, the only violation of the Accords I committed was with your permission. But…"
Giratina's eyes glowed red. "Since we're speaking the language of threats now…a war can only start when a shot is fired. I know no one truly wants another War of Legends. I certainly do not, at least not yet. But should you, or anyone else, choose to try and assault me, I will not hesitate to call upon Yveltal, Enamorus, Necrozma, and all those fallen mortals who serve me to wage war upon those who do so. And they will not be the only ones who heed my call. There will be living Legendaries who will refuse to align with the aggressors. They, too, will join my cause. The world will be torn apart once again by war, and this time, no human conflict will be able to stop it. The Second War of Legends will not stop until this world is razed, all upon it exterminated. That is what will happen if we go to war again. So, all of you, tell me." Giratina's gaze swept across the ranks of Legendaries. "Who among you wishes to fire the first shot?"
Not a Legendary moved. Giratina hmmed softly, sounding almost amused. "As I thought," the Lord of Distortion rumbled. "My role is done. I would not wish to overstay my welcome." As he spoke, Giratina withdrew; black pits of Distortion opened up beneath his servants, swallowing them whole, and in moments the Lord of Distortion and his minions had disappeared completely.
And so what would become known as the Battle of Alola ended. To humanity and mortal Pokemon, it was a great victory, for they and their Legendary allies had successfully staved off Necrozma's invasion, protected their reality, and while there had been numerous casualties, news organizations agreed that there could have been a lot more. Kukui would receive accolades for his prompt direction of his forces to protect Alola, and the already popular Champion of Alola became even more popular, with many news networks specifically comparing him favorably to the disgraced former Champion of Unova, Alder. And though much of Alola's infrastructure (and quite a lot of Poni Island itself) had been damaged or destroyed during the invasion, in the days after the battle's end, the Tapus would join with construction companies to begin rebuilding efforts at once, while many refugee programs swooped in to provide aid to the people and Pokemon of Alola whose homes had been destroyed. The rest of the UPW were glad to give the people of Alola whatever help they could. Morale was high despite the destruction.
But even as the people celebrated and began to rebuild, the Legendaries knew that as much as they wanted to treat it as a victory, they could not. Zacian and Zamazenta in particular were unable to enjoy any of the celebrations. For they knew that Giratina, not humanity, had been the true victor of the Battle of Alola.
And they knew that this battle was only the beginning of something far more dangerous.
With that, the Invasion Arc is finally over. And with it, aside from the epilogue, Season 2 is finished as well.
The epilogue will be long. I don't anticipate releasing it in that timely of a manner. Then again, you all are probably used to that kind of thing by now, seeing as my schedule really slipped while writing this arc.
That's something I'm chalking up to a combination of these chapters being twice as long as normal, standard burnout, and real life deciding to be a real b***h right about now.
When I get started with Season 3 (which won't be until the beginning of next year, just like I did with Season 2, because I need a break), I'm going to likely take a less breakneck approach then I have so far. But all that's in the future - right now, it's time to get started on the Season 2 Epilogue.
Thank you, all, for sticking with me even as my traditional four-day update schedule went down the toilet, and please drop a review if you have the time to let me know how you think the arc, and Season 2 as a whole, turned out!