Episode 27: The Heavenly Execution

"What are you, nuts?" Nier screamed, pulling her head fur up.

"No? I made a perfectly sane and sound decision," Vincent replied. His arms were folded while he leaned against the back wall of the treehouse.

"You attacked the fricking prince! With a spear! You should be hanged for that!" she cried.

"I told you why, I told you what happened, and you yourself can see the result—"

"It's perfectly sane and sound, huh? It is, isn't it?" Nier began prodding him with her rapier.

"Ow- hey- quit it, okay- stop, I get it!" he hissed.

"It's sound! It's sane! Hold up a sec, lemme try and kill ya 'cos you don't agree with me!"

Leos groaned as he watched the two Meowstic dance around the treehouse. The others exchanged awkward glances with him or shrugged, and soon the couple crashed to the ground. They resorted to playfully slapping each other, though they clearly put in enough intent to actually hurt one another.

Besides that, everyone was ready. Mentally ready to return to the world above and deal with the war that was inevitably happening. Griselle had a heavy metal costume that hid most of her appearance, Blossom had been given a leather shield, and Leos and Prem had their Z-Move. There was some uncertainty about whether it would work in the face of Tapu Bulu or not, but either way, the duo was prepared to set off and try it. If it didn't work, Leos would think of something.

Shaymin finally showed up, causing the room to go quiet. She set down some sort of mat with some puzzle piece shaped cards in it. Three pieces filled a space on top of the mat.

"Prince Leos. Take this," she gave him another mat. His one had the cards separated from it. "They're called Entercards. They're ancient tools to summon Magnagates, portals that can lead anywhere in the world. This one is pre-set to return you to the Second Country, should you ever need it."

"Shaymin," he said. He didn't know what to say.

"This one I'm about to use will send you to the Terrihstoric Wasteland. From there, the show is yours," she turned her back. "I suggest you seek out a library or something. Learn how to make Magnagates on your own. I won't be around to make them for you after this."

"What do you mean? Couldn't we just come back here and ask you?" Griselle asked. Shaymin turned back around, and had a solemn grin.

"Either way, you've dropped a blast seed, there. Being able to make portals that go anywhere, of course I'd research how to do something like that," Leos remarked. He looked over everyone and gulped. "Our army is small, but we have to do something. Let's go."

At his call, Shaymin inserted the last Entercard into her mat, and then stamped on it with a shout. Psychic power surrounded her in an intimidating emanation of energy. The blue colour took over Shaymin's body completely, followed by the cards, and then some markings on the ground. The markings were all circular, and grew wider and wider until the energy finally burst, almost blowing everyone away.

"Whoa," Leos whispered, taken aback by the glowing portal before him. It was flat on the ground, like a swirling puddle of blues. The light from it stretched up through the roof of the treehouse in a perfect cylinder, while heavy wind blew away from the portal constantly.

"Grandma!" Griselle drew their attentions to Shaymin. The tiny hedgehog was still surrounded by blue energy, and she panted heavily.

"That's it for me, I'm afraid. That's the last thing I can do for the time being," she said. She puffed and panted between every word.

"Wait what, you don't mean- you're not gonna die, are you?" Griselle cried.

"In your mortal eyes, yes, I am going to die. But that's what fate chose. Don't mourn for me. It was bound to happen, and it's not without great cause," Shaymin said. Her voice sounded positive for the first time, despite how tired and weak her posture showed. Her voice echoed as well, like she was getting further and further away from them.

"You helped us raise our child. You aided me to no end when I first showed up here, even though I was a hybrid that no one trusted. And now, you're giving your life to help us all the more," Vincent said. "Don't tell us not to mourn for you. That's impossible for someone who's done so much for us all."

"You're like, basically my mother! You can't just do this suddenly," Nier gasped.

"Your mother?" Shaymin replied. There was a pause. "That's a wonderful thought. I knew Griselle called me 'grandma', but I just saw that as a cute gesture from a child. I never considered that I could be called a mother. I'm not even allowed to be one."

Despite being made of the blue energy, it looked like she changed form right there. The shape of flowers bloomed on her back, like many Gracidea sprouting in season. It almost looked like Shaymin blushed and smiled, and she lifted her head high. "But it means a lot. Thank you, Nier! But remember everything I told you. We legends don't really die. I'm simply returning to my slumber."

"Shaymin!" Nier cried. In a flash, Shaymin disappeared completely, leaving nothing but a brief sparkle of blue glitter.

"I've told you my story and given you all the information I can. Now you can return to the realm. With that, I have given you everything I can. Don't let me down, now. When I come back, I'll be able to look upon Etheria and smile!"

And those were her last words, echoing from beyond reality into their minds. No one said anything for a while, letting the sound of the Magnagate take over the scene. It wasn't until the portal made a new noise, like an alarm of some sort, that everyone realised their time was short. Leos swiped his arm aside and they all jumped into the portal.

Just like that, the full group were whisked away almost too fast for their liking. The colours of the portal took over their surroundings completely, rolling past like a never-ending backdrop that they flew through at light speed. They were still able to stand still while they travelled like this however, so after a short moment, they got used to the light.

"She must've known that this would happen. That's why she was so mad at me for failing her," Leos curled his paws. "Why didn't she just stay strict and keep us down here?"

"Because you were so intent on getting back and fighting Tapu Bulu. She must've also known that she couldn't hold you back," Nier replied, paws on her hips. Leos gawked at her. "I know Shaymin. She was always doing things for the benefit of other Pokémon. She was definitely harsher with you, but I suppose that's only because of the legend thing."

"… So it's my fault again, huh?" Leos sighed and gritted his teeth.

"Don't see it that way, my lord. She wouldn't have done this if she knew you weren't determined to see this through," Blossom replied. She rubbed his back, so he spared her a little smile.

"That was so sudden, though. She didn't really just die, did she? She couldn't have killed herself just opening the portal for us," Prem cried.

"She's gone, that's for sure. But like she told us in her story, legendary Pokémon don't really die. They return to the part of nature from whence they came," Vincent replied. "Chances are, we'll go back there and they'll be a bed of Gracidea and flowers."

"And if we don't win, she'll have to revive, right? So she can tell another group of Pokémon what she told us," Griselle said.
"That's right. It's just like her to leave us guessing if that was her intent," Nier nodded. She ruffled Griselle's head fur. "Except that this time, I'm certain that's what she wants. So nothing to do but to do our best, right?"

Leos didn't reply. He stared down at the Entercards and squinted in frustration. No, wait. It's not going to happen overnight. All I can do from here on is learn. Keep paying attention to other Pokémon, and learn all I can about them. She saved Blossom's life, taught me a Z-Move… Shaymin. Thank you for everything.

He put the Entercards away and scanned his party, locking eyes with Griselle. "You okay, Griselle? If you need a moment—"

"No way. I'm fine, Leos. Really!" she cried and stood straight. "Let's focus."

"A-are you sure? You don't need to push yourself or anything," he started sweating a little.

She slowly shook her head. "When I decided to devote myself to you, I knew I'd have to face things like this. Pokémon risking their lives and Pokémon I care about getting hurt… I couldn't do anything about it this time, but when it comes to battle, I'll do everything I can to protect them. I'll die before you do, if it comes to it."

He couldn't reply with anything more than a slight shudder. His eyes were wide and he gawked a little, but kept his fangs together.

"That's our girl! Tougher than the metal on her shoulder. Us too, Prince Leos! We're part of your army for the time being. So hang back and let us do the heavy lifting!" Nier said.

He only managed to glance at her before they reached their destination, signified by the background fading back out into reality. A cold wind had everyone cringe while they got used to their new surroundings, but that was just the start of it.

Leos gasped. He had to look through the group at the dead area they had landed in. Grey clouds buried the sky as far as the eye could see, while fragile, cakey earth covered the rest. Cracks, fissures, and other uneven edges dotted the scenery, which if it wasn't for the land going uphill, had no form of cover whatsoever. Not a tree or a dune or a shadow was in sight, letting the land stretch on like an endless void.

"Wait," Leos whispered as he slowly turned around. He took in a sharp breath, breaking the silence of the emptiness that sat before him. On this side of the area, a conflict of nature had settled. Trees, thorny bushes, and patches of tall grass seemed to grow amongst the cracked ground. It was all green and healthy, and it wasn't coming out of the cracks, but the planet itself. Everything downhill was fighting against the various vegetation, ignoring the obvious scientific laws to grow to unrealistic size.

"What is all this? How is grass and stuff growing here?" Blossom asked.

Leos shook his head and growled. "Grass isn't growing here. Tapu Bulu was here."

"Oh, right. If we follow the stuff, we'll reach him and the army, right?" Nier glanced at the group. "Not that I had any doubt, but this at least proves your story."

"We don't have time to lose. Let's go," Leos ordered, but Vincent stopped him before he could move an inch.

"A moment. This also means that the battle is already under way, and gods knows how far it has progressed," he warned. He readied his naginata. "We'll be jumping into the war mid-battle. We should take advantage and plan a proper strategy. There aren't many of us, so if we can jump Tapu Bulu right from the start, we'll save a lot of trouble."

"That's true. I'll be thinking," Leos agreed. He nodded, and they set off.

…

It didn't take long for the party to lose their cool. As they trekked through the forested wasteland, the vegetation grew more and more mutated and disfigured. The further they walked, the more the trees gradually towered higher than mountains, leaning in various directions from their uneven weight. Oversized vines swirled and weaved from the ground in a congested tangle that almost made a natural maze. The stench of pollen mixed with a ripe, damp smell to irritate their noses, like an excessive amount of perfume had been sprayed everywhere.

They couldn't even walk quickly, as every few moments or so, a step that someone took would generate a nasty vibration or crumbling echo. It felt like they were walking on layers of paper - parts of the ground chipped away or fell into the planet with every heavy step, particularly around the spots where the larger plant life grew. No wind blew, so every sound was enough to make someone yelp or freeze up in expectation an ambush or something. But nothing came.

It felt like hours passed in their trip, and barely a word was shared during that time. So when Blossom suddenly skipped off the obvious path the plants made to investigate a spot, Leos cheered inside. She carefully dug around a bush, and eventually used Psychic to retrieve whatever she spotted in there.

"Good gods!" she hissed and dropped her move in fright. She had pulled a dead body from the bush, a body so mangled and burnt up that its original species couldn't be recognised.

Leos was the first to calm down and realise that the Pokémon was dead. He felt his body grow cold as he identified the countless methods of damage the poor Pokémon had suffered, all until he spotted the main cause of death: dark type damage. The Pokémon's wounds were recent, and its body actually still bled in places – the Pokémon had died before taking the stabs, burns and such, likely due to the mental damage dark and psychic type moves deal. Its eyes were even still open, but lifeless.

"Wait, if he's still bleeding, then—" he whispered. He climbed a nearby arching stem to get a good look at the horizon, and almost choked on his own breath.

They were on the border of the no man's land that the war had created. The mutant vegetation stopped growing past this bundle of giant vines and bushes, making way for a great clearing of wasteland. This clearing was littered with groaning corpses, from Pokémon on the verge of death to those already passed, lying lifeless with weapons piercing their vitals or parts of their bodies missing.

Leos shuddered as he looked over the suffering combatants. Hakamo-o, Goodra, Charizard, Tsareena, Azumarill, Froslass, Mawile, and more littered the battlefield, all stinking of rot and stained with blood and burns from the heavy impact of Pokémon attacks. Neither side was at a clear advantage, and shared equal casualties.

"But why?" he whispered, unable to believe his eyes. "Just because the Tapu are mad? Is that truly why all this has to happen?"

"Leos, get down," Vincent snapped and pulled him flat onto the stem. He could barely balance on its rounded surface by lying on his belly like this, but it presumably did a decent job of hiding him from sight. "Look to the left and right. Both armies are taking stalemate."

Leos let out a trembling breath as he slowly gazed at both ends. The dragons had created a trench that looked like a fissure, despite the fragile ground they had to work with. Meanwhile, the fairies had a combination of damaged airships and well-constructed forts on their side. The forts were mostly made from the vegetation that Tapu Bulu grew, since he was stood on top of it all with his hooves pressed together.

"There he is. Right at the top of that big castle thing made of veggies," Nier informed, looking through binoculars. "Is that Charle, next to him?"

"Give me those. How can you not recognise him?" Vincent snatched the binoculars to get a look himself. He let out a growl of wonder. "Wait, why is he?"

"See? He looks different. Like, darker or something," she folded her arms.

"We just won't be able to reach him with all the fairies protecting his perch. And no matter what we do, the terrain is disadvantageous. Out in the open like this, and with height advantage, we won't be able to flank them, either," Leos rubbed his chin.

"So no easy plans. If they were fighting, maybe we could sneak by or something," Nier mumbled.

Leos shook his head. "They have height advantage. That means they have scouts. Sneaking is impossible."

"Leos, look!" Prem squeaked and pointed. He was already floating with his orb.

"Father," Leos muttered as he spotted Rune amongst a huddle of dragon types. He led a group across the clearing. "Wait, what? What is he doing?"

Rune was focused straight forward. Many of the dragon types followed him from a distance. Even with them all of them put together, they were a small group, an easy target for the cannons on the airships. Surely enough, some callouts soon came from the Faernian side of the field, followed by cannons taking aim.

"No! They're sitting Ducklett!" Leos cried.

"What does he think he's doing?" Griselle cried.

None of the airships took off, but the way their cannons moved, it was obvious that they were locked on. A few moments later, white energy began to gather at the front of the cannon as if it was charging a Moonblast attack.

"Griselle, put your shield up!" Nier shouted.

"Why? We're so far—"

"Don't question, just do it!"

Griselle hid as much of herself behind her scalchop as she could. The moment she did, Nier lifted her up using her psychic powers and flung her like a ball. Griselle screamed of course, but with her trajectory, she would have no trouble intercepting the cannon shot to block it.

A second later, gasps sounded out from both Leos' and Rune's parties. The cannon fired, sending the huge Moonblast up into the air. It arched quickly and fell down straight towards them, big enough to engulf Rune's group entirely.

"Ooh boy, that's not good!" Griselle cried as she landed in front of Rune. She maintained her balance, but skidded to stop in place. "D-don't worry, your highness!"

"Get behind me!" the Dewott snapped and skidded in front of her at the last moment.

He held the Sword of Earthly Elements tightly, one hand firmly on the hilt while the other pushed against the flat side of the blade. This stance surrounded the duo in a magical barrier, but that didn't stop the wicked force from the attack from blowing everything around them away. The dragons behind Rune were all overwhelmed and sent back into their trench, defeated by the single attack, while Rune and Griselle escaped unscathed.

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Griselle asked excitedly. Rune slowly glanced at her, and then faced forward.

"You were with Leos. What're you doing here?" he replied.

"Father!" Leos called, sprinting over with the others.

"I should've guessed," he sighed and shook his head. "All of you. Stay clear. I will take care of this."

"No. What're you doing here? I thought you were trying to stop war? That's what you told me!" Leos raised his voice. Rune sighed again.

"I just got here. The Faernians attacked so suddenly that they got a lot of casualties in. If it weren't for Erinians being such savages, they could've taken a town or two of ours," he said sternly "Once I learnt that Tapu Bulu was involved, I went out of my way to come here. They haven't gotten anywhere, and won't. Not with the sword on my side. And he knows that."

"Let me help you. If you're really going to stop this war like you say, then you have no reason to refuse us," Leos stated. "With me, Prem!"

"You can't do anything here. Get to safety," Rune replied.

"We're both on the same side, aren't we? Let me fight!" Leos raised his voice.

"This isn't a game. You'll die here, Leos. You and your friends need to leave. Now," Rune became cross.

"We're not children. Don't treat me like one!" Leos shouted.

"Guys," Prem said as the water types bickered. Rune silenced them both with an arm in front of Leos' face. Leos grumbled fidgeted out of the way but saw why, as Tapu Bulu had jumped from his perch to land on the battlefield.

"He came to us? What?" Vincent whispered. No one else questioned it, but shivered as the grass type legend approached. He was slow and barely moved out of his initial pose where his hooves were pressed together.

"This sword protects its user. It allows me to confront the enemy directly, challenging them to a duel. Once again, he cannot stop me unless he defeats me while I'm using this sword," Rune stated. Tapu Bulu stopped a few metres in front and stared at their party. "Tapu Bulu knows that. Me coming here and using this is a declaration of battle. If I should fall here, then our army forfeits. If I win, the Faernians leave."

"Just like the battles written in history," Leos muttered. He stared right into Tapu Bulu's motionless, empty eyes. The legendary stared back in complete silence, unnerving the others into fidgeting. Leos himself couldn't help but wipe his forehead of sweat he couldn't feel.

"Well what do you know, you survived that fall!" Charle laughed as he stepped around Tapu Bulu.

"You! Charle, what in the world do you think you're doing?" Nier cried.

"Is that- Lady Nier?" he gasped. "Fortune smiles upon me today. I should get what I want now. Wanna make this quick? Come here, honey."

"Answer the question, Charle," Vincent said firmly.

"Shut up, hybrid. Come here, Nier honey. We have a lot of catching up to do," the Meowth said. He snickered and held a palm forward.

"Heck yeah we do! Like where you disappeared off to when we left you back in the Stardust Treasury all those years ago. Or why you're here fighting with the Faernian army? We were supposed to be stopping war from happening, not starting one!" she replied, paws on her hips.

"Don't worry about any of that. Come with me, and you won't have to worry about any of that ever again. Or any difficult things, for that matter," he assured. He held his paws up. "I've seen the way. The powers I have now, the control over everything that I have – I always get what I want, so I could make you a queen! All you have to do is return my love. The pleasures of your dreams would only be the start of it!"

Everyone turned to Nier, who let out an exasperated groan. "Oh. My. Gods. You're still on about that? Don't you have a wife now or something?"

"A mate. That's what I have. A dignified mate. And I want you to be my primary mate. That's all you have to do for me," he said. Nier raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you're worried. Don't be. I know how to make both of us come together every time, if you know what I mean."

"Urgh, knock it off!" she cried. "Listen, Charle. I have a husband, and a kid. And although I find you funny, I've never been romantically attracted to you. So please, just knock it off. We have more important stuff to deal with."

"Looks like you don't understand exactly what I'm talking about here," Charle became angry. He stepped forward, and Leos and the others stepped back the same distance. "I always get what I want now. And what I want now is for you to be my primary mate. I decided that. With these powers, you don't have the strength to resist me. But you'll like it in the end, anyway. I know you will. That's just the kind of quality I have. No one listens until I show them what I can do. Once they see it for themselves, once they feel it… you will want more. You will never want me to leave your side."

"Okay, I've heard enough of that. I underestimated you last time, but you won't defeat me again," Blossom threatened. She stepped forward. "The lady said no. That's that."

"I said shut up!" he raised his voice to shriek at them.

"Well this is getting noisy," Rune groaned. Charle snapped to silence, and suddenly smiled maniacally at them.

"Fine then. If you want it to be that way, then fine! It's already setup, anyway. You fools will fall to my might. Meanwhile, Tapu Koko's plan will reach stage one," he said. He started to snicker.

"Tapu Koko's plan?" Leos whispered.

"Boy," Tapu Bulu spoke up, surprising everyone. His eyes were locked on Leos, who flinched at the tone of his rough, deep, and powerful voice. "You have it, don't you? The Z-Move."

Leos gulped and nodded, to which Prem shifted to his side.

"Then your opponent is me! While our lord Tapu Bulu deals with the main issue, I'll deal with your rabble," Charle said, fangs showing.

Vincent was about to make a snide comment, but choked on the first word when Charle appeared right in front of Rune and slammed his sword into the Dewott's chest. Rune blocked it, but not without a cough and a growl at the speed of it. The attack was so quick and forceful that Charle pushed them both backward for a second, and then Rune started to push forward to stop them.

"Wait, what?" Nier gasped. She struggled to watch them exchange slashes. They hit their blades against one another so hard that the sounds of their battle echoed far. They eventually hopped a good few paces from each other, but Rune was focused and furious, now.

"Leave my son out of this! The duel is between you and me, Tapu Bulu!" Rune shouted.

"But it isn't. It isn't even a duel involving you, prince," Charle said. He laughed snidely. Everyone's eyes widened when he began to levitate off the ground slightly, releasing light shockwaves of darkness from his feet. "Come at me! I'll take you all on at once. You'll see just how worthless you all are before me!"

"Oh pipe down already," Vincent growled as he jumped towards him first.

Charle only moved at the last moment, but he was fast enough to block Vincent's attack completely. Vincent kept at it however, with spins, kicks, stabs, and swipes of his naginata. Charle avoided or blocked it all with fluent floating to keep Vincent moving across the battlefield. Vincent eventually tripped over a body, which gave Charle an easy hit with his claws.

"Vincent!" Nier cried, raising her ears to use Psychic. The hybrid had only been hit by Slash, but it sent him staggering away to make room for the others. Nier's Psychic blast came in not a second later, but Charle didn't so much as blink from the impact. "What?"

"He's showing characteristics of a dark type. Psychic type moves are having no effect!" Blossom said.

Rune was next, shooting a Water Pulse with just one hand. He chased it before it hit Charle, who blocked both the Water Pulse and Rune's sword. The two ended up face to face and ground their blades against one another.

"Killing you is going to be especially fun, prince." Charle hummed with delight.

"Don't get your hopes up," he retorted and growled.

They pushed against each other for a moment, until Charle revealed a free paw. He held a Dark Pulse around that paw and threatened to fire it at point blank range, but Rune Kicked back and surrounded himself in water to use Aqua Jet and escape.

The next moment had the others in states of shock. Rune and Charle zipped around the battlefield so fast that they couldn't be followed. They smashed against each other periodically with mighty hits. Each collision created a burst of energy somewhere in the space, half water and half darkness. This carried on until Rune finally got the upper hand, catching Charle by the neck to smash him into the ground. Charle jumped right back to his feet, but not without snarling at his predicament.

"So you do have some fight in you. I expected a lazy royal like you to rely on your weapon," he mocked as he stretched his neck. It clicked loudly. "Where'd you get that speed from then, huh?"

Meanwhile, Leos, Prem, and Tapu Bulu were still staring at each other. Leos waited for the legendary to speak or act, to give some sign to say that their duel had begun. But Tapu Bulu didn't move at all, his empty eyes fixated on the Oshawott. The reason why soon became apparent, as the Faernian army began to gather behind him.

"Wait, is this an ambush?" Leos whispered and glanced back. The Erinian army had done the same for his side, and their presence had halted Charle's fight against the others.

"I must admit, I'm impressed, boy. You survived Charle's attack, and a fall from a great height. If you should truly be capable of a Z-Move, then you might entertain me with a good battle," Tapu Bulu said. Leos lost his tension. "You are aware of how duels work, correct? You will be the deciding factor in the outcome of this battle."

Strange. He sounds sane. Does he know that the Z-Move will kill him? Leos asked himself. He shook his head. No. We've thought about this already. We've seen the casualties and the damage. This god needs to be put down, and this is my chance to do it.

"I accept your challenge. I'll stop whatever crazed reign you intend to have," Leos declared, and stepped forward.

"Good. But do not misunderstand my intentions. I simply wish to have an engaging battle," he replied. Leos and Prem loosened. "The Pokémon of Eris are said to be more savage in combat, raised in harsh conditions. This has proven true by the prowess they've shown in combat thus far. But none of them compare to me."

"You're really doing this just so you can have a good fight?" Leos asked.

"Their power pales in comparison to mine. There is nowhere or no excuse for me to unleash my full strength, and I have grown bored. I wish to fully engage in combat, but there is no satisfaction to be had if the opponent falls at my simplest action," explained the mighty god.

"That- that's so wrong," Prem whimpered.

"You're literally killing hundreds of Pokémon," Leos cried. "Are you really doing this just because you're bored and want a good fight?"

"You spout similar nonsense to the fallen kings of ages past. But don't you Erinians kill simply for nourishment? What difference lies between yours and mine wishes that deems me morally wrong?" he replied. Leos looked down. He shook uncontrollably. "Perhaps it is time to put Erinians in their place. To right the wrong ways of your citizens by punishing you all with death. The least you could do is make it entertaining, however. You, the boy capable of a Z-Move."

"For a moment there, I thought you weren't insane. A small part of me thought that there was some remarkable reason that sparked your travel to Eris, gave you a valid reason for all this death," Leos said, slowly looking up right into Tapu Bulu's eyes. "Now I know Shaymin wasn't lying. You're just a god gone mad that's lost his heart. The Pokémon of Eris don't eat each other because they want to – they have no choice! Your blessings don't reach them, and so nothing on their planet grows!"

"Spare me the details, boy. I am done with pity. If that was so much of a problem, then why do the Pokémon not do anything about it? Instead they prepare themselves for battle, hardening each other before they kill themselves from the inside. Killing them for enjoyment is a kindness," he replied.

Leos' glare intensified, and he crossed his arms. "I've heard enough. You think killing them for circumstances beyond their control – circumstances you yourself could help – is acceptable? And for your own sick enjoyment, no more? I won't let you go any further, Tapu Bulu! This ends now!"

"Good, you do know it! Hit me with it. Show me the true extent of your power. Hit me with the power only true gods can achieve!" Tapu Bulu laughed with rising excitement.

"I call upon the stars to grant me your blessing!" Leos began, glowing with aura. Prem copied in perfect sync, besides the worried expression on his face. A heavy wind blew from them both as golden light surrounded them, both Pikachu and Oshawott posing in the shape of the Aries star sign. "Provide me an attack to make ease of this conflict!"

Just like last time, the energy around them spiked, and then burst harmlessly. All the light and energy dispersed into a single burst of wind that only ruffled fur. Seeing that, Prem panicked, glanced left and right and whimpered. "Oh no, it still didn't work!"

But Leos ignored that. He was too angry to care if it looked like it worked or not. With the gamble in his mind that he had absorbed the aura or something, he swiped his scalchop aside, formed a Razor Shell, and threw himself at Tapu Bulu with a loud, angry cry. He impacted with all his strength, so much force behind his swing that he winded himself on hit. But Tapu Bulu didn't so much as blink or shift. He stared down at the Razor Shell harmlessly laying on his chest.

"What?" Leos choked.

"I'm disappointed, boy. Perhaps it was all a fluke. You are mortal, however. It was to be expected that you couldn't do any better than that," he said, his tone of voice telling of that genuine disappointment.

Leos vaulted away from him the moment his hooves moved, avoiding a Wood Hammer attack that was so fast he didn't see it. That wasn't the end of Tapu Bulu's attack however, as he rose his decorated hooves with a triumphant cheer. At his call, several vines and roots magically sprouted from the earth below their feet, all from random spots that shifted everyone into full focus.

"Stop!" Leos gasped. He almost tripped over one that sprouted near him. Many came from afar and grew to stretch across the air, threatening to pierce him like thrown daggers.

"Leos!" Rune roared at the top of his voice, caught in the middle of his own battle with the vines. In fact everyone was, even the Faernian soldiers behind the god were having to hop, shield, or attack their way out of the onslaught of plants. There were so many that no one could do a job of looking out for each other, and countless Pokémon were pierced right through as the seconds went by.

It didn't take long before Leos joined them. He jumped, spun, and even managed to cut one in two before he was overwhelmed by three stems at once. If he didn't trip over one as he stumbled backwards, the stem might have hit him through his chest, but instead it hit him just above his left arm. It went right through his bubble collar and back out the other side.

He let out an agonizing scream at a higher pitch than he himself knew he could let out. All seemed to recognise it was him, as the plants suddenly retracted at Tapu Bulu's command – even the one that went through Leos. It forced its way back through him, unplugging his wound to bring a gush of blood and flesh with it, as well as another scream from the Oshawott.

"Leos!" everyone screamed.

He did his best to stay standing, but the sight of a puddle of blood at his feet made him lose his strength and confidence in an instant. He fell forward onto all fours. His breath was desperate and trembling as the blood stained his hands and feet. He couldn't believe how much he was losing, nor the pain that drank his strength by the bucketload. He couldn't even hear or feel anything anymore, aware that he was likely going to die at any moment.

It's all my fault… it's my fault… all my fault! Prem whimpered, unable to turn away.

No one moved as Tapu Bulu let out a taunting laugh and bashed his hooves together. Charle made an effort to look threatening as well, and kept everyone away with his sword and an evil smile.

I failed. After everything, I still failed, Leos whimpered in his head as well. I can't hurt him. I can barely move from this spot. He's going to kill me!

The world blacked out for both Leos and Prem. Time slowed to almost a complete standstill, too. Leos couldn't feel his breath as all of his surroundings turned to complete darkness. Only his pathetic, fallen figure, Tapu Bulu's mocking laughter, and Prem's terrified noises could be heard, whilst his blood spread across the ruined ground.

For Prem, the very same thought stormed through his mind. His memories with Leos played through on repeat, running through his head at blinding speed. Over and over and over, every last day he spent with the Oshawott hybrid, right down to the words they shared together repeated in his mind ceaselessly.

I don't want you to die… I really don't want you to die. You can't die now, Prem told himself.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die! I want to live! Leos begged to himself, and scrunched up his face. But it didn't work! My body isn't working! My Z-Move, after everything…

All of a sudden, Prem let out a scream louder than any of the sound in the area, silencing everyone. He twirled his head around and stomped both feet into the ground while cupping his hands into fists. Gasps sounded out before silence fell besides him, all eyes drawn to the Pikachu's feral outburst. The wings of his Mega Charizard hoodie spread wide, the tail lit up with real flames, and the eyes on the hood glowed a bright blue.

"Leos, stand up! Do your best and stand up, Leos! It's not over yet!" he shrieked, straining his voice to its limit.

The Oshawott couldn't believe Prem could reach such a volume, but it sparked just as much shock in him as it did everyone else. He stared straight forward while Prem continued to scream orders of support to him, eying Tapu Bulu in expectation. The legendary didn't move, and watched them with widened eyes.

"We've got one shot and I know we can do it. We can bring out our fully powered strength, I know we can!" Prem cried. He sweated and huffed from exhaustion.

The Z-Move… he's r-right. I'm not dead yet, and if I really don't want to die, then it has to work. I have to try, Leos shuddered from a sting of pain.

His vision went blurry for a moment and he growled from pain as another spurt of blood leaked from his wound. Surely enough, with a growl of maximum effort and a stumble backwards from weakness, he got to his feet. His body felt like fire burned everything inside of it, and his feet were ready to melt and bring him to the floor, but he ignored it. His face was fierce and focused, despite his eyesight was blurred from fatigue.

"Do it, Prem!" he shouted, crossing his arms.

"We have to win this. We can't lose!" Prem replied, still shouting.

The duo crossed their arms at the same time, and the surrounding area to darkened as their bodies glowed with golden aura. The aura grew over Prem as they unfurled their arms and stretched them forward, keeping them crossed. Leos didn't voice his incantation this time, and moved into a crouch. The duo spun as they rose back up, spread their arms out in a curl to pose in the same shape as the Aries star sign.

The moment they struck this pose together, the golden aura around them spiked and raged around each of them with continuous pulses. This time however, the aura shot out of Prem and arched through the air to slam onto Leos, strengthening his aura to the point that it was blinding. It stayed around him and transformed Leos into a golden form that overflowed with energy.

"Is this it?" Rune whispered, his jaw hung open.

"Yes, yes! This is what I've been waiting for!" Tapu Bulu said and smacked his hooves together. "The Z-Move, one's full power! Hit me with it. Show me everything you've got!"

Leos heard him, but was too busy shuddering in awe. He had just been basked in more pain than he'd ever felt in his entire life, and now he was the opposite; overflowing with so much energy, confidence, motivation, and every other uplifting notion that he could barely keep still. He stared at his paws as he tried to control his body's irritable trembling.

"Finish it, Leos! Hit 'em with everything you've got!" Prem threw his fists forward.

Leos heard him loud and clear, and with this much power in his hands, he was more than ready to try again. He stomped one foot as he swiped his scalchop aside. The action magically generated countless copies of himself.

"Double Team?" Blossom gasped.

"No, look in his paws! His Razor Shell!" Rune pointed out.

The clones of Leos all looked identical to him in his normal form, complete with normal Razor Shell attacks. Each of them rushed forward and dove into Tapu Bulu to stab him with their blades. Tapu Bulu thrust his chest in a cocky attempt to block them, but the very first one that hit him had enough power to make him flinch and grunt. A second one hit and he cursed, followed by a third that instinctively made him guard his body. Either way, dozens of Leos clones kept hitting him with Razor Shell to pin him to the spot seemingly without end.

Meanwhile, Leos concentrated on his target with full focus. He held his scalchop tightly with both hands, and when he finally tensed, a Razor Shell formed from it.

Unlike the double-sided sword he normally formed however, his attack turned into a scythe over three times the Oshawott's size. He spun the weapon around into a comfortable position and then burst forward at wicked speed, and hacked into Tapu Bulu without mercy. His last hit pierced the very bottom of the deity, and all the Leos clones dispersed in a beautiful explosion of blue particles.

"Wha-what?" Tapu Bulu cried. His body stretched up to try and resist the pain. "H-how is this- possible?"

Leos didn't answer him, but stalled for just a moment. Tapu Bulu glared down and met his livid stare with a surprised snort. He then closed his eyes and relaxed, letting his hooves fall limp at his sides. "Well done."

At that, Leos roared out loud and pulled his scythe up as hard as he could. It sliced right through Tapu Bulu in a clean, straight cut that split the legendary in two, both halves separating briefly before exploding into enormous blasts of wind and glowing particles. It was all harmless, and the others only had to shield their faces as their fur ruffled from the wind.

Leos was left behind in the centre of the glowing specks, which quickly slowed to fall like glittering snow. His aura lingered for a short while afterwards too, but soon faded in another harmless burst of wind. He struggled to turn around, and lost his balance just as suddenly as he had gained it.

"Leos!" Prem cried, being the first to trip and scramble over to his friend. Leos' wound had returned, though it no longer bled. His eyes were shut tight, and his body shuddered from cold and a struggle to move. "Are you alright?"

He responded by raising his right arm straight up, as if calling Prem closer to help him stand. Prem wasted no time in reaching out, but to his surprise, Leos snatched his grip and pulled him to the ground. He pulled Prem into an embrace, breathing lightly with a big smile on his face.

"L-Leos?" Prem gasped as quiet as a whisper.

Leos' face was so close to his that he could feel his breath on his cheeks, and their bellies and feet were touching. He refused to move, though.

"Stay here," Leos said after a short while, and moved his other paw to Prem's back. His right paw continued to clench Prem's left, his relaxed affection finally causing the Pikachu to go bright red all over his face. "You're warm."

Prem couldn't even reply with anything better than near to silent stutters and squeaks. Leos let out a weak giggle at that, and patted him on the back. "Thank you. I mean it."