The Contender's Ascent

by Insane Dominator

Third installment to "The Fairy Contender". Months passed since Nic and Erza finally united, but now things get really interesting. New challenges face Nic as Pokemon begin to rise, more complex foes challenge him and his powers, and something darker than darkness itself seeks Nic. With friends new and old joining forces, Nic and two worlds unite in ways unimaginable. OCxErza

53. Guardians of Alola - Part I

-"I see something! Up ahead!" Nic shouted as he raced through the canyon, fast enough for Greninja to keep pace, but slow enough also so Erza wasn't left behind.

"I see light as well, that must be the altar." Erza indicated.

The three fastened themselves when they finally breached the edge of the canyons. After spending what felt like a relentless day keeping the International Police at large, they've finally reached the place that had piqued their interests. Their destination had finally come to light, and it sure as hell wasn't a disappointing sight.

Finally out in the open, the three slowed to a stop to take a paneled view of their surroundings. All around, the sun was beaming down along the massive valley that surrounded the plateau that the three were on. They stood before a large diameter of rock that gave them a clear perspective of what laid before them. If it wasn't impressive enough that the altar was as grand as the legends said, the staircase had a statement of its own.

The stairwell went so high up that the perspective didn't show it ending. As far as what they could tell, it reached up to the sun, which was beaming down onto a massive stone the size of a mountain that pointed straight up. If they had to bet, that was where the Altar of the Sunne was supposed to be.

"There it is..." Erza said solemnly. "According to the directions, we have to be here."

"Yeah, you're right about that." Nic said, his expression painted with awe and slight surprise at the stairwell. He's never seen stairs go that long or high before. Aside from a clear view of some of the stairwell missing its edging, possibly due to aging or past battles, it held up pretty well. Whoever made this clearly took the term 'aiming for new heights' to a whole other level.

His passion aside, he chose to regard their mission at hand. If there was any possible chance to get to the bottom of solving the appearance of Z-Crystals on Earthland, it had to be here. It was the only logistical standpoint left they had to work with. Otherwise they would have had to go back and tussle with all of Alola all over again just to backtrack on something they could have missed. And considering how essentially everyone sees them as a threat to society, the odds of somebody's face breaking along the way would be extremely high.

THUMP!

Nic's heart suddenly thumped madly. His mind expanded with a faint but still noticeable cry that echoed through space. He had to hold himself back from lurching at the epiphany befalling him. 'The hell was that noise I heard?' he thought. 'I didn't imagine that, did I?'

Greninja gave Nic a look, his gut telling him Nic winced at something. "(What happened?)"

Nic shook his head, keeping a leveled head as he turned to his partner. "It's nothing...I just had a feeling again." He glanced up to the altar. "We better move it quick before otherwise."

"(Should we save face and just fly up there? That sounds like the more conservative option.)" Greninja opted.

"Yeah, guess that's true." Nic responded. He shifted to his Mind Form on the spot, where he closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate telekinetic prowess until it was maximized. His eyes shined bright green with psychokinesis. "Telekinesis!"

A similar green outline enveloped Erza and Greninja. They found themselves defying gravity, as was Nic. Using his telekinetic control, they started gliding up the long stairwell as swift as the wind. All three kept their solemn focus on the end goal.

'We have to get to the bottom of this mystery.' Erza thought.

'And to do that, we have to go to the top.' Nic followed.

'(And no matter what happens in the process...)' Greninja glared ahead, his red eyes flared with readiness.

All three had a familiar look in their eyes that said the same thing. 'We'll see it through to the end!'

'Kreeaaah!'

Another distorted cry rung in Nic's head, this one more audible than the previous one. It was enough to make his head throb for a second as he glided up the stairwell. 'The hell am I hearing now?' He gritted his teeth beneath his lips. 'Whatever it is, it has to do with the altar up ahead. I'm sure of it.' His glare hardened underneath the sun. 'And we're going to figure out what that is.'

---

"Gah!"

Another explosion followed by crushing stone got to the group of police officers and their Pokémon, many of whom fell immediately after getting through the tall grass. Another wave of soldiers floored from too many good hits taken along the way. Amongst them, Looker coughed dust as he was trying to stand, but found his strength lagging.

"Why...are there so many Stealth Rock traps set here?" He grunted, using a forearm to support himself. He hesitated to question which part of him felt worse, his legs from tripping so much, or his pride from the fact his entire squad was downsized to only a handful remaining.

'I never expected the geography to be this tricky. The layout, the way all these traps were made...this was no coincidence.' He thought as he staggered back to his feet. 'This has to be the work of Nic Pularis. He thought this far ahead to keep us at bay? Now it made sense why a lot of the trails derailing from tall grass had Stealth Rock markings. And all those tunnels missing, that had to be...'

A thud from beside him grabbed his attention. An officer's Growlithe collapsed from that last Stealth Rock. "Growlithe, no!" His partner shouted. He picked him up in his arm and cradled him. "It's going to be okay. We'll get you healed up." He turned towards Looker. "Sorry, sir. We're out."

Looker looked back, seeing what was left of his squad after traversing for what felt like hours. Compared to when he started with over sixty ground troopers, only a few were left, and even they were on their last legs. He only got so lucky up until now was because they used their Pokémon to shield him from wild encounters.

"Squad, regroup and get the wounded out of the tall grass!" he ordered. "Signal for the aerial recon to pick you up. We'll have reinforcements in the air on standby." He turned and started off on his own towards the trail.

"Sir, where are you going?" an officer asked.

"I'm going ahead. If my hunch is correct, they couldn't have gotten very far passed this point. If they didn't already alter the course of this part of the map, they should be at the Altar of the Sunne."

"Are you positive about this?"

Looker nodded. "Trust me, I know so. I may be getting old, but my hunch has never let me down." His eyes narrowed. "But I'm not callous enough to know when I'm not outmatched. I won't restrain them until reinforcements and the fellow Kahunas have him in one place. Just follow my orders and stay put until help come from above."

The officer jolted with a salute. "Uh, s-sir!"

Looker pressed on his own. With no backup, it was going to be that much harder. At the very least, he can snuff out their whereabouts before they make an attempt to escape again. His dirtied heels carried him towards the narrow passage to the deepest parts of the canyons. The cliffs were insanely high just from looking straight up, but with such a narrow view, he was positive this had to be where they went.

'They really went into a trial site?' He saw the two totems on either side of him that signaled a trial site. Or at least, something that Looker warned him about. He knew it was sacred grounds he'd be treading on, but at this point, there was no turning back. He might as well see what all that commotion was about. 'They've really made it this far in. Hopefully I'm not too late!'

With diligence to spare, he ran through the narrow crevice, not bothering to stop and read the stone warning placed there for a reason. However, he was more focused on the massive rock wall ahead that dipped into a large slope of rocks. He slowed to a stop and looked up to it a mixture of awe and disappointment on his face.

'So that rumbling was from here. I knew it!' Looker clutched his fists tightly. 'It was related to the Totem in this area. If Nic ventured this far in, this has to be a result of that battle.' His eyes scanned the rock wall once more. 'There's no way that anyone can climb that. That's far too unstable.' He glanced back the way he came. 'And the aerial recon are probably picking them up, but I can't get a signal out here for them to get me. And these cliffs are far too narrow for aerial drops.' For once, Looker was at a loss for words. He was, quite literally, between a rock and really hard place. If he went back now, and overlooked something here, what would have been the point of leaving his downed squad behind? That was a question that had to be taken into a certain perspective.

'What would Anabelle do...?'

As he questioned to himself, he heard a loud rumble from the other side. A light tremor rushed beneath his feet, causing him to vibrate. "What the...? An earthquake?" He looked at the ground, seeing small stones thump loudly and doing the jitterbug all over the canyon grounds.

BOOM!

The entire rock wall shuddered madly with an intense force from the other side. Large rocks cracked and started falling apart, some of which Looker had to get away from to avoid being crushed. He started backpedaling as the magnitude was only getting harsher by the second. Something big was coming!

'I need to move! NOW!' He turned and started back the way he came, just before the magnitude had reached an all-time high right beneath the rock wall.

"TECTONIC RAGE!"

A series of fissures cracked the earth beneath the rocks that made up the barricade. The unsteady earth caused the entire premise to come down onto itself like a collapsing building. A loud neigh echoed through the fissure as an orange light shot straight up through it, making an explosion of earth and dust to completely overlap the canyon grounds. Everything erupted into a violent earthquake as the fissure blew apart every fragment of the earth around the wall.

Looker floored in an instant, curling up to avoid being hit by rock that was sent flying in his direction. Debris rained down all around him and settled into the newly refined earth layer. As the tremors settled, the fissure was starting to close up on itself, much to his disbelief.

"Hey, you'd be alright dere, Looker?"

A familiar southern accent grabbed his attention. He slowly uncovered himself and looked up. He saw a familiar stallion with a petite woman riding on his back. He blinked in earnest shock at what just happened. "Wait, you're...Miss Kahuna Hapu?"

"Phew! I reckon you'd be around here somewhere, Detective. I just didn't think you'd be dis close now!" Hapu sighed. "Golly, I thought you'd get crushed by dat Z-Move! Sorry fer not check'n if you were dere or not."

"N-no, no. It's quite alright." He waved at her, dismissing her worries. He shifted his eyes towards the rock wall that was destroyed in mere seconds. 'So that's what that earthquake was about...' He adverted his attention towards Hapu again. "I see, so that's the power of a Z-Move."

Hapu lifted her left wrist, showing Looker her Z-Ring with a dirt-brown crystal with an emblem on it to emphasize some matter of terra insignia. "Yep! Got dat right, partner! Dat was Tectonic Rage y'all just witnessed! It's a real heavy-hitter when it comes to Mudsdale doin' de stompin'." She turned to her partner. "Ain't dat right?"

"(You know it.)" he snorted.

"But I don't understand. I thought you went ahead and scouted for Nic." Looker frowned. "Did something happen?"

Hapu crossed her arms, huffing angrily. "Hmph! Trust me, dat rascal pulled a fast one on me and Mudsdale here! We were in d'heir way and dey just completely pinned me down! Froze me up and everything! But it's all good now, thanks to de island guardians' help, Mudsdale and I are back in business!"

"The island guardians, you say?" Looker looked genuinely piqued by this information. He could have sworn back at the Ancient Poni Path that there was a scuffle with Tapu Fini. But he knew better than to digress from the point. "So then, where did they go?"

"Dey be headin' on ahead of us. Just needed to clear de path for ye and yer posse. Speaking of which..." She tilted her head beside Looker, looking right behind him at the desolate canyon width. "What happened to all dose officers ye said ye brought?"

Looker hung his head down. "Unfortunately, we didn't anticipate the pathways to be cut off. There were a lot of layout changes and traps set by Nic along the way. Many of my men were forced to withdraw."

Hapu raised a brow. "Huh? Well shoot, talk about a rotten crop in de middle of a drought. We ain't lucky at all today. Sorry to hear 'bout dat."

"There's no need. We still have aerial recon left. They'll pick up the men and they'll be tended to." His expression hardened. "But we shouldn't worry about that right now. We need to hurry and head for the altar. If they're where I think they are, we might still be able to catch them!"

Hapu nodded. "Say no more! Mudsdale!" She tapped her partner's side, where he bent down to allow her on. Looker joined her and held firmly on his back. "Best be hanging on tightly, Detective! Dis be a bumpy ride! Yeehaw!"

Mudsdale neighed loudly as he raised to his hind legs. He stomped down onto the ground with a thunderous quake. He turned and started galloping through the narrow gorge, each step leaving a heavy indent in the ground.

---

Nic, Erza, and Greninja all found themselves gliding to a stop at the edge of the stairwell. Nic deactivated his Telekinesis and reverted to normal before marveling with everyone at the sight that beheld them.

The altar's plateau was unlike anything they've seem. It was so high above the canyons themselves that it could be compared to reaching to the stars. The air was crisp and lacking humidity, allowing a faint breeze to brush their skin. The altar had a massive design that looked like a doorway for the sun-shaped golden emblem on the center to shine, especially with the sun beaming down brightly. There were shrines with the sun's emblem standing on the top of them on either side of the altar. Surprisingly enough, the altar was also a soothing waterfall that flowed into pools around two plates standing in the shallows. Neat tiling surrounded by grottos and grass served as a borderland for the domain.

The three looked around, taking in everything that the altar had to offer. From a much higher perspective, things looked very different than what they were down below. Just looking out alone showed how far up they were in comparison to the vast canyon grounds they had to trek. But this was where the pinnacle was, and it was here they came to do their job the Cambire Foundation sought for.

"I never expected such a sight for an altar." Erza admitted, eyeing the lush greenery and silver trimmings. She honestly expected something a little more traditional, something along runes or maybe torches surrounding some kind of ritual grounds.

"As far as what we've seen back in Kalos, they didn't have anything like this." Nic stated. He thought the most notable reference would be the Tower of Mastery, or maybe the Pokémon League at the end of Victory Road. But this had a different kind of feeling that those two places couldn't have given off. It felt...euphoric? Surely there was a better word to describe what he was trying to say, but something in his gut was saying this was the most appropriate word.

'Krreeeeaah!' The small cry ringing inside his head seemed to have thought so as well.

Nic visibly lurched, but he caught himself before he felt off the platform to the grassy ledge beneath. "(Nic, you okay?)" Greninja asked.

Nic shook his head, rubbing his head. "I'm okay, Greninja..." He frowned. 'That cry, it sounds like Lunala alright...is she trying to tell me something's going on here?'

Erza glanced everywhere as she walked up the small flight of steps to the next ledge. She noticed the streams flowing from the altar's sides like waterfalls. For some reason, it reminded her of something like Couriway Town, vaguely enough. She saw how gently the water flowed from the altar into the two pools and traversed into smaller streams beyond them. Where could they have led to? They didn't see any watering holes on their way here. If they did, they would have been those riverways in the caverns. But where exactly did the water flow from if the altar was the pinnacle around here? There were so many questions that it was enough to turn Erza's head into a spin. So many things about the Pokémon world she had to learn in a year and even still there was so much to learn.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Or anything that appears to have been damaged." Erza put a hand to her chin. "Were those rumors we saw even true?"

Greninja turned towards Nic. "(Sensing anything?)"

Nic looked down at the ground with his own query. Something about this didn't seem right at all. They didn't just come out here for any reason. He knew something here was important is some way. And if these scream flashes in his head served to prove that point, he had to look deeper.

'What exactly happened here?' He took a few steps forward, standing before the massive sun-shaped emblem on the altar. He looked completely focused on the architecture, seeing if there were any indents or any signs of it having been damaged...but it looked untouched by time. 'What exactly are we trying to see...?'

'Krreeaaah!'

A loud shriek rattled through Nic's head so intensely that his body pulsed. His eyes shrank as he suddenly lost feeling in one of his knees. He fell to a knee, his head hung over with a small gag. "Guh-!"

"Nic?!" Erza yelped.

"(Nic!)" Greninja snapped.

They both hurried to his side, kneeling on his left and right. "Nic?! Nic! Can you hear me?! What's happening?!" Erza snapped, getting into a small panic attack. Nic didn't respond to her as his eyes were still shrunk with a distraught fixation. "Nic, stay with me!"

Greninja narrowed his eyes. "(Something's wrong. His body's shutting down for some reason.)"

Erza's eyes widened with shock. 'He's convulsing again. Just like...!' She thought back to when they were in Glacidia, in the midst of their battle against Emmanuel. Nic's battle alongside Mega Charizard was completely flatlined when the former had shut down. Immediately she was getting a serious tension in her stomach. 'Is something trying to contact him again?'

Taking a look at Nic again, both of them had the same hunch. Greninja's own gut instincts were telling him the exact same thing. Something was going on with his partner's head. And that same something was telling him being idle won't resolve any of their inquiries.

Greninja turned to Erza and gave her a serious face. She saw his glare and felt like he was up to something. Knowing this was Nic's Greninja, she could definitely trust him. She turned back towards Nic, giving him a serious face.

"Nic...it's going to be okay."

Nic only lightly nudged. "Erza...Greninja..."

The two put their hands on his shoulders to assure themselves alongside him. "We're here, Nic. We're not going anywhere, okay?!"

THUMP!

Suddenly, both their minds went blank as a pulse passed through to their bodies as well. Erza and Greninja's eyes shrank to the size of salt grains as their bodies nearly lost all strength. Their nerves shut down fast, rendering them unable to feel anything.

'What's happening...my body...everything is breaking down right before my eyes...' Erza trailed off as everything went to black.

'(This feeling...)' Greninja's own mind started fading to black.

---

Nic opened his eyes. When he did, he found himself at the altar site. The only difference was that he was floating in the middle of the sky; and if that wasn't mystifying enough, it was night.

He blinked, getting a sense of what was happening. "What's going on...?" He muttered. "Is this...a vision?" He looked around to see if anything was out of the ordinary. Immediately he realized he wasn't alone. "Erza?" On his right, Erza was floating beside him. He looked over to his left and saw Greninja accompanying him. "Greninja..."

His red eyes gleamed at Nic. "This is what you're seeing, right?"

Hearing Greninja actually speaking again was the answer he needed to know. It calmed him down. "Yeah, looks like it."

"If this is what we're seeing...then who's making us see this?" Erza inquired.

Nic frowned. He had the same exact question. A shadow overcast all of them underneath the moonlit sky of Alola. They all looked up, immediate shock spreading across their faces when the shadow was in the shape of a lunar bat that towered at staggering heights. Its red, beaming gaze was fixed so heavily on them that it was like looking into a red nova.

At first, Erza was speechless. She didn't know what it was until she saw similarities between it and what form Nic took a while back. 'This creature. It looks like...'

'Lunala...' Nic thought.

Nobody said anything as Lunala looked at them. They couldn't tell if this was a real figment of her, or a proxy to communicate something through Nic. Through past experiences, it had to be the latter. But putting that in the back of their minds, they were left in awe and confusion as to what the Legendary wanted.

Nic furrowed his brow. "What is it?"

Lunala said nothing as she made eye contact with him, again giving him a gaze that was as mesmerizing as the stars themselves. She careened her head skywards towards the bright moon over their heads. They all followed and watched what she meant.

Just beneath the moonlight, they watched a small crack appeared in the middle of the sky. The crack expanded, until it became a web of cracks that shattered. Pieces of the black sky split apart as a wormhole opened. They watched in shock as something shot out of the portal into the altar.

'Isn't that...!' Erza's eyes widened as she recognized the parasite.

They continued watching as the rainbow energy that was the first parasite crash into the altar's sun emblem, making a bright rainbow flare. They all used their forearms to cover themselves from being blinded by the light. Once it faded, they saw a rainbow, sand-like, magical energy spread across the atmosphere, sprinkling into the water. They all watched as the water began glowing a bright rainbow energy.

"The water is changing..." Greninja muttered.

Nic's eyes were wide the whole time. He saw the rainbow water gradually trace up to the altar, causing a bright flare to envelop said altar. The massive emblem opened into four large sections right before their eyes. They saw the yellow, swirling, dimensional portal behind it with a rhombus-like core. It supercharged with the magical energy embedded with it and released a strong pulse that flared so brightly that a shockwave sped for them.

The last thing they all saw before everything went white...was the entire land beneath them giving a rainbow gleam that spread fast.

---

Nic's body suddenly jerked as a gasp escaped his lungs. Erza and Greninja had the same exact reaction. At the same time, a shock went through their bodies that bolted them right back to their feet. They all stood straight up with faces that looked like they saw ghosts.

'What hit us just now?' Nic stammered in thought, before shaking his head. He turned to his sides. "Erza, Greninja, you okay?"

"Yes, I think so." Erza said, putting a hand to her head as she registered the vision.

"(That vision just now...was that what Lunala was trying to tell us what happened you think?)" Greninja pondered, directing his inquiry towards Nic.

Nic frowned as he registered the information. "It's possible...no, that had to be what happened." He fell to silence as he thought to himself of the information given to him. First of all, the scenario happened at night in this exact spot. Secondly, that creature they saw going through the portal was the same exact parasite that came from Earthland. Putting those two things together was challenging enough, but everything was starting to piece themselves together.

Nic's gaze ascended towards the massive sun emblem on the altar. 'So behind that emblem, there's something like a dimensional transceiver...and it reacted to when the rainbow dust touched the water...' His glare hardened. "...now I get it. That's how it all happened."

Erza looked up to the altar, thinking on a similar critical level. "That Ultra Beast, that had to be the one that came from Earthland. Arthur explained that it attacked Brandish and Ajeel's forces, didn't he?"

"Yeah, I remember that. Maybe after it got overwhelmed, a wormhole was carrying it here. And that sparkling powder..." He thought back to what he did back in the Ruins of Abundance, relating to what Ajeel might have done. "...that had to be Ajeel's sand converted into energy."

"How is that possible?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe going through those wormholes breaks downs certain energies to pure energy. Or maybe converted it into something that the altar recognized as another foreign energy. I know you can convert one energy into another...and the altar must have reacted to it in some way."

"That shockwave that it expelled, you saw it, didn't you?"

Nic nodded. He thought about the reaction the altar had one more time. "I did. And this is just speculation...do you think the altar's a gateway to other realms?"

Erza frowned. "That's a safe bet. It traced the magical energy within the foreign substance and reacted instantly. That explosion at the last moment, it spread far over the land, possibly over all of Alola..." She put a hand to her chin as the pieces finally fit. "So it responded by sending its own kind of energy from this world. And that energy was related to..."

"Z-Crystals."

Greninja lowered his head. "(Now it all makes sense. The Ultra Beast's wormhole was a gateway that was opened between these two worlds. The magic flowed from the water that acted as a carrier to reach the altar's dimensional reactor. And that explosion sent those crystals to Earthland.)" He shot a look at Nic. "(Looks like that's the sum of it from what we saw.)"

"Yeah, you've got a point there." He sighed lightly. "Well, at least we solved one part of this whole mystery."

"That's true. We can return to the Cambire Foundation with what we've found out. The information with these Z-Rings and Z-Crystals is part of the reason we came here after all." Erza responded, looking down at the Z-Ring and Rockium-Z on her left wrist.

Nic nodded at that. "That's true." He frowned. "But...we still have some business to take care of."

On cue, they all suddenly caught wind of something beaming at them from behind. An Electro Ball was aimed specifically at Nic, but Greninja moved in front and cut straight up with his Night Slash. The purple needle had a straight line beaming through the middle of the sphere, making it split in two around them and hit the concrete on either side. The ninja frog jumped back down and looked up with his partner with a dead serious glare.

"(Tch! Looks like they saw that one coming.)"

They all looked up at the origins of the grunt. In the sunlit skies above, the sun beamed down on Tapu Koko as he floated high overhead, giving them all an annoyed and serious scowl of his own. To say he looked pissed would be putting it lightly.

"Isn't that...Melemele's island deity?" Erza realized.

"Tapu Koko." Nic clarified, making serious eye contact with the deity. Greninja stood at his side in case anything would happen.

"(Don't forget about me!)" A loud roar echoed that made them turn and see Tapu Koko having company beside him. Floating right next to him, Tapu Bulu shot everyone a glare, snorting with his cowbell ringing at the end of his tail.

"Tapu Bulu, too?" Erza realized. "That must mean..." The speculation caused her to shift her head towards the way they came. She saw two familiar drift through the sky towards them, one of them having pink scales fluttering across the stairwell. Two more figures arrived and stationed themselves besides the two other deities.

"(Sorry for the holdup, home boys~! Had to do a small pick-me-up for somebody along the way!)" Tapu Lele chimed, winking.

"(Forgive us for not getting here sooner. We assure you, we will compensate for that mistake made.)" Tapu Fini promised the others.

"(Yeah, don't mention it.)" Tapu Koko said, still glaring daggers at Nic and Erza. Static began crackling around his body as he built up electricity. It didn't help that just from looking at Nic alone and feeling the same foreign energy given off caused his nerves to jolt and stir a small discharge.

"All the island guardians are here?" Erza questioned aloud.

Nic's gaze fell from them towards the stairwell. "No. Not just them..."

The sound of choppers got louder, as did the sounds of intense trotting. From above, half a dozen helicopters hovered over the vicinity, all of them having a yellow insignia on their sides with the initials "IP". They were accompanied with three Pager Charizard that carried people down towards the stairwell. They landed just as a Mudsdale had finished a very long climb up the stairwell, carrying two more passengers on his back. All at once, the passengers got off the Pokémon and planted their feet firmly on the ground.

Altogether, Nic, Erza, and Greninja frowned heavily as they realized not just the Tapus grouped, but the Island Kahunas as well. Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu all stood at the plateau's edge. The three Pager Charizard roared out as they had fulfilled their duties and flew back towards their designated stations.

"Phew! That was a long climb! Hope dose stairs can be fixed." Hapu huffed. She didn't want to think to look back down the plateau's monumental stairway. She could already imagine Mudsdale's hooves breaking in the concrete to make potholes.

"We'll worry about that later, young Hapu." Hala assured. "Right now..." He balled his fists tightly. "We defend the good of Alola!"

"Right!" she nodded.

A serious tension filled the air as the Tapus drifted overhead, glaring down Nic and Erza. Standing amongst the Island Kahunas, Looker stepped forward with a serious face. He offered no words as he gave Nic a despondent glare.

"Looker." Nic said dryly.

Looker reached into his pocket, pulling out his elite International Police badge and showed it to everyone. "Looker of the International Police. And you, Nic Pularis, and Erza Pularis, were caught under unlawful acts of terrorism in Alola."

"Explain as though we didn't know."

Looker's leer hardened at Nic's casual but cold tone. "Very well...let's start with the attacks on Melemele Island, shall we?" As he spoke, the helicopters deployed rope around the plateau. Soldiers that were spared from the precarious traps set by Nic in the canyons slid down the ropes and regrouped with one another to gather around them. "The incidents with the two tourists. You were the last one the man saw before he blacked out. Then, you've tampered with the minds of the Kahunas, believing you had done nothing in harming the island guardians."

Nic and Erza shot glares at Hala and Olivia, who were showing them less than appreciative looks in return. On the one hand, they didn't necessarily blame them for feeling betrayed and tampered with, but on the other hand, they had a mission to do. And the two had no intentions on appealing for such leniency for their case.

"Also, there was the assault made on Tapu Bulu and me on Ula'ula." Looker continued. Above him, everyone heard Tapu Bulu snort very aggressively, his cowbell tail ringing madly. "You apprehended the victims from Route 13 and brought them with you as leverage. And then, there was the matter of threats made on Nanu's life, as well as Kahuna Hapu."

The two Kahunas mentioned stepped forward. Nanu gave Nic a raised brow. "Nothing personal, kid. I told you, you should have kept your head down, eh?" he sniped.

"Definitely not cool what ye did, trappin' me like some animal." Hapu berated. "I'll make sure ye pay for dat!"

"(Right!)" Mudsdale neighed, glaring at Greninja.

"As well as the harm that has been laid to the International Police. For those charges, we intend to do justice for such actions. Nic and Erza Pularis, you both are under arrest. Please stand down this instant!"

The International Police held up their shields and nightsticks. Some of them had Poke Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls to aid them. The Kahunas stepped up as well. The deities above lowered slightly and started circling over Nic and Erza, watching what they'll do.

"(You know, for once I agree with that human. You're outnumbered, you know.)" Tapu Koko sneered. "(And if I were you, I'd take my gamble with those humans having a little more leniency compared to what we'll do to you.)"

"(I say we don't let them have their way. They interrupted my nap. Let's just end this here and now so I can rest soundly.)" Tapu Bulu sniped.

"(Oh, hush Bulu! If anyone be getting a piece of those meanies first, it's me!)" Tapu Lele huffed. "(Haven't you brutes heard the saying 'ladies first', so naturally I get the last laugh first! Haha!)"

"(Tapu Lele, exactly how do you intend to make the last laugh if you...)" Tapu Fini trailed off, slumping her small shoulders. "(You know what, nevermind. Let's just focus on the task at hand, shall we?)"

"We're telling you both right now. For the good of Alola, you better stand down!" Olivia declared. "We don't want to do something that would turn to regret."

Nic and Erza gave no verbal response. From even the sounds of their voices, they didn't have any room to negotiate. If there was ever an instance where Nic would feel the need to feel pity for any human being out there, it had to be this one. These people had no idea what the hell they were capable of.

But, as the saying goes, some lessons are best learned the hard way.

Nic stepped up. "You certainly put up quite a proposition, didn't you, Looker? I'm sure that any other person out there would be compelled to work with your demands. But...here's the thing..."

Looker and everyone saw Nic's glare sharpen, his blue eyes peering deep within their souls. He frowned heavily at each and every one of them. "Your sense of justice...well, it just sickens me. If this is how you treat non-Alolans with differences you don't want to understand, I feel sorry for you."

Looker gnashed his teeth. He definitely felt offended by that remark. "Sorry if we can't be compliant with how you feel, Mister Pularis, but you have to understand that you and Mrs. Pularis have become too large of a threat. This is for the good of Alola." He swiped his arm out. "Men, move in! Now!"

"Yes, sir!" The International Police officers shouted. They all moved closer within the plateau, huddling around until their numbers enclosed beside one another. Their shields were up to block off Nic and Erza from any point of exit.

Even under these circumstances, Nic, Erza, and Greninja all kept relaxed stances. They didn't seem in the least bit threatened. But their glares said they were ready to take action.

Tapu Koko broke the formation and hovered closer to them. "(Looks like by those looks that they aren't going to go quietly with the other humans. That's a real shame.)" The static around his body intensified. "(Guess they'll need a little convincing!)"

Tapu Fini's eyes widened as she recognized what Tapu Koko was going to do. "(Hold on! Don't use Discharge when we're so close!)"

"(Then get back!)" With a fierce grunt, his body crackled with a greater electrical impulse. The Tapus did as told and floated skywards as he glared down at his targets.

"Get ready." Nic said.

Erza and Greninja nodded in understanding.

Tapu Koko's electrical field fluctuated for several seconds until it stabilized. With enough buildup, he was ready to unleash his attack. Knowing he shouldn't take chances, Nic took the initiative.

'Now!'

Nic quickly puffed his cheeks and took a deep exhale, expelling a thick, black Smokescreen that clouded up everything around them in a hurry. The cloud spread amongst the soldiers surrounding them, keeping them out of view for everyone around.

"What the-?!" An International Policeman was cut off when he covered himself with his forearm to prevent his lungs from being impeded by smoke.

"A smokescreen diversion?" Hala realized.

Nanu raised a brow. "Looks like the kid has a few more tricks up his sleeve."

The black cloud engulfed the upper plateau until a sea of black smoke was beneath Tapu Koko. With no sight of his foes, he couldn't get a clear shot. But with him at the peak of his power buildup, there wasn't any valid reason to hold off. It was now or never!

"(You can't hide from me...if I can just hit anywhere I please! Discharge!)"

An explosion of lightning pulses expelled from his body, channeling strong, crackling, lightning bolts through the air in random directions. The bolts seared through the smoke cloud, hitting anything that was in its path. The sounds of plateau concrete struck was clearly heard, along with metal and large shields by the policemen. Many men inside the cloud were caught off guard by the lightning strikes into their shields, forcing them onto their backs and breaking the formation. Some of the lightning strikes bypassed the shields and electrocuted some of the men, causing them to scream out in pain before falling unconscious.

Hala and the other Kahunas covered themselves with their forearms and stayed back from the lightning field. Some of the lightning waves trailed past them, making ditches in the ground.

"What...power!" Hala marveled.

"What's happening?!" Olivia shouted, unable to see through the bright lightning strikes.

Everyone watched as the Discharge's force eventually settled down, leaving crackling static in the air above the smoke cloud. Tapu Koko kept his position high overhead. He watched in anticipation of his attack landing several marks on the plateau, as well as some of humans that were sprawled unconscious...not that it mattered to him. However, when the smoke dissipated, to saw he was shocked would be putting it lightly.

"(What?!)"

He, along with the other Tapus and Kahunas, saw a dome-like, hexagonal barricade engulfing Nic in his Stone Form, Erza, and Greninja. The Wide Guard dissipated, revealing no harm to any of them from his attack. They didn't even look the least bit fazed.

"(They're fine?)" Tapu Bulu scoffed in shock.

Erza requipped on the spot, transforming into her Heaven's Wheel Armor. She completely disregarded the shock on all the Kahunas' faces as they witnessed her shapeshifting to instead use telekinesis on the swords around her, shooting several up to deter Tapu Koko higher into the atmosphere to prevent being impaled.

"I'll be darned. Dat be dat magic we be hearin' about from Earthland?" Hapu inquired.

"That's something you don't see every day." Nanu nonchalantly stated.

"True, but still..." Hala stepped forward. "We must assist at once!"

Erza turned towards Nic. "Nic, you can handle the island guardians, can't you?"

Nic glared back. "And what about you?"

"I'll handle the Island Kahunas. You just focus on setting the ones they follow straight, and I'll do the same. Remember, we're doing this our way now." She finished with a smirk.

Nic took the comment to heart and glared upwards at the guardians above. "I can live with that."

Both pulled out Poke Balls at the same time. Together, they tossed them skywards. "Go!" At the same time, they opened and expelled energy above them. They turned into none other than Aegislash and Charizard, the two grunting and roaring out upon their entry to the battle.

Nic bent his knees and glowed, transforming into a combination of his Insect and Iron Form. The dragonfly-like wings had a thick metal membrane that glistened under the Alolan sun. Once again, the Kahunas and the island guardians were at a loss for what to say as Nic suddenly jettisoned into the air. Greninja took a leap and hopped onto Charizard's back, before joining Nic in ascending after the deities.

Erza looked back down at the ground's occupancy and realized she had to shorten the numbers. She saw some of the International Policemen were still unscathed from the Discharge's wrath. But now it was her turn. "Aegislash!"

"(I'm here, Erza!)" Aegislash floated in front of her, gradually moving herself with the numerous swords her trainer started requipping to make her signature wheel of swords, with her included.

An officer looked genuinely stunned at the sight. "What is she-!?"

"Dance, my blades!" She shouted. The twenty swords, as well as Aegislash, began moving in a wheel around her body, all of them aiming down at the shields and the officers that opposed her. She swung her swords in hand down and shouted with all her might.

"Circle Sword!"

All the swords went shooting down at the officers, dancing and beaming into the huge metal shields and slicing them clean through. Amongst the blades shot, Aegislash used Sacred Sword as she led the path they took. She swung her glowing blue frame and sliced passed all the remaining officers. She stopped behind them as her blade dissipated its length and energy. The many shields shattered, along with the nightsticks and gear all over their bodies. They all cried out as the shock floored all of them at once.

The Island Kahunas and Looker flinched at the sight. "No! My squad!" Looker stepped forward, shock overtaking him for an instant. His eyes were wide with disbelief that in less than a minute, the remaining platoon he had was taken out.

Erza gradually lowered herself to the ground and reconvened with Aegislash, gleaming down at the Island Kahunas. She grabbed Aegislash's head and held her like a sword.

"Wha...what be are you?!" Hapu exasperated.

"I am Erza Pularis, S-Class mage of Fairy Tail. And you Kahunas thought it was so bright as to challenge us, all because of your foolhardy island guardians' judgment. You're nothing but puppets attached to their strings." She held Aegislash up. "And we'll stand to cut those strings and make you see the error in this farce."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Olivia scoffed. "You make it sound like you're the victims." She held up an Ultra Ball. "You're the ones who messed with our minds and harmed the great Tapus of Alola!"

"I understand your position. I assure you, I wasn't meant to be personal. We had our reasons for doing what we did. They attacked us first...just like what they did just now." She looked up towards the sky, glaring at the island guardians.

"They attack because they deem you as a threat." Hala pointed out, holding up an Ultra Ball of his own. "And because of that, we shall not be taking any chances with what might befall Alola."

Looker stepped up. "And given the evidence, it's pointless to find an excuse. We'll take you in by force if we must!"

Erza sighed out her nose. She could see why Nic hated people so much, especially the ones entitled to their positions. "I see..." Her glared fixed on them. "Then I apologize in advance..." She requipped her armor once more, this time into her Flight Armor. "...if you and your Pokémon end up with scars for your dullard transgressions!"

Hala huffed. He wasn't going to take this lying down. "Come forth!" The island Kahunas brought out their Ultra Balls and tossed them up, summoning their Pokémon by their sides. Hala's Crabominable raised his fists high with a loud roar, right beside Olivia's Midnight Lycanroc as he hunched over and sneered. Nanu's Alolan Persian got into a pouncing position as Hapu's Mudsdale trotted up to her side.

"I'll leave this to all of you. Make sure they don't get away." Looker instructed.

Nanu rubbed the back of his head, sighing. "Whatever you say, Elite Detective." He mused. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Erza saw the four strong Pokémon before her, but she looked far from threatened as she held Aegislash in two hands. "Come at me, all of you...if you dare."

---

Nic, Charizard, and Greninja were at an equal elevation as they squared off against all the Tapus. The three didn't say anything as they offered nothing but a tense glare fixed on the four territorial Legendaries.

Tapu Koko fixed his glare on Nic in return. "(Well...aren't you gonna say something? Or am I gonna have to force the words right out of ya?)"

"..." Again, Nic gave him the silent treatment.

"(Hey, I asked you something! Don't you turn a blind eye to when someone's talking to you!)"

Nic blinked, offering only a gaze over towards Greninja and Charizard. "I'll draw them in. You guys be ready."

"(Yeah, got it.)" Greninja and Charizard said in unison.

Nic shifted his blue eyes back towards the deities as his dragonfly wings beat loudly. Even in the air, his stance was loose and centered.

Tapu Koko's eyes narrowed with frustration. "(Guess I just answered my own question then. Fine!)" He floated over his fellow deities. "(I was hoping for the hard way anyway!)" He spread his arms apart, expelling a large, electrical pulse across the atmosphere. Once the entire sky was engulfed in a brighter, yellowish hue, that signaled the Electric Terrain being up.

'Here they come!' Nic gleamed.

Tapu Koko was the first to make an attack. Electrical currents condensed into a small sphere in front of him that he aimed for Nic. The Electro Ball flew across the air, traveling at Nic. Rather than exhaust himself, he glared ahead.

He ascended into the air, dodging the attack without much difficulty. As it continued underneath him, he reached out and fired a String Shot thread that laced around the Electro Ball's perimeter. The sticky thread's substance insulated the electricity as he pivoted and slung it around like a wrecking ball.

Tapu Bulu snorted as he threw himself at Nic head-first. His head glowed a bright blue forcefield, via Zen Headbutt. Nic caught onto the attack and slung the threaded Electro Ball into Tapu Bulu, creating a large explosion upon impact. With Tapu Bulu dazed from the attack striking him, this was the chance that Tapu Lele needed to drift above.

"(Get a load of this! Extrasensory!)" Her eyes glimmered rainbow as telekinetic shockwaves beamed after Nic.

Nic glared ahead at the oncoming shockwaves and crossed his arms. His wings vibrated faster than before as the metal shimmered brightly. With a grunt, his wings expelled a searing Bug Buzz that sent powerful, light green soundwaves through the air that broke through the oncoming shockwaves. They spread quickly at Tapu Lele, who flinched in shock.

"(Yikes!)" Too slow to get by, she waited for the attack to make contact, only for an interception in the form of a massive volume of water that absorbed the soundwaves. This caused the water pressure to distort until the jet imploded on itself, causing an explosion of water that pushed Tapu Lele back. She fumbled through the air, but caught herself with little drawback. "(Tapu Fini?!)"

Off to the side, the liquid mirror in front of Tapu Fini disappeared. "(Are you alright, Tapu Lele?)"

She smiled and nodded. "(You bet! Thanks for the save, bestie!)"

Tapu Koko sneered at Nic. "(He's just playing with us...)"

Nic reached his arm out to direct at all the Tapus. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Greninja took a leap off Charizard and bent his knees. He swiped his arms, sending fast-moving stars like beams that sped too fast for the deities to trace.

Tapu Koko's eyes gleamed as he visibly sneered. "(Nice try! Agility!)" His body was engulfed in a red aura as he became nimble and lighter. Suddenly, he sped past the stars, dodging and around them while they grazed through the air into the other Tapus. A set of three liquid shuriken cut into Tapu Fini's arm and along one of Tapu Lele's hairs, even against Tapu Bulu's tail, hitting sensitive parts that erupted when the mist hit them. "(Huh?! Oh, crap!)"

A shadow shifted in front of him, making him look forward and get kneed square in the chest by Charizard, sending him flying into the mist cloud and bashed into his fellow guardians.

Greninja landed safely on Charizard's back. With the deities dazed, Nic hovered over the dissipating mist cloud, giving him an opening to swipe his arm with wings beating faster than before. "Rage Powder!" His wings and the pores on his arms expelled a red powder that spread into the deities. The mist mixed with the powder, making it thicker and get into all their eyes.

'That should lure them in.' He saw silhouettes shift in the red dust cloud. 'Now!'

As if on cue, the cloud broke apart, revealing Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Fini rushing out after Nic, red in their eyes. Behind them, Tapu Bulu wasn't affected like the others, but he was so irritated that it didn't even matter.

Tapu Koko launched another Electro Ball, whereas Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele launched Hydro Pump and Moonblast. The three attacks launched in Nic's direction as he reached his arm out.

"King's Shield!"

A hexagonal forcefield appeared before him, absorbing the attacks that were gaining up on him. All three of the elements collapsed upon meeting with the forcefield, resulting in an explosion that obscured all their vision. Within the smoke, Tapu Bulu charged in with glowing green horns targeted for Nic. He snorted before making contact with the shield, creating an airwave upon impact. He forced himself to budge as much as possible, but the shield wasn't moving at all.

'(So...strong!)' In his writhe, a blue aura engulfed his body, lowering his Attack strength.

"(Huh?)" Tapu Koko looked up, his eyes glancing at a glint in the sky that was coming down remarkably fast. "(What's that?)"

Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele looked up at the falling star in the middle of broad daylight. Tapu Bulu was too involved to notice it until the very last second, when the shadow of a tail was coming down right for his back. The shadow had a tail flame that spun with the downward tail axe.

"Now, Fly!" Nic roared.

Charizard let out a powerful roar as he came down tail-first onto Tapu Bulu's back, sending a violent airwave all across the skies. The repulsion was enough to keep the other Tapus away while Tapu Bulu's entire world went blank for a split second. He gagged loudly before the force caught up with him, sending him beaming into the ground and smashing into the plateau grounds.

Tapu Lele gasped in shock. "(Ole' Bulu! No!)"

Tapu Koko glared ahead, sneering angrily. "(You're gonna pay for that!)" He brought his two hands together and charged up another hemisphere of electricity. He took aim at Charizard and threw it with all his might. "(Electro Ball!)"

The sphere was fired at an incredible velocity, closing in a lot faster thanks to his earlier Agility increase. The sphere drew closer as time slowed down, but in a blur, Greninja jumped off of Charizard's back and brought his heel.

"Now, Return!" Nic shouted.

Greninja's heel glowed purple as he swung it straight into the Electro Ball. There was a moment where colors went inverse around them before an immense airwave of yellow electricity discharged around the point of impact. Greninja's eyes gleamed brightly with a burning passion like Nic's, and followed through with the kick, shooting it back with even more force at Tapu Koko.

Tapu Koko gasped in disbelief. He saw his attack head his way. '(No time to counter!)' He shifted out of the way at the very last second, only having his wing shields grazed by the jetting sphere...which ended up striking a stunned Tapu Fini directly behind him.

"(YAAAAAH!)" She cried out, the electricity scorching her body in an explosion.

"(No! Tapu Fini! Bestie!)" Tapu Lele cried.

Tapu Koko looked back, realizing the error. "(Shit! She was behind me?!)" He watched the smoke clear out and witnessed Tapu Fini falling towards the ground below. He grunted angrily. "(Damnit! He played me again!)"

"Bullet Punch!"

Tapu Koko didn't get the chance to look back before Nic closed the distance between them with a bright blue, glowing fist reeled back. Even before his breath left his body, Tapu Koko's face felt like it was impaled by pressure from the metallic punch. He went careening through the air backwards, crying out in pain.

Tapu Lele held her hands to her mouth. "(Oh my gosh! What do I do?! What do I do?!)" She looked around, trying to see if there was anything possible that could buy her some time. She saw Tapu Koko barely get control in the air again and glared angrily back at Nic, who remained composed after that sucker punch. She looked down towards the ground, seeing Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini sprawled on the ground and unconscious. She needed to help them, and fast!

Suddenly, she got an idea. "(My scales...!)" She looked back up towards Tapu Koko, seeing him move through the air at lightning speed to distract Nic and his Pokémon. '(Phew! Looks like Ole' Koko is keeping him busy. He doesn't seem interested in me. Alright, now's my chance!)' She floated down towards the ground to tend to her fallen comrades.

Tapu Koko blitzed everywhere, around Nic, who remained composed the entire time. "(I'm gonna wipe that sneer off your face, you freak!)"

Nic offered no words to him as he glared at him, further invoking his ire. Tapu Koko cried out in anger and vengeance as he darted for him.

---

"Crabominable, Stone Edge!" Hala ordered.

"Lycanroc, Stone Edge!" Olivia shouted.

Crabominable raised his fists high into the air, as did Lycanroc. The two howled as they punched the ground, causing a short tremor before several sharp, glowing blue stones shot out of the ground in a linear fashion towards Erza and Aegislash. With Aegislash in hand, Erza sped in between the two roads. She closed in quickly, gripping Aegislash tightly.

Nanu narrowed his eyes. "Bad route, girly. Use Dark Pulse!"

Alolan Persian let out a sneer as jumbled dark rings of energy formulated around her maw. She lowered her head and took a pouncing position as she projected a beam of dark matter straight down the middle.

"Now, King's Shield!" Erza ordered.

Aegislash grunted as she was still held by Erza, but her body shifted to her Shield Forme. She floated in front as a hexagonal forcefield appeared in front of her taking the attack that split into several thin streams of darkness around her.

With the opening achieved, Erza kicked up a heel and blitzed out of sight. She jumped above the Dark Pulse's range where she crossed her blades.

"Sonic Claw!"

With sonic speed, she cut through the surrounding stone and Alolan Persian, leaving slash marks in her wake. The force was strong enough to leave Alolan Persian stunned in midair.

"She's fast alright." Nanu murmured. "But..."

As Erza landed, so did Alolan Persian, who was struggling to stand. Erza glanced back, realizing she wasn't knocked out. 'It wasn't knocked out. Just like with Slurpuff's Play Rough...' She remembered the battle back in the Ruins of Abundance. 'It must have either high Defense, or an ability that reduces physical damage.'

Hapu smirked as she reached forward. "Mudsdale, block her off! Rock Slide!"

Erza gasped. She looked up, seeing white, silverish orbs of energy levitating above her. They manifested into rock that came raining down around her. She narrowed her eyes and glowed. "Requip!" Her Requip activated, making her transform into her Adamantine Armor. She raised the shields overhead that bunkered her from the falling stone that crumbled away upon impact. When the stones finally stopped falling, she undid the shield and glared forward.

"(Woah, didn't see that coming.)" Mudsdale neighed.

"So, dis be de power of Earthland..." Hapu awed, but balled her fists. "But dat don't mean we'll let you have your way now!"

The crumbling rock resulted in a dust cloud that surrounded Erza. She took a short glance around to see if anything was coming her way. With all her angles covered, there was no doubt in her mind something would come for her.

She felt a presence behind in the form of the hulking silhouette that belonged to Crabominable. She raised her Adamantine Armor's half-shield and blocked his punch, making metal echo. She looked over to the other side, noticing another silhouette incoming. 'From the other side.'

Lycanroc rushed through the dust cloud, making a hole with his claws searing in fire.

"Fire Punch!" Olivia yelled.

Erza used her shield's other half and blocked the punch as well. Lycanroc and Crabominable grunted as they were both stopped cold, as to where her armor was unhinged by the attacks made on her.

Alolan Persian pounced for her from above, hissing gleefully. "You've left yourself open." Nanu stated bluntly. "Power Gem!" Alolan Persian raised her head above the others and generated purple gemstones. They shimmered under the Alolan sun. Erza anticipated this.

"Sacred Sword!"

At the point of projecting, the gemstones went down on Erza, but didn't make it halfway when a blade of bright blue energy slashed from the side. The gemstones shattered to glitter right before everyone's eyes.

In their shock, Erza jumped into the air and requipped into her Giant's Armor. With the extra heftiness, she clutched Aegislash's hilt and swung down into the ground, deterring both Crabominable and Lycanroc.

Olivia bit her bottom lip. "We can't get close to her."

"And her armor changes all the time." Hala noted. "Just like she's transforming..."

Erza stood with Aegislash a fair distance away from the Kahunas' Pokémon, all of them glaring at her while she and Aegislash returned the favor, 'These Kahuna, believe it or not, they seem to know how to work in tandem when it calls for it.'

Hapu reached out ahead of her. "Mudsdale, Heavy Slam!" She ordered. The large horse neighed as he started charging after Erza, his entire body surrounded in an outline of yellow energy.

"Aegislash, Swords Dance!" Erza commanded.

"(Of course!)" Dutifully, she surrounded herself in glowing, illusionary swords that circled around her being. They crossed at her base as Mudsdale kept charging ahead. His hefty heels made the ground quake the further he moved closer.

"Now! Sacred Sword!"

Erza let go of Aegislash so she could have free reign. The blade glared at Mudsdale and closed the gap hastily, blue energy forming around her blade. Mudsdale lowered his head and met Aegislash head-on, resulting in the blade and the horse's hard head meeting centerfield. There was an explosion of energy carving up the beast's body that engulfed him in smoke.

Erza jumped overhead, the distraction being more than necessary as she requipped her Holy Hammer. "HRAH!"

"Crabominable! Ice Hammer!" Hala commanded.

Crabominable let out a loud cry as he reeled a glowing, bright blue fist back. He swung madly into the air, meeting Erza's downward blow. There was a moment where they breached a stalemate, but in the end, both attacks ended up cancelling the other out.

Erza slid back with Aegislash, as did Crabominable with Mudsdale. The former was enveloped in a blue aura, indicating a Speed decrease. The latter's body was enveloped in a red aura, signaling a Defense increase. Both sides breached yet another standoff as a strong wind picked up between them, carrying crumbled rock across the plateau.

'Just as I thought. They've trained their Pokémon well.' Erza thought. 'Guess these Kahunas aren't pushovers after all.'

Looker stepped forward. "Mrs. Pularis, stand down now! This has gone on long enough!"

"And I agree. However..." Aegislash floated in front of her. "I've fought far tougher opponents than you ever could have imagined. Compared to them, you fall short on any kind of talent. All I see before me are those who believe they are entitled...when in reality they aren't even deserving for such dependent thinking."

"What are you trying to explain, Erza? Tell me! What are you two planning?!" Olivia demanded.

"If I told you, it wouldn't have mattered, would it. There's been too much damage done, and just because Nic and I are different, you saw fit to cast the blame onto us. That's the deliverance of injustice." She paused. "Then again, we do take responsibility for the International Police in the canyons, but on accounts of self-defense."

"You think that alone will atone for what you've done?!" Looker chastised. "Alola is in chaos because of these upbringings! We have the evidence, there's no denying that!"

Erza sighed out her nose. Her patience had come to its end. "If you won't be willing to hear our side..." She requipped again, shifting into her Morning Star Armor. "Then we'll enact our own justice, and make sure you all understand your place!"

"(Indefinitely so!)" Aegislash declared.

---

Tapu Bulu groaned as a wave of pain jolted through his back. He could feel rock and dirt beneath him, but other than that, his taste and smell were both shut off by the impact. "(What...happened...? Did I have a bad dream just now...?)" He grumbled. He started getting up, his sense of touch assured when ticklish pink scales showered down around him. He somehow managed to float off the ground and take a gander at his surroundings. It didn't take long for him to realize they were on the plateau grounds.

"(Ugh...)"

A groan grabbed his attention. Looking beside him, he was stunned seeing Tapu Fini coming around as well. "(Tapu Fini?!)" He noticed the pink scales scattering around her as well. He looked up, seeing the source of the scales flashing them a dainty smile. "(Tapu Lele?!)"

The deity winked. "(In the flesh, home slice! Y'all good to go, thanks to the wondrous powers of yours truly! Teehee!)"

"(Thank you for that. It seems that I owe you for that assist.)" Tapu Fini said, nodding at her savior.

"(Don't mention it! We have to get back in there and help ole' Koko!)"

"(I see. How is he?)"

Tapu Lele slowly looked up. "(Eh, well...)"

The other Tapus beside her looked up, seeing the battle that continued without them. They watched as Tapu Koko used his blinding speed to get around Nic. He remained motionless in the air as the Tapu was using his earlier Agility's speed to confuse and disorient him. However, Nic made no attempt at moving. Finally having enough, Tapu Koko took a pause behind him and readied another Electro Ball. That's when Nic's body generated sparks around his limbs and frame, via Autotomize. When Tapu Koko fired, Nic suddenly vanished in a blur, much to the deity's shock. He was taken by surprise when Nic hammer fisted his mohawk, sending him screaming and barely catching himself. He barely escaped a heated Flamethrower that nearly nicked his wing shield, leaving partial smoke on the side. That's when Greninja jumped behind and kicked him back into the flame's path, engulfing him in a bolstering explosion of fire that sent him sizzling as a comet into the ground a short distance away.

"(Oh no!)" Tapu Lele yelped.

All around them, the Electric Terrain started dissipating. They realized the time limit was up and everything returned to normal, he and all.

"(Tapu Lele, tend to Tapu Koko! Tapu Bulu and I will buy you as much time as needed until then!)" Tapu Fini directed.

With no room for objection, Tapu Lele nodded. "(You got it, bestie!)" She drifted across the plateau, hurrying towards Tapu Koko.

"(Come, Tapu Bulu!)" Tapu Fini shouted, closing her shell and jetting water to propel herself towards the battle.

"(You read my mind.)" He snorted, following close behind.

Meanwhile, high up in the air, Nic saw what was happening. He could see Tapu Lele moving towards Tapu Koko to do something, but at the same time, two more deities were heading straight his way. He was sure they were knocked out. 'It must be Tapu Lele. She must be the root of them getting back up. Which means...' His body shifted, transforming into a cross of his Mind Form and Toxic Form. He used psychic powers to keep himself from falling as he eyed everyone. 'That to make sure they stay down, I have to use large-range attacks.'

Tapu Fini jettisoned closer, until she opened her shell and expelled a voluminous amount of brown water that fluxed in and out of range. "(Muddy Water!)" She expelled a powerful wave that rushed across the air towards Nic and his Pokémon.

"Charizard, use Fly!" Nic shouted.

The Flame Pokémon nodded in understanding what Nic was intending. "(Right!)" He looked back at Greninja, whose eyed with full understanding as well. His wings spread apart and gave a good flap that shot him into the skies above.

Meanwhile, a wave of brown water closed in, in which Nic faced it with a wave of black and purple sludge forming around his frame, similar to thick water. "Sludge Wave!" His body pushed the attack out as far as possible, unleashing an omnidirectional wave of dense, thick, poisonous sludge that swamped everything in its path. It swallowed up Tapu Fini's attack, gushing closer towards her.

"(Oh no!)"

Tapu Bulu saw this incoming and hurried for a solution. He let out a loud cry as he raised his arms high and chanted with his cowbell tail. Immediately, the ground far below sprouted a thick layer of roots and hardened bark as a makeshift shield in front of him and Tapu Fini. The oncoming sludge tsunami swamped into the barricade, making a massive tide that went around them. Even from something like this, Nic didn't look deterred.

"(Are you okay, Tapu Fini?!)" Tapu Bulu shouted through the rush of the sludge going around them.

She firmly nodded. "(Yes, thanks to you.)"

Own below, Tapu Lele twirled around Tapu Koko's unconscious frame, scales raining down from her underside around him. It didn't take long for him to come to his senses and get back up. "(Heh...Tapu Lele?)" He mumbled.

"(Glad to see you're still kicking!)" Tapu Lele chimed. "(Glad that you're at full capacity again. Now, let's...)" She paused when she heard something like a large wave heading their way. "(Huh? Hey, do you hear something? It sounds like a waterfall.)"

Tapu Koko looked up, seeing something that looked like a massive wave of dark sludge coming down right on them. "(Heads up!)"

"(What do mean by-woah!)" Tapu Lele was caught off guard when Tapu Koko suddenly grabbed her, using his Agility to rush around the massive waterfall of poisonous sludge. It gushed everywhere along the plateau ground, swamping the concrete, and quickly staining it in the process.

The two deities drifted at high speeds through the atmosphere until they got to the others hiding behind the shield Tapu Bulu created. The red aura around Tapu Koko indicated a Speed increase. He and the others glared ahead as the onslaught of sludge kept surging around their target.

"(What's going on?!)" Tapu Koko shouted.

"(We don't know! He just started gushing a Sludge Wave like crazy! We can't get close!)" Tapu Bulu retorted, pushing against his wood barrier to keep it from losing leverage. It felt like the wall was pushing against him though. Enough strain was put on his muscles that it was making veins show.

Tapu Lele looked genuinely concerned when she saw Tapu Bulu struggling, and noticed Nic doing something else. "(Look!)"

In the center of the ongoing Sludge Wave, Nic remained floating with telekinetic powers. His eyes glowed bright blue, which he focused on the large range of his sludge, via Psychic. The waterfalls of sludge pouring around the plateau started gathering in spiraling streams around Nic. All the sludge swirled around him in a double helix tornado. It had a dense and fast rotation going about it from every side, encasing Nic as he telepathically controlled every ounce of it.

Tapu Koko blinked. "(What is he doing?)"

"(I don't know.)" Tapu Lele tilted her head in confusion. "(Maybe some human voodoo trick or something?)"

Tapu Fini glared ahead. She was no fool. Something about the way Nic was concealing himself in the tornado of poison wasn't right. Why is he on defense when he had the advantage in versatility? She knew to be careful around him, but what was this about? It didn't add up.

"(Stay sharp, I fear this might be another trap.)" she warned. The others beside her took her warning and watched what Nic would do.

With them so focused on Nic, they could all barely hear the sound of the sound barrier breaking from all around. It was low, but the air trembled as a force was projecting its way downwards. The Tapus all looked around in confusion at the vague sound, but didn't see anything incoming from the sides.

"(Huh? What's that sound?)" Tau Bulu snorted confusedly.

Tapu Koko was equally as confused. But something told him to look up...and that's when his eyes widened upon the realization. "(Oh shi-!)"

CRASH!

The wood barrier in front of them was destroyed in a heartbeat, sending splintered wood and roots everywhere by a draconic projectile in the form of Charizard. His Fly landed a powerful blow into the makeshift barricade, his tail pulverizing the bark to hundreds of pieces. The shockwaves generated by his impact fanned out all the Tapus as they screamed in shock.

'Now!' Nic saw his opening. With a hand reached out, he projected several streams of the Sludge Wave enhanced by Psychic. They were thicker and more pressurized, similar to tendrils. They streamed through the air around Charizard and Greninja and fused in on the separated guardians.

"(INCOMING~!)" Tapu Lele chimed fearfully.

Tapu Koko gasped in shock. He knew he was vulnerable to Poison-types. With his increased speed, he zipped across the atmosphere to get away from the streaming poison following him. Even as he zigzagged, the telekinetic sludge cut corners and separated into several smaller streams to cover more range.

A poisonous stream beelined for Tapu Lele, who looked morally shocked at how fast they were drawing in. "(Yikes!)" She hurried and fired an intense Extrasensory at the incoming beam of poison, meeting it square center. However, what she didn't account for were half a dozen more streaming for her.

"(Hydro Pump!)"

A torrent of pressurized water shot from the side, cutting off the venomous streams upon impact. They deluded into the water, which washed it away and kept Tapu Lele safe, much to her own confusion. She looked over to where the attack came from, her shock immediately turning to joy. "(Bestie!)"

The liquid mirror disappeared around Tapu Fini, allowing her to get a view of her ally. "(Get back, Tapu Lele!)"

She nodded. "(Right!)" She did as instructed and floated a short distance back. Tapu Fini moved in front as several more streams shot through the air towards her.

"(Muddy Water!)"

Tapu Fini summoned another swirling wave of murky, brown water that encompassed everything around her and Tapu Lele. With the latter behind her, the wave expanded into a massive veil that was sustained through her water control. The poisonous streams met the Muddy Water barrier, mixing with its solutions and keeping the two feminine Tapus out of harm's way.

"(Woah...)" Tapu Lele looked around, marveling at the creative solution that Tapu Fini had concocted. "(My gosh, Tapu Fini! I didn't know you could use your attacks like this! That's so neat!)"

"(I'm just taking a page from our enemy, that's all!)" She strained, keeping her hands up to keep the water flowing. She flinched when she felt a force push against it.

"(Are you okay?!)"

"(Yes...for now it seems. But we're completely pinned down. I can only slow him down. We need to hurry and beat him...and fast!)"

Meanwhile, Tapu Koko was dashing around, but was unable to get a clear shot in on Nic. Taking a gander, he cried out as he unleashed another Electro Ball straight at him. He expected it to break through, but to his horror and disbelief, the telekinetic tornado of spliced poison didn't break. The electricity diffused in an instant.

"(What?! It can't be!)" In his exasperation, Nic took a side glance right at him. The helix unleashed another half dozen tendrils of streaming poison that aimed for him. Tapu Koko jerked back into the air to try and fly away, but they were catching up faster than he anticipated. "(Damn you! Take this!)" He fired a Discharge from his high vantage point. The lightning fired all around, bolting strong blasts of lightning that connected with several of the waves. However, even more lashed out than what the electrical field could produce. One stream beelined a few inches from his left, making him gasp in shock.

'(He's so fast...I didn't even see that one!)'

In his shock, several more streams continued following through that he wasn't prepared for. From out of nowhere, Tapu Bulu charged head-first and rammed Tapu Koko's side. The force was enough to push them both away mere seconds before the tendrils could reach them.

"(Tapu Bulu?!)" Tapu Koko snapped.

The Ula'ula deity gave his fellow guardian a fierce look. "(You're welcome! You're lucky that Discharge was contained by that large number of sludge streams, or you would have hit me!)"

Tapu Koko blinked twice in the confusion settling in. "(Uh...sorry?)" He shook his head, the realization setting in. "(Right, my bad. Won't happen again!)" He turned towards the oncoming streams. "(Here they come!)

Tapu Bulu turned with him at the poison streams swamping the entire vicinity.

---

Nanu took a pause to look up at the poison helix with tendrils whiplashing at the Tapus, keeping them confined to the area. "Looks like they're in a tight spot." He said sarcastically, before rubbing the back of his head. "Guess we better do something about that, huh?"

"Yes. But first..." Olivia shot a glare ahead, where Erza stood firmly with twin swords in hand. "We have to deal with her."

The Kahuna and their Pokémon grew steadfast as they all prepared themselves against Erza.

"Aegislash, watch my back." Erza insisted. The sword and shield combo nodded in understanding. "Right, then let's go!" Her eyes widened as her Morning Star Armor unleashed a powerful flare. Engulfing everything in a bright light. "HRAH!"

The light seared everything, creating a blinding effect that caused everyone to look away. They all used forearms if possible to shield their faces from the glare that was as bright as the sun.

"Gngh! What...is this light?! It's so bright!" Looker grunted. He could barely see straight, let alone open his eyes at all.

"Her body is giving off a powerful glow! We can't see!" Hala shouted.

Hapu grunted heavily, trying to see what was heading their way. When she caught wind of a shimmer in the consistent glow, she had a bad feeling run down her spine. "Hurry, Mudsdale! Use Rock Slide!"

Though still unable to look straight, Mudsdale neighed loudly and raised his head. From above, white orbs of energy appeared that materialized into stones with white outlines. They gradually started falling straight down onto the ground, creating a wall of rock that gradually piled up, obscuring the light and allowing them all to see once again.

"Night Slash!" Erza commanded.

The rock wall before everyone at that moment didn't last a second longer. Consecutive dark purple slashes blazed through the pile of stones that glistened mere seconds before the rocks defied gravity as diced pieces. Aegislash was on the other side, her blade glowing dark purple.

"Now, move!"

Aegislash did as told and floated off to the side. Erza's twin blades for her Morning Star Armor had already gathered enough energy mass into a highly concentrated ion sphere. She aimed for the diced rock pile and pressed a little further.

"Photon Slicer!"

The bright sphere erupted forward, engulfing the plateau in a large-scale explosion of bright ions. The stones Aegislash destroys were shoved into the enemies as the shockwave expanded. Everything before Erza and Aegislash leveled out as the Kahunas and Looker screamed in anguish. Their Pokémon were knocked over and slammed into the plateau grounds, some like Alolan Persian and Lycanroc doubling over.

It took several moments for the smoke to finally clear. When it did, Erza requipped back into her Heart Kreuz Armor. Aegislash floated in front of her and maintained her Blade Forme's stance, ready upon the command given.

"You dare to keep going?" she challenged to the Kahunas. "Like I said, I've fought far tougher opponents than this. Just because you're amongst the superior to this region, doesn't make you any less feeble as them."

Olivia gritted her teeth as she struggled to stand. She was nearing her patience's end when she saw how outmatched she and the Kahunas were. She was starting to get really pissed off. And the glare in her eyes was evident.

"Looks like these Earthland Fallers got something to prove." Nanu mused, gradually getting back to his feet. His Alolan Persian was as prompt as he was. "Well now, guess we better stop pulling punches and wrap this up then."

"(Hmph! Could've done that sooner, you know. My fur's getting filthy at this rate!)" Alolan Persian scoffed.

Hala furrowed his thick brows. "Then allow Crabominable and myself to lure them in. Nanu, Hapu. I leave them to you. And Olivia, in case they still stand."

"Understood!" The Kahunas shouted. Nanu and Hapu held up their Z-Rings to indicate they're ready for their roles.

Erza had a feeling something was coming for them. Her eyes narrowed as she shot a glare at the Kahunas. "Aegislash. On guard...they're about to do something."

"(I see clearly.)" She replied, holding up her shield arm.

Hala reached his arm out. "Crabominable, Stone Edge!" Crabominable did as told and raise one giant fist into the air. With a loud grunt, he pummeled the earth with a strong punch that shot jagged stones out from underneath.

Erza shot a glare as she saw the incoming stone wave. "Aegislash, dodge it!" The royal sword did as instructed and floated skywards, allowing the linear wake to continue towards Erza. She requipped into her Sea Empress Armor, swinging the sword that came with it in a vertical fashion. It split the attack clean in half around her.

Aegislash floated higher into the air, where she noticed a shadow blocking out the sun. When her eye glanced up, she saw the projectile closing in as it took on a canine shape.

"Crunch!" Olivia ordered.

Aegislash's eye opened wide enough for her to get a glance at the incoming Lycanroc, with his mouth wide open with glowing canines extending towards her. "(You're mine!)"

"King's Shield!" Erza ordered.

Once more, Erza's command went through, causing Aegislash to shift to her Shield Form just in time before the jaws snapped down on her. The forcefield she generated got up in just a split-second, blocking off the canines and buffering Lycanroc's snout. He yelped as he recoiled back through the air, a thick, blue aura enveloping his body.

"Now!" Hala shouted.

Erza glared ahead, seeing Nanu and Hapu step up. "Right!" They both held up their Z-Rings, striking the signature pose to start it all. A dark and earth insignia engrossed their surroundings as the hue in the atmosphere blackened.

'Those signs...' She had a feeling of what was coming her way. 'Are they going to use...' She shifted her gaze skywards. "Aegislash, on your guard!"

Aegislash understood completely. She knew what was happening, and she wasn't dumb enough to think it was a bright idea to take it head on. They both watched as Nanu raised his arms overhead to make an intimidating pose, while Hapu put a hand to the ground and bent her knees. Energy from their Z-Rings accumulated into their bodies, which sent an arc of purple and bright brown light overhead onto Alolan Persian and Mudsdale. They both did a varied amount of poses, while keeping it short to build up that power they needed. Once both were charged, a flare ignited around their Pokémon.

"Black Hole Eclipse!"

"Tectonic Rage!"

Alolan Persian's gemstone on her forehead shimmered brightly as dark matter congregated to a single point. Mudsdale neighed mightily as he stomped on the ground, creating a powerful seismic eruption. The black hole Alolan Persian generated shot skywards over Aegislash's head and expanded its size into a massive dark vacuum that drew her in.

"(Gngh...gravity...is too strong! Not sure...that I can...)"

"Aegislash!" Erza urged. She looked down at the ground. She didn't have a lot of time. And if she got too close, the Z-Moves would draw her in as well. At the very least, Aegislash had to defend herself. "King's Shield!"

Aegislash's eye flicked open. Once again, she manifested another barrier around herself. The hexagons formulated, and luckily for Erza that the shield actually held up after a second time. Aegislash's forcefield-covered frame was slammed by Mudsdale down beneath the fissure opened beneath her.

Inside the fissure, she was drawn into the black hole when the impact from below buffered through her shield. With her shields up, she was fully prepared to restrain all the damage that was going to come her way. However, she found her momentum to be too great, and some of her shield dimmed as the Z-Moves' combined forces was closing in around her. "(What-?!)"

It happened so fast that it was a blink of an eye. The sky flickered red and black flares before the fissure exploded debris everywhere. Erza shielded using her forearms, but she was still blown back by the immense force of the combined attacks. A roaring dark cloud of rock and dark matter spewed across the atmosphere around the Kahunas and Erza. It took a long, several minutes for the smoke and dust to clear away from the area so everyone could see what happened.

As Erza reopened her eyes, she found herself on a knee, her Sea Empress Armor damaged in a few areas, but otherwise remained intact. She coughed into her arm and realized what had happened. When she looked forward, she gasped with shock.

The dust settled where Aegislash was supposed to be. The Royal Sword Pokémon was still in her shield form, floating a few feet over the earth. Her King's Shield was up, but it was very dim. And even on the other side, she seemed to have sustained some dents and dirt marks. She seemed worn out, for a lack of better word...but still able to fight nonetheless.

"Aegislash, are you alright?!" Erza shouted.

Aegislash gave a firm nod. "(Yes...somehow.)" She straightened back up. "(Don't worry, I can still fight!)"

Erza glared ahead as she processed what happened. 'King's Shield was supposed to completely save her from any attacks that would have come her way...wait a minute.' Her eyes widened at a realization. 'Is it...that Z-Moves are able to bypass moves like King's Shield and Protect?' She looked at Aegislash, who seemed as fine as she said. 'No, otherwise she would have taken more damage. Those were super effective Z-Moves used on her. It looks like the damage was minimized by the shield, that's all. These Z-Moves...' She shot a glare at the Kahunas. 'They have more potential than we realized.'

Aegislash grunted as he fixed herself against the Kahunas and their Pokémon. This was far from over.

---

Poisonous streams beelined throughout the atmosphere, whiplashing nonstop. Tapu Fini kept up her water control and maintained the Muddy Water barricade, but each time a tendril snapped, it buffered a large sum of the brown water. Tapu Fini flinched every time it happened.

"(Girl, be careful!)" Tapu Lele shouted.

"(I know that! But I can't-gngh!)" Another toxic tendril buffered against her borders. "(-get anywhere like this!)"

"(Phooey, look like we're pinned then!)" Tapu Lele crossed her arms, giving a small pout. "(Better hope Ole' Koko and Bulu are faring well."

---

Toxic tendrils spiraled madly around the air. It was chaos! No matter where Tapu Koko would turn, he found himself bordered off by a tendril streaming at him. He zigzagged and dodged nonstop, but knew his space was confined. Especially considering Tapu Bulu isn't anywhere close to as fast as he was.

"(Electro Ball!)"

Tapu Koko unleashed another hemisphere of electricity at Nic, only for a tendril whipped from the tornado to take it. "(Ugh! Are you kidding me?!)"

Tapu Bulu grunted as he summoned another wall of roots and bark from below. He made sure this was a double layer so it wouldn't break so easily. "(Alright, let's see you break through this one!)" he challenged.

As the tendrils kept lashing out, several streamed into the fortress all at once. Tapu Bulu was readily expecting it to hold, but was shocked when they all diverged around the shield. If that wasn't bad enough, Charizard flew in with Greninja still on his back with wings spread apart.

"(Heat Wave!)"

He flapped his wings, unleashing a bolstering whirlwind mixed with searing fire that engulfed everything in the atmosphere. The blast wave of fire spread far, engulfing the barricade and reducing it to ashes. Meanwhile, the Muddy Water veil boiled to where it evaporated around Tapu Fini, much to all their shock. The shockwaves of fire eroded further, pushing all of them away, including Tapu Koko as he covered up. The hot winds seared his wing shields as he defended himself, but was nonetheless unable to hold himself down.

"(Nic, now!)" Charizard shouted.

"Right...!" His eyes glowed brighter as she spread his arms out. With one powerful expulsion force from his Psychic, the Sludge Wave spiral around him widened, spreading around Charizard and Greninja. The maelstrom picked up everything, slamming into Tapu Fini and Tapu Lele. They all cried out as they were washed away by the toxic tides.

"(You bastard!)" Tapu Koko rushed through to get in front of Tapu Bulu. He fired another Electro Ball into the oncoming wake, but again, it dissipated. Though it did thin out the amount that was heading directly for them. "(Hang on, Tapu Bulu! This is gonna hurt!)"

The deity's discomforts only escalated because of the warning. The sludge shockwaves engulfed everything, sending all the guardians into a haze that made their skin crawl with the poison. All four cried out as their worlds turned to a poisonous blur as they plummeted towards the ground.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Nic shouted.

"(Right!)" Greninja jumped off of Charizard's back and positioned himself at eye-level with the other Tapus in frozen freefall. He eyed all four through the same eyes that reflected them. Once he locked in on them, before said eyes shrank. The Mystic Water he held glimmered with the water inside shining for a split second. Greninja cried out before he swiped four shuriken of water that blazed through the air, reaching the four and engulfing them in a large, misty explosion. Water sprayed from the explosion that bloomed everywhere.

Four bodies flipped and doubled through the air before crashing into the ground far below. They kicked up dust clouds that bloomed skywards. Greninja landed on Charizard's back and remained high in the air, whereas Nic kept himself afloat beside them. They all watched as the dust cleared away to show the four deities sprawled across the ground, each one immobile and otherwise unable to move.

"(Looks like we knocked them around.)" Charizard stated, blowing a small flare off to the side.

"(Yeah, or at least that's what it looks like.)" Greninja said, before his eyes narrowed. He didn't feel like this was fully settled...and he chose to stick with that gut instinct in mind.

Nic glared down as well, his disposition unchanged by the ultimatum made by his foes. He'd rather not get too close so his guard wouldn't be cut off. He had the same sense that Greninja did. His eyes caught sight of Tapu Koko's very slight twitching in his hands.

Tapu Koko grunted. Everything about him hurt. Everything. He could barely see straight as he lifted his head to look around. He scanned right to left, seeing blurs that he had to believe were his fellow island guardians in as bad as shape as he was. They all looked dazed and disoriented at best. At worst, half-dead.

'(This...this is bad. Really bad.)' Tapu Koko's thoughts filled with dread. '(At this rate, Alola will be...be...)'

At that instant, unpleasant imaged were starting to swell up his mind. The steady yet quick heartbeats that he had since his incarnation had nearly doubled. His head started plaguing with familiar images that only served to make his heart move so fast that it could burst. Piercing red eyes gleaming, along with a moonlit coating in the depths of night. That bright lunar gaze was the last harsh stream of light that he remembered before feeling extreme pain.

And that's precisely where it started.

Ever since that battle, that sheer motivation he had, the need to rush in and stop danger as fast as possible, no matter the cost, that was the incentive that he went by. He and the island guardians failed miserably in defending Alola one time. And since then, suffice to say that things were never really the same after that. Even though they all agreed to never speak of it again, that bitter memory of the failures they were back then stung harsher than any amount of poison that Nic struck them with. And Tapu Koko was no exception.

'(I...I won't lose...not again!)' He thought about his humiliating quarrel with Nic and Erza the other day. '(I can't...I won't! My pride as an island guardian is on the line, so what am I doing on the ground like a rock?! Move! Move damn you!)'

It was slow going, but his body started to react to his intense pleas. He needed to hurry. He needed to act fast! He had to win and prevent another incident like this from ever happening!

"(Guys...gets your shells off the ground this instant. This fight...isn't over just yet.)"

The guardians around him groaned and stirred on the ground. They heard his plea, but struggled to get up. But they knew better than to allow themselves to stay down for this long when it was their responsibility to take care of this threat, no matter the cost. They all raised their hands – hooves in Tapu Bulu's case – and braced themselves.

"(We won't...)"

Nic's eyes shrank, gasping.

"(We won't...LOSE TO YOU! YOU FREAKS! NATURE'S MADNESS!)"

All four Tapus slammed their hands into the ground upon Tapu Koko's war cry. The ground ignited in a bright pink explosion with rainbow static crackling around them like an energy field. Suddenly, the static stockpiled from all their signatures so close, causing the ground to dice apart as the ripples went across the earth. The rainbow bolts exploded into lightning that flashed everywhere. The entire plateau was engulfed in an ever-spreading ripple that trembled the ground.

The rainbow bolts shot everywhere, making it impossible for Nic and Charizard to get close. Nic disappeared via Teleport to get a higher range than what the shockwaves could reach. Charizard flapped his wings and shot skywards, with Greninja holding on as tight as possible.

However, something caught Nic's eye as he watched the shockwaves traverse across the ground. A shocked look spread across his face. "Erza!"

Still engrossed in keeping the Kahuna and their Pokémon at bay, the elemental lightning bolts caught her by sheer surprise. Aegislash was barely out of range, but Erza was in the direct line of the attack as it rippled across the land towards her.

'What's that? It's moving too fast!'

Before Erza had time to register the oncoming attack, she felt light as a feather...before realizing she was in midair, high above the plateau. The sudden change in scenery barely processed. But what surprised her more was seeing the shockwaves and lightning spreading vastly towards someone who was in her place.

BOOM!

A monstrous, rainbow explosion engulfed the area, sending sparkling flares everywhere upon impact. The diced earth blew up, leveling it all the way towards the rivers. Water sprayed along the altar, gushing it back towards the ferns and across the ledge. The atmosphere bridled with smoke and dust that seemingly sparkled. Everybody stopped what they were doing and covered themselves as the tremors moved beneath them, dissipating through the plateau's perimeter.

Erza looked down with sheer shock and disbelief. Nearly half the altar's base was overturned in an instant. In her shock, a pink tongue shot from the side, slinging around and wrapping around her waist just before she started falling.

Gasping, she looked genuinely shocked at her savior in the form of a frog on the back of a dragon. "Greninja...?"

Greninja grunted as he got Erza higher into the air until Charizard was close enough to catch her on his back. She landed behind Greninja and immediately held onto him.

"What happened?!" She looked at Greninja and Charizard, but the two looked down at the altar with worry. 'Wait, I didn't teleport here on a whim, didn't I? And where's...!' Her eyes snapped wide with shock. "NIC!"

Down below the altar, Aegislash looked back, looking just as horrified as Greninja and Charizard when the dust finally started clearing. The island guardians drifted up a little more for a better vantage point. They witnessed in such vehement satisfaction of Nic in the center of shattered earth, his entire body covered in dirt marks and bruises. He shielded himself with his forearms, but he still looked severely dazed from that attack.

His eyes twitched behind his guard, his teeth gritting together to hold out on the wind taken out of him. He maintained a steady breathing in spite of all his insides feeling like they got wasted.

"(Yippee! We finally got him!)" Tapu Lele cheered, raising her hands high in joy.

"(I see, so his weakness was his mate all along.)" Tapu Fini noted. "(I understand. So he's vulnerable to companionship. We should have done that from the start. Perhaps that would have saved us a lot of time and effort.)"

"(We can worry about that later...he's still not down yet.)" Tapu Koko glared directly at Nic, meeting his defiant blue eyes despite his condition. He hated seeing that kind of fire in his eyes. Those same damn eyes that seemed to be challenging him. It made him crackle around his body.

"(Look, he's getting back up!)" Tapu Bulu pointed out.

Everyone watched as Nic gradually lifted himself from a knee. He spread his legs and took deep breaths to get air back into his lungs.

"Unbelievable." Hala exasperated. "Did he seriously take the island guardians' full wrath all by himself?"

"That kid ain't normal, I'll give him that much." Nanu testified.

Looker narrowed his eyes. He had to make a move soon to arrest him. 'No, it's still too soon. Remember, he's a stubborn one according to the files. We need him completely incapacitated.'

Nic continued breathing as he was trying to process what happened. 'I didn't think their Nature's Madness...would do this much damage by itself.' He thought back to when he took the brunt of the attack. He felt each individual blast that divided up his strength. 'So then...this is a move that's like Super Fang? That explains why I'm still standing. It can't completely take someone out, no matter how many times it's used. Still...' His left brow twitched. 'That was a whim that spread too far.'

Tapu Koko glared at Nic. "(Tch, he's still not down!)" He lurched again, but caught himself before he could completely fall over. "(We need to get rid of him...but we're still so wiped.)" He looked around, seeing if anything was available for him to use as leverage. He could use Tapu Lele's scales again, but that only worked when someone was in unconditional bad shape. He needed something to sustain them long enough to hold out and take care of Erza next.

That's when he spotted the Kahunas. An electric jolt struck his head with an idea. "(Guys, stall him for me! I have an idea!)" Without another word, he moved as fast as lightning, leaving crackling static in a trail.

"(Huh? Hey, what about us?! At least tell us what you're gonna be doing!)" Tapu Lele chimed.

"(Forget it. Leave Tapu Koko to his own ideas. We need to focus on what's in front of us.)" Tapu Fini advised, giving Nic a serious glare.

"(Couldn't have said it better myself.)" Tapu Bulu snorted. "(I've got this one!)" He clapped his hooves together, sending out a green pulse into the ground. Vines and roots shot up around Nic's feet, wrapping and anchoring him towards the ground. "(Now we've got you!)"

Nic remained completely calm. As he watched Tapu Lele and Tapu Fini summon energy for attacks, he waited in anticipation for them to make a move.

"(Moonblast!)"

"(Hydro Pump!)"

A lunar blast of pink energy fired across the plateau, next to a pulsing jet of water that had extreme pressure in its wake. They two attacks closed in, but a beam of fire shot across the ground, exploding into a wall of flames that took both attacks instead. Steam and pink mist exploded upon impact, obscuring everything around the deities in question.

"(What?!)" Tapu Fini gasped.

With the explosion as cover, Nic relaxed a little as he looked up. He saw a silhouette come down with a purple needle, via Night Slash. The roots grounding Nic were sliced off in a split second. Greninja landed beside Nic and sheathed the needle.

"Thanks, Greninja. Charizard." Nic said. With cuffs of roots still on his body, His skin produced acid from his pores that sizzled upon meeting the roots tangling him. They corroded away and melted to the floor, leaving Nic mobile again.

"Nic!" Erza got off Charizard, who landed on Nic's other side. She moved closer to him to see if he was alright.

"Erza, are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me right now, I'm just fine. What the hell did you take that for?!"

Nic frowned, seeing he worried his wife. "Sorry...it was a last-second thought. I used Ally Switch to swap places with you. Don't worry..." He stood straight up. "I can still hold. Their signature moves halve base on the target's remaining stamina it seems."

Erza frowned back. She was so engrossed with dealing with the Kahunas that Nic ended up saving her from a brutal blow. Damnit! How could she have been so engrossed and not aware of her surroundings?! Her fists clenched tightly as she turned back at the clearing mist with glares fixed on the deities.

"You know, Nic, I say you've gotten sloppy and careless...but we'll fix that later." She sneered, with Aegislash reuniting with her.

Nic nodded. "Guess so."

A short distance from the regrouping, the Kahunas were steadfast on what to do next. When Nanu was about to call an attack with their backs turned, a streak of lightning flashed before their eyes, blinding them for a split second. When the bolt faded, Tapu Koko floated before them with a less than satiable gleam in his eyes. "Huh? Tapu Koko?" Hala gasped in surprise.

Tapu Koko didn't bother wasting times with pleasantries. "(Yeah, it's me. Listen, you humans carry those items with you, right?)"

Hala looked confused. "Pardon, is something the matter?"

'(Ugh! I forgot these humans are dense as rocks until we point out what we need.)' Tapu Koko eyerolled. "(Look, do I have to spell it out for you? We. Need. Items. To. Restore. Us! Did you get that?!)"

The Kahunas looked at him confusedly. Nanu sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Guess the island guardian of Melemele needs our help from the sounds of it."

Tapu Koko groaned. "(Y'know what, screw it! I'll do it myself!)" He beelined closer to the Kahunas, reaching into Hala's pockets within his coat.

"Gah! What the-?! Tapu Koko, what is the meaning of this?!" Hala exasperated. He wanted to do something, but Tapu Koko wasn't having it. He pulled out one of the Full Restores he had saved and moved to Olivia next to procure another one.

"(You're turn! Show me your pockets!)" He dug into her short shorts, much to her embarrassment. Once he pulled out another Full Restore, he didn't waste time snagging one as well. He moved as fast as lightning to Hapu and dug into her pockets until a fourth one was found. "(There!)" With the medicine in hand, he flew back as fast as lightning.

"Hey, wait up a sec!" Hapu shouted, but was too late. She stared in disbelief at the sudden intrusion. "What was dat about? I feel like I was violated."

"Did it...really steal our Full Restores?" Olivia questioned.

Hala didn't say anything. He was just as baffled as her, if not more.

Tapu Koko rushed back to his fellow guardians with the items in hand. "(Oh, there you are, Koko! I was beginning to worry where you went! Be pretty lousy if you just up and ditched us like that.)" Tapu Lele chimed.

Tapu Koko scoffed. "(Please, as if I'd pass up the opportunity to fight.)" He held up a Full Restore. "(Everyone take one and use it. I don't care how, but these things apparently heal you.)"

"(I understand. Thank you.)" Tapu Fini extended her hand and took the Full Restore for herself. She looked for how the medicine would go out, but furrowed her brow. "(Now, how did that human use this...like this?)" She held the nozzle to her face and pulled on the back, dousing herself in a spray that stung her eyes. "(Gngh! Right, forgot about the eyes!)" she miffed.

"(Oooooh! Like this?)" Tapu Lele craned her neck and sprayed herself with the Full Restore. She sprayed her backside, her hair, and then her chest. When she was finished, a green wave went up her body and took a long breath. "(Ah~, that actually smells refreshing! Feels like it, too! You think these come in other scents?)"

"(I don't think these are perfumes, Tapu Lele.)" Tapu Bulu said, staring at his. He gave it a quizzical look. "(I mean I don't think so...)"

They all began using the Full Restores, spraying each other as fast as possible. Every part they sprayed, there was a small, powerful sting for a few seconds until the pain went away. They made sure no part was left out. When each of the four capsules were used, they were discarded and they looked back at Nic and Erza, fully restored with livelier complexions.

"(Now this is more like it.)" Tapu Koko hissed, static channeling around his body once more.

"(Pilfer much, do ya?)" Greninja sneered.

"(This coming from a Dark-type of all Pokémon. Besides, these are our lands, and we've made these humans the Kahunas. I say this is just us them paying their dues for us.)"

"(How can you speak so callously about our partners' kind like that? Yes, admittedly humans aren't all beneficial, but there are some that mean well.)" Aegislash retorted.

"(As much as I agree with that statement about humans, this is more than just humankind.)" Tapu Fini countered.

Tapu Koko zipped a little closer. "(You really think this is about just you humans? Listen, because I'm only going to say this once. So pay attention!)" Static intensified around his body. "(You know who we are, don't you? We're the island guardians of Alola. That means, that whether it's foreign or domestic, we don't ever let any that pose a threat to us leave here unscathed. We'll use whatever we must to ensure the safety of Alola; even if it means getting and using the help of humans in doing so. I refuse to allow these lands to be taken from us again!)"

Nic glared at Tapu Koko, feeling very powerful wavelengths that his Mind Form's half was picking up on. He could see it, the image of him at the bitter mercy of Lunala from so long ago. That memory, where they all failed so miserably...it caused a greater intensity to swell in Tapu Koko's emotions. He could see it, the territorial anxiety swelling in his eyes. The heartbeat thumping quickly in his opponent's chest. The unwillingness to allow such a disgrace upon his name and his position. He felt it all.

It reminded Nic of a certain someone who had those same exact symptoms. The aftermath of God Serena's defeat and Grand Doma's stubbornness to accept change, and how it led to his death right before Nic and Greninja's eyes.

"I pity you, Gran Doma, more than you will ever know."

"Nonsense." He coughed again, his stumbling faltering for that single instant. "I don't need your pity. I want this world free from all invaders. All threats. It was all for the sake of magic and our heritage."

Nic could see that Gran Doma's stress was greatly wearing down his heart. There was no telling how much time he had left, except the fact that Nic could heal him seemed to be liable. Sure he could use Heal Pulse, but knowing Gran Doma, he will never accept Nic's kindness. He'll still kill him, no matter what sacrifices will have to be made. All Nic and Greninja can do is give the dying man what dignity he can maintain. It left a mallow chord attached to Nic's heart letting this happen, but it's all part of life. Too much pride can kill you, and this was the prime example.

And right now, what he was seeing before him was another creature who was stuck in the past. After the painful and stressing experience of witnessing Alola with his own eyes, this place was far from a paradise. A land that was presumably owned by selfish tyrants who used humans as aids without much in return. And to top it off, they worried more about their pride above all else. Normally, anyone from the guild would try and set their heads straight with some choice words...

But this time, Nic was pissed off. He wasn't going to lecture a second time.

"(You got all that? I hope that you did, because now you're going down! Every last one of you!)" Tapu Koko gathered energy for another Electro Ball in his palms. "(We don't take chances here! Especially with freaks like you! So do us a favor and begone already!)"

Erza gnashed her teeth. It looked like these guys were all hellbent on ridding them if they even think of going home as well. She and Aegislash had a similar glare of contempt as the Electro Ball's charge completed.

"(Now...DIE!)" With a violent cry, Tapu Koko shot the hemisphere with all his might at the group, the attack speeding like a bullet that ignited everything in a yellow hue.

However, before it reached them, it froze in midair a few feet from Nic. It was like time completely stopped around it as everything else stirred.

"(What?!)" Tapu Koko snapped.

Erza looked over, seeing Nic's head turned slightly away. His gaze was hidden by shadows as he nonchalantly held out his hand and kept the Electro Ball in place with Psychic. With a crushing grip, the psychokinetic force holding it in place crushed the hemisphere, making a small discharge that dispelled through the air. The Island Kahunas looked stunned at the sight before them.

"What...did he just do?" Looker exasperated.

Tapu Koko jerked back in the air, feeling a change in pressure around the altar. He could have sworn he saw Nic's eyes gleaming a flash of piercing red. His peers looked just as confused.

"...was that all you had to say?"

"(Heh?)" Tapu Koko flinched.

"Because if that's all...then we can get down to business." As Nic lowly spoke, the atmosphere was starting to dazzle, particularly around him. "You call yourselves island guardians, you have all these resources and people behind your backs, and you use them on anyone indiscriminately who looks at you the wrong way. I loathe titles for a reason." He raised his head, the sparkles around him intensifying into shadows. "And you...are the very epitome why."

The air exploded around Nic, expelling shockwaves that pushed everyone back. The Kahunas used their forearms to shield their faces, while their Pokémon were trying to hold their ground. But even through all their perseverance, they couldn't move a single step forward. Their nerves shot with a very crude dread that Nic gave off as his body engrossed with a glossy glow reminiscent of the moon.

Erza opened an eye in the intense moonlight glimmering from her husband. 'This power! Nic's gonna...!'

"People, let alone creatures, that choose self-preservation and pride over common sense...honestly, that makes my blood boil. If the Kahunas follow your lead, I feel sorry for them to have such terrible excuses for superiors. Aren't guardians supposed to be defensive for everything about their home, and not just their land? But you make it sound like it's all about you." Starlight and shadows gathered around Nic, shaping his body as he ascended into the air. Inside the light, what seemed to be a third eye revealed itself. "It's those like you...who I want to pound into the ground!"

A lunar pulse expelled across the altar, spreading far across the broad daylight of Alola's skies. With the sun beaming down, it wasn't noticeable beyond human eyes. But the air sparkles with lunar particles for several seconds before fading away. The pulse was so strong that everyone who was an enemy ended up doubling over. The Kahunas fell on their butts or stomachs from the force that caused the water in the pools to twinkle with the lunar energy provided.

When the light was able to fade away, Tapu Koko was able to gather his bearings and looked through the moonlight gleam...only to be met with a shadowy glare that senta familiar chill down his spine. "(W-what...?)"

"That's...impossible..." Olivia mumbled, seeing the shadow's frame become more visible.

"I've never seen anything like this before. This wasn't anything that I was told of..." Hala stated, his closed eyes opened just a little to show his genuine shock.

At the Aether Paradise, looking through a monitor to see the private broadcast, the visage that the others were seeing was seen clearly by Lusamine and Wicke. The former looked shocked beyond recognition. "That can't possibly be..."

"My goodness..." Wicke gasped, having hands over her mouth.

Everyone kept their distance as a luminescent gleam shimmered over the sparkling pond. The water shined brightly, returning the glow back towards the wings that were attached to Nic's arms. His glossy, red eyes gleamed brightly. When they opened completely, a bright pulse ripple shook everyone to the core.

"(No...no this can't possibly be!)" Tapu Koko exasperated as he shifted back, too horrified to move forward.

The figment that reminded them of a certain Pokémon glared at the Tapus. His third eye on his forehead appeared briefly once again as he focused on them.

"Legendary Force – Lunala!"

Nobody said anything for what felt like several minutes. Did they seriously just see a human transform into a cosplay version of a Legendary Pokémon? If it wasn't for the situation, they would have figured they'd be in some kind of dream. Nanu was no exception, considering he's known Fallers before, but nothing this extraordinary.

'The heck is going on?'

Nic flexed his wings, causing his cosmic purple body to give off another vibrant, lunar glow. His eyes gleamed just as brightly against the stunned island guardians. He craned his head towards the skies and unleashed a loud shriek that split apart eardrums. Vocals reached across the valleys of Poni Island, with a moonlit center at the core of it all.

---

Looking at the monitor from her laboratory, Professor Burnet looked just as shocked as everyone else at what they saw. "No way...is that even possible?" In her lamented shock, she was caught off guard when warning signals and alarms were coming from her main computer. "Wait, what?!"

A fellow scientist rushed over, holding up a digital scanner in his hand. "Ma'am, we've just received word! We have a dimensional energy spike just now!"

Burnet's eyes widened as she looked back at the livestream. 'Wait, a sudden spike just now? It should have been spiked if Nic was a Faller.' She put a hand to her chin. 'What's causing all of this...?'

---

"Hm?" Inside his pitch-black confines, a set of red, piercing eyes focused on a particular light that he sensed. "Liiight..." He drifted a little higher, his energy building up as his eyes shifted color rom piercing bloody red, to jagged rainbow shrapnel. "LIIIiiiiiIIIIIIght!"

The echo of his cry was so intense that the entire black castle shuddered violently. The walls cracked apart, allowing some of the weaker walls to cave in. The wall that he hit previously ultimately broke apart, allowing him to see out into the violet reaches of space.

"Hehe...HEHEHE! GAHAHAHAHAHA! MY LIIIIIGHT! It's mine!"

Acting on impulse, he flew out of the opening to his domain to follow the light.

---

Nic's shrilled cries diminished until the air went silent again. Greninja and Charizard were right beside him, glaring down the stupefied deities. "(But...but how can this be?! No! Not again!)" Tapu Koko snapped.

Tapu Fini floated ahead of the pack. "(Everyone, hold together! Remember, he's still taken damage!)"

"(Hey, yeah! Fini's got a point!)" Tapu Lele urged. "(C'mon, let's hurry and beat them! Bulu, do your thing, big guy!)"

"(Right!)" Tapu Bulu stamped his hooves together, before slamming the into the ground. A tremor eroded beneath Nic before the ground unleashed roots and vines that whipped around that wrapped around his arms and legs to hold him in place.

Tapu Fini focused everything she had so she could summon more brown water in a giant monsoon. Tapu Lele preceded that with a psychokinetic pulse with rainbow patterns. The shockwaves traveled over the brown wave, making a tunnel that had liquefied traction beneath it.

"(Dragon Claw!)"

"(Night Slash!)"

Green and purple slashes tore into the kinetic waves so deep that they dissipated. Charizard and Greninja stood before Nic with bodies poised with slash positions. The water dissipated around them, and the Extrasensory's force deluded throughout the air.

"(No, we forgot about those two.)" Tapu Fini cursed.

"(Okay~, so maybe it's a good time to worry?)" Tapu Lele chimed, tapping her hands together.

With the cover made, Nic's clothing glowed brightly with sparkling energy. The earlier damage he had taken before started mending until no visible signs were evident, via Moonlight. It didn't take long for the glow to recede, and even shorter for Nic to turn intangible like a ghost and phase through his bindings.

"(What?!)" Tapu Bulu snorted out a shock.

Nic drifted higher above, glowering down at the other island guardians. He didn't bother saying anything to them, but his eyes never left them. "Erza, mind if I set these guys straight myself?"

Knowing well of his intentions, Erza turned away. "Yes...but promise me you'll be more careful."

"No promises...but I'll certainly try. You just set those Kahunas straight and show them what having self-justice is."

Erza smirked. "Gladly. Aegislash...let's go." She started back to the Kahunas to finish her battle with them.

"(Right behind you all the way!)" Aegislash declared, floating behind her. When she caught up, her body stiffened in her Shield Forme. The Kahunas were so lost in the transformation that they were taken by surprise when Erza drew closer.

"She's coming this way! Everyone, remain focus!" Looker warned.

"Don't worry, we will." Nanu stated. He cocked a brow at Olivia. "Hey, you're up. Make sure you hit them good this time."

Olivia shook her head to get her head back in the game. "Don't worry, we're ready this time around. Right, Lycanroc?"

Lycanroc looked back, sneering. "(Heh, about damn time! Let's hurry this up already!)"

Olivia spread her hells and took a firm stance on the ground. She crossed her arms and brought them apart as energy channeled from her Z-Ring. The hue around her body shimmered with the crystal inside, whereas the atmosphere around them blackened to a hollow hue. Erza immediately recognized the spotlight effect and felt an uneasy tension boil up from beneath.

'Here she comes.' She glared. Aegislash's eye was no different with an equally watchful glare.

Olivia flexed her hips as she bent a knee to the side. She held up her arms and flexed her biceps as orange energy expelled from her body, coursing through the air over everyone and arching onto Lycanroc, who struck a synchronized pose with her. A continental insignia flashed around him as the around flare engulfed him. He smirked maliciously as he could feel and incredible flow of adrenaline from Olivia's Z-Power.

"Continental Crush!"

Erza stopped in her tracks as she and Aegislash looked up. They watched as Lycanroc punched the ground before taking off into the air. He held one arm out that had a concentrated mass of gravity in it. Said gravity magnified the canyon grounds around them and drew in large amounts of rock that compressed into a giant boulder overhead. Lycanroc surprisingly hefted it up with his arm to ready a superb lob.

"(This time! This'll do the trick!)" he furiously shouted, eyes reddening deeper. "(Go down!)"

Erza and Aegislash exchanged looks with one another. The shadow blocked out the sun, but their eyes had a fire that burned as bright as the sun still casting overhead. "Right, let's do this!" Erza's body shined a powerful light. "Requip!" The light faded around her body, encasing her in rough but very fine armor that was shimmering gold, with a massive lance pointed straight towards the sky.

It was her Piercing Armor.

"What in tarnation she doin'?!" Hapu shouted. "She'll be smooshed like dem flapjacks!"

Looker clutched his fists. He was tempted to rush in and do something about it. Maybe catch her by surprise and pin her down, but with the massive boulder overhead threatening to come down any second, his best course was to stay back.

"Let's go!" Erza took a small leap into the air, in which Aegislash used her shield as another springboard for Erza to catapult herself. With all her leg strength, she shot off the shield and skyrocketed to the rock far above, her lance straight out.

"(Heh?! Is she looped around the head too tight?!)" Lycanroc exasperated. He was almost tempted to not throw it...almost. But with a sharp gleam in his eyes, he reaffirmed his desires and heightened his momentum. "(Heh, fine by me! Don't say you didn't ask for it!)"

The massive rock finally lost its kinetic energy when Lycanroc lowered his arm and threw it down with all his might. His massive boulder roared as air flowed from underneath, barely slowing it down as it threatened to crush Erza. The Kahunas staring from below were slightly worried if what Erza had could possibly be enough.

"Don't you...underestimate me! HRAH!"

With all her might, the lance's end met the bottom of the large-scale boulder. There was a short amount of breath before the rock blew to pieces. The atmosphere erupted in stone and granite that showered over everyone's heads as Erza continued with her lance until she reached the other side of the boulder. The hole punctured clean through spread and shattered even more stone all around.

Time slowed down for everyone as the Kahunas had exasperated looks on their faces. Never in a million years could they have foreseen something like this happening. Olivia could only slump her shoulders as rock sprinkled around her. Her strongest attack that was poked at...again!

Lycanroc's mouth gaped wide open at the spectacle. Crabominable looked perplexed, while Mudsdale and Alolan Persian seemed taken back by that attack. To say even they were surprised would be putting it lightly.

"Her armor...pierced the attack?!" Olivia snapped, realization finally dawning upon her.

With her momentum finally at a standstill from going clean through the rock, Erza had her lance directed at Lycanroc. "Aegislash, go now!"

"(Understood!)" She drifted skywards towards the falling rocks, keeping her path focused on Lycanroc. There was still a gap between them that had considerable height, but with Lycanroc in freefall, it wouldn't be a problem, especially with him momentarily winded.

Aegislash unsheathed herself. "(No matter what troubles lie ahead...)" She snapped to her Blade Forme. "(We shall not yield!)" She tucked in her pointed, guarded tip of a head. "(Not to anyone under our own justice!)" As she charged in, her head detonated glossy blue and white aura that engulfed her body, making her figure have black outlines.

"What is that?!" Hala yelled. Everyone had the same look of shock on their faces.

Erza's eyes widened. She never saw Aegislash do something like this before. 'This move-!'

Aegislash kept charging, her iron tip crushing the shattered remnants of Continental Crush. Dozens of rocks shattered to loose gravel all the way up to Lycanroc, who didn't have the momentum on himself to guard. Aegislash rammed head-on into his gut, sending an airwave so deep past him that it knocked the air out of his lungs. His face contorted with a mixture of shock and pain as saliva spewed from his mouth. The bipedal canine doubled over through the air as he fell to the ground, sundering in front of Olivia with an explosive thud.

"Lycanroc!" She cried out.

Nanu looked at the dust cloud with a raised brow. "Well now, that didn't look like a pretty hit." He looked back up towards Aegislash. "Looks like that thing just learned how to use Head Smash."

'Head Smash?' Erza parroted in her mind. She fell to the plateau ground and glowed again. She requipped back into her Heart Kreuz Armor and landed on a knee. Once she picked herself up, she watched Aegislash descend before her. 'I see, so she learned Head Smash.' She smiled with pride. 'Very good work.'

As if sensing her praise, Aegislash lowered and nodded. Suddenly, dense red sparks engulfed her body, sending intense shock through her metal frame. She gawked in steep pain.

"Aegislash?!" Erza gasped.

Aegislash wavered, but she caught herself before she could hit the ground. Her body felt numb and stale. "(I-I'm fine, Erza...)" She strained, but Erza was no fool. The recoil of a devastating attack like that was brutal on her body. Aegislash was so winded that she almost blacked out on the spot.

'She can't take another attack like that again. We'll need to finish this in one shot...' She needed to think, and fast. She still had the Attack boost from Swords Dance, so her next attack should do the trick if done right. However, she needed a powerful attack. That's when a jolt of lightning went through her head.

'That's it!' She looked down at her Z-Ring, realizing she had the Rockium-Z Olivia gave her. 'Guess this should do it.' A small smirk crossed her face.

"Uh oh, guess she just thought of something unpleasant." Nanu chimed.

"We must endure at all costs! It's our duty to see this through to the end!" Hala insisted.

Erza looked at Aegislash. "Aegislash..."

She nodded. "(Let's do it.)"

The redhead's smirk widened. She had a feeling of what her answer was. "Very well then." She raised her head as she separated her heels. "Then perhaps it's time we...return the favor!"

Olivia gasped. "Wait, that stance...! Head Smash is a Rock-type move, which means that...!"

"Thank you for refreshing my memory, Olivia. For a moment, I forgot how you pose with this one. But now..." She crossed her arms, igniting the Z-Ring's sparkling aura. The hue around the area turned dark once again as spotlights illuminated on Erza and Aegislash. "It's our turn to repay the favor!"

Aegislash maintained her Blade Form as she struck a flexed posed with her shield arm up. Erza had her bicep up as she bent a knee and flexed her hip. An orange aura transcended from her body and shot into an arch overhead onto Aegislash. A rock insignia imprinted in the air around her as an overwhelming force of power flourished within her dented frame.

"Now...time for our Z-Move! Aegislash..." Erza raised her palm into the sky, which Aegislash followed.

Aegislash shot into the sky, where she brought her tarp hands together overhead. A gravitational force caused more of the canyon's aged earth to tear itself apart and gather around the gravity field. It was taking Aegislash everything she had to keep focus as the mass enlarged with every stone pressed against it. It grew bigger and larger, signifying a strength that was well above the previous attack used. Everyone below looked bewildered at the massive boulder that was held up by the arms of a spectral sword threatening to drop it down on them.

Erza brought het arm down, signaling the drop.

"CONTINENTAL CRUSH!"

Aegislash let out her mightiest cry yet as she brought her arms down, finally allowing the weight of the monstrous boulder to come crashing down onto the Pokémon beneath her. The air roared as the attack looked like a meteor heading right for them, with a similar impact force.

"Stand your ground! Don't give in!" Hala pleaded.

"We can't use our Z-Moves again!" Hapu reminded him.

The Kahuna scoffed. "Fear not! I have one left! Behold!" He held up his left arm with the Z-Ring attached. "The power of Melemele, and Tapu Koko's blessing upon us! Let's go!"

"(YEAH!)" Crabominable raged, glaring at the oncoming land mass.

Hala crossed his arms as the hue around them stayed dark. A powerful light swelled from his Z-Ring that was reminiscent of a star. He struck out his fists, which Crabominable synchronized with. They started punching the air together, shifting their weight from one end of their legs towards the other, then came back down. Once their momentum was reached, they looked up as a fighting symbol appeared around them.

"ALL-OUT PUMMELING!"

Crabominable unleashed a lightning barrage of punches that had a massive aura around each energy fists. The fists multiplied into a wave of energy knuckles that bashed and dented into the base of the oncoming rock above. Crabominable was fiercely punching for his life as his Fighting-type Z-Move had the advantage, but Aegislash's had a superior Attack strength. It was a brutal contest of strength. The knuckles didn't let up as the rock drew closer with every blow received. Chunks of rock vaporized and fell as pebbles around him. The fists were relentless, but ultimately, the rock still had a greater mass towards it that the knuckles only got halfway through. The top-half of the remaining boulder blanketed over the Pokémon present, engulfing them all in a bone-crushing force of earth. Rock spewed everywhere. The Kahunas were struck with a powerful tremor and shockwave combo that sent them all flooring on their backs. Even Looker wasn't safe when the shockwave proved to be too strong.

'Now!' Erza lunged through the dust cloud created by the attack. She hopped over a large rock, then one that was in midair. She repeated the steppingstone process until she reached Aegislash in midair. She held onto her head tightly as she came down through the dust wave.

"(Gnnnngh...)" Crabominable rummaged through the debris, his head spinning with a deep daze. "(Ugh...my head...huh?)" He blinked. "(Heh? Wait...I survived that?)" It took a moment to realize, and then he flexed. "(Gyahaha! How's that?!)"

Alolan Persian looked up, her tail drooping. "(...I'm too tired for this.)"

Erza came down, yelling at all her might with Aegislash pulled back. Her blade glowed bright blue and maintained being elongated for her to wield. She closed in on the Pokémon and slashed with all her might.

"SACRED SWORD!"

SHING!

In the blink of an eye, she passed Mudsdale, Alolan Persian, and Crabominable. She held Aegislash in front of her as the blade's gilded blue energy dissipated. A long pause passed before a line of explosions engulfed the three Pokémon in the brutal blow.

The shockwaves all subsided, along with the dust. Once cleared away, Mudsdale, Alolan Persian, and Crabominable all joined Olivia's Lycanroc on the ground, having large swirls in their eyes and completely unconscious.

Still dazed with a ringing head, Looker struggled to get up. "What just happened...?" He looked ahead, gawking at Erza standing before them, holding Aegislash like a blade threatening them.

"Now...do you see my point?" Her intimidating glare darkened. "Or would you like to continue proving your point? Think carefully now."

Looker was completely speechless. The Kahunas looked equally as taken back from the recoil. They all hesitated to stand back up in the face of Erza and Aegislash's intimidating glares fixed on them.

"(I believe that we have our answer.)" Aegislash huffed.

---

Tapu Koko blitzed like a lightning bolt through the air, his Agility leaving behind afterimages of himself that surrounded Nic in an effort to disorient him. However, he looked forward without so much as even a twitch.

"(Skull Bash!)"

Below, Tapu Bulu tucked in his head as he steadied himself to strike Nic from a steeper, lower angle. A red aura engulfed his body as his Defense went up. He eyeballed Nic and snorted loudly like a bull. "(You're mine!)" He jettisoned skywards towards Nic. Behind Nic, Tapu Koko reappeared in the blink of an eye, an electric orb already charged.

"(Electro Ball!)"

The sphere fired at an alarming rate towards the back of Nic's head. He was absolutely certain that the attack would hit hard with his superior speed. His hopes were dashed when Nic suddenly vanished with Teleport, leaving the sphere's projection to hit Tapu Bulu's hardened cranium. A bright explosion engulfed the deity, surrounding him in a small discharge.

"(Shoot! Again?!)" Tapu Koko was beyond peeved at this point. He was getting sick and tired of his attacks being turned on his allies. His thoughts went stiff when a shadow loomed over him. By the time he turned around, it was too late. "(Shi-!)"

A Night Shade produced from Nic's eyes blasted his back, sending paralyzing shock through his nerves as the cold, shadowy streaks shot him down like an insect. Tapu Bulu was still too dazed from that moment's attack to have noticed Tapu Koko being blasted in his path. Just before he took another breath, a harsh force that was his fellow deity smashed into him and continued going. The pulsing streaks zapped them both into the ground, creating a powerful tremor of darkness beneath them.

"(No! Koko! Bulu!)" Tapu Lele panicked. She looked back at Nic, who continued with the silent treatment. "(Take this you meanie!)" She held out her arms, projecting at Nic. "(Flatter!)"

The hue around Nic darkened as a spotlight was shimmering above him. He looked up, seeing the makeshift confetti ready to pop.

"Magic Coat."

A reflective coating over his body appeared, making him anything but transparent. Tapu Lele's reflection shined on Nic's figure, much to her confusion. The light suddenly ricocheted off is frame, beaming into her face. With her being blinded, the confetti noise rung in her ears, along with a makeshift audience clap.

"(Tapu Lele, don't listen to it! It's just an illusion!)" Tapu Fini warned.

"(Huh...? Oh, why thank you very much, hehe...)" Tapu Lele's head swayed side-to-side as she drifted about lazily. Her eyes had a hazed look in them as a red aura enveloped her body, increasing her Special Attack. "(I'm so honored, really...teehee...)"

Tapu Fini grunted low. '(She's already confused. This is bad.)' She turned back towards Nic, quickly coming up with a counterattack. "(Hydro Pump!)" She manifested a mirror of water and unleashed a pressurized torrent up at him.

Nic only glared daggers as he watched the torrent head his way. He didn't bother batting an eyelash as his eyes glowed bright blue, via Confusion. The torrent reached him...only to be bisected by his hand reaching out and applying the force to the small area. The torrent's force weakened to two spouts on either side.

"Now, Flamethrower! Scald!"

Tapu Fini didn't have the momentum to react in time. She was so focused on Nic that she was blindsided by a blazing blast of flames from one side, and scalding water from the other. Searing heat enflamed her entire body as she screeched out in agony. A misty inferno engulfed the skies around her, blowing the dazed Tapu Lele away. Greninja used her as a steppingstone and lunged over the humid flare, hitching on Charizard's back again.

The two other deities whistled out of the sky and slammed into the ground harshly. More dust picked up around them as Nic watched from above. As the dust dissipated, All the Tapus were still in a hectic daze. Double considering Tapu Lele's confusion.

"(Ugh, my head...)" Tapu Koko stirred back up, shaking his head to rid of his dizzy spell. "(What just...)" He remembered how he just floored and shot a glare towards the sky. '(Did he seriously floor us in a second?)'

Nic continued saying nothing as he conjured shadows between his palms, focusing his energy into a single point until the energy was at its peak. He reached out and projected the Shadow Ball, leaving a thick, crackling trail of dark lightning behind it as it rushed after them. Tapu Koko zipped as fast as lightning, but the others weren't as fortunate when the orb detonated upon impact with the ground. A dark purple flare ignited the scenery before an eruption engulfed half of the plateau's side. Dust and lush garden life was blown to smithereens off the side of the altar. Shockwaves uprooted ferns and cracked open cement borders, allowing dirt to gush out.

The island deities all screamed in writhe as they were unable to escape the shockwaves. Even though she was confused, Tapu Lele felt a nostalgic amount of pain. Tapu Koko zipped up through the air and kept his focus on Nic, ignoring his comrades' disaster.

"(Discharge!)"

Lightning hastily fired in all directions from Tapu Koko. The many bolts expelled mainly towards Nic and his Pokémon. Charizard made no attempt to fly away as Nic spread his wings out, generating another Wide Guard that took all the lightning strikes aimed at them.

"Charizard, Heat Wave!" Nic ordered.

Charizard nodded in understanding. "(Just what I had in mind.)" He growled. He pulled back his wings, being sure not to rock Greninja too badly so he didn't fall off. Once enough momentum was met, he reeled forward, releasing a powerful flap that exploded with hot winds that expanded around the thick guard put up. The wake of the inferno maelstrom closed in on Tapu Koko, but he used his superior speed to rush as far away from the wake as possible. Even so, his lightning-quick agility only got him so far as the hot winds behind seared part of his mohawk. "(Ye-ouch! That's smarts!)" He jetted until the Heat Wave simmered, but the temperature around him was broiling hot that he was setting up a storm.

'(They've pushed me out of range! My Discharge can't get them from this far away!)' As he was stewing in his thoughts, his heated skin suddenly went cold with goosebumps. Something ghastly opened behind him that looked like a purple hole. He didn't have time to register as his shock overtook him. Something came up from the hole, glaring at him face-to-face.

"Phantom Force!"

With a mighty smack of his wing, a flash of burning shadows engulfed the point of impact. Tapu Koko lost his breath as his world went black again when he shot like a bullet back into the plateau so far back. He crashed harshly, making an eruption of dirt that went in the opposite direction as the earlier shockwave.

"(T-Tapu Koko...!)" Tapu Fini strained, trying to find an alternative out of this. She looked over at Tapu Lele, but she was dazed and dizzy from her confusion. '(She's still out of it. She can't be relied on as assistance until her confusion wears of. Which means...)' She turned towards Tapu Bulu. "(We have to take action at once!)"

"(You got it!)" He snorted steam out his nostrils. His cowbell rung again as he slammed the ground with a hoof. A tree magically grew from several roots tied together. He picked it up with his hooves, and with inhumane strength pried it out of the ground. He rushed towards Nic. "(Try this on for size!)"

"Flamethrower!" Nic commanded.

Charizard opened his maw, searing flames swirling inside until a critical mass was met. Once it was fully charged. He reeled forward, unleashing a monstrous blaze that pierced the air. The tree Tapu Bulu was about to hit Nic with ended up being used as a shield while Tapu Bulu pulled himself away. In a split-second, the full-grown tree was reduced to ashes.

In freefall, the deity was caught off guard when he heard slashing from behind. He slowly turned, but was unable to escape the Air Slash saws that cleaved into his back. He screamed loudly in agony as explosions of air pressure engulfed the skies. Nic remained undeterred as he watched Tapu Bulu shoot straight down, passing Tapu Fini.

"(That was too fast...)" In her shock, she didn't realize something coming at her from above. When she looked up, she was met with Greninja coming down with an axe kick coated in Return aura. A purple heel scored a clean hit on her head that immediately sent her into the plateau ground, crushing Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko, along with Tapu Bulu.

Shockwaves from the destructive assaults cleaved through the air and land. Earth diced apart into shrapnel. It became too unsteady for even Erza to stay too close. She and the defeated Kahunas covered up from the shockwaves of that kick's impact.

As the earth dissipated, the island guardians were all gathered together, all of them stewed over the ground. They looked completely disastrous, if not totaled – a term Tapu Lele would undoubtedly call themselves. Amongst them, Tapu Koko's world was a complete wreck. He was disoriented, dazed, and hurt in all the wrong places. He couldn't tell which way was up...until he caught sight of Nic alongside Charizard and Greninja.

"(You...you can't seriously do this...)"

"Watch me." Nic hated to do this. Normally he wouldn't kick a man when he was already down...but he was asking for it. And he wasn't in the mood to be sneak attacked by another Nature's Madness. This time, they were staying down!

He gave a nod towards Charizard and Greninja, the latter understanding and flying a distance away to prepare for something coming. Nic eyed Tapu Koko and his disoriented brethren. The wings took on the shape of the full moon, illuminating the skies in a bright lunar mass.

As he channeled energy, the sky all around grew unusually dark. Even the sun's he was blocked out again by the darkness. This made Nic's glowing body the only source of tangible light that focused spiraling energy to a singular point.

"(Oooh...pretty light...)" she teased. "(I wanna...)" She reached up to it, firing a powered up Extrasensory that bloomed outwards. It had a far stronger wake towards it...but Nic glared back, unyielding.

"...sorry."

Tapu Koko gasped. He had no words as he watched the makeshift moon apologized for something terrifying.

"Maxus Legendary Arts – Moongeist Beam!"

Nic unleashed a loud, shrilling screech that echoed all throughout the blackened sky. The converged lunar energy massed to a single point, before being unleashed in a monstrous beam that tore clean through the Extrasensory shockwaves. The entire atmosphere trembled with the force of the beaming attack shooting down like a meteor towards the Tapus.

Tapu Koko could only stare in disbelief. He was too numb to move as his eyes reflected the oncoming bright visage. The same visage that he saw when a familiar creature from ages ago had. The goosebumps on his bodies only intensified as he found himself unable to escape the sheer might of the beam with his allies.

Several bright flickers appeared around the altar, followed by a silence. Everything fell into suspense until the flickers became violent explosions and shockwaves of energy that engulfed the entire altar. Lunar energy expelled skywards in vast ripples into the atmosphere. It looked like a pillar of distorted light that lit up the entire canyon. Nearby helicopters were unable to get close as violent winds made them get pushed back. The Kahunas stayed down, as did Erza as she looked up at the maelstrom of lunar force that Nic unleashed with all his might. The entire Poni Island roared with the fury of the moon that every Pokémon and person looked up to the sky and heard the cry, followed by the light of the moon beaming brighter than the sun.

It took several minutes for all of the energy and dust to exert to tolerable levels. When it diminished, the hue in the sky gradually returned to normal. The roaring might of the attack echoed like a jet that faded in the distance. Every mouth was gaping as they saw from afar. Erza stirred in the dust cloud, coughing dust as she arose to a knee.

She looked up into the sea of dust, noticing a shadow that flapped overhead. It looked very calmly down at the altar's destroyed landmarks. Nonetheless, she looked as shocked as everyone else. "Nic..."

Charizard landed on the leveled plateau, allowing Greninja off. Their heads craned up as they saw Nic gradually descend down before them, the moonlight around his body slowly fading.

He glared down at the massive crater, seeing at the center was Tapu Koko, along with his fellow guardians. They all looked well beyond the point of no return. They were strewn across the ground, with bruises and dents on their shells. Some of the debris buried parts of their bodies. They were literally steaming from the density of the raw moonlight that struck them several feet into the grounds of the altar.

Hala's head spun so much that it hurt, yet he had enough conscience to make heads of the situation. "Tapu Koko...no..." He looked at Nic, visible terror coming across his face. 'So...this is the power that he wields. None of the island guardians had even a chance...'

The entire altar was left with silence. The air was completely distilled after what was unleashed. The plateau's destruction was all caught on camera, a scene that was sought by the helicopters above. The footage didn't go unnoticed by Lusamine. The program left her and Wicke completely speechless.

"M-my goodness...the Altar of the Sunne..." Wicke could barely get the words out of her mouth. She was so in shock that everything else ell apart around her.

"So...this is the wrath of Nic Pularis..." Lusamine frowned heavily, her green eyes showing dread. That ferocious look in those piercing red eyes made her clench a fist to her chest. 'This power...is exactly what I was afraid of.'

Nic lowered himself towards the ground, making a small flap to land as silent as the night itself. Charizard and Greninja approached him, along with Erza and her Aegislash. "Perhaps you went a little too far there." She said, eyeing the island guardians' sorry state.

"Maybe...or maybe not." Nic countered. "In some way, yeah...I overstepped on the overkill again. But if people like these don't listen with words, then what? They wouldn't have left us alone if we just let them off so humbly. They'll just keep coming at us until they had their way. And you know I only go by my way."

Erza lowered her head. To a degree she understood what Nic meant. And that part she could get behind. "That's true. That's how a lot of battles are won."

"I'm not one for words, but I'm not apologizing for that. That's just who I am." He turned towards the Kahunas and Looker, the latter barely able to get up. "I'm not pounding people when they're down a second time in a row. But..." He shot Looker a glimmering glare straight into his eyes. "If you come after me and my loved ones by any means...I'll crush you. I mean it."

Looker and the Kahunas were left paralyzed out of fear. Their bodies couldn't move, no matter how much they tried to. That ferocious look said it all. He was pissed. They tried backing him into a corner and this was what happened. They were met with the face of death itself. Even Nanu, someone who was all about dread, looked completely terrified by this freak of nature before them.

"People who refuse to accept the truth usually are the ones who have too much value in themselves. Do me a favor and open those damn eyes of yours, otherwise someone won't be so lenient on mercy." Nic frowned heavily at them, having no more to say for the likes of them. "Erza, guys...let's g-!"

"Krrrrrr..."

A low, bloodcurdling echo shrilled the air, immediately tensing up everyone present. They all stopped in their tracks and turned towards the sky. Nic's eyes were wide as his Lunala frame was feeling awfully cold. 'That roar...!'

"(Did you hear what I just heard?)" Charizard frowned.

Greninja's red eyes gleamed. "(Yeah, I heard it. Loud and clear...)"

"What is...?" Looker's breath hitched when he felt the blood in his body running cold. A very familiar sensation left him so stunned that he was out of breath.

"Krrrrrr!"

That same, bloody snarl was louder, coming from the altar's base. The ground was all but destroyed, yet somehow, the altar itself sustained only a few dents and scratches. Nic's third eye revealed on his head, glimmering brightly under the sun. His pupils shrank as he could see something head their way. He was left quiet.

"What's happening?!" Erza braced herself. Aegislash was by her side, but the sword buffered herself. "Aegislash!" She gnashed her teeth. 'She's taken too much damage. And that new Head Smash has a serious drawback. Damnit!' She glared at the altar. 'Something's coming...now of all times?!'

With Looker still in shock, he was taken by surprise for the umpteenth time when his earpiece clicked in his ear. "Looker, are you there?! Please, respond!"

Though he hesitated at first, he reached for his earpiece and spoke into it. "Professor Burnet? What is it?"

"There's a large spike in the vicinity. A large spatial source is growing!"

Looker's eyes widened again. "What was that?" He looked completely stunned, bit was composed enough to shoot Nanu a knowing look. "Nanu, something's wrong! Check the dimensional scanner!"

Nanu was able to gather his bearings and reached into his pockets. Fortunately for him, his phone was still intact, aside from some cracks on the screen from falling. He opened the app and looked at the growing red blur over them, in comparison to the constant green they've had for a while around Nic.

"What's it say?!"

"There's a big one coming! Space is starting to distort big time!" Nanu replied.

Looker gasped. 'Wait, if we were tailing Nic, who was the source of this spatial energy...' His looked towards Nic. 'Why is it now that the energy spike escalated?' His head spun with possibilities. 'I couldn't be that...'

Hapu heard this through her own earpiece. She had just as much shock as the rest of them. "D'en...what's it be?"

"We're about to find out..." Olivia grunted, swallowing a lump that threatened to choke her.

Nic levitated overhead as the roar echoed through the air again. Before them, a distorted tear was seen that Nic's third eye reacted to. A bright gleam resonated from the iris that peered into the tear. Something unsound was coming through, drawing in light from the background of the hole until it looked like a wave of pitch-black was beaming right for the exit.

CRACK!

A pitch-black claw impaled the tear, making dimensional glass scatter around Nic and everyone. Everyone froze when they saw the size of the grizzly incisors as they grabbed thin air, pulling out a creature that had rainbow jagged glares fixed on the new world.

"(My...LIIIIIIIGHT!)"

---

Took me almost three weeks to get this done. Damn, April certainly wasn't my month, wasn't it? But I'll try and wrap up the Alola Arc by next chapter. Hopefully I have a clearer visual with how I want the skirmish to go. I'll keep doing my best as always.