Dungeon 57 – Monarch

Scar hopped out of the portal, landing on his feet. Max came after him, striking a pose and lifting a fist in the air.

Then, it was Necrozma’s turn. He simply walked off, and once he got to the other side, took a large whiff of air. Nothing mattered more, nothing except the taste of freedom. Freedom that took millenia to acquire, but it was right in his grasp. And he would never let go of it.

“Hm… this is the throne room,” he said, looking around. Guards noticed them instantly, and were approaching. “Fancy, just how I like it.” 

“It appears Lilith is missing—”

Scar was interrupted by the Lopunny landing on her feet. She looked at him and bowed. “S-Sorry I took so long! Dunno what came over me.”

“Probably something stupid.” Max shrugged, and then yawned. “Hm… I kinda wanna rest a little. Fighting’s fun, but it gets tiring. Especially when my opponents don’t know when to give up.”

It was then that the guards surrounded the quartet, some baring fangs, some baring tusks, but they all looked ready to attack, aimed at Necrozma.

“Ah, I see where the confusion lies,” he said, then cleared his throat, focusing on his voice. “Hello. It is I, Percival. I was simply away on a trip to acquire power. With my newfound power, I am ready to continue my rule.”

In an instant, Necrozma’s voice had shifted, now sounding exactly like Lance. It was enough for some guards to calm down. However, a few others weren’t convinced.

“What he says is true,” Scar added. He bowed, getting on his knees. “Percival has ascended to another level entirely. And we helped him achieve such a state.”

That’s the thing we’re telling ‘em…? Max blinked. No time to waste thinking. He bowed as well. “Yeah. Y’all swore loyalty to him, right? Even if he looks different… keep that loyalty.”

Lilith took longer to bow, but she eventually did so as well. “…Yes.”

The remaining guards all backed away. One, a Haxorus with black scales, stepped closer.

Necrozma had recognized him from Lance’s memories as Vulcan. “Greetings.”

“Sire.” Vulcan bowed. “I’m not sure what happened, but it’s good to see you again.

To that, Necrozma grinned. Being praised was great , his tail even twitched, although only slightly. Something he noticed, and quickly shut down.

How undignified. Such a troublesome member…

Scar stood up, straightening himself. He presented the king’s crown to Necrozma “Sire. If you wish, here it is. Although I’m unsure if it will fit, given your mask…”

“A crown does sound nice.” Necrozma said, now back to his usual voice. “But I am not interested in wearing it. For now… I’m famished.”

On cue, Max’s stomach growled, and he let out a small laugh. “Maybe we could order a feast? Royal food is great. You should try—err, try it again, I mean.”

Not like Necrozma didn’t know how it tasted. Memories of eating there floated inside his mind. “It’s a good plan, while I decide what to do next.” 

Scar clapped his hands together. “Guards! Prepare a feast…”

---

A flash of light covered the warehouse, revealing team Liberators once the light faded. Brian panted, wincing at the pain he felt. 

Dex moved his head, hearing a loud ringing noise that slowly faded. He didn’t even try to move, knowing that if he did, there was a high chance he’d fall. “Fuck… warpin’ makes me wanna throw up.”

“We need better transportation.” Meggie said. She continued to snuggle with Brian, holding his paw gently. “Actually… imagine if we could weaponize teleporting. Like, make teleport stations. Man, I miss cars…”

“W-What’s a car?” Brian said, then groaned. “…Human thing?”

“Yup,” she kissed him on the cheek, and grimaced. “What’re we doing now? Well, apart from getting back home.”

‘Ome, eh? Dex thought, for a moment not making contact with his teammates. Been fightin’ fer so long… do I wanna keep goin’?

Brian tried to shrug, but the pain stopped him in his tracks. “Maybe we could visit Xerneas? She might know something about this.”

“Oh, yeah! True. We could do it…” Meggie pondered.

Dex looked at the two and tilted his head. “Xerneas? How the hell do ye two know her?”

Brian and Meggie locked eyes.

“We might’ve saved her life,” the Zoroark said.

“…That.”

“I… see.” Dex could only blink. “Well, she’s a legend, ain’t she?”

Brian nodded. It was all he could do…

Well, there was something else. Now that things were relatively calmer, his emotions could flourish.

“Uh, guys… can I have a moment alone? I kinda wanna cry.”

Meggie frowned, then backed away from him. “Alright. Dex, c’mon. We’ll wait outside.”

“Aye. Take care, Goggles. We’ll be here—” he bit a lip, unsure. “…We’ll be here for ye.”

After they left, Brian lay on the ground, sighing. They were coming, weren’t they? The tears. It wasn’t like he even tried to stop them. They were warm, and from the smell, salty, too.

I’m so sorry, Lance… I couldn’t help you. What kind of brother am I? I’m s-sorry. This is my fault! If I… if I tried a little harder, I could’ve prevented all of this. But now… now he’s taken over you, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do!

Tears kept coming. Brian whined. With whatever strength he had in him, he punched the ground. And again. And again. The more tears fell, the more he punched it.

Even back then, when we were partying… I knew something was up. I felt it. But I didn’t try to help! I was drunk, and I thought it wasn’t anything. I failed you then, too.

Brian turned to the side, looking at his now bruised paw.

Hah… I’m really pathetic, aren’t I? A terrible brother, a weak brother. And a failure. 

“How can I consider myself a hero, when I can’t even protect the ones I love?”

Heroes protected people. Heroes were strong. Everything Brian wasn’t. Who did he help?

…Just Meggie. And Dex, in a way. The two that had entered the warehouse again.

Alone, I’m weak. But with them… with them I can be stronger.

---

“Your cape, Sire.”

Scar presented it to Necrozma, who accepted it, wrapping it around his back.

“Surprisingly, it doesn’t poke my crystals.” He said, and Necrozma looked forward.

There was a large table, set with plates and silverware. Butlers—dragons as well—waited on the sides. Along with each plate there was an empty glass for them to fill with a drink.

Max sat down, yawning. “After this, I’m taking a nap. Gotta get that beauty sleep…”

“Yeah, ‘cause you need it, big guy.” Lilith shrugged, sitting next to him.

“Is there anyone else you would like to invite, Sire?” Scar bowed once again. “I requested the chefs to prepare their finest meals. I hope it is to your liking.”

“Actually, I’d rather this be just us. Gotta plan things.” 

After shrugging, Necrozma sat as well. “And what would the meal be?”

Scar snapped a finger, and one of the butlers approached. He was holding a platter in his hand, containing tender bits of steak, medium-rare, sprinkled with spices—as Necrozma’s nose sensed. On the corner of the platter was a luxurious salad, containing tomato berries, lettuce and onions. On the opposite side, baked potato.

“This is our special, hanger steak. Although considered a crude part, it is actually one of the most tender. I hope it’s to your liking.”

“That’s what I intend on finding out.” 

The butler put down the food next to Necrozma, bowed, and walked away. Necrozma eyed his food. First he had to taste with his eyes, and only later, with his mouth. Meanwhile, the other butlers began to serve his subordinates.

Necrozma took a single bite, containing both the meat and the salad. The juiciness overtook his mouth, and the food practically exploded with flavor. Adding to that was the lettuce. It made the meal crunchy, and although it didn’t have any flavor on its own, Necrozma realized it added to everything else. 

“To be blunt, I wanted some tasty light, but I guess you can’t make light salad…” He mumbled. “Buuuut! I don’t mind this. Not at all. I actually really enjoy it. Not bad, not bad at all.”

Scar ate his part in silence, savoring as much as he could.

“Hey, are we getting dessert?” Max asked… pushing away the salad. “Cuz like, it’s good, but I’m not a fan of veggies.”

“Gotta eat your veggies.” Lilith deadpanned, pointing to Necrozma. “Look at him, he’s just… enjoying the whole thing. You could too, y’know.”

“Bleh.”

Scar ignored the bickering and focused his attention to his Lord. “Sire. I assume it’s good?”

“Better than I thought. These things didn’t exist back then.” He said. Another bit of meat was eaten, along with a large chunk of the potato. “But…”

“But?” Scar quirked a brow.

“Well… there is something I’d like for dessert.”

There was a large pause, with an equally large silence.

“…Bring me any prisoner. I must have light.”

---

Meggie didn’t want to leave Brian alone. Which wasn’t true, as Dex was watching over.

…Maybe a better phrasing would be leaving him without her. But she was quick, and if something happened, she could go back fast.

Alright. Need to buy bandages and more orans. It’ll help his body heal, but how much depends on Brian.

She sighed. No, trembled. The mere thought of running into Necrozma slowed her down. For once, it was a threat well beyond her level, she was sure of it.

Doesn’t mean I can’t try. For me and Brian. And for Dex too. For Lance… or the world, I guess.

Meggie kept floating, looking around for any stands, anywhere she could buy supplies. With one hand in her purse, she finally locked eyes with a merchant—a pink Oricorio.

And here’s hoping the prices aren’t too big. But I’ll pay anything if it helps Brian, she approached, smiling. A forced smile, but one nonetheless. “Hello, I’d like some oran berries. And bandages, if you have them?”

“I have a few! Taking care of someone, miss?” Oricorio replied, already stuffing the berries inside a bag. “

“Mhm. Someone important.” Meggie bit her lip. What if she revealed her location to the guards? No, she was fine. She had to be. “Oh, how much?”

“120 Poké. For five berries and a stack of bandages.”

Ouch. I won’t have much money left… 

With a sigh, Meggie gave the Oricorio the necessary coins and picked the bag, walking back.

This is still awful. Not the price, the… the entire thing with Necrozma. I wonder if it’s my fault too. If I didn’t do those experiments with Morgan, I wouldn’t be here—

Before she knew, Meggie was staring into the sky, grasping the bag. Somehow, she managed to hold back her tears. 

—And nothing bad would’ve happened to him. So Scar couldn’t convince him to leave his friends. But at the same time… I-I want to say I’ve done good things, but I’m not sure. Did I?

She floated down, sitting. As much as Meggie thought about her achievements in this world, she didn’t know. For all she knew, this could all be avoided if she never got there in the first place.

What am I doing…? These thoughts… they’re not helping anyone. I helped my friends, and that’s what I can do. That’s all I can do, help them. I’ll keep helping. It’s what I want. Because I’m not the only one suffering, Brian’s suffering too. And I wanna help him. No, I will help him.

Meggie floated again, sighing to herself. How many times had she had an epiphany? How many times did she tell good things to herself? And how many times did it work?

Few. But she was right about one thing: all she could do was keep helping, keep trying. That was the truth. And for now, that was all she needed. 

Hold on, Brian. I’m coming! And we’ll figure something out, together. The three of us.

---

Chains rattled. Two Fraxure were guarding a strange Goodra, wearing a shell on its back. The three walked across the halls of the castle, headed to the throne room.

One of the Fraxure began to sweat. The king had asked—demanded they bring a criminal to him. But he never explained why .

“You got any idea why he wants one?”

The other Fraxure shook his head. “No clue.”

Goodra let out a muffle. “I’m not goin’ to my death, am I?”

Neither of the guards replied. One of them knocked on the door, and waited for someone to open. After some seconds, the large door opened, paving way to the room.

Necrozma sat on his throne, holding the crown in one paw. He didn’t look at the guards, or at his sacrifice, not at first.

“S-Sir!” One Fraxure saluted. “We brought you this Goodra. Arrested for conspiracy against the crown. Err, not your crown. The old one! Belonging to the former king!”

“Hm. This is an odd Goodra. I’ve never seen anything like it. As for the crime…” Probing through Lance’s memories, he remembered who that servant was talking about. “Very well. It was not a conspiracy against me, but this will suffice. Leave us be. Nobody but me, my subjects and Goodra shall remain.”

Perhaps by the intonation, the guards ran away, leaving Goodra in the king’s care. Which only made the situation worse, as once he locked eyes with the king, Goodra turned back, trying to escape.

A flash of light materialized on his side, and a gust of wind followed. Necrozma stood there, only barely gazing at his prisoner. 

“Tsc, tsc, tsc. You’re only making things worse for you, you know.”

“G-Go away! What’d you even want with me, anywa—URGH!”

Necrozma grabbed the dragon by his neck and raised it in the air.

“My birthright. A very simple thing.”

Scar, Max and Lilith stood glued to one side of the wall, not making contact. As far as they were concerned, this had nothing to do with them.

“H-Hey! You people! Guards, someone! I don’t have any idea what this guy wants, but—”

And Necrozma tossed him to the middle of the room, chuckling out loud. He cracked all his knuckles, and then his neck. 

“I just said I want my birthright!”

“The hell’s your birthright?!” Goodra fired a stream of flames, but Necrozma simply turned to the side, dodging it.

“Simple. Very, very simple, my dear dragon…” 

Another laugh left his mouth, and he rushed ahead, grabbing the dragon’s neck once more. Necrozma licked his lips.

“Every Pokémon has this. Their light. Some call it aura, some call it something deeper, perhaps a soul, if you want to go that far. And it belongs to me . All of it belongs to me. And you…?”

He paused, letting everything sink in. Goodra began to squirm, gasping for air, and for his freedom.

“You’re nothing but a waste of light. You don’t belong in my world. But don’t you worry, dear. Because I…”

“Will…”

Another pause. This time, it was longer. Necrozma’s tail twitched again.

“Take it back.”

Necrozma’s crystalised arm began to glow a deep purple that covered Goodra’s entire body. A bright flash enveloped them, and Goodra screeched . He flailed, trying desperately to escape the grasp, but the more he struggled, the less strength he had.

“Struggle all you like. In the end… I will have my light.”

Goodra kept screaming. However, it was getting fainter, his body was getting slimmer by the second, almost like he was being sucked out of everything that was inside. 

After one final scream, he was no more. Necrozma tossed the corpse on the ground and took a deep breath in, the aura glowing further, and then dissipating. He stood there, silently, just basking in the power.

“Ah… that was lovely. Now, I believe we are all tired, yes? I think… we should all get some rest.”

---

Brian woke up by feeling his arm aching. Granted, after the fight yesterday, that was expected.

Except the fight wasn’t why his arm hurt. He had slept on top of it, and only noticed after waking up. Brian straightened himself and groaned, sitting down.

“Crud. This hurts…” Brian bit a lip, looking at himself. Bandages wrapped most of his arm, chest and legs. Luckily, he felt little pain, arm aside. If this was a better day, I’d be happy. Can’t say I am right now…

The next step was checking his surroundings. As expected, still inside the warehouse. Brian’s eyes darted around, seeing the desolate place like he thought it was… and soon enough, he saw Meggie. She was looking away into the outside.

“H-Hey, Meg.” Brian lazily waved at her.

Meggie turned to him and sighed, floating next to her partner. “Good, you’re awake. Dex’s checking if there’s anyone that sells escape orbs here.”

“You gave him money? Those things are expensive, y’know.”

“Don’t worry. He’s got enough.” Meggie replied, now holding Brian’s paw. She didn’t press too much, not wanting to hurt him. “Shame it’s that way. Would make transporting less of a hassle.”

“And we wouldn’t need boats!” Brian said, grimacing. He stuck out his tongue. “Bleh. Never liked ‘em, too nauseating.”

Meggie chuckled a bit. “Hah. Personally, a nice trip across the sea would be nice! Maybe a spa! It’s relaxing.”

“Hm… relaxing. Kinda need that right now.” Brian shrugged. Good, he could do that without crying from the pain now.

“We all need it—” Meggie stopped herself, and finally clutched Brian’s paw tighter. “…Maybe after this is over. I could really use a vacation.”

Huh? Brian blinked, and didn’t say anything. Wondering if this could be over. If they had any chance of turning things back to normal. “Y’know… I kinda feel like I can depend on you. ‘Cause right now, I’m not feeling so confident.”

“Hm.”

Meggie put her head next to Brian’s arm, smiling. “That’s what I’m here for. I’ll support you however I can. To be honest, I’m not so confident either. But hey, we can try together, right?”

“Try together,” he repeated. Once, for her to hear. And then multiple times in his head. The words just rang inside. “…I’d like that.”

“Y’all.”

Dex entered the warehouse, yawning. “Sorry, Popsicle. Couldn’t find anything. We gotta come up with a different plan.”

Brian eyed Dex, grimacing. “Well… like Meggie said, we try together! Just… uh, let’s hope Necrozma doesn’t know we’re here.”

To that, the Floatzel raised a brow. “Does he know?”

“That’s  just the thing. There’s no way we can be sure. We just gotta… leave it to lady luck.” Brian sighed.

---

“Hm…”

Necrozma opened his eyes and yawned. A white blanket covered most of him, and the open windows shone with the sunlight. All the signs of a good day were there.

After jumping off the bed and stretching his arms, Necrozma once again took a look at himself… through a mirror, positioned next to one of the room’s walls.

It was all there. His armor covered a great part of the vessel’s body. And the best part was that it was his to command. Everything about this body was his now.

Ah, I almost want to see how you’re doing, Lance. But let’s be honest… there isn’t much of you left, is there? 

Actually, he had the time to check. He could check. But should he check?

…

Necrozma ignored the thought. There were better things to use his time for! After clasping his hands together, feeling the crystals rub against each other, Necrozma smiled. 

“Now, now… how do I want to spend my precious time? I need to get stronger, and that prisoner’s light was delicious . Though… I still need more.”

More. Much, much more. But he was patient. Necrozma waited for thousands of years. What were a few more days?

“I suppose staying cooped in my room won’t do me any good.” 

And out the door he went. Necrozma once more took a large whiff of the air. “The taste of freedom… it’s so good.”

Honestly, he hardly cared how weird this looked to any lookers. Were there any?

What.

…At least one. Max blinked. He was on his way to meet with Necrozma, so seeing him outside the room was good, but this was…

I can’t even describe it. Max cleared his throat. “Sir. Good morning.”

“G’morning.” Necrozma kept breathing in. The air was too good. “Ah, you don’t get it, do you? I was trapped. Getting any freedom is incredible.”

“Uh… no, I don’t get how it must’ve made you feel,” he realized this was an opportunity to learn. “…But uh, could you teach me?”

Necrozma finally looked at him. “Teach you? Well, not what I had in store for you. But… say, there is a way you can be useful for me.”

Somehow, that made Max sweat. “…And that is?”

“Let’s fight! This body needs it, just as much as I need light.”

---

Next thing Max knew, he was at the training grounds, after requesting the guards to leave them alone. And standing on the other side was Necrozma, who kept looking at him with a grandiose grin.

Alriiiight. This will surely not end up with me half-dead. Surely. Max gulped. First, he needed to plan. Necrozma was faster and stronger than him, that much was certain. So what could he do? Bait him into attacking?

Hm. Not a bad idea, honestly. And I can paralyze him… for a while, at least. He’ll probably walk it off. 

“Can you stop thinking and just attack me already?” Necrozma went as far as motioning for him to get closer, wiggling a finger.

Oh well. Here goes nothing… Max inhaled. Regardless of the result, this was certainly going to be a learning experience.

To start things off, he charged. None of his current attacks were particularly powerful, and Max had a hunch Necrozma had a different type now that he had latched onto Lance. 

Regardless, he was giving it his all. Max raised an arm and tried punching Necrozma. His arm was brimming with fighting spirit, signified by the crimson color.

“Slow.”

Necrozma backflipped out of the way and flicked his right arm, charging a sphere in it. “So let me give you some retribution !”

He fired, and the sphere went straight to Max. The closer it got, the more details he saw, including cracks. 

“Tch…” Not knowing how to react, Max took the hit straight on, prepared to have the most painful experience of his life…

“Huh?”

Max was only thrown back a few feet, and while the attack hurt, leaving a trail of smoke and burnt fur, it was nothing he couldn’t handle. “H-How…? How?”

There were two possibilities. One: Necrozma wasn’t that strong. Two, and the most likely: he was holding back. Now that he thought about it, it had to be possibility number two.

“I need to enjoy myself.” Necrozma said, and then reconsidered. “Nah. I want to enjoy myself. It’s been a while since I had a good fight. So you better do your best to satisfy me.”

“That sounds so weird .” Max sighed. Seems he was left with no other choice. “Alright! Just don’t come crying to me when we’re done!”

“There’s no way I’d do that.”

After Necrozma finished talking, he saw Max jumping, and jumping high . Not as high as Lilith, but it was still impressive. Both his hands were coated in electricity, and he fired a wave at him.

“Not bad, kiddo!” Necrozma dodged the strike by running ahead.

However, Max smiled as he fell down, this time closing his fist and launching a powerful, electrified punching right at Necrozma’s face. Sparks flew everywhere, but his opponent didn’t move.

“Still not bad, but I want more! Give me more! I want to feel the pain! Give it to me!”

“You’re… unusual.” Max put more power into the punch, finally sending Necrozma back. Even so, his fist was left wounde.

Necrozma only laughed, specifically at the pain he felt. “H-Hah… hah! Glorious! I didn’t know pain could feel so good !”

He laughed again, lowering his head. “But… as much fun as it is to be in pain, I am not done. We’re not done!”

Max looked at his opponent and wondered if that was part of Necrozma’s personality, or if Lance had somehow made him be like that.

…Does it matter?

“Alright. Let’s keep going!” Max charged more electricity, ready for another round.

And on Necrozma’s paw was another sphere. “Heh! Just the way I like it, kid! Satisfy me!”

---

Unbeknownst to them, there were two Pokémon watching from the second floor, through the window: Scar and Lilith.

Scar was quiet. Quieter than usual. The most that came out of his mouth was a humming noise as he observed the battle. 

Don’t like how quiet this is… Lilith gulped. “Uh, Scar? You sure we should be standing here… watching it?”

“Mm.” Scar said, rubbing his chin. “Yes, I do. I wish to learn how capable our Lord is, and how much of our help He needs.”

“…You say that, but he almost killed me when I said I wanted to help.”

“ That was your own fault, Lilith,” he glared at her, piercing through her soul. “…Not to mention you interrupted the fight. I sense that was what annoyed Him the most.”

“W-Well, yeah.” 

Lilith gulped. Now, she didn’t know which part scared her the most. Which was never a good sign. 

And Scar noticed that fear. “Are you, perhaps, scared of Necrozma? I’m sure He has the best of intentions.”

“O-Oh! I’m not scared… not really!” Lilith said, in the voice of someone who was obviously terrified, but did her best to hide it, with laughs and snickers. “Actually! Being so close to a being that powerful is intriguing ! I kinda wanna know how he fell in the first place. Y’know, if he’s so strong, there has to be something even stronger !”

They saw a flash of light; Max had launched a wave of electricity that had staggered Necrozma. During this time, the Electivire managed to land a few punches, but his opponent was soon freed, and began to block said attacks.

“I see.” Scar decided not to press the issue further, but wasn’t entirely convinced. “As for me, I am not scared. I am… also curious. Of course, my main goal is my family. But there is an innate curiosity in me. After many years of living, you get it.”

Necrozma, meanwhile, had resorted to launching blades of psychic energy, some that grazed Max, some he took, and one that he barely dodged.

“As an archeologist, I got that curiosity very early in life… little after you took me in, honestly,” Lilith touched her purse, sighing.

Scar looked through the window again, seeing Max and Necrozma clash with their fists, sparks flying everywhere. 

“At least… they seem to be having fun.” Scar pointed out, rubbing his chin again.

Lilith rubbed her arm and gulped again. “Well… it’s gonna take me a while to get used to all of this, I won’t lie. But honestly? I might ask for a spar later. It looks fun.”

“Hah.” Scar had a very tiny, almost imperceptible smile. But Lilith knew him long enough to notice it. “…I wish for a spar too.”

Finally, Necrozma landed another sphere, knocking Max to the ground and launching him all the way to the corner of the arena.

“…And now I believe we are allowed to do something. Lilith, go and prepare a nurse, it might be necessary.”

---

“That’s all…?” 

Necrozma almost offered a hand, but Max got up on his own, although with a groan.

“Yuuup. That’s all. Even when holding back, you’re still stronger than me.”

“Oh, please. That was never in question.” Necrozma shrugged, and grinned. A wide grin. It shouldn’t be possible for him to grin that wide, but he did it anyway. “I just wanted to see how strong you were. And now, I’ve decided.”

“Decided… what?”

“I do not need to depend on your strength. However, I don’t mind the assistance.” He said. “That is: you and your companions may help me if I’m bored or have better things to do.”

“…Better than nothing, then.” Max crossed his arms and huffed. He quickly eyed the arena, seeing Scar approaching. “Speaking of, boss’ here.”

“Oh yes, I detected his presence a while ago. Seems he was watching us fight.” 

“Sire.” Scar said, being close enough. He bowed. “I hope this was a good demonstration of how Pokémon fight currently.”

“Hm… I did see some of the vessel’s fights. He blew up a mansion recently, didn’t he?” Necrozma scratched his chin. “Yes… and the owner of said mansion was so weak, even the explosion managed to kill her.”

“She was not a fighter. Hence, her body was weaker.” Scar explained. “I am one. As are Maxwell and Lilith.”

Max chuckled. “Yeah, and I still lost!”

“Indeed, indeed… but it was an enjoyable fight nonetheless. For a mortal, that is.”

Scar stood up. “Am I to believe when your plan is done, we will no longer be mortals?”

Necrozma took a moment to reply, looking at the sky, both to clear his head and to take in the light. Not the source he wanted, but it would suffice.

“Yes, of course. When this is done, you will all be… me.” 

Max’s body shivered at the thought. A good type of shiver. “Yeah… we’ll all be the same person, so we’ll think the same, yadda yadda yadda. Don’t mind it.”

“There might be obstacles to that, but they will be dealt with accordingly.” Scar said.

“Indeed, they will.” Necrozma raised an open arm, and clenched his fist. “For starters, the vessel’s teammates. While I am unsure if they’re here, and frankly I’m not in the mood to detect them, I know where they would be.”

“Which means… there is somewhere we should go.”