Dungeon 65 – Requiem

During any other day, a rainy sky with occasional claps of thunder would be a sight for sore eyes. During other times, it would be making even the most proactive Pokémon want to stay home and relax. It was true; the streets were mostly empty, save for a few stragglers here and there.

For Necrozma, the current day was the culmination of everything he wanted, and rain was one of the last things he cared about. Well, not that it wasn’t pretty. Indeed, it was, and from the inside of his room, he stared through the window, watching as the world did what it did every other day: relax.

He couldn’t relax. He shouldn’t. Necrozma was so very close, any interruption would be unnecessary. But despite this, he kept looking at the sky, at the beautiful sky, with so many clouds there wasn’t a shred of blue to be seen, apart from the occasional lightning.

“Today…” Necrozma smiled, his sights remaining on the city. “Is my day. The day of salvation.”

With one hand raised and open, Necrozma stared at his armored arm. It was true that he couldn’t have done it without the vessel keeping his body together. But soon… soon he wouldn’t need Lance anymore.

“Tina, I only wish you were here to see our plans fulfilled. But they…” He snarled, tail twitching. “…I suppose that, in part, I’m doing this for you too.”

Do you think he’d want you to—

By now, Necrozma didn’t feel the need to complain or be overtly aggressive towards Lance. Still, he punched the wall, leaving a big mark where his fist touched. With a snarl, Necrozma focused his attention on Lance.

“Did you ever lose someone that you loved, vessel?”

I-I… a pause, and a sigh. Once. Because of how stupid I was. My obsession with justice drove him away.

“Did you ever promise that you would change the world for them?”

We—I didn’t! But that’s not what matters here. What matters—

“Then don’t you  dare  use his name like this. I know that Tina—my Giratina, was with me during the war. We fought for this outcome. And I  will  achieve it.”

Necrozma was calm. Eerily calm. He didn’t raise his voice, no. He used the most calm voice he could. Nothing could anger him, not during this day. Not when he was so close. He eyed a corner of the room, or more specifically, a mirror, making his way towards it.

“Perhaps… I should thank you, vessel.” Necrozma touched the mirror with a hand, frowning. “For what it’s worth, if there was any alternative, I would have done it.”

…Would you? The reflection stared back at Necrozma. Would you really?

“I suppose so. But I don’t. In this case… the ends justify the means. If it brings peace to the world, I will be whatever monster I need to be.”

Another sigh, but this one came from Necrozma. “…It was unwilling, but I could not have done this without you, vessel. My body was too damaged when I left the crystal, I needed you. And I will do my best to bring you happiness when salvation arrives. I should know, we are bonded.”

Bonded. Lance repeated, almost whispering. I will stop you.

This time, Necrozma quirked a brow. “At this point, you still think you can win? Hmph. For a mortal, you sure don’t know when to give up, but I can’t say that’s a bad thing… a shame it’s being used in the wrong way.”

Lance silently wondered just how much they were bonded, and if there was any way he could break that bond. But he had to do it by himself.

---

He was alone, inside his own head. The same grassy hill, the same purple sky… everything was the same. Nothing about his situation had changed; Lance was still trapped.

Doing this won’t change a single thing, but…

It wouldn’t hurt to try. Lance moved his arms, trying to use brute force to break the chains binding him. He managed to get up and walk a few feet, but then fell again as the chains forced him back with a loud thud.

Oof!

Turns out Lance was wrong. Once he got pushed back, he felt a shock throughout his body, and screamed, falling with his face planets on the ground, grunting. With a pant, he moved his eyes up, seeing the purple sky.

I need to… do something… and escape. Stop him, save the world! I-I…

Lance, once again, tried to stand up. That was the easy part. Actually escaping the chains? Impossible. Once more, he tried to push his way out, and once more, the chains brought him down, sending another shock.

“Gah!” Lance shouted, the shock coursing through him, like he was being burned with sunlight. He could even smell burning flesh. Again, he was forced down, but this time, on his knees. “D-Damn it…”

W-Why… I need to do  something . There has to be something I can do! We’re bonded, so he says. That’s pointless—

But perhaps it wasn’t useless information. They were bonded. Necrozma also said he needed Lance’s body. In the end, his body was still his. As much as he hated to admit it, Necrozma was taking good care of it, at least in terms of wounds; Lance didn’t get any wounds after being possessed. None at all.

Yes, because if my body gets hurt, then Necrozma—

It dawned on him. That was it! The answer Lance looked for! A way to stop Necrozma forever!

My redemption… the only way of redeeming myself, of stopping all of this… is by getting rid of this body. If I were to die with Necrozma in me, then—

Lance groaned, looking at the sky. Sacrificing myself to save the world. If I do it, will it bring peace?

There was no way he could be sure. But the thought never left his mind, crawling back every time Lance tried to ignore it, to think of another solution.

I once thought that after leaving home, I would help the world. Make it a better place. There’s so many things wrong, on so many levels… that was my ideal future.

And now, it felt like nothing more than a dream. Something that once crossed Lance’s mind and became impossible to achieve.

Is the future I believed in… really falling apart? Necrozma’s future, the future he wanted to build… it’s getting closer. But mine?

Lance sighed, clenching his fists. Necrozma is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, and here I am, wondering if I’m strong enough to do the same. If… I must sacrifice myself, if dying will save the world from him, then perhaps it is what I must do. For the sake of my friends, and for the sake of the world.

That’s what heroes did. Except Lance never once considered himself a hero. Perhaps… he could be one in death.

---

Necrozma didn’t pay attention to Lance’s ramblings, he had much better things to do. In fact, staring at the rain was far more enjoyable than listening in to what Lance was thinking. Of course, his eyes were in the city, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Necrozma thought of how he would succeed, of how he would save the world.

“I see you also believe it is a good view.” Scar entered the room quietly, before moving to the side.

Next to him was Max, carrying a large bag with a hand, and looking at Necrozma with a smile on his face. “Sup, boss. Took me a while, and it was kinda a chore, but… I’ve got ’em. All the emeras are with me.”

To say Necrozma was happy with the news would be an understatement. He let out a boisterous laugh, before turning to face his two subordinates. His grin was enormous.

“You did more than well, Max. And I managed to take a large portion of Xerneas’ light. This should be more than enough to achieve… myself.” Necrozma said with a flex of his claws and a twitch of his tail. “Hm, yes, yes! It took me thousands of years, but I have the world in the palm of my hand! It will be saved by me!”

Scar nodded, smiling as well. “Indeed. It feels a tad overwhelming, does it not?”

“I wouldn’t say overwhelming, but my heart is kinda pumping, y’know?” To prove his point, Max touched his chest, feeling his heart racing under all the fluff. “Man, to think we’ve gotten this far…”

Necrozma shook his head. “It’s fine to celebrate, but y’know? I wanna do it. There’s nothing holding us back, right? So let’s get on with it!”

“Hm…” Scar raised an arm. “Sire, if I may?”

“Yes?”

“I wish to pray one final time to my family. Tell them we shall meet again through you. I know it will not be the same, but…” Scar stopped, and the memory of Lilith flashed inside his mind. She betrayed me. But despite this, I care too much for her. Sire will have her be with me in his world as well… I have nothing to worry about.

“Ah, that.” Necrozma wondered for a moment, looking at the city again. “I’ve waited several millennia for this, what’s a few more hours, eh?”

Max saluted him, grinning. “I don’t have anyone to say goodbye to, so I’m basically just waiting on you guys.”

“There is… something I wish for you to do, Maxwell. Wait until my prayers are done. And Sire?”

“I’m going first, and I’ll wait for you two.”

“Yes, Maxwell, yes.” Scar nodded, turning towards the door. “Thank you, Sire. For everything.”

“Aye.” Necrozma went back to his gazing session, smiling. If only Tina was here to see it…

---

Scar clutched his club, looking at it before moving on, walking through the hallways. For how close they all were to the end of the plan, Scar was calm. His breath was normal, as was his heart rate. Nothing with him screamed anything but “calm”.

Yes, Scar was in full control of his emotions, much like he always was. It was necessary to be this way. Scar knew it well, losing control of them caused his family to be killed all those years ago.

I doubt I will ever forgive myself. But with Necrozma… I have another chance. Scar opened the door to his room, entering it with silence, and then closing the door behind him.

But, my darling… and my precious child… I will see you again, he walked forward, turning the lights on. His first action was to look at the photo of himself along with wife and son. After that, he lit a few candles around him.

I could not move forward anymore, yet, I can still see the light. Scar closed his eyes, sitting and taking a deep breath. What do I bear? Fleeting hope or dark despair? The truth of my sins is like a web. My web of sins… it will be over soon.

A gust of wind flew through the room, but Scar remained in place. I know, darling. I know it will never be the same as before, but this… I only have this. This is my only chance of ever seeing you again.

Scar frowned, opening his eyes to look at the photo again. They were there, looking back at him. And he would see them once more.

I will… I… Somehow, he found it hard to suppress and control his emotions, just this time. Scar heard giggles with the voice of his son, and smelled his wife making a stew for them. The smell of dirt after the rain… the sensation of picking a berry from his farm… it all came back to him. Slowly, it filled him from top to bottom, but it wasn’t real.

Not yet, anyway, after this, he would go and give the green signal for Necrozma to do what he needed to. But in that moment, in that fraction of a second where Scar failed to suppress things any longer…

He cried. Cried, like he hadn’t done in ages. Letting everything out, all the tears, all the pain. Scar clenched his fists, sobbing and lowering his head. How long did he hold it in? For many years, far too many. It simply wasn’t possible to do it anymore.

I… I cannot believe this is happening. It feels like a dream, the one I always dreamt of. And it is happening? Actually… happening. After all my efforts, I will get what I want. What I deserve.

Nobody would stop him or Max, much less Necrozma. Their victory was assured. Scar had a God by his side. His God. Even if someone—that dastardly Zoroark and his friends—tried, it would be all for naught.

---

Brian looked at the headband he held. It wasn’t his, no. It was Lance’s, left behind ever since he left. And once he saved his brother, he’d return what belonged to him.

Thunder echoed outside his room, rain pouring in the city. While it was loud, Brian could still focus and hear his own voice.

“Can I really save him? What… if it’s too late? What if he’s gone already?”

He looked at the room. Lance’s room. Brian didn’t even consider changing how it looked since his brother left, so it was mostly the same, save for the dust in a few places. His bed was made, the curtains were covering the light from outside, his bookshelf full of books… everything was the same. Brian himself could almost see the figure of Lance laying on the bed, reading one of his books.

“Heh. He was always like that, wasn’t he?” Brian chuckled, clutching the headband. “Things could’ve gone differently if I just noticed it earlier…”

No. Brian shook his head. No! No more “what ifs”. “The past is past. I need to find a way to save him. I will find a way. Even if—even if it means I’m no longer here, even if it means I die, I’m saving him.”

Brian stood against the door, looking down and clutching the band tighter. Sacrificing himself for his best friend? Not a bad decision. After all, he had tons of adventures.

Flashes of the past made their way into his mind. The rescue mission with that Zebstrike, liberating that village from a Luxray pack, fighting against corruption versus the trio of mercenaries, finding out about that Gallade and stopping him from upsetting the balance in the world…

And the most important of all: his feelings for Meggie.

Remembering all of that Brian smile, even as a tear started forming in one of his eyes.

“I mean… I had a pretty good life.” Brian sniffled, sitting on the floor and hugging his knees. He kept looking down, ears drooping. “…I don’t want to do it, I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to travel, meet friends, and find love! It’s like we’re dancing with destiny right now. Trying to fight for the fate of the entire world. It’s kinda overwhelming.”

“What would he tell me if he was here…?” Brian sniffled again, creating an illusion of Lance in front of him. The Lucario kept his cold, distant look like usual.

“You’re the best of us, Brian. Giving up is not like you, so chin up and keep going. Justice is bigger than me, you or anyone in this world.”

Although the illusion moved its mouth to talk, the voice didn’t come from it. It came from Brian instead, like he was talking to himself. He very much was.

Brian rubbed the tears off his face and sighed again. “I can’t wallow in self-pity right now. My brother needs me, the world needs me. For the greater good, isn’t it? My life for the greater—”

A knock on the door interrupted him. “Drop it.”

“…Megs?” Brian stood up, picking the band and opening the door. Like he thought, Meggie was on the other side, shaking and crying as she looked in his eyes.

---

They locked eyes, but none said anything. Brian, because he didn’t know what. Meggie, because she was too busy crying. So, instead of talking it out, the two were separated by a wall of deafening silence that threatened to crush them all with sheer pressure.

Brian opened his mouth, but he didn’t speak, looking at how much Meggie was crying. It would be pretty simple to ask her what was wrong, but he had a feeling he knew what it was.

As for her, she let her emotions take hold of her, vision flooded with frozen tears. Meggie also didn’t speak, only panting and breathing.

Finally, Brian had enough. He had to say something. “…You heard me, didn’t you?”

She rubbed the tears off of her and frowned. “You want to sacrifice yourself? Brian, that’s—you can’t do that! There’s other ways to save him!”

But he didn’t budge, snarling at her, and clawing at the door for a second, which managed to calm him down. “Megs, we don’t know! Even with Darkrai’s strength, I might need to give my all to bring him back! If that means I die—”

In the blink of an eye, Meggie slapped him in the face. She used enough force to leave the mark of her hand on him. Brian staggered from the slap, only barely managing to look at her.

“Stop it. Stop it, Brian.” Meggie was shaky, her voice almost imperceptible. “Don’t be a martyr! There’s four of us, we can figure it out—you can figure it out! You’re smart!”

“Then what?!” Brian snapped. Instead of a claw, he punched a hole into the door, all without so much as flinching. “I tried to reason, I tried hypnotizing and saving him with Darkrai’s power. What the hell can I do?!”

Meggie floated closer and, with each of her hands, touched Brian’s cheeks. She looked straight into his eyes. “Keep. Trying. What the hell kind of plan is “oh, I’m gonna die so my brother will escape a monster taking him over”?! It’s stupid!”

“That’s not my plan, it’s—” But it was his plan. A big act to make Lance reassure his existence. Except Meggie was right, it was incredibly stupid. “…I don’t know.”

“Maybe if we can get the other bracelets, we could try weakening him, giving Lance enough of a shot at coming back.” Meggie said, still with her gaze on him. She moved for a hug next. “…It’s something I came up with just now, and it sounds so much better than death, don’t you think?”

Brian… didn’t have any reactions to it. But they would need to find the other crystals first. And with both Scar and Max taking them, that would surely prove to be a difficult job.

“We gotta ask Lilith for help.” Brian said, hugging his girlfriend back with a soft whine. “She’s the one that knows them the best. Care to go meet up with her?”

“Yeah, I think she’s with Dex right now.” Meggie sighed, pulling back from the hug and offering an arm. “C’mon, enough self-pity.”

“Fair point…” Brian gulped. “They’re waiting, right?”

---

Sure enough, they were. As soon as Brian and Meggie left towards the living room of his apartment, they were met with Dex and Lilith sitting on the couch. The first had a proper bag for his things, and Lilith carried a bigger purse.

“H-Hey, everyone.” Brian waved with a paw, the other holding Meggie’s hand. “…S-Sorry I’m late.”

“Took ye long enough, Goggles.” Dex scoffed, adjusting the bag. “Me an’ Carrots are ready—”

“I didn’t appreciate being left with this guy. Y’know what his breath smells like? Tatsurigi.”

“Only ’cause it’s the best one an’ ye know it!”

“True.” She chuckled, grinning. “Anyway, everyone’s ready now? Because I’ve got one final thing to say before we go.”

Meggie stepped forward with Brian, looking first at him, and then at Lilith. “We are. What’s in your mind?”

“Look, I…” Lilith stood up, sighing. “Listen, I’ve messed up. I was an idiot who didn’t notice how awful Scar’s plan was until it was too late. To be honest, part of me still wants to go through with it, but…”

Dex decided to finish her sentence for her. “Our life may be hard, but we’re still tryin’. We try every bloody day.”

“Lilith,” Brian looked at her with a frown, just as thunder clapped. “…I appreciate that, but you know that when this is over, you’re getting locked up, right? Whether it’s here or in Cydonia, you won’t be free.”

He said it expecting her to crack a joke and try to escape, fight them, or anything except for what Lilith actually did.

“…I understand,” she said. “Crime and punishment. That sorta deal. It is what it is.”

Lilith swallowed down other things she was going to say, because they weren’t important. They were bad, bad things that she told herself. Like that this was idiotic and that she should go back to her family, her father. Yet, Lilith couldn’t bring herself to do it. Perhaps this was a sign of her own freedom, that taking matters into her own hands was the right thing to do, after all.

“I’m proud of ye, Carrots.” Dex then looked at Brian and Meggie. “I ain’t regrettin’ anything. I’m here to save a friend. I may not know ‘im as much as y’all, but I’ll still fight to save ‘im.”

“That’s all I can ask for.” Brian smiled weakly. And a vacation, but that comes later. For now, our focus is on saving Lance. Nobody dies today.

“Thanks, you two.” Meggie said next, putting a hand in her chest and nodding. “But one final thing: Lilith, we’ll need help getting the other crystals. We’re planning to use them to—”

“Weaken Necrozma. Gotcha.” Lilith agreed, giving a thumbs up. “No worries. We’ll need one dark-type move, one ghost-type, and one bug-type. I know ghost and dark are covered, but bugs…?”

“Pretty sure I can learn Fury Cutter. Just…” Dex scratched his head. “I remember usin’ it a long time ago. I’ll practice while we get there. It’ll work out.”

“Right.” Brian took a deep breath. “Alright… let’s get ready.”

Immediately, Lilith opened her purse, pulling an entercard out of it. Everyone knew what it meant; they were headed to Cydonia.

“It’s done. We should be ready to go with no issue. And…” she sighed. “This may sound a little insensitive, but we gotta go fast. Trust me, we don’t wanna lose time.”

Brian looked at the window, seeing the rain still pouring outside. He didn’t want to say it, but kept in his mind a simple thought: there was a chance they wouldn’t come back. Yes, Meggie talked him out of trying to go for that outcome, but the possibility of them perishing still existed.

“This is it, huh?”

“It really is.” Meggie still held his hand. She looked at Lilith. “So how do we plan on getting the crystals? I dunno how things will be when we get there.”

“Popsicle’s got a fair point.” Dex crossed his arms and huffed. “Should we try an’ be stealthy? Ain’t exactly me thing.”

Lilith didn’t take long to think, as if she already had an answer prepared. “I know what Scar was planning, he said he’d set the stage for Necrozma to start his thing. Meaning they’re both gonna be there, distracted. Me and Brian should get into the castle. I’ll tell you where they keep it when we get there.”

Meggie tilted her head, but nodded. “Ah, makes sense. You two break into the castle, get the crystals, and then meet with us? But where?”

“…You’ll know when we get there.” Lilith sighed. Her father was a bit dramatic when he wanted to be.

“Aight, then. Me an’ Popsicle will be on standby.”

Lilith clicked the entercard, throwing it in front of her. A portal burst forth.

“With that out of the way, I think we’re free to go.”

“Yeah…” Brian gulped, giving Meggie a kiss, before staring at the portal. “Let’s go.”

---

It led them into an alleyway. Dex stepped out first, and as he did, the rain poured on him, leaving him wet. Not wanting to deal with it at the moment, he just walked out of the way so the others could come.

“Uh, y’all. Better wait just a sec, I’ve got—

Lilith came out, and just like the Floatzel, got wet from the rain. She eyed him and sighed. “…The cloak, please.”

“Aye, Carrots.” Dex opened his bag, handing her a large cloak, enough to cover her. “It’s got a hoodie too. Don’t ye worry.”

Before his friends left the portal, Dex tossed the remaining cloaks inside. And then, Brian left, finishing putting his on, and pulling the hoodie up. Meggie had already done it.

“Knew it’d be useful. Gotta be all stealthy an’ stuff.” Dex put his cloak on as well, but being wet didn’t bother him as much as it did with everyone else. Water was his element, after all.

“For once, I agree with you.” Lilith chuckled, peeking out of the alleyway. “You guys, take a look at this.”

As instructed, the others did the same as Lilith. To their surprise, the street was empty. Completely empty. In fact, there was not a single Pokémon there except for them, not even guards.

“Wait. Ain’t this good?” Dex muttered to them. “We can just head to the castle an’ kick arses.”

Lilith shook her head, biting a lip. “No, no. This isn’t… I know what’s going on. Scar probably scheduled a meeting at the center, and everyone is going there.”

“So this leaves the castle defenseless, doesn’t it?” Brian suggested, fur standing up. “We might be able to get the crystals without any issue.”

“Somehow, I doubt Scar left the place unattended…” Lilith wondered if Scar kept the crystals with himself, but no. She knew he’d either keep them inside his room, or give them to Max. Except she didn’t know where Max was, so the only choice was to risk going inside the castle.

Meggie let go of Brian’s paw and stepped forward. “Center of the kingdom, right? And it should have something that we’ll recognize right away, too.”

She’s so determined. Lilith sighed, raising her head. “…Right, I forgot there’s four of us here. Meggie, Dexter, when you get there, you might find Max, and he could have the crystals. If he does, you two do your best to get them. Brian and I will check the castle.”

“Gotcha!” Brian put his goggles on, clenching a fist. “This is it, then! Let’s all do our best! We can save him, we can save the world!”

“Aye, aye!” Dex flexed a bicep. “Let’s go, Popsicle!”

“Mhm!” Meggie nodded, floating away with Dex following behind her.

Brian clutched his cloak and sighed, looking at Lilith beside him. “Thanks for helping us. I know it must’ve been a hard decision to make.”

“More than you’ll ever know…” Lilith looked down for a moment, before shaking her head. This was no time for second thoughts. “We’ll need your illusions.”

---

Dex’s shaky breaths were deafened by the rain, the storm growing stronger with each passing minute. Meggie looked around as she floated, but stopped to let Dex catch up with her.

“Too fast… fer your own good, Popsicle.”

“Sorry, I got a bit carried away.” Meggie shrugged. “I don’t see whatever it is that we’re supposed to be seeing. I think I’m gonna try going up.”

“Just, err… try not to get hit by lightning. Trust me, it hurts.”

“Duly noted.”

Focusing her energy, Meggie looked at the sky and began levitating upwards, slowly. Unlike normal levitation that she used in her daily life, ascending took more effort, she knew it since evolving. Not to mention the raindrops kept falling on her. They didn’t hurt, but it was a bother.

What she saw was a stage large enough that she could notice all the intricate details. Lights were set, and there was an area for the general population to see, as well as tents to shelter them from the rain. Now she could see the large amount of Pokémon headed that way. But not Max. All the yellow blurs she saw were from the audience, and none were at the stage itself. Max really wasn’t there.

It’s like Lilith said. Scar must’ve gathered them. This is bad! How can we fight in such a place?

She sighed. We should try to let the citizens run off while we do our thing. But how?

“Popsicle! All good up there?!”

Meggie looked down to see Dex waving at her. “On my way!”

She descended, also slowly, and panted, next to Dex. “I’m good. Just a little tired.”

“What’d ye see?”

“A stage, pretty big one. No signs of Max, though, but I doubt I could’ve seen him from this distance. We gotta get closer.”

Dex huffed. “Figures that big ol’ loaf wouldn’t be here. Now what?”

“…We still have control of our destinies.” Meggie said, looking forward. “This changes nothing, Max might be at the castle, or I just missed him. But we still need to get to the stage. We’ll find our answers there.”

“Who knows? It’s raining, I can fight better now.”

“That’s… not a bad idea, actually.” Meggie smiled. “Your water, my ice. We can combine them both into something better…”

“Hah! Good thinking, Popsicle!”

Meggie nodded again. “Alright, so follow my lead. I have some ideas, and we’ll try them on our way there. Ready? ‘Cause we’re running short on time.”

“…Ready as I can be.” Dex forced himself to smile and to chuckle. “Kickin’ arse happens to be pretty fun.”

“Hm… I just hope Brian’s having a good time there.” Meggie muttered, running off again. I’m not sure how hard things will be at the castle, but I doubt it’s gonna be any easy. Please, be okay… I’m waiting for you, darling.

Thunder echoed in the sky as the duo kept running towards the stage.

---

For Brian and Lilith, their trek was elsewhere, but just as calm as everyone else’s. Like before, the streets were empty, and their only companion was the rain, ever stronger.

“…At this point we might not even need an illusion.” Brian said, running as fast he could. They passed through a street that Lilith said had a family she tried to help, a Drednaw and a Chewtle. He didn’t see either.

“Maybe, maybe not. Let’s use it anyway, just to be cautious. We don’t know what’s coming…” Lilith looked forward, seeing the castle up ahead. “Just a few more minutes of running! How long can you keep ’em for?”

“At my best? Uh, fifteen minutes. I kinda didn’t try and train to make it last longer, so—”

“Fifteen minutes is more than enough. Hold my paw,” she offered him hers. “We’re dashing through. As soon as I give the go, focus your damn best on keepin’ us hidden.”

“W-What?! O-Oh, right! Extremespeed!” Brian chuckled, taking her paw. “Just lemme know—”

“Now!” Lilith took a single step, and she instantly charged ahead, crossing the street at an incredible pace. Brian struggled to keep up, despite holding on to her, but he tried to conjure an illusion on the two of them, keeping both invisible.

Gah! As an enemy, she’s freaking terrifying! As an ally—

Lilith moved in zig zag, dashing through the streets. The castle got closer and closer.

…Also terrifying.

She made her stop in front of the gate. Much like the streets, the place looked empty, with no guards in sight.

“Perfect. Almost too perfect, don’t you think?”

Brian let her go and panted, holding in the urge to vomit. He raised a hand, asking for her to wait. His illusion flickered in and out, showing them, only for them to become invisible again.

“O-Okay… I’m okay, okay? Right. Yeah, too perfect. But sometimes, that’s just life.” Brian focused again, letting the illusion stabilize.

“I don’t buy it.”

“Fine, me neither.” Brian groaned, looking at the gate. “So we just break in?”

“Pretty much,” she offered her paw again. “Try not to get sick this time.”

“Oh, dear Gods…” Brian ignored the anxiety and grabbed her paw. Lilith jumped with him, bypassing the gate and landing safely on the ground. Other than the trees and the fountain, the entrance was empty.

Once more, they flickered, but Brian was quick to stabilize his illusion. It made him stop to breathe. Lilith looked around, confirming there wasn’t anyone there again.

“So, uh, where’d you think they are?”

“Probably Scar’s room.” Lilith raised her head, searching for which of the windows would lead them to said room. After finding it, she turned to Brian. “We could go the normal way, or… break in.”

“Huh…” Brian knew she was asking for his input. The normal way would mean that if there was someone inside, there was less chance he and Lilith would be found. But it’d also take a longer time. Time they didn’t have. “Break in.”

“…You do realize I’ll have to jump with ya again, right?”

“It is what it is.” Brian sighed, dispelling their invisibility. “Do it, I don’t think illusions will be of much use once we go with this.”

“Fair enough. Be on your guard.” Lilith focused all her strength in her legs, taking a deep breath. With her free hand, she coated it in a type of pink, dust-like energy, like a fairy. I need to jump and smash the windows… this oughta do it.

And without further ado, she bounced upward, towards the window she identified. Lilith punched through it and entered, prepared to let go of Brian. That would be the case, if not for two things.

One: the room wasn’t as dark as it was supposed to be. In fact, there was a bright, yellow flash right in front of her face.

Two: said yellow flash landed a mighty punch faster than she could react, and electricity coursed through her soaked body, sending her, and by extension Brian, back towards the ground. The sound of them crashing shook the leaves of a tree nearby.

“Argh… what the hell?” Brian coughed, sparks of electricity covering his short mane as he struggled to stand up.

Unlike him, Lilith was already up, checking the window she crashed. On it she saw the one that attacked them.

“Yo.” Max cracked his knuckles. During that moment, they saw him wearing the two things they craved. Two bracelets, and two z-crystals. “Took ya long enough to get here.”

---

Brian grunted, panting and looking the same way Lilith did. She was motionless, staring at one of her former teammates.

“Not gonna fight back? Not even a word? Sheesh.” Max jumped out of the window, falling on his feet. “Now, there’s a lot we could talk about, but—”

“I’ve made up my mind.” Lilith shook her head and glared at him. “Brian… can you fight? Are you hurt?”

“Pretty sure I can, don’t worry!”

“That’s the spirit! I know you’re here to stop us, so just come and try to take these things off of me!” Max laughed, clasping both of his fists together and giving a loud roar. “Scar left me with the job of guarding these!”

“He’s a tough opponent, his coat makes him harder to hit… and it’s raining. We need to be precise, and fast.” Lilith removed her cloak, cracking her neck. “Do try to keep up, Brian. I’ll find an opening for you!”

Max charged ahead, roaring once more, and it coincided with another thunderclap as he ran ahead, closing a fist and coating it with electricity. Lilith dashed ahead, faster, and ready to strike. She ducked, avoiding the punch and then raised a fist, punching his arm. Her own was coated with that same fairy dust as before.

Although his arm was definitely hurt by the strike, Max didn’t budge. Instead, he used the opportunity to send a current through his arm, touching Lilith’s and electrocuting her; the rain made the attack stronger.

“Give it up! If you come back to us, there’s still a chance for you!”

“Tch… sounds like you’re a sore loser here!” Lilith grinned, resisting the voltage as much as she could. She wrapped her arms on the one that was shocking her. “Grrr… n-now!”

Brian heard it loud and clear. He ran ahead on all fours, focusing his energy on another illusion. Copies of himself appeared on his side, first two, then four, then six. With him, there were seven Zoroark all headed toward Max.

“Tch. I hate illusions. But y’know a good way of dealing with these kinda illusions?!” Max tossed Lilith to the side and punched the ground, sending a powerful wave of electricity that hit all the Zoroark at once. “You fry ’em!”

But after the illusion dissipated, Brian was nowhere to be found. None of the Zoroark were the real one.

What?! Where is—

Max yelped as Lilith landed a powerful kick on both of his legs before moving away, forcing him to his knees.

“Now!” Lilith looked towards the walls of the main building.

“What—” Max tried doing the same thing as her, but it was too late. He only saw Brian jumping out of the wall with incredible speed, rushing towards him with his claws coated in darkness.

A loud slashing sound made its way to Max’s chest, making him yell in pain again, and fall back.

“Lilith, do it now!”

Without waiting for any further input, the Lopunny jumped, kicking Max’s arm while he was distracted. She specifically aimed at the bracelets, both in the same arm, and her kick tossed them off of the Electivire.

“Force him back!” Lilith yelled, already moving back to get the bracelets.

“F-Force… me back?!” Max roared, this time the electricity covered him entirely, and it pushed Brian out of his chest. “Tch! Not bad, but it’ll take more than that!”

Brian panted, opening his bag and taking his own bracelet with the darkinium-z, before putting it on. “A combined attack…?”

“Good plan.” Lilith put the bracelets on her arms and focused, seeing Max with that electric aura… she had to do it fast. Extremespeed… and then Play Rough again. while Brian uses Night Slash again.

“Now, now…” Max’s fur stood on end, like spikes. “You remember this? The one move I had to learn so we could break the seal… but as it turns out, it’s pretty good against Zoroark!”

Steamroller. He didn’t even learn it naturally… Lilith sighed. “Follow me, Brian! We only have one shot at this!”

“Right!”

Max jumped and rolled his body like a ball of spikes, rushing towards them at an incredible pace, while his body continued to crackle.

“Tch!” Lilith went first, her speed increasing again. She grabbed Brian and jumped, dodging Max’s attack and letting him hit one of the trees.

Brian gulped as he landed safely. Ouch. Too close for comfort. We’re lucky he hit a tree. Or—an opportunity. There’s an opportunity!

He made a sound for Lilith to shut up and looked at Max. The impact left a hole in the tree, but he was still conscious, albeit still in the shape of a sphere.

Now… Brian created another illusion of themselves in front of a tree, while the real ones were to the side. Once again, he asked Lilith to keep her mouth shut. To make the illusion extra real, he made it so the two copies were scared and wounded.

“That kinda hurt.” Max shook his head, turning back and staring at the illusions. “Huh, gave up already? Too bad…”

Max closed a fist and groaned, the area next to his fist bulging and its muscle mass growing. “Because I gotta finish this one right now…”

He fell for it, but we still need to hit him in the best spot. But where? Brian bit a lip; he had to find out very soon.

Lilith pointed at her own arm, but the part closer to her neck. Then, Brian turned his attention to Max. Comparing the Electivire with the Lopunny, the area in the first was less covered with fur. Was that his weak point?

To that, Lilith nodded. That was where they should hit.

“Not gonna say anything?” Max scoffed. “Bah! I’m ending this now! With this speed, you won’t be able to catch up anyway.”

“S-Shut up!” The illusion version of Brian said, puppeteered by the real one.

“Nah… you’re gonna!” Max charged forward, ready to hit them both with the same strike. His speed was slower, slower enough that Lilith and Brian could react. But it wasn’t the right time.

Not yet… Brian watched him get closer, while Lilith had gone to the opposite side. They’d need to hit him at the same time.

Max continued to run, and the sparks flying off of him with that electrified tackle burned through the grass.

Wait… Lilith gulped. Close, but not yet.

“Time to end this!” Max punched through the copies, shattering them and dissipating the illusion. “Hah! Gotcha—what?”

Now! Brian rushed in, coating his claws with that same dark energy as before, while Lilith had her fairy dust ready.

“Tricked me—you tricked me—”

“Hooryaaaah!” Brian slashed at his arm, while Lilith punched the other one with both of hers.

Their attacks landed at the same time, and the damage was done. Max held it in, the pain, the wounds… but he screamed at the top of his lungs, drowned out by more thunder. He fell to the ground, and his head bobbed to the side. He was unconscious.

“We—We did it… didn’t we?”

Lilith nodded with a smile, because they did it. They won, and defeated Max. But she knew that it was far from being over, and then her look was fierce again. “There’s no time for celebrations. We gotta move, now!”

“R-Right! This fight isn’t over yet!” Brian grimaced, following Lilith to the outside. Somehow, they won. And if they won against Max, then maybe they could win against Necrozma, too.

---

“How… wonderful.”

Necrozma climbed the stairs to the stage and headed to its center. On his left, half of the emeras. On his right, the other half. It was all ready, although Max was yet to be seen.

Bah! It won’t matter. As soon as I start, he’ll be enlightened as well. I don’t need to worry about him.

Scar climbed next, wrapping his body in flames to make the water turn into vapor. After settling down, he stood next to Necrozma.

“I believe we can start now, right?”

“Yes, Sire. With a speech, perhaps? They are waiting for you.”

“Hm… I could try.” Necrozma stepped forward, into public view.

The audience stared in awe at the creature, a Lucario with weird, black armor embedded into his body. There were a few flashes of camera, and some even tried to walk into the stage, stopped by the guards. Necrozma watched it all with a smile.

“Please, everyone, please. I have prepared a speech for you all! I am sure there are many questions, but no, I’m not here to answer them. Not all of them, anyway.”

Necrozma closed his eyes, extending both of his arms to the audience with another smile, a bigger one.

“I am Necrozma. That is the name that was assigned to me when I was created. Some of you may have heard of such a name, associated with a being you would call legendary, a God, perhaps…” Necrozma stopped, letting the viewers sink that information in. There were gasps, and more flashes.

“To be truthful, this body isn’t mine. I am using a vessel, your newly appointed king. He… I have many thanks to give him, his sacrifice ensured that I could do my duty.”

Scar watched the speech, eyeing his master slightly, but kept his focus on the crowd. Surely none of them would be heretic to try and stop Necrozma, but if that happened… Scar would fight back.

“What is my duty, you may ask? Very simple.” Necrozma opened his eyes once more. “World peace.”

The gasps were louder, and more Pokémon tried to get inside, making the guards put more effort into protecting the barrier. Hidden inside the crowd were two cloaked Pokémon, watching for the best opportunity to act.

Meggie gulped. Not now.

“Hah, with my power, I can take a hold of you! Yes,  all  of you! Controlling your bodies, just like I am doing with this vessel. Because what is better to help the mortals than a God?”

Scar nodded. Yes, he agreed to everything. His choices caused his own downfall, as well as his family’s. Therefore, Necrozma was the better choice.

“These emeras—they’re special.” Necrozma pointed at them, still smiling. “They belonged to a friend of mine, and now, they will help me achieve the peace I so desperately want.”

Meggie clenched a fist, turning to her left. Dex was staring back at her, like he asked if that was the time.

She nodded. They wouldn’t have any other opportunity, and the others were taking way too long to get there.

“It’s very simple. I, Necrozma… will save all of you. Because, as a legendary, as a God, it is my duty. For your sake, I will bring a better world. A world without pain, a world without fear. A world… of  light .”

By this point, the audience started to scream, not really understanding what Necrozma was talking about. Some of them even started running away! While the guards were busy protecting the border, Necrozma kept smiling. Indeed, because he knew the mortals wouldn’t like this. But he knew better. He knew what was best for them, even if they didn’t.

“Dex, throw me.” Meggie ordered, floating just a bit above her friend.

“On it, Popsicle!” Dex grabbed her back, roaring, and launched her as far as he could into the sky.

“What?” Necrozma noticed it as she came into his view, his smile turning into a frown. “You!”

“That’s me!” Meggie continued to float even after the boost Dex gave her ended, and clapped her hands together, before separating them and unleashing a barrage of ice shards.

“Hmph. You never seem to know when to give up…” Scar stepped forward, blasting away at the shards with his flaming club. “But it hardly matters. Sire—”

Next was Dex, launching himself forward with a cloak of water so fast it caught Scar off-guard, blasting him towards the back of the stage, while Dex landed on his feet.

“Now we’re ready.” Meggie lowered herself to Dex’s side, both facing Necrozma.

“Tch. Always trying to stop me…” He growled. “Fine, I’ll let you two amuse me!”

“Who said anything about two?!”

A third voice came from behind, and the illusion was dispelled, with Brian hitting a powerful Shadow Ball straight into Necrozma’s face, and then Lilith came in with a kick to his stomach, sending him a few feet back.

---

Screams filled the air as the spectators continued to run back, screeching at the top of their lungs. Meanwhile, the four Pokémon gathered at the stage, together side by side. Necrozma grunted, standing up with a frown on his face.

“Look at this. You four are here.” He eyed Lilith, seeing the two bracelets she had. “And you have that too!”

Lilith tossed the two to Meggie and Dex. “We gotta be fast if we want to seal him again. And—”

“Duck!” Meggie shouted. Lilith ducked, right as a club was about to hit her, but it turned back, and was grabbed by Scar, who recovered from the previous attack.

“Hmph. So, you all are here.” Scar set his weapon ablaze again. “Sire, focus on what you must. I can handle them.”

“You know what…” Necrozma flexed his claws, producing an Aura Sphere. “I’m done messing around. We’re ending this right now.”

“Focus your powers on the type of the crystal. I’ll hold ’em off!” Lilith stepped forward and dashed, kicking the middle of the stage. Her intention was to hit Scar, but he moved out of the way just in time.

It left her open for Necrozma to land the attack he prepared, as the sphere exploded in contact, but Lilith didn’t give up, despite the pain, she remained standing.

“I don’t understand. You mortals… why do you keep fighting?”

“I thought there was no other way of living… I was wrong.” Lilith backflipped, turning her attention to team Liberators. “What are you three waiting for?! Go!”

Brian gulped, raising his arms in the air. He tried to focus on the feeling Darkrai gave him those two times. On the power, and on darkness. The crystal started glowing. Meggie thought of her dreams, of her future, and that she couldn’t let them go away because of Necrozma. Her crystal glowed as well.

Finally, Dex thought about his friends, something he never thought he’d have. Once thinking about abandoning them, the Floatzel refused to let it happen. His crystal shined last.

“As if!” Necrozma said, and then he roared, his body glowing purple with occasional cracks. “I’ve gone far too long to let you ruin this!”

“No…” Lilith dashed again, knowing that Necrozma was about to strike. She was fast, she could hit him. She could—

Scar bonked her in the neck with his club, forcing a gasp and a cough out of the Lopunny, and bringing her to the ground, where he grabbed her neck.

“I… I am so sorry, my daughter. There is no other way.”

With the three crystals shining as bright as possible, Necrozma knew he had to be fast. His aura flared up, and burst out of his body in all directions, firing beams of pure light all around him in a magnificent purple arc.

An explosion rocked the place, and the shockwave sent them all away from each other, smoke covering the area for minutes that felt like hours. The end result was a destroyed stage, with rubble scattered around the place, and seemingly everyone but Necrozma knocked unconscious.

Necrozma panted; he’d used too much energy for this attack. “Damn it… I should still have enough for salvation, but I just had to make sure… they wouldn’t stop me.”

Thankfully, he could still sense the emera, and using them would only take a wave of his finger, and the crystal he… didn’t have?

“What?” He checked his satchel, and it was gone as well. With his eyes widened, he looked around, focusing his aura senses on finding the crystal’s signature. It was all he cared about. Necrozma focused on that, and only that. Everything else was invisible.

Exactly like an illusion. Brian made himself known as he slashed the mask on top of Necrozma’s head and dove to his side, firing another Shadow Ball just in time.

“Everyone, now!”

Necrozma saw the satchel he looked for in Brian’s paws, distracting him even further. “Huh?! You! You little shit—”

Claws cut through him like stingers of a bug, a powerful punch was delivered to his stomach, and finally, a gust of wind that carried with it the eerie vibes of a ghost. With the combined attacks, Necrozma was pressed, falling back.

That’s when he saw the four again, together, but apart from one another quite a long distance. They were hurt, yes. Most bleeding, all of them panting. But they were conscious.

Brian clutched the satchel on him, holding tightly to it. “He’s weak now, we need to do it!”

Lilith panted, rubbing sweat off her face. “Hand me the satchel! You do the ritual again!”

“On it!”

And he tossed it towards her as fast as he could. The satchel was mid-air, spinning, headed towards Lilith…

And a fire ball blasted it to smithereens, the crystal falling. Brian noticed it first, ready to go and grab it, but the culprit was faster.

Scar took the crystal and considered his options for a moment. Brian and Lilith were running towards him, while Dex had started to coat his body in water. Meggie was on his front. What could he do?

The answer he found was to clutch the club as hard as he could and use it to hit the crystal, sending it faster than they could reach.

But Necrozma reached it, grabbing the crystal he so desired.

“Finally… I will be complete.”

---

“Stop him!” Brian jumped in, but Scar did the same, punching the fox’s face with a flaming fist, sending him crashing against Dex.

It left only Lilith and Meggie to fight him. Scar turned to see them and chuckled, destroying the ice shard with his club and dodging a punch coming from his surrogate daughter.

“Enough.” Scar jumped back, landing next to Necrozma. He put down his club and looked at wha was left of the stage. Destroyed platforms, injured Pokémon, knocked out guards, and an audience that had long left the area.

Necrozma scoffed at all their efforts, holding the crystal in one hand. “You know? I admire your tenacity, mortals. You pushed me far, far more than others I have fought. But it ends now—urgh!”

He tried moving his right arm—the one with the crystal— but it was frozen in place. Necrozma’s eyes widened, and he put more effort.

“Sire…?”

“That despicable…” Necrozma then roared, his left arm moving on its own, touching he face mask he had. His eyes stopped glowing for a moment, and he looked at the four Pokémon opposing. “H-Hey… everyone!”

Brian got out of Dex’s stomach and groaned, gasping at the voice. “Lance?!”

“Y-Yes, this is…” Lance saw Scar looking at him and quickly kicked him far away. His eyes glowed again. “You’re too persistent for your own good?! Don’t you realize you’re dooming them all?!”

No glow. “I’m doing… the o-only… only thing I can!” Lance moved his arm closer to the mask, before pulling it. He screamed in pain, and the more he pulled, the louder he screamed. Bits of blood dripped on his face as he pulled, but eventually… he ripped off the mask, and it disappeared in a flash of light.

Meggie gasped, sticking close to Brian. “Y-You’re back?! Are you?!”

“Pup…” Dex stood up last, tapping his head. It throbbed and throbbed, but he ignored the pain. “Is it really ye?”

Glowing again. “Grrr! Shut up, shut up, shut up! You can’t stop me! Let me save them, vessel!”

And it faded. “No… I will admit, however, that you were right about one thing! This body isn’t yours! And that… is your greatest weakness.”

Brian started to cheer, but then his fur stood on its end, like a bad omen crawled through his body. “Lance…?”

The Lucario created another Aura Sphere, this one held in his left hand. “L-Like I said… greatest weakness. If I die, I can take Necrozma with me!”

“What?! Are you insane?!” Lilith pleaded, screaming at him. She didn’t know him nearly as well as his teammates, but even she knew that wasn’t the way to solve things.

“No…!” Necrozma asserted himself again, but his left arm was already moving, pointing at his neck. “Stop it, vessel, stop it!”

“Lance!”

Brian could swear he saw his life flashing before his eyes. Memories of his childhood, of the guild training, of old crushes, of hanging out with his brother, of moving out, of going on adventures… it all flashed within him, as he ran ahead, determined to stop his brother from doing what he planned.

Lance continued pressing the sphere, ready to fire it, and he was… until Scar threw himself in-between the sphere and Lance’s body, taking the full impact of the attack. However, as a ghost, it meant nothing.

“You…” Necrozma trembled, kicking Scar towards Brian, intent on making them both bump into each other. Scar, however, was able to dodge to the right, and Brian had to step back in order. Necrozma panted, the mask reforming. “That was an admirable effort, vessel, but I’m afraid it was for nothing.”

He tossed the crystal upward and created two more spheres, one in each hand, indicating he had full control again. Necrozma fired them at the ground, creating another explosion and sending the four Pokémon further back, before finally catching the crystal with his right arm.

“Alright, vessel. I was going to eject myself out of you before doing this, but since you decided to be such an annoyance…” Necrozma took a deep breath, raising the arm holding the crystal as high as he could. “Let’s get this over with. You all… will be enlightened.”

With a powerful glow, the crystal shone ever brighter, as did the emeras. Their aura began to pour towards the crystal, energizing it. What once was a dull shade of gray started to turn towards a beautiful, regal gold.

“Yes. Yes.  YES !”

The legendary started to laugh, harder and louder as the crystal gathered more energy, somehow glowing even more. It was starting to become blinding.

Necrozma watched the rest of the energy enter his artifact and lowered his head, laughing. “Finally… I’ve waited thousands of years for this.”

Scar felt like he was about to cry, but then stepped forward, ready to defend his master should he need. “I am ready, Sire.”

“Indeed…”

And without holding back anymore, Necrozma put the crystal right in the middle of his chest, in his armor. The artifact glowed more, but the shine slowly started to be sucked inside the crystal…

Before being released in a burst of rainbow light. “I. Am. Your Savior!”

His eyes stopped glowing, indicating Lance was in control once again. He only had a fraction of a second to look at his brother and shed tears, seeing how far he came just to save him.

That was when the pain started. Lance fell to his knees and screamed louder than he ever had before, the energy gathered inside now pouring through his veins like never before. It wasn’t like when he first mega evolved, no. This was so much worse.

Amidst his screaming, Lance kept his eyes shut. But the pain only grew, and he started to feel something being pulled out of him, forcing his eyes to open and see: his skin was falling off, being ripped right out. Underneath the skin were bright yellow, almost white scales.

“W-What’s happening… w-what’s happening to me?!”

Lance looked at himself, his fur almost entirely peeled off, with him now covered in scales. His arms started to hurt too, bones shifting, cracking… where were once arms now resided wings. It was too much to bear. It was like being burned alive by a thousand stars at once.

There was nothing to focus on, nothing was in his mind except for the pain. Everything burned away, being replaced by something that was far from being him. Through it all, a laugh echoed inside his mind; Necrozma’s laugh. Lance couldn’t even tremble without putting a lot more effort than he thought he had.

So he raised his head and screamed again, unleashing a mighty beam of white light towards the sky, completely destroying the ceiling and piercing through the clouds, clearing the skies. His body soon followed, being enveloped by a blinding flash of light.

Brian closed his eyes and held Meggie’s hand, along with Dex’s, trying to keep it together while the pressure around them growed more. They couldn’t see it, or even try to help for that matter, but the entirety of Lance’s body was glowing and changing shape.

His arms almost split apart, creating another set covered with wings. Lance coughed blood at the sight. The armor piece on his chest burned him more, like it was being glued to his skin, and changed too, growing three spikes and covering most of his chest. His tail swished, spikes bursting forth as it elongated, far past what was normal for a Lucario—not that looked like one anymore. In fact, Lance himself was growing in size, way past the ceiling.

For the bits of armor on his legs, they also grew, covering most of his legs, and his legs expanded, becoming much more thick. Finally, the changes to his head. The helmet covered most of it, and Lance heard more bones cracking as his snout merged together with the helmet, tears rolling from his eyes… but evaporating as soon as they appeared. Lance screamed one more time, and another burst of light erupted from his draconic form.

Said form was covered in pure white light. But right at the center, there was a faint purple glow. It glowed more, before expelling Lance out. He crashed into the ground, groaning in pain. His fur was back, but most of it was burnt.

Finally, the light slowly diminished. It didn’t disappear, but now it was bearable enough that Brian opened his eyes. First, he rushed to his brother’s side, with the rest of his friends, along with Lilith, following him.

“Lance! Lance! It’s you… it’s really you!”

Scar scoffed, moving to the side as the dragon alongside him roared, gathering everyone’s attention. The light started to dissipate, revealing Necrozma’s true form.

“My form… is perfect.”

Two sets of arms floated next to the main body, with claws and wings. His arms were colored gold, while the wings were a much lighter shade, almost white.

“And my form… will reshape the world.”

The crystalline structure Necrozma had was rearranged into a sort of skeleton, with the z-crystal embedded into his chest. His head was surrounded by tiny wings, like an eight-pointed star. His eyes were heterochromatic, the left one primarily red, and the right eye mainly blue.

“I am the savior of this world. I am the sword that cuts through the darkness. I am justice itself. Worship me. Praise me. The almighty, the heroic… all hail  Necrozma !”

His long tail slapped the ground, causing an enormous shockwave. Brian didn’t move from his spot, and neither did the others. No, the sheer pressure Necrozma exerted stopped them from moving a single inch.

“W-What… is that thing?!” Meggie gasped for air, trembling. Her body even seemed to melt slightly, or was it sweat?

“I ain’t ever seen anything like it before…” Dex thought he wouldn’t abandon them, but now he was starting to reconsider the idea.

“T-That’s… Necrozma…” Lance muttered under his breath, moving for a split second before screaming in pain. “His… true form…”

“Indeed. And now… now it’s the time to save all of you.” Necrozma focused all his light, blistering as tendrils started to form from his back. “Please, don’t even bother trying to resist. There is nothing you can do.”

Scar was the first one, kneeling in front of Necrozma as a single tendril made his way to him, and the Marowak stopped moving.

Lilith clenched her fists and started crying. This was her fault, her fault for taking too long to act, her fault for believing in lies. She took a stand, running towards Necrozma. If he was a dragon, then he could—

Another one stabbed right through her, but there was no blood, no pain, no scream. She simply raised her head and stopped moving, her eyes shifting to become just like his.

“W-What’s he doing?” Meggie panted. “We gotta—”

Another tendril slapped her, and she fell down just like Lilith, eyes exactly like those of her savior.

Dex screamed, running away from there. It took all his power just to overcome the pressure. However, he got taken and fell to a greater power.

Only Brian and Lance remained. The Zoroark stood by his brother’s side, but he knew there was no hope left. He saw the two last tendrils coming, and tears fell down his eyes.

“Lance, I—” Brian was overtaken. But before it fully happened, he muttered three words to Lance.

---

Now it was only Lance. His body burned, his spirit was shattered, and even staying conscious was taking an immense toll on him.

So it was a surprise when he, somehow, with means unknown even to him, gathered the strength to stand. Although calling it a stand would be an overstatement. He was shaking the entire time, eyes half-closed, and even the most deaf of Pokémon could hear his shaky breath.

“…How?” Necrozma slapped his tail again. “How are you still—what are you?!”

“J-Just…” Lance coughed blood again, groaning. “A passing-through Lucario, t-trying… to do… t-to do what’s right.”

Necrozma looked at the sky, no longer seeing any rain after he split it apart. He turned his sights on Lance again. “Perhaps I underestimated you. Bonding with me must have granted you a lot more of my power than I thought.”

“I-I don’t… I don’t care.” Lance took a step forward, before falling on his knees. But giving up wasn’t an option. He tried to focus and create another Aura Sphere, but it didn’t even start forming.

He forced himself to try and see. A multitude of tendrils had erupted from Necrozma, going in multiple directions. If one of them hit him…

The words Brian muttered came back to him.

I love you.

Lance believed in them, glaring at Necrozma. The sphere started forming.

“A last stand against me? Hah. Mortals are so entitled…” Necrozma closed his eyes. “Yet, your tenacity is truly admirable. I, Necrozma, declare you the most willed mortal I’ve encountered.”

Using all he had, Lance launched the barely-formed sphere towards Necrozma, and it dissipated mid-air. The dragon simply smiled, pointing one final tendril.

I’m sorry, Brian. I am so, so sorry… this is my fault. Lance ran out of options. He saw the tentacle coming towards him. Perhaps fate had finally caught up to him. Could he accept it? No. But he had no choice but to do that. Knowing he lost, Lance smiled one final time, thinking about his friends, and that in the end, they came for him.

The tendril hit him, and then… there was light.

---