Dungeon 69 – Quasar

A roar shook the skies. The dead of the night raged on, the stars in the sky shining brightly. However, on the ground, another source of light glowed. Necrozma swished his tail, his multicolored eyes glaring at the five who dared to oppose him. Specifically, at the Lucario he used as a vessel.

Lance couldn’t let his will falter, not even for one bit. During the few moments, the calm before the storm, where he could devise a plan… those seconds were worth gold. First, checking his surroundings: they were standing on the rubble that was left of Necrozma’s stage, and given the time it passed, vegetation had grown, covering most of it.

Considering his size, it won’t be hard to hit him. However, he more than makes up for it. His defenses must be incredible…

There was a flaw. Two, in fact. The allocated tendrils on Necrozma’s left and right sides. If they could tear them apart, then all the others would be free. Lastly, he looked at the crystal embedded on Necrozma’s chest; his power source. Right away, Lance made it his objective to remove that thing. Obviously, the path there was going to be treacherous.

Brian looked at his brother, trying to think of what was on his mind. Knowing him, the Lucario was likely formulating their plan; Brian only hoped it would work. Meggie held his hand, both to calm herself down, but also to bring him some sense of comfort.

It seemed neither side wanted to make the first move, and the silence between the two was harsh, sharp, capable of cutting through them like butter. Nobody knew who was going to act first.

Necrozma didn’t have the patience for this. “Scar, deal with them. I have to keep the mortals happy in their dreams, it will make fighting difficult.”

“Oi! Sounds like an opportunity fer us, Pup!” Dex said, grinning. This was the first time they were fighting together, and against a God? It was nerve-wracking, and Dex didn’t quite know why he didn’t turn tail and run.

“I agree.” Lance muttered.

“Understood, Sire.” Scar swirled his club, and his body burst into green flames. Using them as a boost, he propelled himself forward, eyes focused on all five of them. Which one to target? Which one was the least likely to fight back? Lance was surrounded by Brian on his right and Meggie on his left. Dex only had Lilith by his side. Lilith, the one who betrayed him.

My apologies, daughter.

His flames burned brighter than before, and Scar was launched towards Lilith, spinning in mid-air and preparing a kick. He wasn’t stopping for anyone.

Unlike him, Lilith didn’t move. She saw him coming, she did, but everything was slow, seeing him made her heart start beating faster each second, and her eyes widened. Yes, Lilith had to do something, attack him, anything, but actually doing that? Impossible.

“Tch, no ye won’t!”

Which was why it took someone else to save her. Dex stepped in front of Lilith, his own body coated in water, and he just caught Scar’s leg, cracks forming on the ground where he stood, and although the water sizzled from the heat, Dex stood his ground.

“See, I’ve been wantin’ to say this fer a while. Yer a shitty dad!”

“D-Dex?!” Lilith watched it happen, still paralyzed. Why was he doing this for her? Why couldn’t she move? She should do something! But the sight of her father was creating such an enormous pressure Lilith didn’t have the strength to do anything but watch in awe.

“Unhand me, you fiend! You know nothing!”

“With pleasure!” Dex roared, grabbing the leg tighter, enough to hear something cracking, and tossed Scar back, sending him towards Necrozma with incredible force.

In the air, Scar’s flaming aura dissipated, and he crashed three times before stopping just next to one of Necrozma’s feet.

Dex cracked his neck, sighing in relief. “Ye okay, Carrots?”

“U-Uh, yeah. Sorry about that—”

“Do I really have to do everything around here?!” Necrozma roared again, pressing his feet on the ground. Another crack opened, but this one was wider than Dex’s.

“S-Sire, it was a surprise attack, I did not—”

“ Silence !”

“Y-Y’know, everyone?” Meggie spoke up next. “I’m not as strong of a fighter as you guys, but I’ll try my best to bring support.”

Lance frowned. “There’s not enough time! Dodge!”

What Lance meant was quickly revealed, as Necrozma flicked his claws, black sparks crackling around them. Brian recognized that as the first sign of Night Slash, a move he was very keen on using.

Except Necrozma’s was humongous. Brian had never seen such giant blades, and he didn’t have any plans on finding out how they felt on his body

“BE DROWNED IN THE DARKNESS!”

A multitude of blades were launched at them. So much they felt unlimited. Brian only saw them starting to come, when he felt something on his back, and immediately, he was in the sky, being carried by Meggie.

“Whoa! Uh, thanks, Megs!”

“No worries! Now, don’t move! This is harder than it looks!”

As for the others, Lance started running and dodging as many of the blades as he could, his speed getting to the extremes. Dex had a similar idea, but his coat of water was enough to let him dodge, only getting scratched here and there. Lilith mostly followed Lance, being able to catch up with his speed.

While this was happening, Lance didn’t have much time to react. However, every now and then he was able to look at the tendrils near Necrozma. They almost seemed weaker. The supernatural glow they had was diminished, and Lance could almost see through them. What did it mean?

Not that he had the time to think about it. Necrozma had quantity as well as quality. The blades continued to increase, and dodging them had proved to be difficult. However, he still fired a Night Slash of his own, sending three blades. Two of them hit Necrozma’s attacks, canceling them, while the last one ended up flying towards the crystal on Necrozma’s chest.

“Tch!”

Necrozma dodged at the last second, eyeing the attack that just passed through him. Lance saw it, squinting his eyes.

What?

---

They regrouped at the rubble, and Meggie let Brian down gently. She started to pant. Just dodging those things took a lot out of her. Could she do more to help them? Or was that her limit?

What can I do? Punches with my ghost-type energy, ice… I’m not sure how helpful this’ll be.

She remembered that conversation with Dex a few hours—or rather, months ago, where they talked about helping each other. Could she do it? Meggie remembered hearing about such a move, one that needed her to help out, to make others stronger. What was it called? She learned it, but to be blunt, her memories were still a little fuzzy from all the dreams.

…Helping Hand, wasn’t it?

“Sire, please, do not exert yourself that much. You said it yourself, fighting while keeping them all in the dream takes a lot of you.”

“Hmph. Do not underestimate me, mortal. Do your job.”

Dex waved his enemies off and grinned. “Sorry, but I’ve got a bone to pick with ‘im! Scar, ain’t it?!”

“By all means, you are welcome to try.”

Then… I remember how to use it. Meggie floated and got behind Dex, tapping his back. Her body glowed slightly. “You better pick that bone! I’m here to help you out!”

When she touched him, Dex felt a rush of power over him, like he was stronger then. “Alright! Thanks, Popsicle!”

Lance heard them all and nodded. “Understood. Dex, go on the offensive! Brian, I need you to go be his backup!”

Brian agreed to it. They all agreed to help. All but Lilith, who still didn’t move that much. She was lucky enough to dodge the blades, but… Scar was still nearby, and she couldn’t bring herself to fight him.

“As fer ye, Carrots, I’d love some o’ yer help! As soon as ye can!” Dex roared again, water surging through him, coating him entirely. “But fer now, come at me, Scar!”

The Marowak simply scoffed. “Hmph. If you believe we are equal, then you are mistaken—”

Before he could finish, Dex had already dashed straight towards him, the boost Meggie gave him increasing both his speed and power, and the floor where he stood cracked even more. However, Scar could still see him coming, and readied to block the attack.

If it wasn’t for Brian jumping and letting dark blades of his own. Scar had to dodge those, otherwise he’d take damage, but that settled his fate. Dex was coming.

As he thrust forward like a torpedo, Scar didn’t have enough time to react, receiving a powerful punch that was energized with water, forcing him to hiss in pain at the attack.

“I ain’t done! This is for me mates!” Dex shouted, pressing the Marowak on the ground as he applied more pressure.

“U-UWARGH!” Scar cried out in pain, receiving the full force of the attack. His bones cracked more, but he refused to quit. Green flames erupted from his body, attaching to Dex. As soon as they did, his water coating evaporated, but the flames remained.

“What the hell—”

Scar bonked him with his club, ectoplasm coating it, giving the weapon enough of an impact to force Dex back. Still, Scar was left damaged by Dex’s Aqua Jet.

“Hah… I never imagined I would end up using this cursed body…” Scar muttered.”

“Gah!” Dex hit the ground… and again, being forced further back with each impact. Before he could land one final time, Lilith caught him, finally deciding to act.

“H-Hey! Sorry I’m late, but I couldn’t let you keep doing this on your own.”

“Took ye long enough…” Dex said, looking at the flames. It didn’t look like they were going to disappear anytime soon.

Brian rubbed some sweat off of him. “Thanks! We didn’t defeat him, but he’s still hurt!”

“Stop with the chit-chat!” Lance urged them. He hadn’t started fighting just yet, simply staring at Necrozma. How could he do all those things and not feel any remorse? Maybe him and Necrozma were mirrors of one another, so similar, yet different. It made him angry.

Without realizing, Lance’s claws started to crackle with black energy.

“Stop wasting time and finish them already!”

So high maintenance… Scar panted again, shaking. His eyes landed on the five. Could he take all of them alone? Perhaps not. If only he could convince Lilith to join him again…

He abandoned that idea, deciding to fight them all if he had to. Now that his dream was this close, he could not afford to give up.

“Tch. Scar, if more mortals discover they’re in a dream because of this, you  will  pay.”

“Sire?”

Necrozma roared, flapping his wings. His light started shining brighter, even more. It was so intense that, despite being night, it was as bright as the day. His aura started flaring, colored purple. Just like Lance’s.

It was also intense. Incredibly intense. Lance’s feelers twitched faster than normal, and he fell on his knees from the sheer pressure.

“L-Lance!” Brian went to his aid, but fell too, the energy being too strong even for him.

“Poor, poor thing.” Necrozma raised his head. The aura coating his body started to change shape, turning into a dragonic form much like himself, and accumulated around his mouth.

“Sire…” Scar trembled. Was he going to kill them?

“Uh… guys?” Meggie urged the brothers to look, and she started to sweat. “I think he’s using—”

“Dragon Pulse.” Lilith finished, trembling again. She held on to Dex because he was still stuck with the flames, but what could they even do at this point?

“We could really use a plan here, Pup!” Dex blurted out.

Hearing them pressuring him, Lance groaned. He took a deep breath in, and out. In and out. In… and out. He stood up, clenching two fists. “Necrozma… I swear, we’re going to stop you.”

The mighty dragon simply roared, unleashing the pulse. It was in the form of a dragon, and traveled towards them at incredible speed. It was about to hit them, and would surely cause destruction, however…

Lance waved his arm and unleashed three blades of pure, dark-type energy that clashed with the pulse. Despite leaving his body, Lance still had some degree of control, as the clash left him groaning and dizzy, almost falling from how strong Necrozma’s attack really was.

Everyone was speechless after Lance’s display. Brian himself was staring in disbelief.

“H-Huh?! Since when can you…” Brian shook his head, it wasn’t the time! He had to help! So he answered that with a Night Slash of his own, aiming at the same place as Lance’s.

The two attacks, identical in nature, combined, turning into a single, enormous blade that clashed with Necrozma’s pulse. While this was happening, Lance looked again at the tendrils. Like before, they weren’t glowing so much, and now they were definitely turning transparent.

“Not… I’m not… I can’t… I’m not losing!” Lance roared, stepping forward and trying to put more energy into his attack. Brian stood by his side, doing the same, but the pulse was still stronger.

Meggie floated and put her hands on their back, pushing them forward. “We’re not quitting!”

“Y’all…” Dex backed off of Lilith, looking at her. “They need help!”

And without any hesitation, the two went, pushing Meggie forward, which, in turn, pushed the brothers as well. Little by little, their combined Night Slash started pushing back Necrozma’s attack. It wasn’t noticeable—not at first, but with all five of them, they were making a difference.

That tug-of-war continued for what felt like forever. Until…

---

Both attacks started to destabilize, exploding into each other and forcing the five Pokémon to the ground.

Needless to say, Necrozma was stunned by this. His mouth wide open, and his eyes staring at them in disbelief. “W-What?! Impossible!”

Scar was as well. At the same time, he was glad the attacks didn’t hit Lilith. However, that concern was shoved aside; the battle wasn’t over just yet. “Sire, what should we—”

“Silence.” Necrozma panted. The tendrils near him twitched just a little, and he focused his energy on making them stable again. “Deal with them again. I need time.”

“Still think we’re not strong enough?” Lance panted, holding the hand with which he used the attack. It burned a little of his skin, as he wasn’t used to it. “Urgh…”

“The  only  reason you were able to use that attack is because of our bond. I just didn’t expect it to be… so deep.”

“You could say that was the reason why I escaped in the first place.” Lance said, then looked at Brian, seeing him on his knees. After helping his brother stand up, Lance focused on Necrozma again.

Meggie wasn’t floating anymore, having used most of her energy to help them with the attack. So it was true, she wasn’t as resistant as the others, but at least she was able to help them.

“Thanks, everyone.” Lilith told them, stepping forward. “I think I’m not gonna be able to hit either of them, so if I fail, I’ll need some backup!”

Dex raised his hand. “On it!”

With a nod, the Lopunny charged forward, clenching both of her fists. They started to glow pink, with occasional sparks coming off of them, like dust from a fairy.

If he’s a dragon… then a fairy attack should do the trick! Lilith thought, jumping and kicking the ground, bouncing upward towards Necrozma. Her kicking strength did the trick, letting her advance with incredible speed.

Lance watched it, wondering exactly what she was planning. With a glance at Scar, he saw the Marowak launch himself upwards with another torrent of flames, hoping to catch up.

“Meggie, Brian, we might need to be a backup for their backup! Let’s go!”

“Yosh!” Brian got on all fours and started running, with his brother beside him.

Meggie nodded and floated upwards, right next to Dex, who already had coated himself with water. She floated close to his bubble, smiling. “Wanna give me a ride?”

“Hah! Come on in, Popsicle!”

Up in the sky, Lilith was about to hit Necrozma, but, like she expected, Scar appeared at the eleventh hour, blocking her punches with his club. The two remained mid-air, staring at each other. This was an opportunity—she could attack him, but… Lilith froze again, unable to bring herself to actually hurt him.

That job was to Dex, who, with Meggie’s help, was advancing even faster, ready to tackle Scar. Lilith heard the noise and let go of her father, letting him get hit.

“Hmph. I will not be hit by the same trick twice!” Scar turned around, bursting with flames again. This time, he aimed at the ground, using them to speed up his descent, and making Dex miss with the attack.

It also had the unfortunate side-effect of making Dex and Meggie get close to Necrozma. the dragon smiled, moving his large tail to launch them on the ground.

“Megs!” Brian stopped running, but heard his brother screaming.

“There’s no time! Night Slash, now!”

Heeding his sibling’s words, Brian aimed upward, where Scar was currently at, and launched two blades. Lance did the same, their attacks uniting once more and hitting the Marowak. His scream made Brian grin, but he turned back, desperate to check on Meggie.

Lilith landed next to Lance, and the Lucario gave her a passing glance as they both ran forward, to where Scar had fallen.

“Wretched siblings…” Scar was under a pile of rubble that he moved out of the way, panting. He got up just in time to see Lance and Lilith in front of him. Eyeing the Lopunny, he offered her a hand. “Lilith, my daughter… please, listen to me. You are on the wrong path here.”

“Stupid, stupid mortals! Stop trying to resist!” Necrozma roared, stomping his tail next to where the three stood, lifting dust that obstructed their vision.

“Tch, fall back!” Lance pushed Lilith back and they both ran away from the Marowak, to slow down and catch up with the others.

They found Brian near a crater, helping Meggie get up. Dex was able to stand on his own, but even so, Lilith offered to help, something he accepted in a heartbeat. The battle was far from being over.

---

Their opponents were getting aggressive. Scar ignored all the pain and the hissing he got from all those attacks, focusing on the battle. He couldn’t kill them—not unless Necrozma gave up trying to get them to join him. In fact, killing them would be easier, at least four of them. Lilith? Not her. Scar couldn’t bring himself to kill her.

Perhaps… I can find a moment to rest.

Lance looked at his surroundings again. It was still a mess, full of rubble and charred rocks. Part of the stage was still there. More importantly, Lance stared at the tendrils. They were thick, and even if he tried to cut through them with his newly-acquired move, there was no guarantee it would work.

Unless… Lance panted, staying in position in case he needed to act. “I have a plan now.”

“Really?! We were fighting blindly until now?!” Brian asked, shouting at his brother, even if he was right by his side.

“Please don’t yell… I’m kinda tired.” Meggie groaned, coughing a little ectoplasm.

“The plan might sound simple, but I doubt it is.” Lance continued, talking almost in a whisper, so only the team was able to listen. “Whenever Necrozma attacks, those tentacles start getting weaker. If we can force him to attack, then Brian and I might be able to cut those tentacles, freeing everyone trapped inside their dreams.”

Brian’s ears twitched. “Oh! That makes sense! Night Slash, right?”

“We still gotta deal with Scar…” Dex muttered. He didn’t quite know how hurt he was, but the ringing in his head and the dizziness told him it was a lot. Only adrenaline kept him going. “Me an’ Carrots can deal with him. Right?”

“R-Right,” she nodded.

“Then I’ll help distract him.” Meggie gathered all the strength she could and started floating. “C’mon!”

“They’re coming.” Necrozma glared. “Scar, I told you to deal with them! Stop slacking off!”

“Y-Yes, Sire.” Scar clutched his club and charged ahead. He first saw Meggie flying, and decided to strike her down first. It would help deal with the others, and his typing was more than effective against her.

But it didn’t come into fruition. Dex rammed, a water aura surrounding him as he tried to punch Scar, only blocked by the club. However, Dex’s pressure still forced Scar back, though the Marowak used all he had to stay standing after the attack.

“You… c-cur.” Scar held back as much as he could, seeing that Lance and Brian started running too. What were they planning?

“Shut up!” Dex turned around and grit his teeth, before opening his mouth. A chilling beam was launched out, though Scar simply coated himself in flames to stop it.

“I assumed you were not as smart, but really? I thought—”

“Heh. Carrots!”

To Scar’s surprise, Lilith came from the top, having done a successful bounce that increased her speed enough for her to land a punch, hands glowing with a pink, fairy aura. She managed to knock him back with this impact.

“Sorry for using you as bait,” Lilith moved her paws around, blowing on them to cool them down.

“Nah, don’t worry.”

Necrozma watched them all battle with a scowl, muttering to himself that he should have dealt with them long ago. Why didn’t he? He wanted to give them all a chance, a way to repent. By fusing with him—living in dreams, nothing would matter. Not lifespans, not wars, nothing. It was perfect, why couldn’t they see it?

“Hey, lightbulb!” Meggie flew, getting closer than she would like to Necrozma. She inhaled as much air as she could, held it in for a few seconds.

“Really?  You  want to fight me? I—”

Meggie screamed at the top of her lungs, unleashing a powerful blast of cold air that surrounded most of Necrozma’s head. He hissed at the cold, it clinged on to his scales.

“Not bad, not bad! I might have underestimated you!”

She smiled, flying up again and inhaling, preparing herself for another attack. Necrozma didn’t bother trying to dodge, or even strike her while she was charging. Such a feeble attack would never be able to defeat him. But maybe she wasn’t trying to. Maybe they were planning something? In this case, what?

---

No, he didn’t care. Whatever effort, whatever plan they were concocting, it would be all for naught. Necrozma was powerful enough to stomp on them like the bugs they all were. However, he still believed they deserved a chance. After so long, he could afford to squash one last resistance if it meant bringing peace.

Unfortunately, this didn’t mean that Meggie’s attacks weren’t annoying him. She continued to strike him time after time, putting more and more power into it. Where was she drawing all that strength from?

“Remember when we were in the forest? I offered you a choice, but you would rather stay with your friends. I hope that was worth it.”

Lance, far away, could still hear him; Necrozma had a booming voice, for sure. He bit a lip, checking the tendrils again. They were normal, not unstable enough for him to attack. Maybe they still needed to pressure Necrozma some more…

“Will this really work?” Brian asked his brother.

“We might need to do it on our own. I’m ready to mega evolve if we need to.”

Brian flashed the bracelet he wore. “And I’m ready to sip Darkrai’s juice—”

He blinked. “…That came out wrong.”

Opting to ignore what his brother just said, Lance charged ahead. “We’ll help Meggie! Be as flashy as you can, Brian! We need to pressure him!”

“O-On it!” Brian jumped, landing on all fours as he ran after Lance, opening his mouth to exhale a Shadow Ball, aiming at Necrozma. He fired the attack and it landed on the dragon’s chest, creating a small explosion.

For Lance’s part, he simply aimed both of his arms towards Necrozma’s chest, seeing the crystal again. He could attack it, but destroying it was impossible, and not part of the plan. However, there was something related to it that he could do. Lance fired an Aura Sphere directly at the crystal, and it hit its target.

As soon as it did, Necrozma yelped in pain, the object pulsating with light. Lance smiled at that.

Bingo, that’s his weak spot.

“Stupid mortal!”

“Hey, legendary dumbass! I’m still here!” Meggie spun around and launched herself towards Necrozma, punching his snout with her ectoplasm-coated fists. Again. And again. And again. She could very well do a flurry of punches on her own.

“Good job, Megs!” Brian ran in circles around Necrozma, firing all the Shadow Balls he could. He was well aware they were a distraction, but if Lance’s plan worked, then he was more than happy to keep distracting the behemoth of a dragon.

“Hah! Guess we gotta kick things up a notch, eh, Carrots?” Dex said, trying to fire more beams at Scar. The Marowak kept dodging them, though he knew he didn’t need to.

“You are nothing more than a brute. What chance could you possibly have?!”

“Oi, he’s not alone!” Lilith jumped, landing a kick to her father’s face. He was sent backwards, and even further, because Dex rammed his head on the ghost-type with the jet of water he carried.

Lilith panted, watching her father get hurt more. Part of her still wanted this to end, for them all to work things out, but it just wasn’t possible anymore, right? They all made their choices. She made hers as well.

Up in the sky, Meggie continued her efforts to punch Necrozma, but the dragon was hardly fazed by all of them. She had to keep trying, keep fighting—despite nothing working. There wasn’t even a dent in Necrozma’s hide. Still, Meggie continued.

“That’s enough!” Running out of patience, Necrozma roared, sending Meggie back with just the sound. His aura flared again, and his claws started to crackle. He was preparing another attack.

At the ground, Dex noticed Necrozma was aiming at Meggie, and he knew just what to do.

“Carrots! Can ye handle Scar fer a while?! I gotta—”

“Cur.” Scar bonked the Floatzel’s stomach with his flaming club, hearing Dex’s fur sizzle and start to get burned.

“Yeah, I can!” Lilith jumped and kicked her father back again, landing on her feet. Her heart skipped a beat as she attacked him, and she stepped back a little. Could she fight him on her own?

Necrozma’s attack continued charging, the blades in his claws as large as Brian’s entire body.

“We’re runnin’ outta time!”

“G-Go, Dex! I’ll deal with him!”

“Gotcha, thanks!” Dex coated himself again and launched himself upwards, just in time to grab Meggie and get out of the way of the blades.

“Hah! Thanks, Dex!” Meggie shouted, grabbing his back to boost his attack again. It let them remain in the air for a few more seconds before Dex had to land.

“Just  stop  resisting! I’m doing what’s best for  all  of us!”

Lance stopped attacking, as did Brian. The brothers looked up at the tendrils. Like Lance thought, they were unstable again, barely glowing at all, and they were so transparent it was possible to see through them. Exactly like Lance planned.

“Alright, let’s go, Brian!”

“Right!”

They both charged ahead.

---

It was strange to see. Scar, while wrestling with Lilith, noticed how the patterns of team Liberators were odd. They weren’t trying to defeat Necrozma, not even wear him down. They were using effective attacks, yes, but it almost seemed random.

But surely it wasn’t. Not when Lance was there. He noticed the Lucario looking up multiple times during the fight, but what for? At first, Scar assumed he was simply staring in awe over how majestic Necrozma appeared. However, that didn’t fit with Lance’s personality and actions so far. In this case, why?

Another possibility was that Lance had a plan. It was a very plausible possibility, so Scar dedicated himself to understanding what it was. If he could do that, then stopping team Liberators was possible.

To help with that, Scar put himself in Lance’s feet, looking up, at the same direction the Lucario had been staring. His eyes widened; Lance was looking at the tendrils!

But why? What does he think he can do? They are— It hit him. They weren’t normal, and Lance noticed that. Scar’s eyes widened even further. He must be trying to destroy them!

His realization made the flame in his club burn brighter. Lilith grabbed the weapon with as much strength as she could, leaving her other arm free.

“Release me, Lilith. This is of no concern to you! Why did you leave me anyway?! Surely, you must realize we are doing what is best for the greater good!”

“It’s always the greater good with you? Even if it requires sacrifices—”

“That is exactly the point!” Scar raised his club and kicked Lilith two times in her stomach, sending her to the ground. He stood above her, club dangerously close to her face. “Stand down, daughter. I realized their plan.”

Shit!

“Sire! I—”

Lilith punched her father’s face at point-blank, roaring as she did so. The impact was strong, stronger than she thought, and it launched him back. But that wasn’t all. Lilith’s attack left a crack in Scar’s helmet.

On the ground, Scar moved to the side, coughing and touching the area where he was hit. “You… you would go so far for them? Why?”

“Y’know, it’s kinda funny. I realized things were wrong because Necrozma hit me. The least I can do is help them. Speaking of…” She looked to the side, where Lance and Brian were preparing to go. Lilith bounced in the air, landing with a graceful and powerful kick that raised a few chunks of rubble in the air.

“Huh? Thanks, Lilith!” Brian jumped in one of the chunks, and Lance did the same on another one.

“Hmph…” Scar took a deep breath, preparing to shout. “Sire, they wish to tear the tendrils down! Stop them!”

“What?!” Necrozma glared, seeing the siblings right next to him, going up towards the tentacles. How had he failed to see this? Nonetheless, he could stop them. He could—

“Shaddup!” Dex flew forward like a torpedo, Meggie grabbing onto his back and using her helping hand as much as she could. The stream of water surrounding both of them grew wider, but at the same time, it started freezing, Dex opening his mouth to create a beam.

They were going to be the final distraction for Lance to execute his plan. And it worked, Necrozma shifted his attention to the torpedo, not that he could move much, or he would end up messing with the dream. With no other choice, he let himself get hit by the attack.

It was a pain like he never felt before. Meggie’s attacks from before were nothing like this. Their combined move was enough to make him cringe in pain, but not enough to make him move. Necrozma didn’t budge. He resisted the attack as long as he could.

“Imbeciles! Get off of me!”

Scar prepared to do something about it, but Lilith punched him again, pummeling him to the ground. In response, Scar’s body burst into flames, and although Lilith could feel her skin burning, she kept going. “Lance, Brian! Do it!”

The twins prepared their attack, claws crackling with power again. Lance looked at Brian, and Brian did the same, before they both aimed at the tendrils, getting ready…

Blades shot out of them, hitting the tentacles. A burst of light erupted as they made contact, but it still wasn’t enough. They hit, and they were trying to cut the tendrils, but Necrozma resisted, focusing all he could in stopping them. He couldn’t lose to them. He had to keep going. He had to.

Lance roared while mid-air, raising his arm slowly to apply more power on the slash. “G-Go!”

“C-C’mon!” Brian did the same, screaming. His arm was starting to crack from the pressure, but adrenaline did its job and he continued trying to destroy the tendrils.

Slowly, the blades pushed. They were advancing, bit by bit. Were they doing it? Were they… winning? Lance didn’t have enough time to think. All he needed to do was push.

“N-No! N-No! NO! NO!”

By Necrozma’s reaction to their attack, it was evident they were getting there. Lance didn’t know how, but he continued. He could barely feel his arms, but it didn’t matter. It was a life or death situation.

“J-Just…” Lance started.

And Brian finished it. “Budge!”

A bright burst of light erupted, and then… the tendrils were cut down, the blade passed through them. It wasn’t the end, as another burst knocked back Necrozma, into the ground. His crash created a large dust cloud that threw them all apart.

---

Their efforts were rewarded. Outside the island, the tendrils started dissipating, but it didn’t stop there. No, the tendrils expanded all over the world, but they were disappearing, torn apart with each second. With it, freedom came back. Pokémon everywhere were waking up, some surprised, some saddened, some angry, some happy.

It was impossible to know for sure how long it had been since they were trapped in those dreams, but one thing was certain: it was over. They were free again.

For one Pokémon in particular, this was the case, but he also woke up with a sense of worry. Nick gasped as he checked his surroundings, though his vision was still blurry from all the time sleeping. His muscles also didn’t want to move, and although he was awake, he wasn’t up. Not yet.

“What…” Nick muttered, breathing in the fresh air. It was a lot cleaner than he thought, not that the air in Thornwell was ever polluted.

“Nick? Nick?” A voice called out, but he didn’t recognize it. His ears were still ringing.

It wasn’t until he was picked up that Nick noticed who it was; Shiron. The large Swampert snapped a finger in front of Nick’s face, before putting him down.

“You’re awake now!”

“A-Apparently?” Nick rubbed his eyes, his vision slowly returning. “Urgh… I don’t remember what happened.”

“Me neither. What’s going on?”

“I was asleep, there was this nice dream, Terry was still around, and—” Nick gasped, realizing it. “The kids! Lance and Brian, t-they warned me! Well, Brian did. This was Necrozma’s doing!”

“Oh? Shit, dude, I… I don’t know what to say. Do you know where they are?”

“Last I heard, they were going to Cydonia.” Nick checked where he was; at his doorstep. The grass surrounding him had grown a lot taller and thicker. “But that was… I dunno how long.”

“We gotta go after them, don’t you think?”

“Too late, I’m afraid.” Nick stood up slowly. “And I’m not sure what exactly happened.”

“I’m… I’m sorry. We’re not getting there in time. I don’t think so.” Shiron tugged on his scarf, and Nick could see that familiar frown.

“Probably not… I suppose…” Nick panted. “The only thing we can do is hope they’re alright, and that they’ll come home soon.”

Shiron continued to tug, shaking his head. “You know how megalomaniac nutjobs act. I have a feeling this isn’t over yet.”

“Same, buddy, same.” Nick sighed, opening the door. “Regardless, we need to take care of everyone around. I’m checking on Amy.”

“And me, on Magnus. I hope that big lug is okay, otherwise—”

“He’ll be fine.” Nick said. His words were said to Shiron, but they were directed to himself, hoping his sons were alright, and that Brian succeeded in saving Lance.

---

“I-Impossible… just… unfathomable. Impossible! They should have—” Necrozma… groaned. The mighty dragon of light, the Blinding One, groaned. Like a common, mortal Pokémon. How? Why? What did they do to him? He wasn’t sure. Not yet, anyway.

Lance, on the other hand, had a good idea. He senses Necrozma’s aura. Before, it was overwhelming and nauseating. Now, it still was, but on a more manageable level. It was reduced when he cut the tendrils, for sure.

Once the dust settled, Lance reunited with his brother once again. Meggie also floated down, letting go of Dex gently. She panted, hovering until she was sitting. Finally, Lilith landed on her feet, whistling to them.

“Good job, y’all. I think he’s weakened. Maybe we can try sealing him now.”

Lance shook his head. “It would be nice, but even—”

“I am not… losing yet.” Necrozma roared, recomposing himself as he stood up. His massive sight was visible from miles away, and he started hearing the citizens screaming in the distance. Salvation was gone. And it was their fault. “Why do you insist on standing in my way?!”

“Figures that wouldn’t be the end.” Dex sighed, readying himself to fight again. “What’s the plan now, Lance?!”

Lance didn’t take any time answering him. “Now, we take that crystal off his chest. Lilith, it’s powering him, right?”

“R-Right.”

“Then that’s our goal.”

“Can we try that now?” Brian panted.

Lance shook his head. “He’s likely going to protect that thing. Let’s focus on wearing him down first.”

Two chunks of rock were thrown to the sides and, from underneath it, Scar jumped out, panting. He looked bruised, but not fatally so. Scar looked to his right, seeing Necrozma. “Sire, are you alright?”

“Hah! Today is not the day I take pity from a mortal.” Necrozma snarled, stomping his tail on the ground. “But alas… I must congratulate you, Lance Williams. You pushed me farther than I could ever imagine.”

“What can I say? It’s another day for me.” Lance shrugged. For once, he cracked a joke. Maybe to hide his insecurities, because he still wasn’t sure they could beat him. It was worth a shot, though.

Necrozma scoffed, flapping his wings. “I must admit, I am… curious. Before I end this pitiful resistance, I have one thing, just one small thing I’d like to ask you. All of you.”

“Why? Why do you fight so hard? Why not join me? Let us all fuse together and live inside the dreams! Can’t you see?! You will live forever, be happy forever, time and time again!”

Scar asked himself why Necrozma continued to preserve their lives, but when he looked at Lilith, he knew why. He didn’t want her to die either. So decided to simply listen, and whatever Necrozma decided, he’d abide by it.

---

There was a long silence, a long pause as the five Pokémon wondered what their answers were going to be.

Brian came really far. At first, he was just doing this to save his brother. But learning what Necrozma wanted to do with the world gave him motivation to keep fighting. His answer was simple: “I can’t do that. We might be fused together, but that doesn’t solve anything! I won’t be me, y’know?”

Necrozma looked at him with a cross between anger and pity.

“Lemme see…” Meggie rubbed her arm. In hindsight, it was nice to rest for a little while. She thought about a nice night out with Brian, working together with him on his projects, maybe opening a shop of her own. She didn’t know what to sell there, but it was a start. “I already have everything I want. I got it, all by myself. I didn’t need you.”

Once again, Necrozma felt pity. They wouldn’t understand him, after all. Or perhaps they simply couldn’t understand him. Why bother trying in the first place? It would be for nothing. But still, he listened.

“Aw, shit, everyone’s givin’ these cool speeches an’ all.” Dex rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. Laughing at such a crazy situation was insane, but it helped calm him down. “Fer me… I don’t think the dream been givin’ me true freedom. I wanna explore, I wanna get ‘urt! I can’t do that there if everything’s perfect.”

Lilith didn’t know what to say. For starters, she was to blame for the state of things. She could say it was for redemption, but that would be a lie. So why was she fighting? Because others were sacrificed? Maybe it wasn’t that either. “I think… I think that here, in the real world, we might suffer, but that’s what life is. Maybe it’s not what it should be, but your version of life isn’t right either. We only have one life, after all.”

“My version…?” Necrozma wondered for a moment. His fellow legends told the same thing, in their own words. Perhaps there was something right about talking with mortals—

No, if he faltered, then the entire war, all those he lost, their sacrifices would be for nothing. And that was something Necrozma just couldn’t accept. Finally, his eyes were gazing directly at Lance, the only one that didn’t talk.

“And you? What is your answer?”

“My answer…” Lance sighed, taking a deep breath to relax. “Necrozma, all this time, you have been searching for an answer, for an absolute solution. But the truth is… living has no solutions.”

“What?”

Brian stared at his brother, also curious about the full extent of his answer.

“I’ve seen a bit of your memories, about your friends, your mate as well.” Lance said. He looked away, and his ears drooped. “When we’re in pain, we search for a solution, to make us feel better. Something succinct, something concrete. But… I believe that, if there is such a thing…”

A pause. Necrozma waited eagerly. Scar stared at Lance, clutching the club. He remembered how he was after his family died, how he desperately searched for something, anything that would bring them back.

“…Is that there aren’t any concrete solutions. There are no absolutes, and even if they were, they would be momentaneous, only working for a little while.”

To that, Necrozma growled. “So what? If there aren’t any, then what’s left?”

“Bonds. Bonds between individuals, bonds between one another.” Lance stated, looking at his friends. He hurt them, at one point. And now they were together once more. “Those bonds can change. They can be severed, reformed, and new bonds can begin as well.”

Dex’s tails twitched a little, hearing Lance’s words. His mouth opened, but he didn’t gasp audibly. The others all had similar reactions to this, with Brian feeling an urge to hug his brother, to care for him. Now more than ever. Meggie felt the same, and she wondered just how much Lance suffered. Maybe she had a hand in that, working for Morgan. And maybe if she didn’t, his life would have been better. There was no way of knowing.

“…Those bonds help us grow and change. We become better through our experiences with each other. We might not be perfect, but neither is life. And that is my answer.”

Necrozma took a moment to process it, closing his eyes. It was a pretty speech, for sure. Lance said many words, and they did resonate with him. Indeed, the words were fascinating, and it looked like he thought about them for a while. However…

---

“I am a legendary Pokémon. All your lives are like nothing compared to how long I’ve been living. Did you  really  think a few pretty words would convince me to stand down, when I’ve seen the worst you mortals have to offer?”

Brian scoffed at him, pointing to his chest with a claw. “We never did! But hey, I wasn’t the one asking about it!”

“Wouldn’t be the first double standard he has…” Lilith muttered.

“Like Brian said, we never expected this to happen.” Lance extended his arm, fashioning himself a purple bone made of aura. “But I assume we satisfied your curiosity now. We can finally end this.”

Necrozma stared at them, silently, taking all their words, all their answers, to his heart. Then, he trembled, raising his head. Necrozma burst into laughter, his roaring voice booming and imposing, even when laughing. It made the earth shake. He didn’t stop, not until he started to get tears.

“You have your desire, I have mine. This clash of desires… I wonder who will come out on top?” Necrozma flexed his claws, grinning. “Ah, who am I kidding? We both know. Scar?”

“Yes, Sire?”

“Take cover.”

Scar ran behind Necrozma, but kept an eye on Lilith. He still somewhat hoped she would come to her senses, but that part of him was shoved to the depths of his mind. With a sigh, Scar resigned himself to not being hit by whatever attack Necrozma was planning.

Lance cracked his knuckles, eyeing Brian. “I believe we should get ready for our, err, power-up.”

“Hah, gotcha!” Brian looked at the bracelet and took a deep breath.

“Before you two do that…” Meggie tapped both their backs, sending more power. “We gotta fight against that thing again!”

Necrozma roared, his aura taking the shape of a dragon again and propelling itself towards them. It was smaller this time; like it was meant to be dodged. Lance started to wonder what Necrozma was thinking, but he knew better than to ask.

“Brian!”

“On it!”

Like before, the brothers marched ahead, preparing their claws for another combination attack. They both jumped, launching four blades that clashed with the dragon pulse. This was what Necrozma wanted in the first place. His body glowed again, and a powerful beam of pure psychic energy was launched, hitting the attack he previously cast.

“Wait—Brian!” Meggie cried out, her voice failing her because of how intense the scream was.

“Pup! Goggles—” Dex covered his face with his arm, as did Lilith.

What resulted was a massive clash that created a powerful explosion, the shockwave from it sending all Pokémon but Necrozma away with the sheer force it possessed.

They all fell on the floor, and Necrozma started laughing, giggling as he waited for the dust to settle. After so much time fighting, he was sure the brothers survived—he made sure of that.

“If you five are so  keen  on fighting me, then I might as well have some fun with it, right?! So c’mon!”

From inside the dust, two more blades shot out. However, they were larger than before, with a faint purple glow to them. Necrozma cringed, the attack hitting him faster than he could react. This time, he unleashed a bellow of pain, being thrown back a little.

But it wasn’t over. Multiple purple spheres started being launched from within the dust, aimed directly at Necrozma. They honed in on his aura, but he wouldn’t dodge them regardless. Next, a purple blur shot out, launching two clubs of pure energy towards Necrozma, who simply swatted them away with his claws.

A second blur—black and red—moved quickly, landing on Necrozma’s legs and climbing up, clawing at his thigh like it was nothing. Necrozma roared in pain again, and this roar launched the blur back, who was caught by the previous, purple blur.

They both landed on their feet, next to the rest of the team. Lance panted, the purple aura surrounding his body slowly dissipating, revealing him to be mega evolved. Brian chuckled, his mane now wispy and white. Both were wounded by the attack, but still standing.

“Hah… I gotta say, that was one hell of a warmup!” Brian chuckled, clearing his throat. “Okay, nevermind that. I don’t like that voice a whole lot.”

Lance put his paws on his hips, frowning. “Don’t get cocky. We were lucky enough to survive that explosion.”

Meanwhile, Brian adjusted his goggles, grinning like he was having way too much fun with this. “Sure thing! But now… I know we can make a difference!”

Meggie went to Brian’s side, looking at him. “You okay?”

“Better than ever!”

Necrozma blinked, but his grin remained. He turned his back on them, roaring and opening a portal. “Very well, then. I told you once, choosing where we fight is something reserved to those strong enough to ask. Now… follow me. We’re finishing this fight somewhere else. I would hate to kill more subordinates.”

With no choice but to follow, team Liberators headed inside the portal after Necrozma and Scar entered. Lilith wondered for a second, before diving in with them.

---

Art by Timelocke#5128