CULMINATION — SEGMENT 01

Chapter 23.1

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Culmination

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The dark hallway, dim purple light flickered and danced on the walls, the glimmering floors and the faces of three Poke’mon. They stood silently at one another.

 

The look in Quayslaan’s eye…Avery saw something in there. It lingered with him, even as he heard the sound of the others thundering down the hall towards them.

 

Q assured him things would be okay. Avery just…had to hope he was right. Avery had to hope that he, himself, was right to respect Quayslaan and Calladin, to respect Janus, to believe that…Xamao was no murderer.

 

‘And in the meantime…I’ll do what I can here.’

 

With a sigh, Avery turned, looking towards the approaching figures. Vizon was heading up the front, waving his paw excitedly.

 

“We’re alright…!” Avery said. “Did you guys get along okay?”

 

“Yeah! We ran into a few more thralls and a giant on the way here…” Vizon panted as he ran up to Avery first, followed closely by Loshjno and Lahnae, Rikzyod and Jolvia following up behind.

 

Avery could hear Calladin sigh in relief seeing them. Quayslaan stepped over to the Starly, patting him on the back.

 

“We’re nearly there…the final staircase straight up to the top of the castle is just ahead.” Loshjno said, pointing up at the intersection a ways from where they stood. “The pearl is likely to delete everything here and put all of its hardlight energy into just Thundurus, so we have to be ready for the fight of our life.”

 

Vizon stepped forward, hugging Avery tight, lifting the Plusle a little. Avery squeaked, kicking his legs a bit as he was hoisted up off of his feet by his partner before being set down.

 

Lahnae stepped up by the Plusle, flapping her wings.

 

“You ready to SLAM THIS JERK, RIVAL?!” She asked, smirking excitedly. “Betcha I’LL LAND THE LAST HIT BEFORE YOU!”

 

“You wish,” Avery said to Lahnae with a wide smile. “If it’s not Rikzyod getting it it’s gonna be me.”

 

Avery looked back down the hall.

 

“…But we’re all going to take him down and save Qeasé together.”

 

Already they were seeing it. Hardlight particles slipped away from the walls and stones all around them, a trail of them flowing in the air towards their destination: down the hall, to the right. The pearl was focusing all of its power solely on this final part.

 

Loshjno nodded, he and Lahnae taking point, Avery and Vizon at their side as they followed the stream of glowing particles overhead. It snaked and twisted in the air, flowing upward into a massive chamber.

 

There, as they all turned the corner, they looked up. From so far below into Thunder Mesa, they could see a winding staircase, spiraling up, up, up into the heavens, where the trail of glowing particles flowed towards.

 

The tower shook.

 

“Come here. Up. Up to the highest tower where I shall wait for you, and you shall know the power of the lord of the skies, the king of storms. Thundurus.”

 

Loshjno clenched his fists, looking up. Lahnae looked to Avery, nodding encouragingly.

 

“Let’s get ‘im, Rival!!”

 

The final climb had begun.

 

Avery’s pulse roared in his ears. His heart beat out of his chest. His breath quickened. His muscles tensed.

 

And his eyes focused with steely determination.

 

With one final rallying cry…they ascended.

 

All Poke’mon thundered up the stairs, footsteps echoing through the stones of the tower, the swirl of stairs above hypnotizing as they ran. Torches flew by.

 

They all could feel the energy in the air.

 

The way the rain outside POUNDED against the walls. The CRACK of lightning.

 

Vizon yelped! Glass SHATTERED as a bolt of lightning blew it apart! He covered his face, not stopping once.

 

Another window shattered. Another BLEW out. The SCREAM of lightning was deafening, the RUMBLE of rain and wind billowing, swirling, surrounding the tower in a powerful cacophony.

 

The torches wavered, blowing out. Only the flashes outside lit the way.

 

 

“Feel your mortal lungs burn. The heart thrums. Sweating and panting insects that come to face an immortal god of infinite cosmic power.”

 

“Keep it up!!” Loshjno SCREAMED over the peeling thunder. The hardlight particles SWARMED in waves up betwixt the spiral staircase. Faster. Faster!

 

The tower ROCKED.

 

Jolvia stumbled, only to be picked up by Rikzyod.

 

“Aha! No no, you shall not miss this!!”

 

“Thank you, Rikzyod…!”

 

“Avery! Lahnae! Could use a light!” Quayslaan called back. Calladin beat his wings faster and faster, flying up the stairs beside them. Lahnae nodded, BLASTING a stream of flames. Long shadows cast across the stair case!

 

“On it!!” Avery threw a couple of ball lightning spheres up, casting crackling light along the stone.

 

They were almost there.

 

The flashes of Avery’s orbs mixed with the flashes outside! Fought and clashed with them! They trailed upwards with you! Satin curtains and flags WHIPPED and FLAPPED, TORN from their poles, SPIRALING UP as though sucked into a vortex.

 

Another bolt BLEW OUT a window! The stone was charred and red! Jolvia covered her face from the glass, running still.

 

“No giving up…heroes never give up!!” Vizon yelled over the ROARING wind. The rain pounded the tower, the stairs wet, water flowing down against their climb.

 

“This is it!” Lahnae shouted. “We’re on TOP OF THE WORLD, RIVAL! YEAH!“

 

Loshjno laughed heartily, the splash and rumble of their footsteps overtaking the crack of thunder.

 

“GIVE IT YOUR ALL EVERYONE! 100% NO MATTER WHAT!” The Squirtle yelled.

 

“AYE!” Everyone shouted.

 

There! At last, the end of the stairs of this massive spiraling tower. From the depths of Thunder Mesa, they emerged into the heavens. A FLASH of lightning brightened the world around them as they came out onto the top of the tower.

 

The wind was HOWLING, swirling around them as rain fell in a spiral. They all emerged, stepping to the center of the tower, feet splashing in the puddles of water, pattering with rain.

 

Lightning STREAKED across the black clouds. The thunder SHOOK the tower.

 

Clouds swirled and billowed around the tower they stood upon. The rest of the palace couldn’t even be seen.

 

And all around them…hardlight particles swirled with the rain, like stars astray in the earth-breaking storm.

 

“At the ready, everyone…!” Loshjno yelled over the howling wind.

 

Avery took a moment to catch his breath. The static, overcharged air…it felt energizing, almost overwhelmingly so. He could feel the electricity coursing through his veins…And he couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

 

“Our friend the blowhard seems to be oddly silent now,” Avery said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s show him what ‘insects’ like us can really do, huh?”

 

There was another crack of thunder.

 

Everyone looked around, trying to see something. Anything like the shadow from the pearl room.

 

The tower shook, rattling everyone.

 

“You have fought across my kingdom…”

 

The clouds around the tower writhed and billowed, like a living organism, snaking into one another.

 

“You have bled and suffered in my underworld…”

 

The swirl of the wind and the rain picked up. Avery had to squint to even see as the droplets BEAT UPON THEM, the wind threatening to knock them over. Everyone held steady.

 

“You have infested my Mesa…”

 

Everyone LURCHED. The Tower shifted. The hardlight particles fell below the snaking, pulsating storm clouds.

 

“You have desecrated my palace…”

 

The clouds LIFTED. Like a tornado, spinning around the tower. The wind deafening, even as Thundurus’s voice pierced the noise clearly, as though his words WERE the thunder from the lightning.

 

“You have ascended my tower…”

 

A CRACK of lightning tore across the sky. Vizon and Lahnae put their hands up, Rikzyod following suit. The pillar of storm clouds ahead coalesced. Something was rising from it. Colossal. Massive.

 

“But now…?”

 

A SHINE in the dark. Like the glow of lightning, light POURING onto the group. Two pupils stared at them from the light in the darkness. The cloud thickened. Two arms snaked from the storm cloud, folding, a billow of clouds spilling from behind.

 

The lightning FLASHED! It flashed and FLASHED AND FLASHED all around. The full form of Thundurus TOWERING OVER ALL.

 

“YOU HAVE ENTERED MY DOMAIN.”

 

 

…For just a moment, Avery’s face paled.

 

“…Holy shit-“

 

But they didn’t come this far to falter now.

 

“Team Azure! Team Spade! Q, Calladin!” Avery shouted, looking back to the others, each of them coming to attention. “This is our last stand!!”

 

Two bolts manifested in Avery’s hands.

 

“Let’s go!!”

 

“AYE” Everyone shouted, getting ready.

 

Thundurus stared down at them as they got ready to face him, his eyebrow cocked, head lifting up.

 

“You do not plead? Throw yourselves to the ground to ask forgivness, voice trailed to the stones you stand upon?”

 

Thundurus slowly unfolded his arms, his fingers thick and crackling with the power of the heaven’s anger.

 

“So be it. You shall be erased from this world.”

 

Thundurus clenched the fingers in his right hand, a single finger raised, shining bright as a star.

 

“Die.”

 

The god’s body shifted, the single finger falling toward the group. Rain swirled around it to get away, the wind cut through by the motion, the finger glowing with intense electrical energy.

 

The tower RUMBLED!

 

“AVERY, NEAUTRALIZE!” Loshjno shouted. “SPREAD! SPREAD!”

 

Everyone backed up! Quayslaan readied his vines. Vizon’s armed glowed with energy. Jolvia waved Calladin over, the Starly grabbing her at once as Rikzyod readied rock throw.

 

Loshjno’s mouth steamed with cold air. Lahnae opened her beak, the hot air spilling out evaporating the rain droplets.

 

Thundurus’s finger rumbled towards them like a meteor!

 

They were spread out, dotting the surface of the tower like points on a snowflake. Symmetrical. Ready.

 

Avery spread his legs and got ready, staring up at the towering sky god.

 

A concussive blast rocketed out of Avery! His flash was powered like an overloaded battery from the lightning in the sky, working in tandem to attempt to stop the meteoric impact!!

 

Avery’s knees buckled.

 

All the lightning, the ENERGY around Avery swirled and BLASTED out. A massive dome of rain evaporated at once. The wind seemed to STALL at his force.

 

Thundurus’s eyes FLASHED with anger.

 

The searing BOLT of energy HIT his finger. A bright light CASCADED! A searing HEAT! An explosion roared over the thunder!

 

Thundurus pulled his finger back, arm forced away. The digit had been blown back, hardlight particles flying off in a cloud.

 

“How irritating.”

 

“Avery! Go!” Loshjno yelled, firing an ice beam path in front of the Plusle. Lahnae ran over, grabbing Avery’s hand to try and get him between her and Loshjno, readying a flamethrower to propel them three!

 

Avery readied himself, taking Lahnae’s hand and stepping onto the path of ice, his heart speeding up. Little crackles of static electricity danced over Lahnae’s wing as she took his hand. He didn’t know what the two were planning…but he was ready for it.

 

“You thought of something, Loshjno?” Avery asked, looking backwards at him.

 

“Workshopping.” Loshjno said plainly. Lahnae’s flamethrower ROCKETED them along the ice path. Loshjno fired more ice forward, the path snaking upward and circling around.

 

The wind buffeted their faces. The rain drops slammed into them as the three zipped forward.

 

“Hm…”

 

Thundurus whipped his head, nodding to Vizon.

 

A bolt of lightning STRUCK the ground, the Riolu dodging with a sharp yelp! Vizon blindly returned fire with an aura ball. It weakly struck the genie’s shoulder, Thundurus idly wiping the impact point like the attack was naught but dust.

 

A CRACK of lightning! In the sky, Jolvia and Calladin, trying to get closer.

 

Quayslaan and Rikzyod looked to one another, the Snivy wrapping vines on the Geodude’s arms.

 

“There! Get us in for a clean shot!!” Lahnae shouted, as she, Loshjno and Avery skidded along a winding ice path around Thundurus’s head.

 

But, the sky god turned his head, seeing the trio. Before they could react, Thundurus whipped his head again, a bolt STRIKING the ice path, shattering and melting it! The three were sent tumbling, Loshjno rolling desperately.

 

“Your tricks shall not work again.”

 

Lahnae gasped as the genie whipped his head again. The Torchic fired out another flamethrower, propelling herself into Avery to SHOVE the Plusle out of the way of another LIGHTNING STRIKE. In its wake, a fire burned upon the stone.

 

Loshjno got back up, waving Vizon over, the Riolu stumbling forward against the wind.

 

Just as Thundurus was about to whip his head again he recoiled slightly. A HAIL of poison needles struck his shoulder, Calladin and Jolvia SWOOPING in front of him. The genie rumbled, laboriously lifting a hand to swipe at them, the Starly only barely able to dodge.

 

“Avery! We need more concentrated force to break him down!” Loshjno shouted over the rain as Thundurus was distracted. “We need the lightning Gatling…but more force!!”

 

Vizon nodded, panting, getting his fists ready. Loshjno stepped over, shooting water over the Riolu’s fist, encasing it in water that seemed to stick to his limb.

 

“Lahnae, get ready to heat it.” Loshjno said, Lahnae nodded and positioning next to Vizon. “If we combine Vizon’s punch with sudden expanding steam…it’ll be a like a hundred canons going over. More pressure, more release, more power.”

 

The Squirtle looked to Avery, nodding, stepping back. Lahnae readied herself.

 

Even with all of these drawbacks, with all this difficulty, Avery was still feeling good. The adrenaline, the electricity, the synergy, everything was coming together.

 

On the other side of the tower, Rikzyod SWUNG his arm Quayslaan was latched to, the Snivy FLINGING upwards. Thundurus was still trying to swipe at Jolvia, only to be met with a face peppered in razor leaves.

 

“Pests.”

 

Thundurus’s eyes were full of anger. The genie clenched his fist, a bolt from the sky STRIKING it to energize it. His thunder punch prepared, he SWIPED at Quayslaan. The Snivy tried to swing off, but the energy RADIATING from the missed punch threw him off balance, putting him into a freefall! He spun about and SLUNG his vines again!!

 

“…God I’m gonna be in pain tomorrow…” Avery whispered to himself…and began forming the spheres. Two. Four. Eight. Ten. Fifteen came up, floating lazily in the air, tiny bolts of electricity sparking and arcing between them like ropes casting a net. The arcs of lightning even seemed to pull on each other, like a subtle static cling…

 

“The matrix is up!! Go go go-!!”

 

Avery gasped and looked towards Quayslaan. Avery’s part was done – he quickly began running to where Quayslaan was falling to try and help catch him-!!

 

Vizon grit his teeth!

 

Loshjno FIRED a water gun at the first of Avery’s electrical orbs just as Vizon punched! The two forces collided!

 

Lahnae let off a BLAZE of fire on Vizon’s water-coated fist, steam forming upon the surface!!

 

Pressure built more and more between Vizon’s fist and the orb.

 

“RELEASE!”

 

A deafening CRACK shook the tower. The orb SAILED through the rain, cutting through the air, SLAMMING into the massive genie’s chest!

 

THAT did it! The genie actually staggered back. A roar overtook the thunder as another peel of lightning encircled the tower.

 

Vizon punched another! Another!

 

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

 

Quayslaan’s vines found no purchase as he tumbled down right toward Avery, SLAMMING into the Plusle’s arms, throwing them both to the ground! The back of Avery’s head SLAMMED against the hard stone of the tower, dazing the Plusle for a moment when he broke Q’s fall. His eyes went fuzzy, and for a moment, blackness swam in his vision. All the while, the orbs SHOT overhead.

 

Calladin SWOOPED under the firing line, Jolvia continuing to pepper the genie with poison.

 

“Enough.”

 

Thundurus whipped his head.

 

A bolt of lightning STRUCK the remaining 6 orbs, EXPLODING them prematurely! Electrical arcs FIRED out, arcing through the droplets!

 

Loshjno SCREAMED!

 

Lahnae FLEW BLACK, smoking!

 

Vizon cried out, convulsing, falling to his knees.

 

The wind picked up, a harsh gust SWEEPING the tower as Quayslaan was turned over by the gale, the Snivy desperately trying to hold to the stone.

 

Three Reviver seeds turn to plain seeds, Loshjno, Lahnae and Vizon desperately gasping air, scrambling to get up. Thundurus unfurled arms, clenching his fists. Clouds began to swirl around him. Faster. Faster.

 

Avery could see it, Calladin desperately flapping his wings against an awful gale.

 

“A-HAH!”

 

Thundurus EXTENDED his arms out, a tornado EXPANDING around him. The whipping air cut all in its path, BLASTING Jolvia and Calladin away from him, sending them tumbling back to the tower.

 

“NEWBIE!” Quayslaan yelled out, eyes squinting as he fought against the buffeting wind. While Avery was able to hold on to consciousness, he regained his senses fully upon hearing Q’s yell above.

 

Rikzyod dove, catching the Starly and Nidorina pair. Meanwhile, Loshjno, Lahnae and Vizon got back to the ready, panting.

 

“I am not so easily outsmarted as thralls, insects.”

 

Thundurus’s words rolled over the tower, electricity glowing in his hand. The glow grew and grew, straightening out into a spear of superheated plasma, as though Thundurus held a bolt of lightning from the sky itself, hoisting it over his head to smite all before him!!

 

Avery sat up, rubbing the back of his head with a wince. Things at appeared shaky. Like they were losing.

 

But then Loshjno piped up.

 

“His chest…!” Loshjno yelled, nodding. There…Avery could see faint cracks upon Thundurus’s chest, glowing with hardlight. “We’re getting him…! We can do this!! Just give it everything you got…!”

 

‘…This is it. This is the push. This is our chance!’

 

“FOCUS FIRE!!” Avery yelled, kipping up to his feet. He desperately wished that he knew more moves-!! “He knows what we’re up to, Vizon-“

 

Avery paused, seeing the three of them stumbling on the stone.

 

“We aren’t going to be able to let them hang in the air, Viz. He’s caught on.”

 

Vizon panted, running a paw through his hair. A frown crossed Avery’s face.

 

“…You remember our first mission?” The Plusle said, looking toward Vizon. “The move we did there?”

 

The Riolu looked to Avery, his fists clenched. Loshjno looked between them both, nodding immediately.

 

“ALL! FOCUS FIRE! CALLADIN, BOOST PROJECTILE SPEED!”

 

“AYE”

 

Vizon ran to Avery quickly, splashing in the pooling water as a massive wave of rocks and ice and fire and poison FLEW at Thundurus, all of it backed up by gusts blown by Calladin’s flapping wings.

 

Thundurus rumbled, REARING BACK TO THROW THE BOLT.

 

Vizon reached Avery at last. And smirked, holding out a paw.

 

“Ready buddy?”

 

‘Deep breaths.

 

In…and out. In…and out.

 

Alright.’

 

Avery crossed his arms over himself…and formed two crackling, unstable blue spheres over his fists. He took heavy steps towards Vizon, and offered his arm.

 

“…Ready.”

 

VIzon nodded, reaching over, grabbing Avery’s body. The Riolu planted his feet HARD, the stone CRACKING. His arms glowed brilliantly on Avery. The Plusle could feel rippling power in Vizon’s hands that Avery hadn’t felt last time.

 

“Electro…“

 

Vizon lifted Avery, turning.

 

“…aura…”

 

He turned and turned. Spinning.

 

“DUAL…”

 

His spin got faster. FASTER. The wind WHIPPED in Avery’s ears!

 

“SOULS…”

 

THE SPINNING REACHED A FEVER PITCH.

 

“ATTACK!!!”

 

Avery reared himself back, shutting his eyes as his adrenaline roared in his ears. The force RIPPED at Avery’s arms as he was whirled about like the winds of a hurricane, and-

 

C R A C K!

 

Like a rocket Avery SHOT out of Vizon’s hands! The rain and wind SPLIT as Avery fired from the tower STRAIGHT FOR THUNDURUS as he reared back!!!

 

Time seemed to slow, just long enough for Avery to rear his fists back…

 

And megaton SLAM them into the crack in Thundurus’s chest!!

 

EVERYTHING hit at once!

 

The rocks!

 

The fire!

 

The Ice!

 

The poison!

 

And as Avery fist HIT Thundurus’s chest, electricity joined the fire, BLASTING his form, cascading the crack.

 

His eyes widened.

 

Lightening CUT across the sky, the thunder was his roar of rage and pain. The bolt vanished from his hand!

 

Thundurus knocked backward, falling back, arms clawing at the air as the clouds below swallowed his colossal form, hardlight particles cascading from the god.

 

His roars echoed in the wind.

 

For a moment, Avery hung there in the air…

 

Thundurus gone.

 

At first, Avery had felt all that electricity coursing through him, pumping all of his energy into that two-handed slam into Thundurus’s chest. Avery felt the illusion crumple, evaporate…

 

And the Plusle began to fall. Fall for miles. Like an ash back towards the fire. He tried to look for the pearl as he fell, exhausted, pinwheeling through the air, wind screaming in his ears…

 

But he saw his friends, running forward to catch Avery in their arms.

 

“Avery!” He could hear Vizon call, the Riolu running toward the Plusle.

 

“Avery, we got you!!” Lahnae shouted, barreling forward. Jolvia and Rikzyod ran behind. Quayslaan and Calladin weren’t far behind, Loshjno watching as they went to catch Avery.

 

‘…We did it. All of us.’

 

Vizon and Lahnae put their arms together. Avery plummeted into both of them, the Riolu and Torchic laughing, relief washing over them. Avery’s head flopped back, as he gasped for breath.

 

The Plusle pumped an arm into the air, winded…and now, as the adrenaline left his body…everything huuuurt again-

 

All around the tower, the hardlight particles swirled. Jolvia looked up at the storm. The rain was slowing down, turning to a drizzle, then a sprinkle. Quayslaan huffed a deep breath, shaking his head.

 

The wind was slowed, now just cold.

 

“Buddy…you did it…!” Vizon smiled, panting.

 

“We didn’t even break a sweat…!” Lahnae smiled wide, nuzzling into Avery as Loshjno approached.

 

“Ha ha haa-owwwww…” Avery wheezed. “Ohhhh man this is gonna hurt tomorrow…”

 

His words came between weak chuckles.

 

“Is…is everyone okay? Is everyone safe…?” he asked.

 

“Everyone looks safe…” Jolvia said, offering Avery an Oran berry. Rikzyod politely refused one for himself. Lahnae and Vizon were already having their own. It certainly didn’t help the exhaustion but at least dulled the pain somewhat.

 

“What fun!!” Rikzyod cheered. “Fighting thralls and giants and gods. I only lament I did not get to feel the brunt of his final attack. Ah, shame, but there are sure to be others, uh, Avery!?”

 

The Geodude laughed, slamming his hands onto Vizon and Jolvia’s backs, the both of them chuckling back. Quayslaan and Calladin had their own Oran berries, smiling at the Plusle as they all celebrated.

 

Only Loshjno stood with no amused look on his face, looking seriously up at the sky.

 

Avery’s own smile as he found himself to his feet, slowly dissipated. He dusted off his knuckles, turned to Loshjno…and then followed his gaze into the sky.

 

“…The next twist?”

 

There was a hush that fell over the group.

 

Lahnae looked back at Loshjno.

 

A fell wind softly blew over the tower.

 

Loshjno’s eyes slowly fell, looking directly at Avery.

 

“Avery, back in that area of snow…you remember what I told you, don’t you?” The Squirtle asked, stepping forward. The others parted to let him pass as Lahnae and Vizon set Avery down. “First the palace, the traps, the giants, Thundurus…and the final call…”

 

Avery took a breath…and clenched his fists.

 

“…The second form. Even stronger than the first.”

 

“Th-the what…?” Calladin stammered, looking amongst them all, shaking. Quayslaan put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

 

“What do you mean stronger? You mean that wasn’t…?” Vizon whipped around, fists ready, head scanning for where Thundurus could be coming from.

 

Lahnae stared up at Loshjno as the Squirtle’s eyes gazed back up. All around the tower, lingering hardlight particles began to fall down, past the clouds.

 

The spires that surrounded the tower began to break, chucks falling away into hardlight particles as more, yet more particles were taken off of the surrounding projects.

 

“Its final trick. After this? I suspect it has to be at the end of its programmed sequence. It’s already stretching itself thin, it can’t do much more than this.” Loshjno said.

 

Jolvia grit her teeth, taking a spot next to Vizon. Rikzyod looked ecstatic, putting his fists up.

 

The wind grew in strength.

 

Loshjno perked up.

 

“6…”

 

The clouds began to darken.

 

“5…”

 

The wind picked up more, whirling around.

 

“4…”

 

A spire crumbled to nothing, the hardlight particles shooting below the clouds.

 

“3…”

 

The clouds began to move. Faster and faster they snaked down like a grand vortex pulled them to the earth.

 

“2…”

 

A flash of lightning cut across the sky.

 

“1…”

 

The tower SHOOK. A roar bellowed over the clouds.

 

“Here we go.”

 

Loshjno lowered his head, looking at the group, all of them looking back at him. There was a fire in his eye, a glint of determination that, were it any other day, would seem uncharacteristic for the lax Squirtle.

 

“Everyone…” He said, though it seemed as though he looked to Lahnae most of all. “This will take everything we got. No holding back. No punches pulled. No hesitation…nothing less than 100%, your absolute best that you can possibly perform and nothing besides.”

 

Lahnae’s eyes sparkled. Loshjno smiled warmly.

 

“…We said it before,” Avery said, casting a look to Lahnae. “We barely even broke a sweat. We can still do this.”

 

He gave her a little grin.

 

“Look at it this way. You have another chance at beating me at getting that final hit~”

 

Lahnae looked to Avery, nodding, bumping her wing to his fist with a nod.

 

“I won’t let you down, Rival.” She said, smiling. “I promise.”

 

‘Deep breaths…in, and out.’

 

“We’ve got this, everyone.”

 

With that, Thundurus’s roar peeled over the sky with the sound of thunder.

 

“These treasures are not yours to take!”

 

His voice rumbled the tower. The stones under their feet began to crack.

 

“I wield powers beyond what any mortal could imagine.”

 

There, something in the clouds. Something snaked between the black and white clouds that moved and rolled like hills of smoke.

 

“These are my lands to control, my kingdom to command, my law to judge.”

 

Vizon popped his neck, clenching his fists. Lahnae HUFFED a spurt of fire. Quayslaan’s vines snaked out. Calladin flapped his wings, ready. Jolvia readied her stance. Rikzyod cracked his knuckles.

 

Loshjno only stared intently.

 

“Your sentence is extermination.”

 

More movement. Something blue snaked between the clouds. The tower cracked more. More! The rocks and pebbles slowly rattled, rising up. A palpable electricity filled the air.

 

Like a serpent from the water, a grand figure rose from the clouds, moving among them as though a colossal phantom of the sky. Its eyes glowed with an ethereal power, that of a god’s hate. Its tail snaked endlessly through the clouds, electricity RIPPLING over its body!

 

 

“AT LAST. FACE YOUR END, MORTALS.”

 

Chapter 23.1

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Culmination

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