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When the airship was in sight of Azure, the passengers were relieved to see that though much of the town was destroyed, the battle was not over. Luke and Minato could see their auras of their friends, still locked with the Crusade in a deadly, ongoing battle. But the fight for Azure was not over.

"We're not too late!" Volcan said with anticipation as Luke reported what he saw.

"Then we still have a chance!" Luke added, locking onto the signals of his and Volcan's teammates to assess the situation. "So far everyone's still fighting... Hank's been knocked out... Sol too, but I don't see any sign of Eberon's aura either," he listed off. "...Luna's holding Calhoun at bay... and..." He paused for a moment.

"What? What is it?" Minato asked.

"Well, Lashanne's injured, but she's okay... And she's with a Lucario that... Wait... Is that Caulin??"

"Caulin... A Lucario?" Volcan asked. "And he's there; he's on the field?"

"With Lashanne, yes," Luke confirmed.

Minato's reaction was mixed. On one hand he was proud that his son had finally evolved, but on the other, he was distressed that he went and got himself involved in a battle that he wasn't even ready for. He sighed and shook his head a few times. "What am I going to do with that boy?" He remarked.

"So far, it looks as if our side is winning, but they're on their last legs," Luke continued, opening his eyes and looking back at Kage, "Gather your brothers in arms. We drop in two minutes."

The Greninja nodded, quickly turning and eliciting a loud croak. The Brotherhood all jumped from their posts and formed ranks before the Greninja, to which he nodded firmly before turning to face forward once more.

"It would seem the time is nigh, then," Zacian added as she stared ahead toward the battlefield.

"We will stand with you to save your home," said Zamazenta, looking at Luke and Volcan, "Just tell us where you need us."

Volcan looked ahead again. "Look for any heavy targets you can find, take care of them and leave the rest to us," said the Blaziken. "Our friends have held the line. Now, it's time we turn this fight around."

"We're clearin' the trees!" Toby called, "Drop in thirty seconds!"

Zacian and Zamazenta threw back their heads, letting out howls of anticipation as the ship drew closer to the town's borders. When it cleared, Volcan, Luke, Minato and Kage all jumped over the railing, with the former two tapping their mega stones as they dropped, ascending to their Mega Evolved forms. By the time the four of them reached the ground, Volcan and Luke emerged as a Mega Blaziken and a Mega Lucario respectively and took off running toward the town.

Minato, Kage - bearing the Emera Blade - and the Royal Knights were right behind them, along with the Kaeru assassins, landing among the trees and the ground alike, moving soundlessly despite their numbers. Volcan and Luke at the lead wasted no time, exploding into bursts of speed and racing toward town with all haste.

They set their sights first on a Tyrantrum that was chasing a yellow figure moving in a blur. Volcan jumped at the colossal dinosaur, and knocked it senseless with a single well-placed kick, sending it careening to the ground noisily. Luke's sights were set on the Kommo-o, currently engaging Katsumoto and Serena, rushing forward and slamming a Wicked Blow that, while not effective against the Dragon/Fighting type, managed to deal enough damage to make it stagger back before Luke unleashed a powerful Dragon Pulse to send it flying.

The Royal Knights, as instructed by Volcan, set their sights upon the heaviest targets they could find; the Golurks, still engaged in battle with Doug and his construct, fighting alone against the three massive golems. Zamazenta took the lead, his shield taking on its solidified form as he summoned his most powerful attack; Behemoth Bash, and launched himself at the Golurk on the right, striking it with the force of a giant cannonball.

The Golurk exploded as Zamazenta rammed it, legs, arms and head leaving its now cracked central body, falling all to pieces around where it had been standing, startling Doug when one of his opponents was suddenly obliterated.

"Holy shit!!" The Dugtrio exclaimed as he saw the Golurk fall, turning his construct so he could look down at Zamazenta. "Uh... Thanks, pal!" he called down, then let out a surprised shriek when Zacian leapt over him and struck at the Golurk to Doug's with her Behemoth Blade, cleaving it right in two before she landed behind it, its top half sliding away from its bottom half and crashing into the ground.

Zamazenta turned to look back at Doug, studying the body of his construct. "A fine piece of work!" he called up to him and looked at the last Golurk, "Care to take the last one and show us how it performs?"

At that, Doug's faces lit up as he turned to face the last Golurk. "With _pleasure~!"_He answered, rushing forward and locking hands with the ghostly golem. Doug pushed back with all his might, then he made a third arm appear from the chest of his construct that grabbed at the Golurk from below, then he lifted it up and over his head, sending it headfirst into the ground. With that, he stomped on the ground and used Sand Tomb to bury the Golurk deep within the beach, making sure there was so much dirt and sand over it that it would never resurface again.

Zacian turned and watched the Dugtrio work, arching an eyebrow and nodding once in approval. "Hm.. Impressive," she remarked, "I've never seen a Dugtrio manipulate the earth in such a manner."

"That's because I'm the only one who can!" Doug answered proudly.

Meanwhile, Minato had reached Tristan, still battling the Golisopod. Both had taken a beating, yet neither one was willing to back down. That was where he intervened, rushing in between them and swinging his sword in a wide arc. He lopped off the Golisopod's arm with his strike, then turned with the momentum of his swing and pushed the large insect Pokémon back with a powerful Psychic blast before taking stance again and pointing his blade forward.

Tristan, panting heavily, looked at Minato, one of his eyes half-closed and his entire body battered by the Golisopod's water-type attacks. "What the hell... Took ya so long?" he asked, his voice weak.

Before Minato could answer, the exhausted Aggron's legs buckled and his eyes rolled back in his head as he started to fall. Without looking, Minato used Psychic to slow the Aggron's fall, gently laying him down on his front before he turned to face him.

"Sorry I took so long, big guy," he said softly as he knelt down next to the rock and metal titan. "Take five... We'll handle things from here."

"No argument here," the tired Aggron said, laying on his side and grinning at Minato. "Go give 'em what for."

"That's the plan." He said with a nod, then stood tall and looked over his shoulder at the Golisopod still nursing his severed arm. "So, you want some more, or would you say you've had enough?" He called out with a voice brimming with confidence.

The Golisopod elicited a series of clicks, watching Minato closely as it seemed to gauge whether it wished to continue the fight. Tristan had run it ragged, and now here stood a fresh, strong Lucario that had just taken its arm off. It did not need long to consider, turning and running toward the water, its choice made.

Minato scoffed. "Yea, I thought so," he remarked, watching the Golisopod make good its retreat. He then turned to where he sensed where his son and girlfriend were, unable to resist the urge to check up on them and see if they were alright.

At present, they were outside the area the battlefield had moved to, and Minato headed that way without hesitation. He found them easily, with Lashanne easy to pick out even among the town ruins. She looked worse for wear, with numerous spots of matted fur where she had bled from multiple wounds, including one above her left eye. She looked like she had been in wrestling a Bisharp, if he had to make any comparison.

Meanwhile, next to her, was a Lucario. He wouldn't have known who it was if not for the undersized Gi he wore like a vest, recognizing that single article of clothing alone.

"Lashanne! Caulin!" he called as he sped toward her, prompting the two of them to turn at the sound of his voice.

Caulin's face beamed when he saw his father approaching. "DAD!!" he exclaimed, running to meet him halfway and running into one another in a hard embrace, joyful tears running down the younger Lucario's cheeks. "You finally made it!!"

"I'm here, son...! I'm so sorry I took so long, but I'm here," he said, squeezing his boy tightly in his arms before pulling back to get a good look at him. "...I have several questions as to what happened and how you evolved, but they'll have to wait until after this battle's over," he said, patting Caulin's shoulder as he moved past him to greet Lashanne.

"You sure kept us waiting, didn't you?" she asked with a half-smile, clearly too worn out even to fake how tired she was. Up close, Minato realized she looked even worse than he'd seen from afar. Though most of her wounds had stopped bleeding, he realized it was because most of them had burned closed, yet there wasn't another mark on her to indicate she'd been hit by a fire attack.

"What the hell happened to you, honey?" he demanded, holding her in his arms as he looked her up and down. "Who did this to you?"

"I got into a fight with a certain Gallade," she replied, "And... If I'm being frank, if Caulin hadn't stepped in when he did, I'd probably be dead right now," then her expression soured as she remembered something else. "But... Minato... There..." She trailed off, her gaze drifting slowly away from him.

Minato followed her gaze, and his heart sank when he saw where it led to. There, he saw another Lucario, lying motionless on the ground; a Lucario with only one arm. He immediately recognized him from such a feature, and his eyes widened in horror when he saw the pool of half-dried blood he lay in. He quickly rushed to the downed Lucario and knelt next to him, slowly rolling him onto his back and gasping in horror as he saw what had happened to him.

"Master," he whispered somberly, trying to fight back tears as he stared at his deceased father figure, slowly lowering his head and clenching his paws tightly. Caulin dared to come over and stand next to his father, tears flowing from his eyes again.

"He... He died trying to protect me..." He whimpered softly. "I-It's my fault, Dad. I shouldn't-"

"Don't," Minato said firmly, lifting a paw to silence him before he stood tall and faced his son. "Whatever you're about to say, don't say it... Victor's death wasn't your fault, and while I am disappointed that you got involved, I am also glad that you did... You saved your stepmother's life, and I can't thank you enough for that," he said as he placed both his paws on his son's shoulders. "I don't know how you managed to beat Sash and I don't care... I'm very proud of you for doing so, Caulin."

Caulin smiled gently and nodded back at Minato. "I'll tell you what happened after," he spoke. "Right now, the others need you. Go be a hero, Dad."

Minato smirked and ruffled his head gently. "That's my boy..." he returned, giving him a small kiss on the forehead as he moved past him and back to Lashanne. "I'll be right back."

"If you get a shot at Seji, make sure to punch him for me," she said as her parting words, winking her good eye at him.

"I'll give him a good walloping and send him your regards," he returned, then snuck a quick kiss in before he backed away. "I love you," he said as he turned and dashed back to the battle.

The fight between Luna and Calhoun had come to a stalemate. Luna, though powerful, lacked the experience Calhoun possessed, and could not overwhelm the Dark Blaziken as he'd hoped. But that was not to say the battle was one-sided; certainly, Calhoun had taken his share of blows from the Zangoose, with multiple claw marks and bruises across his body.

His Mega Evolution had expired since their battle began, but it had not given Luna an advantage. He was tired, his body feeling heavy, and his energy - even the power from Zekrom, was running out. But Calhoun, with his seemingly infinite stamina, was still able to fight; the loss of his Mega Evolution had not robbed him of that.

Fortunately, Luna's time in the battle was at an end, for even as he traded several blows with the Dark Blaziken, a new fighter stepped in. Calhoun turned his head as he heard a shout, and barely bent his body back in time to avoid another Blaziken soaring at him with a glowing, outstretched fist. Had that punch landed, even just by feeling it and seeing the power emitted by Volcan's arm, Luna was certain that punch would have decapitated Calhoun.

Calhoun stood tall again, looking between Volcan and Luna, and then turning his gaze to the battle in the town. He saw that it had turned; his elite forces, decimated, the Pawniard Century, scattered. The Golurks, crumbled to pieces. Even the Clawitzers providing cover fire from the bay had been driven off by the repeated attacks of the Zapdos, who was joined by the Zeraora when the Tyrantrum had fallen.

It was over... He could see it as clear as day, the battle would soon end with his defeat.

"...It seems... You have won again," said Calhoun, speaking apathetically.

He stood in silence for a moment, leaving both Volcan and Luna wondering what his next move was going to be, now that he understood this battle was lost. Soon, he turned his eyes toward Volcan, studying him for a moment before he spoke.

"You... Were the one person who escaped us," he began, "when we launched our first raid. The only one who survived or avoided capture. Yet, you continue to oppose us."

Volcan's expression hardened, glaring at Calhoun. "And that surprises you?" he demanded, incredulous, "You think I'd just step aside, and let you continue to hurt people like that?"

"Most people would," Calhoun replied plainly, "certainly I have never seen anyone who would go out of their way to keep fighting after they lost everything. Even that Emboar only came after me out of revenge, and when that failed, what became of him? Imprisoned, undergoing community service with the guilds, and nothing left to fight for."

Calhoun turned fully to Volcan then. "What makes you so different? Why do you keep fighting when it'd be so much easier not to?"

"Why the hell do you care?" Volcan asked.

"Call it curiosity," Calhoun replied.

Volcan scoffed. "...All you need to know is that when you attacked my home, you left me with more than the traumatic memories of it. You left me a desire to keep what you did to me from happening to anyone else," his scowl deepened. "Whatever it takes, I will keep coming until I put an end to you, Calhoun, and I will not stop. I don't even care if you really do carry the essence of Giratina inside you; I've conquered my fears of you."

Calhoun jerked as if he had been hit, and even in his mind he could feel Giratina's surprise. This Blaziken... Knew? How could he know? It took Calhoun a moment to voice that question. "How do you know that?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Volcan asked. "It took a while, I grant you. But I connected the dots; this curse that has afflicted you and has been inflicted by you onto the others - we know it was born of his power, and your sudden motivation to take on the gods - motive that, according to your former masters, you'd never have even considered before you embraced the shadow curse. A motive that is not even yours to begin with," he pointed a finger at Calhoun, "it's his."

Calhoun was silent for another moment, saying nothing to Volcan, though his thoughts were not unheard by Giratina. '...Is that all it has been?' He thought. 'Has all my motivation just been_your _will, impressed upon my own? Just how much have you been whispering in my ear, dark one?'

There was a silence within Calhoun's head, but eventually Giratina spoke up. 'You have always wished to prove yourself the strongest warrior in the lands, and to appease those you serve, have you not?' Giratina asked, not waiting for an answer, 'When you trained at that monastery, you appeased your masters. When you bonded with my essence, your actions against the gods appeased me. Do you not see a pattern here?' he asked, this time giving Calhoun the chance to answer his question.

'But I was not aware of you,' Calhoun pointed out, 'though I always heard your voice, I never knew who it was speaking to me. Until recently it sounded far away, like talking to someone on the other side of a closed door. How can you say I was driven to appease you when I didn't even realize you were there?'

'Perhaps the question you should be asking yourself is this: you have gone throughout your whole life appeasing your peers, your masters... But you never once sought to seek something for yourself. I ask you, Calhoun... What do you desire?' Giratina asked, his apparition - a phantom only he could see - appearing in Calhoun's vision, moving in front of him to look him square in the eyes.

Calhoun stood motionless as that question rang through him, realizing then that he did not have an answer... He'd never been asked that question before; he'd never thought about it. Ever since he had become a Shadow Pokémon, his motives had been... Skewed. He had no desire to go back to his old life at the monastery - isolated, training, working to better himself, but to what end beyond pleasing Master Zheng?

He lifted his hand to look at it. The day the Shadow Curse had taken him had been a day when he had been given power; it had tried to consume him, yet he'd been strong enough not to let it. Now, he understood that he embodied the will of Giratina himself - the most feared of the gods, even by others like himself. Certainly, Giratina had his place in the world... But what was Calhoun's?

The truth was... He'd never had one. But the more he thought about it, the more he started to find the answer to Giratina's question. For all his life, he'd sought to please others - those close to him, those who supported him, most of whom were now dead by his hand. He'd proven to all of them, above all else, that he possessed power far beyond theirs.

Power... That was the answer. He craved power - more than any other Pokémon below the gods could ever hope for. With Giratina standing at the top of the pantheon - unsurpassed, respected, and saluted by his peers, Calhoun could have that power. To stand at the heights only the gods otherwise could...

With that, Calhoun found his resolve. He looked squarely at the other Blaziken; this warrior and leader who had continued to oppose him from the beginning of his crusade. This man had stood in his way since the fall of Arc Island; no mere bump in his road to absolute power, but a threat... A threat that he needed to deal with once and for all.

'Things are going to be different going forward, Giratina,' Calhoun thought to his patron, 'I will not be made into your puppet, nor will I be only your enforcer. You're right - I have never strived to achieve anything for myself; even those who follow me only do so because they crave the same thing I do now. The total dominance of all life; absolute power. But now, I will_pursue that very thing for myself, to stand above all other Pokémon as the gods themselves do.'_

Even as he spoke to Giratina, setting his terms for their relationship going forward, Calhoun was reaching out to another who waited out to sea. His final gambit, to ensure that Azure fell, and its defenders with it. 'If freeing you helps me achieve that goal, then so be it. You will be freed, whatever it takes for me to reach my goals. But if I am to achieve them,' his gaze hardened, and he glared menacingly at Volcan. 'There are some thorns in both of our sides that must be removed first.'

Giratina started to chuckle softly, finding Calhoun's terms to be rather amusing. 'You are indeed a curious creature, Calhoun.' He responded. 'Alas, it seems you have finally found your answer... I agree to your terms, and when you release me from my chains, you will have power beyond anything you can ever dream of... No one will stand against you. The entire world... no... the universe will be yours to do as you please.' he went on, filling Calhoun's head with the promise of unmatched power. 'You know what you must do now. My previous statement still stands, though less of a command and more of... a mutual agreement. Wipe them out... All of them...'

'With pleasure,' he thought.

Calhoun had stood motionless for several minutes, his mind seemingly elsewhere even when he looked at Volcan. A few times, Volcan shared glances with Luna, wondering what was going through the Dark Blaziken's head. It wasn't until Calhoun stood tall and cast a menacing glare upon them that they brought their guard up once again.

"It's clear that our enmity will not end so long as we both draw breath," he said, looking squarely at Volcan, "You're right. I created that enmity when I let you live, and you solidified it with your resolve to stand in my way." He slowly spread his arms, "That is why... Today, to put an end to your interference on my road to absolute dominance... I am going to wash you and everyone here away."

Behind him, Luna and Volcan saw the ocean churning. The tide receded and returned in waves, growing larger with each passing moment. Out in the bay, the iron ship of the Crusade rocked violently but stayed upright even as the waves grew fiercer.

Volcan looked out to the sea, fearing the worst for what might be coming. "Calhoun... What have you done?" he demanded.

"You remember, at Hadleigh, one of your comrades freed the great guardian of the sea from my power," Calhoun began, not even a question; he knew the answer. "During the time that Lugia was under my power, I sought another - a being even greater than himself, to find out for myself if the gods themselves were resistant to the curse I passed along to him."

As he continued, a grin stretched across Calhoun's face. "As it turned out when I found one of them sleeping at the bottom of the sea," he said, seeming to suppress a laugh as his eyes widened with glee. "They are not."

The shrill cry that filled the air, coming from the ocean, made both Volcan and Luna jump back in surprise, and look out to sea as the waves grew fiercer still. They watched as the waters grew into a single large wave, and their eyes widened and mouths fell open when they saw the enormous silhouette inside the wave as it came closer to Azure.

"Luna, run!" Volcan exclaimed, breaking out of his shock.

The Blessed Zangoose was already bolting away before Volcan finished his sentence, using his lightning-fast speed to streak across the beach. However, when he saw his brother still resting just at the treeline, he quickly detoured and bolted toward him, trying to lift him up and drag him away from the incoming wave.

Volcan's course took him toward town, waving his arms frantically as he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Get back! Everyone, get back!" he screamed, letting his terror be heard in his voice.

Everyone could see the wave and see the being that was being carried inside of it. But only Volcan's shouting broke them from their awestruck state, and they scrambled to get away from the water. Katsumoto picked up Serena, putting her on his back as he ran for all his worth, with others jumping onto the backs of the Royal Knights as they went - including the unconscious Hank, thrown over Zacian's back by Kage as they fled. Even Tristan, until that moment exhausted, ran faster than perhaps he ever had before in his life, spurred by adrenaline.

Luke was joined by Volcan, and the two ran together toward the trees. As the wave reached the shore, the silhouette inside of it fell back, and the water crashed upon the town, the deafening crash of the wave echoing through the woods and deep into the trees as nearly the entirety of Port Azure was washed away by the tsunami.

The spray from the water had left everyone drenched and cold, but alive, thanks to taking shelter behind or in the trees, safe from the brunt of the wave that reduced most of Azure into driftwood. They all turned to look at the devastation that befell their home, seeing all the buildings being washed away by the massive tsunami, and then turning their attention to the beast responsible as it emerged from the water again, leaping into the air and arcing above the bay before crashing into the water again.

Though it had only been a glimpse of the great Leviathan, nobody in the group did not know exactly who the great sea beast they had just seen was...

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!" Minato exclaimed in utter disbelief, "That psychotic bastard has _Kyogre_under his command?"

"How the hell are we supposed to compete against that?" Doug exclaimed.

"...We aren't..." Kage remarked, his voice stoic, but his expression equally as stunned as the others. "We can't even get close to it without risking being dragged into the depths..."

"So... So that's it?!" Lashanne demanded, throwing out her arms. "We all just sit here waiting to die?!"

Kyogre gathered the seas around itself again, forming another wave - even larger than the last. They could not outrun this one... No matter how far they ran away from it, in any direction, it would reach them. Kyogre was poised to drown the whole region at the command of Calhoun if it meant wiping out his enemies once and for all. There was nothing they could do...

They had lost.

Volcan took hold of Luke's paw then, and on his face, the Lucario could see the same fear gripping his husband that he felt himself; the fear of impending doom, that neither of them could hope to stop. Luke stared back at Volcan, tears already starting to well up in his eyes the longer he gazed at him, then he leaned close and did the only thing he could do at that moment. He slid his arms around Volcan and clung to him desperately, pressing his face into Volcan's chest to find some measure of comfort as they faced their end together.

"...I love you, Volcan..." Luke whispered to him.

"I love you too, Luke," he whispered in return, shutting his eyes and waiting for the end.

The wave drew closer, climbing higher until it cast a shadow over the entire group, who could only watch in silent despair as their end began to fall upon them...

Until a wall of violet arose in front of the group. Stretching the entire width of the wave, the transparent wall climbed higher, rising above the trees, and the wave fell into it, with Kyogre unable to stop itself and its watery wrath from being absorbed into it. Nearly as quickly as it appeared, the wall vanished, and out in the bay, the group saw a similarly coloured circle appear in the air.

The water, and Kyogre itself, tumbled out of the portal, crashing into the bay to rejoin the sea once more. Water swept across the remains of the town, but only splashed at the ankles of the dumbfounded rescue team members who watched in complete disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

Lighris was the first one to voice the question all of them were having at that very moment. "What. The FUCK. Just happened?"

"I'm... just as lost as you are, spikey," Eagle Eye answered, shaking his head frantically and making sure he hadn't just imagined what he saw.

"We _all_are!" Doug added. "It was almost like... one second this wall of water was coming at us, and then-"

"We all saw it, man," Minato interjected, stern. "What we're concerned about is _why_it happened, and who, or what caused it."

As if in answer, another portal opened in front of them. From its dark depths a large entity started appearing before them, taking two thunderous steps into the outside world before the portal behind it closed. The others craned their necks up to see the massive white and pink dragon Pokémon standing before them, facing ahead toward Kyogre, with its distinguished pearl gem on its left shoulder dimming after the portal behind it shut.

Zacian was gawking so intensely at what she saw that she actually dropped the Crown Sword from her mouth, the weapon clattering along the ground beneath her as she recognized the being standing before them. "I... I don't believe it!" She breathed in pure shock.

"Is... Is that-?" Luke began to ask, his mouth hanging open. "Is that... Palkia??"

"What... The hell is going on here?" Volcan asked, unable to formulate any other words - even the name of the divine being standing before them.

Luna's shock was quickly intensified when he noticed something else atop of the great God of Space... or rather, some_one_ else. He could barely make it out, but he could swear he saw a quadrupedal form standing atop Palkia's head. His suspicions were confirmed when said figure jumped off Palkia's head, falling to the ground and landing on all fours with a heavy thud before slowly pushing himself back on his hind legs. The Zangoose's eyes widened when he instantly recognized the form before him.

A Samurott, one adorned in a white Kimono with red highlights along the sleeves of his arms, and blue highlights along the legs of his pants, and sporting a long sleeveless haori coat with a ying yang emblem on the back.

"...W-Wha-WADE???" Luna exclaimed, becoming overwhelmed by so many emotions at once.

The Samurott slowly turned to look over his shoulders at the others, a calm, gentle smile present as he regarded his friends, and especially his master. "...Sensei," He said, then glanced at Kage and nodded to him, "Shishio."

Luna zipped forward before Wade could react, latching onto him and hugging the Samurott as tightly as he could, barely giving Wade any chance to react. "W-Where the heck have you been all this time?? Do you have any idea how worried sick I was about you?" he demanded, already losing himself to a fit of tears. "Tyde keeps asking me when you'll return, and even Ray started to lose hope that you'd even come back!!"

Wade sighed and embraced the Zangoose for a moment before he managed to pry him off and set him gently back on his feet. "My deepest apologies, Sensei... I couldn't return until I had accomplished what I had set out to do." He explained. "Given what you've all just witnessed, you could say I've completed my task."

"How the heck is this even happening right now?" Volcan asked. "That's... That's Palkia!"

"Indeed, it is, and we have forged a bond just as both Sensei and Sol have with their Gods," Wade answered, then turned toward the open sea again to watch as Kyogre began to stir. "You all stay back... I will take care of Kyogre."

"Wade..." Kage stepped forward toward his pupil, giving him a stern, yet concerned gaze. "I don't doubt what you have accomplished, but you are talking about taking on the Deity of the Open Oceans, in his own domain. Regardless of the fact you are Palkia's chosen Blessed, it will not be an easy battle for you. You'll need help."

Wade stared back at his master intently for a moment, then he started to smirk as he turned his back to him. "I have all the help I need," Wade answered confidently. "Besides... I'm not going to defeat him."

Before anyone could answer, a sudden crash shook the earth as another large figure landed next to Palkia, a massive hunched-over dragon with yellow blank eyes, shrouded in a subzero mist, with huge patches of ice forming where it stood.

"_We_are," Wade concluded.

"Wha- What the hell is that?!" Volcan demanded, not recognizing the dragon.

"That... That is Kyurem!" Zamazenta spoke up in recognition.

"What in the world is he doing here?" Zacian added, as shocked as her brother.

As if in answer, a small blizzard appeared next to Wade, who remained unfazed even as it appeared, and when it faded, there stood the form of a cloaked Greninja, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his hood obscuring most of his face.

"I did tell you all I succeeded in forming a bond of my own," the young Greninja stated.

"Hageshi!!" Luke exclaimed, a relieved smile crossing his face,"I never thought I'd ever hear myself say this, but damn am I glad to see you!"

"That is who you formed a bond with?" Volcan demanded, looking at Kyurem, and then at Palkia. "...I... My mind is so blown right now I'm expecting any moment to wake up on the ship..."

"We assure you, Volcan, this is all very real," Wade stated.

Hageshi glanced at the others briefly, then looked over at Wade and nodded to him once, which Wade returned to before they looked forward again. "...Try to keep up, you brain-dead idiot."

"Back at you, you stubborn toad," Wade remarked in jest before they each jumped onto the heads of their respective Legendary Patrons. "Let's do this, Kay!!"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Palkia returned, flaring its wings and taking to the air, soaring toward Kyogre.

"Go, Kareem!" Hageshi commanded.

"At your command, Lord Hageshi," Kyurem responded, stepping forward and taking flight as well, soaring just behind Palkia as they closed in on Kyogre.

Kyogre, now seen clearly as he raced over the waves, was making a beeline toward Azure. They could now see his corrupted features, knowing beyond a doubt that he had been turned into a Shadow Pokémon; his body had turned an even deeper shade of blue, nearly the colour of night, and his red markings had turned the colour of blood. His eyes shone bright red as he raced across the waves, pulling more water with him to keep the battlefield in his favour.

Kyogre was big, that much they could see; a leviathan of the seas, dwarfing either Palkia or Kyurem, and the fight was in his favour with the entire ocean at his command.

When the water rushed below the airborne Palkia, Kyogre exploded from the surface of the water, mouth wide open, and tried to bite onto his legs as he soared into the air with speed defying his size. Palkia however, was faster in the air, and the second he saw Kyogre rise to take a bite of him, he pulled up and barely evaded the attack, growling as he countered by rearing back his arm and swinging it forward. The very fabric of space seemed to bend in front of Kyogre before it suddenly cut into the massive whale, making it shriek as the Spacial Rend hit its mark.

"We need to rob it of its advantage!" Wade called from atop of Palkia's head, looking over to Hageshi and Kyurem.

The two of them stayed silent but knew exactly what they needed to do. Without a word, Kyurem rose higher into the air and launched a Glaciate attack, making the water that Kyogre had tried to gather freeze over. Then Hageshi added to it by using Extrasensory to directly attack Kyogre's mind. Below the frozen surface, Kyogre recoiled from the combination of attacks, but was far from beaten as he broke through the surface of the water again, five spheres of water forming around him as he rose into the air.

When he was at his peak, the five sphere pulses, and streams of water, powered by his god-like energy, erupted toward the two. Neither Kyurem or Palkia could get out of the way in time, hit directly by the Origin Pulse. Both recoiled from taking the hits, but they were able to recover before hitting the water in their own way. Palkia flapped his wings to stay aloft while Kyurem froze the water beneath him and created a solid platform for him to land on, both staring intently at the corrupted Kyogre.

"Tenacious beast, isn't he?" Wade remarked softly.

"Giving up already, Wade?" Hageshi asked in a condescending manner.

The Samurott smirked. "Not a chance. We're just getting started." He replied. "That being said, we need a way to bring him back toward land. He's too powerful out here in open waters."

"You know I could have just... portaled him back to the beach, right?" Palkia asked, tilting his head to look up at Wade.

"Yes, but Kyogre is the God of the Seas. He would just find a way back to the ocean and we would have gained nothing from it. Plus, we'd be putting the others in harm's way," the Samurott answered.

"Then we make it so he can't return to the ocean...And away from your allies." Kyurem countered calmly.

Wade glanced over to the ice dragon with a curious look. "You have a plan, then?"

"A simple, but effective one," Kyurem answered. "Draw his attention, Pericles. When I give the signal, use your powers to bring him back to shore."

Palkia scowled, "You know I hate being called that... But fine, whatever." He responded, flaring his wings and once more soaring to engage with Kyogre, this time opening with a Dragon Pulse as he drew closer. While they battled, Kyurem turned toward the beach and scouted for a spot they could send Kyogre without risking the lives of Port Azure's citizens. It didn't take him long to locate a suitable position along the beach, then he began to gather subzero energy in preparation for another Glaciate attack.

Whether by Calhoun's will, or some innate ability to detect danger itself, Kyogre turned its attention to Kyurem then, emerging from the water and breaking through the ice surface a second time to aim for the malformed dragon god. His body was glowing brightly when he emerged, and instead of water, stones formed around him, and raced toward Kyurem in a volley.

Kyurem scoffed and was forced to release his Glaciate attack prematurely, using it as a defensive shield by freezing the air around him and Hageshi into a thick subzero wall that protected them from the attack. The ice wall then shattered, and that's when Hageshi made a move of his own. He jumped into the air and used his powers to take control of the large ice chunks around him, then redirected them back to Kyogre in a rapid barrage to keep him at bay.

Kyogre took a few of the ice chunks, and while they seemed to hurt him, ice had little effect on Water-types, especially one of the caliber they now faced. Kyogre dove back into the water, once more crashing through the ice as easily as going through paper, and vanished from sight...

The two of them waited for the inevitable breaching attack, the platform Kyurem stood on bobbing slightly with the waves. Hageshi had crouched low atop of Kyurem, scanning the waters below for any sign of the corrupted Kyogre. He then flinched as he saw a few bubbles rise to the surface, tensing in preparation.

"Jump!"

Kyurem rose into the air as commanded, just as the platform he stood on shattered as Kyogre breached the surface. The large ice dragon barely managed to escape Kyogre's attempt before it started to fall back into the ocean.

"Now, Pericles!!" Kyurem shouted.

"Stop _calling_me that!" Palkia roared back as he created a portal directly under Kyogre, who fell through it just before it hit the water. The massive whale Pokémon landed with an earth-shaking crash on the beach further down, with some leftover water splashing on top of it before Palkia closed the portal.

Kyurem then exhaled a powerful Icy Wind attack, freezing Kyogre on the beach and preventing it from escaping and returning to the water. "That will not hold him long. Go, Lord Hageshi."

The Greninja nodded, looking up and leaping into the air, landing on Palkia's head next to Wade as the God of Space soared over him. Both Wade and Hageshi nodded to one another, then closed their eyes and began to call upon the power of their patrons.

Wade started to change first, his blue and beige fur quickly changing to white and pink respectively. His clothes also changed as well, becoming almost ethereal and looking as if they contained entire galaxies within them. Hageshi's change was far more subtle, his skin becoming paler and his cloak becoming made entirely of snow, with small flakes drifting off at the end.

When they completed their transformations, Palkia then reached up and gently grabbed them into his hand. He then reared back as far as he could, then with a furious bellow, he hurled the two in his hand as hard as he could toward the trapped Kyogre, who by now was starting to break free of his icy prison.

"Now, Hageshi!!" Wade hollered to his rival, then he lifted his arm over his head and began to create a large Water Shuriken in his paw.

He focused as hard as he could, channeling Palkia's Spacial Rend attack into the shuriken, causing the shuriken to become what could only be described as a large black hole with its own accretion disk spinning rapidly around its event horizon. In comparison, Hageshi lifted his arm up and used Kyurem's Glaciate to mold together a massive spike of sub-zero ice, with cold mist emanating around it.

"SPACIAL SHURIKEN!!" Wade shouted before he threw his attack.

"GLACIAL JAVELIN!!" Hageshi shouted almost in tandem with Wade, throwing his attack just as Wade did.

The two attacks shot across the surface of the ocean toward their target, traveling alongside one another before Hageshi's attack became caught in the shuriken's gravitational pull, causing the two attacks to orbit around each other before shooting toward the sky and finally crashing into one another. Both Wade and Hageshi roared as they pooled their willpower into combining the attacks together, resulting in a large black rapidly spinning spike with a shuriken at its tail end propelling it forward. From there, the merged attack shot down toward Kyogre, nailing it square in the back.

What followed next was possibly the most brilliant display of power anyone had ever seen. The second the combined attack hit Kyogre, it completely froze over due to the effects of Glaciate, then the ice started collapsing into itself with Kyogre being the point of singularity, resulting in a massive implosion of ice and spatial energy, dealing crippling damage to the corrupted legendary.

Even the god of the seas could not take such punishment. After releasing screams of agony to fill the skies above, Kyogre collapsed, and did not stir again...

"YES!!" Wade hollered, throwing his arm triumphantly in the air.

"Haha! That's the way, kid!" Palkia bellowed.

"Well done, both of you," Kyurem added, nodding in satisfaction despite his somewhat apathetic tone of voice.

From the shore, the others could only watch in complete awe as the two of them managed to deal the final blow on Kyogre. Jaws agape and left speechless for a while, until Eagle Eye finally broke the silence with a sudden celebratory shriek as he jumped repeatedly.

"THEY FUCKIN' TROUNCED 'IM!!" the Talonflame shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Hahaaa! Well done, boys!" Katsu bellowed.

"Wade," Luna whimpered happily, his claws covering his mouth as he witnessed the young Samurott accomplish what most would think was impossible. "I'm... So proud of you!"

Kage and his group of assassins watched in silent awe at the spectacle before them; Kage in particular focusing on Wade and Hageshi. In his mind he thought back to when they were children and how often they butted heads in order to see which of them was superior, and now here they were as grown men fighting side by side against a common enemy.

He felt a single tear slide down his cheek, the corners of his lips starting to curl into a smile that he couldn't stop. A new sensation welled up inside of him that felt completely alien to him. Pride... He felt pride toward his son and his pupil for coming so far in their lives at such young ages... He eventually closed his eyes and allowed himself to properly smile for the first time in years, uttering three words he never expected to hear himself say.

"...That's my boys."

"They... they did it," Luke whispered, starting to laugh a little, turning to look at Volcan. "They actually did it...!"

"I am never going to forget this day for as long as I live," said Volcan, resting a hand over his heart as he stared, completely in awe, out to the scene of the battle. "We just watched a literal battle of the gods... I don't think Azure will ever be the same after all this."

"We aren't finished yet," Lashanne chimed in, getting both their attention. "Calhoun is still out there somewhere."

"You don't think he would have bailed when he set Kyogre on the town?" Tristan asked.

"If he did, why's the ship still out there?" Lashanne asked, pointing with her paw out to the bay.

Lashanne was correct. The Dark Crusade's ship was still out in the bay; it had not departed yet! Luke shared an alarmed look with Minato for a moment, the two of them nodding to one another before they closed their eyes and tapped into their aura sense, searching for any sign of Calhoun's aura signal anywhere within the vicinity.

Calhoun had indeed moved out of the town, but not back to the ship. He, and several other auras, were gathering in the woods to the south. He was regrouping what remained of his forces; there were not many, but Luke recognized some of the auras.

"They're over there!" Luke exclaimed, pointing in the direction he sensed them out. "Twenty clicks that way. He's regrouping with what remains of his forces."

"I see them." Minato added, then opening his eyes and clenching his paws at his sides. "He was probably looking to retreat while Wade and Hageshi were busy with Kyogre."

"Seeing two gods coming to our aid when he set one loose on us must have been quite a shocker, even for him," said Volcan, "We need to get over there before they can get their bearings and escape."

"No argument there," Minato agreed, nodding to Volcan. "The sooner we move, the sooner we can catch him before he tries to escape."

"He's _not_escaping this time," Luke said firmly. "This time... We put a stop to his Crusade once and for all!"

"We are with you," Zamazenta said, coming forward to speak for him and his sister. "We will see the Crusade brought to its end this day."

"Then let's go," Volcan stated, "Minato, Luke, lead the way; we-"

"Wait!"

The five turned to see who spoke and were surprised to see Luminara running over to them. "I'm coming with you," she stated firmly.

"Wh-What??" Luke demanded. "But... Mother are you-"

"This is not up for discussion, Luke." Luminara stated firmly. "Besides, most of your friends are injured, some more than others. I barely have so much as a scratch on me, and you will need all the help you can get."

Volcan looked at Luke. "We need to hurry," he reminded, "but we need all the help we can get."

He sighed and relented, nodding back to his mother. "Alright... Let's get going then."

With that, the six of them ran across the drowned earth of Azure, passing the wet and crumbling buildings that had been destroyed by Kyogre's tsunami...

Calhoun stood with Seji, waiting as the others emerged from the trees. First to arrive were Crane and his allies, looking like they had lost a fight with a large, powerful creature, sporting various bruises. Next came Sound Breaker, likewise, showing new battle scars and some lingering damage from his fight with Eagle Eye.

"...This is it?" Calhoun asked, "Just six of us?"

"Everyone else has either been captured or killed," said Crane, "even the townsfolk were not as defenseless as we hoped. A pair of very big, _ludicrously_powerful bear Pokémon showed up after we dealt with Jora and another Lucario."

Seji narrowed his eyes slightly at the news. "And what of my apprentice? Did you see any sign of him during your retreat?"

"None," replied Crane, "You three are the only ones we've seen since we managed to sneak away."

"Big bears, big!" Karth exclaimed, "One of them beat all our boys single-handedly! Didn't break a sweat! The other one, looked just like him, but this one; heavy-handed. Knocked Zann right out!"

"You could have left out that part, you chattering nitwit," Zann said indignantly.

Calhoun perked up. "Two bears... And they looked similar?" He asked, and then his eyes narrowed. "...My past continues to chase me, it seems."

"Calhoun?" Seji asked, glancing at the Dark Blaziken hesitantly. "...What are your orders?"

Calhoun took in a slow, steadying breath. "This battle is lost. With the gods Palkia and Kyurem now fighting on the side of the enemy, and Kyogre defeated, there can be no victory here," he said, "I will summon Mewtwo to take us all-"

He jerked, hearing a rustle in the bushes, and narrowly jumped away as a massive wolf, carrying a sword in their mouth, jumped out of the foliage and nearly cut him in two with a single swing of the blade it carried. But he did not avoid the follow-up attack, as the familiar form of Volcan leapt into view, and kicked Calhoun hard, sending him hurtling into a tree before landing on the ground beside the wolf.

"You aren't going anywhere, Calhoun," the Blaziken stated, hatefully, as more figures - three Lucario and a second wolf, stepped out of the forest to join him. "This madness ends today!"

Seji instinctively went to reach for his basket hilt, but Minato quickly pushed him onto his back with Psychic. "Don't even try it, old man..." He growled, glaring furiously at the Alakazam.

Luke then stepped up, glancing at each of the remaining forces of the Dark Crusade before speaking up. "This battle is over." He stated firmly. "Kyogre is defeated, your forces are scattered, and you have nowhere to run. This is your _only_chance to surrender... I highly recommend you take it."

Calhoun glared at Luke. "You already know I won't do that," he stated firmly, "You may have won this battle, but this war is far from over."

"It'll be over if we strike you down, here and now," Zamazenta growled, his shield forming into its solid form, glaring at the Dark Blaziken, "Face trial execution by the Guilds, or face summary execution by us. You shall not see tomorrow, marauder."

Calhoun's scowl never left his face, but his eyes seemed to flash briefly with a violet light. Then, he appeared, in a flash of brilliant blue light, appearing behind Calhoun and levitating above him. The Dark Crusade's secret weapon...

Mewtwo.

"I_will _not die here... Not now," Calhoun retorted, "But all of you... WILL!"

The Royal Knights lunged, but with a wave of his hand, a pulse of psychic power erupted from Mewtwo and threw both of them back, Zamazenta nearly crushing Luke and Volcan as he was sent tumbling toward them. He looked back at the wolves as they lay sprawled behind them, then turned his gaze back to Mewtwo, locking gazes with him for a time before he sucked in a deep breath and let it out.

"...I guess it's time then," he remarked. "All of you, keep Calhoun and the others at bay... I'll handle Mewtwo by myself."

Volcan sputtered, turning to Luke with his mouth falling open. "Say what? Luke, you can't beat him by yourself!"

"Yes, I can," Luke answered firmly, looking over his shoulder to Volcan. "You remember that secret training I went through while you were looking after Ignus?" He asked.

"The one when you came home exhausted?" Volcan asked. "I could hardly forget, but-"

He didn't get the chance to finish. Mewtwo was conjuring a huge Shadow Ball, and threw it at the two, forcing them to jump away. At the same time, Calhoun's followers charged; despite being wounded and battered, they were still able to fight, and engaged them - all except Calhoun, who remained back and let Mewtwo fight on his behalf.

Luke once again sighed and slowly got into a stance; not a fighting stance, but a powerup stance. He sucked in a deep breath, held it for a second, then he grunted as he called forth his Aura Surge. It burned a bright red around his body thanks to his Mega Evolution's enhancement, but then he started tensing his body harder than before, making his Aura Surge burn with even more intensity. Dust also started to shoot away from him in all directions as he continued to power up.

His muscles started to show some definition the harder he tensed his body, small sparks began igniting around his flame as his power continued to rise, and the outer layer of his Aura Surge started to gain a small blue highlight. By now he was gritting his teeth as he fought through the strain he was putting himself through, a couple times he thought he was going to lose his progress, but he held on despite the strain.

Finally, he felt the sensation he was trying to achieve. He flashed his eyes open and let out a furious roar as he straightened up and threw his arms out, his power exploding around him and sending dust billowing in all directions, forcing everyone to shield themselves from the bright light and the dust buffeting into them. When the dust settled, Luke's Aura Surge was now burning even more erratically around him, red sparks coursing around his body, and a second larger blue aura flame burned around the inner red flame. Veins bulged slightly around certain parts of his body, indicating the stress he was subjecting himself to, but for now, whatever new power he had unlocked, it was stable.

Minato stared in awe as he recognized the technique Luke was displaying. "...The same trick he pulled off in Hadleigh... and again at the South Nexus..." He remarked. "He's finally mastered it..."

"Holy..." Volcan breathed, barely able to believe what he was seeing, or how much it frightened him when he saw the harm it was doing to him.

"Seji, what the hell is happening to him?!" Crane demanded, the normally cold-exterior Cacturne taken aback by the display of power he was seeing.

"I... I'm not entirely sure," Seji answered. "I've never seen such an ability before."

"To put it simply," Luke began. "My Aura Surge amplifies my power tenfold, and when I'm Mega Evolved, that adds an extra boost to it, which is why it's red," he explained. "All I've done is simply taken my amplified Aura Surge and increased its power output a further tenfold," he said, then he managed a smirk. "I haven't exactly come up with a proper term for this version yet, so for the time being, let's just call this... Hyper Surge."

Calhoun was momentarily taken aback by the display, but he soon collected himself. "No matter how powerful you've become, you are no match for Mewtwo!" He declared, and with a motion of his hand, the legendary Psychic-type attacked, conjuring another Shadow Ball to cast at Luke.

Luke instantly dashed toward Mewtwo as he was conjuring his Shadow Ball, throwing his arm forward as if he were about to punch him. However, Mewtwo was suddenly hit in the face with that same punch but coming from the side. Luke had moved so fast that he left behind an afterimage of himself that looked like it was still solid, and the force behind his punch was enough to send Mewtwo flying.

"W-What the...?" Minato exclaimed after witnessing Luke score the first hit in their battle.

"So fast!" Zacian added in astonishment.

When Mewtwo recovered and tried to go another attack, Luke had already appeared in front of him and had connected with a solid Wicked Blow, this time actually dealing critical damage to him because of the type advantage.

"You may be the most powerful Psychic-type in the world," Luke began. "But that title means nothing compared to what I am now!" he stated, then he once again exploded into action, rapidly striking at Mewtwo and pushing him further back before he launched him into the air with a punishing kick to his jaw. Luke then disappeared, and then Mewtwo was being assailed from all directions while still airborne, the only visible signs of Luke being exactly at the point of impact and leaving behind an afterimage after he moved.

Mewtwo's eyes glowed, and suddenly Luke's fists were no longer making contact with him. He had thrown up a barrier between himself and the Lucario, blocking Luke's onslaught, before another glow appeared around his body. The bruises and cuts he had suffered from Luke began to rapidly heal from the Recover, and he followed it with Psychic, blasting Luke with a pulse of telekinetic energy to throw him off.

As Mewtwo floated higher into the air again, this time his next attack was Psystrike, creating multiple hard light projectiles in a swarm around Luke, before spreading out his arms, and crossing them, sending them hurtling at Luke from all sides. However, thanks to Luke's Hyper Surge, his instincts had also been amplified. He dodged and weaved around each and every one of the hard light projectiles until the last one was about to hit him; he managed to actually catch that one and hurl it back at Mewtwo, then right before it hit him, Luke was already behind him and backhanded the Legendary Pokémon along the back of his head, sending him right into the projectile before he spun and delivered a powerful axe kick that send Mewtwo crashing into the ground.

When Luke landed, he was panting somewhat, then he winced as he felt his body start to throb and looked down at his paws. They were trembling; a sign that his body was starting to approach its limit, but he clenched his paws tight to stop the trembling and faced Mewtwo once more.

'Damnit, I thought I had more time than this!' He cursed internally. 'I'm going to have to wrap this up before the damage becomes irreversible!'

Volcan watched the ongoing battle, wishing there was something he could do to help his husband. But Luke had achieved a level of power the Blaziken had no chance of reaching, and even then, he was still being pushed to his limits by Mewtwo. Volcan's keen eyes could see Luke's trembling paws and see in his body language that he was not going to last much longer.

Luke needed to end this fight now, and Volcan knew exactly how to do it. Every time they had fought Shadow Pokémon created by Calhoun, the Dark Blaziken was never there in person... Except for now; Calhoun had not attempted to leave the battlefield, for whatever reason - Volcan didn't care. He knew exactly how to help Luke.

Without a second thought, Volcan raced toward Calhoun. His Mega Evolution had long since expired, but so had Calhoun's, and Volcan still had the speed he had attained from being a Mega Blaziken. Calhoun had begun to heal from his fight with Luna, but he was not back to peak health yet. It was now or never.

Calhoun saw Volcan coming at him, and barely evaded his outstretched leg. Calhoun landed on one knee and both hands and swung out with his leg in retaliation to Volcan; the Blaziken dodged, and stepped closer; Calhoun wheeled about, swinging with his leg again, followed by the other - a tornado of motion. He still had his naturally occurring Speed Boost - an ability Volcan did not have, and certainly Calhoun would outpace and overwhelm Volcan overtime.

Volcan pressed one despite this, watching Calhoun's movements closely. All his attacks came from mid-level or down low, each one carrying into the next. Swipe, kick, spring back to his feet, roundhouse, spin-kick, low kick. Volcan deftly stayed out of the way, jumping back only once to gain enough distance to use Bulk-up, followed by a Flame Charge, raising his own speed, keeping just enough up with Calhoun to continue analyzing.

Roundhouse, sweep, high kick, drop low, sweep, swipe, headhunter, pull back, stand. Kick, kick, roundhouse, sweep...

Pattern... Every movement Calhoun made, every kick, carried into the next, generating momentum, but he had an attack pattern... Eventually, he had to stop, or the momentum would carry beyond his ability to control; Calhoun was subject to his own incredible speed, and it was in that Volcan would find his opening.

Roundhouse, sweep, high kick, drop low, sweep, swipe, headhunter, pull back, stand, kick high, kick low, roundhouse, sweep, high kick, drop low, sweep, swipe, headhunter, pull back, stand. Kick high, high, roundhouse, sweep, high kick, drop low, sweep, swipe - catch.

In a blur of motion, Volcan caught Calhoun's swipe kick aimed for his midriff, opening his arms as the leg came up and letting it strike his abdomen, exhaling sharply to reduce the impact of the kick as he skidded back. But before he had even stopped sliding, the Blaziken twisted and ripped Calhoun off his balancing foot, the dark Blaziken letting out a shout of surprise as all of his momentum was suddenly turned on him by Volcan.

The other Blaziken swung him around, turning on his heel, before throwing Calhoun toward a group of trees. A birch tree broke under the momentum of the flying Calhoun before he was brought to a dead stop as he slammed into an oak. Bones cracked...

Calhoun screamed.

Mewtwo stopped.

Luke heard Calhoun's scream, and Mewtwo came to an abrupt stop as if gripped by a sudden paralysis, staring unblinking, unseeing, into open space. Luke didn't stop to see why the legendary Psychic-type had hesitated. He had an opening!

He knew that he couldn't extract the shadow curse while he was under this much stress; such a feat required intense focus and his new power was taking all of that just to keep it active... But he could at least incapacitate Mewtwo and purify him later, and he knew just how to end this battle in one fell swoop.

He powered up to his limit and began cupping his paws at his side, growling as he gathered copious amounts of aura into them. He growled as he tried to get all the power he needed, but his fatigue made it hard to focus and his body was aching more the longer he charged his attack. He was a sitting duck.

Mewtwo had managed to snap out of its trance while Luke was charging his attack, looking at ever he was doing and quickly spread its arms out and fired a Swift attack. In his current state, Luke couldn't try to defend himself from the incoming star-shaped projectiles, so he was forced to take the attack head-on and try to withstand it. Unfortunately, Luke's new power had taken a lot of his stamina and endurance, and eventually he was blown off his feet and sent skidding along the ground, his Hyper Surge fizzling out as he lay there.

Mewtwo then rose into the air and held its arms forward, and in its hands shone a powerful bright light as it prepared a Hyper Beam attack to finish Luke off for good. Luke tried pushing himself back to his feet, but his body wouldn't properly obey his commands, only managing to get onto his paws and knees before he had to stop.

'Damnit all! Come on, move!!' Luke screamed internally. 'This isn't how it's going to end! You worked too hard for this to fail!'

"Get up, Luke!!"

Luke's ears twitched as he heard his mother's voice, turning to look at her watching him try to push himself back to his feet. She wore a stern look in her eyes as she regarded her son. "Don't tell me you're calling it quits already! After all of that work you put into mastering your new power, and this is how you're going to let it end?!"

Luke grit his teeth and kept trying to push himself back up again while Luminara continued to speak. "Luke, you are the only one who can stop Mewtwo! If you don't end this fight now... Volcan is going to die. Ignus is going to die! Everyone you love is going to die!"

She paused, her expression softening as she took a gentler approach. "You are more_than just my little boy... You are Luke, Captain of Team Valiant! Defender of Port Azure... Defender of the _world! If you let yourself die here, then the world is doomed to follow you! So, get back up on your feet, grit your teeth, and show them your real power!!"

Luke's eyes shot open, and he rose to his feet, spurred on by his mother's words. With a furious, blood-curdling roar he broke through his limits and activated his Hyper Surge once more, glaring at Mewtwo before once again charging his previous attack, only this time he started running toward Mewtwo while charging his attack.

When he was finished, Luke jumped into the air and toward Mewtwo. It was at that moment that Mewtwo discharged its Hyper Beam, the blast zeroing in on Luke and threatening to blast him point blank in the face. What came next was almost impossible to see, the sharp eyes of Volcan and Calhoun could barely keep track. Luke suddenly ignited his legs with Blaze Kick and kicked at the air, making a small fiery explosion that propelled him over the Hyper Beam and directed above Mewtwo, who could only stare back at Luke in astonishment.

"Aura....STOOOORM!!!" Luke roared as he swung his arms forward, discharging a massive blue beam of his own power right into Mewtwo. The blast crashed into the ground and barreled into Mewtwo, damaging the legendary Psychic-type the longer the beam remained active.

Eventually the attack ceased, and Luke fell back to the ground, staggering all over the place as he fought to keep his footing, panting heavily as lifted his head to see Mewtwo lying on his back, battered, bruised, and somewhat scorched from the intensity of Luke's final attack, but still alive despite the damage it had sustained.

Luke then fell into a crouch, panting hoarsely as his stamina finally gave out. He dropped out of his Hyper Surge and his Mega Evolved state, fighting as hard as he could to stay conscious, knowing that Calhoun might try to take him down while he was vulnerable.

Silence fell over both groups, staring in complete disbelief at what they were seeing. Only Calhoun was able to put the incredulity into words.

"It's... Not... Possible!" he exclaimed, "Mewtwo is unstoppable! How can this single Lucario possibly-?!" His words trailed off, his mind still reeling at what he had seen.

Zamazenta jerked, and looked at Minato, "My friend, you must free Mewtwo, while you have the chance! You are protected by my sister's power now!"

Zamazenta was right. The Shadow Curse could not take Minato anymore. He nodded back to Zamazenta, quickly running past Luke and skidding to a stop next to the downed Mewtwo, where he knelt and began the purification process.

Calhoun looked over, and scoffed at the sight, regaining his triumphant smile. "You're going to try to free him?" he asked. "That is futile; there's nothing left to purify! He has been under my power for more than a year; any light that was left in his heart has long been snuffed out! All you are doing is opening the way for the curse to take you instead!"

"That might be the case, if Minato wasn't a Blessed," said Volcan, "and don't think your hold is so absolute, Calhoun. After all," he glared hard at the Dark Blaziken, "even under your power, Mewtwo spared me."

Calhoun's smile faded then, remembering that night - when Mewtwo had seemingly killed Luke and Volcan... Only for them to turn up again not long after that. It had been almost a year since then, but if Mewtwo had been able to hold out that long...

"NO!" Calhoun declared, and made a run straight at Minato, but Zamazenta leapt into his path, and with a lunge, tackled Calhoun and sent him hurtling into his comrades where Zann instinctively caught him.

"You shall not interfere!" the shield wolf declared, taking a threatening step forward.

"Stop them!" Calhoun commanded but didn't wait even as he gave that order, pulling himself away from Zann and making another run at Zamazenta, his hand raised with dark energy cascading along the length of his arm. "If I cannot go through you, I'll make you fight for me!" Calhoun declared as he leapt at Zamazenta.

Zacian cried out her brother's name, but she was too far to stop Calhoun; even with her speed, the Dark Blaziken was too close. Either for her to intervene, or for Zamazenta to evade.

But Luminara was closer, and nearly as fleet of foot as her son. She quickly sped forward and stood between Calhoun and Zamazenta, her arms spread outward and bracing for Calhoun's attack.

Luke managed to watch her move; his eyes wide as she put herself in front of Zamazenta. He knew what would happen if Calhoun touched her, and he tried to turn to run after her, but his body gave out and he fell flat on his face. He could only cry out for his mother just as Calhoun reached her.

As Calhoun reached her, he smiled wickedly, and thrust his hand into her chest. "I'll delight in making you murder your own son!" he declared.

But what happened... Nothing could have prepared him for it. Not only was Luminara not corrupted by his touch, but he felt something else... Another presence, emanating from within her. One that stirred the unawakened power of Giratina within Calhoun's own body; that made the dark god awaken, sensing the presence of his old nemesis.

Calhoun blinked, and suddenly he was no longer in the woods. He was floating, surrounded by an infinite void in all directions, and before him stood Luminara. Like himself, she seemed to be floating, her dreadlocks floating freely behind her head as though she were suspended in a pool of water while looking back at him with an impassive stare.

But she wasn't alone... Someone else was standing over her. Slowly, Calhoun's gaze drifted up, following the legs of the colossal figure that stood over her. Up, and up, until finally he saw their face. A featureless black, surrounded by white, and two brilliant orange eyes shining like stars as they glared down at the dark Blaziken, the featureless face betraying no emotion as to what the almighty being felt as they looked at him.

But suddenly the blackness around them was chased away as the golden ring worn around the divine being's body shone brightly, chasing away the blackness, except for a wall of shadow that lingered behind Calhoun as the silhouette of the dark one appeared, red eyes flaring brightly as he looked upon his nemesis. A roar of hatred broke the silence, coming from Giratina as he looked upon the face of his sworn enemy... and his father.