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Wade was in the gardens of Hizashi's palace when he received the telepathic message from Mewtwo. At first, he was startled to hear the voice, considering how far away they likely were, but the severity of his message made him put aside his initial surprise. Volcan was calling for him, specifically, to join them...

'What happened? Did something go awry at Gladiator City? Or have we been forced to accelerate our plans?' Wade asked.

'More the latter, I suspect,' Mewtwo answered, 'The Dark Crusade has located the final nexus. Volcan needs me to send him Miss Lashanne's... Vessel. Once they have it, they intend to travel to the Nexus itself, and muster your forces. He needs you there so that you know where it is when the time comes.'

'I understand.' Wade answered. 'Give me a moment. I must inform Lord Hizashi of this development.'

'I will wait. Let me know as soon as you are ready,' Mewtwo bade him.

With that, Wade quickly sought out the Shogun to inform him of the latest development in their plans. He found him overseeing training, making sure that his warriors were as ready as they could be for the upcoming battle. He shouted his name to get his attention, to which the elder Samurott turned and saw Wade approach, then bow before him before speaking.

"I apologize for the sudden outburst, but I have been informed that my comrades have hit a snag, and that I must return to them," he explained.

"Has that Calhoun found what he seeks?" Hizashi asked, his tone carrying mild concern.

"I don't know. I only know that Mewtwo says it's imperative that I return to my comrades right away," Wade answered.

"...But then how will we arrive on the battlefield when the time is nigh?" the elder Samurott asked. "Mewtwo is a powerful entity, but not even he could move my entire battalion on his own."

At that, Wade smirked. "You forget that I am Palkia's chosen Blessed, and you've seen what I can do with his power," the younger Samurott reminded Hizashi, "Just have your warriors ready in the main atrium, and I will create a portal for you to cross through."

Hizashi nodded once firmly. "We will await your signal." He said, then slowly lowered his head to Wade, surprising the younger Samurott. The Shogun of Maelstrom Isle was actually bowing to him.

Wade quickly bowed back in return, feeling it was necessary to return the gesture of respect, then looked off to the side once they finished. 'Alright. I'm ready, Mewtwo.'

He barely thought the words before Mewtwo brought him forth; he felt the briefest sense of vertigo, before reappearing on the familiar deck of Lashanne's airship, standing at the bow. Ahead, he could see Mewtwo, his eyes glowing as he summoned more of his power to move Wade and the airship simultaneously.

"Wha- oh, hey there," Wade heard the voice of Toby behind him, coming from the helm. "What's new, blue?"

"Oh hello... Toby, right?" Wade asked. "Forgive the sudden appearance, but I've been informed that we're moving ahead of schedule." He added.

"Yeah, Mewtwo let me know," the Meowth assured him, "Now we just-"

The Meowth didn't finish his sentence before they were on their way again. Fortunately, Toby had already prepared the ship for idling beforehand, knowing they were about to depart. Fortunately, this time, the vertigo didn't return - though Tobdy still looked a little disoriented as the ship was teleported.

They reappeared above a body of open water, and off the port side, they could see the expanse of a city. Toby stumbled side to side by the wheel before taking hold of it, shaking his head to clear it.

"I'll never get used to that," he muttered before he turned the key to activate the engines and get the ship moving. "Ya sees anywhere I can set her down without causing a jam?"

"...Not from here," Wade called back to the Meowth. "Move closer to the city. There will be a better vantage point there."

Toby increased the throttle to take them over the city. Unsurprisingly, multiple citizens were looking up at them, but as far as Wade could see, not as many with the same wonder as the citizens of Azure when they had seen the airship for the first time. He remembered that day well; even he had been quite awestruck when he'd seen the vessel.

But it seemed Gladiator City was more accustomed to the sight of the flying ship... Was it because Lashanne had been to the city before, or because such vessels were a common sight in the West? Somehow, he doubted that, given the number of boats and caravans he could see.

Then, up ahead, something caught his eye. On the roof of the colosseum, a figure was waving to them. Squinting his eyes, he made out the familiar profile of a Delphox he recognized, waving her paws in the air to get their attention.

"I see Lashanne on the roof of the Colosseum!" Wade announced. "Set the ship down in the arena! I have a feeling our comrades are waiting there!"

"On it!" Toby called back to him, directing the ship toward the Colosseum.

As they drew closer, Lashanne began to move her arms in a different manner, directing them into the middle of the arena. Toby, now able to see her over the side, followed her flagging motions until he brought the airship directly over the open battlefield of the city's namesake arena, and began to descend. A sound like a balloon being inflated filled Wade's ears as the ship's floatation device drew in oxygen and began to descend with the increased mass.

As they lowered, Wade could see Volcan's team was gathered in the field, including Volcan and Sol who, he immediately noticed, looked worse for wear out of all of them.

"...What happened to them?" he muttered, eyes narrowed in suspicion even as they touched down in the arena. Wade leapt over the railing once the ship was on the ground, landing on all fours before he trotted over to greet Volcan and his allies, immediately addressing the Donphan in the room.

"What happened to you two?" he asked, concerned.

"Long story short," Volcan began, "Sol had his final battle with the Black Titan and I had mine with Sash - we'll tell you more on the way."

Lashanne came descending from the upper levels of the arena, levitating most of the way while skipping the rest until she touched down beside Minato, looking longingly up at her ship. "Feels like I've been away from her for months," she said, paws on her hips as she regarded her vessel proudly.

"Eager to get back behind the helm, are you?" Minato asked, gently poking her shoulder with a smirk.

"Damn straight," she said, "And time's a-wasting, so everybody get aboard. Minato, Caulin; help me load up the supplies."

"Roger that, mom," Caulin answered, already trotting to gather up the first of the supplies, with Minato following shortly afterward to give his son an extra pair of hands.

"I'll help too," Volcan offered, "Coming, love?" he directed the question to Luke.

"More hands means we'll take off sooner," Luke answered with a nod. "Let's get to work."

Taking Luke in his arms, Volcan jumped up to the deck of the ship, and moved over to the side where he set his husband down before peering over. The first of the supply boxes was coming up, containing bottles of purified water, which was heavy; Volcan and Luke shared the weight and carried the crate to the stairs heading down to the lower deck, and took the water to the supply room before going back for the rest.

Once there, they found Luminara, Koa and Jora had joined in, and the four created a daisy chain for the boxes of food, passing one to the other until the last two crates - once more containing water, were sent up, and they had to pair up to carry them down to the storage closet. There, Luke took a long look at Jora, once again feeling a sense of apprehension having her there...

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He knew she wanted to help bring Calhoun down, but that feeling of deep concern wouldn't leave him alone. The Lucario felt it was far too dangerous for her to come along... She wasn't a fighter like the others were. He didn't want to risk collateral damage with her being the unfortunate victim.

Luke must not have been very discrete with his concern; before long, Jora caught his eye, and even when he tried to look away, it was too late. "Luke, is something wrong?" she asked.

The Lucario grimaced slightly, then began to approach Jora and spoke quietly to her so that no one could hear them. "It's just... I really don't feel comfortable having you along, Jora, purely because I'm deeply concerned about your safety..." he said softly as he placed a paw on her shoulder. "I know you want to help, and you've helped tremendously since you came to us... But this is not like looking after civilians or protecting them from other threats... This is Calhoun we're dealing with. I don't want you to end up dead because you were caught in the crossfire..."

As Jora seemed to be trying to think of something to say, to reassure Luke, Koa - overhearing the conversation, stepped over, standing beside Luke and sharing his concerned expression. "Jora... Might be hurt," he said, "Not want, see Jora hurt..."

She looked between the two, and she frowned. "As much as I want to see this through," she said, "...I can't expect you two to fight at your best while fearing for my safety." With a long, uncomfortable moment, she lifted her gaze again, "If it truly means that much to both of you... I will remain here in the city, under the protection of Romulus, his team and his security. If that's truly what you want."

Waiting for her to repeat the same to Koa, speaking this time in their shared tongue, Luke said, "Like I said, I know you wanted to help... but I don't want to have to be the one to tell your clan of your passing... They need you to ensure that their community flourishes." He responded as he gently took Jora into an embrace. "You've done more than enough to help us in this war, and I can't thank you enough."

Jora wrapped her arms around Luke, hugging him just as tightly. "You be certain you will make it back as well," she said, "You adopted a pack child... He will want his pack back soon enough."

"I assure you, I will make damn sure Volcan and I return to our little boy," Luke said firmly, pulling back to look at her and nodding slightly.

With that, Koa stepped forward and embraced Jora, his massive paws almost large enough to cover her entire back as he held her, and said, "A hui hou, makuhine..." in a sad voice, his words making Jora's eyes widen in surprise, before she held the Zeraora equally tight, holding back tears as he claws clutched the fur of his back.

Volcan, Minato and Caulin, overhearing the conversation, saw Caulin's ears droop upon hearing what Koa had said. "What'd he say?" the Blaziken asked, whispering.

Caulin's expression saddened a little more as he stared at the two of them. "He said... 'Until we meet again, mother'," he answered, biting his bottom lip as he watched the exchange.

Volcan shared a saddened look with Minato, before turning back to watch as the two reluctantly parted. Jora made her way to the side of the ship and began to climb down the rope ladder, before they saw her standing by the wall, and waved to them as Lashanne called for Toby to take them up...

The airship slowly lifted out of the arena, and higher until it cleared the outer walls of the colosseum. Team Phalanx, and their additional passengers, watched Gladiator City slowly falling away from them as they climbed higher than the mountain walls, and turned their course westward.

Volcan stood with Luke at the bow of the ship, watching the land passing below but saying little to each other as they listened to the familiar, low hum of the airship's engines. Finally, Volcan broke the silence, though his tone was grim.

"I pray... That we're not too late," he said, holding Luke a little tighter to his side.

"Me too, love," Luke replied, squeezing Volcan to him and resting his head against the Blaziken's chest. "Me too..."

~~~~~

The ritual was nearing completion... Yet, it was still taking a long time.

Calhoun's focus slipped only once during the process, but he was able to quickly regain himself. The cause of his distraction was a sense of power that filled him, but it did not originate from Giratina. Of course, the dark god took notice; even with Calhoun sitting down with his back to the portal, he sensed it just as Calhoun did, through their forming bond and Calhoun's dominance over Necrozma.

'It would seem Necrozma has nearly regained all of its power,' The dragon god remarked. 'How convenient... The ritual is nearly complete. Stay your focus for a little longer... I can feel the seal weakening the more we are connected.'

"As can I," said Calhoun, "But the barrier... I still feel it its strength. It is as if your essence is coming to me through a filter. Even if the bond is complete, I am not certain I will be able to break the seal completely..." He opened his eyes as he spoke. "We need more Shadow Essence... And I think Necrozma is the key to getting more."

There was silence for a moment as Giratina pondered what Calhoun meant. 'The being is from another dimension... You truly plan to have him open that dimension and corrupt more of its kind should there be any?'

"It is an enemy that our own adversaries would not even know how to fight," replied Calhoun, "The surprise alone gives us an advantage. That being said, I don't know how many I could have Necrozma coax through before they begin to catch on; I know very little about these 'Ultra Beasts'."

Indeed, how could one know a life form literally from another world?

'...I would advise asking it, but we are too far into the ritual. If we stop, you will be erased from existence,' Giratina answered. 'We are so close. Once you have access to your full Blessing, then you may do what you wish with Necrozma.'

Calhoun gave a slow nod, never breaking his concentration on his meditation. But, he did still send a silent command to Necrozma, telling it to remain ready until he needed it. Calhoun could feel it the power of Giratina filling his body, and knew that it would not be much longer... He was so close now; so close to absolute power...

~~~~~

The silence of the sea of mesas and cliffs was interrupted only by the hum of the airship's engines, and the casual conversations taking place on its deck, while Lashanne traded captaining of the helm with Toby throughout the first day. Not wanting to lose time, Volcan offered to take the helm overnight, letting Lashanne focus on her maps to ensure they were on course.

Luke, of course, stayed up with Volcan and the Delphox, not wanting to be far from his husband. He stood by Volcan's side as they soared over the mesa, amazed by the amount of light offered by the moon and stars - though it was still not enough to see into the labyrinth below.

Then, Lashanne made a comment that caught their ears. "Well, I'll be," she said, "Full circle, huh?"

Luke turned and looked back at Lashanne for a moment, confused as to what she meant at first, but then he twitched and started to chuckle softly.

"Yea, I suppose so," he replied, smiling back at her.

"What, what're you two talking about?" Volcan asked.

"We first met Lashanne out here in the West, and now we're looking to end this battle in the same continent alongside her," Luke pointed out. "Hell, we're even piloting her airship."

"Actually, I was referring to something else," Lashanne corrected, "Though, yes, there is an irony to that."

"What did you mean then?" Volcan asked.

"Take a good look over there," Lashanne replied, pointing north of them. "See that ridge, right below the moon's position, with that overshadowing butte standing over it?"

The two followed where she was pointing, eyes squinting to penetrate the darkness around them. Eventually, Volcan said. "I... Think so? Hard to tell."

"...Wait, was that where we...?" Luke added, looking at the butte and back at Lashanne.

"Yeeeup," she replied, smiling. "Right inside that ridge, is the ancient city where I first met the two of you."

"You gotta be kidding me," said Volcan, "What're the odds?"

"In a continent this vast, slim to none," Luke answered. "Though as nostalgic as it may be... I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Lashanne's smile faded as she looked at Luke. "Irony aside, why not?"

Luke shrugged. "Chalk it up to bad experiences during the last time we were out here," he answered. "Maybe I'm just feeling a bit paranoid that something's going to cut this journey short."

"If Seji's directions are good, which I hope to heck they are, we should get there by tomorrow evening," said Lashanne, "But we've taken down all of Calhoun's worst assets, right?"

"Not quite," replied Volcan, "We may have caught Sash and Asya, and Seji's on our side now, but they still have Tory. He's the only one we've never really been able to beat... Worst of all, we'd never see him coming if he's lurking out here."

"And there's that Zoroark that killed Kage's father at the Kaeru's hideout," Luke added.

"You think he's still with them?" Volcan asked.

"It's not impossible to think he'd stick around," Luke answered. "Especially if he still has a grudge on Kage."

Volcan grimaced. "That makes the problem worse, then... If Hank has taught me anything it's that dealing with a Zoroark could be a real problem."

"Well, Luke can see through his illusions with Aura Sense, right?" Lashanne offered, "It's not like he can set an ambush we won't notice."

"An ambush I could detect easily." Luke agreed. "A trap, however... Well, we all know what happened the last time we sprang one."

"...Point taken," agreed Lashanne, rubbing her chin in thought. "I suppose we'll have to burn that bridge when we find it."

Luke nodded. "Let's hope we can counter it before it can do any lasting damage."

Lashanne took a moment to check her map again, and then pointed ahead, directing Volcan to pass between a pair of high-rising buttes. Over the side, they found signs of a fairly recent battle, able to smell the rotting bodies that had been left in the sun for an extended period, prompting Luke and Lashanne to go see what they were smelling. Lashanne grimaced when she saw the bodies.

"I see a lot of Makuhita - probably a Naturalist tribe that lives out here," she said. "Well, if nothing else, we know we're going the right way."

"We better keep our guard up," Luke informed her. "This is no doubt Calhoun's doing... Tory or that Zoroark might be waiting in the shadows and watching our every move."

"Watch the buttes; look for caves," said Lashanne, "If Tory's hiding out here somewhere, that's where he'd be. That Zoroark shouldn't be able to get us up here - not without us seeing him first."

Volcan straightened the airship's course again by Lashanne's direction, and they continued over the mesas...

Daybreak came, and the rest of the team began emerging from their sleep to come up to the deck, with Toby taking the controls again and Luke and Volcan heading below to get some sleep while Lashanne retired to her cabin to do the same. At Volcan's insistence, everyone was on high alert, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble coming their way.

Another scene of a battle was below them. This one appeared to have been far more one-sided, and brief; the bodies of a dozen or so dead Cacturnes lay in the shadow of a butte, their bodies having begun to dry and wither away with the heat of the sun. Minato was the first to see them, and noticed also that there were signs of abundant foot traffic in the sand; he was not a tracker like Hank, but even he could recognize signs of movement by a large group.

"See something, bud?" came the voice of Tristan, coming up behind him with his footsteps thudding on the deck. He'd noticed Minato staring over the side.

"Another blood bath. This time a bunch of Carcturne just left to rot..." Minato answered, frowning. "They didn't even have a chance... It's like they were just blitzed."

Tristan peered over the railing to look at what Minato was seeing, and let out a huff. "Geez... I see what you mean," he said, "Only the bodies of Cacturne; nothing from Calhoun's side... They had no idea who they were dealin' with."

"Despicable..." the Lucario growled. "All this just to prove a point..." He added, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his paws tightly at his sides.

This madness had gone on long enough, thought Minato... Whatever the cost, whatever the fate that awaited them in the end, Calhoun had to be destroyed, once and for all...

It was almost midday by the time Volcan and Luke stirred again. Their sleep had not been the most restful they'd ever had; the anticipation of what was coming was more than enough to keep both of them awake, even as they helped each other relax. When the cabin started to become uncomfortably hot, they gave up. Taking some tea with them up to the decks, they drank and joined their teammates, letting the caffeine in the tea do its work as their eyes scanned the mesas...

But that was when they noticed something was amiss.

"Luke... Either something's wrong with my eyes... Or it's getting darker," said Volcan, looking around with a bewildered expression stretched across his face.

The sun was passing the midday zenith. Yet, the world around them seemed to be darkening, as if there were a blanket of shadow being drawn across the land, but there was nothing - nothing, to cast such a shadow... There was not a cloud in the sky as far as the eye could see, and the incandescent orb of the sun's light was still in plain sight, but so dim that they could almost look directly at it...

"...Whatever it is, it's not a Solar Eclipse," Luke remarked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion as he put down his cup.

The rest of the team, spread out across the deck, were equally dumbfounded as the two captains. All except, one who saw through the eyes of another. Luminara felt an unearthly chill coursing through her as she stared up at the darkening sky overhead, but it had not originated from her. She was, through their empathic link, sensing the apprehension of her patron.

"No... No, it can't be... How could this happen? What have they done?!"

Never, in all the time she had been linked to him, nor even in the time she had seen him in the afterlife... Had Luminara ever heard Arceus speak in such a tone... She did not - could not, believe a being such as he could feel anything even resembling fear, but there was no mistaking the trepidation she could feel emanating from him, so strongly that it coursed through her own body as if it were her own.

'What? What is it?' Luminara asked Arceus, looking up toward the sky as if she were speaking to him there.

'It has been hundreds of years... I had almost forgotten,' Arceus said, seemingly only half-speaking to her at that moment, 'But now there can be no mistaking it. The Devourer of Light has been reawakened.' Then came a feeling of anger, and betrayal. 'Giratina... You would doom our entire world just to regain your freedom?! You could not have fallen farther...'

'Devourer of Light? What are you talking about?' Luminara continued to press. 'Just what is this being?'

Arceus seemed to come back to himself, and finally answered her question. 'Years ago, before his banishment, my sons - including Giratina, battled an invader from another world,' he explained,'If you speak with Pericles' blessed, he could likely tell the story better, as he was there, and I was not. Not the first time...'

He continued. 'The being is known as Necrozma, the King of the Ultra Beasts from another dimension. They once sought to take this world for themselves,' he explained, 'Pericles, Damocles - Dialga, and Giratina defeated him and drove him back. But shortly after that, Giratina began his uprising, and then I was forced to step in this time; together, the three of us banished him to the realm of his own creation, the Distortion Realm.

'But Necrozma returned shortly after, during the uprising of Giratina's worshippers; whether he knew Giratina had been banished or not, I cannot say, but he attacked again. This time, without the help of their brother, my sons could not prevail, and I was forced to intervene again. But even I was barely able to stop him...

'As it was, even after he was defeated, we could not destroy him - he was just too powerful to kill, and his strength was returning rapidly because he feeds on all forms of light - sunlight, moonlight, the light of fires, all of it fuels him. But we found an alternative, sealing his powers and reducing him to a contained form. As punishment for his invasion, we charged him to guard this Nexus, to keep my fallen son locked away. There he has remained ever since...'

A being from another world - powerful enough to challenge Arceus himself, and all _three_of his sons besides? Her blood suddenly ran cold as she pieced together the information she was given.

'If Calhoun has corrupted this Necrozma and is using him for his own desires... Could that mean he could use Necrozma to bring back those who tried taking over this world like they did before...?' She asked with mild hesitancy.

'Possibly... Either way, the seal placed upon Necrozma's power has been lifted. He will regain his full power quickly, and then I fear even my sons would not be able to stop him... Unless, as you suggested, he controls him; the pair of them together would be unstoppable...' There was a short pause, before he added adamantly. 'You must tell them! Bring the Samurott into the discussion as well; Palkia has more experience with Necrozma than anyone else - pay heed to his wisdom on this matter.'

'I understand.' She replied, then quickly turned and paced toward her sons, grabbing their attention with taps to their shoulders. "Please have everyone gather on the deck. Arceus has just shared troubling news that you all must hear."

"What's going on?" Volcan asked, curiously.

But the look in her eyes was a sign to Luke, knowing his mother well, that she was dead serious and in no mood to answer questions yet. He nodded back to her quickly before he spoke up again.

"Do what she says, Volcan," He said sternly to the Blaziken. "Whatever she has to say, I've no doubt it's something of great importance, especially if Arceus himself has told her to share it."

That got Volcan's attention, and he began calling for his teammates, telling them to gather for an emergency meeting near the helm - so that Toby could hear them as well. The group diligently gathered by Volcan's command, forming a circle where they could all see and hear each other.

"What's this about, Volcan?" Lashanne asked, the first to speak.

"Luminara says that Arceus has news to share with us," Volcan explained, and passed it over to Luminara - and, surprisingly, Wade, who was standing at her side.

Luminara cleared her throat a little before taking a breath in and speaking. "We know what is responsible for this strange phenomenon," she began. "This sudden disappearance of light is the work of the last Guardian of this Nexus... and is a being that Arceus and his sons battled against several hundred years ago."

Wade then stepped in. "The entity is named Necrozma, and from what Kay has divulged with me, it is called an 'Ultra Beast,' an extraterrestrial being from a different dimension."

"Like... the Distortion World?" Caulin asked.

"No. This dimension is much different," Wade clarified, "and Necrozma isn't the only one of its kind."

"There are more like him?" Volcan asked, looking again at the darkening sky, "And he is causing the whole world around us to go dark?"

"That is correct," Wade nodded back. "Necrozma's power stems from all forms of light energy. The more light it consumes, the stronger it becomes," the Samurott explained, pointing up to the darkening sky. "Solar light, light from a fire or a light bulb. Anything that gives off light, Necrozma can feed off it and make itself stronger."

"...That sounds like bullshit," Sol growled, frowning heavily.

"I... Kind of have to agree with Sol," Minato added. "A being whose source of power is literally every light source imaginable? That seems incredibly farfetched."

"Deny this information at your own peril," Wade warned them. "What I'm telling you _is_the truth. Kay himself can confirm this because he was there to partake in that battle, along with his brothers and his father."

"Wait, it took Palkia and his father and brothers to beat this guy?" Lashanne asked, stunned, "And now they expect us to defeat something it took _them_to stop?" She threw out her arms. "Why not just throw us into a pit of spikes - it'll be quicker!"

"Hang on, Lashanne," Volcan spoke up, "Can Palkia or Arceus at least tell us how they beat Necrozma - any weaknesses we can exploit that Calhoun can't account for yet?"

At that, Arceus spoke up, and Luminara recited his words. "Despite it being from an alternate dimension, it still carries all of the attributes of a Pokémon, which means it has type weaknesses," Luminara answered. "In Necrozma's state, at its full power, it becomes a Dragon and Psychic Type."

"That gives us options, given that a lot of us know attacks that can damage it," Luke spoke up. "Still, it might not do us much good if it can just gather more light to further fuel itself."

"...Is there a way to extract any light that it consumes?" Hageshi suddenly asked. "Could attacks such as Giga Drain or Drain Punch work in that regard?"

This time, it was Palkia who spoke up, and Wade recited his words. "Kay mentions that once it gets dark, if the moon isn't out, it cannot restore its power, and any attack it uses will cost some of that absorbed light," Wade answered. "In theory, Draining attacks could work at that point, but given Necrozma's typing and the nature of draining attacks, it wouldn't do much damage any more than it would drain the light it has consumed."

"So, in other words, the amount of damage dealt would equate the amount of light drained from its body," Caulin piped up. "That's the gist of it, right?"

"That sounds about right," said Volcan, "Now I wish we had some Type Bulldozer emeras, like the one Sickle used when he fought Luke at the tournament."

"Good. Luck," Lashanne said flatly, "Type Bulldozers are one of the rarest emeras out there. As it is, I've only found two of them in my life and one of them I had to use once while fighting Crane. I only have one more." She looked at Luke, raising a brow, "And Sickle used one against you in a battle of sport? He must've been really serious."

"He was determined to make me work for that win," Luke answered. "Though even with that emera, at the time I had an overall strength and skill advantage."

"That's a rematch we gotta see one day," Tristan remarked with a chuckle.

"Let's not get off topic," Volcan spoke up, before the conversation could stray. "Let's go over what we know... Sickle is the only Pokémon I know that knows Drain Punch; can anyone else?" He looked at Hageshi, who had been the one to suggest it; he knew Hageshi - or Kage, one of them, knew Power-up Punch, but not this one.

"Both my father and I know the attack but given the situation, it will not be sufficient," Hageshi answered regardless.

The rest of the group remained silent, as none of them knew any draining attacks. Luke then cleared his throat. "Alright, so we'll only have three among us that know a draining move. That's one strategy we can use against Necrozma, but not one we can rely fully on," he stated.

"We could force it to use up its light reserves recklessly," Minato offered. "We'll be having some air support for this battle. The Red Talons and Blue Cyclones could use hit-and-run tactics to infuriate it enough to use its power faster."

"I could also turn any Dragon-type attacks it uses back on itself," Wade added. "I can use Kay's power to redirect them back at Necrozma before it could react."

"Ernoul is also a Fairy-type as well as Ice-type; he's got every advantage against Necrozma's Dragon-typing," Volcan offered, rubbing his chin. "And for the Psychic-type... Well, we have no shortage of Dark-types on our side; Hank, Kage, Hageshi, Romulus, Hook, Azrael... Well, maybe not Romulus; he's still hurt," he added grimly.

"We also have Pokémon that know Dark-type attacks, and there are others that can use Ghost or Bug-type attacks to their advantage." Luke added, "I myself know both Wicked Blow and Dark Pulse. Katsumoto knows Fury Cutter and Megahorn, as does Wade if I recall correctly." He looked at Wade afterward, who nodded back in confirmation, "Lashanne, I recall you know Shadow Ball and Signal Beam..."

"I do, yes," she replied.

"Then we have options," said Volcan, nodding. "Necrozma will be tough, but not unbeatable."

"So long as we band together and overwhelm it, we should be able to take it down with minimal casualties." Luke added. "Teamwork will be vital in this battle. No lone wolf stuff or rushing in without a plan." He added, looking at Sol directly afterward.

"...The fuck are you looking at me for?" the Typhlosion asked irritably.

"I know you have a tendency to rush in recklessly, thinking you can overpower anything with your might alone," Luke answered.

"I'm stubborn, not stupid, asshole," Sol shot back.

"Okay, so we have a plan," Volcan went on, "We can deal with Necrozma. He's probably going to be a Shadow Pokémon, which means he's not going to be acting in his judgment - he's under Calhoun's. We've used that to our advantage several times already - we'll do it again. Does anybody else have anything else to add?"

Everyone seemed to shake their heads in response. "Alright then... We're getting close to our destination. Let's all rest up as much as we can before we arrive. We're going to need all of our strength for what's to come," Luke concluded.

Little did they know, though, that their flight was soon to be intercepted, and nobody would have the chance for a rest. Up in the butte, closer to their destination, a familiar pair of eyes spied on them. Had anyone been looking that way, they might have noticed the low, red gleam of the eyes following them. But nobody noticed them...

Tory waited until the airship passed, and then spread his wings, finally revealing himself as he bounded over the ledge and fell into a glide, descending toward the ship, slowly and silently...

No one noticed the Decidueye coming until it was too late, and they heard an audible _pop_above them, looking up to see the feathered shaft of an arrow pushed out by escaping air in the gas bag!

"Oh shit!" Volcan exclaimed, recognizing the arrow. "Everyone, Tory's here!" he shouted, unnecessarily.

"Damnit, why now??" Luke demanded as he and the others looked up and saw said Pokémon soaring silently around their airship. "We need to seal that bag before it deflates too much!"

"Hageshi, can you cover it?" Volcan called to the Greninja.

Hageshi nodded, then looked up toward the hole and leapt up toward it, taking the arrow out at the peak of his jump and sealing it with an Ice Beam before he started to fall back to the deck again.

"He's coming around for another pass!" Minato hollered, pointing at Tory.

"Damn it, we don't have any fliers to engage him!" Volcan growled, "Ranged attacks; try to keep him away!"

Lashanne was already conjuring a Shadow Ball, launching it at the Decidueye as he made another approach. Tory banked out of the path of the attack, still coming toward them with that murderous gleam in his eyes. Both Wade and Hageshi fired off Ice Beams and Ice Shurikens respectively, Wade creating a wide sweep with his attack, while Hageshi hurled as many projeciltes as he could in a wide arc to limit his escape options.

But Tory was simply too fast, too agile, for them to hit in the air, falling into a dive to plunge below the attacks before pulling up and heading for the ship's keel. Then, upon contact with the ship's hull, he disappeared, passing through the wooden sides like they were empty air.

"He's in the lower decks!" Volcan warned, already making a run for the access hatch, but before he could reach it, there was a clamouring sound from below, and the ship lurched as the engines began to sputter and slow to a stop.

"He cut the engine belts!" Toby exclaimed, almost panicking, "We're dead in the air! We need - ah!"

Tory suddenly emerged from the deck right in front of the Meowth, making him jump back in terror as the Decidueye ignited his leaf blades, this time his eyes on the ship's gas bag once more, and making a jump toward it with his blades crossed. Thinking fast, Wade quickly transformed and created a portal right in front of Tory before he swung, the blades passing into the portal and appearing outside of the ship through another, sending him into a fall to the desert below.

"Good save!" Luke said with a nod.

"Won't do us a lotta good! We gotta fix those engine belts!" Caulin announced.

"If we don't chase Tory off first, there'll be no chance to fix them!" Lashanne replied, sending a Signal Beam after the Decidueye as he pulled out of his fall. "And if he slices open that gas bag, we drop!"

"Leave him to me..." Hageshi stated as he started to approach the railing. "Get the belts fixed. Keep him at a distance with whatever attacks you have."

"How are you going to stop him; you can't even fly!" Volcan pointed out.

At that, Hageshi slightly smirked back at Volcan as he entered his Blessed State. His snowy cloak them began to harden and change shape, fanning out and becoming a pair of frozen wings with razor sharp edges.

"One of the perks of being Blessed." Wade piped up as Hageshi jumped off the railing, falling into a dive before he leveled out and soared toward Tory. "We are granted the power of flight or levitation while in this state."

"...Show off," Volcan muttered, and then looked at Lashanne. "How fast can you fix those belts?"

"Ten minutes, give or take," she said, "I need to dig out the spares from the cargo bay!"

"Let me help!" Caulin offered. "Four paws are better than two!"

"Alright, follow me!" Lashanne urged, running below decks. "Toby, you come too!"

"Right with ya, Lashanne!" the Meowth cried, bringing up the rear behind Caulin.

"Alright. We just have to keep Tory away somehow... Really wishing we had Eagle Eye with us - anyone have any ideas?" Volcan asked.

"I can keep the airship covered with my own Blessed Power," Wade offered.

"Then all we can do for now is just keep giving Hageshi covering fire while he keeps Tory at bay." Luke added. "Use every special attack you know, regardless of whether or not it is effective."

Tory proved to be an elusive opponent, even for Hageshi; though the blessing of Kyurem gave the Greninja the power of flight, he was not meant to fly, but the Decidueye species was. He was more maneuverable, faster, and - with his ghost typing, highly elusive. The two traded multiple projectile attacks; arrows and shuriken, Seed Bombs and Ice Shards peppered the cliff face of the butte, sending chunks of the sandstone escarpments falling to the ground below.

Yet Tory never relented, taking flight again after every attack and using the terrain to his advantage, his focus persisting on the enemy airship as Hageshi pursued him, seeking an opening to continue his attack. The Greninja narrowed his eyes as he continued his attempts to attack the airship. He raised his arm and began conjuring a Glacial Javelin in his hand, holding it back and waiting for the right moment to attack.

At the same time, those aboard the airship fired every special attack they knew. Luke struck using his Dragon Pulse attack while Sol added to the barrage with Fire Blasts. Wade, seeing that Hageshi was going for his Blessed attack, conjured his own signature move and waited, holding the Spatial Shuriken over his head.

When Tory was forced to barrel roll around one of Sol's Fire Blasts, that's when Wade struck. He shouted as he hurled his attack, the miniature black hole racing toward its target, with its accretion disk leaving behind a streak as it soared through the air. Seeing no other option, Tory dove, plunging straight down to pass under the shuriken as it whirred over his head, distorting the air in its wake. Hageshi then hurled his Glacial Javelin down at Tory the second he dove, then jerked as far to the right as he could to avoid Wade's shuriken to avoid getting caught in the gravitational pull.

"Man, this guy's fast!" Volcan called before he ran over to the other side of the ship, suspecting Tory was about to come up from below again.

But to his surprise, the Decidueye didn't head toward the ship itself. He flew toward the nearby ridge and landed on the plateau; they could see the red gleam from his eyes as he turned to look their way again, and some felt a shudder run up their backs seeing that.

"Now what's he up to?" Tristan asked.

"Is he trying to shoot another arrow?" Serena asked.

Nobody answered... Nobody really knew what Tory was doing. They saw the gleam of his eyes vanishing, suggesting he had closed them as if he was concentrating. The others could only watch in stunned silence, not sure what he was doing, let alone why he would leave himself in such a vulnerable position...

Then, his eyes opened again, their gleam brighter, and he threw out his wings. All around him, shapes formed; pointed, feathered shafts - arrows, numbering the dozens, materialized into being, floating around him. That sight made everyone's blood run cold, as they suddenly realized what he was about to do.

With that, Tory took to the air again, shooting skyward as fast as his wings could carry him, the dozens of arrows circling him as he went. They saw Hageshi chasing after him, but the Greninja could not keep up - once again, losing out to the Decidueye's avian heritage.

"...Abandon ship," Volcan whispered.

"Wait, what?!" Tristan demanded, "Ya want us to leave the airship?"

"There's no choice... Hageshi can't stop all those arrows," the Blaziken replied. "Minato, get your family - get them off the ship, now!"

Without a word, Minato quickly darted belowdecks to grab his girlfriend and son, looking to drag them away from the engines if he had to.

"Gaaah, fucking damnit!" Sol growled, hesitantly leaping over the edge of the railing and transforming into his Blessed form to hover in the air once he was a safe enough distance from the airship.

"Serena, on my back!" Tristan said urgently. "Koa, you get over here too!"

The Zeraora understood at least that there was danger, and followed Tristan's beckoning motions to the Aggron, who together with Serena and Koa, leapt over the side and used Magnet Rise to slow his descent. Volcan took Luke and Luminara, telling them to hold on before he leapt over the side, jostling them when they hit ground but taking the worst of it for both of them. Wade used Palkia's power to warp himself to the ground, escaping the ship.

That left only four of them aboard; Minato, and his family. When he came down to the engine room, he saw Lashanne was busy fitting the new belts into place, with Caulin holding the other end and Toby standing by with the tools as he came running in.

"Put everything down, we have to go now!" He demanded, grabbing the Meowth and forcing him to drop his tools.

"Wait what?" Caulin jerked and looked at his father in confusion. "What's going on?"

"We're abandoning ship! Tory's about to send this thing crashing into the ground!" Minato hastily explained. "Lashanne! We need to go!"

"Wait! If I can just get this belt on-!" Lashanne started to say.

They heard it then; the sound of multiple impacts on the ship's deck as the storm of arrows came down, and then felt the ship lurching, causing Lashanne to lose her balance and drop the belt as she stumbled.

"This is not up for discussion, hon!" Minato growled as he grabbed Lashanne in his paw and forced her away from the engine. "We're leaving. Now!" Was all he said before he forcefully dragged her away from the engine, motioning for Caulin to run ahead and abandon ship himself.

"Oh, damn it all!" Lashanne cried even as she followed Minato, with Toby and Caulin close behind, "My ship!"

The four reached the upper deck and could see the arrows embedded all around them - as well as the gas bag that was rapidly deflating, punched full of holes and letting all of the helium out of it. Gravity was beginning to take effect, and the ship was falling. The four of them hurriedly ran to the side, and leapt off, with Toby jumping on Caulin's back before he leapt and holding on for dear life as they dropped, the Meowth screaming in terror.

Down below, Volcan was watching until the last minute, when he saw Minato and the others jump off the railing, and his face paled when he saw the ship's rapidly increasing descent. "Everyone, get back!" he cried before he turned and started to run, putting as much distance between himself and the falling vessel as possible.

Then, the airship hit the ground, hard, explosions of debris flying in all directions and kicking up a cloud of dust that filled the entire pass...

From his position on the ledge, Tory watched with little satisfaction as he saw the airship fall, disappointed that he hadn't managed to eliminate any of the heroes in the process. Slowly, he began to step back into the shadow cast by the butte behind him, and with a Shadow Sneak to meld him into the shade, he was gone...

The dust kicked up by the airship's fall had yet to settle even as Volcan and Luke roused themselves, coughing and sneezing as they tried in vain to wave the particles away.

"Love, you okay?" Volcan asked the Lucario beside him.

"Yea, I'm alright," Luke answered, shielding his face from the dust and sand that had been kicked up. "Mother?"

"I'll be fine," she answered, coughing and waving her arms in front of her face in an effort to clear the dust.

Volcan turned on his heel, squinting his eyes as he tried to see through the dust around them, trying to find his comrades. "Guys! Sound off; is anyone hurt?"

"We're okay!" Tristan's voice boomed through the dust cloud. "I got Koa and Serena with me; we're all unharmed!"

"We're fine too!" Wade called out as he and Hageshi slowly approached, shielding themselves with their cloak and haori coat respectively. "Hageshi tried to pursue Tory after the ship fell, but we lost sight of him..."

"Did anyone see Sol?" Volcan asked, "I saw him taking off, but I didn't see where he went."

"I'm up here!" the Typhlosion called from above, still aloft in his Blessed form. "Didn't feel like getting hit by that dust cloud!"

"How fortunate for you..." Luke grumbled, having to now cover his mouth with his scarf to stop himself from getting sand in his mouth when he spoke.

That left only the last ones to leave the ship. "Minato? Lashanne?" Volcan called.

It was Caulin who answered. "Over here!" He shouted back, sounding closer to the wreckage than the others, frantically waving his arms to get their attention.

Eventually, Volcan was able to see well enough through the dust to see the younger Lucario, and he started toward them. Soon, he could also see Toby, standing at Caulin's side; the Meowth's white fur was dirty from the billowing sand. He then saw Minato, though his back was to Volcan as he approached... Then, he saw Lashanne.

The Delphox stood, motionless, staring at the wreckage of her airship, which now Volcan could see the extent of the damage. The entire keel had been crushed by the impact, leaving a mess of broken planks and beams where it had fallen, and draped over it was what remained of the gas bag, now little more than scrap cloth and leather with how many holes had been punched into it by Tory's arrow volley.

The ship's wheel was nowhere to be seen, the propellers and rudder were a mangled mess of steel at the rear of the ship, and the captain's cabin - Lashanne's home for the many years she had owned the ship before coming to Port Azure, had been smashed from below, the back window broken, and her furniture likely destroyed. All in all, the airship would never fly again...

Volcan felt a pang of sadness in his heart, seeing the wrecked ship. It had not belonged to him, yet on the many missions it had carried them to, he had to admit he'd grown fond of it. Lashanne, though... It was more than fondness.

"Lashanne?" Volcan called.

The Delphox's ear twitched, hearing him, but she didn't turn to look at him. She just stared, and there might have been a slight tremor in her shoulders that Volcan didn't notice until the dust had settled further...

Without even looking at her, Minato slowly slid his arm along Lashanne's shoulders and pulled her to his side, resting his head along hers as she stroked her opposite shoulder with his paw. "...Let it out," was all he whispered to her, sensing she was already on the verge.

It took a few more seconds, and the Delphox's shaking intensified, as did her breathing as she tried at first to hold back her anger. But eventually, she threw back her head and screamed to the sky, a burst of flames erupting from her mouth, rising like a flaming pillar into the air above as she did so - momentarily making Minato want to step back for fear of getting burned, but he stood fast, not leaving his girlfriend's side.

The scream was short, and Lashanne lowered her head, a tear escaping her eye as she did. "...There's no going back now," she said in a low voice.

"She was a good ship," Volcan added, coming up on her other side, "There'll never be another like it..."

"...No... There won't," Lashanne agreed, never losing that low tone of her voice, "It'll never fly again... But at least it got us this far."

Minato kept rubbing her shoulder for a few moments before turning and fully embracing her in both arms. "We can try to salvage as much of it as we can after we deal with what's really important," he offered to her. "Right now, we need to focus on finding that Nexus..."

"It can't be much farther," Volcan added, looking in the direction they had been heading before. "Tory wouldn't have attacked unless we were getting close. So, we keep going the way we were going."

"If we get the chance," said Lashanne, "I want the first crack at that Decidueye."

"I will not be the one stupid enough to get in your way," Volcan promised.

The group salvaged all that they could from the airship; any food and water that had not been destroyed by the crash, although the latter was very little. Most of the preserved food, safely wrapped in packages and at the rear of the ship's hold, had been spared, and distributed to the others before they started their trek.

This time, Lashanne walked at the head of the group with Volcan and Luke, having the best memory of the map they had been following. While the stone labyrinth would have been much harder to navigate on foot, on the ground they found one other trace to follow. Footprints, in the sand; thousands of multi-clawed footprints, leading in the direction they were going. In the confines of the twisting ravines and canyons, the wind had not erased the tracks left by the Crusade during their initial approach.

"Good with the bad, I suppose," muttered Volcan.

"Yeah..." Lashanne agreed, making the Blaziken tense.

"Sorry."

"No, it's fine... You're right. We'd never see these tracks from above. As it is, it's so dark down here we can only see them now because a few of us have good low-light vision."

Volcan eyed their surroundings warily, looking for any sign of movement. If there was an ambush waiting for them now, this would be the perfect place to spring it, he thought... Because of the low light above, caused by Necrozma, and the shadowed paths of the labyrinth, the darkness could have been hiding an attack in any alcove, any hole in the rocks, and they'd never see them coming.

Fortunately, Luke and Minato had been alike of mind in that, and both of them were tuned to their Aura Senses, ever on the watch for trouble. Hageshi was behind them, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of Tory coming back to attack again, and Sol and Tristan were at the rear, ready to provide their strength where it was needed.

That left Caulin, Koa and Serena just behind the group leaders; they'd left Toby behind at the ship, who said he'd try to salvage all that he could for when they came back - but also adding he would not be of much help to them when the fighting started. No one tried to prompt him to follow, and so the Meowth remained while the others went on to the most dangerous battle of their lives...

Spirits were not high right now... They could all feel it. Most of the group was demoralized by the loss of the airship, and the gravity of the situation they were heading toward... Among them, Wade was their only chance for making it back to Gladiator City if they decided to turn back, but the Samurott - still a novice with his newfound powers, could not cover such a distance so easily, and he would have to be the last one through, which would leave him exposed if they had to escape.

Luke knew he needed to do something, and soon... Especially, as they rounded another corner of a high-standing butte, they saw it. A towering escarpment, rising high above the rest of the stone maze around it, lying just ahead of them. At the top, a glowing figure stood, arms raised to the sky above; they could practically see the beams of light from the sun flowing into them, casting the world in darkness and filling its own body with light that made it easy to see.

"...I'm going to guess that thing up there," Volcan began, pointing at the tower, "Is Necrozma?" He directed the question to Luminara and Wade.

"It would seem so," Wade confirmed with a look of dread in his gaze.

"...That is its sealed form, however," Luminara added, narrowing her eyes curiously. "It has absorbed all of the light this desert has to offer, and yet it hasn't fully awakened..."

"It's possible that it being left to guard this Nexus might have weakened it so much that it can't regain its full power, even with all of this light present." Wade offered.

"We can't wait around to find out. We need to-" Volcan stopped mid-sentence as what lay ahead of them came into focus. "Ah crap..."

A barricade had been constructed in the pass; a wall of wood, scrap metal and loose rocks blocked their way into the valley where the tower - and the last Nexus, waited. It had clearly been erected in haste, using scavenged materials that the Crusade had gathered, but the wall was thick and strong - and guarded. All along the top of the wall was a flock of Mandibuzz, who had long since noticed them approaching. The carrion-feeding birds were watching them closely, as if daring them to come closer...

"No telling what's waiting for us beyond that," said Volcan, narrowing his eyes.

"So much for the element of surprise..." Minato muttered, staring at the wall and the flock of Mandibuzz from top to bottom. "Getting through that barrier won't be too much of an issue, but whatever's on the other side might be a problem..."

Looking around, Luke could see everyone's morale starting to dip even further with this new development. Even he had to admit, things were looking even worse by the minute. That said, he knew he couldn't let himself fall to despair; not while they still had a fighting chance. He sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out before stepping in front of everyone.

"This changes nothing," he began as he turned to look back at his allies. "All this shows is that Calhoun is desperate, and with his numbers down to a fraction of what they were, we stand a far better chance than ever at stopping him here and now." He went on. "Sure, he has an all-powerful being now under his control that rivals the Creator in power, but that power is still sealed away, and if our battles with Calhoun have taught us anything, it's that not even Gods are infallible. Necrozma has strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses that we can exploit just like any other Pokémon!"

Luke then spread his arms out. "Calhoun would always beat us because we were always under-prepared, and with his mind games he made us think we were fighting alone... But the fact is we aren't alone. This time, we have the numbers advantage. We have the standing army at our disposal, and it's high time we gave that bastard a taste of his own medicine with interest!"

He paused to allow his words to sink in before concluding his speech. "Calhoun will_fall today. He _will answer for his crimes. The Dark Crusade ends today. We've come too far and trained too hard to start having doubts this late in the game. On this day, in this barren wasteland..." He raised his clenched paw in the air. "...We restore peace to the world and push back the darkness that threatens to devour it!!"

His words seemed to have the desired effect. One by one, he saw the faces of his allies lighting up, seeming to take strength from his words. Especially Volcan, and Luminara, both of them looking at Luke with pride written all across their faces. For everyone else, it was a mix of respect and admiration.

One by one, everyone took a step forward, their silence enough to tell Luke that they were with him to the finish. In this final battle, whether they held the advantage of numbers or Calhoun held the advantage of power, they would fight... Because they all knew that some things were just worth fighting for.

Then, a new voice joined the mix. "Well spoken, Luke," the deep, familiar voice said, making everyone turn in alarm to see it. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

At the rear of the group, a massive Swampert stood tall on his hind legs, arms crossed over a broad chest and wearing a proud smile on his face, which did not diminish with the collective gawks he received from the others. He was not alone either; standing behind him, flanking him on either side, were Leon, Aegis the Chesnaught, Kari the Ninetales and Razorwing the Skarmory - perched on Aegis' spike on his thick shell.

"Torolf?" Volcan practically exploded, "Where the heck did you guys come from?"

"Mewtwo sent my team ahead to get your assessment of the situation, and even now he's getting ready to send everyone else... Including some new allies we picked up along the way," said the Swampert, then he cast a pointed look at Wade. "We could probably use your help, son; we got a lot of people to bring this time."

The Samurott nodded. "I also have my own battalion of soldiers to bring into this battle. I'll do everything I can to help." He answered.

With that, Torolf dropped to all fours and came forward. "So... What are we looking at here?" he asked, looking up at the sky, "I'm thinking this darkness, which we saw all the way back in Gladiator City, is no natural phenomenon, is it?"

"Solgaleo's ass, it's spread all the way out there?" Lashanne asked, surprised, "There goes my theory about it being isolated to this region..."

'Left unchecked,' Arceus chimed in, though only Luminara could hear him, 'Necrozma's hunger will darken half of this continent, maybe more until he's satisfied... He will never stop, and if he is still feeding then he is getting stronger every moment.'

Luminara nodded in acknowledgment. "Necrozma is still feeding on all light until it has consumed enough to regain its full power. At this rate, the entire West Continent will be left in darkness by the time it is fully recharged."

"Then we should start bringing in the cavalry right now," Minato stated firmly.

"Agreed," replied Torolf, before he smiled. "As it happens, we have allies from all across the world ready and waiting for us. From Maelstrom Island, from Gladiator City, and even from the North."

"...Wait, from the north?" Volcan asked.

Luke's ears perked up, and he quickly snapped to look back at Leon. "Wait hold on... You don't mean..."

This time it was Leon's turn to smile. "We do indeed," he replied, "Calygrad is coming to join us. We met with an emissary of the King himself just days ago; his army is waiting for our call."

"Oh, _hell_yes!" Volcan practically crowed. "That means Zacian and Zamazenta will be joining us too!"

Hearing that bit of news made Minato start to grin with confidence. "Well, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's start bringing everyone here; there's no time to waste!"

"I shall begin at once," Wade stated.

~~~~~

Tory came up to the top of the tower, and made sure to knock - with his talon, on the door before he entered. As soon as Calhoun called out his permission, the Decidueye stepped through the door, yet at Calhoun's upraised hand he came only a single step into the room.

"Report," the dark Blaziken, facing the pitch-black void of the Nexus in front of him, said without turning to the Decidueye.

Tory did not waste a moment mincing his words. "They have come," he said, "I have slowed them for now, but the Guild's Rescue teams are here, and gathering beyond the barricade. It is only a matter of time before they attack."

"How many?"

"Many," replied Tory, "Team Warmachine just arrived, and Palkia's Blessed is opening portals even now, bringing more through. We are outnumbered."

Only then did Calhoun turn to look at Tory, and the Decidueye noticed something different about him... For just an instant, Calhoun's eyes were a different colour - they were red, but it was a brief anomaly before reverting to their natural purple colour once more.

"Order the troops to take their positions," he said, "The final battle is upon us... But we shall not fall here."

Tory narrowed his eyes. "What can we even do, against such a force?" he asked. "They have brought countless reinforcements - powerful allies. The thugs and wild men we recruited will not be enough."

Then, Calhoun grinned. "Then we shall have reinforcements as well... Go prepare yourself, Tory. The final battle begins now."

Taking the hint, Tory turned to leave, and once more Calhoun was alone in the room... Alone, except for the Dragon God that only he could see, still trapped behind the darkness of the Nexus' barrier, watching the agent of his will slowly acclimate to the power filling him... The final step was upon them.

"The time has come," said Calhoun, in a strained voice. He had put on a show of strength for Tory, but the final step of the ritual was both draining, and at a delicate stage... Had he not still been focused even while talking to the Decidueye, the days he had spent in meditation, and acclimating to his new power, would have been for nothing.

'You are nearly there, Calhoun... Soon our link will be complete, and you will have your unstoppable force of Ultra Beasts at your disposal. Your enemies will stand no chance against beings they know nothing about...' Giratina answered.

"Then we must complete the bond... I need that power, if I am to command Necrozma _and_his army..." he said, his eyes once again briefly flashing red - the same red as Giratina's eyes, symbolic of how close they were to complete symbiosis. "Tell me the final step... I am ready."

With that, Calhoun then suddenly felt a massive surge of Shadow Energy coursing into him from the Nexus, almost crushing him with the amount of pressure he was being subjected to, yet at the same time, he felt his power growing with each rising second, with Giratina's essence fully melding into his own.

'Hear me Calhoun, leader of the Dark Crusade.' Giratina's voice echoed in his head heavily. 'I am the Lord of the Distortion World; The God of Destruction and Antimatter. You, who are the first to adapt to my power without succumbing to its chaotic influence, have earned the privilege to utilize my power to its fullest extent. No force will be able to overcome you. No light will snuff out your shadow. You shall become the Harbinger that will raze this world into oblivion and bring forth an age of chaos and discord.'

Dark tendrils then started shooting out of Calhoun's back similar to Giratina's, his feathers started to grow darker, almost until they were pitch black, before he was engulfed in a shadowy aura that obscured him from view.

'The world knows me as Giratina... The world fears what I am... You, however, shall ensure that they know and fear my true name...!' He continued to preach before the aura exploded outward, with both Giratina and Calhoun shouting a single name in total unison with each other.

"GORGON!"