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Calhoun had done it.

Though the seal on the fallen god remained intact - which they were certain of, lest Giratina himself would be there right now, Calhoun had attained his blessing - the seal was weaker than ever now, if Giratina had been able to feed his power to his chosen enforcer... Now, Calhoun was more powerful than ever, and truly a monstrous sight to behold, with the smoky, black tendrils, tipped by red claws, that grew from his back, his golden-highlighted face and matching talons, and the deathly pale gray tone of his feathers - paler than his original colours.

All traits of Arceus' fallen son...

"Arceus Almighty..." Katsumoto whispered, aghast by the sight before him.

"We're too late..." Luke muttered, feeling a sense of dread and panic welling up inside of him the longer he looked at Calhoun's Blessed state.

Minato scoffed, paws clenching at his sides as he gazed at Calhoun's new form. "Spiked tendrils and golden ornaments? Looks like someone's compensating for something," he remarked.

"Volcan," began Lashanne, "What do we do now?"

But the Blaziken couldn't offer an immediate answer...

As they watched, the six tendrils on Calhoun's back spasmed, and then snapped out like scorpion tails, each one touching the six skinny bug-types that had been restrained by the others. Each of them let out a shriek as dark energy flowed into them, and before the eyes of the heroes each one of them became another Shadow Pokémon.

"Magnificent," said Calhoun, looking at his hands. "This power is unbelievable... And I can corrupt more easily than ever before now. With Gorgon's power, and Necrozma and his entire race at my command," he clenched his hands into fists, "the tide of this war will finally go the way it was always meant to."

With that comment, Luminara frowned and stepped forward, standing ahead of everyone else and facing Calhoun on her own.

"So long as they keep fighting, and so long as I still draw breath, nothing will go the way you want it to." She announced boldly. "Your crusade ends today. Make peace with your demons, for I will grant you a warrior's death." She concluded, repeating the same words she told him when he discovered her secret.

Calhoun chuckled as he met Luminara's gaze. "The last time you spoke those words to me, I admit, I was terrified of you," he said, flexing the golden talons of his hand. "But that time has come and gone... If you think you can end my reign, Blessed of Arceus..." he spread his stance wider, his expression a look of mad excitement. "Let's see for certain! And just to be sure we are not interrupted..."

The Ultra Beasts he had corrupted raised their heads, and their collective gazes fell upon the others who had accompanied Luminara; Teams Valiant, Phalanx and Phobia...

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the Royal Knights; they looked up, and saw a big, blocky form falling toward them. Zacian, instinctively, dashed out of the way, but Zamazenta was just a split second too late; the creature they had previously defeated, comprised of numerous dark gray blocks, had reformed itself, and fell over the younger sibling like a big, brick cage!

Even as Zacian cried out for her brother's name, there was a slamming sound from the creature's body as Zamazenta attempted to break out, but the stubborn Ultra Beast held firm, determined to hold onto its captive. At the same time, the Sirfetch'd behind King Calyrex shouted in unison as several of the Nihilego descended toward them, forcing them into a defensive posture and attempting to ward the creatures away with their leek lances.

"Well, this escalated quickly!" Minato hollered as he dodged around a couple of Nihilego trying to latch onto him.

"Save the sarcasm, Minato! We need to get Zamazenta out of there!" Luke shot back as he leapt up and swung at one of the Nihilego with a swing of his Bone Rush weapon.

"Incoming!" Volcan barely had time to shout the warning as one of the skinnier bug-type Ultra Beasts came racing toward them at blinding speed; the Blaziken immediately ran to intercept them, and the two exploded into a blur of motion as the three others closed in, with the remaining two running in the direction of Hizashi's army.

The second one first came at Minato; he narrowly dodged out of the way but had no chance to strike back - these skinny, effeminate Ultra Beasts were fast, running in a full sprint with grace and agility alike. The third of them was engaged by Koa, who like Volcan was forced to chase after it, both fighters moving so quickly it was difficult to track their movements, and Luna stepped in to engage the fourth one.

The skinny Ultra Beast lashed out at Luna with a trio of fast-paced kicks, its long slender legs snapping at him like whips. Luna's quick reflexes helped him to block and parry the attacks, but the insectoid Ultra Beast was moving so fast that even he had a hard time looking for an opening to counterattack and was ultimately pushed on the defensive as he and his opponent zipped all over the battlefield.

One of the bigger insectoids lunged at Tristan, who eagerly leapt to meet the challenge, throwing his body into its charge - it held its ground, barely pushed back even by the mighty Aggron, and the two began grappling for control against one another. Another one was met by Revane as it charged, the mighty Dusknoir's Shadow Punch stumbling it, but little more.

The last of the larger insectoids went for Sol, striking at him with a Mega Punch, to which Sol countered with a Mega Punch of his own. Sol's eyes widened when he saw that he was being pushed back by the larger insectoid, slowly dragging his feet through the sand as he struggled to push back until he ultimately had to disengage and sidestep to let the creature pass by him.

The other teams scattered to assist their teammates and Calyrex's army, except for Romulus and Hook who seemed ready to help Luminara. But then, down came Necrozma, flying across the path of the Houndoom and Drapion and sending both hurtling from the draft of his wings. For a split second, Luminara was distracted, and Calhoun came rushing at her; she barely caught his leg as he attempted to bring it down in an axe kick toward her head.

"Just you and me now," he said, menacingly, to the female Lucario.

Luminara grimaced from the sheer strength Calhoun was forcing down upon her, her arms shaking a little as she struggled to hold him back. "...Indeed. Just as it should be." She answered, a heavenly glow appearing around her as she suddenly turned and threw Calhoun over her shoulder into the ground before backing up.

The glow around her intensified as she put some distance between her and Calhoun, until it was practically blinding to even look at directly. 'O Lord of Creation, hear my call... Grant me your aid so that I may purge the darkness before me...' She cited mentally. Her form then began to change within the light. Her fur began to turn white and gray respectively, with her spikes now glowing with holy energy. Her eyes became almost like Arceus' himself; green sclera with orange irises, with the all too familiar halo-like design forming behind her, fanning out like a pair of celestial wings as she completed her transformation into her own Blessed state.

"...Let us begin... Arkham," she spoke aloud to her patron.

She could feel Arceus' power resonating through her, and could feel his drive - to stop his fallen son... Who had now given his power to Calhoun. The two god's eyes met through the eyes of their chosen Blessed, unable to see the other, but both knew the other was watching.

Arceus' grief... Giratina's hate... Luminara and Calhoun respectively could feel everything, and it carried into their actions. Calhoun came at Luminara as quick as a whip, his natural Speed Boost letting him race at her, and the black tendrils on his back curled in to lessen his profile as he exploded into motion, attacking with the superior reach and power of his legs.

Luminara jerked her head to the side and sidestepped out of the way of his oncoming attack, letting him shoot right past her and turning to face him as he skidded to a halt. Her divine aura and her fur suddenly shifted in tone, becoming black and dark gray respectively before she rushed in with a Dark-type-infused Force Palm, slamming her paw right into his chest, then following up with a couple of Shadow Balls afterward.

Calhoun barely reacted to the dark palm and ignited his leg with Shadow Claw to intercept the two Shadow Balls with a roundhouse, dispersing them harmlessly.

"My Blessing did not change my typing!" he told her, "I'm still a Blaziken!"

At that, his legs ignited with flames, and he flew into a series of Blaze Kicks, swinging, turning swiping, making use of his speed and reach as before. Luminara remembered how Volcan had described Calhoun's attack pattern - using the momentum of every failed kick and carrying it into the next, meaning that for every kick she dodged, the next one would come faster and hit even harder... But eventually, he had to stop - he'd lose control if he did not slow down and fall to the mercy of his own momentum.

She just had to avoid him long enough... and she knew just how to do so.

After blocking a few of Calhoun's Blaze Kicks, she shifted her appearance to so that her body was a deep brown while her aura was almost gray. She also shifted her stance to a harder, more rigid style; not the Single-Strike Style, but one that followed its basic principles, and began blocking and parrying each of Calhoun's kicks.

Her blocks were heavy, and Calhoun could feel how solid they were whenever his legs made contact with her arms. It was almost as if she were made of super sturdy rock.

Eventually she saw her moment. Calhoun had paused to regain his composure and prevent himself from losing control, and that's when she struck. Still in her current Rock-Type state, she rushed in and began delivering strong, fast punches along his sternum before turning and elbowing him in the cheek while placing her foot behind his to cause him to trip when he stumbled back. She then leapt into the air and spun to face him again, her paw glowing as she focused all of her energy into it.

Calhoun, in retaliation, dropped and executed a high kick, aimed at striking her while she was still airborne. She couldn't dodge the attack as she fell, but that's what she was counting on. She took the kick to her shoulder, hearing the crack of her shoulder dislocating and gritting her teeth as she endured the pain.

She landed hard on her feet, staying steady and focused despite the injury she had suffered. She lunged forward with Calhoun's leg sliding along her shoulder, throwing him off balance long enough for her to land her Focus Punch right on his face.

The ground under Calhoun caved slightly from the force of her Focus Punch, sending sand flying in all directions from the sheer power she slammed into the Dark Blaziken. Calhoun went skipping across the ground like a stone over water, several times before he extended the six tendrils on his back and stuck the claws into the ground to stop his uncontrollable skid.

He lifted his head, and Luminara felt a sickness in her stomach as she watched his dislocated beak realign itself - it looked and sounded painful... But Calhoun only grinned, before he launched himself at her, using his tendrils like the legs of an arachnid as he struck at her again, and then retreated before she could retaliate, one of the tendrils swinging at her legs while she was off balance.

She ended up slipping and widening her stance from the ghostly tendril sweeping at her leg, but the pause in combat gave her just enough time to force her arm back into her shoulder with a sickening crack, followed by a pained growl through grit teeth. Once her arm was back in working order, she took to the skies and changed her appearance yet again, both her body and aura turning different shades of purple.

Luminara then raised both her arms into the air and summoned forth hundreds of glowing spears, all of them purple just like she was, and with a shout, she swung her arms down and let the hundreds of Judgment spears rain down on Calhoun simultaneously. Calhoun, in response, threw the black tendrils around himself and jumped backward, disappearing into the darkness; Luminara's spears of Judgement struck nothing...

Calhoun had vanished.

She heard Arceus' voice. 'That was Shadow Force! He's using my son's powers - in this darkness, he could appear from anywhere!'

'Are you able to sense where he might be?' Luminara asked as her eyes darted in every direction, constantly turning herself to look elsewhere.

'I cannot. When Giratina created that power, he made it as a means to pass between dimensions,' Arceus explained, 'At first, it was intended to allow him to travel freely between this plane and the Distortion World - it was well after this that he weaponized it as an attack. It is what ultimately allowed him to defeat Necrozma.'

There was a bitter irony in that, Luminara thought, while also staying on her guard... But what could she do? Calhoun was literally no longer even in the same plane of existence as her, and she wouldn't even know he was back until...

White hot pain exploded up Luminara's back as something speared her from behind. She let out a pained scream from being attacked, turning her head to look over her shoulder at her attacker. She saw a spiked tendril had dug into her, and the Blaziken it belonged to grinning maliciously at her as well as he returned to the material plane.

Hearing her scream, Romulus - currently engaged with Necrozma and trying to avoid the Nihilegos filling the air, heard Luminara's scream. He felt a rush of anger and immediately turned in the direction of her and her assailant, completely forgetting about Necrozma and bounding off the head of one of the Nihilego to launch himself at Calhoun. The Dark Blaziken saw Romulus coming out of the corner of his eye, but not quick enough to react before the Houndoom unleashed an Overheat at him, completely engulfing him in fire and sending him into retreat, pulling his spiked tendril from Luminara's back in the process.

Calhoun rounded on Romulus and retaliated with a Blaze Kick to his side. But Romulus barely moved - the flames seemed to be absorbed into the Houndoom, and he released a second Overheat - just as powerful as the first even though it should have weakened him, and once more sending Calhoun stumbling away, rubbing his eyes against the heat that was too much even for him.

"Flash Fire!" the dark Blaziken hissed, understanding why his attack had failed.

With Calhoun driven off for the moment, Romulus turned his attention to Luminara, his face turning from anger to horror as he saw the grizzly wound on her back. "Luminara!" he exclaimed, running to her side.

"I-I will live." She assured him, straightening herself and taking deep breaths to numb the pain in her back. She then cupped her paws together and sighed, creating what looked like an Aura Sphere, but when she tossed it up, it scattered into four smaller orbs that traveled to her back and entered into the wound. The damage she suffered started to heal significantly, allowing her to move without aggravating the injury.

"This is going to be much more difficult than I realized..." she told Romulus as she looked ahead at Calhoun. "Thanks to his access to Giratina's power, he can utilize its signature attack... And in this darkness, he can appear from anywhere and we wouldn't know until we were attacked."

Romulus remained at her side, taking in the battlefield as he searched for any sign of Calhoun; the Dark Blaziken had vanished again after enduring the attack by Romulus before. Both he and Luminara looked around for any sign of him, but all they could see was the ongoing battles taking place across the valley; they saw Luke, Minato and Zacian finally forcing the block-creature off Zamazenta to free him, though two more of the strange beasts - not yet corrupted by Calhoun, but still hostile, engaged the four.

They could see the blurry forms of Volcan, Luna and Koa racing about in high-speed battles against the skinny bug-like Ultra Beasts, and their counterparts engaged in fisticuffs with Sol, Tristan and Revane. Katsumoto had also joined the brawl against a fourth one that had emerged from the still-open gateway.

As for the Necrozma itself, it was in the air, engaged by the Red Talons, with the other flight teams occupied by the rocket-like Ultra Beasts. For his part, Necrozma was bombarding the Talons with psionic attacks, attempting to wear down the vastly more maneuverable foes. Yet, the wormhole Necrozma had created remained open, and more of its fellow beasts were coming through; Lord Hizashi seemed to be attempting to fight his way toward the wormhole, but his army was being kept at bay by yet more of the beasts.

"Damn... If we do not stop Calhoun, he'll free Giratina," said Romulus, "But if we do not stop Necrozma, his Ultra Beasts will keep flooding into the world! One of them must be brought low, now."

"Agreed," Luminara said with a nod. "...We still have time before Calhoun can fully free Giratina. Let us focus on Necrozma for the time being." She suggested.

Romulus nodded in agreement. "Perhaps Luke will have some suggestions for us; let's regroup with him," he said.

"Good idea."

Not far from where Calhoun had fled from Romulus, the dark Blaziken was letting his burns heal before he intended to re-engage Luminara and the Houndoom again. Though he was a fire-type himself, the repeated blasts by Overheat had done their work and inflicted tremendous damage on his body. He was resistant to fire, but not immune to it... Whereas Romulus himself was, thanks to his innate ability Flash Fire.

"Worthy of your reputation, Hound of Terror," he thought aloud, and decided then he had to kill Romulus first, to stop him from interfering again...

But Giratina cut in. 'Ignore them. They realize that not even the Blessed of my Father can best you in combat. Focus on corrupting more of those Ultra Beasts that continue to venture forth.'

Calhoun looked up at the portal and saw that Giratina was right. More Ultra Beasts were coming through... More perhaps than Calhoun had initially intended, but he could still turn to his advantage if he moved quickly.

"Very well," he agreed, and ran off to find his first target...

The creatures were hardy things, taking blow after blow from Luke, Zacian and even Zamazenta - their bodies seemed impervious to physical harm. But a Shadow Ball from King Calyrex revealed their vulnerability to energy attacks, and Luke's and Minato's Aura Spheres made short work of the remaining ones.

Luke was out of breath after the battle though, and was worried about Volcan, knowing he was out there somewhere fighting another of the Ultra Beasts - if not more of them by now. The skinny insectoids had been swift - as swift as the Mega Blaziken, and even Volcan would be hard-pressed by such a speedy opponent. But Luke had to trust that Volcan would be able to handle himself, and the Lucario needed to stay focused on the moment...

It didn't take long for him to spot Luminara and Romulus running over - and even less time to see the blood staining Luminara's fur, only visible when she was close enough that he saw the redness on her side and hip where it had flowed.

"Mother!" he exclaimed as he went to meet them halfway, looking over her bloodied fur. "What happened??"

"Calhoun was... more formidable than I expected," she admitted. "It's fortunate that I remembered how to perform Life Dew, and that Romulus came to my aid when he did."

"Do you require further healing?" Calyrex chimed in, ready to offer his healing prowess to Luminara as he had to Romulus before the battle had begun.

"No, that won't be necessary." Luminara insisted. "The wound wasn't all that deep to begin with. I was able to close it myself," she added. "We have more important matters. Right now, we must focus our efforts on stopping Necrozma from allowing more Ultra Beasts into this world."

"Indeed," said Romulus, "So long as he remains active, the Ultra Beasts will keep coming. I have seen Lord Hizashi's army attempting to reach the portal - I believe Wade is with them. If anyone has any chance of closing that portal, it will be him, but he can't do it unless we defeat Necrozma first."

"So, what should we do?" Luke asked, looking between his mother, Romulus and Calyrex. "Necrozma took out Lighris in one hit. We'd have to divert all our fliers into it, and that would leave us vulnerable to the other Ultra Beasts and Calhoun."

From atop Spectrier, Calyrex stroked his chin as he thought. "I... May have a way," he said, "There's a power I am capable of granting to one of you. Something that may give you a chance against Necrozma."

Behind the king, Zacian and Zamazenta looked at one another. Minato, who was standing between them, caught the look they shared. They seemed to know what Calyrex was hinting at...

"Well, don't keep us all in suspense, your highness," Minato piped up after a moment of silence. "What's the plan?"

"Years ago, my lands were visited by a Fallen God - another one, besides Giratina," replied Calyrex, "And while he was rampant, he caused a phenomenon to ravage the land, causing some Pokémon affected by him to... Change, in strange ways. It is a long story, but what I can say now is, I harnessed that power myself, and may be able to grant it to one of you to give you an advantage against Necrozma."

"Your highness," Zamazenta spoke up, "Are you certain that is wise? That power is dangerous..."

"Not nearly as dangerous as what will happen if I do nothing," replied Calyrex, and then looked at Romulus. "Captain. You have not yet used your Mega Stone, have you?"

"No, I have not," Romulus replied, shaking his head. "Why do you ask? Do you need me to use it now?"

"I would advise against that," said Calyrex, firmly. "I do not know if this power would conflict with your Mega Evolution or not. Likewise, why I did not suggest I grant it to Miss Luminara," he looked at the female Lucario. "I am unsure how it would react to her Blessed Form. But as a Dark type, you may be our best chance to defeat Necrozma, if we can get you to him."

At that, they looked up. Necrozma was well out of reach for them, high in the skies above as he battled the Red Talons. "That will be easier said than done," said Romulus. "How will we reach him?"

"Perhaps I can help," a deep, familiar voice answered.

The group turned to see Torolf walking over. The Mega Swampert had been through the ringer covered in multiple battle marks, but nothing threatening.

"I can get you to Necrozma, if we can reach some higher ground," the Swampert offered, "Which should not be that hard, considering we are in a valley."

"If it will give us the edge we need, then it's a no-brainer in my book," Minato remarked.

Luminara looked between Calyrex and Romulus for a moment before speaking up. "This power you speak of... You'd only bring it up now because we are in a dire situation." She pointed out, her brow furrowing. "There's a risk to using it, isn't there...?"

Calyrex looked at her. "There is," he said. "Many of those afflicted with it have been known to go out of control... It does something to them - besides the effects it already has. The creature who originally created it, for lack of a better term, was known as Eternatus."

Luminara felt Arceus' apprehension upon hearing that name... He knew of this 'Eternatus', and by the feeling Luminara had it was not something he liked recounting.

"I suppose the next question is... whether or not it's worth the risk," Luke remarked uneasily. "If Romulus goes out in control while being empowered like that-"

"If you're worried about such a detail, then you really must not have a lot of faith in him," Minato stated hastily, causing Luke to look back at him in shock. "We're in the middle of a battlefield. We don't have time to worry about the repercussions of whatever power Calyrex is offering. If it helps us win, then there's no debate."

"I agree," said Romulus, "I am willing to take the risk. If we do not stop Necrozma, the Ultra Beasts will keep coming." He then turned his attention to the others. "Of everyone here, it is only Wade - with the powers of Palkia, who might be able to shut the wormhole. It falls to the rest of you to make certain he can reach it. Torolf, the King and I will deal with Necrozma."

"No argument there," Minato answered with a nod.

Luke looked at Romulus with concern but knew that Minato was right. Romulus was Torolf's rival for a reason. He had seen firsthand the kind of power the Houndoom wielded. With a heavy sigh, he nodded firmly and glanced at Calyrex.

"We'll allocate as many of our forces as we can to keep any more Ultra Beasts from exiting that portal."

Romulus nodded to him. "Good luck," he said, and then unshouldered his harness to drop at Luke's feet. "If I cannot use my Houndoomite, perhaps you can use it - to recharge yours or Volcan's stones."

The Lucario nodded, gently lowering down and taking the Houndoomite out of the harness and hiding it in his scarf. "Thank you."

Romulus nodded again and then looked at Luminara. "Better you remain with them. It is only a matter of time before Calhoun figures out what we're doing and tries to stop us. They will need you."

"I know," she answered, gently kneeling in front of him and placing her paw along his face. "Just be careful, Romulus..."

He gently leaned his head into her paw, letting her touch him before he leaned forward and kissed her briefly. "I will be back," he said, and then reluctantly turned from her. "Torolf, your Highness, let's go."

"Zacian, Zamazenta," Calyrex called as he pulled Spectrier's reins to steer them in the other direction. "The army is yours to lead until I return. Do all you can to force the Ultra Beasts back through the portal."

"Understood, your highness." Zacian answered, then turned and nodded once to her brother. "Just like the previous war two hundred years ago... Try not to blunder and fall behind," she remarked with a teasing smirk.

"It is I who should be advising you, sister, not to get carried away," Zamazenta countered with a wry grin at Zacian.

"Guys, guys. Enough. You're both blue ribbon faces, now can we please get going?" Minato piped up, more focused on their duty in this war over sibling banter.

"Merely a means to motivate ourselves, Minato," Zamazenta replied. "Let's be off!"

Wade had the same idea as Romulus, and after sharing it with Lord Hizashi, the Maelstrom army was fighting its way to the portal, water guns and slashes of Seamitars batting aside the swarming Nihilego to clear the way.

Yet, despite how many of the jellyfish they batted aside, other beasts emerged. Even uncorrupted by Calhoun, the Ultra Beasts saw the battalion of Samurott battling their kin and saw them as enemies. They descended upon them - strange creatures all, with their biggest obstacle being a humanoid construct that seemed to be made up of wires, as it attacked with electricity.

A swath of warriors fell to the electric attacks of the strange Ultra Beast. When another was about to be struck, Wade cast a portal in front of the warriors before the lightning could hit them, sending the blast elsewhere in an open spot on the battlefield. Wade then gathered spatial energy into his blades and swung them hard, casting a double Spacial Rend attack at the creature before it could attack again.

The Spacial Rend sent the creature flying, and left it sprawled and incapacitated on the ground from the sheer power of his attack. Wade and Hizashi both nodded to one another before the latter turned and lifted his blade into the air, shouting for his warriors to advance now that the electric-type Ultra Beast was now taken care of.

As they walked, they were soon accosted by more of the swift-moving insectoids and even a few of the bulky ones. The Swords of Justice who had accompanied them broke off from the group to engage the bigger ones, leaving the Shogun's warriors to face the thinner insectoids - which was easier said than done. Two Samurott barely had time to see them coming before they were struck - kicked hard in their chests and thrown back by the two effeminate insectoids. Unlike the electric-type and the swarm of jellyfish still dancing about overhead, these had been corrupted by Calhoun, and were under his command.

One of them set her eyes on Wade, and immediately rushed at him - quick as a heartbeat, and struck him with a Low Sweep, taking his feet out from under him. He stumbled and fell on his side, unable to keep up with the creature's speed. It was almost as if it were as fast as Luna. Thankfully he was able to roll out of the way of another attack and get back on his feet, retaliating with a barrage of Water Pulses in order to keep his opponent at a distance.

The creature easily dodged his onslaught, zig-zagging out of the path of each one. It started to run at him again, but this time it was intercepted; a red blur raced across Wade's vision and tackled the creature, and he saw Volcan standing off to the left of where it had been. The Mega Blaziken turned to look his way.

"Keep going, Wade!" he said, and then grunted as the second of the creatures kicked him from behind, nearly knocking him off balance. "Hittin' me in the back?! Now I'm mad!" the Blaziken returned before he rounded on the creature and raced at it before striking it with a Blaze Kick.

With that, Volcan was off again, now engaged by two of the creatures as they raced across the valley. That left only the second one, which was currently engaged with Hizashi and his guards, easily dancing around them despite none of them being slow themselves. Every attack they used would miss because of the creature's superior speed and agility, and Wade only knew one way to counter its speed advantage.

He sheathed his blades and began creating a Water Shuriken in his paw. However, he felt a few gusts of air whiz past him, making him blink and do a double take before he saw five or so Greninja rushing to the scene, all of them fanning out with their blades at the ready and jumping at the creature just as it dodged one of Hizashi's Razor Shell attacks.

Four of the Greninja landed solid Night Slashes along the creature in rapid succession, but one in particular split into three and began striking at it in rapid succession, ending with the three becoming one again, and the Greninja sheathing the jewel-embedded jade sword on his back. Several slashes could be seen on the creature's scrawny body before it fell at Hizashi's feet, lying motionless, but still breathing despite the damage it took.

Hizashi glanced over at Kage, who stood tall and looked back at the Shogun over his shoulder with a small nod. Hizashi grimaced, but nodded back in reply, not liking the idea of being helped by an assassin yet still grateful for his help regardless.

"You sure like making your flashy entrances..." Wade spoke up as he approached Kage and Hizashi.

"Flashy and efficient are two separate beasts. You should know that by now," Kage shot back. "...How are you holding up?"

"I'm managing, but the more we fight these Ultra Beasts, the more exhausted I'll be by the time we reach that wormhole, and I won't have the stamina to seal it shut." The Samurott answered.

"Keep going. My assassins will keep those other beasts at bay," Kage returned, gesturing for Wade and Hizashi to keep moving.

Wade hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded in agreement, knowing better than to argue with his master in the middle of a battle. He turned and began dashing toward the portal with Aqua Jet, along with Hizashi and his personal guard, while Kage and his assassins spread out and created a perimeter around the four Samurott, intercepting any opponent that dared try their luck.

However, they failed to take into account one other thing. As the Samurott closed in on the portal, both Wade and Hizashi heard the sound of metal slicing flesh, followed by the pained grunts of Hizashi's personal guard. They both turned to see the other two Samurott with deep cuts along their bodies lying on the sand, with a fully geared, aging Zoroark staring right at them, his blade drenched with the blood of his latest victims.

Hizashi growled and turned to face the Zoroark, brandishing both his Seamitars. "Go, young one!" he commanded Wade, giving him no time to reply before he charged and clashed blades with the Zoroark, hellbent on avenging his fallen men. But in doing so, he failed to see what else the Zoroark had been hiding; from above Hizashi, an illusion disappeared, and a Nihilego was revealed, descending toward the elder Samurott.

Wade tried to call out a warning, but he was too late, as the Nihilego seized Hizashi from behind, its tentacles winding around his neck and yanking him back before he had any chance to react, draping its long body over his back. Hizashi growled angrily and tried swinging his blades at the tentacles as they wrapped around him, even as he was lifted up into the air.

"Lord Hizashi!!" Wade hollered, taking a step to try to help him, but he flinched as he felt the Zoroark behind him, quickly turning to see him just as he was swinging his sword. In the blink of an eye, Kage appeared between Wade and the Zoroark, brandishing the Emera Blade and clashing with the assassin's sword before it could even touch Wade.

"...Your fight is with me, Sakkaku," Kage growled.

At that, Sakkaku grinned. "Just as it should be..." He growled before they pushed from each other, blades held in front of them as they stared each other down.

"Wade..." Kage stated, keeping his gaze on his opponent. "Go seal the portal. Now."

"But... What about-"

"The Kaeru will see to him. You sealing that wormhole is far more important," Kage interjected. "Go. You have your objective. Don't waste this opportunity."

Again, Wade hesitated, this time looking as if he wanted to argue with his master. He looked between the gateway and Lord Hizashi quickly, then clenched his eyes shut and cursed under his breath before he took off toward the gateway, leaving Kage and Sakkaku to their duel.

As Wade ran across the valley, leaving his sensei to battle Sakkaku alone, something caught his eye. Far off to his right, he saw the massive form of Torolf scaling the valley wall, reverted back to the form of a normal Swampert in favour of more dexterous hands to climb with. On his back, to Wade's surprise, was Romulus, holding on with his forelegs around Torolf's neck as the Swampert ascended toward the plateau-like top of the ridge.

That was when he noticed someone else waiting at the top. Mounted atop the shadowy steed, Spectrier, was King Calyrex, seemingly waiting for the two while also providing them cover, striking any Nihilego that attempted to approach them with a well-placed Psyshock projectile or a Shadow Ball or another attack he did not recognize, where multiple ghostly apparitions formed around Calyrex and raced out to attack the Nihilego, flying into them like ghostly missiles.

Turning his attention forward again, he saw that yet another battle was taking place directly below the portal. The Calygrad army, with the addition of Teams Valiant - minus Kage - and Team Phalanx - minus Volcan, were fighting off countless other Ultra Beasts that had since emerged from the portal and gathered into a group below it, including several that had already been corrupted by Calhoun.

Thinking he should catch the others up on the plan, and because he felt they needed a little help, Wade veered off toward teams Valiant and Phalanx, powering up a Spacial Shuriken as he closed in and targeted the massive bug Ultra Beast that was about to bear down on them. With a shout, he hurled the shuriken as hard as he could, the attack hitting the Ultra Beast square in the chest and trapping it in a large Spacial void for a few moments before imploding in on itself.

The creature struggled against the pull of the implosion, its large, muscular body straining as it fought to stay standing, but in the end, gravity prevailed, and it was forced to the ground as the implosion ended. Its body visibly damaged and its chest heaving as if it were struggling to gasp for air.

With the massive bug-type now down, the others looked in Wade's direction as he came over. Wade landed between the two teams as they looked back in his direction, quickly approaching the team captains. "That probably won't hold it down for long. What's the situation here?" he asked quickly.

"We were coming to get your help about a plan we hatched to close the portal and send Necrozma back through it," said Hook, coming up to stand behind Luke and looking over the Lucario at Wade. "Judging by the fact you're here, you had the same idea?"

"More or less, yes," Wade answered with a nod. "I can close it, but I'll need time... five minutes, maybe."

Luke nodded in response. "We'll buy you the time you need. Doug can cover you while you work," he replied, looking at the Dugtrio.

"Say no more. I'll keep him safe." Doug resounded as he moved next to Wade. "Let's hustle, big guy."

"Thank you..." Wade replied, then turned and began speeding toward the gateway with Doug chasing after the Samurott, creating a construct to help him keep pace with Wade.

"Alley-oop!" Torolf grunt as Romulus leapt off his back and onto the ledge above.

Landing on all fours, Romulus looked back as Torolf swung himself up and over the ledge and onto the ridge. Then, the Houndoom turned his attention toward Necrozma, gritting his teeth as he saw him strike one of the Talons with a Dragon Pulse and send them hurtling lifelessly toward the ground.

'I hope that was not Captain Jake,' he thought and looked down into the valley again. "It looks like Wade is getting into position. It seems Lord Hizashi had the same idea we did."

"Then we better hurry," said Torolf, "We need to get Necrozma back through that portal as soon as possible. King Calyrex, this power you spoke of; how does it work?"

"Explaining the details would take longer than we have, I fear," Calyrex replied, wheeling Spectrier around to ride along the cliff, followed by the two, "All I can say is that I can pass it along to others, and it will allow you to undergo a transformation giving you power, and also making you-"

"Heads up!" Torolf interrupted as something above them caught his attention.

One of the rocket-like Ultra Beasts, breaking off from its fight with the Blue Cyclones, flew over them, discharging a Flash Cannon that swept across the ridge in their path. Romulus and Spectrier barely skidded to a stop in time to avoid the blast, the latter rearing up on his hind legs and nearly throwing Calyrex off his back.

"Do you think they are onto us?" Calyrex asked, watching as the Blue Cyclones rushed overhead in pursuit of the Ultra Beast, though he was not sure even they could catch it' despite its bulk, the rocket propulsion carrying it through the sky made it remarkably fast.

"I don't know, but we can't stop now," said Torolf, "Watch the sky in case it comes back!"

The three resumed their run, jumping over the crevasse made in the top of the ridge by the passing Ultra Beast. They were almost there; almost to the end of the ridge, which would bring them not only in line with Necrozma, but the wormhole through which his beasts were coming...

In the tower, Calhoun had reached an opening in the spire that let him peer out to the ongoing battle, seeing that the valley had filled with more Ultra Beasts since he had entered. He saw Necrozma battling in the skies above, and the gathered battle taking place directly below the wormhole he had created to summon his kin into the world.

"Everything looks like it's going according to plan," he thought aloud, "All that remains then is to open the way to your prison. Soon, you'll be free, and these Ultra Beasts will be at our command."

'And the Universe itself will be ours... No Legendary Pokémon alive will be able to stop us; not even my despicable father.' Gorgon answered. 'They will fall, just as these feeble weaklings will.'

Calhoun grinned at that, his eyes scanning over the battlefield with a sense of satisfaction. But his smile vanished as he noticed movement atop one of the ridges on the edge of the valley, seeing the forms of a Swampert and a Houndoom, as well as King Calyrex - easily recognized atop the shadow steed, Spectrier.

"Now what are they up to?" he wondered aloud. With a scoff, he crossed his arms and turned his eyes up to the Necrozma. "Well, whatever it is... I'll put a stop to it before they can even start."

At the silent command from Calhoun, Necrozma took its attention away from the Red Talons, ignoring any further attacks from them as its attention became focused on the three interlopers crossing the ridge behind it. Turning to face the ridge, Necrozma beat its wings before it began flying toward them, still ignoring the Red Talons even as they bombarded him with more Fire-type attacks.

Then, he began generating a massive sphere of powerful energy in front of him, drawing cosmic power from the heavens above - beyond the sun-deprived sky above, to create the most powerful Meteor Beam ever formed...

Calyrex was the first to notice the sudden glow coming from their left and saw what Necrozma was doing. "Captains, we have been sighted!" he cried, "Necrozma is attacking!"

Romulus and Torolf looked out to where the brilliant, shining light originated from. They could practically feel the power radiating from Necrozma's attack as it formed, seeing how it ignored the attacks by the Red Talons - who, as if sensing the danger themselves, were scattering, getting away from the devourer of light while there was still time.

"Dammit, not now!" Romulus cursed, "We're so close!"

"Calyrex, can you cast that power upon Romulus from a distance?" Torolf asked, his expression hard as he stared at Necrozma.

Calyrex looked at Torolf. "Well, yes, I can - so long as I can see where he is," he said, ignoring the fact that Torolf had just omitted his title in the gravity of the situation. "But there is no time! Even if I place it on him now-!"

"Watch the skies, your majesty!" Torolf bellowed, before he turned on Calyrex, fists raised.

The King pulled back on Spectrier's reins, eyes wide in alarm as he thought Torolf was about to attack him! Indeed, the Swampert brought his fists down hard on the ridge, but came nowhere close to striking Calyrex, sending a tremor rippling across the stone and sandy ground; the earth below Spectrier's hooves swelled, rising like a tsunami and lifting him and his rider; the horse and rider were thrown back through the air, both crying out in horror at Torolf's apparent betrayal...

But before either landed, Torolf sent a wave of Muddy Water in their direction, steering it to gather below the two as they fell back to earth. The two both landed with a wet splat, Calyrex thrown from Spectrier's back and the indignant, ghostly horse neighing with fury as it scrambled to get back up.

"Torolf, have you lost your mind?!" Romulus demanded, skidding to a stop and turning to run back at the Swampert.

As Romulus leapt at him, Torolf spun around and caught the pouncing Houndoom between his hands. The slough of curses the Houndoom had for Torolf died in his throat when he saw the face of his rival... Smiling. A sad, weak smile, with eyes to match.

"Been nice knowing you, Romulus," he said, in a quiet, somber tone. "Don't mess this up now."

"What're you talking abou-" Romulus' words were lost again, as he realized what Torolf was about to do as he held the Houndoom in only one hand, stood as tall as his stumpy legs could let him, and wound his arm back. "Wait, no, no, NO!" Romulus cried, thrashing against the Swampert's hold to no avail...

Romulus' cries of protest became a horrified scream as he was hurled skyward, flying high into the air with his legs flailing. Meanwhile, below, Torolf's attention turned toward Necrozma...

All time seemed to be slowing down. Sound vanished from the world as the sphere of power formed by the Ultra Beast pulsated, narrowing into a beam as it prepared to discharge, with no time for Torolf to get out of the way... In his mind's eye, Torolf saw his life replaying like a slideshow, from his days as an orphan on the streets of Blackcoast, to a vagabond living in the slums until he finally saved enough money to escape that hellhole forever... To the day he first joined the guilds, to his first successful mission... Then, to the day he met Shamshir...

At the memory of the deceased Scizor, Torolf felt something... A presence that he knew so well... So familiar, and welcoming. He smiled and looked ahead as if staring at his old friend again.

"See you soon... Shamshir..."

The sound that erupted from Necrozma's Meteor Beam was deafening. The powerful ray of cosmic energy raced across the valley, and the top of the ridge - where those watching all knew to be the last place where Romulus, Torolf, and the King of Calygrad had stood together, was erased from existence.

The horrified sense that filled Luminara's heart as she watched the ridge be utterly destroyed was almost too much to bear, fearing that Romulus - the Houndoom she had fallen in love with, had died along with his rival, and the King of Bountiful Harvest... Her screams matched the howls of fury of the Royal Knights, and the cry of despair which sounded Leon... She did not see either of them - only the destruction caused by the alien Necrozma...

Luke and what remained of Team Valiant turned just in time to see the tragic spectacle unfold, with Luke calling out Torolf's name in vain after the attack ceased, knowing the outcome but desperately hoping that it wasn't the case.

"By the Gods....!" Katsumoto gasped, horrified and clutching his chest.

"No... N-No fucking way this is real...!" Hank exclaimed, mouth agape.

Minato dared to check the crater with his aura sense, and there he saw it; the charred, smoking body of the mighty Swampert, watching the last of his aura disappear. He clenched his teeth and turned his head away, daring to open his eyes and look at Volcan.

"...H...He's gone..."

Volcan, now back in the form of a regular Blaziken after finally dispatching the two bug-type fighters he'd been chasing across the valley, stared up at the destroyed ridge in disbelief, his fists clenching at his sides as he lowered his gaze. "Damn it... Damn it all!" he snapped.

Sol, having heard those words, twitched where he stood, having witnessed the whole thing happen from start to finish. He slowly lowered his head and began to twitch more and more, his paws clenching tightly into fists and trembling from how hard he was clenching them, smoke exuding from his mouth and neck vents in heavy plumes.

"Wait a minute," Lashanne spoke up, "What about Romulus, and the king? Did Necrozma-?"

"The king is okay," Minato answered. "I saw Torolf throw him and his steed out of harm's way before the blast made contact." He explained. "Romulus... I don't know... I didn't see his signal either when I checked for Torolf..."

Lashanne frowned, fearing the worst had befallen the Houndoom... Looking at Luminara out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the female Lucario likely feared the same; that Romulus had been caught in the blast, and Torolf's last act of heroism had only managed to save Calyrex and Spectrier, but not Romulus, who had probably been blown clear of the ridge...

Lashanne turned her gaze up again, her eyes at first on Necrozma, before her gaze lifted to something above it. "Wait... What's that up there?" she asked, squinting her eyes.

"What's what?" Volcan asked, looking first at her and then following her gaze. "Where?"

"Straight above Necrozma... I can barely see it but, something's up there..."

"I hope it's not another Ultra Beast," Volcan said as he squinted his eyes, trying to discern what Lashanne was seeing... Then, his eyes widened. "Wait... Minato, Luke; Aura sense, four hundred meters up, quickly!"

They did as Volcan said, focusing their senses on where he indicated. They did not take long to find it, being the only thing to see up there that possessed a life force... One they knew immediately.

It was Romulus... And he was in freefall.

It took Calyrex a moment to rouse himself after being thrown from Spectrier's back. He sat up, and saw - in horrid realization, the scorched remnants of where his comrades had previously been. The top of the ridge had been cut clean through by the Meteor Beam, and lying in the trench formed by the attack was the unmistakable, lifeless corpse... Of a Swampert.

"Captain Torolf..." Calyrex said, melancholically, now understanding that Torolf's seemingly turncoat actions, had been in fact to save Calyrex and Spectrier from sharing his fate. He put a paw over his heart, his face souring. "You saved us..."

'Up!' a voice spoke in his head.

Calyrex jerked, looking quickly around him with alarm. "What? Who is that?" he asked. "Captain Romulus; is that you?" He quickly rescinded that idea, knowing that was absurd; Romulus could not possess the power of telepathy.

But that left the question... Where was he?

'Above! Look up!' the voice cried, 'Captain Romulus is above you!'

It took Calyrex a moment to recognize that voice... It was the same one that had relayed his messages between Torolf, Romulus and himself - the strange being known as Mewtwo. He was still watching over the battle... But what did he-?

Jerking his head up, Calyrex saw what Mewtwo wanted him to see. He was able to make out the black-furred form of a Houndoom against the dark, but not quite night-time dark, skies overhead. Snapping himself out of his melancholic reverie, Calyrex hurriedly rushed over to the ledge, as fast as his levitated body could move, forming a blue sphere of energy between his paws.

"Don't let me be too late!" he whispered before he cast the sphere, and sent it racing into the sky...

Romulus grit his teeth as he fell back toward the earth, certain that he would soon splatter against the rocky terrain below... He did not know what Torolf had been thinking, throwing him into the sky when he should have just jumped out of the way of Necrozma's attack... But even Romulus knew that Torolf could not have moved fast enough to dodge that beam and save Romulus at the same time; a Meteor Beam that would've surely meant the end of the Houndoom as it certainly did the captain of Team Warmachine.

Yet, it seemed like Torolf's efforts would be in vain, for Romulus was about to die regardless, unable to do more than slow his descent and buy himself a few more seconds. But he could not stop, and none of the fliers - even if they were close enough, could catch him even if they tried... Right below him was Necrozma - so close, but just out of reach that Romulus could do little more than perhaps strike him as he fell past in a last act of valour before he became a stain on the rocks below...

As he prepared to do just that, something caught his eye. He saw from the ridge where he had been thrown. A blue sphere of light raced up at him, and before he could do anything - if he could do anything, it struck him. He braced himself for pain. Instead, he felt a surge of energy coursing through him - like a jolt from an Electric-type attack, yet it still did not hurt...

The surge of power was much like his Mega Evolution, but it felt so different, coursing through his body, from his core to the end of his limbs. It was not a transformation as the Mega Evolution, but the power he felt was comparable... Maybe greater! For the briefest moment, he thought he would explode, feeling the force within him expanding like an inflating balloon... But he did not explode with the power.

He began to grow with it... Double... Quadruple... Octuple... And more...

The howl that pierced the air was deafening, alarming Calhoun - who, believing that he had put a stop to his enemy's plans, was starting to head back upstairs when the cry pierced the silence within the tower. His satisfied grin vanished, replaced by a flat, questioning expression that he brought back to the window again.

His mouth fell open when he saw the humongous figure falling from sky above... A Houndoom, yet bigger than a pod of Wailord. The hound's body was coated in a strange, blue aura, his eyes glowing with a red-pink energy shining like stars in the dimness outside. From where he stood, Calhoun could see the Houndoom in his full grandeur, recognizing the form of Romulus, now the size of a mini-yacht.

"What... The... FUCK?!" Calhoun demanded.

It was the first time in his life, that he could recall, that the dark Blaziken had ever screamed profanity...

Romulus' ear-splitting howl sent chills of terror racing through the spines of everyone who heard it. The super-sized Houndoom fell upon Necrozma from above, and snatched the devourer of light out of midair between his jaws, before landing on all fours with a thunderous crash that shook the entire valley.

Romulus shook his head side-to-side, with Necrozma still clutched before his jaws, before opening them and throwing the mighty Ultra Beast into the face of a nearby cliff, while everyone stared in fearful awe at the spectacle taking place before them.

"...Uhhh... Okay, could anyone care to explain..." Hank began before throwing his arms over toward the towering Houndoom. "_THE FUCK!!?? _"

"Is... that the power King Calyrex talked about?" Luke asked, barely able to contain his own shock and awe.

"Has to be... Didn't expect it to make Romulus the size of a building, though!" Volcan agreed.

Suddenly, Lashanne seemed to snap out of her reverie, turning to Wade. "Hey, get ready there!" she said, also snapping him out of his shock, "As soon as Romulus throws Necrozma back into that wormhole, you gotta close it! The rest of us, we need to find a way to drive the others in with him!"

Luminara spoke up at that point. "Let Romulus handle Necrozma! Blessed, with me! We will handle the rest of the Ultra Beasts! The rest of you, cover young Wade! Provide support as best you can!"

Necrozma was not yet down for the count. After shaking off the surprise attack from Romulus, it conjured a Power Gem, and sent prismatic energy stones flying at him, bombarding the Houndoom with them. Romulus shook his head as he was struck, but did not back away; he retaliated by moving as if he were about to use Dark Pulse. But instead of the concentrated, pulsating ray of dark energy, two similar voids of darkness formed on either side of him - infinite blackness too deep for the eye to pierce through.

The dark spheres raced toward Necrozma like a pair of black snakes, arching across the air before they struck him, and an explosion of dark matter erupted from where they collided; they heard Necrozma let out an agonized cry, falling out of the sphere to crash on the ground below. Noticeably, the light of the sun started to return, flickering back to life for just a moment...

But Necrozma was not out of the fight yet. Using Morning Sun, he began to heal himself, even as Romulus - paws thundering as he ran across the valley, inadvertently knocking aside multiple Ultra Beasts in his path as he went, shaking the ground with every step. In retaliation, Necrozma's - its body glowing with power, raced toward him, and slammed into his chest like a flying missile. Romulus heaved and was thrown off his feet, landing hard on his back and kicking up a cloud of dust as he skidded over the valley floor, sending everyone in his path - Pokémon or Ultra Beast, scattering to get clear.

Flying back into the air again, Necrozma shook off the daze left by the Giga Impact, and started to form another Meteor Beam even as Romulus rolled back onto his belly and stood up, unleashing the attack - the same one that had killed Torolf just minutes ago, at Romulus. But even as a giant, the Houndoom reacted quickly, jumping out of the way as the blast arced across the valley, destroying a nearby butte instead.

Romulus, again motioning like he intended to use another attack, instead found it coming out as something else. A sphere of fire formed in his mouth, and when he exhaled what he probably intended to be Overheat, it became a fireball nearly as big as he was, crackling loudly as it struck Necrozma with a resounding explosion. This time, however, Necrozma was ready, throwing a Protect in front of itself to reduce the impact of the blast - even behind Protect, it took some heat damage from the attack.

Unfurling its wings, it pushed aside the flames, but Romulus was already upon it. He clamped his jaws around Necrozma once again, gripping them in his teeth and biting hard. The prismatic plates around its body cracked under his jaws, and Necrozma screamed in agony.

The sound of the scream caught their attention; Volcan, Luke, and Luminara especially, looking up to see what the titan-sized Romulus was doing. From where they stood, they could see his eyes... They saw the wrath in them; his pupils had shrunk to the size of coins, barely discernible behind the glow of the power coursing through him, and his bite was not to grip... It was to hurt; to kill.

"He's losing control!" Volcan exclaimed, seeing the rage for what it was. Just as Calyrex had warned them could happen, the power filling Romulus' body was overwhelming his sense of reason, driving him to kill Necrozma instead of simply throwing him back through the wormhole.

'Necrozma is holding the portal open!' Arceus cried in Luminara's mind, 'If he dies now, the portal will close before the Ultra Beasts can be returned to their world!'

Luminara frowned, her halo-like wings spreading out before she took to the air. Without a word, she soared over to the gigantic Houndoom, stopping right next to him and screaming his name as loud as she could.

"Romulus!! Enough!!!"

At the sound of her voice, he stopped. Though he still held Necrozma in his jaws, he had stopped clenching his teeth around them, and he turned in Luminara's direction, looking squarely at her. But his gaze was without recognition... The stress of the transformation, and the fury it allowed to surface, were overwhelming him. She had to reach him, somehow...

"Romulus, stop! Let Necrozma go! We are trying to send him back to his realm, not kill him!" She continued, slowly floating closer to him and gently reaching out to touch him. "Please Romulus... You're far stronger than this, I know you are... Don't let your fury blind you to what's important!"

She placed her paw upon his nose. She could feel his breathing, coming rapidly to him as he struggled to regain control of himself. His expression relaxed, though a subtle twitch remained in his eyes, all the while Necrozma remained clutched between his jaws...

Meanwhile, as Volcan and Tristan hurled another pair of Ultra Beasts back up toward the portal - to be thrown through it by Minato, Lashanne, Caulin, and any other who could use Psychic, they saw yet more Ultra Beasts re-emerging from the open wormhole, some of whom were even struck by those being sent back into it.

"Dammit! For every one of these things we evict, another one comes in!" Tristan cursed. "We need a new plan here!"

Volcan thought quickly, tapping his foot on the ground as he tried to come up with some kind of idea. Luminara was busy reaching out to Romulus, but she seemed to have his attention, while the fliers above were making circles - at least those who were not already fighting the flying Ultra Beasts and swarms of Nihilego that still filled the skies above.

But then, looking at those fliers who were free... He had an idea.

"Eagle Eye!" he called out, "Where are you; I need you here!"

One of the Talonflames broke formation and quickly soared down to Volcan, landing in front of him in a fiery burst before tucking his wings along his body. "What's the sitch, Legs? You got a plan or are we gonna keep on spinning our wheels here?"

"I do_have a plan... And it's probably the craziest thing I've _ever come up with," Volcan said, in almost a warning tone - as if he knew Eagle Eye was going to hate his plan - or think him mad for even having it.

"...Every feather on my body is telling me this is going to go to shit so fast... but lay it on me," the Talonflame finally answered after a long moment of hesitation.

Volcan took a deep breath and spoke. "Okay... How many of the fliers up there happen to know Gust or, better yet... Hurricane?"