By the seaside.
"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"
Pikachu's tail condensed an incredibly massive Electro Ball and threw it toward Tornadus. The Therian Forme of Thundurus appeared in front of Tornadus, blocked the Electro Ball, and simultaneously used Thunder to blast Pikachu off the back of Unfezant.
Unfezant fell from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Unfezant!"
Ash shouted, then used a Poké Ball to recall it. He ran to Pikachu's side, picked up Pikachu, and bolted.
"We can't beat them at all!"
Iris's voice came from nearby. She was commanding her disobedient Dragonite to battle Landorus, but the battle was almost completely one-sided.
Cilan sent out his Pansage, but it was sent back to its Poké Ball by a single blast of fire from Reshiram in one turn.
N was carrying the Light Stone, running around in panic, with Team Plasma members in hot pursuit.
Under Ghetsis's control, Reshiram was hunting N down.
Zekrom descended from the sky, slamming into Reshiram and knocking it into the mountainside.
"Roar!"
It's about time you woke up!
Zekrom roared at Reshiram, but Reshiram, currently under total control and in a berserk state, couldn't hear Zekrom's voice and kept launching attacks at it.
The turbine in Reshiram's tail ignited, and powerful blue-cyan flames gathered around its mouth, immediately sweeping toward Zekrom.
Zekrom roared, and the engine in its tail began to rev up, gathering terrifying lightning.
The lightning blast collided with the blue flames, creating a massive shockwave.
The two great dragon legends of Unova began their battle.
The battle affected everyone on the ground.
"Ash!"
N lunged, reaching the edge of a pit that had suddenly appeared on the ground, and grabbed Ash's hand just in time to keep him from falling in.
"Vvvvvv!"
The Pokémon with reddish-brown fur and a huge V-shaped mark, which had been lying on Ash's head, slid off listlessly.
"Victini!"
Ash shouted. Seeing this, Pikachu bit onto Ash's pant leg and hooked Victini with its tail to prevent it from falling.
N, holding Ash with one hand and the Light Stone with the other, glanced at Reshiram fighting Zekrom, then looked at Ash, Pikachu, and Victini, who were about to fall. Gritting his teeth, he let go of the Light Stone, grabbed Ash with both hands, and prepared to pull him up.
The Light Stone fell straight into the ground.
Ghetsis, standing on his aircraft, watched N saving people and turned to Giovanni. "That leader over there, why don't you and I cooperate for once? I only have one goal, and that is that person."
Giovanni, with a giant circle hovering above his head, had lost his sanity. He roared angrily, and the Therian Forme of Landorus flew straight toward N, who had just pulled Ash up.
"Why hasn't Lucas arrived yet! Meowth, go, use Scratch!"
Jessie threw Meowth out.
"Huh? I'm fighting Landorus, meow? Whatever, take my Scratch!"
Meowth bared its sharp claws and pounced toward Landorus.
"Ash!"
Iris and Cilan shouted in unison.
N grabbed Ash, preparing to turn around.
"Landdd!"
Get back!
A figure descended from the sky, its massive fist smashing heavily into Landorus's face, sending it flying. It then caught Meowth and carefully shielded it behind its back.
Golurk clashed its four fists together and stomped hard on the ground.
The ground began to shake, knocking the surrounding Team Rockets members and Team Plasma members unconscious.
Lucas jumped to the ground, surveying everything around him.
"Who are you?!"
"Lucas!!!" × N
Just as Ghetsis was wondering who it was, Ash and the others, including the Team Rocket Trio, shouted at the top of their lungs.
"You're finally here, wuwuwu."
Jessie hugged Lucas's leg and burst into tears. "Please, you must save Boss Giovanni. I beg you, we are willing to pay any price."
Lucas looked down and tried to pull his leg away, but found he couldn't. He had no choice but to say helplessly, "I know, don't worry. Let go of me first, otherwise I can't handle the situation."
Lucas had a massive headache right now.
However, the loyalty of the Team Rocket Trio toward Boss Giovanni was truly evident.
Clang.
The sound of high heels hitting the ground rang out. Cynthia stood beside Lucas, facing everything before them together.
Lucas roughly assessed the situation around him.
Team Rockets, Giovanni, Team Plasma, Ghetsis, the Therian Forme of the Forces of Nature, Zekrom, and Reshiram.
What in the world!
How did all these things that would never normally meet end up together today!
"I remember that the Therian Forme of the Forces of Nature requires specific conditions to be unlocked, right?"
Lucas scratched his hair and said helplessly.
"And Ash, where did that Victini on your head come from! Didn't you say you were going to train?"
Lucas asked, puzzled, looking at the Victini lying on Ash's head.
"Because at that time—"
"Not long ago, we—"
Ash and Jessie spoke at the same time, and with the surrounding Thunder and wind, it was so noisy that Lucas was about to explode.
"Shut up first!"
Lucas roared.
He looked into the sky. Zekrom was dealing with Reshiram, which meant he only needed to handle the Forces of Nature, Team Rockets, and Team Plasma for now.
"Cynthia, help me out."
Lucas said with a serious expression.
Cynthia didn't respond to Lucas immediately; instead, she reached out and held his hand, feeling the warmth of his palm. Lucas turned back and saw Cynthia looking at him with a gentle expression.
"I've always been here."
A soft sentence made Lucas chuckle.
"That's true."
Lucas took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Ash, stop playing dead, it's time to get up and fight."
"And Jessie, you guys come help me too."
"Yes!"
"Received!" × 3
"N, go help Zekrom stop Reshiram."
N nodded and turned to leave.
"Ash, go grab that person from Team Rockets for me."
Lucas pointed to the doctor standing in the center of Team Rockets and said.
Situations like this are mostly caused by some doctor; Dr. Colress of Team Plasma is an example.
"Leave it to me."
Ash didn't care how many people there were; with Victini on his head and Pikachu on his shoulder, he charged out headlong.
"Finally, Jessie—you guys—you go—"
"Right, go take down all the Team Plasma members for me."
"Leave it to us!"
Jessie grabbed James with one hand, snatched Meowth with the other, and charged into Team Plasma. Her set of Meowth-staff techniques was so impressive that even Lucario was full of admiration.
Wherever they passed, the Team Plasma uniforms were all torn to shreds.
Finally, Lucas looked at Cynthia and suggested, "Shall we stop the Forces of Nature?"
Cynthia nodded.
Garchomp, Gengar, and Latias took off into the air together and charged toward the Forces of Nature.
"Golurk, go help Jessie and the others."
Seeing the trio being submerged by the crowd and starting to call for help, Lucas said with a weary heart.
Golurk nodded and charged into the crowd of Team Plasma.
Over on Ash's side, Iris, Cilan, and an unknown Trainer were commanding Golurk to help him.
Garchomp's Dragon Rush slammed Tornadus into the mountainside, roaring at it continuously.
Latias summoned Draco Meteor, crashing it down onto Landorus.
Gengar used Double Team, then simultaneously used Shadow Ball to smash toward Thundurus.
Prince tactics—Gengar Double Team version.
It forcibly smashed Thundurus down, causing it to fall into the sea.
Gengar stared at the sea surface vigilantly, with over a dozen Gengars each holding a Shadow Ball, waiting for Thundurus to surface.
Thundurus didn't surface but gathered energy in the seawater. With an explosion, terrifying lightning blasted the seawater open and struck toward Gengar.
Gengar fled for its life, and all its Double Team clones were wiped out.
"Gen gengar"
So scary. How come it feels like it's become stronger after changing its appearance?
Gengar scratched its backside, asking puzzledly.
"Because that is the Therian Forme, which can be understood as a form where their power is released. Now they are like true nature itself, possessing power comparable to nature."
Lucas's voice came, and Gengar nodded as if it suddenly understood.
So what do we do now?
"What else can we do! Fight!"
As soon as Lucas finished speaking, Gengar dodged the incoming Sandstorm and smashed a Dark Void with one hand.
Landorus used Rock Slide to block it, but was still hit by the Dark Pulse hidden inside. Before it could recover, Latias's Draco Meteor descended from the sky, smashing it into the ground.
"Are you looking down on me? You dare to get distracted and attack Gengar while battling me?"
Latias said angrily.
"I'll ram you to death!"
Then, Latias used Zen Headbutt, transforming into a fighter jet, accelerating in a vertical descent, and rammed Landorus, which had just floated up, back into the ground.
Latias's physique combined with gravitational acceleration truly enhanced the power of the move in a physical sense.
Listening to the wails coming from Landorus in the smoke, Lucas's mouth twitched.
This must hurt a bit—
Whoosh!
The sound of breaking air rang out. Latias ascended vertically, and after climbing to a certain height, it descended vertically again.
Boom!
"I'll let you attack others while fighting me! Looking down on me? Do you think you're amazing just because you're a Legendary Pokémon of Unova?! Do you think you're amazing because you turned from two arms into four legs? Take my cosmic invincible Shauna-guided Zen Headbutt!"
With Draco Meteor circling itself, Latias spun and dove straight down at high speed again.
Tornadus just wanted to go save its good brother, but was severely knocked away by Garchomp's Dragon Claw.
Thundurus was also stopped by Gengar.
"Gen gengar"
Where do you want to go~
Gengar asked Thundurus with a grin.
"Roar!! Awoo—"
The Roars in the smoke turned into whimpers.
Cynthia frowned as she looked into the pit. She looked at Lucas with a strange expression.
Is this how you taught it?
Lucas: Heaven and earth are my witness! I really didn't teach it this! It learned this from Shauna itself!
Seeing that the battle situation had begun to turn around due to the joining of Lucas and Cynthia, Ghetsis couldn't sit still and hurriedly issued an order.
"Go, take care of those two first."
Team Plasma members started charging toward Lucas and Cynthia.
Cynthia used force in her arm to pull Lucas behind her, then delivered a high kick, kicking the charging Team Plasma member away. He flew back, crashing into a crowd of Team Plasma members.
Cynthia looked at the Team Plasma members with a cold expression.
Seeing that he and Cynthia were surrounded, Lucas was at a loss for a moment.
Oh no, I forgot that Ninetales and the others had overdrawn their power—
"Lucas."
"?"
"Close your eyes."
"Huh?!"
Before Lucas could react, he felt his vision blur, and then his body flew up.
This is—
Slap slap slap, boom boom boom—
Lucas landed, his head still in a daze, and saw Cynthia clapping her hands and exhaling, "It's okay, I said I would protect you."
Looking at Cynthia's gentle smile, Lucas glanced at the situation around him: Team Plasma members were lying everywhere, wailing.
Um—I shouldn't be a victim of domestic violence in the future, right?
This was the first thought that popped into Lucas's mind.
"Lucas, we've come to save you!"
Jessie's voice approached from afar until she reached Lucas, only to find that all the Team Plasma members around Lucas had been taken down.
"So—so amazing—"
Lucas looked at the Team Plasma members lying behind Jessie, and how she casually threw the Team Plasma member in her hand, expressionless.
You're not bad either—
As expected of a woman who can subdue a Seviper with her bare hands, terrifying—
As for Ash's side—this kind of battle simply unleashed his nature.
Carrying Pikachu and Victini, Ash moved as if through an empty land, knocking out a Team Rockets member with every punch; no person or Pokémon could withstand a single blow from him.
Watching Ash charge forward like a Tauros, Lucas couldn't help but exclaim again.
"As expected of a super Pallet Towner! Truly a human Legendary Pokémon!"
"If current battles were still unrestricted, the Champion and Leon wouldn't stand a chance."
Team Plasma attempted a counterattack but was immediately swatted away by a thick tail.
"Roar!" Haxorus charged into the crowd, wreaking havoc.
Deoxys arrived on the battlefield with Shauntal and the others, joining the fray.
Seeing this, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. "Deoxys, do you see that Thundurus? I know you don't like him. Go, beat him up however you want."
Number One looked at Thundurus, confused. "We don't like him? Really?"
"It's because of him that we were in such a bad mood after working overtime and returning to Sinnoh, which is why we beat you up so hard when we met. He just provoked me, saying no Pokémon could beat him."
Deoxys: !!! "Damn it, so you're the culprit!"
Number One angrily shifted into Attack Forme and charged at Thundurus. Terrifying psychic power swept out. Number Two followed closely behind.
Thundurus was completely stunned. "Where did you guys come from? Why are you attacking me without saying a word?"
After receiving an attack from Deoxys Number Two, Thundurus became even angrier. "Everyone is attacking me! Do you really think I'm easy to bully?"
"Roar!" Terrifying lightning burst forth. Number One and Number Two shifted into Defense Forme and blocked it.
Immediately after, one shifted into Speed Forme to disrupt Thundurus, while the other shifted into Attack Forme to continuously attack him.
"Roar!" "Roar——" "Roar..."
"Lies just roll off your tongue." Cynthia glanced at Lucas.
Lucas shrugged. "The situation is already this chaotic, Thundurus just has to suffer a bit."
Landorus: "I'm crying too!"
Nearby, Tornadus was being chased and beaten by Garchomp.
"Roar!" "Where are my teammates? Come help me, let's take this Garchomp do——wn——. Why are you all down? Are you guys useless?!"
Tornadus roared angrily.
Having been injured by Lucas a few days ago and not yet recovered, Tornadus was then captured by Giovanni and forced into Therian Forme. Although his own strength had been enhanced, his injuries had not healed, and facing Cynthia's ace Garchomp, he could only flee in a panic.
"How am I supposed to fight this?! Tell me, how can I fight with two actors on my side?"
"Roar!" Tornadus roared defiantly. "Actors?"
Latias flew up from the crater and glanced at Lucas. "The biggest actor is right there!"
Latias still remembered that time.
Lucas: "I—— alright, that was unkind of me. There's another one lying in the courtyard."
"Gengar, leave Thundurus to Deoxys and the others. Go do what you do best."
Hearing this, Gengar grinned, flailed its short legs, and floated into the crowd of Team Plasma members, waving a spiked club and attacking their lower regions.
"Lucas——" Cynthia said wearily, "Please don't teach them any more weird things next time."
Lucas: "I—— Oh, I really have nowhere to turn! I really didn't teach them these things!"
Watching the chaotic Team Plasma members, Lucas closed his eyes, unable to bear looking.
Opening his eyes and looking at the Team Rocket Trio beside him, Lucas pulled them into a corner and whispered, "I remember the Forces of Nature need specific conditions to transform, right? How did they turn into Therian Forme?"
The trio looked at each other, and then James spoke up: "Actually, it's like this. Originally, our target was Meloetta. While we were chasing it, we suddenly encountered the severely injured Forces of Nature a few days ago. Boss Giovanni captured them and then had us build a machine, a machine that could replicate Meloetta's voice."
"And you actually built it?" The trio nodded like prairie dogs.
"You guys—— I—— Then how did Giovanni go berserk?"
"The brat attacked a mirror, and the light from the mirror hit Boss Giovanni's face, and he went berserk."
"In other words, you don't know where Meloetta is right now?" "Yeah." The trio hummed in agreement.
Lucas rolled his eyes and asked in a low voice, "Think carefully, you didn't do anything else, right?"
"What kind of things?"
"Like specific items or anything."
"Probably—— not—— right?"
"You'd better hope so. If I find out, let me tell you, I'll have Gengar throw you to dig coal!"
"..."
"Anyway, I'm very familiar with Giratina, so I can throw you straight over there without even needing a plane!"
"No, don't!" The trio made fearful sounds and hugged each other tightly.
As Lucas turned to leave, the trio looked at each other, and Jessie spoke first: "We shouldn't have done anything else, right?"
James: "Probably not, right? Think about it, don't we fail at everything we do normally?"
Jessie: "That's—— that's true, too? Wait, no, James, what do you mean?! Do you mean we are losers?!"
"I didn't mean that! Meowth, help me——"
Facing James's cry for help, Meowth didn't respond. It just pointed at Drayden, who was fighting in front, "That—— look, doesn't he look familiar, meow?"
Jessie and James looked at Drayden's back, recalled for a moment, and then opened their mouths wide. !!!
"Report!" Ghetsis looked behind him and saw a subordinate walking over holding a stone. "Our people found this on the battlefield; it looks very similar to what the doctor told us about."
Ghetsis took it, looked at it, and then took a picture and sent it to Colress. "That's right, this is it. We can implement the final plan."
Ghetsis nodded, looked at Lucas and the others below, and snorted.
"Retreat." The Team Plasma members retreated quickly.
Lucas: "Strange, why did they retreat so quickly?"
"Perhaps they were scared?" Shauntal said.
"Forget it, never mind them. Our top priority right now is to find Meloetta and stop the Forces of Nature."
Shauntal glanced at the Forces of Nature lying together, wanting to say something but stopping. "It seems we have already stopped them——"
"Melo?"
"Are you looking for me? Hee hee."
Lucas felt a weight on his shoulder, and then space rippled. A Pokémon with light green hair, as cute and beautiful as a musical note, was sitting on his shoulder, showing a sweet smile.
"Yeah, we're looking for you, Meloetta—— Huh?! Meloetta?!" Lucas exclaimed.
Meloetta was startled, but it still showed a sweet smile, looking at Lucas.
"Melo~" "Hello~ Lucas~"
Everyone present looked at Lucas and Meloetta together.
"Gengar!" "Wow! It's a little sister!"
"It's not a little sister; it has existed for much longer than you."
Lucas said, then asked Meloetta sitting on his shoulder: "Have you been here the whole time?"
Meloetta shook its head, "Melo." "Not really. I followed you here. That dance of yours is so beautiful, and your singing voice is so nice, can you teach me?"
"You mean—— the dance between me and Lilligant?"
Meloetta nodded, then floated into the air, dancing gracefully, humming the melody Lucas had hummed at the time.
Then the melody changed into a melody Lucas had never heard before, and Meloetta's shape began to change. A flash of light passed, and Meloetta turned into a ballet dancer. Pirouette Forme!
"Sure, after we resolve the matter here, when I have time, I'll teach you, how about that?"
Meloetta nodded happily, then turned back into Aria Forme and floated toward the temple on the sea.
"Gengar, Latias." Gengar and Latias followed.
"Garchomp." Garchomp nodded and followed as well.
Arriving at the temple, Meloetta stood on the altar, singing a beautiful melody. Then the Reveal Glass began to spin and returned to the altar, and the altar began to glow.
The Forces of Nature began to shed their forms and turned back into Incarnate Forme.
"So beautiful——" Shauntal couldn't help but say.
As the Forces of Nature recovered, Giovanni also began to regain consciousness.
Meloetta looked at the temple beneath its feet, stomped in disgust, and the temple began to sink into the seawater, disappearing from sight.
"Finally done." Lucas said wearily, "Next is only Reshiram left."
After Latias returned with Meloetta, Lucas flipped onto Latias's back, and Meloetta naturally sat on Lucas's shoulder.
"Melo~" "Let's go~"
Lucas smiled upon hearing this and gently patted Latias's head. Latias soared into the sky, arriving at the battlefield of Zekrom and Reshiram.
Ash, with Pikachu and Victini, arrived in front of Dr. Zager, and without saying a word, punched a Woobat away, then punched Dr. Zager unconscious, and just like that, carried Dr. Zager back to Cynthia's side.
Having regained his sanity, Giovanni watched Ash take Dr. Zager away, then glanced at Lucas riding on Latias's back, as well as the fighting Zekrom and Reshiram, and said coldly: "Let's retreat."
The Team Rockets members also began to retreat from here. Leaving behind only the unconscious members, as well as the captured Dr. Zager and the trio.
"Zekrom, Bolt Strike, aim for the device on its neck!" Lucas's voice came. Zekrom hesitated for a moment, then Bolt Strike went straight for Reshiram.
Reshiram roared angrily, the device was destroyed, and it also gradually regained consciousness.
"N, leave this to——" Before he could finish, Lucas was pulled into a mental space.
"Are you kidding me? Again?!" Lucas couldn't help but say. He tiredly walked forward slowly. At the end of the stairs, a huge twin-tailed figure was standing there.
"Human, tell me, what is your truth?"
"I remember your brother seems to have already chosen me as the Black Hero——" Lucas said naturally.
"Black Hero? Is your heart black?" One sentence silenced both the human and the Pokémon.
Reshiram fell into silence. Although it had lost its reason just now, it vaguely remembered everything that happened around it.
Especially how Lucas transferred the hatred to Thundurus, which is why it blurted out that sentence.
Lucas also fell into silence. What does this twin-tailed creature in front of him mean?!
Just because it's the Dragon of Truth, it can frame good people, right?
Is my heart black? Heaven and earth can attest! My heart is white as can be, okay? Where is my heart black?
I appear wherever I am needed, is this called a black heart?
"Ahem, ahem——" Reshiram spoke first, "I hadn't recovered from my weakness just now, that was not my intention."
Lucas did not refuse the step down Reshiram gave itself, but cooperated instead. "I was just saying—— the legendary Dragon of Truth, how could it say such shallow words."
"Flattery—— How exactly did Zekrom approve of him—— Sure enough, his heart is still black——"
"So, human, what is your truth?"
"Truth? Let me think——" "To live happily with Gengar and the others, to live happily with cute ones, and for world peace."
Reshiram: "——"
Feeling Lucas's emotions, the turbine behind Reshiram began to spin. "Your truth is what I seek."
The darkness faded. Lucas regained consciousness.
"Finally resolved——" Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. This damn thing was finally over.
"Um—— should we tell Lucas?"
"James, you go!"
***************************
Thoughts on where the plot is heading? Let me know in the comments! If you're enjoying the ride, please leave a quick review and toss a few Power Stones my way. Every bit of support means the world! 🙌