Whoosh whoosh whoosh—BOOOOOM!
A crimson meteor streaked through the stormy night sky, tearing it apart with an overwhelming force. It landed heavily on the back of the Shadow Lugia, already in a blood-red state.
The battle, which had been relocated from the Indigo Plateau floating in the sky to Victory Road, came to a halt. Both the Shadow forces and the League froze in place.
"What… what is that? A meteor!?"
"No, it looks like there's something inside it!"
"Is it a Pokémon's move!?"
"To think it could hit the Shadow Lugia before it even reacted… What kind of Pokémon has that kind of power!?"
As the Shadow forces and the League stood in shock, a majestic wolf howl echoed through the battlefield.
["He said, 'Don't you dare touch my wife! Mew~'"]
A long-lost telepathic voice rang out in Stephen's mind.
Stephen saw it now—the large dog wearing a shield-shaped helmet. Who else could it be but Zamazenta?!
Turning his head, Stephen looked at the knock-off yellow electric mouse that had somehow climbed onto the back of the MEGA Altaria.
"You called for reinforcements?" Stephen asked.
["Mew~ Of course! You still owe me the game you promised to make!"]
Five minutes earlier.
Mew had used teleportation to move Sonia and Lorelei to Victory Road. It was about to teleport back.
Such a grand spectacle hadn't been seen since Hoopa was sealed away a hundred years ago. There was no way it would miss this!
But judging by Bewear's state, it didn't seem like it could defeat the big black bird.
Normally, Mew would remain neutral in battles like these, quietly enjoying the show no matter who won or lost.
But the Shadow forces had gone too far this time.
It was so excessive that even Mew, the ultimate spectator, found it hard to stay silent.
At first, Mew thought about stepping in itself. But… that big black bird seemed scary. Maybe it was better to summon someone else.
Should it call on Moltres and Articuno? Would they make it in time?
Just as Mew was agonizing over who to summon, it suddenly remembered the drama between Bewear and Zamazenta. Without hesitation, Mew teleported to the Slumbering Weald in Galar and told the big dog what was happening.
Zamazenta, who had been cooling off in a cold bath to calm himself after going an entire month without a thrill, was instantly enraged.
Who dared lay a hand on his bear girl?!
Grabbing his rusty shield on the spot, Zamazenta ignored his sister's warnings and teleported to Kanto with Mew.
And then… well, everything unfolded as it did.
"Uh… whatever the case, thanks. Thankfully, this change won't affect the plan."
Stephen nodded at the yellow electric mouse.
Originally, Stephen planned to have Bewear weaken the Shadow Lugia until it was nearly defeated, then use Zoroark disguised as Joker to capture it.
But this worked too. Defeating it outright actually made capturing it even more likely.
["No problem. Just get that game done soon. If it's not fun, I'll sue you!"]
The yellow electric mouse crossed its arms and issued its threat.
The word "sue" was something it had learned from watching TV with Sonia.
"Stephen!"
On the back of Galarian Articuno, Will arrived, and Karen followed shortly on Galarian Moltres. The trio reunited.
Karen handed a Poké Ball to Stephen. "You'll need this, right?"
Inside was the Zoroark's poke ball.
Will released Galarian Slowking and a Gardevoir he had recently captured in Hoenn. The two Psychic-types used Heal Pulse to treat Bewear's injuries.
"Is Kingdra dealt with?"
Stephen crouched beside Bewear, holding its large paw, and turned to ask Karen.
"Yeah… but it doesn't feel like I've avenged anything."
Karen's expression was conflicted, as was the Houndoom in her Poké Ball.
Hearing the whole story from Karen, Stephen fell silent for a moment.
"This is what Pokémon are like," he finally said, looking at the unconscious Bewear.
"They'll give their all for you once they choose to follow you."
"Maybe… maybe Houndoom and I were wrong from the start about who we should have sought revenge against."
Karen gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Then go again," Stephen said with a light laugh. "End it all this time."
"Mm!"
Encouraged by Stephen, Karen nodded firmly.
"Doctor/Stephen!"
Sonia and Lorelei, with her thigh wrapped in bandages, came running.
"Are you okay!?" Sonia asked worriedly.
"You should be worrying about Bewear, not me," Stephen replied, shaking his head.
Zamazenta, having returned in a flash of red light after blasting Shadow Lugia with its Behemoth Bash, lowered its head and gently licked Bewear's cheek.
Under the dual Heal Pulses, Bewear's eyelids twitched slightly, and it opened its eyes with great effort.
"Ugh…"
A low, regretful whimper came from its throat.
"You've done well. Thank you," said Stephen earnestly.
"Don…"
Bewear weakly nuzzled Stephen's cheek.
"You have such a good bond with your Pokémon," Lorelei couldn't help but comment.
"Mm."
Stephen smiled, gently patting Bewear's back to reassure it that it had done enough.
Seeing how Stephen completely ignored Lorelei and focused entirely on comforting Bewear, Karen felt an odd sense that Lorelei wasn't much of a threat.
Noticing Shadow Lugia's body rolling down the hillside, Karen leaned in and whispered to Stephen, "Stephen, it's about time…"
Stephen nodded slightly at her words.
"Woof!"
Zamazenta, eager to impress, pressed its face closer.
Look, wife! I was the one who beat that big black thing!
Bewear gave the dog a disdainful glance, hesitated for two seconds, and finally, despite her fatigue, lifted her paw to hold Zamazenta's face.
She gave his doggy mouth a light kiss.
"OHHHHHH!"
Sonia and the yellow electric mouse both gasped, their mouths hanging open.
Lorelei's heart also skipped a beat as she froze.
Is… is this love?
Zamazenta, for his part, burst into tears on the spot.
While Sonia and Lorelei's attention was distracted by the Pokemon lovebirds, Stephen discreetly activated his disguise wristband and exchanged a glance with the Zoroark inside the Poké Ball.
"Stephen, someone has to stay here as a decoy. It also works as an alibi."
Will subtly signaled Sonia and Lorelei, who were busy shipping a pair of Pokémon.
Stephen nodded silently and quietly tossed the Poké Ball containing Zoroark.
Just as Giovanni had said, having a surface-level identity wasn't a bad idea—it could make certain activities much more convenient.
Especially since what he was about to use next… would be much better handled under another identity.
"Roarrr——"
The pained roar of Shadow Lugia echoed through the skies of Victory Road.
It was hard to say who was stronger between Shadow Lugia and Zamazenta.
But with the added boost of the dark aura, Shadow Lugia's destructive power was probably superior.
However, let's not forget—although not as strong as his sister, Zamazenta was no pushover.
If Zacian's combat strength among legendary Pokémon ranked as S-tier, Zamazenta was at least an A+.
Not to mention that Shadow Lugia had just fought Bewear to the brink of exhaustion.
Practically defenseless, it took a direct hit from Zamazenta's signature move.
Shadow Lugia's body instantly lost balance, tumbling down the mountainside of Victory Road like a massive boulder.
It finally came to a stop halfway down the mountain after a chaotic descent.
The impact alone carved out a new walking path along the mountainside.
"Nice!"
Even Lance couldn't help but cheer at the sight of Shadow Lugia's fall.
The Shadows had managed to maintain the upper hand against so many Elite Four members and Champions, all thanks to Shadow Lugia.
Now that this monster had fallen, the rest would be much easier.
Especially since Stephen had Zamazenta on his side.
However, after Shadow Lugia fell to the mountainside, Bewear also collapsed from the heights.
Battling a top-tier legendary had pushed her stamina to its absolute limit.
As Shadow Lugia's consciousness faded, the dark aura that continuously drained the stamina of non-dark Pokémon also began to dissipate.
Along with it vanished the suffocating pressure that had been unbearable for ordinary Pokémon.
"Luca!"
On the other side of the battlefield at Victory Road, Lucario next to Cynthia suddenly pointed in the direction of 3 o'clock.
"Garchomp, Dragon Claw!"
"Gardevoir, Moonblast!"
Cynthia's Garchomp and Diantha's Gardevoir—both at Champion or near-Champion level—launched their respective Dragon-type and Fairy-type moves in the direction Lucario pointed.
The sharp, blue-flamed dragon claws and the soft pink fairy light ball struck what appeared to be empty air.
"Ugh—"
A distinctly feminine groan of pain followed immediately after.
Latias was hit and fell from the sky!
With Lucario's Aura sensing ability, Latias' invisibility was rendered useless.
After suffering once at Joker's hands, Cynthia had specifically trained her Lucario's Aura sensing ability. She even sought advice from an expert in the field, Riley.
"Great! Now there's only Latios left!"
Diantha smiled brightly.
"This battle is ours! Even if the Shadows still have several legendary Pokémon, we have Dr. Stephen and Zamazenta on our side!"
Wallace, his once-dashing face now covered in dust and his hair in disarray, couldn't help but smile sincerely.
Shadow Lugia, the Shadows' greatest asset, had fallen.
If they still couldn't defeat the Shadows now, then they, the Champions and Elite Four might as well retire!
"Let's send Latias to the rear for now. I wonder if this Dark corruption can even be reversed…"
Cynthia hurried over, intending to pick up Latias.
It would have been easier to just recall her into a Poké Ball, of course. Cynthia wasn't coveting Latias—she simply thought it would be more convenient to carry her this way.
Meanwhile, on another front, Lance, Agatha, and Bruno were gaining the upper hand against the Dark-corrupted Regi Trio.
Even though Aldous controlled three legendary Pokémon, he was struggling to manage all three simultaneously against two Champions and a near-Champion-level opponent.
The only bit of fortune for Aldous was that a girl named Morgan had gone missing after the floating island was destroyed.
Otherwise, Aldous would have been defeated long ago.
"As expected of the future of our League!"
"Keep it up, everyone! Victory is within our grasp!"
"Shadows, you're finished!"
The defeats of Shadow Lugia and Latias injected a surge of morale into the League's forces. Excited cheers erupted from all around.
"Everyone! Great news! Just now, Paldea's forces sent word that reinforcements will arrive soon!"
Goodshow, under Alder's protection, shouted to rally the troops, his aged face beaming with joy. The wrinkles on his face seemed deep enough to crush a mosquito.
Of course, he was mainly saying this to boost morale.
Paldea was far from Kanto, and while reinforcements had been dispatched, it would take hours for them to arrive.
At most, they'd show up to clean the battlefield; joining the fight wasn't an option.
And why didn't Goodshow mention Galar?
Because Rose had just called to say that Kanto was already winning, so there was no need for Galar to send reinforcements.
He had already ordered Galar's planes to turn back.
Hearing this, Goodshow almost swore out loud.
But seeing as victory was imminent, he restrained himself.
After all, they had already won—what was the harm in popping some champagne?
Morale on the League's side soared yet again.
"Yes! This is great!"
"The scales of victory are tipping in our favor!"
"No, we've already won!"
Amid the cheers of her comrades, Cynthia couldn't help but smile brilliantly. She then turned her gaze toward the fallen Latias.
"It's okay, we're here to save you…"
Whoosh—
Just as Cynthia reached out to touch Latias, a Poké Ball flew past Diantha, Wallace, and Cynthia—striking Latias squarely on her back.
The Poké Ball opened, and Latias was absorbed into it.
Everyone froze.
This wasn't the dark Poké Ball Altair had used to capture Latias; it was an ordinary red-and-white Poké Ball.
This… this isn't right?!
How could a Latias that had already been captured be taken in by another Poké Ball?!
Meanwhile, on the other side:
"Shadow Lugia, return!"
Sitting atop a Dark Articuno, Caishen sped toward the half-mountainside where Shadow Lugia had fallen. Pulling out a dark Poké Ball, he prepared to recall his trump card.
(In Pokémon games, there's also a "Dark Ball" which doubles the catch rate in caves or at night. To distinguish it, let's call the Shadows' version the "Dark Poké Ball.")
Caishen knew all too well that without Shadow Lugia, the Shadows couldn't stand against the League.
But it didn't matter. As long as Shadow Lugia could recover, the Shadows could rise again at any time!
"Don't even think about it!"
A roar erupted as a Flamethrower came blasting toward Caishen.
The Dark Articuno beneath him swerved sharply, dodging the attack just in time.
The crimson beam fired from the Dark Poké Ball in Caishen's hand missed Shadow Lugia, failing to recall it into the ball.
"Don't even think about retrieving Shadow Lugia!"
Lance, who had been fighting Aldous alongside Bruno and Agatha, was now riding his Dragonite and had charged straight toward Caishen.
Ever since Shadow Lugia had fallen, Lance's eyes had been locked on Caishen, intent on preventing him from taking the creature away.
"Get lost!"
Caishen no longer carried the arrogant demeanor he had displayed earlier when declaring his victory aboard the airship. The shadows beneath his eyes had deepened, and his confidence seemed shaken. The Dark Moltres and Zapdos had also gathered nearby.
"Everyone, support Lance! We must not let the Shadows reclaim Shadow Lugia!"
Goodshow immediately recognized the critical turning point in the battle. If Caishen managed to recapture Shadow Lugia and escape with it, even if the League won this war temporarily, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Chairman…"
Diantha, who had witnessed an ordinary red-and-white Poké Ball capturing Latias earlier, turned her head to report to Goodshow.
However, just as Lance and Caishen were locked in a tense standoff over the collapsed Shadow Lugia on the mountainside, an Ultra Ball suddenly streaked through the air below them, heading straight for Shadow Lugia.
Neither Caishen nor Lance, nor the Shadows nor the League reinforcements, noticed this development.
Only the billions of viewers watching the battlefield through cameras on their television screens saw it happen.
The black-and-yellow Ultra Ball struck Shadow Lugia, bounced half a meter into the air, and then opened its lid, releasing a crimson light that absorbed the Pokemon inside.
Buzz… Buzz…!
The Ultra Ball landed on the ground and began to shake.
At this moment, both Caishen and Lance, who had been staring down at Shadow Lugia from above, instinctively lowered their heads in unison, their necks moving like rusty machines.
The respective reinforcements, including Bruno, Lorelei, and Aldous, who had rushed to the scene, all froze as though they had seen a ghost. Their eyes were glued to the Ultra Ball on the ground, which continued to tremble.
Buzz… Thud!
Under the watchful eyes of the entire world, the ball shook for the third time before the button in the center emitted a red glow, signaling the successful capture of Shadow Lugia.
For a moment, no one on the battlefield reacted.
A second passed, and then everyone saw it—a mechanical left arm reached down and picked up the Ultra Ball containing Shadow Lugia.
Lance, Cynthia, Lorelei… Everyone present either clenched their teeth or bit their lips, forcing a single word through gritted teeth:
"Joker?!"