"Manager, please give us your orders."
The Team Rockets trio bowed hurriedly.
"I want you to go to the Spear Pillar to help Ash and the others. If all goes as expected, they are carrying the stone slab that can appease the wrath and hatred of the Space-Time Duo. I hope you can temporarily set aside your differences and help them reach the top of the tower to play oración."
Lucas said.
The trio didn't hesitate. "Don't worry, Manager. It's not the first time we've worked with the twerp and his friends. We will definitely help them successfully reach the top of whatever tower it is."
Jessie guaranteed while thumping her chest.
Lucas nodded, feeling relieved.
Mainly, you could say Ash's group was unreliable, but you could never say the Team Rockets trio was unreliable.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Stay safe."
Lucas nodded solemnly.
"Alright, we're heading out now."
After Jessie finished speaking, she grabbed James and Meowth by their hands and ran toward the Spear Pillar.
Looking at Jessie, who was still running as fast as the wind while dragging James and Meowth along.
"Truly the real protagonists of the Pokémon world."
Lucas commented.
"I wonder how Cynthia and the others are doing..."
Lucas turned to look toward Lugia's side, his mouth falling open in a numb, stunned expression.
Lugia and Darkrai were fighting; Palkia and Dialga were still blasting each other; Garchomp and Altaria—one was trying to break up the fight between Lugia and Darkrai, while the other was trying to block Palkia and Dialga.
Dialga's Roar of Time and Palkia's Spacial Rend collided head-on.
They formed a powerful energy void that finally exploded with a bang.
The aftermath spread in all directions. Lucas, riding on Latias's back in the air, saw a white-haired old woman turn into a young girl in her prime amidst the ripples, her face full of Joy; he also saw a crying child in its mother's arms turn into a youth capable of walking upright in the blink of an eye, looking completely dazed.
He even saw many people turn into points of light, scattering into the air.
At the same time, buildings were slowly turning into points of light, drifting away with the wind.
The people inside the buildings had vanished before they could even react to what was happening.
Seeing this, more and more people fell into a panic, running toward the Pokémon Center one after another.
"Wait, this—Lugia, why are you fighting with Darkrai?!"
Lucas felt a splitting headache. "This—you—everything is a damn mess!"
Lucas shouted at Lugia.
"Stop it, Lugia!"
After Lugia knocked Darkrai back with an Aeroblast, it resolutely transformed into a Sky Attack and crashed between Palkia and Dialga.
Darkrai dragged its heavily scarred body and fired a Dark Pulse toward Lugia's back.
"You get out of here too!"
Darkrai roared.
Lugia was greatly enraged and slammed into Darkrai.
"That... Al-whatever, forget it. Baron Lickitung, coordinate the evacuation and run as far away as possible. I'll have Gothitelle and the others cooperate with you."
"My name is Baron Alberto, hey!"
Baron Lickitung couldn't help but voice his protest.
Nurse Joy grabbed his long tongue. "I understand."
Lucas nodded and then looked at Gothitelle and the others.
"I'll have to trouble you to help organize their relocation."
Gothitelle and the others nodded.
"Dash, if there's any situation, just blast through it with your fists."
Dash's fists tightened as he nodded solemnly.
"Latias, I'm counting on you. Go stop them!"
Latias was floating in the air in a daze, and she was stunned when she heard Lucas's words.
"? Who? Me?"
Latias asked.
Lucas, sitting on her back, nodded.
"I'm going to fight them? Ah?!"
Latias looked completely incredulous.
"Me fight the Space-Time Duo and the Sea God? For real?!"
"Please, only you can help me hold them back now."
Hearing Lucas's request, Latias couldn't bear to refuse. "But you're still on my back—"
Before she could finish, Lucas fell off her back, and Ninetales caught him safely.
"I'll leave it to you, Latias."
Latias: ————
Lucas, you're such a troll!
Latias charged toward Lugia and Darkrai.
"Latias, Draco Meteor!"
Latias revealed her true form. Under the buff of the Soul Dew, countless giant meteors fell from the sky, smashing toward Lugia, Darkrai, Palkia, and Dialga.
Darkrai, already heavily injured, was hit by a meteor after dodging several others and fell heavily toward a certain spot.
"So the Pokémon he was riding in the air just now was a Latias..."
Baron Lickitung muttered to himself.
Officer Jenny slapped his head. "Who do you think he is? He's Lucas. Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and help move the unconscious people."
Alice, who was catching up with Ash and the others, saw Darkrai falling toward the ground and stopped. "No, I have to go find Darkrai. He'll die like this."
Ash and the others also stopped, looking at the stone slab in their arms. "But—"
Alice pushed them forward. "You guys keep going. I can go by myself. Only you can stop this crisis."
After saying that, Alice ran toward the direction where Darkrai had fallen.
Connie hesitated for a moment but still chose to lead Ash and the others toward the Spear Pillar.
Lucas looked at the falling Darkrai and patted Ninetales's head. "Follow them."
Ninetales's agile form leaped continuously amidst the dust and ruins.
"Darkrai, where are you?"
Alice searched back and forth through the ruins in the dust, calling out loudly.
"You can't be hurt, Darkrai, where are you!"
Alice's voice echoed throughout the ruins.
"Leave... leave this place."
A weak voice came from nearby. Alice wept with Joy and turned to look.
She found Darkrai leaning against a piece of wreckage, gasping for breath, his body long since covered in wounds. To resist three great gods with his own power and hold out for so long was already burning through his very life.
Alice ran over and knelt beside Darkrai, pulling a Potion from her pocket.
"Wait a moment, I'll treat you right now."
The effect of the Potion gave Darkrai a bit of recovery.
He looked at the girl before him who looked so much like the girl he had seen back then.
His eyes were filled with memories.
In the next second, his gaze sharpened, and he threw a Dark Pulse into the dust.
Inside the dust, a Dark Pulse neutralized the Dark Pulse.
"Get out!"
Darkrai struggled to stand up, positioning himself in front of Alice while staring at the figure emerging from the dust.
It was a man riding on a massive Ninetales, with a grinning Gengar floating beside him.
"I said, get out!"
The Dark Void in his hand was thrown toward Lucas without hesitation.
Gengar's Dark Pulse once again neutralized the Dark Void.
The Dark Void shattered, and from within, nightmarish claws manifested and lunged toward Lucas.
Lucas's pupils shrank.
Ninetales nimbly dodged.
"As expected of Darkrai, such formidable strength."
Lucas was somewhat shocked that even a heavily injured and dying Darkrai could still burst forth with such terrifying power.
"Darkrai, we aren't enemies. We can have a proper talk."
Lucas's words reached him, but Darkrai stared fixedly at him, a Dark Void ready in his hand.
Seeing that talking wasn't working, Lucas gripped the wooden plaque pendant at his chest. "Gengar."
"Mega Evolution!"
Gengar was enveloped in a brilliant light, and a powerful Aura blew away and scattered all the surrounding dust and ruins.
Only then did Alice realize who was opposite her—a man riding on a very beautiful Ninetales, accompanied by a Gengar with its four limbs submerged in an alternate dimension.
"Or would you rather have a fight first?"
What greeted Lucas was a sudden Dark Void.
Gengar moved in front of Lucas, and a Dark Pulse once again surged toward the Dark Void.
"Where did this Gengar come from? Is this even legal? Since when can a Gengar use Dark Pulse?"
"Isn't that a move only Zorua and Zoroark can learn?"
Darkrai cursed inwardly.
"Are you... Lucas?"
Alice finally recognized the newcomer. He was the Lucas that Ash and the others often talked about, especially since a large white bird had descended from the sky earlier while they were traveling, and Ash and the others had shouted "Lucas" then.
"You must be Alice, right?"
Lucas looked at Alice and asked.
Alice nodded and then hurriedly said, "Manager, Darkrai isn't a bad guy. Everything he did was to protect us."
Lucas nodded, interrupting her, "I know, that is why I came over to have a chat with it, so we can better block the battle between Palkia and the others."
"May we have a chat?"
Alice looked worried, but Lucas signaled to her that it was fine.
Lucas dismounted from Ninetales and approached Darkrai. Beside him, Gengar fell to the ground with a heavy "thud." It did a kip-up, dusted off its rear, and followed Lucas.
Lucas took the herbal medicine from Gengar—the super-charged, special restorative herbal medicine made by Gothitelle!
"Drink this, it will be very good for your injuries."
Darkrai looked at Lucas vigilantly, but the Pokémon affinity Lucas possessed made it lower its guard slightly.
However, it still did not drink the herbal medicine.
Lucas knew what it was hesitating about, "Darkrai, I said from the beginning that we are not enemies, and I also know why you want to protect Poplar Town."
"I am not protecting Poplar Town."
Darkrai immediately refuted.
"Fine, I get it. You want to protect the garden, right?"
Darkrai did not refute.
"Darkrai, you have things you want to protect, for the sake of that girl from back then. I can understand that, but please trust me. I am the same as you; I also have a girl I want to protect."
Darkrai looked at Lucas, and Lucas pointed at the girl on the roof.
"The girl I want to protect is right there."
Darkrai followed Lucas's finger and saw a woman with blonde hair, a black trench coat, and a slender figure.
It remembered her; the Garchomp by her side was very strong.
Darkrai withdrew its gaze and looked at Lucas.
"You are weaker than her."
Darkrai's words were merciless.
Lucas: ————
Seriously, man? Can we not have a proper conversation?
Lucas had black lines all over his head.
"But I called Lugia and Latias here."
Lucas said.
Darkrai looked at Lugia, whose strength was on par with Palkia and Dialga.
So it was him who called it? No wonder it hit me so hard.
"Darkrai, let's work together and drive them out of the garden."
Lucas held the herbal medicine in one hand and reached out with the other. Standing amidst the ruins, he smiled at Darkrai.
Darkrai leaned against the ruins, sensing the feelings coming from Lucas's heart: determination, worry, fear, courage ————
These feelings were so real.
Just like the hand that girl had once reached out to it.
"Darkrai, live in the garden."
The smile was like a flower.
Darkrai swatted Lucas's hand away, snatched the herbal medicine, and drank it in one gulp.
Pfft ————
Lucas and Gengar were quick-witted; they used their hands to press down on Darkrai's mouth, not letting it spit it out.
Darkrai struggled continuously.
Lucas kept persuading, "Swallow it, just swallow it. Good medicine tastes bitter, good medicine tastes bitter."
Darkrai could not spit it out and had to swallow it all. Seeing this, Lucas let go.
"Lucas, I f— ————"
Lucas blocked Darkrai's mouth again.
"Looks like you are doing much better."
Darkrai glared fiercely at Lucas, then flew into the air.
"You get back here!"
Lucas roared on the ground.
Darkrai's figure paused, barely dodging an incoming Spacial Rend, and flew back in front of Lucas.
"Why are you in such a rush?! Did you think one bowl of herbal medicine was enough?"
Lucas signaled to Gengar. Gengar nodded, then took out eleven bowls of herbal medicine and placed them in front of Darkrai.
Darkrai swallowed hard, then flew towards the sky.
Gengar used Mega Evolution and utilized its ability, Shadow Tag, to keep Darkrai there.
Darkrai: ∑(°△°) Don't come over here!
"Alice, come help me."
Alice did not know what was happening, just said "Oh," and walked over.
Lucas held down Darkrai's hands and pried open its mouth, "Alice, pour it in."
Darkrai struggled continuously, but was fiercely restrained by Mega Gengar and Lucas. Unable to run, it could only watch with fear as Alice approached with the herbal medicine.
At this moment, it reminded Lucas of when he had a cold and fever as a child. The doctor would grind the pills into powder, mix it with water, and his mother would clamp his legs with her legs, hold his hands with her armpits, and use a spoon to force his mouth open to pour the medicine in.
"Drink it, Darkrai. Only after you drink it will your injuries get better."
Lucas looked earnest.
"Gen gengar"
Just give up struggling and drink it all.
Gengar's mouth was twisted into a snarl.
Darkrai drank the eleven bowls of herbal medicine in despair. Only then did Lucas and Gengar let it go.
Darkrai felt its entire body had turned bitter.
Although it felt hopeless, it could feel that many of its injuries were recovering rapidly, especially the internal ones.
What terrifying herbal medicine.
Darkrai looked at Lucas.
Seeing Lucas still holding a bowl of herbal medicine, "What? Do you like it? Want some more?"
Darkrai flew into the air without looking back, launching a Dark Pulse at Palkia.
The power was astonishing.
Palkia wanted to dodge, but was blocked by Lugia and Dialga, taking the Dark Pulse head-on.
"Roar!"
Palkia roared in pain.
With Lugia's help, Darkrai's Dark Void hit Dialga as well.
"Roar!"
How does it look unscathed?
Dialga roared angrily.
"Roar!"
How would I know? Who knows if you, the God of Time, went easy on it!
"Roar!"
Do you think I am like you, the useless God of Space, letting the Sea God intrude?
"Roar!"
Say that again if you dare!
"Roar!"
I said it, so what!
Spacial Rend!
Roar of Time!
Sky Attack!
Dark Void!
Draco Meteor!
Latias's Draco Meteor hit everyone equally.
Darkrai shattered the meteors with Dark Pulse and looked back at Latias.
"Watch what you are doing!"
Latias shrank her neck.
Lugia faced the Draco Meteor and charged fiercely at Palkia and Dialga.
Take this bird!
Sky Attack!
On the other side of the Spear Pillar.
Ash and the others looked at the towering Spear Pillar. Without any hesitation, they hugged the giant stone disk, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and rushed straight to the stairs.
"Wait for me, Palkia, Dialga, and Darkrai."
Ash said.
The Team Rockets trio arrived below the Spear Pillar.
"So high? How are we supposed to get up? We are not going to have to climb it, are we?"
Jessie looked at the towering Spear Pillar and asked.
"We can build a hot air balloon to fly up there, Meowth."
"I think so too."
So the Team Rockets trio ran off somewhere, and only the sound of hammering and banging could be heard from the corner.
The joint effort of Darkrai, Lugia, and Latias gave Wallace and Cynthia a chance to catch their breath.
Cynthia held the herbal medicine Lucas had just given her and was feeding it to Garchomp to nurse its injuries.
Altaria was also drinking the herbal medicine non-stop.
There was a large bucket at Cynthia's feet, with half a bucket of herbal medicine left inside.
Altaria looked down at the big bucket.
It already had psychological trauma.
"Thanks to Lucas's herbal medicine."
Wallace said.
Cynthia nodded, "The herbal medicine he brews has always been very effective, it is just the taste ————"
Cynthia looked at Garchomp, who had a look of deep hatred, and could not help but shake her head.
"kao!"
Garchomp had sweet honey in its mouth, looking angry.
If she had not known to prepare sweet honey for me, I would have hacked him to pieces when I got back.
Cynthia could only smile helplessly.
Compared to Garchomp having sweet honey, Altaria was much more miserable.
Lucas had not prepared sweet honey for it, so it had to drink the herbal medicine straight the whole time.
In my next life, I never want to drink herbal medicine again.
Altaria looked pained.
"Darkrai!"
An angry voice from Latias came from the sky.
Cynthia and the others looked up and saw a red figure slamming heavily into the ground.
Lucas was shocked, quickly mounted Ninetales, and rushed to the place where Plane Sister had crashed.
Darkrai in the sky gasped.
It is over, I am used to it, I habitually diverted the disaster ————
Darkrai looked back at the place where Latias had crashed, felt killing intent behind it, and quickly dodged.