Darkrai was distracting Palkia, while Latias moved behind Palkia, spitting out a Dragon Pulse enhanced by the Soul Dew.
Seeing Palkia knocked down by their joint attack, Latias didn't have time to be proud before noticing Darkrai flying in its direction. Latias was initially confused about what Darkrai was doing.
Then it saw a beam carrying a terrifying aura sweeping toward it. Wherever it passed, houses were completely destroyed.
Darkrai shot straight into the sky. Before Latias could react, it was hit hard by the beam.
Roar of Time, double effectiveness.
Latias fell hard from the sky like a plane that had lost its wings.
It squeezed out its last bit of strength, "Darkrai!!!"
Darkrai felt a chill on its back and immediately dodged Palkia's attack.
"Sorry, Latias, I didn't mean to."
Darkrai apologized frantically.
Lucas was riding Ninetales, rushing quickly toward the place where Latias had crashed.
And in the sky, the battle between the behemoths continued.
Lucas got off Ninetales' back and held Latias in his arms. Its red and white body was covered in scars, and its breathing was extremely weak.
"Latias, are you okay?"
Lucas took the Potion, pried open Latias' mouth, and slowly poured it in.
Latias weakly finished the herbal medicine and then collapsed into Lucas's arms.
"Next time, I must beat that Darkrai to death."
Hearing that Latias still had the energy to complain, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have let you go block them."
Lucas felt a bit guilty.
Latias shook its head, then closed its eyes in Lucas's arms and fell fast asleep.
Lucas: ————
He tried to pick up Latias but found it too heavy, so he simply sat on the spot, looking up at the battle in the sky.
Darkrai was nowhere to be seen, not knowing where it had been knocked, while Lugia flapped its wings and flew high, watching the battle between Palkia and Dialga, then found the right moment and slammed into them with Aeroblast.
Dialga and Palkia, who were fighting, suddenly shifted directions together. Roar of Time and Spacial Rend both hit Lugia. Lugia let out a pained cry and then slammed heavily into the ground.
Lucas frowned.
Seeing Lugia and Darkrai lose their combat ability, Dialga and Palkia continued their Pokémon battle.
The entire sky was shrouded in terrifying electrical nets, and the rumbling and explosions were incessant.
Within a radius of several kilometers, there was no grass growing, only broken walls and ruins.
Darkrai picked up the half-bucket of herbal medicine next to Cynthia's feet, drank it all in one gulp, wiped the corner of its mouth, and stared at Palkia and Dialga still fighting overhead.
"Ash, are you guys not there yet?"
Lucas was extremely anxious in his heart.
At the Spear Pillar, Ash held the stone disc, looking at the stairs that still seemed to have no end in front of him, "How much longer do we have to climb?"
Ash wiped his sweat and asked.
Connie checked, "At our current speed, it will take at least another half hour to reach the top."
Ash looked anxiously at the sky outside. Lugia, Latias, and Darkrai were all gone; only Palkia and Dialga were still continuing their battle.
"If only we had a flying Pokémon,"
Connie said.
Ash had a sudden realization. He then took out a Poké Ball and called out Staraptor. Staraptor came out of the Poké Ball. Ash explained the situation to Staraptor, then tied the stone disc to Staraptor's back, "I'm counting on you, Staraptor."
Staraptor nodded, then flew up with difficulty while carrying the huge stone disc, and flew toward the top of the tower.
Boom!
A powerful energy beam cut off the stairs in front, and Staraptor was also hit by this beam, falling toward the ground with the stone disc.
"Staraptor!"
Ash saw Staraptor and the stone disc falling toward the ground separately. He gritted his teeth and jumped down as well.
"Ash!"
Dawn shouted Ash's name from above. She saw Ash running quickly on the walls of the Spear Pillar with his legs, moving as if on level ground for a moment.
If Lucas were here, he would definitely say, "He is simply a superman."
Ash saw that the situation was about right, then jumped up high, hugging the stone disc with both hands, "Pikachu!"
Pikachu on his shoulder understood, its tail turned into an Iron Tail, took the stone disc, and then threw it with force. The stone disc was thrown back into Dawn's arms.
And Ash and Pikachu continued to fall straight down.
"Help!!!"
Ash's scream resounded through the sky, causing the actions of the fighting Palkia and Dialga to pause.
Ash felt he was caught by something soft, and after breathing a sigh of relief, he looked down and found it was a giant Meowth hot air balloon.
"Hello, brat, need some help?"
Jessie said with a smile to Ash, who was lying on the hot air balloon.
Ash slid down the hot air balloon into the basket, "Team Rockets, why are you here?"
"Great, can you help me?"
Ash just wanted to explain the situation to the three members of Team Rockets, but was interrupted by them, "I know, it's about sending that... that Wobbuffet thing up, right? Leave it to us."
Ash and Pikachu nodded heavily, then the hot air balloon kept rising, came to where Dawn and the others were, picked them up, and continued flying toward the top of the tower.
"Staraptor, sorry, I'll come back to find you later."
Ash looked at the ground and said silently.
"Lucas, get on."
Latias floated to Lucas's side, letting Lucas sit on it.
"You've recovered?"
Lucas asked.
Latias nodded, "I took a nap, I'm almost better."
Lucas nodded, got on its back, and flew toward Cynthia's side.
Ninetales on the ground narrowed its eyes, then chased after them.
"Help! Manager!"
Jessie and the others saw the Spacial Rend flying towards them, huddled together, crying for help.
After Wobbuffet bounced back the first Spacial Rend, it lost consciousness.
Just as Jessie and the others closed their eyes, they felt nothing happened. Opening their eyes to look, they found Lucas riding Latias, blocking in front of the hot air balloon, with a Mega Gengar beside him.
"Manager————(—)"
The Team Rockets trio had tears streaming down instantly.
"It's okay, hurry up, I will block them next."
Ash and the others said "Hmm," then increased the firepower, and the hot air balloon flew quickly toward the top of the tower.
You must be fast, Ash, Team Rockets.
Lucas flew to Cynthia's side, jumped down, looked at Darkrai who was taking a break, looked at Latias again, and finally looked at the ruins, shouting, "Lugia, are you dead? If you're dead, squeak."
Cynthia: ?
Wallace: ??
Lugia: ???
Lugia spread its wings and flew out of the ruins, its body also covered in scars.
"Squeak!"
Get lost!
"So you're not dead."
Lucas said with a smile.
Lugia snorted and ignored Lucas.
On the other side, looking at the still strong Lugia, Dialga looked at Palkia, "Roar!"
Did you hold back just now?
Palkia roared back, "Roar!"
You think I'm you? Would I hold back?
"Roar!"
Who knows, even the God of Space can have people break in.
"Roar!"
Damn it, try saying that again?
"Roar!"
Let's try it then!
The two behemoths tangled together again.
"As expected of Lugia, tough and durable."
Lucas was very familiar with Lugia; perhaps its attack wasn't very strong, but it was definitely tanky.
"Lugia, next, let us stop them!"
Lucas rolled up his sleeves and said.
This time Lugia didn't scold Lucas, nor did it refuse, just flapped its wings and looked down at him, with a strange light in its eyes.
"You have to understand what you should pay to command me."
Lucas grinned and smiled.
"Hmm."
"You also have to understand that commanding me is different from commanding them."
Lucas knew what Lugia was looking at; it was looking at Darkrai and Latias.
He had known about this kind of thing for a long time. From the moment he started commanding Moltres and the others to go find trouble with Team Galactic, he knew that his own physical strength was draining very quickly.
And as a legendary Pokémon with real authority, the physical strength lost commanding it would only be more.
Seeing Lucas didn't speak, still grinning.
Lugia snorted lightly, "Madman."
Finally it added, "But I like it!"
Then it flapped its wings and cried to the sky.
It rammed into Palkia, Palkia couldn't dodge in time and slammed into the ground.
Palkia stood on the ground and kept roaring at Lugia.
"Roar!"
Do you really want to get involved in this war?
Dialga stopped in the air, also looking coldly at Lugia.
"Roar!"
Sea God Lugia!
"Why are you calling your grandfather!"
Lugia also rammed into Dialga.
"Cynthia, stand behind me."
Lucas pulled Cynthia's hand and let her stand behind him.
Cynthia shook her head and stood beside him.
Lucas smiled, then looked at Darkrai, "Are you rested? If you're rested, then rush up for me."
"None of your business!"
Darkrai flew toward the sky.
"Latias, Draco Meteor!"
"Darkrai, Dark Void!"
"Get lost, don't command me!"
Darkrai roared, holding a Dark Void in its hand, and then threw it towards Palkia.
"Oh, look, another little tsundere."
Lucas sat on the back of the Ninetales, which had returned at some point.
Meteors filled the sky, raining down upon Palkia and the others.
"Roar!"
Look at the position you chose! The Sea Deity, Latias, and even Darkrai—finding help because you can't win?
Dialga dodged the meteors and turned its head to scold Palkia.
Palkia didn't waste time with harsh words, it just kept using Spacial Rend.
Lugia had been watching Palkia, which was standing on the ground. It saw Palkia roar at the sky, and then meteors rained down.
Draco Meteor!
Dialga refused to be outdone and also fired meteors into the sky.
Also Draco Meteor.
Darkrai flew back to Lucas's side. "So many meteors—"
Lucas glanced at it, then looked at Latias. "Latias, Draco Meteor!"
The third wave of Draco Meteor rained down from the sky.
Meteors filled the sky.
"Darkrai, Latias, Gengar, go stop the meteors. Don't let them fall on the crowd."
"I told you not to command me!"
Darkrai's figure vanished, and it used Dark Void to warp the meteors back.
Gengar and Latias were continuously destroying the falling meteors.
"Garchomp, you go too."
Garchomp vanished.
"Altaria, you too."
"Lugia, keep an eye on Dialga, Dragon Rush!"
Lugia transformed into a dragon deity and slammed into it fiercely.
Dialga met it with Giga Impact.
On the other side, Baron Lickitung watched the meteors filling the sky, his face full of despair.
"Is this... the end of the world?"
Watching the meteors crashing towards them, Baron Lickitung stopped walking and began to give up on himself.
Garchomp and the others shattered the meteors falling towards the crowd, but a few still headed for the people, and Garchomp and the others couldn't get there in time.
More and more people began to give up, some even closing their eyes.
Gothitelle floated into the air.
Its powerful psychic power formed layer after layer of shields.
The meteors shattered barrier after barrier, until only the last one remained.
"Gothitelle!!!"
Gothitelle radiated an eerie purple light, its hands pushing forward with all its might.
The barrier dented inward at a startling angle, but it simply would not shatter.
Lickilicky opened its eyes and looked up at Gothitelle, who was giving its all in the sky.
"Mo—Mother?"
Baron Lickitung called out before his body went limp and he lost consciousness.
Immediately after, more and more voices calling "Mother" rang out.
Hearing this title, Gothitelle was furious, and then erupted with a sharp rebuke.
"Gothitelle!"
All the meteors were deflected back.
Floating down to the ground, it looked at the crowd staring at it and finally gave up struggling.
Forget it, Mother is Mother.
Baron Alberto opened his eyes, discovered he had returned to his original form, and looked confused.
He looked towards the center of the battlefield and found only Lugia flying in the air; Palkia and Dialga were nowhere to be seen.
The people and Pokémon who had swapped souls returned to normal.
"Thank you, Mother."
Lickilicky—no, Baron Alberto—hurriedly thanked Gothitelle.
Gothitelle looked at him, remembering he was the first to speak, and then slapped him with its psychic power, knocking him unconscious instantly.
Lilligant covered its mouth and giggled on the side.
Back on Lucas's side, Lucas sat on Ninetales, looking at Palkia and Dialga. "Can we call a truce for now?"
Dialga looked at Lucas sitting on Ninetales and remembered—this was the human who, along with Palkia, had beaten it up mercilessly in the Cave.
With old grudges and new, combined with the impact of the space-time collision, Dialga's eyes turned blood-red, and a powerful Roar of Time poured out.
The power was enough to level the entire Poplar Town.
On the other side, Palkia didn't tolerate Dialga either, and a massive Spacial Rend flew towards Dialga.
Space began to buckle under their power, shattering into bits like fragments.
"How did I become the one drawing all the aggro?"
Lucas looked innocent. "Darkrai, get between them and use Dark Void to absorb their moves. Absorb as much as you can."
Darkrai hesitated for a moment, then gritted its teeth and flew over. A massive Dark Void absorbed their moves, and the shattering of space began to ease.
"I can't hold it anymore!"
Darkrai's pained voice came through.
"Give it back to them!"
Lucas roared.
The Dark Void exploded, and the Spacial Rend and Roar of Time struck Palkia and Dialga, causing them to wail in pain.
"Since they don't want to resolve this peacefully, then let's fight!"
Lucas roared, "Lugia, Aeroblast."
"Aeroblast!"
"Aeroblast!!"
Lucas ripped the wooden plaque pendant from his chest and gripped it tightly in his hand.
"Aeroblast!!!"
The wooden plaque suddenly emitted an intense light.
Dialga, having just stood up, was dumbfounded.
"Roar!"
Palkia roared at Dialga.
Aren't you the God of Time? How did someone travel through time?!
"Roar!"
Aren't you the God of Space? You got intruded upon too!
Immediately after, under everyone's gaze, Lugia's Aeroblast slammed into them. Palkia was sent flying, and the next second, Dialga was also sent flying by an Aeroblast.
In the sky, three Aeroblasts slammed down hard towards Dialga and Palkia.
They were driven straight into a massive crater.
The dust cleared, leaving only Lugia in the air, crying out to the sky.
In the distance, the Spear Pillar finally began to play a warm, beautiful melody again.
The red light in the eyes of Palkia and Dialga, who were struggling to stand up in the giant pit, slowly faded away.
The moment Lucas heard the music, his vision went black, and he slid off Ninetales' back. In a daze, he felt as if he had fallen into a warm embrace.
For those few minutes earlier, his stamina had drained exponentially, and when his nose felt hot, he lost consciousness.
Lugia listened to the melodic "oración" and looked at the sky.
It chuckled softly.
How awkward.
Lugia shook its head.
Then, it looked at Palkia and Dialga flying out of the pit with a fierce gaze.
"Do you still want to fight?"
Dialga looked at Lugia. "Roar."
Just now... that violated the laws of time.
Lugia shook its head. "What are you saying? I don't understand."
Lugia looked innocent.
Dialga: ...
Palkia stopped Dialga and looked at the figure lying in Cynthia's arms. "Roar."
Thanks to him, we were able to recover. Please pass on our thanks.
After saying this, Palkia turned to leave, but Dialga was unconvinced.
"Roar!"
The God of Time wants to get beaten up by time travel again?!
Palkia mocked it.
Dialga was about to retort, but caught a glimpse of Lucas and swallowed its words.
"Roar!"
It doesn't comply with the laws of time at all.
God of Time? Hmph.
Palkia scoffed.
Dialga retorted.
God of Space?! Hmph.
Just as they were preparing to leave, Cynthia's voice came over.
"Lugia, help me stop them."
Lugia blocked their path, its gaze disdainful.
Dialga was about to get angry, but was stopped by Palkia. It looked at Cynthia.
Cynthia placed Lucas on her lap and looked up at Palkia. "Please restore this place to its original state."
Palkia glanced around and nodded.
"That is only natural."
Telepathy.
Cynthia nodded.
Palkia restored everything around them to its original state. Afterwards, the Lake Guardians flew in, took a look, and seeing that the matter was resolved, left together with Palkia and Dialga.
Lugia looked at Cynthia. "Help me pass on a message. I'm leaving first. Remind him to come find me at the seaside when he returns to the Breeding House."
Cynthia smiled and nodded.
"Okay, thank you, Lugia."
Lugia shook its head. "This is a promise between him and me."
Then it flapped its wings and left.
Darkrai emerged from Cynthia's shadow and poked Lucas's cheek with its finger.
The next second, blood flowed from Lucas's nose.
Darkrai: ?! ∑(V/
This has nothing to do with me! I didn't do anything, I just poked him, he started bleeding by himself!
Darkrai kept making excuses.
Cynthia took a tissue from her pocket and plugged Lucas's nose.
"How is he? He's not going to die, is he?"
Darkrai asked cautiously.
Cynthia smiled and shook her head. "It's fine, he just overexerted himself."
Darkrai breathed a sigh of relief.
The next second, it felt a chill down its back and bolted.
"Darkrai!!!"
Latias's Dragon Pulse grazed past Cynthia and chased after Darkrai.
Darkrai used Dark Void to absorb the Dragon Pulse and warped it into the mountains.
"I told you, I didn't mean it!"
Darkrai kept running and explaining.
Latias wouldn't listen to explanations and chased Darkrai frantically.
In his daze, Lucas heard two melodious cries.
"Sha~"
[Celebi's Blessing: Lucas, we are with you whenever and wherever—]
[Celebi's Blessing: Lucas, we are with you whenever and wherever—]