"That's right," Baraz said grimly, "but this thing... it clearly wants to take Hoopa's place!"
Before he could finish, the black and purple shadow around Hoopa pulsed violently. The little Pokémon cried out again, even more agonizingly than before, his voice raw with pain and fear.
"Hoopa!" Meray called out in panic. "Don't give in! You have to fight back!"
"Aaaahhhh!" Hoopa's scream pierced the sky.
Then, all at once, a burst of energy erupted from his body.
The swirling darkness was blasted outward, expelled from Hoopa's small frame, and gathered above them in the sky.
There it was—the shadow.
A pitch-black, demon-like form floated in the air, eyes glowing crimson. The dark figure let out a guttural roar.
"Hoopa... strongest!!"
"What is that?!" Ash yelled in alarm.
Baraz's expression turned more serious than ever before. "That power tried to return to Hoopa. But Hoopa rejected it, so now, it's acting on its own. It wants to replace Hoopa completely! This is bad. Very bad. If it succeeds… Hoopa will disappear."
Naoki narrowed his eyes. Could this truly not be resolved peacefully? Did it have to come to a brutal battle, just like in the past?
He clenched his fists. Perhaps Hoopa needed to face this version of itself, to truly understand what it meant to punish and to be punished. Only through that realization could the two halves reconcile.
Then, suddenly…
Fwwoosh…
A familiar, slow-floating whoosh sounded in the air.
Everyone turned to see the Meowth hot air balloon lazily drifting above the sand dunes.
It was Team Rocket.
The trio had been tracking Pikachu, as always, but what they saw now made their jaws drop.
Meowth trembled. "I… I think we came at a bad time."
James's eyes sparkled. "Look at that thing! Such power… If we caught that Pokémon for the boss, we'd be set for life!"
Jessie smirked. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's do it!"
But Shadow Hoopa had already noticed them.
As if sensing their wicked thoughts, its eyes glowed brighter, and in the next instant, a giant, shadowy arm lashed out.
With a golden ring forming behind it, the arm struck the Meowth balloon midair.
BOOM!
The entire balloon was knocked backward into the ring and vanished from sight.
"Team Rocket's blasting off agai—!"
Pop!
But Shadow Hoopa wasn't finished.
Its gaze turned again to the Hoopa cradled protectively in Ash's arms.
"Disappear!" the shadow bellowed.
A massive Shadow Ball formed in its hand, its energy crackling with malice.
With a roar, it hurled the orb toward the group.
"Koraidon!" Naoki shouted. "Collision Course!"
From the side, Koraidon launched forward with a roar, cloaked in blinding speed and energy.
The two forces collided in midair—BOOOOM!—and the Shadow Ball burst apart in a fiery explosion above them.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
"Brother, the Prison Bottle!" Meray cried.
Clemont nodded and moved to respond, but a golden ring suddenly opened beneath him.
He gasped as he dropped through the ring and reappeared high in the air, falling fast.
The Prison Bottle, held by his mechanical arm, slipped loose.
"No!" Clemont cried.
Below, Shadow Hoopa's giant hand snatched the bottle in midair, and with terrifying strength, crushed it in one brutal squeeze.
CRACK!
Pieces of the bottle shattered and fell like glass shards.
"No!!" Meray's voice cracked as she reached out helplessly.
Mew flew in quickly and caught Clemont with psychic power, slowing his fall.
But it was too late.
The shadow had destroyed the only tool that could hold it back.
It turned its red eyes toward the group again and roared, voice echoing like thunder across the barren desert.
"Disappear!"
"Koraidon!" Naoki's voice rang out again.
"Again, Collision Course."
Koraidon burst forward, cloaked in an ancient, primal aura. Its body began to transform mid-air, shifting into its battle form as it accelerated, preparing to strike Shadow Hoopa with full force.
But Shadow Hoopa didn't flinch. A golden ring shimmered into existence before it, warping space like a mirror of distorted light.
With no time to stop, Koraidon crashed through the ring, and instantly vanished.
Woosh—!
In the next moment, Koraidon reappeared behind Shadow Hoopa, disoriented. Hoopa's eyes glowed malevolently as several more rings spawned in a tight formation around Koraidon.
From within them, enormous fists emerged, alternate dimension attacks that hammered Koraidon in rapid succession.
Naoki's expression darkened. "Mew, Zapdos, Victini, assist now!"
"Mew!"
Mew darted ahead, its body surrounded by a psychic aura that pulsed with raw intensity. Victini, eyes burning with V-shaped flame energy, zipped to its side. In the sky above, Zapdos screeched and summoned bolts of thunder that split the heavens.
The three unleashed their full might, Psychic, V-Create, Thunderbolt, all converging on Shadow Hoopa.
BOOM!
The combined blast shook the desert. Shadow Hoopa staggered, its enormous body pushed back by the force. Koraidon broke free of the ring trap, tail lashing and claws glowing. With one clean strike, it smashed its fist into Shadow Hoopa's chest, sending it crashing into a sand dune and kicking up a sandstorm of epic scale.
"Nice hit!" Clemont cheered from the rear.
Beside him, Bonnie clutched little Squishy, who watched the battle unfold silently from her arms, eyes wide.
But Shadow Hoopa was not defeated.
"Hoopa... strongest..." it growled.
With a roar, it erupted from the sand, eyes glowing blood-red with rage. And then, something terrifying happened.
Dozens of golden rings swirled around its body, each expanding, glowing brighter.
From within the first ring, Dialga, the ruler of time, emerged in a wash of blue chronal energy, its red eyes glowing with malice.
From the next, Palkia, the lord of space, soared out, twisting the air around it.
A third ring tore open, revealing the twisted form of Giratina, whose distorted aura sent a shudder through the sky.
Then came Kyurem, exhaling frigid air as it stepped forward, its icy body glistening in the desert sun.
The ground cracked as Groudon rose from molten magma within a ring, bellowing furiously.
And finally, a wave of seawater poured from the last ring, announcing the arrival of Kyogre, whose massive form cast a shadow over the battlefield.
Six legendary Pokémon stood flanking Shadow Hoopa—all corrupted, eyes glowing red, and devoid of emotion.
Naoki narrowed his gaze. "A false king… but his army is real."
Koraidon, Mew, Victini, and Zapdos readied themselves. Though outnumbered, none of them backed down.
Clemont's hands trembled as he adjusted his glasses again. "All six of them… controlled at once?
"Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Groudon, Kyogre, Kyurem!" Ash called out their names in disbelief. "Please, snap out of it!"
But his words were swallowed by the heavy atmosphere. The legendary Pokémon stood unmoved, their red eyes gleaming with fury and suppressed will.
"It's no use!" Balza gritted his teeth. "Shadow Hoopa's resentment has infected their minds. Right now, they're not thinking at all, they're just weapons!"
Fear gripped the air. Even the desert wind seemed to halt as the titans began to move.
"W-what do we do now?" Bonnie stammered, clinging to Clemont's sleeve.
From her backpack, a soft green light flickered.
"Zee..."
Zygarde Core on her backpack also opened its eyes and watched the scene, hesitating whether to protect Bonnie and others.