"Since that's how it is—Reshiram, use Flamethrower!"
Lunala slipped into its Shadow Sneak state, but Lucas had no intention of sitting idly by. The top of this tower was far too cramped to continue fighting in.
Reshiram's draconic roar echoed like thunder. A surge of searing heat gathered within its jaws before it erupted upward toward the ceiling.
A blazing pillar of fire struck the top of the tower directly. Under such terrifying heat, the roof began to melt, molten debris and fiery embers raining down in showers of sparks.
Lucas and the others quickly retreated to the corners of the chamber.
Within moments, the roof was completely burned through, revealing the dark, moonless night sky above them.
And right then—a pitch-black shadow appeared behind Reshiram. From that darkness, Lunala's eerie silhouette emerged.
"Take to the sky, Fly Reshiram."
Lucas instantly sensed it, his mental link flaring as his thought echoed into Reshiram's mind.
Without hesitation, Reshiram launched upward in a flash, narrowly dodging Lunala's wing that sliced through the air where it had just been.
Lunala didn't stop—it pursued him into the night sky.
The two legends soared higher, chasing and clashing above the tower in a fierce midair battle.
"Lord Phyco… it seems—Lunala isn't gaining the upper hand," Dulse murmured as he stared at the duel above, an uneasy chill creeping up his spine.
Because throughout the entire fight, Lucas never once lost that faint, confident smile on his face. That expression… unsettled him deeply.
Lunala, who was supposed to be overwhelming, wasn't as dominant as expected. The opponent's Pokémon was unexpectedly powerful.
"Silence! Lunala will be victorious!"
Phyco snapped coldly, though he too had realized the same thing. But how could he admit it now?
If even Lunala fell, what would they have left?
"What do you mean, 'will definitely win'? Lunala's just playing with you," Green muttered, rolling her cute blue eyes with an exasperated sigh.
The so-called moon-calling legendary Pokémon didn't seem particularly strong—it was roughly on the same level as Reshiram.
And now, Lunala was gradually being suppressed.
In the sky, Reshiram's Dragon Pulse slammed straight into Lunala, forcing a pained screech from the moon beast.
"Laaa-!"
A sharp, shrill cry echoed. Lunala spread its wings wide, its whole form resembling a perfect full moon.
A third eye opened on its forehead, while its body was engulfed in radiant platinum light. Brilliant streaks of light formed constellations around it—Lunala had entered its Full Moon Form.
"Blue Flare!"
Lucas's brows arched slightly. Lunala's Full Moon Form was similar to the Black and White Dragons' Overdrive Mode—a surge in power caused by the overwhelming buildup of energy while preparing its ultimate move.
In other words, this was the sign that Lunala was about to unleash its signature attack.
Reshiram growled lowly in response, its tail turbine flaring up with deep crimson fire—Overdrive Mode activated!
For a brief instant, even the wind itself seemed to hold its breath.
And then—
With Lunala's piercing cry, a colossal violet-blue beam tore open the heavens, lancing straight toward Reshiram.
Lunala's signature move, Moongeist Beam!
Reshiram refused to back down. A brilliant column of cyan-blue fire shot out from its jaws, meeting the beam head-on.
Blue Flare vs. Moongeist Beam!
BOOM!
The moment the two attacks collided, the air detonated with a roaring explosion. The shockwave spread like a hurricane, shaking the night sky itself.
Even the clouds above seemed to dissolve beneath the raging light of their clash.
"Moltres."
Lucas raised an arm to shield his face, calling the Galarian Moltres hovering nearby.
The storm of raw energy was far too violent. He needed protection.
The dark Moltres swooped down above Lucas and the others, its flaming, malevolent aura spreading out like a living shield, blocking the turbulent energy waves that erupted from the collision.
On the other side, Phyco and his team could only huddle against the wall, barely able to breathe under the violent shockwaves.
BOOOOOOOM!
The deafening explosion rattled the heavens. Moongeist Beam and Blue Flare clashed to a stalemate before detonating, sending both Legendaries hurtling backward.
"Fusion Flare!"
Lucas narrowed his eyes sharply and gave his command. Reshiram, though battered, was far less injured than Lunala.
Regaining its balance, Reshiram gathered a massive sphere of blazing fire before launching it straight at the moon beast.
The energy storm still churned in the air as Fusion Flare pierced through it like a meteor.
BOOM!
A shrill cry echoed through the night. The explosion blossomed across Lunala's body.
The moon Pokémon spiraled downward like a severed kite, crashing heavily onto the roof of a nearby black cubic building.
"Lord Phyco… Lunala… Lunala's fallen…"
Dulse's voice trembled as he stared blankly at the scene, his heart sinking into despair.
Their final hope, Lunala—had been defeated.
Phyco remained silent, his eyes vacant, his will utterly crushed.
"Such terrifying power…"
Lusamine's gaze lingered on the fallen Lunala. Her eyes had lost their luster—not from fear, but from pure, breathless awe.
Even the Beast That Calls the Moon of Alola's legends had fallen before Lucas!
"You had to come looking for a beating, didn't you?" Lucas sighed softly as he looked at Lunala's unconscious form. "Well… warm-up's over."
Lunala was merely the opening act. The true star was about to appear—Necrozma.
"And now…"
"Reshiram—Dragon Pulse!"
Lucas turned his eyes toward the massive crystal that sealed Necrozma, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
Reshiram roared, unleashing a powerful draconic wave that struck the crystal dead-on.
"No!"
"Stop! You can't release Necrozma!"
Dulse and the others shouted in panic and despair, but Lucas ignored their cries entirely. Fools, all of them.
His gaze stayed fixed on the glowing crystal.
From afar, even the wounded Lunala weakly lifted its head, ruby eyes locked onto the same sight. It wanted to stop him—but its injuries were far too severe.
Cracks began to spread across the radiant crystal under the pressure of Dragon Pulse.
Crack… crack…
The sound echoed clearly, the fractures widening and crawling across its surface until the entire crystal webbed with fissures.
"It's over…" Phyco muttered bitterly, shutting his eyes. Necrozma's seal—was breaking.
It was coming.
Lusamine, Marnie, and the others held their breath as they stared at the crystal.
The creature so dangerous that even Lunala had tried to stop its awakening… was about to emerge.
With a thunderous explosion, the crystal shattered completely—
And from within, a dark figure slowly raised its head.
Necrozma. The Prism Pokémon.
A creature of pure black crystal, its body sharp and angular like glass, its claws long and menacing.
As it lifted its head, a prism of rainbow light glowed beneath its face—its eyes.
"Crooo…"
A deep, almost mechanical hum vibrated through the air. Necrozma stood motionless, seemingly disoriented after being freed.
"It looks… kinda dumb?" Green peeked out from behind Lucas, eyeing the so-called terrifying Ultra Beast.
Indeed—it hadn't moved an inch since the crystal broke, save for the faint, pulsating glow of color beneath its head. It looked more like a statue than a threat.
"No," Lucas said quietly, his eyes narrowing. "Its consciousness is waking up."
As he spoke, the air itself grew heavier—its aura becoming suffocating.
"Oh… that makes sense. It's been sealed for ages," Green said, nodding.
"NECROOOO!"
Suddenly, Necrozma's growl surged into a roar, filled with rage and madness.
Its crystalline face flashed violently, and it raised its claws toward Lucas and the others.
Two radiant beams of white energy burst from its palms—
Power Gem!
"As expected… it's gone berserk," Lucas muttered calmly.
Without the light that once nourished it, Necrozma was consumed by agony—a pain that twisted its mind into madness.
"Moltres!"
He quickly pulled Marnie and the others back and called for the Galarian Moltres.
Above, Reshiram responded with a roar of its own, hurling a Dragon Pulse toward the rampaging Prism Pokémon.
"Screee!"
The Galarian Moltres swooped down in front of Lucas's group, launching a Fiery Wrath to intercept the twin Power Gems.
But the crystalline beams tore straight through Moltres's attack.
BOOM!
The twin blasts struck the dark bird head-on, exploding against its body. The Galarian Moltres screeched as it crashed to the ground.
Necrozma raised one claw again. Another Power Gem fired upward, intercepting Reshiram's Dragon Pulse and even forcing its energy back toward the white dragon.
Reshiram managed to evade—but only barely.
"So strong… It just broke free, and it's already this powerful?" Marnie frowned, tension in her voice.
"This is Necrozma," Lucas said simply as he recalled the fallen Moltres. "Even weakened, its strength surpasses most top-tier Legendaries."
He spoke evenly, unfazed. That the Moltres had survived even two super-effective hits was already testament to its legendary endurance.
"If you need an example," Lucas added with a faint smile, "think of Solgaleo and Lunala as the White and Black Dragons—and Necrozma as the Ice Dragon."
Reshiram, hovering nearby, twitched an eye.
Excuse me? Did he just compare me to Kyurem?
"Ah… I get it now," Green and Marnie said together, nodding in realization.
Yes—because the gap between Kyurem and the other two dragons… was enormous.
"But right now, Necrozma isn't at full power. It's still strong, but manageable," Lucas said, his tone light.
The so-called Sun and Moon Gods were standard high-tier Legendary, roughly comparable to Zekrom and Reshiram.
But Necrozma… was something else.
Even if the games described its base form as having only 600 base stats—lower than the Sun and Moon duo—reality told a different story.
In truth, Necrozma had devoured Solgaleo and Lunala in both the games and anime, crushing them effortlessly.
Games were data. Reality was power.
"NECROOO!!"
Necrozma's roar shook the air again as it suddenly charged at Reshiram, a furious streak of light and shadow.
"It seems negotiation is out of the question," Lucas said, eyes glinting. "In that case… we'll make you quiet."
"Prepare for battle—Rayquaza!"
He hurled another Poké Ball high into the air.
"ROOOOAR!!"
A deafening, majestic roar split the heavens as a colossal dragon coiled through the sky—Rayquaza had arrived!
"…Huh?"
Lusamine froze when she saw it, eyes widening in disbelief.
A… red Rayquaza?
(End of Chapter)