Necrozma did not rush toward Mega Rayquaza as everyone had expected.
Instead, it turned abruptly—and charged straight at Lunala!
Seeing this sudden shift, both Green and Marnie were momentarily stunned.
Sure, picking the weaker target was the natural move for any creature, but in this situation… wasn't Mega Rayquaza clearly the most dangerous opponent on the field?
Even if Necrozma wanted to deal with Lunala later, now hardly seemed like the right time!
However, for the four native Ultra Metropolis, Phyco, Dulse, Zossie and Soliera—who were all quite familiar with Necrozma, realization struck them instantly.
They knew exactly what Necrozma was trying to do.
"Strong it may be, but I think it's lost a few brain cells along the way," Green muttered under her breath, watching the black crystalline Pokémon close the distance between itself and Lunala.
She really couldn't understand why Necrozma would suddenly shift its target in such a reckless manner.
"No, not quite," Lucas said with a small chuckle, shaking his head as he moved towards them explained. "Even in a frenzied state, living creatures follow instinct. They always seek benefit and avoid harm. It's already realized that, in its current condition, it can't defeat Mega Rayquaza. So logically, it should retreat."
"Then… why isn't it escaping?" Green and Marnie both blinked, confused by the contradiction.
Even Lusamine turned her head toward Lucas, her curiosity piqued.
"Do you remember the relationship between Kyurem and Zekrom and Reshiram?" Lucas suddenly asked, his tone deliberate.
Green and Marnie froze. Then their eyes widened at the same time as they turned to look at each other.
"Wait… you mean—"
Reshiram's eyes also flickered in shock as it stared at Necrozma.
Yes—Kyurem, the Ice Dragon, possessed the power of both the Black and White Dragons.
And Kyurem could devour them.
"Exactly," Lucas said with a nod. "Just like Kyurem, Necrozma can absorb the power of Lunala or Solgaleo."
His answer made both girls draw in a sharp breath.
"But unlike the Tao Trio," Lucas continued, "Kyurem can swallow Reshiram and Zekrom because they were originally one and the same being. Kyurem itself is the hollow shell of that Dragon God's body."
He emphasized this point carefully. "Although the three legendary ultra beast appear similar to the Tao Trio's model, they are fundamentally different."
Kyurem is the empty vessel. The Black and White Dragons are the energy within that vessel. That's why Kyurem can fuse with either of them—and that's why Kyurem is the strongest of the three.
"Necrozma, on the other hand, is a creature born with the power to absorb light and Ultra Energy," Lucas continued calmly. "And both Lunala and Solgaleo contain vast reserves of light and Ultra Energy within their bodies."
"In other words, Necrozma can attach itself to them—draining their energy and absorbing it into its own body."
He was essentially explaining that the reason Necrozma could fuse with Lunala or Solgaleo wasn't due to any divine connection or mystical compatibility—
but simply because of its innate ability to devour light and Ultra Energy.
Light was its food, its fuel.
And conveniently, both the Sun and Moon legends were perfect prey, each carrying within them exactly the kind of energy Necrozma craved most.
And at this moment, Necrozma had already reached Lunala.
Lucas made no move to stop it, and even Mega Rayquaza, hovering nearby, held its attack.
"LAAA!"
Lunala let out a sharp, rasping shriek as Necrozma lunged toward her. The Moon Pokémon flapped her wings desperately, trying to gain altitude and widen the distance between them.
But she knew full well what Necrozma wanted.
It was coming for her!
"Necroo!"
Necrozma's guttural cry echoed through the sky. Its claws gleamed white, and two blinding beams of energy shot out.
Power Gem!
Lunala sensed the danger closing in from behind and was forced to twist away midair, narrowly avoiding the attack. Her body was already far more battered than Necrozma's, another hit could mean total defeat.
She wasn't its equal in strength. If Power Gem struck her directly, she'd have no chance left—
and then Necrozma could do whatever it pleased with her.
Taking advantage of her evasive maneuver, Necrozma suddenly accelerated, catching up in an instant.
Its massive claws clamped down on Lunala's wings, locking her firmly in place!
Then—
A faint, eerie sound began to hum through the air.
"Laa—"
No matter how Lunala struggled, she couldn't break free. Wisps of pale energy began leaking from her body, drawn toward Necrozma and seeping into its form.
"L-Lucas, aren't you going to stop it?"
Marnie's voice was trembling as she stared, wide-eyed, at Lunala. The Moon Goddess of Alola—being drained right before her eyes!
Her entire worldview felt like it was shattering.
One legendary Pokémon… being absorbed alive by another!
And what's worse—Lunala was female!
Lucas, however, didn't seem concerned at all. He simply folded his arms, watching the scene unfold with a faintly amused smile.
"Not a big deal," he said lightly. "Let them… play a little."
Marnie nearly tripped at that. Play?
But Lucas's gaze was sharp, thoughtful. A wild theory had suddenly taken root in his mind.
Could Solgaleo have been captured by Necrozma in the same way?
Was that why it lost all its light and Ultra Energy—regressing into a Cosmog afterward?
Holy crap… that might actually make sense!
As Lucas pondered that idea, up above—
"Laaa…"
Lunala's voice was weakening. The constant drain of light and Ultra Energy was far more devastating than any physical wound. Though she could recover over time, in this moment she was helpless.
Mustering her remaining strength, Lunala beat her wings violently, breaking free from Necrozma's grasp. Without looking back, she turned tail to flee.
"CroOOO!"
The instant the prey tried to escape, Necrozma's eyes flared.
In a flash, it surged forward and caught her again, one claw seizing her from behind.
Then—
Necrozma's body began to split apart.
Black crystal fragments detached from its frame, one by one, embedding themselves into Lunala's body.
Lunala's ruby-like eyes widened in horror and despair.
No matter how she struggled, she couldn't move.
All she could do was watch in helpless terror as the black crystalline armor spread over her body—until everything went dark.
Her consciousness faded completely.
"Holy—?!?"
Green's scream of disbelief rang out, her delicate face frozen in shock, eyes wide as saucers.
"This… this can't be real…" Marnie stammered.
Even Lusamine, usually composed, stood speechless—her gaze locked on the figure floating in the sky.
A new Lunala had emerged—dark, twisted, and reborn.
"Lady Lunala!"
Unlike the astonished girls, the Ultra Recon Squad members were horrified. Soliera and her comrades watched the scene in despair, their last flicker of hope extinguished.
The sun was already gone.
And now, the moon—their final light—had been swallowed by darkness.
Lunala had been forcibly fused by Necrozma.
"Necrozma—Dawn Wings form."
Lucas's voice was calm but his eyes gleamed with excitement as he named the creature now floating before them.
Necrozma fused with Lunala—this was its Dawn Wings form.
Lunala's will was gone; her body now moved entirely under Necrozma's control.
This kind of fusion, Lucas thought, was less like Kyurem's and more similar to Calyrex merging with Glastrier or Spectrier.
Though, considering that Calyrex came long after Alola's legends, one could hardly blame it for taking inspiration from an earlier design.
"This fusion method… is quite something," Reshiram commented dryly, its draconic eyes scanning the newly formed Dawn Wings Necrozma.
To be honest, what it really wanted to say was—
This is way too hardcore!
Even Reshiram had to admit—this was professional-level fusion.
Good grief.
Reshiram imagined for a moment if it were in Lunala's place, being pinned down by a snarling Kyurem while the Ice Dragon's body wrapped over it piece by piece—
"Arceus above… that's horrifying!"
Thank goodness Kyurem had no interest in devouring it or Zekrom. Praise be to the almighty llama god.
"Human," came Mega Rayquaza's telepathic voice in Lucas's mind. "Looks like that thing wants to fight us again. It really thinks it's strong enough this time."
Mega Rayquaza was quite the chatterbox in private, though it always kept up its aloof, godly image before others.
"Stay sharp," Lucas warned calmly. "Its power just got stronger."
"Please," Mega Rayquaza snorted proudly. "Have some faith in me. I'm the Super Red Rayquaza!"
…No, that "red" part was just paint.
Lucas almost said it out loud—but wisely decided against killing his own team's morale mid-battle.
"NE… Crooo~"
Necrozma's voice rumbled, now blended with Lunala's raspy tone.
Its twin wings unfolded, the once-pale lunar body now darkened to a deep indigo green—similar to Lunala's full moon form, but darker, more sinister.
Violet-green energy gathered before it—
And then—
A massive beam of light shot forth toward Mega Rayquaza.
Moongeist Beam!
Lunala's signature move—now wielded by Necrozma!
"Hurricane!" Lucas commanded.
He knew better than to underestimate this fused monster. A normal Necrozma could already trade blows with the Sun and Moon gods—now that it had fused with one, its power was even greater.
Mega Rayquaza roared fiercely, a tempest of wind forming around its body before it unleashed a violent storm that swept across the skies.
Razor-sharp blades of wind spiraled within the storm, colliding head-on with Necrozma's Moongeist Beam.
BOOM!
The clash exploded in midair, scattering shockwaves across the heavens.
"Dragon Dance!"
Lucas called out, seizing the moment.
Mega Rayquaza's crimson-scaled body began to move in an ancient, rhythmic dance. Gold ripples of energy shimmered around it, its power soaring higher and higher.
"NECROO!"
Roaring furiously, Necrozma dove forward, its rage uncontained.
It would crush the dragon that had dared wound it earlier!
"Breaking Swipe!"
Mega Rayquaza stopped its dance abruptly, its long tail whipping across the air like a divine blade.
Necrozma's wings flared, coated in eerie violet energy.
Shadow Claw!
BOOM!
The two attacks collided, sending invisible shockwaves bursting outward.
"The advantage in strength still clearly lies with Mega Rayquaza," Lucas murmured, eyes narrowing in analysis. The Rayquaza's Breaking Swipe had overpowered Necrozma's strike—by a noticeable margin.
"However," he continued thoughtfully, "Dawn Wings Necrozma's greatest strength lies in its special attacks. Even so, Mega Rayquaza's Hurricane just now matched its Moongeist Beam evenly. Considering the same-type boost for Necrozma's Ghost-type attack… that's saying something."
His conclusion was firm: without entering its Ultra form, Necrozma still wasn't quite a match for the Mega Rayquaza.
And as if to prove the point—
"NECROOO!!"
Frustrated, Necrozma's rage surged. The golden light between its claws condensed rapidly.
Photon Geyser!
A colossal golden beam shot straight toward Mega Rayquaza.
The dragon hadn't expected an attack from those claws—
BOOM!
The explosion was deafening. The blast of raw energy hurled Mega Rayquaza backward through the air.
"Tch—! That hurt, damn it! Human, I'm going to tear those decorations right off its body!"
Mega Rayquaza's mental voice rang out in angry embarrassment. Being hit by surprise had wounded its pride more than its scales.
"I did tell you to be careful," Lucas said with a helpless shrug. "But fine—let's cool Necrozma's head a little."
He raised a hand, his lips curling in a faint grin.
"Let's start by tearing off all those black crystal ornaments stuck on poor Lunala."
(End of Chapter)