Chapter 664 - 664: 661
Hikaru said, "It even comes with a guide for obtaining a special item! Arc Phone, are your new functions still installing?"
"But this is everything I know!"
"Falinks, unite the power of your legion! Let's see if you can awaken your hidden potential and drive away the darkness shrouding Almia!"
According to rumors, Falinks possessed the potential to ascend to an even higher level through Mega Evolution, or perhaps what could be called Ultimate Evolution. Could that power be proven here?
Unfortunately, judging from the way Falinks was structured, this miniature legion really should have received another regular evolution before gaining a Mega Evolution.
Something like Archaludon, perhaps.
"Ta!"
The troopers charged, while the Hero and the Lady Knight swung their fists and weapons alongside them.
Amid the tremendous surge of energy, the King of Almia shouted, "Darkrai, use Dark Pulse!"
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Hikaru commanded.
The blue sphere of aura and the black wave of malice collided violently. The resulting explosion tore through the sky as the fairy knight slashed apart the shock wave and thrust its blades of light forward!
[Target acquired. Initiating an attack against the target's soul!]
[Spirit Break!]
It attacked with enough force to crush its opponent's spirit.
The move was guaranteed to lower the target's Special Attack by one stage!
Iron Valiant's blade of light slashed across Darkrai's body. The guardian of the Shadow Crystal unleashed an agonized roar and soared into the sky. Fairy light illuminated the ground, drawing a howl from the King of Almia.
"What is that? I've never seen a move of that type before!"
"What kind of Pokémon is that?! It looks like both Gardevoir and Gallade!"
Mechanical devices and mechanical Pokémon...
Although artificial creations such as Golurk had existed even in the distant past, something with such an obvious futuristic, mechanical design was utterly alien to him, and terrifying.
"Darkrai, use Disable!"
If that soul-striking move proved troublesome, he would simply seal it away!
Darkrai unleashed its disabling power, preventing Iron Valiant from using Spirit Break. Yet in the next instant, the fairy's blades gathered the surrounding spiritual energy and slashed toward the sky once again!
This attack was even stronger than the one before it!
Meanwhile, Pokémon were constantly falling throughout the chaotic battle raging around them. The life force of every defeated Pokémon flowed into the Soul-Heart, the ancient core that had temporarily been installed within Iron Valiant's body, allowing it to amass tremendous power.
Iron Valiant's Quark Drive was overwritten by Soul-Heart!
Whenever a Pokémon on the battlefield was defeated, its Special Attack rose by one stage!
Iron Valiant said, [The power of the mind. Awareness of the self. Pokémon whose souls have been enslaved... How pitiful!]
[Mystical Power!]
The machine that robbed Pokémon of their hearts reminded Iron Valiant of its own past.
The King of Almia couldn't understand Iron Valiant's voice. He merely continued directing Darkrai in battle.
If Darkrai's Special Attack had been lowered, then it would switch to physical attacks. Yet the physical damage this Darkrai inflicted had somehow become unusually powerful.
This wasn't normal. Some sort of transformation seemed to be taking place within it, but either it lacked sufficient energy, or Darkrai itself was suppressing that uncontrollable change!
At that moment, the King of Almia hurled one of Spiritomb's Odd Keystones toward their battlefield!
"Captain!" Hitomi cried. "That Spiritomb's Odd Keystone is heading your way!"
There were five Odd Keystones, so Spiritomb could travel freely between them. Alternatively, each of the five Odd Keystones might contain a separate Spiritomb.
The souls of the five hundred soldiers who had once served the King of Almia joined the howls of the dark knights. Their voices resembled whispers rising from an abyss, accompanying Spiritomb's terrifying, grinning face as it descended from the sky.
Soichi was fighting Dusknoir while simultaneously helping suppress the army of Pokémon summoned around them. Sweat covered his forehead, and adrenaline surged through his veins. Everywhere he looked, moves were being unleashed. Storms raged, flames roared, and razor-sharp currents of air sliced across the battlefield!
"Spiritomb... I've heard of it," Soichi said. "It's an incredibly rare Pokémon, but they say it has no weaknesses!"
"No weaknesses?" Hikaru smiled. "Don't worry. Go do what you need to do!"
"Lucario, use Foresight!"
The Hero of Aura narrowed its eyes, which suddenly blazed with light!
Foresight allowed moves that normally had no effect on Ghost-type Pokémon to strike them. It also allowed attacks to hit evasive opponents, preventing the target's increased evasiveness from affecting the user's accuracy!
The corner of Lucario's mouth curved upward.
It remembered that the Guardian of the Blue Gem had also been capable of using the same move. That meant...
Long ago, the souls of these royal guards had been defeated by the progenitor of Aura using this very same technique!
No weaknesses?
That wasn't necessarily true!
(Spirits of the catacombs, Spiritomb, a tomb for spirits... May you finally find peace here!)
"Close Combat!"
Before Generation VI, no type of move could deal super-effective damage to Spiritomb.
"However, there's one exception!"
Spiritomb's true body suffered a devastating blow. Its gaseous body, which had been giggling wildly while whipping up ghostly winds, was struck by Lucario's storm of punches!
The atmosphere boiled, growing hotter and hotter, until Spiritomb finally unleashed a horrified shriek!
A single punch blasted it through the floors of Altru Tower and sent it crashing through the ground!
The King of Almia released a shrill howl.
"My... royal guard! You worthless creature... How is this possible?!"
"Pokémon with the Ghost and Dark type combination may appear to have no weaknesses," Hikaru explained. "But while under the effects of Foresight, they can be struck by Fighting-type moves for super-effective damage!"
"I imagine that was how the Guardian of the Blue Gem sealed those human souls three thousand years ago! Spiritomb is supposedly formed from a combination of 108 spirits, and the number 108 represents the severing of the 108 worldly desires."
"To sever the 108 forms of suffering is to attain Nirvana."
Lucario knocked the ambushing Spiritomb out of the sky, while Iron Valiant's blades forced Darkrai backward. Every slash carried the super-effective power of a Fairy-type move, but Darkrai continued releasing its power.
Disable, Disable, Disable!
"What is wrong with this Pokémon?!" the King of Almia screamed. "This doll-like creature! Just how many moves do you possess?!"
"Night Slash!"
Whenever one of its Fairy-type moves was sealed, Iron Valiant switched to a Fighting-type move. Yet Spirit Break, Moonblast, Magical Torque, Dazzling Gleam, Aura Sphere, Focus Blast, Brick Break, Vacuum Wave, and countless other moves kept coming without end!
Hiss!
[Program loading...]
[Fury Cutter!]
It slashed its opponent. Each consecutive hit increased the move's power!
The first slash had 40 power, the second had 80, and the third had 160!
"Dark Void!"
The King of Almia abandoned the idea of using a vacuum of darkness to drag everyone into the dark world. Instead, he ordered Darkrai to use the most basic form of Dark Void.
He had no idea what kind of item the Lunar Feather was, but as long as Dark Void landed, it would inevitably inflict sleep!
"You're actually trusting Dark Void's accuracy?"
"I don't understand what you're saying! Stop babbling and shut your mouth!"
"Dark!"
Darkrai raised both hands and gathered the surging darkness between them. Its base stats seemed to have undergone a tremendous change, and now it wielded the immense power granted by the Shadow Crystal!
The power of life and souls flowed into its body. At the same time, however, that power was continuously siphoned away by Soul-Heart whenever its enemies attacked!
[Dark Void!]
The move forcibly dragged its victims into a world of darkness. Darkrai created spheres of dark energy in its hands and hurled them at its opponents, plunging every target into sleep!
It could strike every opposing Pokémon within range!
"Enter the world of nightmares!" the King of Almia roared. "Let nightmares torment you until you die!"
"You dared invade my kingdom and cover Almia in this darkness! This is my country, my royal city, and my land!"
Dark waves surged outward as spheres of energy scattered across the battlefield. Any wild Pokémon struck by them immediately fell under the torment of nightmares. Darkrai's Bad Dreams Ability then slowly drained away their life and stamina until they died!
"Sleep!" the King of Almia shouted. "Sleep forever and turn this place into your grave!"
"People love pleasant dreams and hate nightmares because nightmares are filled with pain and sorrow," Hikaru said. "Nightmare ahead. It's time to wake up!"
"What... did you say?"
"Can't hear me? Then, Falinks!"
"Use Uproar!"
"Let the ringing bells and mighty cries resound in every direction like an avalanche crashing into the sea!"
Uproar attacked the opposing Pokémon with a deafening racket for three turns.
During that time, no one could fall asleep!
As long as a Pokémon using Uproar remained on the field, no Pokémon could be afflicted with sleep.
Any Pokémon already asleep...
Would immediately wake up!
"The downside is that while using Uproar, Falinks can't receive commands to use another move, use an item, switch out, or flee. But that doesn't matter!"
"Ta, ta! Tatatatata!"
Falinks began shouting at the top of their lungs. The triumphant cheers of Rome soared into the heavens.
Every sleeping Pokémon was disturbed.
Having a peaceful dream interrupted was certainly infuriating, but if someone was waking you from a nightmare...
Then it wasn't suffering at all.
All that remained was gratitude!
"Lives awakened from nightmares are filled with gratitude. The King of Almia has endured the sorrow of every soul in this world for three thousand years. It's time for him to wake up as well!"
"Is darkness truly the only thing you can see?"
Falinks' Uproar grew so deafening that even Darkrai covered its ears!
Uproar couldn't be removed by Heal Bell or Aromatherapy. It couldn't be blocked by Safeguard, Magic Guard, or Substitute!
It could only end once enough turns had passed, or when the user stopped performing it!
"Focus Punch!"
"Spirit Break!"
Lucario's fist and Iron Valiant's blade struck Darkrai at the same time. Driven by pure combat instinct, the guardian of the Shadow Crystal raised both arms and forcefully endured the attacks from both Pokémon!
When a certain phenomenon occurred, a Pokémon would lose control and experience unbearable pain.
Dark energy gushed from Darkrai's body, yet that energy was continuously transformed into life force. The fluctuations of its soul grew increasingly violent!
Darkrai suddenly knocked both Pokémon away!
It expelled every trace of that swelling, uncontrollable power from within its body!
[Foul Play!]
Power: 95. Accuracy: 100. A physical Dark-type move.
The user attacked by turning the opponent's own strength against it. The higher the Attack of the opponent currently battling the user...
The greater the damage!
Instead of using the user's Attack stat for damage calculation, it used the target's Attack stat!
[That noise... Silence it!]
Darkrai learned Throat Chop!
A Darkrai from Generation IV shouldn't have been capable of learning that move. However, Pokémon changed when influenced by the energy of the land. Darkrai wasn't merely on the verge of ascending into an even higher form. Its available moves were changing as well!
It transformed into a pitch-black shadow, its target perfectly clear.
It would destroy those noisy soldiers!
This legion that had come here...
Would disappear!
[Disappear!]
Boom!
Darkrai's claws sharpened as dark energy surged around them, forming a long spear that slammed into the Falinks brass!
"Ta!"
[No Retreat! A final stand with no path of retreat!]
All of Falinks' stats rose!
At the same time, its Battle Armor Ability activated, preventing critical hits!
Its shield rose to block the attack. The spear of darkness pierced through the Roman legion's formation, and then...
A sudden transformation occurred!
The dissipating life energy, together with the tremendous amount of newly generated life force, resonated with the four crystals containing the souls of the kings. That resonance condensed the energy into one seemingly ordinary stone after another.
In Pokémon Adventures, Darkrai's power had once clashed with the power of Mewtwo, who represented light, releasing an energy that petrified those caught between them.
Likewise, Pokémon whose life energy had been drained in the Kalos region had been transformed into enormous gravestone-like rocks. Even now, those stones continued releasing mysterious waves!
Stone, crystals, life energy, waves, and souls!
They connected as one.
At that moment, something entirely new was born!
"Ta...?"
The children of Rome struggled to resist the infernal spear.
At that exact moment, their bodies began to change. Tremendous life energy poured into them like a flood, then resonated with the Key Stone!
They advanced even further!
Within the erupting radiance, Darkrai watched the forms of those "six Pokémon" begin to change!
"Taaaa!"
It was almost as if a powerful theme song had begun playing, shaking the heavens. The tiny legionaries united their strength and transformed into a towering giant!
"Oh, so this is its form! The information from my memories was right!"
"It's complete! The Ultimate Formation! Now the legion shall become invincible once more!"
I came, I saw, I conquered!
Make Rome great again!
"Mega Evolution!"
Attack: 100 → 135!
Defense: 100 → 135!
Special Defense: 60 → 65!
Speed: 75 → 100!
Pokémon Sentai: Falinks Rangers!
Only a brass and troopers bound by an unbreakable connection could assemble this Ultimate Formation. Falinks had answered the resonance and taken on an entirely new form!
Six-machine combination!
Mega Falinks!
In this form, the legion's composition changed. Two troopers formed the feet and legs, while another formed the torso and waist. The two larger troopers and the brass became the right arm wielding a sharp spear, the left arm carrying an enormous shield, and a helmeted head crowned with a long spear-shaped horn!
Like a towering mecha, Mega Falinks pointed the war spear in its right hand directly at Darkrai!
Lucario and Iron Valiant appeared behind Darkrai. Their bodies were also overflowing with rapidly rising life energy!
The radiant light manifested here!
("The power of Aura...")
["Is with me!"]
Aura Sphere!
[Aura Sphere!]
Both Pokémon gathered enormous spheres of blue light!
Mega Falinks used Focus Energy!
It drew a deep breath and focused its mind, making its attacks far more likely to strike a critical hit. Then...
"Ta!"
A tremendous shock wave erupted from the tip of its spear, piercing all the evil in this world!
Take this, my beloved retainers' six-hit combo!
I shall leave my mark here!
[Megahorn!]
The radiance piercing the heavens and the waves released by the crystals attracted the attention of a Pokémon high above.
It was Eternal Flower Floette, who had wandered for three thousand years and witnessed the rise and fall of countless nations.
The Pokémon known as the Eternal Flower watched the events unfolding in this distant land. Perhaps everything happening here would one day become known to the world.
Perhaps it would not.
That tower looked somewhat familiar...
Souls and life, however, were inseparable.
["The king has finally been reunited with the people he longed for."]
["The one I await possesses an undying life and an immortal soul..."]
["Will we ever meet again?"]
Eternal Flower Floette slowly turned the blossom in its hands. It decided to watch until the very end, then take a closer look at the young man who had awakened the light of Vatonage.
If it was him...
Perhaps he could remind the person she loved of their love for life and souls, and of what was truly precious.
Coming to this distant land and continuing her endless travels...
It had indeed been worthwhile.
All kings were dead...
No. One king still lived.
Meanwhile, in another distant land, an extremely small green creature resembling slime mold was wriggling across the coast, struggling to make its way toward Almia.
Unfortunately, the Pokémon in the ocean had fled in panic. As a result, it was stranded on an island and couldn't continue onward.
I should've come earlier.
That thought emerged from the simple mind of the green slime.
It had sensed that this crisis might affect the ecosystem and devastate the world. In response, they had sent only a single Core to travel here and investigate.
Had that been a serious miscalculation?
The green slime known as a Core was a higher-order existence than a Cell. It served as the brain of a certain organism.
Furthermore, Cores didn't exist only as a pair. Their true number might be...
Five, seven, or perhaps even more.
Under ordinary circumstances, only two Cores were stationed in the Kalos region. The remaining Cores wandered throughout the world.
Recently, with the appearance of Ultra Space, five Cores had already set out for the Alola region, intending to station themselves there.
Different Cores represented different brains, each capable of controlling different moves.
The "brain" heading for Poni Island possessed Core Enforcer.
[I'm looking for someone!]
[Where is that person?!]
[I'm exhausted.]
[Would anyone be willing to carry me? Yes, to that continent across the water! I'm only going there to take a look. I mean it!]
The green slime continued wriggling along.
It desperately tried to persuade every passing Pokémon to give it a ride!
"Darkrai's capture is complete!"
Vatonage was said to mean fusion, awakening the light within darkness, and bringing everything into harmony.
According to legend, three princes joined their hearts, transformed their souls into light and crystals, and drove away the darkness shrouding Almia.
Three thousand years later, that legend had finally been fulfilled.
Blake Hall's body was struck, and the soul of the King of Almia released a shriek. The instant Darkrai was defeated, the tricolored, interwoven light of the Capture Styler surrounded it.
Capture complete.
The three Tears of Princes were brought before the Shadow Crystal. Beside the dark soul of the king, the lights of the three remaining princes appeared!
At that moment, Blake Hall remembered something.
Or perhaps it was the King of Almia mumbling through him.
Long ago, Brighton Hall had performed a renaming ritual before the Shadow Crystal. On President Blake's birthday, Brighton changed his name, received power from the Shadow Crystal, and awakened the dark soul.
That day also seemed to be the birthday the King of Almia remembered.
[That was "my" birthday. When I awoke, that was what I thought. I wandered, and my soul continued drifting across the earth throughout the pitch-black night, always searching.]
[My soul crossed three thousand years, exploring one ruin after another. At times, I suffered the illusion that I had returned to that bonfire. Whenever I stopped in the royal city, I remembered the fading sunset over its walls.]
[The King of Harmony summoned one hundred thousand magical beasts. The King of the People drove the darkness from the sky. The Golden King raised a fortress that sailed through the heavens. The First King forged an instrument of God, sent it racing into the clouds to pierce the sun, and reduced the earth to scorched soil. I was terrified. A profound fear spread through my heart, and I fell into a nightmare.]
[Ah... This final flame within the darkness. This final city and this final stretch of land. Black rain fell upon my world. Darkness was all I could see. The souls and hatred of the world's kings corrupted me. I was a weak king without talent.]
[But now the bells are ringing. My sons have returned to my side. Sorrow, pain, and anger... All of them are gone. My children, you have returned. You have come back to your helpless father.]
[Will you leave me again? Let us return home. Together... Let us go home.]
[I am Brighton. I am Blake Hall. I am Almia.]
The Shadow Crystal's color began to change. Its black and violet hues gradually transformed into a pure, immaculate white.
This was the king's soul in its original form.
The Luminous Crystal.
At last, the souls of the four royals became one again.
Within the radiance, the souls of the princes gazed upon the distorted and formless soul of the dark king possessing President Blake. Then they called their father home.
The Blue Prince said, ["Father... Once, all we knew how to do was shout at one another and fight for power. Only when the world approached its end did we finally recognize the dazzling glimmer of life. The power of Aura is with me."]
The Red Prince said, ["A bright flame is a sign of safety. After three thousand years apart, we have finally lit a bonfire for you, Father. You can rest now. Has your rage finally subsided?"]
The Yellow Prince said, ["All kings are dead. Father, you can finally free yourself from fear. The black rain has stopped, and the sky is clear! Rain will nourish the earth and create a new, fertile world. The light of miracles will shine upon you as well!"]
The souls of humanity descended from heaven.
Such stories had been passed down since ancient times.
The people of Almia had never understood them, but now those souls would be returned to the heavens.
The land whose name carried the meaning of "soul"...
Had been liberated by the King of the Isle of Souls from a distant land.
One after another, the Pokémon controlled by the Shadow Crystal were defeated. The smoke that had engulfed the summit of Altru Tower began to disperse.
Then the clouds parted, and the mist vanished.
The dark sky that had shrouded the world was driven away by light.
The second Long Night was over!
Hitomi panted heavily. "Perhaps a happy, radiant world felt impossible to the king. Because he'd been traumatized, when he saw the royal city destroyed, the world transformed, and everything that had happened in the past, he became convinced that the entire world was nothing but a wasteland."
Soichi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Perhaps the king was simply sleep-deprived after spending so long trapped in a nightmare. Now that he has become the Luminous Crystal, he should finally be able to have a pleasant dream. May his soul rest in peace."
The Rangers' mission...
"This is what we're supposed to say now!"
The three of them raised their arms and shouted in unison.
"The final mission of our three-person team."
"Mission Clear!"
Hikaru picked up the "perfectly ordinary stones" scattered across the ground. Each contained tremendous energy, and among them was the newly created Falinksite.
One, two, three...
There were seven, eight, nine, ten, and even more of those strange stones lying around.
The enormous Luminous Crystal released waves of joy.
"The bells are ringing. Light ahead."
"Praise the Sun!"
"Good morning! May the flames guide thee on thy journey!"
(End of Chapter)
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