“He what?!” Lusamine slammed her hands on the screen of a large console, making the graphics on it flicker. “I want to see him right now!”
“I can’t exactly move my computer to his cell,” Nanu spoke from the desk of a police station office on the other end of the video being played on a large, virtual monitor.
“Then take some pictures of him and send them to me! I want to see that worm rotting behind bars for what he’s done to us!”
“Mother, calm down!” Gladion gripped Lusamine’s wrist, and though she was quick to pull her hand away, she calmed down a little. “Wicke assured us that our morning scan revealed no spyware or malware in our systems.”
“Plus,” Lillie added, “the day we let him go, we ran every security clearance imaginable on him. He may as well have been naked and on an empty stomach when he was shipped off!”
Sun grimaced at the horrors of such an image.
Lusamine put her hand to her face and looked up to the ceiling. “I appreciate you trying to make this as though it’s not as big a deal as it actually is, but the fact that Faba is a confirmed admin for Team Prism could be disastrous for us! Just think about the stuff that he already knows about this place that he could be telling to his boss and his… underlings!”
“I mean…” Sun looked careful about his choice of words. “Yes, Faba already knows much about this place and a lot of us who work here, but we have changed much since his leaving, and much of what he knows shouldn’t be very valuable to Prism.” Lusamine pinched her chin, taking his words into consideration. “Not to say you don’t have any reason not to overreact; frankly, I’m surprised by this news too, but you of all people should know that the Aether Foundation has survived worse than this.”
It didn’t take much longer for Lusamine to come to a decision. “I still can’t afford any chances. Lillie, tell Wicke to add to and then rearrange our security squad.”
“Uh, yes ma’am!” Lillie ran off to the lift.
“Sun, keep Solgaleo and Lunala close to you at all times. If nothing else, they’ll be your ace in the hole for whatever Prism bastard you face.”
“Understood, ma’am.” Sun sprinted off to follow Alice before she could enter the lift, leaving Lusamine and Gladion alone.
“Not to be rude,” Nanu said, still on the line, “but am I still needed anymore?”
Lusamine sighed with regret. “No, Nanu, we’re done here. Just be sure to keep a close eye on him.”
“Of course. Faba won’t be able to do much as let out a sneeze and wipe his nose without our permission.”
“That’s good to hear,” Gladion said. “In any case, I’m going down to help you.”
“Hmm? What good do you think that will do?”
“You and I may have experience fighting Prism, but those other officers don’t. I have to imagine that Prism would gladly send a dozen or so grunts to get one of their bosses out, so if everything starts going south, an extra helping hand can only help.”
Nanu wiped the sweat off his head.“If you’re really willing to stay up all night to help us, then go ahead and get yourself down here. We have plenty of coffee and biscuits to keep you up.”
“Not exactly the incentive I needed.” Gladion hopped into a run, heading for the nearest balcony outdoors.
“Is that it then?” he asked Lusamine.
“Yes, and thank you for bringing him in. That much is a tremendous relief.”
“Don’t thank me. I had plenty of help.”
“Yes. Good luck tonight.”
“As to you.”
Lusamine clicked the red phone icon on the console, ending the call.
With their conversation over, Nanu walked away from the computer at the cubicle, one amongst a small grid of them. Heading to a hallway filled with busy, pacing police officers, he set his sights on a metal door guarded by two officers on either side of it. Upon seeing the Kahuna walk to them, the one to the right of the door pulled up his key card hanging on his lanyard and pressed it against the door, a loud click and buzz allowing the left guard to open it for him.
“Much obliged.” Nanu walked through the door, entering through a greyer hallway lined with cells, all of them empty.
Heading to the one at the very end of the hall, Nanu came upon Faba, now wearing a black tank top and tight black pants, casually sitting on his bench as if he impatiently awaited his waiter at a restaurant. Seeing Nanu in the corner of his vision, Faba turned to him and coolly smiled.
“So…” Faba scooted to the edge of his seat, sitting up. “What’s going on, boss?”
“First things first,” Nanu said as he leaned against the cell bars, “you’re going to wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, and then we’re going to have a little talk about your involvement in this little gang you’ve gotten yourself involved in.”
Faba loudly snickered. “Oh, Nanu! I don’t really think any of that is going to happen anytime soon! Now, if you excuse me, I’d like to take a little nap before my friends post my bail.”
Nanu banged on the cage with his hand, a gesture Faba couldn’t help but jump at. “I just watched a 14-year old girl nearly cave your face in a few hours ago. Do you really want to take those same chances against me?”
Faba couldn’t help himself, but he finally frowned, sulking into a slouch. “Yes, and I’m sure that was most entertaining for you and your friends, but it’s peanuts compared to the humiliation you and your brothers in arms are due to face when I walk out these doors.”
“And when exactly do you suppose all of this will happen.”
Faba shrugged and smirked again. “Before sunrise… probably.”
Faba leaned off the doors, already exhausted trading verbal blows with him. “That’s quite a prediction. Thing is, I’ve already faced your leader, and once I instruct the force how to properly combat you lot, they’ll be just as capable as Guzma or Nanu.”
“Eh, that’s cute that you believe that.” Faba rolled down so his body laid flat on the bench. “And be sure to turn the lights off on your way out.”
Nanu rolled his eyes and walked away to the exit door, the empty cells he passed a relief to see. He then passed the two guards who still stood by.
“Is he done for the night?” the left guard asked.
Nanu, without turning to either of them, pointed to his right and wagged his finger up and down. With a nod, the right guard reached to the light panel above the keycard reader and flicked one of the buttons down, the fluorescents inside the room going out.
“Thank you!” Faba could just barely say before the door closed.
Hau and his Equestrian friends all slept soundly on their beds in the lab guest room. Night life had already begun dying down, the honking of car horns or chatter of people walking the streets was nonexistent now. The glow of windows from adjacent buildings and the streetlamps still kept Heahea City amply lit, and as Hau gently rolled over to his other side, his shadow was cast up the wall to the window high above, Marshadow sitting on the ledge and looking out over as much of the skyline as it could see.
He then looked down over the human, ponies, dragon, changeling, and Comfey under his guard, smiling contently to see them resting calmly and without much worry. At that moment, he gasped, feeling as if the air was forcefully squeezed out of his lungs. At once, everyone in their beds was now beginning to squirm and moan, as if they were all stricken by the same nightmare.
“Guys?” Marshadow panted, feeling it too. “What’s going on?”
A faint light shone on the window’s ledge, prompting Marshadow to look out, the sight seizing his breath in its throat. Eight Metangs hovered outside of the building as several Kadabras, Orangurus, and Hypnos stood or sat on them, their spoons, pendulums, and palm leaves glowing.
Marshadow looked back, its sights moving to Thorax, Trixie, Twilight, and Luna in particular. As they began to groan and yelp louder, it saw as their horns began glowing before dying out like an extinguished flame. It then looked down on Hau, who was also writhing and crying out, though unable to wake himself up.
“Hau!” Marshadow leapt off the ledge, falling feet-first towards him.
It fell through his chest, entering into a dark void. As it continued falling, the area began to reveal itself as Marshadow found itself coming towards what appeared to be night-shrouded Iki Town, the atmosphere giving this space a subtlely jiggly appearance. Landing down, Marshadow was instantly unnerved by the sight of this place, as if a sinister wind hand blown much of it away; the buildings had all been leveled, the grass brown and dying, the dirt paths gutted with giant slashes from a devastating battle.
Marshadow was especially wracked by the sight of Hau’s home, destroyed beyond repair. “What is this?”
“Gyahhh!” The Pokémon turned back towards the ceremonial battle platform, finding Hau constricted by a massive cobra made of magenta light bearing a Kadabra-shaped head and unable to break free.
“Hau!” Before Hau could register its voice, Marshadow leapt at the Kadabra-snake and punched it in its face.
With a yowl, the aura relinquished its hold on Hau and let him fall to the floor. As Marshadow ran between its trainer and the malevolent creature, the Kadabra-snake hissed at it once before spiraling about in the air, quickly shrinking out of existence.
Hau began to get up to his feet, finally recognizing Marshadow there. “Marshadow… how did you–”
“I felt something was wrong and I entered your soul, but you need to wake up! The ponies– They’re hurting them too!”
“What?! No!”
“You need to wake up, now!”
Hau closed his eyes, straining to eject himself from his dream. Immediately, the subtle gusty echoes of his space was replaced by the sounds of screams. His eyes shot back open as he yanked himself to sit up, his body drenched with sweat. He and Marshadow both turned to find the Equestrians and Comfey, several of them having fallen out of their beds but still unconscious, crying out as the Pokémon outside assaulted them in their sleep.
“Guys!” Hau swung out of bed and pulled his bag open, rummaging around until he found several rectangular spray bottles filled with green liquid. He tossed four of them out onto the ground and scrambled two of them into his hands.
“What are these?” Marshadow began to ask, picking one up.
“Just spray them on everyone!” Hau was already between Fluttershy, Comfey, and Rainbow Dash, dousing them in the liquid until both bottles were half-empty.
He then slid towards Twilight and Spike and began spraying them. As the liquid soaked into the pegasi’s skin, they violently shook themselves from slumber before their eyes came open, leaving them stiff and frightened over what they just endured. Marshadow then held a bottle in one arm and hugged the spray button in with his other, running about until Thorax, Luna, and Trixie were all evenly coated. Shooting up just as violently, the three of them finally awoke, and as Twilight and Spike came to, they ran to their aid.
Trixie hugged herself as tears ran down her face. “I changed my mind! I hate it here again!”
“What…” Twilight sounded close to crying. “What was that?”
“Dream Eater!” Hau recovered his remaining bottle and threw it in his bag before tying it closed. “They can attack you in your sleep too, but we need to go now! It’s not safe–”
Glass shattered from high above, a Kadabra landing on the ground and standing guard of the elevator, making Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both shriek as Comfey clung to the former’s neck. Kadabra held up its spoons and prepared an attack, only for Marshadow to rush into it and kick it in its stomach, throwing it back hard enough to send it flying into the elevator doors, knocking it out cold before it slid to the floor.
“Quick, the stairs!” Marshadow pointed to the doorway to the left of the room before hiding into Hau’s shadow and returning to his belt as a Poké Ball.
“Hurry, let’s go!” As Hau motioned his arm to the door, Rainbow Dash swooped toward it and yanked it open with her teeth.
Hau stood to the other side of the door as the Equestrians, one by one, spilled inside and made their way down. Looking to the broken window, Hau’s breathing quickened as the Metangs hovered in single file before shooting out at their prey. With Twilight and Spike last to enter, Rainbow Dash zipped in as Hau swung himself inside. Before the first Metang could enter, Rainbow Dash slammed the door closed and pressed her back into it to hold it closed.
“Rainbow Dash!” Hau shouted, noting the futility of her act.
“Just go and get the others out!” The Metangs tried to push their way in, only for Rainbow Dash to push them back out. “I’ll catch up! Save Burnet!”
Hau gasped, remembering her. “Right!”
He went down the steps in threes, getting down the next flight and reaching the third-level entrance. As he tried pulling the door open, he only got a couple of inches before it slammed shut on its own. Hau tried to pull again, only to find it wouldn’t budge.
“Burnet!” Hau screamed. “Burnet, are you alright?!”
“Just go!” her voice cried. “Take the ponies and get out–”
She was cut off by her screams, Hau yanking at the handle with all his might. “Burnet! No, Burnet!”
“C’mon hurry!” A blue and rainbow blur whizzed by him as it flew down the stairwell.
Hau looked back up the stairs and saw the eight Metangs floating their way down and coming right at Hau.
With a short hiss, he let his hand off the handle and sprinted toward the next flight of stairs. “Shit!”
Hau swung himself down to each level by the handrails, just barely matching the Metangs’ speed as they continued to chase him. Finally reaching the bottom, Hau rammed the door open against his shoulder, finding Rainbow Dash and the Equestrians waiting for him inside the lobby.
“Hau!” Fluttershy cried out. “Where’s Burnet?!”
“She’s not coming!” Hau ran past them and pulled a ball out from his belt. “Everyone, get to the wall!”
Immediately, the Metangs began to pour themselves out from the stairwell, the Equestrians now more than willing to follow his instructions. Hau tossed his ball at the space between all of them.
“Pangoro, Brutal Swing!” Hau’s bear Pokémon emerged from the ball and spun around to face the Metang horde.
As the Metangs tried to slow themselves down to back away, they were well within Pangoro’s reach as its swinging arm collided into each one, throwing each one into the other side of the lobby, several of them crashing into the receptionist’s desk and throwing her computer monitor, her phone, and her cup of pens and pencils off to the floor. After a few seconds of much needed breathing, Hau drew a longer sigh to see none of the Metangs wanting to get up for more.
“Hau,” Thorax nervously asked, “where’s Burnet!?”
“She was upstairs dealing with some of Prism’s Pokémon.” Hau made his way back to the stairwell door, facing him. “Come on. She probably needs our–”
“Hau!” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both cried out.
Hau couldn’t see the Hypno on the other side of the door through the window, but he knew the moment it blasted the door open with its psychic powers and sent Hau flying back to his friends.
“Oh man!” Spike shouted. “We gotta’ get out of here!”
“But what about Burnet?” Luna exclaimed.
“We can’t help her if we get captured ourselves!” Twilight growled in reluctance. “Besides, it’s us they’re after.”
As Hau tried to quickly get back up, the Hypno that attacked him charged the group, only for Pangoro to swing one of the fainted Metangs into Hypno’s head, knocking him back toward the door where the other Pokémon tried to spill through. Pangoro then flung the Metang at the sliding glass doors, shattering both and providing a clear path for escape. Pangoro led the charge as Hau and his friends followed it, the remaining Psychic Pokémon spilling out from the stairwell doorway.
The group continued their way outside toward the street, hoping to find anyone still out that could help. As they rounded out to the gate’s exit, they were disheartened to see a line of Prism grunts lining the other side of the street, Twilight and Spike gasping to recognize Dexio standing in the middle.
The many footsteps of the other eight grunts’ Pokémon began to leave the building, forming another wall between the lab building and the gate to completely box Hau and his friends in.
“Oh,” a male light brown-skinned grunt chided, “turning your back to us, are you? Kadabra, use Dazzling Gleam!”
The group turned around to see a Kadabra walk out from the line and aim its spoons at the group.
“No! You stay back!” Fluttershy leapt out to face the Kadabra. “Comfey! Hit them with Petal Blizzard!”
Comfey uncoiled itself from her neck and flew out between her and the Psychic Pokémon. Spinning in a tight circle above the ground, petals began to fling off its body and multiply until a colorful tornado was formed. As the twister expanded, leaves pelted into the Kadabra and the other Pokémon, throwing them all back and disorienting them.
“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash breathed. “Nice one, Flutters!”
The Kadabra’s grunt unshielded his face as the Petal Blizzard subsided. “So you want to fight too. Fine. Kadabra!”
“Hypno!” a short-haired female grunt commanded.
“Kadabra!” a darker-skinned female grunt shouted.
“Oranguru!” a male grunt with ice-blue hair exclaimed.
“Oranguru!” a bald muscular grunt shouted.
“Hypno!” an older, pale, and emaciated male grunt yelled.
“Use Psychic on Comfey!” They all shouted at once.
As the Kadabras, Hypnos, and Orangurus raised their respective objects to conjure their attack, Hau stepped forward. “Pangoro, finish them off with Brutal Swing!”
The Psychic Pokémon already began their assault, the combined attacks on Comfey resulting in its body erupting in magenta light, a metallic ringing emanating from it drowning out the Pokémon’s scream.
“Comfey, no!” Fluttershy cried.
Pangoro leapt over Comfey and stood between it and its attackers. With the Psychic energy now hitting and dissipating off Pangoro’s gut, Comfey was freed from the light, but still fell to the ground, completely overwhelmed by the attack. Pangoro ran out at the front Kadabra and grabbed it by its leg, convincing its comrades to stop just fast enough to notice their foe swinging the Kadabra into them. A Kadabra, Oranguru, and Hypno were knocked the the ground first, and as the remaining Hypno and Kadabra attempted to counter, Pangoro whipped the already fainted Kadabra at the two remaining Pokémon, leaving them sprawled out and unconscious like the others.
“Nice one, buddy!” As Pangoro returned to its trainer, six of the eight grunts blocking their way to the lab called their Pokémon back to their balls.
“Comfey!” Fluttershy cried out, finding her Pokémon lying limp on the ground.
Pangoro stopped and gently picked it up with two of its claws, walked up to Fluttershy and placed it around her neck. As Pangoro returned to Hau’s side, Fluttershy shed a tear, sniffed, and hugged Comfey’s head.
“Come on.” Hau passed through his Equestrian friends and stood on the sidewalk directly across from Dexio and the grunts beside him. “Let’s get to the Pokémon Center.”
“Uh, hello!” Dexio stepped forward, his appearance now more revealed by the light of the streetlamp. “I don’t believe I’ve had my turn with you yet!”
“Dexio!” Hau shouted. “Come on, man, you’re better than this! Why would you join these guys?”
“I’ve already told Twilight and her pet dragon.” Twilight and Spike bared their teeth, grossly offended by the remark. “Perhaps they can tell you in their spare time. Then again…” Dexio tore an Ultra Ball from his belt and held it out to the side, ready to toss it out at the first sign of fight or flight. “…they really don’t have much spare time these days, do they?”
“Dexio, please. I don’t want to fight you.”
“I’m sure you don’t! Psychics against Fighting-types. How much more slanted could such a battle possibly be?”
“Come on!” Thorax begged. “You have to fight him!”
“And he’s gonna’!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “If he fights like he did on the last island, he’ll wipe the floor with him!”
Hau grimaced, knowing that despite Rainbow Dash’s pressure, he had to fight regardless.
“Okay…” Hau pulled out two balls from his belt, aiming his left one at Pangoro and returning him inside. “If it’s just you left, I’ll take my chances.”
“And you’re choosing not to fight with Pangoro first?” Dexio sounded close to laughter. “Boy, I can’t wait to see what fight the Melemele Kahuna is cooking up for me tonight.”
“I certainly can. But I don’t have much choice in the matter, now do I?!” Hau threw his ball out to the street. “Go, Passimian!”
Hau’s large monkey Pokémon emerged from its ball, hopping back toward the curb to give itself some space for what was to come.
“Hau,” Twilight said, “please be careful. Dexio is still a really strong trainer!”
Hau nodded. “I know. And thank you.”
“Yes, let’s start this off right.” Dexio tossed his ball out. “Go, Espeon!”
Dexio’s Pokémon leapt out of its ball and landed on the other side of the street facing Passimian, the yellow line dividing the road the only barrier separating these two from battle.
A Poké Ball opened up inside the police station, a red puppy with black stripes on its back and a tuft of cream-colored fur on its chest emerging from it. Nanu picked it up and held it before a dark-skinned officer with a moustache.
“What kind of moves does he know?” Nanu asked.
“Crunch, I’m sure of that…” he responded, trying to remember the others. “Flame Wheel, Wild Charge, and Snarl.”
Hmm… not bad. He should do well.” Nanu set the puppy back on the ground to rejoin its trainer. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t have to do anything tonight.”
“Yeah, let’s hope.” The officer returned his Pokémon back to his ball and put it to his belt, returning to his desk.
Nanu returned to the main hallway and made his way towards the cells, the guards quick to let him back in. Light from both the lamps outside and the moon still streamed from the windows in the upper corners of each cell, providing enough for him to navigate to Faba’s cell.
Faba could already tell who was coming before he could see his face. “You know, sleeping is rather difficult when you have people coming in and out all the time.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about that.” Nanu sat himself down on a chair at the end of the hallway, facing the other end of it. “Going to stay here for the night and keep you company.”
A very faint zapping noise was heard outside, followed by a small flash of light that appeared through the windows, Faba and Nanu shifting their eyes to it. At once, a green-colored flash followed, one that Faba smiled at.
“On second thought,” he said, “sleep can wait.”
“Alright, Espeon!” Dexio shouted. “Hit Passimian with Psychic!”
“Passimian!” Hau ordered, “fight through it and attack with Beat Up!”
Passimian ran forward as Espeon’s head-gem started glowing. Waves of magenta aura shot from the Espeon’s head hard enough to stop Passimian in its tracks. Though Passimian tried to push forward, it grabbed onto the sides of its head and yowled, trying to fight through the energy squeezing on its body.
“Come on, you monkey!” Trixie bellowed. “Don’t you dare give up!”
“Fight it!” Luna huffed.
Despite its best efforts, Espeon could not hold Passimian back for long as it was forced to relinquish its attack, allowing Passimian to charge ahead. Passimian grabbed Espeon by the neck and punched it twice in the face, the Equestrians all wincing each time. Passimian then balled its hands together, raised them up and brought them down on the top of the disoriented Espeon’s head, forcing it to its stomach.
Still barely moving, Espeon weakly tried to break free as Passimian picked it up and then punted it in the stomach, sending it straight up into the air. Passimian quickly leapt up to match the Pokémon’s height, and with a forward flip, Passimian kicked down onto the side of its stomach with the ball of its heel, sending it straight back down to the ground again. Passimian landed in front of the motionless Espeon before bounding back to Hau’s side, panting.
“Nice going, Passimian,” Hau complimented.
As Passimian roared indignantly at Dexio, he called his fainted Pokémon back to the sounds of cheers from the Equestrians.
“What did I tell ya’?” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Did I not say he’d wipe the floors with him?”
Dexio replaced Espeon’s ball with another from his belt. “Nice Beat Up, Hau. I wonder how well a strategy like that would work against a Pokémon that can actually take a hit.”
“What are you sending out now?” Twilight wondered.
“Go, Slowking!” Dexio’s pink, rock-crowned Pokémon shot out from the white energy of its ball and eagerly faced Hau and his monkey.
Hau smirked. “Your Espeon had the speed advantage last time, but now I got it! Passimian, take Slowking out with Beat Up!”
Slowking stood its ground as Passimian ran up to it, and it delivered a hard punch to its left cheek, followed to the other one with its other fist. It then uppercutted into Slowking’s gut, making it double over, and then finished with a spinning roundhouse kick to the side of the head, throwing it onto its stomach. The Equestrians’ muscles tensed up, hoping to see Slowking stay down.
“Did he do it?” Spike began to wonder.
Dexio smirked. “Slowking, Psychic.”
Quickly pushing itself off the ground, Slowking faced Passimian just as it turned around and aimed its hand at it, the gem in the center of its crown glowing. With a magenta glow surrounding it, Passimian arched its back and clutched at its melon helmet, crying out to the sky. Slowking let its attack down after a few short moments, allowing Passimian’s hands to fall limp to its sides as it fell back and fainted, sprawling out in the middle of the street.
“Oh no, Passimian!” Fluttershy cried.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy,” Twilight assured her. “Hau’s already got a good lead on him. I doubt that he’s going to let him have any more than that.”
Hau called his Pokémon back, replacing it with another ball on his belt that he tossed out. “Go, Kommo-o!”
Tossing his ball out a little farther than before, it burst open to let his bipedal scale-braided dragon emerge from it and land on the street. As the dragon roared at Dexio and Slowking, the ponies, who were nowhere near the direction of the roar, felt their hairs stand on end.
“Well, looks like nopony’s going to be sleeping well tonight,” Rainbow Dash quipped.
“Hey, if it brings help over…” Spike responded.
“Don’t you kids worry about that!” Dexio shouted.“We’ll be done here long before then.”
“Then let’s finish this, shall we?” Hau pointed toward Slowking. “Kommo-o, hit Slowking with Bulldoze!”
Kommo-o let out another roar as it ran out at Slowking, its arm winding out. With a swing close to the ground, Kommo-o tore the street apart as mud erupted from the fissure, following through and up, sending its small wave of mud into Slowking’s head. With Slowking still able to keep its balance, Hau and the Equestrians gasped as Dexio grinned with the free shot he was given.
“That’s it!” Dexio shouted. “Now, hit her with Ice Beam!”
The gem in Slowking’s crown glowed as it breathed in. Opening its mouth wide, Kommo-o was hit point blank by Slowking’s chilly beam. Kommo-o was blasted back to the other side of the road as it laboriously held its arms up to shield its head from the attack. Once it was blasted back to the curb, Hau took in a sharp breath to see Kommo-o was stuck in its defensive position, most of its body, the front especially, frosted over.
“What happened to it?” Thorax wondered.
Hau breathed out, forced to accept the situation. “It’s frozen.”
“Frozen?!” Twilight shouted. “Hau, you need to warm it back up before it gets frostbite!”
“Don’t worry about it.” Hau pulled his bag open and pulled out another rectangular spray bottle with green liquid from it. “Nothing a Full Restore couldn’t fix.”
Hau aimed the nozzle at his Pokémon and sprayed it over its back generously. To the Equestrians’ surprise, the ice on Kommo-o’s body quickly melted off and dripped to the ground, allowing it to flex its muscles as it returned to its normal self.
“That was incredible!” Luna commented. “What was in that bottle?”
“The same stuff I used to wake you guys up back then.” Hau’s answer caused much confusion amongst the ponies, but were brought back to attention by Dexio spraying his Slowking with a similar bottle, but was filled with a blue liquid.
The others watched in distress as Slowking, who had begun looking worn and tired, was now energetic and completely refreshed.
Dexio nonchalantly handed the bottle back to the grunt on his right while keeping his eyes on Hau and Kommo-o. “We can do this all day, my man, and I doubt you have enough Full Restores or Max Potions to keep it up. So, let’s get back into it, shall we?”
Gladion quickly approached Ula’ula Island, guided by several explosions of lights appearing just south of Po Town. From their mostly magenta colors, Gladion’s face contorted in fear.
“Come on, Charizard, faster!”
With a heavier, hastier flap of its wings and a dip in altitude, his Charizard picked up speed and began to approach the southwestern shore. Passing over the trees to the Ula’ula Meadow, he finally saw the police station up ahead. Up closer, he could see that the walls had been blown open in several places, and the faint glow of a fire could be seen through the holes.
“No. Charizard, land!” His steed did as it was told, swooping down close to the ground, Gladion hopping off before his Charizard’s feet hit the ground.
Gladion immediately began running as he reached behind him with his Charizard’s metal Poké Ball in one hand and his Ride Pager in the other. After calling his Pokémon back, he brought the ball back to his Ride Pager and continued running forward.
“Superpower!” the Prism leader ordered.
Inside the decimated office of the police station, the leader’s Malamar shot out at Nanu’s Krookodile, getting it in the gut and throwing it onto its back where it fainted. As Malamar floated back over the unconscious police officers and their Pokémon, Chrysalis, standing by the leaders side, laughed at the sheer one-sidedness of the battle.
“Now, Gardevoir, finish Persian off with Moonblast!”
With the horn in its chest glowing, Gardevoir threw its arms out and shot its shiny beam from it into Persian’s face, sending it flying back into the wall hard enough to leave an indent. Nanu growled furiously as his Pokémon crumpled to the floor, physically spent like the other Pokémon and officers scattered on the floor.
“Looks like you lost this time, old man,” the leader spoke. “Now step aside and let us take your prisoner off your hands.”
Nanu bent his knees and put his fists up, frowning over the futility of his struggling. Chrysalis stepped forward, a metal ring around the base of her horn lighting up with green before it changed to pink. With the magic aura covering her horn now magenta, Nanu was lifted off his feet by his neck, gagging and choking as he tried clutching onto the aura, only for it to pass around his fingers like smoke.
“How adorable!” Chrysalis taunted. “His Pokémon couldn’t stand a chance against us and now he thinks he can stop us with his own bare hands! Should I put him out of his misery?”
Nanu clawed at his neck, his eyes beginning to roll back into his head.
“Flash Cannon!”
Through the hole on the side of the building, a ball of shimmering silver aura shot through and exploded into Gardevoir, throwing it against the back wall where it slid into a limp sitting position.
“What!?” The leader gasped, their Malamar and Chrysalis also looking to see Gardevoir try to get back up.
“X-Scissor!” Malamar and Chrysalis turned back toward the hole just as Silvally dove through it.
With its claws glowing a greenish-yellow, Silvally slashed down on Malamar with both, sending it flying back with Gardevoir. Silvally turned and glared at Chrysalis, making her yelp with fright and let go of Nanu, who fell like a rag doll as he sucked in as much air as his lungs could allow.
Just then, Gladion and Lucario leapt through the hole, and as Lucario joined Silvally’s side, Gladion hopped back to guard Nanu as he continued taking in deep breaths to come to his senses.
“Leader,” Chrysalis gasped. “Who are they?”
“It doesn’t matter,” they responded. “The Kahuna fell, and this brat will fall just as easily.”
“Are you sure about that?” Gladion’s words were enforced by his Pokémon reeling back to attack. “My Pokémon nearly took out both of your Pokémon. Chances are that Nanu just softened them up for me.”
“Softened? If anything, that old man was just warming us up for you!”
“Wait… us?”
The leader held both arms up as Chrysalis charged her pink-glowing horn, chuckling for the oncoming onslaught.
“Kommo-o!” Hau commanded. “Hit Slowking with Clanging Scales!”
Holding both arms up in the air, Kommo-o threw them back down, the loose scales slamming back against its arms. They made a noise like low-pitch church bells which pulsed out from the scales in massive succession, getting lower pitched as they traveled into Slowking, forcing it and Dexio to cover their ears with the sonic waves violently vibrating their bodies.
Hau looked over to see Kommo-o grab its arms and pant. “Don’t worry about it, girl, you’re doing great!”
Reinforced by its trainer, Kommo-o put its arms back to its sides and awaited Slowking’s response.
“I think we got a good thing going on here!” Dexio threw his arm forward. “Slowking, Ice Beam!”
Slowking blasted Kommo-o with its attack, and it managed to hold its ground with its foot claws anchoring itself to the side of the curb. After several moments, Kommo-o threw its arms out and roared at Slowking, showing off its resilience.
“Yeah, there we go!” Rainbow Dash cheered.
“Still, be careful!” Fluttershy called out.
“Yep.” Hau eased himself to sort his situation out. “None of my other moves are going to do quite as much, so I just gotta’ keep going with it. Kommo-o, Clanging Scales again!”
With a jangling of its arm-scales, Slowking was assaulted by even more heavy sonic forces, but still held its ground.
“Ice Beam!” On Dexio’s order, Slowking hit Hau’s dragon with another beam of blistering cold. As Kommo-o tried to shield itself with its hands and arms, Hau and the Equestrians were frightened to see its body begin to frost over once more.
“No!” Luna shouted. “It’s freezing again!”
“Warm yourself back up, dragon!” Trixie demanded. “Do it!”
Despite its friends’ shouts, Kommo-o stood literally frozen in place.
“Oh no!” Spike and Rainbow Dash both shouted.
Dexio laughed loudly. “Go on then, Hau! Use another Full Restore! We can start this whole battle over again!”
Hau seethed, Dexio’s continued laughter only adding to his anguish.
“Come on, already!” Thorax pleaded. “Heal your Pokémon already!”
“You’ll lose if you don’t!” Trixie added.
“That’s not entirely true.” Despite the glimmer of hope, Hau remained stoic. “It can unthaw itself with enough willpower. I just need one last good hit on it! Now let’s go, Kommo-o!”
Twilight and Spike saw as the dragon’s claws visibly trembled, making them smile. “It’s working! It’s actually working!”
Dexio and Slowking stood by, waiting to see if it would indeed work. Kommo-o snarled its teeth as it continued fighting its stone-solid muscles, but after several moments, its body relaxed itself and resigned to its situation, the ears of the Equestrians drooping in response.
“Ah, what a shame!” Dexio pressed his sunglasses closer to his face by the bridge. “Welp, can’t knock you for not trying. Slowking, finish Kommo-o off with Psychic!”
With its crown jewel and outstretched hands glowing, the energy began to emanate off of Kommo-o as well. As the psychic aura continued to radiate, Kommo-o shouted through its forcefully clenched teeth as cracks appeared on the ice covering its arms. With another burst of effort, the dragon broke free and threw its arms out and its mouth open, roaring one last time to the sky before falling forward onto its stomach, Dexio and Slowking happy to see it shut its eyes and lie still.
“Don’t give up, Hau!” Spike shouted.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, bud!” Hau called his fainted Pokémon back and tossed out another ball. “Crabominable, finish Slowking with Brutal Swing!”
Appearing out of its ball was a large, furry, white, bulb-shaped crab with four small legs and two massive arms with rounded ends adorned with purple pawprints. With an eager laugh from its wide, smiling mouth, it fell toward Slowking and struck it with its right stub.
Slowking was launched off its feet where its body collided with a tall concrete planter lining the street-side of the sidewalk, breaking the corner off and dumping the soil and several flowers over it.
“Yeah, that’s it!” Rainbow Dash cheered.
“Calm down, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight watched as Dexio brought his second fallen Pokémon back to its ball. “He’s certainly not out of the woods yet!”
“Yep,” Dexio agreed, lobbing his next ball out of and into his hand. “And I’ll be sure it stays that way. Go, Metagross!”
Dexio’s four-armed metallic disk Pokémon emerged from the ball and landed on the ground with a heavy rumble.
Fluttershy squirmed into herself as she gazed at its glowing eyes. “I don’t like the way it’s looking at me!”
“You’re probably going to like this even less! Metagross, use Meteor Mash!”
Hau tensed up as Metagross folded its arms up, ready to launch itself. “Crabominable, try blocking it with Close Combat!”
Hau’s crab Pokémon reeled its arm back as far back as it could as Metagross’s body began to faintly glow. Crabominable punched out as Metagross shot forward, it’s body leaving behind a bright, colorful trail. Crabominable’s stump-fist struck Metagross’s face dead center and managed to hold it still, both Pokémon trying to push against each other’s forces as the energy exerting off of Metagross created a whirlwind that forced each spectator to squint.
“Come on,” Hau grunted.
“Hey, crab thing!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Don’t stop! Keep it going!”
Dexio managed to look at his Pokémon’s two-o’clock arm, smiling at the idea he just had. “Metagross, Bullet Punch!”
In the middle of Hau’s inhale, Metagross unfolded its front right arm, reeled back, and jabbed it into Crabominable’s purple gut faster than anyone could comprehend. Hau’s Pokémon was hurled over him, the Equestrians, and the grunts, stopping against the wall of Burnet’s lab, where it left massive cracks in it.
As everyone turned back, Hau was dismayed to see his latest Pokémon out for the count. With the pressure mounting, Hau clutched his Ultra Ball and returned Crabominable into it. Dexio’s laughing behind him only added to his anxiety as he and the Equestrians turned back to face him.
“Why are you doing this?” Luna shouted. “Why must you be so cruel?”
Dexio immediately resumed his half-serious façade. “Well, we figured asking nicely would grant us nothing but wasted time, so we just have to do things like this.”
“You have no idea what you’re in for, do you?” Twilight growled. “The second you and your ilk step foot in Equestria, you’ll have to face each and every one of our friends back home that will stop at nothing to get us back safely.”
Dexio huffed. “With all due respect, Twilight, if a small few of us can incapacitate you as easily as we just did, I really can’t imagine what kind of chances they'd stand back home. Really, the only thing standing between us and them now are your friend’s last two Pokémon. So then, Hau. Who’s on deck?”
Hau stared Dexio and Metagross down as he put Crabominable’s ball back to his belt. He pulled out his fourth ball, and without breaking eye contact with his foes, he lobbed it out.
“Let’s go, Hariyama!”
With a burst and expanse of white energy that poured out from the ball, Hau’s bulky sumo Pokémon landed upon the ground, producing an equally large bang that shook the earth around it.
“So, saving your Pangoro until the end?” Dexio shook his head. “Eh, it won’t matter. Metagross, use Zen Headbutt!”
“Fake Out!”
Metagross blasted off at Hariyama, psychic energy appearing around the front of its head and forming a small tail behind it. Before the attack could hit, Hariyama shifted forward faster than Metagross was expecting, causing it to divert its path downward where it collided with the street before reeling back.
“That’s it!” Hau punched the air. “Now get him with Close Combat!”
“No!” Dexio shouted. “Metagross, Zen Headbutt again!”
With its arms still tucked in, Metagross dove a successful attack into Hariyama’s gut. Though Hau’s Pokémon’s eyes bulged as the wind was knocked out of it, it still managed to raise its balled fists up before bringing them back down on the top of Metagross’s head with all its might, throwing it into the street and leaving a perfectly-sized crater in it.
Hariyama hopped back and kept its distance, Hau and the Equestrians looking down on Metagross intently for signs of consciousness.
“Did he do it?” Fluttershy wondered.
“I…” Rainbow Dash patted Fluttershy on the back. “I think so–”
Metagross’s arms came down, its claws digging into the street to push itself out. Hau and the others’ hearts sank as Metagross shook the bits of dirt and asphalt still stuck to it.
“Yes!” Dexio exclaimed. “I knew that it would take more than that!”
Hau kept a brave face. “But between both attacks he and Crabominable landed, it shouldn’t have much more. Hariyama, use Knock Of–”
“Bullet Punch!”
Metagross appeared to teleport in front of Hariyama, its arm jutted out and blasting into Hariyama’s head. The speed and strength of the hit knocked Hariyama out cold, and with no means to catch its fall, the top of Hariyama’s back collided with the ground before the rest of his body rolled down to lay flat.
“This is bad!” Twilight whimpered. “Dexio still has two Pokémon left, and he hasn’t even brought out Alakazam!”
“Come on, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash also begun to look fearful. “We gotta’ keep rooting him on. You still got this, Hau!”
As more Equestrians verbally expressed their support, Dexio smugly smiled as he crossed his arms. Hau brought Hariyama back into its ball, careful to put it back without revealing the green-and-grey ball that was fastened in the very back.
“He doesn’t know about him yet,” Hau mumbled. “Maybe if Pangoro lasts long enough, I can beat him with the element of surprise.”
“Okay!” Dexio shouted. “I know you have your Pangoro left, and the suspense is just killing me!”
“It’s not the only thing…” Hau detached Pangoro’s ball and tossed it out. “Let’s finish this, Pangoro!”
Hau’s black and white bear Pokémon emerged back from the ball, and roared out at Metagross, ready to help its trainer win.
“And I bet it’s already a little tired after helping you against my squad, so this shouldn’t take much longer. Metagross, hit him with Brick Break!”
Metagross shot out with its arm aimed at Pangoro’s chest.
“No you don’t!” Hau screamed. “Pangoro, finish him with Foul Play!”
Pangoro ran out at the approaching Metagross, and before its arm could connect, Pangoro leapt up and flipped over it, grabbing onto the outstretched arm as it followed through. Using the momentum of its flip, Pangoro slammed Metagross back down into the street, which exploded in a burst of dirt, concrete and asphalt. As a rain of dust scattered down, Pangoro leapt back to Hau to allow Dexio to see his Pokémon half-buried in the street, its arms on the other half splayed out limply.
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but buck her legs forward. “That was amazing!”
“Even I know not to mess with an angry bear!” Trixie proudly commented.
Dexio called his Metagross back as he replaced it with his penultimate ball. “Okay then, you took out one of my stronger Pokémon, and it took all but your last one of yours to do it. I’ll be really disappointed if I don’t get to send Alakazam out after this, but, considering who I’m fighting, I still have to give you props for making it this far.”
Hau only mildly frowned, unsure whether to take it as an insult or a compliment.
“Let’s go, Raichu!” A Raichu, surfing on its own large tail much like Alice and Faba’s, spun over and around Dexio playfully before settling down before its trainer with the bottom of its tail-board hovering just above the street.
“He’s got one too?” Fluttershy wondered.
“Too?” Thorax cocked his head. “I’m guessing one of your friends has one of these?”
“Even if they did,” Dexio interrupted, “you won’t get another chance to see them! Raichu, hit Pangoro with Nuzzle!”
Grabbing onto its board-tail, the Raichu swung around to prepare and ride it on Pangoro’s stomach.
“Pangoro!” Hau shouted. “Get ready to intercept it with Brutal Swing!”
Pangoro wound its left arm in as the Raichu got closer. Swinging its left arm back out, Raichu squeaked as it realized its foe’s intention to clothesline it. Bending back as far as it could and holding on to its tail, it spun itself so that its board ran parallel to the bear’s stomach as it appeared its arm would safely pass over it.
As it successfully rode across, seeing sparks erupting where its tail passed over, the Raichu was too proud of itself to notice Pangoro having quickly wound its right arm in and prepared to swing. The Raichu didn’t even see the right fist coming as it pummeled into the center of its back, screaming as it was knocked off its tail and tumbled along the ground.
The Raichu got its footing, running in the momentum of its fall, keeping its board level before hopping back on, and zipping back to Dexio. Despite the minor setback, Dexio and his Raichu were content with what they had meant to accomplish; the sparks that it had left already began spreading over Pangoro, who grunted as his fingers and arms involuntarily tensed and twitched.
“No!” Fluttershy’s eyes began filling with tears. “He’s paralyzed!”
“Paralyzed?” Luna gasped. “Can that also be cured by a Full Restore?”
“Forget it. All I’d be doing is giving him two free hits.” Hau’s statement appeared to please Dexio greatly. “Besides, Nuzzle may not be the strongest move, but it’s a guaranteed paralysis. We just have to fight through it, right Pangoro?!”
Despite the predicament, Pangoro beat its chest and roared at its opponents, though neither appeared fazed.
“You’re on your very last Pokémon and you’re going to leave him in this state? As a former friend, I can just let you surrender now. Just say the word, and–”
“Dream on, dummy!” Rainbow Dash shook her hoof at him. “And for the record, Hau’s still got one–”
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight hushed with a hoof over her friend’s mouth. “Shh!”
“What?! All I was going to–”
“I know what you were going to say. But look!” Twilight turned Rainbow Dash’s head to Hau’s belt, seeing Marshadow’s ball in the back holster. “I don’t think Dexio knows about Marshadow yet, and I think Hau is counting on that.”
It wasn’t clicking with Rainbow Dash immediately, but she kept quiet and continued being a supportive onlooker.
“You’re smart to keep your friend quiet!” Dexio called back. “After all, you wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise of watching me pulverize his new little buddy.” Dexio turned to a grunt to his right. “What was his name again?”
The dark-skinned male grunt with cornrows stepped forward into the light of the streetlamp, a face Hau, Luna, Trixie, and Thorax recognized immediately. “Marshadow, sir.”
Hau’s breath caught in his throat as his pupils narrowed as far in as they could go.
“Oh, darn!” Spike exclaimed. “You little snakes!”
“And quite the powerful one he is, from what I’ve heard from him,” Dexio explained. “Yes, guys, I knew all about Marshadow this entire time, but it doesn’t even really matter now, does it? Your Pangoro has been reduced to a barely-mobile statue, and my Alakazam is just chomping at the bit to meet this new Pokémon. So how’s about we skip the formalities? Raichu, hit Pangoro with Thunderbolt!”
Dexio’s Raichu threw its arms up to the sky, the electricity in its cheeks channeling through its shoulders before rocketing up to the sky with its fingertips. Upon coming down, the electric current blasted back down onto Pangoro with even greater force. Rainbow Dash and Trixie were both flabbergasted to see the bear appear to be in so much agony from the attack.
Once the electric bolt faded, Hau turned to his Pokémon. “Good job, bud. Now, hit ‘em with Foul Play!”
Nothing appeared to happen. Hau seized up as the yellow sparks dancing off Pangoro’s fur cracked louder and burst brighter. As Pangoro doubled over, it struggled to pick itself back up, its arms and back convulsing in an eruption of spasms.
“Enough wasting time!” Dexio growled at the top of his lungs. “Raichu, Thunderbolt again!”
The Raichu threw another small amount of sparks into the sky where they slammed down on Pangoro again with greater intensity. Hau clenched his teeth with sadness now as Pangoro shouted up into the clouds, struggling to maintain enough strength to stand.
Fluttershy couldn’t hold it in as she dove into Rainbow Dash’s bosom, hugging her and sobbing into her chest. Spike hugged onto Twilight’s arm, both hoping for a miracle they couldn’t be sure was coming anymore. Trixie, Thorax, and Luna stood petrified as the Raichu’s attack finally ceased, leaving Pangoro to slump back over to fall onto its stomach any moment.
Just then, Pangoro widened its stance and shot its head up with a lethal, vengeful glare. For the first time, both Dexio and his Pokémon were frightened. Even the eight grunts around them recoiled a bit, unsure if they’d get caught in Pangoro’s oncoming wrath. Hau’s smile widened as the sparks that had accumulated on his Pokémon’s became ribbons of plasma that flashed and ran down from the center of its back to its wrists.
“What the hell is this?” Dexio grunted, his voice overcome with disbelief.
“Our opening!” Hau boldly proclaimed. “Pangoro, finish Raichu with Foul Play!”
Pangoro ran out at the Raichu, and while its movements were labored, the fearsome sight of its charge left the Raichu scared stiff. With a reel back and a punch of its fist, Pangoro drove its knuckles into the Raichu’s stomach, the strength of the hit hard enough to send the Raichu flying back toward the ocean behind them. Dexio turned around and saw from his Pokémon’s closed eyes and loose falling tail that it would not wake up in time to keep from hitting the water.
“Raichu!” Aiming his Ultra Ball at it, the red beam shot out and just managed to make contact with the Raichu before it could hit the water, its body turning red and translucent before collapsing into the receding beam as it returned to the ball.
Dexio turned back around to face Hau and Pangoro, who held their arms in place to let Dexio know to get on with the fight.
“Yeah… okay.” Dexio brought his Raichu’s ball back to his belt and pulled out Alakazam’s. “No matter how strong that damned bear is… or how powerful this Marshadow may be… they’re still a pair of Fighting-types going against a legion of Psychics. Alright, Alakazam! Let’s end this!”
Dexio hurled his ball out, and his Alakazam, finally out, stretched his arms out wide before clenching its three-fingered hands onto its spoons. With a couple twists of his wrist, the Mega Ring on the outside of his shirt sleeve rotated until the Key Stone was directly on top.
“Guys!” Twilight warned. “Get ready for it!”
“Get ready for what?” Trixie nervously replied.
Dexio held his left arm up and pressed his index and middle fingers against the Key Stone, causing it to go alight. “Respond to my heart, Key Stone! Beyond evolution! Mega Evolve!”
Four DNA shaped strands of technicolor light quickly snaked out from the Key Stone, getting bigger until each one connected with Alakazam’s wrists and ankles. Each Equestrian, save for Twilight and Spike, were wide-eyed and horrified as the light roughly enveloped Alakazam’s body until it became an aura just like the chains feeding into its limbs.
“What’s going on?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, squinting through the bright sight.
“This has to be some form of magic!” Luna cried out.
“No.” Twilight frowned with bared teeth. “It’s evolving!”
“Evolve… what?” Thorax was just as confused as his other friends.
When the chains fully entered into it, Alakazam’s body transformed and aged as the spoons levitating above its head multiplied. With the aura shattering off its body once Alakazam got itself into a floating seated position, Mega Alakazam arrived, its five other spoons sliding down to form an arch.
“How…” Rainbow Dash queried. “How did he do that? Is that like when Sam’s sword thingy evolved!”
“Not at all,” Dexio answered back. “This is Mega Evolution, and it makes Pokémon at their strongest even stronger!”
“Strongest even… I’m not as smart as Twilight, but that doesn’t even make any sense!”
“I’ll tell you what does make sense. Raichu gave Pangoro a real beating, and I can’t imagine it would take much to take it down, but with my Pokémon’s new strength… Mega Alakazam! Finish Pangoro off with Energy Ball!”
Mega Alakazam culed its fingers into a spherical space between its hands where a green, natural aura expanded. Pushing its hands out, the ball shot out and struck Pangoro in the chest, exploding into leaves and blades of grass that quickly faded away. The attack was strong enough to send Pangoro onto its rump and fall over to lie on its back. Hau was quick to get out its ball, knowing that it had fainted.
“So, alright then!” Dexio clapped his hands once. “Now you’re down to your last Pokémon too, and we’re both really excited to see it!”
Hau faced Dexio and Mega Alakazam, putting Pangoro’s ball back on his belt and detatching Marshadow’s, the alien appearance of it making his opponent breathe out through pursed lips. Hau glanced down to his shadow, which subtly darkened and nodded back. Clenching it tighter one last time he threw the ball straight and true.
“Let’s do it, Marshadow!”
Hau’s shadow stretched out into the street so its head could remain under the ball. The ball then burst into grey smoke that shot down into the head, the darkness swirling into the rest of the shadow. Dexio and Mega Alakazam both looked down while the grunts on both sides of the street murmured loudly at what was happening. The head of Hau’s shadow then bulged up, and contoured into Marshadow’s body before it held itself in an offensive stance.
“Wow, that doesn’t get old!” Spike commented, still impressed.
“Oh!” Dexio squatted down with his hands on his knees, Marshadow grimacing at the condescension. “He’s so tiny! This is what beat you?”
With Dexio turning to the cornrowed grunt, Marshadow whipped its arm out, a very small fireball shooting off the bulb on its forearm. The flame cracked against the temple of Dexio’s sunglasses, breaking them off there as Dexio recoiled from the loud bang near his ear. Frantically patting his head, he then saw his broken eyeware on the sidewalk, the ends of both broken parts leaving a small tail of smoke.
Dexio slowly got up and clenched both his teeth and his fists, looking positively furious. “Stupid ghost! You could have deafened me!”
“Don’t look away, you bastard!” Hau shouted. “I want you to face us as we beat the everloving snot out of your Alakazam!”
Dexio quickly flexed his right hand. “First, let’s see if you can even survive this!”
Dexio yanked his right sleeve down to reveal his artificial Z-Ring, Hau and Marshadow gasping a breath in.
“Oh no!” Twilight wailed. “I forgot about his Z-Ring!”
“Z-Ring?” Luna turned to the alicorn, both confused and afraid of the item’s implications.
“Tell me, Marshadow!” Dexio bellowed. “Have you ever been on the opposite side of a Z-Move before?” Hau and Marshadow’s firm silence proved enough of an answer. “Well, there’s a first for everything!”
Dexio crossed his arms, his Z-Ring brightening up to life as the same light shone onto Mega Alakazam. The two of them threw their arms down and crossed them back out before swinging their arms to tap their temples with their index fingers and reach forward with their right hands. Dexio stepped his right foot beside his left as his Pokémon shifted left a few inches. The red, sinister Z-Power flowed out from him and into Mega Alakazam, its body ablaze with the aura.
“Oh no!” Fluttershy whimpered. “It’s over!”
Thorax, Trixie, and Luna were also feeling the hope bleed from them, uncertain how even Marshadow could survive whatever was coming.
“You better not be giving up on us now!” Marshadow grunted, the attention of the Equestrians perking up. “No way we’d allow even a Z-Move to stop us from helping you all! Hau, give me strength!”
“Yeah!” he yelled back. “Because we’re not giving up on any of you!”
Holding his arms against his side and squeezing his fists, Hau’s shadow appeared to flare with blackness as it reached Marshadow, its headgear and arm bulbs glowing vibrantly with green.
“Idiots!” Dexio yelled. “You’re a Fighting-type too! Your survival is impossible! I’ll show you! Mega Alakazam, wipe Marshadow out with Shattered Psyche!”
Mega Alakazam’s spoons formed a ring that faced Marshadow, and as they lit up with bright pink Psychic-energy, the same aura covered Marshadow as well. With all its might, Mega Alakazam threw its left arm to the left, sending Marshadow shooting off down the street to Hau’s right before colliding its head and shoulder with an invisible barrier that pulsed with white upon contact. Hau’s legs went limp and he fell to his knees, screaming out and clutching his shoulder with his left hand.
“Hau!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “What happened?”
Mega Alakazam threw its right arm to the right, sending the woozy Marshadow flying and flipping about back to Hau’s left before crashing its back into another barrier. Hau bent backwards and reached for his spine as he gurgled up to the sky, in too much pain to cry.
“No…” Twilight quivered. “He can feel his pain!”
Whipping its arm out to and fro, Mega Alakazam flung Marshadow in nearly every direction and pinballed him off many other barriers. Sensations of agony pelted every part of Hau’s body as he wailed and contorted.
“No! Stop it please!” Fluttershy’s tears freely flowed down her face, her upper body on the ground and her arms over her eyes.
Mega Alakazam then held Marshadow up in the air, holding both arms out while its spoons formed the sides of a box with the open side facing it, red sparks popping and sputtering painfully off its body. Then, with an outward turn of its wrists and a clutch of its fingers, five rectangular auras in the same position as the spoons faded into existence and closed in on Marshadow. Each one struck it at the same time, shattering like glass upon contact before fading away.
With one final throwing out of his arms, Hau’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as gravity felled his body forward. The side of Hau’s face hit the street the same moment as Marshadow’s motionless body did, both lying still. Dexio took several breaths, waiting to confirm with himself that he indeed won.
“Hau?” Twilight could hardly believe it, taking a step to better see him. “Hau!?”
Finally, she broke into a gallop and went to his side, nudging her nose against his face as Spike shoved against his ribs.
“Hau!” Spike choked up, frightened by the lack of his friend’s response. “Hau, please, wake up!”
“Marshadow!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both flew on either side of the Pokémon. “Come on, please get up!”
Thorax, Trixie, and Luna walked up to Hau and stood over him, Thorax shutting his eyes and letting a pair of tears stream down from each one while the other two bowed their heads in despair.
“Yeah, should have seen that one coming.” Dexio breathed out, his victory having sated him. “Have to admit though, it takes brass to do what he did. But brass isn’t enough to beat us, I’m afraid. So, it’s time to say your goodbyes. Mega Alakazam?”
Dexio snapped his fingers, and his Pokémon, the last of the red sparks snapping off its body, held its arms out, the Equestrians all feeling themselves lifted up off their hooves and feet while covered in a psychic aura. As they were pulled away from Hau, they screamed out and reached out for him.
“Hau!” Twilight screamed. “Hau, please, help us!”
“Hau! HELP!” Fluttershy cried.
Just then, Hau’s arm lifted off the ground and punched the street, a pulse of shadow erupting from underneath Marshadow and spreading beneath Mega Alakazam, the ominousness of the energy forcing it to relinquish its hold on the Equestrians, who were quick to land on their hooves and feet. They all turned back to Hau and Marshadow, both of whom weakly, but certainly crawled up to their feet, facing a stunned Dexio and Mega Alakazam.
“Impossible!” Dexio sputtered. “He outlasted the Z-Move? From a Mega Evolved Pokémon?”
“Hau! Marshadow!” The Equestrians all cried at once.
“Guys, let’s get back out of the way.” Twilight led the group to the sidelines so as to watch the stunning conclusion.
Marshadow turned to Hau, happy to see its trainer well and mostly healthy. “Thank you for that. Now, let me lend you a power of my own!”
Marshadow flexed its own arms as Hau’s shadow became pitch black from its head to where his feet connected. Hau then noticed a glowing from his own Z-Ring, seeing a turquoise-green light shine out from the edges of his Fightinium Z. With short breaths, Hau watched as the Z-Crystal began to turn green from its edges inward as the fist icon inside glowed bright white and melded itself into the shape of Marshadow’s head.
“Marshadow…” Hau wheezed. “What… what is–”
“We won’t beat him with Spectral Thief!” Marshadow faced Mega Alakazam. “Use Marshadium Z’s power and let’s defeat them together!”
“Marshadium Z?” Fluttershy wondered.
“But…” Hau shook his head. “I don’t even know–”
“You do know! Just do it!”
With a couple tight breaths, Hau forcefully crossed his arms before his face, his Z-Ring bursting with light. Hau and Marshadow both put their arms back down to their side before crossing them out, followed by both of them putting the tops of their wrists over their mouths while draping their fingers down and crouching. They both then slid up taller before thrusting their bodies forward, their arms brought out to the sides. Golden Z-Power blasted off Hau’s back and flowed into Marshadow’s body, the green returning to its head and arms.
“NO!” Dexio cried. “I won’t be defeated like this!”
“For the sake of my friends, I’m counting on it!” Hau thrust a pointed finger forward. “Marshadow! Attack Mega Alakazam! Soul-Stealing… Seven Star Strike!!”
Marshadow closed its hands, which began to burn blue. Reeling its right arm back, it punched in the direction above the right side of Mega Alakazam’s head, a blue flame appearing there in front of it. Marshdow delivered six more quick, precisely aimed punches until it formed a wide triangle with a Z beneath it, the icon on Hau’s Z-Ring appearing over it.
“What even is this?” Dexio wondered frightfully.
Marshadow then leapt up, the constellation it made tilting to face it. With a kick, Marshadow dove down feet-first at Mega Alakazam before fading inside its body and disappearing. Mega Alakazam frisked its chest, unsure of where it went. Finally, Marshadow leapt back out from behind, flipping back as it looked to see a purple fire from where it exited.
With a brief glimmer, the fire detonated into a towering inferno of green, spectral energy thrashing into Dexio and the grunts nearby him as they blocked the gusts with their arms and leaning in to keep from blowing away. The grunts behind Hau were compelled to back away, stricken with fear over Hau and Marshadow’s raw strength. Dexio peeked over his wrists to see his Mega Alakazam through the smoke, who began transforming back into a regular Alakazam, unable to maintain the strength to keep its form up or even stay on its feet. With a hiss, Dexio aimed his ball at his Pokémon.
“Shit, man…” he managed to mutter.
Marshadow landed back on the street on one knee, its previous injuries causing it to falter. Hau and his friends all looked to the blast cloud, hoping to see Alakazam or Dexio through it. When he was only met with silence, he and his Pokémon darted out at the cloud.
“Hau, don’t!” Thorax reached out. “That’s dangerous!”
Fanning away the smoke as best he could, Hau could only find an unoccupied sidewalk, and without the cracks and breaks in the street from their battle, it appeared as though Dexio and the grunts were not there at all.
“What?” Twilight and the other Equestrians ran over to him, using their wings to quickly blow the rest of the smoke away to reveal that it was indeed vacant. “They vanished.”
“No…” Hau and Marshadow whipped around to run back toward the lab, and upon passing through the open gateway, he found the grunts blocking them from behind had also managed to slip away.
As the Equestrians chased him to join his side, they kept their distance as he breathed heavier and heavier.
“They used the smoke as a cover,” Trixie surmised. “I should have seen that coming…”
“Wait.” Twilight’s face tensed up as her eyes shrunk in realization. “Burnet!”
“Oh, yeah!” Hau sprinted inside, making a beeline to the stairwell door. “Burnet! Burnet, are you okay!?”
Hau hoisted himself up by the handrails, his ascent appearing more beastly than human. Upon reaching the third floor, Hau came to the door and threw it open, only stopping for a brief moment to note how much easier it was than the last time. Hau and Marshadow appeared in Burnet’s office, which was empty save for them.
Half the books from the back shelf appeared to have been thrown off, many of their pages scattered everywhere. The contents of the desk were also on the floor, including the computer monitor and phone, which were both destroyed beyond any possible repair.
“Burnet!” As Hau wandered the rest of the lab, Twilight and the Equestrians all came in one by one to observe the scene laid out for them. “Burnet, where are you!?”
Twilight looked about, noticing a faint glimmer underneath an overturned book. After picking it up with her teeth and setting it on the desk as neatly as she could, she noticed a single open Poké Ball.
She began looking around. “Reuniclus? Reuniclus, it’s us! Come out, please!”
No one noticed at first as Reuniclus peered around the wall of the laboratory to see all of Burnet’s friends inside with no trace of Prism left.
“It’s okay, Reuniclus!” Fluttershy called. “You can come out now!”
Everyone then turned to the high pitched whine heading for them, seeing Reuniclus with wet, frightened eyes soar at Fluttershy, its large arms hugging her entire body.
“There, there.” She patted its back with her hoof. “Do you know where Burnet went?”
Reuniclus looked back at her, and with a concentrated pout and a squint of its eyes, it returned to bawling into Fluttershy’s chest. Fluttershy scanned the room with her own grief-stricken eyes, knowing what had happened, the other’s stiffening once the realization quickly hit them too.
“Oh no,” Luna breathed out. “Burnet’s been…”
As the Equestrians bowed their heads slowly and shakily, Hau clenched his fists and moved his sights to the broken phone on the floor. With a slow, forceful turn, he kicked the phone up and into the wall, several more pieces breaking off of it and scattering across the room, jolting the others back. Hau sunk to his knees and screamed up at the ceiling.
Crobat screamed up at the sky as Chrysalis’s psychic-converted magic radiated over it. As it began to fall, no longer strong enough to keep itself airborne, Gladion called his Pokémon back, his eyes wide and teeth clenched in panic. Nanu panted heavily, his failure virtually eating him alive.
“Impossible!” He stammered. “Even for the both of them to beat me…”
Chrysalis and the Prism leader stood strongly, their Xatu still standing tall. “It’s as if I wasn’t lying when I said that I was stronger than you.”
Gladion turned to Silvally, whose stance was widened to give it the balance it needed to keep standing. “Silvally. Please forgive me.”
“Now, Xatu, finish his Pokémon off with U-Turn!”
With a flap of its wings, Xatu shot off at Silvally, its beak glowing bright green. Jabbing it in the exterior joint of its jaw, Silvally’s mouth flung open as it was sent down to its side, now too weak to even stay awake. Xatu just as quickly flew back to its trainer, who returned it to its ball just before it could collide with them. With the battle concluded, Gladion mournfully returned Silvally into its ball, his other hand clutching his hair in frustration.
“Now, if you could excuse us…” Chrysalis charged her horn, flinging Gladion and Nanu off the floor and pressing their backs against the wall beside each other.
Gladion futilely pulled as hard as he could as the Prism leader and Chrysalis passed them, chuckling. Chrysalis aimed her horn at the card reader, and with the device covered in the aura, a loud buzz and a click allowed them to enter inside, and as they slipped in, both Nanu and Gladion were relinquished from their holds, making them slide to the floor.
Gladion quickly shot to his feet and prepared to run to the door as it began to swing closed.
“Wait!” He was stopped by Nanu’s hand forcefully grabbing his shoulder. “Leave them! They got what they came for!”
Gladion turned with fire and brimstone in his eyes. “You’re going to let them run away with that bastard!”
“Better they take him than any of our lives! Hurry! Let’s head to Po Town before they decide to do just that!”
Gladion turned back to the door and bit his lip to see the door too close to closing for him to make it, even more so by the bright flash of light that appeared around the borders of the door. Now certain that there was nothing they could do, he turned toward the exit, Nanu following him out.
“Here you are, sir.” Standing inside a small, dimly lit lab, Wicke handed two Poké Balls to Sun, who put them in his labcoat pockets. “They should be fully rested after today’s events.”
“Thank you, Wicke,” Sun replied. “Have you heard any word from Mossdeep, yet?”
“I have not, but to be fair, it is still quite early in the morning to hear from anyone.”
At that moment, the screened device in his breast pocket lit up and vibrated, and with hastiness, he picked it up and answered it before realizing it was coming from Lillie.
“Lillie?” He said. “What’s going–”
“It’s Gladion!” She yelled in frustration. “Nanu too. The police compound was attacked! They took Faba!”
Sun and Wicke looked to each other, a frightening chilly feeling shooting down both of their spines.
Lillie and Sun faced the large, virtual monitor, Gladion’s video chat upon it. Lusamine buried her face in her hands, shaking her head in rage.
“Who was that?” Sun shouted. “One of the Equestrians was with her?”
Nanu, who was seated down on a wooden chair behind Gladion, nodded. “Apparently that guard that was with the white unicorn this afternoon is an old foe of the Equestrians who wanted her revenge. I guess she decided to buddy up with Prism to ensure that still happened.
“No, no, no,” Lusamine continued to mutter. “This can’t be happening, this... can’t be happening!”
“And neither you or Gladion could stop her?” Sun was visibly more angry than Lusamine.
“We tried!” Gladion retorted. “She was wearing some device on her horn that nullified any Psychic moves we tried to land on her and allowed to to use Psychic energy herself! Wasted my first attack with Lucario because of it!”
“Are you all alright, at least?” Lillie wondered.
“Other than a sore back in the morning,” Nanu answered, “we’ll be just fine.”
“Oh, I don’t know how this could get any worse!”
Suddenly, a noise came from the Pokédex in her pocket, and upon pulling it out, she saw that the call was coming from Hau, which genuinely surprised her.
“Hau?” She hit the answer icon and swiped up, bringing its video chat up to the monitor, pushing Gladion’s aside. “At this hour?”
“Hau?” Gladion wondered. “What’s he want?”
“Guys!” Hau immediately began. “Burnet’s been kidnapped!”
Even with everything that was happening, the group went silent as they processed this news.
“What?” Lillie stammered. “Bur… Burnet’s been–”
“We were at Burnet’s for the night and Prism just up and tried attacking us in our sleep! Literally! They used Dream Eater and everything!”
“Wait, we? And what are you doing at Burnet’s?” Sun ran his fingers through his hair, the sweat already drenching it matting it into a messy style.
“It’s a long story, man, but I had to leave Melemele to help you guys. I even have the ponies with me.”
“The ponies?” Gladion shouted. “Are they okay?! Please tell me they’re okay!”
The video on Hau’s side shifted to reveal Twilight close to the screen while all her Equestrian friends stood behind her. “We’re all okay, all thanks to Hau.”
“Where are you guys now?”
“We ran to a Pokémon Center as soon as we realized Burnet was gone. I tried to call the police to come as soon as I could, but I couldn’t seem to get a signal from the lab, and whoever took her destroyed her phone.”
“It’s just like at the Aether House,” Lillie said. “They jammed the signals there too.”
“And how do you know she was taken?” Lusamine asked.
“Hau?” Twilight asked. “Could you enlarge the screen, or…”
“Yeah, got it.” With two quick zooms, everyone could see Reuniclus hugging onto Fluttershy, who was being comforted by Comfey too.
Silence fell over everyone again, knowing it was all real now. Sun bent over the keyboard section of the screen at the center of the console, gripping onto his hair.
“Yeah, so… it’s been kind of a crazy night.” Hau restored the video to its original size and put the camera back on his face.
“And that’s not even the last of it,” Gladion said. “Hau, get this. That guy that attacked us in Iki Town? You’ll never guess who it was.”
“What? Who? Was it Faba?”
“…Yeah, that’s exactly right. How did you–”
Hau loudly snapped his fingers. “I knew it! I knew that creep had to be part of this somehow!”
“Yeah. Apparently, he attacked our friends Sam and Alice on Mount Lanakila, as well as the remaining Equestrians.”
“What?” Rainbow Dash flew up to share the screen with Hau, nearly knocking him over. “Are they okay? Are our friends okay?”
“Yes,” Nanu answered. “After those two kids took Faba down, I brought him to the station for holding. And just a little while ago, his boss sprung him out with help from one of yours.”
“Wait… what do you mean by ‘one of ours?’”
“The creature they were with was black and full of holes. It looked more like a bug, even.”
“What?!” The Pokédex was ripped from Hau’s hand as Twilight brought it close to her face. “Chrysalis is here? And she joined Team Prism?”
“Chrysalis!?” Spike and Fluttershy whimpered.
“Yes, that’s right!” Luna suddenly remembered. “Before we came to this world, I noticed the guard that was with Shining Armor… before he was pulled in, his coat fizzled… she must have disguised herself to try and… that means… she’s planning… No. This is not good! Equestria’s in grave danger! We have to get back home as soon as possible! You need to get us–”
Sun could no longer take it. He slammed his fists against the keyboard screen, cracking the glass and destroying the image of the keys beneath him. He quickly pulled his hands and his body away as he took a step back, looking at the ruined console and the faces around him and looking to him on the screen. With a couple of regretful breaths, he turned around and exited the room.
“Sun?” Lillie called. “Sun! Where are you going?”
“What I should have done last week!” He didn’t turn to look at any of them as the doors closed behind him.
Sun yanked his drawer open, pulling out a t-shirt that started as dark blue at the top and gradually faded to white toward the bottom. Shutting it, he pulled out a pair of black cargo shorts from the drawer beneath it. As he folded his outfit in a neat stack, Lillie came into the room looking even more worried.
“Sun!” She walked in further, ignoring his packing. “What are you doing?”
“As soon as I pack a fresh change of clothes and grab my stuff,” he said, shedding himself of his coat, “I’m leaving for Ula’ula Island. While my friends are out there getting hurt and the world is falling apart… actually, make that both worlds falling apart, I’ve been stuck here solving nothing. That ends today.”
Sun then pulled out a coiled-up belt from his thinner top drawer, a trio of Poké Balls latched along the outside of it.
“Sun, can’t this wait until we finished talking with our friends?” Sun continued ignoring her as he rummaged back inside his discarded coat and pulled out Solgaleo and Lunala’s Poké Balls. “The Equestrians are really frightened, and I’m sure you storming off like you did is only making them more anxious!”
“Just go back and tell them that I’ve already got an alternative in mind.” Sun latched the balls onto the belt in two empty spots beside the other three. “They should be home no later than tomorrow afternoon. And if their absence has really done as much damage to their home as they fear, I will go with them and help clean it up. It’s my mess after all.”
“It’s our mess!” Lillie walked to him and put her stomach against his with her hands on his chest. “Yes, I intend on helping you and Gladion in any way I can, and I will join you in Ula’ula when you’re ready to leave, but right now, we need to assure Twilight and the others that they will be alright. At least give them that before you go.”
Lillie slipped herself into a hug around his waist. Sun slowly put her hand on her back and pulled her closer to him. As he felt her hair beneath his chin, he looked back to the door to this bedroom, feeling more certain that he wanted to go back out through it.
Sun and Lillie walked back to the console where Lusamine was still waiting, Glaidon and Hau’s video chat screens still on the monitor, both of them shooting to attention upon his return.
“So what’s happening?” Hau wondered. “What are we going to do now?”
“Here’s what’s happening.” Sun stepped back to the broken keyboard screen, glancing to Gladion’s screen. “As soon as this call is over, Lillie and I will be flying to Ula’ula to join you and Nanu. I assume those two kids with the other Equestrians are asleep now… Hau.”
“Uh, yeah, bud?”
“Contact the Elite Four tomorrow and fill them and everyone there about what’s happened. When you’re done, tell them to head to Malie City immediately and take Twilight and the others there as well. We’ll meet at the ice-cream shop in the Malie Gardens. From there, we’ll discuss what happens then.”
“What about Burnet? We can't just leave her!”
“We aren't, but we have no idea where Team Prism is stationed or where they're hiding her, and that's even if any of their members other than their leaders know. Our only real chance we have at rescuing her at this point is to face Faba or the Prism leader should any of them rear their heads again.”
“Wait!” Twilight rushed in on Hau’s screen. “What about Equestria? If Chrysalis planned another attack, that leaves only Celestia and Cadance to defend it. We need to get back home immediately!”
“And you will, I promise you that. If everything goes smoothly and I hear from who I need to hear from, you will be home the next day. I will even join you to stop any threat caused by your absence. You have my word on this.”
“So… we’re just supposed to wait now?”
“Unfortunately, yes. But know that even in light of everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours, it will all be over soon. Just get some rest if you’re able, and be ready to head out. Is that clear?”
“Yeah!” Hau and Gladion enthusiastically stated their confirmation, while Twilight’s seemed halfhearted.
“Good. I shall see you all tomorrow. Good luck to you all.”
Sun tapped the “End Call” icon on the broken screen twice. Though it glitched to his touch, both screens closed out, leaving them to their own devices once more.