//------------------------------//
// Chapter 70 – Faba’s Destruction 
// Story: Pokémon Eclipse 
// by moviemaster8510 
//------------------------------//

Faba stood at the bow of his yacht while Chrysalis stayed close behind, the half-lit Aether Paradise just ahead their only beacon in the dark, vast ocean. The many grunts awaiting to attack on their superiors’ orders stood behind the both of them, several of those along the starboard and port leaning over to get as good of a look at the Aether Paradise themselves.

Chrysalis looked up at the technological marvel, truly impressed and amazed by it. “A tower in the middle of the ocean. You humans continue to fascinate me.”

Faba let out a rueful grin as he could no longer see the dock door beneath the waves. “And now it’s soon to be at the bottom of it.”

“Then we should attack Twilight and the others before they get out!”

“Patience, Chrysalis. If everything has gone according to plan, then they will have all been forced to leave empty handed and without the tools to possibly stop us. But first, I need to confirm this is the case.” Pulling an earpiece from his pocket, he affixed it to the side of his head and pressed on a button at the center. “Calling Wicke.”

“That person is unavailable,” the device reported into his ear, instantly vexing him. “Please make sure that person’s name and contact information is correct and try again.”

Faba huffed a breath, instantly thinking the worst, but staying firm for those behind him. “Call. Wicke.”

“That person is unavailable. Please make sure that person’s name and contact information is correct and try again.”

“Is something wrong?” a muscular bald grunt asked in genuine concern.

“Shut up!” Faba barked back. “Call! Wicke!”

After a second, the voice came back on. “That person is unavailable. Please make sure that person’s name and contact information is correct and try again.”

With a slow trembling hand, Faba then ripped the device off his ear and chucked it into the ocean, letting out a shrill, frustrated shriek. “That bitch! I knew she’d go soft and help them after all!”

“What are we supposed to do now?” Chrysalis shouted.

Faba quickly turned around and faced his grunts. “Half of you, get a Bruxish and a Waterium Z! The rest of you get a Kadabra, quickly!”

At once, the grunts rushed back toward the stairs down into the yacht, quickly pouring down them to let the others in. Faba turned back around and leaned over the railing, keeping his watchful eye on the Aether Paradise.

“What are you planning to do?” Chrysalis growled. “I can’t be of much help if you keep me in the dark like this.”

“All we can do is wait on them,” Faba hissed back. “And hope that those rotten kids don’t leave here before they come back up.”





Silvally dug its claws into the sliding metal door and pulled it open, allowing itself, Lillie, and Gladion inside. The lights inside the small lab were dark, but the hallway lighting, as minimal as it was, still allowed them to see inside. Sitting on a tray on a small teleportation pad beside a nonfunctioning computer were five blue and purple Poké Balls with a wormhole-like grid designed on them along with golden blades protruding from the corners of the ball.

“Okay Lillie,” Gladion said as he returned Silvally inside of its ball, “help me find a clip for these while I see which ones we were given.”

Lillie began to rummage through the drawers and cabinets of the desks inside the lab, finding nothing other than papers, boxes, and other various office supplies. Gladion held up his Pokédex to each ball as his camera scanned them. Going left to right from the top, he carefully examined the images of the Pokémon from each ball: an origami samurai made of a thin metal, a purple insectoid dragon with a massive stinger, a long, skinny white insect with feminine features, a walking grey tower with eyes on some of its bricks, and a black bunch of wires and lights with a bright, spiky head.

Gladion glanced back to see her sister still searching. “How’s the clip coming along?”

“Still having trouble finding it!” Lillie snapped. “It’s not as if the employees here would just leave their personal Poké Ball clips for us to find in a pinch, you know!”

Gladion sighed, knowing arguing with his sister in the wake of their heavy loss would be pointless. “Forget it, then. I have a spare clip in my bedroom that we can go get. I’ll keep the Ultra Beasts in my bag for now."

Lillie turned around as Gladion began to stuff his fanny pack with the five Poké Balls, leaning over and glancing away. “I’m sorry, Gladion. I didn’t mean to–”

Gladion walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Lillie, you don’t need to apologize for anything. This is a very difficult time for both of us right now, and neither of us need to feel more stressed than we are right now by squabbling.”

“I know,” she quietly replied, “that’s why I apologized for yelling. I know I’ve been far more emotional about mother than you are, but I completely understand that you didn’t love her any less than I did. I just don’t want her death to drag either of us down.”

Gladion and Lillie, almost instinctually, put their arms around each others' backs in a tight hug.

“She gave her life to ensure that would not happen,” Gladion concluded, quickly letting go. “Come on. Let’s get to my room before Sun and the others can finish their own business.”

Lillie nodded to her brother as he tugged the zipper on his bag, ensuring that it was closed and secure. The two of them then ran out of the room and retraced their steps to the stairs that would take them to their next crucial spot.





Sun’s Incineroar tore the lab door open blocking Sun, Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash’s way. Along with the hallway lights, Incineroar’s naturally warm glow also provided some needed illumination to the room. Twilight and Spike turned left into the room as Rainbow Dash and Sun followed.

Seeing a computer at the end, they also found a tray next to it containing the last of the five Ultra Beast’s Poké Balls, as well as the Master Ball in the sixth slot. “Hey, Sun, here they are!” Spike shouted.

“Just as Lusamine told us.” Sun jogged over to the pad and the tray on top of it, and as he looked through the Beast Balls, he grimaced with an annoying realization. “Crap, I honestly don’t know which Ultra Beasts she sent here. No matter.”

Picking the tray up, he handed them over to Rainbow Dash, who looked a little confused. “What the heck am I supposed to do with these?”

“I’ll need you too carry those up to my room. It’s only one floor up, and I have some more things in there that will come in handy.”

“Then let’s not waste any more time,” Twilight declared. “Let’s get what we need and get back to Lillie and Gladion.”

Sun turned around and returned Incineroar into its ball before breaking into a run out of the room, Twilight galloping out with Spike and Rainbow Dash flying out.





Faba’s vision had not left the Aether Paradise since making his orders, and neither did the scowl on his face. Finally, he heard the first footsteps of the grunts come up the stairs from inside. He refused to turn away as more of them returned to the deck.

“Chrysalis!” He didn’t even look to face her, but somehow could sense that she indeed was. “Keep watch over the Paradise, and tell me if you see anything leaving it.”

“Ugh,” she roughly breathed out, “whatever you command, sir!”

Once she stepped up close beside him, he felt safe enough to relieve himself of his watch. As more of the grunts came out, he already began to address them. “Everyone who already has their Bruxish, send them out!”

Nine grunts ran to the starboard and port and threw their newly acquired Poké Balls out, releasing nine pink triggerfish Pokémon that let themselves dive into their natural habitat. Each one breached the water to face their trainer, awaiting their instructions.

Faba looked as even more grunts arrived up the stairs. “Anyone with a Bruxish, send them out now!”

Three more grunts broke away to join the others at the sides of the ship, tossing their balls out and releasing three more Bruxish to join the others, now forming an even dozen.

“Excellent!” Faba held up his left arm, his sleeve rolling down to unveil his fake Z-Ring. “Now, everyone who has sent their Bruxish out, equip your Z-Rings with the Waterium Z!”

As instructed, the twelve grunts lining the sides of the boat took the blue Z Crystal pinched in their fingers and pressed it into the slots of their devices.

“Now, everyone! Activate your Waterium Z and form a group Hydro Vortex around the Aether Paradise!”

All twelve grunts crossed their arms in front of their faces, their mechanical Z-Rings flaring up with power as they linked to the fish in the water. After putting their arms down and crossing them back out, they waved their arms fluidly like ocean waves to the left before swinging them down and over to the right, curling their arms upward. Red Z-Power shot over the sides of the boat and washed into the Bruxishes like a synchronized fountain, filling them with incredible energy.

“Now, my grunts,” Faba laughed excitedly, “make the attack!”

“BRUXISH!” All their grunts shouted as they pointed at the Aether Paradise building. “USE HYDRO VORTEX!”

With their auras surging even more, the twelve fish swam straight at the sinking building, the trails of their Z-Power allowing the humans and changeling aboard to track them under the water.

“Very good!” Faba clapped and clasped his hands once, giggling all the while. “Now head to the stern and make way for the others and their Kadabras!”

The Bruxish’s grunts all ran as far back into the boat as possible as the remaining dozen grunts took their place, their Poké Balls already in hand. Holding them out, they allowed the balls to open and send out a Kadabra from them, who were immediately flustered by the cozy space between themselves and their trainers.

With a chuckle, Faba looked upward where the cabin would be. “Get us closer!”

“On it!” A muscular grunt with black hair pushed the throttle forward on the boat as he spun the wheel over, propelling the boat to the left as they closer approached the Aether Paradise.

Everyone and everything was now able to see as the Bruxishes, still forming their ring around the building, quickly swam their circuit at speeds hard for their eyes to track. The water was already beginning to twist about and form its whirlpool, the waters within getting choppier and more treacherous. With their momentum refusing to let up, a loud, metallic groan could be heard from the massive structure as it slowly began to rotate in the direction the Bruxish swam at.





Sun and the Equestrians navigated the hallways as they could feel the vibrations of the groan ring out under their feet and hooves, as well as the slight jerk that nearly made them slip into the right wall.

“What’s going on?” Spike shouted.

“Shit.” Sun quickened his pace, his steps deliberately awaiting any other sudden movements. “They’re here.”

“Faba and Chrysalis?” Rainbow Dash squealed in fright. “Already?”

“Now we really don’t have much time. Come on!” Sun couldn’t help himself as he broke into a brisk jog, the rest of the ponies trotting just as quickly and carefully.





Splashes of water began to rise out above the perimeter above the Bruxishes’ course, each one forming into a wave that quickly morphed into a fixed crest that became a short wall. As the fish swam closer to the surface, the wall rose with it, quickly towering over the height of the boat. Chrysalis looked up at the top with mouth agape and eyes wide as it continued to rise already reaching the top of the Aether Paradise itself.

Faba spied on the Bruxish swimming visibly about inside the wall, their bodies now trailing with red sparks as their towering barrier began to collapse. “Kadabras, use Psychic to maintain the wall!”

On his shout, the dozen Kadabra’s held their spoons up to the water wall and lit them up, their psychic energy forming a ring along the outside and insisde of the base of the barrier. Tilting themselves up with a shout, they moved their own psychic barrier up the wall and kept it smooth and stable. Once it reached the top, the magenta glow the energy possessed went completely transparent, the fortified wall now appearing like it was keeping its form on its own.

“Magnificent,” Chrysalis breathed out. “I trust you have something planned should they try to leave from the top?”

“Of course.” Faba whipped his arm to the side, his grunts ready to hear what he had planned next. “Anyone in possession of a Metang, have them patrol the Paradise from above!”

A white-haired male grunt and a light-blonde haired female grunt stepped out from the stern of the boat and tossed their balls overboard, letting their Metangs out to float above the ocean. As well, a brown-skinned grunt with cornrows and a pale-skinned grunt with a blue Mohawk released their Metangs to join the other two. Pointing upwards, the Metangs obediently flew up to the top of the water wall before disappearing behind its edges.

“What’s next?” the Mohawked grunt asked. “Are we just going to keep this thing up until the whole place sinks?”

“Of course not,” Faba answered. “They’d find a way out eventually; they’re crafty like that.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” a younger female grunt with purple hair talked back. “Are we going to now attack them from within.”

“You’re certainly on the right track.” Faba let out his Alakazam, who already began to charge its spoons with energy before they teleported off the deck with a flash of light.

Faba and his Alakazam appeared inside the cabin where the muscular grunt with black hair was keeping the boat at a safe and steady distance from the titanic whirlpool. Upon turning around and seeing Faba approach, he jolted in shock as his leader tore the receiver of the intercom system from the panel. After a clearing of his voice, he pressed and held down the button on the side of the receiver, hearing the slight feedback already coming out through the speakers outside.

“Bruxishes!” His voice was loud and clear, impossible to be unheard by the Pokémon inside the wall. “Aqua Jet each level of the Paradise! Flush them out! Flush them all out!”

Faba looked back out the window as the Bruxishes made a diagonal formation along the length of the wall. On the deck, Chrysalis and the grunts watched with great enjoyment as the top Bruxish swam out of the inside of the wall, its psychic powers sustaining a tendril of water that followed it and kept it connected to the barrier. As the Bruxishes below it also came out from the wall, their eyes kept on the windows of the level they would soon infiltrate. With an increase in speed, the first Bruxishes straightned their path at their intended point of entry and crashed through to the inside.





Gladion and Lillie just exited from the former’s room with the Beast Balls held on a clip fastened to a belt that he had slung across his chest and under his shoulder when the building shook once again. Standing still and quiet, they suddenly heard the shattering of glass and whoosh of rushing water on the floors above, the sound traveling downward toward them.

“What is that?” Lillie whimpered, clutching Gladion’s arm.

With the noises getting closer and sounding clearer, they looked to the right at the window just a few yards away from them, seeing what could barely be perceived as a beam of water rush at it without any sign of stopping. The window and part of the wall was blasted wide open, the water torrenting out onto the floor as the Bruxish inside its tendril came at them, Lillie screaming and nearly collapsing in fright.

“Go, RUN!!” Gladion threw Lillie back onto her feet as they broke into a sprint away from it and turned right into the next hallway, their eyes looking nowhere else but the entryway to the stairwell far down and to the left.

With the water roaring behind them as the Bruxish steered itself and its rapids into their hallway, the two of them refused to let their speed up, even as they felt the chill of the water splash onto their ankles. With an extra push of its wave, the Bruxish swept Lillie and Gladion off their feet and onto their backs as the rushing water carried them fast down the hallway. The stairwell entryway came up quick, and though they both tried to swim for it, Bruxish swerved the flow of its river into the left wall, bouncing them off of it and back to the right, sending them sliding away from their chance of escape.

Lillie and Gladion were carried into a loading chamber for the lift, the waters beginning to drain down into the shaft and threatening to send Lillie and Gladion down it with them. With Lillie ahead of him, Gladion spun to his stomach and crawled through the water as quickly as he could. With his left hand, he grabbed one of her wrists just as her feet were sent over the edge. As the rest of her and his head began to plunge over, Gladion grabbed onto one of the track poles on at the corner of the triangular shaft right before he fell over himself.





Sun and the Equestrians whipped back around as more of the shattering glass and steel noises banged their way down toward them. Finally another came further down the hall, buts its sound was clear and not obstructed by the floors above them.

“Run!” Sun and the others began to back away just as a Bruxish and its oceanic torrent rushed at them down the hall. “RUN!”

Sun sprinted down the halls as Twilight galloped beside him with Spike holding on and crying for dear life, Rainbow Dash flying ahead with the Beast Balls and Master Ball in the tray in her arms. The rumble of the water charging at them only got louder despite their own speeds. Sun gasped as Rainbow Dash’s speed gave him an idea.

“Rainbow Dash, two hallways down and to the right!” he screamed. “That’s my room! Get it open!”

Rainbow Dash already passed the first hallway and swung around to the left. With her eyes on the door to her right, she took another veer to the left before jamming her back hoof into the door, breaking the door in. Getting back on her hooves, she tossed the balls onto the bed before turning to the gap she left. Hearing Sun and Twilight approaching, she stood outside the door, waving her hoof in frantically.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” she shouted.

Sun and Twilight turned the corner quick enough to lose the Bruxish as it tried to make the turn itself. As Sun and Twilight ran into his room, Rainbow Dash lunged at the Bruxish that lunged at her, driving her front hoof forward to punch, only for the Bruxish to catch it in its teeth, biting down hard.

“YOWCH!” Rainbow Dash grit her teeth and tucked her waist in, getting in enough space between her back hoof and Bruxish’s face to kick it. “Get off!”

The one kick did it, pushing the Bruxish back into its aqueous tendril. Rainbow Dash wasted no more time flying back inside the room to rejoin Sun, Twilight, and Spike. The Bruxish swam after her just as quickly, and as it came into the room, it compelled itself to stop after spotting Sun’s Decidueye standing in the room with a leaf-arrow already drawn and aimed. Letting its arrow loose, it pierced through the water and struck it in the center of its left side. The Bruxish was in too much pain to hold the water up around it, causing it all to splash onto the floor at once, the Bruxish and Decidueye’s arrow flopping onto the ground with it.

Sun, standing behind his Pokémon, placed a hand on its shoulder. “Well done, my friend. Just give us a moment and guard the door while we do this.”

With a short caw and nod, Decidueye hopped into the middle of the doorway and drew another arrow, turning left and right to find any signs of any more Bruxishes wanting to attack its trainer. Rainbow Dash walked over to the fainted Bruxish and swatted it hard against the wall, yelping again as she looked at her hoof, which trickled with blood at the wrists.

“That stupid fish!” Despite her whining, her face suddenly tensed with worry. “If those things are attacking this place, that means… Lillie! Gladion!!”

Hopping up, she soared out of the room past Decidueye, the shock of her speed making him discharge its arrow. With a grumble, it drew another, keeping its eyes and ears open.





Gladion hung from the track as the Bruxishes’ water still on the floors above poured down and pummeled his face and arms, making it nearly impossible to see or breathe or continue holding tight. With his grip slipping, Gladion looked down to his sister and the next five floors below, along with the seawater filling up the shaft below as it neared the main level.

Just then, three Bruxishes appeared from the next three floors below, each only looking at their helpless prey with more excited smiles than normal. Now only able to hold on by the ends of his fingers, Gladion shouted as he pulled Lillie up with all his might, the hold on the track slipping from his grasp as the two of them fell. The three fish swam up at them only for the two to pass them with their fall.

With Gladion now falling beneath Lillie, he grabbed her from behind with her back against his stomach and his back falling straight into the rising waters below, more than ready to at least cushion her fall. Lillie gasped as the dogged Bruxishes twisted back around and flew down at them, their teeth chomping ravenously. Upon passing the next three lab floors, they suddenly spotted a blue shape barreling down the lift shaft at them.

Bursting through each cascade of water, from each level she passed, Rainbow Dash sped in between the Bruxishes, knocking them off their path. “Lillie, Gladion! I’m coming!”

Catching them in her arms, she pulled up as she flew them into the dimensional research lab, the height and size giving her plenty of room to land, but with her wings soaked with water, she and her two friends hit the ground hard, tumbling along the floor before coming to a stop.

“Gladion!” As Gladion shot himself to his feet, Rainbow Dash limped over to her friend and hugged him tight. “Thank goodness you’re alright! Lillie? Are you–”

“I’m fine, all thanks to you.” Lillie was slower to get up, but she, like her brother, was relatively unharmed.

Getting off of him, Rainbow Dash approached Lillie with her right hoof held up and gave her a hug as well. “Rainbow Dash! What happened to your hoof? Gladion!”

“Got it!” Fishing into his red bag, he pulled out a Hyper Potion and tossed it over to Lillie, who caught it with a free hand.

“Thanks.” Lillie helped Rainbow Dash down as she examined her bloodied hoof. “Now, hold still for a moment.”

Spraying the potion on the wound, Rainbow Dash winced through the sting as the blood began to clot. Once it was emptied, Rainbow Dash put her hoof down and stomped it a few times, amazed to feel that her healing took such little time.

“Thanks, Lillie,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “I owe you one.”

“You saved us from a quite possibly-lethal fall,” Gladion said. “Consider us even.”

Just then, Gladion widened his stance and put a hand on one of his Poké Balls. Rainbow Dash and Lillie turned around to see the three recovered Bruxishes enter into the lab from the lift shaft. The two of them joined Gladion on either side with Lillie grabbing hold of a Poké Ball of her own, scowling with new determination.





Sun opened the top drawer of his dresser, reaching into the inner left corner of it to pull out an Alolan Pokédex. He then placed his fingers upon the two blue buttons on the top of it and held them down gently.

“Come on,” he whispered. “Please wake up.”

Then, to his surprise and mild joy, two lightning-shaped arms swung and folded out from the sides while two rounder feet-like appendages swung out from the bottom. The lights on the buttons and the screens flickered on as a soft blue aura shone around the device, allowing Sun to let go and let it float still where he held it, much to Twilight and Spike’s amazement.

The irises of the buttons shuttered like eyelids as a small mouth appeared near the top of the screen before the right arm rubbed the forehead between the button eyes. “Zzzzzt. Zzrrt-zzt! Oh, brother! What year izzz it?”

“I might just be delirious from stress,” Spike whispered into Twilight’s ear, “but I think his Pokédex literally just came to life.”

The Pokédex then turned to Sun, the sight of him leaving it overjoyed. “Zzzun, buddy old pal! Look at how big you’ve grown!”

The Pokédex threw itself and its arms onto Sun, who patted its back welcomingly. “It’s good to see you too, Rotomdex.”

“Is that some Pokémon version of a Pokédex?” Spike wondered again.

“How should I know?” Twilight hissed back.

Rotomdex then turned to peer down on Twilight and Spike, the sight of them making him shoot back near the wall. “Wowee, Zzzun, what kind of Pokémon are thozzze, zzz-zzt?!”

“I’m sorry,” Sun responded, “but I chose to wake you up at the worst possible time, though I really need your help!”

“Sun?” Twilight questioned. “What exactly is that thing?”

Rotomdex flew down toward her face, eager to answer her question. “I am the Rotomdex. I uzzzed to be Zzzun’s Pokédex when he firzzzt came to the Alola region and became a trainer! And to anzzwer your quezzztion, dragon, I am indeed a Pokémon, but thizzz izz not my original body. Zzzee?” It then pointed to the screen, where a picture of a spirit-like creature with a top-shaped body of orange plasma and white lightning arms appeared. “Thizzz is what I actually look like, but I have the ability to pozzezzz certain kinds of electroniczzz, zzuch as thizzz Pokédex here.”

“I… thank you, and for your information, we have names ourselves. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and the dragon is named Spike.”

“Pleased to meet you, Rotomdex.” Spike reached over and shook the device’s hand, feeling an assistant’s kinship between each other. “So, uh, why’s Sun been keeping you in his drawer this whole time?”

“I lost my thrill of being a trainer by the time I began working at the Aether Paradise,” Sun answered, “and I could no longer provide Rotomdex the thirst for adventure that I had quenched long ago. I stored him away until the day came when I knew I could count on him–”

“And that day izz today, right buddy, zzt-zzzt?” Rotomdex excitedly asked.

“Indeed, but I’ve already wasted enough time. I just need to get a few more things, and then we can help the others.”

“Otherzz-zzt!?” Two blurry ovals appeared on the left and right of Rotomdex’s screen as he placed both arms there. “You mean Lillie and Gladion and Hau are here, zzzzzt?

“Lillie and Gladion, yes…” Sun knelt by his desk and pulled the drawer open, taking out a few small first-aid kits and putting them inside his bag, “but Hau is off on Melemele dealing with Professor Burnet!”

“Dealing with Burnet? What on earth happened while I wazz out, zz-zzt?!”

“A ton.” He then found a Poké Ball clip buried on the bottom of the drawer before he went to the bed and quickly equipped all six balls from the tray onto it. “Hopefully, I’ll have some time to explain, but right now, we need to help the others.”

“Right-o! Lead, the way, Zzzun!”

With Sun, Rotomdex, Twilight, and Spike on their way, Decidueye relaxed his bow and walked to follow them.

“Please be alright,” Sun said under his breath.





“Let’s go, Weavile!” Gladion tossed his ball, letting out his black ice-weasel Pokémon.

“Help us, Parasect!” Lillie let her ball fly, releasing her giant-mushroom insect creature.

Rainbow Dash scowled, more than ready to charge at one herself, only to be distracted by Gladion throwing something at her. Letting it fall around her head, she was surprised to see it was the belt of Beast Balls. Looking to him, her humbled eyes begged for an explanation.

“I’d suggest the ball on the very right end,” he shouted, not breaking eye contact with the Bruxishes. “It’s called Xurkitree.”

Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle, happy to be entrusted with such powerful Pokémon by her friend. “Alright, then. You’re up, Xurkitree!”

Pulling the ball off the belt and tossing it out, it burst open to let out the anthropomorphic bunch of black power chords. To be able to call on a Pokémon herself was exhilarating to Rainbow Dash, but it still couldn’t hold a candle to how tall the beast she commanded was.

“Whoa-ho-ho!” she bellowed. “This thing is cool!”

“Just tell it to use Power Whip!” Gladion shouted.

“Okay fine, sheesh! Xurkitree, hit one of those Bruxish with Power Whip!” Lashing out one of its legs, Xurkitree tried to kick any of the Bruxishes in its vicinity, only for them to easily swim over and beneath its attack, greatly annoying Rainbow Dash. “Okay, any more bright ideas?”

Gladion glowered. “Weavile, hit one of them with Night Slash!”

Weavile ran out before leaping up at one of the three fish, its black-glowing claws doing significant damage to it. It quickly recovered, however, before it darted at Lillie’s Parasect and clamped its jaws down on it, the teeth frosted over as the chill spread along the surface of Parasect’s cap.

“Parasect!” Lillie shouted. “Hang in there!”

The bug closed its eyes as it tried to resist the urge to fall over and faint right there, and despite how hard the Bruxish continued fighting, Parasect stood standing.

“That’s it!” Lillie clenched her fists in pride. “Now, finish it off with Giga Drain!”

At once, Parasect’s mushroom cap began to glow green, the light filling up Bruxish too. It tried to struggle free, only for its jaws to be stuck like a magnet as its lifeforce was drained out of it through its teeth. It didn’t take much before there was no energy left for Parasect to absorb, and the fish eventually let go and flopped to the ground. It’s other two comrades angrily bared their teeth at Parasect before closing in on it with their own teeth misting over with frigid cold.

“Spirit Shackle!” Sun’s voice called.

“Lilligant,” Twilight also shouted, “hit whichever one’s left with Petal Dance!”

Both Bruxish’s turned around, one of them recoiling back and falling to the ground as Decidueye’s arrow pierced its shadow upon the ground. The last Bruxish left found Decidueye carrying Sun down on its talons as Twilight, Spike, and Rotomdex soared in with Lusamine’s leafy Pokémon gliding down beside her.

Twirling its body about, Lilligant sent a flurry of pink petals out that blew hard into Bruxish, sending it down to crash into the ground to join the other two, who were as unconscious and unable to battle as it was. Sun and Spike were let off to the ground as Decidueye and Twilight landed beside the ones they carried. Sun looked up at Xurkitree, who also gazed back at Sun with vision he couldn’t see, but nonetheless sense.

“Sun,” Lillie shouted, “look!” Everyone turned back to the direction of the lift shaft and saw as the other nine Bruxish swam down it and faced the group and their Pokémon.

They kept themselves at a safe distance as the trainers and Pokémon readied themselves to battle. With defeated sneers, the remaining fish swam to the balcony where they quickly rejoined the water wall that they created.

“Hey, no!” Rainbow Dash flew out to follow them. “You get back here and fight, you cowards!”

Landing on the balcony, her miffed face slowly morphed into utter awe as she saw the height of the water that surrounded them, the winds it created pelting her face with mist.

“What in the hay–” Sounds of blasting them came from above, prompting her to look upward at the Flash Cannon blasts raining down toward her. “Uh oh.”

Throwing herself back in, the Flash Cannons struck the ground as she landed on her side, making her pant heavily over her latest brush with injury.

“Rainbow Dash!” The others ran to her aid as they tried to figure out what had happened.

Gladion reached her first, helping her onto her hooves. “What happened out there?”

Lillie stood petrified as she looked outside the balcony, pointing with a trembling finger. “I think… that’s happening?”

As the humans looked outside, they too could see the wall of water that had been created to entrap them, completely unable to see through it but finally understanding what had been making the entire building spin as it had.

“Alright,” Rotomdex exclaimed, appearing over Sun’s shoulder, “I think it’zzz time I got an explanation, zzz-zzzt!”