Chapter 873: This Is the Final Battle
A new life is always brimming with vitality, like the sun at eight in the morning—vibrant with youthful energy, full of hope.
For the survivors aboard Samiya, what this newly born Sprigatito baby embodied was precisely that morning-sun-like hope.
In the central plaza of Sootopolis City.
The Sprigatito baby was bouncing back and forth, surrounded by over a hundred powerful uncles and aunts. The ground was piled high with an assortment of toys and plush dolls, leaving the little one thoroughly dazzled.
Mewtwo stood in the distance watching this scene with a faint smile, then shifted His gaze to Kazuya beside Him: "Is that the daughter you've been searching for?"
"..."
Kazuya looked at Mewtwo speechlessly, pointing at the Sprigatito baby. "That's a boy."
The male-to-female ratio of Sprigatito is 9:1.
Hatching a boy is the normal outcome.
If a girl truly had hatched.
Then he really would have to wonder whether this child could be Meowscarada.
Speaking of which.
Back then, he made a wish to Jirachi.
To go to the world where he could meet Meowscarada.
Could the "Meowscarada" in Jirachi's wish refer to the Dark Fallen Blossom God?
Given Jirachi's nature where every granted wish comes with an equal drawback...
Kazuya couldn't say for sure.
"Then where is your daughter?"
"...If I knew, it wouldn't be just the two of us fighting Shadow right now."
Kazuya glanced at Him.
According to the legend of the Fallen Blossom God left behind in the Orange Archipelago.
450 years ago.
That good-for-nothing daughter of his could already defeat the Legendary Birds in a single strike.
Although the Legendary Birds were lower-tier Legendary Pokémon, each was at least at the level of a low Champion tier.
Which meant.
Back then, Meowscarada was already at least at the high Champion tier.
450 years had passed.
Even if Meowscarada fished for three days and dried the nets for two like before, she would definitely have stepped into the Master tier.
If she had been even slightly diligent.
With Meowscarada's intellect and innate potential.
Her level might well have reached the ranks of the supreme gods by now.
"Mm, who knows..."
Mewtwo nodded.
Boom!
Just as He was about to say something more, a turbulent ocean current suddenly crashed against the sheer rock walls encircling Sootopolis City.
Keep in mind.
The surrounding rock walls were at least several hundred meters high.
What kind of ocean wave could reach that high?
Splash, crash~
The sound of seawater cascading back into the ocean resonated.
Kazuya and Mewtwo exchanged a glance, a look of profound gravity welling deep in their eyes.
It was here.
They sensed an immensely formidable aura.
Right in the sky outside Sootopolis City.
"Finally here..."
Mewtwo muttered under His breath, His eyes eager for battle, yet tinged with a trace of worry.
"Sigh..."
Kazuya let out a sigh.
He understood what Mewtwo was worried about.
Shadow had remained hidden for so many years, only to suddenly emerge now.
It meant She possessed absolute certainty in Her ability to kill Kazuya, having likely acquired some secret weapon over these decades.
"Run? Or fight?" Mewtwo asked.
"...We can't run."
Kazuya raised his head to look at the sky.
What first entered his vision was no longer just the gray fog.
Rather, it was a faintly discernible gray barrier.
"?"
"This space has been severed."
Kazuya could feel it.
This barrier had isolated this space from the outside world.
Unlike the Spacial Rend Palkia used to unleash, this was not merely slicing space; it was a genuine severance of the connection between the two spaces.
The Power of Space cannot traverse two spaces that share no connection.
At least, the unevolved Power of Space worked that way.
"But isn't the Power of Space on you?"
Mewtwo's eyes gradually widened.
If they could flee, then there was room to maneuver; there would be no need to panic.
But without a way out, the situation became grave.
"That's true, but..."
Kazuya furrowed his brows and lowered his head.
He couldn't fully grasp the situation either.
Could it be that Shadow's side used Team Cipher's technology to engineer a clone of Palkia?
At this moment.
Chloe came rushing over in a flustered hurry: "Kazuya! Arceus is outside!"
Her voice was not quiet.
It caught the attention of many Pokémon in the central plaza.
Everyone's gaze turned toward Kazuya.
Yet Kazuya's expression remained tranquil.
Quietly watching that little kitten still bounding about.
The little one's tail swayed back and forth like foxtail grass; its furry texture must feel wonderful to touch.
"Kazuya, there's no time to waste," Mewtwo urged anxiously.
"Mm."
Kazuya rose to his feet, gazing up at the sky above the rock walls of Sootopolis City. "Sprigatito's constitution is closer to that of a plant."
A seemingly random sentence drifted from his lips.
"Huh?"
A look of confusion surfaced in Mewtwo's eyes.
"Plants need sunlight to grow healthy and strong."
"...I understand."
This time, Mewtwo caught the meaning.
He raised His hand to direct Chloe to lead everyone aboard Samiya.
They couldn't escape this space.
Yet they could at least submerge beneath the central lake of Sootopolis City to take shelter.
As for the two of them...
"Kazuya?"
Chloe, cradling the bewildered Sprigatito, turned to look at Kazuya.
Upon seeing Kazuya, the little one reached out two tiny paws and swiped at the air, unsure whether it wanted a hug or was merely waving hello.
Kazuya offered the kitten a gentle smile.
"Chloe, I'll leave that child in your care."
He clenched both fists and turned around.
Leading Mewtwo as they took flight toward the outside of Sootopolis City.
If the gods would not save the world, they would.
If gods blocked their path, they would slay them.
Since there was no running today, they wouldn't run at all.
Running for two hundred years.
They had run enough.
"Take care, Pidgey."
Watching his departing back, Chloe pressed her hands together in devout prayer.
Her voice.
Kazuya heard it.
He simply couldn't offer a reply.
The moment they left Sootopolis City.
A tidal wave of dark energy had already permeated the entire sky and ocean.
Looking closely.
It wasn't merely dark energy.
It was corrupted magical beasts and Demon Gods.
Because it was situated above the ocean, the magical beasts that gathered here were basically all Pokémon capable of flight or swimming.
Among them, Bug, Water, Dragon, Flying, Ghost, and Psychic types were the most numerous.
Densely packed in unbroken swarms.
Blotting out every corner visible to the horizon.
This sheer number.
Could hardly be counted in mere tens of thousands.
It was likely that more than half of the world's surviving magical beasts were gathered right here.
Looking at the Demon Gods.
Even though Kazuya and his group had already slain more than half of the gods.
The number of Demon Gods that could arrive here was still considerable.
1 from Kanto.
1 from Johto.
2 from Sinnoh.
2 from Kalos.
3 from Alola.
3 from Galar.
3 from Paldea.
And these were merely the count of first-tier Legendary Pokémon, not including Mythical Demon Gods, second-tier Legendary Demon Gods, or Shadow Herself.
Kazuya lifted his gaze toward the very front.
There stood two silhouettes, one large and one small.
The smaller silhouette was Shadow.
This time, She no longer used dark energy to conceal Her form.
Instead, She appeared before Kazuya in Her true form.
Compared to the serene, unruffled calm in Kazuya's eyes.
Shadow's eyes, staring at this "father," were filled with complex emotions.
However.
When She noticed Kazuya looking back without a shred of emotion.
A surge of irritation rose in Shadow's heart.
That irritation began twisting into rage and hatred, gradually consuming Her already fragile composure.
Beside Her.
Stood the Arceus that Kazuya was seeing for the first time in two hundred years.
Standing at only three meters tall, Arceus was hardly a towering behemoth, certainly incomparable to the other Demon Gods surrounding It.
Yet Arceus's aura and oppressive presence.
Were heights the other Demon Gods could never hope to approach.
Merely standing there.
It compelled everyone to focus their gazes upon It.
This was the Alpha Pokémon, Arceus.
Even if It was merely an avatar.
It remained the absolute ceiling of this world.
"Is this fellow your reliance?"
Kazuya pointed a finger toward Arceus.
He didn't intentionally shout or project telepathically.
Whether Shadow heard or not didn't matter; launching straight into battle was fine all the same.
On the other side.
Shadow lowered Her perked ears and burst into wild, manic laughter: "Aahahahaha!"
"I don't need any reliance to beat you!"
"Don't forget, I can't control this idiot at all. It came here purely on Its own, and I merely tagged along to see what It planned to do."
Shadow spoke loudly.
Yet Her voice carried a trace of lack of confidence.
Clearly.
She no longer had the certainty to take Kazuya down on Her own.
Otherwise...
Why bring so many magical beasts and Demon Gods along with Arceus?
Shadow couldn't control Arceus.
Yet She could control these forces.
She clearly wanted to seize this opportunity of Arceus taking the initiative to eliminate Kazuya and Mewtwo in one fell swoop, putting an end to lingering troubles.
"Oh, is that so."
Kazuya furrowed his brows slightly.
He turned to study Arceus.
Crimson dyed the eyes of this creator deity.
Leaving Kazuya unable to discern any emotion within.
Logically speaking.
A corrupted Arceus should be Shadow's puppet, devoid of independent thought.
Yet Kazuya didn't believe a being like Arceus could be entirely subjugated by Shadow so easily, just as Shadow couldn't dictate Its movements.
Then.
Arceus suddenly stepping forth.
Must carry Its own intent.
Kazuya simply couldn't fathom what Arceus was thinking.
Did It truly intend to help Shadow eliminate him and Mewtwo?
Or perhaps.
Using this opportunity to lure Shadow before them, while using Its power to seal space, thereby creating a chance for them to permanently slay Shadow?
Regardless.
Both outcomes were effectively halfway realized.
Arceus had orchestrated this decisive clash with no retreat.
Today, one side must be utterly crushed.
Either Shadow wins.
The world plunges into endless, irreversible darkness.
Every survivor, magical beast, and Demon God will perish, and this planet will become what She desires.
Or Kazuya wins.
Sunlight and hope will bathe the world once more.
New hope and new life will be born in this world, perhaps even returning to that most beautiful state it once had, back on the path it was always meant to walk.
"Kazuya, this is the final battle, isn't it?"
"Mm. Let's hope it won't be our final stop."
One black, one white, floating in the sky.
Gazing upon the sky-blotting darkness ahead.
They held not the slightest fear or urge to retreat.
~~~
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