BOOM!
Terrifying lightning raged wildly within the dark clouds, each bolt seeming to carry the power to shatter the world itself.
Bathed in endless azure lightning, Zekrom's jet-black form weaved ceaselessly through the clouds.
Bolt after bolt struck its body, thunder crashing relentlessly as an incomparably dreadful aura radiated outward.
On the ground, the soldiers stared in sheer terror at the apocalyptic spectacle before them.
"Prince Lucien…"
This scene was utterly beyond Geralt and the others' comprehension.
They had seen countless Pokémon in their lives, but never anything like this.
This was no ordinary Pokémon.
It was a walking calamity.
If its full power were unleashed, the entire kingdom would likely be wiped from existence.
Too weak…
Compared to Zekrom, they were far too insignificant. At this level of battle, they could offer no help at all.
Geralt clenched his weapon tightly.
Thump.
The sound echoed in his ears like a heartbeat.
All around him, soldiers watched in silent horror.
Could Prince Lucien truly withstand Prince Landon's assault?
Instinctively, everyone lifted their gaze toward the sky.
Lucien remained calm.
Mounted upon White Kyurem, he hovered high above the battlefield, his expression composed.
White Kyurem floated steadily in midair, its gaze serene and detached. White fur rippled gently in the wind as azure lightning reflected faintly in its eyes.
At last, the lightning surrounding Zekrom reached its limit.
The thunder within the clouds abruptly ceased, as if every last trace of energy had been absorbed into its body.
Zekrom slowly descended, its crimson gaze locking onto White Kyurem.
"No one can stop my domination!" Landon roared.
"I am Landon, eldest prince of the Kingdom of Eindoak!"
"In my name, I will crush everything before me!"
In the next instant, Zekrom moved.
Wrapped in surging azure lightning, it launched itself forward in a feral charge toward Lucien and Kyurem.
This was its strongest technique, Lightning Strike!
"Hm…"
White Kyurem watched quietly, its eyes narrowing slightly as a slow breath escaped its nostrils.
Lucien's gaze swept across the battlefield below, across the humans and Pokémon watching in fear.
After a brief pause, he closed his eyes.
Then he opened them again, resolve blazing within.
"Big brother… forgive me."
The next moment, an utterly terrifying power erupted from White Kyurem's body.
The dense storm clouds overhead were torn apart instantly.
Scorching yet frigid icy-blue flames surged skyward, carrying an aura that seemed capable of freezing and incinerating everything in existence as they roared straight toward Zekrom.
Ice Burn, the ultimate attack of White Kyurem!
The sky was dyed in clashing hues as the two opposing energies collided head-on.
A deafening explosion tore through the heavens.
An overwhelming shockwave rippled outward, followed by a colossal mushroom cloud rising into the sky.
"Prince Lucien!" someone cried out in alarm.
At that moment, every human and Pokémon within Lucien's ranks held their breath in fear.
Then, a dark figure plummeted from the mushroom cloud like a broken kite, crashing violently toward the ground.
It was, Prince Landon.
Countless eyes widened in disbelief.
Before anyone could even react, the unharmed White Kyurem surged forward, catching up instantly with the falling Zekrom.
That was;
A complete defeat.
Prince Landon and his dragon had been utterly crushed, defeated in a single move by Prince Lucien.
Shock spread across everyone's faces.
At this moment, White Kyurem had already caught up to Zekrom.
That single exchange had not only gravely injured Zekrom, it had completely shattered Prince Landon's ambition and belief.
The heavily wounded Zekrom no longer possessed the strength to protect its chosen human.
Landon's body was finally torn free, plummeting helplessly toward the ground.
"Dragonite!" Lucien shouted.
Whoosh—!
Dragonite shot upward from the battlefield, catching the unconscious Landon with perfect precision.
Lucien then shifted his gaze back to the battered Zekrom.
White Kyurem's claws clamped tightly around Zekrom's body, as though preparing to devour it as well.
Sensing imminent destruction, Zekrom struggled instinctively despite its grievous injuries.
"Lucien… it's all yours now."
Zekrom's deep voice echoed within Lucien's mind.
In the next instant, a flash of white light enveloped Lucien.
His consciousness was pulled away, and appeared within a pitch-black void.
Before him lay Zekrom's shattered body, sprawled motionless at the center of the space.
This was Zekrom's inner world.
The howling wind, Kyurem's heavy breathing, the shouts of soldiers below, all sound vanished.
Lucien stepped forward, knelt before Zekrom's massive head, and gently placed a hand upon it.
"Zekrom… you've lost."
Zekrom did not respond immediately. Its azure eyes silently watched the human before it.
"I want to create a world where humans and Pokémon can live together," Lucien said steadily.
"This is my ideal, Zekrom."
"Please… join me in realizing it."
An unwavering force surged from Lucien's voice.
This conviction, was even stronger than that of the human Zekrom had once acknowledged.
And this ideal was far grander, far more profound, one that stirred longing rather than conquest.
Zekrom hesitated.
"Is this truly your ideal?" it murmured.
Lucien extended his right hand.
"Reality and ideals are not opposites," he said calmly.
"Ideals are forged from reality, and realized through it."
"Without reality, ideals are nothing but illusions."
"Zekrom, Kyurem and I will accept everything, reality and ideals, you and Reshiram alike."
"We will create a future without war, and without oppression."
Zekrom stared at the human before it in silence.
Then;
"I understand," Zekrom said slowly, its voice growing firm.
"I feel your conviction."
In the next instant, Lucien's consciousness returned to the real world.
The wind roared around him.
Riding atop White Kyurem, he looked down at the now unresisting Zekrom and understood its choice.
"Kyurem," Lucien shouted, "merge!"
White Kyurem's gaze sharpened.
The next second, a blinding radiance burst forth from Zekrom.
The scene that had once unfolded with Reshiram repeated itself.
The will that embodied ideals finally returned to its origin.
A deep, solemn power flowed forth, merging seamlessly into White Kyurem's form.
Within the radiant light, Kyurem transformed once again.
Black elements slowly surfaced, interweaving perfectly with white and gray.
The primordial dragon, the Original Dragon, source of truth, ideals, and emptiness, returned to the world.
Even standing still, its vast and divine form radiated boundless majesty.
A presence so overwhelming that all who beheld it felt an instinctive urge to bow in reverence.
On the ground, as the three dragons of the Dao merged into one, the frozen soldiers gradually thawed.
One by one, bodies regained warmth. Armor creaked as ice cracked and fell away.
At that moment, everyone raised their heads.
Their gazes locked onto the colossal dragon soaring high above the sky, and the young man riding upon its back.
Was the war… over?
The younger soldiers looked around in confusion, glancing at their comrades, then at their former enemies.
Their king had fallen.
Continuing the war no longer held any meaning.
"Lord Lucien!"
Unlike them, Lucien's army erupted into thunderous cheers.
Their lord had won.
From this day forward, everyone understood one truth, the Kingdom of Eindoak now belonged to its youngest prince.
"Third brother…"
Watching the scene unfold, Prince Lance wore a bitter smile.
He glanced at his unconscious elder brother, thrown aside by the overwhelming clash, and murmured softly,
"Perhaps… this really is the best possible outcome."
A ray of golden sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, illuminating the shattered land, and the faces of countless soldiers.
Lucien, riding atop the Original Dragon, looked down upon the world below.
Then, his voice rang out.
"I hereby declare."
"From this moment onward, the war is over."
Empowered by the dragon beneath him, his words echoed across the plains, across cities and villages, across the entire land, as though announcing the dawn of a new era.
On a distant cliff, three figures watched silently.
The Sacred Swordsmen, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion, had arrived too late to intervene, yet just in time to witness the end.
"Lucien did it," Cobalion said softly, relief evident in his eyes.
"Heh! I knew he would!" Terrakion laughed, excitement barely contained.
"Good," Virizion said, finally relaxing. Then its gaze shifted toward the vast sea of human soldiers below.
"However… this is not the end."
The war was finished, but many things still awaited this land.
The war ended.
Though it had not lasted long, it left deep scars upon the Unova region.
Villages and towns were reduced to ruins amid fire and chaos. The land as a whole stood in desperate need of rebuilding.
With the defeat of Prince Landon and Prince Lance, all their territories and armies were brought under Lucien's control.
Faced with Lucien and the dragon's absolute power, even unwilling lords had no choice but to submit.
Soon after, the old king officially proclaimed:
Prince Lucien was the rightful heir, and the next king of Eindook.
Meanwhile, stories spread rapidly among the common folk.
During the war, Lucien and Lucien City had taken in refugees, prevented unnecessary bloodshed, and protected civilians whenever possible.
Word of these deeds spread from mouth to mouth.
In a short time, Lucien's reputation among the people reached unprecedented heights.
It was said that Prince Lucien, unable to bear seeing humans and Pokémon lose their homes and lives, had chosen to end the war himself, together with the dragon, to save everyone.
Inside the castle of Lucien City.
Elif stood quietly, watching Lucien seated behind his desk, flipping through stacks of documents.
"Your Highness," he said softly, "the coronation ceremony is about to begin."
"Hm." Lucien nodded faintly.
Beyond the castle walls, he could already hear the cheers of the people.
A week had passed since the Battle of the Castelia Plains.
Peace had finally arrived, but Unova lay in ruins.
There was still far too much to be done.
Next came the true work: Rebuilding Unova. Establishing the Pokémon League. Spreading Trainer culture. Guiding humans and Pokémon toward true coexistence.
Only through this could the two races be gradually integrated.
Lucien's gaze then shifted to the data before him, the loyalty levels of the subordinate lords.
Most had risen to 50 or 60 since the war's conclusion.
Sharon of Twin Dragons City had even reached 90.
Yet some lords still lingered at 20 or 30.
Lucien's thoughts moved swiftly.
He knew this path would inevitably make him an enemy of entrenched nobles and conservative lords.
But Lucien was not afraid.
With Trinity Kyurem now at his side, no one in the Unova region could stop him.
Lucien's gaze fell upon the Kyurem standing behind him.
Pokémon: Unova Kyurem
Type: Dragon / Ice
Gender: Genderless
Ability: Type Switching (Can freely switch between Ice, Dragon, Fire, and Electric types, and can use moves without being affected by the opponent's abilities.)
Moves: Dragon Rage, Icy Wind, Ancient Power, Shadow Claw, Dragon Claw, Dragon Tail, Ice Beam, Dragon Breath, Slash, Dragon Pulse, Blizzard, Hyper Voice, Stone Edge, Hail, Rest, Snowscape, Avalanche, Seal, Outrage, Freeze-Dry, Absolute Zero, Glaciate, Extreme Cold Flame, Crossfire, Crosslight…
Friendship: 100
Kyurem's History: Omitted
Looking at Kyurem's updated status, Lucien finally let out a quiet breath.
After fusing with Reshiram and Zekrom, Kyurem had inherited all of their abilities. Its power had ascended to an entirely new realm.
More importantly, Its new ability made it the true apex dragon.
"Kyurem," Lucien said calmly, "I'll be relying on you from now on."
"Mm."
Kyurem inclined its head slightly. Its deep voice echoed softly.
"You should go and meet the humans and Pokémon."
"No rush," Lucien replied. "There's still half an hour before the coronation ceremony."
Before that, he had something else to do.
With that thought, Lucien stood, descended the castle's spiral staircase, and entered a room below.
Lance stood by the window, gazing at the humans and Pokémon gathered outside the castle.
They were cheering. Anticipating. Waiting for the birth of a new king.
At this moment, humans and Pokémon seemed indistinguishable from one another.
"Second brother," Lucien called.
Lance turned toward him, took a deep breath, and spoke quietly.
"You were right, third brother."
"Compared to you…eldest brother's beliefs, and mine, were far too narrow."
"From now on, Eindoak is in your hands."
"And what do you plan to do next?" Lucien asked.
For the first time, with everything settled, Lance felt an unfamiliar sense of relief.
He closed his eyes.
"The world is vast," he said. "I want to leave the kingdom, and see it for myself."
Lucien was silent for a moment. Then, recalling the Pokémon housed in the territory's breeding center, he said,
"Second brother, why not visit the breeding center before you leave?"
"You might find a magical beast that resonates with you. Traveling together would make the journey less lonely."
"Thank you," Lance said softly.
"Go," he added. "Your coronation is about to begin. Those people and magical beasts, they're all waiting for you."
Lucien nodded, left the room, and walked toward another chamber.
Inside, the eldest prince, Landon, sat on the bed, staring blankly into space.
Hearing footsteps, he lifted his head.
"You've come."
"Second brother plans to leave the kingdom and see the world," Lucien said.
"What about you, eldest brother?"
"You're letting us go?" Landon asked, eyes narrowing.
"You're not afraid my son and I will return one day for revenge?"
"I promised Father," Lucien replied.
He walked to the window, looking out at the clear blue sky, where soft white clouds drifted lazily.
"Besides… if I defeated you once, I can defeat you again."
Landon gave a bitter laugh.
"You really have won."
"Fine," he said after a moment.
"From today onward, the kingdom is yours."
"If my second brother is leaving, then I'll leave as well. I'd like to see what this world looks like beyond the throne."
...
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