Little Hoopa let out a shriek, its small body shimmering with golden light as it struggled against the dark energy pressing in on it.
Balza and Meray could do little more than lend it a small amount of strength. In the end, this was a battle that Little Hoopa had to face alone.
Buzz... buzz...
The Prison Bottle, lying on the table, began to shake.
The feeling in the air was strange, almost like the calm before an explosion.
Bang!
A burst of energy sent Balza and Meray tumbling to the ground. At the same moment, the dark energy wrapped around Little Hoopa's body peeled away and vanished. The Prison Bottle on the table shattered, leaving behind only its lid and a handful of golden rings of light.
Thick clouds of Dark Void rose into the sky, gathering like a heavy storm cloud that carried a sense of dread.
"So we could not avoid this after all," Steven murmured, frowning as he looked up at the black cloud spreading above them.
Ash rushed forward and caught Little Hoopa as it fell from the air.
"Hoopa, are you all right?"
Little Hoopa opened its eyes, looked up at Ash, and managed a weak smile.
"Ash... Hoopa won..."
Meray stared at the golden rings scattered across the table, unsure of what to do next.
Steven walked over to the railing and looked up at the Dark Void swirling in the sky. Slowly, it began to take shape, forming into a familiar silhouette. Hoopa Unbound had returned, its body giving off waves of cold, dark energy, its crimson eyes enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
Balza lifted a hand, sensing the presence of the Hoopa Unbound looming above them.
"Anger..." he murmured.
"Anger?" Steven glanced over at him.
Balza nodded slowly and opened his eyes. "Its hunger to reclaim Hoopa's power comes from a hundred years of rage, built up while it was sealed away."
"So it wants to devour Hoopa," Steven said, looking up at the towering figure that could only be called a demon god.
"It is Hoopa, and yet it is not," Balza said quietly. "It is Hoopa's shadow self."
The words carried an odd echo of the old tale about Arceus and Giratina — the story of a violent shadow that was cast out long ago. Some say Arceus had hoped to create a Pokémon capable of holding back its own fury, however small the chance of success. But Giratina took that duty far too seriously, and in the end turned against Arceus itself. For that, it was banished.
"Hoopa!" Hoopa Unbound let out a roar that shook the sky, and a crushing wave of pressure spread across the entire Desert City.
Its gaze dropped, locking onto Little Hoopa held safely in Ash's arms. Little Hoopa shivered under that stare and pressed itself deeper into Ash's chest.
"Vanish!" Hoopa Unbound bellowed, throwing its arms wide as a dark purple orb of energy gathered above the black hole on its chest.
"No! Hoopa doesn't want to vanish!" Little Hoopa cried out at once.
Steven pulled Ash back behind him, and a series of clicks rang out as several Poké Balls opened at once. Every one of Steven's Pokémon appeared, save for Doublade and Pupitar.
"Mega Evolve!" Steven called, raising his Mega Bracelet.
Three flashes of brilliant white light lit up the night, and in an instant, Metagross, Scizor, and Aggron had all completed their Mega Evolution.
"Sand?!" Sandslash stared up at Hoopa Unbound, looking as though it had nearly frightened itself silly. Why did every opponent have to be this powerful?
Still, none of the Pokémon hesitated.
A towering pillar of ice began to form — Ice Crash!
Heatran's eyes narrowed as flames roared to life around its body — Lava Plume!
Diancie raised both hands, a soft pink orb of energy glowing between them — Moonblast!
Skarmory beat its wings as fire wrapped around its entire body — Brave Bird!
Aggron lifted an arm, and jagged stones rose up around it — Stone Edge!
Lucario cupped its paws together, gathering a sphere of blue Aura — Aura Sphere!
Empoleon summoned swirling water around itself, both arms crackling with the effects of Brave as twin torrents of water surged forward — Hydro Pump!
Metagross's body glowed with a silvery light as two shining orbs of energy formed before it — Flash Cannon!
Steven exchanged a glance with Scizor, and without needing a word, Scizor flashed and vanished from sight.
Hoopa Unbound was a Psychic and Dark type, meaning only Bug-type moves would strike with quadruple effectiveness. That made Scizor's role as a striker crucial in this fight.
Whoosh!
Hoopa Unbound fired a swirling purple wave of energy, aimed straight at Hoopa behind Steven.
Without hesitation, Steven raised a hand and signaled his team. Every Pokémon unleashed its attack at once, meeting Hoopa Unbound's Dark Pulse head-on.
Bang!
The attacks collided in midair, holding each other in a tense standoff.
Ever since his time in the Hisui region, Steven's Pokémon had grown stronger at a remarkable pace. In the past, they had struggled just to hold their ground against Legendary Pokémon. But now, facing a demon god that surpassed even those Legendary Pokémon in strength, they were managing to stay even — proof of just how far they had come. With Heatran now part of the team, there were even moments where they seemed to be gaining the upper hand.
"Scizor, now!" Steven shouted.
A streak of red light cut through the darkness as Scizor's massive pincers slammed into Hoopa Unbound's side.
Bang!
The force of the hit sent Hoopa Unbound reeling. Its Dark Pulse weakened at once, and the attacks from Steven's Pokémon broke through, striking true. Thick black smoke billowed out, swallowing half of Hoopa Unbound's form.
"So this is Steven's true strength," Ash murmured, watching his back with quiet admiration.
"Hoopa!" Hoopa Unbound roared, scattering the smoke with a single motion.
"Everyone, give Scizor an opening!" Steven called out.
Right now, only Scizor's Bug-type attacks were dealing real damage — enough to break through Hoopa Unbound's offense and let the rest of the team's attacks land. But one success didn't guarantee the next. Hoopa Unbound wasn't predictable like a machine; every opening for Scizor had to be created on the spot.
"Hoopa wants to help too!" Little Hoopa declared, its eyes full of determination as it flew free from Ash's arms.
The golden ring above its head shot outward, growing many times larger in an instant.
"Come out!" Little Hoopa called.
The ring spun rapidly as it rose into the air, and from the swirling blue vortex at its center, a great surge of water burst forth.
"Well now," Steven said, looking up with a faint smile. It seemed his help might not be needed for much longer after all.
The water exploded outward, revealing a magnificent white figure within.
"Roar!"
Great white wings spread wide like enormous hands, revealing a form of true majesty. Though humans called it the "Guardian of the Sea," it was in truth a Psychic and Flying type.
"Lugia!"