Niss never made it to the ground.

Barry saw the delicate arc her body made as it fell and he moved without thinking. The golden light behind his eyes caught ablaze as a furious gale formed all around him, making the air vibrate intensely. He blinked, and as soon as he opened his eyes again he found himself next to Niss. His right arm caught her just before her head met the floor. The sudden added weight made his knees buckle.

Someplace in the back of his mind he noticed the way her coat had been torn open on the back, wisps of smoke rising from the burnt skin underneath. As gently as he could he turned her around, a sob getting caught up between his heart and throat.

Her eyes were closed and her mouth hung slightly open. She looked peaceful, unnaturally so, as if she were enjoying a pleasant nap.

N-no...

He didn't care about the pain on his arm, nor the screams and sounds of battle around him. All that was in his mind was the fleeting, almost extinguished ember inside of Niss' chest. He could see it clearly, the light behind his eyes burning hotter than it'd ever done so before.

Niss…

There was a long, terrifying moment in which time began to flow normally again, and Niss did not breathe. It felt like an eternity, it felt like his heart had been frozen solid inside his chest.

Then the first breath came, and her eyelids parted ever so slightly. The ember grew, if only a bit, and he felt as consciousness came back to her. It was so faint that a mere gust of wind could've extinguished it.

"Niss…"

The sound of her own name seemed to bring her back from the depths of her own mind. She opened her eyes a little more –showing that bright green he'd been scared to never see again– and parted her lips to speak.

"T-the…stone…"

Her voice was barely a whisper, but somehow he heard it perfectly despite the chaos resounding all around them. He looked down at her hand, which still firmly held the Shiny Stone she'd taken out of her backpack a minute before. It shone like a miniature sun.

Lowering Niss' back against his lap, he grabbed it from between her fingers and saw as a minuscule smile teased itself on her lips. Her eyes were faded and distant, as if she were struggling to stay conscious, and the wrinkles around them along with the way her jaw was set spoke of the immense pain she was in. Nonetheless, she made the effort to press her fingers against his.

"I'm f-fine, see?" she whispered through her teeth. "Go ahead. Don't… worry about me."

Somehow, he managed to return the smile. With shaking fingers he brought the stone in front of his chest, feeling its pleasant warmth as it spread through him.

He turned his head to the left, slightly, and his gaze fell on the battlefield. Now aware of his surroundings, he heard Shadi's inhuman screech as she threw herself at her opponent over and over again, not giving it a chance to recover or charge another attack. Despite being coated in a copious amount of her own blood, Barry had never seen her move so fast. She was a blur, a terrible storm of fury whose only objective was to tear her enemy apart.

Still, Barry could see the fleeting embers driving her assault grow thinner with every second that passed. She couldn't keep that up much longer. She needed help.

Luckily, that's exactly what he held in his hand. He turned to look at Bret's blackened body and, as carefully as he could, lowered the stone onto his chest.

A ball of blinding light engulfed him completely, standing as tall as Barry himself and so powerful that it pushed the wind outwards, rising into the air like a small star. Niss, eyes now fully opened and mouth agape, stared as a dark and unidentifiable shape began to grow inside.

The light flickered for a moment. It shrank to half its size and then exploded in a flurry of white wisps, taking in the form of scattering petals. As they dissipated into the air, Bret's new form appeared from beneath them. He let his feet touch the ground, falling as elegantly as a leaf in the wind, and took in a deep breath before opening his eyes.

He'd grown almost as tall as his trainer, his arms now ending in full bouquets of red and blue roses. His white, flowing hair grew from where the closed bud on his head previously was, drifting slightly in the wind like cotton. A green, vine-like cape fell down his back, and most of his face was covered by what looked like a green masquerade mask.

But most impressive of all –at least to Barry– was that Bret now exuded life from every one of his pores. He could feel it burning inside his chest and extending through the ground under him; a storm ready to be unleashed.

Bret and his trainer exchanged a short, meaningful look. Their lips curled into almost identical smiles.

"G-guess I can't call you short anymore," Niss said, her voice still hoarse and weak. "I l-leave this one to you, okay? Give him hell."

Bret didn't need to be told twice. He took a single glance at the battlefield and raised one of his bouquets absentmindedly, as if he were attempting to swat a fly.

The ground erupted, piles of dirt and cement flying in all directions as a dozen vines began to grow upwards. Unlike the ones he'd summoned before, they were as thick as Barry's arm and covered in sharp thorns. They shot twenty feet into the air, curled into themselves like tentacles and –as soon as he pointed his hand at Genesect– flew toward it like heat-seeking missiles.

Even with Shadi moving out of the way, Genesect was unable to fully repel the assault. It slashed left and right with all its strength but for every vine it cut down two more appeared in its place. Soon its limbs and torso were completely enveloped by them and, unable to move a muscle, it was raised high into the air against its will.

Barry felt Niss move from under him. Not much, she simply turned a bit to the side, teeth clenched in pain. Her unfocused eyes searched for something, and finally fell on Shadi. Her state was truly deplorable, covered in deep cuts and blood, her beautiful scarf completely torn apart. Still, as if she felt her trainer's eyes on her back, she turned around to look at her.

They had a short, wordless exchange, after which Shadi nodded with difficulty and brandished her scythes once more.

"B-bide," she whispered. "Just like... we practiced."

As Shadi ran towards the now airborne Genesect, all the pain and damage she'd endured during the battle seemed to rise out of the heat of her own blood, coating her in a dark-red aura so violent and powerful that the ground itself cracked under every step she took. She jumped, gathering all the power into her arms, and slashed at Genesect with every ounce of strength left in her.

The vines couldn't bear the strain of the impact. Their stems were torn apart and Genesect was thrown like a cannonball towards the nearest wall of the road. There was a sound like the crack of metal, followed by a faint gasp as the light in its eyes momentarily turned off.

Shadi fell too, losing consciousness as soon as her attack connected. The beam of her Pokeball caught her before she could meet the ground, returning her to it as Niss grasped it with shaking fingers. A weak smile broke through the paleness of her lips.

Barry gave her a side-glance, feeling a knot form in his throat. Niss' eyes were still unfocused and it looked as if a stiff breeze could knock her out, or worse. He needed to get her to a hospital as soon as possible.

His gaze fell on the pile of rubble Genesect had been buried in, and a sigh of relief fought to escape through his lips. At least they'd knocked that thing out. Even if Cyrus had other Pokemon, none of them could be as powerful. Besides, the Association had to arrive s–

The debris moved. A shake at first, enough to topple a small rock over to the side. Then came another, and soon the entire pile of rubble shook as the creature rose to its feet. Its chest plate had an X-shaped cut on it, from which flowed a slow stream of blood and sparks, and the device and cannon on its back had both been destroyed due to the impact.

Even then, the beast rose. Weakened and in pain, yes, but by no means out of the fight.

It took a tentative step forward, eyes flashing maliciously, and bared its claws once more.

----------------------------------------

Inyssa couldn't believe that thing still stood. It couldn't be real, it had to be some sort of nightmare.

She could barely feel panic or fear or… anything at all besides the stinging pain on her back and her slowly fading consciousness. Her body hung almost limp, supported only by Barry whose hands shook on her shoulders. For the first time since she could remember, his touch did not feel reassuring.

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The creature rose to its feet, impassible as ever. From the cannon on its back sprouted a cloud of smoke covering a shower of sparks. The electric cackle it emitted made Inyssa's teeth hurt.

It took one step forward, almost tentatively, and looked at the empty battlefield in front of it. All but Bret had fallen, and as much power as he'd gained due to his evolution, there was no chance for him to take the beast down. Maybe he could buy them a bit more time, but Inyssa felt something cold and heavy blocking her throat, preventing her from giving any orders.

It's going to kill us, she realized with horrible certainty, tears welling up in her eyes. It's going to kill Cynthia and then us…

A few seconds passed, and she narrowed her eyes in confusion. Why wasn't it attacking them? Why wasn't Cyrus declaring an order? As much as it hurt, Inyssa slowly pushed herself to her feet and let her gaze fall on the man. Surprisingly, he looked as shocked as them, or more.

Why…?

"You two have done wonderfully."

Cynthia's voice broke through the silence, no longer strained. As Inyssa turned around she saw her walk toward them, head low and arms hanging at her sides, an Ultraball firmly grasped in her left hand. Her steps were slow but deliberate, and though she seemed on the brink of collapse, the strength emanating from her was almost unbearable. She walked between her and Barry, never turning to look at them. Her gaze was fully set on Cyrus.

"Most people would be ashamed to be in my position, having to be saved by a couple of kids," she said, a sad smile stretching across her lips. "But I'm simply proud, and grateful. I can't hope to pay you back, but allow me to try nonetheless."

She raised the Ultraball to chest level, holding it gently. Her finger hovered over the button, and just before she pressed it, realization came to Inyssa. As the device opened and an explosion of light blinded her, she remembered the state Shadi's attack had left that beast in. The machine hanging from its back had been torn apart, and if it was the reason they couldn't use their Pokeballs…

Her train of thought was interrupted as the light dissipated into wisps, and a nightmare emerged from it.

Terrified wasn't the best word to describe how Inyssa felt, but she couldn't think of a better one. Cyrus' beast paled immensely in comparison to the dark figure which now towered over it, expectant.

The Pokemon was one Inyssa had never seen before, nor heard of. A mix of a dragon and some kind of hammer-head shark. She was as tall as Cynthia and only slightly more imposing. Her body –including the long tail– was mostly dark blue, with a red underbelly and a bunch of white spikes jutting out of her arms and legs. From her forearms grew what could've been either wings or scythes, it was hard to tell, though they looked incredibly sharp nonetheless. And her eyes…

God, her eyes were the worst of it. Two pools of darkness which held irises so golden and bright, they even rivaled those of Mesprit itself. Inyssa felt as if the beast could tear her apart with a look alone.

"Lorencia, I need you to put that poor creature out of its misery," Cynthia's voice, under the fury bubbling on its surface, was rather friendly and respectful. Almost as if the beast at her side were her best friend. "There is no need for you to hold back."

The Pokemon jumped forward before her trainer finished speaking. The sheer force and speed sent a shock-wave backward that almost knocked both her and Barry to the ground.

The air itself seemed to move around Lorencia, letting her cut through it like a knife against velvet. Genesect, as fast as it was, could not react as the first hit came. With a movement as fluid as water she slashed its chest with the sharp part of her forearm, cutting through armor as if it were butter.

Most of its chest piece was torn apart, revealing an inside of pulsing flesh with cables and chips stuck all over it. Blood sprouted out of the wound at an alarming rate, while the beast shook and screeched in pain. Not that it had much time to do so, as Lorencia's maw closed around its left shoulder, fangs digging into metal. She lifted its body from the ground and spun it a few times before throwing it upwards, strongly enough for it to create a sonic boom behind it.

She jumped to follow it, the strength of her legs breaking the ground under her. Fast as a bullet, she reached Genesect just before it began falling, and brandished her scythes.

Inyssa's mouth hung open as she witnessed the massacre, shock distracting her from the searing pain on her back. Her eyes couldn't follow Lorencia's movements, barely the after-images she created as she slashed her opponent over and over again. She didn't understand, she couldn't understand. How was she attacking like that in the middle of the air? How could anything be that monstrously fast? It didn't seem possible for any living creature to move like that.

At the very least she slashed it a hundred times before they made it to the ground, a cloud of blood and sparks falling along with them. Just before they reached it, however, Lorencia grabbed Genesect by what was left of its wrist and slammed it down with enough force to create a crater underneath its body. She landed in front of it, as lightly and gracefully as a feather.

Inyssa had to suppress a heave. The thing laying in front of Cynthia's Pokemon was broken and torn apart, its limbs, torso and head bent unnaturally in all directions. From underneath what was left of its armor sprouted pieces of flesh and bone, the blood coming out of them forming a small pool underneath. Its chest didn't move, and its eyes had stopped flashing.

Lorencia stared at the corpse of her opponent, eyes cold and dispassionate. Inyssa could see in them that she hadn't enjoyed what she'd done, and still…

S-she didn't even use an attack, Inyssa thought, a strange mix of excitement and horror creeping through her. She killed it with brute force alone.

"That will be enough," Cynthia declared, expression impassible. "Well done, Lorencia."

Her Pokemon took a step back, nodding solemnly while her trainer approached. Cynthia's steps echoed loudly, heavier and much more imposing than before. She stopped barely a few feet from Cyrus, and looked up at him.

The pale man stared back, something like shock flashing behind his eyes. Still, he didn't look quite as terrified as Inyssa had expected.

"Do you see this?" Cynthia asked, lifting her chin. "Proof of how utterly wrong you are. Proof that your beliefs are so feeble that even the spirits of mere children can shatter them." For a moment she looked back at Inyssa and Barry, the shadow of a smile on her lips. "Even if I had died by your hand today, my will would've carried on to the next generation of trainers, who would do everything in their power to stop you. You will never be able to win, Cyrus, no matter how much you try." The stormy grey of her eyes flashed with pride. "If you push us towards the abyss, we'll make the wind itself lift us up."

Cyrus looked as if he wanted to yawn but couldn't be bothered to make the effort. If Cynthia's speech had any effect on him, it didn't show.

"I suppose I should've prepared for a variable such as this," he spoke to himself, gaze lost someplace else. "It seems the Unovan specimens aren't tailored for this level of combat yet. If anything, I suppose I should thank you for showing me this." He looked at Cyntia. "I'll make sure to make the proper adjustments for... next time."

Cynthia set her jaw, the corners of her eyes a spider-web of crinkles. She looked as if she were barely holding herself together.

"There won't be a next time." Her voice was composed in the same way a rope stretched to its breaking point was. "I... no, we are ending Team Galactic here and now. You and your venomous ideals will never see the light of day again."

"I very much disagree, unfortunately. I might not get rid of you today, but I can still accomplish my secondary objective." Moving as swiftly as water, he jumped down towards the next street, landing at eye level with them. He never took his hands from behind his back. "I will be leaving now, and I'll be taking Inyssa with me. I hope you won't mind."

The look Cynthia gave him could've melted an iceberg, and yet once again she was interrupted before her fury could get the better of her.

"L-like hell..."

Inyssa, feeling that familiar fire in her belly spreading through her limbs, pushed herself away from Barry as she took a step forward. Her legs didn't appreciate suddenly having to support her body on their own, and as soon as she moved it felt as if someone had driven a nail through her back and into her lungs. The pain was so intense that she would've had an easier time holding up the moon with both hands than to take another step.

And yet, she didn't fall. She swiveled in place, eyes blurry but searing as she set her gaze on the pale man before her.

"I'm s-sick and tired of you and your fucking team. You t-think you can come here, attack us and just leave like that? You think you can make me do whatever you want!?"

She screamed with a hoarse, tired voice which sounded as if it were about to break. Her arms shook violently, and her eyes began to well up with tears of fear and anger. Cyrus, as with most things, seemed unaffected by her words, bored even.

"You do realize you are throwing a tantrum, don't you?" He raised one hand to the side, palm up. "If the Champion herself failed to intimidate me, what makes you think a half-dead girl with no usable Pokemon would succeed? I suppose the apple has fallen far from the tree in this specific instance." He sighed, and his next words cut through the air like a knife, headed straight towards Inyssa's chest. "At least Shadi knew when she was outmatched and was able to react accordingly. How disappointing to see that you're barely a shade of what she was..."

Inyssa's face twisted as if she'd been stabbed, mouth hanging slightly open in shock. Her eyes narrowed into slits, nails digging at her palms strongly enough to hurt. In the back of her mind she was aware that Cyrus was merely provoking her, but that knowledge didn't make it better.

"S-shut up! What the fuck do you know!?" She hollered, spit flying from her mouth. "Y-you think you can manipulate me with bullshit like that!? Huh!? ANSWER ME!"

Concern was written all over Barry and Cynthia's faces as they witnessed Inyssa's outburst. Her eyes were opened wide like plates and her face was flushed a deep red, turned into a terrible mask of rage. Something seemed to have broken inside her.

"I'm... I'm the one who's gonna become the Champion. Who the hell do you think you are to say that!?" Her yelling almost sounded like sobbing. "You think you can take me on!? Then come and fucking get me!"

There was a small pause in which no one spoke, and the faintest shadow of a smile flashed across Cyrus' lips.

"Very well, if you insist..."

It happened so fast that no one had time to react. Cyrus moved one hand from behind his back, a black and gold Pokeball glistening in between his fingers. The flash of light as it opened blinded them momentarily, giving him the chance he needed.

"Haze!"

Inyssa could barely make out the shape of Cyrus' Pokemon –about half his size, with long black wings and a prominent yellow beak–, before he extended his wingspan and a thick cloud of mist surrounded the entirety of the street they were in.

She accidentally breathed in some of it, and began to cough uncontrollably as everything around her became foggy and distant. She could barely see a couple feet in front of her. Somewhere around, she heard Barry and Cynthia's voices.

"Shit! Lorencia, use Laser Focus to find him!"

"Niss! Where are you!?"

Inyssa tried to reply but the coughing refused to stop. Half blind and in deep pain, she tried to make her way towards where she thought Barry's voice was coming from. Every step felt as if she were about to pass out, and her lungs began to burn. She extended one arm towards nothing, hoping to find...

Fingers closed around her wrist. At first she felt a wave of relief, thinking they were Barry's, but their grip became too strong for that to be the case. They squished hard enough to hurt, but before she could protest a pale face broke through the mist, cold eyes set on her.

It was as if someone had touched her with a live wire. Cyrus stepped closer, that strange Pokemon of his perched on his shoulder, and rose his arm as he spoke into his Pokétch.

"I have her," he whispered into it. "Pull us out."

She had no time to move. As it had happened before during the battle, a circle of purple light materialized from under them. The air began to vibrate, and something pulled at the depths of her chest.

Her scream got stuck in her throat as she felt her body dissipate into nothing.