Steven clenched his jaw and rubbed his forehead as he observed the ongoing battles from his vantage point over Metagross. Pelipper and Dodrio were still holding his Fossil Pokémon at bay, Aggron was still confused and Mightyena attempted to Swagger Skarmory into it as well, Altaria was still trying to fend off him and Metagross, and most damningly, Xatu and Crobat's Wind Shield was still keeping the Megalith shard safe from any attack. He still had no clear idea of what Zevie was doing, but he knew stopping the machine seemed like a good start.

It was a shame Zevie probably anticipated it, and his divide and conquer tactic was working a bit too well. None of his Pokémon were yet knocked out or fatigued, but from just a glance he could tell their performances start to noticeably drop, and the fact they couldn't cooperate or be directed was putting further dampers on their efficiency. Metagross tried to reach for the ground and help out the rest of his companions, only to need to twirl on itself and raise again to avoid Altaria's Flamethrower, flying straight in the intersection of four wormholes.

Metagross veered to the side, and Steven gripped to its progressively hotter sides as they floated to safety as the blasts collided. As his partner braked to a halt, Steven shook his head and stared back at Altaria. He frowned: they were in check, but it wasn't a checkmate yet. If they wanted to break it, they needed to act now.

Thus, the Champion jabbed at Xatu behind them. "Flash Cannon!"

Metagross spun on itself and flew onward, the shiny sphere of metal lighting up and then zooming towards Xatu. Steven smiled and waited, until he felt a searing hotness, and Metagross screamed.

The Champion could only catch glimpses of Altaria's Flamethrower as Metagross floated away in pain, the Flash Cannon diverted onto the side of Mt. Chimney and missing Xatu completely. Steven gripped Metagross' sides and clenched his jaws, an unspoken command blaring in his and Metagross' head as the lava became uncomfortably close.

Metagross pulled its limbs closer and made a complete one-eighty, spiking up for the air again until they were safely away from the volcano's pit. Steven held close his first partner all the while, and only sighed in relief as danger was away. He gave his partner a quick once over, and breathed in relief as he saw no lasting damage aside from a pitch-black patch of metal. He and Metagross filed that for later as they faced Altaria again, as the Dragon/Flying-type circled around them. Champion and Steel-type remained on guard, and waited for its move.

The moment Steven saw fire crackling in Altaria's maw, he snapped his fingers. "Bullet Punch!"

Metagross thrusted itself forward towards Altaria, arm shining a metallic hue. On the ground, Zevie chuckled.

"Cotton Guard, Altaria," Zevie said while fixing his goggles.

A wall of cotton formed in front of Altaria, and then it blew its wings. Metagross couldn't stop as he flew at high speed, and the barrage of cotton stuck right to him and Steven. White clouded their vision, even as the attack connected; he could hear Altaria grumbling in pain, and several fists fending the air instead, probably missing. Metagross still went on.

As Steven ripped the cotton off his eyes, he saw Altaria several feet away, looking annoyed but not as damaged as he hoped. Steven assumed it was the Cotton Guard in action.

He couldn't dwell further on it as familiar wormholes tore the sky open, and blasts came by faster than ever. Metagross cringed in pain as the barrage of hits homed right on it and its previous injury, and Steven desperately tried to avoid the hits. The storm of hits was going on, and each blast was closer than the previous one. He was stuck over his partner, and he was growing hotter and less stable every second.

Thus, Steven took a gamble.

He gave a nice pat on his Metagross' head, stared at the emptiness ahead, and grabbed his partner's Poké Ball. Then, he crouched and leapt into the air.

Steven turned around and pointed his Poké Ball at Metagross. "Return!" he yelled, and his partner was recalled to safety. Gravity pulled him down, and as he meteored to the battlefield, the Champion chanced a smile and met his Skarmory's gaze.

The Steel/Flying-type was fast to take flight and lunge straight for him. Steven extended his arm and caught his Pokémon's back, then hopped over it with almost trained skill, just a few feet from the ground.. Now back in flight, Steven almost smiled at how Zevie and Altaria appeared stunned. The gamble paid off, and it was time to double in.

"Cradily, Ancient Power!" And swiftly, he saw his Grass/Rock-type throw her head to the side and fire a salvo of giant rocks. Altaria flew under them, but Altaria didn't let up, forcing Zevie's ace closer and closer to the ground.

Smashing right into Aggron's way, just as it snapped out of confusion. The Dragon cried at the impact, before it rolled over the ground writhing in pain.

Steven didn't smile as Altaria was now groundbound, and instead veered out of an Ice Beam's path and then focused on the ground. Dodrio, Pelipper and Mightyena all stared over to them, a Tri-Attack, a Scald and a Fire Fang on the ready. He gave Skarmory a quick pat, and his Pokémon shot out of the way of the incoming attacks.

Then it stopped overhead, just in position to aim for everyone. And then, Steven snapped his fingers again. "Toxic!"

Skarmory circled around itself as the venom blast rained down, too fast for Pelipper to use Protect: he could spy Zevie's three Pokémon taking on a much more purple tint, smiled, and then turned back to the Megalith as he heard Armaldo, Cradily and Aggron dealing with their groundbound adversaries.

Skarmory took for Xatu and Crobat once more, Steven holding tightly to him. And then, Zevie's order boomed.

"Blast him out of the skies."

Steven didn't need context as Skarmory veered around a Flamethrower, and Altaria swiftly caught up to them, fury burning in its eyes. Another tongue of fire blared in their way, and from the ground even an Ice Beam and Tri-Attack ensued from known sources. Steven wasn't surprised, even as the world spun all around him as Skarmory made several rollings and dodge maneuvers while aiming for the Wind Shield, Altaria always circling around him and each blast growing closer. Steven pursed his lips into a frown, and palmed a Poké Ball again; he remained calm however, even as the blasts grew larger and more unrelenting, and Skarmory was hit straight by a Flamethrower and-

An open formed, and Steven leapt off the burning Skarmory and right over Altaria. His blood turned cold as a Flamethrower seared inches from his face, and then he fell for the lava. Or would've, if he didn't toss his Poké Ball again.

A light shone, and Metagross materialized under him. Altaria was quick to blast another Flamethrower right at them.

Metagross spun upwards, and Steven caught on one limb. As Metagross rolled around another tongue of fire, Steven managed to take back his position above his partner. He then traded a glance with the injured Skarmory.

He gave a curt nod, and tackled right into Altaria as he spiraled to the ground. His claws dug on the Dragon-type, and Zevie's Pokémon couldn't break free.

The Flying-types freefalled towards the battlefield, and Steven and Metagross could turn back to the Wind Shield. Trainer and Pokémon shared a nod, and shot back towards the barrier of Air Slashes.

Steven held close to Metagross once more, sticking close to it a Scald and a Tri-Attack almost blew them back towards the lava. Pelipper and Dodrio lunged back at him, readying other strikes.

And then, a barrage of rocks and several giant boulders forced them on the defensive. Before they could attack again, the Rock Blast and the Ancient Powers kept piling up, and Metagross was able to break forward. Steven shared a quick nod with Cradily and Armaldo as they kept the Flying-types at bay, and then focused on the machinery ahead. The Champion could hear the cries, the hits and the explosions of every Pokémon around him, and knew his Pokémon were doing their best to win. He and Metagross couldn't put any less effort now.

And thus, as they finally were inches from Xatu and Crobat, Steven pointed ahead. "Meteor Mash!"

Metagross' limbs shone of a bright white, charged them, and then exploded in a flurry of attacks. Xatu and Crobat tried to stop and focus, but it was too late.

The Two Pokémon were blown straight on the machinery, cracking it ever-so-slightly. The Air Slash currents ceased, and the Megalith Shard lost its shield. Steven's eyes glimmered with satisfaction.

"We did it," Steven said as a smile parted his lips. He immediately shook his head and returned serious as he cleched his fists. "Metagross, let's go again. Meteor-"

"Wind Shield, Beta Formation."

Xatu and Crobat flew forward again, taking on opposite positions, and the Air Slashes began anew. The air currents enveloped the Megalith shard again stronger than before. Steven widened his eyes, but quickly snapped out of it as he searched around. And then he found Xatu and Crobat again, each enveloped in an Air Slash from the other Pokémon as they spun around their own Air Slashes, simultaneously covering themselves and weaving their defense thicker than before.

Steven sharpened his glare, and pointed on again. "Metagross, use-"

A loud explosion blared behind him, and a meteor shower rained over Mt. Chimney. Champion and Pokémon could only turn around as they saw the incoming Draco Meteor homing right for him, too close for a Protect.

Ever swift, Metagross tried to zoom past the rocks, the lava spills and the meteor shards forcing it on a narrow path. Steven turned around in search of an opening, the rocks dominating his field of vision-

And then one impacted right over Metagross.

The Steel-type wasn't harmed that much by the blast, but Steven was blasted right out of Metagross, and back into the air. Everything was a blur as the Champion tried to understand what was going on. He spotted Metagross trying to come for him until another Draco Meteor stopped it on its tracks, and then he saw the ground, where Skarmory was writhing on the ground and keeping Mightyena at bay. He couldn't call on anyone, and he continued to fall faster and faster-

And then, two strong pair of arms grabbed him in mid-air, and brought him back to the ground to safety. As the world stopped spinning, Steven recognized the arms as he traded a content grin with his Aggron, just as his Steel/Rock-type gently let him back on the ground. All the while, the meteor shower ended, and calm returned to Mt. Chimney.

Steven held his forehead, breathing heavily as his heart thumped against his chest, as his team of Pokémon gathered around him and Metagross floated at his side. They all looked onward, where Zevie was pacing calmly towards them with all his Pokémon following him, and Altaria landing next to him. In the background, the Megalith shard started pulsing eerily and casting a green light over the top of the volcano, which only made Zevie appear to be even more satisfied with the proceedings.

"Did you seriously believe I didn't have other aces in the hole? Only a fool plays their best cards all at once." Zevie grinned, giving Steven's team an amused glance. "In all honesty, I'm quite impressed. I thought I would be able to stall you with just the first formation."

Steven slitted his eyes. "You don't remember who you're facing, then."

"Maybe. But I won't lie, it's nice to see you're as tough a cookie as always." Team Zenith's leader gave a lighthearted smile, only to turn serious and rise a hand to his goggles. "But I'm not here to have fun, and it's time to let the kids' gloves off."

The man tapped his headgear twice, and a shining stone appeared right on the left side of it. A small, multicolored one that Steven was very familiar with. Steven couldn't help but grimace as he spotted a larger, still multicolored stone attached to one of Altaria's wings, hidden between the fluff.

Zevie touched his Keystone, and rose his free hand skyward. "It is time to take to the skies even higher, Altaria! Show us the zenith of what your kind can offer!"

The Keystone and Altarianite shone at once, and Altaria soared high and spread its wings: the fluff around its body grew bigger and more voluminous, receding from its chest but expanding on its tail, forming a cloud-like mass on its back, a collar around its neck, and a hat-like crest over its head. As the light faded, Mega Altaria let out a majestic cry as he stared down at its opponents with a wicked grin unfitting for such a beautiful creature, one shared with its trainer.

"Mega Altaria, the zenith of the Altaria species." Zevie crossed his arms behind his back once more, stare up to his partner Pokémon. "We've reached for greatness together since we were just a kid and his Swablu, and after many struggles, we attained the ultimate power."

The man grinned afterwards. "Do you really think you can match all the work we've put in this operation? Do you seriously think you can win against us?"

As he studied the Mega Evolution, the Champion appeared forlorn. He had seen his share of Altaria and Mega Altaria thanks to Wallace's niece, Drake and Winona, and he knew how powerful they could be in the right hands. And he knew very well that Zevie's Altaria was far from the gentle soul its species usually was. Even with a type advantage over the now Dragon/Fairy, that wouldn't have been an easy battle, especially with the Megalith pulsating brighter every second, and the Wind Shield still up.

Steven shared a glance with all his Pokémon: they were battered, bruised and just a bit tired, but their eyes burned with the same determination to win as they always did, the same determination that crowned them as the best team of the Hoenn region.

With renewed resolve, Steven's smiled back at Team Zenith's leader and his Mega Altaria, and so did all his Pokémon.

"You really don't remember, do you?" Steven held a hand over his chest, his gaze turning more serious than before. "I'm Steven Stone, and I'm many things: Champion of the Hoenn region, heir of the Devon Corporation, and first line of defense against anyone who wants to destroy my home region. Unfortunately, 'patient' isn't one of them."

He grabbed the Mega Pin on his lapel and kissed the Keystone on it lightly, before holding it high. "Let's show them what we're truly made of, Metagross!"

The Keystone shone bright, and the Metagrossite on Metagross' right forelimb lighted up with it; as the energy enveloped Metagross, the Psychic/Steel-type floated skyward and extended its limbs, all four growing bigger and rearranging themselves vertically as four smaller ones sprouted behind it, a single pronged extremity appearing on its face, and its golden cross turning electric blue. As the light faded, Steven's Mega Metagross stared over its opponents in determination.

Zevie didn't appear troubled; if anything, his smile grew even brighter as he clapped excitedly.

"What an honor, to fight the Champion of Hoenn at his full power." He extended his arms to the sides, as Mega Altaria floated down. "But I've known you ever since you were an impulsive rookie. Team Zenith will be the one to triumph in the end."

Steven held his gaze on him as Mega Metagross lowered itself. "Not as long as I'm alive."

The Champion's team and the Team Zenith's leader's one kept staring at each other for a long time, each waiting for the first move of the other. And then, at once, Steven and Zevie hopped on their respective Mega Evolutions, and all the Pokémon lunged at each other for the second round of the battle.

The Fossils, Aggron and Skarmory didn't waste time to take on their opponents and blocking their path, while Mega Metagross and Mega Altaria circled around each other, both Steven and Zevie studying their opponent. The Champion was by no means an expert of every Mega Evolution, but he did know that Altaria was a Dragon/Fairy-type Pokémon, and with the change in typing came a weakness towards Steel-types. It was something to take advantage of.

And thus, Steven jabbed at Altaria. "Flash Cannon!"

The metallic beam flew towards Altaria, only for Zevie's Pokémon to gracefully fly out of the way; Metagross didn't pause, sending further Flash Cannons in an attempt to force Altaria on an open position. The Dragon-type wasn't going to just defend, however, as it opened his mouth and fired a high-pitched cry of Hyper Voice, the soundwaves looking much more pink than usual. The now Fairy-type Hyper Voice didn't damage Metagross heavily, but the blast itself was enough to toss Metagross back.

Metagross righted itself immediately and spun back towards Altaria, only to see wall of fire of a Flamethrower aiming right for them.

"Protect!" Steven shouted: the green barrier rose, and the wall of fire crashed over it. The blast was strong enough that the blast split in several directions, hot and searing enough to melt the rocks several feet under them. Beneath, Aggron and Skarmory were forced to move away from the blast and heat, while above Metagross' Protect started to crack under the pressure.

Steven pursed his lips, and gave Metagross a glance; the Steel-type nodded, aiming a Bullet Punch skyward and rocketing higher just as the flames consumed the energy shield.

"Draco Meteor!"

As Steven and Metagross turned downward again, they were welcomed by the meteor splitting in several smaller shards, all aiming for them. With a wordless command, Metagross' limbs glowed at once in several Bullet Punches, and the Steel-type flew straight at the Draco Meteor: each punch connected with a shard, shattering them into nothingness and propelling Metagross around towards other shards. Metagross zoomed all over the sky with trained expertise and in a clear rhythm, never letting even a shard hit it and never wasting even one hit as it reached closer for Altaria.

Zevie frowned at the incoming Metagross, even with a hint of amusement. "Flamethrower!"

Altaria readied the wall of fire, only for Metagross to reach his face faster; Steven was the one looking amused now.

"Smash with Protect!"

Metagross lunged towards Altaria, the Protect barried forming just as it smashed into the Flying-type, blasting it away; Metagross put itself in position even before Steven pointed ahead. "Flash Cannon!"

The steely laser flew once more, and once more Altaria dodged it majestically. But the attack had made it slower, and Steven and Metagross were quick to see an opening.

"Meteor Mash!"

Metagross' limb shone brightly as it closed the distance towards the opposing Mega, too fast for it or Zevie to react. Metagross decked Altaria out of the skies, and the Dragon-type meteored into a crater on the ground below; the shockwave was strong enough to throw Mightyena off balance, just enough for Aggron to Dragon Claw it to the ground. Zevie's Mightyena tried to valiantly stand up again, only for him to grimace at the poison, and finally fall unconscious.

Steven chanced a grin as Aggron let out a satisfied growl and moved towards Cradily and Armaldo. One less Pokémon to think about, maybe two-

His thoughts were interrupted as Altaria rose again, and a piercing war cry deafened the fighters; the Hyper Voice was strong enough to blast Steven's groundbound team away and allow Dodrio and Pelipper to surround and aim for them two at a time. Steven frowned, and then he saw another Draco Meteor aiming straight at him.

"Meteor Mash!" Before the meteor had a chance to split, Metagross shattered it away, the recoil strong enough to send them several feet away from Altaria, far enough for Steven to study their opponent: Zevie's Altaria had received several hits, and yet none seemed to have had any major effect. Plus, even after several Draco Meteors, it didn't seem like Altaria's strength had waned any less. Just how did Zevie raise his Pokémon?

Steven put the question aside as he looked back at Metagross. Its Mega Ability was Tough Claws, and several Meteor Mashes had raised their attack power. Judging from the blast, their strength was at the very least double their usual output. The battle needed to be finished quickly, and he needed all the strength he could use.

In the meantime, the Draco Meteor's shards rained down the battlefield; the attack was sudden enough that Pelipper was forced to sharply dive away, giving Cradily and Armaldo enough time to go back to their Ancient Power and Rock Blast-powered offensive; Dodrio had to jump away too, which was enough for Skarmory to take the skies and keep it busy while Aggron blocked its path from the ground. Steven was sure he could trust his Pokémon to finish Zevie's Flying-types, and his attention turned to Mega Altaria once again.

As the Megas traded Bullet Punches and Flamethrowers once again, Steven studied their moves and Zevie's strategies, chill running down his spine as he noticed the leader of Team Zenith wasn't particularly worried still, even as he noticed the lack of Future Sights around them: whether it was for the Beta Formation preventing Xatu from launching them or some other reason, Steven was glad to have one less problem to take into account.

His focus however swiftly returned to Altaria as another Hyper Voice blasted Steven right in the path of an incoming Flamethrower; another Protect rose, and Steven tried to block Altaria with a Psychic. A last-second Draco Meteor was enough to break Metagross' concentration and break Altaria free, and the Dragon/Fairy-type began circling around Metagross while soaring even higher than before.

Zevie rose a hand, and snapped his fingers. "Cotton Guard, wide area!"

Altaria nodded, and the Dragon-type spun on himself, several layers of cotton spreading around and under him: the rain of fluff was intricate and strong enough to block any path towards him, and to force Steven's Pokémon to move out of the way. Several layers of cotton formed around Altaria while coating Pelipper and Dodrio, and by the grins they all sported, it was clear their special defenses were all buffed. Another Flamethrower flew, burning over the cotton path as it zoomed towards Metagross.

Steven and his Pokémon narrowly dodged the powered up blast, then turned to see Altaria cover up the path and readying another strike. Steven narrowed his eyes and was about to order a Meteor Mash, only for an eerie green pulse to the side to distract him.

The Champion only barely soared out of the Hyper Voice's range as his attention went back to the Megalith: the pulsations were becoming far brighter and frequent, and as he turned back to Zevie, he could see his grin only widen. Steven clenched his fists: Altaria and Zevie's other Pokémon were never the true enemy, and they needed to be defeated soon.

"Flash Cannon!"

Metagross' beam was buffetted by the cotton path set up all around Altaria, slowed down and weakened enough for Zevie's Pokémon to simply waltz out of the way. Steven frowned further; with the current set up, a swift defeat was impossible. He needed to find another way to stop Altaria's strategy from-

Something clicked in Steven's mind. It wasn't Altaria he was facing, it was Zevie. And that meant he knew how to stop him.

In the meantime, the Team Zenith Boss pointed towards the Champion. "Cotton Guard, wall! Then Hyper Voice!"

The cotton path formed in mid-air once more, and the piercing scream tossed all the balls of fluff against them in a maelstrom of white. Steven and his ace spun back in place, and the Champion's order boomed loud and clear.

"Psychic!"

All the balls of fluff braked suddenly in mid-air, then they bulletted back towards Altaria; Zevie's Dragon-type flew around to dodge his own Cotton Guard, and that's when Steven aimed at him.

"Meteor Mash!"

Metagross lunged faster than ever as its swing impacted straight into Altaria's stomach, and then held its punch as both Megas flew against the volcano's walls; Mega Altaria slammed on the hard rock, a spider web-like crack exploding upon impact. Zevie managed to hold back only barely, and mostly thanks to Mega Altaria's rear fluff cushioning the hit.

Steven didn't care for that, however. He sent Metagross a knowing glance, and they shared a nod as Altaria glared towards them.

"Keep them busy!" He yelled; the Hoenn Champion then leapt off his faithful starter and right over Altaria, pining Zevie over Altaria's back. Both Altaria and his trainer flinched at the move, but Altaria didn't have time to think about it as Metagross let go of the Meteor Mash to charge a Flash Cannon, forcing the Dragon-type to fly to safety. Metagross didn't let go as it fired further Flash Cannons, all while Steven continued to keep Zevie down.

"What the-" For the first time since they had met again, Zevie sounded positively angry. He frowned and glared at his Pokémon. "Make him fall down, Altaria!"

The Dragon/Fairy-type cried an affirmative, as he started to dodge straight into the cotton path while twirling and flipping through the air as fast as it could, dodging the steely beams while trying to toss Steven away; for its part, Steven only dug his feet into the Pokémon's sides and continued to hold Team Zenith's leader down, adrenaline and determination mixing for boundless strength as the Hoenn Champion grinned.

"Heh, Metagross had to outrun cave-ins once a week for years. This is nothing for us," he said matter-of-factly.

Zevie didn't seem to understand Steven's actions as he attempted to break free of the man's hold, at least until he spied Metagross abandoning the chase to move back towards Xatu and Crobat; Altaria barely managed to approach it before a well-aimed Flash Cannon held him at bay. It was then that Zevie grinned again and turned back to Steven.

"I see." The scientist chuckled. "Clever. You aren't trying to defeat my Pokémon, you're trying to keep me from giving orders."

"It doesn't matter how strong each individual soldier is, a decapitated army is bound to lose fast," Steven said with finality.

Zevie didn't reply right away, as Altaria continued to flip and keep Metagross from making progress against the Wind Shield, even as each attack by the other Mega came dangerously more close. And then, Zevie laughed. Steven's hold grew ever-so-slightly weaker at that.

"You've really gotten impressive. You're really worthy of the title of Champion." Zevie's grin grew darker and surer. "But there's a reason why you won't win."

Steven tried to hold him back further. "What-"

"You should've tried to toss me into the lava." With a burst of strength, Zevie managed to free his hands and grab Steven's arms. "You don't have the courage to go all out for your convictions. And that's why you're going to lose."

Everything happened in less than a second: Altaria flipped skyward once more, and when it finally reached the zenith upside-down, Zevie gathered his strength and kicked Steven in the chest. The Champion lost his balance, and plummeted towards Mt. Chimney's crater.

All his Pokémon went into high alert, with Metagross and Skarmory both trying to fly to the rescue; Steven held his hands for both of them, only for the cotton path to close the way as Altaria's Hyper Voice and Pelipper's Ice Beam threw Steven's fliers out of the way. Steven could only cast one last look at his partners staring in pure horror at his fall, just as he turned back to the lava. There were no rocks to grab on the way, and as Altaria kept Metagross busy, he couldn't ask his partner to grab him with a Psychic.

There was nothing he could do. It was the end. And all Steven could think was how he had failed his family, his friends, and his entire region.

I'm sorry, was all Steven could think as he closed his eyes and the heat grew warmer.

And then, he heard the sharp sound of sliced wind, felt something yank him, and the heat cooled down more and more as he felt his body thrown on something solid and scaley. And then, he heard a familiar voice.

"I thought you could handle this yourself, Sootopolitan."

Steven opened his eyes slowly, finding Zinnia staring at him with a condescending look over her Salamence, as she flew through the cotton path and back to safety. He blinked a couple of times before he frowned to her. "Weren't you dealing with Carly and Taylor?"

"The little Sootopolitan you were bringing along caused a landslide and defeated the grunts there. I decided you could've used a hand here as they finished them."

"Thank you, I really needed that." Steven adjusted his ascot as he chanced another look at the lava underneath. Then, both he and Zinnia turned towards the sealed Megalith as they landed on the ground, Pelipper and Dodrio still kept busy by Steven's Pokémon as Metagross floated down to his trainer.

After analyzing the Wind Shield, Zinnia folded her arms and turned to Steven. "What's keeping the Champion of Hoenn from destroying that thing?"

As if to answer her, Metagross raised a Protect just as a blast of Hyper Voice aimed towards her and Steven. As he hopped off Salamence and back on Metagross, the Champion gave Altaria and Zevie a cursory glance before he turned back to Zinnia.

"I might be a Champion, but let's just say I'm not particularly good at multitasking."

Zinnia chuckled in response, only for her to turn serious as she stared at Mega Altaria, her lips curling into a frown. "So, that's a Mega Altaria... a Dragon-type and a Fairy-type at once. What an aberration..." She shared a glance with her Salamence, and then faced the Megalith ahead. "I'm leaving that guy to you. I'll take care of the Megalith."

"Not to sound rude, but you're gonna need power to do that." Steven crooked an eyebrow.

Zinnia grinned back at him. "Who says I don't have it?"

She tapped over the spiral-shaped anklet she wore, and only then did Steven notice the shining Keystone embedded in it, and the ring holder around Salamence's tail. Stones and Pokémon shone at once, as Salamence's body grew more steamlined and its wings more aerodynamic. The light faded as soon as it started, and Zinnia's Mega Salamence shouted a war cry as its new form was revealed. The Lorekeeper gave another grin, and she and her Pokémon jetted towards the Megalith.

Steven couldn't help but be dazzled for a second, before he tapped Metagross' head and flew back into the battle once more.

As he heard Zinnia ordering Draco Meteors towards the Wind Shield and its makers, Steven spied Zevie holding onto Altaria and lunging at her, a Hyper Voice ready to be fired. Steven steeled his gaze, and crouched over his Pokémon's head for better balance. "Get in the way, Metagross!"

Metagross grunted in affirmative, rocketing right into the soundwaves and shielding Salamence. Zevie's lips were pursed into a dark frown as he glanced at the Champion once more.

"You won't stop us! Altaria, rise up and Draco Meteor!"

As the Dragon/Fairy-type soared further up and prepared the draconic comet, Metagross moved further up to intercept it: Steven knocked on his partner's head, and a blistering Flash Cannon flew straight for Altaria. The majestic dragon danced its way out of the attack, at the cost of a misshapen Draco Meteor that collapsed just as it was thrown.

"Psychic!" Metagross' eyes shone of a blue hue, and all the shards stopped in mid-air. Then Metagross stared at Altaria, and all the fragments of Draco Meteor were redirected back to the sender; their draconid power might've not posed danger to Altaria, but the rocks themselves definitely did.

Mega Altaria flew around the falling debris, with Zevie holding back a curse as he pointed skyward. "Hyper Voice! Destroy all these rocks!"

As the Fairy-enhanced scream travelled upward and disintegrated the Dragon-type attack, Steven could focus on his opponent, and how tight he was gripping on Altaria's body fluff as he stared skyward. He then faced Steven again, and his stare grew even more piercing. "Block them! Cotton Guard, over and over!"

As the barrage of cotton travelled towards Steven and Metagross, the Hoenn Champion couldn't help but feel reinvigorated. Zevie was angrier, less sure of the outcome, and much more hapzard in his strategy. The holes were showing, and Steven was ready to take advantage of it.

And with a snap of his fingers, he did. "Psychic!"

Just like the Draco Meteor, the balls of fluff braked in mid-air and turned back around at Metagross' thought. Altaria had to soar around to escape it, and that's when Steven locked on him and Zevie.

"This is the end! Meteor Mash, multi-limb style!" Steven yelled, and his trusty Metagross jetted towards Zevie and his ace, all its usable limbs lighting up and ready to swing.

Altaria tried to dive out of the way, only for a barrier of his own fluff to stop him on his tracks. Team Zenith's leader and his Pokémon stared at the incoming Metagross, and glared back defiantly.

"Hyper Voice!"

The piercing scream impacted over Steven and his Metagross, stronger than ever; the Fairy-enhanced move scraped over them, trying to blast the Champion and his Pokémon out of the way. However, even as the attack grew more intense and Metagross began to be knocked back, neither it nor its trainer were ready to give in.

Zevie and his Altaria had managed to push Steven and Metagross closer to their limits than any opponent since they gained the Champion title. They had fought almost valiantly, but the writing was on the wall: this was the final clash, the last move to end a battle that went on too long.

Steven Stone was many things. Too bad 'patient' wasn't one of them.

"Break through, Metagross!"

Metagross pushed through, stronger and stronger, defying the soundwaves and readying its steely and glowing fists. Altaria continued to scream against it, stretching its vocal chords to his absolute limits.

The Fairy-empowered sound clattered against its metal, Metagross didn't yield. It pushed further and further, closing the distance inch by inch, faster and faster-

And then swung with all its power.

Altaria screamed as the hit connected and he was blown backwards, but Metagross didn't stop. It reached for Altaria and decked him with an uppercut, sending the Dragon/Fairy flying overhead as Zevie struggled to hold onto him. That was when Metagross jetted again, and all his limbs flared brighter than ever.

"Now!" At his trainer's call, the Steel-type shoot forward, unleashing a flurry of punches on the defenseless Altaria. It hit him over and over wherever they could, only growing faster and stronger with each hit, determination to win burning through each and every punch.

And then, after several agonizing seconds, Metagross struck one last Meteor Mash right on Altaria's jaw. The Pokémon cried in pain as Metagross floated away, then meteored towards the ground and crashed over the hard rocks, with Zevie losing his hold and crashing away from his partner.

Mega Altaria could only manage one last defiant glare before he fell on a heap and the energy dispelled, leaving only a defeated and unconscious Altaria.

As Steven adjusted his ascot, he traded a satisfied grin with his Metagross. That was the power of the Hoenn Champion.

He turned back to the Wind Shield just in time to see another barrage of Draco Meteor explode over it, surviving even the sharp currents and blasting Xatu and Crobat right towards the rocks beneath, too tired to really do anything as their handiwork disappeared and the Megalith's tube was exposed again. At the same time, some well-aimed Dragon Claws and Rock Blasts were enough to send Pelipper and Dodrio collapsing on the floor, defeating the last of Zevie's forces.

As Steven and Zinnia returned back to the ground and they stared at the defeated, unconscious forms of Zevie and his team of Pokémon and the now uncovered Megalith shard, the results of the battle were clear.

"You did some great work, here." The Champion placed his hands in his pockets and chanced a smile at the Draconid.

Surprisingly enough, Zinnia gave a brief grin of her own. "I suppose you weren't half bad, either."

Steven's smile widened, even moreso when the rest of his team gathered around him, tired but still strong. He gave them all an approving glance, and they replied in kind.

And then, a familiar voice boomed. "Mister Stone!"

Steven glanced behind him right in time to see Sawyer, Ryuga and several other Draconids rushing towards him and Zinnia, with the Elder following at a slower pace.

The older Draconid gave a glance to Zevie's unconscious form, before she shook her head. "I thought you would've understood your time had passed by now," she muttered.

Steven didn't pay mind to the older woman, however, as Sawyer and Ryuga reached for him with worried grimaces. "Don't worry, we've dealt with Zevie here. There's nothing to worry about anymore," Steven told them with a warm and confident smile.

Sawyer shook his head and gulped. "Team Zenith had another plan in mind, defeating them would've never stopped them."

Steven felt doubt worm his way into him and his smile died, replaced by a serious frown. Around him, he could see that Zinnia and his team had grown similarly wary. That all fell into the background as an eerie green glow dominated his peripheral vision, and Steven and everyone else turned to face the Megalith shard, right as it bathed the crater in a strong emerald light.

Sawyer stepped ahead and stared at the rock, playing with his notebook nervously. "They wanted to overload the Megalith, or something like that. It's probably going critical now."

As if to prove his point, the Megalith started glowing even further, its light almost blinding. The Draconids remained silent as they observed the event, while Steven didn't waste time as he stepped forward, his team taking their place at his side.

And then, he faced all the people gathered behind him. "Let's aim at it together."

It wasn't a request, but nobody was feeling like objecting. Thus, as Metagross readied a Flash Cannon, Steven could see several Dragon Meteors, Pulses, Breaths, Hyper Beams and Flamethrowers, and everything in between be charged at once, with the rest of his team doing the same. Even Ryuga's Swablu and Sawyer's Beldum and Bagon started to charge some attacks. It was an interesting sight, but Steven had no time to marvel at the implications.

He sent a wordless glance to Zinnia, and Champion and Lorekeeper faced their target at once. Steven pointed at the still glowing Megalith, and readied his order.

"Heh heh heh. It's useless."

Steven hesitated just for a second at those words, but the attacks were fired all the same. As they homed on their target, all the different energies melded together, the different attacks coming together into one giant multicolored beam as it travelled towards its target-

And then a familiar green barrier rose; it wasn't strong enough to hold the attack back, but it did spread the blast into several directions, with the central blast too weak to even crack the protective glass that still held the Megalith shard.

Steven widened his eyes, until he looked down to see Zevie's Pelipper weakly rising its wing and grinning at them, before it fell down again. All the while, he could see Zevie rise back up, dusting off his labcoat and with a huge grin plastered over his face, one that sent chills down the Champion's spine.

"I was worried for a second that you could've disrupted my plans, but it looks like I can still make it," the leader of Team Zenith said. He pulled the left sleeve of his coat enough to reveal a bracelet with a button on it, and the scientist's grin only widened as he pressed it. "I still have one ace left to play."

Behind Zevie a bright pink light flared up, and it was only then that Steven noticed the small but distinct pencil shape of the Flower protruding from the console Zevie was using previously.

All the gathered Pokémon screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in pain and convulsing as several energy particles escaped their bodies to be absorbed into the Flower. The Pokémon tried to aim for the machine, but the absorbtion was too strong and intensive, and none of them could pose resistance. Not even Zevie's own Pokémon were spared for their pain, their already fatigued bodies losing even more energy to the Flower. It was a dreadful sight, and one none of them could stop. And through it all, Zevie appeared absolutely jubilant.

"Yes! Just like this! Gather more energy! Gather it all!" he yelled, arms raised in cheer as he observed the downed and pained Pokémon.

After sparing a glance at his suffering team, Steven's lips pursed into a tight frown. He balled his fists, and glared at his enemy.

"Metagross, use-" A clanking sound was heard, and Steven widened his eyes as his shiny partner fell sprawling on the ground. "Metagross!"

Tsking loudly, the leader of Team Zenith raised a finger and waggled it towards the Champion. "It's useless. Your company created the Flower, you should know what effect it has on Pokémon."

"Stop, Zevie! You're going to-"

"These Pokémon's lives are an acceptable sacrifice for a brighter tomorrow." The man's grin widened further as he spied an indicator on the console. "But don't worry, that won't be necessary. I reached the quota I needed."

Fearing no opposition, Zevie walked calmly to the console, entering a few keys with incredible nonchalance.

"No Champion, Draconid or anyone else is going to stop Team Zenith's ambitions." He pressed the Enter key, and faced back his audience with a sincere smile. "My dream was to lead this world to a new era of peace, but if that is not going to work, then I will just need to eradicate all that's wrong in this world. That's the quickest and most efficient way to solve our planet's problems, and ensure a new path for the future."

"You aren't the first person to have tried something like this, and none of them ever won." Steven just stared back, defiance strong in his gaze.

Zevie gave a lighthearted chuckle. "It's good to be the first, then."

The scientist shifted his attention back to the Flower, almost marveling at it. And then, his attention went back to Steven, arms folded behind his back.

"You know, Infinity Energy may seem daunting to manage at first, but the moment you understand its inner properties, it's surprisingly easy to model it to your needs, especially when you have a nice power source like Mt. Chimney to work on it. And the Draconid lore helped me understand how to use the Megalith efficiently." He patted the console, and smiled at the crystalline device. "And it's all programmed here, in this little Flower."

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With another chuckle, Zevie pressed the button again, and the energy absorbtion ceased immediately: all the Pokémon fell to the floor, many of them energyless, some of them defiant, but all of them thankfully still alive.

The joy of that was rather shortlived however, as Zevie grabbed the Flower and jabbed it further inside the machine. The whole console lit up, just as the Megalith shone of an emerald hue brighter than ever before.

The scientist beamed as he raised both hands up. "Rise, Megalith! Reveal your true form!"

As the Megalith shone again and energy burst forth from it, the blinding green light was enough to force everyone to shield their eyes. Even with that, however, Steven and the others tried to see what was going on, especially as he heard the glass tube shattering and saw the Megalith shard rising further in the air.

Shapes were hard to make out in the light, but the Infinity Energy radiating from the rock was palpable and felt even at several feet of distance. He could see the rock shatter and divide under the energy's pressure, only for its components to grow more steamlined and elongated, several rocks morphing in a sort of face crudely shaped like the Delta letter. Even for a rock enthusiast, that was unlike anything he had ever seen, and yet way too familiar for something he had seen in legends, fairy tales, and the Draconids' own lore.

Zinnia, the Elder and all the other Draconids seemed to understand it too, as their gazes morphed from confused to horrified. Sawyer just stepped behind the Champion, as if looking for protection. All around them, even their downed and weakened Pokémon observed on in fear.

And as Steven went back to the Megalith's changing shape and what it was became increasingly clear, the Champion felt genuine dread for the first time in forever.

And then, as the light subsided, a floating rocky abomination in the crude shape of the Dragon Lord's Mega Evolution towered over the crater of Mt. Chimney.

No one dared saying a word as the mockery of a Mega Rayquaza continued to float above them, its ruby-like pupils scanning the area under it until it aimed for the gathered Draconids and the two Sootopolitans.

Zevie's grin widened as he contemplated his creation, before his gaze shifted back to his adversaries. "Destroy all on your path."

The rosy stone eyes glistened right after, and several tendrils shot from the Megalith and right towards its enemies.

Metagross and several Altaria drew out their Protect shields as quickly as they could, only for the tendril to shatter past them and right into the ground. Everyone was scattered around by the impact, and they were all sent scampering away as the Megalith pulsed green again, and multiple other tendrils extended from it and the ground below.

Steven wasn't able to register clearly what was going on as he recalled all of his Pokémon save for the still battle-ready Metagross, just as his loyal partner kept the Protects up and fire Flash Cannons in return. All around him were a mass of tendrils sprouting erratically from all over, be it from the ground or the sky, as several other Draconids ran away from the incoming mess. A few of them even tried to fight back, only for the tendrils to pierce through their defense and strike their Pokémon down, constricting and tying them and their trainers, blocking their path or swatting them dangerously close to the lava. It was absolute hell, and with every pulse of the Megalith, the being only grew more unpredictable. Cries and screams raised from all over, any and all attempts at offensive curbed in an instant.

Steven Stone had travelled far and wide through the whole Hoenn region and beyond, and by now he was sure little could surprise him, having fought every Pokémon he could on the way. But that thing was different: it wasn't a Pokémon, it was a monster, and he saw no weaknesses they could exploit. And through it all, the leader of Team Zenith was having the last laugh.

"How do you like this, Champion of the Hoenn region? Are you still going to sprout idealistic nonsense now?" Zevie asked, his cocksure smirk only underscoring his regained advantage.

Steven didn't have a rebuttal as several tendrils shot towards him, only held back by a timely Bullet Punch as the Hoenn Champion dove under any incoming strikes.

"Just surrender yourself! I won, Steven! I won!" Zevie continued to cackle madly, drunk on power as the Megalith pulsed again, greener and brighter than ever.

Steven wished to have a snappy retort, something to prove him wrong, but he truly had nothing. None of Metagross' strikes could do more than blast the tendrils away, Protect only worked half the time, and Flash Cannon didn't even scrape the false Mega Rayquaza's rocky hide, as it started to soar over the crater in a circle, more and more tendrils joining the chaos. And through it all, Steven could tell his best friend was only up out of sheer determination.

"Psychic!" Steven ordered, and the blue outline stopped a tendril before it could go through his skull and tied it up with another. It was only temporary unfortunately, as the tendrils untangled themselves and travelled back towards him and any other target he could.

"It's all useless, there's nothing you can do against the power of the Megalith. You are the test run for the glory of Team Zenith, and you can't stop us anymore!"

Steven wished he could go back and pin Zevie to the ground again, but as several tendrils blocked his path, he wisely decided against trying. However, that and Zevie's repeated boasts only made the reality of the situation more apparent.

Team Zenith had actually won, and there was nothing at hand to overturn it.

Reality only sunk in for the Champion as he found a rock far away from the conflict, allowing himself to take a few breaths and focus again. As he spied back to the battlefield, some of his hopes were further dashed as the ocean of tendrils continued to beat up on the Draconids, who could only run for their lives. What once had been a small army capable of holding back several Team Zenith grunts was now reduced to fleeing and fearful people unable to do anything. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was on the same boat as them.

He chanced a look at the abomination flying overheard. Was it still a Megalith, or was it a Pokémon now? Was it truly sentient? Could it use actual moves? What were its types, in that case? He had too many questions, and only one answer: it was dangerous, a true force of nature, and they were wholly unprepared against it.

"Are you alright?"

Steven and Metagross snapped back to attention as they turned to the side, finding the familiar face of the Elder observing him sternly. She looked slightly worn out, but far better than he would've expected.

As the Champion rubbed his forehead, he exhaled. "I think."

The Elder cracked a brief smile, even if the situation didn't allow her to keep it for long. Steven then peered slightly to the side, and saw Zinnia looking up as she directed her Mega Salamence against the incoming tendrils.

"Dragon Claw! Keep those tendrils at bay!"

Her Mega evolved Pokémon obliged, hacking and slashing at the limbs snaking towards it with trained claws, with the occasional Bite and Fire Fang when the tendrils got too close. The Dragon-type's valiant effort was giving them a measure of reprieve, but if it was anything like Metagross, it too was probably on the verge of falling.

Zinnia pressed her back on the rock and passed a hand through her black hair as her partner Pokémon continued the battle alone. For the first time since that adventure began, Steven could tell that the Lorekeeper was far from her aggressive and confident self.

"We're done for," she said as she turned back to Steven and the Elder. "This is an enemy that not even the Pokémon of Hoenn legends were able to defeat, using the same kind of power the Dragon Lord holds."

Steven recalled Zevie's words on malleable Infinity Energy, and figured that he had spent his time trying to get exactly the kind of energy Mega Rayquaza radiated. It would've certainly explained why he needed the Draconid lore and the Flower.

The Champion then narrowed his eyes at the Draconid women, chancing another glance at the horror above. "You said that the Megalith is always in search of other energy sources. Then why is it still here?"

"Probably something Zevie did," the Elder said as she gazed skyward. "We had a conversation about this, years ago. Zevie was interested to see if the Megalith could be attracted to itself by careful distribution of what you call Infinity Energy. I assume he did something like that, and that's why he needed all these machines. He could probably redirect the Megalith wherever he wanted if he had more energy sources to draw it towards, too."

Steven observed the still functional machine and broken glass case several feet away from them, and gulped. It definitely sounded like something Zevie would try to do, and succeed at doing. As another green pulse bathed the area in a green glow, the Champion frowned and swallowed. "What can we do about this?"

Zinnia's response was a bitter laugh and a shake of her head. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"You can't be serious-"

"What else do you want me to say? Not everyone is a stupid idealist like you!" Zinnia snarled, fists clenched and teeth bared. "This is a threat that the Dragon Lord Itself could only seal away and not defeat! Our only chance is to pray for Its coming and wait now!"

That wasn't the same Zinnia that sprouted hateful rethoric and constantly insulted him and everyone of Sootopolitan descent; it was a Zinnia that had seen the boogeyman of her legends and knew there was no point in fighting it.

As Steven gazed back at the Megalith Mega Rayquaza, he couldn't help but feel incredibly small and powerless. It was an object of unfathomable power under the control of his worst enemy, whose only opposition had been eons old legendary Pokémon. And going by the legends he did know about them, nothing said they would come to their help for sure. They could really only hope and wait for the best now, while Zevie held one of the most powerful weapons of the world at their heads.

But for how many things Steven Stone was, 'patient' definitely wasn't one of them. He was the Champion of Hoenn, tasked with its protection, and he wouldn't allow anyone to ever unleash such terror on his region and the world.

And thus he rose again, dusting off his suit and staring skyward with renewed resolution. At his side, his Mega Metagross floated back again, incredibly tired and worn out, but no less ready to fight once more.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't fight so much just to lose at the last second. And I'm definitely not going to wait for a miracle to come and save us." He allowed himself a confident grin. "I'll find a way to destroy it."

Zinnia widened her eyes as her mouth gaped, while the Elder appeared far more intrigued at his boast.

"Are you insane?" Zinnia barely held back a snarl as she jabbed at the flying monstrosity. "Only the Dragon Lord can destroy that! Our lore says so!"

"Only one way to find if that's true." Steven didn't budge as he glanced up again.

Zinnia had no retort to that, until she scoffed and turned the other way. "You're a lost cause, Sootopolitan."

Steven only chuckled lightly, only to focus back on the Megalith, trying to understand more about it, to discover an opening, to find something they could do as the beast continued to spread its tendrils all over with impunity. Whatever weak points it had, they were definitely well-hidden, even with the haphazard movements and the costant green pulsing.

And then, a yell caught his attention.

"This is it! You have desecrated the Dragon Lord's form for far too much!"

Steven snapped back to attention and turned at his left, then stared on in confusion as he saw that Draconid boy, Ryuga, rushing headfirst against some tendrils with his Swablu in tow. Or at least he tried, until a hand grabbed him by the shirt, startling him and his Pokémon.

"Don't be reckless! We need to go further!" Sawyer said, giving Ryuga a serious look before he tried to run ahead, towards the Megalith, with Beldum and Bagon in tow.

And then, several tendrils blasted forth from the ground, surrounding the two boys and lunging towards them. Steven froze for just a second, and then he hopped on Metagross with nary a thought or command, and blasted towards the tendrils.

He heard several others rise around him, only for several shards of Draco Meteor to rain over them. Steven mentally thanked Zinnia as he focused back on the boys and the tendrils around them as they closed in, their three Pokémon ready to defend their trainers.

"Meteor Mash!" Steven ordered, and his partner's shining limbs destroyed one tendril each, just as many more rose around them.

Steven rose a hand skyward in response. "Protect!"

The green shield appeared just in time for the tendrils to crash all over it, trying to crack and break through it. Steven only frowned as he turned towards Sawyer and Ryuga.

"Come on, quick!"

Neither Sawyer nor Ryuga needed to heed the order twice as they hopped over Metagross, just as the Protect shattered around them. Steven's ace tried to steer out of the way, only for several tendrils to sink straight into Metagross' side.

The Psychic/Steel-type tumbled back on the ground, all while Steven grabbed the two boys and rolled over the ground alongside them, all while tendrils continued to sprout and rain all over. Steven held his breath until a big rock halted his rolling, and he pressed his back over it. His first concern were on the kids he protected, and he sighed in relief when he saw them slightly winded but far from injured. He then glanced ahead and saw Metagross outrun quite a few tendrils and blast them off with a well-aimed Flash Cannon, then spinning around and taking charge against any coming Megalith vine, while Zinnia and a few other Draconids continued to desperately hold the line.

His gaze went back to the boys in his hands, relieved but stern. "What were you thinking?"

"We were trying to reach the Megalith! We can destroy it!" Ryuga shouted, freeing himself from Steven's hands and frowning.

Steven crooked an eyebrow. "You can?"

Ryuga smirked and patted Sawyer in the back as Steven let him go. "Yes! The genius here had a plan to do that!"

Steven's curiosity grew as he turned back to Sawyer, just as the student smiled sheepishly and faced the sky, only for his smile to morph into a heavy frown as he glanced over at Zevie's console, with the scientist standing by it triumphantly.

"I thought we could, but I'm not sure now." Sawyer gulped as he went back to Steven, scratching his neck. "I thought we could try to reach for it and shut it down, it has to have some power source. But there are too many tendrils, Team Zenith's leader is there and I... I don't know what to do."

Sawyer's gaze wandered back down, but even with how downcast he looked, Steven couldn't help but feel some pride for him and Ryuga. Even if they were just kids, even if they were outmatched and they had little to do with the conflict at hand, they still tried to help. Even with all the worry and chastizing that could lead to, Steven was glad to see such resolve from them. He was almost envious of it, in a way.

Then Sawyer's words actually sunk in, as did Zevie's, and some odd things he had seen throughout the Megalith's rampage of vines. A plan started forming, and the Champion of Hoenn smiled as the pieces fell in place, glancing at the boys once more and shifting between the two.

"Say, you caused a rockslide and helped defeat Carly and Taylor, right?"

"Yeah! Nothing can stop our tag team!" Ryuga punched the sky as he grabbed Sawyer from the shoulder, giving a huge grin to the Champion.

In spite of some embarassment, Sawyer nodded along as he rubbed his neck. Steven's smile grew warmer.

"I know what we need to do, then. Can I count on the help of you two for that?"

Sawyer beamed and nodded right away. "Sure!"

Steven almost chuckled at that. It was good to know he could count on the next generation. Without further wait, the Champion cleared his throat and explained his plan, as the Megalith rampaged all around them.

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

The chaos was still ongoing by the time Steven took flight over Metagross again towards the Megalith: Zinnia had jumped over her Mega Salamence to lead it in battle directly, but aside from her only few Draconids seemed to still have the will and power to fight back, with many more at the whims of the tendrils or forced on the defensive, and the numbers of active battlers became increasingly smaller as the tendrils increased.

Steven tried to not think of their dwindling numbers as he checked out Metagross. Even after using his last Full Restore his partner was having trouble holding up, especially as more and more tendrils sprouted around, above and beneath it and Steven. But the Champion and his partner were more than trained to dodge and redirect the tendrils, and so they could make their way easily back towards the Megalith Mega Rayquaza. The closer Steven got, the more the abomination felt even bigger and dangerous, but he couldn't afford to hesitate at that moment.

"Psychic!" he yelled, and Metagross tied several tendrils together with pure mental energy out of the way as he flew further ahead, getting closer to the source of everything.

From the safety of his part of the battlefield, Zevie laughed as he observed how Steven continued to fly further towards his creation.

"It's all worthless! There's nothing that can destroy the Megalith. My plan has no holes you can make use of. The only reason you're still alive is that I need to test how efficient my creation is!"

Steven ignored Zevie's victorious boasts to focus on the problem at hand instead. The Megalith was continuing to pulse and move erratically in a zig-zag pattern, never quite leaving the top of Mt. Chimney while it continued to sprout vines in an unpredictable pattern. Taking in all it could do and with a much healthier Metagross than before, Steven could actually muster a smile against Team Zenith's leader, even as the majority of the vines rerouted themselves towards them.

"If vines is all this thing can do, it won't be hard to deal with it." Steven grinned as he snapped his fingers.

Metagross' eyes shone of an azure hue brighter than ever, and all the vines came to a stop. Visibly strained, Metagross nonetheless tied them together into strong knots and pushed them back towards the Megalith, with enough strength to send the abomination back a few inches. It wasn't enough to stop it, however, as more vines sprouted and ran towards him from every directions.

"Again!" With a handy Protect and some creative psychic pulls, Metagross managed to slid out of the vines' grasp before they caught him, then tossed them back to the Megalith. The false legendary didn't budge, and more vines came out. Metagross' eyes shone again

"What, are you just going to stay there and play catch with the vines? You disappoint me, Steven." Zevie shook his head, his cocky grin growing even wider.

As they rolled to the side and Metagross Meteor Mashed a few vines away, Steven frowned at him. "Not as much as you did. You planned this for years, and you only got a glorified Vine Whip machine out of it?"

"That's just the Megalith's base form of attack." Zevie fumbled with his coat again, revealing his buttoned bracelet. "But given you asked me... maybe I need to show you what the Megalith is truly capable to do."

Zevie pressed another button on it, and the Megalith's offensive stopped in an instant. Then, the 'mouth' of the Rayquaza replica parted away, unleashing a strong flurry of wind that buffeted the air around Steven. Metagross was flung away as the Champion hold tight to his ace, until the Mega Evolved Pokémon sunk his many limbs onto a rock, scratching it but managing him and his trainer to handle the incoming storm, even as it grew more intense and forced them to stay there.

"Rayquaza is the Lord of the Skies, and I made sure to manipulate the Infinity Energy to be as close to Its energy signature as possible. The tales in the Draconid lore helped a lot here." Zevie adjusted his goggles as he observed the defenseless and struggling Steven and Metagross. "As such, this beauty can manipulate the air currents as strongly as the real deal. And I made sure to put the finishing touch on it, too."

And thus, Zevie snapped his fingers as well. "Megalith, Dragon Ascent."

Steven froze for just a second as the artificial Mega Rayquaza was coated into green energy and pulled itself back, power twitching through the rocks as it pulsed in emerald light once more, then sprung forward in a mad dash of power. Metagross' eyes shimmered blue as the Psychic's outline attempted to hold the Megalith back, only for the abomination to break through the Psychic energy with even more force.

"Flash Cannon!" Steven ordered, and Metagross pulled out as much power as it could in its steely beam as it travelled to the Megalith and slowed down its rush. Metagross put even more force as the distance increasingly became shorter.

But in spite of Metagross' valiant efforts, the Megalith proved stronger, and the Champion and his partner were blasted away with the full power of Dragon Ascent. As he held onto Metagross' body and they tumbled into the air, Steven cringed at Metagross' pained yell, a kind of pain he had not heard from it for years.

They tried to right themselves, only for the Megalith to blast an air current against them and toss the two further away. Several vines shoot from the Megalith and ensnarled each and all of Metagross' limbs, and then they pushed down with all their might.

Metagross' body crashed on the rocky ground. And again. And again. And then Steven lost his hold to his partner and tumbled away through the rocks, just as the Megalith continued to toss it around like a ragdoll. Steven widened his eyes as his Pokémon tried to struggle out of its bounds, only barely managing to slip free and face the vines on its own, to only meager success. And through it all, Zevie gave a good-natured laugh as Steven and him locked gazes again.

"Dragon Ascent, the ultimate Flying-type move, the one known only by Rayquaza itself. And I replicated it." Pride swelled in Zevie's chest, as the scientist placed a hand over his heart. "I've managed to master the energy of life itself, and use it to craft my own legendary. You can try to struggle all you want, but there's nothing you can do to stop Team Zenith now, my dear Champion of the Hoenn region."

Steven didn't seem to have an answer at that. However, he dusted off his ruined and torn suit, and pulled off the most confident smile he had worn that day.

"No, there is something I can do." He folded his arms, appearing stern and powerful. "I can hold the ground, for the future of the Hoenn region."

Zevie frowned just a bit, more amused than worried. "You still believe you can make it? That you can win against the power of a legendary?"

"I have no illusions to be able to win." Steven caught side of Metagross disintegrating several vines with a Flash Cannon and spun out of an air current. "But I'm not going to let everyone else lose, either."

Zevie scoffed in response. "You can't do this alone."

"That's true. But I'm not alone." Steven closed his eyes. "Right, Zinnia?"

A powerful Draco Meteor exploded in a shower of shards over the Megalith, far from enough to blast it back but more than enough to grab its attention. The attention of every struggling Draconid went back to the Draconid woman flying over her Mega Salamence, wearing a confident and almost feral grin. She then observed every other members of her kind as they tried to hold the Megalith at bay, before she raised her own arm up.

"Draconids! The time is now. The Sootopolitan has fought our battle for us, but it is time that we do our part in this. We face down a mockery of our Dragon Lord, insulting everything we believe in, created by our own Lore. I understand if you're scared, but we Draconids are warriors, and true warriors don't give up until the battle is won or they perish! So say I, Zinnia, your Lorekeeper!" Her gaze turned to steel, as her Salamence readied a Dragon Claw. "Will you stand with me, or run away like cowards?"

None of the Draconids hesitated as everyone, whether downed or already fighting, let out a piercing war cry and joined the battle against the Megalith with renewed determination, several Dragon-types and Metagross all fighting as one as they braved the air and vines to hold the Megalith back. Even in the face of the enormous power wielded by the artificial legendary, none of the warriors or their Pokémon backed down, holding the tendrils in place and blasting through the air, in a chaotic and powerful exchange of moves from either side. And as the battle went on, both Steven and Zevie observed from the ground as the Draconids continued to fight like men and women possessed, before their gazes met once more.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed. Throughout this battle, I really got to see how much drive to stop me you and your little army had to stop me. I can respect such determination." Zevie adjusted his goggles, sincerity trickling through his tone. And then, he grinned again. "I almost feel bad for how pointless your resistance is."

Steven stepped forward, and his gaze turned cold. "As long as we're still up and ready to fight, you can't count this as a win, Zevie."

"Why wouldn't I? You haven't even put a dent on the Megalith yet. It's still full of Infinity Energy, and it can use a hundred more Dragon Ascents if I wanted it to." He tapped on his bracelet playfully, before he admired his handiwork. He then turned back to Steven, seriousness in his eyes. "With such a weapon in my hands, everyone will be forced to listen to reason and I will be able to destroy any opposition. I will enforce true peace in everyone's future. Why are you still trying to stop us? You know very well that we only wanted to do good."

"Good on your own terms." Clenching his fists, Steven steeled his glance sharper than ever. "This world isn't perfect by any means, and committing mistakes is human nature. But even then, we always manage to rise up from adversities, make the world a better place, and pass the baton for the next generation to improve things where we didn't make it. It will be a slow path, and there will surely be many errors and obstacles on the way, but I know that together, we can all overcome this and reach a brighter tomorrow on our merits, without coercions or forcing people to follow one vision. We will walk the path towards it together, and we won't let people like you dictate what that path should be."

"And how do you intend to stop me?" Zevie asked, as defiant as ever as the Megalith resisted every hit.

As the Draconids struck again, Steven gave a quick smile. "With the next generation."

Zevie quirked an eyebrow, and then someone shoved him down and he fell face-first on the ground. The scientist tried to get back up, only to get a foot over his face for his troubles. Above him, a quite cheerful Draconid boy was snickering at him with the dumbest grin he could afford, while the rest of his kind continued their assault.

"Finally! I couldn't wait for you to shut your mouth!" Ryuga said, pressing his foot over Zevie's cheek for good measure as he stood over him.

Steven barely suppressed a laugh, as Zevie stared back at him with anger. Trying to keep his attention away with the attack on the Megalith and their discussion turned out to be a tad bit harder than expected, but the result was what mattered.

The scientist tried to toss Ryuga off of himself, and the boy frowned. "Swablu, Gust!"

Ryuga's partner flew up from behind him, flapping its wings and unleashing a wing strong enough to knock Zevie back down. Ryuga took his chance to pin him further down, with Swablu ready to strike another Gust if needed. Zevie continued to toss the Draconid away all the same, until he spotted Sawyer rushing out of hiding and start pressing keys and checking information on the console. The scientist paled and froze on the spot.

"What are you doing?" Zevie asked, his tone shakier than it had been until then.

Sawyer only pulled off a smile as he turned back to him, Bagon and Beldum reaching closer to the boy.

"The energy output of the Flower isn't strong enough, even with it pushed to the limit and redistributed around, right? I assume it's something like that." He checked the data on the console again, and then the Megalith under the barrage of Draconid blasts. "If that's true and it just can't sustain the Megalith in a uniform way, then that's why it moves so haphazardly around. The Flower is the only thing holding it together and stable, sending the energy to it through this machine, right?"

Zevie's face lost all color, while Sawyer pressed a few keys and revealed the Flower once again.

And then, the boy stepped back and pointed at the console with a determined frown. "Bagon, Beldum, go!"

It all happened in a second; a Dragon Pulse and a Zen Headbutt, and the Flower shattered in a million little pieces, just as the console broke down under the Pokémon's attacks and Zevie's widened eyes. Several little sparks flew around, and the Megalith immediately grinded to a halt.

And then it sprung back into activity, random parts of the fake legendary's bodies lighting up and darkening in an almost epileptic show of emerald lights. Its body started twitching erratically all around, vines sprouting and disappearing at random points, as if the abomination didn't know what to do anymore.

It was a bizarre and unsettling sight, but everyone knew what to do. Zinnia and Steven shared a glance, and so did Steven and Metagross before the Champion of Hoenn cleared his throat.

"Everyone," Steven said, pointing onward to the Megalith Mega Rayquaza. "Attack!"

And thus everyone, no matter their position, fired their strongest beam attacks from any directions, all converging towards the Megalith. The artificial legendary couldn't muster a defense, and the blasts all over its body were enough to toss it back above the center of the crater. Its rocky exterior started to crack, and the green glow pulsed through them, stronger and brighter every second.

Steven, Sawyer and the Draconids couldn't help but smile and cheer as the Megalith slowly crumbled on itself. But through it all, one voice trumped all the others.

"No!" Zevie yelled, eyes wide and mouth agape as the Megalith appeared ready to self-destruct. His face contorted into a desperate frown. "No! No! No! No! No! It can't end like this!"

He tossed Ryuga off himself in one burst before he ran towards the console and knocked Sawyer away like a man possessed, desperately pressing on the half-destroyed keyboard.

"All of Team Zenith's work can't be for nothing! The world deserves a better future!" Zevie yelled, punching desperately over the cracked screens.

As he continued trying to save his creation and plans, all the Draconids and Sawyer rushed away from the crater, jumping over any Draconid's Dragon-type and getting ready to leave. Steven did the same thing by hopping over Metagross, but before he flew out of the way he instead turned around and got closer to Zevie, a hand extended towards the scientist.

"Zevie, come with us! Everything's going to-"

A sudden Hyper Voice knocked Steven and Metagross back, and the Champion found himself stared at by a furious Zevie, with Altaria and all the other Pokémon joining in a look of pure hatred.

"You won't stop me, Steven!" Zevie snarled, shaking a fist at him. "I'll win! You heard me? I'll win!"

Standing there, with the Megalith pulsing brighter than ever and Zevie back to desperately try to make his machine work with his tired and battered team at his side, Steven didn't know what to say to the man. Even after years of fighting each other, he never saw him like that.

The Champion felt someone yanking his arm, and turned to see Zinnia over her Mega Salamence giving him an angry scowl. "Let's go, Sootopolitan, he clearly doesn't want to be saved."

Steven wanted to protest, but then the first explosion came. That was all he and the rest needed before they all turned tail and rushed as far away from the crater as possible.

Through the group's mad dash to safety, Steven couldn't help but turn around. The cracks grew and grew until the whole Megalith was engulfed in a spiderweb pattern, and with one final burst of light, the abomination that Team Zenith worked so hard to bring to life exploded all over the top of Mt. Chimney, engulfing Hoenn's tallest mountain in a hazy cloud of smoke.

And with that, the war with Team Zenith was finally over.

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

As everyone touched down quite a few feet away from Mt. Chimney's crater, nobody really knew what to say. As he hopped off his now normal Metagross, Steven stared wordlessly at the giant cloud of smoke flying over what was their battlefield not even a few minutes before, so big that anyone could probably think Mt. Chimney was ready to erupt. He tried to peer through the smoke, seeing any trace of Zevie and his team, but from that distance it was impossible to tell.

Sawyer gulped as he joined the Champion, his eyes going to the older trainer. "Is he...?"

"I wish I could give you a straight answer," Steven said with an exhale. "I've seen Zevie survive far worse than that. The only thing I know for sure is that at least for a while, we won't hear about Team Zenith again."

Sawyer remained silent in response. Behind them, all the other Draconids joined the two, with the Elder, Zinnia and Ryuga ahead of them.

The Draconid leader shook her head, pressing her cane down. "That's a victory, at least. I hope wherever he is now, he can finally find peace."

"I hope he suffers." Zinnia frowned, fists balled in rage. "We lost our sacred lore thanks to him, and we'll never get it-"

"You mean this one?" Sawyer asked, removing a scroll from his waistcoat's pocket. "I grabbed it from the machine, I thought it was it."

Zinnia widened her eyes, while Ryuga beamed and rushed at Sawyer's side, yanking the scroll and checking it thoroughly.

And then, his smile grew even bigger and he hugged Sawyer tightly. "That's it! Thanks a lot, Sootopolitan!"

Sawyer blushed visibly as Ryuga continued to hug him even tighter, all while Beldum, Bagon and Swablu giggled at their trainers. Much to Sawyer's relief the hug proved to be short-lived, as Ryuga realized something.

"Oh, right, I don't think I caught your name yet." He pointed a thumb on his chest and pulled off a confident grin. "I'm Ryuga, the bravest Draconid warrior! But I'm sure you already knew that, right?"

Sawyer chuckled back at him, bowing at the other boy. "I'm Sawyer, and it's been great to fight with you."

"Same for me! You're amazing!"

Sawyer could only blush again as Ryuga continued to shower him with compliments, giving some of his own back to the Draconid as they chatted up happily, their Pokémon sticking close to the two. As the Sootopolitan and Draconid boys continued to talk with no hate or tension between them, both Steven and Zinnia observed them. The Champion then faced the Lorekeeper once more with a knowing glance.

"That's what I meant earlier, when I talked of kids." His eyes wandered back to Sawyer and Ryuga. "I think we'd all be better off trusting the next generation to do better than us."

Zinnia didn't immediately reply, until she scoffed and cracked a rare happy grin to herself.

"Maybe." The grin faded as soon as it came when Zinnia took on a more serious expression, staring through Steven. "As much as I don't like it, you helped us recover our lore, Sootopolitan. If there's anything we can do to pay you back, please say so."

Steven placed his hnds in his pockets as he smiled once again. "There's a promise I should keep, actually..."

Carly took a deep breath as she turned around, seeing the veritable swarm of grunts rushing down Mt. Chimney: they were lucky enough that the whole horde of Draconids rushed away to help Stevie against Zevie and forgot to make sure they were secured, and they couldn't waste their chance by being slower than a Slowpoke's brain. She tried not to linger too much on the giant smoking crater overheard, or why there was so much smoke after Team Zenith had seemingly won.

The muscular Admin shook her head and waved her hand to the grunts. "Quick! We need to get away before they come for us!"

The grunts needed to hear that twice as they ran away faster than before down the narrow path. After the last of the Team Zenith grunts went down their escape route, Carly sighed in relief. And then she noticed someone who hadn't left yet: her colleague Taylor, frozen in place as she stared over the mountaintop without a word.

Carly frowned and stomped towards her, yanking her arm. "Taylor, what the heck are you waiting for? We must run!"

"What's the point? Master Zevie failed, he's..." She turned to Carly, her gaze lost and her expression faltering. "What can we do now?"

Seeing Taylor like that brought Carly to a stop. Even in her worst moments, she always seemed somewhat in control of her emotions, always the smartest woman in the room, and always ready to support Zevie in any endeavor he took part in with all the confidence of the world. And yet, now...

Carly sighed and took a deep breath, then grabbed Taylor's shoulders and stared straight into her eyes.

"Look, I'm not good at this emotional cheer you up stuff and know you liked Master Zevie a ton, but we'll manage somehow." Her gaze shifted back to the smoking crater of Mt. Chimney. "Even without Zevie around, we remain part of Team Zenith. Nothing will stand in the way of our dream of a better future."

She turned back to Taylor, tapping her head gently. "But to do that, we need this little brain of yours. Think you can hold together for a bit?"

Taylor didn't respond at first, until she took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses. She focused back on Carly, forlorn and tense but more resolute than before.

"I can try," she said, fists clenched and gaze cold.

"That's my Taylor." Carly grabbed Taylor's hand tightly as she gave her a smile. "Now let's go. Nothing will stand in our way."

Taylor nodded, and the two Admins of Team Zenith ran back towards their grunts, forever ready to continue the work Zevie started.

In the depths of Meteor Village, Zinnia grumbled as she checked out the now-empty prison, their captives having left with the Sootopolitans to be judged by their rules. She really wished they could've executed them beforehand, but she was a Lorekeeper of her word and after their help in recovering the lore, she could live with that decision. Not too far from her stood the Elder and her daughter, both smiling and playing along as they approached her.

"This was quite an adventure, don't you think?" her grandmother asked.

"One I wish we didn't take part in." Zinnia rolled her eyes, before she grabbed at her shorts' pocket and produced their lore. "At least our legacy is safe now. Let's hope nothing else happens."

The Elder let out a light chuckle, while Zinnia turned around and strided away. After the debacle with Team Zenith, there was still way too much stuff to put in order, more guards to put in charge of protecting the lore, and-

"Uhm, Elder, Lorekeeper?"

Zinnia paused as she turned to their side, watching as Ryuga and his Swablu paced closer to her and her grandmother. He seemed quite less boisterous than usual, almost sheepish as he scratched his arm.

The Lorekeeper arched an eyebrow in response. "Yes, Ryuga?"

"Well, there was something I wanted to ask." The boy placed a hand on his chest, a serious gaze towards the older women. "Once I come of age, I'd like to depart on a journey to see the world beyond Meteor Village."

Zinnia widened her eyes at the boy, while the Elder seemed more amused than anything. Aster simply turned to each other with a quizzical glance.

"What?" the Lorekeeper asked, eyes narrowed on the kid.

Ryuga managed a smile and a shrug. "Well, that oddly dressed guy and Sawyer helped us, right? I thought Sootopolitans were all bad and wanted us dead, but they weren't. I want to see what else is out there."

Zinnia's stare narrowed as the kid proved for the umpteenth time why he had the reputation of the most boneheaded Draconid out there.

"Sootopolitans stole our sacred lands from us, if you travel outside Draconid territory, you won't be welcome."

"No problem, I have Swablu with me!" The boy grinned at his partner and high-fived his wing, before he faced the Lorekeeper again and pumped his fists. "Don't underestimate the bravest Draconid warrior!"

Zinnia was ready to snarl back at him, only for her grandmother to chuckle again and step closer to the boy, patting his head cheerfully.

"If that's what you wish to do, then there's no problem. Just make sure you are ready for the journey ahead," she told him with a wink. Ryuga positively beamed afterwards.

"Yes! Thanks, Elder!" He punched the sky and quickly turned tail, giving his Pokémon a determined grin. "Let's go Swablu! We need to become as strong as Sawyer now!"

Swablu chirped up happily, and thus he and his trainer rushed away all excited and happy. Zinnia herself just stood there with no words, until her stare homed back on the Elder.

"Do you even understand what you told him?" Zinnia asked, while her grandmother simply held Aster up and hugged her.

"I'm just allowing him to see the world for himself, and even if I didn't give him my blessing he would've run away on his own. He's way too stubborn to get killed, and Drakon turned out fine when he left the tribe and returned years later." The Elder smiled again as she stared after Ryuga, now trying to tackle Swablu to the ground while avoiding his Gusts. "Maybe that dreamboat is right. We should trust the next generation to do better than we did."

Zinnia's stare only grew colder. "Sootopolitans are still our enemies. We can't allow our tribe to suffer."

At that, the Elder put Aster down and grabbed her cane back, a sigh escaping her lips. She then faced the Lorekeeper again, with far more confidence and wisdom than she usually showed.

"I'm not the biggest fan of Sootopolitans either, I've lived through the atrocities they committed against us." Her hands gripped tightly on her cane, while Aster tried to tug at her for attention. "But I've also seen members of other Draconid villages and even our own act even worse than any Sootopolitan has ever done. If there's any chance to end hostilities between our people, I will gladly take it."

"You're way too forgiving."

"And you're way too harsh, so I guess we both have our faults." The Elder's stare finally matched her granddaughter's. "I'm surprised your opinion on Sootopolitans didn't budge at all, however."

"That Champion and the kid weren't that bad as far as they go, but Sootopolitans are still dangerous. You saw what the members of Team Zenith did." Zinnia folded her arms and stared the other way. "We can't lower our guard just because a few Sootopolitans aren't that bad."

The Elder just shook her head in response. "Wise words, but at some point you will have to let your hatred go. You can't carry on the grief for Aster's death forever."

Hearing her name was enough to freeze Zinnia on the spot. She balled her fists and stared through the Elder, all while her Aster, the second Aster, continued to look at her relatives in confusion.

She didn't snap back at her however, gulping down any retort. Instead, she gave the Elder her back again, closing her eyes and grimacing where they couldn't see her.

"Sorry, I need to leave. Look after Aster for me, alright?" she asked knowing the answer already. She didn't even need to turn to understand that her grandmother would comply. She knew exactly what Zinnia had to do, after all.

The Lorekeeper walked away for quite a while, until she out of Meteor Village's perimeter and back inside the vast, unmarked caves of Meteor Falls, where no one would've been able to see her. This was something she needed to keep to herself, after all.

Zinnia frowned as she grabbed the Poké Ball, observing the Sootopolitan tech: it was useful, sure, but it always left a sour taste inside her to hold a Pokémon inside. She gripped it tightly, and then tossed it. The Ball hit the ground, and in a spark of light a small Whismur appeared, glancing around in confusion. Zinnia felt a knot on her chest, and gulped.

Then the Whismur noticed her, and rushed to hug at her leg. A soft, foreign smile lit up Zinnia's face as she rubbed the Pokémon's ears, before grabbing a small bag from her coat.

"Here, it's time to eat," she said while offering a few berries; the Whismur chirped happily and grabbed them all, munching over them quickly. As she watched the Whismur eat, Zinnia's mind couldn't help but wander back to a similar scenes an eternity ago, before everything took a turn for the worst.

"Isn't she cute? I'm gonna call her Aster Junior!"

"She's not your daughter, you know."

"Who cares. She's an inhabitant of Meteor Village, she's as much of a Draconid as everyone else here."

"What a good Lorekeeper. What next, you want peace between us and Sootopolitans?"

"Conflicts are something no one but idiots want. We all live on the same world, why shouldn't we all try to get along?"

"Your naivety is almost infuriating."

"I see a bright future ahead of us, and really hope we'll be able to see it together."

She rubbed off the tears at the corner of her eyes while she watched over the Whismur, the last memento she had of the old Aster. That was one of the last conversations she had with her, and one she still couldn't forget even after all these years. She clenched her fists, just as the Whismur turned back to her, perking her head.

"No one else will end up like you did, Aster," she said to herself, steeling her gaze. "I will make sure to always protect our tribe as their Lorekeeper, no matter who the enemy is."

Steven took a deep, relieved breath as he and Sawyer finally left Rustboro's police station: the Team Zenith grunts were ready to be interrogated and jailed, and hopefully they would be able to clue law enforcement on where the rest of the team ended up. That task done, he and Sawyer decided to take the trip back to the Devon Corporation's headquarters on foot, allowing Steven's Metagross a well deserved rest. As they enjoyed the familiar yet refreshing sights of Rustboro, Steven couldn't help but look back at Sawyer, silent as Beldum and the Bagon that insisted on following them paced after him.

"So, how does it feel to have saved the whole Hoenn region?" The Champion pulled off a friendly smile.

Sawyer gave him a sheepish grin back, rubbing his neck with unease. "I'm happy, though I don't think I helped that much."

"Don't sell yourself short, we won thanks to you and your Draconid friend. You should be proud of that."

Sawyer's smile glowed more than usual hearing that, only for guilt to make its way on his face as he faced the ground.

"I wish I didn't have to destroy the Flower to do that." The boy sighed. "It was still property of the Devon Corporation. I can't imagine how expensive it was to create..."

Steven shrugged. "In all honesty, its existence and keeping the prototype around are what led to all of this. I'm more than happy to think that it's gone forever." Then, the Champion smirked playfully. "I guess this is gonna make you win that bet with your friend, though."

"Nah, I don't think so. Even if I got famous for this, I'd not be famous as a trainer. I've still got a long road ahead for that." Sawyer fiddled with the notebook in his hands, and then smiled at Beldum and Bagon. "I'm glad for the friends I made today, though. I hope Ryuga will do well now."

"I'm sure he will." Steven's smile grew wider. Then, he rummaged through his pockets, and produced a small stone. "Here, have this. Consider it a present."

Sawyer observed the green stone in Steven's hands, with an orange and emerald helix shape shining in its center. And then the pieces fell in place, and Sawyer's mouth gaped open.

"Is this...?"

Steven nodded. "It's a Sceptilite, the Mega Stone required for a Sceptile to Mega Evolve, something I found in a recent spelunking session. You said you wanted a Treecko as your proper starter, right?"

"Y-yeah," Sawyer said, turning the other way in embarassment. "I can't accept it, sorry."

"The stone itself is not enough to gain access Mega Evolution, you'd still need a Keystone and unfortunately I don't have another one." Steven placed the Mega Stone over the boy's hands, holding it there. "Consider it more of an incentive, something to potentially obtain if you work hard enough for it."

Sawyer's gaze lingered back on the Sceptilite, and then to Steven as the boy gulped. "I don't know if I deserve it."

"You have plenty of time to earn it." Steven gave Sawyer another encouraging smile. "And if you manage to master Mega Evolution, then you can safely say to have become a great trainer."

Those words seemed to finally break through Sawyer's doubts as the boy observed the sparkling stone again. Then, the young student smiled and pocketed the stone, while giving a curt and respectful bow to Steven.

"Thank you, Mr. Stone." He placed a hand over his chest, smiling proudy. "I will do my best to study hard and become a great trainer."

Steven smiled back just as proudly, before his gaze moved to the Pokémon behind Sawyer. "Keep Beldum and Bagon with you. I'm sure some early Pokémon will do you well."

Sawyer seemed once again rather embarassed at that suggestion, and just then Beldum and Bagon tackled the boy into a hug, making their wishes clear. Sawyer's embarassment subsided quickly as he rubbed their heads, no hint of reluctance in his gestures. Steven chuckled as he faced the road again. Maybe he could have a chat with Birch regarding that Treecko Sawyer liked, too.

It took only a few minutes for them to reach the familiar sight of the Devon headquarters, thankfully undamaged from the outside and likely spared from further attacks by Team Zenith. The moment Steven and Sawyer paced inside, they were greeted by Roxanne, relief washing over her face as she strode closer.

"Finally! What happened, Steven?" the Gym Leader asked, an inquisive frown over her face as she went through Steven's ruined suit and the two Pokémon at Sawyer's side.

"It's a very, very long story. I will explain later." Steven exhaled, and then glanced around. "How has the rest of your class been?"

"They've been fine, a bit bored maybe, but the scientist branch was kind enough to show us some newly released products early while we waited." A brief grin formed on the teacher's face. "They seemed much more interested than I expected them to be."

"That's good to know. Maybe there will be some scientists among your students in the future."

"Or maybe they just wanted to brag to their friends that they saw the latest model of PokéNav early."

"Always ready to ruin my fun, huh." Steven crooked an eyebrow at her in mock nuissance.

Roxanne chuckled at his expense, and Steven noticed that even Sawyer barely held back a few snickers. He joined in with a happy grin of his own in response.

"Mister Stone!"

And then the grin melted away as he recognized the shrill voice. Steven turned around and froze in place as his father's secretary stomped towards him.

She jabbed her finger at him in frustration. "I finally found you! There are several documents that require your attention, alongside an important meeting in about-"

"Uhm, Roxanne, we promised the students a battle, right?" Steven asked, sweat pouring down his face as he gave Roxanne a pleading glance.

Roxanne understood, folded her arms, and nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"Well, we can't disappoint them now, can we?" Steven pulled off a slightly too wide smile as he not-so-subtly pushed Roxanne to walk forward. "I'll get to work on those later, I promise!"

"Mister Stone!"

Before the secretary's wrath could be unleashed on him, Steven walked further into the Devon headquarters to rejoin Roxanne's class with her and Sawyer, more than happy to put as much distance as possible from the evil paperwork awaiting him.

The students were more than happy to see the Champion again, and as Roxanne and Steven's promised battle began, none of them could look away as the Gym Leader and the Champion gave their absolute best against each other. As the battle raged on, Steven couldn't help but looking back at Sawyer and his newly acquired two Pokémon, wishing him the brightest future he could achieve and for him to improve even further. As the older generation, it was his, Roxanne and everyone else's duty to ensure them a bright path to walk through. It would've been a long process, and they would need to be patient through it.

But Steven Stone was many things. Too bad 'patient' wasn't one of them.

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

"And that was all. Those are all the events that transpired on Mt. Chimney that day," Steven said as he finished narrating his story, his gaze wandering around the state-of-the-art technology surrounding him.

The other man in the room frowned, his arms folded. "So this is the truth under the so-called 'Mt. Chimney Incident'. I had my ideas on what could've happened, but I didn't expect something like this."

"We were lucky no one else was ontop of Mt. Chimney that day. I don't like to classify information, but with all that happened we really didn't have any other choice." Steven steeled his gaze back at him. "I know my region enough to be aware someone would've tried to spin everything against the Draconids, and they really don't deserve more problems."

The man quirked his eyebrow at him. "You still think peace is possible between Sootopolitans and Draconids?"

Steven placed his hands in his pockets with nonchalance, and flashed to the other a confident grin.

"I'm sure of it, eventually. We need to trust the next generation to do a better job than we did." His grin morphed into a serious frown. "But to do that, we must ensure that we aren't the last of us."

"It's about that Megalith, right?"

"Correct." Steven's eyes went to the giant holographic map of their world spinning on itself. "Zevie's creation didn't last very long, but its power defied anything I've ever seen in my life. It was dangerous, and it could've done much more damage if it left Mt. Chimney. And according to the Draconid lore, there are a lot of those still around.

"I've decided to form a squad among the Devon employees and League staffers to search for those shards and secure them, before people like Zevie try to take advantage of them again. I believe they might be able to be used to make the world a better place, but we need to ensure the shards don't fall in the hands of other megalomaniacs."

"And why did you come for me, if I may ask?"

Steven smiled again as he observed the man from head to toe.

"You're one of the most well-known philantrophists around, and your generosity is unmatched. I also know that you believe we have a duty to improve the world." He stared back into his eyes with confidence. "I know that you refused to partner with my father, but I think you can see that this issue is far more pressing than estabilishing the Stone Foundation. You're the best person I can ask for help here."

He stretched his hand out to the red-haired man. "So, what do you say, Mr. Lysandre?"

The CEO of Lysandre Labs seemed to consider his proposal and hand, deep in thought. Just for a second, Steven thought that the man would've refused his offer, just like with his father's before him. However, the richest man in Kalos quickly smiled back at him as he shook his hand.

"I say that we can't allow to left these Megalith shards unchecked. You have my support, Steven Stone."

"Thanks." Steven's smile widened just a bit as he held the man's hand tighter. "Let's do our best, for a better future."

Lysandre grinned back at him. "Yes. For a better future."

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EXTRA SCENE

The giant tree of Sootopolis City was always a sight to behold. It had apparently been given to the citizens by a foreigner a long time ago, and had been there for far more than anyone in the island could remember. It was such a well-known part of the city to have become a frequent tourist spot for visitors and meeting spot for locals. Steven couldn't help but observe the tree as he finished narrating the tale to his friend.

"This is all that happened that day." Steven turned back to the turquoise-haired man at his side. "What do you think?"

Wallace simply gave him a smile and a chuckle. "You really have a knack for getting involved in strange adventures, don't you?"

"What can I say? One thing led to another, and that was the result." Steven shrugged. Wallace sighed and shook his head.

"Only someone like you could take that in stride." Wallace's eyes went back to the ancient tree, lingering over the branches. "So, Draconids, huh. I've thought a lot about them, ever since my master passed on the duties of the ancient Sootopolitans on me."

Steven's gaze turned firm. "You're the expert on these matters. What do you think?"

Wallace's playfulness disappeared completely at that question, staring at Steven with a serious and solemn gaze. The Champion could tell that he wasn't talking with his friend Wallace anymore, but rather Wallace the Sootopolitan, last in a long line of keepers of ancient legends related to the city and the Hoenn region.

"I think, with all due respect, that you might've underestimated the weight of history in the current situation." Wallace's eyes turned stern as he placed a hand on his hip. "This is not some black and white conflict like your squabbles with Team Zenith, or even Team Magma and Aqua. While Sootopolitans are certainly guilty of unspeakable sins, Draconids retaliated just as badly, with some of their numbers still trying to get revenge for what they caused.

"You saw it with the woman Zinnia, by what you told me. You can't just waltz in and pretend that you can bring peace between us and them like that, not when several descendants of the Sootopolitans have seen their loved ones killed, tortured or otherwise broken by members of the Draconid tribe. Those people have serious reasons to be wary of them."

Steven let Wallace's words linger in the air for a bit, but he never seemed conflicted over them. Instead, he simply stared back at Wallace with confidence.

"I'm well aware of the history of Draconids, especially with your little history lessons." Steven furrowed his brow as he continued. "I don't want to act like the past doesn't matter: it will always weigh on our choices and path, influencing it and tempting us into committing past mistakes. Neither Sootopolitans nor Draconids are innocent of the current situation, but what good would it have done to point that out? I tell you, absolutely nothing but perpetuate the cicle of hate.

"Someone has to take the first step towards forgiving the others, and I decided to take it. I'm well aware other Sootopolitans might disagree with my choices and I take full responsibility for my decisions, but as long as there's a chance to bring up a true peace, I'd make the same choices several times over."

As Steven's speech ended, Wallace continued to stare at his friend. After a brief pause, the solemn gaze was gone and a cheeky grin returned on the Coordinator's face. He chuckled once more, adjusting his bonnet. "You're always such an optimist. It is as inspiring as it is irritating."

"You know that getting on your nerves in my specialty." Steven folded his arms as he grinned back at him.

"Obviously." Wallace rolled his eyes in mock anger, before his smile "I am glad Hoenn gets to have a Champion like you, I don't think I would've been as qualified."

"Don't sell yourself short. You're still my designated replacement in case I need to go on a hiatus or step down, remember."

Wallace crooked his eyebrow at that. "Would you really trust a Contest Master to handle League duties appropriately?"

"Well, you do organize your own little Contest tournament regularly." Steven's smile turned just a bit more boastful. "Of course, I doubt you'd be able to defeat me."

"Is that a challenge, Mr. Pampered Heir?" Wallace narrowed his stare in a show of challenge.

Steven smirked back as he palmed one of his Poké Balls. "Well, I owe Claydol some action, so..."

Wallace stretched his fingers, barely holding back the excitement as he turned around towards the neaby bridge.

"Very well. I think my master can lend the Sootopolis Gym for us. Don't expect me to go easy on you, however," he said while staring back at Steven.

Steven's smirk only grew wider. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

And thus, the Champion and his friend walked out of their meeting spots, ready for yet another friendly battle between them.