Chapter 211: Shocking Twist, a Second Shadow Lugia
The Shadow Lugia diving from the sky was wreathed in streams of purple energy. Its terrifying killing intent was almost tangible, radiating an immense pressure and power.
"!!"
Mew transformed, shifting from its Lugia form to that of Ho-Oh. It opened its beak, and a massive, character-shaped Fire Blast shot out.
Boom!
The Fire Blast exploded on impact, sending heat waves rolling through the area. Countless sparks scattered onto the earth, refusing to extinguish.
The dark ground became slightly brighter from the flames.
But Shadow Lugia was not stopped by Mew's attack. It continued its relentless dive toward them.
"Block it."
Will left that one command and vanished. The three giant Regi trio didn't hesitate, striding forward with heavy steps to brace for the impact with their arms.
BANG!
In a single collision, Shadow Lugia sent all three Regis flying.
The three fifty-meter-tall pillars couldn't stop it; they only managed to cause a momentary pause.
BOOM!
The Regi trio were flung back over ten meters, landing heavily. They scrambled to get up and continue the fight.
But Will had already seized that single instant of stiffness.
He leaped from the ground. A fist crackling with wild electricity smashed into Shadow Lugia's abdomen.
Unlike the attacks from Mew and the Regis...
"SKREEEE!!"
Shadow Lugia clearly couldn't withstand Will's move. It was punched to the ground, where it rolled several times before letting out an enraged, guttural roar.
Swish.
A strange purple light flashed in the sky.
Will immediately retreated. In the next instant, Mew's Sacred Fire enveloped Shadow Lugia, clinging to its body and burning it relentlessly.
Shadow Lugia rolled on the ground, and an endless white fog—Haze—appeared, extinguishing all the sacred flames.
"I don't remember Haze having that effect..."
Will narrowed his eyes.
The moves of these Legendary Pokémon could no longer be judged by ordinary standards.
It was the same for Will now. Even a mundane move would become completely different in his hands.
"Mew!"
Mew changed back to its original form and flew over to hug Will's neck.
It had figured it out. Its own attacks weren't strong enough to harm Shadow Lugia. It wasn't quite tickling, but Shadow Lugia could easily tank them.
If that was the case, it might as well focus on supporting Will's attacks.
"MEW!!"
But just then, Mew let out a blood-curdling shriek.
It went completely limp and rolled off Will's body.
"Mew?"
Will quickly reached out and caught it, holding it up to his eyes.
Mew's entire body was flushed a deep pink, its eyes were hazy, and steam was even rising from its head.
"Mew..."
Mew weakly raised a small hand and pointed toward the Tree of Beginning.
Will and the Regi trio whipped their heads around.
There, on the main trunk of the Tree...
...another massive black bird was perched. It had its great maw wide open, biting into the Tree and frantically sucking the life energy from within.
It was a second Shadow Lugia!
"Two?!"
Will's eyes widened. He turned to look back at the sky above the crater. The Shadow Lugia they had just been fighting was still hovering there.
They hadn't been mistaken.
There were two Shadow Lugias!
It was just that this newly appeared one was a size smaller.
"Mew."
Mew's voice was already faint. As the Tree's life energy was being drained, Mew, who was linked to it, was also affected.
At this point, it was probably unable to help Will fight any longer.
"Tch... You three, take Mew inside the Tree and protect it!"
Will gritted his teeth, staring at the Lugia in the sky as he made the decision.
The Tree of Beginning and Mew. He couldn't let anything happen to either of them.
Otherwise, all their efforts for so long would be meaningless.
Moreover, once the Tree's life energy was completely drained... he would be next!
And Will didn't think for a second he could win a one-on-two.
He had to block the one in front of him, and the one on the Tree had to be blocked, too. But how...
"Regi!"
The Regi trio nodded, took Mew, and immediately headed for the Tree.
Will had no time to spare a glance for the other battlefield. The Shadow Lugia before him was already streaking toward him.
On the other side, Meowscarada was nervously staring at the battlefield where Will was.
She was inside the Tree, jumping up and down with anxiety. But even the Regi trio's attacks were having little effect; if she went out, she would only get in Will's way.
"Mrow..."
Meowscarada anxiously scratched her ear. If only she were stronger, she could at least help Will a little.
BOOM!
Before she could even regret her weakness, a violent tremor from beneath her made her lose her footing and tumble to the ground.
"Mrow?!"
Meowscarada looked around in shock. The crystals inside the Tree had suddenly turned an unhealthy red, and they were secreting a thick, red, viscous liquid.
That liquid began to form into the shapes of various ancient Pokémon, all moving toward a specific direction.
Meowscarada didn't know what was happening, but she quickly chased after the liquid forms.
Five minutes later, she found the source of the tremor.
A Shadow Lugia!
"Mrow..."
Meowscarada stared at the Shadow Lugia, so close she could touch it, and couldn't help but swallow.
She didn't understand.
Wasn't this thing fighting Will? Why was it suddenly here?
But her sharp eyes quickly noticed something was wrong.
This Shadow Lugia was not the same one fighting Will.
There were two differences!
This one was smaller, and its body was covered in strange, thin black lines.
From the outside, this Shadow Lugia looked as if it had been pieced together from steel plates.
But the one fighting Will was perfectly smooth, with no such lines.
Meowscarada watched as the clumps of red liquid—the Tree's immune cells—attached themselves to this Shadow Lugia, and she seemed to understand the Tree's intent.
They were trying to stop this Shadow Lugia's attack.
But looking at it now, it was completely useless.
This Shadow Lugia completely ignored the red liquid, relentlessly sucking the 'sap' of the Tree of Beginning.
"Mrow..."
Meowscarada knew she had to do something.
Will was protecting the Tree and Mew.
Well... so would she!
She had no deep feelings for the Tree, but Mew was her good friend!
Meowscarada had no interest in saving the world, but she knew she had to protect what was important to her, just like Will.
"MRROW!!"
With a sharp cry, Meowscarada shot forward, a white flash of motion.
She climbed to the top of the main trunk at her fastest speed. During this, the Shadow Lugia noticed the little 'bug'.
But it didn't pay her any mind, greedily absorbing the Tree's life energy. This energy could help it become stronger.
"Mrow..."
Meowscarada's pink pupils narrowed into slits. She leaped fearlessly at the Shadow Lugia.
Swish!
In mid-air, she spread her arms. Dozens of thick vines shot out from under her cape, wrapping around the Shadow Lugia.
"MRROW!!"
Meowscarada roared, and pulling on the dozens of vines, she managed to yank the Shadow Lugia off the Tree's trunk.
"SKREEEE!!"
Shadow Lugia roared in fury.
Having its meal interrupted made it incredibly angry. Its eyes were filled with an endless, violent madness, even more so than the one Will was facing.
It raised its tail and slammed it toward Meowscarada.
At Champion-level speed, Meowscarada couldn't react at all.
SMACK!
The giant tail instantly sent her flying back dozens of meters.
Shadow Lugia didn't seem inclined to let her go. It flapped its wings, and two black Aeroblasts shot toward Meowscarada's falling trajectory.
"Mrow..."
Meowscarada watched the black vortexes get closer, whimpering helplessly.
Shoo!
Just at that moment, two golden Zap Cannons shot out from behind her.
The cannons couldn't destroy the black vortexes, but they significantly altered their trajectory. They shot past on either side of Meowscarada, narrowly missing a direct hit.
Thud.
Meowscarada tumbled to the ground and immediately looked up behind her.
A red figure was sprinting toward her at full speed.
"Mrow!"
"Scy-ther!"
The newcomer was none other than her junior from over a decade ago: Scizor!
The Scizor of today was massively changed. He stood four meters tall, his steel-like body gleaming with a sharp, metallic luster.
Considering what he had said in the past, this Scizor was now likely one of the strongest Totem Pokémon in the inner region of Mt. Silver.
"Scyther?"
"Mrow."
There was no time for a reunion.
They fell into a familiar stance, shoulder-to-shoulder, facing the Shadow Lugia in the sky.
They would fight together once again.
The Regi trio arrived a moment later. They took up positions in three directions, surrounding the smaller Shadow Lugia.
The battlefield, with the Tree of Beginning at its center, had been split in two.
One battlefield: Will, all alone, facing a Shadow Lugia that had possibly crossed the threshold into the Master-class.
The other battlefield: Meowscarada, at the Mid-Elite Four level, and Scizor, at the Low-Elite Four level.
...teaming up with three Low-Champion level Regi trio.
...against a Shadow Lugia that was at least Mid-Champion level.
And Mew, hindered by the attack on the Tree, had already been taken out of the fight.
On both battlefields, no matter how you looked at it, Will's side was at a disadvantage.
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