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Chapter 54 - 54

54

The transition from the open sky to the damp, echoing chambers of Meteor Falls was jarring. The air inside hummed with the dormant energy of a thousand fallen stars, a scent like cold iron and ancient ozone.

Phase 1: The Feeding Crisis (The Overclock)

The moment we landed, Necrozma's violet "eyes" flared. The proximity to the meteorite-saturated walls triggered its primal hunger. It let out a digital shriek that cracked the nearby stalactites.

"It's losing it!" I yelled, my Stamina Band screaming as the beast began to drain the ambient light from the cavern. "Titans, out! Containment formation!"

The Physical Hold: Kage (Sceptile) and Blaze (Blaziken) leaped into the fray, not to attack, but to grapple. Kage used his Leaf Blades to create a lattice of energy-absorbing vines, while Blaze used his heat to create a thermal updraft, keeping the beast centered.

The Overclock: May and I gripped the Obsidian Key. "May, give it everything! We have to become the brightest thing in this cave!" We didn't just share light; we forced the Key into an Overclock state. The Key turned from obsidian to a blinding, incandescent white.The Toll: My vision blurred as the Band hit 0%. May's "Vigor" was the only thing keeping my heart beating as we fed the god a concentrated stream of our own life force.

Phase 2: The Alolan Arrival (The Z-Ring)

Just as the Key began to spark with dangerous instability, a rift of golden light tore open in the center of the falls.

"Step back, Alola is here!"

Lillie stepped through the wormhole, her white dress fluttering in the cave's draft. In her hands was a shimmering Z-Ring, and beside her, Nebby (Solgaleo) let out a roar of pure solar energy.

"Jake, May! Use the Key as a focal point!" Lillie shouted. She threw a specialized Z-Crystal toward me. "It's a Lunalium-Z modified with Aether tech! We can't just feed it; we have to stitch it back together!"

With the last of my strength, I slotted the crystal into the Obsidian Key. May and I mirrored Lillie's movements, the stadium-sized holographic Z-symbols appearing behind us.

Phase 3: The Lorekeeper's Secret (The Mural)

As the Z-Power stabilized Necrozma into a calm, glowing state of "healing sleep," the massive discharge of light illuminated a hidden wall behind the waterfalls.

Zenia stepped out from the shadows of a higher ledge, her eyes fixed on the wall. "The prophecy didn't mention a 'Singer,' but it mentioned the Key."

She pointed to a mural that had been hidden for millennia. It showed a figure holding the Obsidian Key, standing between the Primal Gods and a "Star of Darkness."

The Reveal: The Key wasn't just a tool; it was a Fragment of the Ultra-Necrozma's original light, cast off during its first fall.

The Connection: "It didn't follow you because of the energy, Jake," Zenia whispered. "It followed you because you're carrying a piece of its soul. In its world, that Key was the 'Pilot's Heart' for its dimensional travel."

[Chat Log: THE FINAL REVELATION]

Master_Oak: So the Anomaly wasn't an accident... the Key chose a host that could survive the 'Vigor' of Hoenn.

IceCreamQueen_C: Look at Necrozma... it's peaceful now. It looks like it's finally home.

Steven_Stone: Jake, May... you didn't just save Hoenn today. You mended a broken god.

I slumped against the cave wall, May catching me as the Stamina Band finally flickered to a dull, resting green. The "Titans" gathered around us—a ninja, a brawler, a thief, a disaster-bringer, and a diva—all watching the sleeping star-god.

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