"Roar!"
Rayquaza swung its tail and knocked White Kyurem out of the air, then looked down at Kyogre and Groudon below.
A small smile appeared on Rayquaza's face as it lifted its dragon head slightly. It looked down at the two Pokémon with clear disdain.
Steven's face carried the same cold sneer as Rayquaza's. Then, suddenly, his expression froze.
He turned his head sharply toward the top of Desert Tower. He could not see anyone standing there, but he could feel a presence.
Maybe it was the White Skirt Girl inside him reacting. Or maybe it was some connection through his bloodline.
"Human."
Rayquaza's voice pulled Steven back to his senses. He took a deep breath and focused on the battle again. But the smile on his face was no longer cold or proud — it looked more like barely controlled excitement, which made his expression seem strange.
...
Aya stepped forward and landed smoothly on the platform below.
"You are—" Ash looked at the tall woman who had suddenly appeared before him, confused. Then he remembered that she and her Lucario had just helped him and the others.
"Thank you for your Helping Hand!"
Aya looked down at Ash and smiled gently. "You are truly remarkable, all of you."
"Huh?" Ash blinked, embarrassed, and scratched the back of his head.
Aya looked up at Hoopa Unbound floating across from her. "Long time no see."
Strangely, Lugia, flying beneath Little Hoopa, glided over to greet her. "Long time no see, Lugia," Aya said softly, reaching out to stroke Lugia gently.
"Hoopa! Very angry!" Hoopa Unbound growled, annoyed that this newly arrived woman barely seemed to notice him. In anger, he hurled out six glowing rings of light.
If you can stop one ring, then try stopping six!
The six rings shot toward Desert Tower from six different directions. Even though the attacks would do nothing to Lugia itself, Lugia could not block every direction at once.
Whoosh—
A dark shape flashed by. Hoopa Unbound's body suddenly tilted and began falling toward the ground. In the same instant, a sharp Dragon Roar echoed through the sky.
Steven stood on Rayquaza's head as Rayquaza charged forward without warning. As Hoopa Unbound fell, his red eyes caught sight of Rayquaza rushing toward him, and he barely managed to dodge with a clumsy roll.
Boom—
Rayquaza came to a sudden stop, and the powerful gust of wind it created kicked up a huge cloud of dust.
Ignoring Rayquaza standing right in front of him, Hoopa Unbound climbed to his feet and flew straight for Desert Tower. He had not flown far when he felt his body caught by a dark, powerful Dragon Tail.
"Roar!"
Rayquaza opened its jaws and fired a Dragon Pulse straight at Hoopa Unbound's face from close range! Then it swung its whole body, slamming Hoopa Unbound, wrapped in black smoke, hard into the ground!
Lying on the ground, Hoopa Unbound's expression turned to fear.
"No!"
"I am Hoopa!"
Hoopa Unbound raised one arm and roared, but something seemed to be holding his body in place, and he could not move.
Steven glanced to the side. Balza stood on Latias's back, cape flowing behind him, holding up a brand-new Prison Bottle. At that same moment, the sun began to rise slowly over the ruins of the two cities, its light pushing back the darkness.
Balza opened the lid of the Prison Bottle and pointed its mouth toward Hoopa Unbound.
"No—"
Hoopa Unbound slowly turned into dark flames of energy, pulled steadily into the Prison Bottle. Once it was done, Balza sealed the bottle shut.
Bang!
The moment the lid closed, the Prison Bottle released a burst of powerful force that tore itself from Balza's grip and flew into the air.
"Oh no!" Ash shouted, and he jumped off Lugia, who was flying nearby, and ran toward the falling bottle. If the Prison Bottle broke now, everything they had fought for would be wasted.
Then a figure appeared in his path, and Ash slowed to a stop.
Steven caught the Prison Bottle in his arms and rolled across the ground to break his fall. Kneeling on one knee, he let out a soft, tired laugh that reached Ash's ears.
"This time, I was faster, Ash."
Steven lowered his head, his vision starting to blur. Rayquaza watched him kneeling there, its brow furrowed with concern.
"Has he reached his limit? Human..."
"Mr. Steven!" Ash called out happily, ready to run over, but he stopped again almost immediately.
Black flames had begun to flicker around Steven's body. It was the same feeling as being near Hoopa Unbound.
"I am Hoopa..." Steven rose slowly, his clear eyes now clouded with a murky red color. The voice that came out of his mouth belonged to Hoopa Unbound.
"Steven!" Little Hoopa cried out in shock, quickly flying down from Lugia's back and reaching toward Steven with both hands.
Merry, Serena, and the others who had just arrived stared at the scene in disbelief.
As long as Rayquaza sensed nothing unusual, it stayed calm — Steven had battled beside it for so long that Rayquaza knew his body and limits better than anyone. It was easy for Hoopa Unbound's power to take hold of Steven's exhausted, weakened body. Steven had no strength left to resist.
"Disappear..."
"You... disappear..."
Steven lifted his head and stared straight at Little Hoopa.
"Steven is being controlled by something evil," Balza said, his brow tightening. This was clearly not over yet.
"I am Hoopa! I am the one who should remain!"
"No!" Little Hoopa suddenly cut off Hoopa Unbound's words. "Don't be angry — let Hoopa show you what Hoopa remembers!"
Little Hoopa raised both small arms, and a soft green light glowed from them.
Hoopa Unbound, filled with resentment and rage, paused in surprise as countless memories — memories that were not his, yet somehow also his — poured into his mind.
"Everyone is waiting for you. And Shadow will be happy too, someday."
"Steven" clenched his teeth, his whole body trembling.
"So..."
"I was trapped inside that bottle for a hundred years, alone, with nothing but loneliness."
"And you — you got to live a happy, joyful life every single day?"
"That's not fair!"
"This is unfair!"
"Steven" roared at Little Hoopa.
"Happy?"
"Do you really believe that sharing these happy memories with me..."
"...can make up for a hundred years of suffering?!"
Little Hoopa froze, his expression falling, his small body shrinking back.
"I... I just wanted to be the one left behind!"
"Why couldn't I be the one who stayed?!"
"Why?!"
The true consciousness had always belonged to Little Hoopa. This other voice was only a fragment of Little Hoopa's own power.
Over the long years, that fragment of power, sealed away inside the Prison Bottle, had slowly grown feelings of its own — resentment, and anger.
If a mistake had been made, it had been Little Hoopa's mistake, made a hundred years ago.
So why?
Why had it been the one left imprisoned?
It wasn't fair. Not fair at all.
The one truly responsible got to enjoy every kind of happiness this colorful world had to offer, while this fragment of power, born only from Little Hoopa, was left with nothing.
It was innocent!
Why should something innocent have to pay for Little Hoopa's mistake?
This world was not fair at all.
It was unfair.