Facing Yveltal's Oblivion Wing, Steven felt more than just his life force being slowly drained away. The strain of Mega Evolving three Pokémon at once was pushing him well past his limit.
"This is... a Legendary Pokémon..."
Steven stared up at Yveltal hovering in the sky above Orses Forest, a deep sense of helplessness settling into his chest. He had given everything he had. His Pokémon had fought with everything they had — and still, a single Oblivion Wing had nearly swept them all aside.
Pokémon like Yveltal couldn't simply be called Pokémon anymore. Before today, Steven had thought Legendaries were just far stronger than ordinary Pokémon. After all, Pikachu's Thunderbolt had once held off Yveltal's attack. A Trainer had casually fished up Kyogre. A reckless collector had tried to capture Lugia using nothing but a spaceship.
Now that he was facing one himself, Steven could hardly believe any of that had happened.
The dark red beam of Oblivion Wing crept steadily closer. Steven did not step back. He planted his feet firmly behind his Pokémon and held his ground. The rushing air currents swept past him, and with every passing second, he could feel his strength fading as his life force was siphoned away, flowing back into Yveltal's body.
There was no way to win this fight head-on. But Steven had never planned to win. He just needed to hold on for one more minute — just long enough for Xerneas to return.
His silver-blue hair had faded to white. Steven dropped to one knee, breathing hard. The Pokémon standing before him were faring little better; Yveltal's Oblivion Wing was steadily pulling at their life force too.
Boom!
A blue-purple dragon came crashing in from behind Steven! Close behind it came a blue Energy Ball, and then two thick columns of Hydro Pump rushed past on either side of him. Black Dark Pulses and green spiral shockwaves laced with razor-sharp leaves surged forward — all of them carefully aimed to pass around Steven and his Pokémon.
They slammed into the dark red beam.
The resulting explosion was massive. The blast wave launched Steven and his Pokémon off their feet.
Cynthia caught Steven from behind, staggering under the impact before the two of them tumbled to the ground together.
"You're being reckless!" she said, her voice tight with worry as she took in the sight of his whitened hair.
Then she raised her head, her expression hardening as she fixed her gaze on Yveltal.
"I'm not some fragile girl."
"Garchomp!"
"Gaaooo!"
Mega Garchomp stepped up behind Cynthia, letting out a fierce cry directed at Yveltal.
"I was trying to buy you some time," Steven said, pulling himself upright. He recalled Sandslash into its Poké Ball — it had collapsed from the strain. Asking it to go up against a Legendary at its level had been asking too much.
"You worked hard, Sandslash."
Cynthia steadied him with one hand, her expression set and resolute.
"I sent Diancie back to protect the Diamond Kingdom first," she said quietly. "But I'm not leaving you here alone."
"Ha... it's coming," Steven murmured — and then his expression shifted completely.
Yveltal didn't wait. Its next attack wasn't Oblivion Wing.
It was Dark Pulse.
A sphere of black energy condensed in Yveltal's maw and came screaming toward the ground. There would be no slow drain this time. If that Dark Pulse, amplified by Dark Aura, made contact — there would be nothing left to drain.
The threat of death bore down on them.
All eleven of Steven and Cynthia's Pokémon reacted at once. Flash Cannon, Rock Blast, Hydro Pump, Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse — moves were unleashed in a torrent. Since this wasn't Oblivion Wing, Scizor could finally unleash its contact moves as well. Every attack converged together, forming a wall against Yveltal's Dark Pulse.
Even so, the combined force was barely holding. If that Dark Pulse broke through, it wouldn't gently wash over Orses Forest the way Oblivion Wing had. A large part of it might simply cease to exist.
"Hold on just a little longer! We're almost out of time!" Steven shouted.
He had never noticed before how long a single minute could feel.
Bzzzz!
The Z-Ring on Steven's left wrist began to glow.
"What is this?!"
He stared at it, startled. Pinpricks of green, earthy yellow, and blue light drifted through the air and spiraled into the Z-Ring.
"This is... the power of Orses Forest..."
Trees. Plants. Earth. Minerals. Water. Their will, their strength — all of it reaching out to him. The power of nature itself, flowing through the Z-Ring and taking form.
Z-Crystals materialized in the air.
A Grassium Z. A Groundium Z. A Rockium Z. A Waterium Z. Four brand new Z-Crystals hung in the air, arranged in a ring. Then the Psychium Z within Steven's ring drifted free and joined them — and all five merged together, the combined crystal glowing in five colors before settling back into the Z-Ring, fusing with the Steelium Z already embedded within it.
This was Orses Forest's gift. Its commission.
"Go, Steven!" Cynthia had watched the entire thing unfold. She gave him a firm nod.
Steven returned the nod and turned to the Metagross standing before him.
"Metagross!"
"Metagross!"
Whoosh!
The Steelium Z in the Z-Ring shifted. Its silver base remained — but the pattern at its center changed, reshaping itself into the shape of an X.
Steven straightened and raised his left arm high. Then he swung it sharply to the side.
The Z-Crystal blazed with silver light. Powerful energy surged around him — and transferred instantly to Metagross. Silver energy flooded through all four of its iron legs. The overflowing power rotated around its body on its own, building into a spiral without Metagross even having to move.
"This is our Z-Move, Metagross! Go!"
"Metagross!"
The energy wreathing Metagross's four limbs shifted — blue, green, earthy yellow, dark brown. Each color matched one of the four Z-Crystals that had answered Orses Forest's call: Waterium Z, Grassium Z, Groundium Z, Rockium Z. The outer spiral alternated between silver and pink in a constant, churning rhythm.
Metagross reared back — and charged.
Boom!
It hit Yveltal's Dark Pulse head-on, six colors blazing across its body. The other ten Pokémon were still pouring their moves into the beam. Together, Metagross's exclusive Z-Move cut straight into the Dark Pulse — and stopped it cold. Then it pushed back.
The Dark Pulse detonated in midair.
Black light flooded across the entirety of Orses Forest.
Steven felt something lurch inside his chest. A moment later, a thin line of crimson traced slowly from the corner of his mouth.