Four Champion-level Pokémon stared down the Black Knight, their combined auras pressing against the spatial barrier so hard the very air began to hum.
Seth stood in the center of the storm, his eyes fixed on the man who had murdered his wife ten years ago.
The Black Knight hovered atop his Hydreigon, the three-headed dragon snarling at the sheer pressure radiating from Seth's team. Yet, the armored man's posture remained relaxed, an impenetrable void of dark emotion.
"You have gathered quite the execution squad, Seth Williams," the Black Knight's telepathic voice echoed, cold and vibrating with dark amusement. "Ten years of grief. Ten years of sharpening your hatred into a blade. I must admit... you hide it well behind that foolish smile."
Seth's eyes didn't waver. "You're going to die here."
"Perhaps," the Black Knight replied smoothly. He reached beneath his obsidian cape, his gauntleted hand holding three sleek, heavy Ultra Balls. "But not easily."
He tossed them into the sky.
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
Three more Champion-level Pokemon erupted into the blood-red sky, instantly countering the overwhelming pressure of Seth's team.
The first was a Dragapult, its ghostly, translucent tail phasing in and out of reality, two Dreepy loaded in its horns like live ammunition.
The second was an Altaria. But this was no graceful, singing bird. Its cotton-like wings were denser than normal, radiating a vicious, battle-hardened dragon-type aura.
And the third...
A sleek, jet-like Pokémon materialized with a sharp, echoing cry. Its aerodynamic body was a striking blend of blue and white, with a red triangular mark on its chest. The moment it appeared, an ocean of pure, hyper-condensed psychic and dragon-type energy flooded the arena.
A Latios!
Of course, this wasn't the true legendary Latios, but a half-blood one.
As mentioned before, Half-blood Legendaries could not be considered deities. They were just really powerful rare Pokemon, and their bodies carried some essence of their Legendary counterpart. One thing to note that tier-1 Legendaries or higher did not have Half-Blood versions of them. For example, there was only one Rayquaza in the world.
A true legendary or not, A Champion-Level Latios posed an immense threat.
"Let us even the playing field," the Black Knight said, as he raised his right arm. Embedded into the dark metal of his gauntlet was a pristine, glowing Key Stone.
Seth's eyes widened a fraction.
"You aren't the only one who has harnessed the bonds of evolution," the Black Knight mocked. The dark energy around him surged, linking perfectly with the Latios.
"Primal Regression."
A blinding, prismatic light enveloped the legendary dragon. Its body streamlined even further, its arms shifting into sharp, aerodynamic wings, and its aura skyrocketing to a level that directly rivalled Mega Salamence.
Mega Latios let out a piercing, psychic-laced roar that physically pushed back the clouds within the barrier.
"Kill them," the Black Knight ordered.
The sky exploded.
Charizard, Metagross, and Lucario instantly clashed with Hydreigon, Dragapult, and Altaria. The sky became a chaotic, blinding tapestry of Fire Blasts, Meteor Mashes, and Dragon Rushes. The shockwaves alone would have leveled the entire island if not for the spatial barrier containing them.
But the true center of the battlefield belonged to the two Mega-Evolved dragons.
"Salamence. Tear him out of the sky," Seth commanded, his voice laced with pure murder.
Salamence vanished, as, with his absurd speed, he broke through the sound barrier and shot towards Latios.
Mega Latios's eyes flashed blue. A devastating, blinding pillar of hyper-condensed light and psychic energy erupted from its maw. The attack was so fast it seemed to instantly cross the distance.
"Double-Edge!"
Mega Salamence didn't dodge. Cloaked in a raging, blue-white tornado of flying-type energy, he rammed headfirst into the Luster Purge. The Aerilate-boosted physical strike clashed against the psychic beam, creating a massive sphere of violent, clashing energy.
Eventually, Mega Salamence pushed through. With a feral, bloodthirsty screech, he shattered the beam and slammed his massive body directly into Mega Latios.
BOOM!
The impact sounded like a bomb detonating. Mega Latios was knocked backward, but it quickly stopped and adjusted its posture using Psychic Energy.
"Dragon Rush!" Seth roared.
"Zen Headbutt!" the Black Knight commanded.
The two jet-fighter-like dragons clashed in the center of the sky. Red and purple auras collided in a blinding, high-speed dogfight. They moved so fast that they were nothing more than streaks of light, ricocheting off the invisible walls of the barrier, shattering the air with every collision.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Mega Latios used its telekinesis to instantly halt its momentum, sharply pivoting 90 degrees to deliver a point-blank Dragon Pulse.
Mega Salamence took the hit to the shoulder, his scales smoking, but he retaliated instantly by swinging his massive, jagged tail, landing a devastating Dragon Tail that sent the Legendary spinning out of control.
The Black Knight watched the exchange, his eyes narrowing beneath his helm.
"Incredible," the Black Knight murmured telepathically. "Ten years ago, your team was completely overwhelmed by my Hydreigon alone. You couldn't even break my spatial barrier to reach her in time. Today, you are fighting my ace to a standstill."
Seth didn't respond. His knuckles were white, his teeth gritted so hard his jaw
ached.
"You turned your despair into raw, unadulterated strength," the Black Knight continued, genuinely impressed. "You truly are a genius, Seth Williams. If she could see you now, I am sure she would be proud."
"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!" Seth roared, his composure completely snapping.
The malice that flooded out of Seth was so dark, so violently intense, that it visibly tainted the air around Mega Salamence.
"SALAMENCE! GIGA IMPACT!"
Mega Salamence let out a roar that drowned out the entire battlefield. He pulled in every single drop of flying-type and normal-type energy in his body, compressing it into a terrifying, white-hot sphere of absolute destruction. Boosted by Aerilate, its power reached a ridiculous level.
The Black Knight's posture shifted, a sliver of genuine tension finally appearing in his stance.
"Latios! Maximum output! Luster Purge!"
Mega Latios responded in kind, firing a powerful Psychic Blast at Salamence.
In a fraction of a second, the Psychic Blast met with the sphere of destruction.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The collision generated a sphere of pure, blinding white light that instantly consumed the entire sky. The sound was ripped away, leaving a deafening,terrifying vacuum.
The shockwave blasted outward, slamming into the spatial barrier with such catastrophic force that the indestructible dome finally buckled, massive fractures spreading across its surface like shattered glass.
Gengar appeared beside Seth as he used his energy to protect Seth from the aftermath. Similarly, the Black Knight was protected by a Mismagius.
Everyone within the barrier turned their heads towards the sky to see what was happening.
Inside the light, two men, separated by a decade of blood and vengeance, fought to the bitter end.
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