The Hive no longer hid behind illusions.
It stood revealed—monstrous, looming, pulsing with hate.
Its body shifted constantly, tendrils folding and reforming into new shapes. It had no mouth, no words—only rage. And behind it, lining the chamber walls, dozens of corrupted Pokémon twitched, waiting for its call.
Skylar and Misty stood shoulder to shoulder.
Their teams gathered around them.
Gardevoir.
Arcanine.
Charmeleon.
Scyther.
Starmie.
Milotic.
Frogadier.
And just behind them, the two golden Magikarp, still too small, still too vulnerable, watching from the safety of a shallow pool.
Darkrai rested unconscious, suspended in a low psychic field beside the wall, breathing shallowly—his body still mending from the corruption he barely survived.
Skylar held his Key Stone.
Felt nothing.
No pulse.
No surge.
Only silence.
His aura reserves were empty.
—"No Mega Evolution," he whispered.
Misty looked at him. "Then we fight with what we have."
He nodded.
And the Hive shrieked.
The battle began.
The first corrupted Pokémon hit like thunder.
A mutated Salamence crashed into the front line—wings twitching with residual shadow, its fangs glowing red.
"Arcanine—Intercept it! Flare Blitz!"
The fire-type roared and collided mid-air with the dragon, sending both spiraling across the chamber in a storm of flame and teeth.
They landed hard—Arcanine rolled, staggered back to his feet, ribs bruised but still growling.
Above, a ghostly Altaria dived.
"Scyther—Air Slash!"
Scyther launched skyward, slashing the spectral dragon with one wing—but a follow-up blast of corrupted wind knocked him sideways into the wall.
He hit hard.
Didn't get up immediately.
Skylar's heart pounded.
"Scyther!"
The mantis stirred—bleeding, but alive.
He pushed himself up.
Kept going.
—
Starmie shot forward, spinning violently, launching bursts of Confuse Ray and Psybeam into a pack of corrupted Crobat.
They screamed—twisting, turning on each other mid-air. One dove into a wall at full speed. The others scattered.
But Starmie took a hit from behind—a rogue Sableye grinning as it delivered a Shadow Claw to Starmie's core gem.
It cracked.
Misty shouted.
"Recover, now!"
The gem glowed faintly—restoring itself, but slowly.
Too slowly.
Milotic surged forward to cover Starmie, coiling around the fallen starfish, eyes glowing.
"Ice Beam!"
A barrage of frost struck three enemies mid-charge, freezing two to the floor—but a Gengar phased through the wall behind her and launched a direct Shadow Ball into her side.
Milotic shrieked, tumbling away.
On the left flank, Frogadier darted through shadows, throwing Water Pulses and dodging fast.
But he wasn't strong enough to finish anyone alone.
He was stalling.
Until he slipped.
A corrupted Muk lashed a tendril from the floor, striking his leg and slamming him into the rock wall.
He didn't move.
"Frogadier!" Misty screamed.
He coughed—barely conscious.
Skylar felt it.
They were being overwhelmed.
Gardevoir stood tall.
Pale. Breathing heavy.
She had already fired three Moonblasts, a Psyshock, and two shields.
And now, with no Mega Evolution, she was burning out.
Still, she raised her arms again.
"Psychic—full field!" Skylar shouted.
She obeyed.
A pulse of raw psychic force slammed outward, knocking back five enemies at once, flattening a charging Golurk.
But then—she fell to one knee.
Trembling.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Skylar's chest tightened.
"Gardevoir…"
He took a step toward her.
The Hive struck.
A tendril of energy blasted the ground between them—sending Skylar flying back, cracking stone beneath him.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
He barely registered Misty catching him before he hit the wall.
"Skylar!"
"I'm fine," he lied.
He wasn't.
Gardevoir forced herself to her feet, face pale.
She raised one hand to him.
And nodded.
Still fighting.
Still with him.
The Hive screeched.
A pulse of alien light expanded from its core—pure gravity and malice.
The corrupted Pokémon all moved in sync now, controlled by the creature directly, no longer reacting instinctively.
It wasn't a battle anymore.
It was a massacre waiting to happen.
Misty knelt beside Frogadier, who stirred weakly.
Milotic lay still—barely conscious. Starmie trembled, struggling to spin.
Scyther stood—bleeding from one wing. Charmeleon panted, one eye swollen shut.
Arcanine held the line alone, teeth bared—his fire dimmer than usual.
Skylar stood, swaying.
He looked to his side.
Misty met his eyes.
"Skylar…"
He shook his head.
"I know."
They were losing.
And then, in the corner of the room, one of the Magikarp flopped forward.
Glowing slightly.
Golden scales shimmering with flickering power.
The other joined it.
They looked ahead—not to battle.
But to stand beside their trainers.
Too weak to fight.
But not too weak to believe.
Skylar gritted his teeth.
"We can't lose here."
He looked to the Hive—advancing now, preparing its next attack.
He raised his arm.
Charmeleon moved to his side.
Then Arcanine.
Then Gardevoir.
Staggered.
Bleeding.
Still ready.
Skylar growled.
"No more holding back."
He turned to Misty.
"Whatever happens… we go together."
She nodded.
And the Hive began its charge.
The chamber shook.
The battle was not over.
It was only beginning again.