Seyka's Haste II gave Astrid an extra action!
Kindle's Soothe III calmed Koa's spirit!
Diyem siphoned Icetales' Radiance with Void Acceptance!
Icetales' Teatimes let Astrid and Koa drink elixirs!
Icetales’ Brilliant Inspirit boosted Brisa, Starr, and Astrid!
Saltriv’s Void Acceptance soothed Brisa, Starr, and Astrid, reducing their corruption gains!
Saltriv was Icetales' chauffeur!
Koa created a Brilliant Conduit and used it with Astrid and Starr! They shared each other's corruption!
Koa called out to Starr! His pure words reached her!
Celeste was Starr's chauffeur!
Mellow was Brisa's chauffeur!
Mellow called out to Xerneas, Icetales and Saltriv! Her pure words reached them!
Nip’s Revitalizing Moonlight healed himself and Kate!
Owen was Nip's chauffeur!
Owen was Koa's chauffeur!
Brisa's Blacklight Facade dealt 2610 damage to Buffet! It's Ultra Effective!
Brisa's Blacklight Z-Burst dealt 4140 damage to Buffet! It's Ultra Effective!
Koa's Hyper Voice dealt 128 damage to Buffet and 112 to Nanab, and powered up Soda's Lure!
Starr's Flare Blitz dealt a CRITICAL 6355 damage to Nanab! Starr took a lot of damage in recoil! It's Super Effective!
Starr's Fiery Leech Life dealt 3443 damage to Nanab and healed for 344! It's Super Effective!
Starr's Fiery Strike dealt 1499 damage to Nanab! It's Super Effective!
Brisa's and Starr's Fusion Arcflare dealt a CRITICAL 10122 damage to Buffet! It's Super Effective!
Astrid was Inspired by Brisa and Starr! Astrid’s Inspired Sweeper Blacklight Z-Detonation dealt CRITICAL damage to Bone, Nugget and Pine!
Bone: 21337
Nugget: 8637 (KO on the first hit!)
Pine: 24499
The strange bauble of energy, which looked more like a transparent wisp that had been planted in the ground--so easy to miss, especially because Buffet's presence in particular seemed to loom over it like a wild Pokemon and its egg--flashed slightly. And then, shortly after, it became brighter, then sank into the ground.
At the same time, Eien fired--and what was left of the phantoms were destroyed completely. Without anything to strike back as they stubbornly lingered, they only faded away into the Tree's defense systems once more. The lure returned moments later...
"I'll clear the way," Diyem muttered to the others, walking past even as the remainder of Team Spectrum started heading for the exit. Shadows were dancing along his body, which was barely keeping it together, even as he stared down the Zygarde titan--the one phantom--that remained.
"Wait! Diyem!" Xerneas chased after him, but then nuzzled his back. Diyem winced, glaring back at the certainly-not-right Lifebringer. "Be careful, okay?"
"You are not Eien. Go away."
"No, I... I know I'm not. I--I know that now. But I still know how kind you can b--"
"You clearly do not know me. Go away. Your appreciation makes me sick."
Xerneas looked hurt, flinching away.
"He means it literally!" Owen called, flying past them. "He's Dark Matter, remember?!"
"O-oh..."
"You are not to harm my team. Understood?"
Meekly, Xerneas nodded.
"Then go. I will catch up. I have something I need to verify." He slammed his mallet's handle on the ground, snorting.
"I will be fine."
All of Team Spectrum was behind him, now. And, while it hurt, he smiled a little as he thought about them. He recalled the words that had been shared to him--Brisa, always dutiful, was running back and making sure everyone was accounted for before leaving herself. Cabot was doing the same...
We're your friends, remember? You were even ready to admit that when you broke out of the Radiant Machine!
"Disgusting," Diyem thought aloud, chuckling. That one hurt a little, too.
"...I hate when the cheerful ones are right."
Astrid was, once again, fallen, but not before doing a number on so many of their foes. Celeste was parrying and dodging through countless foes' attacks, losing barely a strand of fur against most of them. Kate, a late arrival, the one responsible for the team finding him at all, had distracted this very Zygarde from assaulting the rest of the team... Starr was carrying out several of the injured, one in each hand, such as Vix, while Puddle and Scrafty shouted various empty taunts at the final phantoms.
Koa, with his youthful cunning, must have been the one to lure Maple away and give the team
just enough time to escape with some breathing room. Icetales, endlessly cheering and motivating them even when chaos surrounded them all--he seemed so used to that kind of environment... He sensed the sickly, sweet fragrance of Mellow's and Saltriv's handiwork on Astrid and the other injured, keeping everyone in top form even as elemental energy raged above them. Dave, cursing at his foes and calling for Mia to pack it up and stop fighting the straggling phantoms that still crowded around.
Cynthian set up brambles and poisons and even wrathful frost to slow down any enemies that tried to drag them back into the Tree. Nip weaved between enemies and misdirected them, and Owen shouted out warnings for hidden foes every other minute.
And, far in the back, Bahamut, a beacon of light for them to follow out of the Tree's horrible labyrinth. He'd even set up an Ultra Wormhole for them to exit faster. While it was short in range... it would help. And so many of the others that had come here to save him, yet again, despite everything else that had been happening in the world...
Yes. The cheerful fossil was right. They were... his friends.
He smiled a painful smile, showing his teeth, as he finally addressed the phantom rushing for him to get through to the others of Team Spectrum.
"How appropriate that a Zygarde would be the one to stand in our way."
And then, he ran in and parried, blocked, and skillfully blunted all of the strikes from the titanic Zygarde.
The Zygarde Phantom struck Diyem with a barrage of attacks!
Core Enforcer for 65!
Thousand Arrows for 60!
Shock Wave for 30!
Extreme Speed for a total of 137!
--
Maple's snarls abruptly stopped as she turned her head in the general direction of the lure.
"What is that? What..." She stomped forward, completely ignoring Diyem and the Zygarde.
Maple moved to 2B!
Maple moved to 1B!
Maple moved to 1C!
Maple inspected the area and saw the lure, but, after leaning her head down and sniffing at it again, she realized that it was nothing but a false aura. She recognized this power and spun around, shouting yet another roar down the hall.
"YOU TRICKED ME!"
"Well, that didn't last long."
"...Ah. She's returning."
"V-very quickly--"
Maple used Blacklight Crescent against Diyem and the Zygarde Phantom!
Diyem: 392
Zygarde: 5728
Diyem staggered back and nearly fell on his tail. The Shadows around him were surging and it seemed like his whole body had abruptly dissolved into nothing but black clouds that pooled on the ground.
"I won't let you get to my team," Diyem said with a very low snarl. But there was a hint of something. There was
something in that attack from Maple, now that she was totally unleashed, totally corrupted... What was that?
He needed to feel it just a little more.
Just a little more...
Perhaps if they matched their powers, he would see it more clearly. A hunch. A suspicion. An
answer...
Diyem is feeling motivated! Diyem gained an extra action! Diyem used Abyssal Replica for Void Acceptance, healing the corruption of some of Team Spectrum!
Diyem is... changing...
Owen and the others watched in awe and shock as Diyem's form started to twist and change. His wings grew and his body lengthened; he went on all fours as his back arched up. The flame on his tail became a flaming trail that went all the way up his back. His eyes disappeared, instead becoming great voids with only pinpricks of light for eyes.
Diyem used Abyssal God! Diyem transformed!
It was a horrifying sight that filled those who saw it with dread. Diyem... was this really what Diyem looked like? Was that sphere only an egg, a shell, or what he could truly be? Yet... that was their leader. There was an odd smirk on his darkened face that was still recognizable.
"D... Diyem?" Owen said. "Is this... how he is when he isn't holding back?"
"He must have been hiding it so it didn't set anyone off," Cal remarked. "Or maybe he didn't have the strength for it until..." Her eyes trailed to Xerneas, who was hobbling out of the Tree. "Huh."
Diyem used Abyssal Onslaught against Maple! It chained into itself for an Ultimate Abyssal Onslaught, hitting her ten times for 940 damage!
There was a hint of recognition in his eyes.
"Yes... I've seen what I needed," Diyem said, and then looked back at the others.
Retreat. I will follow. Tell Xerneas to seal the tree when he can. We need to regroup and return here later. I will explain. But I know what happened to Maple. And... I also found Telum.