Pokemon Legends Beyond

Johto Part 17

"What are you going to do now that you and your little army are out of Pokemon!?" Lance called to Commander X. He, Ethan, Kris and Steven managed to defeat the remaining Grunts out on the lakefront in battle. "Nowhere to run either since our comrades infiltrated your airship."

"What a ridiculous notion," Commander X scoffed. "You may have defeated us in battle and destroyed our airship, But have you forgotten that Shadow Lugia and Monochrome Ho-oh are still in my control?"

"You're wrong about that!" Vilnis called as he and the others landed from their escape from the airship. "You managed to initiate their transformation into darkness, but no one can control the untameable creatures that they have become!"

"We'll just see about that," Commander X turned to the beasts of darkness that hovered in the air. "Destroy them all! Now" But the two beasts did not move. They ignored her orders completely. "What are you doing just standing there! I command you to destroy them!"

"Commander X!" Vilnis called. "Your arrogance and selfishness is a reflection of what Ho-oh and Lugia have become. Untameable and pure darkness. I suppose you learned that from your leader. A woman of cunning and deception. Can't you see that she's just using you all!? Don't you realize that she abandoned your friends back at Spear Pillar!? She's only using you to get what she wants! You are nothing to her!"

"You're wrong," Commander X shook her head, shaking at the realization that he was, in fact, correct. "She promised us harmony. A new world."

"She just wants power and control for herself!" Vilnis screamed. "Realize that!" He walked forward towards Shadow Lugia and Monochrome Ho-oh. "Now, do us a favor and stay out of the way while we clean up your mess."

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres used their attacks to destroy the rings that were around Lugia's neck. Entei, Raikou, and Suicune did the same to Ho-oh. But even with the rings destroyed, they stayed in their forms of darkness.

"I don't understand," Ashley said, stepping forward next to Vilnis. "They should be changing back. Why aren't they changing back?"

Then, Lugia and Ho-oh let out deafening cries into the evening sky. A pillar of fire formed around Ho-ho. The blazing heat was so intense that it was evaporating the water near the banks of the Lake of Rage. Then, a vortex of water surrounded Lugia. It was as if a storm over the sea had invaded the land. The winds howled at an intense rate.

"This is madness," Kris choked, tears rolling down her face. "What can we do now?" Ethan put his arm around her shoulder as she leaned in to cry. "We can't stop this."

"The legendary Pokemon here are exhausted," Akito said, observing their tired state. "Between being controlled and having their abilities turned up to the max and having to destroy the rest of those black rings, they can't go on to try to stop this."

For a brief moment, as everyone watched helplessly at the state that Ho-oh and Lugia were in, faint whispers reached the hearts and souls of both Ashley and Vilnis. They shared a glance and then knew exactly what to do. Slowly, they stepped forward towards the pillars of fire and water that contained Ho-oh and Lugia.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Marco asked, seeing his friends move closer to the pillars.

"Ho-oh and Lugia are still in there somewhere," Ashley said, not looking back.

"They're trying to fight the darkness and they need our help," Vilnis said. They both turned back to see the faces of their friends. "This is the way that we can stop it."

"Ho-oh and Lugia are fighting as hard as they can. We need to lend them our strength," Ashley smiled.

"If you get any closer, you'll be hurt!" Akito stated. "Ashley, you'd be burned alive! Vilnis you'd drown in that vortex!"

"Have you forgotten?" Vilnis smiled, tears streamed down his face. "Lugia and I, our souls are one."

"My heart and Ho-oh's heart are connected," Ashley said. "This is the only way." Then, Ashley and Vilnis turned back towards the pillars and ran straight into the vortexes of water and fire.