Yveltal's expression darkened as its scarlet eyes locked onto Xerneas.
To tell the truth, it was utterly sick of slumber. Every single time it entered dormancy, it would last a thousand years.
The last time it had battled against Xerneas and subsequently awakened from that endless sleep, the world around it had already undergone a complete upheaval—time had marched forward, civilizations had changed, and even the land and skies felt unfamiliar.
And now, if it were forced into another millennia-long slumber, who knew what would happen by the time it opened its eyes again?
Though both it and Xerneas were immortal beings—undying, eternal—it had absolutely no desire to repeat that endless cycle of sleep.
"Humph! And yet… what does another thousand years matter? As long as you remain awake, you are nothing but a calamity upon this world!"
Xerneas' tone was cold but resolute. Even though it, too, loathed being sealed into another long hibernation, if that was the only way to restrain Yveltal and prevent it from wreaking havoc, then it was worth it.
Because as long as Yveltal remained awake, countless lives would inevitably be snuffed out under its shadow.
As the embodiment of life itself, Xerneas could never, under any circumstance, stand by idly and allow that to happen.
"Xerneas, don't worry. With me here, I'll never allow you to fall into slumber again."
From a distance, Nathan's calm voice echoed.
The moment Yveltal heard that, its head snapped violently toward him, its gaze sharp and filled with murderous intent.
From Nathan's body, it could clearly sense the faint aura of Xerneas' Life Blessing.
In other words—this human was the one who had brought Xerneas out into the open world again.
"Human… once I finish dealing with Xerneas, the next one to die will be you!"
Yveltal's voice resounded like a rusted, broken gong, grating and full of menace.
But Nathan merely shrugged in response. Was it joking? Right now, Xerneas stood right beside him.
And not just Xerneas—he still had his Volcarona and his Mewtwo.
So what if Yveltal was powerful? Could it really hope to take on three legendary Pokémon at once?
"I don't think that's ever going to happen."
At his words, both Volcarona and Mewtwo stepped forward, shielding Nathan at the front.
Now, with two more legendary-class Pokémon standing guard, Yveltal was left momentarily speechless.
Its ruthless eyes flicked back and forth—first at Xerneas, then at Volcarona, then at Mewtwo—before once again locking firmly onto Nathan.
There were now three legendary Pokémon gathered here. No matter which one it tried to face head-on, finishing them quickly would be nearly impossible.
However… if it could cut down the meddling human who had ruined its plans, perhaps that would still be a worthwhile first move.
With that thought in mind, Yveltal's body blurred into motion.
In the mere span of a blink, it vanished from where it stood.
The members of the Pokémon Squad, who had been watching from behind, cried out in shock.
That speed—what kind of speed was this? Their eyes couldn't even register its movement!
To them, it was utterly inhuman, almost inconceivable.
But what was fast and terrifying to them appeared ordinary in the eyes of Nathan and the three legendary Pokémon.
Yveltal's speed was great, yes—but Xerneas, Volcarona, and Mewtwo were by no means slow.
Before Yveltal could even close the gap to reach Nathan, Xerneas had already intercepted, blocking its path with ease.
At the same time, the magnetic field around Yveltal shifted drastically.
"Gravity!"
Xerneas released its move.
A crushing gravitational force descended from above, yanking Yveltal from midair and slamming it forcefully down onto the desert floor.
The instant the gravity took effect, Yveltal's form reappeared in the squad's field of vision.
"Holy crap—when did it get here?!"
"That speed… just now it crossed at least five hundred meters in the blink of an eye!"
"Good thing the Instructor came with us. Otherwise, we'd all be corpses by now…"
Whispers of awe and dread rippled through the squad.
At this point, their respect for Nathan was absolute.
This kind of strength… it was beyond their comprehension, something they could only look up to but never reach.
Yveltal glared at the Xerneas blocking its path. And then, the next moment—it vanished again.
But this time was different. Before, its form had simply moved too quickly for ordinary eyes to follow.
Now, it truly disappeared from sight altogether.
Yet Xerneas, who had fought it for countless centuries, anticipated it perfectly. Calmly, it moved in front of Nathan.
With a flash, a thin shimmering Light Screen manifested. But unlike the usual straight, flat wall of light, this barrier was curved—its edges arched inward and joined together, forming a barrel-shaped shield that enveloped Nathan and the entire squad.
Seeing Xerneas dividing its attention to protect him, Nathan frowned deeply.
If it had been a one-on-one battle, the outcome between Xerneas and Yveltal would have been hard to predict.
But now, with Xerneas stretching itself thin to keep him safe, it would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
Just as Nathan considered commanding Volcarona and Mewtwo to step in, Yveltal reappeared.
"Phantom Force!"
Its massive claws slashed straight for Xerneas' lower back.
The lower back—whether for human or Pokémon—was a weak point, one with almost no natural protection.
Aside from a handful of species, nearly all Pokémon had a vulnerable waist.
If this strike landed cleanly, serious injury was inevitable.
"Watch out!"
Nathan shouted urgently.
But he was a heartbeat too late.
Yveltal's talons raked across Xerneas' back, leaving several deep, bloody wounds.
"Volcarona! Mewtwo! Attack!"
Nathan's tone hardened. He couldn't afford to stand by any longer.
If this continued, something disastrous might happen.
Xerneas might be immortal, yes—but if its injuries grew too severe, it would retreat into its cocoon state.
And once that happened, it would slumber for a thousand years before reawakening.
By then, who knew if Nathan himself would even still be alive? How could he hope to capture it if he was long gone?
Volcarona spread its fiery wings and soared skyward.
Scorching winds erupted—the Heat Wave move.
The desert was already oppressively hot, but with Volcarona's flames fueling the air, the temperature spiked drastically.
Within moments, the air around Yveltal burned at nearly two hundred degrees.
Not to be outdone, Mewtwo darted forward in a burst of speed.
Its fist swung with overwhelming force, slamming squarely into Yveltal.
Already weakened by the suffocating heat, Yveltal failed to notice the incoming strike.
The punch connected solidly, sending Yveltal hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.
It crashed heavily into the ground, carving a deep trench into the sandy earth.
Meanwhile, Xerneas had already begun healing itself.
As the embodiment of life, its regenerative powers and restorative abilities were extraordinary.
Soft pulses radiated from its body.
With each wave, the gashes across its back visibly closed, knitting together at astonishing speed.
Not only that—around it, shrubs and greenery sprouted rapidly from the barren sand.
"Nature Power!"
Xerneas bellowed, voice echoing like a chime of vitality.
Plants spread outward in all directions.
Within mere breaths, the greenery had reached Yveltal's position.
Grass and thickets grew wild around it, glowing faintly with the essence of life.
Those vines and branches whipped toward Yveltal, lashing violently.
As the Pokémon of Destruction and Death, Yveltal shrank under the vitality-charged assault.
It was like ice being scorched over open flame.
"AAARGHH!"
Its shrill, broken voice shrieked through the battlefield, grating and painful to hear.
A crimson light suddenly flared over its body.
The moment that glow emerged, the effectiveness of Xerneas' attack weakened drastically.
The vibrant energy clinging to the plants dimmed, the life force within them draining away.
One by one, the lush vines and grasses shriveled into ash-gray husks, crumbling to dust as the hot desert wind swept them away.
Nathan's expression darkened. This was not good.
"Volcarona, use Fire Blast! Now!"
Without hesitation, he gave the command.
Volcarona formed several blazing fireballs, aligning them in the shape of a massive kanji character before hurling them at Yveltal.
The moment they neared, they detonated violently, the explosion shaking the sands and throwing up a storm of dust.
"Mewtwo, Psycho Cut!"
Nathan followed immediately.
Mewtwo's eyes glowed as it conjured gleaming blades of psionic energy, firing them straight into the dust storm.
But when the strikes landed, there was no scream, no sign of pain.
The silence was eerie, oppressive.
Only the occasional whistle of wind cut through the stillness, tightening the knot of tension in everyone's chest.
As the swirling sand finally settled, Yveltal's silhouette emerged once more.
Its entire form was now sheathed in a cloak of red light.
And most shocking of all—its body showed not the slightest trace of injury, as if the devastating attacks from before had never even touched it.
(End of Chapter)