I stare blankly at the oozing blood, repulsed by it, yet unable to tear my terrified eyes away. I feel hot tears welling up within them and queasiness churning within me, an ugly sensation that makes me want to vomit.

Meanwhile, bright red noise and light angrily whine overhead, promising nothing good to come. From above, pedestals crumble as wings fling open and a bonechilling screech echoes through the room. The enormous shadowy bird looms above us like a thundercloud.

As if unsure of its new form, it clumsily dives downwards. All of us feel the pure force of its giant wings as it descends, the claws on its wings making a loud shriiiiiiiiiiiek like claws on chalkboard. Diantha rapidly presses buttons on the machine, but Yveltal's wing hits her and the control panel and she falls back with a scream. We hear a dull thud and Shauna finally looks up from AZ's side. "Di-diantha!"

She tries to summon her flower again, but the energy dissipates around her hands. She cries out in fear as the legendary Pokemon lands right in front of Toxis.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit-" he swears rapidly, moving back slowly as the bird grows nearer. One enormous footstep at a time. Its wings leave dents in the walls, but this only serves to further prevent us from exiting the maze of dented metal with no clear exit.

Dill races up beside him, chucking several Pokeballs. A Leafeon, Klaki, and a shiny Charizard emerge all at once. "Pickles, Klaki, Cas! I'm going to need all of your help again!" Klaki attacks with Ice Beam while the Pickles jumps atop Cas and soars over Yveltal, blasting it with flame from above.

My own Pokemon retaliate with moves of their own. Rune hurls fireballs in every direction, growling angrily as the spots do little more than singe the great beast. Nico has teamed up with Pacifica, Akita and Hazel. The four of them go in for melee attacks before jumping away. Everyone on the room directs their Pokemon with masterful skill, flashing back and forth as they use their skills the way only we can.

The Johto way.

Meanwhile, Chrona is grappling with one of the Yveltal's wings. Clementine and Thistle move in to take it for her, though even Thistle can barely reach that high. Luckily, this saves most of the humans from being killed by each slam of the beast's wings, though the ensuing winds are unbearable.

AZ stands up by Shauna. Though he does little more than stand by her, giving her suggestions, it's done miracles for her self-esteem. Her Pokemon are in perfect formation, and Crypt and Escargot, two of the largest Pokemon, are able to best hit the massive target. They slam one leg out and Yveltal falls back, barely missing Sky as her Staraptor picks her up and flies her out of the way.

For a second, it looks like she's a Crobat again, aerial and wild.

Chrona is hit out of the way by an ally, but she's hurt badly.

"This thing is practically invincible!" she yells.

"I know, but anything in the 'game' has to have a health bar and I guarantee there's some way to wear it down!" I yell back. "Leech Seed! Aim for the heart!"

Gold surrounds us both as Chrona Mega Evolves, and we aim a single seed in unison. Small as it is, it takes root and blooms immediately, the vines inching across its feathers quickly. We give a call in triumph before a single wing slams downwards, wrecking our focus as my human body lurches out of the way just in time.

A wing slams into AZ as it turns. The old man falls back down and does not move.

I want to run to him like Shauna does, but there's no time. "Pich!" I flash to her and use her eyes to direct others, rapidly going from my body to her own as I call out more commands.

"Don't aim near its heart!" I yell.

The leech seed is still growing, now spreading across the bulk of its body, and Chrona relishes in the healing power of a god. Meanwhile, the others have taken out one wing, which is no longer flailing wildly. Escargot stomps on the defeated wing, but the Yveltal cries in pain and without warning, launches skywards, which in the area is more akin to scrambling up the walls. It can barely remain airborne. The broken wing extends into a beam of black light.

"Oblivion Wing." breathes Korrina. "It's vulnerable now! Everyone!"
A thousand arrows of elemental power shoot upwards, all of them aiming for the head and the other wing.

Light is all around us, blinding, impenetrable.

For a second, everything is perfectly frozen.

Thump.

A screech.

The Oblivion Wing.

It was a critical hit!

A raspy breath fills the silence, stopping and starting irregularly. As everything clears, I see Chrona trapped below the broken wing of a dead Yveltal, turned upside down onto its back. She's not moving.

In the chest of the giant beast lies a single seed, broken in two. The vines around it crumble and retreat.

We've just killed a god.

I rush to Chrona and her large dark eyes stare up into mine, feral and unknown. Her whole body convulses with each breath, though each spasm is gradually less powerful.

"Oh Arceus, please..." I cry, holding onto her as hard as I can.

"Hey." she says, her voice the deep bass that comforted me so many times on this journey. "One last... one last time."

My eyes flash gold and I feel her presence around me, though I am lost in the darkness. Her soul is crashing down around me. Bright gold violence surrounds me, burns as she becomes a prison in which my own soul is trapped. Something dark slams into whatever I am right now and I look down into the abyss. Something is eerily familiar about this feeling.

If I was to fall over and we died together, would I come back this time? Do they do third chances for heroes?

I reach out with a single hand, but instead of striking against the darkness, I rub it gently, sitting with my legs out over oblivion. She purrs. I can feel it vibrating against my old body, slumped against hers, and both of our bodies are one, slowly dying machine.

A vine whip stretches out and pushes me away forcefully. I snap back into my own self and watch her mouth move. "You're tough, Lilly..." she smiles. "I like that." Her eyes remain open, but the life inside them fades away slowly. Her breath stops coming and she slumps, the wing leaning a little further.

Oh no, oh no no no no...

Shauna sits over AZ.

Under Yveltal's other wing, Pacifica lies dying.

I hold onto Chrona, not caring if I ever get up. I feel the warmth of fire against my back. Rune. A flutter of wings. Bright blue fire and two long claws. Crypt sadly stands over us all, wrapping us within his tail.

People.

I can hear them coming for us.

The door slams several times before bursting open. Our fellow Goldeneyes are here with the police force, regular officers alongside the elite Jenny department.

"What is going on?!" yells one.

I clutch Chrona harder. I don't want this moment to be over if it means leaving her here.

"Can anyone explain what the circumstances are?" she echoes, clearly waiting for a response.

"Two cases of manslaughter. A homeless man and... Lysandre of Lysandre Labs?! Yveltal?!" says another officer.

"Wait!" yells a voice from above. Diantha soars down on her Hawlucha. "Don't press any charges against these trainers... I can explain everything."