Knights of Galar: A Pokémon Shield Nuzlocke Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Eternatus

The lift pinged, signifying to Ruby that it had arrived at the top of the stadium. Ruby swallowed hard, knowing that she was about to step out into a true danger zone. It felt less like the lift had taken her to the top of Hammerlocke Stadium and more like she'd arrived at the gates of Hell itself. Just replace Eternatus with Giratina and it'd be a complete image! She stepped out of the lift and ran up a short flight of stairs that took her to a circle area with lots of debris and barrels scattered around, presumably a result of the battle that had taken place. There wasn't any fighting happening at the minute, meaning that she'd probably arrived in time to see the end of it. And there, looming in the centre of the arena…was Eternatus itself.

Ruby put her hands to her mouth as she found herself staring at the scariest, most evil looking Pokémon she'd ever seen in her life. Eternatus looked like the living dead, its body pretty much a giant dragon skeleton with pinkish red energy holding all the dark violet "bones" together. It had small arms and small legs with three claws on each limb, a translucent red film over its head with five long spikes pointing behind it, a small tail and large, bony wings that stretched quite far, giving it an impressive wingspan. In its ribcage was a pink energy core, presumably where Eternatus's power source lay and where its enormous amount of energy was stored. Its eyes were blank, looking like a trio of connected circles than actual eyes. Ruby doubted that the thing even had a soul with how blank its eyes were. It was also enormous, possibly one of the biggest Pokémon in existence. Ruby could hardly believe that this evil looking thing was meant to save Galar and prevent an energy crisis. How could the Chairman have believed for a minute that something like this could be a benevolent figure in anyway?

She noticed that Leon and Hop were standing before Eternatus with Leon's Charizard standing beside his master. Ruby ran up to them, the sound of her footsteps catching their attention. Leon frowned. He was already annoyed that Hop had disobeyed him and come back to Hammerlocke Stadium instead of staying home, now he saw that Ruby had put herself in danger too! He didn't bother to lecture her as now wasn't the time for it. What he was quick to notice though was that Ruby's hair started to glow as she approached Eternatus. As it was the very thing that Wishing Stars even came from to begin with, it was no surprise that her hair was reacting to Eternatus's presence.

"Leon! Hop! Is that Eternatus itself?" Ruby asked.

"The one and only." Leon said grimly, "And you're just in time my friend. Me and Hop have just been battling it and we think we've weakened it enough for capture. I wish you two had stayed home where you'd be safe but Hop was at least able to help so I can't complain."

"It's one scary-ass Pokémon!" Hop cried, "And very powerful too! Both Lee and I had to throw a lot of Pokémon at it before we could weaken it!"

"How's the Chairman by the way?" Leon asked, "Is he safe?"

"He is, but I'd rather not talk about him right now." Ruby said coldly, the Chairman's betrayal still stinging furiously, "All that matters is that we can stop Eternatus at last."

"And thanks to us, I think we can do just that!" Leon declared, "It looks like it's been weakened enough for capture so let's go!"

He whipped out a Pokéball from his cape and took aim. Ruby noticed immediately that it wasn't like any Pokéball she'd found in the shops. It was purple with a letter M and two pink circles on either side. Although she'd never owned one or seen anyone use one before, she knew what it was. Every Pokémon enthusiast in the world knew about this rare type of Pokéball.

"Wow, you got a Master Ball? Where did you get a Master Ball?" Ruby asked.

"The Chairman ordered one from the Silph Co. over in Kanto." explained Leon, "He had it as a contingency for situations like this. Given it can catch ANY Pokémon without fail, Eternatus is as good as caught!"

Ruby and Hop both smiled happily. With a Master Ball in hand, Leon couldn't possibly fail! The draconian Pokémon roared viciously at the Champion as if voicing its refusal to be caught. The roar it emitted was the most awesome and terrifying sound that Ruby had ever heard. It was like it came from the pits of Hell itself and it felt like it could tear through her very soul. Leon hesitated for a moment, intimidated by the roar, but he refused to lose his nerve. He threw the Master Ball at Eternatus and the giant Pokémon was transformed into energy that was absorbed into the ball. It was a ludicrous scene to watch and think about, a tiny device like a mere Pokéball somehow containing such a colossal behemoth of a Pokémon. Eternatus was drawn inside the ball and it dropped to the floor. Ruby and Hop smiled brightly, glad to see that it was over. Eternatus was caught and the Darkest Day would be over! It seemed they wouldn't need Zacian and Zamazenta's help after all.

But then the Master Ball started to shake. Leon held up a hand, signalling for Ruby and Hop to stand back. His blood ran cold as the Master Ball started shaking furiously. He'd experienced enough catches in his life time to know when one wasn't going to work. The Master Ball continued to shake, almost like it was trying to rip itself apart. Leon's stomach tightened. Eternatus was going to break free! But how?! Master Balls NEVER failed to catch anything! Was Eternatus so powerful that even the best Pokéball ever couldn't contain it? He looked over to Charizard. The dragon-like Pokémon nodded, reading his master's thoughts. He too could sense that everything was about to go wrong. Charizard ran over to Ruby and Hop and raised his wings to protect them. The kids cried out as an explosion occurred and Leon was thrown off his feet by what had happened. Charizard felt the force of the explosion punch into his back and he grimaced, trying to hold it and keep the children safe. The broken remains of the Master Ball that Leon had tried to catch Eternatus with bounced down at Ruby and Hop's feet. Leon had been knocked out by the breakout. Charizard ran over to his master to protect him while he was unconscious. Hop ran over to his brother to check on him, worried that he'd been badly hurt. Ruby looked up to see that Eternatus was back where it was, looming over them with its skeletal body pulsing with energy. Despite the Dande brother's best efforts, Eternatus was still too strong to be contained. The alien Pokémon roared menacingly, its roars making the tower itself feel like it was about to crumble.

"No way, it broke out?!" Ruby exclaimed, "But Master Balls are supposed to catch any and all Pokémon without fail!"

"Maybe it's so powerful that even a Master Ball can't stop it!" Hop cried, "My brother certainly can't now, he's out cold!" he added, looking down sadly at his unconscious brother.

"So I guess it's all up to us now!" Ruby said determinedly, "Zacian and Zamazenta will come and help us in due time. We've got the weapons but I guess they'll need to power up before they come in. In the meantime, maybe we can keep Eternatus distracted enough until they can help!"

"Good idea Ruby!" Hop said brightly, "If you need any help on how to fight it, Lee tells me that Eternatus is a Poison/Dragon type. DON'T use any Steel Pokémon as it knows Flamethrower to fight them off! His Aegislash found that out the hard way…" he added grimly.

"So Lancelot's out of the question…" Ruby muttered, "I bet Shard could deal with this thing as he isn't weak to Dragon or Fire types thanks to his dual-typing. Still, I bet this one will stop that thing…"

She drew out a single Pokéball and prepared to throw it. Eternatus fixed its eyes on her as if offended that she was daring to stand up to it. As the fight was about to begin, Hop turned to Charizard.

"Get Lee to a hospital." he ordered, "Your trainer will be safer away from Eternatus."

Charizard agreed, taking his master into his arms and flying off into the air so he could get Leon to safety. He trusted that his trainer's brother and neighbour could handle Eternatus without him. As soon as Charizard had left, Ruby threw her Pokéball.

"Vesuvius, it's time for you to be a hero once again!" she cried.

The Pokéball opened up and Vesuvius materialized onto the battlefield. The fiery rock golem roared and pounded her fists together, glaring up at Eternatus as the Poison/Dragon Pokémon looked down at her, clearly seeing her as just a nuisance that was standing in its way. Despite the terrifying appearance of Eternatus, Vesuvius refused to be intimidated. If anything, she looked like she was outright DARING the monstrous creature to come at her and give her everything it had. Eternatus roared, trying to scare off its opponent. As it roared, its power core began to glow and its wings spread out in an attempt to make itself look even bigger. Vesuvius barely even flinched, pounding the floor with one foot and roaring in retaliation.

"So you're the one who's causing all the ruckus around Galar?" she growled, "Well I got news for ya, buddy! You ain't causing the end of the world! Not today, not ever! If you wanna wreak havoc on the world, then you're gonna have to get through ME!"

"You tell it Vesuvius!" Ruby cried supportively, "Eternatus, by the power invested in me and my Pokémon, I'm going to stop you and save everyone in Galar! You hear me?!"

Eternatus bellowed a thunderous roar of rage, angered that this impudent human and her pitiful Pokémon were seriously daring to challenge it like this. Who did they think they were to stand up to the most powerful Pokémon that ever lived?! It decided to put them in their place, said place preferably six feet underground, as it made its first move. Its power core glowed brightly and Eternatus opened its mouth. Ruby knew instantly it was about to use an attack and that it was going to be a powerful one due to coming from its own power core.

"Brace yourself!" Ruby shrieked frantically.

Vesuvius held up her arms and lowered her head as Eternatus fired a colossal beam of raw power out from its mouth at her. This was its signature move, a Dragon-type attack called Dynamax Cannon. It was a powerful move that did double the damage to Dynamaxed opponents. Vesuvius wasn't Dynamaxed currently but the cannon still hit heavily, throwing her off her feet and sending her crashing into a nearby pillar that had been broken in the fight with Leon and Hop earlier. It felt as if all the energy of the universe itself had just collectively gathered together into this single entity and fired itself directly at Vesuvius. The Coalossal groaned, wincing as she tried to get up again. Ruby ran over to her beloved Pokémon while Eternatus watched, almost like it was gleefully observing the damage it had done. Hop ran over to Ruby and Vesuvius, hoping that his friend's Pokémon was alright.

"Vesuvius! Oh my god, that was a killer blow if ever I've seen one!" she cried worriedly, "Please tell me you're OK!"

Vesuvius looked over at Ruby and smiled confidently at her.

"I'm fine, hon." she insisted, "If anything, that felt more like a warm-up! Allow me to show that monster what a REAL attack feels like!"

Ruby sighed with relief. How Vesuvius could take a blow like that and still live to fight back was a mystery she would wonder about for the rest of her life. Coalossal were truly tough Pokémon that knew how to take hits! Vesuvius climbed back to her feet and shook herself off. She pounded her chest and her body glowed as the lava inside of her flared with adrenaline. Eternatus growled, unable to believe that its opponent was still standing.

"Hey, Eterna-twerp!" Vesuvius taunted, "You call that an attack?! Ha! I bet even that asshole Bede could've stood up to you! Let me show you what true power is!"

"You got it!" Ruby cried, "My only command is to keep using High Horsepower Vesuvius! You won't need to use any other attack!"

"Great idea!" Hop cried, "As it's half-Poison type, it's weak to Ground moves!"

Vesuvius nodded, agreeing with Hop that Ruby had the right idea. If they were to take out Eternatus, they had to rely only on super-effective hits to make this battle end as quickly as possible. She stampeded towards Eternatus, throwing her entire body at the giant dragon skeleton. She crashed into him with the force of a Groudon using Earthquake. Eternatus reeled back, roaring in pain. It was surprised that this puny Coalossal had somehow managed to land a meaningful hit on it like that. Eternatus shook its head and growled angrily. It seemed madder than ever now, looking about ready to lay waste to everything and everyone in sight. It opened its mouth and Ruby cried out in fright. She thought it was about to use Dynamax Cannon again. But instead, Eternatus used Dragon Pulse. It probably saw no point to using Dynamax Cannon as it wouldn't change things for it due to Vesuvius not being Dynamaxed. Vesuvius staggered back as she was hit by the pulse attack but unlike before, the attack didn't feel anywhere near as heavy or crippling due to Dragon Pulse being a weaker attack than Dynamax Cannon. The damage had been done but Vesuvius felt far from beaten.

Grinning confidently, Vesuvius retaliated by using High Horsepower again, just as Ruby had said. Ruby and Hop cheered with delight as Vesuvius threw herself at Eternatus a second time, crashing into him with the force of a torpedo striking an enemy ship. Eternatus let out a bloodcurdling roar of anguish. All the energy it had in its power core did nothing to help it stand up to the super-effective blow. Vesuvius stood back as Eternatus writhed around weakly. It clearly wanted to keep fighting and keep the Darkest Day going but it was useless. All it could do now was keel over to one side and crash down heavily on the floor. Ruby and Hop cried out as the floor shook. Damn it Eternatus, don't make the entire stadium collapse while you're at it! Despite this, the building held firm and Ruby and Hop fell into one another. Hop caught his friend and Ruby blushed as she realized that she was up close to him and her hands were suddenly against his chest. She looked away bashfully.

"Um…sorry about that." she said sheepishly.

"No problem." Hop said casually. He'd actually liked the way the girl's hands had felt on him for a moment, not that he'd admit it.

"Aw yeah! I rock! WHOO-HOO! I took on Eternatus and beat it single-handedly!" Vesuvius cheered, jumping up and down triumphantly.

"You sure did! Well done Vesuvius!" Ruby congratulated, "You've saved us all!"

"Hang on girls…" Hop said hastily, "I don't think we're done yet. The storm clouds above us are still there and Dynamax energy is still going up."

Ruby looked around to see that indeed there were beams of light in the distance reaching for the sky and that everything was still dark. What was going on? Eternatus was defeated! The Darkest Day had to be over! But then she received the nastiest shock of her life. Eternatus…got back up again! It didn't just get up again, but it shot up into the sky like a rocket! Ruby and Hop were incredulous. How was it still conscious after two High Horsepowers from Vesuvius?! Even Vesuvius was struggling to understand what was happening.

"By Arceus…it isn't possible! How is it still going after that?!" she exclaimed.

"It must've been toying with us the whole time!" Ruby cried, "It only fought us to distract us so it could keep absorbing energy! I bet it's going to Dynamax or something now!"

"I bet it's like those video-game bosses where you think you've beaten it but then the boss comes back stronger and shows its final form or something!" Hop yelled worriedly.

His metaphor couldn't have been more accurate. Eternatus disappeared into the storm clouds above, creating an explosion of purple energy that rippled through the clouds, briefly creating light amongst the darkness. Then Eternatus began to grow in size, just as any Pokémon that Dynamaxed did, and also began to change its appearance. It was like Gigantamaxing, only on a much more powerful and colossal scale. Ruby and Hop watched with horror as Eternatus began to change shape. Something else also happened too. Ruby screamed in agony as all the Dynamax energy in her hair began to feed out of her and up into Eternatus itself as it was transforming. A single beam of silver light jumped from her head to Eternatus, making it look almost like they were linked. Ruby's head felt as if it was on fire and she clutched her cranium. The pain was unbearable. She thought she was going to die! Hop watched in horror, worried that Eternatus was draining his best friend dry or something. Then it was over. The energy feed had completed and Ruby's head no longer felt like it was about to explode. She fainted from the result, passing out from the agonizing pain she'd been in. Hop screamed in worry and wrapped his arms around his best friend desperately. Vesuvius looked equally as worried, bending down to see her trainer.

"What did that monster do to her?!" she cried angrily.

"I think it drained all the Wishing Star energy out of her hair!" Hop yelled, sounding on the verge of tears, "I'm just scared that in doing so, it might've killed her as well!"

"I swear if that thing has killed my trainer, I won't rest until I send its remains scattering all over the region!" Vesuvius roared.

She'd never been so full of rage in her life. Ruby was the first person she'd met that had ever wanted to befriend her, willingly chasing away her loneliness to make her life happier. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her. Hop carried Ruby away from the battle to take her somewhere safe to try and wake her up. Vesuvius stayed put, staring up at the sky as Eternatus's transformation had finally finished. This form was known as Eternamax Eternatus and was by far its strongest form. Its body had grown much longer, looking more serpentine in shape and form with most of it forming a massive coil. A cage of violet spikes housed its power core in the centre of the coil. Its head had become a giant hand with each individual "finger" covered in black armour with a glowing pink eye at the tips of them. This form was also enormous, bigger than any Dynamaxed Pokémon out there. And as a result of its more powerful form, several chunks of debris suddenly lifted up from the tower and started circling around the area. It seemed Eternatus was so powerful in its Eternamax form that it could even move objects with a single thought. If Eternatus already looked like it had crawled out of hell, then this form just further enhanced that vibe. Vesuvius looked nervous. Even she doubted she could fight the draconian monster in its most powerful state. Strangely enough though, Eternatus wasn't attacking despite its transformation being complete. It seemed to be…waiting. Maybe its transformation wasn't done yet after all. Vesuvius decided to take advantage of this.

"Listen here, freak! If my trainer is dead because of you, you better hope Arceus himself will have mercy on you!" the Coalossal bellowed savagely.

She tried to attack Eternatus with another High Horsepower…but nothing happened. It was as if her mind knew what it wanted to do but her body wouldn't obey her. Vesuvius was confused. What was happening? Was Eternatus so powerful in this form that it could simply stop Pokémon from using their attacks? She willed herself to attack again, but her body still wouldn't obey her. All the while, Eternatus just loomed above her, silently waiting for something. What Vesuvius didn't know was that it was storing energy and as a result, it was using a mysterious power that it had as a defence mechanism to prevent the process from being interrupted. No Pokémon could attack it until the process was complete. Vesuvius suddenly felt very helpless, like she was suffering from the will of Arceus himself.

Meanwhile, Hop had taken Ruby down to where the lift was based. He wasn't intending to use the lift, just stay outside it so Ruby was safe and away from Eternatus. He shook her frantically, hoping her to wake her up. Her face had gone deathly pale and her hair had become a dull, lifeless grey thanks to the power drain. Hop could feel his stomach tightening as he feared the worst had happened. Ruby wasn't moving. Her breathing was shallow, as if her life force was draining away. Tears began to well up in Hop's eyes.

"Ruby! RUBY! For Arceus's sake, wake up!" he wailed, "Please don't die on me Ruby! Please wake up! WAKE UP!"

He shook her again furiously, willing his hands to somehow bring new life to his best friend. He couldn't lose her, not when he had been growing attached to her! How could he live with himself with Ruby dying before he could tell her he loved her? Hop considered trying mouth-to-mouth, hoping that would revive her. But just as he was about to do so, Ruby stirred and she groaned softly. She sounded sick and weak, but was very much alive regardless! Her eyes opened groggily and she clutched her head as the mother of all headaches flared through her skull. The colour seemed to return to her face as she came to.

"Ugh…I feel like my brain just turned to mush…" Ruby croaked.

Hop was so relieved that his friend was alright that he hugged her tighter than he'd ever hugged her before.

"Oh thank Arceus! You're alive!" the dark-skinned boy shrieked with glee, "Oh god… I thought you'd been killed!"

"I damn well feel like I have!" Ruby muttered, still clutching her head, "It felt like that bastard was sucking me dry, whatever it did! Ugh I feel like I could barf so badly right now…"

"Can you stand?" Hop asked concernedly.

Ruby sat up and slowly, steadily got up to her feet. Her legs wobbled and she felt unsteady but she was managing. Her head was beginning to clear, the pain subsiding slowly but surely. Hop respectfully kept back to give Ruby space to stand on her own and find her feet. She didn't stumble or fall so he assumed she was OK to walk without his help.

"I'm alright…thankfully." Ruby said, putting a hand over her stomach as it was struggling to settle, "Where's Vesuvius?"

"Still fighting Eternatus I bet. You should get to her right now, she was really worried about you." Hop said quickly.

He and Ruby both ran back up the steps to re-join the battle. Seeing Eternatus's Eternamax form brought new life to Ruby for any pain or discomfort she felt was now completely gone. All she could do was stare in wonder and horror as she took in what she was seeing. This was like no Pokémon she'd ever seen before!

"What in the name of Giratina is that?!" she shrieked.

Hearing Ruby's voice made Vesuvius turn around and smile happily at the sight of her trainer, back on her feet and alive. She stomped her way towards Ruby and shrieked with joy. If she wasn't always boiling hot, she'd happily have scooped her up in her arms to hug her.

"RUBY! Thank the heavens, you're alive!" Vesuvius cried, "I would never have forgiven that thing if it had killed you! How do you feel?"

"Groggy." Ruby said bluntly, "I'll live. How are you doing against that thing?"

"I can't attack it for some reason!" Vesuvius exclaimed, "It's like, I dunno, Eternatus is mentally willing me to stop or something like that! I dunno what's going on but it seems to be just sitting there waiting. What do you think it's doing?"

Ruby observed Eternatus. It still didn't move, its five eyes fixed on its victims as it waited patiently for the right moment to finish them off.

"I have no idea…but I don't want to find out." the silver-haired girl said cautiously, "We have to fight back before it can do whatever it's building towards!"

"But how can we fight it if our Pokémon can't attack?" Hop asked.

"Maybe our Pokémon can't fight…but the legendary ones can…" Ruby suggested thoughtfully.

She reached into her bag and took out the Shield of Zamazenta. Hop beamed excitedly, seeing where Ruby was going with this. Yes, of course! Now was the right time to try and summon the legendary wolves! Their weapons were here at the highest point of energy in Galar so they HAD to come now! Hop drew out the Sword of Zacian. The two teens held the weapons together and waited for something to happen.

"OK, here's hoping this works…" Hop said shakily.

"Heroes of Galar, please come to us…" Ruby whispered.

They then held the weapons above their heads and stood still. It was like they'd become lightning rods that would attracted the legendary Pokémon. As they waited, Dynamax energy suddenly leapt into the sword and shield, making the two gasp and nearly drop them as a result. They kept a tight hold and watched as the weapons began to glow. Something was clearly about to happen. Ruby and Hop felt their hearts leap with excitement. Were the legendary Pokémon about to come? Not only were the weapons glowing, they were starting to feel warm too, as if they were gaining a life of their own. That surely had to mean something! Eternatus stared at the weapons, its eyes wide with fear. It knew what was coming and it wanted to stop it before it could happen. But as it reached out to interfere, the weapons began to rise out of Ruby and Hop's hands and emit a bright light that made Eternatus recoil from how blinding it was. Then two figures jumped up from down below and landed directly in front of Ruby and Hop, the weapons hovering over them. It was Zacian and Zamazenta! The weapons were powered up enough for the two to fully emerge from their slumber and join in the fight at last! But that wasn't all that happened as they arrived.

The sword and shield clashed together and created a huge energy sphere that engulfed the legendary lupines. Ruby and Hop watched, spellbound by what was happening. Is this what happened back in ancient times when the Heroes of Galar stopped the Darkest Day? How many people bore witness to this incredible event when it happened all those years ago? The energy sphere disappeared and Zacian and Zamazenta stood side-by-side…but not as their original forms. Like Eternatus, they had more powerful forms too. Zacian's was known as her "Crowned Sword" form and Zamazenta's was called "Crowned Shield". In these forms, Zacian and Zamazenta turned from a Fairy and Fighting type to a Fairy/Steel and Fighting/Steel type respectively.

Zacian's braided hair now became long, neat ponytails and the fringes on her shoulders become large wings of blue and gold. She sported a golden helmet and carried a large, golden sword in her mouth that could cut through anything, even the ocean itself.

Zamazenta's mane became much large with gold armour plating around his neck with movable side panels that could slot into the sides of the armour and form a huge shield to defend himself and his sister from attacks. He sported long, dark blue hair that swept over his back, making him look like he was wearing a cape and he also sported a golden helmet like his sister.

Ruby and Hop stared in awe, the sight of the two together just too awesome for words. They weren't just about to watch a Pokémon battle…they were about to watch history repeat itself with the legends themselves in front of their eyes! Zacian and Zamazenta glared at their centuries old enemy while Eternatus roared viciously, keen to destroy them for defeating it so many years ago.

"Eternatus…it's been a while." Zacian said coldly, "My brother and I had dared to hope that we had put you down permanently."

"You may have risen again, but you will not bring ruination to this land!" Zamazenta declared, "We stand before you, the Heroes of Galar, and we will not rest until you are defeated and Galar is safe again!"

They then looked over to Ruby and Hop, who were still staring at them in amazement.

"Thank you for bringing our weapons here, children." Zacian said kindly, "Now, choose your Pokémon. Your aid will be much appreciated."

The two teens were so amazed at what they heard that they thought they were about to faint.

"My god Hop…we're actually going to fight…alongside Galar's heroes themselves!" Ruby squealed in ecstasy.

"Just when I thought my tale had ended when you beat me in Wyndon…" Hop thought, scarcely able to breathe, "This is too epic for words! Holy crap, this is gonna be so awesome!"

Ruby agreed. She sent Vesuvius out to join Zacian and Zamazenta, seeing no reason to exchange her for anyone else. Hop on the other hand sent out his beloved Dubwool. Unfortunately, Eternatus had taken out his other Pokémon so they weren't able to battle now. Dubwool was the only one left. The rock golem and the sheep Pokémon stood beside Zacian and Zamazenta as the four Pokémon prepared to battle Eternatus. Ruby and Hop stood well back, ready for the battle to begin. This was it, the final showdown! As they watched, Ruby closed her hand around Hop's. Hop looked over at her, surprised that she'd taken his hand but appreciating the gesture anyway. Ruby smiled softly at her friend.

"Here's hoping we win this fight." she said tenderly.

"We will Ruby, especially now we have the Heroes of Galar by our side." Hop said reassuringly.

They were still holding hands as they turned to watch the battle unfold. Zacian and Zamazenta made the first moves, offering their powers to enhance the strength of everyone at once. Zacian gave out a loud Howl that raised everybody's attack. The howl was haunting and menacing, warning all enemies that they were in for a fight that would be much deadlier than usual now their attack had increased. Zamazenta howled as well and created an energy screen that flashed in front of the team. This was Light Screen, a handy Status move that lowered the amount of damage taken from Special Attacks. As Eternatus only used Special Attacks, it was a wise move to make. Any attack Eternatus launched would deal less damage than normal, which would benefit everyone that was fighting it. Vesuvius flexed her muscles, overwhelmed by how powerful she felt.

"By golly, I feel like I could wrestle both Dialga and Palkia to the ground at this rate!" she cried enthusiastically, "Thanks for the power boost, wolf guys!"

Dubwool bleated, giving his thanks too.

"You're welcome." Zacian said with a soft smile.

Everyone braced themselves as Eternatus made its first move. The five "fingers" flexed as the eyes began to glow and form an attack. It fired a huge, blue and black tornado of draconian energy, deciding to aim at Zamazenta first. It was using Max Wyrmwind, a Dragon-type move that Dynamaxed Pokémon could use if they had a damaging Dragon attack. It hit Zamazenta but due to the effects of Light Screen, it barely did any damage to him. The magenta wolf took the blow with barely a flinch and stood his ground. After the attack was over, the Shield Pokémon just stood where he was, looking as if nothing had happened. Vesuvius and Dubwool were in awe. Such power! Even without the Light Screen, Zamazenta probably would've taken that with ease! It was incredible to see just how powerful these Legendary Pokémon could truly be! Dubwool made the next move as Hop ordered him to use Double-Edge. It was a Normal type move in which the user charged at the target and received recoil damage as a result, though only a little so it wasn't too bad. Dubwool stampeded towards Eternatus, bleating furiously as he threw himself into the legendary Pokémon. It was a hilarious scene to behold, this little sheep like Pokémon throwing itself at a giant Dragon Pokémon and expecting to do much to it. Dubwool hit but as Normal-type moves didn't do much against Dragon types, Eternatus didn't take much damage from it. That came from Vesuvius as she carried out Ruby's earlier order of just using High Horsepower over and over. She slammed heavily into Eternatus, making the creature roar in pain as the super-effective blow hit. Zacian and Zamazenta were impressed at how a mere Coalossal was managing to land such a meaningful blow on their arch-enemy. True Zacian had raised everyone's attack, but it was still impressive that Vesuvius was able to hurt Eternatus so much.

"You have great power!" Zacian complimented, "Your trainer has raised you well if you're able to hurt Eternatus like that!"

"That's my Ruby, the best trainer a Pokémon could ask for." Vesuvius said with pride, "And…the best friend a Pokémon could ask for too." she added, glancing over at her trainer.

Ruby smiled with awe, touched by her Pokémon's kind words. Vesuvius turned back to the battle, bracing herself for the next blow. It was time for the legendary wolves to make their move now. Zacian held up the sword in her mouth, the beautiful golden weapon glowing as she powered up an attack. This was her signature move, appropriately called "Behemoth Blade". The sword would grow a giant energy blade that surrounded the sword itself and was capable of inflicting massive damage on everything it cut through. She could only use this attack in her Crowned form. Zacian leapt towards Eternatus, roaring savagely as she flicked her head and sliced the sword across Eternatus's hand-like head. The Eternamaxed Pokémon roared in anguish as the sharp weapon cleaved through it. Not even all the energy in Galar could protect it from the crippling attacks of its enemies. Ruby and Hop stared in amazement. Watching one of Galar's heroes in action was well and truly awesome and something they'd remember for the rest of their lives. Zacian landed down beside her brother, watching with satisfaction as Eternatus flailed around in pain. It felt like yesterday to her that she and her brother were fighting this thing off to save Galar the first time the Darkest Day happened! It was good to see that they still got it.

"I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be in the thrill of a battle!" Zacian cried.

"Indeed, sister!" Zamazenta agreed, "And just like before, we shall triumph and bring peace back to the world!"

He then charged towards Eternatus with his own signature move, which was fittingly referred to as "Behemoth Bash". The side panels on Zamazenta's mane slotted forward to form a huge shield around his head and neck. This shield was impenetrable, able to protect Zamazenta from any and all attacks with ease. He charged straight into Eternatus and slammed into him as if he were a wrecking ball smashing through a building. Ruby and Hop cheered with excitement. Talk about a literal shield-bashing! They could see why these two were Galar's heroes. The power they wielded was incredible! Eternatus growled viciously at the two wolves. It refused to be defeated by them again, not when it was finally awakened and free after so many years! It took aim at Zacian and unleashed a Max Flare attack. The she-wolf grimaced as the searing hot flames blasted over her. In her Crowned Sword form, Fire and Ground attacks were her only weakness and Eternatus knew this. It was lucky that Zamazenta's Light Screen was still in effect otherwise the Max Flare would've been even worse. Zacian shook her head and waited for her body to cool down. Zamazenta looked over at her with concern.

"My sister! Are you alright?" he asked.

"I've had worse, brother." Zacian grunted, "Your Light Screen has thankfully quelled most of Eternatus's power."

"Good thing too as that could've been terrible for you!" Vesuvius exclaimed, "You don't seem to do well against Fire attacks!"

"Neither of us do." Zamazenta confirmed, "Our typing makes us vulnerable to them. We best hope Eternatus doesn't try another one."

Dubwool bleated as if wanting to contribute to the conversation.

"Like Dubwool said, if we can take it out as quick as possible, this thing won't get the upper hand!" Vesuvius declared.

Dubwool nodded and pawed at the floor. He lowered his head and charged into Eternatus a second time with another Double Edge. After Dubwool had attacked, Vesuvius made her next move, using another High Horsepower on Eternatus. Ruby cheered excitedly as her Pokémon struck Eternatus once again and made it reel back in pain. She felt more proud than ever that she and Hop were here with the legendary wolves to fight off Eternatus together. To think she'd only started this journey to carry out her love of Pokémon and become a trainer like her father before her! How had someone like her ended up in an incredible scenario like this where she was fighting alongside two legends that had saved the Galar region in ancient times?! Even Hop couldn't believe he was here right now watching it all happen. This would definitely make a fascinating story to pass on to friends and family!

Eternatus growled, sounding almost irritated at the resistance that these Pokémon were putting up. It didn't help that it had to deal with four Pokémon at once. It wondered for a moment how to properly deal with this threat as it couldn't take all of them out at the same time. It didn't know any attacks that allowed it to attack multiple opponents on the field. Then it considered. Maybe if it took out the weaker Pokémon, Vesuvius and Dubwool, first, it could concentrate all its efforts on Zacian and Zamazenta afterwards. After all, Vesuvius was the only one using a super-effective attack on it so she was the bigger threat. If it took her and Dubwool out, Zacian and Zamazenta would have less of a chance defeating it! Eternatus was about to use another attack before the Heroes of Galar came at it again, using Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash again to heavily whittle down its health. It still had a lot left to go before it could run out but if the Pokémon carried on as they were they would eventually take the apocalyptic Pokémon down. After Zacian and Zamazenta had attacked, Eternatus made its next move. It took aim at Vesuvius and blasted her with Max Wyrmwind. Unlike the earlier attacks she'd felt from Eternatus before it Eternamaxed, this one felt much stronger and like it could obliterate her completely. It was thanks to Zamazenta's Light Screen that she wasn't knocked out by the attack. Vesuvius stumbled back from the heavy onslaught, her health low but still enough for her to keep awake and fight back. Angered at the attack that had been launcher on his trainer's friend's Pokémon, Dubwool retaliated with another Double-Edge. It slammed into the centre of Eternatus's face and stunned it for a brief moment, leaving it wide open for another High Horsepower from Vesuvius. Despite the damage done to her, it didn't slow the Coalossal down at all and she still managed to hurt Eternatus a lot with the attack. After she'd hit the Poison/Dragon Pokémon, Vesuvius fell to one knee and panted heavily, worn out from the earlier attack and fighting back.

"Whew…that Max Wyrmwind really took a lot out of me!" she gasped, "I'm not sure if I can go on much longer."

Ruby could sense her Pokémon was in need of help so she let go of Hop's hand and ran over to Vesuvius. She already had a Full Restore in her hand as she ran over to him. She came up beside Vesuvius and prepared to spray her with the Full Restore.

"Hold on a moment. I'll have you as good as new in no time!" Ruby said quickly.

Eternatus looked at the child and roared. It didn't want her healing her Pokémon when it was trying to defeat it so it lashed out to stop her. Ruby screamed in terror and fell over onto the floor. She lay on her back, staring in horror as Eternatus fixed its five eyes on her, ready to kill her. Hop called out to her, ready to leap in and save his friend from death. But he didn't need to make any moves at all for Zacian jumped over Ruby to protect her. She looked like a mother wolf protecting her pups.

"You will not harm that child, wicked beast!" Zacian snarled, "As long as my brother and I stand, you will not harm any humans on our watch!"

She then threw herself towards Eternatus and used Behemoth Blade on the evil Pokémon again. Eternatus reeled back from the damage the attack caused, moving away from Ruby as Zacian's sword cleaved through it. Relieved she was alright, Ruby got back onto her feet and quickly sprayed Eternatus with the Full Restore to heal her. Vesuvius grinned with delight as she began to feel completely re-energized. Whoever invented these potions must be someone who really loved Pokémon.

"Thanks Ruby, that's just what I needed!" Vesuvius said graciously, "Now for heaven's sake, stay out of danger! I don't want to have to worry about you and fight at the same time!"

"Of course. Just kick that thing's arse for us Vesuvius!" Ruby declared.

She ran back over to Hop as Zamazenta made the next move on Eternatus. The kids watched as the Shield Pokémon catapulted himself into the alien Pokémon. What must it feel like to be on the receiving end of that Behemoth Bash attack? They could imagine Zamazenta ploughing through concrete as if it were tissue paper with that move. Eternatus shook itself off and took aim at Vesuvius a second time, blasting her with Max Wyrmwind while she was still recovering. If Ruby hadn't healed her with a Full Restore minutes ago, the attack would've finished her off. All it did now was just eat away some of her health but she was still very much capable of continuing the fight. Once again, Vesuvius found herself feeling very grateful for having a trainer like Ruby. As she shook of the damage done to her, Dubwool ran in and used another Double-Edge. With the combined efforts of the four Pokémon fighting together, Eternatus was getting closer and closer to defeat. If they could carry on just a little longer, they would eventually defeat it! The wolves could sense that Eternatus was getting close to falling. It looked like it was using whatever energy it had left to stay conscious.

"It's faltering! We're close to victory!" Zamazenta declared.

"I'll raise our attack again so we can finish it off completely!" Zacian offered.

She threw her head back and howled a second time, raising everyone's Attack stats just as she had done before. Vesuvius and Dubwool yelled out in excitement as they felt themselves grow stronger from the Howl of Zacian. They'd already been strengthened earlier, now they felt as if they could take down Eternatus by themselves.

"Aw yeah, thanks Zacian!" Vesuvius cried, "After that power boost, I bet we'll finally take that thing down!"

After Zacian's Howl was finished, Zamazenta jumped in to launch the next attack. Rather than another Behemoth Bash, he had decided to use Crunch instead. Crunch wasn't the most powerful attack he could've used but thanks to Zacian's Howls increasing everyone's Attack, it did more damage than it would've done. Eternatus's health was critically low now. It wouldn't be able to take any more attacks from the team of Pokémon. Nevertheless, it seemed determined not to go down without a fight for it used Max Wyrmwind again. However, it didn't aim at Vesuvius or the legendary wolves when using the attack. Instead, it had aimed at Dubwool. Dubwool had already weakened himself a bit by using Double-Edge too many times and taking recoil damage as a result so when Eternatus blasted him with Max Wyrmwind, Dubwool wasn't able to take the hit. The single blow was enough to deplete all the health he had left and bring him collapsing onto his side. Hop cried out in worry for his first Pokémon.

"Dubwool! Oh no!" he yelled.

He ran over to Dubwool to get him away from the fight. Zacian and Zamazenta looked over at Hop's defeated Pokémon sadly. They had hoped they could end this fight without Eternatus taking anybody out. At least the human had acted quickly and gotten his Pokémon away before Eternatus could try and kill it. As soon as Hop returned to Ruby's side, Vesuvius lowered her head and prepared to charge. She was angry that Eternatus had dared to take out Hop's Dubwool, especially as she knew Hop was very close to Ruby and that anyone who hurt her trainer's friend was in for a beating.

"That's it Eternatus! Trying to kill my trainer is one thing, but taking out her friend's Pokémon is unforgiveable! Brace yourself because this is gonna HURT!"

She threw herself straight into Eternatus with one final High Horsepower attack. Zacian and Zamazenta watched with amazement as the empowered Coalossal slammed straight into the Eternamaxed Pokémon. Thanks to Zacian's second Howl increasing her attack further, she had the power necessary to finish the battle. Despite Eternatus's incredible power, it did nothing to defend itself from the angry Coalossal. It felt as if she was trying to smash its entire head in. After Vesuvius was done, she landed back beside the legendary wolves and panted, feeling worn out after such a powerful onslaught. Everyone watched with baited breath as Eternatus writhed around in complete agony. It wanted to carry on fighting but it had no energy left to do so. It was useless. Eternatus was finished. The Eternamaxed Pokémon shrank back down to its original size and returned to its original form, looking like the original Eternatus once again. It crashed down onto the floor and lay still. Ruby and Hop didn't dare to celebrate just yet. The last time that had happened, it just came back stronger. They waited to see if anything would happen. But Eternatus didn't move. The only movement it could make was just whenever it breathed.

"Is…is it over?" Ruby asked cautiously, "Have we won?"

"It's almost over." Zamazenta announced, "If we're to put an end to Eternatus's terror perfectly, one of you must catch it now."

"And I know just who should do it." Hop said proudly, "Ruby, you're by far the strongest trainer that I've ever known and your Pokémon was the one that defeated Eternatus in the end, so you should catch it."

"You really think so?" Ruby asked, stunned by Hop's response, "Hop I…I know you think highly of me but do you really think that I deserve to catch Eternatus more than you?"

"Absolutely." Hop said matter-of-factly, "After all, you're the one who's potentially going to be the next Champion. Why not let our potential Champion catch a legendary Pokémon?"

Ruby nodded. If Hop felt she should catch Eternatus, than she would. It would feel weird having to own the Pokémon that had nearly caused the end of the world but at least she could feel good knowing that she was the one who was going to stop Eternatus from destroying everything by catching it. Ruby even thought that she could maybe tame the monster and make it a force for good instead. Most Pokémon took on the traits of their trainers after all so maybe Eternatus would take after her and become a more benevolent creature. Ruby took out an Ultra Ball from her bag. She thought using one of the best Pokéball for catching Pokémon with would suffice. She swallowed hard, her palms sweating as she was about to take the next step.

"OK…here goes…please let this work." Ruby said worriedly.

She threw the Ultra Ball at Eternatus and watched as it transformed the giant, poison dragon into energy and absorbed him inside. The ball closed and Ruby watched, scarcely daring to breathe as the ball began to shake. Zacian and Zamazenta braced themselves to attack if they had to. Hop crossed his fingers, praying that this would work. Ruby was so worried that this would go wrong that she closed her eyes and looked away, bracing herself for the inevitable escape. But it never came. The Ultra Ball pinged, signifying a clean capture. Ruby turned back and opened her eyes, surprised to see the Ultra Ball was still closed. It took a while to settle in for her that this was a thing that had happened. She, Ruby Silverlock of Postwick Town…had actually managed to catch Eternatus! She could hardly believe that this had actually happened. She ran over to the Ultra Ball and picked it up as if to reassure herself that this had really happened and she hadn't imagined it.

"I caught it…I actually…CAUGHT it?!" she exclaimed.

"You sure did!" Hop cried ecstatically, "Well done Ruby, you did it! We're all saved from Eternatus!"

"The Darkest Day is over!" Vesuvius cried, cheering alongside Hop.

She was right too. The storm clouds began to break away, revealing a clear blue sky and the bright sunshine above. Dynamax energy was no longer shooting up from all over the region and Pokémon were no longer Dynamaxing and going on a rampage. The light had returned to Galar and to everyone in the region, it couldn't have been a more welcoming sight. Every citizen in every town and city exploded into applause at the sight of the sun and the disappearance of the dark clouds.

Back in Postwick Town, Emerald and Sapphire glanced through the window and pointed excitedly.

"Mum! Dad! Look! The sun's coming out again and the dark clouds are disappearing!" Emerald squealed excitedly.

Annie and Michael, who had been watching the news for any updates, ran over to their daughters and looked through the window to see that indeed the Darkest Day had stopped and everything was returning to normal. They were so delighted that they hugged each other tightly, crying tears of joy.

"She did it! Our little Ruby actually did it!" Annie wept happily, "Oh Michael, our daughter's saved us all!"

"I told you that she'd be the extra pair of hands Leon needed." Michael replied softly.

They had known that it wasn't Leon who stopped Eternatus due to the news stating that he'd been taken to a hospital far away from Hammerlocke to recover. Because he was in hospital, it was only logical to them that Ruby had been the one to stop Eternatus in the end. It made the Silverlock family ecstatic to think that one of their own had saved the world and was now Galar's new hero.

Meanwhile, Ruby was still staring at the Ultra Ball in her hand, only just now coming to the realization that she had achieved the impossible. She and Hop had teamed up with the Heroes of Galar to fight off an apocalyptic threat and not only had they won, but Ruby had managed to CATCH said apocalyptic threat! Ruby smiled with delight, unable to contain her excitement.

"WE DID IT!" she squealed at the top of her voice, "OHMIGOSH, WE ACTUALLY DID IT!"

"That we have, dear child." Zacian concurred, "Let me just say that it has been an honour to battle alongside an esteemed trainer such as you and your friend. Your aid was ultimately what helped us to win this battle."

"We have met many humans in our lives, and you two are among the most brave and compassionate souls we've had the pleasure of meeting." Zamazenta agreed, "I am confident that a trainer like you will be able to tame Eternatus and keep its power under control. We may never fear the Darkest Day again."

"I sure hope not!" Ruby laughed despite herself, "It wasn't fun the first bloody time! Ha, ha…in all seriousness, I'll do what I can to make this Pokémon a force for good. I can hopefully make it a protector, not a destroyer, just like you two."

"That's a great idea!" Hop complimented, "Just imagine if Galar's under threat again, you could come riding in on Eternatus and fight it off!"

"That's honestly a really awesome image now I think about it." Ruby said with a smile.

"We trust you will keep Eternatus from causing the Darkest Day again." Zacian said with a bow, "For now, we must return to our final resting place. The threat has been quelled, so we do not need to remain."

"Should our aid ever be acquired again, seek us out and bring our weapons into battle again." Zamazenta boomed, "Goodbye children. It has been an honour."

The two wolves were about to go but Ruby stopped them.

"Wait!" she said quickly, "Just before you go…thank you. Thank you both for everything!" she said graciously.

Zacian and Zamazenta bowed, grateful for the girl's thanks. Then they let out a pair of victory howls to let the world know that they had saved it again and would come again should they be needed. Then they jumped into the air and flew off into the distance, returning back to where they had been found in the Slumbering Weald. Ruby and Hop waved goodbye to the wolves as they disappeared into the horizon. It was kinda sad really. They had a feeling they might never see them again. But at least they could hold onto the memories that would live with them for the rest of their lives. As soon as the Heroes of Galar had gone, Ruby wrapped her arms around Hop and Hop picked her up, spinning her around merrily for joy. The two teens giggled.

"I can't believe we actually did it!" Ruby exclaimed, "Oh Hop, we're just like Zacian and Zamazenta themselves! We're the Heroes of Galar!"

"I'd say it's more you than me but yeah, we are!" Hop cried, "We're the ones that brought the weapons here and summoned the duo to stop Eternatus and we helped them defeat it! What will the people think if they hear this?"

"I'd rather worry about that later." Ruby said, sounding tired, "For now, all I want to do is return the weapons to their rightful places and then go home and sleep for a week. I feel like I could go into a slumber like Zacian and Zamazenta themselves did after they stopped the Darkest Day the first time!"

"Hope you can stay awake long enough for us to return the weapons then." Hop laughed.

Ruby summoned Soundwave the Noivern out of his Pokéball so she and Hop could ride him over to the Slumbering Weald. Soundwave took off and fly away from Hammerlocke City to take the two to their destination. As he flew, Ruby and Hop took a moment to admire the scenery below them, glad that they were alive to see it again. How wonderful it felt to know that they had saved the world and had brought an end to such a catastrophic event! Ruby knew that she still had her battle with Leon to come but she didn't care about that for now. She only cared about the fact the Darkest Day was over and she could return home to her family and see them again…

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Pokemon obtained: Doomsday the Eternatus. Gender: N/A. Nature: Quiet. Ability: Pressure (it raises the opponent's PP usage)