Joy and Latias

Normally, it was Reggie and Flint who would head to the arena's waiting room to prepare for their matches first. Then, Yuga would take Paul to the spectator stands to await the start of the competition.

However, today, as Yuga was on his way to the arena with Paul, he received a message from Gardenia. She was nearby on Lily of the Valley Island and needed Yuga's help with something urgent. She sent him her location and asked him to come as soon as possible.

"Paul, big brother Yuga has something to take care of for a while. Can you go to the arena by yourself and cheer for your brother?" Yuga said to Paul on their way.

"Okay!" Paul nodded.

Even though Paul agreed, Yuga couldn't help but feel a bit worried. So, he decided to leave Chatot with Paul and said, "I'll let Chatot accompany you! Please don't wander off, and if you get lost, let Chatot help you."

While Chatot wasn't the most reliable, being a bird, it had a good sense of direction, so it should be able to guide Paul if needed.

"Oh, dear, you don't have to do this. I want to be with you, not with this little brat!" Yuga's decision immediately triggered protests from Chatot.

Unfortunately, Chatot's protests were silenced by Yuga's stern gaze.

"If anything happens to Paul, you'll see how I deal with you when I get back!" With those words, Yuga turned and left, leaving Chatot sulking on Paul's shoulder.

Yuga wasn't sure what Gardenia needed his help with, but judging from her urgent tone, he had to hurry.

Yuga's own travel speed on foot was too slow, so he released Honchkrow to fly him to the location Gardenia had sent.

As Yuga flew with Honchkrow, following the coordinates Gardenia provided, he realized that he was heading southeast. It took quite some time, and when he finally left the landmass of Lily of the Valley Island, his navigation system still showed that he hadn't reached Gardenia's location.

"Could she have made a mistake? Isn't this the open sea ahead? Is she out in the ocean?" Yuga wondered aloud.

Despite his doubts, Yuga continued flying forward. About an hour later, he finally spotted an island in the distance.

Just as he was preparing to fly towards it, a sudden burst of orange light shot up from the center of the island, exploding in the sky and turning into meteors that rained down towards the island.

"My goodness, a Draco Meteor?"

Yuga was utterly amazed by the sudden and spectacular display. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of Pokémon could unleash such a powerful and widespread Draco Meteor.

He was grateful that he hadn't ventured closer, or he and Honchkrow might have been obliterated by the explosion. It made him hesitate for a moment. Should he continue or head back? The outside world seemed dangerous, and he longed to be back home.

Finally, after the Draco Meteor had subsided, Yuga gathered his resolve and continued flying toward the center of the island.

Upon reaching his destination, Yuga finally saw the Pokémon responsible for the Draco Meteor. It was a Latias, a red and white jet-like Pokémon, and it was none other than the younger sibling of the Latias and Latios pair known as the Eon Duo.

Latias was known for its incredible speed and abilities, but this display of power was something else entirely.

At this moment, Latias had lost all reason, its eyes bloodshot, and it was launching indiscriminate attacks on the two Pokémon below: a Arcanine engulfed in flames and a resolute and spirited Lucario. Nearby, an Electivire and a Blissey lay defeated.

"You finally arrived! Hurry and help us! We can barely hold on!" Gardenia's voice suddenly called out.

Focused on observing Latias, Yuga finally noticed Gardenia and another woman, Nurse Joy.

Now, Yuga understood why Gardenia had called him here. It seemed they needed his assistance in dealing with Latias.

Yuga felt a bit dumbfounded; was he really prepared for a battle of this magnitude?

He quickly landed on the ground with Honchkrow. Flying in the open sky made them an easy target.

"Release your Chimegcho and Florges, and support Lucario and Arcanine!" Gardenia shouted at Yuga.

It was at this moment that Yuga realized he wasn't meant to fight but rather assist. He breathed a sigh of relief and released Florges and Chimegcho.

"Florges, use Misty Terrain!

Chimegcho, use Heal Pulse!"

Following Yuga's commands, a pink mist covered the entire area, including Latias. Soon after, a gentle wave of healing energy began to envelop the battlefield.

As the Misty Terrain expanded, Latias' movements grew increasingly sluggish, and the power of its Dragon-type moves diminished. However, in its irrational state, it remained oblivious to this fact.

Yuga noticed that his Insight skill couldn't provide any information into Latias' condition, just like when he faced Deoxys. It dawned on him that his Insight wasn't infallible, especially against Legendary Pokémon.

Yuga also realized that the Lucario battling Latias was an extraordinary Champion-level Pokémon with a blue potential, while even the fallen Blissey was of the Elite-level.

Observing the lineup of Pokémon before him, Yuga understood that he might have encountered a formidable opponent today.

In its frenzied state, Latias made several attempts to harm Florges and Chimegcho, but Lucario managed to fend it off each time.

Perhaps due to extreme fatigue, Latias' attacks gradually weakened, and then it took a devastating hit from Lucario's Aura Sphere, followed by a fiery burst from Arcanine's Flamethrower.

"Chimegcho, use Heal Bell."

Yuga attempted to use Chimegcho's Heal Bell to restore Latias' sanity, but the intense pain had driven it further into madness.

"It's futile. Blissey already tried," Nurse Joy, who had remained silent until now, said.

"What should we do then?" Yuga looked anxious; their current situation was unsustainable.

"Other than defeating it, we have no other choice," Nurse Joy replied with unwavering determination. "I believe Lucario can do it."