Hoopa Unbound stared at Lugia, who had suddenly appeared before it. Gathering dark energy in both hands, it unleashed a Dark Pulse straight at the Legendary Pokémon.
"Roar!"
Lugia let out a cry and flapped its large, white wings, dodging the attack with ease. Then it opened its mouth and fired a Hydro Pump, slamming Hoopa Unbound into the ground.
"Now Lugia is our only hope," Baraz said gravely, turning to look at the ring and the lid of the Prison Bottle in Meray's hands.
"Its shadow was rejected by Hoopa. With nowhere else to go, it destroyed the Prison Bottle."
"So now we have to make a new one."
"Can we really make another one?" Serena asked.
Baraz nodded slowly. "As long as we gather the right materials, we can remake it at the Tower of Mastery."
"But our great-grandfather built the original bottle using three natural energies — water, fire, and earth."
"I have a Water-type! Greninja can help!" Ash said, reaching for Greninja's Poké Ball.
"And I have a Fire-type — Braixen!" Serena added, clasping her hands together with a smile.
Clemont frowned. "But none of us has a Ground-type Pokémon."
Steven, overhearing this, looked around at the group. Then he unclipped a Poké Ball from his belt and held it out to Ash.
"Ash."
"Mr. Steven?" Ash turned, puzzled, toward the Poké Ball.
Steven chuckled. "This is my Pupitar — a Ground-type. Take it and use it to remake the Prison Bottle."
"But Mr. Steven, aren't you coming with us?" Ash asked, taking the Poké Ball.
Steven shook his head and gazed at the city stretching out before them.
"I need to help evacuate the people here. Making the new bottle is your job now."
"Then let's use the ring to reach the Tower of Mastery!" Bonnie said.
Meray bit her lip, glancing worriedly at little Hoopa. "But what about Hoopa?"
She was right — Hoopa couldn't travel through its own ring right now.
Baraz looked at Hoopa and spoke gently. "Hoopa, please stay hidden while we remake the bottle."
"Okay! Hoopa will hide! Hehe!" Hoopa giggled and thumped its chest to show it understood.
"But—" Ash started to protest, but Steven cut in first.
"Ash, I'll keep Hoopa safe," he said firmly. "Just focus on making that bottle as fast as you can."
"Right!" Ash nodded firmly, meeting Steven's eyes.
Hoopa floated over to Steven's side, grinning. "Hoopa will protect Steven!"
"Ash, you and Pikachu do your best out there too."
Steven reached out and patted Hoopa gently on the head.
"I'll leave the rest to Hoopa, then."
"Mr. Steven, take this."
Before Hoopa opened a ring to send the others to the Tower of Mastery, Ash pressed the glowing pink stone into Steven's hand.
Steven looked over his team and sent them all out. "Scizor, look for a chance to back up Lugia."
"Metagross, Lucario, Empoleon, Heatran — wear down Hoopa Unbound with ranged attacks whenever you get an opening."
"Aggron, Skarmory, Sandslash, Diancie — your job is helping the people evacuate!"
With his Pokémon in position, Steven turned to leave with Hoopa. But a ring opened in the air right in front of him, and Hoopa Unbound's furious face appeared inside it.
"You're not getting away that easily!"
Steven's eyes narrowed, and he released Doublade.
"Sorry about this, Doublade!" he said, then leapt onto the Pokémon, balancing his feet on its two crossed sword hilts.
"Chuu!" Doublade didn't seem to mind at all.
"Hoopa, let's move!"
"Okay!"
Steven took off running the other way with Hoopa close behind. Hoopa Unbound reached out with one massive hand, trying to snatch little Hoopa back.
"Roar!"
Lugia spotted Hoopa Unbound crouched on a rooftop, peering through its ring, and a blue aura wrapped around its entire body. It shot forward like a great blue bird.
Boom!
Lugia's Sky Attack sent Hoopa Unbound crashing down once more.
Metagross, Lucario, and Empoleon kept moving through the city, striking with ranged attacks whenever Hoopa Unbound showed the slightest opening. More than once, just as it tried to stand, Scizor's pincers slammed into its feet.
These constant hits bought Steven precious time.
Riding on Doublade, Steven flew above the streets, calling out directions to the fleeing crowds.
"This way! Follow Hoopa!" little Hoopa shouted too, waving its small hands to guide people along.
It helped that Steven was just as well known in Kalos as he was back home — even though he looked young, people recognized the Hoenn Champion right away, and the evacuation moved quickly under his direction.
"Hoopa!" Steven called out, glancing over at his companion.
"All clear!" Hoopa answered, after checking that no one had been left behind, then floated back to Steven's side.
Steven allowed himself a small smile. "Let's get out of here too."
Buzz!
A ring opened in front of them. Steven immediately shouted to Hoopa.
"Now! Run!"
Hoopa Unbound's face had barely appeared in the ring when it saw the two of them slipping away. Before it could react, Lugia and Steven's Pokémon struck it from every side, and the ring snapped shut.
Hoopa Unbound glared up at Lugia circling overhead, and down at the Pokémon still darting through the streets below. It was clearly losing patience.
"Hoopa!"
It let out a furious roar and unleashed a sweeping Dark Pulse. Lugia dodged nimbly through the air, then surged forward again in a burst of blue light, driving Hoopa Unbound straight into a nearby building.
Boom!
The building collapsed with a deafening crash, burying Hoopa Unbound beneath the rubble. Metagross and the others pressed the advantage at once, piling on attack after attack.
Meanwhile, little Hoopa watched Steven directing the evacuation and suddenly smiled.
"Steven! When Hoopa gets its full power back, Hoopa will grant Steven a wish!"
Steven paused mid-command, turned, and looked up at Hoopa with a warm chuckle.
"Thank you, Hoopa. But all I really want is a peaceful life."
To spend time with his family and friends. To be close to the people — and the Pokémon — he cared about.
To go digging for rare minerals sometimes, to join Wallace as a guest at Pokémon Contests now and then, to go on an archaeological dig with Cynthia once in a while, to handle League business when needed, to help promising young Trainers back in Hoenn, and every so often... to set out on a new journey of his own with his Pokémon.
And always, in the end, to come home to the warmth and smiles of his family waiting for him.
That was the life Steven wanted. That was the life he cherished.
"Then Hoopa will give Steven that life!" little Hoopa said happily.
Steven shook his head gently. "Hoopa can't make that happen for me."
"Huh? Even Hoopa can't do it?" Hoopa blinked in surprise.
Steven looked around at the city and smiled softly.
"That's something I have to build myself. And right now, I'm still working on the last piece of it."
"Come on, let's go, Hoopa!"
"On to the next place!"