Chapter 0718: Black Holes? Chibaku Tensei!(Two-in-One)

September 12, Sunday.

Early morning, the sunlight was pleasant.

To train the Darkinium Z “Black Hole Eclipse,” Natsume headed to the Stone Hall on Spring Avenue in Lumiose City.

The Stone Hall was a specialty shop selling stones, displaying a beautiful array of evolutionary stones in its cabinets. Craftsmen would evaluate and process stones with expert care.

On behalf of an Alolan craftsman, Natsume had the Sparkling Stone shaped into a Z-Bracelet.

Once the work was done, Natsume slipped the Z-Bracelet onto his right wrist, where it gleamed together with the Key Stone on his fingerless glove.

There was still a Dynamax Band at home he could wear on the left wrist.

Natsume muttered, “If there’s ever another new mechanic… I won’t even have enough hands to wear it all.”

Back in the shop.

Meowstic was serving guests gracefully, one paw balancing a tray as it delivered “Miss Kir’s Flower Tea” to a table.

With limited seating available by reservation each day, Alcremie could manage just fine and even spent time improving her cooking using the recipes Natsume had left behind.

He peeked into the kitchen.

“Little chef” Alcremie, wearing gloves, stood on a tiny stool, focused as she slid the tray into the oven.

Once the timer was set, Alcremie let out a little sigh, turned, and spotted someone behind her, jumping in surprise: “Alcremie~!Σ(っ °Д °;)っ”

“Carry on with your work,” Natsume smiled. “Take a break at noon, I’ll make lunch today.”

“Alcremie~” Alcremie beamed, the scent of strawberry sugar filling the air with happiness.

Near noon, the morning guests left satisfied. A young girl bounced up to the owner for an autograph.

“I—I really like Gengar,” the girl said, eyes sparkling. “Please, can I take a photo with Gengar?”

Natsume, hands in his apron pockets, glanced at the Rotom, then turned to the Gengar who had just appeared.

“Gengar~” Gengar flashed a toothy, slightly bashful grin, scratching its head.

The little girl hugged Gengar’s chubby belly, her face bright with a sunlit smile.

“Beep…Captured a precious photo, Rotom~” chirped the Rotom Pokédex.

The girl waved goodbye, holding her parents’ hands as they left behind. “Bye, Gengar! Thank you, Natsume-sensei~!”

“Gengar! (￣▽￣)／” Gengar waved energetically.

Natsume crossed his arms, saying wryly, “So it’s turned into a family restaurant now, huh…”

“Gengar~” Gengar giggled into its hand.

“I know you’re happy.” Natsume relented. “Now go out back and try the Z-Move!”

By afternoon, the weather turned sultry and hot.

Cynthia walked out from the back, sunlight tracing darkness over her elegant pale cheeks. She shaded her eyes and sighed,

“So hot… I want to go on vacation to Undella Town…”

“I’m feeling listless too…” Latias floated in mid-air with a wilted voice.

“All right.” Cynthia’s eyes sparkled. “Then let Glaceon cool things down and freeze the place up!”

Natsume: ???

“Go, Glaceon!” Cynthia commanded with spirit, thrusting her arm forward. “At the sky—use Icy Wind!”

“Glaceon~!” Glaceon called, sending glittering snow crystals into the air.

In an instant, the garden turned cool and comfortable, diamond-bright petals drifting gently down.

“Gengar~” Gengar opened his mouth wide to the sky, catching snowflakes on his tongue.

“Sylveon…” Sylveon claimed the swing, rocking back and forth while watching snow fall overhead.

The icy flowers landed, shining, on Cynthia’s golden hair.

“How’s that? Not bad, right.”

Dressed in black, Cynthia folded her arms and smiled faintly, “It’s much cooler… You should be able to train now.”

Natsume pointed at the house: “Garchomp just ran inside to hide.”

“Mmm~” Cynthia held her forehead. “It can’t be helped—it’s really not a fan of snow.”

“Anyway, at least I feel motivated to train!”

Natsume rolled up his sleeves. The evil-sheen of the Z-Crystal in his Z-Bracelet flickered black. “Let’s go, Gengar!”

“Gengar!” Gengar flashed his teeth and hopped to the center of the arena, braced for action.

Latias watched Natsume curiously: “What are they doing?”

Cynthia: “First Z-Move test… Hope it works.”

Even Cynthia herself had never tried a Z-Move—after all, Sparkling Stones and Z-Crystals were only found in the Alola Region, making them rare.

Besides, there were other requirements: using a Z-Move needed perfect harmony between Trainer and Pokémon, channeling energy and gestures to focus the pulse and synchronize their auras.

Like Mega Evolution, mastering a Z-Move demanded long, painstaking training.

But…

Cynthia folded her arms, gaze steady on Natsume and Gengar, a glint in her eye.

He’d mastered Mega Evolution in, what—one day… no, one hour?

The Z-Crystal’s energy pulse spread through the garden, black as ink, shining from the Z-Bracelet on Natsume’s arm.

“Mew~” Mew peeked out from a space in the tree, curious eyes blinking.

If it’s just a training move… there shouldn’t be any need for Light Screen, right…?

Natsume drew a deep breath, eyes sharpening.

Honestly, it felt kind of embarrassing trying a Z-Move in front of Moe-Moe!—

But things had gone too far to back out now!

Natsume raised both hands, borrowing the motion from a tiger’s twin paws, his face burning red as he shouted:

“Black Hole —Eclipse”

Cynthia, arms folded, nearly choked with laughter. “Pfft…”

Natsume: “Don’t laugh at me!!”

Unlike the mortified Natsume, Gengar’s eyes glowed crimson, lips curling into a wicked, sinister grin.

Next, Gengar thrust up both hands as though lifting a spirit bomb.

Filaments of light wove together, gathering at the center of a black hole—swelling, swelling, till a swirling sphere of crimson energy erupted.

“Gengar!!”

Blood-red rays scattered from the orb, and at its heart was the pitch-darkness of a solar eclipse. Under that intense gravity, rocks and roots nearby were sucked into the black hole!

Even Cynthia’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Gengar’s specialties—Gravity and Dark Void—under the Darkinium Z’s amplifying power, truly became a black hole capable of devouring everything!

“Mew!!” Mew spun, frantically waving as bricks and debris were pulled in. She hadn’t put up Light Screen yet!

The Darkinium Z’s effect continued, a thick shell of debris forming around the black hole, levitating high above Gengar’s palm.

Natsume’s face changed.

Not good!

Gravity was only a prototype of Chibaku Tensei.

Right now, Darkinium Z’s “Black Hole Eclipse” had become a genuine Chibaku Tensei!

Lumiose City.

The citizens turned to look toward Southern Street.

A globe of inky darkness rose in the sky, blood-red streaks swirling as countless stones swarmed to it, forming a shell and hovering above Lumiose City like a meteorite.

Stunned, people gulped audibly.

“What is that?”

“Another meteorite attack, like in Hoenn?”

“It’s coming from the Pokémon café, maybe Natsume-sensei is just training a move…”

“You call THAT training a move!?”

Back in the garden.

Cynthia shouted, “Can you stop it!?”

“I’ll try—” Natsume yelled, “Darkrai, toss that black hole into the Reverse World and apologize to Him!”

Darkrai looked conflicted: “Are you sure Giratina won’t come after you!?”

“Relax, we’ve literally been through life-or-death together. Just a little black hole—He’ll understand.”

Darkrai: “…”

If you ask me, you haven’t just thrown black holes—you’ve thrown the Plasma Frigate too!

“Forget it!”

Darkrai flashed high above the café, smashed the debris shell, grabbed the raging black hole with one hand, and with the other, tore open a rift in the sky, hurling the black hole straight into the Reverse World!

Whoosh—

Chucks of rubble rained from the sky.

“Tyranitar!” Tyranitar looked up.

It’s raining treasure from the sky!

Natsume stood amid the falling stones, speechless.

Latias tactfully spread Light Screen above his head so the bricks shattered to dust overhead—CRACK.

“Still, we took quite a loss…”

Standing beside the battered garden, Cynthia looked at the silent Natsume, biting her lip and saying,

“But your Z-Move just now… was actually pretty cute.”

More than the shock of the move itself, Cynthia seemed amused by Natsume’s Z-pose.

She tried to keep a straight face, but after a moment, couldn’t hide a smile. “…Ahem.”

Natsume: “…”

You’re still laughing at me! You totally are!

“Anyway.”

Natsume bowed his head, eyeing the jet-black Z-Crystal. He murmured, “One more trump card for staying alive.”

“Rotom~”

Cynthia called out playfully, “Did you record that training just now?”

“Beep…Recorded in full, Rotom!”

“Excellent, let me see.” Cynthia hurried over to Rotom.

“Stop, Rotom! Crash mode NOW!”

Laughter filled the gardens.

Out in the streets—

The people of Lumiose City watched as Darkrai surrendered the disaster, all still a little dazed.

“First an out-of-control Garchomp, now a meteorite black hole… It’s been a tough few days.”

“Thankfully we have Natsume-sensei!”

“Southern Street, huh? No response on the phone yet… Timburr, let’s roll out!”

……

Reverse World.

Giratina gazed silently at a rift torn open in the sky.

The last time this happened was only half a month ago… when it helped transport Regigigas.

So, what could it be today?

After a millennium of solitude, Giratina actually found itself looking forward to Natsume’s “surprises.”

“Uh, well…” Darkrai poked its head through, balancing the raging black hole in its hand, looking awkward.

Giratina was silent for a moment, then said, “Just put it there… I’ll take care of it.”

Darkrai: “…Sorry about this!”

Boom!!

Gengar’s “Chibaku Tensei” exploded within the Reverse World.

While patching up the Reverse World, Giratina looked up at the sky.

World peace exists only because someone bears the weight and battles in the shadows…