(3rd POV)
The sky above the Dragon Enclave had already begun to darken by the time the first roar shook the mountains.
Supreme Elder Z stood at the edge of a massive cliff overlooking the valley below, her expression remaining completely calm despite the army gathering in the distance. Around her stood the last surviving members of her main team, each one silently watching the approaching forces.
Giratina hovered behind her, its enormous body partially obscured by the shadows of the surrounding cliffs. Garchomp stood to Z's right with its claws dug into the stone, while Dragapult remained slightly farther back, its eyes locked onto the skies. Beside them stood Kommo-o, its scales rattling softly whenever the wind passed through the metallic plates covering its body.
These four were what remained of Z's original main team.
They had fought beside her for longer than most beings in the Enclave could remember.
They had conquered territories, defended their home, survived battles that should have been impossible, and watched countless generations of Dragon-type Pokémon rise and disappear. Their bond was not simply that of a trainer and her Pokémon anymore.
They were family.
And now, that family stood against an entire region.
"Three armies," Z quietly said.
Garchomp looked toward the valley.
The first force was made up primarily of Dragonite, their enormous wings beating steadily as they filled the skies. Behind them marched another group of Garchomp, their bodies covered in battle scars and tribal markings.
The third force was harder to track.
Dragapult and its clan had scattered throughout the mountains, hiding among the clouds and rocky terrain while waiting for the proper opportunity to strike.
At the center of each army stood a single figure.
The three Supremes had finally come together.
The Dragonite clan's Supreme stood at the front of his forces with an ancient Latios floating behind him.
Across the valley, the Garchomp clan's Supreme stood beside Latias.
And on the opposite side, towering above the Dragapult clan, was their Supreme with Regidrago looming behind him.
Z's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So they really did bring their legends."
Giratina released a low growl.
Z reached backward and placed a hand against its massive body.
"Don't worry."
Her voice remained calm.
"They're still only three."
Giratina's eyes narrowed.
It understood what she meant.
The three Supremes believed that surrounding Z with their combined strength would finally allow them to defeat her.
They had been waiting years for this opportunity.
For generations, the Dragonite, Garchomp, and Dragapult clans had despised the fact that Z had claimed the title of strongest among the dragons.
It was not simply jealousy.
To them, her title was an insult.
Z had come from outside their traditional hierarchy, defeated warriors from every major Dragon clan, and eventually reached a level of power none of them could deny.
Rather than accept her superiority, they had chosen another solution.
They would eliminate her.
"We should have done this years ago," the Dragonite Supreme called from across the valley.
His voice carried through the mountains.
"Your clan has taken more than its share of this region's resources for long enough."
The Garchomp Supreme stepped forward.
"Your influence has spread too far. The mountains, the hunting grounds, the ancient ruins, even the energy deposits beneath this region have been affected by your presence."
The Dragapult Supreme smiled.
"Today, that ends."
Z stared at them for several seconds.
Then she sighed.
"So that's what this is about."
The three Supremes exchanged glances.
"Control."
Z's voice was almost disappointed.
"You want the region."
The Dragonite Supreme's expression hardened.
"We want what belongs to us."
Z looked across the valley at the three armies.
"And killing my clan gives you access to it."
None of them answered.
That silence told Z everything she needed to know.
She slowly removed her hand from Giratina.
"Then there is nothing left to discuss."
The Dragonite Supreme raised his arm.
"Attack!"
The valley exploded.
Hundreds of Dragon-type Pokémon surged forward at once.
Dragonite descended from the sky like living missiles while Garchomp charged across the ground. Dragapult disappeared into the surrounding mountains, their bodies becoming nearly impossible to track.
Z remained still.
"Now."
Giratina moved first.
The Legendary Dragon erupted forward with a roar that shook the entire mountain range. A wave of distorted energy spread outward, forcing the nearest Dragonite backward before they could even reach Z.
Garchomp launched itself directly into the incoming Garchomp clan.
The collision was brutal.
Claws struck claws as the two sides tore into each other with enough force to crack the stone beneath their feet. Z's Garchomp moved with frightening precision, weaving between attacks before driving its blade-like arm into the chest of another Garchomp.
Dragapult vanished.
A second later, several Dragon Darts tore through the air.
Z calmly raised one hand.
The attacks passed around her.
"Behind."
Dragapult appeared exactly where she expected.
One of the opposing Dragapult attempted to strike her from behind, only for Z's Dragapult to intercept it in midair.
The two ghostly dragons collided before disappearing into the clouds.
Above them, Latios finally moved.
The Legendary Dragon's eyes glowed as immense psychic energy gathered around its body.
Z looked up.
"Giratina."
The distortion surrounding Giratina intensified.
Latios fired.
A massive beam of psychic energy ripped through the battlefield.
Giratina met it head-on.
The collision caused the sky itself to appear warped.
For several seconds, neither side gave ground.
Then Giratina pushed forward.
The psychic beam began bending around its body as the Distortion energy twisted the attack away.
Latios was forced backward.
The Dragonite Supreme's expression changed.
"You've grown stronger."
Z smiled faintly.
"Of course."
She stepped forward.
"I never stopped training."
Kommo-o suddenly rushed past her.
The Pokémon crashed into a group of Dragonite that had managed to break through the first defensive line. Its scales rang loudly as attacks struck its body, but Kommo-o refused to retreat.
It slammed its fists into the ground.
The resulting shockwave sent several Dragonite tumbling backward.
Z watched for only a moment before turning her attention elsewhere.
She knew her Pokémon.
They did not need her to command every movement.
They had fought together for too long.
The battlefield quickly became chaos.
Dragonite battled Giratina while Garchomp fought Garchomp. Dragapult fought Dragapult across the sky, disappearing and reappearing among the mountains.
And at the center of it all, Z walked forward.
Every step she took caused the opposing Pokémon to hesitate.
The title they hated her for was not based on reputation alone.
It was earned.
The Garchomp Supreme noticed it first.
"Don't let her reach us!"
Several Garchomp immediately broke away from their fight and charged toward Z.
She raised her hand.
Giratina's shadow appeared behind them.
Before they could turn around, a wave of energy blasted the attackers across the battlefield.
The Garchomp Supreme gritted his teeth.
"Regidrago!"
The ancient Legendary Dragon stepped forward.
Its massive jaws opened.
Dragon energy began gathering.
At the same time, Latios and Latias moved into position.
Three Legendary Dragons.
Three Supremes.
And one target.
Z finally stopped walking.
"All three at once?"
She looked toward the three leaders.
"That seems a little desperate."
The three Supremes ignored her.
Their Pokémon attacked simultaneously.
Latios unleashed psychic energy.
Latias fired a powerful beam of Dragon energy.
Regidrago released an enormous torrent of concentrated draconic power.
The three attacks converged on Z.
Giratina immediately moved in front of her.
"Giratina!"
Z's voice echoed through the battlefield.
The Legendary Dragon opened its wings.
Distortion energy erupted outward.
The three attacks collided with the barrier.
The mountain beneath Giratina's feet shattered.
For the first time, Z's expression became serious.
"Push."
Giratina roared.
The barrier expanded.
The combined attacks were forced backward.
Latios struggled to maintain control.
Latias cried out.
Regidrago's body shook from the effort.
Then Giratina broke through.
The resulting wave of distorted energy sent the three Legendary Dragons flying in different directions.
The three Supremes stared in disbelief.
They had expected numbers to overwhelm Z.
Instead, they were beginning to understand the problem.
Her team had been fighting together for far too long.
They weren't simply four powerful Pokémon.
They moved like a single organism.
Then something changed.
A Dragapult stopped fighting.
Its eyes widened.
It had noticed something moving beyond the battlefield.
Another Dragapult followed its gaze.
Then a Dragonite.
Then a Garchomp.
Their attention slowly shifted toward the same location.
Z noticed.
"What is it?"
The Dragonite Supreme looked toward the edge of the valley.
At first, he saw nothing.
Then a figure stepped from behind the rocks.
Leo.
Cynthia and Claire were with him.
The three had been trying to stay away from the battle, but the scale of the conflict had made hiding nearly impossible.
Leo's platinum chain-like markings were visible even from a distance, while his ash-colored dreadlocks moved in the wind.
The three Supremes stared.
Their expressions changed.
The battle around them seemed to momentarily become irrelevant.
Latias slowly turned toward Leo.
Latios followed.
Regidrago's eyes narrowed.
"What is that?" the Garchomp Supreme asked.
Nobody answered.
Leo felt the sudden shift in attention.
His body tensed.
Cynthia stepped closer to him.
"Leo."
"I know."
He looked around.
Every eye was now on him.
The Dragonite Supreme slowly descended from the ridge.
"Who are you?"
Leo said nothing.
The Supreme stared at him.
"Answer me."
Claire stepped forward.
"He's with us."
The Dragapult Supreme shook his head.
"No."
His eyes remained fixed on Leo.
"He's not from here."
The words caused silence.
Even Z looked toward Leo.
The Supreme continued.
"His energy is wrong."
Latios began examining Leo with its psychic senses.
Its expression immediately changed.
"There is no record of anything like him."
The Garchomp Supreme's eyes narrowed.
"What are you saying?"
Latios communicated something quietly.
The Supreme's face hardened.
"He's from another world."
The battlefield went silent.
Leo's heart dropped.
Cynthia immediately moved in front of him.
Claire did the same.
Z stared at Leo for several seconds before looking back toward the three Supremes.
"So now you know."
The Dragonite Supreme's expression became cold.
"Then our objective has changed."
Z's eyes narrowed.
"You were fighting for territory."
"We still are."
The Garchomp Supreme looked toward Leo.
"But someone from another world cannot be allowed to interfere with our plans."
The Dragapult Supreme nodded.
"If he survives, he could become a threat to everything we intend to build."
Leo's eyes widened.
Cynthia's hand moved toward her side.
"You're seriously suggesting killing him because he isn't from your world?"
The Dragonite Supreme answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
The armies turned.
The battle had found a new target.
Z's expression became terrifyingly calm.
"You will not touch him."
The three Supremes smiled.
"Then we will kill you first."
The armies charged again.
This time, however, the battle was different.
The Dragonite, Garchomp, and Dragapult clans no longer cared about preserving their strength.
Every attack began moving toward Leo.
Z immediately understood.
"Giratina!"
Giratina roared and opened a massive portal.
"Get them out of here!"
Cynthia grabbed Leo's arm.
"We're moving!"
Claire followed.
But several Dragonite descended in front of them.
Before they could attack, the ground erupted.
A massive Hippowdon burst upward, sending rocks flying in every direction.
Bertha stood behind it.
"Move!"
Leo looked toward her.
"Bertha!"
"I said move!"
Gengar emerged from the shadows beside her, followed by several other Ghost and Ground-type Pokémon.
The battlefield had become too dangerous to remain in.
Bertha's Pokémon created a path through the chaos while Cynthia and Claire pulled Leo toward the opening.
Leo looked back.
Z remained behind.
So did Giratina, Garchomp, Dragapult, and Kommo-o.
The four Pokémon stood around their Supreme Elder as the three enemy clans closed in from every direction.
Leo hesitated.
"We can't leave them!"
Cynthia grabbed his shoulder.
"They're staying because they need to finish this."
Bertha looked toward Z.
"Go."
Z met Leo's eyes from across the battlefield.
For the first time, her calm expression softened.
"Survive."
Leo clenched his fists.
Then Bertha's Hippowdon slammed its feet into the ground, creating another tremor that forced the surrounding enemies back.
Gengar opened a dark passage through the shadows.
Cynthia pulled Leo through.
Claire followed close behind.
Bertha remained at the entrance for one final moment.
Behind her, the battlefield erupted once more.
Giratina roared.
Garchomp charged.
Dragapult vanished into the darkness.
Kommo-o raised its fists.
And Supreme Elder Z stepped forward to face the three Supremes alone.
Bertha gave one final glance toward the battle before following the others into the darkness.
The portal closed.
Leaving the war behind.
And with it, the fate of the Dragon Enclave.