High above the clouds, the battle was in full swing.
Gigantamax Corviknight soared through the air like a living aircraft carrier, its dark crimson wings cutting through the sky, with the blade birds drifting around it like a fleet of fighter jets awaiting orders.
Darkrai pressed the attack. A surge of Dark-type energy shaped itself into a wide black beam — Dark Pulse — that tore across the sky and landed squarely on the distant Gigantamax Corviknight.
The hit connected cleanly, but the damage was barely a scratch. Against a Gigantamax Pokémon with that level of stamina, a single Dark Pulse was little more than a nuisance.
Meanwhile, Metagross had finished using Iron Defense. Its metallic shell gleamed with a brighter, harder silver sheen, its defense now considerably tougher.
"Caw!"
Gigantamax Corviknight let out a sharp, piercing cry. An instant later, a fierce storm erupted from its body and scattered in every direction, sending gale-force winds howling through the air.
The blade birds stirring around Gigantamax Corviknight seemed to receive the signal. Caught up in the rushing winds, they launched themselves at Metagross and Darkrai — dark crimson and razor-edged, barreling forward like guided missiles riding the gale.
"Metagross, use Agility — block them!"
Jacob had planned for this from the start. Getting Metagross to use Iron Defense early wasn't just about boosting its defense; it was specifically to prepare it for the blade birds. They were Gigantamax Corviknight's most dangerous weapon — blindingly fast and completely reckless in their attacks. Most Pokémon simply couldn't stand up to that kind of assault. But Metagross, with its formidable physical defense and Steel typing to resist the impacts, could.
At Jacob's command, a faint purple light pulsed across Metagross's body as it activated Agility. It shifted with surprising speed, weaving through the incoming strikes.
Boom!
The blade birds slammed into Metagross one after another, crashing against it like they had hit a solid wall. Each one lost all momentum on impact and tumbled from the sky. Metagross moved through the onslaught with steady, fluid precision — like an anti-aircraft system operating exactly as intended, neutralizing every incoming strike.
"Darkrai, use Nasty Plot!"
With Metagross holding the line, Jacob seized the opening. Against a defensive powerhouse like Gigantamax Corviknight, raw attacks wouldn't cut it — Darkrai needed to build up its Special Attack before launching a proper offensive.
Dark-type energy coiled around Darkrai like a slow, swirling haze, wrapping it in what looked like a billowing black cloak. Its eyes darkened with focus as its special attack climbed sharply.
Gigantamax Corviknight's scarlet eyes moved between Metagross and Darkrai. It hung in the air for a moment — then its body surged with Flying-type energy once more.
The energy expanded outward and formed a massive hurricane vortex, with Gigantamax Corviknight at the center. The winds swept outward in powerful waves. Jacob, seated on Charizard's back, felt Charizard shuddering under the force of it, struggling to hold its position.
The gale tore through the surrounding clouds, clearing the sky in an instant — and the blade birds that had been scattered earlier were swept back up by the currents, regrouping around Gigantamax Corviknight as though they had never left.
Boom!
G-Max Wind Rage.
Gigantamax Corviknight's exclusive Gigantamax move was already formidable on its own — stronger than a regular Max Airstream and capable of erasing field effects like Reflect, Light Screen, Stealth Rock, and terrain. But the blade birds were what made it truly devastating. Swept up inside the storm, they turned G-Max Wind Rage into something far worse than a hurricane alone. Anything caught in it had to endure not just the force of the gale, but the slicing of the blade birds hidden within.
For most Pokémon, it was simply unsurvivable. Even those that could weather the winds would be torn apart by what lay inside them.
"Metagross, take the hit!"
"Darkrai, use Protect!"
Jacob's call came quickly. He directed Metagross — the more physically durable of the two — to stand firm and absorb as much of the attack as it could, especially the blade birds. Darkrai, whose physical defense was comparatively lower, threw up a Protect barrier just in time.
The storm rushed in like something alive, churning and roaring, the dark crimson blade birds spinning within. The hurricane swallowed Metagross whole, then pressed onward toward Darkrai.
The Protect barrier flared to life — but Protect cannot fully stop a Gigantamax move. It reduced the damage, absorbed what it could — and then with a sharp crack, the barrier gave way. That was enough. Darkrai had made it through, and Jacob's plan had held.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal on metal rang out as the blade birds struck Metagross repeatedly, each hit leaving fresh scratches across its body. Even after boosting with Iron Defense, Metagross hadn't escaped G-Max Wind Rage unscathed.
When the winds finally settled, Metagross was covered in wounds — dozens of small cuts packed densely across its frame, raw and stark against its silver surface. It looked brutal. And yet the scars only seemed to sharpen its presence, adding something harder and more dangerous to its appearance.
Metagross didn't flinch. Its scarlet eyes stayed locked on Gigantamax Corviknight, expression blank, gaze utterly cold. The contrast between its battered body and its total composure made it look all the more unsettling.
"Metagross, are you alright?" Jacob looked it over, visibly startled by the state of its wounds.
Metagross lifted one of its thick forelegs in a slow, calm wave. It had been through worse — far worse — and these injuries were nothing compared to what it had endured before.
"Are you sure?" Jacob frowned, watching it with concern. The wounds really were bad. If Metagross hadn't been a Steel type with that level of physical resilience, it might not have been able to continue at all.
Metagross gave a small, steady nod. It was ready to keep going.
"Alright then. Let's finish this." Jacob took a breath and made his decision. No more holding back. He raised the Dream Ball. "Darkrai, return!"
Darkrai was pulled back inside. The moment it was recalled, the Gigantamax Band on Jacob's wrist pulsed with energy — Gigantamax power surging and concentrating into the Dream Ball, rapidly swelling.
"Go — Gigantamax Darkrai!"
A flash of red light burst forth, and Gigantamax Darkrai materialized in the sky. Its enormous form loomed like a living nightmare, dark and towering, its presence pressing down on the air around it.
Without pausing, Jacob pulled out Iron Valiant's Poké Ball.
"Iron Valiant, go! Metagross — catch it!"
Iron Valiant appeared in a flash of red, dropped from the height — and landed squarely on Metagross's back, one hand gripping its bladed weapon. It steadied itself, cast a brief glance down at Metagross, then fixed its gaze on Gigantamax Corviknight.
The image they made together was striking. Metagross hung steady in the air like a broad floating platform, and Iron Valiant stood on its back like a knight ready to charge.
"Metagross, use Agility — close the distance!"
"Iron Valiant, Close Combat!"
"Darkrai, Max Darkness!"