Although Iron Valiant could not fly on its own, Metagross's flat back served as a solid foothold. Combined with the high mobility Metagross had built up after using Agility twice, it created a workable combat platform in the sky.
Metagross's blue body cut through the air at a remarkable pace, closing in fast on the Gigantamax Corviknight.
Iron Valiant crouched slightly, shifting its weight low like a surfer riding a wave, gripping the double-edged blade firmly in both hands to keep its balance.
The Gigantamax Corviknight watched the two small figures approach. It hovered in place for a moment, then Steel-type energy surged across its massive form, coating its wings as it launched a Dual Wingbeat.
Steel Wing!
Its dark-red, giant wings shimmered with a silvery-gray glow as they swept toward Metagross and Iron Valiant, kicking up a fierce rush of wind.
Metagross reacted instantly, twisting sharply in midair and banking away from the strike with Iron Valiant still riding on its back. The two narrowly avoided the blow and continued pressing forward.
"Close Combat!"
Iron Valiant launched into the move without hesitation. Fighting-type energy surged along the double-edged blade, which blazed fiercely as it slashed downward. The blade tip tore clean through Gigantamax Corviknight's wing, and Fighting-type energy poured out like a burst dam.
Blood sprayed into the air like crimson rain, painting the sky red. The sharp blade left a deep, jagged gash across Gigantamax Corviknight's body.
At the same moment, Gigantamax Darkrai's Max Darkness crashed into Gigantamax Corviknight from the other side. Darkrai's Special Attack had been sharply raised by a single use of Nasty Plot, making the blow land with tremendous force. Max Darkness dealt massive damage and, as was the nature of the move, lowered Gigantamax Corviknight's Special Defense in the process.
That meant any special attack it took from this point on would hit even harder.
"Caw!"
Staggered by the back-to-back blows from Iron Valiant and Darkrai, Gigantamax Corviknight let out a piercing, anguished cry. Its crimson eyes blazed with a blood-red light, and Flying-type energy began flooding out of its body in waves.
Visible wind currents whipped into existence almost immediately, spiraling outward in every direction. A storm was taking shape, and within moments it had formed into a massive vortex with Gigantamax Corviknight at its center.
Responding to the call of the vortex, the Steel Blade Birds that orbited Gigantamax Corviknight broke into a rapid spin, circling it tighter and faster, leaving trails of dark-red afterimages across the sky. Their speed continued to climb until the blur of their movement formed what looked like a solid barrier around the Gigantamax Corviknight's body.
From that point on, any attack from Gigantamax Darkrai or any approach from Iron Valiant would first need to break through that wall of spinning steel.
The Blade Birds were unique to Gigantamax Corviknight, a signature part of its Gigantamax form that blended offense and defense into one. Jacob found them to be a genuine problem.
Still, he reminded himself that Gigantamax Corviknight had not learned Body Press, and it wasn't holding any item like Leftovers or an Eject Button. There was no flat surface nearby for it to use Roost, either.
That combination — Body Press, Iron Defense, Roost, and an Eject Button — would have been nightmarish to deal with. Jacob was quietly relieved that wild Pokémon did not show up with optimized movesets and held items.
"Metagross! Can you break through the Blade Bird barrier?" Jacob called out.
Other Pokémon might struggle to push through head-on, but Metagross was different. With its extraordinary computational brain, it could potentially identify weaknesses in the pattern, find a path through with minimal damage — or perhaps no damage at all.
Metagross turned its gaze toward the spinning wall of Steel Blade Birds. Purple light flickered in its eyes as Psychic-type energy began to stir. Its mind shifted into high gear, tracking the trajectory of each individual Blade Bird with precise calculation.
In its perception, the Blade Birds seemed to slow down. It constructed a mental model of their movement, mapping each bird's path with mathematical accuracy. Then it let out a low metallic rumble toward Iron Valiant — a brief, direct message — and surged forward toward Gigantamax Corviknight.
Jacob's brow furrowed for just a moment. But the hesitation passed quickly. He chose to trust Metagross without question.
If Metagross had decided to charge, it had already worked out how.
A Trainer who could not trust their own Pokémon had no business calling themselves one.
"Darkrai, full power — Max Darkness!"
Metagross tore through the air toward Gigantamax Corviknight, showing no sign of slowing as it bore down on the barrier. As it went, it emitted a rapid series of low metallic tones — a quick exchange with Iron Valiant on its back.
Iron Valiant understood. Without a second's pause, it adjusted its grip on the double-edged blade, splitting it into two shorter blades, one in each hand.
Bang!
Following Metagross's precise cues, Iron Valiant swung both blades in tight, deliberate arcs — each swing meeting a Blade Bird exactly where it needed to.
Clang! Clang!
Crisp, metallic impacts rang out one after another as each Blade Bird was knocked aside. Together, Metagross and Iron Valiant cut straight through the barrier and closed in on Gigantamax Corviknight in an instant.
"Close Combat!"
The twin blades danced in a relentless flurry. Fighting-type energy tore through Gigantamax Corviknight's outer plating, carving an X-shaped slash across its body. Blood poured from the wound. Gigantamax Corviknight was heavily hurt.
In the distance, Dark-type energy gathered around Darkrai with surging intensity. This was Darkrai's second use of its Gigantamax power, and each time it called on it, the strength that coursed through its body was intoxicating — raw, fierce, and overwhelming.
The power of Gigantamax was a thrill, but it was also draining fast. It would not last much longer.
"Gah!"
Darkrai let out a deep, resonant roar. Twin torrents of Dark-type energy ripped through the sky — one on the left, one on the right — both aimed squarely at Gigantamax Corviknight, following close behind Metagross's path.
Boom!
Max Darkness slammed into Gigantamax Corviknight. With Darkrai's Special Attack raised by Nasty Plot and Gigantamax Corviknight's Special Defense already lowered, the hit landed with devastating force.
Gigantamax Corviknight had taken too much. It was battered, bloodied, and its energy reserves were nearly gone. Jacob saw the moment clearly.
"Darkrai — Dark Void, keep going, don't stop!"
Giant spheres of black energy launched in rapid succession, each one crashing into Gigantamax Corviknight before it had a chance to recover from the last. Already on the edge of its limits, the massive bird Pokémon had nothing left to resist with. One by one, the Dark Void attacks pulled it under, and Gigantamax Corviknight finally sank into a deep, helpless nightmare.