Shion crawled through blood and broken soil, tears streaking his dirt-covered cheeks.
"Kiba… please…"
The pain in his arm was forgotten. All he could see was Kiba ,his partner, his best friend lying motionless, blood pooling beneath his body, the fading sunlight casting long shadows across his fur.
"Kiba… wake up…"
The breeze rustled the grass, whispering cruel silence.
Then
A twitch.
Shion froze. Kiba's paw shifted.
"…Kiba?"
He watched, breath caught in his throat, as the Rockruff pushed himself shakily to his feet. His body wobbled, legs trembling beneath him. Blood still clung to his fur.
But his eyes...
Red.
Not wild and feral like the Ursaring's, but deep, glowing crimson,alive with something else. Controlled. Focused. Familiar.
Shion's breath hitched. "No… this happened before…"
His mind flashed back to a sparring match with Ren years ago. He remembered Kiba's eyes glowing then only for a moment before collapsing from exhaustion. They never spoke of it. It never happened again.
Until now.
The Ursaring staggered forward, its claws stained with fresh blood, its breath like thunder in the air. It caught sight of Kiba, standing defiantly between it and Shion.
It roared and charged.
"KIBA, DODGE!!" Shion screamed, voice cracking with fear.
But Kiba didn't move.
He lowered his body, tail stiff, eyes locked on the rampaging beast.
Then
He vanished.
"What?!"
A blur of orange and fang flashed behind the Ursaring.
It stumbled.
A choked roar escaped its throat.
Blood dripped from its right forearm a chunk of flesh gone.
Kiba stood behind it, mouth open in a snarl, fangs soaked in red.
Shion's heart pounded in his ears.
Kiba dropped the torn flesh and raised his head.
Then he howled.
A haunting, primal sound that echoed across the entire field.
Blue light erupted around him.
Shion shielded his eyes. The wind howled with the energy of change.
He knew this light he'd seen it in others. Pokémon transforming. Evolving.
His mind raced. His grandfather once told him about Rockruff's evolutions:
> "At midday, they become majestic and fast. At midnight, fierce and wild."
But now… it was dusk.
The exact moment between.
Shion held his breath, eyes locked on the swirling storm of light.
The shape that emerged had four legs. A familiar silhouette. Midday form?
No...the color was wrong.
The light faded.
Before him stood a wolf-like figure lean and fierce. Four-legged like the Midday Lycanroc, but its fur was a deep orange, with streaks of ash-gray and obsidian markings. Its eyes still held that faint crimson glow, fading slowly.
"Kiba…?" Shion whispered.
No time to marvel.
Ursaring roared again, more wounded than before, but still dangerous.
Kiba shot forward like lightning.
He became a blur.
His body shimmered as he crashed into Ursaring with explosive force, knocking it off balance. Before it could recover, Kiba flipped mid-air, slammed down on the beast's back, and bit hard into its shoulder.
The bear screamed.
It swung wildly, but Kiba leapt off, circled, then darted under its arm to slam his body into its gut again. He moved like a beast possessed fluid, lethal, primal.
Shion could barely track his movements.
Ursaring staggered, wounds oozing, breathing ragged. It swung desperately with its claws, carving into the ground but Kiba dodged with terrifying speed. He bit, slashed, lunged, circled relentless.
Then, with one final howl, Kiba launched into the air and slammed his glowing fangs into Ursaring's neck.
The beast fell.
Hard.
And did not rise.
---
Silence
The sun was gone now, replaced by the orange glow of firelight and the stars slowly appearing above. The field was quiet. The battle was over.
Kiba stood atop the fallen Ursaring, eyes red, breathing heavily.
Then the glow faded.
His legs gave out.
And he collapsed.
"KIBA!" Shion screamed.
He dragged himself across the dirt with his one good arm, pain radiating from every joint, but he didn't stop. Blood still dripped from his wound, but he didn't care.
He reached his partner's side.
"Kiba… hang on… please…"
The newly evolved Lycanroc still unfamiliar in form but familiar in soul lay unconscious, chest rising and falling, breath shallow.
From the edge of the battlefield, voices approached.
"The beast's down!"
"Check the wounded!"
"Bring potions, hurry!"
Shion turned. Villagers flooded the clearing. A dozen people rushed in some to care for the injured, some to restrain the downed Ursaring.
"I-it's still breathing!" someone called. "We can sedate it!"
"Are they… alive?" Shion asked, his voice hoarse.
One of the adults kneeled beside a bloodied man.
"All alive. Badly hurt, but alive."
Shion exhaled shakily, tears spilling from his eyes.
He wanted to check on his father. He really did.
But his legs carried him only one direction.
He slumped beside Kiba, whispering softly. "You stupid mutt… you saved us."
His hand rested gently on Kiba's neck. The fur was damp. Warm.
Footsteps neared.
Miya and his mother arrived faces pale, eyes wide, clothes disheveled. Miya ran to her brother's side, clinging to his arm. Their mother dropped to her knees, pulling them both into a tight hug.
"Kiba… is he…"
Shion shook his head. "He's alive. Just passed out."
Then another presence.
A small, round shadow.
Arceus still a Bidoof stood beside him, expression unreadable.
"…Kid," he said softly.
Shion looked up.
"…What just happened?" he asked.
Arceus was quiet for a moment.
Then he looked toward the stars.