You Seem a Little Too Extreme

"By the way, are you sure it's okay not to bring Koraidon and Deoxys with you?"

Diantha poured two glasses of chilled Mago Berry juice and set them before Xia Chen and Sylveon. "Legendary Pokémon are known to be incredibly powerful. For Lysandre to still dare make a move under these circumstances, I think he may have some methods we don't know about."

Xia Chen continued operating the controller in his hands as he replied, multitasking, "I'm more worried that sending Koraidon over early would alert them. Only in this situation would Lysandre feel confident enough to make his move."

Diantha's home stood beside Prism Tower in Lumiose City's busiest district. The flashing neon lights clearly illuminated every Flying-type Pokémon passing through the airspace.

Xia Chen knew Team Flare members were surely watching this place right now. He wanted Lysandre to know that he and Koraidon were both at Diantha's home, so Lysandre could boldly proceed with his plan to capture Xerneas.

This not-so-carefully designed trap was undoubtedly a challenge, a game, for an ambitious man like Lysandre.

If Xia Chen won, Team Flare would be completely destroyed from then on. If Lysandre won, he would obtain the most crucial element needed to activate the Ultimate Weapon plan.

It was a game with evenly matched stakes and chips.

Xia Chen's openly displayed strength was formidable, but Lysandre might not be without hidden cards of his own.

Meanwhile.

Twilight Forest, night had fallen.

Under the dim moonlight, several Noivern glided above the forest. A careful observer would have noticed several figures riding on their backs.

They held strange-looking devices as they circled through the sky.

Before long, the displays on the machines lit up green—the sign that the Infinity Energy fluctuations matched.

The man riding the leading Noivern brightened immediately and