Seeing the visibly distraught Mew, Gardevoir couldn't suppress a quiet laugh behind her hand.
Serves you right, foolish kitten. If only you'd thought to bring a night-capable camera. Now the battery's run out, hasn't it?
Mew probably hadn't even realized yet that, in this ancient Hisui region, finding somewhere to recharge her beloved camera would be impossible.
After an unhurried trek, Elias and his Pokémon finally stopped in a dense wooded area.
According to Cyllene's information, this was the spot where the mysterious Pokémon often appeared.
Yet, upon arriving, Elias didn't immediately sense anything unusual.
The only peculiar thing was how unnaturally quiet the area felt. Even at night, the wilderness should never have been this silent.
"Garde…"
At this moment, Gardevoir gently tapped Elias's shoulder, pointing a delicate finger deeper into the forest.
She had sensed something hidden there.
Elias immediately felt a heightened sense of vigilance.
Gardevoir's perception had always been the most acute among his team—if she'd sensed something, she was rarely mistaken.
"Let's go take a look."
Eyes narrowing slightly, Elias signaled his Pokémon to follow.
Still, he felt no real tension.
With Gardevoir, Zoroark, and the others by his side—and Giratina lurking in the Distortion World, ready to strike if needed—he was confident nothing short of Arceus itself could pose a genuine threat.
With that thought, Elias carefully stepped over dried branches, venturing deeper into the woods.
...
Meanwhile, deeper within the forest...
A tall, graceful Pokémon with a black-and-white body hovered silently among the trees. Its shadowy form seemed to dissolve at the edges into smoke-like wisps, as if it lacked physical substance entirely.
The legendary Pokémon—Darkrai.
Yet…
For a legendary Pokémon known for mastering nightmares, Darkrai was clearly in a terrible mood. Despite attempting restraint, it impulsively lashed out at a nearby tree trunk with its claws.
Crack!
The strike gouged a deep, jagged scar into the wood.
That damned giant…he's absolutely doing this just to torment me!
Darkrai clenched its teeth in frustration, anger welling inside.
Not long ago, while roaming Hisui as usual, Darkrai had wandered into the snowy tundra. A sudden and intense blizzard forced it to seek shelter briefly inside a cave.
The cave was deep—deeper than expected—and Darkrai had ventured far inside before reaching its end.
But waiting at that cave's end was an enormous figure.
In all its years as a legendary Pokémon, Darkrai had never felt pressure quite like that. The mere presence of that giant made its skin crawl.
Instantly realizing something was wrong, Darkrai turned to flee—
—But it was already too late.
The massive figure seemed to have been waiting specifically for Darkrai, already warmed up and ready. Before Darkrai could retreat, several Rock-type attacks had locked onto it, sealing any chance of escape.
Fortunately…
The giant hadn't intended to harm it—he merely wanted Darkrai to do him a "small favor."
At least, that's how simple the task had seemed until Darkrai heard the details.
Darkrai's face darkened further as it pulled out the absurdly precise list of requirements the giant had given it:
1. Must possess Psychic abilities, Aura, and the Power of Viridian.
2. Must be morally upright, experienced in raising Pokémon, and no older than twenty.
3. Must own powerful Pokémon with exceptional potential.
These three seemingly short requirements were what Regigigas had tasked it to fulfill.
According to Regigigas, the candidate could be anyone—male or female—as long as they met the conditions.
On the surface, it seemed straightforward, but just reading it made Darkrai's head throb.
Never mind finding someone who possessed all three extraordinary powers simultaneously—
—The second requirement alone was ridiculous: extensive experience raising Pokémon yet under twenty years old?
Every time Darkrai re-read these criteria, it felt utterly suffocated.
Over the past few days, it had thoroughly inspected all the young talents within the Galaxy Team, yet unsurprisingly, none had met even a single requirement—let alone all three.
Exhausted, Darkrai let out a weary sigh.
If only I'd never entered that damned tundra…then none of this would've happened.
Just as it prepared to leave and reconsider other options—
Rustle, rustle—
The faint rustling of foliage sounded behind it.
Darkrai narrowed its eyes, turning around warily.
Over the past few days, many trainers had attempted to challenge it. Though most had been so weak they'd never even caught sight of its shadow, the constant interruptions had grown tiresome.
Now that it had finished evaluating the Galaxy Team's trainers, it was about time it left anyway.
As Darkrai pondered, a human stepped into its view, several Pokémon accompanying him closely.
Another trainer, is it?
Darkrai nodded silently to itself, choosing not to conceal its presence. Instead, it stood still, coldly locking eyes with Elias, who had just emerged from the bushes.
Seeing the Pokémon clearly, Elias understood immediately.
Darkrai, huh? No wonder the Galaxy Team couldn't handle this. A legendary Pokémon like this—even Akari wouldn't stand a chance.
"You're too late, human," Darkrai's voice echoed arrogantly through the trees.
As one of the strongest Dark-type Pokémon, it didn't feel the need to take the human in front of it seriously.
Hearing this, Elias was momentarily confused.
"And?" Elias tilted his head slightly, genuinely puzzled.
"So, I have no intention of accepting your challenge," Darkrai declared firmly.
"Besides…" It swept its gaze disdainfully over Elias's Pokémon.
"I don't pick on Psychic-types."
"Most of yours appear to be Psychic-type, aren't they?"
After days of bullying by Regigigas, Darkrai's mood was already foul. Now, before leaving, it wanted at least a taste of what it felt like to toy with someone weaker.
But…
At its words, Gardevoir, Latias, and Mew exchanged baffled glances with one another.
This was certainly the first time they'd encountered such an…interesting Pokémon.