"A strange report?"
Lin Feng paused for a moment, his brows knitting together. "Go on, tell me. What kind of strange news?"
"Rotto~ Switching now, Master."
The screen of the Rotom Phone shifted with a flash, its mechanical voice crisp as ever. Soon, Rotom reported, "At eight o'clock this morning, a large number of citizens in Haikou City contacted the League. They claimed that last night, they all experienced nightmares. According to the reports, the nightmares varied in form but were described as extremely terrifying…"
The tone of Rotom's voice dipped, almost as though it sensed the weight of the message.
"This incident has drawn the League's full attention. Champion Gale has already stepped in. It's believed we'll receive an official response soon."
"Nightmares?"
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat.
It wasn't paranoia.
Only recently had his Gardevoir fully mastered the strange nightmare energy inherited from Darkrai. And now, so soon after, a phenomenon of mass nightmares was spreading across Haikou City?
That was no coincidence.
Haikou wasn't far from Wutong Town. In fact, the two were neighboring cities, but Haikou dwarfed Wutong in size. It was a true first-tier metropolis, bustling with tens of thousands of residents.
"Could this be aimed at Gardevoir?" Lin Feng muttered under his breath.
"Which Darkrai could it be?"
The thought spiraled through his mind, followed by another that gave him a small measure of reassurance. "But if Champion Gale himself is involved, then it should be fine. He won't let things spiral out of control."
Lin Feng exhaled slowly. If Darkrai really had come for them, there was no avoiding it. But he had no intention of giving up the power Gardevoir had fought so hard to master. Returning it now would make everything she endured meaningless.
His mind churned with quiet unease as he made his way back to the nursery.
Yet, as soon as he arrived, that unease dissolved in an instant.
Because standing at the entrance, waiting with calm intensity, was none other than the pink-clad figure of
"Mewtwo!?"
Meanwhile, in Haikou City.
The Pokémon Center bustled like never before. Normally, Haikou's status as a tier-one city meant it thrived with business and noise, but today its crowds were restless, fearful.
Reports had poured in overnight. Over ten thousand residents claimed they had been dragged into nightmarish visions. Some dreamed of endless darkness, others of crumbling worlds, still others of being hunted by shadows. No two nightmares were the same, but all ended the same way
At the brink of waking, a shadowed figure appeared. Its body was pitch black, its eyes glowing a dreadful, blood-red hue. And it left them all with a single word.
"Energy."
"Find my energy."
The panic was palpable. People whispered in cafés, gossiped on corners, and rushed to the League outposts in fear. What kind of energy did this monster want to steal? Their life force? Their dreams?
Inside Haikou's League headquarters, the atmosphere was tense.
A tall young man with sharp eyes stood in front of Officer Jenny. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a beige jacket casually slung over it, his presence commanding but not overbearing. His expression, however, was grave.
"Has the source of the nightmare energy been located?" His voice was low but steady, carrying the weight of command.
This man was Gale, Champion of the Eastern League, undefeated for ten consecutive years. His reputation had reached legendary heights, his name spoken with reverence by every aspiring trainer. To many, Gale was not just a champion he was the Champion. The ideal every young trainer sought to surpass.
Officer Jenny adjusted the controls of the glowing display before her, sweat beading on her brow. A progress bar crawled slowly across the screen until finally, it snapped into completion.
She exhaled with relief. "We've pinpointed it."
The map of Haikou lit up, lines of black energy threading through the streets like veins of corruption. At the heart of it pulsed a thick knot of darkness, spreading in waves.
"It's the harbor!" Jenny cried.
But when she turned, Gale was already gone.
High above the city, Gale soared on the back of his Moltres, the great bird's crimson wings cutting through the sky with blazing speed.
His mind raced as he surveyed the coastline. That oppressive aura of nightmare energy could only belong to one species.
Darkrai.
There was no doubt.
But Darkrai were not native to this region. The Eastern League's lands held no trace of them. Which meant this one had traveled from afar, crossing boundaries with a purpose strong enough to shake the world around it.
What did it want?
The question burned in Gale's mind as the harbor loomed closer.
In only minutes, Moltres carried him from the League's central tower to the edge of the city's waterfront. Normally alive with workers, travelers, and the din of commerce, today the harbor lay eerily silent. A few fishing boats rocked gently at the docks, but the air was heavy, oppressive.
Gale narrowed his eyes.
He lacked a partner skilled in aura detection or psychic probing. If Darkrai chose to hide, even he might be forced to call in one of the Psychic-type Elite Four.
As the thought crossed his mind, a chill swept over him. His body tensed, his every instinct screaming.
From the shadows pooled on the waves below, a figure rose. Its form was slender, draped in darkness, its body hovering without effort.
Blue-green eyes glowed like twin flames in the void.
"Darkrai," Gale said, his tone solemn. "So it really is you."
The pressure rolling off the creature was immense. This was no ordinary Darkrai. Its power brushed against Champion-tier no, perhaps beyond.
And then, without hesitation, a voice entered his mind. It was deep, resonant, yet strangely calm.
"Human. I ask you to lend me your aid."
Gale's brow furrowed. "Aid? You've thrown an entire city into chaos, plunging thousands into terror. And you say you want help?"
To his frustration, Darkrai sounded utterly unfazed.
"Yes. The nightmares were necessary. They were nothing more than illusions. Their bodies suffered no harm."
Gale clenched his fist at his side. His instincts screamed at him to strike, to punish this reckless arrogance. In his mind, he had already defeated Darkrai a thousand times over.
But the reality of its strength pressed against him. This was not an opponent to underestimate.
So instead, he met its glowing gaze and said, "Then speak. What is it you want from me?"
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