"Brrr! Is this the Ghost World? It feels so…creepy."
"Dad, can I go back inside the Pokeball?"
"Don't worry, princess. We won't stay here for long."
Dante reassured Ninetales. He stared at the ominous entrance in front, feeling both doubtful and relieved.
When he transformed into his Ghost form, a basic connection between him and the Ghost World formed. There, he felt the unmistakable fluctuation of energy that Mystery Dungeons emit.
He checked it out. He traveled to the Ghost World, where he ended up in an inky dark forest, face-to-face with the entrance to a Mystery Dungeon.
Dante had checked the map then, and confirmed that the entrance matched the location marked on the piece of paper.
Now, the only problem left was how to transport Pikachu and the others here. Although he was a Ghost-type Pokemon himself, Dante can only travel to the Ghost World with the use of Phantom Force.
He can't make an entrance for other Pokemon to pass through. From his estimation, only those who have great mastery over Phantom Force can do so. Other than that, Pokemon like the Dusknoir-line who had the innate Ability should also be able to create a passage.
After some thought, Dante took Pikachu and the others back into their Pokeballs. Then, he traveled again to the Ghost World and released them here.
"Let's be cautious. We don't know whether the information they gave about this dungeon is as accurate. We'll follow the standard protocol- check how strong the Pokemon are in the first room and proceed from there."
"Aye aye! Hehe, now that I think about it, it's been quite a while since we've been this cautious over entering a new dungeon."
"What's there to worry about? If there's a problem, just let Big Brother Azumarill punch them!"
Eevee said. Ever since she saw the result of Azumarill's punch, the way she looked at him had more mixture of awe and worship.
"Hey! You can't be so biased, little Eevee! I'll have you know I can do the same, no, even better than him!"
Pikachu crossed his arms in protest.
"Really?"
"Hmph. When we get back, I'll show you a first-hand demonstration."
Amidst their bickering, the team finally entered the dungeon. And with their disappearance, the dark forest returned to silence…almost too silent, in fact.
If Dante had a chance to further explore this place, he would have realized- in a kilometer radius of the dungeon, no Ghost Pokemon or spirits can be seen. It was as if they were actively avoiding this place.
…
As Dante and the others entered the dungeon, they were met with the same inky, dark trees on their left and right- which formed a long and wide passage. Light purple mist lingered in the air, along with the scent of fresh earth.
They proceeded cautiously into the first room. But except for the slight movement of the mist, no traces of Pokemon could be seen.
"Is it just me, or does it feel like someone's watching us?"
Pikachu muttered, his eyes vigilantly looked around the empty space.
"It's not you. It seems this dungeon has some troublesome opponents."
Dante's claws elongated into long dark and dark-like tendrils before he disappeared. His figure reappeared an instant later in the air, and he slashed the empty space in front of him.
"Haun!!"
A triangular, purple Pokemon with three clawed fingers appeared from the void. It smashed into the black soil, leaving a small crater.
"A Haunter…"
Dante murmured as he landed. This was the first Ghost-type Pokemon their team encountered in a dungeon. However, it made sense. Of course there would be Ghost-type Pokemon in Dungeons inside the Ghost World.
This made Dante's tail slightly wag in anticipation. It had been a long time since he posted a commission about Zorua's found in 1-star and above dungeons. And until now, the task still hasn't been completed.
But it seems he finally got a clue. After this dungeon exploration is over, he should go and search the Ghost world for more Mystery Dungeons. Maybe he'll luck out and find one where he can grind his own Exclusive items?
Dante shook his head. It wasn't time to think about this.
"Make some noises. Let's check what other Pokemon are in here."
Hearing his Dad's words, Ursaring thumped his chest and howled. Dante felt a warmth pass through his whole body. This was Ursaring activating his IQ skill, Cheerleader.
Cheerleader is a semi-passive skill which changes the energy subconsciously emitted by the user. After other Pokemon in the team absorb said energy, their attacks are boosted by 10%.
Ursaring's howl echoed across the halls. Soon, the footsteps of other Pokemon sounded from up ahead.
An Umbreon appeared accompanied by a Drifblim. When they saw Dante and the others, they growled. Umbreon's body became covered in Dark-type energy and he charged forward. On the other hand, a large ball of Ghost-type energy began forming in front of Drifblim.
""Let us test their strength.""
Riolu and Mawile stepped forward, their bodies briefly shining red as the Aggressor IQ skill was activated.
Aggressor boosts the user's attacks by 10% at the cost of lowering their defenses by a similar amount. This skill can be permanently toggled, without any energy burdens on the user.
Riolu stopped in front of the charging Umbreon, his fist clenched. When Umbreon was less than a meter, he punched. The black energy around Umbreon dissipated like styrofoam meeting fire, and the dark-type Pokemon collided head-on with Riolu's fist.
He flew through the air like a cannonball right to where he came from, hitting Drifblim who was getting ready to release his attack. The two Pokemon continued soaring back, disappearing at the end of the passage.
"...that was overkill, little brother. We didn't get to check how strong they are."
Mawile complained, a stone held on each of her jaws. She was just getting ready to throw them to the attack Drifblim was preparing, who knew her opponent would suddenly be blown away.
"Ehehe, sorry. I thought the Pokemon here would be stronger, so I used Focus Punch."
Riolu scratched his head in embarrassment. Focus Punch, a 150 base power move, had been his most strongest attack after he gained the No-charger skill.
Dante prepared their team a whole month before entering this dungeon. Therefore, he had been excited and wary at the strength of the opponents they would encounter.
But…they didn't seem all that powerful?
Contrary to Riolu, Dante had a frown on his foxy face.
"It's alright, Mawile. Based on the speed Umbreon displayed, the stats of the Pokemon here should range from 110-120."
When he learned they were going to a 5-star dungeon, Dante had been prepared for the Pokemon inside to have either have stats of 105-110, or 110-120.
Their team still hasn't encountered a 4-star dungeon, and there's no record in Wigglytuff's base about the specific strength of Pokemon in such dungeons. Therefore, Dante can only make inferences based on previous explorations.
Stats of Pokemon in 1-star dungeons ranged from 70-80, 2-star dungeons from 80-90, and 3-star dungeons have 90-100; they all have a difference of 10.
But here comes the problem. The base stat is halved after reaching 100. So, Dante is unsure whether Pokemon in 4-star dungeons have 100-105, or 100-110 stats. And following that, stats of Pokemon in a 5-star dungeon are either 105-110, or 110-120.
Now, he finally got the answer to his question.
'Pokemon of this world probably need to have broken through their racial limit countless times and have full mastery of their stat-boosting moves to have a chance at even exploring dungeons like this.'
Dante mused.
At this time, a Cursola, Nidorino, and Nidorina came from the hallway where Drifblim and Umbreon were sent to. Before they had time to show their hostility, the stone thrown by Mawile returned them to where they came from.
A loud "CRACKKK!" resounded. They smashed into and broke through countless tree branches which formed the dungeon walls.
"Hehe, it looks like a 5-star dungeon is just that!"
Mawile beamed as the two jaws above her head scooped up another stone to be used as projectiles. Ever since she gained Power Pitcher, an IQ Skill that increases her throwing strength by 50%, she had gained a habit of always having something in hand to throw.
"Dad, we seem to have grinded too much. The final boss just seems like another mob."
Ursaring said with a chuckle. Now, they only had to find another Pokemon like himself and he can have another set of Exclusive Items.
"Don't get careless. We're only on the first floor. The information doesn't say how deep this dungeon is. And the deeper we go, the stronger the Pokemon we have to face."
"Oh yeah. I really hope this is a 100-floor dungeon. Do you think this could be one of the Impossible Dungeons Chatot told us about?"
"I doubt it. But we'll see. Since we can easily take on the Pokemon here, there's no need to stay and wait for them here. Ninetales, can you survey the floor?"
"Okay, Dad."
Ninetales closed her eyes. Energy rippled from her body, quietly sweeping the room they were in, then going deeper past the hallways.
"There are 18 rooms in total, 12 items, and…more than a hundred Pokemon."
"Heh, as expected of a 5-star dungeon. It sure is big. Tell me where they are most concentrated. We'll take advantage of the Pokemon here being weak and level the two of you up."
"Ah, okay. At the end of the hallway, we turn left…"
With the Acute Sniffer and Map Surveyor IQ Skills, Ninetales gained an accurate depiction of the whole floor in her mind. With her guidance, their team met countless Pokemon.
In addition to Haunter, Drifblim, Umbreon, Cursola, Nidorino, and Nidorina, they encountered Mismagius, Phantump, Gourgeist, Weezing, Shiftry, Skuntank, and Ursaring.
And when they saw Ursaring, the whole team cheered before knocking him out. Since the bear Pokemon appeared on the first floor, that means he'll likely appear on the higher floors as well, making their grind for his treasure boxes much easier.
The experience they gained from the Pokemon in this dungeon was much more than Dante anticipated.
After just sweeping the first floor, everyone in the team gained one level. Eevee and Ninetales, who had the lowest level, even leveled up twice.
"At this point, maybe we'd reach level 60."
Dante mused, though he knew it was highly unlikely. Just like at Mt. Thunder, when they reached a certain level, the experience needed to level up would increase massively.
Their team climbed to the second floor and swept all the Pokemon and items again. They found Gold Ribbons, Dusk Stones, Leaf Stones, all kinds of Seeds and Berries and other items. Not to mention the treasure chests dropped by the Pokemon they knock out.
They proceeded to do the same on the third, fourth, fifth floor. And on the sixth floor…
"Take this! Quick Slam!"
Eevee leapt forward. Her body shone with white light as she disappeared, arriving in front of an unaware Weezing and hitting it in-between its two, giant heads.
"Weez!"
Weezing cried out. Its body flew a fair distance before it stabilized itself.
"Again!"
Before Weezing could take a closer look at its attacker, a voice sounded right next to its ears. There, Eevee had a huge grin on her face as she stepped on the empty air to stop her momentum- her body shining with white light.
Weezing's only had a moment to widen his eyes before Eevee's body collided with him. This time, the large purple Pokemon was finally unable to withstand it. He crashed on the dark tree branches forming the dungeon walls and fainted.
"Good job, Eevee. You're getting the hang of it."
"Ehehe, thanks Dad. I'll be as strong as everyone in no time!"
Eevee replied as she landed with a graceful backflip. There was a bounce in her steps as she started to search the room for items.
When she saw Brother Riolu and the others taking down the Pokemon at the start so easily, she really thought it was the same as what they said. That the Pokemon here are the same small-fries as other dungeons.
However, it was only when she fought one herself that she realized just how wrong she was. With her lower attack, she couldn't achieve the same one shot kill as the others- not even with the attack boost from Brother Ursaring.
Moreover, her lower speed than the Pokemon here made it harder for her to dodge their counter-attacks. Fortunately, she had her combined moves she used to take out her opponents without suffering any damage.
Although it consumed a lot of energy, that was better than risk getting injured. Also, leveling up will restore her energy, in addition to gaining more stats that made the battles easier.
After 5 floors, she has already grown to the same level of strength as the Pokemon in this dungeon.
"As strong as everyone, huh."
Dante murmured as he shook his head in amusement at Eevee's last statement. If he had to rank which among his current Pokemon has the highest talent for combat, he'd rank her as the first. And it was not just because she had the Multitalent IQ Skill.
The reason he said she had the highest combat talent is due to her uncanny ability to manipulate energy. It allowed her to use her moves more flexibly.
Take for instance, the 'Quick Slam' she just used. It's a move she made by combining the speed from Quick Attack and the power of Body Slam.
Normally, Quick Attack works by releasing a short, powerful burst of energy under one's feet. Because of this, at the moment of hitting the opponent, more than half of the energy is concentrated on the lower body. The remaining energy can only be used to reinforce the head and other parts before impact.
But for Eevee, she can retract the energy gathered at her feet and redistribute it to use Body Slam in the span of less than a second before hitting her target.
Not just Body Slam, she can also combine it with any moves that require only Normal-type energy such as Facade, Double-edge, etc.
And after she gained All-Terrain Hiker, her attacks only got more unpredictable.
All-Terrain Hiker is an IQ skill that gives Eevee the Ability to walk on water and the air as if it was solid ground. This works on the same principle as Dante floating in his Ghost Form, and Water-types being able to float above ground on land.
This skill enables the user to not suffer any hindrance when fighting in the water or in the air. But when on solid ground, this skill has limited uses.
Well, that was the case with most Pokemon. But not Eevee.
Through skillful use of Quick Attack, she can accelerate mid-air then use the same move to abruptly stop her momentum- changing directions and attacking like a ping-pong ball.
"Woah! Everyone, look! There's a unique item here!"
Eevee's voice attracted everyone's attention. She was at the corner of the room, staring at something hidden from their view. When Dante and the others came to take a closer look, they found a sapphire blue ribbon studded with flecks of white dots.
"A ribbon? It's the first time I saw one with this color."
"It looks so pretty~ Like the night sky~"
Ninetales' eyes sparkled as she stared intensely at it.
"What's it for, Dan? Is it a rare, super-powerful, held item?"
"Well, it's definitely rare. But for its usefulness…it depends. This is a Lunar Ribbon, an evolutionary item like the Thunder Stone."
Dante said as he stored the item in the inventory and read its description.
"Really? Can I use it to evolve, Dad?"
Eevee's ears perked up. Could this be the evolutionary item she was waiting for?!
"Yes. It can make you evolve into Umbreon, similar to the ones we saw in here."
"Ah…Umbreon."
Eevee groaned. She preferred to evolve into the much more graceful Espeon. Or the cute Sylveon. Maybe even the cool beauty Glaceon. Umbreon was like, her fifth or sixth choice.
Seeing her reaction, Dante chuckled. However, a brief look of pity did flash across his face. If they had found a Sun Ribbon, it would have been all the better.
If they found a Sun Ribbon, Riolu could have used it to evolve into Lucario.
In the PMD games, evolution which requires high intimacy is replaced with IQ requirements, as well as a corresponding item. For example, to evolve into Espeon, Eevee needs to have 2 stars in IQ as well as the Sun Ribbon.
But in this PMD world, it works both ways. High intimacy can still be used for an Eevee to evolve into Espeon without needing any items. And the Sun Ribbon can also be used to achieve the same results.
"Dad, since we have no use for the ribbon, can I have it instead?"
Ninetales tugged the corner of Dante's fur. He turned to her, only to find she was once again using her secret weapon- the puppy eyes.
"Kuh, you have to ask Eevee for it. After all, she was the first to find it."
Dante resisted the urge to give in to those pitiful eyes. As he said, Eevee was the one to find it. He doesn't want to face the sulking look of his other Pokemon if he just gave it willy-nilly.
"What are you even gonna do with it, sis. You already have no more evolution."
Eevee took the Lunar Ribbon that Dante handed over. She doesn't have to worry about evolving in the PMD world, so she can touch the ribbon with confidence.
"I want to use it as a scarf~ Don't you think it suits my color?"
"Ehh, if you say so."
Eevee threw the Ribbon, which Ninetails gently caught with her tail. With a few flick of her tails, the ribbon was soon wrapped elegantly around her neck.
"Ehehe, sister Mawile. How do I look?"
"Hmm, I think it suits you more if we make it flowy like this…"
Dante watched Mawile and Ninetales start an impromptu fashion dress-up. He shook his head, opening the menu to organize the items they had collected until now.
'Well, we can take a little break.'
—
Meanwhile, at the depths of the dungeon.
"Boss, boss, good news! A group of Pokemon have entered again!"
"Is that so? I thought these stupid Pokemon had somehow grown a brain."
A Cofagrigus nonchalantly continued operating the glowing stone slab in front of him, his four arms moving all over the place. The Yamask who came to report trembled. His head remained lowered the whole time as he tried not to look at the scene inside the room.
"Who is it this time? Is it Grimmsnarl and his ilk again?"
"Uh, no boss. According to Nidoking, it's a group of Pokemon we haven't seen before- a white Zorua, Pikachu, Azumarill, Mega Mawile, Riolu, Eevee, and Ninetales. He also said they are possibly… an Exploration Team."
"An Exploration Team?"
Cofagrigus paused. Then, his body began to shake, and low, deep laughs came out of his mouth.
Yamask laughed awkwardly along, cowering at the eerie aura his boss was letting out. Then, he let out a strangled scream as one of Cofagrigus' hands stretched out and held him in its grasp.
"Yamask. Tell Shiftry. Make sure they don't escape this dungeon. Capture them if they can. If they cannot, just lead them here."
"Y-y-y-yes, sir!"
"Good. Now go."
Cofagrigus inwardly chuckled as he watched Yamask scamper away. Then, he turned his head, staring at the limp and bound Pokemon in the middle of the room.
"Did you hear that? An Exploration Team has entered the dungeon. No wonder your energy level gained a notable increase."
Cofagrigus grinned as he tapped the orange glowing stone slab. If one looked closely, the base of the slab has six glowing lines extending from it, one towards the middle, and the other five at each corner of the room.
"You're known to have an infinite amount of energy. Heh, and yet your infinity is about to run out in just 3,023 years. Fortunately, I am a genius to have thought of this method. Absorb their victories. Don't dry up before the 'Lord' awakens, Victini."
"You shall not pas- oof!"
The Nidoking flew through the air before he even finished his words. His eyes bulged, the force of the hit knocking the air out of his lungs.
Azumarill calmly retracted his fist. He glanced around, making sure no Ghost-types would suddenly take advantage of the brief opening when he attacked.
"Ninetales, that was the last Pokemon you detected on this floor, right?"
"Yes, Brother Azumarill."
"Good."
Azumarill headed to a corner of the room to check for any items. The others also scattered to do the same, before they gathered at the stairway that led to the next floor.
"We should be close to the dungeon's core. Let's take a quick break. "
Dante said as he glanced at the dungeon walls. They were still the same dark tree as the previous floors. However, if one looks closely, the branches have become wider and more overhanginging.
"Too bad. I thought this dungeon would reach at least 50 floors. Turns out it's just 30ish"
Pikachu mumbled as he drank a Max Elixir.
"It's better this way. It's already past midnight. If this dungeon is deeper than expected, we'd be forced to camp out here."
Dante said. They found and entered the dungeon at 12 noon. And they spent 20-30 minutes on each floor. Right now, it was already nearing 1 AM. They were currently on the 28th floor- one of the deepest dungeon floors they've ever been.
"Yawn~ can't we go back to the human world and sleep first, Dad? Continue exploring tomorrow?"
"Sorry, princess. We'll only take a little bit more. See those branches? It means there's only 1 or 2 more floors to go through. I promise we'd use an Escape Orb to quickly go back and rest."
Dante said in a placating manner while staring at the drowsy Ninetales. Not just her, even Eevee was yawning from time to time.
Unlike the other members of the team, the two girls had to constantly use more energy in taking down the Pokemon of this dungeon. Especially in these last few floors. The Pokemon here had grown to have 120 stats each- much more than the two even though they had reached past level 50.
They could return to the human world right now to rest first and continue their exploration tomorrow. But from his previous tests, that would just use up the Exploration Opportunity he had, causing them to be unable to explore another dungeon- not unless they didn't sleep after leaving here.
"Has everyone rested? Come, let's see what's hidden in the deepest part of this dungeon."
"Yosh! I can already smell the treasure at the end!"
"Really? I don't smell anything, brother Pikachu."
"Hoho, that's because you're still a newbie. After exploring the same number of dungeons as I, you'd be able to awaken your Explorer Soul, little Eevee."
"OHH!? Explorer Soul!?"
"Don't believe his lies. Pikachu always says the same thing when exploring a new dungeon."
"Hey! The Explorers Soul is real! It's because you don't believe that you can't feel it, Azumarill."
"Okay. Whatever you say."
The team joked around as they climbed the stairs leading to the 29th floor. The walls were still formed by the same trees, though the branches had become even more entangled.
"This should be the last floor before the final chamber. Ninetales, please."
"Yawn~ On it, Dad."
Ninetales closed her eyes, then opened them with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Um, Dad, I…didn't detect any other Pokemon except us."
"Hmm?"
Dante raised his eyebrows. He looked around the room, at the two hallways on the side, and confirmed that yes, they were still at a normal dungeon floor and not in some boss room or something.
"...let's check the other rooms first. Maybe the Pokemon here are all Ghost types hiding in the void. How about the items? Did you find them?"
"Yes, Dad."
"Good. Let's head there for now."
The team followed Ninetales' direction to collect all the items on this floor. However, until the end, no Pokemon remained to be found.
"Weird. It's like everyone just vanished or something."
Ursaring scratched his head. This was the first time that they encountered this phenomenon.
"...let's head to the stairs. Maybe we'll find our answer on the next floor."
Dante's eyes narrowed. If something abnormal occurred in the dungeon, then the most likely explanation is due to the action of Pokemon themselves.
To clear out a single floor, then this Pokemon must be strong, possibly even a Legendary.
Thinking about this, Dante's body trembled with excitement. It had been quite a while since their team fought a Legendary. To be exact, it was only that one time against Zapdos. He doesn't count Groudon since he was just an Illusion.
Since that period, their team had grown massively in strength. Dante had been itching to fight another Legendary, especially as a test to how their team would fare against Dialga in the future.
Uxie would have been the perfect opponent. Sadly, until now, no trace of the God of Knowledge is yet to be found.
Zapdos is also alright. However, their team had established an agreement to not disturb him. Dante is not someone who would break his promise just because of something like this.
"Get ready, everyone. Especially you five, Ursaring, Mawile, Riolu, Eevee, and Ninetales. Our team might face our strongest opponent yet."
"Huh? Wait, do you mean!?"
"Yes. There's most likely a Legendary up ahead."
—
"Tsk, what's taking them so long."
Cofagrigus held his hands across his chest. His fingers tapped rhythmically at his shoulders as he stared at the entrance of the room.
The Yamask around him cowered, the aura from Cofagrigus making it difficult for them to breathe.
Just as he was about to order one of them to check up on the floor below, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance. Then, a head of white fur showed itself, followed by a yellow rodent and a golden bunny.
Five more Pokemon stepped in after the trio, their heads swiveling as they looked around the room.
Cofagrigus met the eyes of the white-haired Pokemon in the lead. At first, he noticed the fox Pokemon had a wide grin on his face, but it quickly fell after seeing him.
Heh. Cofagrigus smirked. He must have felt fear from the depths of his soul at the aura he was emitting.
This was something he had emulated, to make his aura obtain a similar property to the Pressure Ability of the Legendaries. He calls it: Pseudo-Pressure!
"It's good of you to finally show up. A Hisuian Zorua, Pikachu, Shiny Azumarill, Ursaring, Mega Mawile, Riolu, Ninetales, and Eevee. What a unique group of Explorers you are. I applaud that a ragtag group like you can make it so far."
Cofagrigus stepped forward. Three Yamask stood at each side of him, forming an imposing appearance.
"Now, two choices lie before your team. One, surrender and follow my orders. Or two, defy me and die."
Cofagrigus turned on his aura to the maximum as he said so, bombarding the whole group.
"Dad, is he…a Legendary?"
"No. But he does feel much more powerful than ordinary Pokemon."
Dante took note of the aura emitted by Cofagrigus. From his estimate, it was just a step lower than Zapdos.
But…this didn't really garner any fighting spirit from him. They were in a 5-star dungeon. He had expected at least this level of strength if there was a boss.
"We choose the third option. Pummel you and take your treasures. Pikachu, please."
"Aye aye!"
Cofagrigus froze in confusion. What is going on? He stared closely at the group. Except for the Eevee and Ninetales, the other six seemed to not take him seriously at all. Was his Pseudo-Pressure not working?
Cofagrigus looked to the side. Seeing the cowering Yamask, he confirmed that it was, in fact, working. So, there should only be one reason why it didn't affect them.
"I see. You are the stupid types. Not caring about the danger and just rushi-"
"Blah, blah, blah. Stop yapping. If you wanna fight, let's fight. "
Pikachu stepped forward. His cheeks were sparkling with electricity as he faced Cofagrigus and his henchmen.
"...not just stupid, impatient too. Then, let me show you the folly of your ways."
Cofagrigus' eyebrows twitched. Ghost-type energy gathered around his body and coalesced into four Shadow Balls on each of his hands. The Yamask also started to hover forward, their eyes staring menacingly at Pikachu.
"Although I say it's a fight, it probably won't even amount to that."
Pikachu muttered under his breath. With just the boost from Ursaring's Cheerleader skill and the Light Ball, his current attacks have reached a similar level to when he severely injured Zapdos with an all-out Thunder.
He gazed disinterestedly at the four Shadow Balls Cofagrigus threw towards him and at the 6 Yamask charging forward. Then, he let out a Discharge of electricity.
His attack first encountered the four Shadow Balls. They held on for a millisecond, before bursting like a balloon. The Yamask's were hit next. Just like the other Pokemon in this dungeon, they trembled at being electrocuted before falling to the ground. And the last was Cofagrigus.
He stared wide-eyed at the countless tendrils of lightning that occupied his whole field of vision. Before they hit, he only had time to place his four arms together to shield his body.
"AHHH!!"
Cofagrigus screamed. As the electricity coursed through his body, a single question constantly echoed in his mind.
How can this Pikachu be so powerful?!
The lightning dissipated after a while, leaving the scorched body of Cofagrigus to slump to the ground.
"There, done. Hehe, now…it's treasure hunting time!"
Pikachu turned to Dante and the others with a wide grin on his face, not even looking fazed after releasing an attack of that level. For him now, that was just a casual blow.
"Let's hope this Cofagrigus has some decent stash. Since this is a 5-star dungeon, maybe they even have a Mega Stone or some-"
THUMP!
"HE, HEHE, HEHEHE!"
Dante turned to the source of the sound. There, Cofagrigus had dragged his scorched body to stand up from the ground. He used two of his hands as a crutch, while the other two clutched his aching body.
THUMP! THUMP!
"H-HEHEHE! cough, Fools! I have countless Reviver Seeds stashed within me!"
Cofagrigus laughed maniacally. And not just Reviver Seeds, he had stored countless recovery items within his coffin. He had prepared it in case a Legendary ever came to attack his lair. He didn't expect it would come in handy now.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
"Huh? Is that so? What do you say, Dan? Do we take turns knocking him out until he's out of Reviver Seeds?"
"Heh, it's too late. I have set my masterpieces to awaken! Now, witness despair!!!"
With Cofagrigus' shout, a crashing sound was heard from deep in the forest behind him. Then, a yellow bolt of lightning zoomed in
Pikachu stood in front of the group to absorb the fast electric attack. However, the lightning suddenly stopped behind Cofagrigus.
As it turns out, it was not a bolt of lightning at all. Instead, it was a round, yellow Pokemon with seven pink dots on its face that resembles the letter X.
Just as Dante and the others were surprised at its sudden appearance, a whistling sound was heard from above the skies.
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM
Four heavy objects landed behind Cofagrigus. They caused a large cloud of smoke, shielding Cofagrigus from view.
"If this is your plan to get away, then you've clearly underestimated us."
Pikachu said in amusement. He opened his palms and waved at the air, creating a powerful gust of wind that blew away the smoke.
"Run away? Hohoh- cough cough. It seems you still don't understand what you're up against."
Cofagrigus grinned evilly as he crossed two of his arms in front of his chest. Behind him, five large Pokemon imposingly stood, their red, beady eyes flashing constantly.
"Hey hey. I know I said I want to face another Legendary, but…five at once?"
A drop of cold sweat slid down Dante's forehead. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the group of Pokemon standing behind Cofagrigus.
Regirock, the Rock Titan. Its whole body is made of a patchwork of rough-solid brown and orange stones. Whenever it's damaged in battle, it uses new rocks to repair itself.
Regice, the Ice Titan. Solid Nevermelting Ice is polished and assembled to form this angular and crystalline-blue Pokemon. It cloaks itself in air below -200 Celsius, causing anyone that comes near to be frozen solid.
Registeel, the Steel Titan. A Robotic Pokemon made of metal that is harder than any known material. Despite its hardness, this material can stretch and shrink. After being tempered by underground pressure for tens of thousands of years, its body boasts high resistance against both material and special attacks.
Regidrago, the Dragon Titan. A Pokemon made of crystallized Dragon energy. Its arms look like a Dragon's head, with its main body being a pink sphere. It possesses the most powerful Dragon-type move, as well as the Ability of all non-Legendary Dragon Pokemon.
And lastly, Regieleki, the Electric Titan. Just like the others, Regieleki is a being composed entirely of Electricity. And same as lightning, Regieleki is known to possess a speed that exceeds even the more powerful Legendary Pokemon.
"Ehh! T-they're all…Legendaries?!"
Eevee exclaimed. The other team members also had their eyes widened as they gulped and stared at the five elemental golems.
"Hehehe cough cough. You're quite a knowledgeable Zorua. Indeed! Standing before you- are the Legendary Giants! And leading them is the genius who created and empowered such powerful Pokemon. Myself, of course."
Cofagrigus spread his arms in a T-pose, temporarily ignoring the pain from his scorched and battered body.
"Created them? With your weak strength? Heh, more like you found them and brainwashed them."
"You havequite the glib tongue. Cough cough Let's see if you can keep it after this…lesson. Regis, smash them!"
Dante and his team tensed. With Cofagrigus' order the giant Pokemon behind him charged forward.
"We'll start by testing their strength. Team Travellers, use Plan Au-!"
A beat. Suddenly, Dante felt time slow to a crawl. His fur stood on end and his pupils dilated. At some point, Regieleki had arrived just a few inches from him.
He met the emotionless eyes of the Lightning Golem. Its body turned a bright yellow and electric energy gathered inside its body.
Dante tried his best to slip into the shadows- to dodge the incoming attack. However, he only managed to move a millimeter before his vision was consumed by the overwhelming light.
ZIINGGG
"What?"
Pikachu felt the familiar feeling of lightning being absorbed from behind, as well as the sound of Thunderbolt. He turned around in confusion. Then, his face contorted in shock.
At the place where Dante previously stood, only a scorched mark had remained. It extended all the way to the edge of the forest. Arcs of lightning from the attack still lingered in the air, coalescing and being absorbed by Pikachu.
"Dan!" / "Dad!"
Pikachu and the others turned to the perpetrator with a hostile expression. Azumarill, who was the closest, used Aqua Jet. His whole body became covered in water and he flew headfirst towards Regieleki.
However, Regieleki just glanced at him. Then, it flashed and disappeared, easily dodging the attack. Azumarill stopped and looked around, searching for his target. He just turned to the side, when Regieleki appeared right in front of him. Its body was shining as it once again unleashed a Thunderbolt.
"Don't even think about it!"
Pikachu shouted. He set the Lightning Rod Ability to maximum absorption, causing the beam of lightning Regieleki just released to sharply turn towards him.
Azumarill, who was inches away from Regieleki, didn't miss this opportunity. He clenched his right hand and punched the Electric Golem. His fist traversed the distance between them in less than a millisecond, the winds shifting from the force of his attack.
At the same time, from the side, a hail of rocks whizzed through the air at beyond supersonic speed. It encompassed a wide area around Regieleki, cutting off the Pokemon's escape route from behind, above, and at the sides.
Just as it seemed that Regieleki would take the punch and get peppered by the stones, the Electric Golem flickered and appeared more than 10 meters away, outside the scope of the hail of rocks.
At the same time, Azumarill's punch landed on empty air, whipping up a small tornado that pulled some of the flying rocks. But otherwise, he caused no harm.
"Tsk!"
Mawile clicked her tongue in frustration. Her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at Regieleki. She had timed her throw right when it unleashed an attack- to ensure her stones would hit this bastard who hurt Dan. But how could it still dodge that?!
"BZZT! POKEMON WITH LIGHTNING ROD ABILITY DETECTED. OFFENSIVE SYSTEMS ADJUSTED."
"Offensive systems adjusted…be careful, Pikachu. It may have a program to specifically counter you."
"Got it. Be careful too, the other Legendaries have arrived."
From when Regieleki attacked, to getting forced back by Pikachu, Azumarill, and Mawile, only a few seconds had passed.
"It seems I returned just in time."
"Dan! You're back!"
The whole team sighed in relief when they heard that familiar voice. From the edge of the forest where he was sent to, Dante stepped out. His body was pristine as ever, with no signs of any injuries.
"What?! Cough cough! How are you unscathed after that attack!?"
"Well, I'm just that awesome."
Dante grinned at Cofagrigor. In truth, that blow took away his entire HP in one go. And same as the Coffin Pokemon, he had to use a Reviver Seed. But unlike him, his body had been fully restored to its peak condition right after use.
"Tsk, it doesn't matter. Cough! I'll just pry the truth from your mouth later."
Cofagrigus said with his arms crossed. His demeanour was like a king in ancient times, preparing to watch a gladiator fight against a pack of lions.
"What's the plan, Dan? Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't get interrupted this time."
Pikachu said while standing between Dante and Regieleki. His body flashed pink as he used Agility to double his speed. Although his current speed was still lower than Regieleki, this should give him greater time to react to his attacks.
"Thanks. Based on your previous confrontation, I already have a preliminary understanding of their strength."
Dante glanced at Regieleki. As expected of the Pokemon with the highest base speed in the Pokemon games. In this world where Pokemon battle is not turn-based, it translates to becoming a very horrifying opponent.
In contrast, the other Regis are not that much of a concern. After all, they are designed to be defensively oriented. Regirock has a high Defense, Regice a high Special Defense, Regidrago has a high HP, and Registeel has balanced defenses.
And most importantly, they all have low speed. In Dante's team where most are focused on achieving a high attack, that is no different from them being moving target dummies.
"Listen up, Omnipotent Travelers! In this battle, our first priority is to take down Regieleki. For that, we'll use Plan: Juggernaut!"
"Yeah!!!"
–
Unbeknownst to everyone, at the edge of the battlefield, the blowing winds made a weird behaviour as they passed through a specific area. It was as if, something…unseen, was occupying and moving through that space.
The battle resumed with Regieleki making the first move. One moment it was floating steadily in the air, and the next, it flashed and disappeared from everyone's vision.
"Pikachu!"
"On it!"
Pikachu turned his Lightning Rod Ability to the limit, in case Regieleki used another electric move. At the same time, his eyes darted across the room, following the trace of the Electric Golem.
Even after the boost from Agility, it only allowed him to barely follow Regieleki's movement. From his point of view, it was as if a yellow streak of lightning was flashing all over the battlefield.
"In that case…"
Pikachu murmured as his body became covered in white light. With this, he should be able to match Regieleki- at least in terms of movement speed.
The move he used was Extreme Speed, a move he learned when he reached level 51. It is an upgraded version of Quick Attack, with a higher base power of 80. Not only that, it also allows the user to move at much faster speeds.
"There!"
Pikachu locked on to Regieleki's path and leapt forward. A grin stretched across his lips when he saw said Pokemon stop in surprise.
"Gotcha!"
Pikachu shouted, his head leaned forward in preparation of headbutting it. But after a second…he felt no impact.
"It dodged?!"
He muttered in disbelief. He canceled Extreme Speed and flipped forward, landing on the ground and stopping his momentum. After turning around, he saw Regieleki in the distance, also staring at him.
"BZZT! PRIORITIZING HIGHEST THREAT."
White energy emerged from the Electric Golem. Then, he disappeared- his speed so fast that even Pikachu didn't catch any traces this time.
Pikachu felt a heavy impact on his stomach, and the next thing he knew, his body was gliding across the air.
"This feeling…did I just use a Reviver Seed?"
He flipped and landed on his feet just before he crashed, his tiny feet dragging a long line across the dark soil.
"What was that at the last moment? His speed suddenly increased so much I didn't even see a trace of him attacking. It was almost the same as…when I used…Extreme Speed."
Pikachu's eyes widened in horror. No way! It was already ludicrously fast, but it still knows that move?!
He was about to rush back and warn everyone, when a figure stopped in front of him.
…
On the battlefield, the other Regis have also started to attack.
Regidrago released a massive beam of Dragon Energy. It was so large it encompassed all of the Team Omnipotent Travelers.
"Azumarill, Riolu, take care of all the incoming attacks. Ninetales, start preparing for Aurora Veil. Everyone else, stick together and protect and prevent Regieleki from disrupting us."
""Okay/Understood!""
Dante's command snapped out everyone who was staring intently at the Electric Golem floating in the distance.
The 5 seconds long battle that just happened was still being processed by them.
From their perspective, Regieleki suddenly disappeared, then Pikachu did too. And when they saw them again, Pikachu had landed far from his initial position.
Regieleki also appeared elsewhere, spouting something about the highest threat before he attacked Pikachu- an attack that was so fast even the quickest Pokemon in their team had been unable to dodge it and was sent flying far into the distance.
"Dad, can we even stop it?"
Eevee asked, her voice trembling. This was the first time since she was born that she saw her Dad and the others get defeated. And the opponent did it so easily too. It did not even get injured when faced with the all-out attack of the others.
"Don't overestimate the enemy, little Eevee. Or underestimate the strength of our team."
Dante said. At this time, the beam of energy released by Regidrago finally arrived.
Azumarill stepped up to meet it. He stretched his arms to the side, using Power-up Punch to double his Attack. Then, pink Fairy-type energy coated his fist…and he punched.
SCHWARZ!
Azumarill's fist and Regidrago's attack collided.
Like a candle burning at 100x the speed,the beam began to shrink, starting from the point where Azumarill hit it and straight towards Regidrago.
Under the astonished gaze of Cofagrigus and the other Regis, the beam completely dissipated. But that was not the end. The force from Azumarill's punch continued onwards, hitting the surprised Dragon Golem.
It rolled countless times in the air, only stopping when it crashed against the cold, metal body of Registeel.
"That's…"
Cofagrigus' mouth hung open in disbelief. Especially when he saw Regidrago faltering and having a hard time hovering back in the air, his eyes nearly popped out.
"Impossible! An attack of that level...who are these Pokemon?"
His expression twisted into a scowl. After empowering these Regis for more than 3,000 years, they should have obtained strength stronger than even other Legendaries. But how come they are struggling to take down a group of normal Pokemon?!
On the battlefield, Dante nodded when he saw the result of Azumarill's punch. After Huge Power and the attack boost from Power-up Punch, as well as Ursaring's Cheerleader Skill, his Golden Bunny's attack had reached a whopping 230.
This was the reason he didn't bother to focus on the other Regis. Only Regieleki really posed a threat to them. And speaking of the Electric Golem…
Regieleki stared at Azumarill whose arms were still outstretched, its eyes flashing nonstop. It locked onto him, designating him as the highest threat.
"Head's up! It's about to take action!"
Dante warned. However, even though they were prepared, no one was still able to catch a trace of Regieleki when it disappeared…but they didn't need to.
CRASHH
A loud bang was heard from above their heads. Looking up, Eevee's eyes widened in shock. On a large floating piece of rock, Regieleki's body was half-embedded.
"Now!"
Before she had time to process what happened, her Dad's shout sounded in her ears. Suddenly, large pieces of stone began to appear all around. They flew straight towards the immobile Regieleki, creating a large cloud of smoke as the rocks collided together.
"Tsk, it escaped."
Dante clicked his tongue. He turned towards the distance, where Regielki was once again hovering in stand-by, now with a wary posture.
"W-woah! What was that, Dad?"
Eevee's eyes sparkled. When Regieleki disappeared, she had already braced herself for one of them to get knocked out again.
"That…is called using your brain."
Dante smirked as he flicked Eevee's forehead. Although it's a pity they weren't able to take Regieleki out, the fact the Electric Pokemon got stopped and even suffered damage was more than enough.
The rocks that hit Regieleki is from the move: Stealth Rock. Stealth Rock lets the user create invisible, floating pieces of stones around a target area. The size and hardness of the stones depended upon the Special Attack of the Pokemon who used it, as well as their familiarity with the move.
Among their team, only Mawile had learned this move. And although she was familiar with the process of making stones, she still has a Special Attack of only 119.
For Regieleki to be unable to break it, that meant only one thing. This electrifyingly fast Pokemon has very low defenses. And low defenses mean it's very susceptible to status attacks and debuffs.
"Mawile. Keep placing the rocks all around us. Make it hard for that thing to come near."
Although Regieleki also had long-ranged moves, it doesn't matter. Azumarill and the others can easily disperse those attacks. Speaking of which...
Dante glanced at Azumarill's side. From the moment Regieleki had attacked, this golden bunny of his didn't even bat an eye, trusting them to have his back. In contrast, Riolu only sheepishly turned back to defense after he met Dante's gaze.
However, it wasn't as if he was able to provide much help anyway. Azumarill alone was proving to be more than enough to defend the team from the other Regis.
Regirock hurled large boulders, he punched it back. Regice let out an icy-cold beam of energy, he punched it back. Registeel released Flash Cannons, he punched it back.
No matter what type of attack, just a single punch from Azumarill would be enough to invalidate it. And the force of the punch would send the attackers tumbling backward, making them unable to attack consecutively.
CRACKKKK!
Dante turned towards the sound. Just right in front of them, Regieleki suddenly appeared. Its arms coated with white energy rapidly spun around its body. And all around, the hidden rocks were sucked towards its position and then crushed like a blender.
"Ursaring!"
"On it, Dad!"
Ursaring opened his mouth and roared. The air in front of him vibrated with force, quickly reaching Regieleki's position.
Unfortunately, although this move had already reached the speed of sound, Regieleki was even faster. It zoomed away, easily escaping the range of the attack. Then, it returned from another direction, once again using Rapid Spin to crush the rocks around.
"What should we do, Dan? At this rate, it will only take at least 20 seconds to destroy all the traps I laid."
Mawile asked as she continued to make stealth rocks. Sweat stained her forehead as she continuously pushed her body beyond the limit.
"Sorry, Mawile. Try to hold on as long as you can. Ninetales, how much longer till you're ready?"
"Dad, I'm ready now!"
From above the skies, snow had started to fall. Before this, Ninetales had repeatedly been using Nasty Plot until her Special Attack reached the limit. And now that she's done, they can finally start their counterattack.
"Whew, perfect timing. Pikachu, get up here. It seems your surprise appearance isn't necessary anymore."
"Aww~, and I did my best to hide too."
Below their feet, the earth rumbled and Pikachu's head popped out. He glanced at Dante and snickered, as if privy to some kind of secret. After a moment, he coughed to regain his bearing and saluted.
"Officer Pikachu reporting for duty!"
"Have you finished boosting your special attack?"
"Aye aye, sir!"
Dante didn't say anything else. He just turned to Ninetales and nodded. With his signal, the icy fox closed her eyes.
The snow began to expand and get heavier, almost covering the entire battlefield. And at the same time, an Aurora appeared in the dark night sky, its green-blue color shining upon Dante and his team.
Around their body, a hazy veil similar in appearance to the aurora appeared. Its presence gave off a comforting aura, as if it would protect them from all harm.
"This sight never ceases to amaze me. I'll definitely make mine look as beautiful some day."
Pikachu murmured as he waved his hands. Around Dante and the others' body, white, blocky walls of light appeared. In contrast to the Aurora veil, this layer of protection gave an appearance akin to a minecraft armor.
When he saw this scene, Dante smirked.
"With this, the second phase of the Juggernaut Plan can now commence."