"First that white Zorua, and now this Pikachu. Something strange is going on with this group of Explorers."
Cofagrigus muttered while staring at the battlefield. He could barely accept the Zorua emerging unscathed after being attacked by Regieleki, but the Pikachu too?
He stared at said yellow rodent. Except for some dirt, presumably from hiding underground, there is no visible injury on his body.
There are only three possibilities he could think of that would explain this.
One, they have access to an upgraded version of Reviver Seed, one that recovers them to full health after getting knocked out.
Two, their defensive stats are as outrageous as their offensive stats.
And three, they possess the same slate as the Lord.
When the third thought flashed across his mind, Cofagrigus' breathing began to get rapid. Before the Lord went into seclusion, he had tasked himself and his other subordinates to look for some kind of Elemental Plate.
The Lord gave them a chance to familiarize themselves with the Dread Plate he currently owned. To facilitate a smoother investigation.
Cofagrigus still remembered the overwhelming amount of energy he felt when he held the small piece of item. It was just a pity he wasn't able to access the energy himself due to type incompatibility.
According to the Lord, that Plate grants Dark-type Pokemon access to inexhaustible energy, as well as a powerful healing factor. And there are 17 other such slates in the world- corresponding to the rest of the elemental types.
Ever since then, in addition to extracting Victini's power, finding a copy of the Elemental Plates had been Cofagrigus' other goal.
But more than 3,000 years passed, and his efforts on that front bore no result. He suspected they may have already been snatched away by the other Legendaries. However, the scene in front made Cofagrigus reconsider this line of thinking.
"Indeed. It would also explain how such normal Pokemon obtained power equal to Legendaries. But the problem remains. If they really possess those slates, then this fight..."
Cofagrigus clicked his tongue in annoyance. He stared at the ongoing battle. So much time had passed, but none of the opponents had yet to fall. Instead, they even gained the opportunity to buff themselves.
"Aurora Veil and…some kind of barrier?"
HIs eyebrows furrowed. Aurora Veil is rather straightforward. It's an Ice-type move that provides protection to the whole team. Pokemon who are under it receive reduced damage from both physical and special attacks, with the duration and potency depending upon the Special Attack of the Pokemon who cast it.
This move is powerful, but it also has stringent requirements. First of all, it can only be used during hail or snow. And secondly, only a few Pokemon are capable of learning it. From what he knew, less than 10 species of Pokemon in the world can use this move.
However, the other strange armor is what he is more concerned about. It's the first time he saw something like it. Was it another defensive armor? Or does it have other effects he must be wary about?
…
"I really hope you can become more proficient with these moves quickly, Pikachu. We look like Japanese AV actors."
Dante said with a chuckle. He glanced at Eevee and the others, and the corner of his lips tilted upwards.
"Hey! I only had less than a month to train for this! It's already great that I can cover the whole body."
Pikachu argued back. The moves he used to give everyone in the team a sort of armor are Reflect and Light Screen. Reflect creates a wall of light that reduces the impact of physical attacks, while Light Screen does the same for special attacks.
Most Pokemon can only create a stationary wall of light after they first learned this move. But with further proficiency, they can allow that wall of light to move. And at mastery, even turn it into something like an armor.
Pikachu himself has only reached the point where he can allow the screens to move along with a target. However, doing it like that only provides protection against attacks from a single direction.
So he brute forced it with his super high special attack. And although the protection the screen provided decreased, it resulted in being able to cover all parts of the body.
As for why Dante was chuckling at this move, because of brute-forcing it, the armors Pikachu made looked like mosaics- similar to the censors used in adult films.
"Dad, what does AV mean?"
"Err, it stands for Animal Videos, little Eevee."
"Hmm…"
Eevee stared suspiciously at Dante's face. Her intuition was telling her that her Dad lied just now.
"Anyways! Although the armor looks a little sloppy, it will do the job. So next, it's time for our counter-attack!"
Dante said with a large smirk on his face. He turned away from Eevee's gaze and looked at the rest of the team.
"Mawile, Ursaring!"
"Heehee, I can finally stop this boring task."
Mawile exhaled a sigh of relief. She threw the last group of Stealth Rock she made into the air. Then, her eyes narrowed at Regieleki hovering in the distance who once again dodged Ursaring's sonic attack.
"Hey, you stupid golem! Do you only know how to run!?"
Mawile shouted, an invisible emotional energy being emitted from her body.
"Yeah! Stupid, yellow-looking…thing. Come and face me like a man!"
The same phenomena happened to Ursaring. Hovering in the distance, Regieleki was calculating the best course of action to break through the rock barriers. Then, it heard Mawile and Ursaring's provocation.
Normally, the robotic Pokemon would have parsed through the words and only retain the useful information which is useful for battle. But this time, it felt something twinge inside itself.
Especially when its multiple eyes scanned the two Pokemon, this feeling increasingly grew. Then, it noticed the Mega Mawile had walked away from the group, right outside the coverage of the Stealth Rocks.
Regieleki didn't waste this opportunity. It blitzed through the air, arriving in front of Mawile in less than a second. Then, before the cream-colored Pokemon could react, it hit her with a full-powered Extreme Speed.
"What was that? Did you just tickle me?"
Mawile said as she took a single step back. At the same time, her jaws swung through the air towards the Regieleki in front, the wind whistling from the force of her attack.
Normally, Regieleki's course of action would be to quickly distance itself after attacking once, minimizing the possibility of an accident happening. But when it saw Mawile's 'slow' attack, along with the feeling of irritation rising within itselfat her words, it decided to swiftly take care of her, right here, right now.
Mawile's attack tore the air before her. Then, she staggered as an attack hit her from behind. She was just about to turn around, when another attack hit her from the side.
Regieleki flashed all around Mawile. From an outsider's perspective, it was as if its body had multiplied several times. With its speed, before the afterimage even disappeared, it had already left multiple copies more.
From nearby, Dante grimaced. He just remembered. This guy kept using Rapid Spin to break the Stealth Rock since earlier.
Rapid Spin, in addition to being able to clear away hazards on the battlefield, also boosts the user's speed by 10%. With how many times Regieleki used it, its speed has most likely been increased by more than 50%.
It was fortunate that Mawile had been the one whose Taunt had worked. If it was Ursaring, even with the Aurora Veil and Reflect, he probably would have suffered a lot from the constant attacks.
On the other hand, Mawile, being a Steel-type, only suffers half the damage from Normal-type moves. In addition, her Mega Evolution also increased her defenses by 20 each. When paired with the armor around her body, Regieleki's attacks just caused her more nuisance than harm.
And now, it's time for her efforts to bore fruit.
Regieleki had just attacked Mawile from the side once again, when its body suddenly stiffened. It fell from the air, its eyes constantly flashing in bewilderment at what was happening.
"Hehe, you may be a Legendary Pokemon, but you're still not as smart as my Dante."
Mawile said and put down the hand covering her head. She grimaced as she stepped forward. Although a single attack from Regieleki didn't cause her much damage, the incalculable number that hit her had accumulated to a certain extent.
Now, as for why Regieleki is lying on the ground? That's because of her only Exclusive Item: the Deceit Mask.
As a Pokemon with no evolution except for Mega, Mawile had the unfortunate luck to only be assigned a single, three-star Exclusive Item. And said item is even only situationally useful.
The Deceit Mask has a probability of sealing the enemies' movement when the user is hit. But with Mawile's high attack, most opponents won't even have a chance to get close before getting knocked out.
Therefore, this was the first time that the item's effect was triggered. Seeing the twitching Regieleki at her feet, Mawile beamed, before her two jaws clamped the Lightning Golem.
"This is revenge for hurting my Dan."
"BZZZT!!!"
"And this is revenge for hitting me."
"BZZzzzt..."
Mawile hummed in satisfaction when she saw Regieleki who turned limp in her jaws. She skipped to Dante's side, a beaming smile plastered all over her face. Even the injuries all over her body didn't hurt anymore.
"Hey! Where's the revenge for him hitting me!?"
Just as she was about to arrive in front of Dante, Pikachu stepped forward and blocked her path. Mawile resisted the urge to knock him away with one of her jaws. Instead, she just threw the unconscious Regieleki to him.
"Here. Go take revenge on your own. You're already such a strong Pokemon and you still want a girl to take revenge for you?"
Mawile harrumphed and left the dumbfounded Pikachu. Then, when she arrived in front of Dante, her expression twisted in pain.
"Owwee! Ouch ouch ouch! It hurts~"
Dante deadpanned at Mawile's obvious fake performance. He had already used an Oran Berry from the Team Menu to heal all her injuries. However, remembering her earlier performance, he decided to humor her.
"Are you alright? You did a great job, taking down Regieleki all by yourself.
"Ehehe, well, I'll feel even better if you kiss me."
"Don't push your luck."
Mawile pouted, then asked for the next best thing.
"Then how about a date? Like the ones you, Sister Shinobu, and Sister Focalors take every weekend? Just the two of us."
"I-"
Dante paused when he saw Mawile's puppy dog eyes. Darn, she must have learned it from Ninetales. As Dante was struggling to answer, his eyes suddenly narrowed and he glanced to the side.
"Fine. I'll take you out on a date. But just once, alright?"
"Yes!!!"
Mawile was still celebrating her victory, when Dante's body before her broke into fragments. It shattered- similarly to how his Illusions disappeared when he dismissed them.
"I knew placing my trust in those mindless beasts was the wrong decision."
At the edge of the dark forest, Cofagrigus grumbled as he swam through the shadows. When Regieleki got taken down, he knew his chances of winning the fight had reached 0%.
It's only a matter of time before those groups of Pokemon take down the remaining Regis. Then, they'd focus their attention on him. So a tactical retreat became the logical choice.
"I left a Substitute to avoid alerting them of my escape. But it's only a matter of time before it's exposed. By then, they'd most likely search the whole forest for me. I have to move fast."
Although this was the case, Cofagrigus still couldn't suppress the burning feeling of rage and indignation welling up inside him. 3,000 years. His 3,000 years of hard work. Gone. Just like that.
He couldn't imagine what the Lord's reaction would be. After all, he had asked for the Regis and Victini in the first place, with a promise to give the Lord powerful soldiers under his command when he returned.
When the Lord finds out that the Golem he lent had been defeated and possibly destroyed, what would the his reaction be? Would he split him into a million pieces? Trap him in a never-ending nightmare? Or condemn his soul to eternal damnation?
Cofagrigus shuddered. If it weren't for his discovery about the possible location of the Elemental Plates, he would have already started to plan his journey to another continent.
His mind returned to focus as he arrived at his base. Its entrance was a hidden staircase, connected to an isolated room of the Mystery Dungeon below. However, because of his hasty call for the Regis, the soil above had now been blasted open.
"I really shouldn't have delayed building the launch gates."
Cofagrigus muttered and floated down the large hole. He glanced around the cubic room, sighing in relief when he saw the unconscious figure of Victini still there.
RUMBLEEE
The ground beneath him suddenly shook. Cofagrigus looked back at where he came from, cursing inwardly at the monstrous strength of those Pokemon. Even the aftermath of their fight reached here.
Without wasting any more time, Cofagrigus rushed in front of the orange stone tablet. His four arms moved with haste but precision.
Soon, a rumbling sound once again came- but not from the outside this time. Instead, the smooth, gray wall on the right side of the base slid down, revealing a dark hallway that stretched further than the eye could glimpse.
At the same time, the four crimson chains that connected Victini to the wall detached themselves and shrunk. Then, it became something akin to a leash.
This moment, the orange and cream-colored Legendary Pokemon awoke from his slumber. However, his body remained limp on the cold stone floor. He could only open his eyelids, which revealed the confused pupils underneath.
Cofagrigus had expected this outcome. When he called for the Regis, the absorption mechanism that connected Victini to the Golems had been turned to the max, transferring all the immediate energy inside the Victory Pokemon to the five of them.
"Rejoice. After so long, you'll finally be free from this prison. But for your next destination…heh, I don't know whether you'll consider it an upgrade."
Cofagrigus sinisterly laughed as he held the chains that tied Victini. He went towards the recently opened hallway, dragging the small Legendary Pokemon across the floor.
"Please…help…me…"
"Me? Help you? Have you finally gone crazy?"
"I wanted to see what other secrets you've hidden here, but I guess our team will just explore it on our own later."
The third voice in the room made Cofagrigus stop in place. The chains binding Victini began to rattle as the hand that was holding them trembled.
"H-h-h-how come you're here?!"
"I was always here."
From beside Victini, the air shimmered. Then, a white Zorua with an expressionless face appeared. The air beneath him similarly shattered like glass as he dismissed the invisible platform he had made.
"Don't worry. You're safe now."
Dante turned and gave a reassuring smile to Victini. Victini gave a crooked smile back.
"Chance!"
Cofagrigus seized this opportunity when Dante was distracted and took out a handful of Blast Seeds from his shadow space. But before he could do anything with it, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head.
"Who says that was my real body?"
Another Dante appeared from behind Cofagrigus. He retracted his front paw, whose claws had turned sharp and shadowy.
Cofagrigus' mind remained full of unanswered questions as he was knocked out from this critical attack.
Then…he awakened thanks to the Reviver Seed.
Though before he could do anything, a soft but firm paw stepped on his body and pinned him in place.
"Too bad you've shown us earlier about how you can revive, huh? Otherwise, this would have been a great opportunity for a counter-attack."
The complacent voice from behind made Cofagrigus grit his teeth. Memories of a time he wished to forget began to resurface in his mind.
"...how did you find me? Did you notice the substitute I left?"
Cofagrigus took a deep breath to calm himself. Now was not the time to panic. In fact, this was a great opportunity. From what he observed earlier, this Pokemon behind him was the Leader of the whole group outside. If he can convince him to his side with words, maybe this whole situation could turn around to his benefit.
"Oh, that? Yeah. I clearly saw you casting and leaving it there."
"Impossible! I made sure to use it when all of you were looking away!"
"Didn't I say it earlier? I was always here."
"What do you…?"
Cofagrigus turned his head and gave a questioning look to the Zorua behind him. He saw the white fox smirk, before his body blurred and another Zorua appeared.
Suddenly, everything dawned on Cofagrigus.
"So that's it. When did you- ah. Was it after you were attacked by Regieleki?"
"You're quite sharp. But then again, I guess that's to be expected from someone who could do something like this."
Dante glanced around this scifi-like room. When he saw Cofagrigus operate the computer-like, orange stone, he was struck speechless. How come this fantasy world began to turn into scifi?!
At the same time, he started to understand the reason how such a weak Pokemon was able to control and command the five Regis.
"And after making an illusion of yourself, you stood hidden and watched the battle from the sidelines. From what you said earlier, I'm guessing you were right beside me."
"For someone about to get arrested, you sure are awfully calm."
"Would resistance be of any use? Your team members defeated five Legendary Pokemon with ease. As their Leader, I doubt I would be able to resist someone as powerful as you."
Cofagrigus internally smirked when the pressure behind him loosened. Flattery really can get you anywhere. This Zorua may be strong, but like all Pokemon, he is just as equally stupid and gullible. Deceiving him to join his side is proving to be more and more viable.
"By the way…what do you mean earlier about me getting arrested?"
Was that the term used nowadays for enslavement? Cofagrigus thought. From what he recalled, Explorers are these groups of Pokemon who dive inside Mystery Dungeons in search of treasures. Have they expanded their scope of activity to include capturing other Pokemon?
"Just as it sounds like. Before this, I'd probably just knock you out a couple of times and take some of the treasures you've hidden. But after seeing this? Nah, you're going to jail."
Dante glanced at Victini and the other copy of himself. He had created a soft cushion which he propped the Legendary Pokemon in. He also fed him Oran Berries and Max Elixirs, but it seemed that wasn't enough to let his body recover.
"Jail?"
Cofagrigus asked incredulously. After seeing what he could do, they would simply throw him to jail?
"Why do you sound so relieved? What else do you think we're gonna do?"
Dante huffed in amusement. He suspected this Pokemon had a case of paranoia.
"This…jail. What am I expected to do inside?"
"Same as every wanted Pokemon. Depending on the severity of your crime, you'd be forced to stay for a certain period of time."
Cofagrigus had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Just that? This Zorua is so stupidly naive. Now, he even lost the motivation to convince him to his side. He can just quietly stay in prison- waiting for the moment when the Lord returns, maybe even break out if he finds an opportunity.
"Oh, and yeah. Someone there will read your memories. You'd be forced to admit all the crimes you've committed. Hehe, I heard you say earlier that you lived a long life. For your sake, I'm hoping the stupid things you've done are not as many,"
The relief Cofagrigus just felt instantly vanished. The gloating in Zorua's voice didn't even irritate him. Instead, only the words about reading his mind constantly echoed.
In his long years of life, to stave off boredom, he'd done countless experiments. For him, these were done to further pursue knowledge. But he knew that was not how most Pokemon will view it.
And that's not even what he was most worried about. As one of the Lord's close confidants, he was privy to a lot of their organization's plans. If the Pokemon authorities knew about it, their thousands of years of preparation could experience unknown setbacks.
And when the Lord learns he was the cause behind it…
Cofagrigus shuddered. No! He wouldn't allow himself to get taken to jail!
"Hmm? The shaking has stopped. It seems Pikachu and the others have finally taken out all the Regis."
Dante muttered as he gazed at the direction of the battlefield. Without Regieleki, his offensive focused team would have no problem taking down the defensively built Regis.
"...Hey, you said you would take me to jail because I imprisoned this Pokemon, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"What if I tell you…I'm doing it for everyone's good?"
Cofagrigus said in a deep voice. He had decided. Although this would let slip some information about their group, it's better than having it all revealed.
"...Alright. Go on."
Dante's interest was piqued. To be honest, he only knew Victini from the anime and games. He was always portrayed as this innocent Legendary who is always on the protagonist's side. Combined with him being chained and dragged across the floor, Dante automatically assumed Victini was the victim.
But maybe he was being biased? Cofagrigus giving off the mad scientist vibes certainly didn't help.
"Have you heard of the catastrophe that happened 3,000 years ago?"
"Yeah, I heard a bit. Something about giant Pokemon rampaging across the land. Does he have anything to do with it?"
"Anything to do with it? He's one of the main culprits!"
Cofagrigus shouted in 'indignation'. When he saw the look of doubt on Zorua's face, he continued.
"At that time, a Legendary Pokemon named Eternatus emerged from nowhere. It had the ability to make other Pokemon gigantic at the cost of their sanity, causing countless casualties across the land."
"And Eternatus was only able to do so because of Victini- who provided it with unlimited energy!"
"Is that so…"
Dante muttered. Eternatus is the Pokemon that served as the main Pokemon villain in the Generation 8 Pokemon Game: Sword and Shield.
He hadn't played the game himself, not having the console for it. But as a Pokemon fan, Dante still read the basic gist of the story. And he knew Eternatus was indeed the reason why Pokemon in that region could Dynamax.
But he still didn't completely trust Cofagrigus' story. After all, there was one major loophole in it.
"How did you know this? With your strength, I doubt you could have witnessed it first hand."
"Hehehe, that's where you're wrong. 3,000 years ago, under the lead of our Lord, we took down Eternatus! We were the heroes who ended that catastrophe!"
"No!...it-it was…Zacian…and Zamazenta! Y-you…are thieves! Scavengers!"
A weak voice from the side attracted the two's attention. Propped against the cushion, Victini had an indignant look as he stared almost balefully at Cofagrigus.
Cofagrigus inwardly gritted his teeth. Damn it! These Explorers' victory against the Regis must have made Victini recover a large amount of energy.
"Thieves? Scavengers? Is that what a traitor like you can say? Because of you, countless Pokemon died!"
Victini flinched. His momentum weakened, and the energy he built up seemed to vanish. He opened his mouth to rebut, but no words were able to come out.
"See! He's speechless because I'm telling the truth! We imprisoned him here because of his crimes! If you really let him out, then he would find Eternatus again and another catastrophe will happen!"
"No! I wouldn't…do that!"
Dante silently watched the interaction between the two. His paws tapped rhythmically against Cofagrigus' back, pondering over everything he just heard.
"Victini, did you willingly help Eternatus?"
"I…didn't! I…had a long…dream. When I…woke up…I was inside…Eternatus."
Victini gasped for breath. Even with the sudden influx of energy, it wasn't remotely enough to restore his body that had been tortured for 3,000 years.
"Hehe, who are you trying to fool? You must have agreed to provide Eternatus with energy; to harvest the victory from the resulting war!"
"Calm down. Only I get to ask the question. Cofagrigus, what did Victini mean when he called you thieves and scavengers?"
"I don't know. He must be trying to discredit me so you would let him go."
Dante hummed and thought it made sense. But from this perspective, Cofagrigus also hopes Victini is the bad guy so he wouldn't get arrested.
He needs to change his line of questioning.
"You said your group defeated Eternatus? A Legendary Pokemon? Someone powerful enough to cause a worldwide catastrophe? Hmm, I find that hard to believe."
"Why? If your team can defeat five Legendaries, then why can't we defeat a single one?"
Cofagrigus turned and gave Dante a challenging stare.
"Well, the Regis aren't that powerful. Compared with your description of Eternatus, they don't hold a candle. And you defeated someone like that? Ah, is that what Victini meant by thieves and scavengers? You let other Pokemon fight it first. And when it's weak, your group swoops in like a starved Mandibuzz, claiming that your group defeated it after."
"You're wrong! Lord Darkrai is the most powerful! He could take on Eternatus by himself!"
"Is that so?"
Cofagrigus paused. Damn it! He got too agitated and slipped out more information than necessary!
On his back, Dante had a look of shock. He wasn't surprised their 'Lord' was a Legendary. No, for a group who have the 5 Regis and even imprisoned Victini, that much was expected.
But what he didn't expect was that this group would be led by the final boss of the PMD world.
Darkrai.
Admittedly, Dante doesn't know much about him. After all, he stopped playing the game around the Shaymin Village Arc when he maximized the stats of all his Pokemon.
He only knew what the community talked about Darkrai. Things such as: the most boring villain of PMD. The one responsible for turning the player into a Pokemon and deleting their memories. Goading the player to kill themselves.
Darkrai encapsulates the role of a villain to a tee. Dante recalled that even his goal had been world-destruction or something.
And now, Cofagrigus admitted to following such a Pokemon as his Lord.
"...yeah, you should definitely go to jail. In fact, I'd deliver you there myself."
"What?!"
"Took you guys long enough."
"Che, that's easy for you to say. You left us to fight the other four Golems!"
Dante chuckled at the aggrieved expression on Pikachu's face. He dispersed the large illusion of an arrow he made to guide them here, then tapped his paws at the unconscious figure of Cofagrigus underneath.
"Well, one of us had to track this guy down. If I hadn't done so, he would have run away with the treasures."
And it was quite a taxing job, too. He had to repeatedly knock Cofagrigus out amidst his constant protests, until all the Reviver Seeds stored in his body were depleted.
"Oh. Hehehe, great job!"
Pikachu gave Dante a thumbs-up. He glanced around the room, taking note of the strange Pokemon with chains sleeping on the couch. Then, he zoomed in on the conspicuous dark hallway.
"So~ have you checked for treasures already?"
"Nah, I was waiting for you. I can't risk this guy escaping while I'm distracted."
"Let me handle him!"
As soon as Dante finished speaking, Mawile swooped in from the side. She picked up Cofagrigus with one of her jaws, opposite to Regieleki's.
"Why are you so cautious? Did he do something?"
Pikachu poked Cofagrigus' unconscious face. Normally, after they knock out the dungeon Pokemon, they would just leave them there. Regieleki is an exception due to how hard it is to take down once it breaks free.
"Kinda. I'll explain it on the way back. For now, let's search this place so we can finally rest."
Dante said while glancing at the yawning Ninetales and Eevee. They were already sleepy before. And after such a grueling battle, the two looked as if they'd lie on the ground and sleep at any moment now.
"Yosh! It's treasure hunt time!"
Hearing Dante's words, Pikachu rushed towards the open hallway. And with Dante's nod, Riolu and the others followed suit. In the end, only Dante, Mawile, and the sleeping Victini were left in the room.
"What's the matter, Dan? Aren't we going to follow them?"
Mawile tilted her head in confusion, Regieleki and Cofagrigus moving along with her.
"They are more than enough to search there. And with Pikachu, I doubt any hidden rooms will escape his vision. For us, we can search Cofagrigus."
"Him?"
Dante nodded. When he followed the coffin Pokemon earlier, he clearly saw him taking out dozens of Blast Seeds from his shadows. This can only mean one thing- he had access to a shadow space.
The Shadow Space is a kind of storage area that Pokemon with great mastery over the shadows can use. At least, that's what he heard from other Explorers. Dante himself isn't sure how it works, with him not being able to do the same.
However, even though he can't access the shadow space, he can enter the shadows.
"Mawile, please keep watch. If he wakes up, quickly knock him out."
"I understand!"
Mawile nodded solemnly and stared intensely at Cofagrigus, watching his every action.
Dante took a deep breath, then…his body sunk into his own shadow. Just like every time, he felt his consciousness expand and merge into a larger whole.
He sensed the shadows of Mawile, Regieleki, Cofagrigus, Victini, the walls, and even the trees outside the base. He could merge his consciousness into a single spot among them, to achieve a quick travel. But that was not what he needed to do now.
He concentrated on Cofagrigus' shadow. His was the same as Mawile and all the other Pokemon Dante had sensed, except for a single spot in the middle of his shadow which was inky-dark.
Right then, Dante knew he found his target. But at this time, he felt another consciousness trying to share the same spot as him. It tried pushing him out, but it disappeared shortly after.
"Sorry, Dan. Did he disturb you?"
Dante heard Mawile's apologetic voice as he emerged from Cofagrigus' shadow.
"No, you did a great job- knocking him out so swiftly. I'm just thinking how to access that space."
Although he determined what was likely the shadow space, when he tried to enter, it was as if he hit a brick wall. Cofagrigus appeared to have condensed the shadows and made it solid.
Unless he can manipulate the shadows and unravel it, then the only way he can think of to access that space is by destroying it altogether.
"I can't learn something like this so quickly. Then the second path it is."
Dante muttered. He closed his eyes, and his body shimmered with Dark-type energy as he used Nasty Plot to increase his Special Attack. After a while, he reached the maximum boost.
Under Mawile's encouragement, he dived into the shadows to try once again. This time, the range his consciousness can reach expanded to more than twice of before. He can even feel the potholes from the battlefield with the Regis.
Dante shook his head. He poked the solid shadow in the middle of Cofagrigus. This time, it felt more like biscuit flakes than a brick wall.
With one solid push, the dark barrier broke. Then, it started to expand, its color getting lighter and lighter.
On the outside world, Cofagrigus woke up with a scream. An excruciating pain attacked his whole body. Fortunately for him, Mawile knocked him out before he could experience it for a second longer.
Just as the Mega Pokemon was worried whether Cofagrigus had disturbed Dante once again, she felt something off.
From beneath her, a Blast Seed shot up from the ground. She sidestepped to dodge, when another item, this time a Cheri Berry, emerged from behind her.
All around the room, all kinds of items started to appear. If one looked closely, the point where these items appeared are from the shadows cast by the environment.
This was the scene Dante lay witness to when he emerged.
"Huh, so this is what happens if a shadow space is destroyed."
Dante muttered while glancing at the continuously spilling treasures. The phenomena lasted for a minute before it petered out. At this point, the items had piled up to increase the floor of the room by more than half a meter.
"I'm so glad the Item Menu has an auto-sort function. Manually organizing these would be so tedious."
Dante said in relief. He conjured a platform under the items. Then, he lifted them into the air to funnel towards the Treasure Bag.
He did it six times before all the items in the room were finally placed inside the storage.
"You know, with so many items here, I'm starting to wonder whether he even had a treasure room in the first place."
Dante said playfully to Mawile. He can just imagine the look on Pikachu's face when he returned without finding any loot.
Sure enough, just as he was sorting out the items while chatting casually with Mawile, their other team members returned with a despondent expression.
"Bad news, Dan. This hallway only leads to a room near the entrance of the Mystery Dungeon. We groped the walls on our way back, but there were no hidden doors."
Pikachu's ears flopped against his head. His face scrunched in frustration as he glanced around the room.
"There should be a secret door here. Maybe can destroy the walls to check for them-"
"Hahaha, calm down. Mawile and I already found where the treasures are."
"Really!?"
Light returned in Pikachu's eyes. He stared eagerly at Dante, waiting for his explanation.
"Yup. And I've just finished sorting them out. Except for the berries, evolution stones, and other miscellaneous items, these are the most important."
Dante took out a pile of items in front of him. At this time, his face had a massive grin. As someone who lived for three thousand years and is connected to the final boss, he expected to gain a lot from Cofagrigus. And he wasn't disappointed.
Among the items that were in the shadow space, Dante obtained another Key Stone. And not only that, there were also the Mega Stones of Venusaur, Charizard, Slowbro, Scizor, Manectric, and Abomasnow.
Just this had him laughing out loud.
Then there were the Legendary remnants like the ones from Zapdos' treasure room. When he absorbed the Spectral Mist, which was part of Marshadow, his Ghost moves gained a 10% increase in power. In addition, he was also able to control Ghost-type energy more proficiently.
Azumarill, who absorbed the Primordial Seawater, obtained the same benefit just in regards to the Water-type. And now, they had all types of Legendary remnants. With this, everyone in the team could absorb one.
Dante even planned to see what would happen if they absorbed two or more. Is it possible for their moves to gain a 100% increase in power?
And then there were these two items:
Intrepid Sword: The sword wielded by the Legendary Pokemon, Zacian. When held by a Fairy-type Pokemon, it boosts their Attack by 10% every time they strike their opponent. (Maximum of 200%) At the same time, they have a chance to comprehend the move: Behemoth Blade.
Note: There are additional effects when held by the following Pokemon: Zacian
Dauntless Shield: The shield wielded by the Legendary Pokemon, Zamazenta. When held by a Fighting-type Pokemon, it boosts their Defense by 10% every time they block an attack. (Maximum of 200%) At the same time, they have a chance to comprehend the move: Behemoth Bash.
Note: There are additional effects when held by the following Pokemon: Zamazenta
A held item that increases the Attack or Defense just by fighting. And they can boost the initial stat by up to three times! Not to mention the possibility of being able to learn these powerful-sounding moves.
Dante already planned to give the shield to Riolu, the only Fighting-type Pokemon in their team. And for the sword...
He glanced at Mawile, Azumarill, and Ninetales, the three Fairy-types in his team. Mawile already has her Mega Stone, while Ninetales acts more of a support and a special attacker. So it seems his Golden Bunny will change his class from a brawler to a swordsman.
Thinking of this, Dante chuckled. Next time, Azumarill can cleave the clouds in two instead of punching a hole in them.
Shaking his head, he turned to the last, but arguably most important item he got from Cofagrigus. He smiled wickedly as he held up a remote control. Oh, this would change everything.
In the middle of a lush jungle, it was pitch black all around. The moon had set from the sky, signifying the end of its shift. The nocturnal Pokemon had also gone to sleep.
In this serene atmosphere, a white fox holding a coffin-like Pokemon suddenly emerged from the void. He inhaled a breath of the fresh air, before taking out a set of Pokeballs from somewhere.
With a flash of red light, a Pikachu, Azumarill, Ursaring, Mawile, Riolu, Eevee, Ninetales, and a Victini emerged from these Pokeballs.
"Sorry, Victini. Are you alright?"
"I-it's fine! I was just…unaccustomed, is all."
Dante stared at the forced smile on Victini's face and decided not to say anything about it. Because of being imprisoned for such a long time, the Legendary Pokemon was very averse to being confined.
However, they had no choice. If they wanted to return to the real world, the only way Dante could transport them is through the Pokeballs. Cofagrigus was just an exception due to him also being a Ghost-type.
Fortunately, Victini still hasn't recovered much of his energy. Otherwise, an ordinary Pokeball would have a hard time containing him just from his subconscious resistance.
"Now that we returned to the real world, do you have any plans going forward?"
"..."
Victini didn't reply. He looked around the dark jungle. Feeling the wind brushing against his skin, as well as the feeling of soft soil at his feet, tears began to well from the corner of his eyes.
"Eh! What's wrong?"
"It's just…I never thought I'd be able to see this again."
Victini wiped his face. Then, he beamed at the Team Omnipotent Travelers. Although his eyes were still red from crying, it didn't detract him from conveying just how glad he was.
"Thank you, everyone. For saving me. I-I thought, I was about to spend the rest of my life imprisoned there until I die."
Dante scratched his head with his tail. Behind him, he could hear sounds of sniffling from his other team members.
"You're welcome. As an Exploration Team, it's our responsibility to help Pokemon in need. Except for the bad guys, of course."
He chuckled while glancing at Cofagrigus, who was once again held by Mawile.
"Exploration Team…"
Victini muttered. He stared at Dante for a while, before moving to the faces of Azumarill, Pikachu, and the other team members. Then he lowered his head, as if to think about something.
"Dante, everyone…can I stay in your team for a while more? Just after I fully recover!"
Victini hurriedly added the last sentence.
Before Dante could speak up, Pikachu beat him to it.
"Of course! You can stay with us for as long as you want!"
"I have no problems with that."
"Big Brother Victini!"
The others followed suit. On the way back, Dante had shared his conversation with Cofagrigus. This included how he imprisoned Victini and drained him of energy for more than 3,000 years.
Everyone had been outraged at hearing this. Whenever Cofagrigus woke up, they would rush for the opportunity to knock him out themselves.
"I also agree. You can stay with us even after you've fully recovered. In fact, if you want to join our team, we welcome you with open arms."
"Really? But…I'm not good at fighting. I'll only drag you guys down."
"Hahaha, don't worry. There's already more than enough fighters in our teams. You can be like Ninetales. Her role in the team is primarily a support."
Hearing her name, Ninetales turned to Victini with a reassuring smile. However, her sleepiness struck at this moment and she uncontrollably let out a yawn. Dante chuckled at this then turned to the still unsure Victini.
"You don't have to rush making a decision. We have plenty of time. You can join in some of our exploration and see whether you like it or not."
"Hmm!"
Victini nodded gratefully to Dante. Then, as if infected by Ninetales' earlier action, he also yawned.
"Hehe, it seems everyone is already tired. Come on. Let's head back to the base."
"Yawn~ Dad. Can we ride back on a soft bed?"
At this moment, Eevee suddenly suggested. Dante chuckled and with a thought, a 10 square meter soft and fluffy bed appeared under everyone's feet. It slowly floated above the treetops, carrying everyone along.
Eevee cheered, before she buried her head under the blankets that came along with the bed.
"Ohh~ I love you so much, Dad!"
Ninetales similarly followed suit. However, unlike Eevee, she nuzzled Dante's cheeks before lying down right beside her sister.
"You can rest too, Victini. I doubt that earlier sleep was enough."
"...thank you, Dante. Everyone."
Victini slightly bowed his head to the group, his eyes once again starting to fog up. However, he didn't cry this time. He just lay down with his back to the bed, staring at the dark sky.
At this moment, he seemed to notice something. Over the horizon, the first rays of the sun shone upon their group.
—
"Now, picking up from our last topic. I tasked you to research how to make use of Weezing and its Galarian variant's Ability, Neutralizing Gas. Does anyone want to share their answer to the class? Yes, Miss Shinobu."
"Sir! Neutralizing Gas is best used when paired with a Pokemon like Slaking to deactivate its Truant Ability, or Archeops and its Defeatist Ability."
"Very good! Does anyone else have more answers?"
In the first year Trainer's classroom, a class was being held. All the students were focused on listening to the Professor's lecture…or so it seemed.
"Hngh!"
"Is there a problem, Miss Focalors?"
"Ah, sorry for the disturbance, Professor. An ant just bit me."
"Is that so? Well, moving on then. Neutralizing Gas is not just…"
Seeing that the professor had turned his back, Focalors glanced sideways at her boyfriend who was staring intently in front. However, feeling the familiar touch on her thighs, she knew this was just an illusion.
Focalors didn't say anything. She kept a stoic expression as the hand groped her thighs in a sensual manner. However, as it moved upwards, her breathing started to get more and more erratic.
The only reason she hadn't stopped him is because she knew Dante also projected an illusion over her; to make it seem as if everything was normal.
Now, the only problem was her voice.
"Hn~"
Focalors bit her lip. She bit it so hard she wouldn't be surprised if it bled. From beside her ear, she heard a quiet chuckle.
The hand crawled up her stomach, underneath her white blouse in direct contact with her skin. Then…it stopped.
Just as Focalors was wondering what happened, she heard the professor mention her name.
"Miss Focalors? Could you explain to us why Neutralizing Gas is advised to be used against Flying-type Pokemon?"
"Ahem! Gladly so, Professor. Neutralizing Gas is oNLY-!"
Focalors almost shouted as she felt a hand grope her butt. She didn't even have to think to know who was behind this. She gritted her teeth. Shame and arousal filled her as she continued to answer the question.
"...only effective if it has direct contact with a Pokemon. Flying types can fly outside the Ability's range, and their moves can stir up the wind to drive the gas away."
"Excellent! Thank you, Miss Focalors."
As she sat down, the familiar sensation returned. And for the rest of the class, Focalors continued to endure the machinations of the invisible hand.
…
"Geez, you two need to hold back. Especially you, Dan."
The class ended and it was finally time for lunch. On their seats, Shinobu turned to Dante and Focalors. Hearing her words, the white haired girl blushed, while Dante just smirked back.
"It's fine~ No one will find out."
"Hmm? Find out about what?"
Candice, who was sitting beside Shinobu, asked while tilting her head in confusion. She had just finished organizing her items into her bag, so she didn't hear what Shinobu said.
"Hehe, now that's a secret."
"Hmph. Keep your secrets, I don't care. Anyway, come on, release Ninetales. Fuehehe~ I didn't have enough time to play with her yesterday ."
Candice began to drool as she remembered the cool soft fur of the elegant icy fox. This time, she made sure to bring an exclusive Pokemon brush kit, as well as her home-made Ice-type Pokemon snacks.
"Hahaha, sorry to disappoint you, but Ninetales is still sleeping in the mansion with Eevee. Those two sisters played too late last night."
"N-no. No way."
Candice's eyes widened, before her head slumped in despair. Her beautiful Ninetales!
"Don't be so dramatic. You can just visit her later. Now let's go, we're wasting our lunch time."
Shinobu said while dragging her roommate to her feet. Kachina also joined them, and soon they met up with Furina and Dawn at their usual location.
"Hmm? Sister Mualani isn't eating with us today?"
"No. She told me she's having lunch with her classmates- to talk about a group project."
Kachina replied to Dawn while taking out her and Twirly's lunch. The others were also doing the same for their Pokemon.
Amidst some light banter, they quickly finished eating. And while waiting for lunch break to end, they walked around the campus while having some light conversation.
"Time sure flies. It's almost the end of September."
Shinobu stared at the sky in nostalgia. It's just been 3 months since they all met each other. However, it feels as if they've known each other for a lifetime.
"Yeah! And after our trip next week with Professor Berto, it's finally time for the University Tournament!"
Candice clenched her fist in excitement. This was the first official battle she would participate in. And although she knew she can't make the same impact as Dante, she would let the country know the face of their next Ice-type Gym Leader!
"Don't count your Ponyta just yet. There's still the Ranking Battle. If you lose that…hehe."
Candice pouted at Dante for pouring cold water on her parade.
"Although a bit mean, Dan's right. It's the last Ranking Battle before the Tournament. Everyone will exert more effort than before to qualify for the starting position in the team. And those who have been hiding their strength, to avoid revealing their trump card, will start to come out."
"Gulp D-do you really think so?"
Kachina visibly trembled. When she maintained her 5th place in the last Ranking Battle, she had been inwardly relieved. She thought that even if stronger opponents appeared, she would only be pushed to the 6th or 7th position at most.
"Don't overthink it, Kachina. You'll be fine~ Trust the effort you and Twirly made."
"Y-yes!"
The group continued to talk and laugh and soon, the lunch break was about to end. At this time, while looking at everyone in the group, Dante spoke up.
"Everyone, do you have any plans for the weekend?"
"Hmm? I don't have anything in particular. Why? What's the matter?"
"Well, I plan to return home and visit my parents. I figured it would be better if I could introduce to them my friends in uni."
"Aww, that's so sweet! I'm in!"
"Count me in as well!"
"Dan's parents…all right. I'll go too."
Dante had a warm smile as everyone in the group agreed to go. In truth, in addition to meeting them, he had another purpose for going home. He glanced at the distant electric post, where a brief static of lightning surged and disappeared.