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Although Luther couldn't understand Darkrai's words, the reactions of the Pokémon in the courtyard made it clear to him what was going on.
Marill cracked her knuckles; she had fought Darkrai before. One more punch, that's all it would take.
Kirlia began mobilizing her psychic power and got into position ahead of time, waiting for Luther to call her name.
Chansey was holding a frying pan, making a late-night snack. Upon hearing Darkrai shout, she ran out with Blissey, pan in hand, to watch the show.
Jumpluff leapt onto Luther's face, shaking her cotton puffs and signaling that he should send her in. She promised that Darkrai wouldn't get any "good juice" out of this.
Houndoom instantly woke up. He had wanted to beat Darkrai up for a long time, what a perfect opportunity!
Espurr, on the other hand, was self-aware. She knew she was no match for Darkrai. Seeing the overly excited Jumpluff, she silently backed away, hugged the chaos-loving Milcery, and used her psychic powers to pull Chikorita back as well.
Watching was the most comfortable option.
Corsola, standing next to Mai, was eager to join in. But before she could, Mai reached out and held her back.
"We're not the ones capturing him. Why are you getting so excited?"
After saying that, Mai smiled at Chansey. "Bring out the snacks as a late-night treat. Watching a fight isn't complete without them."
All the Pokémon were clamoring around Luther, eager to battle, except for Mismagius, who stood completely still, staring at Darkrai.
Pushing Jumpluff aside and pressing down Houndoom's head as he clung to his waist, Luther shouted, "Stop arguing! Mismagius will fight. This is important for her."
Luther's words calmed the Pokémon down.
After reserving a community battlefield, he led his Pokémon, many of whom were carrying bags and snacks, to the edge of the arena.
This battle truly was important to Mismagius. She was going to learn from Darkrai afterward, and if Darkrai didn't fully accept her, the learning process would be far from smooth.
On the battlefield, Darkrai and Mismagius faced each other. Luther once again felt the oppressive pressure that had filled the field when Darkrai fought Garchomp.
It wasn't just Darkrai; his own Mismagius was exuding it as well.
The air grew thick. Just sensing it made Luther's heart race.
"Calm Mind."
With Luther's command, the referee-less battle officially began.
Mismagius was a Ghost-type Pokémon, which was completely countered by Dark-type Pokémon. The typing disadvantage had to be compensated for with boosts.
Darkrai paused for a moment. After reacting, he used the shadows cast by the field lights to rush toward Mismagius. Upon closing the distance, he immediately released Dark Pulse.
"Protect!"
'Dark Pulse' exploded against the barrier. Mismagius grinned, ready to banter with Darkrai, but then he realized the shield was cracking.
After releasing 'Dark Pulse', Darkrai didn't stop. He pressed against the Protect barrier and followed up with a 'Shadow Claw'.
The combination of the two moves overwhelmed 'Protect', causing it to shatter bit by bit.
Mismagius's speed finally came into play. The instant Darkrai tried to pursue her, she pulled back, widening the distance between them.
Seeing Darkrai's overwhelming offensive intent, Luther was reminded of Darkrai's battle with Garchomp that day.
"Harsh Sunlight!"
An idea struck Luther, and he pointed upward and shouted.
Facing Darkrai's charge, Mismagius didn't dodge at all. She released 'Harsh Sunlight' head-on against the incoming 'Shadow Claw'.
Darkrai was momentarily thrown off.
Mismagius's displayed speed was clearly on par with his own. The 'Shadow Claw' had been intended to force her to reposition herself, setting up a second strike with 'Dark Pulse'.
Was she willing to take damage just to activate 'Harsh Sunlight'?
Darkrai glanced warily at the blazing orb of light in the sky and instinctively retreated a few steps while firing off a 'Dark Pulse' from his hand.
"Mystical Fire!"
Flames burst forth. Rings of fire spun through the air and closed in around Darkrai, engulfing him in scorching heat in an instant.
Darkrai reacted extremely fast. He compressed the power of 'Dark Pulse' in his palm and detonated it outward. The explosion of dark energy disrupted the surrounding sea of flames.
Breaking free from Mystical Fire, Darkrai immediately felt his power weaken slightly, the move's secondary effect of lowering the opponent's Special Attack.
Empowered by the weather, the Mystical Fire left Darkrai's entire body stinging. Roaring in anger, he launched a mass of blue energy into the sky.
The deep blue light dispelled the effects of Harsh Sunlight. Fine raindrops began to fall over the battlefield.
Darkrai was tired of being restrained by the weather.
The same thing had happened when he fought Garchomp—Sandstorm combined with Sand Veil had left him helpless before he was defeated.
The same trick wouldn't work on him twice!
A floating flame grew larger and larger in Darkrai's vision. Having just finished using Rain Dance, his body stiffened, and he failed to dodge in time.
By the time the fire ignited his body, he realized something was wrong.
Mismagius's 'Will-O-Wisp' was steadily draining his strength. Having just escaped the flames, the fading pain surged back again.
Luther knew Darkrai would try to change the weather. He had suffered in 'Sandstorm' during his fight with Garchomp. Now, seeing the combination of 'Harsh Sunlight' and Mystical Fire, Luther knew Darkrai would try to control it.
Luther anticipated this and used 'Will-O-Wisp' to cripple Darkrai's physical offense.
Darkrai moved so quickly that he left only a blurred afterimage. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Mismagius. He released a 'Dark Pulse', condensed with all his strength.
The instant the black light was released, Luther heard a dull boom by his ear. The massive energy compressed the air and slammed into Mismagius, who hadn't been able to completely evade it.
The damage from this move was no joke. This was Darkrai's all-out strike: type advantage and point-blank range. Despite Mismagius's considerable strength, she clearly winced in pain after taking the hit.
Darkrai had no intention of letting Mismagius get back up. Disregarding his own stamina, he fired off Dark Pulse after Dark Pulse.
"We'll use Dark Pulse, too."
Two beams of black light collided violently in the middle of the field. Luther shielded his face, as the wind from the explosion made it impossible to open his eyes.
Relying on his speed, Darkrai rushed back to Mismagius's side the instant the blast subsided.
"Thunder Wave."
Despite taking damage from 'Shadow Claw', Mismagius stubbornly forced 'Thunder Wave' to land on Darkrai.
The burn continued to damage Darkrai, and paralysis took effect as well.
Darkrai narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Mismagius. It was as if Mismagius had used Double Team... two or three of them suddenly appeared on the field, swaying about.
Pain and stiffness alternated through his body. Floating above the rain-soaked battlefield, Darkrai found it difficult to even breathe.
Luther blinked at Mismagius. She immediately understood that her posture became unstable, her expression turned painful, and her breathing became labored.
Darkrai froze for a moment. He suddenly realized that his relentless assault hadn't been ineffective.
After taking several heavy hits, Mismagius was extremely weak, and her stamina was draining rapidly.
Darkrai glanced at Luther. He was anxiously cheering on Mismagius, who was on the sidelines. The other Pokémon were also shouting her name, urging her to keep going.
This chance could not be missed.
Despite the constant pain from the burn and the effects of paralysis, Darkrai gathered his strength once again, fully charging a Dark Pulse and rushing straight at Mismagius.
At this distance, Mismagius could not dodge. With this blow, Darkrai could prove that at least part of what Garchomp had said was wrong.
Even without encountering humans, his strength was undeniable.
Mismagius's eyes were unfocused, and her body swayed as she suddenly flew upward.
Darkrai watched in shock as a bolt of lightning shot out from in front of Mismagius. Soaked by the rain, Darkrai was electrocuted clean through.
Initially, he considered using Dark Pulse on Mismagius to turn the situation around, but then he realized that she wasn't as miserable as she appeared.
That crafty little thing was grinning at him as it spun leisurely in midair. There wasn't the slightest sign of exhaustion!
Furious, Darkrai wanted to rush over, grab Mismagius, and detonate Dark Pulse with her in his arms. However, the lightning blurred his consciousness.
Thunderbolt combined with Rain Dance to form the perfect combo. Darkrai had once again been punished for fighting over the weather.
"You lied to me!"
Darkrai was filled with grief and indignation, that same powerless feeling again.
He was clearly stronger than Mismagius, yet he simply couldn't defeat her.
For all sorts of bizarre reasons, he couldn't bring his power to bear every time. The frustration was unbearable. Mismagius heard Darkrai's furious roar and stuck out her tongue at him mockingly, utterly unconcerned.
Her acting was terrible, even Jumpluff could do better. If Darkrai fell for it, it was only because he was foolish.
Luther could hear his heart pounding. He swung his arm with all his might and hurled the Poké Ball.
A flash of red light erupted, and Darkrai was pulled into the Poké Ball. The ball fell to the ground and began rolling violently.
In the stands, Mai swallowed hard. All the Pokémon that had been cheering fell silent.
Luther felt like he had gone back to his gaming days as he stared at the wildly shaking Poké Ball with his heart lodged in his throat.
No save files. No reloads. If he failed, Darkrai would only ever be a partner who cooperated with him, not his Pokémon.
This was the first time he had captured a Pokémon through battle since coming to this world.
And it was a Legendary Pokémon.
"Stop already... don't shake anymore!"
The Poké Ball rolled once more, then landed with a solid thud.
Luther froze. Before he could react, Mai rushed over and threw her arms around him.
Lacking any sense of reality, Luther breathed in Mai's scent and finally came to his senses. He wanted to shout, but no sound came out. He could only pump his fist hard into the air.
Houndoom looked at Luther and Mai, who were cheering wildly. Then, he walked over to the Poké Ball on his own. He stretched out a paw and pressed it down.
"So you've got a day like this, too."
Feeling the last vibrations fade from the Poké Ball, Houndoom snorted. He opened his mouth, bit down on the Poké Ball, and carried it over to Luther, placing it in his hand.
(End of Chapter)