"Who's there!"
Riku was startled, and his sudden shout also frightened Cynthia.
"Riku, what's wrong?" Cynthia, who was just about to sit down and rest, looked around vigilantly.
"Is it someone from Team Galactic? A Psychic-type or Ghost-type Pokémon that attacked you just now?"
"Hoo…"
Riku took a deep breath, turned his head, and smiled.
"Nothing. I just wanted to test if anyone was spying on us nearby. Even you were startled by my sudden shout—let alone those guys from Team Galactic."
"As it turns out, there really aren't any Team Galactic members monitoring us around here."
"You almost scared me to death just now!" Cynthia said with lingering fear.
"After all, I'm the one who brought you out of the Orange Archipelago. If you get hurt, I won't be able to explain it to Grandma and the other old folks in the League."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Riku shook his head, then closed his eyes.
Cynthia thought Riku was resting, but in reality, Riku was calling out to Darkrai in his mind.
---
"Great being."
Only Darkrai and the Ghost-type Pokémon on Ghost Island called Riku by this title.
So when that somewhat familiar voice rang out, Riku immediately thought the one speaking in his mind must be Darkrai—the very same one he had encountered on Ghost Island before.
Riku had been so startled that he hadn't reacted in time, so he asked,
"Who? Darkrai, are you still there? If you are, answer me."
One second, two seconds...
A full five seconds passed before Darkrai's voice rang in Riku's mind:
"Great being, I am here."
"Why are you in Alamos Town?" Riku asked doubtfully.
"That day, I clearly remember you telling me that you were going to improve yourself and obtain a divine position.
I don't mind whether you follow me or not, but are you currently working with Team Galactic?"
"Great being, you have misunderstood me," Darkrai's tone was a bit anxious.
"I know exactly what Team Galactic is and what they want to use me for. Being with them now is actually me wanting to use them too."
"Tell me the details."
Riku opened his eyes, and seeing that Cynthia was also resting, felt relieved.
"Actually, this Alamos Town has a connection to my origins. My ancestors were killed here by the combined attack of the god of time, Dialga, and the god of space, Palkia…"
Riku was stunned.
He really hadn't expected such a thing.
The god of time and the god of space—Professor Rowan had mentioned them before.
It was indeed their combined attack that had killed the second-tier legendary Pokémon, Darkrai.
"Darkrai, could it be that you specifically came here to avenge your ancestors?"
"Yes," Darkrai's tone was cold.
"This is my main purpose for coming here, and as long as I can help Team Galactic capture those two first-tier legendary Pokémon, I can also benefit from it and advance to a second-tier legendary Pokémon…"
"You're confused!" Riku said speechlessly.
"What is Team Galactic? They're evil forces that devour people without even spitting out the bones.
Cooperating with them now is just seeking a tiger's skin, offering yourself up!"
"Great being, I have confidence—"
"Confidence my foot! You have to stop for me!" Riku's tone was impatient, but then he earnestly advised,
"I'm doing this for your own good.
If you want to avenge your ancestors, I certainly won't stop you, but I hope you rely on your own strength—not on forces like Team Galactic.
I won't say much else.
Now I've accepted someone else's request to carry out this mission.
If you insist on standing with Team Galactic, then we will have to fight.
Don't blame me if you get hurt then."
"This…" Darkrai hesitated.
In its opinion, Riku was a more terrifying existence than the god of time, Dialga, and the god of space, Palkia.
If Riku really got involved in this incident because of the mission,
then needless to say,
Team Galactic's plan—
its desire for revenge and to advance to a second-tier legendary Pokémon—would definitely fall through.
There was no other possibility.
This was a great terror that had never appeared in the Pokémon world.
Whatever Riku wanted to do, in Darkrai's eyes, he would succeed without exception.
So, if it continued to associate with Team Galactic now, there would definitely be no good outcome.
---
"Almost there."
Just as Darkrai was about to respond to Riku, Cynthia, who had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
In less than three seconds, Spiritomb returned to her.
Seeing this situation, Riku could only give Darkrai a deadline in his heart.
Tonight, he would secretly sneak back into Alamos Town again, hoping Darkrai could give a clear answer.
"Spiritomb, did you find any Team Galactic members?"
Cynthia had actually felt that Riku had been strangely quiet the whole time, but she hadn't asked.
"Ha…"
Spiritomb couldn't make a nodding motion, but Cynthia had been with it for many years and could analyze what it wanted to convey through its subtle expressions.
"Didn't?" Cynthia turned her head to look at Riku.
"Riku, do you have any ideas now?"
"Even Spiritomb didn't find Team Galactic. There definitely aren't any nearby. Should we continue forward?"
Riku had made an appointment with Darkrai for tonight, so he planned to wait until then to see what Darkrai would say.
After pondering for a moment, he finally spoke,
"It's getting late now. If we continue to stay and go deeper into the town, I'm afraid we'll have to fight in the dark.
Team Galactic doesn't dare to show their faces now. Who knows if they're waiting for nightfall?
So let's be more cautious.
Team Galactic has occupied Alamos Town for a month. They can wait another day or two."
"Is that so?"
Cynthia looked up at the sky but found that the fog had completely covered it.
Helplessly, she could only agree with Riku's suggestion.
---
Forty minutes later
Riku and Cynthia left Alamos Town.
It was almost five o'clock, and the sun outside was still strong.
But if they hadn't brought two flashlights, they would probably have gotten lost in the darkness and wouldn't have made it out.
"Too eerie."
Cynthia turned her head to stare at Alamos Town, still enveloped in fog.
"I hope this is a phenomenon caused by Team Galactic using modern machinery or summoning dozens of Pokémon to continuously create it.
If it's created by just one Pokémon…
Then our mission this time might be a bit dangerous."
Riku knew what was going on in his heart but didn't say anything—just nodded.
Fortunately, there was still time.
Otherwise, Riku should have told Cynthia everything about meeting Darkrai.
After all, the two of them were partners on a mission, and when they encountered key issues, they had to discuss them properly.
---
Returning to the laboratory
Professor Rowan knew that Riku and Cynthia were going to Alamos Town in the afternoon, so he hadn't been in the mood to do research experiments.
Seeing the two return, he immediately stood up from his chair.
When he heard Cynthia's report—that besides the two Team Galactic members guarding the gate, they hadn't found any other living person—Professor Rowan fell into deep thought.
"Where did you go?" he suddenly asked.
"Did you scout the entire Alamos Town?"
"No," Cynthia shook her head.
"The gray fog is too thick and the range too wide. Even during the day, we could only see objects within five meters.
So when we saw that time was running out, we retreated first."
"A wise decision," Professor Rowan first affirmed them, then bitterly smiled.
"It seems that Team Galactic has indeed found a Darkrai from outside."
Riku's heart skipped a beat.
Was Professor Rowan really that awesome?
He hadn't even conducted a field investigation, yet he had already made such a judgment?
"Professor, are you sure?" Cynthia asked, a bit anxiously.
"Darkrai is a powerful existence even among second-tier legendary Pokémon.
If Team Galactic can really get it to act, I'm afraid Riku and I won't be able to complete this mission!"
As the Champion of the Sinnoh region, Cynthia had her pride and arrogance.
But pride didn't equate to blind arrogance.
Cynthia had once seen a second-tier legendary Pokémon and even fought a few rounds with it.
It was precisely because of this that she made such a judgment.
"Unless we gathered a group of Elite Four-level Pokémon trainers, we would have no choice but to run when facing a legendary Pokémon."
"Certain," Professor Rowan sighed.
"Actually, I heard the residents mention the situation in Alamos Town before.
Originally, my initial guess was Darkrai. After all, such a large-scale gray fog had appeared back then as well.
However, five years ago, that second-tier legendary Pokémon Darkrai also used its ability to reverse anyone and any Pokémon that tried to leave the town—making them re-enter and preventing them from escaping.
This difference gave me a glimmer of hope.
It seems I was wrong."
"The Pokémon currently helping Team Galactic is indeed Darkrai. The reason it hasn't kept the residents of Alamos Town trapped like before should be a matter of this Darkrai's strength."
Amazing.
Riku secretly exclaimed.
Not being able to replicate the past event was indeed a matter of strength.
Riku didn't fully understand the distinctions between legendary Pokémon, but Darkrai had personally told him before—it didn't yet have a divine position.
Lacking a divine position—wasn't that a matter of strength?
"Professor, are you sure this Darkrai doesn't have a divine title?"
Cynthia's eyes suddenly lit up.
"If it's really as you guessed, then... do I have a chance to catch a Darkrai?"
I'll be damned…
Riku was stunned.
He hadn't expected Cynthia to be so ambitious.
This afternoon, the two of them had specifically gone to Alamos Town for the mission, walked for several hours, and hadn't even seen Darkrai's shadow.
If Darkrai hadn't proactively contacted Riku, he would have doubted what Professor Rowan had just said.
And now, as soon as she heard that Darkrai wasn't a second-tier legendary Pokémon, Cynthia actually had the idea of catching it.
Riku couldn't help but sigh again at Cynthia's skill and boldness.
---
After discussing for a while, they couldn't come up with any good results.
Riku and Cynthia found the best hotel, had a meal, and when it came to booking rooms, the rich woman actually only booked a presidential suite.
This made Riku a bit awkward.
Cynthia was rich and beautiful. Any man would be tempted.
But he had something to do tonight.
---