“Ceruledge, light a fire.”
“Master, why aren’t you using the flint today?”
“Every time I use the flint, I end up with a bump on my head. I just remembered you can make fire.”
After leaving the ancient city, everyone set up camp by the river again. Although Gui Ling had summoned Kyogre to the river, the narrow river made Kyogre feel very cramped.
“I remember you can fly, can’t you?”
“Woo—?”
“Oh, I forgot, you need to undergo Primal Reversion first…”
“Woo…”
“Alright, I’ll find a way to help you. Don’t be disheartened yet.”
“Woo—!”
Yveltal proactively shared his grilled fish and dried fish. After all, he considered himself a senior.
However, Kyogre’s appetite was astonishing; it ate nearly a week’s worth of Yveltal’s food before feeling full, and this was just a young cub…
“………… (You…)”
“Woo—?”
“………… (Forget it, with that innocent look, I can’t even scold you.)”
“Woo—!”
Kyogre jumped up and rubbed against Yveltal’s wing. Yveltal pushed it away, annoyed, but Kyogre continued to cling to Yveltal like a clingy child.
“This is because you fed it. It seems Kyogre really likes you as a senior.”
“………… (I don’t need it! Quickly put it back in its Poké Ball!)”
Gui Ling could only recall Kyogre into its Poké Ball, but a question popped into his mind.
Is this Kyogre male or female?
Yveltal’s voice had a king-like oppressive quality, but when interacting with everyone normally, there was a bit of a contrasting cuteness. However, from his voice, it was clear Yveltal was male.
Kyogre could currently only emit whale-like Sound Waves or roars, and had not yet learned abilities similar to telepathy.
At this moment, Darkrai, standing on a tree branch, quietly gazed at the moon. Trevenant and Snivy walked over, each holding a dessert.
“Trevenant!”
“Snivy!”
Darkrai glanced at them, flew over, snatched the desserts, and then flew back to the tree branch.
Trevenant and Snivy were very displeased with Darkrai’s attitude and immediately started arguing.
Seeing that he couldn’t out-argue the two, Darkrai directly unleashed a Dark Pulse. Everyone rushed over immediately after hearing the explosion.
Trevenant had blocked the attack with his wooden hammer, shielding Snivy behind him, and glared furiously at Darkrai.
Even when everyone rushed over, Darkrai still didn’t hold back. Just as he was about to release another Dark Pulse, he was stopped by Boomburst and Water Shuriken.
“What’s wrong?”
Trevenant ran over and, somewhat dejectedly, hugged Gui Ling, explaining the situation. After listening for a while, Gui Ling finally understood what had happened.
“Darkrai, what’s wrong with you? Are you unhappy?”
“No.”
Gui Ling walked to the base of the tree, looking up at the condescending Darkrai.
“Then what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing.”
“…………”
Looking at Darkrai’s nonchalant attitude, Gui Ling couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed.
“Darkrai, if you don’t explain yourself clearly today, then apologize to Trevenant and Snivy.”
“Those weaklings aren’t worthy.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yveltal charged directly. Darkrai hadn’t even reacted before he was blasted away by a Hyper Beam.
As soon as Darkrai stabilized himself in the air, Yveltal grabbed him with his claws and flew him skyward. After flying to a great distance from the ground, he then hit him down with a Shadow Sneak.
As the purple Energy Ball descended from the sky and exploded on the ground, Darkrai immediately lost his battle capability and scrambled to his feet in a sorry state.
“………… (Weaklings? There are never weaklings here.)”
Yveltal flew in front of Darkrai, and a terrifying pressure swept over Darkrai’s entire body, causing him to slowly fall to the ground.
“………… (No matter who it is, everyone here is equal. It’s fine to look at battle power, but no one should be excluded!)”
“Tch…”
Darkrai glared at Yveltal, somewhat unconvinced. Yveltal didn’t indulge him and was about to unleash another Hyper Beam, but was interrupted by Gui Ling.
“Let him calm down here alone.”
“………… (Hmph, come back when you’ve thought it through.)”
Darkrai pondered for a moment where he stood, then flew directly into the forest.
“Master, is it okay to leave him alone?”
“We’ll see if he can figure it out. If he can’t realize it today, there might not be another chance later.”
“Master, let me go check on him.”
“Be careful, try to come back early.”
“Yes!”
Ceruledge appeared suddenly on the tree branch as if using Teleport, then disappeared after a few flashes.
When Ceruledge found Darkrai, he saw Darkrai cleaning his wounds by the lake.
“Why don’t you let Master help you clean it?”
Darkrai immediately turned his head to look. He was surprised that he hadn’t detected Ceruledge’s approach at all; it was completely stealthy.
“Do you think he would use such a luxury item to take care of me?”
“Yes.”
“You trust him that much? If that Snivy got hurt, would he?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t trust humans at all and look down on everyone. If it weren’t for how strong he trained you, I wouldn’t bother following him.”
“You look down on humans and don’t trust them. Then why bother?”
“I want to become strong! The strongest! Strong enough to defeat all Pokémon!”
“But you haven’t even beaten me.”
Darkrai immediately attacked with a Shadow Punch upon hearing this. Ceruledge directly flashed behind Darkrai and took him down with a single Shadow Claw.
“What kind of monster are you…?”
“I’m not a monster.”
“Then how did you become so strong? You’re not even a Mythical Pokémon…”
“Me? Just a… coward… who doesn’t want to lose everything again…”
“A coward? You?”
“Yes, I used to be a coward, a coward who caused the death of a friend.”
Ceruledge sat beside Darkrai, his twin blades slowly immersed in the water, emitting strong steam.
“Before… I was afraid of everything, but as long as my friend was by my side, I felt completely at ease. Gradually, I stopped fearing this world and instead observed it carefully.”
“However… there was a group of people who specialized in hunting Pokémon, and they killed my friend. At that moment, I felt like the sky had fallen. The pillar that supported my carefree life, the only person I could rely on in this world, was now separated from me by life and death…”
“From that moment, I became even more cowardly, until I met… a Trainer named Gui Ling.”
“That guy, huh.”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
……………………
“Think carefully about the story I told you. I don’t think I’m very strong; I just want to have even greater power to protect my family. I don’t want to lose anything again. That’s my reason.”
Darkrai looked at his reflection in the water, deep in thought.
After hearing Ceruledge’s story, he felt a bit sad inside, an emotion he had never experienced before.
“Are you leaving?”
“It’s already dawn. Look, the sun has risen from over there.”
“Hmph…”
“Go apologize properly, then go to sleep. I believe Master won’t blame you.”
“Even if I apologize, I probably won’t get to catch up on sleep. He wants to go challenge that so-called Gym.”
When the two returned to camp, they found Gui Ling and Yveltal looking at a book given by Professor Platane.
“Master, what are you and Teacher doing?”
“Oh! You’re back? Hurry up and go to sleep, we’re going to sleep too.”
“Ah, haven’t you two slept?”
“………… (We two were waiting for you, afraid something might happen to you. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep first.)”
After Yveltal finished speaking, he transformed into the cocoon of destruction and floated in place, then became still.
“Truly worthy of being the sleepiest of the Kalosian gods, falling asleep in a second is impressive.”
Gui Ling touched the cocoon of destruction and entered his tent. Ceruledge also entered his own tent.
Darkrai looked at the tents around the campfire and fell into contemplation. With his abilities, he could sense that everyone was very tired, as if they had been up for a long time.
“Were they all waiting for us?”
Darkrai looked at a black tent nearby and was about to go in when suddenly a cry of surprise came from a pink tent by the campfire.
“Ah ah ah ah! It’s breaking! It’s breaking!”
“Enemy attack?!”
“koo-gah!”
“Sound Wave!”
“Little Princess Diancie, what’s wrong?!”
Darkrai, Greninja, Noivern, and Ceruledge jumped out first. The four exchanged glances and immediately opened their tents.
“Gardevoir!”
But they were blasted out by Moonblast and Diamond Storm.
“Oh right, we probably shouldn’t just enter a girl’s room…”
“koo-gah…”
“Why are there so many things happening… but it doesn’t seem like anything serious…”
“Sound Wave…”
Everyone waited at the entrance. Soon, Gardevoir and Diancie walked out holding a broken egg, and a round head was poking out of the egg.
“Gible?”
“………… (It really is, huh?)”
“koo-gah?”
“Huh? So this is what broke?”
“I thought it was an enemy attack…”
“Sound Wave?”
“Snivy!”
“Trevenant!”
Gible jumped out of the eggshell, curiously looked at everyone in front of him, then returned to Gardevoir’s arms.
“Is it treating Gardevoir as its mother?”
“Oh oh! Sister Gardevoir is a mommy!”
“Little Princess Diancie, don’t say such things.”
“Gardevoir~”
Gui Ling slowly stepped forward, took out a Poké Ball, and squatted down to look at Gible.
“Gible, do you want to come with us?”
“Gible!”
“Here, welcome to our team.”
Gible turned into a red light upon touching the Poké Ball, and then the Poké Ball stopped shaking.
Gui Ling looked at the Poké Ball and then opened it. Gible once again snuggled into Gardevoir’s arms.
“I really can’t seem to get away from Garchomp, I never thought I’d catch one myself.”
“………… (This egg… I was wondering if I could eat it.)”
“Teacher… aren’t dried fish enough?”
“Alright, alright! Yveltal, you should think about how you’re going to compete with Kyogre for food later.”
“………… (Death Wing?)”
“No using that!”
Darkrai still quietly watched everyone bicker from the side, but a question came to his mind.
“What is protection? Why must it be them? Did this Ceruledge only become strong because of this?”
At this moment, Trevenant and Snivy handed him a sandwich again, but the two were not as enthusiastic as yesterday.
Darkrai didn’t make any disgusted gestures, just quietly took it and nodded to the two.
“Tha…”
Darkrai was about to say thank you, but found that the two had already left, immediately gathering around Gible to observe him closely.
“Thanks…”