Chapter 499: Dark Void, Darkrai’s Bond
Lu Ye remembered that back in the Sword and Shield era at Mach City, there was an NPC by the roadside loudly claiming to self-learn Hyper Beam.
Moves like “U-Turn” and “Iaido Slash” were originally invented by humans.
According to the Pokémon world, humans generally have bodies that can withstand big attacks.
If someone could truly learn Pokémon moves, it would be quite reasonable.
“In Sinnoh, there are people married to Pokémon, and in Unova, there are even cases of having children with Pokémon,” Lu Ye mused inwardly.
“What a truly wonderful world.”
After a midday greeting with Ash, rumors naturally began circulating again in the streets.
“Holy crap, Teacher Lu can form Aura Sphere with bare hands?”
“Last night, two champions sparred and even used Hyper Beam!”
“Is it true? No wonder people say Teacher Lu can rival Regigigas!” Lu Ye rubbed his cheek.
He found Ash and Ami, confirmed they were both safe, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If Ash had even a scratch, Red would have to go challenge those two dumb dragons one-on-one, wouldn’t he?
According to the special episode setting, mythical Pokémon roamed everywhere.
Back in Kanto, Red had even single-handedly killed a fused beast of Ho-Oh and Lugia!
A fighter is still an eight-star giant with 3000 physical attack (just kidding).
“Teacher Lu.” Ami’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and she smiled gently. “The people who were in danger have been restored, with Palkia’s help.”
“That’s good.” Lu Ye asked, “What about Wallace?”
Ash, wearing a straw hat, smiled brightly and said, “Mr. Wallace plans to continue holding the Mikuri Cup.”
“Since other spectators can’t reach White Poplar Town, he decided to open the venue free of charge for the town residents.”
“He must be taking quite a loss…” Lu Ye pondered and nodded. “And you two?”
“Ash and I plan to stay until after the closing ceremony.” Ami said softly.
Lu Ye also intended to stay in White Poplar Town for a while, so that Haunter could train alongside Darkrai.
Besides, he seemed to have another role—as a Mikuri Cup judge…
Lu Ye cleared his throat lightly. “Then let Wallace be busy... By the way, Ash, remember to have him join a group chat and send a big red envelope.”
“Hehe, leave it to me!” Ash puffed out his flat chest proudly.
...
The residents of White Poplar Town were naturally warm and courteous.
When they encountered Teacher Lu, besides expressing thanks, they looked after him with respectful eyes as he left.
“Teacher Lu!” Baron Lickitung hurriedly ran up from behind, his tone anxious. “How come I heard from Alicia that Darkrai is going to stay in the Pokémon Garden?”
Lu Ye turned his head. “Is there a problem?”
Baron Lickitung was stunned. He was about to say, “Darkrai might cause trouble for the residents,”
but then he thought about how Darkrai saved White Poplar Town and was a Pokémon caught by Teacher Lu...
“No problem.” Baron Lickitung rubbed his hands and smiled. “Of course no problem! We will relocate the residents outside the garden so Darkrai won’t have nightmares at night!”
“Your approach is broad,” Lu Ye patted his shoulder and smiled. “There are always more solutions than difficulties...”
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Just call me Lickitung.”
“There’s a guy named Masaki;
you two must have something in common.”
“Did he also turn into a Lickitung?”
“No, he’s a Rattata and was almost eaten by Pidgeot.”
Baron Lickitung was stunned and patted his chest.
Suddenly he felt... becoming a Lickitung was much luckier than being a Rattata...
...
In the Pokémon Garden,
green shade covered the ground, streams babbled, and in the distance floated the sound of Alicia’s leaf flute.
Darkrai crossed its arms, eyes gentle, black mist drifting around its body.
“Gengarrr~” Haunter rubbed the Shadow Ball swirling in its hands.
“No.” Darkrai said in a deep voice, “It’s a technique that borrows Dark Pulse to then release Hypnosis.”
“Gengarrr!” Haunter suddenly nodded, blue light faintly sparkling in its eyes.
Seeing this, Darkrai finally nodded, but a flicker of surprise crossed its eyes.
It seemed Haunter, Lu Ye’s partner, had a much higher mastery of Hypnosis than expected.
The white murky fog above its head rolled, maintaining that aloof expression:
“Next, try controlling Dark Pulse...”
But Haunter tried many times;
every attempt to use aura to condense Hypnosis into a ball-shaped black hole failed.
“Gengarrr~” The aura dissipated, and Haunter scratched its head.
Darkrai showed a hint of regret.
As a signature move, “Dark Void” was indeed very difficult.
If Haunter trained for half a year to a year, it would surely master it.
But within just a few days, trying to get started...
“I have already fulfilled my promise,” Darkrai thought, “If it doesn’t learn, that’s not my problem!”
Then it looked deeply at the scratching Haunter and sighed softly:
“I will demonstrate it for you once more.”
“Gengarrr~ (￣▽￣)／”
Crunch—
Stepping through the fallen leaf forest, Darkrai crossed its arms and turned, eyes flickering.
Then it spoke calmly: “You survived.”
“You too.”
Lu Ye smiled. “Your spirit and energy are still full.”
Darkrai snorted lightly.
That was actually because just now it had finally gotten half a lunch box from Haunter...
Darkrai recalled that half box of lunch just now: golden crispy ribs, a fried egg, and steaming hot octopus sausage.
Who would have thought a trainer would prepare lunch boxes with care for their Pokémon...
It didn’t seem like ‘pets’ or ‘subordinates’, but true family...
For a moment, Darkrai thought of the girl with braids who shared lunch with it, Alicia—
It shook its head and hoarsely said:
“I have taught you everything I should.”
“Unless you’re willing to stay in White Poplar Town for a year,” Darkrai crossed its arms and closed its eyes, “otherwise, you can’t learn ‘Dark Void’.”
“Gengarrr~ (｡•́︿•̀｡)” Haunter pouted aggrievedly and glanced at Lu Ye.
Lu Ye patted Haunter’s head and smiled:
“Then why not travel with me for a year?”
Silence surrounded them;
the stream shimmered with light, and from afar came the tune Alicia often played.
Darkrai looked up and towards Alice sitting by the railing, momentarily as if seeing a familiar figure.
“Sorry, Lu Ye.”
After a long moment, Darkrai’s gaze grew firm, and it said solemnly, “You have your family… and I have mine.”
The bond, that intangible yet powerful feeling, did not exist only between Lu Ye and his little companions.
Even a roadside Rattata, a green Caterpie on a treetop, a soaring Pidgey... they all had their own bonds.
They might encounter one trainer, or many trainers.
But if they had already chosen that trainer, others would pale in comparison.
That person was like a rainbow;
only when met could one truly know.
Lu Ye felt a pang of loss and suddenly understood Ash’s mood when he invited Lucario but Lucario refused to come along.
“Really no reconsideration?” Lu Ye persisted.
Darkrai was silent, then raised its gaze and shook its head firmly.
Lu Ye wanted to speak, to summon the energy cube to attract it... but after thinking, he took a half step back and smiled.
He made a fist and said, “But we’re still partners.”
“Partners...” Darkrai repeated the word, eyes sparkling, slowly extending a shadowy claw to form a fist.
It lightly bumped against Lu Ye’s fist.
“Partners.” Darkrai’s gaze was resolute. “The day you need me, I will come to help you fight.”
Lu Ye was stunned for a moment, expression growing complicated.
What kind of enemy would require the legendary Darkrai?
According to the Sinnoh movie trilogy, Ash would also encounter the ghostly dragon knight Giratina and the creator Arceus...
A chill spread along Lu Ye’s spine.
Teacher Lu cleared his throat. “I hope that day never comes.”
Darkrai said, “You look down on me?”
Teacher Lu replied, “No, I just don’t deserve you.”
Darkrai roared, “You’re looking down on me! Even if Arceus shows up, I can train with it!”
Teacher Lu said, “I thank you in advance!”
“Gengarrr! (๑`▽´๑)۶” Haunter also extended its little fist and bumped the side of Teacher Lu and Darkrai’s fist bump.
Darkrai calmed down and said, “Anyway, I will hurry to teach Haunter the ‘Dark Void’ technique.”
Lu Ye frowned. “Which part is still not solved?”
Darkrai glanced at Haunter and said:
“The control of aura. ‘Dark Void’ requires compressing energy to the extreme. Without aura cooperation, it’s hard to achieve.”
Aura? Lu Ye was startled. “Can a trainer assist?”
Darkrai recalled when facing the Temporal-Spatial Twin Dragons, Lu Ye’s mental projection of an escape route, and was stunned:
“You mean...”
Lu Ye shouted, “Haunter, try ‘Dark Void’, I’ll support you!”
“Gengarrr~”
Haunter floated into the air, black energy gradually condensing in its hands.
Unlike Shadow Ball, this energy included nightmare energy formed by Dark Pulse, slowly condensing into a miniature black hole.
However, as Haunter’s eyes bloomed with Hypnosis and the miniature black hole was about to dissipate,
a rising airflow stirred, Lu Ye’s coat fluttered backward, blue light wreathed the surroundings, and his eyes sharpened.
Advanced “Aura Power” formed a cyclone around the black hole, barely stabilizing it.
Then, to Darkrai’s astonished gaze, “Dark Void” gradually took shape!
Haunter launched “Dark Void”: “Gengarrr! (ૢ˃ꌂ˂⁎)”
Lu Ye: “Get down!”
Darkrai: “Σ(°△°|||)︴ Don’t throw that inside the garden!”
Boom!!
A cloud of dust filled the air.
Teacher Lu’s heart trembled. “No way, the renovation captain’s got another big job, right?”
Through the dissipating dust, Darkrai slowly exhaled a puff of black smoke, its body taking the brunt of Haunter’s Dark Void.
Immediately, Darkrai slowly extended a claw and gave Lu Ye the middle finger.
Lu Ye: “Your energy cubes are all gone.”
Darkrai: “Just kidding, that’s a joke between partners!”
...
Even Darkrai had never expected
that this human in front of it actually mastered the mysterious ability of “Aura.”
Haunter’s rapid beginner mastery of “Dark Void” stirred Darkrai’s emotions, hard to calm.
In terms of shadow manipulation, Haunter’s ability was very similar to Darkrai’s own.
Having lived alone for hundreds of years, Darkrai’s mindset gradually thawed, arms crossed, eyes showing a faint smile.
“You go ahead.” Darkrai said softly, “In three days, I will train Haunter with all my effort.”
Lu Ye: “I’ll be next door at the Tower of Time and Space as a judge. Just ‘ping’ me if anything.”
Darkrai: “...”
Lu Ye: “By the way, the nearby residential area will also be relocated. You can rest assured and stay here.”
Darkrai was silent for a long time, then said something quickly in a very low voice.
Lu Ye scratched his head, greeted Haunter, and planned to go back and make an extra lunch box for Darkrai.
Only after leaving the garden did Teacher Lu realize what Darkrai had said.
It was:
“Thank you very much.”
“This lolita fan sure has good manners.”
Lu Ye smiled, dispelled the regret in his heart, and looked up at the sky.
Fragments of other movies flashed through his mind.
Teacher Lu shivered, face stiffened, and hurriedly left...
...