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To help Darkrai regain his strength, Luther decided to rest for another full day.
He spent the morning leading Milcery in an attempt to attract wild Pokémon. He hoped to capture a Swablu, but he came back empty-handed once again.
Meanwhile, the group of rookie Pokémon trainers camping nearby got lucky again. They had also stopped traveling after seeing Luther's group rest here.
Some of them managed to form six-Pokémon teams. One kid ended up with an entirely Bug-type lineup.
Luther scratched his head and chuckled to himself. "If that kid had a bug net and a straw hat, he'd look just like one of those classic bug catchers..."
By evening, Darkrai, who had slept almost all day, emerged silently from the shadows of Luther's tent.
After eating a few energy-restoring berries and drinking one of Mai's special tonics, Darkrai's condition improved rapidly. The fatigue faded from his face, and his movements became quicker and lighter again.
As dinner cooked over the fire, Luther tossed a few more dry branches into the flames and looked up at Darkrai.
"I won't take advantage of your situation," he said evenly. "You still have a choice: stay or go. It's up to you. Last night, you didn't have the strength to run far, and you were afraid someone might catch you while you were weak. But now, you've recovered quite a bit, haven't you?"
Darkrai remained silent.
Luther smirked slightly.
"Back where I come from, there's a saying: 'What's one more pair of chopsticks?'"
He pulled out an extra feeding bowl and held it up.
"So, what's one more bowl? It's just another portion of dinner. Don't just sit there; give me an answer. The food's almost ready."
Darkrai glanced at him, then reached into Luther's open bag and pulled out a Poké Ball. He looked at it for a moment, then casually tossed it over his shoulder.
Luther followed his gaze toward Mai, who was busy preparing food over the campfire.
"All right," Luther said quietly. "I won't try to capture you. Let's just work together. The one who ambushed you, Evergreen, he ambushed me, too. You want revenge. So do I; we share the same enemy. And don't think you owe me for the healing or the food. Once Evergreen's dealt with, you can go wherever you like."
Darkrai's expression eased a little. After a moment of hesitation, he floated over, helped Luther put the Poké Ball back in the pack, and accepted the bowl.
When dinner was served, every Pokémon immediately noticed that their group now included a Darkrai. Those who tried to greet him received nothing more than a curt "Hm." He clearly wasn't very talkative.
However, his cold demeanor didn't faze Chikorita and Milcery, two young Pokémon incapable of reading a room. They circled around him, staring and whispering as they studied every inch of the shadowy figure.
At one point, Chikorita lifted Milcery onto her back, used a Vine Whip to grab onto Darkrai, and tried to climb onto his head.
Though he knew Luther had accepted Darkrai, Houndoom couldn't help but stay tense, watching closely. He was afraid Darkrai might get annoyed and lash out again.
To Houndoom, Darkrai didn't seem like someone with a gentle temper.
But the feared outburst never came. Even when Chikorita slipped and accidentally kicked Darkrai in the face, he simply caught her with one hand and gently set her back on his head, showing no irritation.
Darkrai knew Houndoom was watching him. He didn't care. He was a Pokémon of his word. Since he had made a promise to Luther, he would keep it. Even without a Poké Ball to bind him, he would obey orders.
When it was time to sleep, Luther called back the Pokémon that usually took turns standing watch. Then, he walked straight up to Darkrai.
"Now that we trust each other," Luther said, "We should build on it.
I'm letting all my Pokémon rest tonight. You'll handle the night watch. Think you can do that?"
Darkrai let out a soft hum, then slowly melted into the shadows beneath them. Luther yawned, glanced toward where Darkrai had vanished, and gave Mai a hand signal.
Mai trusted Luther's judgment completely. She nodded, called to Eevee, and disappeared into her tent for the night.
Houndoom, however, refused to settle down.
"Come on, old man," Luther murmured with a tired smile. "Get some rest.
With Darkrai on guard, you don't need to worry. He's strong enough to handle anything, right?"
He pulled up his blanket, adjusted his pillow, and promptly fell asleep.
Houndoom stared at him for a long moment, tempted to nudge him awake with a lick. Instead, he decided against it. Instead, he gently unzipped the tent with his teeth and slipped out into the cool night air.
He had already memorized Darkrai's scent. Following it through the camp, he stopped near a shadowed area where Darkrai lingered.
Darkrai was, of course, aware of Houndoom's presence. He couldn't be bothered to explain himself. He rose from the shadows and floated beside Houndoom. The two of them glared out into the dark woods together.
Nocturnal Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon crept out of the forest, trying to cross the road, but froze in place the moment they sensed two savage, predatory auras locking onto them.
Two Oddish glanced around timidly, trembling as they prepared to step onto the paved road. Just as one of them lifted its stubby foot, it froze; three gleaming eyes stared at it from the nearby campsite.
Two of the eyes glowed a bloody crimson, and the third shone with an eerie blue light.
The pair of Oddish screamed in terror and ran into the forest. This startled the nearby nocturnal Bug-type Pokémon, sending them scurrying away as well.
Aside from that brief commotion, the rest of the night passed in utter silence.
When Luther woke up the next morning and saw that Houndoom was missing, he immediately knew what had happened.
After preparing breakfast, he gave both Darkrai and Houndoom an extra share of Chansey's egg mixture.
"I may not have officially captured him," Luther said as he gently ran his hand along Houndoom's back, "but he's still part of the team now.
Give him a little trust, all right?"
Darkrai picked up his bowl, poured the mixture into his mouth, and finished breakfast quickly and silently.
"Does night watch duty tire you out?" Luther asked with a faint grin.
"Good. Then let's get moving. We've got to reach Duckweed Town by today."
For once, Darkrai gave a visible response; he nodded.
As they traveled, Darkrai nestled quietly in Luther's shadow. Houndoom, on the other hand, insisted on stepping directly onto the shadow. He moved and shifted his position as it stretched and shifted along the road.
Luther couldn't help but laugh. For an older Pokémon, Houndoom was acting childishly. Luther stopped abruptly more than once, only to see Houndoom stumble backward, scrambling just to keep his paws on top of the moving shadow.
Luther even thought he heard Darkrai sigh in mild exasperation.
During this time, Mai had grown quite comfortable around Darkrai.
Twice during the day, when it was time to check on him and administer a potion, all she had to do was call his name softly, and he would drift silently out of the shadows to let her examine him.
Still, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, Luther warned Darkrai before entering Greenpool Town:
"Try not to show yourself around people if you can avoid it."
Darkrai complied without protest.
Even after they checked into the hotel and Luther finished setting up their rooms, Darkrai remained hidden in the shadows, perfectly still.
His obedient behavior eased the tension slightly; Houndoom was no longer quite as hostile toward him. However, the two still barely acknowledged each other.
The other Pokémon, however, were clearly fascinated.
Kirlia, in particular, seemed to enjoy talking with Darkrai. From the faint, thoughtful changes in his expression, it seemed like he was actually taking her seriously.
Marill, of course, wouldn't stop babbling nonsense beside them. With his eyes shut tight, Darkrai responded intermittently, clearly struggling to understand why Luther would keep such a chatterbox around.
Jumpluff couldn't have cared less what kind of Pokémon Darkrai was.
She only asked one thing:
"Is he part of Luther's battle roster?"
When the answer was "no," she immediately lost interest.
Espurr, who was busy taking care of Milcery, hadn't had a chance to get to know Darkrai yet.
And Chansey? She treated everyone the same. After all, they all ate the eggs from her pouch every day. What difference did it make who they were?
"A legendary Pokémon?" she thought with a dismissive blink. No matter how rare you are, you still have to eat my eggs, don't you?"
(End of Chapter)