The unexpectedly fast return of warm weather in southern Sinnoh took Luther by surprise.
He had thought the lingering chill of early spring would last until the end of March. However, along the way, he found himself forced to take off his thick cotton coat.
Looking at his now-overstuffed backpack, Pachirisu was probably the only one who seemed happy.
After becoming obsessed with Chansey's pouch, she had fallen in love with burrowing into the backpack and being squeezed and rubbed by all the layers of clothing.
Four days had passed since they left Wetland City, yet Luther and Mai still hadn't reached Sunheart City.
Espurr, who had gone out to scout, drifted back and signaled that she had found nothing, the same result as yesterday.
Without a signal, their phones were useless, and they couldn't compare their current location. This made Luther realize that they were definitely lost.
Their decision to cross mountains and weave through forests instead of staying on the main road made this outcome quite normal.
However, Luther and Mai showed no panic or anxiety about being lost. After carefully calculating their remaining food, they set up camp as usual.
As long as they oriented themselves based on sunrise and sunset and kept moving straight, they would eventually run into people.
Chansey's cooking skills had improved rapidly. With Mai's guidance, she quickly picked things up and soon took over preparing dinner entirely.
Marill loved Chansey's cooking the most, after all, Chansey always gave Marill a little extra. It was much better than when Luther and Mai divided the portions.
Marill wholeheartedly supported Chansey continuing this arrangement forever.
Darkrai, who used to finish his food in just a few quick bites, had begun eating much more slowly lately.
Milcery often lifted her feeding bowl mid-meal and started circling Darkrai. It looked suspiciously like some sort of strange ritual.
After talking with Milcery, Darkrai finally understood the reason why.
He ate too quickly. Milcery, who ate slowly, thought he wasn't full yet, so she offered him some of her food.
After all, at present, Milcery only needed candy to feel full. The extra food was something Mai had prepared to help her get used to other diets.
When it came to little children, Darkrai had no idea what to do. He couldn't coax Milcery like Espurr did nor take care of her like Chansey did.
Darkrai didn't want a feeding bowl floating in midair circling him every day, so he ultimately had no choice but to change the way he ate.
After dinner, it was time for their usual sparring practice. Darkrai always treated watching their training as a way to pass the time when he had nothing else to do.
As he watched Marill and Chansey do strength training, the already drowsy Darkrai was about to slip into the shadows for a short nap when a strange sensation spread through his body.
He pushed Milcery and Chikorita behind him and stared into the dark forest.
The movement startled Luther and Mai. Seeing Darkrai so tense with an aggressive posture, Luther instinctively became alert.
The Pokémon in training quickly gathered together to shield Luther and Mai.
Luther whispered, "What did you detect?"
Darkrai, extremely focused, reached out to stop Luther from getting closer. He slowly drifted backward toward Luther.
Before he could reach Luther, however, a black shadow streaked over the treetops at unbelievable speed.
Darkrai reacted instantly. At that same moment, he shot upward above Luther, preparing a Dark Pulse, ready to fire.
The aura of the Dark Pulse was too obvious. The shadow in the sky sensed it as well. It suddenly braked in midair, flipped around, and fired a Dragon Pulse in return.
Only then did they hear the sound of the shadow's passage, a violent rush of wind that made the leaves rustle wildly and sent dead foliage whirling everywhere.
The explosion from the collision of the two movements was tremendous. A thick cloud of black smoke filled the air.
The shadow appeared furious. It tore apart the smoke and assumed a diving posture.
Only then did Luther finally see what the shadow truly was.
Luther was stunned. What the hell? Latios is appearing here?
He didn't have time to think further. From the darkness, a Metagross shot out at incredible speed. With a single Meteor Mash, it struck Latios, who had been about to attack Darkrai.
Latios was sent tumbling by the blow and only managed to stabilize himself in midair after great effort.
Latios locked eyes with Metagross.
Metagross locked eyes with Darkrai.
Darkrai's gaze pierced the darkness and fixed on a spot not far away.
The ground in the shadows rippled like water. Black rings spread outward and a blurry silhouette rose from within them.
Luther and Mai were stunned.
What on earth is going on? This is way too chaotic!
Latios, Metagross. And then another Darkrai followed behind.
Luther's Pokémon split into two groups automatically, one to protect Luther and Mai and the other to move closer to Darkrai, ready to assist him at any moment.
In this bizarre standoff, Latios seized an opening. A Shadow Ball caught Metagross off guard in a surprise attack.
As Metagross staggered back in pain, Latios stretched his wings, and an abrupt, muffled explosion echoed in the air. When Luther looked again, Latios was gone.
The tension between the two Darkrais was delicate. Neither intended to strike first, but each feared the other would.
Latios's departure didn't break the stalemate. Metagross shifted into an offensive posture as well, trying to prevent Luther's side from making a move.
Luther had just begun to sort out the situation when a Salamence tore through the sky. It scanned the area curiously and, upon failing to sense Latios's presence, frowned and joined Metagross.
What is this? Piling on weights?
Metagross, Salamence, Darkrai, where were these Pokémon coming from?
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind Metagross. In response to the noise, Metagross's body lit up, casting a bright glow over the surrounding forest.
"A Pokémon Trainer?" Stand down, Darkrai. They're not like those people."
The newcomer wore a red coat that draped like a cape. Because of the light, Luther couldn't make out his exact hair color. His long hair covered half his face, leaving only one side visible.
His aura was difficult to describe, but judging from his voice, he seemed calm and composed.
"You were trying to capture Latios?"
The Metagross trainer glanced at Luther's campsite, then at his own Metagross, whose forehead was still injured from Latios's Shadow Ball.
"Your Metagross couldn't stop Latios. He escaped."
After Luther said that, a strange feeling stirred deep inside him.
He had felt this familiar yet unfamiliar sensation once before, when he met Diantha.
Taking another look at the man's lineup, Luther froze.
"I see. Then forget it. Guess it was just bad luck. Something unexpected happened during the chase, so I couldn't capture him directly."
There was a hint of regret in the Metagross trainer's voice, but it faded quickly.
With Latios gone, he had no reason to stay. He turned to leave until Luther called out to him.
"Just curious…are you Darkrai Dakto?"
Yes, ultimately, the official localized name, Dakto, will be used.
(End of this chapter)
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