Chapter 8: Darkness
Chapter 8: Darkness
Barry held the Poké Ball in his hand as he walked to the door, quietly asking once more:
“Who’s there?”
Silence.
An eerie atmosphere lingered before the doorway. The knocking had ceased, as if everything that had happened was merely a figment of Barry’s imagination.
Suddenly, Barry remembered a notorious evil Pokémon organization called Dark Star, which recent news reports said had been active in the area. They had even attacked a Pokémon Center belonging to the League, stealing many Pokémon. A bead of cold sweat slid down Barry’s forehead.
Dark Star was a newly emerged dark organization specializing in Pokémon, rising to prominence over the past five years. Unlike other evil organizations of the same era with massive numbers, Dark Star operated an elite system, with only a few hundred core members—each fully capable of acting independently. According to official League reports, at least seven top-tier trainers at the champion level belonged to Dark Star, not to mention their enigmatic and powerful leader, Black.
Barry gripped the Poké Ball tighter, swallowing hard as he reached for the door handle.
Creak...
The wooden door slowly opened. Barry’s muscles tensed, and the Poké Ball in his left hand trembled slightly. The Pokémon inside seemed to sense his anxiety, ready to burst forth at a moment’s notice.
“Baa!”
A strange Mareep stood foolishly at the door.
Barry breathed a sigh of relief and returned the Poké Ball to his belt.
“You scared me!”
“What are you doing here?”
Of course, Barry recognized this Mareep. Not because his memory was particularly sharp, but because this Mareep was so unusual. It had been perfectly normal, but recently began to act wild, running and jumping all over the pasture. Barry, who treated every Pokémon in his ranch as precious, was terrified it had contracted some Pokémon virus. He’d called in a professional Pokémon doctor, but it turned out to be a false alarm. Still, the odd behavior of this Mareep left a deep impression on him.
“Baa!”
“Baa!”
Lu Yun bleated anxiously at Barry.
Barry, thinking this was merely the sheep’s mischievous behavior, shook his head with a smile, intending to carry it back to the pen.
Lu Yun, seeing Barry’s disregard, grew even more frantic. He suddenly bit Barry’s pant leg, tugged gently backward, then released and ran off behind, stopping a short distance away to bleat loudly at Barry.
“This…”
As the owner of Barry Ranch, Barry knew the Pokémon in his pasture, having raised them all himself. Naturally, he understood their behaviors and personalities intimately. Yet this Mareep’s actions were clearly beyond mere playfulness.
“You… want to lead me somewhere?”
Lu Yun saw Barry finally grasp his meaning, relaxed, nodded vigorously, and darted off toward where the sound had originated.
Seeing the sheep confirm, Barry said nothing more, silently following behind.
All the way, Barry pondered where this strange Mareep was taking him. Could it be that the fruit trees in the ranch center had finally borne fruit, and the sheep wanted to claim credit? Or had it discovered a companion ready to evolve? If a Mareep was about to become a Flaaffy, that would be a blessing for the ranch’s current situation. Though Flaaffy feed cost much more than Mareep’s, their wool fetched higher prices in the market.
Lost in speculation, Barry suddenly caught a faint scent of blood in the air.
“Hm?”
He frowned, realizing things were not so simple. Perhaps a Mareep was hurt! For the ranch, every Pokémon was precious—none could be lost.
Barry quickened his pace, and the intensifying scent of blood seemed to confirm his suspicions.
A sudden roar echoed ahead.
“That sound…”
Barry’s face changed, and he sprinted toward the source.
...
The dim sunset, heavy with dusk, cast the last beauty of its life upon the world.
Hayok felt intense pain radiate from his right flank, breathing heavily, his bright eyes locked onto a formidable opponent.
The creature before him was much larger, covered in thick red and white fur. Though shaped like a wolf, it stood upright like a man; its long, slender forelimbs hung lazily before its chest, each tipped with three sharp claws. The gash in Hayok’s side proved the tremendous power hidden in those seemingly frail arms. A heavy mane of white fur extended from its back to its head, with black, blade-like rocks embedded at the tips. Its eyes, glowing red, radiated bloodlust and cruelty.
Hayok did not know what kind of Pokémon this was. He only knew it had attacked the Mareep in the ranch, and he was their protector.
Drip… drip…
Blood poured ceaselessly from Hayok’s wound, trickling to the ground.
Staring at the strange Pokémon, whose eyes were filled with mocking amusement, Hayok’s fighting spirit grew fiercer.
“Whoosh!”
His hind legs kicked off the ground, leaving two deep imprints in the grass. White light surged across his body. With astonishing momentum, he charged at his opponent like the wind.
“Tackle!”
The Lycanroc, watching the desperate little dog before him, curled his lip in contempt. His left claw gathered deep yellow energy—condensed, solid—shaping into a hard rock, which he hurled forcefully at the charging Hayok.
Bang!
Hayok, moving at high speed, couldn’t dodge in time. The dark-colored rock, infused with thick yellow energy, struck him brutally, pain exploding as his pace faltered.
“Rock Throw!”
“Toxic!”
Lycanroc’s power exploded. His red body flickered, suddenly appearing beside Hayok, claws shining with dangerous violet, slashing down in a cross of black light.
Squelch!
The claws sank deep into flesh. Hot blood sprayed forth like a fountain.
Hayok’s vision dimmed, his powerless body tumbling forward.
Lycanroc licked the bright blood from his face, grinning with savage delight, slowly approaching Hayok.
...
“Dynamic Punch!”
A burst of sonic booms resounded. A gray figure wrapped in fierce wind pressure, energy crackling, slammed a fist packed with explosive force at Lycanroc.
Lycanroc’s eyes narrowed, legs tensed, sidestepping lightly.
Boom!
The tremendous impact left a deep crater in the grass, wind and earth flying wild.
A furious roar thundered out.
“Roar!!”