"We still need to conquer Cresselia…"
Gary rubbed his forehead lightly as he looked at the newly released mission prompt in his system interface.
To be honest, he wasn't particularly interested in Cresselia.
Judging from the current situation, the Cresselia on Fullmoon Island was unlikely to be overwhelmingly strong. Darkrai was only level 50, and based on balance alone, Cresselia's level should not be far above that.
Still, a mission was a mission.
Gary stopped overthinking and bent down to pick up the Ultra Ball containing Darkrai. He pressed the central button lightly and projected its data.
[Pokémon: Darkrai]
[Type: Dark]
[Level: 50]
[Potential: Quasi-Legendary]
[Ability: Nightmare (When the opponent is asleep, it loses 1/8 of its HP each turn.)]
[Moves: Disable, Quick Attack, Hypnosis, Sucker Punch, Night Shade, Double Team]
[Intimacy: 70 / 255]
Gary fell silent for a moment.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"This moveset is… painfully shallow."
Darkrai, a Mythical Pokémon feared as the Nightmare Pokémon, only had six basic moves. Three of them were utility-based, and none of its damaging moves exceeded moderate base power.
No Dark Pulse.
No Dream Eater.
No Dark Void.
It was underdeveloped.
For a Pokémon of Darkrai's status, this was almost embarrassing.
"Come out, Darkrai."
Gary released it again.
"Dak."
Darkrai emerged silently, its shadowy body floating above the ground. Its single blue eye fixed on Gary with a cold, distant gaze.
Gary didn't waste time.
He immediately began teaching it new moves.
One TM after another.
Dark Pulse.
Dream Eater.
Calm Mind.
Shadow Ball.
Protect.
Substitute.
Nasty Plot.
Taunt.
Torment.
Psychic.
Will-O-Wisp.
Focus Blast.
Energy Ball.
In total, thirteen moves were taught in succession.
Darkrai's skill pool expanded dramatically.
Its presence subtly changed.
"Dak…"
It looked down at its own hands, feeling the new energy flowing through its body.
After finishing, Gary sprayed it with a healing potion to stabilize its condition, then took it to the Pokémon Center for full recovery.
Inside the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy treated Darkrai carefully.
When she returned from the treatment room, her expression was filled with shock.
"Gary… you actually captured this Pokémon?"
"Yes," Gary replied calmly. "So the nightmare problem here should be resolved."
Joy stared at him in disbelief.
"Thank you… truly."
She hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"Gary… are you certain you can properly raise Darkrai?"
Gary looked at her.
"Why would you ask that?"
Joy lowered her voice slightly.
"There have been Trainers who tried to capture Darkrai before. But if Darkrai cannot control its Ability, the Trainer constantly suffers nightmares. Many of them became physically weak from chronic sleep deprivation… some even died young."
Her concern was genuine.
Darkrai's Nightmare Ability activated passively when nearby Pokémon or humans fell asleep. Without protection like the Lunar Wing, prolonged exposure could be dangerous.
Gary understood.
But he wasn't worried.
He already possessed a Lunar Wing rewarded by the system. That was precisely why he hadn't experienced any nightmares in recent days despite Darkrai's presence nearby.
"I'll handle it," Gary said calmly.
He didn't elaborate.
After retrieving Darkrai, Gary returned to his hotel.
Inside the quiet room, he released Darkrai once more.
"Dak…"
Darkrai hovered silently, staring at Gary with a cold, unreadable expression.
It did not look friendly.
But it was not openly hostile either.
"Darkrai," Gary began evenly, "my name is Gary. I captured you without your consent. But I need your power."
Darkrai's eye narrowed slightly.
"Dak…"
Its tone was neutral, but distant.
Gary continued.
"You should have noticed something. Your moves have increased."
Darkrai lowered its gaze.
It had indeed felt the change.
Its skill pool had expanded. The power within it had deepened.
But that did not mean it trusted Gary.
Darkrai was not inherently evil.
It chose isolation because it could not control its Ability. Its very existence brought nightmares to others. To avoid hurting people and Pokémon, it stayed alone.
Loneliness had become its norm.
Occasionally, Cresselia would appear to dispel the nightmares it unintentionally caused. But Cresselia never stayed.
Darkrai remained alone.
"Dak."
Its expression remained calm.
Gary studied it carefully.
"If you follow me, I can help you control your Ability. You won't need to isolate yourself anymore."
For the first time, Darkrai's expression shifted slightly.
Just slightly.
Then it returned to its usual composure.
"Dak."
It clearly didn't believe him.
Even Cresselia couldn't suppress Darkrai's Nightmare Ability permanently. At best, Cresselia could only dispel nightmares after they occurred.
Unless the two remained inseparable, Darkrai's presence would always affect others.
"You cannot control your Ability because your strength is insufficient," Gary said calmly. "When your level increases and your mastery deepens, you will naturally gain control."
Darkrai listened.
Its eye flickered faintly.
"And," Gary added, "I possess something that can suppress your Ability."
He reached into his system space and removed the Lunar Wing.
A soft crescent-shaped feather shimmered faintly with pale moonlight.
"Dak…!"
Darkrai immediately recognized it.
Lunar Wing.
But in its memory, Lunar Wing could only dispel nightmares after they happened. It did not suppress the Ability itself.
It had tried before.
It hadn't worked.
"You can test it," Gary said evenly. "If it fails, we'll find another solution."
Darkrai stared at the Lunar Wing in Gary's hand.
Something felt different.
The aura was stronger.
Ancient.
Suppressive.
"Dak…"
After a brief pause, Darkrai accepted it.
The moment it integrated the Lunar Wing into its personal space—
Its body trembled.
"Dak?!"
The chaotic nightmare energy that constantly surged at the edge of its consciousness…
Quieted.
It tried deliberately activating Nightmare.
Nothing.
It willed it to stop.
The Ability obeyed.
Darkrai froze.
Its single eye widened slightly.
"Dak!"
It was… controlled.
For the first time since its birth, the Nightmare Ability responded entirely to its own will.
No accidental leakage.
No passive aura.
It could choose.
Gary crossed his arms calmly.
"I told you."
Darkrai looked at him differently now.
Not cold.
Not hostile.
But uncertain.
"Dak…?"
There was confusion in its voice.
Gary gave a small smile.
"That Lunar Wing is far older than the one on Fullmoon Island. It's connected to a much stronger Cresselia."
Darkrai tilted its head slightly.
"Dak?"
Was there truly such a Cresselia?
"The one on Fullmoon Island isn't your equal," Gary said. "Otherwise, it wouldn't need to trap you before."
Darkrai fell silent.