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With the final Moonblast, Iron Valiant overwhelmingly defeated Darkrai, knocking it unconscious.
Jacob didn't waste any words. He immediately threw a Poké Ball toward the fallen Darkrai.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, Darkrai transformed into red light and was drawn into the Poké Ball.
"Click... click..."
The Poké Ball began to shake violently on the ground, but the unconscious Darkrai clearly didn't have the strength to break free from its confines.
"Click!"
A satisfying sound announced Jacob's successful capture of Darkrai.
At this point, Jacob finally had time to focus on the battle between Raya and Dante.
His gaze fell on the nearby battlefield, and he was surprised to find that Dante's Tyranitar had already knocked out Hydreigon. Only Mega Gardevoir remained, struggling desperately to hold on against the massive Dark and Rock-type Pokémon.
It's worth noting that Dante's Tyranitar had already taken a Destiny Bond from Alakazam earlier, and yet it was still gaining the upper hand even under the combined assault of both Hydreigon and Mega Gardevoir!
Raya was simply too weak compared to Dante.
"Jacob, come and help me!" Raya's face showed a serious expression as she called out for Jacob's assistance. "Dante's Tyranitar is acting strangely."
Just moments ago, Raya's Hydreigon had unleashed a full-power Dark Pulse, which not only failed to damage Tyranitar but instead seemed to energize it. The attack made Tyranitar fight even harder, and it responded with a devastating Dark-type move that severely injured Hydreigon in a single blow.
Only then did Raya notice something was wrong. Dante's Tyranitar seemed completely immune to Dark-type attacks, and the Dark-type moves it used were far more powerful than those of a typical Champion-level Pokémon.
Raya had never expected Dante's Tyranitar to be holding a Dread Plate, so she suffered a huge disadvantage in the battle from the very beginning.
As for Jacob, he had already noticed Dante's Tyranitar's abnormality early on. Using his unique abilities, he could clearly see that the item slot for Tyranitar displayed "Dread Plate."
The Dread Plate is the Dark-type stone plate, one of Arceus's eighteen elemental stone plates.
As the Creator God, Arceus's stone plates are among the most valuable treasures in this world. Holding a Dread Plate grants complete immunity to any Dark-type moves and significantly boosts the power of the holder's own Dark-type moves.
The stone plate also has its most powerful effect—the ability to improve the aptitude and potential of Pokémon of the corresponding type!
This means that as long as one obtains any type of stone plate, they have the potential to become one of the strongest trainers of that specific type.
This is the true charm and value of the stone plates.
Jacob had known early on that Dante's Tyranitar would be the toughest opponent to crack, which is precisely why he chose to deal with Darkrai himself and let Raya handle Dante instead.
Although Jacob harbored a deep grudge against Dante, it didn't mean he would foolishly put himself in mortal danger just for the sake of revenge.
A wise person does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.
Blind revenge is no different from seeking death.
By letting Raya and Dante wear each other down, Jacob would have the perfect opportunity to profit from the chaos when both sides were weakened.
To complete Cresselia's mission, Jacob had long been prepared to capture Darkrai. He was also ready to fight Raya for it if necessary, which meant he needed to weaken Raya's overall strength as much as possible beforehand.
Dante's unexpected appearance undoubtedly gave Jacob the perfect chance to sit back and watch the tigers fight from atop the mountain.
Now that Darkrai was safely in his possession, all he needed to do was help repel Dante and retrieve the Prison Bottle. Then Jacob could retreat successfully with his prizes.
As for Raya's attitude toward him afterward, although it would likely cause their relationship to deteriorate rapidly, Jacob believed that with Raya's shrewdness and calculating nature, she would definitely swallow her pride for the sake of future cooperation and cut her losses in time.
After all, business was business.
...
"Let's deal with him together," Jacob's voice rang out as he spoke to Raya beside him, his tone steady and cooperative.
"Okay." Raya's face was quite grim, her gaze coldly fixed on Dante. All her thoughts were focused entirely on Dante and his powerful Tyranitar.
She had never imagined that Jacob would eventually betray her, much less scheme against her in the shadows.
In Raya's view, they had already reached a solid cooperation agreement. Their previous collaborations had been quite pleasant and mutually beneficial. Coupled with their frank exchange yesterday and their seamless cooperation in dealing with Darkrai just moments ago, everything seemed perfect.
Raya simply didn't believe Jacob had any reason whatsoever to betray her now.
Of course, the most important factor was Raya's confidence in her own charm and influence, which made her arrogantly believe in her heart that Jacob would never dare betray her.
She was too confident in her ability to manipulate people.
"Jacob, help me hold him back!" Raya's voice rang out clearly. "Gardevoir, prepare for a Z-Move!"
Listening to Raya's commanding voice, Jacob's face suddenly showed a complex expression.
Is it coming? The awkward dance poses and the dramatic lines?
But why is she, a Fairy-type specialist and member of the Heavenly Kings, using a Fighting-type Z-Crystal instead? How ridiculous!
...
"Iron Valiant, use Brick Break! Stop Tyranitar!"
Following Jacob's command, Iron Valiant didn't hesitate in the slightest. Its figure flashed like lightning, and it had already arrived beside Tyranitar, swinging a glowing blade charged with Fighting-type energy.
"Tyranitar, counter with Stone Edge!"
Watching Iron Valiant join the battle against him, Dante's brows furrowed deeply. He immediately commanded Tyranitar to counterattack with a super-effective move.
...
At the same time, Jacob watched Raya intently, curious despite himself.
Raya revealed the Z-Power Ring on her wrist, prominently displaying the five different Z-Crystals embedded in it!
Three type Z-Crystals and two exclusive species-specific Z-Crystals.
Fairy Z-Crystal, Dark Z-Crystal, Fighting Z-Crystal, plus Primarina Z-Crystal and Mimikyu Z-Crystal.
Such overwhelming wealth! Jacob couldn't help but feel envious.
So Raya wasn't without a Fairy Z-Crystal after all. It was just that when facing Tyranitar, she deliberately chose to have Mega Gardevoir use the Fighting Z-Crystal instead, taking advantage of Tyranitar's quadruple weakness to Fighting-type moves.
A smart tactical decision, Jacob had to admit.
Raya and her Mega Gardevoir on the battlefield simultaneously began to perform the synchronized dance and chant the required lines for activating a Z-Move.
"My will and Gardevoir's will merge as one, becoming the power of the Heavenly Kings!"
"Now is the time to unite all our strength together!"
"All-Out Pummeling!"
Raya's normally gentle and charming appearance, combined with the elegant and noble Mega Gardevoir, were severely mismatched with the exaggerated, awkward dance moves and overly dramatic lines required for the Fighting-type Z-Move.
Jacob, however, watched from the sidelines with obvious enjoyment. Although the Fighting Z-Move didn't suit Raya's refined image at all, it still couldn't conceal Raya's attractive figure and long, shapely legs as she moved through the poses.
He had to admit, there were some perks to watching Z-Move performances.
Mega Gardevoir's entire body surged with endless Fighting-type energy, the power building rapidly. The brilliant light erupting from the Z-Crystal completely enveloped Gardevoir in a golden aura.
The energy reached its peak.
"Boom!"
The Z-Move, an enhanced version evolved from the Fighting-type move Focus Punch, blasted directly toward Tyranitar with overwhelming force.
"Protect, Tyranitar!"
Facing the devastating Fighting-type Z-Move unleashed by Gardevoir, Dante was already prepared. He waved his hand calmly, commanding Tyranitar to use the defensive move Protect.
Countless energy-formed fists, overwhelming in their sheer number, surged toward Tyranitar like a massive tidal wave. Dense clusters of Fighting-type energy fists filled the air, all converging on a single target.
A translucent light shield suddenly condensed and materialized in front of Tyranitar, forming a protective barrier around its massive body.
However, a Z-Move is fundamentally different from a normal move. Even if Tyranitar uses Protect, it cannot completely block the attack—it can only reduce the overall damage taken.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Under the relentless assault of the endless Fighting-type energy fists, the protective light shield began to crack and splinter. Finally, it shattered completely into fragments of light.
Tyranitar could only endure the remaining barrage with its own body, letting out a painful, thunderous roar.
"ROOOAAR!"
Although the protective shield had successfully reduced the damage Tyranitar took, the Armor Pokémon possessed a quadruple weakness to Fighting-type moves. Even with the damage reduction, it was still severely injured by the All-Out Pummeling Z-Move.
Tyranitar staggered, clearly weakened but still standing through sheer willpower and determination.
Dante's face was grim as he assessed the situation. He looked at the exhausted Mega Gardevoir, then at Iron Valiant standing ready beside Jacob.
He knew that today he would most likely return empty-handed, without either Darkrai or the Prison Bottle.
But there was still a slight chance for victory, however slim it might be.