Chapter 314: Darkrai

"Dai Oqi Xisi, can you sense that Pokémon's presence?" Huo La concealed his expression and, deep within his Heart Lake, said in a low voice.

The next second, Dai Oqi Xisi's cold voice, tinged with a hint of sarcasm, rang in his Heart Lake: "Don't forget, we are merely partners; I am not at your command, nor obligated to help you."

Huo La had long anticipated this, remained unannoyed and unruffled, and calmly replied within his Heart Lake: "I understand. But you should be clear that unless the problem here is solved, your goal cannot even be discussed."

Dai Oqi Xisi fell silent for a moment, apparently weighing pros and cons; after a long pause, he reluctantly spoke, his tone still cold but now with a hint of certainty: "Northwest, there is an energy fluctuation; that should be the source of the Nightmare, very concealed."

"Northwest, huh…" Huo La murmured low, his fingertips tightening slightly, then he suddenly lifted his gaze and shouted at Ming Yao: "Ming Yao, northwest, unleash the mental focus!"

Though Ming Yao was momentarily startled, he did not hesitate; he immediately drew a Pokeball and called softly, "Magic Wall Puppet, emerge! Unleash the mental focus, lock onto the northwest!"

The Magic Wall Puppet leapt out lightly, palms together, and pink spiritual energy instantly spread like an invisible searchlight, sweeping straight toward the northwest.

Yet the moment the mental focus reached the target area, an invisible energy ripple suddenly rose, violently refracting the focus and diverting it into the nearby forest, with no feedback at all.

"Incorrect, west—southwest direction, it's moving," Dai Oqi Xisi's voice sounded again in Huo La's Heart Lake, his tone now edged with impatience.

"West, southwest!" Huo La did not pause, immediately repeated the bearing, speaking at breakneck speed.

Ming Yao and the Magic Wall Puppet understood instantly, adjusted direction, and the mental focus surged out again, precisely locking onto the southwest.

"South, southeast!"

"East, northeast!"

"North..."

Dai Oqi Xisi's directional commands kept coming, Huo La repeated each one, while Ming Yao controlled the Magic Wall Puppet, sweeping the mental focus rapidly around the Valley; after a full round, they still could not locate the hidden Pokémon.

As the group grew increasingly anxious, Dai Oqi Xisi's voice suddenly rose sharply, carrying a barely perceptible gravity: "Straight ahead! Right in front of you! It's moving!"

"Straight ahead!" Huo La shouted almost as a roar, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Ming Yao, worthy of being a flagship of the Galactic Team and most attuned to modern Trainer sensibilities, did not rashly unleash the mental focus at that moment.

He vaguely sensed the opponent had already launched an attack, and immediately barked at the Magic Wall Puppet: "Magic Wall Puppet, quickly! Raise a Light Screen, defend!"

Before the words finished, a dazzling white Light Screen swiftly coalesced in front of them, crystal clear, emitting a gentle yet resilient glow.

Almost the instant the Light Screen formed, a pitch‑black Shadow shot like an arrow, slamming into the screen; with a Bang— muffled thud, the screen quivered violently, rippling outward, yet it did not shatter.

The black Shadow was rebounded by the Light Screen, lingering briefly before drifting upward; it stared silently at the glittering Light Screen, then glanced at the Magic Wall Puppet controlling it, its aura growing ever colder.

After a moment, it suddenly drifted back two steps, its form beginning to contort violently, black Smoke Screen swirling incessantly around it.

As the Smoke Screen faded, a peculiar Pokémon slowly materialized: atop its head a fluffy, soft snow‑white mane, a vivid red scarf encircling its neck, black Smoke Screen lingering around its body, eyes pitch‑black and icy, devoid of warmth, exuding an Intimidation that made hearts race.

"Darkrai…" Huo La stared at the Pokémon before him, his tone complex, enunciating each syllable of its name, a flash of understanding and a hint of gravity in his eyes.

The others present, hearing this, all turned to Huo La in a flurry; Xiao Zhao's face was full of curiosity and apprehension, and she asked softly, "Huo La, do you know it? What exactly is this Pokémon?"

Huo La slowly nodded, his gaze never leaving Darkrai, and explained: "It is one of the legendary Dream and Moon Pokémon, specialized in controlling dreams, possessing a powerful ability to lure opponents into deep sleep and manipulate their dreams… No wonder, no wonder it can silently cause all mischievous Thunder Bombs and Thunderbolt Balls to fall into a Nightmare, unable to break free."

And the words "one of the legendary Dream and Moon Pokémon" landed in Ming Yao's, Mu Chun's and others' ears like a sudden thunderclap, instantly revealing the terror of the Pokémon before them; they involuntarily eased their breathing, and the surrounding air seemed to grow ever heavier.

Xiao Zhao, frightened by Darkrai's chilling aura, took a half‑step back, hands gripping her hem tightly, her voice trembling with an unhideable quiver as she whispered, "It… how did it get here? What does it actually want…?"

Huo La slowly shook his head, his gaze still fixed on Darkrai, his tone full of doubt and gravity: "I don't know. Even in later legends, Darkrai is considered an extremely rare Pokémon, reclusive by nature, appearing only on moonless nights, and is virtually impossible to track on ordinary days…"

At that point, Huo La seemed to recall something, his complexion suddenly changing, and he abruptly looked up at the pitch‑black sky.

Indeed! Tonight the sky held only a few scattered stars, struggling to pierce the heavy ink‑colored clouds; not a single sliver of moonlight, not even the moon's shadow, appeared at all!

"Moonless! Tonight is a moonless night…" Huo La's voice carried a barely perceptible astonishment as he murmured, a flash of understanding in his eyes.

Beside him, Mu Chun also snapped back to attention, his brows furrowing tighter as if recalling a long‑buried memory, and suddenly spoke, his tone heavy: "Speaking of moonless nights, I recall something."

"In past moonless nights, all the villagers nearby collectively had nightmares; upon waking they were drenched in cold sweat, uneasy. The villagers said a strange black gas appeared in the nightmares, vague, faces indistinguishable. Now thinking back, could it be that this Pokémon caused it…?"