Chapter 353: Nightmare Manifestation!!
Unlike Raikou or Suicune, who existed as a species with multiple individuals, Ho-Oh was unique. In the entire world, there was one, and only one, Ho-Oh.
Therefore, the creature that had just appeared in the arena could not possibly be the true Ho-Oh of legend.
It was Darkrai's masterpiece.
[Nightmare Manifestation]!!!
This was Darkrai's ultimate gambit. While it was a God, its domain was restricted to the dreamscape. In the physical world, its powers were limited. But within a dream—the "Nightmare Realm"—Darkrai was the undisputed, literal "God."
Every Legendary in this world possessed a specific "Authority."
Groudon was the Lord of the Land, capable of creating continents. Kyogre was the Sovereign of the Sea, controlling the world's oceans. Ho-Oh managed the atmospheric currents and weather, Rayquaza ruled the ozone layer, and Lugia governed the deep ocean currents.
These "puzzle pieces" of authority together maintained the balance of the planet.
Darkrai's authority was originally considered minor. He was the Lord of Dreams—specifically, the Lord of Nightmares. His counterpart, Cresselia, shared this domain as the weaver of good dreams.
But [Nightmare Manifestation] was a move that shattered the chains of authority.
It was no longer restricted to the mind. By peering into the deepest, darkest fears of its opponent, Darkrai could drag those nightmares into reality, giving them physical form and substance!!
Every living soul—human, Pokémon, or God—harbored a fear. A nightmare is simply that fear given a face.
And for a Pokémon, its "natural enemy" is its own greatest fear.
[Nightmare Manifestation] didn't just summon an illusion; it physically manifested that "natural enemy" in the real world.
The true terrifying power of this move was most apparent to Mega Houndoom.
As the shadowy, violet-black "Nightmare Ho-Oh" took flight, the hellhound began to shake violently. Its eyes were locked on the phoenix, its body sinking into a deep, submissive crouch.
This wasn't a tactical defensive posture, nor was it a hunting stance.
It was the posture of a devout believer prostrating themselves before their "God."
SCREEEEEECH!!!! —
The Nightmare Ho-Oh let out a piercing cry. With a single sweep of its dark wings, the violet Zhurong flames carpeting the arena were instantly snuffed out. There was no resistance, no struggle. The fire simply ceased to exist in the presence of its master.
Xun Zhurong stared at the creature in a trance. He knew, rationally, that this wasn't the real Ho-Oh.
Yet, he found himself unable to issue a single command. He couldn't bring himself to order an attack on his family's deity.
This was the danger of the Mega Link—Xun was feeling the hound's religious awe as if it were his own.
Up on the platform, Zhurong Yun's state of mind was significantly more stable. After the initial shock, he had realized the truth: this was a psychic construct birthed from Darkrai's unique authority.
He searched his mental archives. There was no record of a Darkrai ever manifesting a nightmare into physical reality. If this was a new development, the tactical implications were horrifying.
No one was immune. Even he, even his Blaziken, had a "nightmare" buried deep within. To have that fear summoned as a physical combatant was to have one's own soul used as a weapon against oneself.
On the field, the Nightmare Ho-Oh's gaze slowly moved, finally locking onto Mega Houndoom.
"Hey, bird-brain!! Shred that mongrel!!!"
Darkrai hovered nearby, pointing a claw at the hellhound as it shouted at its own creation.
Zhurong Yun: "..."
Calling the Zhurong God a "bird-brain," even if it was just a shadow-clone, was a level of blasphemy that made every Zhurong member in the stadium wince.
Kenji broke out into a cold sweat. He sent a frantic mental ping to Darkrai. "Language! Be respectful!! We're in public!"
The Nightmare Ho-Oh responded to Darkrai's command with a sharp shriek. It beat its massive wings, launching two streams of pitch-black fire at the cowering dog below.
Mega Houndoom tried to move, but under the "God-tier" pressure radiating from the nightmare, its joints felt like they were filled with lead. Its movements were sluggish and agonizing.
BOOM!!!! —
The attack struck home, blasting Mega Houndoom across the field.
"HEI-JIA!!! —"
The hound wailed in pain.
"Hmm?" Zhurong Yun's eyes sharpened. He watched the exchange with growing fascination.
His nephew's Houndoom had the Blessing of Ho-Oh. Standard Fire-type attacks should have been completely ineffective against it.
Yet, the Nightmare Ho-Oh's black flames had dealt massive, heavy damage.
And furthermore, the creature's aura was... too accurate. It carried a signature nearly identical to the real Ho-Oh. It wasn't just a crude visual copy; it felt divine.
This was because the manifested nightmare was constructed based on Mega Houndoom's own concept of Ho-Oh. Every detail—the heat, the pressure, the divinity—was pulled directly from the target's own subconscious belief.
To the dog, this was the real Ho-Oh. And therefore, its power was absolute.
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