The sky had not yet fully darkened, and few people or Pokémon in the Royal Capital were asleep, let alone having nightmares.
Therefore, Darkrai could only wander aimlessly through the Royal Capital, moving through the shadows.
In truth, it could actively create nightmares through its Bad Dreams ability, but Ange would not allow it.
Bound by a Master Ball, unable to leave and unable to win in a fight, it could only helplessly accept its fate.
Suddenly, it sensed the presence of a nightmare. Its figure flickered and vanished from its spot, swiftly diving toward the source of the nightmare.
The one having the nightmare was an aged Furfrou.
Recently, the Furfrou's owner had passed away. It had grown up with its owner since it was young, accompanying her for over 60 years, watching her go from a child to an adult, from marriage to motherhood.
But a month ago, the owner finally could not overcome the cycle of life and death.
After the owner passed, it was taken in by her daughter.
The owner's daughter treated it very well, and the owner's granddaughter also liked it very much, even swearing that when she got her first Pokémon, it would definitely be a Furfrou just like it.
However, it still felt that something was wrong.
Yes, it was because the owner was gone.
With the owner gone, it felt as though something was missing from its side every day. Consequently, it lived in a daze, haunted by nightmares every single night.
It thought, it should be dying soon too!
Death would be fine; that way, it could go and see its dearest owner.
When evening arrived today, the Furfrou lay on the cushion by the window, watching the sun sink into the west, and drifted off into a hazy sleep.
As usual, it fell into a nightmare.
Ah~ it was dreaming of this scene again, the owner's funeral. Aside from white, there was only heavy, solemn black, and everyone's crying.
The Furfrou sat beside the black-and-white portrait; the owner's daughter was kneeling before the photo with her husband and daughter, heads bowed and wiping away tears.
People came and went in an endless stream; they were all there to attend the owner's funeral.
Everyone was crying, but only the Furfrou could not cry at all. It sat there blankly, as if it had lost its soul, forgetting even how to move its eyes.
Suddenly, the owner's daughter hugged it. The little owner cried very loudly, her tears wetting the fur on its neck.
Oppressive!
So oppressive!
Uncomfortable!
So uncomfortable!
The Furfrou felt as if a huge stone were pressing down on its heart, making it almost unable to breathe.
Owner, where are you?
Save me… please, save me!
Just as the Furfrou was about to collapse, a black shadow appeared in its dream.
The shadow opened a massive mouth, and in an instant, it seemed as if all the darkness was swallowed by it.
The Furfrou felt a moment of dizziness, but when it came to its senses, it realized it had moved to a different place.
The surroundings were no longer black and white, nor was there the clamor of crying; instead, it was a bustling, prosperous street.
People came and went, and the air was filled with laughter.
It was the familiar street of the Azoth Royal Capital, the place where it had lived with its owner for dozens of years.
Suddenly, it heard a familiar voice.
"Furfrou, why are you frozen there? Come here quickly, or I'm going to leave you behind!"
The Furfrou looked toward the voice, and its eyes widened in disbelief.
It was the owner—it was the owner in her younger years.
The owner was wearing a white dress, carrying her favorite bag, and wearing a white sun hat. Her long, black hair fluttered wantonly in the breeze.
The Furfrou lifted its feet, racing swiftly toward its owner, then dove into her arms, licking her cheeks non-stop.
It's the owner! My owner!
"Oh my, Furfrou, what's gotten into you? You're being so enthusiastic today." The owner was moved to laughter by the Furfrou's enthusiasm.
A long while later, the owner stood up and said to the Furfrou, "Furfrou, let's go!"
The Furfrou nodded, following its owner with light, quick steps.
Next, it happily walked along the streets of the Azoth Royal Capital behind its owner.
The owner took it to buy beautiful clothes.
They went to eat the delicacies it had always wanted to try but never had the chance to.
They even went to a hair salon for a trendy hairstyle—it was the Dandy Trim that the Furfrou loved most; it had wanted to get this hairstyle for a long time.
After getting its hair done, the Furfrou walked proudly down the street.
Happy times are always short-lived. Soon, the time reached evening, and the gentle sunset plated the Royal Capital in a warm glow.
The owner was walking ahead when she suddenly turned around. With her back to the sunset, shadows obscured her face, making it blurry.
"Furfrou, today was really fun!"
The Furfrou nodded; it was also very happy.
"However…" At this point, the owner's tone paused, "We have to part ways eventually."
The Furfrou looked stunned.
Then, it saw a brilliant smile bloom on the owner's face. She winked at the Furfrou and said in a relaxed tone:
"I don't want you to come see me too early!"
Yet, the Furfrou's face was already drenched in tears.
"Furfrou~" The owner's voice became soft, the smile on her face gradually fading. She pleaded in a gentle tone:
"Furfrou, will you live on well in my place and protect Aya and Reiko properly, okay?"
Aya was the name of the owner's daughter, and Reiko was the name of the granddaughter.
The Furfrou nodded vigorously. It would! It would!
Seeing this, the owner's face showed reluctance. She slowly crouched down and gently hugged the Furfrou's neck.
"Good, live bravely, okay? I will always be by your side, always, forever."
The Furfrou nodded, gently rubbing its head against the owner's neck.
Slowly, the owner transformed into specks of light and disappeared into the sunset.
After a long while, the Furfrou opened its eyes, full of tears.
At this moment, the little owner, Aya, walked over. She crouched down and gently stroked the Furfrou's head. "Furfrou, were you thinking of Mom again?"
Feeling the warmth of the little owner's palm, a hint of vitality returned to the Furfrou's previously dim eyes.
Owner, I will protect the little owner and the little-little owner well for you.
"Furfrou, are you hungry? Shall I get you something to eat?" Aya asked.
Ever since her mother passed away, the Furfrou had only eaten a little bit each day. Aya was truly afraid it would follow her mother.
Having lost two family members in succession, she really couldn't take it.
Aya had expected the Furfrou to refuse as it had before, but she didn't expect it to nod in agreement.
Aya's face was filled with ecstasy. "Furfrou, wait here, it will be ready in a moment!"
Saying this, she got up and ran to the kitchen.
When Reiko came home from school, she saw her mother hugging the Furfrou on the sofa watching TV. Compared to before, the Furfrou's spirit looked much better.
"Mom, Furfrou!" Reiko cheered and sat down next to her mother and the Furfrou, chattering away about what had happened at school today.
Meanwhile, Darkrai, who had long since moved on, had a sour look on its face.
Ptooey~ ptooey~ What kind of dream was that? Why was it so bitter!
Darkrai continued to wander around the city, swallowing several more nightmares of varying sizes.
As the night grew late and more people fell asleep, more people began having nightmares.
It sensed another nightmare!
Darkrai hurriedly dove into the darkness, rushing toward the direction of the nightmare.
At least 100 nightmares to go; how long is this going to take?
Xiao Cheng was ten years old this year and was a student at the Trainer Academy. Tomorrow was the day he would receive his first Pokémon and become a Trainer.
(Note: In the world view of this book, anyone at any age can become a Trainer. The League has no rigid rule that one must be ten; ten is just the age allowed to travel with Pokémon. Refer to Paldea's Elite Four member Poppy; she was already an Elite Four member at nine.)
Some children in the school had their own Pokémon from a very early age.
This was related to the teachers' educational philosophy.
Some teachers believed that children should come into contact with Pokémon as early as possible and build deep bonds.
Other teachers believed that children's minds were not mature enough before the age of ten; early contact was not good for them or the Pokémon. If they could not get along harmoniously, children might even end up hating Pokémon.
Therefore, the important thing before ten was to build a foundation and learn knowledge. They needed to understand how to get along with Pokémon in the future.
Xiao Cheng's teacher was the latter.
At first, Xiao Cheng was very envious that other children had Pokémon early.
However, when he was going home one time, he was suddenly attacked by a wild Malamar on the road.
Although he was rescued in time, the Malamar's terrifying face was still deeply etched in his mind to this day.
From that day on, Xiao Cheng developed some trauma regarding Pokémon. When facing them, his body would tremble uncontrollably.
In his daily life, whenever he encountered a Pokémon, he would subconsciously avoid it.
Therefore, when he was notified that he would be choosing his first Pokémon tomorrow, Xiao Cheng felt very anxious.
Because he was afraid his parents would worry, he hadn't told them about his lingering trauma.
Perhaps because of thinking about it during the day, Xiao Cheng had a nightmare at night.
In his dream, he appeared in a dim forest; the forest was empty, and there was nothing there.
Xiao Cheng was terrified. While walking in a panic through the forest, he called out anxiously:
"Dad, Mom, where are you?"
But there was no response.
"Hee hee hee~~"
"Heh heh heh~~"
"Ha ha ha~~"
Suddenly, terrifying laughter came from the darkness all around, and Xiao Cheng trembled in fear.
Then, one Inkay after another drifted out from the depths of the forest, looking at him with malicious intent.
Following that, surrounded by a crowd of Inkay, a terrifying Malamar drifted out slowly.
"Malamar~ Malamar~" A daunting light radiated from the Malamar's eyes, just like the day Xiao Cheng was attacked.
Xiao Cheng retreated subconsciously, but he was surrounded by Inkay behind him as well.
"Dad… Mom…" Xiao Cheng trembled all over in fear, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Malamar~ Malamar~"
At this moment, the Malamar began commanding the Inkay to attack Xiao Cheng.
At the same time, a black shadow appeared in Xiao Cheng's dream, and it swallowed his nightmare in one gulp.
In an instant, the dim forest in his dream vanished, replaced by a beautiful forest full of birds and flowers and lush greenery.
However, the Malamar and the Inkay did not disappear.
Just as the Psybeam fired by the Inkay was about to hit Xiao Cheng, a pillar of fire, a stream of water, and a flurry of green missiles appeared out of thin air, instantly shattering the Psybeams.
"Fenne~"
"Froakie~"
"Chespin~"
In Xiao Cheng's surprised gaze, three small Pokémon descended from the sky: a fiery red fox, a blue frog, and a green hedgehog.
They were the three starter Pokémon that new Trainers in the Kalos region could choose—Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin!
What had just blocked the Psybeams were the Flamethrower, Water Pulse, and Pin Missile they had fired.
"Fenne~"
"Froakie~"
"Chespin~"
The three Pokémon turned back, looking at Xiao Cheng with firm eyes, as if saying: Don't be afraid, we are here.
The appearance of the three Pokémon made the Malamar fly into a rage. It roared, ordering all the Inkay to attack the three Pokémon.
In an instant, countless Psybeams came down like a deluge.
However, the three Pokémon were very brave.
Fennekin used Fire Spin; roaring flames spewed from its mouth, instantly eliminating a large number of Psybeams and trapping many Inkay within the vortex of fire.
Froakie was just as impressive; it unleashed Water Pulse, sweeping away a large stream of water, which also eliminated many Psybeams; many Inkay even fell into a confused state because of it.
Chespin was not to be outdone; it fired Pin Missiles from the spikes on its head, each one accurately hitting a Psybeam.
In Xiao Cheng's surprised gaze, Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin defeated one Inkay after another, steadfastly protecting him.
But there were too many Inkay; Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin were outnumbered and soon began to sustain injuries one after another.
"Fennekin, Froakie, Chespin!" A look of worry appeared on Xiao Cheng's face subconsciously.
Seemingly sensing Xiao Cheng's worry, the three Pokémon looked back at him simultaneously and smiled at him.
The next second, in Xiao Cheng's surprised gaze, white light began to glow on Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin.
Based on the knowledge learned at school, Xiao Cheng knew that they were about to evolve.
Sure enough, after the light dissipated, Fennekin, Froakie, and Chespin had evolved into Braixen, Frogadier, and Quilladin respectively.
After evolving, the three Pokémon's strength increased greatly, and they soon defeated the group of Inkay.
With the Inkay defeated, the Malamar was furious; it decided to act personally.
"Malamar~"
The Malamar swung its two blade-tipped tentacles, and instantly, two crescent-shaped energy blades shot out.
Frogadier and Quilladin quickly stepped forward.
Water converged in Frogadier's hands, forming a blade that clashed with one of the Psycho Cuts.
Quilladin's whole body radiated with white light, and it used Rollout to turn toward the other Psycho Cut.
Braixen took the opportunity to swing the wooden stick in its hand and used Flamethrower to attack the Malamar.
Unfortunately, the Malamar was too strong.
After Frogadier held its ground for a while with Waterfall against the Psycho Cut, it was ultimately unable to compete; the water blade in its hand snapped, and it was swept away by the Psycho Cut.
Quilladin's Rollout collided with the Psycho Cut, and after sparks were generated from the friction, it was also sent flying.
"Malamar~ Malamar~"
The Malamar laughed as it drifted toward Xiao Cheng. Braixen hurriedly stepped in to stop it but was hit by a Night Slash and screamed as it flew backward.
Frogadier and Quilladin hurriedly climbed up and launched another attack at the Malamar, but they were controlled by the Malamar's Psyshock and then ruthlessly thrown away.
"Frogadier, Quilladin, Braixen!"
Seeing the three Pokémon fighting so hard for him, Xiao Cheng was moved to tears, yet he felt powerless.
Watching the Malamar get closer and closer to Xiao Cheng, suddenly, the three Pokémon behind it let out a shout.
Flames suddenly erupted from Braixen's body, instantly enveloping it.
A stream of water surged from Frogadier's body, also rotating and enveloping it.
And green light emerged from Quilladin's body, completely wrapping it.
When the flames, water, and green light vanished, they had evolved into their new forms: Delphox, Greninja, and Chesnaught.
"Ches!" Chesnaught roared, using Hammer Arm to attack the Malamar first.
The Malamar swung a Psycho Cut to stop it, but saw Chesnaught curl its body, with emerald spikes growing all over, successfully defending against the Psycho Cut.
After evolving, Chesnaught had learned the defensive move Spiky Shield.
Meanwhile, relying on its outstanding speed, Greninja had already silently arrived behind the Malamar. Taking advantage of the moment it attacked Chesnaught, it struck with a Water Shuriken, hitting the Malamar square in the back.
The Malamar stumbled, uncontrollably falling forward, and Delphox met it with a Mystical Fire.
Dizzy and disoriented, the Malamar was struck when Chesnaught flashed to its side and dealt a Hammer Arm to its abdomen.
Finally, the Malamar fell down.
After defeating the Malamar, the three Pokémon walked together, stood side by side in front of Xiao Cheng, and simultaneously placed their hands on his shoulders.
From their smiling gaze, Xiao Cheng seemed to see them saying to him:
Keep it up, we are waiting for you!
Then, in a flicker of light, the three Pokémon transformed into specks of light and disappeared.
Xiao Cheng thought: Perhaps he would never fear Pokémon again.
After the three Pokémon vanished, the defeated Inkay and the Malamar on the ground also transformed into specks of light and dissipated.
Darkrai left Xiao Cheng's house, still with a sour look on its face.
Ugh~ ugh~
What a disgusting nightmare!
At this moment, Darkrai finally understood Ange's sinister intentions.
Humans are beings with very strong emotions; their dreams are filled with various situations: sadness, pain, fear…
When those dreams are consumed, the complex emotions enter Darkrai's body, making Darkrai feel very uncomfortable.
In comparison, Komala's dreams were truly both pure and simple.
The night was long, and there were plenty more nightmares waiting for Darkrai to "taste."