"I knew placing my trust in those mindless beasts was the wrong decision."
At the edge of the dark forest, Cofagrigus grumbled as he swam through the shadows. When Regieleki got taken down, he knew his chances of winning the fight had gone down to 0%.
It's only a matter of time before those group of Pokemon take care of the remaining Regis. Then, they'd focus their attention on him. So a tactical retreat became the logical choice.
"I left a Substitute to avoid alerting them of my escape. But it's only a matter of time before it's exposed. By then, they'd most likely search the whole forest for me. I have to move fast."
Although this was the case, Cofagrigus still couldn't suppress the burning feeling of rage and indignation welling up inside him. 3,000 years. His 3,000 years of hard work. Gone. Just like that.
He couldn't imagine what the Lord's reaction would be. After all, he had asked for the Regis and Victini in the first place, with a promise to give the Lord powerful soldiers under his command when he returned.
When the Lord finds out that the Golems he lent had been defeated and possibly destroyed, what would his reaction be? Would he split him into a million pieces? Trap him in a never-ending nightmare? Or condemn his soul to eternal damnation?
Cofagrigus shuddered. If it weren't for his discovery about the possible location of the Elemental Plates, he would have already started to plan his journey to another continent.
His mind returned to focus as he arrived at his base. Its entrance was a hidden staircase, connected to an isolated room of the Mystery Dungeon below. However, because of his hasty call for the Regis, the soil above had now been blasted open.
"I really shouldn't have delayed building the launch gates."
Cofagrigus muttered and floated down the large hole. He glanced around the cubic room, sighing in relief when he saw the unconscious figure of Victini still there.
RUMBLEEE
The ground beneath him suddenly shook. Cofagrigus looked back at where he came from, cursing inwardly at the monstrous strength of those Pokemon. Even the aftermath of their fight reached here.
Without wasting any more time, Cofagrigus rushed in front of the orange stone tablet. His four arms moved with haste but precision.
Soon, a rumbling sound once again came- but not from the outside this time. Instead, the smooth, gray wall on the right side of the base slid down, revealing a dark hallway that stretched further than the eye could glimpse.
At the same time, the four crimson chains that connected Victini to the wall detached themselves and shrunk. Then, it became something akin to a leash.
This moment, the orange and cream-colored Legendary Pokemon awoke from his slumber. However, his body remained limp on the cold stone floor. He could only open his eyelids, which revealed the confused pupils underneath.
Cofagrigus had expected this outcome. When he called for the Regis, the absorption mechanism that connected Victini to the Golems had been turned to the max, transferring all the immediate energy inside the Victory Pokemon to the five of them.
"Rejoice. After so long, you'll finally be free from this prison. But for your next destination…heh, I don't know whether you'll consider it an upgrade."
Cofagrigus laughed sinisterly as he held the chains that tied Victini. He went towards the recently opened hallway, dragging the small Legendary Pokemon across the floor.
"Please…help…me…"
"Me? Help you? Have you finally gone crazy?"
"I wanted to see what other secrets you've hidden here, but I guess our team will just explore it on our own later."
The third voice in the room made Cofagrigus stop in place. The chains binding Victini began to rattle as the hand that was holding them trembled.
"H-h-h-how come you're here?!"
"I was always here."
From beside Victini, the air shimmered. Then, a white Zorua with an expressionless face appeared. The air beneath him similarly shattered like glass as he dismissed the invisible platform he had made.
"Don't worry. You're safe now."
Dante turned and gave a reassuring smile to Victini. Victini gave a crooked smile back.
"Chance!"
Cofagrigus seized this opportunity when Dante was distracted and took out a handful of Blast Seeds from his shadow space. But before he could do anything with it, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head.
"Who says that was my real body?"
Another Dante appeared from behind Cofagrigus. He retracted his front paw, whose claws had turned sharp and shadowy.
Cofagrigus' mind remained full of unanswered questions as he was knocked out from this critical attack.
Then…he awakened thanks to the Reviver Seed.
Though before he could do anything, a soft but firm paw stepped on his body and pinned him in place.
"Too bad you've shown us earlier about how you can revive, huh? Otherwise, this would have been a great opportunity for a counter-attack."
The complacent voice from behind made Cofagrigus grit his teeth. Memories of a time he wished to forget began to resurface in his mind.
"...how did you find me? Did you notice the substitute I left?"
Cofagrigus took a deep breath to calm himself. Now was not the time to panic. In fact, this was a great opportunity. From what he observed earlier, this Pokemon behind him was the Leader of the whole group outside. If he can convince him to his side with words, maybe this whole situation could turn around to his benefit.
"Oh, that? Yeah, I clearly saw you casting and leaving it there."
"Impossible! I made sure to use it when all of you were looking away!"
"Didn't I say it earlier? I was always here."
"What do you…?"
Cofagrigus turned his head and gave a questioning look to the Zorua behind him. He saw the white fox smirk, before his body blurred and another Zorua appeared.
Suddenly, everything dawned on Cofagrigus.
"So that's it. When did you- ah. Was it after you were attacked by Regieleki?"
"You're quite sharp. But then again, I guess that's to be expected from someone who could do something like this."
Dante glanced around this scifi-like room. When he saw Cofagrigus operate the computer-like, orange stone, he was struck speechless. How come this fantasy world began to turn into scifi?!
At the same time, he started to understand the reason how such a weak Pokemon was able to control and command the five Regis.
"And after making an illusion of yourself, you stood hidden and watched the battle from the sidelines. From what you said earlier, I'm guessing you were right beside me."
"For someone about to get arrested, you sure are awfully calm."
"Would resistance be of any use? Your team members defeated five Legendary Pokemon with ease. As their Leader, I doubt I can resist someone as powerful as you."
Cofagrigus internally smirked when the pressure behind him loosened. Flattery really can get you anywhere. This Zorua may be strong, but like all Pokemon, he is just as equally stupid and gullible. Deceiving him to join his side is proving to be more and more viable.