The Lunar Pokémon and Moltres clashed violently within the clouds. Silver radiance and blazing fire lit up the entire sky, erupting again and again in thunderous detonations that shook the heavens.
For a moment, it felt as though the world itself were coming to an end.
This was a battle between Legendary Pokémon.
Ordinary Pokémon simply had no hope of standing against such power...
...
Not far away, Aaron noticed the portal suspended in midair.
Countless Pokémon Trainers were emerging from it, along with a Galarian Moltres whose aura was utterly terrifying. It was the first time Aaron had ever seen a Legendary Pokémon.
His eyes widened as he stared at the scene in shock. Was the terrorist organization invading again?!
BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—
"Attention all examinees!"
"Attention all examinees!"
"Emergency alert! All examinees must return to the safety zone immediately!"
"All examinees must return to the safety zone immediately…"
At that moment, Aaron's scoring watch lit up with a chilling red glow, flashing repeatedly as it emitted sharp alarm signals.
Aaron swallowed hard.
Something big was about to happen.
DING—
Just then, a familiar voice echoed in his ears. It was the system, which had been silent for a long time.
"Ding~ Congratulations, you have triggered the Quest: Crush the Symbiosis Society!"
"The Symbiosis Society is advancing aggressively and plotting against Hualis. As Hualis's ultimate prodigy, if there's no audience, who will you show off to in the future!?"
"Crush the Symbiosis Society and successfully show off to complete the Quest…"
"Mission Rewards: One skill from each of your four Pokémon will be directly upgraded to Apotheosis-tier proficiency; Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan Kekkei Genkai ×1…"
"Ding~ Friendly reminder: The Symbiosis Society leader is a Champion-level Pokémon Trainer. There are four Champion-level Pokémon Trainer officers, ten Champion-Class members, and numerous others of varying levels!"
"Hiss…"
Aaron's pupils shrank sharply as he read the mission, and he sucked in a cold breath.
"They've got a Champion-level powerhouse and four more Champion Class officers… How am I supposed to fight a lineup like that?!"
"Isn't this just sending me to my death?!"
But when he looked at the outrageous rewards, his heart began burning with excitement again.
Each of his four Pokémon could have one skill instantly raised to the Apotheosis tier. That meant four Apotheosis-tier skills.
Wait…?
Didn't the system just skip the Ultimate proficiency level altogether…?
Aaron blinked.
Well… whatever. No point complaining about free upgrades.
The temptation was enormous.
And then there was the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan reward, which made his heart race even faster.
The fearsome abilities of the Sharingan were something Aaron had always coveted.
Obito's Kamui, Shisui's Kotoamatsukami, Tsukuyomi… Every one of them was unbelievably powerful.
If he obtained Kotoamatsukami…
Could he use it on Arceus and make it acknowledge him as its master?
Aaron's imagination ran wild.
But the real problem remained. How was he supposed to complete this quest?
With his current strength, defeating the Symbiosis Society's forces was simply impossible.
Unless…
He had a Legendary Pokémon.
But did he?
Hm?
Wait…
Didn't he actually have one?!
A flash of inspiration struck him.
He remembered receiving three Nightmare Stones as a reward earlier. They seemed capable of summoning the Nightmare Pokémon, Darkrai.
Excited, Aaron immediately opened his system inventory. Sure enough, tucked away in a corner were three black stones.
He examined their information.
[Name: Darkrai's Nightmare Stone]
[Description: Upon use, you may summon and receive one instance of assistance from the Nightmare Pokémon—Darkrai]
Aaron's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Hahaha!"
"I, Aaron, am about to show everyone what I can do!"
A spark of excitement flashed in his eyes as he pulled out one of the Nightmare Stones and clenched it tightly in his hand. Then he started toward the portal overhead.
...
Meanwhile, the battle had already begun.
The Symbiosis Society leader, together with all of the organization's members, launched an assault on the Four Defense Corps below.
Although they had no Pokémon, their personal combat strength was far from weak. The Symbiosis Society leader himself possessed Champion-level power, and beneath him were four Champion Class officers.
In contrast, most members of the Four Defense Corps were well below the Champion tier.
Deputy Commander Xander was a peak Gym-Leader level Trainer, while the four corps commanders were mid-stage Gym-Leader Trainers.
The rest were mostly below the Gym-Leader level.
Facing the Symbiosis Society's top combat forces, the outcome was obvious.
Countless soldiers' Pokémon were crushed the moment they collided with the enemy.
Even though the military vastly outnumbered them, the gap in strength was simply too great. It was a completely one-sided battle.
Fortunately, the Symbiosis Society leader and his officers had not yet taken action. If they did, the slaughter would become even more brutal.
High above in midair, one of the Champion Class-level officers—a figure cloaked in black—asked the leader,
"Leader… shouldn't we make our move?"
The Symbiosis Society leader continued gazing into the distance before replying calmly,
"Don't forget our objective. We're here to draw out Hualis's top forces. There's no need to rush…"
"Once Hualis's Champion Trainers arrive, the border defenses will collapse in a single strike."
At that moment, one of the female officers suddenly spoke.
"Leader… do you really trust them?"
"After all, they were among the regions that once took part in the campaign to wipe us out…"
The leader fell silent for a moment before answering.
"For now, we share a common enemy. They will act."
"But once Hualis is destroyed, we will become their next target."
"But aren't we simply using each other?"
"They provided us with advanced technology and methods for capturing Pokémon, allowing us to rise again in just ten short years."
"They've been waiting for this very day."
"Hualis has already grown strong enough to make the other regions wary. If it continues to expand its strength, the balance between regions will eventually be broken."
"That's the last thing they want to see."
"That's why they've been plotting for so long. In truth, they're after Galarian Moltres—and our strength."
"Only Galarian Moltres can hold off Hualis's Protector. Only then will they have the opportunity to act."
The Symbiosis Society leader saw the situation clearly.
But for the sake of rising again…
For the sake of revenge…
None of it mattered.
People could always be replaced. As long as he himself still lived.
A cold glint flashed in the Symbiosis Society leader's eyes.
"Those damned regions…"
"They're nothing but hypocrites."