"Go, everyone!"
Summer tossed out all his Poké Balls, and in an instant, four Pokémon emerged, surrounding the eerie Hisuian Zoroark. No matter what, he wouldn't let this one escape.
The illusion it had shown him had been horrifying, but the frigid air helped cool his anger. He quickly refocused. Zoroark was known as the Embodiment of Hatred, yet there was no reason for it to suddenly trap an entire village in a nightmarish illusion.
Thinking back to the mysterious figure controlling Darkrai, Summer wondered—was Zoroark also being manipulated? If he could capture it, he might just get a lead on that person's identity.
Rillaboom slammed its drum into the snowy ground, sensing something odd—an overwhelming sadness radiating from the foxlike Pokémon.
Ogerpon adjusted its Hearthflame Mask, the fire behind it flaring up. This thing was strong… but Ogerpon needed to be scarier.
Milotic felt Summer's thoughts and let out a soft melody, sending a dense mist drifting through the air.
Corviknight narrowed its eyes. What kind of creepy thing is this? It had seen some weird Ghost-types before, but this one? This one takes the cake.
Despite being outnumbered, Zoroark stood tall, calm… and then unleashed its greatest illusion.
Three Nightmares
Rillaboom froze. It was no longer on the battlefield.
Instead, it was back to when it was a Grookey—the day it first met Summer. But something was wrong. Summer stood before it, an icy glare of disgust on his face.
"Hmph. Pathetic."
He scoffed, tossing Rillaboom's Poké Ball aside and walking away into the forest.
"You're weak. I don't need you."
Rillaboom tried to run after him, but no matter how fast it chased, the distance only grew greater. Its heart twisted. Was it all just a lie?
Ogerpon whimpered.
It was back in the forest, but no matter how long it searched, Summer was nowhere to be found.
It waited. Days turned into months. The seasons changed—green leaves turned golden, then white with frost, then back again.
Then, finally—finally—Summer appeared.
Ogerpon ran forward, arms wide, ready to embrace him—
But Summer's hand shoved it away.
"…You really thought I'd come back?" His voice was cold. "That was just a joke. You actually believed it? You're so gullible."
The entire world shattered. Ogerpon felt like it had been stabbed in the heart.
Had it waited for nothing?
Corviknight paled.
It was standing before Summer and Swanna, another Flying-type from the forest.
Summer was grinning, patting the bird's wings affectionately.
"…After talking it over with everyone in the forest, Corviknight, we've made a decision."
He clapped a hand on Corviknight's back.
"You're getting married."
"WHAT?!?!"
Corviknight's heart stopped.
Summer continued, completely serious.
"Swanna is a great match for you. I've even got your mother's blessing."
Corviknight's pupils dilated.
"WAIT, MOTHER SAID WHAT?!"
Back in reality, Hisuian Zoroark smirked. No one could escape its illusions—
CRACK!
A beam of ice struck Zoroark dead center in the chest, sending a wave of numbing cold through its body.
It staggered back, eyes wide with disbelief.
How?!
It turned its head—Milotic's golden gaze pierced through the mist.
Unlike the others, it had not fallen for the illusion.
A gentle but firm anger burned in Milotic's eyes. It had sensed the despair from its teammates—their pain, confusion, and fear.
And that… was unforgivable.
Milotic let out a soft cry—
"I'm here."
At that moment, three voices echoed across three separate nightmares.
The illusions collapsed instantly.
Rillaboom, Ogerpon, and Corviknight gasped as their real memories returned.
That's right. Summer would never abandon them.
Their bonds were real.
They would never break.
A deep dread settled into Zoroark's bones.
They escaped again? No… all three at once?!
And they were furious.
Rillaboom tightened its grip on its drumsticks.
For the first time, it felt the urge to unleash its full power—to make the world tremble with sound.
Ogerpon's flames flared wildly, crystalline energy surrounding it.
It was choosing to Terastallize.
It would let this wicked creature feel the true wrath of Ogerpon!
Corviknight's feathers bristled.
That damn fox.
It would shave every last strand of its fur clean off.
For the first time in ages, Hisuian Zoroark felt fear.
It was about to make a run for it—
"OOOOOOOOHHHHH!!"
Zoroark howled into the sky, and suddenly, the ground beneath it turned pitch black.
"Darkrai?!" Summer's eyes narrowed. "It really is working with them—don't let it escape!"
Before they could attack, Milotic snapped its head up.
"…Something else is coming."
Summer barely had time to react—
Five separate attacks came rushing toward him.
A wave of water.
A burst of lightning.
A storm of leaves.
A pillar of fire.
A slash of wind.
Rillaboom countered the thunder and leaves, Corviknight blocked the water and wind, and Milotic neutralized the flames.
By the time they looked up—
The attackers were gone.
Meanwhile, Ogerpon's fiery club came crashing down on the frozen Zoroark—
But a shadow leapt from the ground.
A blackened claw stretched out, intercepting the attack just in time.
The owner of the claw winced in pain.
Zoroark immediately sank into the shadow, and its rescuer—
A tall, ghostly figure with glowing blue eyes—stood in its place.
Long, wispy white hair billowed unnaturally. The jagged red collar around its neck flared like monstrous fangs.
There was no mistaking it.
Darkrai.
It shook its injured claw, the burn marks slowly fading. One side of its shadowy cloak was ripped and tattered. Its breathing was uneven.
It was already wounded.
Summer's eyes sharpened.
But Darkrai didn't linger.
As if sensing its ally's escape, it dissolved into the darkness, vanishing into the shadows.
"…What a cheat of an ability," Summer muttered as he watched the rapidly freezing ground where Darkrai once stood.
Still, he clenched his fists.
At least one thing was now certain.
Darkrai and Zoroark were working together.
The moment they disappeared, the villagers finally awoke, their horrific nightmares ending at last.
Rei groaned as he clutched his head, staggering upright. "Ugh… Haven't seen those memories in a while…"
He glanced at Summer's Pokémon, still poised for battle.
"…Wait. Did you fight it off?"
Summer nodded. "Yeah."
Rei let out a hollow laugh. "Figures… That Zoroark's illusions are among the worst. Only someone with an unshakable will could break through it."
Before Summer could reply—
A sudden tremor shook the village.
Both turned their heads toward the mountains.
Snow and ice came crashing down from the peaks.
Rei's face paled.
"That direction—" He clenched his fists.
"…That's Snowpoint Temple."