Chapter 1059: Escape from the Mirage Tower

Seeing the increasing intensity of the two Pokémon, Yuga quickly said to Darkrai, "We have no intention of provoking you. We just want you to tell us how to leave the Mirage Tower."

"Dark!"

Indeed, Darkrai was as rebellious as Cresselia described. It felt that it had been provoked by Absol and declared that it would only let Yuga and the others leave if Absol could defeat it.

The pride of Darkrai, being a Dark-type Pokémon, and Absol's determination were evident. Darkrai felt its authority was being challenged, while Absol refused to bow down in the presence of any Pokémon, even a powerful Legendary.

"Yuga, what does Darkrai mean?" As the atmosphere grew tenser, May couldn't help but ask Yuga.

Yuga, seeing Darkrai's resolute attitude, truthfully informed May, "Darkrai means that only if Absol defeats it will it be willing to let us leave."

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat at this news. Ash directly shouted at Darkrai, "Darkrai, we just want to leave here. Please don't be angry."

However, Darkrai remained unmoved by Ash's words and continued to focus intently on Mega Absol.

Darkrai could sense that Absol's strength was inferior to its own, yet it felt an unshakable sense of danger when facing Absol. To understand the source of this danger, it was fixated on battling Absol. Darkrai's rebellious nature meant it would not ignore the threat and let them leave.

"Darkrai, you should know that Absol is not your opponent. We do not wish to offend you, so please be merciful," Yuga continued to persuade, thinking Darkrai was simply being prideful.

But Darkrai's patience was wearing thin. Seeing Yuga's prolonged negotiation and reluctance to let Absol fight, it launched an attack with Dark Pulse.

Boom!!!

Mega Absol reacted swiftly, leaping out of the way of Dark Pulse as the once elegant floor of the palace cracked under the impact.

Darkrai initiated the attack, and Mega Absol was not one to sit idly by. It accepted the challenge without fear.

In mid-air, Mega Absol's claws glowed white as it struck towards the floating Darkrai with a Night Slash.

Darkrai's reaction speed was equally impressive. It slightly shifted to the side to avoid Mega Absol's attack, then countered with a Shadow Claw, sending Mega Absol crashing to the ground.

"Absol!"

Mega Absol let out a cry as it slammed onto the floor, causing the polished floor to crack further.

"Absol, Swords Dance!"

Seeing that the battle between Mega Absol and Darkrai was inevitable, Yuga grit his teeth and commanded Absol to fight.

Mega Absol quickly recovered and surrounded itself with blue glowing swords. As Darkrai's Dark Pulse attacked again, Mega Absol leaped just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Absol, continue Swords Dance," Yuga instructed. He knew that in terms of raw strength, Absol couldn't win, so he had to grasp every possible chance to win.

Watching the fierce battle between Mega Absol and Darkrai, May nervously asked Luvia, "Luvia, is Yuga going to be alright?"

Before Luvia could answer, Max hurriedly said, "He'll be fine. Yuga has defeated Rayquaza before. Darkrai should be no problem."

Max didn't know if he truly believed in Yuga or if he was just trying to comfort himself, but his constant fidgeting showed his anxiety.

Ash had full confidence in Yuga. Even though he didn't understand the significance of "Yuga defeating Rayquaza," it didn't prevent him from believing in Yuga's abilities.

"Yes, Mr. Yuga will definitely win. I believe in him!"

Luvia, listening to the children's conversation, remained silent. She wasn't as optimistic as Ash and Max.

She had seen the video of Yuga's battle with Rayquaza. In the video, Rayquaza was defeated not only with the help of the mysterious Pokémon (Deoxys) but also because Yuga had a large number of Pokémon attacking it.

However, this time Absol was fighting Darkrai one-on-one.

Even though Darkrai might not be as strong as Rayquaza, the odds of Absol winning were still less than one percent.

If Yuga and Absol were defeated, given Darkrai's unpredictable nature, they might be trapped in the Mirage Tower for life.

Meanwhile, Jessie and James, hiding behind Luvia, were chattering anxiously.

"Hey, James, do you think that Yuga really stands a chance?" Jessie asked worriedly.

James responded uncertainly, "I don't know. I just know he's very strong."

Jessie hit him with annoyance, "That's no help. How does he compare to Champion Steven?"

James said, "It should be about the same, or maybe a bit stronger than Steven? Hmm… probably."

Jessie immediately became excited and said, "Really? Is it that powerful? Then we don't have to worry." In Jessie's mind, besides Giovanni, the Champion was the strongest.

"Hey, don't you think Yuga is a bit handsome?" Jessie suddenly remarked, staring at Yuga who was calmly commanding Mega Absol in battle.

James: …

Meowth: …

Your reaction is just like when you heard Steven was from the Devon Corporation!

Seeing James and Meowth looking at her strangely, Jessie awkwardly said, "Haha… I'm just joking… Haha… joking… Haha…"

Meanwhile, under Darkrai's relentless attacks, Mega Absol finally completed three rounds of Swords Dance and reached its peak.

At this moment, Darkrai used Mean Look on Mega Absol. But after Mega Evolving, Absol's ability changed from Pressure to Magic Mirror, which prevented it from being affected by opponent's status moves and reflected the effects back.

As a result, Darkrai was caught in its own Mean Look, and when it attacked Mega Absol again, it used a dud move.

"Absol, Stone Edge!" Yuga seized the opportunity and commanded Mega Absol.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Countless stone blades shot towards the dazed Darkrai, controlled by Mega Absol.

"Dark!"

The pain made Darkrai extremely angry. It roared and used Growl.

Although Growl was a low-level move, when used by a Legendary Pokémon, it was different. The black sound waves surged towards Mega Absol, affecting even Yuga, who was knocked to the ground.

Outside the battle, Lovia and the others couldn't help but cover their ears.

The sound waves caused Mega Absol to stumble and fall, but it quickly got up and resumed its attack on Darkrai. The stone blades, even more dense and sharp than before, rained down on the frenzied Darkrai.

Darkrai's eyes glowed purple as it extended an arm forward, stopping all the stone blades aimed at it.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

With a wave of its arm, Darkrai sent all the stone blades it controlled back towards Mega Absol.

"Absol!"

Mega Absol cried out as it was knocked down once more.

"Absol!" Yuga ran anxiously to Mega Absol's side, calling out worriedly.

Seeing Mega Absol's dire state, Jessie, who had been previously reassured, said, "Hey, hey, this looks bad. Can we still leave? I really don't want to go through another nightmare like before."

Meowth scratched Jessie with dissatisfaction, "Jessie, stop causing trouble. This is a tense moment."

Jessie, now very nervous, didn't pay much attention to Meowth's "disrespectful" scratch. Otherwise, Meowth would usually have received a good scolding.

Seeing Mega Absol severely injured, Darkrai did not stop its attack. It brought its hands together, preparing to use Dark Pulse for a follow-up attack.

At this moment, Yuga was next to Mega Absol. As Darkrai's Dark Pulse was about to hit Mega Absol, Yuga quickly dashed out.

Boom!

Dark Pulse hit Mega Absol.

"Absol!" Yuga shouted in despair.

Just then, dark energy surged around Mega Absol. A black sphere shot out from its forehead and hovered above its head, turning Absol's previously white fur into black, making it look like a dark demon.

Yuga recognized the black sphere as an Unknown Seed. It had turned black inside Absol, transforming it from a pure Normal-type to a pure Dark-type.

"Absol!"

Mega Absol let out a long howl, then leaped into the air, quickly bringing Darkrai down.

Mega Absol's front paws pressed down on Darkrai's arms. As Darkrai struggled, Mega Absol lowered its head, bringing their foreheads together, with the Unknown Seed floating between them.

A humming sound filled the air as Darkrai felt an intense suction on its forehead. Its strength and energy began to drain away rapidly. What could have easily been a struggle against Absol now became a futile effort.

Realizing that the true threat was not Absol but the unknown object inside it, Darkrai suddenly regretted not letting them go earlier.

Although Yuga did not understand exactly what was happening, he could see that Darkrai was being suppressed. At this moment, Mismagius, Gengar, and Mimikyu returned, informing Yuga that they had found the exit.

It turned out that Yuga had secretly sent Gengar, Mismagius, and Mimikyu to find the exit as soon as he entered. The battle with Darkrai and Absol was meant to draw Darkrai's attention away.

Since Cresselia had warned that Darkrai was difficult to handle, Yuga had prepared for a backup plan. After failing to negotiate with Darkrai, he had no choice but to act to avoid being trapped in the Mirage Tower.

Originally, Yuga had planned to release other Pokémon to attack Darkrai after finding the exit, then escape. Unexpectedly, the Unknown Seed came to the rescue.

"Absol, we're leaving!" Yuga commanded Absol.

Mega Absol quickly jumped off Darkrai, coming to Yuga's side. Darkrai, unable to move, was unable to stop them.

Yuga rode Mega Absol to where Lovia and the others were, letting Ash, Brock, and Max climb onto Absol. He released Sawsbuck to carry Lovia and May, and the group began to flee.

"Hey, what about us!"

"Take us with you!"

Jessie and James shouted at the same time.

"Gengar, Mismagius, take them along," Yuga instructed as he urged Mega Absol forward.

Gengar and Mismagius quickly picked up Jessie, James, and Meowth, and followed Yuga's group. They ran so fast that they didn't even notice what happened to Darkrai.

Under the guidance of Mimikyu, Yuga and the others reached the deepest part of the palace and found an inconspicuous statue.

Mega Absol smashed the statue with a swipe of its paw, revealing a blue vortex.

"Is this the exit?" Yuga asked Mimikyu.

Mimikyu nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, let's go in." Yuga then led Mega Absol into the blue vortex, followed by Sawsbuck, Gengar, and Mismagius.

After a dizzying swirl, Yuga, Ash, Brock, and Max, along with Mega Absol, tumbled into a soft yellow sand. The blue vortex continued to emit Sawsbuck, Lovia, and May, among others.

Once everyone and the Pokémon were out, the vortex slowly disappeared.

Breathing the hot air outside, Ash cheered, "We made it out, great!"

Max, still shaken, asked, "Did Darkrai follow us?"

Brock looked around. Apart from the vast yellow sand, there was neither the Mirage Tower nor the blue vortex. He shook his head and replied, "It should not have followed us."

Darkrai: "Damn it, I can't even move!"

Yuga's first task after escaping was to check on Mega Absol.

"Absol, are you alright?"

Mega Absol, having reverted from Mega Evolution, shook its head to show it was fine. Not only was it fine, but it also felt full of energy, and even the injuries it had sustained earlier were gone.

At this point, May asked in confusion, "Where are we now? This doesn't look like the place we entered the Mirage Tower from."

The group, still immersed in their escape, was momentarily stunned: Where exactly are they now?

(End of Chapter)