Dark Sonata

"What… is this?" From the audience, Biscuit suddenly straightened in her seat. A look of genuine surprise flashed across her face.

Larry stood completely still, untouched by the attack. Around him, a translucent green barrier shimmered, wrapping his body in a perfect sphere of protection. Every tennis ball that touched the barrier was immediately rejected, bouncing off with no effect. No flames. No paralysis. No frostbite. Nothing. Sally could only watch in horror as her entire strategy unraveled before her eyes. Her "inescapable net" had been rendered completely useless.

Hidden within Larry's shadow, Gengar had been watching the battlefield the entire time. The instant the attack came, it had activated Protect, creating an impenetrable shield around Larry. Not a single attack could break through. And Gengar wasn't the only one. Every Pokémon under Larry's command could instantly cast Protect at any time. 

The battle had already been decided the moment Sally launched her attack. She just didn't know it yet. As the last tennis ball bounced harmlessly off the barrier, Sally's shoulders slumped. She understood now. She couldn't win.

"That's… a very effective defensive ability." Biscuit exhaled slowly, her sharp eyes analyzing the still-intact barrier.

With one simple move, Larry had completely shut down her offense. Her trap failed. Her hidden technique failed. Her strategy failed. And now, It was his turn to attack.

As the green barrier slowly faded, Larry tilted his head slightly, a playful smirk forming on his lips. "After all those tennis balls…" His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge of amusement in his tone. "I think it's only fair that I return the favor, don't you?"

Sally's pupils shrank. A cold chill ran down her spine. She opened her mouth, She wanted to surrender. But, She was 

Larry raised his hand, and without hesitation, unleashed a flurry of attacks. A ghostly, eerie flame, Will-O-Wisp. A surge of crackling electricity, Thunderbolt. A freezing gust of wind, Ice Wind. 

Each one was a perfect mirror of Sally's own tennis ball effects. Fire for burns. Electricity for paralysis. Cold for frostbite. She had wanted to inflict status effects on him. Now she would experience them herself. This was true reciprocity.

"BOOM!" Explosions of fire, lightning, and ice tore through the air. Sally's body convulsed, unable to withstand the onslaught. Her vision blurred, Her knees buckled, and then She collapsed.

As the dust settled, Sally lay motionless on the ground. Her body bore clear signs of the attack, scorch marks from the ghostly flames, residual electric currents sparking across her limbs, a thin layer of frost clinging to her skin. Occasionally, her body twitched involuntarily from the lingering effects of Thunderbolt. But she was alive. Unlike a certain overconfident shark, she had only been knocked out.

The referee rushed onto the stage, raising his hand as he made the official call. "Winner, Larry!" 

Medics quickly moved in, carefully lifting Sally's unconscious body to take her off for treatment. She would recover, but it would take months before she could fight again.

Many in the audience had expected the so-called "Invincible" to finally fall before the might of the "Queen of Tennis." But no one had anticipated just how quickly the tides would turn.

The moment Sally's attack was neutralized, the battle had already been decided. Countless tennis balls had slammed against that inexplicable barrier, unable to break through, while their wielder collapsed helplessly onto the ground.

For the spectators, the shift had been so sudden that many were still processing what had happened.

"What just… happened?"

"Wasn't Larry supposed to dodge? What was that shield?!"

"Wait… Sally lost?"

The moment reality sank in, the stadium erupted.

"Invincible! Invincible! Invincible!"

The chants shook the very walls of the Sky Arena. Larry had done it again. Of course, not everyone was thrilled. For those who had bet against him, the result was a nightmare. Many sat in stunned silence, their expressions blank as if their souls had left their bodies.

A stark contrast to those cheering and laughing, the ones who had believed in the Invincible from the start. With two consecutive victories against Floor Masters, Larry's reputation was unstoppable. It was no longer just hype, He had proven that he deserved the title "Invincible."

With his victory confirmed, Larry left the ring, heading toward the passage he had entered from. But as he walked, his expression darkened slightly. Waiting for him in the dimly lit corridor was a certain nuisance."Yo! Complete victory~" Hisoka leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, a smug grin curving his lips.

The dim lighting cast deep shadows over his features, making his already unsettling makeup even more ominous. Larry didn't pause or acknowledge him, he simply walked past without a second glance. He had no interest in dealing with people like Hisoka. But, of course, Hisoka wasn't offended. If anything, he was amused. He chuckled, watching Larry with hungry eyes, his voice dripping with amusement. "How about giving me a contact number?~" Hisoka's coquettish tone carried through the quiet hallway. "I might need your help later."

Larry's steps suddenly halted. Hisoka needing his help? 

That was new. For a moment, Larry was genuinely surprised. But then, it clicked. There was something he can get from Hisoka. Dark Sonata. 

Larry remembered the Hunter x Hunter movie involving the cursed sheet music, a piece of lore that didn't appear in the main story but held fascinating implications. If that's what Hisoka meant… Then maybe, just maybe, this could be useful.

Behind him, Hisoka's lips curled. The moment Larry paused, he knew he had hooked him. 

A few minutes later…

When Larry finally left, Hisoka was left standing alone in the passageway. The smile on his lips remained, but his eyelids lowered slightly as he exhaled. "Ah… Dark Sonata, huh?" Hisoka's tone held a rare trace of mild annoyance.

"I'm quite busy right now, you know…~" Larry, now far away from the scene, smirked to himself. 'You want my help, Hisoka? Sure. But I don't work for free.' Larry had no need for money. His demands were simple, information on Dark Sonata. He didn't care which chapter Hisoka found, as long as it was authentic.

His true goal?

To see if Gengar could absorb the death aura from the Sonata.

If it worked How much experience would Gengar gain? How much power would it unlock?

This was the real prize Larry was after.

And Hisoka?

Well, for once, the clown had homework. Even for him, finding traces of Dark Sonata wouldn't be easy. But he also wasn't stupid. If he tried to scam Larry or back out of the deal, he knew exactly what would happen.