Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
"Calm down. Zoroark's illusion techniques are powerful, but maintaining an illusion that traps so many people at once definitely isn't easy. Unfortunately, The Grimoire of Dark Spirits only mentions the method of breaking it with Mind's Eye. Otherwise, I wouldn't be this passive right now."
Seeing the wounds on Tentacruel's body increasing, Sato felt extremely anxious. But he could only force himself to stay calm and desperately think of a way to break the illusion.
Tentacruel's condition was becoming increasingly dire. Although Aqua Ring continued to heal his injuries, the healing speed simply couldn't keep up with the rate at which new wounds appeared. If this continued, Tentacruel would collapse on his own even without Zoroark delivering the final blow.
In the end, Sato still failed to break free from Zoroark's illusion, and Tentacruel fell into complete confusion within the illusionary world. Eventually, he ended up seriously injuring himself.
However, just as Tentacruel was about to lose the ability to fight, Zoroark—under Hughes' command—lifted the illusion. In an instant, the scene before everyone's eyes shattered like countless fragments of glass, revealing the real battlefield.
"Finish the opponent, Zoroark. Use Dark Pulse."
As soon as everyone returned to reality, Hughes immediately ordered Zoroark to deliver the final blow.
Hearing the command, Zoroark erupted with powerful Dark-type energy. A black shockwave burst from its mouth and shot forward.
Tentacruel was already covered in injuries. After being struck by the attack, he could no longer endure it. He collapsed to the ground, completely losing his ability to battle.
"Gulp… Th-this is unbelievable! Contestant Hughes' Zoroark has easily defeated contestant Tyler's Tentacruel! Let's give them a round of applause!"
The referee, who had been stunned, finally shook himself awake after witnessing Tentacruel's defeat by Dark Pulse. When he looked at Zoroark again, fear was visible in his eyes. After swallowing nervously several times, he mustered the courage to announce the result.
Unfortunately, the arena fell silent.
Most of the spectators, like the referee, were still shaken from having been trapped inside the illusion. As a result, many now looked at Zoroark with fear.
Although the illusion only lasted five or six minutes in reality, for those trapped inside it, it felt as though they had been imprisoned somewhere for more than an hour.
"Looks like I overdid it… I should probably avoid letting him battle in public too often. This really damages my image."
Seeing that the audience reacted with fear instead of applause, Hughes smiled bitterly in his heart.
Zoroark's battles were always like this. If the audience wasn't pulled into the illusion, defeating the opponent inside the illusion became much more difficult. After all, spectators would unconsciously give subtle hints to the opponent during battle.
But once everyone was dragged into the illusion, they inevitably suffered its mental effects and would almost certainly experience some psychological shock.
Meanwhile, Sato had also just freed himself from the illusion. Immediately, he used the system's scanning ability on Zoroark. When he saw the Pokémon's information, his expression darkened.
"No wonder this Zoroark's illusion ability is so powerful—even I, a beginner-level Psychic, couldn't break free. As expected, this guy comes from a family with money to burn. Looks like I'm probably going to lose this one."
.....
Zoroark's Data
Pokémon: Zoroark
Level: 55
Type: Dark
Ability: Illusion
Gender: Male
Known Moves: Night Slash, Dark Pulse, Imprison, U-turn, Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, Hone Claws, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Scary Face, Taunt, Foul Play, Torment, Agility, Embargo, Punishment, Nasty Plot, Fake Tears
Egg Moves: Dark Pulse, Snatch
Tutor Moves: Sucker Punch, Throat Chop, Thief, Snarl, Parting Shot, Knock Off
TM Moves: Protect, Hyper Beam, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Flamethrower, Torment, Facade, Low Kick, Focus Blast, Fling, Shadow Claw, Payback, Giga Impact, Swords Dance, Substitute, Bounce
Held Item: Darkrai's Nightmare Crystal
IVs:
HP: 30 (31)
Attack: 31 (31)
Defense: 29 (31)
Sp. Atk: 30 (31)
Sp. Def: 29 (31)
Speed: 31 (31)
Overall IV Rating: Gold (Total IV: 180)
.....
After seeing the data, Sato knew that losing wouldn't be shameful. His opponent had clearly been hiding his true strength earlier. Now, in order to secure victory, he shamelessly brought out a high-level Pokémon to suppress him.
The most terrifying part was that this Zoroark not only had excellent talent and a high level, but it was also carrying a complete Nightmare Crystal.
Sato himself had once obtained such an item before, so he fully understood how powerful it was.
But the rarity of this item was beyond question. He himself had only obtained it through sheer luck—and after narrowly surviving a life-and-death battle with a Darkrai.
Meanwhile, this Trainer named Hughes clearly came from a wealthy background—likely a rich second-generation heir, perhaps even a direct descendant of some major family.
.....
Item Data
Item: Darkrai's Nightmare Crystal
Effects:
i) Greatly increases the power of Dark-type movesii) Absorbs nightmares; the holder becomes immune to sleep effects
iii) Illusion Insight — the holder permanently possesses the effect of Foresight
iv) Stealth — allows the holder to transform into a shadow
Restriction: Unless a Pokémon possesses strong dream-manipulation abilities, non-Dark-type Pokémon cannot use it.
Description: A mysterious crystal formed within Darkrai's body. Though only a fragment, it still contains immense nightmare energy, granting many extraordinary powers.
.....
Sato suspected that Zoroark's terrifying illusion abilities were largely due to its mastery of the Nightmare Crystal's power.
The nightmare energy inside the crystal could silently drag people into nightmare illusions. In the hands of Zoroark—a master illusionist capable of manipulating illusions as easily as breathing—its potential was naturally amplified.
The illusion Tentacruel experienced earlier was almost certainly created by Zoroark using the crystal's nightmare energy. Sato guessed that Tentacruel had faced its deepest fears inside the illusion, which was why it had panicked so badly.
"Nightmare Crystal… that reminds me of another possible way to counter Zoroark. Unfortunately, Misdreavus is still too weak—and it's at a type disadvantage. I don't have any powerful Dark-type Pokémon either. So that method won't work for now."
After recalling the crystal's properties, Sato's eyes lit up briefly before he sighed helplessly.
"But I still have one chance. The odds are small, but it's worth trying. If it works, I won't have to fear this Zoroark in the future."
Even though he knew the chances of victory were slim, Sato remained calm. He recalled Tentacruel and quickly pulled another PokéBall from his belt.
In truth, aside from Psychic power, Sato possessed access to another mysterious force. Though he himself didn't wield it directly, he could still draw upon it through one of his Pokémon.
That power was Aura.
Unlike Psychic power, which was mental energy, Aura was a powerful spiritual force. It was especially effective against illusions that preyed on fear.
Moreover, Aura possessed a unique detection ability. All things in the world contained Aura. As long as Zoroark possessed Aura within its body, anyone capable of sensing Aura could detect its true presence.
Among Sato's Pokémon, the only one capable of using Aura was Blastoise.
After evolving from Squirtle and undergoing intense training, Blastoise's Aura power had grown tremendously. While his mastery wasn't perfect yet, he had long passed the beginner stage. Now he could easily sense all living beings within a radius of more than ten meters.
Unfortunately, Blastoise was only Level 36. Compared to Zoroark's Level 55, the gap in strength was enormous. The chance of winning was extremely slim.
Sato sent him out mainly to test whether Aura could break Zoroark's illusions. If it worked, he would have a way to deal with this troublesome opponent in the future.
Sato had a vague feeling that in next year's Hoenn League Conference, he might very well face this rich young Trainer named Hughes again.
"I'm counting on you, Blastoise. Prepare to battle!"
With that thought, Sato's heart burned with determination. Full of anticipation, he threw the PokéBall into the arena and shouted loudly.