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"Another new Pokémon? It looks so incredible! I want to catch one too!" Alexis gazed at the Zoroark with sparkling eyes, his excitement clearly visible.
"Let's look around afterward to see if there are any more nearby," Roy said, sensing the Dark-type aura radiating from Zoroark. As a Ghost-type Elite, he naturally felt drawn to such a powerful presence.
However, this was Chris's discovery, and it was only right that Chris should have the chance to capture it. Roy could only hope that there might be other members of the same species in the surrounding area.
Against the cave wall, Zoroark's pristine white mane flowed dramatically, shimmering with illusory energy that danced in the turbulent winds. The crimson tips of its fur resembled maple leaves caught in an autumn breeze, creating an oddly beautiful yet unsettling sight.
Sharp claws sliced through the swirling energy currents as the Pokémon dropped all pretense of hiding.
Golden eyes flashed with determination as Zoroark activated Agility, wind gathering beneath its feet as its white form shot forward with incredible speed.
Within just two steps, Zoroark's single form multiplied—one became two, then two became four.
Four identical Zoroarks charged toward Mega Tyranitar from different angles, their coordination perfect.
"Double Team?" Chris muttered, his brow furrowing in concentration. He couldn't distinguish which was the real Zoroark using his psychic abilities.
This difficulty stemmed partly from Chris's limited experience with his psychic powers, but it was also due to Zoroark's exceptional mastery of illusion techniques. Unlike ordinary Pokémon, this one's deceptions weren't easily seen through.
After all, this was a Zoroark that had been imprisoned for at least two thousand years. How could an ordinary trainer compare to a fox that had perfected its craft over two millennia?
"Use Snarl!" Chris commanded decisively.
"BANGIRA!" Mega Tyranitar roared, and waves of gray Dark-type energy spread outward in all directions, carried by the powerful sound waves.
One Zoroark immediately vanished like dissipating smoke—clearly just a Double Team copy.
Another Zoroark became translucent but maintained its form, transforming into what appeared to be Ghost-type energy while still resembling Zoroark. It continued charging forward with a haunting cry—this seemed to be an illusion masking an attacking move.
The remaining two Zoroarks pressed through the Snarl attack, approaching from left and right. Their claws glowed with white energy as they prepared to strike with the Fighting-type move Brick Break.
"Bang! Bang!"
Both Zoroarks crossed paths across Mega Tyranitar's chest, their sharp claws leaving an "X" pattern of deep scratches.
One of the attacking Zoroarks shattered immediately after landing its blow, revealing it had been a Substitute all along.
Meanwhile, the Ghost-type energy attack—whose illusion had been partially disrupted by Snarl—arrived moments later, striking with tremendous force.
Mega Tyranitar tried to endure the intense pain and raise its arms to block, but before it could move, two black claws suddenly emerged from its own shadow, gripping its hands firmly and preventing any movement.
Shadow Sneak!
"BOOM!"
The energy attack connected directly. The dark armor plating on Mega Tyranitar's body immediately cracked and shattered, radiating outward from the "X" pattern on its chest. The intense damage forced it out of its Mega Evolution instantly.
The quadruple-effective Brick Break had connected twice in sequence, meaning Tyranitar had effectively taken eight times the normal damage! The final Ghost-type impact served as the finishing blow.
Tyranitar was defeated in a single devastating combination, losing its ability to battle immediately.
"Incredible!" Chris couldn't help but express his admiration. As expected from a two-thousand-year-old fox—it was powerful, intelligent, and employed ruthlessly effective battle tactics. He estimated its strength to be at least at the Champion level.
"You did well," Chris said gently as he quickly retrieved a Poké Ball to recall Tyranitar. While his Pokémon's strength was still far below Zoroark's level, it had fought admirably.
The fact that Zoroark had withstood Snarl twice, survived a Dark-type Z-Move like Black Hole Eclipse, used a Substitute technique, and still remained standing was truly remarkable.
In Chris's experience, Zoroark from the Hisui region typically had lower base stats than ordinary Zoroark, following more of a fast special attacker build rather than a tank.
He selected another Poké Ball and released its occupant.
Silver light flashed as azure torrents of water appeared simultaneously. Chris had decided to end this battle using Greninja, another Pokémon with Dark typing.
The moment it emerged, surging light blue water spiraled skyward from beneath its feet as Greninja completed its transformation into its special form.
Greninja appeared in Chris's unique variant form, with flowing water effects and large Water Shurikens forming on its back.
Upon seeing Greninja, Zoroark's gaze suddenly intensified, its golden eyes blazing like miniature suns.
It sensed something—the presence of an enemy!
Instantly, with Zoroark at the center, weak air currents began spreading in all directions. These currents moved like waves, like an artist's brush, painting the surroundings with pale Ghost-type energy.
In the blink of an eye, the cave transformed into a mountaintop altar. White clouds drifted in the distance while the setting sun gradually descended toward the horizon. At the altar's center stood a magnificent statue of Arceus, radiating divine presence.
Zoroark positioned itself before Arceus, staring directly at the legendary Pokémon! On either side of its body, two portal-like black holes opened, and suddenly two figures broke through space to emerge.
One was Palkia, but it had lost both arms and grown hooves instead, wearing a knight's helmet on its head like some sort of centaur warrior.
The other Pokémon had a more compact, muscular build with its tail tucked close to its body. Azure gemstones adorned its chest, and it wore a knight's helmet as well—this was clearly Dialga, but in an unfamiliar form.
"Why do these two Pokémon look so similar to the Palkia and Dialga I've seen in the Pokédex?" Alexis asked in amazement. "Could it be that they also have special regional forms like that Typhlosion we encountered?"
Roy shook his head slightly. He wasn't a researcher specializing in Legendary Pokémon, so he had no expertise regarding Palkia and Dialga's various forms. He figured he'd need to consult with Senior Lian about this matter when they returned.
"These are their Origin Formes," Chris said quietly, recognizing the transformed appearances immediately.
However, he wasn't overly concerned about the situation.
He didn't believe Zoroark could actually summon these two powerful deities. If it possessed such ability, who could have possibly used it as a guardian stone to imprison it here for two thousand years?
Checking his Pokémon's status screen, Chris noticed a condition he'd never seen before listed under Greninja's current state.
[Phantom King Field: Caught in Illusion]
This confirmed that the Origin Forme Palkia and Dialga before them were indeed elaborate illusions.
However, Chris found himself intrigued by the phrase "King Field" within the Phantom King Field description.
Could this Zoroark be an ancient king-level Pokémon, similar to his own Gengar?
It seemed quite possible. Illusions were typically constructed based on things the user had actually witnessed. Ordinary Pokémon would never have such opportunities, but if this was indeed an ancient king—a powerful being who had received power directly from Arceus—it would certainly be possible for it to have encountered Palkia and Dialga in their true forms.
If this theory proved correct, then this Zoroark would be even more valuable to capture and train than he had initially thought.