Strictly speaking, Marshadow, like Shaymin, had two forms—but with a key difference.
Marshadow in its ordinary form is referred to as [Dweller-in-Shadows Marshadow], maintaining its usual pitch-black appearance.
When provoked or attacked, utilizing its unique moves, Marshadow's fighting spirit ignites.
Its heightened battle fervor transforms it into Full-Power Marshadow.
In this state, its headpiece, wrist protrusions, and collar blaze like green and yellow flames.
Marshadow's eyes also glow in this form, though their color remains unchanged.
What was once a monochrome palette of black and yellow now becomes a vibrant interplay of green, yellow, and black.
At this moment, Marshadow is undergoing this transformation, its cotton-candy-like body rippling in waves.
Then, its dark surface is tinged with a bright light, quickly overtaken by increasingly vivid shades of green and yellow, replacing the original black.
At a glance, it seems as though Marshadow has been set ablaze with soulfire, its petite frame now radiant.
Standing in the pitch-black surroundings, it becomes strikingly conspicuous, impossible to overlook.
Akira's eyes reflect the transforming Marshadow, his face betraying a look of astonishment.
He hadn't expected Marshadow to suddenly shift forms, becoming [Full-Power Marshadow].
After a moment's thought, however, Akira realized it must be Don's strength that truly ignited Marshadow's battle lust.
This was the first time it had ever transformed into [Full-Power Marshadow].
In other words, none of the opponents Marshadow had faced before had ever stirred its fighting spirit.
Thinking of Jin, who had been kicked around like a ball by Marshadow, Akira could understand why it was now so fervently excited.
It had finally encountered an opponent worth fighting seriously.
Unlike the delighted Akira, Don—now facing Full-Power Marshadow—felt himself struggling to hold on.
Watching the "black cotton candy" before him turn into "multicolored cotton candy," Don's expression involuntarily fell.
How had it transformed after just a few exchanges?
Though he thought this, Don could only grit his teeth harder, pouring more strength into his arms.
He fought to maintain the stalemate.
Yes, fought—because that was all he could do.
As [Dweller-in-Shadows Marshadow] successfully transitioned into [Full-Power Marshadow], its power had ascended to another level.
This was no longer the evenly matched contest from before.
Others might only sense this shift through Marshadow's aura, but Don was the one who felt it most acutely.
The force pressing against him had unmistakably surged.
"Oh?"
Full-Power Marshadow gazed at Don, who still refused to yield, a glimmer of approval flashing in its fiery eyes.
The radiant hues flowing across its body shimmered like expanding fireworks.
With another slight increase in strength from its tiny hands, Don felt as though a mountain had crashed into him!
"Haah… haah…"
Veins bulged on Don's forehead as his muscles swelled in an instant, unleashing a burst of strength.
His feet spread wide, his body instinctively sinking into a horse-stance-like posture.
He struggled to withstand the overwhelming force.
"Crack, crack—"
A series of popping sounds rang out, followed by excruciating pain shooting through Don's arms.
Under the immense pressure, Full-Power Marshadow had fractured his arms!
Don frowned slightly, not particularly concerned about the injury on his arm, but rather troubled by the full power of Marshadow.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Don decided to retreat for the time being.
In Don's view, his opponent's current state must have a time limit.
As long as he could stall for a while, there was still hope of victory.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted suddenly, sending Don flying backward with tremendous force—though this was exactly what he had intended.
His burly frame soared through the air as Don exerted slight force on his right side, flipping midair with a sudden twist.
He landed steadily on the ground.
His feet sank deep into the soft sand, forming two small pits of quicksand.
Glancing at his hands, now fully restored, Don's expression brightened slightly.
The enhancement in his strength also extended to his regenerative abilities, likely due in part to the traits of a certain [Calamity].
His healing capabilities were now extraordinarily formidable.
From broken bones to complete recovery, it had taken only a few breaths—an astonishing rate of regeneration.
Rotating his wrist, Don scanned his surroundings, his gaze growing exceptionally grave.
At the moment, Marshadow was nowhere to be seen in his field of vision, clearly having retreated into the shadows.
In an instant, Don realized what he needed to do.
His eyes darkened as the patterns on his skin—previously faded—reappeared, branching out like tree roots.
If his Aura had previously been an equal mix of black and white, now the black dominated.
Don's body was now shrouded in black Aura, resembling a humanoid statue sculpted from dark mist from a distance.
The sight sent chills down the spine.
Abruptly, the black energy surged from Don's body toward the ground, spreading in all directions, attempting to engulf every inch of the battlefield.
Akira raised an eyebrow, quietly observing the unfolding battle, roughly able to guess Don's intentions.
He probably intended to use this [Black Mist Aura] to force Marshadow out?
Or perhaps to hinder its movements, preventing it from continuing its elusive tactics.
As Akira pondered, billowing black energy separated from Don's body, forming clusters of smoke.
The rippling waves of mist trembled slightly in the air, rapidly coalescing into fixed shapes.
In the end, they took the form of six humanoid silhouettes of dark mist—hollow in appearance, lacking distinct features beyond their general humanoid shape.
Moreover, each wielded a different weapon—some held blades, others clubs...
Notably, each exuded a remarkably solid presence, nearly matching the intensity of Don's own aura.
Akira's curiosity piqued as he thought to himself:
[Is this... an Aura Beast?!]
The six figures Don had manifested through Aura were unmistakably Aura Beasts, evident not just in their presence and form.
Akira could also sense that they even possessed a degree of consciousness.
To put it mystically, Akira felt as though each of them carried a soul.
[They don't seem like ordinary Aura Beasts. Could this be related to his Nen Ability?]
Akira suspected this might be tied to Don's Nen Ability—or perhaps his soul.
Normal Aura Beasts rarely exhibited such traits unless they were conjured by a Specialist-type Nen user.
Akira theorized that through continuous refinement, Don's soul, body, and the [Calamity] had fused together.
Resulting in an eerie transformation of his Aura.
Not only had its appearance shifted between black and white, but its effects had also undergone astonishing changes.
In simple terms, the current Don was like two Nen users in one—the white Aura representing Don as a conventional Nen user.
The primary combat style was close-quarters, relying on solid and powerful Aura along with well-honed battle experience to face enemies.
As for the black Aura, it represented Don in his [Calamity] form, granting him access to certain abilities related to [Calamity].
The black mist currently sweeping across the ground and the strange humanoid Aura Beasts outlined by Aura were manifestations of this power.
Distinguishing between them was simple—just observe which color of Aura dominated his body.
This provided a clear indication of which attack method he intended to employ.
While Akira was analyzing the situation, a significant change had already occurred on the battlefield.
After employing two highly taxing techniques, Don was slightly hunched over, hands resting on his knees as he panted lightly.
Despite his burly, tiger-like physique, his face was now drenched in sweat, his chest heaving like a bellows.
Clearly, these two moves had taken a considerable toll on him; using them simultaneously in such a short time had left his complexion noticeably pale.
Yet he firmly believed it was all worth it.
As the black mist rapidly swirled, it suddenly reacted violently upon reaching a certain point.
All the mist surged toward that spot, instantly forming a "black vortex."
Anyone caught within it would undoubtedly meet certain death.
Abruptly, the massive black mist exploded, and Marshadow, at full power, leaped out from within, dispersing the mist with a single punch.
The moment it landed, a humanoid Aura Beast appeared behind it, wielding a long black spear.
The spear, composed of black energy, had an exceptionally sharp tip that faintly glinted with a cold light.
"Swish! Swish-swish…"
A series of slicing sounds rang out as four figures suddenly materialized around Marshadow at full power.
One thrust a spear at it, another swung a long blade—various attacks formed an inescapable net.
Every possible escape route was sealed off, leaving Marshadow momentarily unable to find a way out.
Except… above!
But Marshadow had no intention of fleeing. Instead, it chose to face the enemy head-on.
Confronting the terrifying onslaught, Marshadow clenched its fists, and a fearsome dark purple Aura enveloped its hands.
Dark-type move—Sucker Punch.
Instantly, Marshadow's speed skyrocketed as if fueled by adrenaline, its fists moving so fast they left afterimages as they struck all four Aura Beasts with precision.
Despite the Aura Beasts attacking first, Marshadow still managed to strike first—this was the effect of [Sucker Punch]!
[Sucker Punch] was an incredibly useful move, often shining brightly in Pokémon battles.
It allowed a Pokémon to attack first when the opponent used an offensive move, granting a crucial advantage in battle.
However, it required the opponent to use an attacking move to activate.
But in actual combat, when used skillfully, it could outpace the opponent and deliver a devastating blow.
In an instant, all four humanoid Aura Beasts were struck in the torso, each simultaneously forming a gaping hole in their abdomens.
If such an attack had landed on a human, survival would have been impossible.
Yet these four Aura Beasts were merely sent flying, dissolving into stubborn black smoke before reforming into strands of reassembling Aura.
Glancing at the black energy scattered in the distance, Marshadow, at full power, tilted its head slightly—just as a sharp whistling sound sliced past its ear.
It was an arrow made of black Aura, launched in the brief moment Marshadow was attacking the other Aura Beasts.
But Marshadow had still managed to defend against it.
Turning around, I saw that the remaining two humanoid Aura Beasts weren't idle—one held a bow and arrow, poised to shoot.
The black arrow that had just been fired was its doing.
The other humanoid Aura Beast was more peculiar.
Though it held no weapon, its body emitted a faint glow.
If one listened closely, an eerie tone could be heard—a grating, nails-on-glass kind of screech.
Just hearing it was enough to raise goosebumps and make one's hair stand on end.
Yet, as strange and unpleasant as the sound was, it was rapidly restoring the scattered humanoid Aura Beasts to their original forms.
This meant that the bizarre Aura Beast was a "healer," or rather, a "priest."
Its ability was to restore other Aura Beasts.
If it wasn't taken out first, the other Aura Beasts would keep regenerating.
On the battlefield, it should have been the primary target for focused fire.
Akira took in all these developments, thinking that Don's six Aura Beasts were positioned perfectly.
They formed a small team with clear roles and cooperation.
There were melee fighters, ranged attackers, and even a "healer" responsible for "HP recovery."
The melee fighters were further divided into different types—some wielded short weapons, others long ones.
Not only were they individually formidable, but their teamwork made them even more exceptional.
What Akira found most impressive was how their movements lacked the stiffness typical of ordinary Aura Beasts.
This, he believed, might be the special trait connected to Don's soul.
Compare them to other Aura Beasts—take, for example, the blond Nen user from the Nostrade family.
His Nen Ability was [Eleven Under the Eaves], allowing him to create eleven humanoid Aura Beasts—eight armed with swords and three with firearms.
First, the division of roles was limited—just two types: melee and ranged.
Second, his Aura Beasts could only follow simple commands; anything slightly complex was beyond them.
In the original story, they were given the basic order to "attack the nearest enemy," which Kurapika easily exploited.
Their control range was also pitifully short—just a few meters at most.
They were nowhere near as refined, versatile, or long-range as Don's, utterly outclassed.
Akira saw it clearly—the archer Aura Beast in the back had its bow fully drawn, locked onto the surrounded Marshadow.
If Marshadow chose not to force its way through but instead tried to escape into the air, the arrow would be loosed the moment it leaped skyward.
Their prearranged teamwork was already quite sound—unfortunately, they had encountered the overwhelmingly powerful Marshadow.
Meanwhile,
Marshadow stood motionless, gazing at Don in the distance.
Their eyes met once more.
Suddenly, the corner of Marshadow's mouth curled slightly, and a surge of black Aura erupted from its body.
Six swirling masses of black Aura writhed before it, finally taking on a uniform shape.
Don's eyes widened in shock, as if witnessing something unimaginable.
[This is… my technique?]
The Copy Master—Marshadow—had arrived.
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