Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

His appearance was nothing special, yet he gave off a gloomy and somber feeling.

Beside him, a sleek, imposing cat was lying strangely at his legs, enjoying its owner's gentle stroking.

It would occasionally look up, following the man's gaze, watching the two legendary spirits locked in fierce battle on the screen, its eyes gleaming with a strange light.

"This Darkrai is incredibly strong."

Behind the executive chair, a woman with short purple hair, wearing a business suit and glasses, couldn't help but sigh softly.

"That's the legendary [Winged King] recorded in the Book of Crimson and Purple."

The man shook his head, gently stroking the eldest cat, which purred softly in response.

"Real bird, the competition only shows the surface; you need to learn to see the essence."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden armrest of the executive chair, producing a crisp "tap-tap" sound.

"Darkrai isn't that strong. This Guleton looks like it has some serious injuries that haven't fully healed. You wouldn't normally notice that, but against an opponent like this..."

The woman known as "True Bird" bowed her head in submission, saying, "Boss Sakaki, you're right. There's still much I need to learn from you."

After offering a small compliment, she suddenly asked, "Since this Gulerton isn't in good condition, could we..."

Clearly, judging from her sinister tone, the few words she omitted were anything but good.

Sakaki naturally understood what his secretary meant, and he rejected the proposal without hesitation.

"We have more important things to do right now, why take that kind of risk like some trash?"

After a moment's thought, he continued, "Moreover, given the situation at Daguo Lake and the incident at sea, it's almost certain that the other individual of [X] is in his hands. With just you two, it's difficult to pose a threat to him."

Zhenniao nodded knowingly, then asked, "Then, should we try to win him over first?"

Sakaki didn't nod, but instead said, "He's too close to all the major alliances, and given his cunning nature, I wouldn't trust him even if he joined me. Let's leave him alone for now. The [X] Origin Meteorite is in our hands, and that plan is progressing smoothly. Also, we can't let our guard down around Blaine."

Zhenniao nodded readily in agreement, "Understood, I'll take my leave now."

The crisp sound of high heels faded away, leaving only one person and one cat in the large office.

Sakaki turned his gaze back to the screen and fell into deep thought.

…………

Raven Arena.

The game continues.

Xia Chen sensed something was wrong the moment Gu Leton unleashed his full-power charge, but he also hesitated for a moment.

If that full-on collision had hit, the race would have been over, so he didn't follow his instincts to stop Gullardon.

It was this moment of hesitation that caused Leighton to run headlong into the dark hole that Darkrai had been lying in ambush for a long time.

"Guleton, you're talking nonsense!"

This was Xia Chen's telepathic communication with Gu Leton at the moment its body fell.

no respond.

He didn't know whether the telepathic connection had been swallowed up by the nightmares in Darkrai's Nightmare Realm and failed to be transmitted, or whether Guleton was trapped in a nightmare and unable to respond.

In short, it failed to use [sleep talk].

Xia Chen's heart sank; the worst thing he had anticipated before the competition had happened.

Therefore, not only was Leighton hit by the Dark Hole, but he was also unable to release his sleep talk.

This means that it can only passively wait to awaken.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Darkrai was able to unleash his Dream Eater several times.

While the situation may not be completely reversed, Darkrai could definitely use the stamina restored by [Dream Eater] to drag the game on.

As the game progressed, Leighton's physical exhaustion became increasingly apparent.

In his impatience, Leighton will inevitably repeat the same mistake, falling into this endless cycle until he completely loses his ability to fight.

Now how to do?

Xia Chen looked at Gu Leton, who had already fallen to the ground, suppressed his anxiety, and thought about possible countermeasures.

Should we switch to a different Pokémon to buy some time?

We've come back to the question we considered at the beginning: what if Darkrai takes this opportunity to strengthen himself?

But what else can be done?

Xia Chen recalled everything about Darkrai in the game and anime, and suddenly remembered Ash's Sceptile, which accomplished the feat of killing a god in the Lily of the Valley Conference semi-finals.

In his memory, through Ash's heartfelt calls and communication, he tore through the nightmare with unwavering will and defeated Darkrai.

That idealistic power is very Pokémon-like, and very anime-like.

It reveals a law of that pure and beautiful world: as long as there is love, I will even kill a god for you!

Now, turning his gaze back to Gu Leton, whose face was contorted with pain, Xia Chen focused his thoughts, using his mental and aura powers to build a bridge between his mind and Gu Leton's.

"Gu Leton, open your eyes, it's me, Xia Chen!"

…………

Before me lay a hazy, indistinct darkness.

It wasn't quite complete darkness; within it, there seemed to be endless nightmares roaming.

Each one reflects the most terrifying things deep within the heart of a spirit trapped in a nightmare.

Because of its powerful mental strength, Leton was well aware that it had fallen into a nightmare, but it had no way to escape.

This feeling of powerlessness is even more unbearable than that of elves who are swallowed up before they even realize they are in a nightmare.

Nightmares kept creeping into Guleton's mind, transforming before his eyes into one painful experience after another.

The sadness of losing friends, the humiliation of being imprisoned in the research institute when I first came into this world, and the love-hate relationship with Millerton...

These memories, which it desperately tried to hide deep within its heart, were captured by these damned nightmares, torn open and bloodily before its eyes. This mental anguish far outweighed the physical harm it was suffering, making it even more powerless to escape this nightmare.

In this world shrouded in darkness and isolated from everything, it felt a long-lost pain and helplessness.

"Gu Leton, open your eyes, it's me, Xia Chen!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice reached its mind, like a ray of light piercing the darkness.

Is it Xia Chen?

I actually heard his voice! How could I have such a nightmare?

Therefore, Leighton was puzzled.

These nightmares only reflect the painful experiences and memories that made me feel pain. The past few months with Xia Chen should have been the happiest time of my life in the last one or two hundred years.

So, this voice was sent by Xia Chen through telepathy, after he had traversed layers of darkness and dodged those endless nightmares.

Therefore, Leighton was somewhat moved. If Xia Chen, this weakling, had such a tenacious will, how could I be bound by these insignificant nightmares?

The inexplicable reason suddenly made Gu Leton much more determined, dispelling the redundant and unnecessary clutter in his mind, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Before my eyes, a few wisps of light condensed into lines, fluttering and swaying in the darkness filled with nightmares.

That was formed from Xia Chen's spiritual power and waveguide power, a "tadpole" that came to find and call for Gu Leton.

Hundreds of millions of "tadpoles" set off from the starting point, overcoming numerous obstacles and escaping the strangulation of nightmares. Countless companions sacrificed themselves along the way, and in the end, only a handful reached the finish line.

Although it sounds strange, this process is quite similar to a certain physiological process of reproduction.

…………

“Guleton, I know you were in a hurry just now, but don’t rush if you want to win.”

The silk thread conveyed Xia Chen's words, which sounded somewhat sarcastic.

"The advantage is in our hands now. As long as you play steadily and don't give Darkrai's Dark Hole a chance to hit, victory will still be ours."

Therefore, Leighton replied helplessly, "My physical strength has already begun to decline."

"So don't fight so fiercely, hold back a bit, do you understand the importance of a healthier fighting style? Besides, it eats dreams, can't you just absorb the punches?"

The way the tadpoles swayed was just like how Xia Chen usually criticized the elves, so Leton never expected that he would be criticized one day.

"Then what should I do now?"

Listen to others and eat enough.

This match is crucial to whether the system's mission can be completed, and the mission is related to the recovery from the injury, so Gu Leton decided to carefully listen to Xia Chen's advice.

"When you wake up, Darkrai will definitely use Dark Hole or Hypnosis again, so don't rush to counterattack. First, dodge Dark Hole, then use Absorb Punch to counterattack, and then don't rush to chase after him. Instead, kite him while you fight."

Therefore, Leighton asked in confusion, "What is pulling?"

The little tadpole was speechless after Guleton's reckless remarks. After a moment of silence, it replied, "...Just like how Darkrai played against you before."

Therefore, Leighton immediately understood, "I get it."

The tadpole nodded in satisfaction. "Anyway, we'll definitely win. You have to believe in us."

Before they could finish speaking, these few "escaped fish" were captured by the nightmares of the dark world and devoured.

Therefore, Leighton felt a warmth in his heart. Although Xia Chen had not finished speaking, he could fully understand the meaning that had not been fully expressed.

Nightmares are truly ubiquitous. After eating Xia Chen's tadpoles, they burrowed into Gu Leton's mind, and the nightmarish experience reappeared, attempting to torment its soul.

This time, however, they did not get their wish.

For some reason, after this spiritual communication, Leighton suddenly felt that those experiences that had caused him pain could no longer hurt him in the slightest.

Nightmares are simply the reflection of the things that living beings fear most in their dreams. When one's will is firm and fearless, nightmares will naturally dissipate on their own.

With a casual grab, those indescribable nightmares twisted and were crushed into powder in his claws.

Therefore, with a roar, the dark world shattered instantly.

…………

"Dream Eater for the second time! Darkrai has already used Dream Eater twice in just a few seconds, and its condition is visibly recovering rapidly. However, in contrast, Guleton's condition is declining at an even faster rate. As one gains and the other loses, the two Pokémon's stamina is becoming increasingly similar. Guleton's expression is as if it is suffering from a nightmare and has not yet woken up."

Although Adek is a supporter of Xia Chen, as a commentator, he still maintains an objective and neutral attitude towards the game.

But the next second, a change on the field made him exclaim in surprise, "Wait, why is Xia Chen suddenly emitting blue light? This color... could it be Aura power? No wonder Xia Chen and the Pokémon can command each other without communication so often!"