Class time had finally ended. At this time, the varsity team members are expected to gather at the Training base. However, Dante asked Shinobu and the others to tell Professor Jomar he wouldn't be able to attend today. Then, under their confused gazes, he returned to the mansion.
And the reason for his actions was…well, it's simple really. He needed to sleep.
Because of how late their team returned from the dungeon yesterday, the day had already begun in Treasure Town when they arrived. So after some thought, Dante decided to adjust their schedule.
Normally, their day in both world goes like this:
Human world:
12:01 AM to 6:00 AM - Sleep
6:00 AM to 8:00 PM - Relax/Go to class/Training/Dinner
8:00 PM to 12:00 AM - Dante and his Pokemon's time for their own hobbies/business
12:01 AM - Go to the PMD World
PMD World
9:00 PM (Or whatever time they traveled back) to 5:00 AM - Sleep
5:00 AM to 6:00 AM - Walk around Treasure Town
6:00 AM to indefinite time- Accept Guild Task and go to the dungeon
If they just go to Beach Cave, they're usually back before lunch. They'd eat at Spinda's Cafe and relax at Treasure Town.
For a 3 star dungeon, it takes them around 8 to 12 hours depending on how troublesome the task is. When they return from the exploration, they only have time to drink at Spinda's Cafe before going to bed.
Even so, they would have plenty of time to sleep for the next day. This time was different. It took them a whole day to explore the dungeon, and they won't have much rest time after.
Dante's initial idea had been to take a day off. However, not using the dungeon exploration opportunity was a waste, especially since they had already forced themselves to finish the dungeon yesterday in one go.
So, this morning, their team decided to directly sleep after Dante's class was finished. This way, they won't have to rest after traveling to the PMD world and can directly go about their day.
Dante opened the mansion door. As Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder, he released all his Pokemon except Ninetales and Eevee who didn't come with them..
"You guys rest up first. I'll just go for a quick bath. And no, you can't come with me, Mawile."
Mawile, who had just opened her mouth, begrudgingly closed them after hearing Dante's words.
"Pika pikachu." (Tsk, tsk, you've become predictable. In this war called love, that's a sign of impending defeat.)
"Mawile!" (Hmph! At least I've secured a date. Not like someone who doesn't have a mate but talks as if they're a love expert.)
Pi- pika!" (Urk! I can find a partner if I want to! I'm just waiting to meet my destiny!)
Dante watched his Pokemon climb up the stairs with an amused smile. Pikachu freeloaded on Ursaring's shoulder as he argued with Mawile, who also didn't back down. On the side, Ursaring, and Riolu silently watched the two bicker. Only Azumarill, his ever reliable team member, tried to defuse the situation.
As they rounded the corner and disappeared from view, Dante chuckled and turned towards the bathroom. Should he say he was lucky Mawile had a crush on him? With her rebellious personality, he couldn't see her willingly joining their Exploration Team any other way.
Although…that also presented some problems in and of itself.
Dante sighed. Hopefully, Mawile would grow to love being a part of the team before she gives up on pursuing him. Otherwise, hmm, he'll just leave this trouble for future Dante to solve.
Right now, he'll have a nice, long soak in the tub; to ease the stress from the latest dungeon exploration and from what he just learned there.
As he neared the bathroom door, he heard a sweet, faint, humming sound mixed with water droplets coming from inside the bath. Since he only shared this mansion with one other person, the identity of the person on the other side is obvious.
"Mualani? What are you doing here? Didn't you go to the training session?"
The humming abruptly stopped. Dante heard the sound of footsteps trampling across shallow waters before the door cracked open and a familiar, tanned girl peeked out.
"Hey, Dan! You're back early. I have a group project today, so I asked the coach for a leave. What about you?"
Dante didn't immediately answer. His eyes drifted to her dripping hair, to her wide orange-red eyes, her moist pink lips, and then to her collarbone barely visible from the doorway. Inside, the pent-up lust from playing with Focalors in the afternoon began to revive and smolder.
"...I came to take a dip. Since you're already here, let me accompany you."
Mualani seemed to notice something and trembled. Her face grew a darker shade of red. However, with only some brief hesitation, she inched the door further open.
"We-well, hahaha, come in then. You had a great timing. I was just starting."
Mualani hid the anticipation and nervousness she was feeling with a laugh. She turned around, her body trembling as she heard the door lock clicking shut.
It had been a while since it was just her and Dante.
On weekdays, although it was only the two of them in the mansion, they had to go to class and the Varsity training. This left them with not much time or energy (Mualani only) to do anything else except for some quickies.
Meanwhile, Shinobu occupies his time on the weekends. And while she enjoyed their occasional threesome together, Mualani sometimes had the urge to have Dante for herself. Especially in these past few weeks where the couple more often preferred to stay the night outside the University.
(NSFW Start)
Dante tossed his clothes in the inventory with practiced ease. Then, he stepped forward and hugged Mualani's soft and equally naked body from behind.
Her body tensed, before relaxing and leaning into his embrace. His cheeks brushed past against her wet hair, which still lingered with a sweet and citrusy aroma.
"You're so beautiful, Sister Mualani."
Mualani's body grew hotter. She noticed that when doing sexual activities, Dante tends to add 'Sister' when calling her. It seemed to make him more excited…and she as well.
"Hmm~ Aren't we gonna take a bath?"
"Let's do it after our…exercise. That's when our body sweat the most, after all."
"Hngh~"
Mualani panted. His rough hands played with her soft, perky breast, teasing her hardened nipples. Their bodies were pasted against each other, with his sexy muscles against her back.
At this time, she noticed something warm and hard trapped between the two of them. Mualani smirked lustfully, before she grinded her backside against it. Hearing his growl right next to her ear made her increase the intensity of her actions.
"Sister Mualani. You don't know just how much I want to ram it inside you right now. Can I do that today?"
"N-no~ You promised you won't, remember?"
"Urgh. Then I'll just have you retract that."
Mualani suddenly let out a loud moan. Looking down, the tip of Dante's cock had slid from between her slender thighs, barely kissing her pussy. Then, it began to slide back and forth, constantly sending shivers throughout her whole body as it constantly scraped at the entrance of her private area.
"D-Dan~ DAN!"
She closed her hips tightly together, trapping his monster in-between. Juices overflowed from her pussy and dripped down to his cock. Right now, only her last remaining sanity prevented her from begging him to fuck her thoroughly, consequences be damned.
"Ahn~"
"Urgh!"
After what felt like a century, Dante finally came. He let out a soft grunt as his cum spurted towards the white tiles on the wall.
"Haa, that's such a pity."
Mualani leaned against Dante as she caught her breath. Her eyes glanced over the white liquid, a look of loss on her face.
After countless times of blowing him, she had gained quite an addiction to his semen.
"Don't worry. There's plenty more where that came from."
Dante whispered to her ears. He took a step back, allowing Mualani to turn around and face him.
"You ready for round 2?"
(NSFW End)
—
Meanwhile, at the Varsity Training Ground.
"Huh, Mualani took a leave today?"
"Weird, Dante did as well."
"Mualani said she had a group project, but what's Dante's excuse?"
"Beats me. Maybe he's doing some kind of special training."
"Dante and Mualani, huh."
Roman murmured. For some reason, he felt a bad premonition. Those two live under the same mansion, and they took a leave at the same time. Is there really nothing going on?
However, when he looked at Dante's girlfriend and saw the unconcerned look on her face, he forced himself to calm down.
That's right, even his girlfriend is unconcerned. If there's really something going on, she would be the first to worry. Maybe Dante is really just undergoing some special training, probably with his Ninetales who just evolved yesterday.
After comforting himself, he continued to train his Pokemon.
"By the way, Mualani. Are you busy this weekend?"
"Hnfmh? Nwow. Mwhy?"
Dante absentmindedly stroked Mualani's hair. He is currently sitting at the edge of the toilet seat, with the girl's head in-between his crotch.
"I'm gonna go home this weekend. I figured it would be nice to introduce you to my parents."
"BwuH?! Cough cough!"
"Be careful!"
Mualani choked and almost bit off Dante's cock. She retreated and stared up at him with a red face.
"Y-you! What do you mean?"
"Huh? I just figured it would be nice to introduce my friends to them. Candice and the others already agreed to go. What else do you think I mean?"
"...hmph."
"Hey!"
Dante yelped as her grip tightened. Looking at her pouting lips, he inwardly chuckled. It seems their relationship of being fuck buddies was moving into a more intimate territory.
Not that he minded it. While purely physical sex is fun, there's just something more…special, when doing it with someone you love.
After another round, they playfully washed each other's bodies before getting out of the bath. Mualani still had her group project to do, and Dante was certain some Pokemon of his wouldn't rest if he didn't return soon.
Sure enough, when he entered the room, he found Mawile sitting at the corner of the bed, chatting and giggling with Ninetales. When she saw him enter, her eyes lit up and she eagerly waved hand.
At the side, Pikachu was watching some kind of fantasy action movie with Eevee, while Ursaring and Riolu were playing handheld games with Azumarill watching beside them.
"Now, didn't I tell you guys to rest?"
"Mawile~" (Ehehe, I was waiting for you.)
"Pika!" (We'll sleep after this one.)
"Ursaring." (Just one more round, Dad.)
Dante helplessly shook his head. He hugged Eevee and lay down to watch the show with her and Pikachu.
On the screen, there was a Wimpod with tears in the corner of his eyes. He was struggling to walk with a rock behind his back. Judging from the music, it seemed to be the beginning of a training montage.
From this, Dante can already guess the full story. This is probably one of those feel-good stories for Pokemon again. At the end, Wimpod will meet a villain who will hurt his friends. Then, under the desire to protect them, he'd evolve into Golisopod and save the day.
Sure enough, other than the villain harming his mother, the story proceeded to go into the direction Dante predicted. He glanced at Pikachu and Eevee who were excitedly discussing the show and smiled softly.
Oh well. As long as they're happy.
At this time, the others had already lay down on the bed. Mawile and Ninetales occupied each of his side, and Eevee continued to snuggle into his embrace.
Meanwhile, he and Pikachu used the left side of Ursaring belly as a pillow, with Azumarill and Riolu doing the same on the other side.
"Good night, everyone."
"Pika/Maw/Ursa/Azu/Nine/Eev/Rio~" (Good night~)
Dante closed his eyes. His consciousness began to slow as sleep slowly encroached upon him. However, just as he was about to embrace it, a movement in his arms forced him awake.
"Urgh. Eevee, what's wrong?"
"Eevee." (Dad, I can't sleep. Can I watch another movie?)
"No. Here's a Sleep Seed. Good night."
Dante flicked the seed into Eevee's open mouth. Finally, seeing her nod off, he smiled in satisfaction before falling asleep.
…
"Yawn~"
"Hey, Victini. Did you sleep well?"
Victini opened his eyes in confusion. Seeing Dante and the others surrounding him, memories of what happened last night returned.
"Dante. Everyone. So…it wasn't a dream, after all."
"Hahaha, no, it's real. Welcome to our base!"
Victini looked around in wonder. At this time, he was no longer on the floating bed Dante had made. Instead, he lay on a soft haystack which was present all around the room. Other than that, the room's rocky walls also hung paintings of the Omnipotent Travelers.
There was a picture of Dante grinning as Azumarill and Pikachu were fighting another Pokemon behind him, Pikachu with his body coated in yellow lightning, Azumarill with one fist raised, and many more.
Among them, the largest portrait grabbed his attention. In it, there was everyone of Team Omnipotent Travelers standing side-by-side, with the sun right above them.
"That painting is taken in the main room. It only had me, Pikachu, Azumarill, and Teddiursa at first. Now, our number has doubled. You'll also have a place there if you decide to join the team."
Dante stared at the painting in nostalgia. He had commissioned it from Smeargle in town at quite the hefty price. However, the quality of the work made it very worth it.
In the middle, he and Pikachu stood as the founding members. Azumarill stood imposingly beside Pikachu with his arms crossed. Meanwhile, Teddiursa was grabbing onto his fur.
Smeargle added the Mawile-Riolu siblings who joined shortly after, followed by Eevee and Vulpix. And now, there's Victini who is hopeful to join next.
After talking for a while, they moved to the dining room to eat breakfast. Since they accomplished quite a feat, Dante took out some of the Perfect Apples they had in the bag.
"Hmm~!"
Everyone groaned in bliss. It was especially true for Victini, who hadn't tasted anything for the last three thousand years.
"Why couldn't we eat this everyday, Dad? It's so delicious!"
Eevee asked as she licked her paws. From birth until now, she only had 6 or 7 chances to eat a Perfect Apple.
"Heh, if we really do that, we'll have Wigglytuff storming our base the next thing tomorrow. You know, even the Guildmaster only eats 1 or 2 Perfect Apples a day."
"Eh? Why should we be scared if he comes? Is the Guildmaster stronger than Brother Azumarill?"
Dante paused. Seeing the curious expression on Eevee, Ninetales, and even Mawile and Riolu's faces, he shook his head in helplessness.
"I'd say he's a little weaker than Azumarill. But it's not whether he's strong or not. The dungeon where this apple can be harvested was discovered and claimed by Wigglytuff. So unless you want our team to be blacklisted, to eat a Perfect Apple every day, we can only find another tree that grows the same fruit."
And from what Uxie said, that is very unlikely. Dante mused.
"Then it's easy! I'll also find another Perfect Apple Tree and claim it as my own!"
Eevee declared as she raised her paw in the air, ambition burning in her eyes.
"That's nice. Anyway, I'll be taking Cofagrigus to the Magnezone Corps. Mawile and Victini will come with me. The rest, go to the Guild do the usual. We'll meet up at Xatu's place after everyone is done to appraise the treasure boxes."
"Ehh? That's nice?? Please show some more support for your daughter's dreams, Dad!"
Eevee rushed at Dante while wailing. However, a rock suddenly appeared in her path, causing her to trip and roll over.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
""None!""
"Me! I have one!"
"Since there's none. Then everyone, move out!"
""Yes!""
"Don't ignore meeee!"
Everyone laughed at Eevee as they left the base one by one.
—
(Early that morning- when Team Omnipotent Travelers returned to Treasure Town)
The Pokemon were just starting their day. The Kecleon Brothers set up their stall, Chansey prepared her teaching materials for the incoming children, and Exploration Teams made their way to Wigglytuff's Guild.
In this seemingly peaceful morning, a weird platform suddenly flew above everyone's heads. Everyone glanced up in surprise. And when they saw the identity of the Pokemon there, a minor commotion ensued.
"Oh my god! They're back!"
"They went to a 5-star dungeon, right? Why did they return after just one day?"
"Did they fail?"
"How could they fail?! Didn't you see Azumarill punching a hole in the cloud yesterday!? They must have finished exploring the dungeon already. That's why they've returned!"
Among those looking at the Exploration team, a dark shadow hidden in the corner widened its eyes.
"Impossible! How can they return from that dunge- wait. Is that…Cofagrigus!? They managed to capture him?! How?! He had all five Regis! Did they defeat them or…?"
The shadow frowned. It stared at the retreating figure of Team Omnipotent Travelers until they disappeared from sight.
"...kekeke. No. It doesn't matter. It's a good thing if they are powerful. That only means I have a more powerful tool I can use against Darkrai."
The shadow's face contorted in seething rage. However, it only lasted for less than a second before it was replaced with a calculating grin.
"Hey, is that…?"
"It is! It's the Omnipotent Travelers!"
"Hey, hey! The rumors were true. They really returned in just one day!"
As they neared the Wigglytuff Guild, Pikachu puffed his chest in pride and flicked the sunglasses at the tip of his nose. Beside him, Eevee, Riolu, and Ursaring did the same with theirs.
The four strutted inside the Guild like they owned the place, looking like the mafia from those gangster movies. After having their identities verified, they climbed down to the 2nd floor.
"What are you four even doing?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. My boy, Azumarill, your lack of culture is showing. This…is avant-garde fashion! It's required for every famous celebrity!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Eevee echoed from the side. She shook her head as she stared condescendingly at her sister, who refused to wear the same accessory. In response, Ninetales threw a disgusted look.
"That's not fashion. That's just posturing."
"Heh, whatever. Catch you normies later~"
""See ya, normies!""
Pikachu, Riolu, and Eevee, swaggered towards the mission board, leaving Azumarill, Ninetales, and Ursaring at the stairs.
"Pikachu's gone. He wouldn't know if you took off the sunglasses now."
Azumarill said as he glanced at Ursaring.
"Err, don't I look cool in this, Brother Azumarill?"
"...it does suit you more than the three of them."
Azumarill sighed. Whatever. Dante gave them the sunglasses. So he must have approved what they were doing.
"Let's just go."
He went to the third floor with the other two. And right at the entrance, they found Chatot staring intensely at a piece of parchment.
"Chatot."
"Hmm? Ah, Azumarill! I've heard the news. You've really finished exploring the dungeon already?"
"Yes."
"Hahaha, that's good! That's good! As expected of your Team!"
Chatot laughed in delight. Being able to conquer a 5-star dungeon is the benchmark of a Master-Rank Explorer.
After their team submits the dungeon's information to the Federation and its veracity is confirmed, their Rank would definitely jump from the current Super Rank to Ultra, or maybe even Hyper Rank!
Of course, such information must include the number of floors and the Pokemon found in each of them. Just reporting the location, while giving them merit, wouldn't reward as much as the former.
"You came to contact the Federation, right? Follow me. Guildmaster Wigglytuff would be surely delighted to learn the news!"
"No. We'll submit the info tomorrow. We came to do the usual today."
"Huh? Why tomorrow?"
"...Dante said he needs to make some preparations."
Chatot tilted his head before shrugging. Well, if that's what they decided. It's only one day, anyway. Since their team is not in a rush, who was he to force them?
Azumarill nodded in thanks for his understanding. In fact, the reason for the delay was because of Cofagrigus.
According to Dante, Cofagrigus has a boss who gave him the Regis. And that boss has many more subordinates as well. With how long their organization has been established, most probably, one of them holds a position in the Exploration Federation.
Pikachu agreed with this hypothesis. If someone pulled the strings, Cofagrigus may be acquitted. So, Dante would first make sure Cofagrigus was interrogated. And depending on what he divulges, they'll base their action from there.
After making some more small talk, Chatot hurriedly left. As the Vice Leader of the Guild, he needs to take care of many things. This was especially true in the recent period where the Guild is trying to find Grovyle.
"Ursaring, Ninetales. Wait for me at Croagunk's. I'll go ask around for information."
"Hehe, sure Brother Azumarill. Take your time with Sister Sunflora."
Azumarill's face turned slightly red as he glanced at the grinning Ursaring and Ninetales. With a shake of his head, he left and headed towards said Pokemon, who was fidgeting nearby and waiting for his talk with Chatot to end.
"Azumarill!"
"Sunfl-"
Azumarill stiffened as the Sunflower Pokemon crashed into his chest. Her grassy scent seeped into his nose, making his heart beat violently.
"Sniffle. I'm so glad you're back. I was so worried I couldn't sleep last night."
"...Thank you. I told you, you don't have to worry about me."
Azumarill smiled and held Sunflora in his arms. He ignored the surrounding gazes and led her towards a more private location of the Guild.
"I wonder what it's like? To fall in love?"
Ninetales whispered. Her eyes followed the retreating figure of her Big Brother Azumarill and Sunflora.
"Err, I wouldn't know. And I think we're still too young to think about this topic."
"I didn't say I wanted to fall in love. I was just wondering how it could change someone so much. Brother Azumarill is always easily flustered when it comes to Sister Sunflora. And Sister Mawile is always so flattering to Dad."
Ursaring awkwardly played with his sunglasses. How should he respond to that? Something like love or crush hadn't even crossed his mind yet.
Instead of that, isn't it more fun to think about how to get even stronger? or how to beat Riolu and Brother Azumarill in Pokken 8?
The two made their way to Croagunk's Shop under this atmosphere. Here, they finally found a common topic as they scanned list of Exclusive Items. Unfortunately, Croagunk didn't have anything useful for their team.
"That's such a pity. It would be great if I can also find something for Ursaluna."
Ursaring shook his head with regret.
"You're too greedy, Brother Ursaring. You already got another set from the latest exploration."
"Ehehe, isn't it better if we find all our Exclusive items earlier?"
Ursaring said with a wry smile. The two chatted idly while waiting for Azumarill to return. However, this wait took longer than expected. It reached the point where Pikachu, Riolu, and Eevee came down to check what was going on.
"Ehh? He and Sunflora disappeared together and still haven't returned until now?"
"Yes, Brother Pikachu. Should we check up on them?"
"Nonononono. Let's just leave. Croagunk, when Azumarill returns, please tell him we've gone ahead."
"Sure~ Hehehe, leave it to me."
Pikachu and Croagunk smiled at each other, its meaning lost to Ursaring and the rest of the Omnipotent Travelers.
…
"So…you left Azumarill there?"
"Yup."
"Nice!"
Dante nodded in approval to Pikachu while conjuring a mini thumbs-up. It seems he trained his Pokemon well.
"How about you? How did the interrogation go?"
"About that…Cofagrigus is dead."
"What!?"
Except for Mawile and Victini who came with him, everyone's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Yeah. He's more resolute than I expected. When it came to the mind-reading session, he suddenly used Curse to drain all his life force."
"Ehh?"
"And he even had the gall to target Dan! Hrrghh! He's lucky he died. If he didn't, I'd have clobbered him to death myself!"
"Ehhh!? Are you alright?"
"As you can see, I'm perfectly healthy."
Dante said while shrugging.
Curse is a Ghost-type move that works differently when used by a Ghost-type. For said Pokemon, after using Curse, half their energy would be used up to constantly drain the target's energy.
But in critical situations, a Ghost-type can use up their life force to empower the Curse. This was what Cofagrigus, in an extreme way. And as a Pokemon that had lived for more than three thousand years, the power of the Curse he casted can be imagined.
Fortunately, Dante had the system. With one Heal Seed, no matter how dire the status condition he was in, he can instantly return to normal.
This led to how, in the final moment of Cofagrigus' life, he saw his most hated enemy casually shrug off his all-out, suicide attack.
"Anyways, for the time being, everything is over. Although it's unfortunate we couldn't gain further intel, what we have for now is sufficient. Besides, there's a more pressing concern we have to deal with."
Which was, of course, Dialga's rampage. Darkrai is just a 2nd-level Legendary. Even with Cofagrigus' statement about him matching Eternatus (which is very questionable) and him being the final boss in the game, he wouldn't prioritize him over the literal God of Time.
After sorting it out, Dante led everyone inside Xatu's hut. He greeted the bird-head Pokemon then took out the treasure boxes and laid them on the table. However, everything couldn't fit due to how many they got.
"Hehe, Xatu, we'll trouble you again. It'll likely take three batches this time."
"That's no problem. Hmm. Such high-quality boxes. And so many, too. As expected of a 5-star dungeon."
Xatu held a treasure box in appreciation. After staring for a moment, he returned it to the table.
"Well then. Let the appraisal begin! Kwee…Kwee…KWAH!"
With a flash of white light, the treasure boxes transformed into various items. Dante expertly collected them into the bag, before once again placing the second batch on the table.
The same process repeated. However, just as Dante placed the third batch on the table, he felt a tug on his fur.
"Dan, I-…I think I can do something similar."
"Hmm? Similar to what?"
"Similar to what Xatu is doing."
Dante turned to the fidgeting Victini. After processing his words, his eyes grew wide. He swiped one of the unopened treasure boxes on the table and quickly brought it in front of Victini.
"Are you sure? Can you try it with this one?"
"Hmm!"
Victini nodded then closed his eyes. From within, a small trickle of Psychic energy poured out of his body, seeping into the treasure box. Suddenly, the box started to glow. It melted into a liquid-like substance, shifting into different shapes, before solidifying into a Violent Seed.
"Woah!!"
The team gathered around Victini. Even though they saw this process many times before, this was different. It was done by their (tentative) team member!
"Hehe, Xatu. It looks like this might be the last time we would avail of your service."
"Kwee…KWAHH! That's a pity. You have been one of my most frequent customers thus far. Nonetheless, I suppose congratulations are in order for obtaining an appraiser in your team."
Xatu said as he glanced at this unfamiliar Pokemon Dante called Victini. From when he first laid his eyes on him, he had felt something special about him. It seems, once again, his intuition was correct.
"Hehe, thank you. We'll trouble you to appraise the last batch of boxes then."
"Hmm. Kwee…Kwee…KWAH!"
At the crossroads between Treasure Town and the Wigglytuff Guild, Dante and his team idly stood while chatting about some inane topics. When suddenly, a sound from the distance made them simultaneously turn their heads.
"WHOOOSHHH!!"
A long stream of water was heading in their direction. It briefly passed over them, before it slowed and dissipated, to reveal Azumarill inside.
He flipped forward multiple times and landed on the grassy ground feet first, stopping all his momentum in the process.
"Sorry, everyone! I-I got caught up talking with Sunflora and forgot the time."
"Yeah, sure you did~"
Dante gave Azumarill a knowing smirk and a wink. It caused the Shiny Pokemon's body to turn a bright shade of orange.
Dante chuckled and decided not to talk more about it. There are still many innocent Pokemon here. At a later date, maybe he can impart some love knowledge to Azumarill. It'll be like a bro time between the two of them.
"So now that everyone's here, let's head out. We're going to Beach Cave for the usual task. However, in addition to collecting the Gummies, we'd also test our recent gains."
"Eh? In Beach Cave? Against the weak Pokemon there?"
"No. We'll just use the private nature of the place as a testing ground."
Dante chuckled. He conjured a platform under their feet, lifting and heading towards their destination.
It didn't take much time. And the process of clearing the dungeon is also similar. If it weren't for the need to collect every Gummies in each floor, they'd only need less than 20 minutes to go from the entrance to the deepest part.
But as it stood, they took an hour before they reached the depths of the dungeon. Though their leisurely pace also contributed to that.
The deepest part of Beach Cave was the same as usual. Soft, white sand beneath their feet and rocky walls that enclosed every direction except for a small hole connected to a body of water stretching towards the distance.
"Alright, this should do."
Dante muttered and took out four Pokeballs. Then, with a flash of red light, Regirock, Registeel, Regice, and Regidrago emerged.
"BEEP! CONTROL UNIT DETECTED! AWAITING ORDERS."
The four of them turned to Dante, who was holding a pulsating, orange, stone sphere. This is the Regis' remote control he got from Cofagrigus. As long as he holds this, he can issue commands to any of the Regis.
Right now, the only two commands he'd given is: Forget all previous orders, and stand-by for now.
"Ohh! Are we going to test ourselves against them?"
Eevee asked with excitement. In the fight against the Regis, she could only take potshots from a distance. And that was only against Regidrago- the only one whose defenses she could breach.
However, while its speed is not as fast as Regieleki, the Dragon Golem managed to dodge most of her attacks. It had left her feeling very useless.
"That's right. Also, I already picked the Legendary Items suitable for everyone to absorb. These are for you, Mawile, Riolu."
Dante took out two small items and handed them to the siblings. He gave Mawile a tuft of blue fur, while Riolu got a garnet-colored scale.
Zacian's Fur: a tuft of hair from Zacian's body with a remnant of their power. When held by a Fairy or Steel-type Pokemon, the potential within their body is stimulated.
Zamazenta's Scale: A piece of scale from Zamazenta's body with a remnant of their power. When held by a Fighting or Steel-type Pokemon, the potential within their body is stimulated.
Dante was about to give the rest to the others, when he noticed a certain Pokemon staring at Mawile and Riolu's direction.
"Ah, sorry Victini! Are you…uncomfortable with us doing this?"
Dante almost facepalmed. Victini's energy had been constantly absorbed for the past three thousand years. Doing this in front of him is just plain insensitive.
"Ah! Nonono! I was only wondering about Zacian and Zamazenta. Are they still alive today?"
Victini sighed. In the middle of their fight with Eternatus, he saw them get ambushed from behind before being knocked unconscious. Only later, through Cofagrigus' monologue, he learned their group was the one behind it.
"So…you're alright with us continuing this?"
"Yes. In fact, most Legendaries encourage it. Lugia and Ho-oh even shed some of their feathers while flying to bless those who can find it."
"So that's why there are so many copies of their feathers."
Dante huffed in amusement. Even in Zapdos' treasure room, he found many duplicates of those two's feathers, along with Articuno and Moltres'.
"By the way, how about you, Victini? Would absorbing one help recover your energy?"
"Thanks for the offer, Dan. But it isn't of much help to me."
Victini said with a smile. The reason these items are so useful for ordinary Pokemon is because Legendaries have a higher quality energy. By absorbing a small amount, an ordinary Pokemon's body would remember and try to emulate it.
But as a Legendary himself, Victini's body already produced the same energy. Absorbing the remnant items of other Legendaries would just recover a similar amount of energy that he can naturally produce in a single breath.
"That's a pity. Well, we'd proceed ahead then."
Since Victini had no problems, Dante continued to give the others their share.
Pikachu got a battery filled with Regieleki's energy, Azumarill had a piece of diamond from Diancie, and Ninetales a piece of Ice from Regice.
This only left him, Ursaring, and Eevee.
Dante took out a lump of steel and hesitated. This was a piece of Regigigas' body. One of the strongest Normal-type Pokemon whose status is arguably on par with Uxie and the others.
However, the cause of his hesitation had nothing to do with the preciousness of this item. He had five copies of it in the bag- more than enough for the three of them.
No, the real reason is because of another item he only had a single copy of. One that came from a Pokemon even more powerful than Regigigas.
Arceus' hair: A single hair from the God of Pokemon. It has a very small remnant of their power. When held by a Normal-type Pokemon, the potential within their body is stimulated.
He was really curious how Cofagrigus and their organization could obtain this. Did Arceus fight against someone and they took advantage of the situation? Or had Cofagrigus simply found this thing by sheer luck?
Unfortunately, he couldn't obtain an answer for that now. What he can do instead is decide which among the three of them will use it.
Firstly, Dante ruled himself out. He doesn't use his Normal moves much and instead rely more on his Ghost-type ones and Illusions.
Eevee will evolve into other types, so the boost in Normal-type moves will likely also become useless. That leaves Ursaring.
He gazed at the large bear Pokemon. When he evolves into Ursaluna, he'll still retain his Normal typing. At the same time, Facade, his most powerful Normal-type move, would also benefit from this.
Well, that's what he thought at the beginning. But after some careful thinking, wouldn't taking the fragment from Regigigas achieve the same result for Ursaring?
Thus, it's now between him and Eevee again. And in the end, he decided to let his naughty daughter have it. Eevee is known as the mini-Arceus in his previous world, after all. Maybe she'd get a surprising result after absorbing this?
Having made this decision, Dante handed out Arceus' hair to Eevee, while he and Ursaring both got a remnant of Regigigas.
"How can I use this, Dad?"
Eevee stared in wonder at the single piece of white hair her Dad gave. Her body was trembling just at the sight of it. How powerful was the Pokemon who possessed this? In the future, could a single piece of her hair achieve the same result?
"Hmm, I'm not sure. For the Spectral Mist and Primordial Seawater, Azumarill and I just ingested it. But for this…"
Dante stared wryly at the lump of steel before him. It's almost the same size as his head!
"You need to wrap the items with your energy, then guide the remnant energy inside of them towards your body."
Victini interjected from the side. As he gazed at the piece of white hair floating in front of Eevee, a brief look of pain flashed across his pupils.
"Huh, just like this…?"
"Yes. Like that."
Victini watched as everyone began the absorption process. Their faces scrunched at the beginning, before slowly shifting to a more relaxed one. However, in the middle, an unbidden thought suddenly appeared in Victini's mind.
One day…would they try absorbing his energy the same way too?
Victini shuddered and shook his head. No. That was just his trauma talking. Dante and the others wouldn't do that to him…they wouldn't, right?
As he stared at the look of joy on their faces, Victini became more and more unsure.
Dante opened his eyes.
He felt as if he had taken a couple of relaxing hours in the hot springs, feeling very light and airy. He glanced around and noticed everyone had a similarly relaxed smile on their faces.
"It feels…weird. It's like I got more powerful, yet not at the same time."
Pikachu opened and clenched his paws several times. Sparks of electricity surged around him, circling his arms.
"That's normal. It only increases the power of your Electric-type moves by a small bit. However, you should notice it's easier to control your Electric energy now."
Dante chuckled. He had the same feeling when he first absorbed the Spectral Mist. It was only thanks to the system message that he learned the specific effect of the item he absorbed.
Speaking of, Dante opened the Team Menu to confirm everyone's situation. He frowned when he checked his situation. Even after absorbing Regigigas' energy, he got the same 10% boost in Normal-type moves? So does it not matter which Legendary the parts came from?
He continued checking the others. Pikachu had a similar result as him. And so is Azumarill, Mawile, and Riolu.
Dante continued scrolling down. Finally, at Ursaring's result section, he saw something different.
[Ursaring has absorbed Regigigas' remnant energy!]
[Ursaring's Normal-type moves have increased in power by 10%!]
[Ursaring's control of Normal-type energy has increased!]
[Ursaring learned Body Expansion!]
"Body Expansion?"
Dante muttered. At the exact same moment, he felt a huge shadow tower above him. He looked up to see what was going on, only to find that Ursaring had grown to a height of more than 7 meters. And he still kept growing!
"RAWR!!"
Ursaring let out a bellowing roar. His head crashed against the cavern's ceiling before his growth stopped. He looked down at his Dad and the others who barely reached his shins with a wide grin.
"Woahhhh! Ursaring, how did you do that?!"
Pikachu's eyes sparkled. He circled around the giant bear's paw, touching and prodding it from time to time.
"Hehehe, I'm not sure. I felt I could suddenly grow taller, so I tried doing it."
Ursaring's voice rumbled throughout the cave. Apparently, his height was not the only thing that increased.
"Are you alright?"
Dante asked while studying Ursaring's form. This scene reminded him of the Gigantamax form. But how could Ursaring absorbing Regigigas' energy allow him to do that?
"My energy is being used up quicker than usual. But otherwise, I feel fine, Dad."
Ursaring moved his arms around to check his condition before replying.
"Dante, Ursaring's condition is normal. He and Regigigas must have been very compatible. Regigigas has a similar ability to expand his body. After absorbing his energy, Ursaring inherited the same ability."
Victini explained, having thrown his earlier thought at the back of his mind.
It was normal Dante and the others were happy. After all, they got stronger. And they were also the ones who saved him. They're not the kind of bad guys who would do something so cruel, right?
"Is that so?"
Dante mused. He supposed Regigigas being able to expand his size was something to be expected. After all, according to the legends, this Legendary Pokemon walked across the ocean floor and towed the continents to their current position. If he was the same size as shown in the anime, he wouldn't be able to do that.
"That's good, then. Ursaring, let's test what your new body can do."
"Sure, Dad!"
Thus, at the depths of Beach Cave, a gigantic brown bear began clawing at the air, stomping his foot, and creating rocks. The dungeon Pokemon above trembled in fear as their home began to constantly shake.
When it finally stopped, they all let out a sigh of relief.
"Hmm, that's…interesting."
Dante said in fascination. Ursaring's stats didn't undergo any changes. But because of his increase in size, his weight similarly grew. This means that he had to exert more energy to move. However, it had the added benefit of his close-range moves gaining more range and power.
Likewise, because of his body's increased surface area, the amount of energy he can distribute and release has increased. As an example, the Rock Tomb he created is no different in size than a meteorite.
The cost to achieve all these is a large consumption of energy. Ursaring had to use double the usual energy, or even more, to achieve those results. When he returned to his normal size, he was already panting in exhaustion.
"Good work, Ursaring."
"Hehehe."
Ursaring laughed and scratched the back of his head. He glanced around the beach cave which was now filled with potholes. Fortunately, the floor is made of sand. Dante only had to conjure a large broom to fill the holes.
"By the way, Regirock, can you also expand your body?"
Dante asked. He stared at the rock golem who stood at attention the whole time, not having moved from his position even with all the commotion Ursaring made.
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"How about you, Regice, Registeel, and Regidrago?"
""AFFIRMATIVE.""
"Huh."
Dante stared at the four Regis, then at Ursaring. Idly, a thought came to his mind. If he had them expand to their maximum size and unleash a move like Earthquake or Hyper Beam, wouldn't their destructive potential be comparable to a nuclear bomb?
As he was thinking this, he glanced at Pikachu and Azumarill. And remembered that the two could already do something similar with their tiny bodies.
Dante shook his head in amusement. Just as he was about to continue looking at the system log, a smug laughter sounded from the side.
"Heeheehee, it's my turn to show off next!"
"Eh! You also gained something, little Eevee?"
"That's right~"
Eevee turned her snout upwards in pride. Then, under everyone's curious gazes, her body became cloaked in fire.
"Ohh! You learned a new move?"
"Hehe. Not just one. But five!"
"Wha!?"
Pikachu took a step back in surprise. Even Azumarill felt a little stifled. He absorbed two Legendary items already, why didn't he learn even a single new move?
Dante raised his eyebrows and checked the system log. Ninetales had the usual boost in ice power. And as for Eevee. Seeing her gains, his eyes widened.
As expected of the mini-Arceus. Not only were the power of her Normal-type moves increased by 10%, all her other types were similarly boosted.
In addition, she also learned Baddy Bad, Buzzy Buzz, Glitzy Glow, Sappy Seed, and Sizzly Slide- all her remaining partner moves.
With this, while Eevee may still not be his strongest Pokemon, she became the most difficult and annoying to defeat.
Baddy Bad is a special Dark-type move with a base power of 90. And after hitting an opponent, she gains a light armor that reduces the damage she takes from physical attacks by 50%. Glitzy Glow is a special Psychic-type move that does the same but for special attacks.
And then she has Sappy Seed, a Grass-type move that plants a seed on opponents she hits to constantly drain their HP and heal herself.
Bouncy Bubble has a similar use. It's a water-type Special Attack that regains part of her energy when she damages the opponent.
Buzzy Buzz is a special Electric-type move that paralyzes the opponents she hits, and Sizzly Swirl is a physical Fire-type move which burns any Pokemon she comes into contact with.
Lastly, she can clear any stat changes on the field with Freezy Frost, and remove any status condition on the team with Sparkly Swirl. When paired with all her Exclusive Items in the bag, then unless her opponent takes her out in a single hit, Eevee would hold on and drain them to death.
"Aren't I invincible now?"
Eevee asked proudly as she finished showing off the moves she learned to everyone.
"Why don't you try facing one of them and see whether you're invincible or not?"
Dante said in amusement while pointing to the four Regis nearby.
"Heh, alright Dad. I feel I can take them on now."
"Oh? I like that confidence. Who do you want to fight?"
"I'll have a match against Regidrago!"
Eevee turned to the Dragon Golem with fighting spirit burning in her eyes. She knows. Although she learned so many awesome new moves, it doesn't change that her attacks aren't strong enough to breach the defenses of the other three Regis.
Instead, only Regidrago, who has a much higher speed and attack but lower defenses, is the one she has a chance of taking down.
Under the encouragement of her team members, Eevee stood and faced the Legendary Pokemon Regidrago in a 1 against 1.
And standing on the side, Victini stared at Eevee in fascination. He felt the familiar throb. The burning desire for victory hidden within the brown fox Pokemon.